Cody Christie

It has been quite the wild ride for Mr. Caleb J. Thielbar on his way to the major leagues. The 26-year-old left-hander was called-up by the Minnesota Twins on Monday after the team demoted fifth starter Pedro Hernandez. Thielbar is not a starter so the team will need to make another roster move before Friday's game to fill out the rotation. Options for this spot include Kyle Gibson, Sam Deduno, and PJ Walters. Thielbar was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round of the 2009 MLB draft. The Minnesota native went to college at South Dakota State University. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]He spent the first two years of his professional career in the lower levels of the Brewers’ system. During his first season, in rookie ball, he posted a 6-1 record with a 1.53 ERA. Most of his appearances were out of the bullpen as he was asked to make only two starts. Over 48 innings, he struck out 48 and walked eight. These were the types of numbers that one would expect from a college-aged pitcher in rookie ball. In 2010, Thielbar found a few more bumps in the road as he tried to make his mark in the minors. He played nine games at rookie ball and his ERA jumped to 3.68 over 14.2 innings. His time in low-A produced even worse numbers. Over 30 games, he had a 5.60 ERA and a 1.491 WHIP. He struck out 43 and walked 14 over 53.0 innings. The Brewers cut ties with him and it was time for Thielbar to make some changes-more on this later- and head to independent baseball. Thielbar would find a new team to latch on with for 2011. The St. Paul Saints were looking to add depth to their bullpen and Thielbar seemed to fit the job description. He went on to pitch 49.2 innings for the Saints with a 2.54 ERA and a 1.128 WHIP. He had a very decent strike out to walk rate as he struck out 62 and walked 15. The Minnesota Twins took notice of Thielbar's numbers and he signed a deal with the club. Since it was so late in the year, he was limited to three appearances with the Fort Myers Miracle. It was enough to earn his first win as a member of the Twins' organization. He didn't allow a single run and he gave up one hit in 7.1 innings. Last season was a whirlwind for Thielbar. He pitched very effectively at three different levels in the Twins' system. On a return trip to the Florida State League, he pitched 12.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.486 WHIP. The next stop was New Britain where he threw 25.0 innings with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.840 WHIP. Rochester was his final stop and he threw 40.1 innings with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.438 WHIP. Minnesota wanted to see more out of Thielbar so he was sent to the Arizona Fall League this past year. He had pitched close to 80 innings in the minors so he had tired by the time the AFL started. Over 13 innings, he posted an 11.08 ERA. He gave up 21 hits, walked eight, and struck out 12. There was enough there for the Twins to add him to their 40-man roster. To start the 2013 season, Theilbar was sent back to Rochester. He was 1-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 17 relief appearances at Triple-A. In 26.1 innings, he struck out 34 and walked eight while holding lefties to a .159 batting average. Since his primary responsibility with the MLB club should be to get out lefties, he seems to be up to this task. Over his last eight appearances with the Red Wings, he has not allowed a run. In those 11.1 innings, he struck out 15 and limited his walks to five. Things seemed to be clicking on all cylinders for him and the time was right to have him join the Twins roster. According to the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, (which you can still order here for a discounted price): "When Thielbar was pitching in the Brewers system, he threw a fastball in the mid-80s. After being released, he completely reworked his mechanics and got himself in much better shape. In 2012, he was hitting 92 mph. He has very good control of his curveball, and also throws a change-up. Some compare his delivery to that of fellow-Minnesota left-handed reliever Glen Perkins." One of the strengths of the Twins has been their bullpen and Thielbar can be another important piece of the puzzle. It looks like he is ready for the big leagues and this move to the Twins will complete quite the journey. Click here to view the article

Original Post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It felt good to get back to a full week of Twins coverage here at NoDak Twins Fan and after my vacation in Arizona it was great to get caught up on all of the happenings across Twins Territory. We are only a few short weeks away from baseball being played under the sun at Target Field. It will be a welcome sight to see the hometown nine take the field for the first time and for the memories of an awful 2011 to go away. The NFL continues to get all of the major headlines in the sports world but for fans of baseball there continues to be a ton of content to peruse through on a weekly basis. Here are a handful of the stories that I enjoyed from the last week with some fun stuff sprinkled in for a little spice.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Twins Fan From Afar took a look at the Twins surplus of center fielders and which ones might be expendable in a trade. He even got a link on ESPN's Sweet Spot Blog.One of the biggest Twins stories of the week was the demotion of Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Triple-A.The NFL has the "Bounty-Gate" situation taking all the headlines and Seth Stohs wonders what the equivalent would be for MLB.Nick at Top of the First worked on some Twins roster analysis by examining the outfield situation.A Twins fan will be heading to NYC as part of the MLB Fan Cave. Lindsay Guentzel explained everything she went through to win the spot and thanked everyone who helped her.Baseball Reference released their Negro League database that covers 1903-1948. This is an awesome resource for an fan of the game.Forbes magazine ranked the Twins as the 14th most valuable franchise among MLB teams. The Houston Astros are one better so that's not a positive sign.It looks like former Twins shortstop JJ Hardy went skipping through the woods in his attempt to catch this ball.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I1BaW-FLXL8/T2vnNslI2LI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Z40QQ2I8vf4/s320/hardyskipping.jpg ESPN's SweetSpot Blog has been doing their "Over/Under" series in recent weeks and the good news is 65% of America thinks the Twins will win over 74 games.The Twins Armchair GM thinks the current crop of Twins players missed their World Series window but the next window could be right around the corner.With Nishioka being sent to Rochester, is there new life for Brian Dozier? Andrew at Off the Mark tackles this question.If you believe all of the rumors floating around at the trade deadline, Drew Storen almost became a Twin. He has a personalized Batmobile so that's pretty sweet.The Twins had the second pick in the Rule 5 Draft but Terry Doyle, the player they picked, was sent back to the White Sox this week. So much for that investment...Apparently I got out of Arizona right in the nick of time...On a more serious note, the Twins released six minor leaguers with a couple of surprises. It is part of the game but it is tough for guys that make their living playing baseball.My Weekly Rundown Monday: Grapefruit League could learn from Cactus LeagueTuesday: Seeing Lincecum made me miss having an aceWednesday: Should Butera follow Nishioka to Rochester?Thursday: Rosario's infield transition continuesVideo of the Week: The Twins have another Mauer who plays a prominent role in the organization as the manager of the Fort Myers Miracle. Jake Mauer joined Brice Zimmerman to talk about the spring training experience for fans and the players with a focus on the minor leagues. Click here to view the article

2012 has come and gone and there were plenty of story lines that comprised the year that was for the Minnesota Twins. After a decade of winning baseball, the Twins have suffered through back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2000. Minnesota has been the worst team in the American League for two seasons but there were still some signs of life from the hometown nine. Willingham's monster year: Last offseason the Twins had a choice to make when it came to free agent outfielders. Michael Cuddyer had been with the team since he was drafted and he had become a fan favorite but it was time to go in another direction. Josh Willingham became the man for the job and to say it was quite the year for the burly outfielder would be an understatement.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: Josh+Willingham+Joe+Mauer.jpg The 35-year old had career highs in home runs, slugging percentage, runs, and he crossed the 100 RBI mark for the first time in his career. On a team that didn't manage many victories, Willingham provided multiple walk-off hits. He was awarded a Silver Slugger Award at the end of the season after being one of the best offensive players in the American League. Mauer back and healthy: 2011 was a nightmare year for the Twins on many different fronts but Joe Mauer being sidelined for most of the season was tough for a lot of fans to take. It didn't help that he was in the first year of the biggest contract in team history. Some changes had to be made to keep Mauer on the field but those changes led to a rebirth for the star catcher. Mauer appeared in a career high 147 games and he was back to his old offensive ways. He fought for the American League batting title for most of the season and he ended up leading the league in on-base percentage. The Twin Cities native son was elected to his fifth All-Star Game and it looks like he will be back to his old ways for years to come. Hicks, Arcia emerge at Double-A: The Twins have been waiting for this type of season from Aaron Hicks since they drafted him in the first round. Oswaldo Arcia had been looking for a healthy season after sitting on the sidelines for parts of 2011. Both of these players would emerge with terrific seasons in the minor leagues. Hicks knocked double digits in home runs for the first time in his career and he also set the New Britain record for triples in a season. He was a threat on the bases by swiping 32 bases in 43 attempts. Arcia spent half the year at High-A but he got better when he was promoted to Double-A. As he had shown in the past, he is able to combine a powerful swing with the ability to hit for a high average. These two top prospects could be appearing at Target Field as early as next season. Winds of change hit coaching staff: At the end of the season, something needed to be done to shake up a team that had finished as one of the worst teams in baseball for the second year in a row. Jerry White, Rick Stelmaszek, and Steve Liddle were let go by the club. These were the biggest changes in the coaching staff since Ron Gardenhire took over as manager in 2001. Tom Brunansky, Bobby Cuellar, and Terry Steinbach were named to the coaching staff. Brunansky and and Cuellar served in similar roles at Rochester and Steinbach has been a spring training instructor with the club. These men will be in charge of trying to turn the franchise around in the next couple of seasons. There will be some young players moving to the major leagues as the franchise tries to return to their winning ways. Span, Revere traded away: There was a simple equation for the Twins when it came to the offseason. The front office needed to add pitching and there was a surplus of outfielders in the organization. This meant that Denard Span and Ben Revere would find themselves on different rosters and the Twins would gain some young pitching to add to a system that desperately needed a shot in the arm. After a couple years of trade speculation, Span was sent to the Nationals organization for top pitching prospect Alex Meyer. The flame throwing young pitcher has only pitched in the lower levels of the minors but he has huge upside. One week later, the Twins sent Revere to the Phillies for right-handed pitcher Vance Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May. These moves are meant to improve the Twins and the future looks brighter Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since the last time you joined me for an edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks," the Twins have only one one game and that was on last Friday. It has been a rough week for Twins fans as the team looked to get back on track against the struggling Red Sox. This didn't happen but the one consolation prize is the fact that the Royals come to town this weekend and they have their own share of problems to deal with this season. Hopefully this means the Twins can come out of the weekend with a series win before they head on the road again for a West Coast swing through Los Angeles and Seattle. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Last weekend a former Twins player, Phil Humber, threw the 21st perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. Humber was part of the Johan Santana trade but struggled at the Triple-A level and never made it past Rochester with the Twins. Overall, he spent six seasons in the minor leagues before the White Sox gave him a chance to be a starter. In only his 30 career starts, he was perfect with 27 batters faced and 27 outs recorded on the mound. As much as I don't like the White Sox, the transformation that this top draft pick has made is great to see from any player. Josh Willingham's wife having a baby, I "adopted" a prospect from the Twins farm system, and plenty more stories are all included in this weeks edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Have a great weekend and enjoy! One of the highlights of the week over at TwinsDaily was the introduction of the "Adopt-A-Prospect" series for the site. I was lucky enough to get top pitching prospect Adrian Salcedo but there are plenty of other players to check out.The MLB Draft is fast approaching in June and Seth Stohs wants to know if taking a college pitcher is the right approach for the Twins.It's only the end of the first month of the season and the writers at Puckett's Pond want to know if it is too early to bump Miguel Sano up to Ft. Myers.Twins fans seem to have a lot to complain about but Twins Fan From Afar is sick of hearing three complaints from the fan base.Lindsay Guentzel is trying to survive the first MLB Fan Cave elimination and she needs your help to stay in NYC.Joe Mauer has appeared in every game for the Twins this year and Nick Nelson thinks Mr. Mauer is might be making a statement.Bobby Valentine needs to find a different way research his opponents because he apparently doesn't know how to use his phone.There have been some great nicknames in the history of baseball.Danny Valencia is off to a slow start at the plate and Parker Hageman thinks Valencia might have lost some of his swagger.Here's a contract strategy the Twins could use. Sign them young.Josh Willingham's family welcomed a new edition this week and this great photo started to speed around the internet.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_JZ7BG_ePE/T5oKeUg08TI/AAAAAAAABN8/i5ymdnQKm6c/s320/WillinghamBaby.jpg John Sickels from Minor League Ball put together his April Edition of the 2012 MLB Mock Draft. Who will the Twins take at number 2?Jim Thome has survived so far with having to play first base since he is back in the National League.Luke Hughes found a new team this week but he has run into a few snags in the fielding department.The off-day for the Twins on Thursday felt good and Brandon Warne offered up some ways to fix the Twins.Twins pitchers and catchers held a 20-minute closed door meeting after being swept by the Red Sox. Hopefully this can improve some of the results on the field.Former Twins player Shane Mack is auctioning off some unique items from his baseball career.Finally, a great read about New Britain's Chris Colabello and his amazing path to the Rock Cats.My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Where will Liriano fit into the bullpen?Tuesday: Adopt-A-Prospect Introduction: Adrian SalcedoWednesday: Duensing ramping up his velocity in the 'penThursday: Attendance starting to dwindle at Target FieldVideo of the Week: There have been some crazy batting stances in the history of baseball but this college player might have found one of the most unique positions in the box. His name is Alex Buccilli and he is the DH for Coastal Carolina. Even the Batting Stance Guy has gotten in on the action. Click here to view the article

After ending their 10 game losing streak on Saturday, the Twins couldn't make it two wins in a row. The Tigers offense pounced on Mike Pelfrey for five runs on five hits in less than six innings of work. The offense didn't help him out much with three hits and a single run. There were a few different story lines to follow in the minors so let's see what went down![PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Rochester Red Wings 2, Charlotte Knights 3 Box Score Rochester collected only four hits in the game but the team was able to keep it close against Charlotte. The Knights got on the scoreboard first with three singles in the top of the fourth. This lead didn't last long as the Red Wings scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead. The first three Wings' batters in the fifth inning reached on a pair of walks and a single, loading the bases for Oswaldo Arcia. He struck out for the first out in the frame before Deibinson Romero singled to plate a couple of runs. The Red Wings held the lead until the top of the eighth inning when Aaron Thompson came in, making his second appearance since being called up to Rochester. He gave up a couple singles and a double in the frame as the Knights grabbed back the lead. Thompson saw his 17.1-inning scoreless streak in New Britain and Rochester snapped. Romero was the lone Red Wings hitter with a multi-hit game. He went 2-for-4 with his first two hits of the season at Triple-A. He had gone 0-11 since being called up from New Britain. Clete Thomas and Eric Farris had a hit apiece. Virgil Vasquez started the game and pitched five strong innings. He allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Shairon Martis earned his first hold of the year, throwing two scoreless innings. Anthony Slama made his first appearance since April 22nd and worked a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts. Arcia left Sunday's game with an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder. He made a strong throw to the plate and was removed at the end of the inning. According to some reports, he has been bothered by a shoulder injury since spring training. Rochester is 10 games under .500 but the club has gone 5-5 in their last ten games. Tomorrow the Red Wings continue their homestand with the first of four games against Lehigh Valley. New Britain Rock Cats 11, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4 Box Score For the first time since May 6th, the Rock Cats scored double digit runs. The win also helped to ensure at least a split of their series with New Hampshire. New Britain will try to earn a series win when the teams meet Monday afternoon. Trevor May got the nod on the mound and pitched five innings. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks. May has won three of his last four starts and has lowered his ERA to 3.88. Bobby Lanigan tossed two scoreless innings of relief to close out the game. Dan Rohlfing went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. He hit his seventh double of the year. Nate Hanson had a couple RBI of his own and his first triple. Danny Santana, James Beresford, and Josmil Pinto all had two hits. With the win, New Britain is only two games under .500. The club will finish their series with New Hampshire on Monday before heading home for a six game homestand. Fort Myers Miracle 2, Charlotte Stone Crabs 4 Box Score The Stone Crabs jumped out to an early lead a with run in the top of the first inning. They added to their lead with another couple runs in the third. Miguel Sano had his 11th error of the year at third base. His error allowed an extra run to score in the third. It took until the bottom of the fifth for the Miracle to get on the board. Jonathan Murphy hit his first home run this season. Kennys Vargas had two hits including his 13th double. Stephen Wickens tried to get a rally started in the eighth with a double but the rest of the team didn't follow suit. Tom Stuifbergen took the loss but he did a decent job on the mound. He gave the bullpen a break by throwing eight innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. He didn't record a strikeout, nor did he walk anyone. It was the first time this season that he made it through eight innings. Fort Myers will enjoy an off-day on Memorial Day before starting a three-game series with the Bradenton Marauders. Cedar Rapids Kernels --, Burlington Bees -- (Postponed) The Kernels game against the Bees was rained out. The game will be made up as a special Memorial Day doubleheader beginning at 2:00 pm. Both games are scheduled to be seven innings. Cedar Rapids is in the midst of a four game losing streak and is in danger of falling out of first place in the Western Division of the Midwest League. The Beloit Snappers are sneaking up behind the Kernels in the standings. Following tomorrow's doubleheader, the club continues their homestand with a three game series versus the Clinton LumberKings. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Twins_Minnesota_Links_Oth_526.jpg After some miserable baseball in Twins Territory, this week wasn't so bad for the hometown nine. It helps to play the lowly Brewers. It was also nice to see the team pound out a bunch of home runs against former Twins pitcher Kyle Lohse. The latest edition of "Weekly Links-N-Thinks" are similar to the Minnesota Twins. You'll laugh. You'll cry. It's the best of times. It's the worst of times. Before the draft is a great time to look at what the Twins already have in the farm system.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Alex Meyer is missing high and that's not a good thing. Advanced stats are part of the game and it was interesting to hear how Cory Provus uses them in the Twins radio booth.There have been some struggles for Chris Parmelee and his time might be running out. A possible future member of the Twins rotation is serving as the Kernels stopper this year. With the draft approaching, it's always fun to look back on previous years. Here is a look back at the 2006 draft.This is one of the most important posts about Target Field EVER written. So far this year, there have been plenty of underachievers in the Twins line-up. It has been quite an interesting year for the Twins starting rotation and it could get even more intriguing as the year goes on. Did the Twins already lose the Worley-Revere trade? Bryon Buxton jumped all the way to the number two prospect in baseball for ESPN.com These two relief arms look to be headed to Target Field at some point. Greg Gagne went through a lot in his baseball career. Chris Colabello had a rookie mistake when he wore the wrong uniform in Milwaukee. Jason Giambi isn't fast so his attempt to steal third base was pretty funny. Minnesota's Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year was named and he is from the school I worked at the last couple of years. "Casey at the Bat" was published 125 years ago this week. Brewers Manager Ron Roenicke has an interesting connection to one Twins player. You know you missed this beautiful swing in the Twins line-up this season. Skunk on the Field!!! Here's the last time each team drafted an All-Star. If you thought Joe Mauer was the Twins' name on the list, you would be wrong. There is a shortage of redheads in baseball. The Pirates have a new addition to their clubhouse. It's time for the Twins bullpen to have a cool nickname. Trevor Bauer gave the Cleveland Indians a terrible anthem for their season. One of the best sports physicians in the world, Dr. Lewis Yocum, passed away earlier this week. He was the man that performed Francisco Liriano's Tommy John surgery.My Weekly Rundown Saturday: Talk to Contact: Episode 39Sunday: Twins Minor League Report (5/26): Arcia Hurt Tuesday: The Many Sides of Carlos Gomez Twins MLB Draft Profile: Brandon Shipley, RHP Wednesday: Twins Minor League Report (5/29): Rochester ComebacksVideo of the Week: I love old baseball things so this video of Walter Johnson's throwing motion was something I had to share. Ty Cobb once said that Johnson's fastball "hissed with danger." It might be tough to tell if the ball is hissing in this video but is still cool to see him on the mound. These are some must watch clips for every type of baseball fan. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Mauer_Vote_Joe 600-434.jpg Down the stretch they come! Well, at least as far as voting for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game in New York City. There is some debate over who should make the club. Some voters like to pick the players that have had the best first half of a season in 2013. Others look at the last calendar year and try picking the roster based on those performances. Today I break down the American League roster. There are some tough decisions at a couple positions but there are some ways to break the ties. Take a look at my picks and leave a comment with your roster.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Other Candidates: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians; Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles One of the easiest picks in the AL might be the man behind the plate. Mauer easily has the highest WAR among catchers this season and that also holds true for his WAR over the last calendar year. Santana might be the only other man who deserves a chance to start. He hits for a bit more power than Mauer but the nod should still go to the Twins backstop. Matt Wieters has been a solid player on a good team in the last year but his batting average is pretty low. First Base: Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles Other Candidates: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers; Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays It has been quite the first half of the year for Mr. Chris Davis. He is on pace to hit over 60 home runs and in the last calendar year he has the highest WAR among AL first basemen. Prince Fielder might be the better known name on the list and Albert Pujols could also be in consideration. Edwin Encarnacion might be a surprise player to consider but in the last 12 months he has a higher WAR than Fielder and he has hit 43 home runs. He is actually on the ballot as a DH but I will slide him into this spot since he has started 45 games there in 2013. Second Base: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees Other Candidates: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox; Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians This is a tough pick because Cano and Pedroia's values over the last calendar year have been almost identical. Cano hits for more power and Pedroia hits for a higher average. On the defensive side of the ball, Pedroia is probably better so some might consider him the front-runner. As Twins fans saw earlier this week, Cano can be a one-man wrecking crew in a sub-par Yankee line-up. With many of the other star hitters on the DL, Cano has compiled some great numbers in the first half and he should get the start in New York. Third Base: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers Other Candidates: Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles; Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays There has been a lot of hype around Machado and his tremendous first half. Unfortunately, he plays the same position as the defending AL MVP and Cabrera is having another tremendous season at the plate. He might be the best hitter in all of baseball and he could be fighting for another Triple Crown if Chris Davis ever slows down. Machado might be the wave of the future at third base in the AL but he will have to wait to make his first All-Star game start. Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers Other Candidates: JJ Hardy, Baltimore Orioles; Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics Of all the positions in the American League, this might be the weakest. Hardy will probably win the fan voting and end up the starter. The Orioles fans have been very good to some of their candidates this season. Peralta and Hardy have compiled similar numbers over the last calendar year so it is a tough call. My vote goes to Peralta but it was another tough pick at a middle infield position. Designated Hitter: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox Other Candidates: Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals; Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels DH is such a weird position because fans don't get to pick out a DH from the National League. This can be a benefit to the NL because the manager can just slide a good hitter into the role. As far as the AL goes, Ortiz might be locked into this spot until he retires. Last season, Butler had a good story with the game being played in Kansas City but he won't have the hometown crowd to back him in NYC. After the famous speech in Boston by Ortiz, all of Red Sox Nation has been out in force to vote for one of the leaders on their team. Outfielders: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels; Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles; Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics Other Candidates: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays; Torii Hunter, Detroit Tigers; Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox Mike Trout is one of the easiest picks for this team. He had a tremendous season last year and he continues to put up solid numbers in his sophomore campaign. The list gets a little dicey after that. Adam Jones is going to get voted in by the fans and I am fine with that. He has become the face of the franchise for a Baltimore team that continues to surprise people in the AL East. Picking the last outfielder was the toughest spot for me on this AL squad. Bautista is having a bounce-back season, Hunter, with his aging body, continues to play well and Ellsbury, before injuries last year, was an MVP candidate. I picked Cespedes because he provides an interesting dynamic to the game. He appeals to the international audience even though his home country wouldn't be able to watch the game. Also, the A's have been near the top of their division and they deserve a starter. That wraps up my picks for the starting line-up. Who would make your team? Leave a COMMENT and start your discussion. Click here to view the article

For the first time in quite awhile, the Twins game was very enjoyable to watch on Friday night. Scott Diamond had his best pitching performance in his big league career by throwing a complete game shutout with only three hits surrendered. He was remarkably efficient by throwing less than 100 pitches during his nine innings on the mound. With some not so smooth outings in his last few appearances, it was good to see Diamond get a fantastic start under his belt and hopefully he can stay on track for the rest of the season. While Diamond was busy tossing a gem, the Twins offense blew up for 11 runs on the strength of 15 hits. Justin Morneau crushed a huge 3-run home run in the first inning to put the Twins up from the early going. Later in the game, Josh Willingham hit his team leading 26th home run of the season by sending one into the bullpen and he now has 76 RBI. Joe Mauer had two RBI and three hits to raise batting average to .332 for the year. ROCHESTER 1, SYRACUSE 2 There was just not enough offense for the Red Wings on Friday evening. Danny Valencia was noticeably absent from the line-up with his call-up to the Twins so this could have taken a little away from the offensive output. But most of the credit should go to Yunesky Maya for holding the Red Wings to a single run over eight innings pitched with the lone run being scored on a home run from Chris Parmelee. Besides the home run from Parmelee, there were no other hits for the Red Wings during the entire game so there is not much else to discuss from an offensive standpoint. Jeff Manship pitched a very good game for Rochester as he tossed six innings with a couple earned runs. It was his first loss since May 11th and it's not often that a pitcher expects to get a loss when they only give up two runs. Lester Oliveros did very well in his three innings on the mound. He pitched three innings while allowing a single hit and striking out six to lower his ERA to 3.04 for the season. Before the game, there were a few different roster moves including the Red Wings. RHP Deolis Guerra was reinstated from the 7-Day Disabled List and he was replaced on the DL by RHP Daniel Sattler. As many fans heard about on Thursday's off day, Anthony Swarzak had to make a trip to the DL so RHP Luis Perdomo was called up to Minnesota for the first time. To take the place of Perdomo with Rochester, RHP Daniel Turpen was transferred from Double-A New Britain. NEW BRITAIN 9, READING 10 The Rock Cats tried their best to comeback against the Phillies by scoring multiple runs in the last three innings but Reading had too much of a lead. There were five members of the Rock Cats to collect multiple hits in the game including 2-for-4 nights from Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni. Benson hit his second home run with New Britain and he knocked in three runs. Chris Herrmann matched the three RBI of Benson including his 22nd double of the season, the second most two-baggers on the team. Logan Darnell started for the Rock Cats and lasted five innings while giving up six earned runs on 10 hits. He didn't walk any batters but he only struck out one hitter and gave up two long balls for his eighth loss of the year. David Bromberg pitched a scoreless inning by striking out two of the four batters that he faced while on the mound. Edgar Ibarra got roughed up for the second straight outing by giving up three runs and only being credited for one out. FORT MYERS 6, BREVARD COUNTY 3 Madison Boer picked up his first win since July 1st and his fifth win of the year. He threw six innings by giving up eight hits and three earned runs. The two home runs that he allowed were basically harmless since the Miracle jumped on starter Taylor Jungmann of the Manatees for six runs in under four innings. Clint Dempster and AJ Achter threw three hitless innings to finish out the victory for Fort Myers. It was the second hold fro Dempster and the fourth save for Achter. Steven Liddle was appearing in his fourth game for Fort Myers but he didn't waste any time making his mark with the Miracle. On this day, he went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI to raise his batting average to .583 during his second trip to the FSL. Lance Ray and Daniel Santana each had three hits to their credit but Ray knocked in three RBI including his 11th home run of the year. The only other member of the Miracle to have a hit was Michael Gonzales and he did collect an RBI. BELOIT 2, BURLINGTON 7 The Snappers didn't manage any extra-base hits against the Bees and the team went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position so it's hard to come out on top with very little offense. Adam Pettersen had the only RBI for New Britain with his two-out RBI in the fourth inning. Miguel Sano had a hit for the third straight game but he hasn't had an extra-base hit since he hit a home run on July 19th. Kennys Vargas had a hat trick by striking out three times to lower his batting average to .211. Beloit sent Taylor Rogers to the mound for his first start since being called up from Elizabethton. He took the loss by giving up three earned runs on six hits over four innings. The worst part of his outing might have been the six walks that he allowed compared to his three strikeouts. Cole Johnson did very well in relief with four strikeouts and no hits in two innings. He lowered his ERA to 1.16 in nine games with the Snappers. ELIZABETHTON 9, GREENVILLE 12 The Greenville Astros pounded out 17 hits against the pitching staff of the the E-Twins. Hudson Boyd got shelled for eight hits and four earned runs in 3.2 innings pitched. It was easily his worst start of the year as it only raised his ERA to 2.15 for the season and he hadn't given up more than one earned run in his last five starts. Christian Powell tried to relieve Boyd but he didn't fare much better by giving up four runs in a little over two innings on the mound. Tyler Duffey and Andrew Ferreira combined to give up three runs over the last three innings. Candido Pimentel lead the team with three hits in his four at-bats including his third double of the season and two RBI. The other E-Twins player with multiple hits was Adam Walker who went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, and his seventh home run. Niko Goodrum only got one hit but his double did knock in his 26th, 27th, and 28th RBI of the year. Max Kepler seems to have found his man muscles by hitting his seventh home run of the season when he only had one home run during the last two years. GCL TWINS 12, GCL RED SOX 3 The Twins might have gotten a glimpse of their future with Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario in the same line-up on Friday afternoon. Rosario is rehabbing on the way back from an injury and he went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI before being lifted from the game. Buxton wouldn't be outdone by Rosario as he hit a home run of his own while going 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Joel Licon and Jose Ramirez helped pace the offense with three hits each. A few different big name pitchers got into the game for the Twins. Two former first rounders, Kyle Gibson and Luke Bard, pitched scoreless outings to help improve their ERAs in the GCL. Alexander Muren picked up his second win of the season by tossing two innings without giving up a hit but he did walk three batters. It was good to see Muren not give up any runs for the first time in his last two appearances but his three walks were the most this season. --- Players of the Day for July 27th, 2012 Hitter of the Day- Lance Ray (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-4GiMgniCA/UBNNk8PgpfI/AAAAAAAADFs/OTBWOGj4174/s320/LanceRay.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Lester Oliveros (3.0 IP, 1 H, 6 SO) http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uoMLBTALO-A/UBNOQWxL3NI/AAAAAAAADF0/bCE64eVkwlk/s320/LesterOliveros.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Saturday, July 28th Schedule Rochester @ Columbus- RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain @ Reading- RHP Steven Hirschfeld New Britain @ Reading- Game 2 Fort Myers vs Brevard County- LHP Pat Dean Beloit @ Peoria- TBA Elizabethton vs Greeneville- RHP Angel Mata GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox- TBA --- If you have any question or comments about the minor leagues, leave them in the comments section and someone will be sure to answer them. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Scott+Diamond+Minnesota.jpg The Twins have been busy adding mediocre arms to their starting rotation this offseason but off in the wings Scott Diamond is preparing for his second full seasons as a big league starter. Diamond burst onto the scene last season with a very impressive first half of the season. He would come back down to earth a little bit in the second half but he was still the best starter out of a very mediocre starting core. In his second full season as a starter, Diamond will have to find a way to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] There were a few different things that made Diamond successful in his first trip through the American League. Before the end of July, Diamond made 15 starts and posted a very good 2.88 ERA over 100 innings. Opponents hit .266/.299/.388 against him and he posted a very good 9-4 record. Most of his wins during that stretch, six of them, would come in the friendly confines of Target Field. In fact, over the course of the season Diamond would strike out batters at a higher rate at home and his WHIP was much better when pitching in Minnesota. From the beginning of August to the end of the season, Diamond ran into some struggles. He would lose two more games than he won during that stretch and his other numbers ballooned up a little. His ERA rose to 4.44 and opponents were able to hit .285/.320/.472 against him. Things would get worse after he was tossed out of a game in Texas for throwing at a batter. From that point on, his ERA jumped to 5.06 as his innings continued to mount. Entering last season, the most Diamond had pitched in the minor leagues was 162 innings back in 2011. Before being called-up to Minnesota in 2012, Diamond threw 34.2 innings in the minor leagues and he added that to 173 innings at the big league level. It was the first time he had thrown over 200 innings and there might have been a learning curve with his new workload. This could be the reason for some of his struggles down the stretch. Twins fans know that Diamond doesn't strikeout a ton of batters. He stays around the strike zone and this can cause some problems. Home runs became an Achilles heel for Diamond. Out of his 26 starts, he gave up a home run in 13 games and he gave up more than one home run in four games. In the games where Diamond gave up a home run, the Twins were one game under .500 and the team was 0-2 when he gave up more than one home run. One of the biggest areas of strength for Diamond is his ability to limit walks. He led the AL in BB/9 by averaging less than two walks per game. The most walks that he gave up in a game were three and both of those contests were in the last month of the year when Diamond might have been tiring. There were seven games when he didn't walk a single batter and he pitched over six innings in all of those starts. When giving up zero walks, Diamond had a 4-1 record and 1.07 ERA. Since Diamond is going to pound the strike zone, it is important to have a good defense behind him. The Twins will enter this spring with question marks at almost every up the middle position on the club. Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, and Darin Mastroianni will be fighting for the starting job in center field. The middle infield is a complete question mark as the Twins are expected to have an open competition for shortstop and second base. It can tough for a pitcher to have consistency if there are different players behind him every time he takes the mound. Looking at all of these things, it is clear that there are a few areas for Diamond to concentrate on to find success in his second year. He needs to limit the amount of long balls that he gives up. It is also key for him to continue to manage the amount of walks that he allows. The defense behind Diamond will also be critical for the Twins and their starting staff. If the Twins and Diamond can find a way for all of these to come true, he might be set up to have an even better year in 2013. Click here to view the article

A couple of milestones happened for the Twins during the past week. The team won a series against the Indians but as part of that series, Josh Willingham crushed his 35 home run of the season and Liam Hendriks picked up his first victory at the big league level. These might not seem like very important numbers but the story behind those numbers gives a little bit more meaning to these milestones. For Willingham, he became the first Twins player to hit 35 home runs since Harmon Killebrew in 1970 to knock that many out of the park. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Other players like Justin Morneau, Gary Gaetti, and Kent Hrbek have gotten to 34 home runs but the Hammer becomes the first player since Killer to reach this plateau. There is a chance for Willingham to reach the 40 home run mark and that would be a cool milestone to reach in a miserable season. For Hendriks, the first victory might not seem like that big of a deal. Every pitcher in baseball can usually get lucky and find some way to earn a victory as a starter or as a relief pitcher. It took Hendriks until his 18th MLB start to finally get his first win. That is quite the stretch of bad luck for Mr. Hendriks and it wasn't all related to his bad performance on the field. He pitched a complete game against Seattle at the end of last month and still got the loss by giving up a solo-home run. Going into last start, the Twins were only averaging 3.38 runs of support for Hendriks so it was nice for him to get his first victory out of the way. But enough about the milestones from the last week, let's jump into this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." The Twins might have scored a lucky break with the deep pitching market this offseason.Denard Span's last hurrah with the Twins could be taking place in the coming weeks.Cedar Rapids is going to be the new home of the Twins Low-A affiliate. Bye-bye Snappers.With one affiliate moving, it brought up questions of a Twins minor league team in St. Paul.Every team in baseball has at least one 35 home run hitter since the last time the Twins accomplished the feat.Would a contract extension with Josh Willingham make sense? His value has been outstanding in 2012.A deal with Scott Baker could make sense for the club.It was the Twins annual rookie dress-up as the team headed to Detroit. Check out Ben Revere's Twitter account for a bunch of pictures.Rene Rivera was not happy the Twins called up Chris Herrmann this week.Miguel Sano and Oswaldo Arcia were both named to the Baseball America 2012 Minor League All-Star Team.The Rochester Red Wings GM Dan Mason was named the International League Executive of the year.In a sad bit of news, former Twins player Jack Kralick passed away this week.Left-handed pitching prospect David Hulbut of the Twins joined Twitter so everyone should give him a follow.Joe Mauer is going to have a tough time going for the batting title if the umps aren't on his side.It doesn't matter what your flavor is, Mauer's is better.Ever wonder what the lowest-attended home game in Twins history...This photo from photographer Brace Hemmelgarn gives a look into Target Field at 4:03 in the morning. Download attachment: TargetFieldMorning.jpg A bird relieved itself on the cap of Tommy Hunter this week.It's new school versus old school in the race for the AL MVP. Will Miguel Cabrera and his Triple Crown stats over take the Trout's rookie year?Jim Leyland doesn't like Sabermetrics and he doesn't think they should be used in the MVP race.Baseball teams are going to be getting a lot more money because of the new TV deal.NBC took away a World Series Championship from the Cubs this week.It sounds like Jim Thome is close to returning to the line-up for the Orioles (but I've said that over the last couple weeks...)I guess Royals games are getting a little out of hand in the underage drinking department. My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Pedro Florimon lining up to be Opening Day StarterTuesday: Should Scott Diamond be shutdown?Wednesday: Joe Mauer racing for fourth batting titleThursday: Career of lost opportunities for Alexi Casilla Video of the Week: Trevor Plouffe had an odd moment the series finale with the Indians. He crushed a ball to deep center field and it looked like the outfielder was going to be able to make a play on the ball. It turns out the ball was well over his head but he faked out Plouffe in the process. Check out the video to see Plouffe's reaction to his "surprise" home run. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Josh+Willingham+Justin+Morneau+Minnesota+Twins.jpg It's getting close to the end of the first fourth of the season and the Twins are still flirting with the .500 mark. There is a lot of baseball left to play but it has been an encouraging first portion of the season for Twins fans. Some surprise pitching performances, a good offense and a stingy bullpen have the club in range of the top of the division. So how did this Twins team get here and is this pace sustainable for the remainder of the season?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The starting staff has been one of the weaknesses of this club and there have clearly been some holes in the rotation. Vance Worley, the team's opening day starter, has an ERA north of 7.00 and WHIP is almost 2.00. Mike Pelfrey's numbers are nearly as bad as Worley's and these two men were supposed to play key roles on this team. Kevin Correia has been a big surprise and he leads the starters in almost every major category. Scott Diamond has put together some solid efforts since he returned from injury. His addition to the staff should provide a nice boost to the club. Pedro Hernandez has filled in as the fifth starter but there are other arms hot on his heels. Even with some good performances mixed in, it is hard not to imagine the Twins rotation getting better as the season goes on. Kyle Gibson and Cole DeVries are scheduled to join the rotation at some point in the coming weeks. It will also be tough for the players like Worley and Pelfrey to be as bad as they have been so far this year. This leads one to think that the starting pitching could be able to help the Twins stay around the .500 mark. On the offensive side of the ball, thing have been off to a good start. Joe Mauer is near the top of the leader board in multiple offensive categories. Justin Morneau has helped pace the middle of the line-up and Josh Willingham is finding ways to get on base though his average is low. Even young players like Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia are starting to figure out MLB pitching. The team currently ranks 8th in the American League in runs scored and this has helped the club to a positive run differential. Minnesota's 69 doubles ranks sixth among AL teams and this is the second highest total in the AL Central. With some slow offensive performances in the early weeks, the Twins team batting average of .251 might not be as bad an omen as it seems. So far, the club is below league average in batting average, slugging, and OPS. With Hicks and Arcia already in the MLB line-up, there isn't a ton of offensive help in the high levels of the minors. The club might have their best offensive core in and playing on a regular basis. If the players not named Mauer and Morneau can raise their numbers, this could be a very good offensive team. Minnesota's recent offensive performance makes it hard not to think that the team can stay close to the .500 mark. Over the weekend, Terry Ryan was asked about the Twins still being around the .500 mark especially with a lot of underachievers. His response was that .500 is not good enough. He wants this team to contend. The .500 mark seems pretty good after the last two awful seasons. It's hard to know if the club will be able to sustain this pace for the rest of the year but there are signs that it could be possible. Underachieving players might start to figure it out and then the Twins could be a dangerous club in the AL Central. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: LeviMichael.jpg The Minnesota Twins have a few full squad workouts under their belt and the team's first spring training game will be this weekend. Baseball season is back and there are plenty of things to be excited about for the Twins. Several of those reason may not make it to the majors, but you may have heard about them. But there are a few more, who might not be the biggest names in the farm system, but are players that could surprise during the coming season. Let's take a look at a few of them: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Infielders: The Twins are trying to patch together a middle infield for this season after some dreadful play at those spots. High-ranking prospect Eddie Rosario has switched from the outfield to the infield in an attempt for the organization to get more infield depth. Miguel Sano will certainly be a name to watch. But here are a couple other candidates: Danny Santana: He is already on the 40-man roster and he put together a very productive year at Fort Myers last season. As a 22-year old, he should be given a starting middle infield job at AA-New Britain. This would mean that he is getting closer to making his big league debut. Santana, a switch-hitter, does better from the left side of the plate, which is good since that is where he will get the majority of his at-bats. He hit nearly .300 versus right-handed pitchers last season. There is a little pop in his bat as he hit 38 extra-base hits last season including 21 doubles. His fielding has made small improvements since he was a 17-year old shortstop in the Dominican Summer League. He had 13 errors in 35 games at that position in 2008. Last year, Santana had 18 errors over 85 games at shortstop so there is still work to be done on the defensive side of the ball. Levi Michael: Usually, a first round pick wouldn't be too much of a surprise on a list like this but Michael is coming off a rough season. The Twins first pick in the 2011 draft was suppose to be a fast riser after his college experience at the University of North Carolina. He struggled in his first full season of professional ball. Most of his offensive struggles came against right-handed pitchers. He only hit .212/.306/.271 over 288 at-bats versus righties. After posting a .216 batting average before the All-Star Game, he hit .272 down the stretch. He was able to make some adjustments and it showed on the field. On the defensive side of the ball, Baseball America ranks him as the best defensive infielder in the Twins farm system. He split time between shortstop and second base last year and his path to the big leagues might come from his strong defense. Michael and Santana could form the middle infield duo for the Rock Cats. Outfielders: There are plenty of eyes on the battle for center field in big league camp. Can Joe Benson or Aaron Hicks beat out the competition and win the Opening Day gig? Can Oswaldo Arcia find his way to The Show? But there is another other name in the organization to watch this year. Daniel Ortiz: The 22-year old Oritz played at two different levels last season. Most of his playing time came with the Fort Myers Miracle but he did play a little with the Beloit Snappers. The former fourth round pick has been slowly working his way through the Twins system and he has made some improvements along the way. After struggling to make constant contact in 2011 at Beloit, the Twins sent him back there to start last season. He gained some confidence and hit close to .300 in his 22 games with that club. When he was promoted to Fort Myers, his average dropped a little to .269 but he showed some power with 37 extra-base hits. Ortiz can be used at all three outfield positions but most of his games in the minor leagues have been at a corner outfield spot. The Twins have plenty of other center fielders ahead of him so he will likely settle into a corner spot as he moves up the ladder. Click here to view the article

The 2014 All-Star Game was finally given to the Twin Cities this week but there were plenty of other happenings for Twins Territory. Joe Mauer was placed on waivers and the national media freaked out over what turned out to be a none story. After sitting for over a week and then playing in a handful of games, Denard Span was finally put on the DL even though rosters expand this weekend. Chris Parmelee destroyed Triple-A pitching for most of the year and he finally got called up. Now he has to show his stuff at the big league level if they can find at-bats for him.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] While the news surrounding the Twins has been exciting, the play on the field has not been in the exciting category. The team is scuffling to say the least and it could be a long final month for the faithful that still head to Target Field. A crowd of under 30,000 was announced for the first time at Target Field this week and it is hard to believe there were that many people in attendance. It is tough to watch a team that is putting a poor product on the field. Fans like me will continue to follow even if the wins aren't exactly piling up over the next few weeks. It's a long Labor Day weekend so before you skip out of the office early make sure to check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." So far this season, the Twins have gotten very good production from some signings that were minor at the time.The Twins are getting close to being unwatchable.During the next couple weeks, it will be important for Trevor Plouffe to rebound.It sounds like the Dodgers asked the Twins about Justin Morneau before moving on to their mega-deal with the Red Sox.Here are some highlights from FSN's coverage of MLB announcing the 2014 All-Star Game in Minnesota.Joe Mauer set the franchise record for games caught by passing Earl Battey, one of the best players in team history.This behind the back play by Mauer is pretty sweet to see.With the season being very dark, there are some beacons of light for the Twins.In their 52nd year in Minnesota, the team is now official under .500 since coming to the Twin Cities.How far are the 2013 Twins from contention?Kyle Gibson is back in the rotation for Rochester which makes him one step away from the big leagues again.Gibson is also one of six players that will compete in the Arizona Fall League as representative from the Twins organization.There were multiple players from the New Britain Rock Cats named to the Eastern League All-Star Team for the end of the season.The lone GCL Twin to be named the their post season All-Star list was Jeremias Pineda.ESPN's Keith Law went to Beloit to see Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario and the rest of the Snappers.Former Twins outfielder Lew Ford hit his first home run at the big league level since 2007 (see Video of the Week). I loved this shot of him rounding third with a smiling coming across his face.http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nxARY1FeXJQ/UEA2Z2xWIaI/AAAAAAAADME/_mRU-pXAVWg/s320/LewFordHR.jpg Poor Liam Hendriks indeed...Scott Diamond threw at Josh Hamilton and got in trouble for it so maybe he needs the ethics of throwing at hitters.For the second year in a row, the Twins will look to avoid 100 losses by the end of September.Adam Greenberg was hit in the head during his only MLB at-bat and he is campaigning for another shot at the big league level.Hank Aaron joined many other former sluggers saying PED punishments are not enough.Baseball might need to start thinking about getting collisions at home plate out of the game.Enjoy this week's edition of Mike Trout is amazing.Chipper Jones has gotten quite the wide collection of gifts as he makes his final stops in some NL cities.There are some bad things going on with the Rockies and their rotation plan is not the greatest.This song is going to get really old in the postseason.My Weekly Rundown Monday: What will the Twins do with Justin Morneau?Tuesday: Handling of young pitchers has changedTuesday's Trip through the MinorsWednesday: If Joe Mauer was traded, where could he go?Video of the Week: Lew Ford hit his first home run since 2007 earlier this week. It was also great that it came off of Francisco Liriano. Ford would go on to hit another home run later in the week so he is on quite the nice run for the Orioles as they try to stay in the playoff hunt in the American League. Click here to view the article

There have been plenty of great players in the history of the Twins franchise and there have also been plenty of duds. In my on-going offseason series, I have been taking a look at some of the worst players to ever wear a Twins uniform. In previous posts, the series covered Butch Huskey and Terry Felton. Next on the list of all-time worst, Mr. Scott Klingenbeck... ---------- Download attachment: ScottKlingenbeck.jpg The Baltimore Orioles drafted Scott Klingenbeck in the fifth round of the 1992 amateur draft. His college experience helped him travel quickly through their farm system. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]He pitched well in the low minor leagues and made his debut during the 1994 season, throwing seven innings and allowing three earned runs to earn the victory. Klingenbeck had a strong start the next year for the Orioles Triple-A team. He posted a 2.72 ERA and a 3-1 record. This left the club little choice but to call him up during the middle months of the season. There were a few bumps in the road on his return to the big leagues. His ERA jumped to 4.88 and he posted a 1.596 WHIP over five starts. This would only be the beginning of the bad. The Twins traded for Klingenbeck at the beginning of July in the deal that sent Scott Erickson to the Orioles. Erickson hadn't been able to regain his form from the first couple of years in the big leagues. He was only 27 years old, but the Twins wanted to get some younger prospects for him. Klingenbeck's minor league track record looked good, things quickly went south in Minnesota. He would make 18 appearances with the Twins in 1995 including four starts for the club. His ERA was a hefty 8.57 with an ugly 1.924 WHIP. He walked 24 batters, hit four batters, and had five wild pitches over 48.1 innings. It was beginning to look like the Twins had given up a king’s ransom to acquire a wild pitcher. For the start of the 1996 season, the Twins sent Klingenbeck back to the minor leagues to try and find himself. He improved by posting a 3.11 ERA and a 9-3 record over 22 starts. By the middle of the season, the Twins needed some help at the big league level and Klingenbeck was chosen. He struggled again, posting a 7.85 ERA and a 1.814 WHIP. This would be his last trip to the big leagues with the Twins. At the start of the next season, Klingenbeck was sent back to Triple-A. The Twins would dumped on Cincinnati, his hometown team, as part of a conditional deal. He had one more brief taste of the majors in 1998 and looked a little better with an ERA close to 6.00 and a 1.456 WHIP. The next year was his last in professional baseball before retiring in 1999. Klingenbeck's numbers in the minor leagues made it seem that he would be able to transition into at least a back of the rotation starter. That was one of the reasons the Twins traded for him, but this would never happen. His time in the Twins organization translated to a 1-3 record, an 8.30 ERA, and a 1.883 WHIP. He also put together a -1.7 WAR in his Twins tenure. Following his professional baseball career, Klingenbeck opened a sports bar and grill in Cincinnati. That venue is no longer open but it sounds like it was a decent place to eat. In the end, Klingenbeck will be more remembered as the man the Twins got back for Scott Erickson because his time in a Twins uniform was very unmemorable... What other players should be featured in this series? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

It was a rough week for the Twins in Chicago as the team got swept by one of their biggest rivals in a three game set. Minnesota won't have to wait long to get another shot at the White Sox as Chicago will come to Minnesota at the beginning of next week. For now, the focus of the club will turn to the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, a series where the Twins could play spoiler to a team trying to get back into the division race. Even with the team playing some important games over the course of the next week, the focus of many fans will be on the trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The Twins are one of three teams in the American League that is a below the .500 mark by quite a lot and this should mean that the team will be sellers in the next handful of days. Players like Francisco Liriano and Denard Span have heard their names mentioned multiple times in the rumor mill. It should be an interesting couple of days to see what Terry Ryan can do with his first trade deadline since taking back the GM chair. Another Friday means a collection of links to enjoy before you head off for your weekend fun. Sit back and buckle up for this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." It sounds like the Angels and Orioles are in the mix for a deal including Francisco Liriano.The trade market forLiriano seems to be fluctuating but at least there is still interest.The Reds have some interesting in adding Denard Span but it could cost them a pretty penny.If the Twins are going to trade any of the big three available bats (Morneau, Span, Willingham), it seems that the team is going to ask for a lot.One of the teams interested in Justin Morneau could be the Dodgers. They have money to spend but LA already added Hanley Ramirez to their line-up.What would the Twins outfield look like without Span manning center field?The Nationals are looking at adding middle infield depth in the form of a Jamey Carroll or Nick Punto type player. Could the Twins swing a deal that included Carroll and Span to the Nats?Even though Carl Pavano and Matt Capps will be on the DL until after the trade deadline, the Twins are hoping they will be able to get the players traded through waivers.Over the last two seasons, the Twins and the Astros have gone about losing in different ways. Which philosophy is better?Looking at the other trades made in the last couple weeks, it's a little easier to project the returns the Twins could get for their players.Someone is very excited that Luis Perdomo is joining the bullpen for the Twins.This photo of former Twins manager Tom Kelly was making the rounds on multiple sites this week. Apparently, "No Smooooking in the Metrodome" wasn't for everybody.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_wAcUlReZQ/UBIVRa5iGHI/AAAAAAAADFc/91ITK5glRBg/s320/TomKellyZubaz.jpg Joe Mauer thinks that he can still win a championship in Minnesota so it's good to hear that he is staying positive.There was a sighting of Mauer's furriest fan in the stands at a game this week.Jason Marquis was unbelievably bad with the Twins and he has turned it around with a shift back to the NL as a member of the Padres.While Marquis was bad with the Twins earlier this year, Nick Blackburn is entering the same territory. Should the Twins just cut him loose?Glen Perkins is a player that everyone should root for.Aaron Hicks, one of the top prospects for the Twins, had a career day earlier this week and it's not too early to look at his future.The entire incident with Cal Ripken's mother was scary to hear about. Luckily, everything turned out much better than it could have ended.Topps gets creative with their baseball cards and this is sure a strange item to pull from a pack.Fans got a couple years off from the World Baseball Classic and now the sites for next year's tournament have been announced.Ever wanted to own an official World Series trophy? The trophy given to the 1912 Boston Red Sox is being auctioned off.The Indians had three birthday parties on the same day for the same person. That's a lot of birthday cake.My Weekly Rundown: Sunday: Sunday Links-N-ThinksMonday: Hendriks lost in translation to big leaguesTuesday: Tuesday's trip through the MinorsWednesday: Plouffe's injury could mean Valencia's returnVideo of the Week: Carlos Gomez has been known to be a show boat during his career and Twins fans will remember plenty of things that he did on the field. Earlier this week, he got a little excited over a deep foul ball and he trotted around the bases. Just watch the video because it will bring a smile to your face. Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9DMuI0-XtTs/T6CxgJ6MPhI/AAAAAAAABPY/--E7C0uJ1Bk/s320/Slide1.jpg On Monday night, Ryan Braun put together an amazing offensive performance by hitting three home runs and adding a triple in another one of his at-bats. It was a historical night at the plate but there have been some even more historical nights in the long history of baseball. ESPN's SweetSpot Blog put up a vote of some of the greatest offensive nights in history. The leader in the clubhouse as of last night was Shawn Green and his 6-for-6 night with four home runs, a double, six runs, and seven RBI. It still stands as the MLB record for most total bases in one contest. This got me thinking about some of the best offensive performances in the history of the Minnesota Twins. Much like the SweetSpot post, these will only be regular season performances because the postseason is an entirely different story. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here are some of the top performances from regular season history for the Twins in order of when they occurred for the team. There are a ton of great games in franchise history so narrowing down the list is a tough challenge. At the end of the post, you will have the opportunity to pick what you think is the best performance in franchise history. It should be a fun exercise so I hope you enjoy it! 1. Bob Allison, 1963 Twins: 3-for-5, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI (box score) The first three home run game in franchise history with one of the highest RBI totals for a single game for the Twins. Players like Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, and Justin Morneau would hit three home runs in one contest but he will always be the first. In the early seasons of the Twins, it was a record setting game for a team trying to make their mark in Minnesota. 2. Glen Adams, 1977 Twins: 4-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 8 RBI (box score) Only two Twins have tallied eight RBI in a game and Glen Adams was the first member of the Twins to accomplish this feat. There was a lot of offense in this game as the Twins and White Sox combined for 31 runs. It could be argued that Rod Carew had a better game on this day with a 4-for-5 night with a home run, a double, five runs, and six RBI. The eight RBI are still hard to ignore and Adams game ranks as one of the best in team history. 3. Kirby Puckett, 1987 Twins: 6-for-6, 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI (box score) The greatest Twins player in history is the only player in the history of the franchise to compile six hits in a game. He has done it twice but one time it occurred in an extra-inning contest so we will pick the game that was decided in regulation play. There were multiple records set by Puckett in this game against the Brewers. Besides the team record for hits, he also managed the most total bases in franchise history with 14. His four RBI were also the difference in the score as the Twins won by a score of 10 to 4. It will be tough for another performance to top one of Puckett's best offensive performances. 4. Randy Bush, 1989 Twins: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 8 RBI (box score) As mentioned earlier, Glen Adams was one of two players to have eight RBI in a game and the player to tie his team record for RBI was Randy Bush. Just like in the game from Adams, the Twins scored 19 runs as part of this eight RBI performance. He would only get 54 RBI for the year so having eight in one game is quite the accomplishment. For a light hitting outfielder with not a lot of power, this was quite the game. 5. Michael Cuddyer, 2005 Twins: 4-for-4, HR, 3 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI (box score) The team record for extra-base hits in a game is four and there have been multiple players to do this in a game and this includes multiple players on this list. Cuddyer was the last member of the Twins to be able get four extra-base hits and he did it in a 4-for-4 game in which he was intentional walked during the game. Mr. Cuddyer has also hit for the cycle in a contest for the Twins but this was also one of his best games during his time with the Twins. 6. Justin Morneau, 2007 Twins: 3-for-5, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI (box score) Justin Morneau has run into some tough luck in the injury department in recent years but he is still one of the best power hitters in the history of the Twins. He is most current Twins player to hit three home runs in a contest and he did it in a blow out win against the White Sox. Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, and Bob Allison are the only player to have more 2-homer games than Morneau. His 12 total bases in the game are also close to the most ever in franchise history. 7. Jason Kubel, 2009 Twins: 4-for-5, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI (box score) This might have been one of the most exciting offensive performance in recent memory for the Twins. The team found themselves in a hole in the late innings of the game but one player was in the middle of a special performance. With the Twins down nine to four in the bottom of the eighth, the team started to mount their come-back. The exclamation point on the comeback would be off of the bat Jason Kubel. He already had a triple, double, and a single to his name and this meant that he just needed the home run to complete the cyle. A grand slam to give his team the lead in the late innings was a special moment in the final year of the Metrodome. Now is your chance to vote on the games listed above but it doesn't stop there because there have been other great games in Twins history as well. If you think there is a better performance, leave a comment below and start the conversation. CLICK HERE TO SEE POLL Click here to view the article

Download attachment: mauercatch.jpg After an injury-plagued 2011 season, the Twins had to take an alternative approach with Joe Mauer and his time on the defensive side of the ball. In 2012,he started 72 games at catcher, 42 games at DH, and 30 games at first base. It was the first time in Mauer's career where he started more than 100 games and didn't play at least 90 games behind the plate. In spring training, Mauer made it be known that he wanted more time at catcher. Ron Gardenhire and the Twins front office have met his request.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Mauer has started 81 of the Twins 86 games this season. He has started 54 at catcher, 22 at DH, and five games at first base. He's up to 484.2 innings; that puts him on pace to get over 900 innings for the sixth time in his career. Innings at Catcher 2005: 999.2 2006: 1059.1 2007: 777.2 2008: 1203.0 2009: 939.0 2010: 951.2 2011: 408. 2 2012: 628.1 Mauer has also been more effective at his natural position. According to the defensive runs saved statistic, Mauer is having his best season. The highest mark he has posted in any season is three runs above average. In 2013, he has already posted his best defensive runs saved mark with five runs above average. Only Royals catcher Salvador Perez has a higher mark among American League catchers. Another area where Mauer has shown improvement is rSB or "Stolen Base Runs Saved." This stat measures how many "runs" a catcher contributes to their team by throwing out runners and preventing runners from attempting steals in the first place. Mauer is tied with Matt Wieters for first place in the AL with two runs saved. In 2007, Mauer posted his highest rSB with three runs saved, so he could be on pace to break that mark. This year runners have found it harder to steal bases on Mauer. For his career, Mauer has thrown out 33% of potential base stealers. This season he has been able to raise his percentage to 46%; the league average is 25%. His caught stealing percentage currently ranks second in the AL behind Yan Gomes of the Indians. A catcher's ability to frame pitches continues to be something that interests fans. Ryan Doumit is one of the worst catchers at framing pitches and this can be tough on Twins pitchers. Joe Mauer does better behind the plate and umpires are more willing to give him some close calls. Over the course of his career, Mauer has compiled some of the best catcher framing seasons in history. To think about where the Twins were a season ago with the 2012 version of Mauer, it is hard to believe the team has gotten to this low point with the 2013 Mauer. There were plenty of questions about how much time Mauer should spend behind the plate. It seems that Mauer has put many of those concerns to rest. He is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and the Twins are a better team when he is behind the dish. He's also not too bad with a bat in his hand and Twins fans are lucky to watch him on a daily basis. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Romero-Deibinson.jpg Before the season began, Deibinson Romero wasn't cracking top prospect lists. As a 26-year old prospect(?), there had been some tough seasons in the minor leagues. He needed multiple seasons in Beloit, Fort Myers, and New Britain. After 2,600 plate appearances in the minors, Romero had never faced a pitch above Double-A. Things have changed so far this season for Mr. Romero.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] This year it took another trip back to the Eastern League for Romero to get back on track and he did so in a big way. He wasn't there long, batting .355/.429/.710 with three home runs and two doubles in eight games. The team promoted him to Rochester and he has continued putting together his best professional season. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com In 18 games at Rochester, Romero is hitting .308/.394/.583 with four home runs and two doubles. Those numbers are great but he has been even better in the last ten games. Over that stretch, Romero is hitting .395/.452/.684 with three home runs. This also includes one game on June 3rd where he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. On the defensive side, Romero has continued to improve his play at third. He has averaged close to 20 errors a season over the last four years. So far this year he has three errors in 55 chances. If he continues to hit well and play strong defense it will be hard for the front office not to notice him. One man who has noticed his recent play is Ron Gardenhire. In an interview this weekend, the Twins skipper said, "He's gotten better and better. He's really brought himself back into the picture here. Another option -- and he is an option for me." This is high praise from a manager who has seen a revolving door at third base since the departure of Corey Koskie many years ago. The Twins coaching staff was excited at the prospect of getting an extended look at Romero during spring training this year. Unfortunately, Romero got tied up in the Dominican Republic due to a visa issue. This cost him a chance to impress the front office and Gardenhire's staff. There might be some issues with finding a place for Romero. He is currently not on the 40-man roster so the Twins would need to clear a space for him in order to call him up. The Twins have been willing to move people from the 40-man roster this year so this shouldn't be much of a stumbling block for Romero. Another obstacle in Romero's way could be the return of a healthy Trevor Plouffe. The last month has been interesting for Plouffe. He was placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list after sliding hard into second base to break up a double play. On the day he was removed from concussion DL, he injured his calf in warm-ups and he had to be placed on the 15-day DL. Plouffe will be heading to Rochester on a rehab assignment at the start of this week. This could mean his return to the line-up in the next handful of days. Minnesota has struggled since Plouffe went on the disabled list May 22. Entering play on Sunday, third basemen have combined to go 7-for-68 (.103) with one extra-base hit. There will be a lot of talk about Miguel Sano's promotion from High-A to Double-A because he is the future at third base. However, Romero has been a pleasant surprise this season and it would be nice to see him get an opportunity to prove himself on the big league stage. Click here to view the article

It's the last Friday of the regular season and that means this will be the last Friday the Twins will be playing until opening week of next year. That might be sad to think about for some fans but it has been two tough seasons in a row. The 162 game schedule can be grueling for the players and it seems logical to think some of them are ready for their up coming break. It's been the second year in a row that the Twins haven't been close to making the playoffs and that hasn't happened since the 1999-2000 campaigns. Sigh... [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]There are things to watch as the season comes to a close. Joe Mauer is inching closer to the top of the leader board for the batting title in the American League. It would be his fourth batting title and his first title since 2009, his MVP year and the last season in the Metrodome. Over the last six games with the Tigers and the Blue Jays, Scott Diamond could add to his already impressive season and Glen Perkins could increase his final save total. If Willingham is healthy, he could tack on a few more home runs to his final tally. After losing two out of three to the Yankees, the Twins will try to play the upset role with the Tigers over the weekend. Twins pitchers can help Mauer get closer to a batting title if they can hold Miguel Cabrera in check. Before the start of the weekend, check out the latest edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Glen Perkins took a reporter pitch by pitch through his save against the Yankees and it turned into an interesting and entertaining article.Since 1990, there has been quite the variety of Twins prospects to crack Baseball America's Top 100 list.It has been quite the journey for Sam Deduno to get to this point.Jared Burton has looked good for the Twins this year so what should they do about his future?As the season comes to a close, it's time for the Twins to concede that it was a lost year.Josh Willingham has most likely been the most clutch player on the Twins in 2012.Is clubhouse chemistry something the Twins need to consider going into the offseason?Baseball America named Byron Buxton as the top prospect in the Gulf Coast League and later in the week he was named top prospect in the Appalachian League.For Liam Hendriks, it has been a homer happy season at the big league level.Since Ron Gardenhire took over as manager, the Twins have followed an interesting pattern.There are questions in the middle infield for the Twins and it's tough to know where Jamey Carroll fits into the picture.It was a turnaround year for Ben Revere.Kevin Love threw out the first pitch at a Twins game earlier this week. Download attachment: love_firstpitch.jpg In one of the coolest stories of the year, Adam Greenberg is going to get one at-bat in the big leagues after a tragic end to his only plate appearance.With every victory for RA Dickey this year, it looks like Twins had him on their roster a few years too early.Cleveland is making a managerial change with six games to go in the season. Luckily, they had their next manager wanting to take over.Doug Fister set a new American League record by striking out nine consecutive batters.An interesting Babe Ruth autograph was found in an surprising location.Brandon McCarthy suffered quite the head injury when he was hit in the side of the head with a ball off the bat. He doesn't think helmets should mandatory for pitchers though.Torii Hunter Jr. is a very good high school wide receiver and he committed to play football at Notre Dame.It might be tough for Ozzie Guillen to find another managing job if the Marlins fire him.Is it time to rethink Native America imagery in sports?The Wall Street Journal named the most bias announcers and there wasn't much of a surprise at the top.My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Cabrera vs. Trout: The MVP Debate for the AgesTuesday: Matt Capps and his looming option yearWednesday: The Killer Speed of Byron BuxtonThursday: Ryan and Gardenhire speak to season ticket holders Video of the Week: One of the best defensive plays of the year happened this week and it came from an unlikely source. Travis Snider did his best impersonation of Michael Jordan and Spider-Man while hauling in a ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I enjoy the fan underneath Snider and a little to the right that is standing up and pointing at him making the catch. Enjoy and have a great weekend Click here to view the article

Download attachment: No_Hitter.jpg There have been two series so far for the Twins and each one has produced the same result, a Twins win. Minnesota is tied with the Chicago White Sox for first place in the Central Division. It is very early in the season but the Twins are finding ways to keep games close and to come out victorious. Similarly remarkable things are happening in the Twins farm system. One pitching staff combined for a no-hitter and plenty of the top prospects in the organization are off to hot starts. There were a few other surprises as we take a look around the Twins minor league system. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Beloit Snappers 1 Box Score It was a special day in Cedar Rapids as three Kernels pitchers combined to toss the organization's first no-hitter of the 2013 season. Tyler Duffey started for the Kernels and tossed seven perfect innings before being removed. He struck out seven and picked up his first win of the year. Duffey, the Twins fifth round pick last year, was starting his first game with the organization after being used as a relief pitcher in Elizabethton at the end of last year. Josue Montanez would pitch the eighth inning and he surrendered the only run of the game for Cedar Rapids. He walked three batters in the frame and this allowed Beloit to get on the board. Tim Atherton struck out the side in the ninth inning to close out the no-hitter. On the offensive side of the ball, Bryon Buxton continued his strong start to the season. He went 4-for-5 with his first double and his first triple of the year. Buxton is now hitting .563 with three extra-base hits and four runs scored as the leadoff hitter for Cedar Rapids. Dalton Hicks went 3-for-4 with a couple doubles. Travis Harrison also notched a couple of hits including his third double of the year. Ft. Myers Miracle 9, Bradenton Marauders 8 (10 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers continued their hot start to the year by winning their fourth consecutive game. The Miracle jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on the strength of a five run third inning. Michael Gonzalez hit his second home run of the year to give the Miracle the go-ahead lead. He knocked in three runs in the game. Miguel Sano had a three hit game to raise his batting average to .438. Eddie Rosario went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs. Andy Leer also had his first home run of the season. Scott Diamond made his first rehab start in this game. He pitched five innings and gave up four earned runs including one long ball. All of the runs came in a long fourth inning. Madison Boer pitched in relief of Diamond and gave up four earned runs of his own. There were some control problems as he had three walks in a little over two innings of work. Chad Rodgers got the win and Corey Williams picked up his second save with a perfect bottom of the tenth inning. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 (11 innings) Box Score New Britain was the lone Twins affiliate to lose on Sunday. It was a tough luck loss as the club fell in extra-innings to mark their third loss on the season. The Rock Cats were leading for most of the game after the team scored a run in the second and the fourth innings. Michael Tonkin gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth to blow the save and let Richmond back in the game. Highly touted pitching prospect Alex Meyer made his Double-A debut and did well. He threw five innings and gave up one run on six hits. He struck out eight and issued one walk. Meyer threw 75 pitches in the game and 53 were for strikes. It was a slow offensive day for New Britain. The Rock Cats combined for five hits in the game. No hitter had more than one hit. Josmil Pinto cracked his first home run of the year in the second inning. Daniel Ortiz got his first triple of the year. The team was 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and the club left 15 men on base. Rochester Red Wings 14, Buffalo Bisons 5 Box Score The Red Wings were riding a three game losing streak to start the year but they made sure to snap that skid on Sunday. The team pounded out 17 hits and scored 14 runs. There were home runs from a trio of players including Brandon Boggs, Chris Colabello, and Clete Thomas. Colabello would finish the game 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI. It was the first four hit game of the Red Wings season and of his career in affiliated baseball. He is hitting an eye-popping .600 through four games. Thomas would knock in five runs with a homer and a two-bagger to his credit. Oswaldo Arcia continued his hot start to the year by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored. The 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 10-for-13 with two home runs, two doubles, 9 RBI, and 8 runs. Virgil Vazquez had plenty of run support as his team scored 10 runs for him in the first two innings. He threw six frames by allowing eight hits and four earned runs, all solo home runs. Michael O'Connor pitched two innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits. Anthony Slama got the final three outs of the game for the first Red Wings W. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Josh+Willingham+Justin+Mornea.jpg In an interview with reporters on Monday night at the Winter Meetings, Minnesota Twins General Manager Terry Ryan tamed expectations. When asked if the Twins will be competitive in 2013, he said, "We will try to have that happen... We have to be realistic on all fronts." This most likely means that the Twins won't be handing out buckets of cash to front-line starting pitching but that could be expected from the start of the offseason. There could be some other deeper meanings that are going to transpire in the rest of this offseason or before the end of the year. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] If the Twins can't be competitive in 2013, what else should the club accomplish before the start of next season? Is it time to dump Justin Morneau and/or Josh Willingham? From the sounds of reports, neither Morneau or Willingham will be changing jerseys before the start of the year. Morneau will be entering the last year of his contract and is due $14 million. Willingham only joined the club last season but his value might be at its highest after a career year. If the Twins were able to trade both of these players for talent that would be ready in the next couple of seasons, it could be a step in the right direction. Morneau's money will also be off the books for 2014 so this could help the Twins add depth at other positions. Will the outfield of the future be able to breakout by 2014? Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks each had fantastic seasons in 2012, but were at the Double-A level. Both players will likely start at Triple-A in 2013, and both could see their major league debut at some point next season. An outfield with Arcia, Hicks and Ben Revere could be in place for multiple seasons if all of these players can stay healthy and productive. The jump from Double-A all the way to the big leagues can come with some bumps and bruises so the Twins might have to be patient with their rising prospects. Could the rotation be stronger by the start of 2014? Entering next season, the Twins have plenty of question marks in the rotation. By 2014, some of those question marks might be dissolved. Kyle Gibson will most certainly be on an innings limit in 2013 after coming back from Tommy John surgery and he might not even start the year in the rotation. In 2014, he should be able to pitch a full season and he should be in the starting rotation from the start of the year. Newly acquired Alex Meyer will most likely start next year in Double-A, which could mean he debuts with the Twins by the end of 2013. If Gibson and Meyer can put together positive seasons, these two pitchers along with Scott Diamond could make up three-fifths of the rotation in 2014. For a successful 2014, a lot of things have to go right in 2013. The Twins need Arcia and Hicks to continue to progress and Diamond, Gibson and Meyer to stay healthy. When relying on younger players, there can be a learning curve and that might be why the Twins would want to trade other player this offseason. By giving some of these younger players time to iron out the kinks, the team could be better set up for success in the future. Most fans know the Twins aren't going to win 100 games next year. It would be nice to see the Twins be competitive in what has been a very winnable division during the last few seasons. But the time doesn't feel right for the Twins to charge back in the Central. It might be more important to focus on the future and moves that will help the Twins succeed in the long run. <br> Click here to view the article

The Twins seem to have found a nice little groove over the course of the last week. In their six games since last weekend's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks," the Twins have posted a respectable 4-2 record with plenty of offense along the way. Jamey Carroll, Justin Morneau, and Ryan Doumit all hit over .400 in the last week and Morneau, Doumit, and Josh Willingham each had multiple home runs during that span. Ben Revere saw his hitting streak reach 21-games before he was held hitless against Cleveland on Wednesday. It was an overall positive week for the Twins and they find themselves a game and a half out of the cellar in the AL Central. It was a slow week here at NoDak Twins Fan because I was in the midst of moving to a new apartment in Fargo and I had no access to internet for the last seven or so days. I had to get creative with how I connected to social media and I turned to my smart phone a lot to stay updated on the latest happenings. The internet got hooked up at my new place yesterday morning so it felt great to be able to type out a post for Friday morning after a short hiatus. I will be back next week with a full slate of Twins coverage including my regular Tuesday night minor league update and plenty of other news from across the organization.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] For now, get ready for a great weekend but make sure to check out the links that I provided below with some of my favorite stories from the last week. As always, there will be a few surprises along the way. Enjoy! Tsuyoshi Nishioka had a series to forget against Cleveland but the Twins are sticking with him at least until Trevor Plouffe is healthy.It is good to see Max Kepler putting it all together in the last month for the E-Twins.As the Twins saw this week, the Indians are a mess but they still ended their 11-game losing streak with a victory versus Minnesota.Former Twins slugger Jim Thome is going to miss another month of play and he might not play again in 2012.The outfield for the Twins could be fun to watch in 2014.While the future outfield looks bright, the current outfield has been very good for the Twins.There are plenty of former Twins players that you may have lost track of in recent years.Alex Wimmers will be following the same recovery template that Kyle Gibson did with the Twins.In what seems like a surprise move, the Twins top two picks from this year have already moved up a level in the minor leagues.After missing most of the last two seasons, Morneau seems like he can finally hit offspeed offerings again.Frank Viola pitched in a Game 7 of the World Series and that was nothing compared to watching his daughter compete in the Olympics.If the Twins are willing to trade Morneau in the coming offseason, there are other options for the Twins to fill his spot.Jose Mijares was let go by the Twins in the offseason and now it seems that hardly anyone wanted the lefty when he was put on waivers. I enjoyed this explanation that he might just have bad b.o.Have you ever wondered what MLB does to warn a pitcher if he takes too long between pitches?Eric Thames literally made sparks in a game earlier this week.There are 18 creepy hats on sale at MLB.com and Twins mascot TC is part of one of them.http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWcsHb_ULrU/UCP-pKueZVI/AAAAAAAADHk/ORh3rIyexuw/s320/mascotcaps.jpg It took 29-year old Jim Henderson 10 years to make it to the big leagues and he is already the closer for the Brewers.Clint Eastwood has a new movie coming out and it looks like it is an anti-Moneyball movie with a whole bunch of story lines.On Wednesday, it was the anniversary of the White Sox wearing their horrible jerseys with shorts. They should have brought them out of retirement for the day.I wish I could make finds like this at the thrift store.Mike Trout is not only the best player in the American League, he also celebrated his 21st-birthday by hitting the ball out of the park.It's dangerous to have your parents be White Sox fans.The Houston Astrodome continues to stand even though it can't be used any more.Buster Posey is the first MLB player to have his own iPhone game.I love listening to Vin Scully and his translation of Jim Tracy's on-field meltdown was classic.My Weekly Rundown Monday: Should fans have expected more from Valencia?Video of the Week: As already mentioned, Nishioka is back in the big leagues. That leads to some wonderful defensive plays like this. Even as a Twins fan, it is funny to see how awful he has been on the defensive side of the ball but any player can lose a ball in the sun... right... Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's finally Friday and the Twins are coming home to welcome a couple of teams that have yet to make a trip to Target Field. Interleague play means the Cubs and the Phillies will make their inaugural trek to Minneapolis to explore the friendly confines of Target Field. Some people love interleague play and others hate it. I see both sides of the argument but I do enjoy getting to see some National League players that I wouldn't normally get to see otherwise. Lucky enough for the Twins, the Cubs and the Phillies have also been struggling through the early portion of the season. Both teams are under .500 and the Cubs are one of two teams in all of baseball that have fewer wins than the Twins. The Phillies do play very well on the road with a 16-12 record so far but the Twins should be able to put up a good fight in the next couple series.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The MLB Draft was the main story for most of the week but there was still plenty of other news and notes from around the league. Check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." The Twins selected high school outfielder Byron Buxton with the second pick in the draft on Monday. You can like his page on Facebook or you can follow him on Twitter for the latest updates.Here is the official video of Bud Selig announcing Byron Buxton as the Twins pick along with his reaction.If you want to know more about Buxton, check out this profile on him.Speaking of the draft, I was on the Seth Speaks Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcastto discuss the draft and the current situation with the Twins.Former Twins pitcher RA Dickey is having an amazing year for the Mets and he seems to be one that got away.Twins catching prospect Chris Herrmann sat down for an interview with Twins Fan From Afar.After the draft, the next major milestone in the season will be the trade deadline and there could be more than one team vying for the services of Denard Span.Span was taken in the draft that took place 10 years ago. So what happened to all of those players?Trevor Plouffe was called out and he seems to have answered with a recent hot streak.Last Friday former Twins ace Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in Mets history and the ticket stubs are selling for more than games that have yet to be played.Here is the complete list of players that the Twins took in all 40 rounds of the draft.There was an issue with Jeff Manship's jersey on Wednesday night and something like this has happened to him before.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCBMrV7E1gQ/T9FmK6u_B8I/AAAAAAAAB8o/i67bJY6drKM/s400/jeffmanshipormanhsip.jpg It didn't take long for Jason Marquis to get back to the majors but the results in his first start were similar to when he was with the Twins as he got the loss.There was a crazy first pitch at a Rochester Red Wings game this week.Jim Thome is back from the DL in enough time to make a return trip to Target Field.Earlier this week, it was the anniversary of D-Day and there are some baseball connections to this historically significant day.The Territory Train went to Beloit last week and here are some thoughts on some of the best players for the Snappers.Did the Twins stay with the pitch-to-contact approach in the draft for too long?Miguel Sano headlines a group of Snappers headed to the Midwest All-Star Game.The Twins have been winning more games lately but could this be a bad thing?My Weekly Rundown Monday: 2012 Twins MLB Draft PrimerTuesday: Twins go with Buxton over AppelTuesday's Trip through the MinorsThursday: Liriano seems to be changing his release pointVideo of the Week: Denard Span did an interview with MLB Network's Intentional Talk while the team was in Kansas City. The whole interview is a lot of fun and it is always cool to see the players kick back and have some fun. So take a couple minutes and watch Denard talk about some silly topics Click here to view the article

Download attachment: ecommerce-vs-traditional-shopping.jpg Everything was nice and fuzzy last Friday when the Minnesota Twins had pulled off some nice wins and they had themselves near the top of the American League. Things have changed in the last week as the club got swept by the Kansas City Royals and the Twins are near the bottom of the AL Central. However, there was still plenty of good material across the web this week. Check out the latest edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks" and have a fantastic weekend! Eduardo Escobar seems to have found a good niche with Minnesota. The Twins front office looked pretty silly after the $15 batting practice story came out. Miguel Sano is the youngest player in the Florida State League. Minnesota has the fourth most money to spend on the international market this year, which will feature a tiered cap for the first time. Denard Span might have the whole beating traffic thing figured out. Vance Worley is an interesting character. Fans are going to have to be patient with the Twins youngsters. Jake Mauer has a new job and some interesting prospects to tutor. Supplemental draft picks have a tough decision between college and professional baseball. Is the glass half empty or half full for the Twins?We talked about this on this week's episode of Talk to Contact so here is Bryce Harper's older brother and his fantastic mustache. It's real and it's spectacular. One of the most powerful stories from this week looks at Ken Griffey Jr. and his attempt at suicide. It is hard to believe "The Sandlot" turns 20 this year. Here is a look at where the stars are now. The most valuable baseball card in the world was altered even though people suspected this for years. Vin Scully can make anything sound better even when he doesn't know the meaning of hashtag. A goat's head showed up on the doorstep of Wrigley Field. The Kansas City Royals almost ended up with a dome but thankfully they didn't. Who does this Justin Verlander bobblehead look like? My vote is for Jamey Carroll. Plenty of fans don't like the wave but these Nats fans are going to the extreme. Will there be an MLB International Draft for 2014? MLB is going to establish a training academy in Puerto Rico. Those fancy pink wireless phones haven't shown up in the dugout yet.My Weekly Rundown Monday: Talk to Contact: Episode 32Tuesday: Anthony Swarzak could be key to the bullpen Wednesday: Will the real Twins base stealers, please stand up? Wet Wednesday in the MinorsVideo of the Week: A terrible strike call end a game with the Rangers and the Rays earlier this week. One of the biggest parts of this strike was the fact that it capped Joe Nathan's 300th save in the big leagues. Twins fans got to see Nathan climb the club's all-time list before he broke the record. He continues to rack up saves and it will be interesting to see how high he can get on MLB's all-time list. Click here to view the article

Much like the major league squads, the best players at the Triple-A level gathered in Reno, Nevada for their All-Star Game Wednesday evening. The Rochester Red Wings had two representatives, Chris Colabello and Andrew Albers, and they both played roles in different parts of the game. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Colabello was the starting first baseman for the International League team and he batted in the third spot in the order. After not hitting any home runs in the Triple-A Home Run Derby, Colabello looked to make some noise with his bat. He got the scoring started with an RBI double in the top of the first. He ended the night going 1-for-3. Albers pitched the fourth inning and things didn't go exactly perfectly. The first two batters reached on singles; a passed ball moved both men into scoring position. Albers coaxed a ground out that drove in a run from the next batter. With a runner on third and one out, Albers struck out the next batter for the second out. The final batter of the inning hit a ball hard but it was right at the center fielder. New Britain Rock Cats 4, Harrisburg Senators 3 Box Score The Rock Cats pounded out 11 hits, squeaking out a one-run victory over the Senators. The win brought New Britain to within two games of .500. Since the All-Star Game last Wednesday, the club has posted a 3-4 record. Tomorrow marks the start of an important eight-game home stand over the next seven days. DJ Baxendale pitched admirably, throwing 5.2 innings and limiting the Senators to two runs. He gave up five hits and struck out two while walking one. After starting the year 7-0 with the Miracle, his victory on Wednesday gave him with a 3-3 record at Double-A. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in his last three outings. Eddie Rosario has been on a tear lately. He's in the midst of a seven-game hit streak and in his last 10 games he is batting .366/.409/.561. In this afternoon's contest, he went 3-for-5 with half his team's RBI. Rosario is hitting .306/.374/.494 with 12 extra-base hits in the 31 games since his promotion. Danny Santana did a good job setting the table ahead of Rosario. He went 2-for-4 i with his 16th double and he scored two runs out of the leadoff spot. Santana has a nice five-game hitting streak of his own, so he and Rosario are doing a fine job at the top of the order. Fort Myers Miracle 6, Dunedin Blue Jays 4 Box Score Kennys Vargas came up with a big two-run double in the top of the ninth to help put a stop to the Miracle's six game losing streak. Recent games saw Vargas deep in a 1-for-18 slump and he had already gone 0-2 in this game with two strikeouts. The big hit from Vargas wasn't the only story from this game. DJ Hicks, in his Florida State League debut, got the Miracle on the board early with a two-run home run. Byron Buxton helped add to the lead when he hit a fly ball that was lost in the lights. He ended up at third base and eventually came in to score. Aderlin Mejia, Matt Koch, and JD Williams each added two hits. Tyler Duffey was excellent on the mound but he ended up with a no-decision. He tossed seven shutout innings while allowing one hit. Through the game he had to work around four walks but it helped he was able to strike out seven. The Miracle brought a lead into the eighth inning before a rough outing from Nelvin Fuentes. He gave up four hits including the go-ahead grand slam. After the Vargas double, Zach Jones came on in the ninth to earn his tenth save. Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Lake County Captains 6 (12 innings) Box Score This game continued long into the night as neither club could gain the advantage. Both teams managed big four run innings in the early going before reaching a stalemate at the end of nine. Christian Powell started the game and he made it through five innings after a rough fourth. Overall, he gave up five runs on seven hits including two long balls. He wasn't around for the end of this game as it turned into a battle of the bullpens. Dallas Gallant recorded five outs and he did so by striking out all five. There were some wild moments among those five outs as he threw a couple wild pitches and base runners-- one walked and one reached first on a third strike wild pitch--were on in both frames he worked. David Hurlbut also struck out five after coming on into a tough situation, in the bottom of the seventh, with a runner at third base. One unearned run was scored against him as he allowed only one hit in over two innings of. The Kernels struck out 19 Captains with the help of two strikeouts each for Alex Muren and Tim Shibuya in the last two innings. Jorge Polanco helped to stop what seemed like an endless game which lasted four hours and six minutes. His RBI single in the top of the 12th inning was the first run for the Kernels since the sixth inning. Earlier in the game Jeremias Pineda hit his second home run of the year, a three-run shot. He ended the night 3-for-5 with four runs scored. Niko Goodrum was 4-5 with two walks. GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 4 Box Score The bullpen for the GCL Twins gave up three runs in the final three innings to cough up the lead. The Rays took an early lead by scoring in the bottom of the first. The Twins came back and scored three runs in the middle frames to regain the lead. Unfortunately, it didn't last and the team dropped one game under .500 and 2.5 games out of first place. Zach Larson powered the offense with two hits, including his fourth home run of the year. Chad Christensen had the only other extra-base hit with a triple and he came around to score. Alex Swim has a five-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Alex Wimmers continued his comeback from Tommy John surgery. He pitched two innings and gave up one earned run. He was able to strike out three batters but he did walk a couple. Stephen Gonsalves tossed three innings, struck out three, and gave up his first run of the year, raising his ERA to 1.13. Daniel Sattler was charged with the loss after giving up two runs on four hits in one inning. Click here to view the article