Cody Christie

The minor league season have come and gone for the Twins farm system and that means it's time to hand out postseason awards. For the last couple of days, I have focused on the pitchers in the system. On Tuesday, I named Michael Tonkin as the best relief pitcher of 2012 in the Twins system. After yesterday's results were tallied, BJ Hermsen came out on top as the best starting hurler for the past season. Both of these choices were tough to make but the hitters in the system provided a much more difficult task. Arguments can be made for more than one of the names below to be named as the top hitter for the organization over the past calendar year. Miguel Sano picked up where he left off last season by belting 28 home runs in his first year in a full season league. Aaron Hicks had the breakout campaign fans have been waiting for since the team drafted him. There were plenty of other stories across the organization and it seems the future of Twins baseball is looking brighter with these players on their way to the major leagues. Over at Twins Daily, Seth Stohs has been naming his picks for the top awards in the Twins minor league system so make sure you check out his picks after you finish with my selections below. There can be some debate about where some of these players finished so it's fun to see where other writers have them. In reverse order, here are my selections for the 2012 Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year: 5.) Eddie Rosario: Beloit Snappers Stat Summary: .299/.347/.499, 35 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 74 RBI, 62 R It was a magical season for Rosario last year as he showed that he could hit for average and power while playing great in the outfield. The Twins decided to switch him to infield before the 2012 campaign so he spent most of this year trying to learn a new defensive position. His home run total dropped but he still had a decent amount of power with 57 extra-base hits. He gets on base at a decent amount but a lot of that comes from his high batting average so it would be nice to see him get a few more walks. An injury took a few weeks away from Rosario but he was still productive when he returned to the field. It has been a struggle for the Twins to develop middle infielders so the experiment with moving Rosario to second base will be something for fans to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons. 4.) Chris Parmelee: Rochester Red Wings Stat Summary: .338/.457/.645, 17 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 49 RBI, 45 R While Twins fans have seen bits and pieces of Parmelee at the big league level, he was a beast in the International League during his time there. There was no place for him to play when he was called up to the Twins so he made more than one trip back-and-forth between Rochester and the Twin Cities. If he would have spent the entire year in the minor leagues, there is a good chance this award would be his. After the Twins sent him down the first time, he put on a hitting clinic for the rest of May by batting over .450 with six extra-base hits in nine games. Mr. Parmelee couldn't fight his way into the line-up with the Twins but he continued to destroy minor league pitching. Much like Trevor Plouffe last year, Parmelee's breakout season at Triple-A will make it hard for the Twins to not give him a more permanent role in 2012. 3.) Miguel Sano: Beloit Snappers Stat Summary: .258/.373/.521, 28 2B, 4 3B, 28 HR, 100 RBI, 75 R Sano went swing for swing with Rosario last season but this year it was a little bit different story. The powerful swing of Sano continued to show but his batting average took a dip. As with most power hitters, he struggles with strikeouts and he compiled 144 of them in 457 trips to the plate. He is only 19-years old and his approach at the plate will continue to develop as he moves through the system for the Twins. Fans see young players like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout succeeding at the MLB level and it can be natural to want to push Sano up the ladder. These players are the exception and not the rule so let's give Sano some time to develop. When prospect rankings come out at the end of the year, Sano will most likely be the consensus pick as the team's number one prospect. This doesn't mean there aren't things for him to work on with his approach at the plate and his defense on the field. 2.) Aaron Hicks: New Britain Rock Cats Stat Summary: .286/.384/.460, 21 2B, 11 3B, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 100 R For Hicks, it was a record-breaking year with the Rock Cats as he set the franchise record for triples and runs scored in a season. After battling through some ups-and-downs in 2011, Hicks wiped a lot of questions away with his overall performance this year. He combined everything the Twins were looking for when they drafted him. His speed, power, and defensive ability were a force in the line-up at New Britain for the entire year. As the season went on, he seemed to get better at the plate. His average was over .300 in July and August and he combined that with 24 extra-base hits in those months. Hicks was doing his best to keep the Rock Cats in the heart of the race for the playoffs. His ability to draw walks has been one of his strongest assets during his professional career and this continued in 2012 as he was issued a free pass on 79 occasions. This award could easily be his for all of the skills he showed on the offensive side of the ball. Fans have gotten use to hearing about the potential of Hicks and he could be appearing at Target Field sometime next season. 1.) Oswaldo Arcia: Fort Myers Miracle, New Britain Rock Cats Stat Summary: .320/.388/.539, 36 2B, 8 3B, 17 HR, 98 RBI, 76 R The big key to the success story of Arcia in 2012 was his ability to stay healthy. After some injuries in 2011, he finished the season with the Fort Myers Miracle and he was sent back there to start 2012. In half a season in Florida, he did well by belting seven home runs and 16 doubles. Arcia's first half performance was recognized and he was asked to participate in the Florida State League All-Star Game. For the second half of the year, he would move on to New Britain and it seemed like his game improved with the tougher competition. His batting average jumped over 20 points, his slugging percentage went up 40 points, and this was over more at-bats than he got with the Miracle. He hit .330 or higher in July, August, and September and it seemed like the end of the season was the only thing that could cool down his bat. With runners on base, Arcia would get locked in as he hit over .400 with other players on ahead of him, which makes him a great fit for the middle of a line-up. All of these numbers didn't just speak for themselves because Arcia was well noticed during the year. He won player of the week honors twice in the International League and once in the Florida State League. Arica was also the Twins representative in the MLB Futures Game during the All-Star festivities in Kansas City. It seems like the accolades didn't end for him. During last offseason, the Twins had to add him to the 40-man roster so it will be interesting to see how quickly the Twins will move him to the big league level. The 21-year old outfielder stayed healthy for an entire season and he showed why he is one of the top prospects in the organization. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2341[/ATTACH]

It wasn't the best year for starting pitching in the Twins organization. Top pitching prospects like Alex Wimmers and Adrian Salcedo suffered through short seasons because of injuries. Kyle Gibson, the team's first round pick from 2010, spent most of the year recovering from Tommy John surgery and he will head to the Arizona Fall League to rack up some innings before the beginning of next season. The organization had to find other pitchers to fill roles with their clubs and this allowed for some surprise names to be included in the list for top starting pitchers in the Twins farm system. In yesterday's post, I honored Michael Tonkin with my pick for the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. There were some close battles between a few players for the top spot on the list so make sure to check it out and leave a comment on who would make your ballot. Seth Stohs over at Twins Daily has been naming that sites picks for each of the awards across the minor leagues so head over there to check out his selections. Of course there will be some similarities between our selections but it's always fun to see how other writers will rank players for the seasons they compiled with the Twins. So who came out on top when it came to the top season for a starting pitcher in the Twins system? In reverse order, here are my rankings for the 2012 Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: 5.) Jason Wheeler: Beloit Snappers Stat Summary: 14-6, 3.45 ERA, 156.2 IP, 115 SO, 43 BB, .218 Opp. Avg. It was Wheeler's first season as a professional and he spent the entire year with the Beloit Snappers. He started the year off pitching very well by going 3-0 in April with a 2.33 ERA for the month. At the beginning of May, he won pitcher of the week for the Midwest League and he was eventually named to the Leagues All-Star Game in June. Mr. Wheeler was roughed up a little by the end of June to the tune of a 6.28 ERA in his six starts that month and his three losses were the most out of any month for the lefty. His record was the same in both halves of the season but his ERA was lower in the second half of the year. The 22-year old held his own in Beloit and it will be interesting to see how he fares in Fort Myers next season. 4.) Esmerling Vasquez: Rochester Red Wings Stat Summary: 9-6, 2.78 ERA, 100.1 IP, 98 SO, 39 BB, .210 Opp. Avg. Fans who have kept their eye on the Twins during the last couple of weeks have gotten a taste of Vasquez on the mound. Before he was pitching in Minnesota, he had put together a pretty good season for the Rochester Red Wings. The first two months of the season for Vasquez were spent as a relief pitcher at the Triple-A level. It wasn't until the end of June that the organization moved him from the bullpen to the starting rotation. As a starter, he posted a 4-2 record with a 2.93 ERA in eight games with one complete game under his belt. To get to this point in his career, Vasquez has gone through quite the ride and the 28-year old pitcher looked like a lifer in the minor leagues before 2012. His numbers in 2012 showed the Twins that he deserved a shot but it's hard to know what his future will be with the franchise. 3.) David Hurlbut: Beloit Snappers Stat Summary: 6-6, 2.76 ERA, 111.0 IP, 85 SO, 25 BB, .249 Opp. Avg. Much like Vasquez, Hulbut started the season as a relief option before being asked to move to the rotation. It was only the first month of the season for Hulbut in the bullpen but his 1.35 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 20.0 IP made it an easy choice to move him to the rotation. In three out of the five months of the season, Hurlbut had an ERA of under 2.00 and four of his six wins came during those months. He didn't see a lot of innings against lefties but southpaws only managed a .200 batting average against him. It would be nice to see him do a better job of limiting damage when he lets runners get on base but that doesn't take away from his good season in 2012. Hulbut was the team's 28th round pick from the 2011 draft and his performance will keep the club's focus on him for the coming years. The Twins need starting pitching and Hulbut might be a late round find from the draft. 2.) Liam Hendriks: Rochester Red Wings Stat Summary: 9-3, 2.20 ERA, 106.1 IP, 82 SO, 28 BB, .201 Opp. Avg. Hendriks, last year's minor league pitcher of the year for the Twins, could have won the award again if he hadn't of spent as much time at the big league level. With how well Hendriks has performed at the Triple-A level, it's hard to believe he hasn't won a game during his time in the major leagues. The Australian native shot through the Twins system last season and made his debut with the club in September. Due to some other situations with the starting staff, Hendriks started the year in the rotation for the Twins. It wasn't a successful trip back to the big league level so he was sent back to Rochester and things started to improve. He won pitcher of the week for the International League at the beginning of June and this lead to another call-up from the Twins. One of the best months of the season for Hendriks was August where he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.61 ERA over four starts. There is a good chance for Hendriks to spend all of next season in the starting rotation for the Twins. 1.) BJ Hermsen: Fort Myers Miracle, New Britain Rock Cats Stat Summary: 12-6, 2.88 ERA, 162.2 IP, 87 SO, 30 BB, .258 Opp. Avg. Hermsen made it to the Fort Myers at the end of 2011 and that is where he started the 2012 campaign. He wouldn't stay long in the Florida State League as he made four starts and went 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA. Most of the damage done by Hermsen would take place in the Eastern League. He would finish second on the team in innings pitched and his best start of the year came in one of his last appearances of the year. On August 10, he took the mound against the Reading Phillies and he was very good over nine innings by striking out 10 and only allowing a single run. Over his last ten starts, he pitched at least five innings and allowed three earned runs or less in every outing. Hermsen was a sixth round pick of the Twins out of high school in 2008 and his performance this season might have put him in the long-term plans for the club. He will be 23-years old for all of next season and it might not be long before he is asked to debut for the Twins. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2330[/ATTACH]

Author's note: I originally posted this on my blog last September but it still rings true for today. ~~~~~~~~~~ [ATTACH=CONFIG]2324[/ATTACH] It is hard to believe that it has been a decade since the most tragic day in American history. The events of that day and the recovery following it have been well documented over the last ten years. The anniversary will always be a time of remembrance but it will also be a time to reflect on how far America has come since the events of September 11th. It seemed that all of America came to a standstill as the events unfolded in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. The professional sports world took a time-out as people realized that there were more important things in life than the sports that can consume people's lives. MLB stopped all of their games for over a week in the middle of the pennant races. At the time, it was the right thing to do as the nation tried to piece itself back together. The Twins were in Detroit on September 10th and they found themselves in second place and only six games out of first place. It would be the last year Tom Kelly would manage the team. It was also the first year the team would finish higher than fourth in the division since 1992. For eight days, the Twins waited to get on the field again and all of America waited for relief that might not appear. "The only two things that got my mind off of [9/11] were baseball and my son's football games"- New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani The nation needed to get back to some semblance of a normal life and for many that meant the return of America's Pastime. The Twins took the field on September 18th for the first time since the tragic events of September 11th. There was a pre-game ceremony in the Metrodome where two hot air balloons were inflated. One bore the image of the American Flag and the other was black and white to honor prisoners of war and others still missing in action. Donnele Burlingame, the cousin of the pilot of the hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon, held an eagle at home plate during the pre-game ceremony. Brad Radke was masterful for the Twins after the long layoff. In front of a small crowd of 10,878 fans, Radke took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and he had a perfect game through six innings. At the end of the night, he would finish with a 7.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER. The Twins offense pounded out 18 hits including three hits from Corey Koskie and Luis Rivas. The team also got home runs from Koskie and Christian Guzman and three RBI from Torii Hunter. The final score was 8-3 and many of the players expressed their emotions after returning to the field: "I don't know how I did it. I don't think anybody's mind was on baseball."- Brad Radke "I was hoping he'd get [the no hitter]. It would've meant a lot with all that's been going on."- A.J. Pierzynski Radke was not perfect during this game but in a way that was a fitting tribute to the heroes of September 11th. There was much that still needed to be accomplished at Ground Zero and a perfect game from Radke might have taken some of the light off of the things that were left to accomplish. The focus of the nation was on recovery from the events of that day and rebuilding the crumbling parts of our lives. Baseball offered fans a glimmer of hope at the end of a dark tunnel. After being the team to watch in the first half of the season, the Twins struggled through some rough patches in the second half to finish in second place in the AL Central. On this night, it was not about playoff races, multi-million dollar contracts, or winning and losing. Baseball's return brought hope back to nation struggling to find it's identity. It brought groups of people together to celebrate something that is truly American and it allowed players and fans to pay homage to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.

At the end of last week, I took a look back at some of the projections I made in regards to the minor league system for the Twins. When it comes to making predictions, there are going to be some hits and some misses. I had a few of those along the way but it's time to look back at the season that was in the minor leagues for the Twins. There were some good performances at all of the different levels that deserve to be recognized for their achievements on the field. The Elizabethton Twins had a dramatic end to their year by winning the Appalachian League Championship while the Beloit Snappers got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. A glance to the minor leagues can offer some hope for the future of the franchise when the major league squad is in the dumps. During the next couple days, I will pick out my winners for the top awards across the minor leagues for the Twins. Seth Stohs over at Twins Daily is going through the same exercise. There might be some similarities or there could be some differences but that is what makes this fun. It can all be left up to debate. In reverse order, here are my picks for the 2012 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: 5.) Anthony Slama: Rochester Red Wings Stat Summary: 1-0, 1.24 ERA, 14 saves, 36.1 IP, 56 SO, 18 BB, .195 Opp. Avg. In recent weeks, Slama has been a topic of conversation when it came to September call-ups in the Twins organization. The team didn't promote Slama after another stellar year in the International League and it doesn't seem fair to a player that has spent a lot of time in the organization. He missed time in the middle of the season when he broke his leg on a line drive up the middle. His season was capped with his 100th save in the minor leagues and it's tough to know what the future will hold for Mr. Slama. He is 28-years old and he has spent the prime of his playing career in New York playing for the Red Wings when he would have rather been in Minnesota playing with the Twins. 4.) Caleb Thielbar: Fort Myers Miracle, New Britain Rock Cats, Rochester Red Wings Stat Summary: 6-2, 2.43 ERA, 1 save, 77.2 IP, 74 SO, 21 BB, .221 Opp. Avg. The Minnesota native had quite the season moving through three different levels of the Twins system. He finished all the way up with the Rochester Red Wings and he even made a start with them at the end of the year. Thielbar was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers organization and he played his first two professional seasons in their farm system. He joined the Twins in 2011 and only made three appearances with the Miracle. The Twins sent him back there to start 2012 and he didn't stay there long before making the trek to New Britain. As a 27-year old, he could be in the mix for a job with Rochester next year and even a chance to make it with the MLB club. He is a lefty with a pulse and that always gives him a chance. 3.) Bruce Pugh: Fort Myers Miracle, New Britain Rock Cats Stat Summary: 5-5, 1.94 ERA, 69.2 IP, 72 SO, 31 BB, .218 Opp. Avg. For the third year in a row, Pugh spent time in both Fort Myers and New Britain during the season. He was used primarily as a starter back in 2010 so last year was his first season as a full-time member of the relief core. There were some bumps and bruises during that transition as Pugh's ERA bubbled to 5.91 and he coughed up 10 long balls during his 64 innings on the mound. This season has been far better for Mr. Pugh as he only surrendered four home runs on the year and he continued to show the ability to strikeout batters. During his time with New Britain, he was very good against right-handed batters by striking out 36 in 28 innings pitched. Starting didn't work out for the 2008 draft pick but it looks like he found a place in the bullpen. 2.) AJ Achter: Beloit Snappers, Fort Myers Miracle Stat Summary: 5-2. 1.70 ERA, 74.1 IP, 86 SO, 15 BB, 1.99 Opp. Avg. The second half of the season was magical for Achter with the Fort Myers Miracle and that's not taking anything away from his first half of the year. He looked to be getting off to a good start with the Snappers by posting a 2.48 ERA and holding opponents to a .226 batting average in 40 innings. After he was promoted to Fort Myers, he was lights-out for the rest of the season. His ERA was a miniscule 0.79 as he only gave up three runs in over 34 innings on the mound. He struck out 37 batters compared to only three walks and opponents hit .168 versus him during his time with the Miracle. As a 46th round pick, the Twins seem to have found a player of value in the late rounds and he could make an impact on the team in the future. He turned 24-years old at the end of August so it will be interesting to watch him move up the ladder in the next couple seasons. 1.) Michael Tonkin: Beloit Snappers, Fort Myers Miracle Stat Summary: 1-1, 2.08 ERA, 69.1 IP, 97 SO, 20 BB, .209 Opp. Avg. The brother-in-law of former Twins outfielder Jason Kubel had quite the season with the Snappers and the Miracle. It was the first season that Tonkin was not asked to start any games for the farm system and he responded in a big way. His velocity has ramped up and his strikeouts numbers have gone up with the increase in his velocity. Even-though he joined the Twins out of the 2008 draft, he is still only 22-years old and the future looks bright for this young man. The Twins are sending him to the Arizona Fall League to see what he can do against some of the top hitting prospects in the game so it will be interesting to see how he will hold up. Traditionally, the AFL has been considered a tough environment for pitchers but Tonkin could have the stuff to be successful against some of the top up-and-coming hitters in baseball. It was a great season for him and Twins fans can keep a look on the horizon for Mr. Tonkin to appear at Target Field in the future. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2322[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2312[/ATTACH] The Twins are getting a long look at plenty of different players as the 2012 season is coming to a close. There are a ton of questions about the future of the Twins organization and it is tough to know if all of them can be answered before the end of the year. Can Chris Parmelee earn a starting job at some position? Who will compose the outfield next year? Will any veterans be traded to try and add some pitching to the Twins system? Which players should compose the 2013 starting rotation for the Twins? Cole De Vries is one player that is getting an extended look as the season is wrapping up. The 27-year old right-hander has spent the last six seasons in the minor league system for the Twins after not even being drafted by any club. There have been plenty of ups-and-downs for him on the way to his MLB debut with the Twins but he shown some promising signs in recent weeks. So far this year, De Vries has a 5-5 record with a 4.11 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 87.2 innings on the mound. This includes a stretch of baseball during his last four starts where he has gone 3-1 with a 1.54 ERA while averaging almost six innings in each start. The biggest key for De Vries recent success has been his ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. Before his recent hot streak, he had given up 16 home runs in 13 games for the Twins with 12 of those being starts. Opponents were hitting .264 off of him and there were three games that he gave up two or more home runs. Since getting manhandled by the offenses of Detroit and Tampa Bay in the middle of August, it has looked like a different De Vries on the mound. The batting average of opponents has dropped to .227 and he has over three times as many strikeouts as walks without a single home run allowed in that time. It was a long hard road to get to this point for De Vries. He signed with the team as an amateur free agent and he was sent straight to Beloit for his first season of professional baseball. For the Twins, it was most likely a move to fill out rosters in the minor leagues with little thought of him making an impact on the big league club. The Minnesota native stayed the course and worked his way through every level of the minor leagues. In 2010 and 2011, the Twins tried to use De Vries as a relief pitcher with him even picking up a few saves in New Britain. But the Twins have run into plenty of headaches with the pitchers at the upper levels of the system, this meant De Vries needed to shift back to a starting job. Besides one brief relief appearance with the Twins, De Vries has been used exclusively as a starter in 2012. He went 3-5 with Rochester and posted a 4.37 ERA over 12 starts. His ability to throw pitches in the strike zone was most likely one of the reasons the club gave him a chance at the big league level. In 70 innings at the Triple-A level, he only walked 10 batters while striking out 50 men along the way. His ability to stay in the strike zone isn't always a good thing since his pitching repertoire doesn't allow him to overpower batters. Opposing hitters averaged 9.6 hits per nine innings against him in the minors this year and that is close to his career average of 9.9 hits per nine innings. So what does the crystal ball hold for Mr. De Vries? In a perfect world, the Twins would love to have a plethora of starting pitchers waiting in the wings to take over the rotation for 2013. Unfortunately, the last two seasons have been as far away from perfect as possible for the Twins. There will be plenty of open spots in the rotation at the onset of spring training and there is a good chance that it will be an open competition for more than one of the spots. De Vries would need to continue his current hot streak and combine that with an impressive spring to show the front office that he deserves a spot. But behind Scott Diamond, there might not be any locks for a spot in the 2013 rotation. This leaves four other spots and not a whole lot of options for the Twins to pick from before the start of next year. If De Vries is in the rotation to start 2013, it might not be a good sign for the 2013 version of the Minnesota Twins. He could be holding a place for a player like Kyle Gibson to get some innings under his belt in the minor leagues but a full season of De Vries might be bad news for the Twins. His Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tendencies for giving up home runs are tough to handle and it's hard to imagine a situation where he will turn back into the pitcher that gave up so many home runs earlier this year. His track record as a professional has been full of plenty of holes and the Twins don't need those holes clogging up their rotation. Unless there aren't any better options to turn to...

Anytime the Twins end a week with a .500 record, it is a step in the right direction. A sweep of a day-night double header in Kansas City last Saturday helped to get the team off to the right track for the week. The big offensive showing on Tuesday night against the White Sox was also fun to see even though the Twins ended up losing the series. It might be sad to be happy about a .500 record for a week but when your team is 18.5 games out of first place you look for any positive signs that you can find. One of the biggest positive signs for the Twins has been Chris Parmelee and his performance so far in September. The first baseman turned outfielder has been on a tear since the team recalled him at the end of last month. In the last seven days, he is hitting .407/.448/.815 with three home runs and two doubles to go along with eight RBI. The front office for the Twins is giving plenty of players a chance to prove their worth and Parmelee seems to be making the most of his chance for the second September in a row. The Twins will return home tonight for a 10-game homestand against the Indians, the Royals, and the White Sox. It will be the last time the team faces the White Sox and the Royals in 2012. But before the weekend action kicks off, make sure to peruse this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Tom Kelly's number will be retired this weekend and the former manager is humbled by the whole situation. After a breakout season for two players at Double-A, it's tough to pick out the MVP for the Rock Cats. Both of those hot hitting Rock Cats might have been snubbed from a September call-up. Make sure to take a glance at this great write up about the season in New Britain. It looks like the honeymoon might be ending for Target Field. There were some very good performances in the minor leagues for the Twins in the last month of the season. Check out the hitter of the month, the starting pitcher of the month, and the relief pitcher of the month. Joe Mauer's offense seems to be back to normal but his defensive skills seem to be going the wrong direction. It's never too early to start looking at the 2013 MLB Draft and some of the players that might be available for the Twins. Jamey Carroll ended the longest HR drought in baseball with his long ball earlier this week. The Twins made their September call-ups in the last week and they were kind of a downer. If you missed the end of the Appy League Championship, it was a series for the ages as all three games went to extra-innings and the E-Twins came out on top. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2291[/ATTACH] Former Twins pitcher and Cy Young candidate R.A. Dickey signed a deal to write children's books. Nick Punto brought his jersey shredding skills with him to Los Angeles. The title of most exciting player in baseball has changed a lot since the late 70s. Ozzie Guillen is back on Twitter and he is always entertaining. Insurance might have played a part in the decision to shutdown Stephen Strasburg. Attendance was low on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, and Chipper Jones wasn't happy about it. Here is an epic tale of Johnny Damon trying to throw a ball to home plate. The rules for expanding rosters in September might be changing for 2013. Phil Humber threw a perfect game earlier this year and this week he got destroyed in an outing by the Twins. Lots of weird things can happen in a meaningless minor league game at the end of the year including a 350-pound relief pitcher stealing third. It sounds like Adam Greenberg's comeback isn't going to happen with the Cubs. Royals stud prospect Wil Myers was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. My Weekly Rundown Monday: LABOR DAY Tuesday: What will another good September mean for Chris Parmelee? Wednesday: The Curious Case of Anthony Slama Thursday: Revisiting my preseason projections for the minors Video of the Week: Former Twins outfielder Jason Repko made one of those catches that will be shown in highlight reels for years to come. Granted it came in a minor league game for the Red Sox but he still went up and over a wall to make a catch. Make sure to check it out if you haven't seen this amazing play.

At the beginning of the year, Seth Stohs from the Twins Daily crew asks some of the bloggers from across Twins Territory to put together their picks for a variety of categories across the minor leagues. It's a fun exercise to do at the beginning of the year and it's interesting to track the progress of players during the minor league seasons. There were some breakout candidates at almost every level in 2012 but there were some setbacks along the way as well. Here are my picks from the beginning of the year and a look at how each of them fared during the season. I am working on some posts that will name my minor league hitter, pitcher, and relief pitcher for 2012 campaign so look for those to come in the next week. The players listed below are my picks from the beginning of the year and there were some hits and some misses as are usually true with any predictions post. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2281[/ATTACH] Breakout Hitter (Upper Levels): Aaron Hicks, New Britain Season Stat Summary: .286/.384/.460, 21 2B, 11 3B, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 32 SB, 100 R At the beginning of the year, I begged for Hicks to have the breakout year that Twins fans have waited for since he was drafted in the first round. He didn't fail to disappoint as he set the Rock Cats record for triples and runs scored in a season. There were some rough patches along the way but Hicks put together a very good second half by batting over .300 after the All-Star break. His combination of speed and power will continue to make him one of the best prospects in the Twins organization. He could be playing in Minnesota as early as next season. Breakout Hitter (Lower Levels): Angel Morales, Fort Myers Season Stat Summary: .220/.310/.328, 8 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 115 SO After missing a good chunk of the 2011 season due to injuries, Morales was my pick to have a bounce-back season at the plate. This wasn't the case as he struggles to get into any kind of rhythm with the Miracle. He looked good in the first month of the season by hitting over .300 and having six extra-base hits. The next three months were awful as he hit under .200 in two of them and he showed very little power along the way. He struck out over 20 times in every month except August where he only struck out 19 times. It was a rough year for Mr. Morales but he ended the season on a high note by hitting .298 in the last couple months of the year. Breakout Hitter (in Extended Spring Training): Max Kepler, Elizabethton Season Stat Summary: .297/.387/.539, 16 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 40 R When I wrote my post at the start of the season, I hoped that the 19-year old Kepler would start to grow into his body and add some more power. He went above and beyond those expectations the year by showing the ability to hit for average and power. He was one of the core members of the Elizabethton team that won the Appalachian League Championship earlier this week. It will be exciting to see what he can do as he moves up the ladder of the Twins farm system. He could be a potent corner outfield option if his bat continues to develop at the current pace. Hitters Summary: I'd say that I went 2-for-3 with a couple home runs (Hicks and Kepler) but one big strikeout (Morales). Breakout Pitcher (Upper Levels): Alex Wimmers, New Britain Season Stat Summary: W-L (0-1), 9.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 SO, 3 BB Wimmers ended last season with a bang by throwing a 7-inning no-hitter to close out 2011 for Fort Myers. He seemed set-up to move quickly through the minor leagues for the Twins in 2012 but this was far from being the case for him. He only made two starts on the season and he will miss all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Breakout Pitcher (Lower Levels): Madison Boer, Beloit/Fort Myers Season Stat Summary: W-L (9-12), 5.84 ERA, 138.2 IP, 86 SO, 42 BB The season started off fine for Boer in Beloit as he threw 27.2 innings for the Snappers and posted a 3.58 ERA with twice as many strikeouts as walks. Boer struggled a little more with the transition to the Florida State League as his ERA ballooned to 6.41 over the 111.0 innings he threw for Fort Myers. He continued to strikeout more than twice the amount of batters that he walked but he gave up 15 home runs in the hot Florida weather. His college experience made him a likely candidate to have a breakout season but it looks like he will have to wait until next year for his breakout year. Breakout Pitcher (in Extended Spring Training): Matthew Summers, Beloit/Fort Myers Season Stat Summary: W-L (11-7), 3.88 ERA, 148.1 IP, 97 SO, 59 BB Summers started the year in extended spring training but ended up making it all the way to Fort Myers by the end of the season. He started more games than I thought he would at the beginning of the year and he put up good performances at both levels. Opponents hit .307 off of him in Fort Myers so it would be nice to reduce that number in the coming years. In a season where there were few standout starting pitchers in the system, Summers put together a very decent year. Pitchers Summary: I went 1-for-3 with a double (Summers) and two strikeouts (Wimmers and Boer). Preseason Picks Best Hitter (Upper Levels): Joe Benson, Rochester/New Britian/Fort Myers Season Stat Summary: .202/.288/.336, 13 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 36 RBI Best Hitter (Lower Levels): Miguel Sano, Beloit Season Stat Summary: .258/.373/.521, 28 2B, 4 3B, 28 HR, 100 RBI Best Hitter (in EST): Niko Goodrum, Elizabethton Season Stat Summary: .242/.349/.419, 12 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI Miguel Sano was arguably the best power hitter in the Midwest League in 2012 but his swing still has plenty of holes. His batting average was lacking but he still managed to get on base at a decent clip. Fans across Twins Territory kept their eye on Sano over the last few months and they will continue to watch him as he closes in on Target Field. Joe Benson was in the majors at the end of last season so it could be expected that he would continue his track to the being a starter with the Twins. It was a lost season for Benson as he was demoted after a terrible showing in Rochester. Niko Goodrum had an okay year with the E-Twins but there were many other hitters that ended up having a better year than him. He did show some ability to use his speed to leg out some triples. Best Hitters Summary: I went 1-for-2 with a long home run (Sano), a walk (Goodrum), and a strikeout (Benson). Preseason Picks Best Pitcher (Upper Levels): Alex Wimmers Season Stat Summary: W-L (0-1), 9.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 SO, 3 BB Best Pitcher (Lower Levels): Adrian Salcedo Season Stat Summary: W-L (0-2), 5.87 ERA, 30.2 IP, 18 SO, 16 BB Best Pitcher (in EST): Matthew Summers Season Stat Summary: W-L (11-7), 3.88 ERA, 148.1 IP, 97 SO, 59 BB There were a lot of swings and misses here and unfortunately it wasn't from the pitchers that I picked out at the beginning of the year. Wimmers and Salcedo fought injuries all season and they managed to throw a combined 35.0 innings on the mound. At the start of the season, it looked like these two players were some of the best in the system for the Twins. It's amazing how much can change in one short season. Summers did fine during his time on the mound and he looks like a Cy Young candidate compared to the other two. It was a rough year for starting pitching in the Twins system especially when two of their best prospects are big question marks for next year. The organization needs pitching help but that shouldn’t be a new discovery for Twins fans. Best Pitchers Summary: I went 1-for-3 with a single (Summers) and two strikeouts (Wimmers and Salcedo). Unfortunately I ended up getting hurt during one of the swings and I am questionable for 2013. Make sure to check back in the next week or so when I reveal my picks for the minor league hitter of the year, pitcher of the year, and relief pitcher of the year. These young players work as they try to live out their dream of playing professional baseball and they deserve to be recognized for all of their accomplishments.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2262[/ATTACH] The last two seasons have been rough for the Twins as the team has posted back-to-back horrible win-loss records. But some positive things came out of this madness. For instance, in this past June's amateur draft, the Twins selected Byron Buxton, arguably the best player in the draft. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Also, all of the losing and injuries to pitchers have allowed the team to get an in-depth look at pitchers in their own organization and to bring in arms from other organizations for a test run. But one player that hasn't been given much of a chance just finished his fourth year at the Triple-A, all for the Twins, and he has been dominant at every stop along the way. Anthony Slama joined the Twins as a 39th round draft pick out of the University of San Diego in the 2006 Draft. As a 23-year old in his first professional season, he split time between Elizabethton and Beloit by posting a combined 1.71 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched with 49 strikeouts and only 10 walks. He would move to Fort Myers for all of 2008 where he lowered his ERA to 1.01 in 71.0 innings with 110 strikeouts and 24 walks. His next year, Slama spent time with New Britain and Rochester but most of his innings were at the Double-A level. He ended the year with a 2.67 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 81.0 innings pitched. Every year since that point, Slama has made a return trip to Rochester to play out another minor league season. From 2010-2011, he has posted an ERA under 3.00 with more walks than strikeouts. He isn't going to blow batters away but he gets the job done and his coaches have had enough confidence in him to let him be the closer at multiple levels in the minors. This season was one of his best as a professional with a ridiculously low 1.24 ERA at the Triple-A level with 56 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. He got his 100th career minor save in Rochester's last game of the season, which seems like a very dubious distinction to earn. No player wants to stay in the minor leagues long enough to rack up 100 saves because it would be much better to be earning a big league paycheck. Slama has gotten a very brief taste of the big leagues in 2010 and an even shorter stay in 2011. In his first trip to Target Field, the rookie didn't inspire. He threw in five games and he allowed a run or more in three of those appearances. One of the outings in Baltimore was especially rough as he allowed two earned runs and a home run over the course of his inning. This lead to his only decision as a big leaguer, a loss and a blown lead in the late innings. Last year, there were plenty of opportunities for the Twins to test out different arms from the minor leagues but Slama only appeared in two games. He hasn't seen the big leagues since that point and it doesn't look like the 28-year old relief pitcher will be making it back with the Twins in 2012. On Monday, word came out of the Twins organization that the team would only be making two September call-ups. Right-hander Luis Perdomo and Eduardo Escobar will be the lone men making the trip from Rochester to the Chicago as the Twins take on the White Sox. There was plenty of speculation around Brian Dozier, Anthony Slama, Oswaldo Arcia, or Aaron Hicks making appearances for the Twins in the last month of the year but this wasn't the case. It sounds like the team wants to focus on the players currently comprising the roster while getting an extended look at some of the players that could earn a spot for 2013. Terry Ryan told reporters, "We only have so many innings or so many at-bats to give people." This left Slama with an early end to his season after what he deemed "a tough year" for himself. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2270[/ATTACH] The Twins refusal to give Slama a legitimate shot at the big league level is perplexing to say the least. He has shown the ability to have very good success at the minor league level and it seems that the natural progression would be to give him more of an extended look with the major league squad. Over the last two seasons, there have been plenty of questionable arms that were used out of the bullpen so it seems curious to not give Slama a chance. He is getting close to turning 30, so his chance at being a regular at the big league level might have already passed him by. In some updated quotes from Ryan last night, it sounds like the Twins already know what Slama brings to the table and a pitcher like Perdomo is more of a question mark. He would go on to state that Slama will get his chance but it's hard to imagine that it will be with the Twins. He can't be a free agent until after next season but he will be subject to the Rule 5 Draft this December since he is not on the 40-man roster. His best option at this point in his career might be to turn to another organization and hope they need bullpen help at some point in 2013 because it doesn't seem like the Twins will give him a shot. The Rule 5 Draft could give him this opportunity if another team sees something in the right-handed relief pitcher. Yesterday, a petition was started at Twins Daily to try and get some answers from the front office of the Twins organization. If you feel that Anthony Slama deserves more of a chance with the Twins, go to the link and lend your name to the petition. The Twins have plenty of holes to fill for next season but it would be nice for Slama to get a longer look at the big league level.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2254[/ATTACH] At this time last year, the Twins called up a couple of young prospects from Double-A to make their major league debuts. Joe Benson was the more highly-touted name out of the two young players but Chris Parmelee came up and made a much stronger impression in the final month of the year. Benson would bat .239/.270/.352 in his 74 plate appearances in September while Parmelee was putting on an offensive show. By season's end, Parmelee was hitting .355/.443/.592 with four home runs and six doubles in 76 at-bats. This strong impression in September left a mark on the Twins that carried over to the beginning of 2012. When the Twins broke camp at the end of spring training, Chris Parmelee was on the roster for a variety of different reasons. Parmelee had backed up his strong September with a very good showing during spring training so this definitely helped his cause. The team was also unsure what to expect from Justin Morneau after a concussion shortened season in 2011. It made sense to have Parmelee on the roster to get some time at first base and maybe find outfield playing time as well. For Parmelee, it was most likely a dream come true to skip the Triple-A level and begin the season on the big league roster. Those dreams wouldn't last for long as Parmelee struggled out of the gate to find his swing. From Opening Day to the middle of May, he hit .179/.250/.262 with no home runs and six extra-base hits in 27 games. The Parmelee that the Twins had seen at the end of 2011 and in spring training was nowhere to be found so the team sent him down. For Parmelee, it would be his first taste of the Triple-A level and he was going to have to hit his way back to the major league squad. He would do just that in the coming weeks. During the second half of May with the Rochester Red Wings, Parmelee hit .452/.575/.839 with three home runs and three doubles in 31 at-bats. He would be back on the roster for the Twins near the beginning of June but he failed to get into the line-up for most of the month. After hitting the cover off of the ball at Triple-A, Parmelee was relegated to late inning pinch hitting duties as he only started three games the rest of the month. It was a strange and frustrating situation for the young player to be at the big league level but not getting into any action. He would spend most of the months of July and August in the minor leagues and opposing pitchers got sick of seeing him step into the batters box. He hit over .320 in each of these months and he belted 13 home runs and 13 doubles during this stretch. It was quite the offensive run for the 24-year old but there didn't seem to be a place for him on the big league roster. Morneau had been healthier than originally thought and Joe Mauer needed to spend more time playing first base. The outfield was full with Josh Willingham, Denard Span, and Ben Revere. This left Parmelee in the minors to where he ended up hitting .338/.457/.645 with 17 home runs and 18 other extra-base hits in 64 games. It's September again and the Twins have finally found a spot for Parmelee to get some at-bats in the line-up at the big league level. Span has been dealing with a pesky shoulder injury and the team decided that he needed time on the DL. This left an outfield spot open and Parmelee was more than willing to take on the role. He hadn't played in the outfield at all in the minor leagues during the 2012 season but the team felt comfortable giving him a shot to prove himself. In previous seasons, Parmelee spent some time as a right fielder so the position was not foreign to him. His bat was the more important thing and his hot September swing seems to have shown up again. Through the first four of games in the month, Parmelee has three multi-hit performances and a couple of home runs to his name. Since getting called-up from Rochester at the end of August, he has managed a hit in every game that he has played in and he seems to be a man on a mission. It's a very small sample size but it seems that he is starting to regain his confidence at the big league level. September Stat Summary: .467/.500/1.000, 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI The question still remains, what will another good September mean for Chris Parmelee? By looking at the roster for next season, there is going to be the same problem for finding playing time for Mr. Parmelee. The outfield looks packed and first base will still be occupied by the M&M Boys. For Parmelee to get regular at-bats with the Twins, it seems like some kind of move will need to be made. One of the aging outfielders like Willingham or Span could be dealt for some pitching help. Morneau could be traded to take some money off the books and to free up a spot at a corner infield position. Parmelee has proven himself at the Triple-A level and he is a cheaper option than the players mentioned above. In a story published by the Star Tribune yesterday, it sounds like GM Terry Ryan wants to see who is deserving of a roster spot for 2013. Parmelee is expected to get as much playing time as possible between the multiple positions that he plays and it is up to him to show the front office that he doesn't expect to be making any return trips to Rochester for the rest of his career. A good September will start to wash away any doubts and it could make for some interesting speculation in the offseason. Where will Chris Parmelee start the 2013 season? Hopefully he will begin the year as a starter on Opening Day at Target Field.

The Twins won both ends of a double header against Kansas City on Saturday but there was plenty of exciting action across the minor leagues. Let's check out how the Twins farm system fared as their seasons are coming to a close.[B] ELIZABETHTON 2, BURLINGTON[/B] [B]3[/B] In what looks like it will be a great Appalachian League Championship Series, the E-Twins lost an important first game to the Burlington Royals by a score of 3-2 in extra-innings. Angel Matta started the game for the Twins and pitched five strong innings while allowing one run on six hits with six strikeouts. His only trouble came in the bottom of the second when he allowed the first three batters to reach on singles. He got out of the jam by allowing a single run so it was a good job of sidestepping danger. There were a lot of zeros put on the board until the top of the sixth when the E-Twins were finally able to get on the board. Adam Walker started the inning by belting a solo-home run to tie the game. The next batter was DJ Hicks and he decided back-to-back home runs were in order. For the first time in the series, Elizabethton had a lead at 2-1. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last for the rest of the game. Tyler Herr was called on to relieve Mata on the mound and he was doing fine for the first couple of innings. Even the start of the eighth inning looked to be going well as Herr struck out the first two batters that he faced. Mark Threlkeld was the third batter of the inning for Burlington and he sent one over the fence to tie the game in the late innings, a devastating shot for the young E-Twins. In extra-innings, the E-Twins had their chance to take the lead in the top of the 10th when Romy Jimenez doubled with one out in the frame. There was a wild pitch with Travis Harrison batting to advance Jimenez to third. Harrison would walk but the next two batters would fail to knock in the runner. In the 11th inning, Byron Buxton would reach third with two outs but he was left there. A couple of golden opportunities missed by Elizabethton. The bottom of the 12th saw Burlington lead off with a single by Terrance Gore. He would make it to third on a sacrifice bunt to Travis Harrison at third base. The next batter was Bubba Starling and last year's first round pick for the Royals knocked a sacrifice fly to end the game. [B]ROCHESTER 8, SYRACUSE 4[/B] A back and forth contest between the Red Wings and the Chiefs saw Rochester get back to the .500 mark for the season at 71-71. The Red Wings took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning and the offense went cold for a few frames. Syracuse scored a couple in the third and added another in the fifth to push their lead to 3-1. A big 3-run seventh inning put the Red Wings on top but it would only last until the eighth. Jeff Manship started for Rochester pitched 5.2 innings by allowing one run on five hits. Caleb Thielbar was moving along at a decent clip before running into some trouble in the bottom of the eighth. With a runner on base, the Red Wings turned to closer Anthony Slama who gave up a triple and saw the lead disappear. Brian Dozier had a big night by going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Wilkin Ramirez was able to knock in a couple of runs with his single in the seventh inning. Clete Thomas went 3-for-5 and he knocked in a couple runs of his own. Thomas even scored on his triple after a bad play by the center fielder. Brian Dinkelman and Rene Rivera added doubles in the ninth to push the lead for Rochester. [B]NEW BRITAIN 7, NEW HAMPSHIRE 3[/B] New Britain got down early in this game but had some big at-bats in the later innings to put them on top for good. A four-run sixth inning and a three-run seventh inning were more than enough to cover up the two early runs given up by Luke French. For the second outing in a row, French would be strong on the mound by tossing 7.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits. The top of the order did a lot of damage for the Rock Cats. Aaron Hicks and Chris Herrmann put up big numbers out of the one and two spots in the batting order. Hicks had two triples and a couple runs scored as the lead-off hitter. He also set the team record for runs scored in a season (97) and triples in a season (11). Chris Colabello tied the Rock Cats season record with 97 RBI. Josmil Pinto, Deibinson Romero, and Herrmann all had multiple RBI performances to help push the Rock Cats to the victory. [B]FORT MYERS 1, CHARLOTTE 4[/B] The Miracle had a tough time getting on the board in this contest against the Stone Crabs. Charlotte starting pitcher Eliazer Suero threw seven innings of two hit ball to keep the damage to a minimum for the Miracle. Fort Myers pieced together a game by having three pitchers throw three innings apiece. Miguel Munoz started the game and only gave up a hit before Ryan O'Rourke took over. O'Rourke allowed two runs but only one of them was earned. Ricky Bowen allowed a couple runs on four hits during his three innings of work. When a team gets handled by the opposing pitcher, there isn't much to talk about on the offensive side of the ball. Angel Morales had the only extra-base hit of the night for the Miracle. It was his fifth triple of the year. Daniel Santana went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Levi Michael was 1-for-3 with a walk. Michael also added his 16th error of the season and this one came on a throw at second base. [B]BELOIT 6, QUAD CITIES 5[/B] With Miguel Sano out of the line-up, Eddie Rosario reminded fans why he should be considered among the best prospects in the organization. In the middle of the batting order, Rosario had a big night with his 31st and 32nd doubles of the season. Kennys Vargas knocked in a couple runs batting behind Rosario. Matthew Koch added a couple hits of his own at the bottom of the order. This was more than enough for Tyler Jones as he threw seven innings by allowing a single run on four hits with nine strikeouts. Jones seems to be ending the year on a strong note as he has tossed seven innings or more in each of his last two appearances. During that time, he has only allowed three earned runs. Quad City made things interesting by scoring four in the ninth but it wasn't enough. --- Players of the Day for September 1, 2012 [CENTER] Hitter of the Day- Aaron Hicks [attachment=5157:1343.attach] Pitcher of the Day- Tyler Jones [attachment=5158:1344.attach][/CENTER] --- A Look Ahead- Sunday, September 2nd Schedule Game 2 of the Appalachian League Championship Series Elizabethton vs. Burlington- LHP Hein Robb Rochester @ Syracuse- TBA New Britain vs. New Hampshire- RHP Steve Hirschfeld Fort Myers @ Charlotte- LHP Pat Dean Beloit vs. Quad City- LHP Matt Tomshaw View full article