Cody Christie

Something isn't right with Scott Diamond. The man who was supposed to be a calming force in the Twins starting rotation has become a punching bag for opponents. He hasn't won a game since June 20th and he gave up four runs in a little over five innings in that start. A sophomore slump has hit Diamond hard and it's tough to know what the Twins can do about it. Since June 9th, Diamond has struggled mightily on mound. In his eight starts during that stretch, he has failed to make it into the fifth inning in four of them including the last three. He's given up 30 earned runs in 40 innings for a robust 6.75 ERA. Overall, opponents are hitting .312/.369/.547 against him and he has given up more than a home run per game in his last eight starts. These numbers are tough to look at but it might have been easy to predict that there would be some struggles. There were signs of something wrong at the end of last season. Diamond was terrific in the first half by posting a 7-3 record and a 2.62 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. There was some talk of Diamond making the All-Star team because of his strong pitching performance. The second half didn't go so smooth. His record dropped to 5-6 and his ERA expanded to 4.31 while his WHIP went up to 1.30. The end of his rookie season couldn't get there fast enough. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com One interesting statistic to look at for Diamond is his batting average on balls in play (BABIP). If you aren't familiar with this statistic, here is a brief introduction lesson. BABIP tells us how many hits a pitcher is giving up when the ball is put in play. In this case, "put in play" means the ball stays fair and in the ballpark, rather than the play resulting in a walk, home run, hit by pitch or error. Last season, opponents had a .292 BABIP versus Diamond. This mark ranked him in the top 20 in the American League. So far this season, Diamond's BABIP has risen to .319, the 43rd best mark in the AL. The only qualified AL pitchers with a worse BABIP are Bud Norris, Corey Kluber, Justin Verlander, and Joe Blanton. Most fans might think it's good for a pitcher to be on the same leader board as Verlander but that's not the case in this situation. Another area where Diamond has struggled has been his ability to limit damage when runners get on base. In 2012, Diamond was able to leave runners on base at a 73.3% mark. This ranked him 16th among AL starting pitchers and ahead of players like CC Sabathia, Yu Darvish, and Matt Moore. So far in 2013, Diamond has the third worst LOB% in the AL at 67.4%. The only pitchers with a worse mark are Jerome Williams and Rick Porcello. Let's take a closer look at the last two starts from Diamond and try and find where some of his struggles might have originated. Take a look at the strikezone plot map from Diamond's start on Sunday versus Cleveland. As you can see, there are a lot of pitches in the zone and a lot of balls left up. This looks a lot different compared to his previous start in New York. Against the Yankees, Diamond seemed to have a different game plan or he was continuing to struggle with his control. Most of his pitches were well out of the zone and it's hard to believe he got anyone out with this kind of control. He might have been trying to avoid batter's hitting it into the short porch at Yankee Stadium but this might also show why he was only able to last 3.1 innings. The Twins need to do something with Diamond. A trip to Rochester might be in order to get his head and control back where it needs to be. Fellow Canadian left-hander Andrew Albers also started on Sunday for the Rochester Red Wings. It could make sense to flip-flop these two men for their next few starts. Albers has a 10-4 record on the season and a 2.97 ERA. Diamond needs to get fixed and this might be the right time for him to be demoted.

Something isn't right with Scott Diamond. The man who was supposed to be a calming force in the Twins starting rotation has become a punching bag for opponents. He hasn't won a game since June 20th and he gave up four runs in a little over five innings in that start. A sophomore slump has hit Diamond hard and it's tough to know what the Twins can do about it. Since June 9th, Diamond has struggled mightily on mound. In his eight starts during that stretch, he has failed to make it into the fifth inning in four of them including the last three. He's given up 30 earned runs in 40 innings for a robust 6.75 ERA. Overall, opponents are hitting .312/.369/.547 against him and he has given up more than a home run per game in his last eight starts. These numbers are tough to look at but it might have been easy to predict that there would be some struggles. There were signs of something wrong at the end of last season. Diamond was terrific in the first half by posting a 7-3 record and a 2.62 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. There was some talk of Diamond making the All-Star team because of his strong pitching performance. The second half didn't go so smooth. His record dropped to 5-6 and his ERA expanded to 4.31 while his WHIP went up to 1.30. The end of his rookie season couldn't get there fast enough. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com One interesting statistic to look at for Diamond is his batting average on balls in play (BABIP). If you aren't familiar with this statistic, here is a brief introduction lesson. BABIP tells us how many hits a pitcher is giving up when the ball is put in play. In this case, "put in play" means the ball stays fair and in the ballpark, rather than the play resulting in a walk, home run, hit by pitch or error. Last season, opponents had a .292 BABIP versus Diamond. This mark ranked him in the top 20 in the American League. So far this season, Diamond's BABIP has risen to .319, the 43rd best mark in the AL. The only qualified AL pitchers with a worse BABIP are Bud Norris, Corey Kluber, Justin Verlander, and Joe Blanton. Most fans might think it's good for a pitcher to be on the same leader board as Verlander but that's not the case in this situation. Another area where Diamond has struggled has been his ability to limit damage when runners get on base. In 2012, Diamond was able to leave runners on base at a 73.3% mark. This ranked him 16th among AL starting pitchers and ahead of players like CC Sabathia, Yu Darvish, and Matt Moore. So far in 2013, Diamond has the third worst LOB% in the AL at 67.4%. The only pitchers with a worse mark are Jerome Williams and Rick Porcello. Let's take a closer look at the last two starts from Diamond and try and find where some of his struggles might have originated. Take a look at the strikezone plot map from Diamond's start on Sunday versus Cleveland. As you can see, there are a lot of pitches in the zone and a lot of balls left up. This looks a lot different compared to his previous start in New York. Against the Yankees, Diamond seemed to have a different game plan or he was continuing to struggle with his control. Most of his pitches were well out of the zone and it's hard to believe he got anyone out with this kind of control. He might have been trying to avoid batter's hitting it into the short porch at Yankee Stadium but this might also show why he was only able to last 3.1 innings. The Twins need to do something with Diamond. A trip to Rochester might be in order to get his head and control back where it needs to be. Fellow Canadian left-hander Andrew Albers also started on Sunday for the Rochester Red Wings. It could make sense to flip-flop these two men for their next few starts. Albers has a 10-4 record on the season and a 2.97 ERA. Diamond needs to get fixed and this might be the right time for him to be demoted.

At the beginning of the season, I devoted an entire week to make predictions about the upcoming MLB season. These predictions can be fun especially with all of the surprises that surround the game of baseball. I had the Toronto Blue Jays winning the AL East... oops. There are going to be a few swings and misses. With the All-Star Game over and done with, let's take a look back at the first half of the season and see who's in line for each of NoDak Twins Fan's end of the season awards. There are some easy choices and some tough choices at this point in the season. Luckily there is the entire second half for the best players to separate themselves. Each of the awards below has been named after someone that optimizes that award for the Twins organization. There are some legends from the past and even one current MLB player but all have had a significant place in Twins lore. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Harmon Killebrew MVP: Joe Mauer, C Preseason Pick: Joe Mauer, C Previous Winners: Josh Willingham (2012), Michael Cuddyer (2011), Joe Mauer (2010) Josh Willingham has been banged up. Justin Morneau hasn't been hitting for much power. This leaves one clear option for the first half MVP. Joe Mauer was selected as the starting catcher for the American League All-Stars and he is one of the best hitters in baseball. His 4.0 WAR ranks him 9th among position players and he is the highest catcher on the list. On the Twins, the next closest WAR marks are Pedro Florimon (2.0 WAR) and Brian Dozier (1.7 WAR). Barring any injury to the face of the franchise, Mauer should walk away with the team's MVP award. Johan Santana Pitcher of the Year: Glen Perkins, LHP Preseason Pick: Vance Worley, RHP Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Carl Pavano (2011), Carl Pavano (2010) The starters for the Twins have been rough to watch and this makes it hard to consider one of them as the top pitcher. There is a lot of baseball left in the season so someone like Sam Deduno or Kyle Gibson could continue to pitch well and take over this award. For now, the first half honor goes to Glen Perkins. He got elected to his first All-Star Game and he has the highest WAR among the pitchers on the staff. His 21 saves are the 9th most in baseball and he has posted a very good 0.808 WHIP. If the Twins find the right deal, Perkins could end up on another team before the deadline. Rick Aguilera Relief Pitcher of the Year: Glen Perkins, LHP Preseason Pick: Brian Duensing, LHP Previous Winners: Jared Burton (2012), Glen Perkins (2011), Jesse Crain (2010) One of the biggest positives this year has been the bullpen. There have been surprise performances from players like Casey Fien and Caleb Thielbar. After a breakout season in 2012, Jared Burton has run into some rough times this year. It shouldn't be any surprise with Perkins being named the winner for the first half. He has been consistent at the back end of the bullpen and fans have grown accustom to "Perk" being a shutdown closer. The lone player with a chance to catch Perkins might be Thielbar especially with the way he has thrown the ball in the last month. For now, Perkins gets the nod as the best bullpen arm for the Twins. Rod Carew Rookie of the Year: Oswaldo Arcia, OF Preseason Pick: Aaron Hicks, OF Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Ben Revere (2011), Danny Valencia (2010) This could turn out to be a pretty good two-man battle but the first half award has to go to Arcia. Hicks was the logical choice at the beginning of the year since he had earned the starting job in center field. A horrific start to the season left some wondering if Hicks would be sent to Rochester. He suffered an injury that cost him a couple weeks and he has been on fire as of late. This could mean he has a chance to catch Arcia by the end of the year. A couple of weeks ago, it looked like Arcia might have a chance to be the AL Rookie of the Year. Things turned south quickly and he now finds himself at Triple-A. He is still near the top of the leader board in a variety of categories for rookies so he gets my vote. Now it's your turn. What would your ballot look like for the top awards in the Twins organization for 2013? Leave a COMMENT and start the debate.

At the beginning of the season, I devoted an entire week to make predictions about the upcoming MLB season. These predictions can be fun especially with all of the surprises that surround the game of baseball. I had the Toronto Blue Jays winning the AL East... oops. There are going to be a few swings and misses. With the All-Star Game over and done with, let's take a look back at the first half of the season and see who's in line for each of NoDak Twins Fan's end of the season awards. There are some easy choices and some tough choices at this point in the season. Luckily there is the entire second half for the best players to separate themselves. Each of the awards below has been named after someone that optimizes that award for the Twins organization. There are some legends from the past and even one current MLB player but all have had a significant place in Twins lore. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Harmon Killebrew MVP: Joe Mauer, C Preseason Pick: Joe Mauer, C Previous Winners: Josh Willingham (2012), Michael Cuddyer (2011), Joe Mauer (2010) Josh Willingham has been banged up. Justin Morneau hasn't been hitting for much power. This leaves one clear option for the first half MVP. Joe Mauer was selected as the starting catcher for the American League All-Stars and he is one of the best hitters in baseball. His 4.0 WAR ranks him 9th among position players and he is the highest catcher on the list. On the Twins, the next closest WAR marks are Pedro Florimon (2.0 WAR) and Brian Dozier (1.7 WAR). Barring any injury to the face of the franchise, Mauer should walk away with the team's MVP award. Johan Santana Pitcher of the Year: Glen Perkins, LHP Preseason Pick: Vance Worley, RHP Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Carl Pavano (2011), Carl Pavano (2010) The starters for the Twins have been rough to watch and this makes it hard to consider one of them as the top pitcher. There is a lot of baseball left in the season so someone like Sam Deduno or Kyle Gibson could continue to pitch well and take over this award. For now, the first half honor goes to Glen Perkins. He got elected to his first All-Star Game and he has the highest WAR among the pitchers on the staff. His 21 saves are the 9th most in baseball and he has posted a very good 0.808 WHIP. If the Twins find the right deal, Perkins could end up on another team before the deadline. Rick Aguilera Relief Pitcher of the Year: Glen Perkins, LHP Preseason Pick: Brian Duensing, LHP Previous Winners: Jared Burton (2012), Glen Perkins (2011), Jesse Crain (2010) One of the biggest positives this year has been the bullpen. There have been surprise performances from players like Casey Fien and Caleb Thielbar. After a breakout season in 2012, Jared Burton has run into some rough times this year. It shouldn't be any surprise with Perkins being named the winner for the first half. He has been consistent at the back end of the bullpen and fans have grown accustom to "Perk" being a shutdown closer. The lone player with a chance to catch Perkins might be Thielbar especially with the way he has thrown the ball in the last month. For now, Perkins gets the nod as the best bullpen arm for the Twins. Rod Carew Rookie of the Year: Oswaldo Arcia, OF Preseason Pick: Aaron Hicks, OF Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Ben Revere (2011), Danny Valencia (2010) This could turn out to be a pretty good two-man battle but the first half award has to go to Arcia. Hicks was the logical choice at the beginning of the year since he had earned the starting job in center field. A horrific start to the season left some wondering if Hicks would be sent to Rochester. He suffered an injury that cost him a couple weeks and he has been on fire as of late. This could mean he has a chance to catch Arcia by the end of the year. A couple of weeks ago, it looked like Arcia might have a chance to be the AL Rookie of the Year. Things turned south quickly and he now finds himself at Triple-A. He is still near the top of the leader board in a variety of categories for rookies so he gets my vote. Now it's your turn. What would your ballot look like for the top awards in the Twins organization for 2013? Leave a COMMENT and start the debate.

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

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

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.

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.