Cody Christie

The Twins needed to make some kind of change during the All-Star break because the team scuffled in the week's leading up to the Mid-Summer Classic. There was going to be some players sent packing to Rochester and some fresh faces on the Twins roster. It had to happen and there were going to be some surprising names that would come up in the discussion for demotion. There is pressure on multiple people in the Twins organization to find a way to be respectable in 2013. Ron Gardenhire is in the last year of his contract and he needs to show the organization something so they will renew his contract for next year. Terry Ryan had a hand in putting together this roster and he needs to see some of the talent translated onto the field. Coming out of the All-Star break there will be some new names on the bench and in the line-up. Maybe these new faces will help the team to win a few more games. Overall, this wasn't a team that was going to be fighting for a World Series crown so all of their moves need to be focused on the future. Here is a look at each of the players that was demoted and what the future might hold for each of them. Oswaldo Arcia Season (59 Games): .257/.317/.408, 6 HR, 11 2B, 25 RBI, 63 SO Last Month (22 Games): .262/.319/.676, 2 HR, 2 2B, 10 RBI, 26 SO The Future: Just a few weeks ago, it looked like Arcia was one of the front-runners for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. A lot has changed in the last couple weeks. Over that time, he hit .108/.132/.108 with 16 strikeouts in 37 at-bats. There was no power from Arcia and one had to wonder if there was some kind of injury bothering him or maybe he was embarrassed about taking a pop-fly to the face. He is too valuable to the club to be at the big league level and not getting consistent at-bats. Something had to be done to get him focused in at the plate. Arcia is still only 22-years old and he only has a little over 100 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. It might be good for him to get a month or so in the minors. This can give him a chance to get his head back on straight because the Twins need him for the next few years. Chris Herrmann will get some of the at-bats vacated by Arcia and he figures to also be in the Twins rebuilding plans. This gives the club a chance to see a little more of Herrmann at the big league level. Arcia's power hitting ability should be a staple in the Twins line-up as the team tries to rebuild but something just wasn't right going into the All-Star break. Eduardo Escobar Season (55 Games): .214/.268/.328, 3 HR, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 23 SO Last Month (11 Games): .120/.154/.240, 1 HR, 0 2B, 1 RBI, 7 SO The Future: Escobar surprised a lot of people with his performance in the first month of the season. He wasn't an everyday starter but he hit .378/.395/.541 with three extra-base hits in 38 plate appearances. Minnesota has struggled at different points of the first half to find production from the shortstop role. Pedro Florimon had a rough start to the season and Escobar did a decent job filling in when he was asked to do so. The Twins are basically swapping out the 24-year old Escobar for 33-year old infielder Doug Bernier. In 92 games for Rochester, Bernier was hitting .295/.370/.407 with 15 doubles. It seems like there is more of a chance for Escobar to have a long-term role as a utility man for the Twins. He is younger than Bernier by almost a decade but age didn't stop the Twins from making the move. This move might allow Escobar to get more playing time at Rochester and then the Twins can see where he fits into their plans. Now the Twins will have aging veterans Jamey Carroll and Bernier as their back-up infielders. Maybe they can swap "back in my day" stories on the bench. Chris Parmelee Season (83 Games): .223/.303/.372, 8 HR, 12 2B, 20 RBI, 66 SO Last Month (22 Games): .222/.306/.444, 3 HR, 5 2B, 6 RBI, 20 SO The Future: This was suppose to be a make it or break it season for Parmelee. Things aren't really working out in his favor in 2013. He has struggled to make consistent contact at the plate and the power he showed in the minors hasn't translated to the big leagues. Some of his struggles might be from the fact he is playing most of his games in the outfield after being used more as a first baseman in the upper levels of the minors. The Twins still gave him plenty of time to figure out his position and some of his challenges in the batter's box. Maybe a couple weeks at Triple-A will wake up his swing since he had an OPS of 1.102 last season in Rochester. Since it seems likely for Justin Morneau to be in a different uniform by the end of the month, one would think Parmelee could be the man to take over first base. It now seems more likely for Chris Colabello to be the man to get more playing time at the corner infield spot. Colabello got a brief taste of the big leagues earlier this year but he continues to be a force in the minors. Last year he was one of the top five players in the Eastern League and this season he is in the discussion for the best player in the International League. His batting line of .354/.432/.652 with 24 home runs and 24 doubles look like video game numbers.

Sporting News had an interesting article up in the middle of last week, which looked at 20 memorable one-time All-Stars. There are going to be guys every season who make the All-Star team and won't be back for the rest of their careers. Especially with the new rules allowing the managers to add extra pitchers to the team if starters on the roster pitch on the Sunday before the break. It sure seems like a lot of players end up on the roster and that might not necessarily be a good thing. But that is a different story for a different day. There are plenty of players in the history of the Twins to make one All-Star appearance with the club. Hall-of-Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven made one All-Star appearance with the Twins. World Series hero Jack Morris also qualified for the Mid-Summer Classic while in Minnesota. Players like this would make other All-Star appearances with other clubs so this disqualified them from the following rankings. Here are the top five players to make their lone All-Star appearance while being a member of the Twins. 1. Brad Radke: 45.6 Career WAR There were some rough seasons during the career of Brad Radke and it seems like he should have made more than one All-Star team with the collection of players on his team. In 1998, Radke made his lone All-Star appearance. He wasn't having that great of a season but he was coming off of a 20-win season in 1997 and a third place finish in the Cy Young voting. Radke pitched the 4th inning of the game and he gave up one run on two hits with a strikeout and a walk. He was able to keep the ball in Coors Field so that was a plus on a night where there were multiple home runs. 2. Kent Hrbek: 38.2 Career WAR During his first full season as a big league player, Hrbek was elected to the All-Star Game. It was the 1982 season and the Twins were still working their way back into contention. There were a lot of young players on the roster and Hrbek was hitting over .300 with some power. He was one of four first basemen on the roster and he was one of the last players to get into the game. With a man on first base and the AL trailing by three, Hrbek pinch hit in the top of the ninth inning. He hit a flyball to short center field and his brief All-Star Game career was over. 3. Roy Smalley: 27.8 Career WAR Smalley never really put up the offensive numbers that would be worthy of putting him in the All-Star Game. His batting average was always low but he did have a higher slugging percentage. The 1979 season might have been one of his best as a professional. He played in all 162 games for the Twins and he would make his only career All-Star appearance. Smalley hit 24 home runs and knocked in 95 runs that season while playing good up he middle defense. He started the '79 All-Star Game at shortstop and he was the lead-off hitter for the AL squad. Smalley went 0-for-3 in the game with an intentional walk. 4. Scott Erickson: 24.9 Career WAR After leaving the Twins, there were plenty of up-and-down moments in the career of Scott Erickson. He would pitch in some of the most important games of his life as a 23-year old pitcher on the Twins 1991 World Series squad. In that season, he tied for the league lead in wins and he finished second in the Cy Young voting. Jack Morris would start the '91 All-Star Game and Twins closer Rick Aguilera would be used as a set-up man. Erickson wouldn't get into the contest and he would never make it back to the Mid-Summer Classic. 5. Tom Brunansky: 21.7 Career WAR In 1985, Brunansky wasn't exactly in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career. He ended up hitting .242/.320/.448 with 27 home runs and 90 RBI. His batting average was lower than his career average but he continued to hit for power as a corner outfielder. Since the 1985 All-Star Game was being played in Minneapolis, Brunansky became an important figure for Twins fans to follow. He would compete in the first ever home run derby even though he wouldn't emerge as the victor. In his one plate appearance in the game, Brunansky hit a groundout to the shortstop. Just missed the list... Eric Milton: 15.8 Career WAR Milton and fellow Twins pitcher Joe Mays were both elected to the 2001 All-Star Game. A decent first half of the season was probably what got Milton elected. His ERA was under 4.00 and he had eight victories to his name. The second half of the season would be a little rough as his ERA ballooned to 5.01. Mays would make an appearance in the '01 All-Star Game but Milton was left on the bench even though he hadn't pitched in a game for six days.

Sporting News had an interesting article up in the middle of last week, which looked at 20 memorable one-time All-Stars. There are going to be guys every season who make the All-Star team and won't be back for the rest of their careers. Especially with the new rules allowing the managers to add extra pitchers to the team if starters on the roster pitch on the Sunday before the break. It sure seems like a lot of players end up on the roster and that might not necessarily be a good thing. But that is a different story for a different day. There are plenty of players in the history of the Twins to make one All-Star appearance with the club. Hall-of-Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven made one All-Star appearance with the Twins. World Series hero Jack Morris also qualified for the Mid-Summer Classic while in Minnesota. Players like this would make other All-Star appearances with other clubs so this disqualified them from the following rankings. Here are the top five players to make their lone All-Star appearance while being a member of the Twins. 1. Brad Radke: 45.6 Career WAR There were some rough seasons during the career of Brad Radke and it seems like he should have made more than one All-Star team with the collection of players on his team. In 1998, Radke made his lone All-Star appearance. He wasn't having that great of a season but he was coming off of a 20-win season in 1997 and a third place finish in the Cy Young voting. Radke pitched the 4th inning of the game and he gave up one run on two hits with a strikeout and a walk. He was able to keep the ball in Coors Field so that was a plus on a night where there were multiple home runs. 2. Kent Hrbek: 38.2 Career WAR During his first full season as a big league player, Hrbek was elected to the All-Star Game. It was the 1982 season and the Twins were still working their way back into contention. There were a lot of young players on the roster and Hrbek was hitting over .300 with some power. He was one of four first basemen on the roster and he was one of the last players to get into the game. With a man on first base and the AL trailing by three, Hrbek pinch hit in the top of the ninth inning. He hit a flyball to short center field and his brief All-Star Game career was over. 3. Roy Smalley: 27.8 Career WAR Smalley never really put up the offensive numbers that would be worthy of putting him in the All-Star Game. His batting average was always low but he did have a higher slugging percentage. The 1979 season might have been one of his best as a professional. He played in all 162 games for the Twins and he would make his only career All-Star appearance. Smalley hit 24 home runs and knocked in 95 runs that season while playing good up he middle defense. He started the '79 All-Star Game at shortstop and he was the lead-off hitter for the AL squad. Smalley went 0-for-3 in the game with an intentional walk. 4. Scott Erickson: 24.9 Career WAR After leaving the Twins, there were plenty of up-and-down moments in the career of Scott Erickson. He would pitch in some of the most important games of his life as a 23-year old pitcher on the Twins 1991 World Series squad. In that season, he tied for the league lead in wins and he finished second in the Cy Young voting. Jack Morris would start the '91 All-Star Game and Twins closer Rick Aguilera would be used as a set-up man. Erickson wouldn't get into the contest and he would never make it back to the Mid-Summer Classic. 5. Tom Brunansky: 21.7 Career WAR In 1985, Brunansky wasn't exactly in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career. He ended up hitting .242/.320/.448 with 27 home runs and 90 RBI. His batting average was lower than his career average but he continued to hit for power as a corner outfielder. Since the 1985 All-Star Game was being played in Minneapolis, Brunansky became an important figure for Twins fans to follow. He would compete in the first ever home run derby even though he wouldn't emerge as the victor. In his one plate appearance in the game, Brunansky hit a groundout to the shortstop. Just missed the list... Eric Milton: 15.8 Career WAR Milton and fellow Twins pitcher Joe Mays were both elected to the 2001 All-Star Game. A decent first half of the season was probably what got Milton elected. His ERA was under 4.00 and he had eight victories to his name. The second half of the season would be a little rough as his ERA ballooned to 5.01. Mays would make an appearance in the '01 All-Star Game but Milton was left on the bench even though he hadn't pitched in a game for six days.

The New Britain Rock Cats didn't have a game on Wednesday evening but multiple players from their team were taking part in the Eastern League All-Star Game. New Britain was also the host city for the event and there were plenty of ESPN personalities at the event since it is so close to the headquarters of the four letter network. Danny Santana started the game at shortstop and was the lead-off hitter for the Eastern Divison. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Josmil Pinto was the only player on his team with multiple hits. He played the whole game at DH and he went 2-for-4 with a double. Daniel Ortiz started the game in center field but he was held hitless in two plate appearances. Trevor May was asked to pitch the second inning in front of the hometown crowd. He faced the eight-nine-one hitters for the West squad so it wasn't exactly the meat of the order. He recorded all three men in order with a fly out, a line out, and a strike out looking.

 Rochester Red Wings 5, Scranton/WB RailRiders 1 Box Score Chris Colabello continued his tremendous season with his 23rd home run of the season. His 3-run shot put the Red Wings out on top in the first inning and the club didn't look back. It was his second home run in as many nights. He finished the day 2-for-5 and he was the only Rochester hitter with multiple hits. On the mound, Liam Hendriks looked like the vintage Triple-A Hendriks from previous seasons. He threw eight shutout innings by striking out six and walking two. In his last three starts, he has averaged 7.1 innings and he has a 0.81 ERA. There have been some rough moments for Hendriks this season but he seems to be finding a better groove. Derek Jeter was on a rehab assignment and he leadoff for the RailRiders. He started the game at shortstop and ended up going 0-for-3 in the game. Hendriks was even able to strike out Jeter looking in the sixth inning. Jeter also had some tough defensive moments at shortstop. Fort Myers Miracle 0, Jupiter Hammerheads 3 (Suspended- 5th Inning) Box Score Inclement weather forced the game between the Miracle and the Hammerheads to be suspended. The game was stopped in the bottom of the fifth inning with a runner at first and Andy Leer batting. The plan is to complete the game on Thursday starting at 5:05 pm and this will be followed by Thursday's regularly scheduled game. Look for a full report on both games at Twins Daily tomorrow. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Dayton Dragons 12 Box Score It was a rough night for Kernels pitchers. Christian Powell started the game and got knocked around over three innings. He surrendered six earned runs on nine hits. Caleb Brewer also had a tough night as he gave up five runs on four hits in two innings of relief. Dalton Hicks hit his 28th double of the year and he knocked in two runs in the game. JD Williams did a good job out of the leadoff spot by going 3-for-5 and he scored two runs. Travis Harrison added two hits. Max Kepler had a rough night as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. It was the first time since June 29 that he struck out more than once in a game. Elizabethton Twins --, Bristol White Sox -- (Postponed) Rain got in the way of this game between the Twins and the White Sox. The game will be made up on Thursday as part of a doubleheader. After getting out to a fast start out of the gate, the E-Twins have struggled so far this week. The club has lost three games in a row but they still have a 12-6 overall record and they sit at the top of the Appalachian League's West Division. GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 2 (10 Innings) Box Score The GCL Twins couldn't find enough offense to pull out the victory but there were some positives from this game. First round pick Kohl Stewart made his second professional appearance. He tossed three shutout inning with only one hit allowed. Four Orioles were victim to a Stewart strikeout and he didn't walk a batter. Stewart didn't start the game because Brandon Easton was asked to begin the day on the hill. He pitched the first three innings and scattered two hits. One seemed to be his magic number today as he allowed one run, had one walk, and struck out one batter. There wasn't a ton of offense to brag about. The team managed four hits in ten innings of baseball. Zach Larson had his fourth double of the season. Brian Navarreto was responsible for the lone run with a solo home run in the second inning.

The New Britain Rock Cats didn't have a game on Wednesday evening but multiple players from their team were taking part in the Eastern League All-Star Game. New Britain was also the host city for the event and there were plenty of ESPN personalities at the event since it is so close to the headquarters of the four letter network. Danny Santana started the game at shortstop and was the lead-off hitter for the Eastern Divison. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Josmil Pinto was the only player on his team with multiple hits. He played the whole game at DH and he went 2-for-4 with a double. Daniel Ortiz started the game in center field but he was held hitless in two plate appearances. Trevor May was asked to pitch the second inning in front of the hometown crowd. He faced the eight-nine-one hitters for the West squad so it wasn't exactly the meat of the order. He recorded all three men in order with a fly out, a line out, and a strike out looking.

 Rochester Red Wings 5, Scranton/WB RailRiders 1 Box Score Chris Colabello continued his tremendous season with his 23rd home run of the season. His 3-run shot put the Red Wings out on top in the first inning and the club didn't look back. It was his second home run in as many nights. He finished the day 2-for-5 and he was the only Rochester hitter with multiple hits. On the mound, Liam Hendriks looked like the vintage Triple-A Hendriks from previous seasons. He threw eight shutout innings by striking out six and walking two. In his last three starts, he has averaged 7.1 innings and he has a 0.81 ERA. There have been some rough moments for Hendriks this season but he seems to be finding a better groove. Derek Jeter was on a rehab assignment and he leadoff for the RailRiders. He started the game at shortstop and ended up going 0-for-3 in the game. Hendriks was even able to strike out Jeter looking in the sixth inning. Jeter also had some tough defensive moments at shortstop. Fort Myers Miracle 0, Jupiter Hammerheads 3 (Suspended- 5th Inning) Box Score Inclement weather forced the game between the Miracle and the Hammerheads to be suspended. The game was stopped in the bottom of the fifth inning with a runner at first and Andy Leer batting. The plan is to complete the game on Thursday starting at 5:05 pm and this will be followed by Thursday's regularly scheduled game. Look for a full report on both games at Twins Daily tomorrow. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Dayton Dragons 12 Box Score It was a rough night for Kernels pitchers. Christian Powell started the game and got knocked around over three innings. He surrendered six earned runs on nine hits. Caleb Brewer also had a tough night as he gave up five runs on four hits in two innings of relief. Dalton Hicks hit his 28th double of the year and he knocked in two runs in the game. JD Williams did a good job out of the leadoff spot by going 3-for-5 and he scored two runs. Travis Harrison added two hits. Max Kepler had a rough night as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. It was the first time since June 29 that he struck out more than once in a game. Elizabethton Twins --, Bristol White Sox -- (Postponed) Rain got in the way of this game between the Twins and the White Sox. The game will be made up on Thursday as part of a doubleheader. After getting out to a fast start out of the gate, the E-Twins have struggled so far this week. The club has lost three games in a row but they still have a 12-6 overall record and they sit at the top of the Appalachian League's West Division. GCL Twins 1, GCL Orioles 2 (10 Innings) Box Score The GCL Twins couldn't find enough offense to pull out the victory but there were some positives from this game. First round pick Kohl Stewart made his second professional appearance. He tossed three shutout inning with only one hit allowed. Four Orioles were victim to a Stewart strikeout and he didn't walk a batter. Stewart didn't start the game because Brandon Easton was asked to begin the day on the hill. He pitched the first three innings and scattered two hits. One seemed to be his magic number today as he allowed one run, had one walk, and struck out one batter. There wasn't a ton of offense to brag about. The team managed four hits in ten innings of baseball. Zach Larson had his fourth double of the season. Brian Navarreto was responsible for the lone run with a solo home run in the second inning.

The Twins announced on Tuesday that Michael Tonkin would be called up to make his MLB debut. The 23-year old right-handed relief pitcher has been in the Twins organization since 2008. He was drafted in the 30th round that year out of high school and he spent the last six seasons working his way through the minor leagues. Tonkin was used as a starter in the lower level of the minors and he got mixed results. In 2009, he started nine games for the GCL Twins and posted a 3.62 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 54.2 innings. The next year he was asked to start 12 games for Beloit and his ERA continued to rise. He threw 65 innings at the High-A level and his ERA ended up being 4.29. The front office decided to go in a different direction with Tonkin entering the 2011 season. He would be moved to the bullpen to try and take advantage of his ability to strike out batters. It was a tough transition as he threw 76.2 innings for Beloit and had a 3.87 ERA. His WHIP was an ugly 1.383 but he did strikeout 69 batters. Originally Posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com It had to be a tough offseason for Tonkin as he took some bruises in his first two trips through the Midwest League. Minnesota would send him back to Beloit for the start of 2012 and it seemed like something finally clicked. He pitched 39.0 innings for the Snappers and had a 1.38 ERA with an eye-popping 53 strikeouts. He moved to Fort Myers and continued to post solid numbers. The Twins decided to send Tonkin to the Arizona Fall League during last offseason. In what is considered a tough pitching environment, Tonkin held his own. Over 14.2 innings, he had a 2.45 ERA with seven strikeouts and three walks. His 0.75 WHIP was the second best mark on his AFL club. This performance stood out and the Twins were ready to put Tonkin on the fast track. Tonkin started 2013 by tossing 24.1 innings for New Britain. In 22 relief appearances, he had a 2.22 ERA with 30 strikeouts and eight walks. This was enough to earn him a promotion to Triple-A. Since arriving in Rochester, Tonkin has been very good. He has thrown 14.2 innings and limited opponents to two earned runs. He posted a 0.955 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and three walks. His 6-foot-7 frame on top of weighing 220 pounds allows him to be quite the presence on the mound. It also helps that he can scare opponents with a fastball in the upper 90s with some movement. His slider is also a very good pitch. It sits in the mid to upper 80s and it can be thrown for strikes on a regular basis. There have been some issues in the past with his mechanics but he seems to have gotten those under control. Tonkin was just added to the 40-man roster this past offseason. The club probably didn't expect him to make it this far in 2013 so it will be some good exposure for him to get a taste of the big leagues. It sounds like the club could keep him around if he is able to perform well.

The Twins announced on Tuesday that Michael Tonkin would be called up to make his MLB debut. The 23-year old right-handed relief pitcher has been in the Twins organization since 2008. He was drafted in the 30th round that year out of high school and he spent the last six seasons working his way through the minor leagues. Tonkin was used as a starter in the lower level of the minors and he got mixed results. In 2009, he started nine games for the GCL Twins and posted a 3.62 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 54.2 innings. The next year he was asked to start 12 games for Beloit and his ERA continued to rise. He threw 65 innings at the High-A level and his ERA ended up being 4.29. The front office decided to go in a different direction with Tonkin entering the 2011 season. He would be moved to the bullpen to try and take advantage of his ability to strike out batters. It was a tough transition as he threw 76.2 innings for Beloit and had a 3.87 ERA. His WHIP was an ugly 1.383 but he did strikeout 69 batters. Originally Posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com It had to be a tough offseason for Tonkin as he took some bruises in his first two trips through the Midwest League. Minnesota would send him back to Beloit for the start of 2012 and it seemed like something finally clicked. He pitched 39.0 innings for the Snappers and had a 1.38 ERA with an eye-popping 53 strikeouts. He moved to Fort Myers and continued to post solid numbers. The Twins decided to send Tonkin to the Arizona Fall League during last offseason. In what is considered a tough pitching environment, Tonkin held his own. Over 14.2 innings, he had a 2.45 ERA with seven strikeouts and three walks. His 0.75 WHIP was the second best mark on his AFL club. This performance stood out and the Twins were ready to put Tonkin on the fast track. Tonkin started 2013 by tossing 24.1 innings for New Britain. In 22 relief appearances, he had a 2.22 ERA with 30 strikeouts and eight walks. This was enough to earn him a promotion to Triple-A. Since arriving in Rochester, Tonkin has been very good. He has thrown 14.2 innings and limited opponents to two earned runs. He posted a 0.955 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and three walks. His 6-foot-7 frame on top of weighing 220 pounds allows him to be quite the presence on the mound. It also helps that he can scare opponents with a fastball in the upper 90s with some movement. His slider is also a very good pitch. It sits in the mid to upper 80s and it can be thrown for strikes on a regular basis. There have been some issues in the past with his mechanics but he seems to have gotten those under control. Tonkin was just added to the 40-man roster this past offseason. The club probably didn't expect him to make it this far in 2013 so it will be some good exposure for him to get a taste of the big leagues. It sounds like the club could keep him around if he is able to perform well.

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. 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 when he started played over 100 games and didn't play at least 90 games behind the plate. In spring training, Mauer made it be known that he wanted to play more time at catcher. Ron Gardenhire and the Twins front office have allowed Mauer to come through on that pre-season promise. 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 and 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 posted in any season to this point is three runs above average. In 2013, he 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 Mauer has shown improvement in 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 this mark. Runners have found it a little harder to steal bases off of 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% and 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 Mauer, it is hard to believe the team has gotten to this point. 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.

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. 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 when he started played over 100 games and didn't play at least 90 games behind the plate. In spring training, Mauer made it be known that he wanted to play more time at catcher. Ron Gardenhire and the Twins front office have allowed Mauer to come through on that pre-season promise. 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 and 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 posted in any season to this point is three runs above average. In 2013, he 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 Mauer has shown improvement in 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 this mark. Runners have found it a little harder to steal bases off of 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% and 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 Mauer, it is hard to believe the team has gotten to this point. 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.

The Minnesota Twins will host the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field but a plethora of their former players will gather a year early for the Mid-Summer Classic. Seven former members of the organization will join current Twins players Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins. It would have been great to see all of these nine men on the field in Minneapolis so maybe they can all continue playing well for the next calendar year. Many Twins fans are familiar with the year's being put together by Perkins and Mauer. Here's a look at the season's being put together by the other men that use to call Minnesota home. 
 American League Starting SS: JJ Hardy, Baltimore Orioles (2nd Appearance) .251/.290/.432, 15 HR, 16 2B, 46 RBI, 2.0 WAR Hardy gets the start at a relatively weak position in the AL. Frequent All-Star starter Derek Jeter has been on the disabled list for most of this season so this opened up a spot for a different starter. His defense continues to be strong and he has shown a good power stroke since joining the Orioles. He is one of three Orioles voted into the starting line-up so he might have gotten a bump from some ballot stuffing in the Baltimore area. He won a Gold Glove last season and he leads all shortstops with 52 home runs from 2011-2012. Starting DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (9th Appearance) .313/.399/.595, 17 HR, 19 2B, 61 RBI, 2.2 WAR Ortiz has gone on to quite the career with the Red Sox. This will be his fourth consecutive All-Star Game and his ninth overall appearance. The only member of the AL All-Stars with more appearances is Mariano Rivera with 13 trips to the Mid-Summer Classic. Last season, the Red Sox were a disappointment and the club would end up finishing in last place in the AL East. This season there has been a resurgence and Ortiz has helped the club to one of the best records in the AL. Relief Pitcher: Jesse Crain, Chicago White Sox (1st Appearance) 0.74 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 46 SO, 11 BB, 2.5 WAR Set-up men don't usually get a chance to make the All-Star Game but Crain has been that good this season. The 32-year old pitcher has been in the big leagues for 10 seasons and this could be his only opportunity to take part in the All-Star festivities. Players in the AL voted in Crain and that also speaks volumes to the season he is having. Earlier this season Crain made headlines by breaking the White Sox franchise-record of 29 straight appearances without allowing a run. He is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury and current Twins closer Glen Perkins filled his spot. Relief Pitcher: Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers (6th Appearance) 1.40 ERA, 0.776 WHIP, 38.2 IP, 40 SO, 10 BB, 2.0 WAR Nathan has made it to All-Star Games in the past but this one could be special since he is from the New York area. It is the second straight year he will represent the Rangers in the Mid-Summer Classic. He first four All-Star appearances all came with the Minnesota Twins. For his All-Star career, he has pitched five innings while striking out four and walking one. He has given up one run on three hits. His 29 saves are tied for second in the American League behind the Orioles Jim Johnson. The 38-year old relief pitcher continues to be effective even as he gets further into his professional career. Outfielder: Torii Hunter, Detroit Tigers (5th Appearance) .309/.348/.443, 6 HR, 22 2B, 42 RBI, 0.9 WAR It seems that more players on the Tigers roster made the All-Star Game than those that didn't get selected. Hunter is one of six players making a trip to New York City. Detroit's manager Jim Leyland is also the AL manager but he only added Justin Verlander as a managerial pick. Hunter has seemed to find a second life in the twilight of his career. Last season was his first year hitting over .300 and the 37-year old outfielder is hitting above that mark again this year. It doesn't look like the 17-year veteran is going to slow down and it will be his first All-Star Game since 2010. National League Outfielder: Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies (2nd Appearance) .337/.392/.583, 15 HR, 18 2B, 52 RBI, 1.5 WAR Cuddyer made his first All-Star appearance in his last season with the Twins organization. He would leave the team in free agency and he suffered through some injury issues in his first year in Colorado. This season has been a rebirth for Cuddyer. The players elected Cuddyer after he made national news with a 27-game hit streak. He broke the franchise record for consecutive games with at least one hit. One other remarkable streak from Cuddyer was his streak of reaching base safely in 46 consecutive games. After his hot hitting, Cuddyer's batting average is near the top of the National League. Outfielder: Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers (1st Appearance) .312/.353/.559, 13 HR, 20 2B, 41 RBI, 5.4 WAR It will be somewhat of a homecoming for Gomez who made his big league debut with the Mets. Since that point, he has bounced around to the Twins and Brewers before getting this All-Star nod. At the end of last season, there were some positive signs from Gomez and the Brewers rewarded him with a contract extension. He shot out of the gate in 2013 with a hot start and he has been one of the most valuable NL players. According to both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, Gomez has the highest WAR in the National League. There were plenty of expectations surrounding Gomez at the beginning of his career and he finally seems to be living up to those lofty expectations.

The Minnesota Twins will host the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field but a plethora of their former players will gather a year early for the Mid-Summer Classic. Seven former members of the organization will join current Twins players Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins. It would have been great to see all of these nine men on the field in Minneapolis so maybe they can all continue playing well for the next calendar year. Many Twins fans are familiar with the year's being put together by Perkins and Mauer. Here's a look at the season's being put together by the other men that use to call Minnesota home. 
 American League Starting SS: JJ Hardy, Baltimore Orioles (2nd Appearance) .251/.290/.432, 15 HR, 16 2B, 46 RBI, 2.0 WAR Hardy gets the start at a relatively weak position in the AL. Frequent All-Star starter Derek Jeter has been on the disabled list for most of this season so this opened up a spot for a different starter. His defense continues to be strong and he has shown a good power stroke since joining the Orioles. He is one of three Orioles voted into the starting line-up so he might have gotten a bump from some ballot stuffing in the Baltimore area. He won a Gold Glove last season and he leads all shortstops with 52 home runs from 2011-2012. Starting DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (9th Appearance) .313/.399/.595, 17 HR, 19 2B, 61 RBI, 2.2 WAR Ortiz has gone on to quite the career with the Red Sox. This will be his fourth consecutive All-Star Game and his ninth overall appearance. The only member of the AL All-Stars with more appearances is Mariano Rivera with 13 trips to the Mid-Summer Classic. Last season, the Red Sox were a disappointment and the club would end up finishing in last place in the AL East. This season there has been a resurgence and Ortiz has helped the club to one of the best records in the AL. Relief Pitcher: Jesse Crain, Chicago White Sox (1st Appearance) 0.74 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 46 SO, 11 BB, 2.5 WAR Set-up men don't usually get a chance to make the All-Star Game but Crain has been that good this season. The 32-year old pitcher has been in the big leagues for 10 seasons and this could be his only opportunity to take part in the All-Star festivities. Players in the AL voted in Crain and that also speaks volumes to the season he is having. Earlier this season Crain made headlines by breaking the White Sox franchise-record of 29 straight appearances without allowing a run. He is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury and current Twins closer Glen Perkins filled his spot. Relief Pitcher: Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers (6th Appearance) 1.40 ERA, 0.776 WHIP, 38.2 IP, 40 SO, 10 BB, 2.0 WAR Nathan has made it to All-Star Games in the past but this one could be special since he is from the New York area. It is the second straight year he will represent the Rangers in the Mid-Summer Classic. He first four All-Star appearances all came with the Minnesota Twins. For his All-Star career, he has pitched five innings while striking out four and walking one. He has given up one run on three hits. His 29 saves are tied for second in the American League behind the Orioles Jim Johnson. The 38-year old relief pitcher continues to be effective even as he gets further into his professional career. Outfielder: Torii Hunter, Detroit Tigers (5th Appearance) .309/.348/.443, 6 HR, 22 2B, 42 RBI, 0.9 WAR It seems that more players on the Tigers roster made the All-Star Game than those that didn't get selected. Hunter is one of six players making a trip to New York City. Detroit's manager Jim Leyland is also the AL manager but he only added Justin Verlander as a managerial pick. Hunter has seemed to find a second life in the twilight of his career. Last season was his first year hitting over .300 and the 37-year old outfielder is hitting above that mark again this year. It doesn't look like the 17-year veteran is going to slow down and it will be his first All-Star Game since 2010. National League Outfielder: Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies (2nd Appearance) .337/.392/.583, 15 HR, 18 2B, 52 RBI, 1.5 WAR Cuddyer made his first All-Star appearance in his last season with the Twins organization. He would leave the team in free agency and he suffered through some injury issues in his first year in Colorado. This season has been a rebirth for Cuddyer. The players elected Cuddyer after he made national news with a 27-game hit streak. He broke the franchise record for consecutive games with at least one hit. One other remarkable streak from Cuddyer was his streak of reaching base safely in 46 consecutive games. After his hot hitting, Cuddyer's batting average is near the top of the National League. Outfielder: Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers (1st Appearance) .312/.353/.559, 13 HR, 20 2B, 41 RBI, 5.4 WAR It will be somewhat of a homecoming for Gomez who made his big league debut with the Mets. Since that point, he has bounced around to the Twins and Brewers before getting this All-Star nod. At the end of last season, there were some positive signs from Gomez and the Brewers rewarded him with a contract extension. He shot out of the gate in 2013 with a hot start and he has been one of the most valuable NL players. According to both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, Gomez has the highest WAR in the National League. There were plenty of expectations surrounding Gomez at the beginning of his career and he finally seems to be living up to those lofty expectations.

Many of the Twins minor league affiliates celebrated Independence Day early with offensive explosions. The Red Wings and the Miracle had men up and down their line-ups knock in runs to help their clubs to come out victorious. There were a few minor league news and notes that took place on Wednesday afternoon. Catcher Danny Lehmann was released by the club after spending time on the disable list this season. He had only played 18 games this season and he was a career .229/.317/.301 hitter. It was also announced that Chris Colabello and Andrew Albers will represent the Red Wings at the Triple-A All-Star Game. Colabello was the overall leader in the online fan balloting and he will start at first base for the International League squad. Rochester Red Wings 11, Buffalo Bisons 1 Box Scores The Red Wings had some fireworks on the field on the day before the Fourth of July. Brian Dinkelman, Chris Colabello, and Deibinson Romero all hit home runs. Every batter in the Rochester line-up recorded a hit and some of the men had six chances at the plate. Doug Bernier had the most hits as he went 3-for-6. Chris Herrmann had a very good game by collecting two hits in four trips to the plate. He had his ninth double and his third triple. Colabello continued his remarkable season by knocking his 21st home run. In one of his best pitching performances of the year, Andrew Albers tossed seven strong frames. He allowed one solo home run but that was the only run scored on the night. The Bisons had five hits and Albers struck out six men. New Britain Rock Cats 1, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6 Box Score Miguel Sano continued some of his struggles at the Double-A level. He went 0-for-4 on this night but he struck out three times. The defensive side of the ball wasn't much better as he committed his sixth error since his promotion. It wasn't only Sano that struggled on Wednesday night because the rest of the offense didn't help the team. Danny Santana was the lone Rock Cats with two hits. Nate Hanson hit his 14th double of the season and scored a run. Daniel Ortiz continued his powerful season by knocking his 22nd double. The team went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and there were nine runners left on base. Virgil Vasquez was making his second start at Double-A since being demoted from Rochester. He tossed six innings and gave up four earned runs. AJ Achter did a good job in relief by tossing a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout. Fort Myers Miracle 11, Bradenton Marauders 5 Box Score The Miracle pounded out 21 hits and the club had no problem coming out victorious. Fort Myers scored three runs in the sixth inning and they topped that in the seventh by scoring six runs. It's hard to know where to start with the offensive explosion. Byron Buxton went 3-for-5 with a double but he did strikeout two times. The three hit game raised his batting average to .400 since being promoted to Fort Myers. Every batter in the Miracle line-up had a double except for Kennys Vargas. Jhon Goncalves, Mike Kvasnicka, and Candido Pimentel all went 3-for-5 in the game. Taylor Rogers benefited from the offensive explosion on the mound. He pitched into the seventh inning and limited the Marauders to three runs on nine hits. He struck out three batters and only gave up one walk. Corey Williams recorded the final four outs of the game and collected three strikeouts. Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Beloit Snappers 8 Box Score Beloit, the former Twins affiliate, has turned into a tough team for the current Twins affiliate to beat. Cedar Rapids fell again to the Snappers and there wasn't much offense for the Kernels. Beloit scored runs in five different innings to come out with an easy win. Max Kepler continued his hot start to the season by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. JD Williams had the only extra base hit with his 11th double of the year. Jorge Polanco scored a run and had two hits. The club went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position so some offensive opportunities were missed. Christian Powell started the contest and pitched 5.2 innings. He gave up 10 hits and six earned runs. Allowing two home runs didn't help him on the way to his second loss of the year. Hudson Boyd and Caleb Brewer only gave up one earned run in the last 2.1 innings. They combined to strikeout three and gave up four hits. Elizabethton Twins --, Johnson City Cardinals -- Inclement weather might have been the only thing that could have stopped the E-Twins from winning. Their game with the Johnson City Cardinals got postponed due to some weather issues. The club has a 10-2 record and they will look to continue their winnings ways over the holiday weekend. GCL Twins 8, GCL Rays 2 (6 Innings-Rain) Box Score Nick Blackburn returned to the mound for the first time and got some decent results. He threw four innings and scattered seven hits. The Rays scored both of their runs off of Blackburn and he had one strikeout. Leonel Zazueta pitched the fifth inning and he struck out two batters. Joel Polanco lead the offense with a 2-for-3 day. He hit his first double of the season and knocked in two runs. Amaurys Minier knocked in three runs to help stretch the lead. Adonis Pacheco added his second double of the season.

Many of the Twins minor league affiliates celebrated Independence Day early with offensive explosions. The Red Wings and the Miracle had men up and down their line-ups knock in runs to help their clubs to come out victorious. There were a few minor league news and notes that took place on Wednesday afternoon. Catcher Danny Lehmann was released by the club after spending time on the disable list this season. He had only played 18 games this season and he was a career .229/.317/.301 hitter. It was also announced that Chris Colabello and Andrew Albers will represent the Red Wings at the Triple-A All-Star Game. Colabello was the overall leader in the online fan balloting and he will start at first base for the International League squad. Rochester Red Wings 11, Buffalo Bisons 1 Box Scores The Red Wings had some fireworks on the field on the day before the Fourth of July. Brian Dinkelman, Chris Colabello, and Deibinson Romero all hit home runs. Every batter in the Rochester line-up recorded a hit and some of the men had six chances at the plate. Doug Bernier had the most hits as he went 3-for-6. Chris Herrmann had a very good game by collecting two hits in four trips to the plate. He had his ninth double and his third triple. Colabello continued his remarkable season by knocking his 21st home run. In one of his best pitching performances of the year, Andrew Albers tossed seven strong frames. He allowed one solo home run but that was the only run scored on the night. The Bisons had five hits and Albers struck out six men. New Britain Rock Cats 1, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6 Box Score Miguel Sano continued some of his struggles at the Double-A level. He went 0-for-4 on this night but he struck out three times. The defensive side of the ball wasn't much better as he committed his sixth error since his promotion. It wasn't only Sano that struggled on Wednesday night because the rest of the offense didn't help the team. Danny Santana was the lone Rock Cats with two hits. Nate Hanson hit his 14th double of the season and scored a run. Daniel Ortiz continued his powerful season by knocking his 22nd double. The team went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and there were nine runners left on base. Virgil Vasquez was making his second start at Double-A since being demoted from Rochester. He tossed six innings and gave up four earned runs. AJ Achter did a good job in relief by tossing a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout. Fort Myers Miracle 11, Bradenton Marauders 5 Box Score The Miracle pounded out 21 hits and the club had no problem coming out victorious. Fort Myers scored three runs in the sixth inning and they topped that in the seventh by scoring six runs. It's hard to know where to start with the offensive explosion. Byron Buxton went 3-for-5 with a double but he did strikeout two times. The three hit game raised his batting average to .400 since being promoted to Fort Myers. Every batter in the Miracle line-up had a double except for Kennys Vargas. Jhon Goncalves, Mike Kvasnicka, and Candido Pimentel all went 3-for-5 in the game. Taylor Rogers benefited from the offensive explosion on the mound. He pitched into the seventh inning and limited the Marauders to three runs on nine hits. He struck out three batters and only gave up one walk. Corey Williams recorded the final four outs of the game and collected three strikeouts. Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Beloit Snappers 8 Box Score Beloit, the former Twins affiliate, has turned into a tough team for the current Twins affiliate to beat. Cedar Rapids fell again to the Snappers and there wasn't much offense for the Kernels. Beloit scored runs in five different innings to come out with an easy win. Max Kepler continued his hot start to the season by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. JD Williams had the only extra base hit with his 11th double of the year. Jorge Polanco scored a run and had two hits. The club went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position so some offensive opportunities were missed. Christian Powell started the contest and pitched 5.2 innings. He gave up 10 hits and six earned runs. Allowing two home runs didn't help him on the way to his second loss of the year. Hudson Boyd and Caleb Brewer only gave up one earned run in the last 2.1 innings. They combined to strikeout three and gave up four hits. Elizabethton Twins --, Johnson City Cardinals -- Inclement weather might have been the only thing that could have stopped the E-Twins from winning. Their game with the Johnson City Cardinals got postponed due to some weather issues. The club has a 10-2 record and they will look to continue their winnings ways over the holiday weekend. GCL Twins 8, GCL Rays 2 (6 Innings-Rain) Box Score Nick Blackburn returned to the mound for the first time and got some decent results. He threw four innings and scattered seven hits. The Rays scored both of their runs off of Blackburn and he had one strikeout. Leonel Zazueta pitched the fifth inning and he struck out two batters. Joel Polanco lead the offense with a 2-for-3 day. He hit his first double of the season and knocked in two runs. Amaurys Minier knocked in three runs to help stretch the lead. Adonis Pacheco added his second double of the season.

Down the stretch they come! Well, at least as far as voting goes for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game in New York City. There can be some debate over who should make the club. Some voters like to pick out the players that have had the best first half of a season in 2013. Others look at the last calendar year and try and pick out the rosters 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. 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 that deserves a chance to start. He hits for a little 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 person 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 value over the last calendar year has 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 the better defender so some people 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 his home run total. Machado might be the wave of the future at third base in the AL but he will have to wait to make his first start at the hot corner. Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers Other Candidates: JJ Hardy, Baltimore Orioles; Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics Out of all of the positions in the American League, this might be the weakest one for picking out a starter. 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 put together 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 probably 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 point. Adam Jones is going to get voted in by the fans and I am fine with that pick. 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 continues to play well with his aging body, and Ellsbury was an MVP candidate before some injuries last season. 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.

Down the stretch they come! Well, at least as far as voting goes for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game in New York City. There can be some debate over who should make the club. Some voters like to pick out the players that have had the best first half of a season in 2013. Others look at the last calendar year and try and pick out the rosters 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. 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 that deserves a chance to start. He hits for a little 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 person 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 value over the last calendar year has 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 the better defender so some people 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 his home run total. Machado might be the wave of the future at third base in the AL but he will have to wait to make his first start at the hot corner. Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers Other Candidates: JJ Hardy, Baltimore Orioles; Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics Out of all of the positions in the American League, this might be the weakest one for picking out a starter. 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 put together 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 probably 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 point. Adam Jones is going to get voted in by the fans and I am fine with that pick. 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 continues to play well with his aging body, and Ellsbury was an MVP candidate before some injuries last season. 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.

The Twins had a back and forth game on a beautiful afternoon at Target Field. Unfortunately, the club came out on the losing side of their match-up with the Royals. There were home runs from Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe, and Clete Thomas but it still wasn't enough. The bullpen gave up four runs in the last four frames for a tough loss. In minor league news, RHP AJ Achter was transferred to Rochester from New Britain. It will be his first trip to Triple-A. Achter had appeared in 24 games as a relief pitcher. He has a 2.27 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 19 walks in 35.2 innings. In a corresponding move, C/OF Dan Rohlfing was sent to New Britain from Rochester. There were some close games and some hard fought victories in the Twins system today. Check out all of the action from down on the pond. Rochester Red Wings 0, Syracuse Chiefs 2 Box Score Liam Hendriks pitched a complete game but the offense didn't give him any support. He struck out four and walked one while limiting the Chiefs to two runs. The loss dropped his record to 1-6 and he hasn't won a game since the beginning of May. The Red Wings had a tough time getting the offense going. Drew Butera was the lone Rochester hitter to collect more than one hit. Jeff Clement knocked his 10th double but he was the only person in the top five of the batting order to collect a hit. The bottom four batters in the order all had at least one hit. Today's loss marked the first three game losing streak for the Red Wings since May 13-15. Rochester still ended the month of June with a 17-13 record. This was the second game of a 24 game stretch against opponents in the International League North Division. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Reading Phillies 8 Box Score The Rock Cats wouldn't score a run until the late innings and the Phillies were well in control by that point in the game. Two New Britain errors from Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario resulted in some extra work for the pitching staff and the Rock Cats lost their series to Reading. It was their third loss in four games to end the month of June. Matthew Summers was making his second start since being called up from Fort Myers. He pitched four innings and gave up five runs on seven hits. His control was a little all over the place as he walked four and struck out three. Out of his 87 pitches, 55 of them were for strikes. Dakota Watts and Edgar Ibarra did a good job to keep the game close in the middle innings. They combined to pitch four innings and they limited Reading to two base runners. Matt Hauser pitched the ninth and he gave up three earned runs in the final frame. Josmil Pinto didn't start at catcher but he still went 2-for-3 with a run scored from the DH slot. Daniel Ortiz went 2-or-4 with his 21st double of the season. Rosario tried to make up for his error with a double and a run scored but it still wasn't enough for New Britain. Fort Myers Miracle 4, St. Lucie Mets 1 (Rain Shortened- 6 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers scored runs in four of the six innings to come out victorious in this rain shortened game. Bryon Buxton seems to be finding his swing at High-A. He went 3-for-3 in this game with his first double and first stolen base at this level. Every time he was on base, he scored a run and his average is up to .333 since being promoted. Kennys Vargas went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI to get his RBI total up to 61 for the year. With Buxton at the top of the order, Vargas could continue to add to this total in the coming weeks. Jhon Goncalves and Mike Kvasnicka each had a hit. Jason Wheeler pitched 5.1 innings for his seventh win of the season. He scattered four hits and allowed one earned run. Ryan O'Rourke earned his third save by recording the last couple of outs before the rains came tumbling down. He struck out both of the batters he faced. After losing four straight games at the beginning of the week, the Miracle have won two straight games. The team will close out the series with St. Lucie on Monday evening. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Peoria Chiefs 5 Box Score The Kernels had won nine straight games coming into Sunday's contest with the Chiefs and it looked like their winning streak was going to come to an end. It took a little bit of magic from the Kernels in the bottom of the ninth to pull out their 10th straight wins. Max Kepler's RBI single was the only hit of the inning and it made the team walk-off winners. Tim Atherton made his first start for the Kernels after appearing in 20 games as a relief pitcher. He pitched into the fourth inning and allowed three runs even though one of them was earned. He walked three batters and struck out two. Alex Muren and Tyler Jones pitched the last three innings and one unearned run was scored against them. Jones picked up his fourth win of the season. The offense was lead by Jorge Polanco with two hits and two runs scored. Travis Harrison hit his 24th double and knocked in a couple of runs. In the game, Harrison did have his 17 error of the season at third base. Niko Goodrum got a start at first base and he added his 17th double while scoring a run. Mike Pelfrey will make a rehab start for the Kernels on Monday night. It will be the final game of the series against the Chiefs and the club will be going for win number 11 in a row. Elizabethton Twins 5, Kingsport Mets 1 Box Score The E-Twins kept up their winning ways in the early portion of their season. Randy Rosario won his second decision after he threw five innings by striking out seven and allowing one earned run. The Mets only managed three hits against him and he didn't walk a batter. Austin Malinowski and Brandon Peterson each pitched two frames and combined to give up two hits. Peterson struck out four batters and he has yet to let a run cross the plate. Malinowski had a good bounce back performance after allowing three runs in his last appearance. Dereck Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. He also stole third base for his fourth steal of 2013. Bryan Haar hit his third home run of the season. Mitch Garver and Romy Jimenez also hit long balls and for each of them it was their first home run.

The Twins had a back and forth game on a beautiful afternoon at Target Field. Unfortunately, the club came out on the losing side of their match-up with the Royals. There were home runs from Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe, and Clete Thomas but it still wasn't enough. The bullpen gave up four runs in the last four frames for a tough loss. In minor league news, RHP AJ Achter was transferred to Rochester from New Britain. It will be his first trip to Triple-A. Achter had appeared in 24 games as a relief pitcher. He has a 2.27 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 19 walks in 35.2 innings. In a corresponding move, C/OF Dan Rohlfing was sent to New Britain from Rochester. There were some close games and some hard fought victories in the Twins system today. Check out all of the action from down on the pond. Rochester Red Wings 0, Syracuse Chiefs 2 Box Score Liam Hendriks pitched a complete game but the offense didn't give him any support. He struck out four and walked one while limiting the Chiefs to two runs. The loss dropped his record to 1-6 and he hasn't won a game since the beginning of May. The Red Wings had a tough time getting the offense going. Drew Butera was the lone Rochester hitter to collect more than one hit. Jeff Clement knocked his 10th double but he was the only person in the top five of the batting order to collect a hit. The bottom four batters in the order all had at least one hit. Today's loss marked the first three game losing streak for the Red Wings since May 13-15. Rochester still ended the month of June with a 17-13 record. This was the second game of a 24 game stretch against opponents in the International League North Division. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Reading Phillies 8 Box Score The Rock Cats wouldn't score a run until the late innings and the Phillies were well in control by that point in the game. Two New Britain errors from Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario resulted in some extra work for the pitching staff and the Rock Cats lost their series to Reading. It was their third loss in four games to end the month of June. Matthew Summers was making his second start since being called up from Fort Myers. He pitched four innings and gave up five runs on seven hits. His control was a little all over the place as he walked four and struck out three. Out of his 87 pitches, 55 of them were for strikes. Dakota Watts and Edgar Ibarra did a good job to keep the game close in the middle innings. They combined to pitch four innings and they limited Reading to two base runners. Matt Hauser pitched the ninth and he gave up three earned runs in the final frame. Josmil Pinto didn't start at catcher but he still went 2-for-3 with a run scored from the DH slot. Daniel Ortiz went 2-or-4 with his 21st double of the season. Rosario tried to make up for his error with a double and a run scored but it still wasn't enough for New Britain. Fort Myers Miracle 4, St. Lucie Mets 1 (Rain Shortened- 6 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers scored runs in four of the six innings to come out victorious in this rain shortened game. Bryon Buxton seems to be finding his swing at High-A. He went 3-for-3 in this game with his first double and first stolen base at this level. Every time he was on base, he scored a run and his average is up to .333 since being promoted. Kennys Vargas went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI to get his RBI total up to 61 for the year. With Buxton at the top of the order, Vargas could continue to add to this total in the coming weeks. Jhon Goncalves and Mike Kvasnicka each had a hit. Jason Wheeler pitched 5.1 innings for his seventh win of the season. He scattered four hits and allowed one earned run. Ryan O'Rourke earned his third save by recording the last couple of outs before the rains came tumbling down. He struck out both of the batters he faced. After losing four straight games at the beginning of the week, the Miracle have won two straight games. The team will close out the series with St. Lucie on Monday evening. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Peoria Chiefs 5 Box Score The Kernels had won nine straight games coming into Sunday's contest with the Chiefs and it looked like their winning streak was going to come to an end. It took a little bit of magic from the Kernels in the bottom of the ninth to pull out their 10th straight wins. Max Kepler's RBI single was the only hit of the inning and it made the team walk-off winners. Tim Atherton made his first start for the Kernels after appearing in 20 games as a relief pitcher. He pitched into the fourth inning and allowed three runs even though one of them was earned. He walked three batters and struck out two. Alex Muren and Tyler Jones pitched the last three innings and one unearned run was scored against them. Jones picked up his fourth win of the season. The offense was lead by Jorge Polanco with two hits and two runs scored. Travis Harrison hit his 24th double and knocked in a couple of runs. In the game, Harrison did have his 17 error of the season at third base. Niko Goodrum got a start at first base and he added his 17th double while scoring a run. Mike Pelfrey will make a rehab start for the Kernels on Monday night. It will be the final game of the series against the Chiefs and the club will be going for win number 11 in a row. Elizabethton Twins 5, Kingsport Mets 1 Box Score The E-Twins kept up their winning ways in the early portion of their season. Randy Rosario won his second decision after he threw five innings by striking out seven and allowing one earned run. The Mets only managed three hits against him and he didn't walk a batter. Austin Malinowski and Brandon Peterson each pitched two frames and combined to give up two hits. Peterson struck out four batters and he has yet to let a run cross the plate. Malinowski had a good bounce back performance after allowing three runs in his last appearance. Dereck Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. He also stole third base for his fourth steal of 2013. Bryan Haar hit his third home run of the season. Mitch Garver and Romy Jimenez also hit long balls and for each of them it was their first home run.