Cody Christie

On Wednesday, Phil Hughes made his final start of the season for the Twins. It capped a memorable first year in Minnesota for the former Yankees pitcher. He signed with the club as the lesser of two big off-season upgrades to the rotation but he turned out to be the staff ace. One of the most amazing parts of this season for Hughes has been his ability to completely eliminate walks while still being a very effective pitcher. For the entire season, Hughes had 16 walks charged to him over the course of close to 210 innings. If he doesn't pitch again this season, he will have set the record for best strike out to walk rate in the history of the game. There were only two games this season where Hughes allowed multiple walks, one in April and one in June. In the month of April, he had six walks over five starts. Other than that, he went through large stretches of the season with almost no walks on his record. The Worst Walk Game of the Year April 9th| 1st Inning: Sam Fuld (4 pitches), Jed Lowrie (6 pitches) 2nd Inning: Eric Sogard (5 pitches) Hughes must have been a little excited for his first start at Target Field. He started off the first inning with back-to-back walks including a four pitch walk to lead-off hitter Sam Fuld. Both runners would come around to score and Hughes found himself in a 4-0 hole. The second inning didn't start off much better as Hughes walked Eric Sogard on five pitches. However, he would be stranded at second base. The Walk King June 1st| 2nd Inning| Brian McCann (7 pitches) 4th Inning: Brian McCann (4 pitches) McCann would be the lone batter to draw more than one walk from Hughes this year and he did it in Hughes' return to the Bronx. McCann's first walk lead-off the second inning but he was erased on a double play to end the frame. It ended a streak of 178 batters without issuing a walk. The fourth inning was a little more costly as McCann walked with two runners already on base. A sacrifice fly two batters later would cost Hughes his second earned run of the day but that was all he allowed and the Twins won the game. Walks Will Haunt June 22nd| 3rd Inning| Tyler Flowers (7 pitches) This might have been the most costly walk for Hughes this season. His walk to Flowers loaded the bases after he allowed two singles to start the frame. The floodgates opened from that point and he would go on to surrender five runs on six hits. The Twins had been up 3-0 at the beginning of the inning but the club would come back to score three in the fourth. Hughes picked up his eighth win even with the bad inning. April Showers April 3rd| 1st Inning | Adam Eaton (7 pitches) April 15th| 4th Inning| Adam Lind (5 pitches) April 20th| 2nd Inning| Alcides Escobar (7 pitches) The first batter Hughes faced in a Twins uniform, Adam Eaton, was able to earn the first walk of the year from the right-handed pitcher. In a game that would see a lot of scoring, he would be left on base. Later in the month, Adam Lind drew a walk with first base open after a Jose Bautista double started the inning. Neither man would score. Alcides Escobar's walk came with two outs in the inning and runners on second and third. Hughes got a flyball from the next batter and escaped the frame. One Intentional Pass June 28th| 8th Inning| Adrian Beltre (4 pitches) In the middle of a tight pitcher's duel with Yu Darvish, Hughes had to try and escape the eighth inning. With Texas already up 2-0, the walk loaded the bases. Three runs would score off the bats of the next two batters as Hughes suffered his fourth loss of the season. July Losses July 3rd| 7th Inning| Ichiro Suzuki (6 pitches) July 19th| 7th Inning| Logan Forsythe (5 pitches) July 30th| 3rd Inning| Omar Infante (6 pitches) July would see Hughes lose more games than any other month. Ichiro's seventh inning walk against Hughes set-up his rough inning for the starter. The Yankees held a slim one-run lead but two consecutive hits following the walk pushed Hughes from the game. Another late inning walk to Logan Forsythe would mean result in a loss for Hughes. Forsythe lead-off the inning with a walk and the Rays would add a couple runs to their 3-0 lead. Omar Infante's walk didn't cost Hughes any runs but he still ended up losing the game to end his worst month of the year. Season Winding Down August 5th| 3rd Inning| Everth Cabrera (6 pitches) August 10th| 4th Inning| Josh Reddick (6 pitches) September 13th| 2nd Inning| John Danks (6 pitches) Over the season's last couple months, the walks would be few and far between. Everth Cabrera worked a one-out walk in the early innings but he never left first base. One start later Josh Reddick would coax a two-out walk but he too would be left at first. It would be over a month before the next walk from Hughes. John Danks earned the free pass but Hughes would still strike out the side in the frame. Hughes outperformed many of the expectations for him this year. Leave a COMMENT and discuss what you will remember most about his season. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

Clayton Kershaw is in the midst of one of the best pitching seasons in baseball history. He looks to be a lock for the National League Cy Young and there's a chance he could win the NL MVP. Even after missing a chunk of games at the beginning of the season, he has rebounded to post one of the best seasons on record. Starting pitching seems to be one of the areas the Twins are struggling to find success. There hasn't been a player of Kershaw's caliber in the Twins rotation since the Johan Santana days in the Metrodome. However, there have been some very good seasons from past Twins pitchers. Last week ESPN tried to rank the top 20 pitcher seasons of the last 50 years. There were no Twins on the list but some Minnesota members were on the honorable mentions list. For the purposes of this post, WAR is the average between the Baseball Reference and FanGraphs version of the statistic. ERA+ is ERA that is adjusted for home park and league context. Postseason performance was also considered. 1. Bert Blyleven, 1973 W-L: 20-17 | 2.52 ERA | 325.0 IP | 258 SO | ERA+: 156 | WAR: 10.5 "[blyleven's] best season came in 1973, when he went 20-17, with a 2.52 ERA in 40 starts. He pitched 325 innings and tossed nine shutouts. But in 10 starts in which he allowed one or two runs, he went just 5-4 -- even though he pitched at least 8 1/3 innings in all of those games."--- David Schoenfield, ESPN's SweetSpot Blog The sheer number of innings thrown by Blyleven at such a high level makes this season the most impressive in Twins history. His record could have been even more impressive if the Twins would have given him more run support. The Twins finished with a .500 record so there was never a shot for Blyleven to strut his stuff in the postseason that year. Surprisingly Blyleven received one lone vote in the AL Cy Young balloting that year. Jim Palmer won the award because he had more wins and a lower ERA. Blyleven bested him in innings, complete games, and shutouts. He also struck out over 100 more batters. 2. Johan Santana, 2004 W-L: 20-6 | 2.61 ERA | 228.0 IP | 265 SO | ERA+: 182 | WAR: 8.1 "He's the only guy I know who at times has a 20-mile-per-hour differential between his fastball and his change-up. Usually guys have a 10-mile-per hour difference." --- Brett Boone, Seattle Mariners second baseman The toughest choice on this list was between Santana and Blyleven for the top spot. Santana was so dominant in 2004 that it was painstakingly hard not to put him in the top spot. His season didn't even get off to the best start. Through his first 12 starts, he had a 5.50 ERA and he had allowed 12 home runs in just under 69 innings. Things turned quickly as he had a 1.64 ERA and 75 strikeouts over his last 55 innings before the All-Star break. He got even better after the Mid-Summer Classic. He started 15 games with a 1.21 ERA and struck out 129 in 104.1 innings. He walked 23 and batters were only able to muster a .443 OPS and they only coaxed 23 walks. 3. Bert Blyleven, 1974 W-L: 17-17 | 2.66 ERA | 281.0 IP | 249 SO | ERA+: 142 | WAR: 8.3 "It (his curveball) was nasty. I'll tell you that. Enough to make your knees buckle. Bert (Blyleven) was a terrific pitcher -- a dominating pitcher." --- Brooks Robinson, Hall of Fame Third Baseman In the follow-up season to his best professional season, Blyleven continued his dominating form. Many of his numbers dropped off but he was still very good. He was especially good in front of the Metropolitan Stadium crowd. In home games, he had a 1.91 ERA and he threw 12 completed games. He struck out 150 over 160 innings and he limited his walks to 45. The second half of the season was also particularly strong for Blyleven. He had a 2.00 ERA and he struck out 107 in just under 113 innings. Over his last 12 starts, he threw 98 innings with a 1.65 ERA. 4. Johan Santana, 2006 W-L: 19-6 | 2.77 ERA | 233.2 IP | 245 SO | ERA+: 162 | WAR: 7.3 "Santana fiddled with a change-up before 2002, but that was when the pitch blossomed. After Minnesota sent Santana to Class AAA Edmonton to covert him from a reliever to a starter, Bobby, Cuellar, the pitching coach there preached about the significance of trusting his change-up in any situation." --- Jack Curry, The New York Times The 2006 season was the last season in a very dominant three year stretch for Santana. He led all of baseball in ERA and strikeouts and he had the most innings pitched and games started in the American League. Among pitchers who compiled a minimum of 600 innings between 2004 and 2006, Santana led in ERA, ERA+, strikeouts, and K/BB ratio. He was the undisputed best pitcher in the baseball world even if it was only for three seasons. 5. Frank Viola, 1987 W-L: 17-10 | 2.90 ERA | 251.2 IP | 197 SO | ERA+: 159 | WAR: 6.9 "It's a tremendous feeling. MVP is a great, great honor but I couldn't do it without the other 23 guys and they all should share in this."--- Frank Viola, 1987 World Series MVP Some people might look at Viola's 1988 campaign as being more dominant since won the Cy Young that year. His 1987 campaign gets moved into the top 5 on this list because of his playoff performance. Viola was credited with three of the team's eight postseason victories that season. His Game 1 and Game 7 starts at the Metrodome were particularly strong as he pitched eight innings in both games and he limited the Cardinals to three runs. During the regular season, he allowed under 100 runs for the first time in his career and he posted the best ERA+ mark for his entire 15-year career. 6. Johan Santana, 2005 W-L: 16-7 | 2.87 ERA | 231.2 IP | 238 SO | ERA+: 155 | WAR: 7.4 In his first All-Star season, Santana lost some Cy Young support because of his low win total. He struck out more batters than everyone else in the baseball world. There were seven starts during the season were Santana didn't allow more than two earned runs and he was either charged with a loss or given a no decision. 7. Frank Viola, 1988 W-L: 24-7 | 2.64 ERA | 255.1 IP | 193 SO | ERA+: 154 | WAR: 6.9 Vioal road a World Series high into the 1988 season and rattled a league high 24 victories. He posted double-digit victories at home and on the road. Over the first half of the season, he had a 14-2 record with a 2.24 ERA including five complete games. In the month of May, he was a perfect 6-0 with a 1.53 ERA including two complete game shutouts. 8. Bert Blyleven, 1971 W-L: 16-15 | 2.81 ERA | 278.1 IP | 224 SO | ERA+: 126 | WAR: 6.9 There wasn't much of a sophomore slump for Mr. Blyleven. The 1971 season marked the beginning of a six year stretch where he would post an ERA of 3.00 or lower. It would also be the start of an eight year stretch where he threw a minimum of 11 complete games. Blyleven was starting his march toward the Hall of Fame. 9. Dean Chance, 1968 W-L: 16-16 | 2.53 ERA | 292.0 IP | 234 SO | ERA+: 124 | WAR: 6.6 Chance was coming off a 20-win season during his first season in Minnesota. His ERA was .20 points lower in 1968 and he tossed more innings. He had 15 complete games and six of those starts were shutouts. His 234 strikeouts were a career high that he would never break and his 0.98 WHIP was the only time he finished a season below 1.00 in this category. 10. Bert Blyleven, 1975 W-L: 15-10 | 3.00 ERA | 275.2 IP | 233 SO | ERA+: 129 | WAR: 6.4 The 1975 campaign would be Blyleven's last full season in Minnesota before he came back a decade later. His 20 complete games were his second highest total as a Twin behind his 1973 season. He struck out over 220 for the fifth straight year. In seven of his losses or no decisions, he pitched at least seven and gave up three runs or less. Honorable Mentions: Dean Chance (1967), Camilo Pascual (1962), Dave Goltz (1977), Jim Perry, (1970), Jim Katt (1966), Jim Katt (1967), Jerry Koosman (1979), Francisco Liriano (2006) Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Who would be in your top 10 list?

"To win the game, you've gotta score more runs than the other team"--- Ricky Henderson, baseball's all-time runs leader Or prevent fewer runs than the other team. The 2014 Twins have actually done a very good job when it comes to scoring runs; their 4.39 runs per game are seventh highest total in all baseball. Where the Twins fall short is in the run prevention department; they allow 4.84 runs per game and that is the third worst total in baseball.To get back to the franchise's winning ways, the Twins are going to need to find answers to the question of how to allow fewer runs.And although a big part of that is improving on the team-wide ERA of 4.53, another big part is improving the Twins defense. The Twins have been rough at a few different defensive positions this season. For the purposes of this article, SABR's Defensive Index will be used. This is one of the stats used to select the Gold Glove Winners. Catcher: Of qualifying catchers, Kurt Suzuki has been fifth worst in the American League. He has a negative rating through games of September 7, 2014. The Twins signed Suzuki to an extension around the trade deadline this year. This means the organization lkely won't be improving defensively in this area. First Base: Joe Mauer's transition to a new position has been fairly smooth. He already had a little experience at first base and he is an athletic individual. Only Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera rank higher than him among AL first baseman. It wouldn't be surprising to see him at the top of the list as early as next year. Second Base: Many fans might think Brian Dozier deserves a Gold Glove for his defense. He makes some spectacular plays but he also has plenty of misplays and errors. Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler are way ahead in the AL second base rankings because they don't make mistakes. If Dozier could improve defensively, his value would increase even with some of his recent struggles at the plate. Third Base: This year, Trevor Plouffe's improved defense might be the most surprising change of all. In previous seasons he's looked like a stiff wall at third base. He is becoming more comfortable at the position and he ranks fourth in the AL at the hot corner. It will be interesting to see where Plouffe's future lies. Is it at third base or will he have to move for Miguel Sano? Shortstop: The plan wasn't for Eduardo Escobar to be at short when the Twins left spring training. But that's how baseball works. He hasn't been spectacular at shortstop but it's still good enough to rank third in the AL. Former Twin JJ Hardy is well ahead of the rest of the shortstop world and he's a free agent this off-season. Could Danny Santana do as well as Escobar at shortstop? The Twins haven't wanted to find out. Outfield: A variety of outfielders came through this season so none of these players figure into the SABR Defensive Index. Minnesota will keep Oswaldo Arcia in one of the corner spots even though he is below average in the field. Center field could be a question mark. Santana has been adequate and he could get better with more repetitions at his new position. Left field could be up for grabs. Byron Buxton and his strong defensive ability could debut next year but that would come later in the season. Shortstop and left field seem to be the areas where the Twins could make the greatest improvement. If Aaron Hicks could make a huge leap offensively, his defense would be a welcome addition in the outfield. It would be nice to have a defensive upgrade at shortstop but the Twins have struggled for years to fill that position. Even if the Twins make some small improvements to allow fewer runs, that'd be great. Otherwise, they are going to have to hope they can out-slug their opponents to get back on the right track. Click here to view the article

"To win the game, you've gotta score more runs than the other team"--- Ricky Henderson, baseball's all-time running scoring leader Baseball can be a very simple game but it always comes back to scoring more runs than the other team. This has always been the case and teams are challenged by how they should go about accomplishing this task. Should a team try and out slug the opposition to win in a high scoring fashion? Should a team use small ball to try and poke their way back into a game? The 2014 Twins have actually done a very good job when it comes to scoring runs. Their 4.39 runs per game are seventh highest total in all of baseball. Where the Twins fall short is in the run prevention department. They allow 4.84 runs per game and that is the third worst total in baseball. To get back to the franchise's winning ways, the Twins are going to need to find a way to allow fewer runs to score. Again that might seem like a simple answer but the ways to improve this area might not be easy. Improvements from the Starting Staff The Twins starting pitchers have a combined 4.53 ERA, the fourth worst mark in baseball. Phil Hughes is the only starter with an ERA under 4.00. If you took Hughes out of the equation, the staff numbers wouldn't look too great. Every pitcher seems to have a clunker every now and then but it's important to limit damage. Some pitchers are obviously better at this than others. While Hughes in the middle of his best professional season, there can be some expectations that there will be some regression next year. If the Twins can get small improvements from Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Gibson, and Trevor May, the team will be heading in the right direction. Alex Meyer's eventual debut could also help to improve the starting staff. The pitching staff also needs to find a way to strikeout batters at a higher rate. Meyer should help in this area but he won't be the staff savior. Minnesota's staff gives up a lot of contact and the best way to lower runs is by not allowing the ball to be put in play. Better Defense The Twins have been rough at a few different defensive positions this season. For the purposes of this article, SABR's Defensive Index will be used. This is one of the pieces that is used to select the Gold Glove Winners. Catcher: Out of qualifying catchers, Kurt Suzuki has been fifth worst in the American League. He has a negative rating through games of September 7, 2014. The Twins signed Suzuki to an extension around the trade deadline this year. That means the organization won't likely be improving defensively in this area. First Base: Joe Mauer's transition to a new position has been fairly smooth. He already had a little experience at first base and he is an athletic person. Only Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera rank higher than him among AL first baseman. It wouldn't be surprising to see him at the top of the list as early as next year. Second Base: Many fans might think Brian Dozier deserves a Gold Glove for his defense. He makes some spectacular plays but he also has plenty of misplays and errors. Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler are way ahead in the AL second base rankings because they don't make mistakes. If Dozier could improve defensively, his value would increase even with some of his recent struggles at the plate. Third Base: Trevor Plouffe's defense might be the most surprising of all this year. In previous seasons he's looked like a stiff wall at third base. He is becoming more comfortable at the position and he ranks fourth in the AL at the hot corner. It will be interesting to see where Plouffe's future lies. Is it at third base or will he have to move for Miguel Sano? Shortstop: The plan wasn't for Eduardo Escobar to be at short when the Twins left spring training but that's how baseball works. He hasn't been spectacular at shortstop but it's still good enough to rank third in the AL. Former Twin JJ Hardy is well ahead of the rest of the shortstop world and he's a free agent this off-season. Could Danny Santana do as well as Escobar at shortstop? The Twins haven't wanted to find out. Outfield: The Twins filtered through a variety of outfielders this season so none of their players figure into the SABR Defensive Index. Minnesota will keep Oswaldo Arcia in one of the corner spots even though he is below average in the field. Center field could be a question mark. Santana has been adequate and he could get better with more repetitions at his new position. Left field could be up for grabs. Byron Buxton and his strong defensive ability could debut next year but that would come later in the season. Shortstop and left field seem to be the areas where the Twins could improve the most defensively. If Aaron Hicks could make a huge leap offensively, his defense would be a welcome addition in the outfield. It would be nice to have a defensive upgrade at shortstop but the Twins have struggled for years to fill that position. Even the Twins can make some small improvements to allow fewer runs, that'd be great. Otherwise, they are going to have to hope they can out slug their opponents to get back on the right track.

It has been a year of good and bad performances in Minnesota. Unfortunately, there have probably been more bad than good. On the positive side of things, Phil Hughes has put together the best season of his professional career, Danny Santana has done some good things as a rookie, and the duo of Kennys Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia seem to be able to mash the ball out of any park. There have been some players who haven't lived up to expectations for various parts of the year.Those players are trying to right the ship over the next couple weeks before 2014 comes to a close. Ending this year on a good note could help each of the following players to rebound in 2015. Ricky Nolasco: When the Twins signed Nolasco this off-season to the biggest free agent deal in franchise history, there was a smattering of the fan base that said, "Who?" He had been a workhorse pitcher in the National League for multiple seasons but the transition to the American League has been anything but easy. There can be a variety of excuses thrown out in relation to his play this season. He could have been pitching through some injuries and he might have had a tough time adjusting to the new league. He'll be in the rotation next year and one has to hope that his performance will improve. Joe Mauer: He's not a catcher any more so there is supposed to be less wear and tear on his body. Even with the switch to a new position, it has been one of the worst offensive seasons on record for Mr. Mauer. His second half has been better than his first half performance (.695 OPS improving to .812 OPS), but it has come in half as many games. Fans will always focus on Mauer's performance because of his large contract and that's something he'll live with for the rest of his career. For 2015, the focus should be on getting back to the Mauer of old. Aaron Hicks: There's a chance Hicks could end up winning the starting center field job for the third straight season coming out of spring training next year. The Twins would obviously need to see something from him in the coming weeks. Since becoming a September call-up, he hasn't exactly knocked the cover off the ball. There haven't been a ton of signs pointing towards a rebound for Hicks but there have been flashes of good things in the minors and his first-round pedigree always helps. Next year could be his last chance to make a mark with the Twins. Trevor May: May's only seven starts into his MLB career so it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think he can improve. His outings in September have been better than August's and that might be enough of a confidence boost to put him on a higher path moving forward. Kyle Gibson struggled last year in his first taste of the big leagues and he's turned into a much more serviceable pitcher this year. May's mission should be to follow in Gibson's footsteps for 2015. If he can fit into the middle of the rotation for the next handful of years, Twins fans would have to be happy with the result. Brian Dozier: For fans who haven't been paying attention in recent weeks, Dozier's name might be a surprise on this list. After a tremendous first half of the season where there was a chance he would make the AL All-Star squad, Dozier has fizzled in the second half. His slugging percentage has dropped almost 100 points and this can be attributed to his lack of second half home runs. He hit 18 long balls in the first half and he's only hit one since July 23rd. There are younger players coming through the Twins system in the coming years that will want a middle infield job so Dozier needs to get back to the player he was in the first half. Click here to view the article

It has been a year of good and bad performances in Minnesota. Unfortunately, there has probably been more bad than good. On the positive side of things, Phil Hughes has put together the best season of his professional career, Danny Santana has done some good things as a rookie, and the duo of Kennys Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia seem to be able to mash the ball out of any park. There have been some players that haven't lived up to expectations for various parts of the year. Those players are trying to right the ship over the next couple weeks before 2014 comes to a close. Ending this year on a good note could help each of the following players to rebound in 2015. Ricky Nolasco: When the Twins signed Nolasco this off-season to the biggest free agent deal in franchise history, there was a smattering of the fan base that said, "Who?" He had been a workhorse pitcher in the National League for multiple seasons but the transition to the American League has been anything but easy. There can be a variety of excuses thrown out in relation to his play this season. He could have been pitching through some injuries and he might have had a tough time adjusting to the new league. He'll be in the rotation next year and one has to hope that his performance will improve. Joe Mauer: He's not playing catcher any more so there is supposed to be less wear and tear on his body. Even with the switch to a new position, it has been one of the worst offensive seasons on record for Mr. Mauer. His second half performance has been better than his first half performance (.695 OPS improving to .812 OPS), but it has come in half as many games. Fans will always focus on Mauer's performance because of his large contract and that's something he'll live with for the rest of his career. For 2015, the focus should be on getting back to the Mauer of old. Aaron Hicks: There's a chance Hicks could end up winning the starting center field job for the third straight season coming out of spring training next year. The Twins would obviously need to see something from him in the coming weeks. Since becoming a September call-up, he hasn't exactly blown the cover off the ball. There haven't been a ton of signs pointing towards a rebound for Hicks but there have been flashes of good things in the minors and his first round pedigree always helps. Next year could be his last chance to make a mark with the Twins. Trevor May: May's only seven starts into his MLB career so it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think he can improve. His outings in September have been better and that might be enough of a confidence boost to put him on a improve path moving forward. Kyle Gibson struggled last year in his first taste of the big leagues and he's turned into a much more serviceable pitcher this year. May's mission should be to follow in Gibson's footsteps for 2015. If he can fit into the middle of the rotation for the next handful of years, Twins fans would have to be happy with the result. Brian Dozier: For fans that haven't been paying attention in recent weeks, Dozier's name might be a surprise on this list. After a tremendous first half of the season where there was a chance he would make the AL All-Star squad, Dozier has fizzled in the second half. His slugging percentage has dropped almost 100 points and this can be attributed to his lack of second half home runs. He hit 18 long balls in the first half and he's only hit one since July 23rd. There are younger players coming through the Twins system in the coming years that will want a middle infield job so Dozier needs to get back to the player he was in the first half.

Bud Selig is set to retire this off-season after 22 years at the helm of Major League Baseball. Rob Manfred has already been voted in as his successor, a position he has been groomed for ever since starting to work for MLB in 1998. The 55-year-old Manfred will have a variety of issues on his plate as he takes over from the 80-year- old Selig. During Selig's tenure as commissioner, baseball has been marked by a variety of ups and downs.A large growth in attendance has increased revenue across the game. This has resulted in some large contracts for baseball's more established players. Besides the positives, there was also a World Series that was cancelled because of a strike and the performance enhancing drug scandal which impacted many parts of the baseball world. For the Minnesota Twins, there have been some positive things that have happened under the Selig regime, even if they can't all be credited to him. The Twins were able to finance a new stadium and Target Field has turned out to be a gem. Increases in revenue allowed the Twins to pay Joe Mauer one of the largest contracts in baseball. The organization also got to host the last All-Star Game with Selig as commissioner. However, the biggest story surrounding the Twins and Selig will always be the threat of contraction made following the 2001 season. Minnesota and Montreal were left on MLB's chopping block after Selig revealed that owners had voted 28-2 to eliminate two teams. Twins owner Carl Pohlad was frustrated with Minnesota's state government for not being able to come up with a deal to replace the outdated Metrodome. Pohlad would have been paid $250 million to close out the franchise he purchased in 1984. There were a lot of things going wrong in the baseball world in the aftermath of September 11th. In an interview with the Pioneer Press this summer, Selig said, "Contraction had nothing to do with Minnesota. Baseball was really struggling at the time, losing a fortune as a sport. There were owners who believed that contraction might help." Luckily for Twins fan, contraction never happened. A Hennepin County judge ruled that the Twins had to honor their Metrodome lease for the 2002 season. The Twins took full advantage of their new life as they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since their 1991 World Series championship. The team won the AL Central Division three straight seasons and six of the next nine years. Minnesota found itself back on the baseball map but not until after dealing with a situation that left more than one scar on the franchise. Selig did some good things for the Twins but his lasting memory will be the fact that he almost stole baseball away from a generation of fans in the Upper Midwest. Click here to view the article

Bud Selig is set to retire this off-season after 22 years at the helm of Major League Baseball. Rob Manfred has already been voted in as his successor, a position he has been groomed for over since starting to work for MLB in 1998. The 55-year old Manfred will have a variety of issues on his plate as he takes over from the 80-year old Selig. During Selig's tenure as commissioner, baseball has been marked by a variety of ups and downs. A large growth in attendance has increased revenue across the game. This has resulted in some slough of large contracts for baseball's more established players. Besides the positives, there was also a World Series that was cancelled because of a strike and the performance enhancing drug scandal impacted many parts of the baseball world. For the Minnesota Twins, there have been some positive things that have happened under the Selig regime even if they can't all be credited to him. The Twins were able to finance a new stadium and Target Field has turned out to be a gem. Increases in revenue allowed the Twins to pay Joe Mauer one of the largest contracts in baseball. The organization also got to host the last All-Star Game with Selig as commissioner. However, the biggest story surrounding the Twins and Selig will always be the threat of contraction made following the 2001 season. Minnesota and Montreal were left on the MLB's chopping block after Selig revealed owners had voted 28-2 to eliminate two teams. Twins owner Carl Pohlad was frustrated with Minnesota's state government for not being able to come up with a deal to replace the outdated Metrodome. Pohlad would be paid $250 million to close out the franchise he purchased in 1984. There were a lot of things going wrong in the baseball world in the aftermath of September 11th. In an interview with the Pioneer Press this summer, Selig said, "Contraction had nothing to do with Minnesota. Baseball was really struggling at the time, losing a fortune as a sport. There were owners who believed that contraction might help." Luckily for Twins fan, contraction never happened. A Hennepin County judge ruled that the Twins had to honor their Metrodome lease for the 2002 season. The Twins took full advantage of their new life as they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since their 1991 World Series Championship. The team won the AL Central Division three straight seasons and six of the next nine years. Minnesota found itself back on the baseball map but not after dealing with a situation that left more than one scar on the franchise. Selig did some good things for the Twins but his lasting memory will be the fact that he almost stole baseball away from a generation of fans in the Upper Midwest.

There is a silver lining to this gray cloud for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. At the midway point of the season, the Twins posted a 44-50 record to sit at a .469 winning percentage. Flash-forward to the second half of the year and Minnesota is 15 games under .500 with a .347 winning percentage (entering play on Tuesday). The younger players are working out some of their kinks but the losses continue to pile up.During the 2013 season, the Twins finished the second half with a .386 winning percentage as the club was 16 games under .500 for that stretch. This included posting an 8-20 record for the final month of the year. 2012 and 2011 were also rough second halves with .390 and .301 winning percentages. That's a lot of second half losses but bad rosters, injuries, and a rough group in the rotation will do that to a team. If a person wants to look on the bright side of things, the mounting Minnesota losses do lead to some positives. The 90-loss seasons of the last three years have resulted in the Twins earning three straight top five draft picks. This has brought a trio of top-notch prospects into the organization. Byron Buxton, Kohl Stewart, and Nick Gordon might be among the keys to getting the organization back on track and those picks wouldn't have happened without some terrible Septembers. This year, the Twins losing ways at the start of September have the club positioned to slide into a top five pick for the fourth year in a row. This is the third post in a series looking at different story lines in relation to the Twins as the season comes to a close (Part 1: Starting Rotation, Part 2: Prospect Promotions). September has been a rough month over the last three seasons and this year is following that trend. The motto of the month might be "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but there seems to be a small glimmer of hope on the horizon. This could give you a reason to still pay attention over the final weeks. Projected 2015 MLB Draft Order 1. Texas Rangers 54-89 2. Houston Astros 3. Colorado Rockies 59-85 4.5 GB 4. Arizona D-Backs 59-84 5.0 GB 5. Minnesota Twins 61-82 7.0 GB 6. Houston Astros 63-81 8.5 GB 7. Boston Red Sox 63-81 8.5 GB The Texas Rangers seem to have a stronghold on the top pick in the draft and Houston is guaranteed to pick second after failing to sign this year's top pick, Brady Aiken, This leaves the Twins stalking the Diamondbacks and the Rockies for the third worst record in baseball. When looking at the strength of schedule for these teams, this is shaping up to be a tight race to the end. The Twins opponents the rest of the way have roughly a .500 winning percentage which is tied with the Rockies. The Diamondbacks have a little bit easier road, with opponents' winning percentage around .480. The Red Sox and the Astros are behind Minnesota and they have tougher opponents the rest of the way. How well a team is playing can also impact its draft position. Some teams play a lot better down the stretch than their overall records would indicate. Over the last 20 games, the Twins have the 26th worst record in baseball. The only team on the above list with a record as bad as Minnesota is Arizona and they have the same record. Texas and Boston are one game better. While some teams have been struggling, the Rockies have been two games over .500 in the last 20. So what's the prize at the end of the road? It's tough to know how the draft will shape up over the next few months. When dealing with a combination of high school and college players, a lot can impact their draft stock. Last week, Baseball America said "one of the strengths of this draft class is high school bats and prep power." That being said, it sounds like the top of the draft will be pitcher-heavy. Does losing stink at the end of the year? Well, yes, but another top notch prospect could only add to the organization's depth. If you are going to be bad, it pays to be really bad... especially in September. Click here to view the article

This is the third post in a series looking at different story lines in relation to the Twins as the season comes to a close (Part 1: Starting Rotation, Part 2: Prospect Promotions) September has been a rough month over the last three seasons and this year is continuing to follow that trend. The moto of the month might be "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but there seems to be a small glimmer of hope on the horizon. This could give you a reason to still pay attention over the final weeks. At the midway point of the season, the Twins posted a 44-50 record to sit at a .469 winning percentage. Flash-forward to the second half of the year and Minnesota is 15 games under .500 with a .347 winning percentage (entering play on Tuesday). The younger players are working out some of their kinks but the losses continue to pile up. During the 2013 season, the Twins finished the second half with a .386 winning percentage as the club was 16 games under .500 for that stretch. This included posting an 8-20 record for the final month of the year. 2012 and 2011 were also rough second halves with .390 and .301 winning percentages. That's a lot of losses piling up but bad rosters, injuries, and a rough group in the rotation will do that to a team. If a person wants to look on the bright side of things, the mounting Minnesota losses do mean some positives. The 90-loss seasons of the last three year have resulted in the Twins earning three straight top five draft picks. This has brought a trio of top-notch prospects into the organization. Byron Buxton, Kohl Stewart, and Nick Gordon might be the key to get the organization back on track and those picks wouldn't have happened without some terrible Septembers. The Twins recent losing ways to start the month of September have the club positioned to slide into a top five pick for the fourth year in a row. Projected 2015 MLB Draft Order 1. Texas Rangers 54-89 2. Houston Astros 3. Colorado Rockies 59-85 4.5 GB 4. Arizona D-Backs 59-84 5.0 GB 5. Minnesota Twins 61-82 7.0 GB 6. Houston Astros 63-81 8.5 GB 7. Boston Red Sox 63-81 8.5 GB The Texas Rangers seem to have a stronghold on the top pick in the draft and Houston is guaranteed to pick second after failing to sign this year's top pick, Brady Aiken, This leaves the Twins hunting down the Diamondbacks and the Rockies for the third worst record in baseball. When looking at the strength of schedule for these teams, this could be shaping up to be a tight race to the end. The Twins opponents the rest of the way have roughly a .500 winning percentage which is tied with the Rockies. The Diamondbacks have a little bit easier road with opponents winning percentage around .480. The Red Sox and the Astros are behind Minnesota and they have tougher opponents the rest of the way. How well a team is playing can also impact their draft position. Some teams play a lot better than their overall record down the stretch. Over the last 20 games, the Twins have the 26th worst record in baseball. The only team on the above list with record as bad as Minnesota is Arizona and they have the same record. Texas and Boston are one game better. While some teams have been struggling, the Rockies have been two games over .500 in the last 20. So what's the prize at the end of the road? It's tough to know how the draft will shape up over the next few months. When dealing with a combination of high school and college players, a lot can impact their draft stock. Last week, Baseball America said "one of the strengths of this draft class is high school bats and prep power." That being said, it sounds like the top of the draft will be pitcher-heavy. Does losing stink at the end of the year? Well yes but another top notch prospect could only add to their organization's depth. If you are going to be bad, it pays to be really bad... especially in September.

Three of the Twins affiliates are in the midst of a run for their respective league titles. This is a growing trend in the Twins system over the last couple seasons as the organization stockpiles younger players. Hopefully these winning ways will start to translate to the major league level over the next couple seasons but for now the focus is on the task at hand.The Miracle kicked off their Florida State League playoff series on Tuesday night. Fort Myers has been strong the last two years but they were swept out of the first round last season. This year their eyes are on a higher prize. The E-Twins suffered a one-run loss in a game on Monday that, if they had won, would have put them in the Appalachian League championship round. The loss led them to hand the ball to Felix Jorge, one of the Twins best pitching prospects, in a decisive third game on Tuesday night. They were looking to win the Apply League crown for the second time in three years. MIRACLE MATTERS/ FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 7 Box Score Pre-Game Notes: On Tuesday it was announced that a pair of Miracle players had been given awards. The Florida State League gave Stuart Turner the Hitter of the Week award and Ethan Mildren was named the Pitcher of the Week. Turner went 8-for-18 during the week with two homers and eight RBI. Mildren pitched a complete game shutout, pitching seven innings and allowing only three hits. Game Recap: After two innings in Tuesday night's game, the Miracle found themselves in a hole. Anderlin Mejia made a fielding error with two outs in the frame. Bradenton took advantage of this extra out by scoring seven unearned runs, all to the account of Miracle starter Brett Lee. By the end of the inning, Fort Myers was down 7-3. In the top of the fourth inning, the first three batters of the inning reached base via walk. This brought Jason Kanzler to the plate to face a new pitcher out of the bullpen. He crushed a grand slam to right field to tie the game. It was his second extra-base hit of the night and he wound up driving in six runs. Max Kepler had the only other extra-base hit, a double that drove in a run. The second biggest hit of the night came in the sixth inning after a rain delay. Following a Niko Goodrum strikeout, Travis Harrison got things started with a double to left. Dalton Hicks wasted little time and drove a single to right that scored Harrison from second as the Miracle took the lead. The Miracle bullpen was outstanding as they shut out the Marauders over the last 7.1 frames. During that stretch, there were only four base runners. Todd Van Steensel earned the win after he threw one inning and struck out one. Nick Burdi needed a helpful double play to get out of the eighth but he did earn a hold. Zack Jones saved the game with a perfect ninth, with two strikeouts. E-TWINS E-NOTES/ APPY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 5 Box Score Pre-game Notes: There was unfortunate news that came out affecting the E-Twins. Nick Gordon, the Twins first round pick this year, is out for the season after breaking a bone in his left index finger. He is done for the season and will likely miss all of the Instructional League with the injury. Game Recap: The E-Twins took an early lead in this one after a two-run home run by Tyler Kuresa. Tanner English had started the bottom of the first with a single. The next two batters were retired but Kuresa made sure Elizabethton wouldn't leave the frame empty-handed. Johnson City responded quickly with three runs of their own in the top of the second to take the lead. In the bottom of the third, the Twins used a trio of singles and a throwing error to push across two runs and retake the lead. Blake Schmit, Trey Vavra and Tyler Kuresa all collected hits with one out in the inning. The Johnson City shortstop tried to turn a quick double play to end the inning but the ball got by the first baseman and Vavra was able to score all the way from second. Johnson City scored a run in the sixth off of starter Felix Jorge to tie the game. Jorge finished with 5.2 innings pitched as he gave up four earned runs on eight hits. He struck out six and walked none. C.K. Irby gave up the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh. There was a lengthy rain delay before the bottom of the ninth inning but the E-Twins didn't have enough in the tank to continue their season. They lost by one run for the second straight night to be eliminated. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Zack Jones, Fort Myers Miracle Hitter of the Day: Jason Kanzler, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:05 CST)- TBA (Listen) Miracle lead 1-0 - DJ Baxendale Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST)- TBA (Listen) Game 1 - Chih-Wei Hu Click here to view the article

The Rochester Red Wings are hanging on to every last shred of their playoff lives. They squeaked out a win on Saturday to remain within two games of the wild card lead. Entering play on Sunday, they have three games remaining but two of them are with the team ahead of them in the standings. This meant Sunday was a must win game. Alex Meyer left Saturday's start early and this forced the Red Wings to have to do some shifting in their rotation. Jose Berrios was called up from New Britain to make his Triple-A debut in the middle of a hot pennant race. Rochester also called up Ryan O'Rouke to take the place of Aaron Thompson, who was called up to Minnesota. One way or another there was bound to be drama on Sunday. Let's see what unfolded...RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Pawtucket 10 Box Score After a season full of awards and honors, Jose Berrios struggled in his Triple-A debut. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits in three innings of work. He struck out three and walked three before being taken out. The last pitcher younger than Berrios to pitch for the Red Wings pitched back in 1997. Logan Darnell relieved Berrios but he ended up giving up three unearned runs of his own. This left the Red Wings in a deep hole before the end of the fourth inning. Rochester tried to stay in the game with a scoring spree in the third inning. A double from Aaron Hicks and Josmil Pinto helped to push three runs across the plate but this would be the only multiple-run inning for the team. Eric Farris hit a home run for the second time in three days after going three months without one. The loss eliminates the Red Wings from playoff contention as they tried to earn a wild card berth for the second straight year. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, New Hampshire 3 Box Score Eddie Rosario, Corey Wimberly, and Kyle Knudson all drove in two runs apiece to pace the Rock Cats offense. Rosario hit his eighth home run of the season. Knudson had a double as part of a three hit effort. Mike Kvasnicka reached base three times and scored three runs. Even though the team left seven men on base, they went 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Adrian Salcedo picked up his third win of the season in only his sixth start. He lasted six innings and struck out six while allowing two earned runs. Madison Boer allowed a run on three hits which was enough to keep the game in check. Cole Johnson earned his ninth save by striking out two in a little over an inning's worth of work. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 14, Jupiter 1 Box Score In their last tune-up before the playoffs, the Miracle exploded for 14 runs. This included three innings of scoring more than three runs. Max Kepler drove in three as part of a three-hit day. Dalton Hicks went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Stuart Turner crushed his seventh home run of the year. Tyler Grimes hit his 14th double and plated three runs. The Miracle used a variety of bullpen members to complete this game. Steven Gruver went two scoreless innings to start the game. Tyler Jones allowed a lead-off hit before retiring nine straight batters to earn his third win. Alex Muren allowed the only run of the game in a little under two innings of work. Todd Van Steensel closed out the last two plus innings without allowing a run. The Miracle closed the regular season with an overall record of 82-57. The 82 wins is the second-most in team history since moving to Fort Myers in 1992. Fort Myers will travel to Bradenton to play the Marauders on Tuesday at 5:30 pm (CST) in the first game of the FSL South Division Championship Series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 1 Box Score There wasn't a lot of action in this game. The Kernels combined for five hits but it wasn't enough to keep the team from being shut out. Chad Christensen was the lone member of the team to have more than one hit. Engelb Vielma and J.D. Williams both went 1-for-4. The club didn't have a single extra-base hit and they left five men on base. Lewis Thorpe started the game and pitched four shutout innings. He earned the no- decision as he struck out four but he also walked four. Chris Mazza took his fourth loss of the year after allowing the only run of the game in his four innings on the mound. Dallas Gallant was perfect over the final two frames and struck out four. His ERA currently sits at 0.64 for the year with Cedar Rapids. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Johnson City 6 (13 Innings) Box Score It took 13 innings but the E-Twins managed to win the first game of their playoff series. In a back and forth game that saw both teams have a four run inning, Elizabethton broke a four inning scoreless drought to push across the winning run. Trey Vavra drove in four of the team's seven runs as part of a three-hit day. Tanner English had three hits including a double and two runs scored. English set up the game-winning run with a two-out double in the 13th inning. Vavra had the game- winning single after Nick Gordon was intentionally walked. Tyler Kuresa and Tyler Mautner both went 3-for-6 with a double each. John Curtis pitched five strong innings of two-run ball to start the game. He struck out five and walked one. Dereck Rodriguez did a solid job in relief by striking out three in two shutout innings. Keaton Steele earned his first win with three hitless innings to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Adrian Salcedo, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Trey Vavra, Elizabethton Twins MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (12:05 CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) New Hampshire @ New Britain (12:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers- Start Playoffs on Wednesday night Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (2:00 CST) - Ryan Eades (Listen) Johnson City @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST)- TBA Click here to view the article

Byron Buxton is heading back to the Arizona Fall League. At least that is the hope of the Twins organization as rosters were announced for the AFL on Tuesday. Buxton will be looking to make up for lost time after a brutal outfield collision in his first Double-A game left him with a concussion. He will have to pass all MLB-level concussion protocols before taking the field in the AFL. Buxton is among a trio of prospects heading back to Arizona for a second year. Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler are set to rebound from various issues this year. Rosario was suspended for the first 50 games and Kepler struggled before coming on strong in recent weeks.Four pitchers are expected to make the trip. Right-handed pitcher Jason Adam and left-handed pitchers Taylor Rogers and Mason Melotakis are listed. Nick Burdi's name was on the AFL website for a brief time but it has since been removed. A different arm will replace him in the coming days. RED WINGS REPORT The Rochester Red Wings enjoyed their last official off day of the regular season. They will start again tomorrow very much in the playoff race. The team has six games remaining and they are 1.5 games out of a wild card spot. There are two games remaining with each of the teams ahead of them in the standings. This means the Red Wings fate is in their own hands over the next week. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Binghamton 1 (Game 1: 7 Innings) Box Score Jose Berrios was back to his strong pitching ways. He earned his third Double-A victory by throwing six innings of one-run ball. He struck out four and walked two while allowing four hits. Ryan O'Rourke finished the game, allowing one hit in an inning's worth of work. Tony Thomas provided all the offense New Britain needed. He smashed a three-run bomb in the second inning and the Rock Cats never looked back. For Thomas, it was his ninth long ball of the season. It was the only extra-base hit of the game. Nate Hanson and Reynaldo Rodriguez each drove in a run. New Britain 2, Binghamton 3 (Game 2: 7 Innings) Box Score The Rock Cats held two different leads but the team couldn't hold either. Adrian Salcedo made his fifth start of the season and he took his ninth loss of the year. He allowed two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. A catcher interference call on Matt Koch led to the unearned run scored against Salcedo. Daniel Turpen walked two and struck out two in his inning of work. Nate Hanson was the only bright spot for the Rock Cats offense. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. He's up to 22 doubles for the season. Tony Thomas reached base twice in three trips to the plate. Levi Michael and Jorge Polanco scored one run each, though Michael was taken out of the game in the bottom of the third. Polanco also started two different double plays. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7. Charlotte 4 Box Score It took 17 hits and three runs in the final two innings but the Miracle were able to pound out a win. Stuart Turner must have been upset about not making the AFL roster as he went 4-for-4 with THREE DOUBLES and four RBI. Adam Brett Walker continues to add to his RBI total as he drove in one as part of a two-hit night. Steven Gruver started the game but he didn't factor into the decision. He allowed two earned runs on five hits over five innings. Nick Burdi collected his first professional win and he has still not allowed a run at High-A. Zack Jones made things interesting in the ninth as two batters reached base but he got out of the jam for his third save. It was announced earlier in the day that Walker and Berrios were both part of the 2014 FSL Postseason All-Star team. Miracle manager Doug Mientkiewicz was also named a coach for the team. The club is one win away from 80 for the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Five runs in the first three innings paced the Kernels to an early lead. Three singles and a throwing error by the pitcher resulted in a three-run first inning. Mitch Garver got credit for two RBIs as his diamond cutter capped the first inning's scoring. Chad Christensen instigated the scoring in the third as he singled and then stole his 29th base. Lewis Thorpe saw his pitch count rise quickly in this one. He struck out eight batters in four innings but he also walked four. The only run that scored while he was on the mound was unearned. Chris Mazza kept things in check with two shutout innings. He had one strikeout and a walk. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Bristol 6 Box Score One big inning was all it took for the E-Twins to end up on the losing end of this one. Sam Gibbons couldn't get out of the fifth frame as he gave up six earned runs in that inning. Samuel Clay and Keaton Steel shut out the Pirates the rest of the way but it wasn't enough. Brian Navarreto went 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in. Austin Diemer collected two hits after being hitless in his last three games. Pat Kelly reached base twice and knocked his seventh double. Trey Vavra added an RBI to his total as he tries to catch Tyler Kuresa for the team lead. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Rays 3 Box Score Some strong work by the Twins bullpen helped the team to their 23rd victory of the season. Eduardo Del Rosario earned his fourth win after pitching three shutout innings of relief. Trevor Hildenberger earned his tenth save by striking out two in the final frame. The team's four-five-six hitters (Joel Polanco, Jarrad Poteete, and Gabriel Ojeda) all had multi-hit games. Not to be outdone, Ariel Montesino added two hits including a double. Amaurys Minier went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and his 11th double. In his last 12 games, he is hitting over .400 with seven extra-base hits. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Berrios, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Stuart Turner, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (6:00 CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (5:35 CST) – TBA (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - Ryan Eades (Listen) Kingsport @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST)- TBA GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD Click here to view the article

Things are starting to wind down in the minor league season and this means plenty of very important games for Twins affiliates. The Kernels entered Sunday with a chance to clinch and the Red Wings are right in the middle of the wild card hunt. This means every at-bat and every pitch are very important. The same can't be said for the MLB version of the Twins. They are out of the playoff chase but they can still upset a few teams along the way. After pounding the Detroit Tigers in the first two games of the series, the Twins dropped the last two to end up with a split. Let's see if the farm system offered up any more hope on Sunday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Scranton/WB 4 Box Score A lot of Rochester's future is in their own hands. They took that fact to heart on Sunday as they mounted a four-run bottom of the eighth inning to crawl past the RailRiders. Doug Bernier went 1-for-3 and his two-run double put the Wings on top for good. Daniel Ortiz cracked his eighth home run of the season, his first since July 27. Lester Oliveros continued his run of scoreless innings over the last 11 games, not having given up a run in his last 19.2 frames. Tyler Duffey started and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. It was the first time since June 4 that he didn't make it through five innings. With a week's worth of games left in the regular season, the Red Wings are 1.5 games back of the wild card leaders Buffalo and Pawtucket. They have two games remaining with both teams so they can forge their own destiny. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 12, Altoona 0 Box Score Pat Dean was masterful in this game as he scattered three hits over eight shutout innings. He struck out three and walked two. It was his eighth victory of the season. He hadn't pitched more than seven innings in any start this season. Cole Johnson helped complete the shutout by striking out one in an inning of work. The Rock Cats offense gave Dean plenty of run support. Reynaldo Rodriguez crossed the 20-home run plateau with a two-run shot in the 6th inning. Corey Wimberly had three hits including his 11th double. Kyle Knudson scored twice and hit a couple doubles. The only starters to remain hitless were Nate Hanson and Tony Thomas. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2. Charlotte 5 Box Score D.J. Baxendale surrendered five earned runs on eight hits as he was charged with his third loss of the season. It was his third straight outing of less than five innings and he has not won a game since he won three straight starts at the beginning of July. Nick Burdi made his fifth appearance for the Miracle and he has yet to allow a run. He has nine strikeouts over five innings pitched, with one walk allowed. Adam Brett Walker continues to hit home runs. He reached base in three of his four plate appearances and hit his 25th home run of the season. He's also up to 93 RBIs on the season. The second place hitters in those categories have 19 homers and 78 RBIs. Dalton Hicks had the only other extra-base hit for Fort Myers. His 24th double set up one of the team's two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Even though the Kernels didn't win this game, a loss by Peoria meant the Kernels still clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. Cedar Rapids will play either Burlington or Kane County in the opening round. Cedar Rapids strung together three straight singles to take an eighth inning 5-4 lead but the River Bandits stole the lead back in the bottom of the frame and held on for the win. J.D. Williams was a perfect 3-for-3 and he reached base four times. Chad Christensen knocked in four runs with his 23rd and 24th doubles of the season. Engelb Vielma scored twice and added his 13th double of the year. Hudson Boyd took the loss after giving up three earned runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked one. Mat Batts got the no-decision after he pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts. It was the first time since July 2 that he didn't make it through five innings. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 10, Bristol 4 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Seven runs in the last two innings helped separate the E-Twins from the Pirates. Nick Gordon went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He was caught stealing one time and got picked off once. Jorge Fernandez and Tyler Mautner collected three RBIs apiece. Mautner had two extra-base hits, a double and a home run. Keaton Steele earned his second victory after he replaced John Curtiss. Steele struck out two over two innings while allowing one run. Curtiss made it four innings and gave up three earned runs. Dereck Rodriguez struck out the side as part of a perfect final frame. Elizabethton 1, Bristol 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After the 14 runs scored in the first tilt of the doubleheader, this game took on quite a different feel. The teams found themselves in a pitcher's duel with neither team being able to muster much offense. Bristol out-hit Elizabethton six to two but it wasn't enough. Trey Vavra hit a double to drive in the lone run of the game. Randy LeBlanc earned his first professional victory, throwing five shutout frames, striking out seven and walking none. C.K. Irby struck out five over the final two frames to complete the shutout. It was his second save of the year. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (5:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Brett Lee (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST)- Michael Cederoth GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD Click here to view the article

Things are starting to wind down in the minor league season and this means plenty of very important games for Twins' affiliates. The Kernels entered Sunday with a chance to clinch and the Red Wings are right in the middle of the wild card hunt. This means every at-bat and every pitch are very important. The same can't be said for the MLB version of the Twins. They are out of the playoff chase but they can still upset a few teams along the way. After pounding the Detroit Tigers in the first two games of the series, the Twins dropped the last two to end up with a split. Let's see if the farm system offered up any more hope on Sunday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Scranton/WB 4 Box Score A lot of Rochester's future is in their own hands. They took that moto to heart on Sunday as they mounted a four run bottom of the eighth inning to crawl past the RailRiders. Doug Bernier went 1-for-3 in the game but his two-run double put the Wings on top for good. Daniel Ortiz cracked his eighth home run of the season, his first since July 27. Lester Oliveros continued his run of scoreless innings over the last 11 games. He hasn't given up a run in the last 19.2 frames. Tyler Duffey started and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. It was the first time since June 4 that he didn't make it through five innings. With a week's worth of games left in the regular season, the Red Wings are 1.5 games back of the Wild Card leaders Buffalo and Pawtucket. They have two games remaining with both teams so they can forge their own destiny. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 12, Altoona 0 Box Score Pat Dean was masterful in this game as he scattered three hits over eight shutout innings. He struck out three and walked two. It was his eighth victory of the season. He hadn't pitched more than seven innings in any start this season and he only earned the win in one of those three outings. Cole Johnson helped complete the shutout by striking out one in an inning of work. The Rock Cats offense gave Dean plenty of run support. Reynaldo Rodriguez crossed the 20 home run plateau with a two-run shot in the 6th inning. Corey Wimberly had three hits including his 11th double. Kyle Knudson scored twice and hit a couple of doubles. The only starters to remain hitless were Nate Hanson and Tony Thomas. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2. Charlotte 5 Box Score D.J. Baxendale surrendered five earned runs on eight hits as he was charged with his third loss of the season. It was his third straight outing of less than five innings and he has won a game since he won three straight starts at the beginning of July. Nick Burdi made his fifth appearance for the Miracle and he has yet to allow a run. He has nine strikeouts over five innings pitched with one walk. Adam Brett Walker continues to hit home runs. He reached base in three of his four plate appearances and hit his 25th home run of the season. He's also up to 93 RBI on the season. Dalton Hicks had the only other extra base hit for Fort Myers. His 24th double set-up one of the team's two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Even though the Kernels didn't win this game, a loss by Peoria meant the Kernels still clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. Cedar Rapids will play either Burlington or Kane County in the opening round. Cedar Rapids strung together three straight singles to take a late inning 5-4 lead but the River Bandits stole the lead back in the bottom of the frame. J.D. Williams was a perfect 3-for-3 and he reached base four times. Chad Christensen knocked in four runs with his 23rd and 24th doubles of the season. Engelb Vielma scored twice and added his 13th double of the year. Hudson Boyd took the loss after giving up three earned runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked one. Mat Batts got the no decision after he pitched 4.2 innings by allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts. It was the first time since July 2 that he didn't make it through five innings. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 10, Bristol 4 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Seven runs in the last two innings helped to separate the E-Twins from the Pirates. Nick Gordon went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He also got caught stealing once and got picked off once. Jorge Fernandez and Tyler Mautner collected three RBI apiece. Nautner had two extra-base hits, a double and a home run. Keaton Steele earned his second victory after he replaced John Curtiss. Steele struck out two over two innings while allowing one run. Curtiss made it four innings and gave up three earned runs. Dereck Rodriguez struck out the side as part of a perfect final frame. Elizabethton 1, Bristol 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After 14 total runs were scored in the first game of the doubleheader, this game took on quite a different feel. The teams found themselves in a pitchers duel with neither team being able to muster up much offense. Bristol out hit Elizabethton six to two but it wasn't enough. Trey Vavra hit a run scoring double to plate the lone run of the game. Randy LeBlanc earned his first professional victory after throwing five shutout frames. He struck out seven and walked none. C.K. Irby struck out five over the final two frames to complete the shutout. It was his second save of the year. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (5:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Brett Lee (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves (Listen) Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST)- Michael Cederoth GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00am CST) – TBD

This is the second in a series of posts looking at different parts of the Twins roster as the season winds down. Clearly, there have been some rough moments at the end of the last few seasons. The moto of those years might have been "Wake Me Up When September Ends" but the hope is that this year will be a little different. Overall, there seems to be a little hope on the horizon. That hope might mean you won't want to sleep through this September. Earlier in the week, I looked at how this year's pitching staff seems to offer more hope than the last few Septembers. I'd rather see Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone, and Trevor May on the mound over the likes of Cole De Vries, Andrew Albers, and PJ Walters. There might be some lumps with the new trio of starters but they could be part of the next winning team in Minnesota. The key to any organizational improvement is the play of young cost-effective players. The last few Septembers haven't exactly produced a cornucopia of everyday players but this year's crew could be the key to getting the Twins back on the right track. 2014: Trevor May, Kennys Vargas, Danny Santana There was a lot of fans calling for Trevor May to make his debut. He's struggled in his first handful of appearances but the Twins aren't fighting for a playoff spot. May can take his lumps this season and be better prepared for the beginning of next year. Kennys Vargas was considered a top 10 Twins prospect entering this season but he had one of his best minor league seasons at the Double-A level. Since getting called up, he's hit for a higher average than expected and there have still been some signs of power. Danny Santana might be the biggest surprise this season. He's turned into a spark plug for the Twins offense and he's been doing it while learning a new defense position. 2013: Oswaldo Arcia, Josmil Pinto, Kyle Gibson Last year's trio of rookies have all played a significant role on the 2014 Twins team. Oswaldo Arcia is in the midst of quite the power surge over the last handful of games. He might be finally figuring out how to hit at the big league level and that's certainly a good thing for the Twins. Josmil Pinto made the Twins team out of spring training but he hasn't been heard from since the beginning of June. Minnesota signed Kurt Suzuki to a contract extension so Pinto is going to have to use his bat to get back to the big leagues. Kyle Gibson was rough at the end of last year but he has proven himself useful in 2014. Behind Phil Hughes, he's been the second best starter on the team and he could end up fitting into the middle of the rotation for the next handful of years. 2012: Chris Parmelee, Eduardo Escobar, Chris Herrmann This was a down year for younger players being promoted and getting playing time. Brian Dozier had played a chunk of the season at shortstop but he didn't get called up for September. Chris Parmelee had been a hit the cover off the ball as a September call-up the previous season but that didn't last. He's collected over 200 at-bats for the third straight season but he doesn't seem to have a long-term place with the club. Eduardo Escobar was brought over from Chicago in the Francisco Liriano trade and he's had quite the season this year. He's fifth in the AL in doubles and fourth in range factor for shortstops. Chris Herrmann has played parts of the last three seasons in Minnesota but he's not really considered much of a prospect any more. He offers some defensive versatility but not much of an offensive punch. Other prospects like Alex Meyer or Jorge Polanco could get a look this September but the trio of Santana, Vargas, and May are certainly enough to keep you from falling asleep. Don't sleep through this September because the future might be playing right in front of you.