bkucko

Sorry for no update yesterday, attached is the recap from today. No Hitter or Pitcher of the day, but Jeff Manship did go strong in what could be a tryout for the big team. Despite no game from the Twins today, the organization has a much better day, winning in all 4 levels today, all but 1 convincingly. Here's the recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html I was thinking of possibly adding an option to receive the day-by-days as a PDF in your email inbox on a nightly basis. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Manship is transitioning back into a Starter and is still on the 40 man roster. Starting tonight against Gwinnett and has gone 4 Innings so far with 2 hits, 0 walks and 3 strikeouts. He's got some experience at the MLB level, it'd be worth a shot to see what he has left.

Hitter(s) of the Day: Ben Revere - OF - MIN - MLB: 2-4 2 2B (3), 1 RBI, 1 R, SB (2) Trevor Plouffe - IF/OF - MIN - MLB: 1-1 GW HR (4), 1 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Cole DeVries: RHP - ROC- AAA: 8 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO. 1st AAA Win of 2012 Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

Hitter(s) of the Day: Ben Revere - OF - MIN - MLB: 2-4 2 2B (3), 1 RBI, 1 R, SB (2) Trevor Plouffe - IF/OF - MIN - MLB: 1-1 GW HR (4), 1 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Cole DeVries: RHP - ROC- AAA: 8 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO. 1st AAA Win of 2012 Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

It's been too long since I've updated. Arcia the last two games is starting to heat up going 4-9, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 1 SO. His last 10 he's hitting .357/.378/.619 and a .997 OPS. His May OPS is .991 compared to his .713 OPS in April. In yesterday's Future Shock on Baseball Prospectus, Kevin Goldstein mentioned Arcia and said this about his recent performance: Oswaldo Arcia, OF, Twins (High-A Ft. Myers): 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI. .972 OPS in May and .304/.360/.472 overall. Needs to hit as other tools are a bit flat. Continue to hit like this, and he should be promoted to New Britain in the 2nd half.

First and foremost I would like to wish my brother a Happy 30TH Birthday today! You are and always will be my favorite person to talk baseball with. If it weren't for Beloit losing in the 11th inning tonight, the Twins would have given you clean sweep across all four levels for your birthday present. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed your day. Happy Birthday Kavan! Hitter of the Day: Drew Leachman - 1B - BEL - A: 4-5 HR (2), 5 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Pat Dean - LHP - FTM - A+: 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

First and foremost I would like to wish my brother a Happy 30TH Birthday today! You are and always will be my favorite person to talk baseball with. If it weren't for Beloit losing in the 11th inning tonight, the Twins would have given you clean sweep across all four levels for your birthday present. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed your day. Happy Birthday Kavan! Hitter of the Day: Drew Leachman - 1B - BEL - A: 4-5 HR (2), 5 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Pat Dean - LHP - FTM - A+: 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

Hitter of the Day: Matthew Koch - DH - BEL - A: 3-4 HR (2), 2B (7), 3 RBI, 2 R Pitcher of the Day: Matthew Summers - RHP - BEL - A: 6IP, 4H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

Hitter of the Day: Matthew Koch - DH - BEL - A: 3-4 HR (2), 2B (7), 3 RBI, 2 R Pitcher of the Day: Matthew Summers - RHP - BEL - A: 6IP, 4H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

The Day-by-Day's make their glorious return tonight. My apologies as my 9 day streak of working over 100 hours caught up to me. Everything is updated through the games of May 16th. I will continue to update these as frequently as possible. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

The Day-by-Day's make their glorious return tonight. My apologies as my 9 day streak of working over 100 hours caught up to me. Everything is updated through the games of May 16th. I will continue to update these as frequently as possible. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

Through the first 30 games of the season, I am unsure what is more surprising. Twins 8-22 record, or that record only means they are 9 games out of first place, OR that the 1st place team is NOT Detroit. Cleveland is the only team over .500 at 17-13. Detroit played some difficult opponents in April (Boston, Tampa, Texas, New York), however after tonight's loss, they have gone 2-5 against Seattle. Now I'm not signaling there is hope for the Twins, it's just very apparent how miserable the AL Central is, and when the Twins do play their division foes more (only two games thus far), they should pick up a few more wins. Not a whole lot of encouraging news lately, but the roster shakeup continues with Valencia being demoted and Maloney (finally) being DFA'd. I could see the Twins trying to play Mastroianni as a semi-regular 2B with Dozier at SS and Carroll/Casilla at 3B. Funny/depressing to see guys like Clete Thomas, Erik Komatsu, and now Darin Mastroianni a semi-regular part of the team when they have almost no part of the team's future. I like what Terry Ryan is doing with the shuffling of the 23-25 roster spots, and getting some minor league depth, but there are some guys down in the minors that need to be tested to see if they are part of the future. Slama, Guerra, Revere, and a few others will hopefully see some MLB time soon to help the Twins make some decisions for 2013 and beyond. Onto the recap... Hitter of the Day: Andy Leer - 1B/3B - FTM - A+: 2-4 2 HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R Pitcher of the Day: Steven Gruver - LHP - BEL - A: 7.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

Through the first 30 games of the season, I am unsure what is more surprising. Twins 8-22 record, or that record only means they are 9 games out of first place, OR that the 1st place team is NOT Detroit. Cleveland is the only team over .500 at 17-13. Detroit played some difficult opponents in April (Boston, Tampa, Texas, New York), however after tonight's loss, they have gone 2-5 against Seattle. Now I'm not signaling there is hope for the Twins, it's just very apparent how miserable the AL Central is, and when the Twins do play their division foes more (only two games thus far), they should pick up a few more wins. Not a whole lot of encouraging news lately, but the roster shakeup continues with Valencia being demoted and Maloney (finally) being DFA'd. I could see the Twins trying to play Mastroianni as a semi-regular 2B with Dozier at SS and Carroll/Casilla at 3B. Funny/depressing to see guys like Clete Thomas, Erik Komatsu, and now Darin Mastroianni a semi-regular part of the team when they have almost no part of the team's future. I like what Terry Ryan is doing with the shuffling of the 23-25 roster spots, and getting some minor league depth, but there are some guys down in the minors that need to be tested to see if they are part of the future. Slama, Guerra, Revere, and a few others will hopefully see some MLB time soon to help the Twins make some decisions for 2013 and beyond. Onto the recap... Hitter of the Day: Andy Leer - 1B/3B - FTM - A+: 2-4 2 HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R Pitcher of the Day: Steven Gruver - LHP - BEL - A: 7.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

It's May 9th, so I understand that all of this talk is probably premature, but given the Twins record through the first 30 games (8-22), it is looking more and more like the time to look ahead. A big part of "looking ahead" would be to see who would be leading this team as the manager. I'm not one to say fire Gardenhire or retain him, but when was the last manager to have BACK-TO-BACK worst records in the league and still hold their job. The organization can be loyal to a degree, but at some point they need to look to see if a change at the helm is worth considering. If a move is made mid-2012, it's likely Ullger would be interim coach, unless they can get someone like Molitor into the position right away, but unlikely. Obviously Ullger should not be seen as the long term answer, but WHO should be? Perhaps this guy... Current Tampa Bay Rays Bench Coach, Dave Martinez. Seen as a possible candidate to a few teams last off-season, he is one of the hot up-and-coming coaches in the big leagues. It would be safe to assume that the majority of readers of TwinsDaily see Joe Maddon and the "Rays Way" as a model of a well run team, top to bottom. Joe Maddon, although not the youngest manager, is one of the most progressive, statistician (dare I say Sabermetrician) thinkers of the game. He works hand in hand well with General Manager Friedman to field a competitive team year in, year out with a minuscule payroll in the toughest division in baseball. Since Maddon is under contract and very unlikely to be relieved of his duties before his contract runs out in 2015, his right hand man seems to be a logical choice as a great managerial option. Martinez was brought in in 2007, the year after Maddon was named manager. He has been a key part (one would presume) to the 2 division titles and 1 Wild Card berth in the 5 seasons he's been there. As far as his in-game tactical record and feelings on sabermetrics, it's a complete unknown, but he is being taught by one of the best in the business. With the Twins facing the inevitable "rebuilding" phase that could last anywhere from 1-4 years, I would prefer to replace Gardenhire (if he does leave or gets fired) with a younger, unconventional manager. Those who think Terry Francona or Tony LaRussa would come into a situation like this, are dreaming, and Martinez may be a better fit regardless. Does Gardenhire make it through 2012 and the offseason? Would Martinez want to leave the success of the Rays to manage a struggling team? Would Terry Ryan and the rest of the Front Office be ok with the progressive thinking of Martinez? All of these questions would have to have the right answers for everything to fit, but Dave Martinez is my vote for the Minnesota Twins 2013 Manager!

Hitter of the Day: Miguel Sano - 3B - BEL - A: 1-4 HR (10), 2 RBI, 1 R; Not a great night for any hitter tonight, but Sano now leads the Organization in HR, with Willingham in 2nd with half that amount (5). I know it's early May, and he has 39 strikeouts (countered with 20 walks) and really needs help at 3B, but a call to Fort Myers is sooner rather than later seems inevitable. There really is no reason to push him, I'd like to see him continue to dominate down in Beloit, but he is simply a man amongst boys in that league. Pitcher of the Day: Scott Diamond - LHP - MIN - MLB: 7IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO; Arguably the most dominating start of the 2012 season for any starting pitcher for the parent club. His numbers weren't all that fluky as he had some nice strikeouts, not many balls were hit hard at all, kept batters off balance. This is just one start, and the first time the Angels and thus many of their batters saw Diamond, so once players see him 2, 3, 4 times adjustments are sure to be mad, but still fun to see a good start to watch. With Pavano pitching tomorrow, it's possible you could get get 2 consecutive quality starts. And that's apparently success in the 2012 season. . . Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

Hitter of the Day: Miguel Sano - 3B - BEL - A: 1-4 HR (10), 2 RBI, 1 R; Not a great night for any hitter tonight, but Sano now leads the Organization in HR, with Willingham in 2nd with half that amount (5). I know it's early May, and he has 39 strikeouts (countered with 20 walks) and really needs help at 3B, but a call to Fort Myers is sooner rather than later seems inevitable. There really is no reason to push him, I'd like to see him continue to dominate down in Beloit, but he is simply a man amongst boys in that league. Pitcher of the Day: Scott Diamond - LHP - MIN - MLB: 7IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO; Arguably the most dominating start of the 2012 season for any starting pitcher for the parent club. His numbers weren't all that fluky as he had some nice strikeouts, not many balls were hit hard at all, kept batters off balance. This is just one start, and the first time the Angels and thus many of their batters saw Diamond, so once players see him 2, 3, 4 times adjustments are sure to be mad, but still fun to see a good start to watch. With Pavano pitching tomorrow, it's possible you could get get 2 consecutive quality starts. And that's apparently success in the 2012 season. . . Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

May 7, 2012 Hitter of the Day: Anderson Hidalgo - DH - FTM - HiA: 2-5 GS (1), 2B (3), 6 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Matthew Summers - RHP - BEL - A: 8IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

May 7, 2012 Hitter of the Day: Anderson Hidalgo - DH - FTM - HiA: 2-5 GS (1), 2B (3), 6 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Matthew Summers - RHP - BEL - A: 8IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

As a heads up, I will try my best to continue this on a daily basis, but this next week requires me to be working my 2nd job (as an Usher at Target Field) every night so I may not be able to update nightly as I have thus far. I will certainly try my best, and for those of you going to the game, stop by section 329 after the 4th inning to say Hi! May 6, 2012: Hitter of the Day: Ryan Doumit - RF - MIN - MLB: 3-3 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB Pitcher of the Day: Jason Wheeler - LHP - BEL - A: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

As a heads up, I will try my best to continue this on a daily basis, but this next week requires me to be working my 2nd job (as an Usher at Target Field) every night so I may not be able to update nightly as I have thus far. I will certainly try my best, and for those of you going to the game, stop by section 329 after the 4th inning to say Hi! May 6, 2012: Hitter of the Day: Ryan Doumit - RF - MIN - MLB: 3-3 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB Pitcher of the Day: Jason Wheeler - LHP - BEL - A: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

As a heads up, I will try my best to continue this on a daily basis, but this next week requires me to be working my 2nd job (as an Usher at Target Field) every night so I may not be able to update nightly as I have thus far. I will certainly try my best, and for those of you going to the game, stop by section 329 after the 4th inning to say Hi! May 6, 2012: Hitter of the Day: Ryan Doumit - RF - MIN - MLB: 3-3 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB Pitcher of the Day: Jason Wheeler - LHP - BEL - A: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

As a heads up, I will try my best to continue this on a daily basis, but this next week requires me to be working my 2nd job (as an Usher at Target Field) every night so I may not be able to update nightly as I have thus far. I will certainly try my best, and for those of you going to the game, stop by section 329 after the 4th inning to say Hi! May 6, 2012: Hitter of the Day: Ryan Doumit - RF - MIN - MLB: 3-3 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB Pitcher of the Day: Jason Wheeler - LHP - BEL - A: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html

lEarly Morning Addition. Batter of the Day: Darin Mastroianni - 2B/OF - ROC - AAA: 3-4 2B (1), 4 RBI Pitcher of the Day: P.J. Walters - RHP - ROC - AAA: 7IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=htm

lEarly Morning Addition. Batter of the Day: Darin Mastroianni - 2B/OF - ROC - AAA: 3-4 2B (1), 4 RBI Pitcher of the Day: P.J. Walters - RHP - ROC - AAA: 7IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=htm

Hitter of the Day: Miguel Sano - 3B - BEL - A: 2-4 2B (7), HR (8), 2 RBI, 1 R Pitcher of the Day: Carl Pavano - RHP - MIN - MLB: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO Today's Recap: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AiRVhKu18uIhdDBSYUc5UGtSMkluOEFSWFdnTVdvQVE&output=html