Jeremy Nygaard

Trevor Plouffe hit another home run tonight. But so did Jim Thome, so Plouffe was unable to close the gap at all (607 to 22). Thome’s damage was also a three-run shot, while Plouffe’s was solo. The rest of the offense was pretty stagnant, and failed to plate any more runs (while also failing to win their fifth straight series). [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It’s been an interesting past few weeks for the no-longer-shaggy Trevor Plouffe. After Luke Hughes was DFA’d, many wondered how closely Plouffe would follow. Plouffe now has a 2012 OPS of .841, despite batting .232 (which is about 100 points higher than it was when this hot-streak began). Suffice it so say, not DFAing Plouffe was a great call and it appears that Plouffe will be the everyday third baseman for the foreseeable future. Let’s check on the minor leagues on this Thursday night: ROCHESTER 8, LOUISVILLE 6 Box score The Red Wings had an offensive outburst tonight, scoring eight runs on thirteen hits. Danny Valencia (two doubles) and Matt Carson paced the offense with three hits each. Valencia had three RBI and walked twice, reaching base in all five plate appearances (which would lead to being named “hitter of the day”… most days). Carson added two RBI as did Clete Thomas, who hit his 3rd AAA home run of the year. The pitching staff just fared well enough to give their team a chance to win, and it took all of their offense to do so. Luke French had a rough go of it. He only made it 3 1/3 innings and he only allowed four hits. French’s problem was his control, as he walked four and threw only 45 of 76 pitches for strikes. He struck out three. Kyle Waldrop replaced French and did what Kyle Waldrop does: get groundball outs, including one double play. He allowed two hits. Deolis Guerra allowed a two-run home run, but struck out two in his two innings of work. Casey Fien picked up the win for his two innings of work, not allowing any runs, but walking two and allowing two hits, while striking out one. NEW BRITAIN 2, AKRON 3 (12 innings) Box score It was a tough 12-inning loss for the Rockcats tonight. Despite collecting fourteen hits, they were only able to score two runs. The story of the game was Nate Hanson, who went 5-for-6 and was a home run short of the cycle. I would consider it somewhat amazing that he only scored once and didn’t drive in any runs. Rene Tosoni, Deibinson Romero and Matt Rizzotti all had two hits. Brett Jacobson had his longest outing as a starter this year, going 5 1/3. He allowed three hits and three walks. He struck out six and allowed two runs. He left two runners on, which Bobby Lanigan stranded. Lanigan allowed two hits, but didn’t allow any runs in 2 2/3 innings and struck out two. Bruce Pugh, who has always had an issue with control, struck out three in two innings, but also walked two. Luis Perdomo took the loss. He pitched two innings. He struck out three, but allowed a run on two hits. Former Twin farmhand Loek Van Mil pitched a hitless 2 1/3 innings, striking out two. FT. MYERS 0, BRADENTON 6 Box score The Miracle finished the first half with a very quiet night and enter the All-Star break with a 27-37 record. Daniel Ortiz provided three (one double) of the Miracle’s four hits. (Angel Morales collected the other.) Daniel Santana went 0-for-4 tonight (following 0-for-5 last night) to lower his average under .300 for the first time all season. Pat Dean went 5 1/3 innings allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two. Ricky Bowen recorded eight outs, allowing only two hits and a walk. He did allow his only inherited runner to score. Dakota Watts pitched a perfect ninth. BELOIT 5, PEORIA 3 Box score With today’s win, the Snappers clinched a spot in the playoffs as the 1st Half Western Division Wild Card. Miguel Sano went hitless in two at-bats, but managed to walk twice. He has struck out 15 times in his last 37 at-bats (41%). He has struck out in 33% of his at-bats this season. He also walked twice tonight and has a respectable OBP of .351 despite batting only .239. It will be interesting to see how teams pitch to him without Eddie Rosario in the line-up. (Though I would imagine Sano’s absence would have a greater effect on Rosario.) J.D. Williams led the offense with two hits (one double). Adam Bryant started off the scoring with a 3-run home run in the first inning. Nate Roberts, who has spent a lot of professional career on the disabled list, added a home run. Roberts is an interesting case. Though he hasn’t often found himself batting leadoff, he does have a career OBP of .437 and has a penchant for getting hit (29 HBP last year). If he can stay healthy, he’s a guy to watch. Tyler Jones struck out nine in six innings. He allowed only three hits, walking two and allowing three runs. He left a tie ballgame, so was credited with a no decision. Jones now has 33 Ks in 25 innings. Tim Atherton struck out four in two innings. Michael Tonkin, who has been on fire of late, continued his run. He struck out the side in the ninth for the save. In Tonkin’s last 8 IP, he has struck out 18. He'll be heading to Fort Myers soon. (Hopefully!) --- Players of the Day for Thursday, June 14, 2012 Hitters of the Day – Nathan Hanson taken from nodaktwinsfan.com Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Jones taken from lsusports.net --- A Look Ahead – Friday, June 15, 2012 Schedule Rochester at Louisville – RHP Liam Hendriks (not likely; as it appears Hendriks will be pitching for the Twins on Saturday) New Britain vs Erie – LHP Aaron Thompson (0-2, 9.35) Ft. Myers – All-Star Break Beloit at Burlington – LHP David Hurlbut (2-0, 1.80) --- If you have any questions on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and we’ll try to answer them! Comments also welcome.

Last Tuesday night during Seth's weekly podcast, I expressed some surprise that the Twins hadn't drafted a middle infielder yet. Right away Wednesday morning, the Twins drafted a high schooler from Lexington (KY) Catholic (Ben Revere's alma mater). Not only did they get a guy who can slot in nicely to the system's middle infield, but they got a guy that will go far in MiLB.com's annual "best name contest". I had the chance recently to exchange some emails with one of the newest Twins. Twins fans, meet Will Hurt.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] (examiner.com) The following interview was originally posted at ManCenter.com Jeremy Nygaard: First of all, congratulations on getting drafted. Tell us what this week has been like for you, not only in baseball terms, but also with high school. Will Hurt: Thank you! It's been a very fun and exciting process but at the same time a very hard decision to make. All of my friends at school have been very supportive throughout the whole thing and I cannot thank them enough for that. What were your expectations coming into the draft? WH: I always have high expectations of myself but there's always doubt that something could go wrong. However, I've known throughout the year that my chances of getting drafted were very high it was just a matter of where and how much. Now that the draft is over, you have made, presumably, a very difficult decision: Sign instead of going to Coastal Carolina. Tell us how you arrived on that decision and now that you've made your decision, what's next for you? WH: It was an extremely hard decision, by far the hardest I've ever had to make. The coaches at Coastal are great guys, I don't think there is a college program with greater guys as coaches. Coach Gilmore and Coach Schnall were the biggest reason I decided so early to go ahead and choose where I wanted to play college ball. It was privilege and an honor for them to think so highly of me to give me the chance to play baseball at such a great school. I made my decision because it's obviously something I've always wanted to do so why not go ahead and take advantage of having three years of pro experience instead of those three years in college ball? I feel like it was in my best interest to go ahead and get started. Coach Gilmore at Coastal Carolina says losing you to professional baseball would be a “crushing blow”. As a Twins fan, I read that as getting you to sign was a “huge steal.” Speaking of steals, it sounds as though speed is your number one tool. How do you use your speed to produce on the field? WH: I always want to try and make everyone I'm involved with happy as best I can. Unfortunately, in the situation, I can't do that. I've got to do what I think is best for me and my future. I love stealing bases and laying down drag bunts to use my speed as my advantage. On the defensive side, speed gives me a huge advantage at SS by being able to get to balls most people cannot. The Twins were introduced to Lexington Catholic when they took Ben Revere in the first round of the 2007 draft. Have you had a chance to meet Ben Revere? And if so, did you seek his guidance in making a decision to play pro ball? WH: Ben actually tweeted me the day after I got drafted and told me he'd make sure to get in contact with me as soon as possible. Everyone I've met that knows Ben have told me nothing but good things about him. I love the way he plays the game. He looks like he's having so much fun out there, always smiling and playing hard. I made my decision before I had a chance to speak with him, however. If I'm ever in need of advice I feel like he'll be a guy I can go to. Revere was signed by scout Billy Corrigan. Was Corrigan the scout responsible for drafting you and what types of conversations did you have with him leading up to the draft? WH: The scouts I interacted with the most were Rick Sellers and Tim O'Neil. Both are great guys who were very informative and helpful with every question my family and I had (there were a lot). Both told me to do what I think is best for me and that nobody else can make this decision for me. They not only told me about the positives of playing pro ball but how hard and how much work it is which really made me trust in them that they weren't just trying sign me for their own benefit but that they also wanted what's best for me. Will, thanks a ton for taking the time to help us learn more about you. Good luck with the rest of the season; great to have you in the system! WH: Thank you and I appreciate it! Can't wait to get started. ---- Will will report to Fort Myers on Friday and will receive his assignment then. He will most likely remain there with the GCL Twins. You can follow Will on Twitter @will_hurt.

The Twins were off today, but they did make a roster move: Chris Parmelee will be recalled in time for the Chicago Cubs series and Cole De Vries will be headed back to Rochester. Also in Rochester: Anthony Slama was placed on the 7-day D.L. Both Samuel Deduno and Brian Dinkelman were activated. Steve Hirschfeld was transferred back to New Britain. In other news, Jason Marquis made his Padres debut and went six innings. He allowed nine hits, four runs (two earned) and a walk. He struck out six. As you're reading Twins Daily today, be sure to listen to Thursday night's Twins Minor League Weekly. Let’s check on the minor leagues on this Thursday night:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 2, NORFOLK 1 (13 innings) Box score Matt Carson’s walk-off single in the 13th inning ended a four hour and eighteen minute game. It was Carson’s lone hit in five at bats. Nishi and J.R. Towles both had two hits, including a double each. Pedro Florimon and Ray Chang each added two singles. Danny Valencia, who DH’d today, went 1-for-6. Luke French struck out six in 5 2/3 innings. Kyle Waldrop came in with two runners on in the sixth and allowed one of French’s runners to score. Casey Fien, Lester Oliveros, Deolis Guerra and Tyler Robertson combined to pitch six scoreless innings. They struck out five while allowing four hits and two walks. The Red Wings faced both Pat Neshek and J.C. Romero in the game. NEW BRITAIN 1, AKRON 2 Box score The Rockcats dropped their fifth straight and were only able to scratch out three hits. Chris Herrmann, batting leadoff, went 0-for-2, but walked twice. Aaron Hicks, Matt Rizzotti (double) and Chris Colabello (double) accounted for all the team’s hits. Logan Darnell pitched pretty well. He was two outs short of seven innings, allowing seven hits, two runs and four walks. He struck out two. Caleb Thielbar came in with one out and the bases loaded. He induced a ground-ball double play. He then pitched a perfect eighth, striking out one. FT. MYERS vs TAMPA Today’s doubleheader was postponed due to rain and unplayable field conditions. So Wednesday’s suspended game will be resumed tomorrow and a seven-inning game will follow. BELOIT 4, BURLINGTON 3 Box score The Snappers ended a three-game skid by beating Burlington 4-3. Eddie Rosario led the way going 3-for-4. He had a double and two runs scored. He also knocked in a run. He’s upped his batting average to .304. While the “promote the superstar” discussion has died down, maybe it shouldn’t have… but maybe we were talking about the wrong guy…? No other hitter contributed more than one hit. Miguel Sano went 1-for-4. He did strike out twice; but, on a positive note, didn’t commit any errors. Matt Summers pitched a solid game despite getting a no-decision. He went six innings. He allowed five hits, three runs (all earned), two walks and struck out two. A.J Achter got three outs, walking one. Clint Dempster allowed a hit in two-thirds of an innings. Michael Tonkin, who has got to be nearing a promotion, struck out all four batters he faced to pick up his fourth save. --- Players of the Day for Thursday, June 7, 2012 Hitters of the Day – Eddie Rosario Pitcher of the Day – Red Wings Bullpen --- A Look Ahead – Friday, June 8, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Norfolk – RHP Esmerling Vasquez (3-3, 3.99) New Britain at Erie – No starter announced Ft. Myers at Tampa– RHP Marty Popham (3-2, 5.63) Beloit at Burlington – LHP Steven Gruver (4-4, 3.23) --- If you have any questions on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and we’ll try to answer them! Comments also welcome.

The second round opened with the Twins selecting LHRP Mason Melotakis out of Northwestern State. Unlike Bard before him, who will get a chance to be a starter, Melotakis will most likely start in the bullpen. He sold himself with an excellent performance in the Cape Cod League. Melotakis is a mid-90s power arm that will probably pitch some rookie-ball innings and then join the Beloit bullpen this summer. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Nine picks later (and with Mitchell Brown still available!), the Twins took another college relief pitcher, J.T. Chargois (from Rice). Chargois compares similarly to Melotakis, throwing in the mid-90s and can run it up to the high-90s, though he has had some control issues. Chargois, however, has not had the opportunity to focus strictly on pitching, as he's played a lot of first base. I thought Chargois had a chance to go a little higher, so it will be interesting to see his bonus amount. There is a chance that he could join the Fort Myers bullpen, but it's more likely that his final destination in 2012 is Beloit. Chargois has a chance to join the Twins bullpen by 2014. The Twins deviated from their path to take a right-handed power bat in Adam Brett Walker out of Jacksonville. While he has drawn comps to Giancarlo Stanton, I would compare him to Josh Willingham. He is currently listed as a RF, but his future is going to either be at 1B or LF. The interesting fact about Walker is that he grew up in Wisconsin and his dad played professional football for the Minnesota Vikings. I see Walker as a guy that could sign quickly and report to low-A ball to play in front of family and friends. Back to college relievers, the Twins selected Zachary Jones out of San Jose State. Jones will more than likely spend his summer in Elizabethton's bullpen throwing a mid-to-high-90s fastball and a pretty good slider. Look for the Twins to draft T.J. Oakes, a catcher, some high school arms and a middle infielder yet in the first ten rounds. ----- UPDATE 2:17 p.m. The Twins added another right-handed pitcher from Rice in the 5th round - Tyler Duffey. Duffey currently shares the closer distinction with 2nd round pick J.T. Chargois. While Chargois was the higher-rated prospect, Duffey had the better numbers. Duffey, however, is not the power-pitcher that Chargois is, but will probably be given a chance to start given his ability to throw a low-90s fastball, a slider and a change-up. If the change-up doesn't come around, he'll be shifted back to the bullpen; if it does, we could be looking at an Anthony Swarzak-type pitcher. Upon signing, Duffey will probably head to Elizabethton. The Twins went the prep route in Round 6 to draft LHP Andre Martinez out of Archbishop McCarthy HS in Florida. An FSU commit, we're looking at the first draftee that has a signability question. Martinez projects as a starter with a deceptive delivery. If the Twins pay overslot to sign him, he would start his career with the GCL Twins. The Twins have to start adding some infielders at some point, right? EVENING UPDATE The Twins took their first non-pitcher or outfielder in the 7th Round when they selected Puerto Rican catcher Jorge Fernandez. Although it's not uncommon for the team to select guys off of the island, they took a guy with a lot of projection instead of their typical "Puerto Rican bat tool". Fernandez is long and skinny and a long ways away, but it sounds as though they're going to give him every opportunity to catch. Look for the Twins to get Fernandez in camp soon, so he can get as much instruction as possible while playing for the GCL Twins. P Christian Powell, drafted in the 8th Round from the College of Charleston, definitely looks the part of a pitcher. He is a big body who will be given every opportunity to start. He needs to learn how to pitch, but if he does, he could be a steal at this point. Upon signing, Powell will most likely start for the E-Twins. 2B L.J. Mazzilli, son of Lee Mazzilli, was drafted out of UConn in Round 9. Mazzilli has a great bat and I was surprised he was still on the board. Though I don't necessarily see where he fits in the organization (Beloit would be the most logical choice), adding a right-handed bat at a position without great depth isn't a bad idea. The Twins rounded out their "valued" slots by taking a typical pitch-to-contact pitcher D.J. Baxendale out of Arkansas. Baxendale had an up-and-down year and may be a tough guy to sign. His younger brother, Blake, is heading to Arkansas next year to catch. Baxendale's ceiling is at the end of a rotation and he could find himself in the bullpen, despite not having an overpowering fastball. The Twins took LP Taylor Rogers in the 11th round out of Kentucky. They've gone to the left-handed well in Kentucky a few times with similar-type pitchers - Logan Darnell and Andrew Albers - and I'm sure they're looking for similar results. He will go to the Appy League if he can come to terms with the Twins. The Twins drafted P Alex Muren out of CS-Northridge in the 12th round. He is a good sleeper prospect who still lacks the feel for pitching, but he could make for a decent prospect in time. P Erich Knab, a prep righty, was drafted in the 13th round. He's committed to a junior college, so there is a good chance the Twins can get him signed. He has a high ceiling, most likely as a power-reliever, but he will more than likely, if signed, start his pro career in the GCL Twins rotation. 14th round pick, OF Jake Proctor, is part of the new breed of Twins prospect. Injured during this past season, Proctor is a right-handed hitter with raw power. That's right, like Travis Harrison last year and Adam Brett Walker earlier today, Proctor offers a bat that could someday play well in Target Field. Proctor has a year of eligibility left and could stand to improve his draft-stock with a healthy year of baseball. The Twins concluded their day by taking someone that I'd been waiting all day for them to take: a college senior. LP Jarret Leverett figures to add organizational depth as a cheap, left-handed relief pitcher. Out of Georgia Southern's bullpen this year, he struck out over a hitter per inning. So after 18 picks, the Twins have added 13 pitchers (four lefties). Only five prepsters were selected, which is similar to their numbers last year.

As expected, the Twins drafted Georgia OF Byron Buxton second overall (though it came with a little uncertainty after Carlos Correa, not Mark Appel, went first). Shortly after 9:30 local time, the Twins were back on the clock. Conventional wisdom suggested the Twins were going to take local product Mitch Brown. Instead, the Twins pegged Puerto Rican P Jose Orlando Berrios. Berrios is the third Puerto Rican to go in the top two rounds and only the second to go as high as the supplemental round.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] (perfectgame.org) Berrios is a late-bloomer that really excelled this spring in the Excellence Tournament. He added over 20 pounds to his six foot frame (to bring him up to 180) over the winter. Twins fans will be happy to know that the team added a guy who throws in the mid-90s, with a low-80s slider and the potential to throw an average to above-average change-up. Prospect-wise, Berrios's upside is of a #2 starter, but it will probably be the summer of 2014 before we see him playing full-season ball. At the least, Berrios could become a power-reliever with a high-90's fastball in shorter spurts. Though he's committed to Miami Dade JC, Berrios is a safe bet to sign quickly for near the $1.55m pick value and will make his debut this summer for the GCL Twins. Ten picks (and only ten minutes) later the Twins stood back at the podium and surprised many of us with the selection of Georgia Tech RP Luke Bard. Bard is the younger brother of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard. Bard tore a lat muscle (similar to Roy Halladay) this spring and hasn't pitched since the end of March. Before injuring himself, Bard was in the first-round conversation as a power-reliever, throwing a mid-90s fastball with a decent slider. It is only my opinion, but I believe the Twins will give Bard the opportunity to start. The Twins will want to see Bard throw before signing him, which I believe they will in late June or early July, for a little less than pick value. I expect Bard - if healthy - to be on a similar path as Madison Boer - pick up relief innings in Elizabethton and Beloit in 2012 before getting a chance to start in low-A ball next spring. All in all, today should be considered a very successful day by Twins fans. The Twins will have the 3rd pick of the second round. I would be surprised if Mitch Brown doesn't hear his name called.