Jim Crikket

I think Portland actually lost their AAA team due to lack of support. I think I recall reading that they turned their ballpark in to a soccer stadium and they sold the team to someone who moved it to the southwest somewhere.

Goes to show how far things have advanced. At the first one of these things I went to about four years ago, there were several laptop computers being tapped at. My smartphone weighs a lot less.

Looks like I may make it up there Saturday, after all. Someone has to raise the average age of the group at Hubert's, right? Might as well be me.

I'm honestly just not that concerned about the defensive make up of the OF at this point. There are so many things that could happen during the course of the season to change the make up of the outfield, that I just don't care that it will likely start out as a bit defensively challenged. If any one of Willingham, Morneau, Doumit or Parmelee are (a) injured, ( traded, or © take a significant dive in offensive productivity, you'll find two outfield positions filled from among the group of Mastroianni, Hicks, Arcia and Benson and that likely will significantly improve the OF defense. In fact, realistically, the only way I can envision that original OF remaining intact throughout the season is if NONE of those three factors occur AND the resulting offensive productivity is somehow enough to keep the Twins in contention throughout the season. If that combination does happen to occur, frankly I'll be more than happy about it.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1323-Kernels-Hot-Stove-Twins-Caravan!

One of the people I follow on Twitter (I don’t recall who) called it “Baseball’s saddest day.” That’s probably an overstatement, but not by much. To put it bluntly, for baseball fans of my generation, Saturday sucked rocks. In one calendar day, we lost two giants of the game. First came the news that we lost the man I always felt was the greatest manager of his time, Earl Weaver. Incredibly, a few hours later, came word that Stan Musial had also passed. Weaver was 82 when he passed away of a heart attack during an Orioles’ “Fantasy Cruise,” and Musial passed away at his home at the age of 92. I’ve read a few of the articles written in the past 24 hours about Musial and Weaver, but for my money, as always, the best came from Joe Posnanski. If you read nothing else about these two legends, read Posnanski’s articles by clicking here (for Musial) and here (for Weaver). As per usual, I’ll be stealing a bit from Poz in this article. I’m not sure I could come up with two more different men to represent the game we love together as they approach St. Peter’s heavenly gates. Stan “the Man” will arrive playing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” on his harmonica and be ushered straight through with a smile. Weaver, baseball’s self-described “sorest loser” will probably need to argue his way in. And that’s how it should be. Musial is someone that Twins fans should be able to relate to. He’s the Cardinals’ version of our own Harmon Killebrew. I don’t think you could find a person who ever met either man who would have anything bad to say about him. He was a gentleman, a professional. You treated him with respect because of what he accomplished on the field and he treated you with respect because that’s just how he treated everyone. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MusialGettyImages.jpg Stan Musial (Photo: Getty Images) How do Cardinal fans feel about him? They don’t just have a statue of Musial outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis… they have two of them. They called him Stan “The Man” Musial. The nickname supposedly was given by a sportswriter after a game during one of Musial’s many amazing hitting streaks. The story goes that as Musial went to the plate, the fans started chanting, “here comes the Man.” Well, we all know how home town fans can do that kind of thing for their heroes, right? But here’s the thing… the Cardinals were playing in Brooklyn at the time. But why shouldn’t he have been appreciated outside of St. Louis? After all, he treated fans on the road to 1,815 hits in his career… exactly the same number that he hit before his home fans in St. Louis. His statistical accomplishments are simply amazing. They say he held so many batting records that they wouldn’t all fit on his Hall of Fame plaque. Seven batting titles. And, since batting average has fallen out of favor these days as a measurement of offensive productivity, he also led the National League in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS at least six times each during his career. And you could probably safely assume he would have done so one more year had he not missed the entire 1945 season while serving in the military during World War II. (Imagine, for a moment, if Joe Mauer had missed a season or two in his prime while doing tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. There’s a reason they call it “the Greatest Generation.”) I was not a National League fan as a kid, so I wasn’t as familiar with the NL stars as I was those in the Americal League. After all, I got to actually see Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline, Frank Howard and Brooks & Frank Robinson face off with Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva at the Met. I never saw Willie Mays or Hank Aaron play in person. Nor did I have the honor of seeing Musial play baseball in person. But when you look at his numbers and you listen to people who did see him play… and those who were blessed to actually spend time with him… you know he was special. He was, after all, the Man. I don’t think anyone would even pretend that Earl Weaver was as universally beloved as Stan Musial. Not anywhere outside of Baltimore, anyway. But Musial’s greatness as a player was, to me, matched by Weaver’s greatness as a manager. It’s a cliché to say someone was, “ahead of his time,” but Weaver certainly was. It’s disappointing to me that most of today’s fans probably just think of Earl Weaver as some kind of maniacal cartoon character of a manager, throwing tantrums and arguing with umpires. Then again, that’s an image Weaver certainly created for himself. But he was so much more than that. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/WeaverOrioles.jpg He saw things in players that others didn’t. The best example is probably Cal Ripken. Ripken primarily played third base coming up through the minor leagues. He was, after all, 6’4” tall and infielders that size played at the corners. But Weaver moved the rookie to shortstop where he successfully stayed for a very, very long time. As Posnanski points out brilliantly, Weaver could have managed for Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s (at least for a little while). Weaver loved walks and believed outs were precious and therefore hated bunts. He figured out what a player did best and then utilized him in ways that took advantage of those strengths. Just as importantly, he avoided using a player in situations he was unlikely to succeed in. He was among the first to embrace the use of a radar gun for pitchers, but he was less concerned about the MPH of their fastball than he was about making sure their change ups were at least 10 MPH slower. He didn’t over-manage. He said more than once that he believed it was the manager’s job to argue with umpires because he was the person the team could most easily do without during a game. Once the line up was set, he left it to his players to play the game and decide the outcome. And his teams won a LOT of baseball games. His Orioles teams finished first or second 13 times in the 15 years he managed the Orioles between 1968 and 1982 and went to the World Series four times in that stretch. (Weaver did return for a short time to manage the Orioles in the mid 1980s, but I, along with most Orioles fans I know, choose to conveniently disregard that time.) In fact, I blame Weaver and his 1969 and 1970 Orioles for keeping what I consider the best Minnesota Twins teams in the franchise’s history from reaching the World Series. Killebrew, Oliva, Carew and the rest fell in the AL Championship Series both years to Weaver’s teams. In fact, Weaver’s Orioles swept the Twins both years. Yet I always liked Weaver. I think it probably has a lot to do with seeing a lot of Weaver in my father (and vice versa), who was a high school baseball coach during the 1960s. Whenever I watched Weaver manage a game, my mind’s eye saw my dad. I get that many others never held Weaver with that kind of affection. His own players generally didn’t care for him. He pushed them hard. He rubbed them the wrong way. He treated umpires… and others… with a total lack of respect, at times. I know all that. I don’t care. He once told a reporter, “On my tombstone, just write, ‘the sorest loser who ever lived.’” I suppose it would be appropriate to honor that request. But I hope they find room on that tombstone for one more word. “Winner.” Yes, Saturday was a sad day for baseball fans in St. Louis and Baltimore, but just as sad for baseball fans everywhere. Musial and Weaver, each in their own starkly different ways, epitomized the game of baseball as it should be played and managed. We like to say the game should be played “the right way.” These two men demonstrated as well as anyone that there is no single “right way” to play the game of baseball… and that’s what makes it great. Thank you Stan and Earl. We’ll never forget you. - JC

One of the people I follow on Twitter (I don’t recall who) called it “Baseball’s saddest day.” That’s probably an overstatement, but not by much. To put it bluntly, for baseball fans of my generation, Saturday sucked rocks. In one calendar day, we lost two giants of the game. First came the news that we lost the man I always felt was the greatest manager of his time, Earl Weaver. Incredibly, a few hours later, came word that Stan Musial had also passed. Weaver was 82 when he passed away of a heart attack during an Orioles’ “Fantasy Cruise,” and Musial passed away at his home at the age of 92. I’ve read a few of the articles written in the past 24 hours about Musial and Weaver, but for my money, as always, the best came from Joe Posnanski. If you read nothing else about these two legends, read Posnanski’s articles by clicking here (for Musial) and here (for Weaver). As per usual, I’ll be stealing a bit from Poz in this article. I’m not sure I could come up with two more different men to represent the game we love together as they approach St. Peter’s heavenly gates. Stan “the Man” will arrive playing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” on his harmonica and be ushered straight through with a smile. Weaver, baseball’s self-described “sorest loser” will probably need to argue his way in. And that’s how it should be. Musial is someone that Twins fans should be able to relate to. He’s the Cardinals’ version of our own Harmon Killebrew. I don’t think you could find a person who ever met either man who would have anything bad to say about him. He was a gentleman, a professional. You treated him with respect because of what he accomplished on the field and he treated you with respect because that’s just how he treated everyone. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MusialGettyImages.jpg Stan Musial (Photo: Getty Images) How do Cardinal fans feel about him? They don’t just have a statue of Musial outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis… they have two of them. They called him Stan “The Man” Musial. The nickname supposedly was given by a sportswriter after a game during one of Musial’s many amazing hitting streaks. The story goes that as Musial went to the plate, the fans started chanting, “here comes the Man.” Well, we all know how home town fans can do that kind of thing for their heroes, right? But here’s the thing… the Cardinals were playing in Brooklyn at the time. But why shouldn’t he have been appreciated outside of St. Louis? After all, he treated fans on the road to 1,815 hits in his career… exactly the same number that he hit before his home fans in St. Louis. His statistical accomplishments are simply amazing. They say he held so many batting records that they wouldn’t all fit on his Hall of Fame plaque. Seven batting titles. And, since batting average has fallen out of favor these days as a measurement of offensive productivity, he also led the National League in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS at least six times each during his career. And you could probably safely assume he would have done so one more year had he not missed the entire 1945 season while serving in the military during World War II. (Imagine, for a moment, if Joe Mauer had missed a season or two in his prime while doing tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. There’s a reason they call it “the Greatest Generation.”) I was not a National League fan as a kid, so I wasn’t as familiar with the NL stars as I was those in the Americal League. After all, I got to actually see Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline, Frank Howard and Brooks & Frank Robinson face off with Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva at the Met. I never saw Willie Mays or Hank Aaron play in person. Nor did I have the honor of seeing Musial play baseball in person. But when you look at his numbers and you listen to people who did see him play… and those who were blessed to actually spend time with him… you know he was special. He was, after all, the Man. I don’t think anyone would even pretend that Earl Weaver was as universally beloved as Stan Musial. Not anywhere outside of Baltimore, anyway. But Musial’s greatness as a player was, to me, matched by Weaver’s greatness as a manager. It’s a cliché to say someone was, “ahead of his time,” but Weaver certainly was. It’s disappointing to me that most of today’s fans probably just think of Earl Weaver as some kind of maniacal cartoon character of a manager, throwing tantrums and arguing with umpires. Then again, that’s an image Weaver certainly created for himself. But he was so much more than that. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/WeaverOrioles.jpg He saw things in players that others didn’t. The best example is probably Cal Ripken. Ripken primarily played third base coming up through the minor leagues. He was, after all, 6’4” tall and infielders that size played at the corners. But Weaver moved the rookie to shortstop where he successfully stayed for a very, very long time. As Posnanski points out brilliantly, Weaver could have managed for Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s (at least for a little while). Weaver loved walks and believed outs were precious and therefore hated bunts. He figured out what a player did best and then utilized him in ways that took advantage of those strengths. Just as importantly, he avoided using a player in situations he was unlikely to succeed in. He was among the first to embrace the use of a radar gun for pitchers, but he was less concerned about the MPH of their fastball than he was about making sure their change ups were at least 10 MPH slower. He didn’t over-manage. He said more than once that he believed it was the manager’s job to argue with umpires because he was the person the team could most easily do without during a game. Once the line up was set, he left it to his players to play the game and decide the outcome. And his teams won a LOT of baseball games. His Orioles teams finished first or second 13 times in the 15 years he managed the Orioles between 1968 and 1982 and went to the World Series four times in that stretch. (Weaver did return for a short time to manage the Orioles in the mid 1980s, but I, along with most Orioles fans I know, choose to conveniently disregard that time.) In fact, I blame Weaver and his 1969 and 1970 Orioles for keeping what I consider the best Minnesota Twins teams in the franchise’s history from reaching the World Series. Killebrew, Oliva, Carew and the rest fell in the AL Championship Series both years to Weaver’s teams. In fact, Weaver’s Orioles swept the Twins both years. Yet I always liked Weaver. I think it probably has a lot to do with seeing a lot of Weaver in my father (and vice versa), who was a high school baseball coach during the 1960s. Whenever I watched Weaver manage a game, my mind’s eye saw my dad. I get that many others never held Weaver with that kind of affection. His own players generally didn’t care for him. He pushed them hard. He rubbed them the wrong way. He treated umpires… and others… with a total lack of respect, at times. I know all that. I don’t care. He once told a reporter, “On my tombstone, just write, ‘the sorest loser who ever lived.’” I suppose it would be appropriate to honor that request. But I hope they find room on that tombstone for one more word. “Winner.” Yes, Saturday was a sad day for baseball fans in St. Louis and Baltimore, but just as sad for baseball fans everywhere. Musial and Weaver, each in their own starkly different ways, epitomized the game of baseball as it should be played and managed. We like to say the game should be played “the right way.” These two men demonstrated as well as anyone that there is no single “right way” to play the game of baseball… and that’s what makes it great. Thank you Stan and Earl. We’ll never forget you. - JC

I do think a lot of fans are being pretty optimistic with regard to when players like Sano, Rosario and others who are still not even at AA will be making significant contributions for the Twins. I'm as impressed as anyone with some of these guys, but realistically, I think it's more toward the close of the decade before they are approaching the levels of productivity we hope to see.

As you'd expect, we largely agree on some guys and disagree on others. We both do have Buxton at #1, however. You can see mine here (I posted it in TD as well, but it's easier for me to find old posts at my own blog).

Great work, John! Thanks. I enjoyed it, even if most of the "kids" around here probably don't know what a crossword puzzle is because it doesn't run on electricity!

Roger, I really struggled with the pitchers for the exact reason you allude to... there are so many good pitching prospects at the lower levels and only so many rotation spots available with the Miracle and Kernels to go around. I know teams will often have guys work half a year in the rotation and half out of the bullpen to keep innings under control for young arms and that means there are more starts to spread around, but even so, it's tough to make room for all these guys.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1317-Prospects-and-Prospects-Projecting-the-2013-Kernels-Part-5

I have 37 aliases... which ones do I put on my name tag, Paul? Not sure I'm going to make it this year, but it's very tempting. Regardless, I hope you all have a great time!

I agree with Sarah. You can often tell that the minor leaguers still think it's kind of cool that this line of people would form to get their autograph. Once they hit the Big Leagues, it often becomes something they "have to do," rather than something they can consider themselves a bit special about because they've been invited by the Twins to participate in.

I don't see the Twins trading Herrmann. I think it's more likely that they'd trade Doumit. If we still think Mauer's time behind the plate is going to continue to be rationed during the rest of his contract, the Twins will always have a need for a catcher that can hit some and is versatile enough to play positions other than catcher. I think the Twins see Herrmann as the eventual successor to Doumit in his role, not Butera. Replacing Butera with Herrmann saves you a couple hundred thousand dollars a year. Replacing Doumit with Herrmann saves you a couple of million.

What a great night for baseball fans in Eastern Iowa! In celebration of the new affiliation agreement between the Twins and the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the organizations combined to put on a terrific event Thursday night. Every winter, the Kernels put on a Hot Stove banquet with proceeds going to their own charitable foundation. The event combines dinner, a silent auction and induction of the new Cedar Rapids Baseball Hall of Fame members. Tonight’s event, however, also included a local stop by the Twins Caravan. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) The combination brought out a record crowed for the Hot Stove event. The banquet sold out and standing room only tickets were sold at a discount to give even more Twins fans an opportunity to attend the Caravan. Media members (including this humble blogger) were invited to come in starting at 4:30 to interview some of the participants. I had a chance to visit a bit with Twins pitching prospect, BJ Hermsen. He will be heading to the Twin Cities next week where he’ll receive his Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year award and then attend TwinsFest. Not long after, he’ll be on the road to Fort Myers for his first Major League Spring Training. I asked whether Hermsen has any sense of where he’ll start the 2013 season (he doesn’t) and talked a bit about the offseason training work he’s been doing. He was asked by another person if he was going to be speaking during the Caravan portion of the program and he indicated he didn’t think so (he was wrong… emcee Dick Bremer had a number of questions for Hermsen during the program). Ron Gardenhire and Terry Steinbach also were made available for interviews with the media, as was new Kernels manager Jake Mauer. Naturally, the local media had questions for Gardy that alluded to the new Cedar Rapids affiliation and he was appropriately complimentary in his responses. Gardenhire did bring up the fact that his managerial debut was with Kenosha in the Midwest League in 1988 and that his team had their “butts beaten” by Cedar Rapids in the playoffs to end that season. The Hall of Fame induction was sandwiched between dinner and the formal part of the Caravan program. The CR Hall inducted former players Trevor Hoffman and Casey Kotchman, along with longtime Kernels groundskeeper Jim Curran and Pat Harmon, one of the people credited with bringing minor league ball back to Cedar Rapids in the 1940s. But the highlight, for me, of the ceremony was the induction of former Cedar Rapids manager Alex Monchak. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Alex_Monchak1940-206x300.jpg Alex Monchak I’m sure most of you have no idea who Monchak is, but this man epitomizes the career baseball man. He had a cup of coffee with the Phillies, but his career was interrupted by World War II. While he never returned to the Big Leagues as a player, that didn’t stop him from spending the rest of his life teaching others to play the game the right way. He was inducted in to the CR HoF specifically for managing the 1958 Cedar Rapids Braves to the Three-I League championship, but after leaving our little town, he spent about a decade as a scout and almost 20 years as a coach on manager Chuck Tanner’s staffs with the White Sox, A’s, Pirates and Braves. In fact, he was a coach on the Pirates’ Championship team that also included pitcher Bert Blyleven. Hoffman and Kotchman had other commitments that kept them from attending the event, but Monchak, who will be 96 years old in March, was in attendance to accept his award and address the crowd. Dick Bremer did a professional job of emceeing the Caravan program. It’s no small task, I’m sure, to do that job in a way that comes across as fresh to every crowd, despite the fact that they’ve been essentially going through the process multiple times per day for about a week. Bremer did sports for the local CBS affiliate in Cedar Rapids before moving on to Minnesota, so he was able to blend in some anecdotes from his days here. Everyone on the dais did a good job of fielding the questions Bremer has no-doubt asked them several times over the past week, as well as a number from the crowd. Obviously, Gardy got the lion’s share of the questions from fans and he handled them with his typical combination of optimism and humor. Of course, there are causes for concern from Twins fans after the past two seasons, but this event was all about generating interest and enthusiasm among the fan bases of the Twins and Kernels, as well as celebrating the upcoming inaugural season of this relationship. Based on the attendance and enthusiastic support from the crowd, it was an overwhelming success at doing just that. I’ll wrap up this post with a few pictures from the evening. – JC http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/KernelsHotStoveSetup.jpg The CR Marriott Ballroom set up and ready for a big crowd http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Gardenhire1.jpg Ron Gardenhire with what passes as the media hoard in Cedar Rapids (including a voice recorder held by a local blogger who shall remain nameless) http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Steinbach.jpg New Twins bench coach Terry Steinbach prepares for a TV interview http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MauerGardenhire.jpg Kernels Manager Jake Mauer has a chat with Gardy before the event gets started http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DozierDais.jpg The Twins Caravan dais in Cedar Rapids was shared by (from L to R): Manager Ron Gardenhire, Twins Director of Minor League Operations Brad Steil, Infielder Brian Dozier, Broadcaster Dick Bremer, Bench Coach Terry Steinbach, Kernels Manager Jake Mauer, Minor League Pitcher of the Year B.J. Hermsen http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/AutographLine2.jpg The autograph line: TC Bear, Jake Mauer, Ron Gardenhire, Brian Dozier, Terry Steinbach, B.J. Hermsen

What a great night for baseball fans in Eastern Iowa! In celebration of the new affiliation agreement between the Twins and the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the organizations combined to put on a terrific event Thursday night. Every winter, the Kernels put on a Hot Stove banquet with proceeds going to their own charitable foundation. The event combines dinner, a silent auction and induction of the new Cedar Rapids Baseball Hall of Fame members. Tonight’s event, however, also included a local stop by the Twins Caravan. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) The combination brought out a record crowed for the Hot Stove event. The banquet sold out and standing room only tickets were sold at a discount to give even more Twins fans an opportunity to attend the Caravan. Media members (including this humble blogger) were invited to come in starting at 4:30 to interview some of the participants. I had a chance to visit a bit with Twins pitching prospect, BJ Hermsen. He will be heading to the Twin Cities next week where he’ll receive his Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year award and then attend TwinsFest. Not long after, he’ll be on the road to Fort Myers for his first Major League Spring Training. I asked whether Hermsen has any sense of where he’ll start the 2013 season (he doesn’t) and talked a bit about the offseason training work he’s been doing. He was asked by another person if he was going to be speaking during the Caravan portion of the program and he indicated he didn’t think so (he was wrong… emcee Dick Bremer had a number of questions for Hermsen during the program). Ron Gardenhire and Terry Steinbach also were made available for interviews with the media, as was new Kernels manager Jake Mauer. Naturally, the local media had questions for Gardy that alluded to the new Cedar Rapids affiliation and he was appropriately complimentary in his responses. Gardenhire did bring up the fact that his managerial debut was with Kenosha in the Midwest League in 1988 and that his team had their “butts beaten” by Cedar Rapids in the playoffs to end that season. The Hall of Fame induction was sandwiched between dinner and the formal part of the Caravan program. The CR Hall inducted former players Trevor Hoffman and Casey Kotchman, along with longtime Kernels groundskeeper Jim Curran and Pat Harmon, one of the people credited with bringing minor league ball back to Cedar Rapids in the 1940s. But the highlight, for me, of the ceremony was the induction of former Cedar Rapids manager Alex Monchak. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Alex_Monchak1940-206x300.jpg Alex Monchak I’m sure most of you have no idea who Monchak is, but this man epitomizes the career baseball man. He had a cup of coffee with the Phillies, but his career was interrupted by World War II. While he never returned to the Big Leagues as a player, that didn’t stop him from spending the rest of his life teaching others to play the game the right way. He was inducted in to the CR HoF specifically for managing the 1958 Cedar Rapids Braves to the Three-I League championship, but after leaving our little town, he spent about a decade as a scout and almost 20 years as a coach on manager Chuck Tanner’s staffs with the White Sox, A’s, Pirates and Braves. In fact, he was a coach on the Pirates’ Championship team that also included pitcher Bert Blyleven. Hoffman and Kotchman had other commitments that kept them from attending the event, but Monchak, who will be 96 years old in March, was in attendance to accept his award and address the crowd. Dick Bremer did a professional job of emceeing the Caravan program. It’s no small task, I’m sure, to do that job in a way that comes across as fresh to every crowd, despite the fact that they’ve been essentially going through the process multiple times per day for about a week. Bremer did sports for the local CBS affiliate in Cedar Rapids before moving on to Minnesota, so he was able to blend in some anecdotes from his days here. Everyone on the dais did a good job of fielding the questions Bremer has no-doubt asked them several times over the past week, as well as a number from the crowd. Obviously, Gardy got the lion’s share of the questions from fans and he handled them with his typical combination of optimism and humor. Of course, there are causes for concern from Twins fans after the past two seasons, but this event was all about generating interest and enthusiasm among the fan bases of the Twins and Kernels, as well as celebrating the upcoming inaugural season of this relationship. Based on the attendance and enthusiastic support from the crowd, it was an overwhelming success at doing just that. I’ll wrap up this post with a few pictures from the evening. – JC http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/KernelsHotStoveSetup.jpg The CR Marriott Ballroom set up and ready for a big crowd http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Gardenhire1.jpg Ron Gardenhire with what passes as the media hoard in Cedar Rapids (including a voice recorder held by a local blogger who shall remain nameless) http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Steinbach.jpg New Twins bench coach Terry Steinbach prepares for a TV interview http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MauerGardenhire.jpg Kernels Manager Jake Mauer has a chat with Gardy before the event gets started http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DozierDais.jpg The Twins Caravan dais in Cedar Rapids was shared by (from L to R): Manager Ron Gardenhire, Twins Director of Minor League Operations Brad Steil, Infielder Brian Dozier, Broadcaster Dick Bremer, Bench Coach Terry Steinbach, Kernels Manager Jake Mauer, Minor League Pitcher of the Year B.J. Hermsen http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/AutographLine2.jpg The autograph line: TC Bear, Jake Mauer, Ron Gardenhire, Brian Dozier, Terry Steinbach, B.J. Hermsen

I did get a chance to discuss this with people from the Kernels at the Hot Stove Banquet/Twins Caravan in CR last night. It won't happen this year, obviously. There just wasn't time to even explore it much between when the affiliation agreement was signed and schedules and promotions had to be locked down. That said, it sounded to me like an idea the Kernels office have given some thought to and would be open to looking at in the future if the Twins are. I don't think there have probably even been any discussions about it between the parties yet, but I got the sense that it's likely to happen. It would not only give Twins fans in the Twin Cities a chance to see the young prospects and be something really exciting for the players, it could also motivate a few more Minnesotans to come down to CR to catch a game now and then.

Not exactly shocking that the power drain is more dramatic for lefties, given that the RF wall, almost all the way to CF, is so much higher than it is in LF. Mauer, Morneau and Parmelee may not like it, but their buddies on the pitching staff do.

I'll say better, simply because another year playing almost every day at 2B should make him better at that position. If he can just maintain his offensive productivity as he moves up a level, that would in itself constitute being "better."

Thanks for catching that, Justin. I thought I caught all of the offseason releases, but obviously I missed Kimes. Correction made. I understand the Twins wanting to have guys like Baxendale and Bard start, but I just have some trouble figuring out how they're going to fit all these "starters" in to the limited number of rotations they have in April. Maybe you just have two different "starters" work 3-4 innings each during April games and let it all shake out by performance.

This is the last of this six-part series examining the players in the Twins organization that likely will spend part of the upcoming summer in Cedar Rapids during the Kernels first year as the Twins Class A Midwest League affiliate. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) In the first five parts, we've covered all of the position players and the pitchers most likely to fill starting pitching roles. We wrap things up now by looking at a rather lengthy list of relief pitchers. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) In the 2012 amateur draft, the Twins had 15 picks in the first 12 rounds and they used nine of those picks to select college age relief pitchers. As a result, the organization starts 2013 with a lot of guys who have one year of rookie league level experience, but who are about 22 years old and therefore really need to get moving up the full season organizational ladder. That means a lot of the descriptions below will sound pretty similar. The draft class of 2012 should be joined by some pretty talented pitchers that have already been in the organization a couple of years and, together, they should make the Kernels bullpen pretty darn good this season. Luke Bard – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1 [/TD] [TD=align: right]3.86 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.714 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.4 [/TD] [TD=align: right]9.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]9.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] Bard, the brother of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard, was chosen by the Twins as a Supplemental 1st round pick (42nd pick overall) out of Georgia Tech. Like a number of others on this list, Bard was a relief pitcher in college who very possibly will get some opportunities to start in the Twins organization. Bard was a late signee and had a minor injury or two during the year. As a result, he got very little work in at the professional level in 2012, though he did make a handful of appearances at both Rookie League levels and actually pitched better at Elizabethton than he did during his time with the GCL Twins. If the Twins do want to see what he can do as a starting pitcher, I could see them working with him on the transition in extended spring training and then getting a few starts at Elizabethton in June. He reportedly throws his fastball in the mid 90s, has a strong slider and decent change up, as well. If they're as good as reported, he'll be up with the Kernels in 2013, either in their bullpen or their rotation. If you haven't already, you should check out Seth Stohs' interview with Bard Mason Melotakis – Age 21 – Throws Left 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]20 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.88 [/TD] [TD=align: right]24.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.958 [/TD] [TD=align: right]34 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.4 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12.8 [/TD] [TD=align: right]2.2 [/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MelotakisAug2012b-225x300.jpg Mason Melotakis Melotakis was a 2nd round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He made 20 appearances (all in relief) for Elizabethton and Beloit, combined. Melotakis pretty much cut right through hitters at both levels of competition, though hitters had more success making contact off of him in Beloit. Melotakis could justifiably start the season in Fort Myers, based on the way he dominated hitters at both Rookie and Class A levels in 2012. At the same time, he didn't spend enough time in Class A to be 100% positive he's ready to face high-A hitters. If Melotakis does start the season with the Kernels, don't expect him to be in town too long. I would guess he'll be on a fast track with the organization, as long as he continues to dominate the way he has so far. J.T. Chargois – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.69 [/TD] [TD=align: right]16.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.938 [/TD] [TD=align: right]22 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.6 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12.4 [/TD] [TD=align: right]2.8 [/TD] [/TABLE] Chargois was also a 2nd round pick of the Twins in the 2012 draft, coming out of Rice University. JT hits the mid 90s with his fastball and has a good slider to go with it. Chargois was too much for Rookie league hitters to handle and while he could probably be held in extended spring training, I'd expect him to come north with Cedar Rapids unless there simply isn't room for him on the roster. He has a lot of potential and I just think the Twins will want to challenge him with Midwest League hitting to see whether he could move up the ladder sooner rather than later. Zack Jones – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]2.25 [/TD] [TD=align: right]20.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.100 [/TD] [TD=align: right]34 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]15.3 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/JonesZAug2012a-300x222.jpg Zack Jones The Twins used their 4th round pick in the 2012 to draft Jones out of San Jose State University. At just 6'1”, Zack is not as big as many of the other relief pitchers the team drafted, but his stature doesn't prevent him from hitting the upper 90s with his fastball. Jones stayed in Elizabethton only long enough to pitch six innings and he left town with a perfect 0.00 ERA. The Midwest League was more challenging, in terms of giving up runs, but his strikeout rate actually increased at the higher level, where he struck out 16.1 hitters per nine innings. He does walk a few hitters, but if he can work on the control, Jones could fly up the organizational ladder. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if the Twins decided he showed enough in Beloit to warrant starting 2013 at high-A in Fort Myers. Tyler Duffey – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.42 [/TD] [TD=align: right]19.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.632 [/TD] [TD=align: right]27 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.7 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12.8 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.9 [/TD] [/TABLE] Duffey was drafted by the Twins in the 5th round of the 2012 draft out of Rice University. Unlike many of the other relief pitchers drafted in the 2012 class, Duffey did not pitch at both Rookie league levels after signing. He went directly to Elizabethton and got all of his regular season work with them. His numbers were impressive and he was rewarded with a call-up to Beloit for their postseason series with Clinton. In fact, Duffey was credited with the W in the Snappers sole victory in that series. Tyler demonstrated terrific control, walking just two hitters over the course of his 19 innings of work. On the other hand, he struck out 27 hitters. Of course, as a college-age draftee, he was older than many of the hitters he faced, but it's hard to ignore those K/BB stats, no matter the level. I'm looking forward to seeing if Duffey can duplicate that performance in Cedar Rapids this summer. Christian Powell – Age 21 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]10 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]5.74 [/TD] [TD=align: right]15.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.596 [/TD] [TD=align: right]20 [/TD] [TD=align: right]10.3 [/TD] [TD=align: right]11.5 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] The Twins selected the 6'5” Powell in the 8th round of the 2012 draft out of the College of Charlston and he made just 10 relief appearances for Elizabethton during the summer. Powell had limited success, giving up more than a hit per inning and not demonstrating terrific control. Christian did demonstrate his ability to miss bats, however, as he struck out 20 hitters in just 15.2 innings of work. Powell could be held back in extended spring training, rather than coming north with the Kernels and could well start his season back in Elizabethton in June, but I'd guess he's likely to make a Kernels debut before the end of the season. D.J. Baxendale – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]17 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]0.96 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.804 [/TD] [TD=align: right]31 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.3 [/TD] [TD=align: right]14.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] Baxendale was drafted in the 10th round of the 2012 amateur draft out of the University of Arkansas and worked his way through two levels of the Twins system after signing his contract. He clearly outclassed the competition in Elizabethton, striking out more than two hitters per inning in his six appearances there. He gave up exactly one hit before being promoted to Beloit. DJ pitched well with the Snappers, also, but hitters did make more consistent contact off him. In fact, Baxendale gave up more than a hit per inning while pitching for the Snappers. He continued to strike out a lot of hitters, however. He only walked one batter while in Beloit, which is one more batter than he allowed to hit a home run off him. It's possible the Twins could have him jump straight to high-A ball to start 2013 in Fort Myers, but he only pitched 18.2 innings total after signing with the Twins last season, so I would think he would start the year in Cedar Rapids. It's also quite possible the Twins might consider seeing if Baxendale might be a candidate to convert to a starting pitcher and, if so, it would seem doing so in Class A would make the most sense. Dallas Gallant – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]14 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.62 [/TD] [TD=align: right]16.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.020 [/TD] [TD=align: right]22 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]11.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.3 [/TD] [/TABLE] Gallant was selected by the Twins in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft out of Sam Houston State University and was sent to Elizabethton to finish out the summer of 2010 after signing. He pitched well in his handful of games there, striking out 15 batters in 13.1 innings. 2011 was a lost season to Dallas as he underwent Tommy John surgery that spring. As you would expect, the Twins started Gallant off slowly in 2012, keeping him in extended spring training and giving him five appearances with Elizabethton, where he was fairly dominant (as a 23-year-old pitcher should be), before promoting him to Beloit for the rest of the summer. He also pitched well for the Snappers, striking out almost 12 batters per nine innings, but walked a few hitters, as well. I hesitated to include Gallant on this list. Given the bottleneck of younger pitchers behind him, it just seems to me that he's likely to start the season at high-A Fort Myers. He turns 24 years old later in January, so he's a bit older than the other pitchers on this list, but given the year lost to injury and the Twins' methodical approach to advancement, he certainly could at least start the season with the Kernels. Joshua Burris – Age 21 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.75 [/TD] [TD=align: right]36.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.250 [/TD] [TD=align: right]40 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]10.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.2 [/TD] [/TABLE] Considering that the Twins drafted Burris out of LSU-Eunice in the 17th round back in 2011, he's actually relatively young and will be just 21 throughout the 2013 season. He didn't sign in time to get any innings in the summer he was drafted, but averaged two innings per relief appearance for Elizabethton in 2012. Josh's name can be found in many Twins top prospects lists as he's demonstrated both a solid mid 90s fastball and an effective curve. Like many of his peers at this level, he's had no trouble striking out Rookie level hitters, but has also walked a few, too. Since he was routinely used for multiple innings last season, there is speculation that Burris could be considered for a switch to a starting pitcher role at some point this season. Chris Mazza – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]2.05 [/TD] [TD=align: right]30.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.946 [/TD] [TD=align: right]28 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]8.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.6 [/TD] [/TABLE] Mazza didn't sign soon enough following being drafted by the Twins in the 27th round of the 2011 draft to get any work in that summer, but he did pitch at both Rookie league levels in 2012. At 6'4” and just 175 pounds, Mazza has plenty of room to grow in to his frame, but he did get off to a good start in his first professional season. Chris split his innings almost equally between the GCL Twins and Elizabethton, with similar results. He did give up more runs at Elizabethton, but most importantly he maintained his outstanding strikeout/walk ratio (13.00 K/BB at FtM and 15.00 K/BB at E'town). Mazza has excellent control and misses bats and that's a combination that will move him up the ladder with the Twins. There are other pitchers that will likely spend time in Cedar Rapids this summer, though it's hard to say right now what role(s) they may fill on the Kernels' pitching staff. Brett Lee is 22 and was drafted in the 10th round in 2011. He threw 43.2 innings for Elizabethton in 2012 over 16 games. Four of his 16 appearances were starts. He struck out 48 hitters and walked 12. Andrew Ferreira is a 22 year-old lefty the Twins drafted in the 32nd round last year out of Harvard. He struck out 13 hitters and walked seven in his 10 innings of work for Elizabethton in 2012. Kaleb Merck is also 22 and was drafted out of TCU by the Twins one round after Ferreira last year. Merck struck out 28 hitters in his 24.1 innings at Elizabethton. Obviously, both pitchers could easily spend time in Cedar Rapids this summer. The 2013 Kernels bullpen should be a real strength and could easily include several future Big League pitchers. Some of these guys could be on fast tracks through the organization, however, so don't be too surprised if they're promoted relatively quickly. That's a wrap for this series. I hope you've enjoyed reading about these young men and that you join me in looking forward to the 2013 season of the Cedar Rapids Kernels! If you missed any of the first five parts of the series, you can click back via the links below: Part 1 - catchers Part 2 - corner infielders Part 3 - middle infielders Part 4 - outfielders Part 5 - starting pitchers - JC

This is the last of this six-part series examining the players in the Twins organization that likely will spend part of the upcoming summer in Cedar Rapids during the Kernels first year as the Twins Class A Midwest League affiliate. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) In the first five parts, we've covered all of the position players and the pitchers most likely to fill starting pitching roles. We wrap things up now by looking at a rather lengthy list of relief pitchers. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) In the 2012 amateur draft, the Twins had 15 picks in the first 12 rounds and they used nine of those picks to select college age relief pitchers. As a result, the organization starts 2013 with a lot of guys who have one year of rookie league level experience, but who are about 22 years old and therefore really need to get moving up the full season organizational ladder. That means a lot of the descriptions below will sound pretty similar. The draft class of 2012 should be joined by some pretty talented pitchers that have already been in the organization a couple of years and, together, they should make the Kernels bullpen pretty darn good this season. Luke Bard – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1 [/TD] [TD=align: right]3.86 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.714 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.4 [/TD] [TD=align: right]9.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]9.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] Bard, the brother of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard, was chosen by the Twins as a Supplemental 1st round pick (42nd pick overall) out of Georgia Tech. Like a number of others on this list, Bard was a relief pitcher in college who very possibly will get some opportunities to start in the Twins organization. Bard was a late signee and had a minor injury or two during the year. As a result, he got very little work in at the professional level in 2012, though he did make a handful of appearances at both Rookie League levels and actually pitched better at Elizabethton than he did during his time with the GCL Twins. If the Twins do want to see what he can do as a starting pitcher, I could see them working with him on the transition in extended spring training and then getting a few starts at Elizabethton in June. He reportedly throws his fastball in the mid 90s, has a strong slider and decent change up, as well. If they're as good as reported, he'll be up with the Kernels in 2013, either in their bullpen or their rotation. If you haven't already, you should check out Seth Stohs' interview with Bard Mason Melotakis – Age 21 – Throws Left 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]20 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.88 [/TD] [TD=align: right]24.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.958 [/TD] [TD=align: right]34 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.4 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12.8 [/TD] [TD=align: right]2.2 [/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MelotakisAug2012b-225x300.jpg Mason Melotakis Melotakis was a 2nd round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He made 20 appearances (all in relief) for Elizabethton and Beloit, combined. Melotakis pretty much cut right through hitters at both levels of competition, though hitters had more success making contact off of him in Beloit. Melotakis could justifiably start the season in Fort Myers, based on the way he dominated hitters at both Rookie and Class A levels in 2012. At the same time, he didn't spend enough time in Class A to be 100% positive he's ready to face high-A hitters. If Melotakis does start the season with the Kernels, don't expect him to be in town too long. I would guess he'll be on a fast track with the organization, as long as he continues to dominate the way he has so far. J.T. Chargois – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.69 [/TD] [TD=align: right]16.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.938 [/TD] [TD=align: right]22 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.6 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12.4 [/TD] [TD=align: right]2.8 [/TD] [/TABLE] Chargois was also a 2nd round pick of the Twins in the 2012 draft, coming out of Rice University. JT hits the mid 90s with his fastball and has a good slider to go with it. Chargois was too much for Rookie league hitters to handle and while he could probably be held in extended spring training, I'd expect him to come north with Cedar Rapids unless there simply isn't room for him on the roster. He has a lot of potential and I just think the Twins will want to challenge him with Midwest League hitting to see whether he could move up the ladder sooner rather than later. Zack Jones – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]2.25 [/TD] [TD=align: right]20.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.100 [/TD] [TD=align: right]34 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]15.3 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/JonesZAug2012a-300x222.jpg Zack Jones The Twins used their 4th round pick in the 2012 to draft Jones out of San Jose State University. At just 6'1”, Zack is not as big as many of the other relief pitchers the team drafted, but his stature doesn't prevent him from hitting the upper 90s with his fastball. Jones stayed in Elizabethton only long enough to pitch six innings and he left town with a perfect 0.00 ERA. The Midwest League was more challenging, in terms of giving up runs, but his strikeout rate actually increased at the higher level, where he struck out 16.1 hitters per nine innings. He does walk a few hitters, but if he can work on the control, Jones could fly up the organizational ladder. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if the Twins decided he showed enough in Beloit to warrant starting 2013 at high-A in Fort Myers. Tyler Duffey – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.42 [/TD] [TD=align: right]19.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.632 [/TD] [TD=align: right]27 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.7 [/TD] [TD=align: right]12.8 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.9 [/TD] [/TABLE] Duffey was drafted by the Twins in the 5th round of the 2012 draft out of Rice University. Unlike many of the other relief pitchers drafted in the 2012 class, Duffey did not pitch at both Rookie league levels after signing. He went directly to Elizabethton and got all of his regular season work with them. His numbers were impressive and he was rewarded with a call-up to Beloit for their postseason series with Clinton. In fact, Duffey was credited with the W in the Snappers sole victory in that series. Tyler demonstrated terrific control, walking just two hitters over the course of his 19 innings of work. On the other hand, he struck out 27 hitters. Of course, as a college-age draftee, he was older than many of the hitters he faced, but it's hard to ignore those K/BB stats, no matter the level. I'm looking forward to seeing if Duffey can duplicate that performance in Cedar Rapids this summer. Christian Powell – Age 21 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]10 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]5.74 [/TD] [TD=align: right]15.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.596 [/TD] [TD=align: right]20 [/TD] [TD=align: right]10.3 [/TD] [TD=align: right]11.5 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] The Twins selected the 6'5” Powell in the 8th round of the 2012 draft out of the College of Charlston and he made just 10 relief appearances for Elizabethton during the summer. Powell had limited success, giving up more than a hit per inning and not demonstrating terrific control. Christian did demonstrate his ability to miss bats, however, as he struck out 20 hitters in just 15.2 innings of work. Powell could be held back in extended spring training, rather than coming north with the Kernels and could well start his season back in Elizabethton in June, but I'd guess he's likely to make a Kernels debut before the end of the season. D.J. Baxendale – Age 22 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]17 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]0.96 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.804 [/TD] [TD=align: right]31 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.3 [/TD] [TD=align: right]14.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.0 [/TD] [/TABLE] Baxendale was drafted in the 10th round of the 2012 amateur draft out of the University of Arkansas and worked his way through two levels of the Twins system after signing his contract. He clearly outclassed the competition in Elizabethton, striking out more than two hitters per inning in his six appearances there. He gave up exactly one hit before being promoted to Beloit. DJ pitched well with the Snappers, also, but hitters did make more consistent contact off him. In fact, Baxendale gave up more than a hit per inning while pitching for the Snappers. He continued to strike out a lot of hitters, however. He only walked one batter while in Beloit, which is one more batter than he allowed to hit a home run off him. It's possible the Twins could have him jump straight to high-A ball to start 2013 in Fort Myers, but he only pitched 18.2 innings total after signing with the Twins last season, so I would think he would start the year in Cedar Rapids. It's also quite possible the Twins might consider seeing if Baxendale might be a candidate to convert to a starting pitcher and, if so, it would seem doing so in Class A would make the most sense. Dallas Gallant – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]14 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.62 [/TD] [TD=align: right]16.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.020 [/TD] [TD=align: right]22 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]11.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]4.3 [/TD] [/TABLE] Gallant was selected by the Twins in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft out of Sam Houston State University and was sent to Elizabethton to finish out the summer of 2010 after signing. He pitched well in his handful of games there, striking out 15 batters in 13.1 innings. 2011 was a lost season to Dallas as he underwent Tommy John surgery that spring. As you would expect, the Twins started Gallant off slowly in 2012, keeping him in extended spring training and giving him five appearances with Elizabethton, where he was fairly dominant (as a 23-year-old pitcher should be), before promoting him to Beloit for the rest of the summer. He also pitched well for the Snappers, striking out almost 12 batters per nine innings, but walked a few hitters, as well. I hesitated to include Gallant on this list. Given the bottleneck of younger pitchers behind him, it just seems to me that he's likely to start the season at high-A Fort Myers. He turns 24 years old later in January, so he's a bit older than the other pitchers on this list, but given the year lost to injury and the Twins' methodical approach to advancement, he certainly could at least start the season with the Kernels. Joshua Burris – Age 21 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]1.75 [/TD] [TD=align: right]36.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]1.250 [/TD] [TD=align: right]40 [/TD] [TD=align: right]6.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]10.0 [/TD] [TD=align: right]5.2 [/TD] [/TABLE] Considering that the Twins drafted Burris out of LSU-Eunice in the 17th round back in 2011, he's actually relatively young and will be just 21 throughout the 2013 season. He didn't sign in time to get any innings in the summer he was drafted, but averaged two innings per relief appearance for Elizabethton in 2012. Josh's name can be found in many Twins top prospects lists as he's demonstrated both a solid mid 90s fastball and an effective curve. Like many of his peers at this level, he's had no trouble striking out Rookie level hitters, but has also walked a few, too. Since he was routinely used for multiple innings last season, there is speculation that Burris could be considered for a switch to a starting pitcher role at some point this season. Chris Mazza – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE=class: mceItemTable] [TD=align: left]G [/TD] [TD=align: left]GS [/TD] [TD=align: left]ERA [/TD] [TD=align: left]IP [/TD] [TD=align: left]WHIP [/TD] [TD=width: 34, align: left]K [/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 57, align: left]K/9 [/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]18 [/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [TD=align: right]2.05 [/TD] [TD=align: right]30.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.946 [/TD] [TD=align: right]28 [/TD] [TD=align: right]7.9 [/TD] [TD=align: right]8.2 [/TD] [TD=align: right]0.6 [/TD] [/TABLE] Mazza didn't sign soon enough following being drafted by the Twins in the 27th round of the 2011 draft to get any work in that summer, but he did pitch at both Rookie league levels in 2012. At 6'4” and just 175 pounds, Mazza has plenty of room to grow in to his frame, but he did get off to a good start in his first professional season. Chris split his innings almost equally between the GCL Twins and Elizabethton, with similar results. He did give up more runs at Elizabethton, but most importantly he maintained his outstanding strikeout/walk ratio (13.00 K/BB at FtM and 15.00 K/BB at E'town). Mazza has excellent control and misses bats and that's a combination that will move him up the ladder with the Twins. There are other pitchers that will likely spend time in Cedar Rapids this summer, though it's hard to say right now what role(s) they may fill on the Kernels' pitching staff. Brett Lee is 22 and was drafted in the 10th round in 2011. He threw 43.2 innings for Elizabethton in 2012 over 16 games. Four of his 16 appearances were starts. He struck out 48 hitters and walked 12. Andrew Ferreira is a 22 year-old lefty the Twins drafted in the 32nd round last year out of Harvard. He struck out 13 hitters and walked seven in his 10 innings of work for Elizabethton in 2012. Kaleb Merck is also 22 and was drafted out of TCU by the Twins one round after Ferreira last year. Merck struck out 28 hitters in his 24.1 innings at Elizabethton. Obviously, both pitchers could easily spend time in Cedar Rapids this summer. The 2013 Kernels bullpen should be a real strength and could easily include several future Big League pitchers. Some of these guys could be on fast tracks through the organization, however, so don't be too surprised if they're promoted relatively quickly. That's a wrap for this series. I hope you've enjoyed reading about these young men and that you join me in looking forward to the 2013 season of the Cedar Rapids Kernels! If you missed any of the first five parts of the series, you can click back via the links below: Part 1 - catchers Part 2 - corner infielders Part 3 - middle infielders Part 4 - outfielders Part 5 - starting pitchers - JC