Cody Christie

Max Kepler has been featured up and down Twins prospect lists since the Twins signed him as a teenager out of Europe. The list of successful major league players born in Europe is small but there's always been a little something extra with Kepler.His parents are both professional dancers so he's got a strong athletic background. Minnesota took it slow with Kepler allowing him to play three years in the rookie leagues. Over the last two seasons, he has worked through both Low-A and High-A and spent the fall in the Arizona Fall League. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster following the 2013 season and he's spent the majority of 2015 at Double-A. The 2013 season had to be a low point for Kepler. He suffered an elbow injury early in the season and he didn't make it onto the field until the end of June. When he returned, he struggled at the plate hitting .237/.312/.424 with 23 extra-base hits in 61 games. In the AFL, he managed a .618 OPS with five doubles in 72 plate appearances. It wasn't a full season debut to write home about. Things started trending in the right direction during the 2014 campaign. He was healthier and played in over 100 games with Fort Myers. His slugging percentage dipped a little bit (.393 SLG) but his batting average (.264 BA) and on-base percentage (.333 OBP) both improved. Kepler was also close to two years younger than the other hitters in the league so there were signs of good things to come. This season Kepler is part of a stacked line-up in Chattanooga that includes the likes of top prospects Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Jorge Polanco. Up to this point in the season, he is outperforming many of the names ahead of him on top prospect lists. Across 23 Double-A games this season, Kepler is batting .326/.363/.500 with 11 extra-base hits (entering play on 5/19). He hasn't had a slugging percentage of .500 or higher since his second trip through the Appalachian League back in 2012. He's also never hit over .300 at any level. Besides improving his numbers at the plate, Kepler is also making waves with the other parts of his game. He's already stolen six bases this year after totaling six steals all of last season. His career high in steals is seven so he is well on his way to breaking that mark. On defense, he's split time between all three outfield positions and first base. He's been perfect fielding in the outfield to go along with an assist from right field, the outfield spot he's played the most. At first base, he's committed two errors but his fielding percentage is still higher than it was last season. Kepler's improvements this season definitely make him a player to watch. There's a good chance the Twins will see many of the top prospects debut at some point this season and this could mean Kepler shoots up prospect lists next off-season, with the potential to be a top 100 prospect in all of baseball. There's still a lot of season left but Kepler has shown some early season signs that he's ready to break out in a big way. Click here to view the article

Max Kepler has been featured up and down Twins prospect lists since the Twins signed him as a teenager out of Europe. The list of successful major league players born in Europe is small but there's always been a little something extra with Kepler. His parents were both professional dancers so he's got a strong athletic background. Minnesota took it slow with Kepler allowing him to play three years in the rookie leagues. Over the last two seasons, he has worked through both Low-A and High-A and spent the fall in the Arizona Fall League. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster following the 2013 season and he's spent the majority of 2015 at Double-A. The 2013 season had to be a low point for Kepler. He suffered an elbow injury early in the season and he didn't make it onto the field until the end of June. When he returned, he struggled at the plate hitting .237/.312/.424 with 23 extra-base hits in 61 games. In the AFL, he managed a .618 OPS with five doubles in 72 plate appearances. It wasn't a full season debut to write home about. Things started trending in the right direction during the 2014 campaign. He was healthier and played in over 100 games with Fort Myers. His slugging percentage dipped a little bit (.393 SLG) but his batting average (.264 BA) and on-base percentage (.333 OBP) both improved. Kepler was also close to two years younger than the other hitters in the league so there were signs of good things to come. This season Kepler is part of a stacked line-up in Chattanooga that includes the likes of top prospects Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Jorge Polanco. Up to this point in the season, he is outperforming many of the names ahead of him on top prospect lists. Across 23 Double-A games this season, Kepler is batting .326/.363/.500 with 11 extra-base hits (entering play on 5/19). He hasn't had a slugging percentage of .500 or higher since his second trip through the Appalachian League back in 2012. He's also never hit over .300 at any level. Besides improving his numbers at the plate, Kepler is also making waves with the other parts of his game. He's already stolen six bases this year after totaling six steals all of last season. His career high in steals is seven so he should be well on his way to breaking that mark. On defense, he's split time between all three outfield positions and first base. He's been perfect fielding in the outfield to go along with an assist from right field, the outfield spot he's played the most. At first base, he's committed two errors but his fielding percentage is still higher than it was last season. Kepler's improvements this season definitely make him a player to watch. There's a good chance the Twins will see many of the top prospects debut at some point this season and this could mean Kepler shoots up prospect lists next off-season with the potential to be a top 100 prospect in all of baseball. There's still a lot of season left but Kepler has shown some early season signs that he's ready to breakout in a big way. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

Another Monday means that each minor league level announces their player of the week honors. Twins-affiliated players have been littering the awards so far this season and that trend continued on Monday. Left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone was named the International League Pitcher of the Week. He only made one start over the last week but he tossed eight shutout innings while allowing three hits, all singles, striking out 12 without issuing a walk. To start the game, he struck out five straight batters. No batters reached scoring position against him and he faced the minimum in six of his eight innings of work. Top prospect Jose Berrios was also honored on Monday. The right-handed pitcher was honored as the Southern League's Pitcher of the Week. He tossed a nine innings complete game shutout for his fourth win of the season. He struck out eight and walked two while limiting the opposition to two hits, both singles. Both pitchers were scheduled to be on the mound today so let's see how they fared.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Durham 0 Box Score Tommy Milone is sick of being in the minor leagues and he is making that pretty clear with his performance since being demoted. On 115 pitches, Milone tossed a complete game shutout. He scattered six hits but used 13 strikeouts to get out of any jams. In three starts since being demoted, he has yet to allow a run and he has struck out 33 batters in 23.1 innings. (As Seth writes today, Tommy Milone Is Making A Statement.) Josmil Pinto provided the most important hit when he cranked a two-run home run with two outs in the sixth inning. Eric Farris reached base three times, scored a pair of runs and stole a base. James Beresford drove in a run and collected a double. Wilkin Ramirez hit his second double of the season. With the win, Rochester improved to 21-16 ahead of their double header with Durham tomorrow. The team has won three of their last four games and they haven't lost a series since May 8-9 against Louisville. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 4 Box Score Jose Berrios couldn't follow up his memorable performance from last week. He was limited to five innings in this game as he allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one. Some of the outs he gave up were long fly balls so the results look better than they could have been. Even with the rough day, Berrios still has an ERA under 2.90 for the season. The bullpen trio of Nick Burdi, Zack Jones, and DJ Johnson combined to pitch four perfect innings. Burdi struck out three in two innings of work and Jones struck out the side in the eighth. Dallas Gallant gave up a run on a couple of hits without recording an out. The Lookouts didn't have many opportunities on the offensive side of the ball as the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Jorge Polanco picked up a couple of hits to raise his average to .314. Max Kepler had the only other hit in the game, a two-run home run. It was his first of the season. With the loss, Chattanooga drops to 23-15 on the season. It was their second consecutive loss after winning five games in a row. The Lookouts had not lost two game in a row this month until today. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Bradenton 5 Box Score The fireworks were out in Fort Myers on Monday evening as the club pounded out 12 hits and 11 runs including two three-run innings. Chad Christensen went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run. Jason Kanzler scored three times, drove in three runs, and both his hits were for extra-bases. Engelb Vielma hit his second double, scored two runs and stole his tenth base. Niko Goodrum also crossed the plate twice. The offensive explosion meant the Miracle were able to dance around three fielding errors. Vielma had a throwing error, his sixth of the season. Goodrum was charged with a fielding error, his eight of the season. Logan Wade was the only starter not to reach base and he had his sixth error. Aaron Slegers started and didn't allow an earned run over five innings of work. He struck out two and walked two. Alex Muren pitched two perfect innings while striking out one. Todd Van Steensel got beat up a little in his two innings of work as he allowed three runs on five hits but he did strike out three. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 3 Box Score Completion from 5/14 In a game started last Thursday when the first four innings were played, Cedar Rapids found themselves in an early hole after Stephen Gonsalves surrendered two runs in the top of the first inning but the Kernels offense came pouring back. Over the next two innings, Cedar Rapids plated six runs to take the lead for good. The only thing that slowed the offense down was rain and a wet playing surface that suspended play before the fifth inning. Trey Vavra had a good game at the plate with two hits including his fourth home run and his eighth double. He knocked in three of the team's runs and all of his RBIs came with two outs. Tanner English reached base three times via a triple, single and walk as he scored two runs. Nick Gordon drove in a run and scored two runs. After the rough top of the first, Gonsalves calmed down before the rain started to fall. He pitched four innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Keaton Steele started the game today in his Kernels debut and earned his first victory. He pitched five innings, allowed one earned run and had six strikeouts. Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 1 (7 innings) Box Score Regularly Scheduled Game The Kernels bats cooled off for the second game of the night. In fact, the team was one Zack Larson single away from being part of a seven inning no-hitter. Nick Gordon had the only opportunity to bat with a runner in scoring position after Tanner English had stolen second base with two outs. This is the closest the Kernels came to scoring a run. Matt Batts took the loss after pitching all six innings but he put together some impressive numbers. He only allowed one earned run and he struck out 12 including multiple strikeouts in five of his six frames. It was the first time all season he struck out more than seven and it was his first loss of the month. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tommy Milone, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Durham (10:05 am CST) – RHP Chih-Wei Hu (Triple-A Debut) Rochester vs. Durham (6:05 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST)- RHP Greg Peavey Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton (6:05 CST) – RHP Ethan Mildren Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (11:00 am CST) - RHP John Curtiss Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

With the major league version of the Twins having the night off, there were plenty of story lines to follow with Minnesota's minor league affiliates. There were strong starting pitching performances at multiple levels including a complete game shutout. A couple of star prospects added to their impressive numbers in Chattanooga. One team's winning streak reached a season high while another team's winning streak came to a tragic end. Let's find out what happened down on the farm.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Toledo 0 Box Score Pat Dean scattered three hits on his way to a complete game shutout and Aaron Hicks continued his hot hitting ways as Rochester tip-toed by Toledo. Dean struck out four and didn't walk anyone for his third victory. With the shutout, Dean's ERA dropped under 2.00 for the season and it was his first nine-inning shutout since June 29, 2013 with the New Britain Rock Cats. Aaron Hicks is making it tough for the Minnesota Twins to keep him in the minors and shortly after this game word began to spread that he would be called up. Hicks went 2-for-4 with a double, his tenth of the season, and a run scored. Danny Ortiz drove in three runs and Brock Peterson reached base three times and had his first double. With the win, Rochester improves to 17-13 on the season and stops a two-game losing skid. It was only the second victory in the last six games for the Red Wings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Birmingham 2 Box Score Byron Buxton wasted little time adding to his streak of consecutive games with an RBI. As the leadoff hitter in the top of the first inning, Buxton cranked his fourth home run of the season to stake the Lookouts to an early 1-0 lead. It was his tenth straight game with a run batted in and he's driven in 23 for the season. Not to be outdone by Buxton, Adam Brett Walker hit his Southern League-leading ninth home run of the season. The three-run shot stretched the Kernel's lead to 6-2. Walker finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Travis Harrison and Max Kelper each added doubles while Stuart Turner picked up a couple of hits. Former first-round pick Alex Wimmers went six strong innings allowing two earned runs and striking out nine while walking four. Tim Shibuya pitched one shutout inning and Jake Reed got the last six outs to preserve the lead. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 5 Box Score The big news in this game was the return to the mound of Kohl Stewart but his return didn't last long. In 2.1 innings of work, Stewart gave up four runs (1 ER) on two hits with a pair of walks and no strikeouts. David Hurlbut pitched six relief innings to close out the game. The only run he allowed was unearned and he struck out five. It was Hurlbut's first appearance for the Miracle since June 2, 2014. He's had shoulder issues. Three defensive errors from the Miracle really hurt them in this contest. Niko Goodrum was charged with two and Engelb Vielma had the other. The most costly error happened in the third inning with Stewart still on the mound. While attempting to start a double play, Goodrum's throw ended up in right field and two runs scored. The Miracle managed seven hits in the game but none were for extra bases. Alex Swim has now hit safely in 15 straight contests, the longest streak in the Florida State League. Zach Granite and Marcus Knecht each picked up a couple of hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 1 Box Score Earlier in the day it was announced that outfielder Max Murphy was selected as the Midwest League Player of the Week. From May 4-10, Murphy went 10-for-25 (.400) with two doubles, one triple, one home run and nine runs batted in. He's the fourth Kernels player to pick up a league honor this season. The Kernels also made a roster move on Monday. Infielder Blake Schmit, an Eden Prairie native, joined the Kernels from extended spring training. The 26th round pick in 2014 played 22 games last season for Elizabethton, hitting .162 with four RBI. In a corresponding move, Jonatan Hinojosa was sent to extended spring training. On this night, the Kernels extended their winning streak to a season high seven games. Jared Wilson improved to a perfect 4-0 after pitching five scoreless frames. He walked three and struck out two. Randy LeBlanc and Trevor Hildenberger each pitched two innings with LeBlanc surrendering the only run of the game. Hildenberger improved his ERA to 0.50 for the season. Max Murphy continued his hot-hitting ways by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Nick Gordon and Trey Vavra each added two hits with Vavra notching his seventh double. T.J. White reached base three times and Jorge Fernandez clocked his first home run of the season. Zack Larson's streak of 10 consecutive games reaching base was snapped. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Toledo (6:05 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga @ Birmingham (5:30 CST)- RHP Tyler Duffey Chattanooga @ Birmingham (Game 2)- RHP Madison Boer Ft. Myers vs. Dunedin (6:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria (6:35 CST) - LHP Mat Batts Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

Every team longs for a chance to add to the legacy of their franchise. How can they get another flag to fly over the stadium and become a part of baseball's legendary past? This is the premise behind the recent book release, In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball by Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Levitt. These two authors take the reader on a journey through the annals of baseball history to find what made front offices successful throughout each era.Armour and Levitt have written together previously and each author has quite the extensive history of writing and editing baseball books. Armour is the author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball, the editor of The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds, and a co-editor of Pitching , Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles. Levitt is the author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty and The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy. He is the coauthor with Armour of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way. The authors use 504 pages to illustrate the important factors teams used to change the way franchises functioned. Scouting players, introducing farm systems, and the integration of black players all played a role in revolutionizing the sport. Some teams were better than others in many of these areas and that led to many successful years for key franchises. The Yankees of the 1930s and 1940s, the Big Red Machine in the 1970s, and the San Francisco Giants of more recent years have all found a way to win while other teams fell by the wayside. It's always about finding a competitive advantage. According to Armour and Levitt: Quote The baseball owner, the general manager, and the rest of the organization need to work in harmony for a team to reach its ultimate goal. Talented players on the field get a lot of attention but a talented front office was needed to get all of the right pieces in place. It's up to the men at the top to put the organization in a place to succeed for multiple generations. From the most avid baseball fan to someone who knows little about the history of America's Pastime, In Pursuit of Pennants has a little bit of something for everyone. With the amount of historical content locked in this book, it is impossible for the reader not to come out a smarter fan with each turn of the page. In the end, "to create a long-term successful organization, management must also discover and institutionalize a competitive advantage, either by creating or by responding to an inflection point in the way the business operates." Competition between teams leads to them getting stronger and the teams that make the best choices are the ones with the flags that fly forever. Click here to view the article

According to Josh Whetzel, Wed: Pat Dean Thur: Taylor Rogers Fri: Tommy Milone https://twitter.com/JoshWhetzel/status/595710171239870466

Every team longs for a chance to add to the legacy of their franchise. How can they get another flag to fly over the stadium and become a part of baseball's legendary past? This is the premise behind the recent book release, In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball by Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Levitt. These two authors take the reader on a journey through the annals of baseball history to find what made front offices successful throughout each era. Armour and Levitt have written together previously and both authors have quite the extensive history of writing and editing baseball books. Armour is the author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball, the editor of The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds, and a co-editor of Pitching , Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles. Levitt is the author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty and The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy. He is the coauthor with Armour of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way. The authors use 504 pages to illustrate the important factors teams used to change the way franchises functioned. Scouting players, introducing farm systems, and the integration of black players all played a role in revolutionizing the sport. Some teams were better than others in many of these areas and that lead to many successful years for key franchises. The Yankees of the 1930's and 1940's, the Big Red Machine in the 1970's, and the San Francisco Giants of more recent years have all found a way to win while other teams fell by the wayside. It's always about finding a competitive advantage. According to Armour and Levitt: The baseball owner, the general manager, and the rest of the organization need to work in harmony for a team to reach its ultimate goal. Talented players on the field get a lot of attention but a talented front office was needed to get all of the right pieces in place. It's up to the men at the top to put the organization in a place to succeed for multiple generations. From the most avid baseball fan to someone that knows little about the history of America's Pastime, In Pursuit of Pennants has a little bit of something for everyone. With the amount of historical content locked in this book, it is impossible for the reader not to come out a smarter fan with each turn of the page. In the end, "to create a long-term successful organization, management must also discover and institutionalize a competitive advantage, either by creating or by responding to an inflection point in the way the business operates." Competition between teams continues to get stronger and the teams that make the right choices are the ones with the flags that fly forever.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Actually these games happened in our galaxy and they took place tonight but it's still May 4th. The major league version of the Twins was hosting a Star Wars themed night including a Phil Hughes bobblehead with him dressed as a Jedi Knight. Down on the farm, there was a trio of games with the Twins affiliates facing off against some of the best young players in the galaxy. Would the Rebels be able to come out victorious? Or would the evil Empire reign supreme? Fire up your light sabers and let's find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester- Scheduled Off Day The Red Wings entered their off day on a high note after winning the final two games of their weekend series with Norfolk. Rochester has won seven of their last nine and they currently have a 14-9 record. Entering play on Monday, the team was tied with Pawtucket for second place in the International League North Division, a half game behind Buffalo for first. Of qualifying players, James Beresford leads the team with a .345 batting average. Aaron Hicks is off to a good offensive start as he leads the team in slugging percentage (.494), OPS (.869), triples (3), and RBI (13). Reynaldo Rodriguez has the most doubles with six and Brock Peterson has hit four home runs to lead the team. On the pitching side, Taylor Rogers has pitched the most innings (34.0 IP) and he's tied with Alex Meyer for most strikeouts (28). Pat Dean has the lowest ERA (1.98) and WHIP (1.06) of the Red Wings starters. Before being called up, Michael Tonkin collected five saves out of the bullpen. Lester Oliveros was also been very effective with a 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in only 12 innings. Rochester starts a tough series on Tuesday in Indianapolis, the leaders of the International League West. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jacksonville 0 Box Score Earlier in the day on Monday, Byron Buxton was named Southern League Player of the Week. In the last week he raised his average from .190 to .287 and this was part of a seven-game hitting streak. In five of the seven games during the stretch, he recorded multiple hits including one game with two triples and a double. He also stole five bases and scored 11 runs last week which is the highest total in all of minor league baseball in that span. Buxton played hero later in the day as well. After the Lookouts had been held to one hit through eight innings. Buxton stepped into the box with one runner on in the bottom of the ninth. He crushed his third home run of the season to left field for a walk-off home run. Miguel Sano had the only other hit of the night, his third straight game with a hit. DJ Baxendale started the contest and pitched six shutout frames. He had to wiggle out of a few jams with five walks and three hits but he used five strikeouts to help his cause. In three of his five starts this season, he has pitched at least six innings and allowed no runs. D.J. Johnson kept the shutout going with two innings of work. Zack Jones earned his first win with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Bradenton 3 Box Score The Miracle offense struggled on this night as there were no extra base hits and the team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Fifteen straight batters were sent down at one point. Zach Granite was the lone player with multiple hits. Alex Swim, Chad Christensen and Bryan Haar all added one hit. Swim is in the midst of a nine game hit streak. Luke Westphal was charged with his second loss even though he allowed only one earned run in just over four innings. He danced around eight hits and two walks but limited the runners crossing the plate. Alex Muren tossed 2.2 shutout frames and struck out three. Todd Van Steensel allowed two run on a home run in the eighth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Wisconsin 3 Box Score The Kernels offense was popping on Monday evening as the team combined for nine runs on nine hits. T.J. White reached base four times and knocked two doubles. Max Murphy drove in three runs as part of a two-hit effort. Jorge Fernandez managed only one hit but it was his first triple. Zack Larson and Trey Vavra both scored a couple of runs. Jared Wilson earned his third victory after going six innings and giving up three runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked two. Zach Tillery threw two perfect frames with four strikeouts. He's allowed one hit or less in five of his six appearances and every outing has been multiple innings. It was only the second win in the last six games for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids is tied with Burlington for second palce in the Midwest League Western division. Quad Cities sits five games up in the division with only six losses so far. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – DJ Baxendale, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 CST) - LHP Mat Batts Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

After fast starts for most of the minor league affiliates, things have come back down to earth over the last week. Cedar Rapids, Fort Myers and Chattanooga have all lost multiple games in a row, with the Lookouts in the midst of losing six of their last seven games. Top prospect Jose Berrios was on the mound to try to end that streak tonight. Rochester has been picking up some of the slack with a nice little stretch of four wins in their last five games. This includes a two-game win streak to start this week. Would this trend continue or would the Red Wings join the rest of the losing happening on the farm?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Columbus 1 Box Score A strong pitching performance from Taylor Rogers and a trio of home runs from Doug Bernier, Reynaldo Rodriguez and Brock Peterson helped Rochester push their latest winning streak to three games. Rogers allowed one earned run on two hits over eight strong frames, the first time has he reached the eighth all season. He walked four and struck out four en route to his second win. A.J. Achter finished the game with a perfect ninth, including two punch outs. The Bernier and Rodriguez homers were part of a four-run fifth inning that put Rochester up for good. Peterson's knock, his team-leading fourth of the year, was part of a two-run eighth. Eddie Rosario went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Jose Martinez led the team with three hits including his third double. Outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, who is currently on the disabled list, was with the team on Monday. He has been rehabbing from a pulled muscle injury and he will likely rejoin the team in the near future. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Tennessee 3 Box Score Jose Berrios made his fourth start of the season on Monday night, and he tried to help the Lookouts get back to their winning ways. He did his best to put his team in position to win by throwing six innings of two-hit ball. The only run he allowed was on a solo home run. Berrios danced around a season-high four walks but his five strikeouts helped get out of some jams. Berrios left with 4-1 lead and things got a little dicey with Nick Burdi on the mound. The first batter he faced coaxed a walk and the next batter hit a home run. He got out of the inning with two pop outs, a single and a strikeout. Jake Reed and Zack Jones combined to pitch scoreless eighth and ninth innings to preserve the win. Stephen Wickens drove in two runs and reached base three times to help power the offense. Byron Buxton had multiple hits for the second time in the last three games. Max Kepler collected his first triple of the year and Levi Michael scored a pair of runs. Adam Brett Walker crushed his league-leading 5th home run of the season, a blast to right centerfield. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Palm Beach 4 (11 innings) Box Score This was the fifth meeting between these two clubs this season and the Miracle had yet to find a way to beat the Cardinals. It took another extra-inning affair and a come-from-behind route, but the Miracle finally found a way to come out victorious. Luke Westphal made his third start and lasted four innings while giving up four runs on six hits. He struck out one and walked one. The Miracle bullpen was masterful. Alex Muren, Brian Gilbert, J.T. Chargois, and Tim Shibuya combined to toss eight shutout innings with all but Chargois throwing multiple frames. Shibuya picked up his first win of the season. Alex Swim started the rally in the 11th inning with a one-out single. The Miracle then used three consecutive walks, to Mitch Garver, Niko Goodrum and Marcus Knecht, to score the winning run. Knecht and Bryan Haar had matching 2-5 lines with a double each. Swim and Chad Christensen both collected three hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids- Scheduled Off Day The Kernels are in the midst of a three game losing streak in which they were swept by Kane County. Cedar Rapids entered the day with an 11-7 record. That mark was good enough for second place, two games back, in the Midwest League Western Division. Zack Granite currently leads the team in batting average (.364), OBP (.485), and OPS (.958). Trey Vavra leads the team in home runs (3) and slugging percentage (.589). Granite and Vavra are tied for the team lead with four doubles. Nick Gordon leads the team in triples (2) and RBI (15). Tanner English has stolen seven bases while Granite is not far behind with six steals. Stephen Gonsalves, Mat Batts, and Jared Wilson lead the team's starters with two wins each. Gonsalves leads starters with a 0.90 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 20 IP. Cameron Booser leads the team with two saves and an-eye popping 15 strikeouts in eight innings pitched. Felix Jorge has also been impressive with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched with a 1.50 ERA. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Rogers, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Stephen Wickens, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs Columbus (5:35 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Chattanooga @ Mississippi (6:05 CST)- RHP Greg Peavey Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach (6:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (11:00 am CST) - RHP Jared Wilson Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

This is the first time in Ron Gardenhire's life that he hasn't been actively involved in baseball since his youth. However, it doesn't mean he wouldn't like to be back in the action. Fox Sports is reporting Gardenhire hired an agent for the first time in decades to "monitor possible managerial openings."Since there are currently no openings, he isn't actively pursuing a position, but he's open to considering all possibilities. There's also no reason to hurry since he had a year remaining on his contract when the Twins let him go at the end of last season. Some managers are already on the hot seat even though the season is relatively young. Here are a few of the possible landing spots as Gardy looks for new employment. Miami Marlins Reports out of Miami have manager Mike Redmond, a former Twin, on the hot seat even though he is only in his third year at the helm. Many writers picked the Marlins as a playoff team this year but they have floundered out of the gate. Team owner Jeffrey Loria has been quick to pull the trigger on managers in the past so it wouldn't be surprising if Miami decided to go in a different direction. From Gardenhire's prospective, Miami might not be the ideal spot since his job security would immediately be called into question. This would be quite the change from the consistency he knew in the Twins organization. Milwaukee Brewers Much like Miami, the Brewers are off to a poor start as they entered the weekend with the fewest wins in baseball. Center fielder Carlos Gomez, catcher Jonathan Lucroy, and second baseman Scooter Gennett are all on the disabled list so that hasn't helped the situation. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio came out earlier this week and said that neither Ron Roenicke nor general manager Doug Melvin are on the hot seat. That tune could change if the Brewers continue to lose games in the coming months. Since Gardenhire still makes his home in Minnesota, it seems like staying with a Midwest team like Milwaukee could fit his needs. Los Angeles Angels There have been some high expectations in Los Angeles over the last handful of years. Signing big name stars like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to add to the likes of reigning AL MVP Mike Trout was supposed to put the Angles on a path to greatness. The club has only made the playoffs once in the last five seasons and they were swept out of last year's divisional series by the Royals. Mike Scioscia has been at the helm since 2000 and the Angels front office might want a new voice to try to lead their team to the playoffs. From Gardenhire's perspective, any manager would be crazy not to want to pencil Trout's name in the line-up card everyday. Philadelphia Phillies Charlie Manuel has only been out the door for a couple seasons but Ryne Sandberg hasn't finished better than fourth in the NL East. The Phillies roster is aging and it's hard to pick out what direction the team is going. There isn't a lot of light at the end of the tunnel at this point and the Philadelphia sports scene can be tough on failing clubs. A new manager like Gardenhire might not completely be the answer. But if the fans get out the torches and pitchforks for Sandberg, Gardenhire would be available and the rich Phillies history could be enough to lure him to the City of Brotherly Love. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Click here to view the article

This is the first time in Ron Gardenhire's life that he hasn't been actively involved in baseball since his youth. However, it doesn't mean he wouldn't like to be back in the action. Fox Sports is reporting Gardenhire hired an agent for the first time in decades to "monitor possible managerial openings." Since there are currently no openings, he isn't actively pursuing a position but he's open to considering all possibilities. There's also no reason to hurry since he had a year remaining on his contract when the Twins let him go at the end of last season. Some managers are already on the hot seat even though the season is relatively young. Here are a few of the possible landing spots as Gardy looks for new employment. Miami Marlins Reports out of Miami have manager Mike Redmond, a former Twin, on the hot seat even though he is only in his third year at the helm. Many writer's picked the Marlins as a playoff team this year but the team has floundered out of the gate. Team owner Jeffrey Loria has been quick to pull the trigger on managers in the past so it wouldn't be surprising if Miami decided to go in a different direction. From Gardenhire's prospective, Miami might not be the ideal spot since his job security would immediately be called into question. This would be quite the change from the consistency he knew in the Twins organization. Milwaukee Brewers Much like Miami, the Brewers are off to a poor start as they entered the weekend with the fewest wins in baseball. Center fielder Carlos Gomez, catcher Jonathan Lucroy, and second baseman Scooter Gennett are all on the disabled list so that hasn't helped the situation. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio came out earlier this week and said that neither Ron Roenicke nor general manager Doug Melvin are on the hot seat. That tune could change if the Brewers continue to lose games in the coming months. Since Gardenhire still makes his home in Minnesota, it seems like staying with a Midwest team like Milwaukee could fit his needs. Los Angeles Angels There have been some high expectations in Los Angeles over the last handful of years. Signing big name stars like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to add to the likes of reigning AL MVP Mike Trout was supposed to put the Angles on a path to greatness. The club has only made the playoffs once in the last five seasons and they were swept out of last year's Divisional Series by the Royals. Mike Scioscia has been at the helm since 2000 and the Angels front office might want a new voice to try and lead their team to the playoffs. From Gardenhire's perspective, any manager would be crazy not to want to pencil Trout's name in the line-up card everyday. Philadelphia Phillies Charlie Manuel has only been out the door for a couple seasons by Ryne Sandberg hasn't finished better than fourth in the NL East. The Phillies roster is aging and it's hard to pick out what direction the team is going. There isn't a lot of light at the end of the tunnel at this point and the Philadelphia sports scene can be tough on failing clubs. A new manager like Gardenhire might not completely be the answer. If the fans get out the torches and pitchforks for Sandberg, Gardenhire would be available and the rich Phillies history could be enough to lure him to the City of Brotherly Love. For more from Cody Christie make sure to follow him on Twitter @NoDakTwinsFan and to read his other work at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com

He's on the 40-man roster. They need to see if he can sink or swim

Right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey, left-handed pitcher Pat Dean and right-handed pitcher Felix Jorge each walked away with "Pitcher of the Week" honors in their respective leagues. Duffey earned the honor in the Southern League after tossing 13.2 scoreless frames with 18 strikeouts. Dean, a former third-round pick, went 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 15 strikeouts in two starts to pick up the International League award. Jorge struggled in Cedar Rapids last season but he's off to a hot start (12 IP, 19 K, 4 BB) so he was honored by the Midwest League.Besides the pitching honors, the Twins were busy making minor league roster moves on Monday. Max Kepler was promoted to Chattanooga after hitting .250/.308/.333 in six games to start the year. He's currently in the midst of a five game hitting streak. In a corresponding move, third baseman Bryan Harr was activated off the 7-day DL for the Miracle. Cedar Rapids announced that catcher Brett Doe was joining the Kernels from extended spring training. Last season he hit .207 with a HR and five RBI in 23 games for Elizabethton. He is taking the roster spot left open because JJ Fernandez was forced to go on the 7-day DL with a concussion. Fernandez was off to a strong start hitting .293 with three doubles and four RBI. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Syracuse -- POSTPONED Monday's scheduled game between the Red Wings and the Chiefs was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Tuesday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1:05 pm and each game will be seven innings. The first game pits top pitching prospects Alex Meyer (1-0, 8.31 ERA) versus A.J. Cole (0-0, 4.00 ERA). Taylor Rogers (0-0, 3.46 ERA) will start game two for the Red Wings CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Mississippi 6 Box Score Alex Wimmers made the most of his 2015 debut by tossing five one-hit innings with three strikeouts. He was effective by throwing 62 pitches with 38 being for strikes. One of the best signs might have been the zero walks he allowed. Cole Johnson kept the shutout going with two scoreless frames. D.J. Johnson struggled by giving up four runs in one inning before Jake Reed blew the save in the ninth. The Lookouts were up 5-0 entering the bottom of the eighth inning so it was a tough loss. Jorge Polanco cracked his second home run of the season and scored a pair of runs. Dalton Hicks collected his first triple as part of a two-hit night. Stuart Turner scored a run and had his second multi-hit game of 2015. Travis Harrison had a pair of RBIs. It was the third loss in four games for the Lookouts after winning five of their first six contests. Southern League Pitcher of the Week Tyler Duffey takes the mound on Tuesday with a chance to get Chattanooga back to their winning ways. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3. Palm Beach 4 (10 Innings) Box Score For the second straight night, nine innings weren't enough to decide a contest between the Miracle and the Cardinals. Fort Myers got off to an early lead by scoring three runs in the top of the second inning. Bryan Harr hit a double to start the frame and this was followed by three straight singles. The Cardinals wouldn't allow another run the rest of the night. Luke Westphal made his first start of the season and allowed three earned runs in four innings. He struck out two and walked two. Tim Shibuya was effective in three perfect relief innings while striking out three. Madison Boer was charged with the loss after he couldn't get out of his third inning of work. The loss drops Fort Myers to two games under .500 with a 5-7 record. This was the first of a three game series so the Miracle will need to bounce back if they want to win their second straight series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Burlington 2 Box Score Nick Gordon's hot start to the season continued as his three hit, three RBI day was enough to push Cedar Rapids past Burlington. Tanner English also joined the hit parade with three hits and two runs. Zack Granite helped pace the offense with two hits including his first triple. Jared Wilson picked up his second win of the season, tossing five innings and scattering four hits. He gave up one run while striking out three and walking four. Michael Theofanopoulos continued his scoreless streak to start the year. He pitched another two frames and he hasn't allowed a run across 8.1 innings. C.K. Irby finished the game by allowing one run in two innings of work. With the win, the Kernels avoided their first three game losing streak of the year. They avoided the the sweep in the series but the club has still lost four of their last six games. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Alex Wimmers, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Cedar Rapids Kernels TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (12:05 CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Rochester @ Syracuse (Game 2)- LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga @ Mississippi (7:00 CST)- RHP Tyler Duffey Ft. Myers @ Tampa (5:35 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 CST) - LHP Mat Batts Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

Gave it to Hicks because his game was close so I felt his hits meant more to his team. Buxton's hits were part of a blowout.

I kept him on my prospect list this year so I hope it continues.

Minnesota's home opener was sure depressing but luckily all the Twins minor league affiliates picked up the slack on Monday. There were some big games from some big names so fans can turn their frown upside down with a look down on the farm.To celebrate the start of the minor league season, we are offering the 2015 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook in paperback right now at a 15% discount. This is a limited time offer so make sure to order you copy now before this deal is gone. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Scranton/WB 4 Box Score Aaron Hicks collected three hits and four RBI while finishing a home run short of the cycle. Danny Ortiz picked up the home run Hicks was lacking from his final line on his way to scoring three runs. James Beresford also scored a couple of runs. Mark Hamburger started the game but failed to get out of the fifth inning after surrendering four earned runs on nine hits. The Rochester bullpen shut down the RailRiders the rest of the way. AJ Achter, Celeb Thielbar, and Ryan Pressly pitched scoreless frames while Michael Tonkin had a perfect ninth for his second save. The Wings' bullpen has 12.2 scoreless innings to start the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 11, Montgomery 5 Box Score Much like Hicks, Buxton finished a home run short of the cycle as part of a four hit effort. Travis Harrison drove in three runs with a home run and a double. Levi Michael drove in three runs out of the number nine spot in the batting order. Stuart Turner collected two two-out RBIs. There was some question as to who would start this contest for Chattanooga but Adrian Salcedo got the nod. He allowed two earned runs on three hits over three innings. Cole Johnson picked up the win with three perfect innings of relief. Zack Jones struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth. Chattanooga improved to 4-1 on the young season. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11. Tampa 4 Box Score Ryan Eades pitched six scoreless innings and the Miracle bats came alive in Tampa. It was Eades' first start in the Florida State League and he scattered five hits and two walks. Todd Van Steensel pitched two shutout frames before J.T. Chargois gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Madison Boer came on to get the last two outs. A hot start saw the Miracle score five runs in the first two innings. Niko Goodrum knocked two doubles and scored three runs out of the lead-off spot. Mitch Garver joined the doubles parade with two doubles of his own while reaching base five times. Michale Quesada collected his first triple and scored two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Beloit 0 Box Score Felix Jorge struck out ten batters to help the Kernels improve to 5-0 this season. In seven innings of work, he surrendered just two hits and two walks. He is the fourth Kernels' starting pitcher to earn a win this season. Michael Theofanopoulos kept the shutout in order by pitching two scoreless frames to close out the game. There were a ton of offensive accolades in this one. Nick Gordon and Max Murphy both collected three hits with each player knocking a triple. Pat Kelly drove in three runs as part of a two hit effort including his first home run. Six of the nine hitters in the order collected two hits or more. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Aaron Hicks, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/WB (5:35 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers vs Tampa (9:30 AM CST) – LHP Luke Westphal Cedar Rapids vs Beloit (6:35 CST) - RHP Jared Wilson Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article