Cody Christie

Well spring has sprung across the baseball world. Pitchers and catchers from MLB teams have reported for duty in Florida and Arizona. The position players for the Twins have also made their way to Ft. Myers and the team will begin full squad workouts in the coming days. It is a great time of year to be a fan of baseball. There is hope in the air and every team is on an even playing field. There can be surprises around every turn and no one knows who will take home the World Series Trophy at the end of the year. I got my season tickets delivered this week and I got to pick out seats for Opening Day at Target Field. The offseason is over and it is time to get the 2012 campaign underway. Enjoy this weeks version of "Friday Links-N-Thinks" with plenty of headlines coming out of camps at this early juncture of spring training. To correspond with the start of a new season, a brand new Twins mega-site was launched by the TwinsCentric crew. Make sure to bookmark Twins Daily as some of my work has already been featured on the site. A Minnesota Twins fan has made the top 30 finalists for the MLB Fan Cave. Lindsay Guentzel is headed to Arizona to see if she can make it to NYC for 2012. The Twins Armchair GM looked at the Keith Law's Top 50 prospects for the June Draft and how the Twins will fare with the number two pick. In preparation for the draft, Seth Stohs took a look back at the Twins draft history since 1987. NBC's Hardball Talk site gave Ron Gardenhire the quote of the day earlier this week. Over at Twins Rubes, they tackled the issue of who should start in CF for the Twins. After I posted the Rays terrifying new mascot in last weeks links, they have a promotional giveaway that might be just as scary. Twins Fan From Afar tries to decide what the Twins should do with Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Brian Dozier at the start of 2012. The Twins haven't had an All-Star left fielder since before I was born. Former Twins prospect Wilson Ramos showed up to Nationals camp with a new tattoo as a reminder of the horrific events surrounding his kidnapping in Venezuela. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2U8jAZbyLI/T0bE40f7RKI/AAAAAAAABGY/JKhzcfqxNSo/s320/RamosNewTatoo.jpg Everyone kind of already knew the Yankees didn't push themselves to win the division in 2010. They were content getting healthy and playing the Twins in the first round. Former Twins infielder Cristian Guzman found his way back into the AL Central. Prospect list continue to trickle out with Baseball America releasing their top 100. Miguel Sano is high on the list but who else joins him? Is there one postseason award the Twins could be favored for this year? Seedlings to Stars tried to make sense out of the new CBA and how it will impact the 2012 MLB Draft. Puckett's Pond posted about the players who are out of options for the Twins and there is a good chance that not all of them will make the team. My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Twins will use Nathan's blueprint for Zumaya Tuesday: Blackburn shooting for a bounce back season Wednesday: To block the plate or not to block the plate? Thursday: Twins headlines turned into Oscar movie plots: 2012 edition Video of the Week: As I mentioned before, Lindsay Guentzel is trying to be one of the fans selected to watch every MLB game this season from the comfort of the MLB Fan Cave. First she made the top 50 finalists and now she has qualified for the top 30. This means she is getting closer to representing Twins Territory on a big stage. Here is a look at her audition video: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http//nodaktwinsfan.com

Well spring has sprung across the baseball world. Pitchers and catchers from MLB teams have reported for duty in Florida and Arizona. The position players for the Twins have also made their way to Ft. Myers and the team will begin full squad workouts in the coming days. It is a great time of year to be a fan of baseball. There is hope in the air and every team is on an even playing field. There can be surprises around every turn and no one knows who will take home the World Series Trophy at the end of the year. I got my season tickets delivered this week and I got to pick out seats for Opening Day at Target Field. The offseason is over and it is time to get the 2012 campaign underway. Enjoy this weeks version of "Friday Links-N-Thinks" with plenty of headlines coming out of camps at this early juncture of spring training. To correspond with the start of a new season, a brand new Twins mega-site was launched by the TwinsCentric crew. Make sure to bookmark Twins Daily as some of my work has already been featured on the site. A Minnesota Twins fan has made the top 30 finalists for the MLB Fan Cave. Lindsay Guentzel is headed to Arizona to see if she can make it to NYC for 2012. The Twins Armchair GM looked at the Keith Law's Top 50 prospects for the June Draft and how the Twins will fare with the number two pick. In preparation for the draft, Seth Stohs took a look back at the Twins draft history since 1987. NBC's Hardball Talk site gave Ron Gardenhire the quote of the day earlier this week. Over at Twins Rubes, they tackled the issue of who should start in CF for the Twins. After I posted the Rays terrifying new mascot in last weeks links, they have a promotional giveaway that might be just as scary. Twins Fan From Afar tries to decide what the Twins should do with Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Brian Dozier at the start of 2012. The Twins haven't had an All-Star left fielder since before I was born. Former Twins prospect Wilson Ramos showed up to Nationals camp with a new tattoo as a reminder of the horrific events surrounding his kidnapping in Venezuela. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2U8jAZbyLI/T0bE40f7RKI/AAAAAAAABGY/JKhzcfqxNSo/s320/RamosNewTatoo.jpg Everyone kind of already knew the Yankees didn't push themselves to win the division in 2010. They were content getting healthy and playing the Twins in the first round. Former Twins infielder Cristian Guzman found his way back into the AL Central. Prospect list continue to trickle out with Baseball America releasing their top 100. Miguel Sano is high on the list but who else joins him? Is there one postseason award the Twins could be favored for this year? Seedlings to Stars tried to make sense out of the new CBA and how it will impact the 2012 MLB Draft. Puckett's Pond posted about the players who are out of options for the Twins and there is a good chance that not all of them will make the team. My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Twins will use Nathan's blueprint for Zumaya Tuesday: Blackburn shooting for a bounce back season Wednesday: To block the plate or not to block the plate? Thursday: Twins headlines turned into Oscar movie plots: 2012 edition Video of the Week: As I mentioned before, Lindsay Guentzel is trying to be one of the fans selected to watch every MLB game this season from the comfort of the MLB Fan Cave. First she made the top 50 finalists and now she has qualified for the top 30. This means she is getting closer to representing Twins Territory on a big stage. Here is a look at her audition video: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http//nodaktwinsfan.com

Last year I had fun writing a post about two of the things I am passionate about, the Twins and the Academy Awards. It was a fun post for me to compile and I got positive feedback from multiple sources after last year's post. With the Oscars around the corner and spring training already started in Florida, I figured it was time for another rendition of my "Twins headlines turned into Oscar movie plots." Below you will find all of the films nominated for Best Picture in this weekend's ceremony and a Twins plotline that connects to that film. I hope you enjoy the following. Lights, camera, action... The Artist http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PguB5faDmEA/T0W-K_ZOUvI/AAAAAAAABFQ/AwhXBZazxlI/s320/Slide1.jpg Plot Summary: In Hollywood during the year 1927, a silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion. As the movie goes on, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break. Twins Plot: A former top prospect tries to find a spot on the Twins roster before he fades into oblivion. Could he beat out a younger third baseman for the starting role in 2012? Only time will tell if the veteran player has enough to make an impact. The Descendants http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lhKigOCmJFc/T0W-QYExlFI/AAAAAAAABFY/l4937VpkJr0/s320/Slide2.jpg Plot Summary: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident. The eldest daughter informs the father of his wife's extra-marital activities and he sets out on a path to find his wife's lover. Twins Plot: A center fielder tries to re-connect with his team after he suffered an accident at home plate last season. He tells the team that he is ready for the rigours of the season and he sets out on a path to prove the doubters wrong. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NP0T8JkYqY4/T0W-hRhGbRI/AAAAAAAABFg/Fo94Amfx0yM/s320/Slide3.jpg Plot Summary: A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Twins Plot: A 23-year-old former first round pick, outfielder, and speedster searches the Target Field outfield for any balls that come his way. He follows in the footsteps of other great center fielders like Puckett and Hunter as he tries to find his place in the big leagues. The Help http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8EH91bya-Us/T0W-0Pc87PI/AAAAAAAABFo/0PeipvzvCFs/s320/Slide4.jpg Plot Summary: An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. Twins Plot: An aspiring shortstop during a rough time for the Twins is asked to take over a role in the outfield. His transition to this new position could be "the help" that the organization needs to succeed in 2012. Hugo http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UOMjV7kSmVM/T0W_Fxtco8I/AAAAAAAABFw/mJKeOPeHk0I/s320/Slide5.jpg Plot Summary: Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. The mystery he uncovers jeopardizes his secretive way of life. Twins Plot: The secretive way of life for this superstar player was brought into question during the previous year. The organization is paying him to be the face of the franchise and to perform on the field. Can this young man step out of his secretive ways and lead the team? Midnight in Paris http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w4dy63tS6Pc/T0W_Q2cZAQI/AAAAAAAABF4/s-uEA4WuxY0/s320/Slide6.jpg Plot Summary: A family travel to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple who are forced to confront their differing views of a perfect life. A young man finds out there is plenty of truth to the phrase about the grass being greener on the other side. Twins Plot: A player travels to another country to try and succeed after a disastrous year. His view of a perfect life has fallen apart in the last 12 months and he will try to see if the grass can get greener on the other side. Moneyball http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpHV1dLfS00/T0W_dLMJ7_I/AAAAAAAABGA/UopY_6ig_sU/s320/Slide7.jpg Plot Summary: Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to compile his roster. Twins Plot: The Twins turned the reigns over to their former GM to try and scale back the payroll while still producing a winner on the field. He was able to lead the team to success in the past but how will he fair during his second time around? The Tree of Life http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MU24UXrjKII/T0W_pbwUJJI/AAAAAAAABGI/8MoxuElI64g/s320/Slide8.jpg Plot Summary: A family with three boys growing up in the 1950s has to deal with an overbearing father. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence and is changed for the future. Twins Plot: A former MVP slides into second base and sees his entire life changed for the future. He must deal with the nagging effects of concussion symptoms as he tries to prove to the team he can still succeed on the field. War Horse http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WPfR2Q3-EUg/T0W_0ieXklI/AAAAAAAABGQ/KBwvuefVKGA/s320/Slide9.jpg Plot summary: Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on. Twins Plot: The Twins enlist a variety of players to try and piece together a bullpen that can find success on the field. There is a full cavalry of players in camp for the team and it is hard to know who the team will turn to in the late innings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from: http://nodaktwinsfan.com

Last year I had fun writing a post about two of the things I am passionate about, the Twins and the Academy Awards. It was a fun post for me to compile and I got positive feedback from multiple sources after last year's post. With the Oscars around the corner and spring training already started in Florida, I figured it was time for another rendition of my "Twins headlines turned into Oscar movie plots." Below you will find all of the films nominated for Best Picture in this weekend's ceremony and a Twins plotline that connects to that film. I hope you enjoy the following. Lights, camera, action... The Artist http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PguB5faDmEA/T0W-K_ZOUvI/AAAAAAAABFQ/AwhXBZazxlI/s320/Slide1.jpg Plot Summary: In Hollywood during the year 1927, a silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion. As the movie goes on, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break. Twins Plot: A former top prospect tries to find a spot on the Twins roster before he fades into oblivion. Could he beat out a younger third baseman for the starting role in 2012? Only time will tell if the veteran player has enough to make an impact. The Descendants http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lhKigOCmJFc/T0W-QYExlFI/AAAAAAAABFY/l4937VpkJr0/s320/Slide2.jpg Plot Summary: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident. The eldest daughter informs the father of his wife's extra-marital activities and he sets out on a path to find his wife's lover. Twins Plot: A center fielder tries to re-connect with his team after he suffered an accident at home plate last season. He tells the team that he is ready for the rigours of the season and he sets out on a path to prove the doubters wrong. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NP0T8JkYqY4/T0W-hRhGbRI/AAAAAAAABFg/Fo94Amfx0yM/s320/Slide3.jpg Plot Summary: A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Twins Plot: A 23-year-old former first round pick, outfielder, and speedster searches the Target Field outfield for any balls that come his way. He follows in the footsteps of other great center fielders like Puckett and Hunter as he tries to find his place in the big leagues. The Help http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8EH91bya-Us/T0W-0Pc87PI/AAAAAAAABFo/0PeipvzvCFs/s320/Slide4.jpg Plot Summary: An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. Twins Plot: An aspiring shortstop during a rough time for the Twins is asked to take over a role in the outfield. His transition to this new position could be "the help" that the organization needs to succeed in 2012. Hugo http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UOMjV7kSmVM/T0W_Fxtco8I/AAAAAAAABFw/mJKeOPeHk0I/s320/Slide5.jpg Plot Summary: Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. The mystery he uncovers jeopardizes his secretive way of life. Twins Plot: The secretive way of life for this superstar player was brought into question during the previous year. The organization is paying him to be the face of the franchise and to perform on the field. Can this young man step out of his secretive ways and lead the team? Midnight in Paris http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w4dy63tS6Pc/T0W_Q2cZAQI/AAAAAAAABF4/s-uEA4WuxY0/s320/Slide6.jpg Plot Summary: A family travel to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple who are forced to confront their differing views of a perfect life. A young man finds out there is plenty of truth to the phrase about the grass being greener on the other side. Twins Plot: A player travels to another country to try and succeed after a disastrous year. His view of a perfect life has fallen apart in the last 12 months and he will try to see if the grass can get greener on the other side. Moneyball http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpHV1dLfS00/T0W_dLMJ7_I/AAAAAAAABGA/UopY_6ig_sU/s320/Slide7.jpg Plot Summary: Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to compile his roster. Twins Plot: The Twins turned the reigns over to their former GM to try and scale back the payroll while still producing a winner on the field. He was able to lead the team to success in the past but how will he fair during his second time around? The Tree of Life http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MU24UXrjKII/T0W_pbwUJJI/AAAAAAAABGI/8MoxuElI64g/s320/Slide8.jpg Plot Summary: A family with three boys growing up in the 1950s has to deal with an overbearing father. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence and is changed for the future. Twins Plot: A former MVP slides into second base and sees his entire life changed for the future. He must deal with the nagging effects of concussion symptoms as he tries to prove to the team he can still succeed on the field. War Horse http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WPfR2Q3-EUg/T0W_0ieXklI/AAAAAAAABGQ/KBwvuefVKGA/s320/Slide9.jpg Plot summary: Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on. Twins Plot: The Twins enlist a variety of players to try and piece together a bullpen that can find success on the field. There is a full cavalry of players in camp for the team and it is hard to know who the team will turn to in the late innings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from: http://nodaktwinsfan.com

Original post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the hottest topics across the baseball universe as pitchers and catchers have reported is surrounding whether catchers should block the plate. The Giants suffered a major blow last season when their budding superstar Buster Posey was bowled over at home plate by outfielder Scott Cousins. As a result of the collision Posey suffered a broken leg and ligament damage that required multiple surgeries to repair the damage. The Giants offense suffered without their star and the manager of the Giants felt that changes needed to be made for 2012. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zeD5_88el9k/T0RMnNl4faI/AAAAAAAABEw/95WNdofUJ4M/s320/buster-posey-injury.jpg On Monday Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced that Posey would no longer be blocking the plate. He told reporters that the decision was "out of Buster's hands," and he went on to say, "As a manager, that's my job. I certainly don't want people to think he's backing off on his own. It's something we'll work on with him this spring." Bochy is a former catcher so there might be lessons he could teach his young catcher about the art of making plays at the plate. The Twins have millions and millions of dollars tied up in their MVP catcher so the thought of Joe Mauer getting taken out at the plate is a scary thought for fans to process. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan told the Star Tribune that Mauer wouldn't be told to stop blocking the plate. The Twins claim that their All-Star catcher knows plenty of techniques to help protect himself in event of a collision. But even knowing this, there will be a collective gasp from Twins Territory every time there is a collision involving Mauer. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1RixgKLmfYE/T0RaYzZAR8I/AAAAAAAABFA/iTQwhZzX9J8/s320/jackson_mauer.jpg The debate over plays at the plate has intensified with the spotlight shining so brightly on Posey's return to the Giants. Executives from across baseball have discussed a potential rules change and it seems there are strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Regardless of all of the talk, it seems that a rule change will not be coming in the near future. Even though the play at the plate can be dangerous, it is part of the history of the game and it is very hard to make a significant change to the rules in baseball. After Posey's ugly injury last year, I wrote a piece about the debate over collisions at home. In that post I took a look at the history of plays at the plate. The most famous home-plate collision came in the 1970 All-Star Game when Pete Rose charged into Ray Fosse. Fosse's left shoulder was injured on the play and he, at age 23, was never the same player again. At the end of July in 2004, the White Sox and Twins found themselves in the heat of a pennent race. That heat would turn into an all-out fire when Torii Hunter leveled White Sox catcher Jamie Burke on a play at the plate. Burke would suffer a mild concussion as a result of the hit he took at the plate. The Twins would be spirited by this play and some look at the collision as the turning point for the team on the way to their third consecutive AL Central Division Championship. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bZURUbs2M7c/T0Tk0A-lOuI/AAAAAAAABFI/ejtOaXzznBY/s1600/ToriiHunterCollision.jpg In the end the question still remains, should catchers block the plate or should they try to avoid collisions? The moral of the story seems to be for catchers to be smart about how they go about blocking the plate. If catchers are taking the proper precautions and setting themselves up in the proper position, the risk of injury can be greatly reduced. Sometimes the speed of the play and the throw to the plate can put a catcher in a precarious position. It is important for the catcher to also know the tendencies of the runner who is coming in hard. Will that runner slide to try and avoid a tag or is that runner not planning on slowing down until he crosses the plate? Teams like the Twins and the Giants have a lot invested in keeping their catchers off of the disabled list. The debate will continue in regards to plays at the plate but for now it looks like they are still part of the baseball world.

Original post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the hottest topics across the baseball universe as pitchers and catchers have reported is surrounding whether catchers should block the plate. The Giants suffered a major blow last season when their budding superstar Buster Posey was bowled over at home plate by outfielder Scott Cousins. As a result of the collision Posey suffered a broken leg and ligament damage that required multiple surgeries to repair the damage. The Giants offense suffered without their star and the manager of the Giants felt that changes needed to be made for 2012. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zeD5_88el9k/T0RMnNl4faI/AAAAAAAABEw/95WNdofUJ4M/s320/buster-posey-injury.jpg On Monday Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced that Posey would no longer be blocking the plate. He told reporters that the decision was "out of Buster's hands," and he went on to say, "As a manager, that's my job. I certainly don't want people to think he's backing off on his own. It's something we'll work on with him this spring." Bochy is a former catcher so there might be lessons he could teach his young catcher about the art of making plays at the plate. The Twins have millions and millions of dollars tied up in their MVP catcher so the thought of Joe Mauer getting taken out at the plate is a scary thought for fans to process. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan told the Star Tribune that Mauer wouldn't be told to stop blocking the plate. The Twins claim that their All-Star catcher knows plenty of techniques to help protect himself in event of a collision. But even knowing this, there will be a collective gasp from Twins Territory every time there is a collision involving Mauer. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1RixgKLmfYE/T0RaYzZAR8I/AAAAAAAABFA/iTQwhZzX9J8/s320/jackson_mauer.jpg The debate over plays at the plate has intensified with the spotlight shining so brightly on Posey's return to the Giants. Executives from across baseball have discussed a potential rules change and it seems there are strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Regardless of all of the talk, it seems that a rule change will not be coming in the near future. Even though the play at the plate can be dangerous, it is part of the history of the game and it is very hard to make a significant change to the rules in baseball. After Posey's ugly injury last year, I wrote a piece about the debate over collisions at home. In that post I took a look at the history of plays at the plate. The most famous home-plate collision came in the 1970 All-Star Game when Pete Rose charged into Ray Fosse. Fosse's left shoulder was injured on the play and he, at age 23, was never the same player again. At the end of July in 2004, the White Sox and Twins found themselves in the heat of a pennent race. That heat would turn into an all-out fire when Torii Hunter leveled White Sox catcher Jamie Burke on a play at the plate. Burke would suffer a mild concussion as a result of the hit he took at the plate. The Twins would be spirited by this play and some look at the collision as the turning point for the team on the way to their third consecutive AL Central Division Championship. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bZURUbs2M7c/T0Tk0A-lOuI/AAAAAAAABFI/ejtOaXzznBY/s1600/ToriiHunterCollision.jpg In the end the question still remains, should catchers block the plate or should they try to avoid collisions? The moral of the story seems to be for catchers to be smart about how they go about blocking the plate. If catchers are taking the proper precautions and setting themselves up in the proper position, the risk of injury can be greatly reduced. Sometimes the speed of the play and the throw to the plate can put a catcher in a precarious position. It is important for the catcher to also know the tendencies of the runner who is coming in hard. Will that runner slide to try and avoid a tag or is that runner not planning on slowing down until he crosses the plate? Teams like the Twins and the Giants have a lot invested in keeping their catchers off of the disabled list. The debate will continue in regards to plays at the plate but for now it looks like they are still part of the baseball world.

Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It seemed no one was safe from the plethora of injuries suffered by Twins players in 2011 as it seemed to hit every part of the roster. From position players to the pitching staff, there was hardly anyone who was safe from the injury bug. One of the players that missed a big chunk of the second half of the year was Nick Blackburn. In the midst of a multi-year contract extension, Blackburn was limited to 148.1 innings and 26 games on the mound. After averaging 200 innings pitched in 2008 and 2009 with a 4.04 ERA, the Twins locked up the rest of Blackburn's arbitration eligible years by signing him through 2013 with a club option 2014. Since Blackburn was still under team control for multiple seasons, a long-term contract extension seemed a little pre-mature. The Twins wanted to make a commitment to him and the results of this commitment have not been the greatest. The 2010 campaign was a nightmare for Blackburn as he suffered through inconsistencies on the field and he was even sent back to Rochester at one point in the year. For the months of June and July, Blackburn posted an ERA of over 10.00 and he finished with a record of 1-6 in those months. After his pit stop in Rochester, the numbers did improve slightly to leave hope open for Blackburn entering the 2011 season. Blackburn started the 2011 season slow out of the gate as he fumbled his way to a 1-4 record in the first month of the year with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.643 WHIP. The month of May would be his best month of the 2011 season as he pitched a season high 42.2 innings. Over the course of the month, he posted a 2.53 ERA with an outstanding 1.102 WHIP. The rest of the season would be a downhill fall before ending up on the disabled list with a right forearm injury. This leaves the Twins with plenty of questions entering the 2012 season. What can they expect from Blackburn? Can he stay healthy and on the field for the entire season? Is there any way he can get back to pitching the same way he did in 2008 and 2009? On the FanGraphs.com website there are two player projection estimates for Mr. Blackburn as the 2012 season is about to begin. Bill James has him pitching 162.0 innings to the tune of a 6-12 record over the course of 28 starts. Using the James estimation system, Blackburn would finish with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP during the coming season. The other prediction tool on FanGraphs is from RotoChamp and it aligns pretty closely with the Bill James projection. RotoChamp has Blackburn finishing with a 9-9 record, a 4.44 ERA, and a 1.52 WHIP in 160 innings pitched. Almost all of the Twins starting rotation will be free agents at the end of the coming season. The only member of the projected starting rotation that has a contract for next season is Blackburn. Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, and Jason Marquis will all need to show the Twins they are worthy of another contract during the 2012 season. Blackburn doesn't have this immediate burden on his shoulders but he could still be looking to the future. Following the 2013 season, the Twins will have a club option on Blackburn for $8 million. The Twins need to see more of the Blackburn from the early part of his career to make that option a little easier to swallow. The Twins are never going to look at Blackburn as the ace of their staff but he can provide productivity as a fourth or fifth starter. Some of the other pitchers on the staff are looking directly at free agency but Blackburn needs to show the Twins he was worth the investment they made in him a few seasons ago. 2012 should be the year for him to turn the corner and for him to prove his doubters wrong.

Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It seemed no one was safe from the plethora of injuries suffered by Twins players in 2011 as it seemed to hit every part of the roster. From position players to the pitching staff, there was hardly anyone who was safe from the injury bug. One of the players that missed a big chunk of the second half of the year was Nick Blackburn. In the midst of a multi-year contract extension, Blackburn was limited to 148.1 innings and 26 games on the mound. After averaging 200 innings pitched in 2008 and 2009 with a 4.04 ERA, the Twins locked up the rest of Blackburn's arbitration eligible years by signing him through 2013 with a club option 2014. Since Blackburn was still under team control for multiple seasons, a long-term contract extension seemed a little pre-mature. The Twins wanted to make a commitment to him and the results of this commitment have not been the greatest. The 2010 campaign was a nightmare for Blackburn as he suffered through inconsistencies on the field and he was even sent back to Rochester at one point in the year. For the months of June and July, Blackburn posted an ERA of over 10.00 and he finished with a record of 1-6 in those months. After his pit stop in Rochester, the numbers did improve slightly to leave hope open for Blackburn entering the 2011 season. Blackburn started the 2011 season slow out of the gate as he fumbled his way to a 1-4 record in the first month of the year with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.643 WHIP. The month of May would be his best month of the 2011 season as he pitched a season high 42.2 innings. Over the course of the month, he posted a 2.53 ERA with an outstanding 1.102 WHIP. The rest of the season would be a downhill fall before ending up on the disabled list with a right forearm injury. This leaves the Twins with plenty of questions entering the 2012 season. What can they expect from Blackburn? Can he stay healthy and on the field for the entire season? Is there any way he can get back to pitching the same way he did in 2008 and 2009? On the FanGraphs.com website there are two player projection estimates for Mr. Blackburn as the 2012 season is about to begin. Bill James has him pitching 162.0 innings to the tune of a 6-12 record over the course of 28 starts. Using the James estimation system, Blackburn would finish with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP during the coming season. The other prediction tool on FanGraphs is from RotoChamp and it aligns pretty closely with the Bill James projection. RotoChamp has Blackburn finishing with a 9-9 record, a 4.44 ERA, and a 1.52 WHIP in 160 innings pitched. Almost all of the Twins starting rotation will be free agents at the end of the coming season. The only member of the projected starting rotation that has a contract for next season is Blackburn. Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, and Jason Marquis will all need to show the Twins they are worthy of another contract during the 2012 season. Blackburn doesn't have this immediate burden on his shoulders but he could still be looking to the future. Following the 2013 season, the Twins will have a club option on Blackburn for $8 million. The Twins need to see more of the Blackburn from the early part of his career to make that option a little easier to swallow. The Twins are never going to look at Blackburn as the ace of their staff but he can provide productivity as a fourth or fifth starter. Some of the other pitchers on the staff are looking directly at free agency but Blackburn needs to show the Twins he was worth the investment they made in him a few seasons ago. 2012 should be the year for him to turn the corner and for him to prove his doubters wrong.

Thanks John! I will add in a header with my blog for future posts that I make on Twins Daily.

One year ago the Twins were working with a relief pitcher who wanted to show he had fully recovered from an elbow injury. Joe Nathan had spent the last year trying to recover from Tommy John surgery. He hadn't been on a mound in a major league regular season game since the playoffs in 2009. When pitchers and catchers reported to spring training, he was ready to show the team everything he had and he told the team that he didn't "want to be babied if I don't need it." Fast-forward to 2012 and the Twins find themselves in a very similar situation. There is a hard throwing relief pitcher who is trying to come back from a major injury to his elbow. Joel Zumaya hasn't been on a mound in a major league game since his horrific injury at Target Field in 2010. Now he is in camp for the Twins and he is ready to prove he can regain the form he showed during his rookie season in 2006. He is in the similar mindset as Nathan as he told the team, "Don't baby me; I'm here to go full out now." The coaching staff stated on Sunday that they would take a similar approach to Zumaya as they did with Nathan in 2011. For Nathan there were many milestones along the way as he tried to prove to the Twins that he belonged as the team's closer. These milestones started in the spring with his first bullpen session, his first game action, and they would eventually lead to his first regular season action. The Twins knew the mindset of Nathan and this would lead him to be very eager to get back on the field. Ron Gardenhire and the Twins coaching staff put together a plan for easing him back in because they wanted to avoid another injury to a key piece of the bullpen. Even with the cautious approach towards Nathan there were some speed bumps in the early part of 2011. He struggled in the first month of the season as he ended April with an ERA of 10.00 with two blown saves out of five opportunities. He turned the closing duties over to Matt Capps to try and help the team be more successful. By June he would find himself on the disabled list with right elbow soreness but he found his way back in the second half of the season. His ERA dropped from 5.82 in the first half to 3.91 in the second half and he posted a 1.000 WHIP. Nathan found out during the regular season that he would need to change his approach as a pitcher. The Nathan that Twins fans were accustom to seeing on the mound threw hard most of the time to try and retire the batter. The post-Tommy John Nathan would need to use more than just fastballs to get batters out. During last year, I wrote this post about some of the changes in pitch speed from Nathan. It looks at him before the injury, at the beginning of 2011, and later in the season. The Twins have plenty they can learn from Nathan's injury and apply it to their situation with Zumaya. During the 2011 Grapefruit League schedule, Nathan appeared in seven games for a total of 6.1 innings pitched. Not all of these outings were good but he showed enough for the Twins to give him the closers role. In 2012 the Twins won't be looking at Zumaya for the closers role so that takes a little of the heat off of him. If the Twins are following the same type of plan with Zumaya then fans can expect to see him make about seven appearances during the spring schedule. Another interesting aspect for fans to watch will be how the Twins approach the use of Zumaya during the regular season. There has been some talk of the Twins not using him in back-to-back games at the start of the regular season. If the Twins are going to get a healthy season from Zumaya, it will be important to watch his workload. He has not pitched over 40 innings in a season since 2006 and the Twins will need more from his right arm in 2012. In the end, the Twins were given a blueprint for handling relief pitchers trying to comeback from a major elbow injury with Nathan during last year. Both of these pitchers didn't want to be babied but the Twins are still going to take a cautious approach. Zumaya could be one of the most valuable assets the team added this offseason but there won't be any value gained if he doesn't make it out of spring training as a healthy pitcher.

One year ago the Twins were working with a relief pitcher who wanted to show he had fully recovered from an elbow injury. Joe Nathan had spent the last year trying to recover from Tommy John surgery. He hadn't been on a mound in a major league regular season game since the playoffs in 2009. When pitchers and catchers reported to spring training, he was ready to show the team everything he had and he told the team that he didn't "want to be babied if I don't need it." Fast-forward to 2012 and the Twins find themselves in a very similar situation. There is a hard throwing relief pitcher who is trying to come back from a major injury to his elbow. Joel Zumaya hasn't been on a mound in a major league game since his horrific injury at Target Field in 2010. Now he is in camp for the Twins and he is ready to prove he can regain the form he showed during his rookie season in 2006. He is in the similar mindset as Nathan as he told the team, "Don't baby me; I'm here to go full out now." The coaching staff stated on Sunday that they would take a similar approach to Zumaya as they did with Nathan in 2011. For Nathan there were many milestones along the way as he tried to prove to the Twins that he belonged as the team's closer. These milestones started in the spring with his first bullpen session, his first game action, and they would eventually lead to his first regular season action. The Twins knew the mindset of Nathan and this would lead him to be very eager to get back on the field. Ron Gardenhire and the Twins coaching staff put together a plan for easing him back in because they wanted to avoid another injury to a key piece of the bullpen. Even with the cautious approach towards Nathan there were some speed bumps in the early part of 2011. He struggled in the first month of the season as he ended April with an ERA of 10.00 with two blown saves out of five opportunities. He turned the closing duties over to Matt Capps to try and help the team be more successful. By June he would find himself on the disabled list with right elbow soreness but he found his way back in the second half of the season. His ERA dropped from 5.82 in the first half to 3.91 in the second half and he posted a 1.000 WHIP. Nathan found out during the regular season that he would need to change his approach as a pitcher. The Nathan that Twins fans were accustom to seeing on the mound threw hard most of the time to try and retire the batter. The post-Tommy John Nathan would need to use more than just fastballs to get batters out. During last year, I wrote this post about some of the changes in pitch speed from Nathan. It looks at him before the injury, at the beginning of 2011, and later in the season. The Twins have plenty they can learn from Nathan's injury and apply it to their situation with Zumaya. During the 2011 Grapefruit League schedule, Nathan appeared in seven games for a total of 6.1 innings pitched. Not all of these outings were good but he showed enough for the Twins to give him the closers role. In 2012 the Twins won't be looking at Zumaya for the closers role so that takes a little of the heat off of him. If the Twins are following the same type of plan with Zumaya then fans can expect to see him make about seven appearances during the spring schedule. Another interesting aspect for fans to watch will be how the Twins approach the use of Zumaya during the regular season. There has been some talk of the Twins not using him in back-to-back games at the start of the regular season. If the Twins are going to get a healthy season from Zumaya, it will be important to watch his workload. He has not pitched over 40 innings in a season since 2006 and the Twins will need more from his right arm in 2012. In the end, the Twins were given a blueprint for handling relief pitchers trying to comeback from a major elbow injury with Nathan during last year. Both of these pitchers didn't want to be babied but the Twins are still going to take a cautious approach. Zumaya could be one of the most valuable assets the team added this offseason but there won't be any value gained if he doesn't make it out of spring training as a healthy pitcher.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]85[/ATTACH] As many lists of the top prospects from each team start to trickle out, it is looking more and more that Miguel Sano is the consensus number one prospect from the Twins organization. The young star from the Dominican Republic had an outstanding season for the Elizabethton Twins. He has begun to show some of the great promise the Twins saw in him when they signed him at age 16 to a $3.15 million signing bonus. At the time of Sano signing with the Twins, there were many questions swirling about his true age. In 2009, MLB completed an investigation into this issue but the results were inconclusive. Because of the age issues, Sano lowered his asking price to sign and some teams were still scared away by his high price tag. The Twins were the team to pull the trigger and they gave him the second highest signing bonus in team history behind Joe Mauer’s $5.15 million bonus in 2001. During this offseason, Albert Pujols, the best player to ever come out of the Dominican Republic, received a 10-year $240 million contract with the Angels. There are plenty of reports about teams that were questioning the age of Pujols when it came to contract negotiations. One national writer even suggested that Pujols should produce his birth certificate because of skepticism around his claim to be 31. This still didn't stop the Angels from investing in the best right-handed hitter of the current generation. The latest age related scandal to come out of the Dominican Republic has surfaced within the last week. Roberto Hernandez Heredia, the Cleveland Indians pitcher known as Fausto Carmona, was arrested for using a false identity to play baseball in the U.S. From the perspective of the Indians, one of the biggest issues, besides Heredia having trouble getting to the US, is the three-year age difference between Carmona's birth certificate and his true age. A 28-year old pitcher with a chance to turn it around is a completely different story when compared to a 31-year old player who might have already passed his prime. For players from the Dominican, there is plenty of pressure to find some way to lie about their age to escape the poverty they are subject to for all of their lives in their home country. According to Sports Illustrated on average, a 16-year old player brings in about $65,000 with their signing bonus. Add two years to their age and an 18-year old signs for an average of $20,000. That is a big difference in a country where the per capita income is only $8,900. A player who shows any sign of promise is going to try and "adjust" their age to put their family in a better place for the future. [ATTACH=CONFIG]86[/ATTACH] Sano in the Dominican Republic before he signed (Photo: ESPN) Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are working with their international baseball committee to find a way to solve this crisis with players from Latin America. They continue to stress with these players about the fact that the big money for any player is when they get to the major league level. A big signing bonus will look good at first but the goal should be to make it to the big league level and succeed there to get a big contract. Obviously, only a small portion of these signees are going to make it all the way to the majors so the temptation is still going to be there to change their age. For all other players trying to fudge the numbers on their birth certificate, the case around Roberto Hernandez Heredia (a.k.a. Fausto Carmona) could be a benchmark for the consequences they have the potential to face. If the Dominican Republic imposes a harsh penalty on Heredia, other prospects might be scared away from altering their identity in the future. The United States could also make it very tough for Heredia to enter the States in the future. As ridiculous as it seems for a baseball player to be considered a terrorist, the use of an illegal identity to gain entrance to the US could be seen as an act of terrorism. For the Twins and Sano, he was reported as a 16-year old out of the Dominican Republic when he signed in 2009. This past season he was listed as an 18-year old and the younger players on the roster of the Elizabethton Twins. His young age is a very intriguing part of his prospect status. If the Twins were suddenly to find out that Sano was three years older than originally advertised, how would this change the future of the number one prospect in the organization? A difference of age by only a couple of years for Sano probably wouldn’t have changed the minor league level he was playing at last season. If he were older, the organization might be forced to rush him through some of the levels of the farm system. There are still some raw parts to his game and the extra time he is going to get in the minor leagues will be a positive for him. If there are any issues with Sano’s age, they shouldn’t impact the Twins until it comes to signing him to a contract extension. This won’t come for many years and not until he has proven himself at the MLB level. In ten years, the Twins could find themselves in a variety of different situations. Sano might not ever pan out in the minor leagues and the possibility is there for him to never make it to the MLB level in a worst-case scenario. With the investment the Twins have made, there is very little chance that he will not get at least a taste of the big leagues. After a few mediocre seasons, the organization could find themselves in a similar situation to the Indians; Sano’s real age could be released and the team might have to think hard about his future. The best situation for Sano and the Twins would be if he were to follow in the footsteps of Pujols and turn into an All-Star caliber player for multiple seasons. To fans of the Twins, it won't matter what age Sano is if he has a career anywhere close to Pujols. The more prying issue could be if he has been using a false identity to illegally enter the US. Losing a star player in the prime of his career because of visa issues would be a crushing blow to any franchise. Sano might be the best player to come through the Twins minor league system since Joe Mauer and the future of the franchise could be tied to his birth certificate. ~~~~~~~~~~ If you enjoy learning more about the Twins minor league system, make sure to order a copy of the 2012 Twins Prospect Handbook. This book was put together by Seth Stohs of SethSpeaks.net and it is a great resource for any fan of the Minnesota Twins. There are over 160 prospect profiles, featured articles by Twins writers, and multiple top prospect lists from Twins bloggers. This is the best way to get to know the players who are the future of the Twins franchise. ORDER HERE

[CENTER][attachment=5512:1826.attach][/CENTER] For the first time since 1996, [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/sports/baseball/no-players-elected-to-baseball-hall-of-fame.html?_r=0"]the Baseball Writers' Association of America did not select anyone to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame[/URL]. This was the eighth time that no one was selected by the writers but most onlookers could see this coming. The influx of suspected steroid users on the ballot makes it tough to judge players and there has been plenty of debate surrounding who should be elected in the coming years. Craig Biggio was the closest person to getting 75% of the vote needed to be enshrined but he only mustered 68.2% in his first year on the ballot. Twins World Series hero Jack Morris came in second with 67.7% of the vote in his 14th year on the ballot. Rounding out the rest of the top five were Jeff Bagwell (59.6%), Mike Piazza (57.8%), and Tim Raines (52.2%). [URL="http://www.nodaktwinsfan.com/2013/01/bagwell-biggio-should-enter-hof-together.html"]In my ballot that I released last week, I hoped that Biggio and Bagwell would comprise the Class of 2013.[/URL] I knew this was a long shot but it seemed fitting for two of the former "Killer B's" from the Astros. With so many other worthy candidates, I had a full ballot of 10 players but I divided them into different categories. Those categories included: "Future Inductions," "May Never Get In (But Still On My Ballot)," and the "Under-Appreciated Duo." Check out the entire piece to see the reasons I gave for each selection. For Morris, it was discouraging to see that he only made a small jump in the voting. In the 2012 voting, he finished in second place with 66.7% of the vote and it was looking like he could make the jump needed to get to 75%. His 1% increase this year doesn't bode well for the 57-year old former pitcher that will be on the ballot for one last time in 2013. As more players from the steroids era enter the ballot, the numbers for Morris look more likely that they won't stack up to the competition. The clock is ticking for Jack Morris since there will be some very strong first time candidates on next year's ballot. Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas will all have strong cases to be elected in their first time on the ballot. There will also be some strong returning candidates like Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza. Morris will get one more chance but the odds are not exactly looking like they will be in his favor when it comes to election time next January. When compared to Glavine and Maddux, Morris doesn't seem to stand a chance on the 2014 ballot. Maddux has a career WAR of 101.6 and this should make him almost a lock to be a first ballot selection. Glavine has a very good 76.8 WAR, which isn't as high as Maddux but it is still very good. Morris is much further down the list with a 39.3 WAR and that would rank sixth among pitchers on next year's ballot. There are plenty of people on both sides of the debate surrounding Morris. [URL="http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/21511614/hall-mess-means-this-voter-wont-vote-for-tainted-players---this-time"]Some writers have spoke out loudly to try and push for Morris[/URL] to get in as he runs out of years on the ballot. [URL="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1815"]Other's have compared Morris to other top pitchers and his numbers don't exactly stand out[/URL] above the crowd. With one year left, the voices against Morris seem to be bringing down any momentum that he had building in the last couple of years. Twins fans saw Bert Blyleven get elected in his 14th year of eligibility so there were some that thought this might be the year for Morris. Blyleven had much better numbers for his career and his induction should have come much sooner than it did. The extra years on the ballot helped to build the narrative in favor of Blyleven. The problem for Morris has been the fact that the narrative has been building as much [U]against [/U]him as it has been [U]for[/U] him. Morris pitched one of the biggest games in World Series history and he happened to be wearing a Twins uniform when he did it. On my ballot, I voted for Morris because of the nostalgia involved with Game 7 from 1991. He was the last addition to my ballot so if I had to remove one player it would have probably been him. Does this mean that he probably doesn't deserve to be in the Hall? Most likely... View full article

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=5161:1343.attach] Pitcher of the Day- Tyler Jones [attachment=5162:1344.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