Ted Schwerzler

My response would be that I think there’s far more impactful ways to drive inclusivity and don’t see this as much more than shock value or doing so for the sake of doing so. If that’s wrong or incorrect, or there was a way to measure a significant impact, then by all means do so.

Last season Miguel Sano was one of the best hitters in baseball. He posted a .923 OPS, clubbed a Kirby Puckett number of dingers, and generated one of the hardest hit rates in the game. 2020 hasn’t quite gone the same, but there’s a couple of ways he can turn it around. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports Last season Miguel Sano was one of the best hitters in baseball. He posted a .923 OPS, clubbed a Kirby Puckett number of dingers, and generated one of the hardest hit rates in the game. 2020 hasn’t quite gone the same, but there’s a couple of ways he can turn it around. First and foremost, it’s worth noting that Sano missed a significant portion of Summer Camp due to a positive COVID-19 test. In an already truncated ramp up, the Twins new first basemen got a muted opportunity to prepare. On top of getting ready at the plate, he was also fine tuning his skills and footwork for a new role. Those could all be classified as excuses, but let’s not negate that the Dominican slugger was behind the eight ball. Fast forward to where we are today. Sano has played in 15 games for the Twins and has 56 plate appearances. He’s posted a .137/.214/.412 slash line and owns a 26/5 K/BB ratio. His 46.4% strikeout rate is 10% north of his career average, and the 8.9% walk rate is down nearly 4% from where he was a year ago. Of the seven balls he’s put in play, only one has been a single, with four leaving the yard (I’ll spoil the fun, the other two aren’t triples.) Now that we’ve got the bad out of the way, let’s go under the hood. Eno Sarris recently wrote about offense being down across the board at The Athletic. He noted that batters are taking more pitches, likely in an effort to see the ball and work on timing. Swing rates are down early in the count, and guys are trying to lengthen at bats. As Twins Daily’s own Matthew Taylor points out, pitchers have benefitted from this situation in converting substantially more looking strikes and strikeouts. For Sano specifically, this is wildly apparent in how he’s being attacked. Last season Miguel got first pitch strikes 56% of the time. That number is all the way up to 71.4% in 2020. In 40 of his 56 plate appearances he’s seen two strikes, and he’s been ahead in the count just 24 times. His hard-hit percentage is a career best 56% and he’s actually generated a career best 95.6 mph average exit velocity. Pitchers know this information too and are exploiting it. Right now, Miguel Sano is season more early strikes because pitchers don’t want him to settle in. He’s taking pitches early and has a career low 42.9% swing rate. He’s chasing less than he ever has, but the contact rate is 6% below his career average and the 18% whiff rate is 2% above 2019. Instead of dictating at bats, he’s needing to respond to the scenario he’s been presented. In short, it’s a long game. His goal is likely early season timing for a tradeoff that hopefully results in late season production. One other facet that’s currently coming into play, but also relates to his timing and patience, is the resulting launch angle. Sano has a 52% fly ball rate in 2020 and is converting 30% of those into homers. Where there’s a slight issue is that the 10% increase in fly balls from 2019 has dropped the line drive rate down to a career low 12%. He’s still not putting the ball on the ground, which is good, but too many of his fly balls right now are unproductive. Last season when he pulverized the baseball Sano owned a 15.9-degree average launch angle. In 2020 it’s an ugly 27.6 degrees. When he previously dropped the line drive rate to 18% in 2018, it coincided with a ground ball rate of 43.8% (a career high). His launch angle in that season swung negative the other way, down to 12.6 degrees. The sweet spot for a player hitting the ball out of the park is something in that 14-17-degree range. By making hard contact with the barrel at that trajectory, you’ll create the most ideal scenario on batted ball events. Once again, a microcosm of timing, it can likely be surmised that Sano’s pop up problem comes from both being reactionary and getting settled into the season. It’s not that he’s swinging with an upper cut or intending to be under the ball as much as it is the bat path through the zone and it lagging behind an optimal connection point with the pitch. Right now, there should be no reason for concern. Sure, we’re one game shy of having completed 33% of the 2020 season, but everyone was aware this would be an extremely small sample size. When the dust settles on the regular season the goal for Miguel Sano, and all Minnesota Twins hitters, is that they’ve found their groove making them capable of being the lineup most feared by opposing pitchers in the Postseason. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

With the front office and field operations covered on the Twins front, a behind the scenes look at how Twins baseball gets delivered is this weeks focus for the women in baseball series. Vanessa Lambert is a Producer with Fox Sports North and she’s the one that makes sure everything runs smoothly for the viewing audience. In a fan-less season, I’m not sure there’s a great position of importance. Image courtesy of Vanessa Lambert With the front office and field operations covered on the Twins front, a behind the scenes look at how Twins baseball gets delivered is this weeks focus for the women in baseball series. Vanessa Lambert is a Producer with Fox Sports North and she’s the one that makes sure everything runs smoothly for the viewing audience. In a fan-less season, I’m not sure there’s a great position of importance. Lambert has been with Fox Sports North for 14 years now, and she’s been in the Producer role since 2012. Her focus is the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Timberwolves, which means right now she’s got 100% of her attention on one of the best teams in baseball. Working through the challenges of offsite production and given inputs dictated to them on the road, Fox Sports North is bringing Twins fans unprecedented access in an unprecedented season. Paving a Path Part 1: Britt Ghiroli Paving a Path Part 2: Melanie Newman Paving a Path Part 3: Rachel Luba Paving a Path Part 4: Emily Waldon Paving a Path Part 5: Kate Townley Paving a Path Part 6: Venika Streeter Although you may occasionally hear Dick Bremer or one of his rotating analysts thank her near the end of the game, Vanessa largely flies under the radar. This was a great opportunity to have her step out into the spotlight, share her connection with the game of baseball, and put a focus on a woman that is literally making sure that the show goes on. Twins Daily: You produce Twins (and Timberwolves games) for FOX Sports North. What exactly is the role of a producer? Vanessa Lambert: This is probably the question I get asked the most about my job – no one seems to know what the heck a producer does. Easiest way to explain it is, I’m kind of like a head coach. I decide what we’re going to do (go to a replay and which angles to roll back, read a promo, knock out a sales element, go to break). The director is kind of like a quarterback, executing everything. It can be crazy and chaotic during a game with plenty of people talking to you at the same time, but that’s what makes this job fun. My day starts early – basically I need to have as much done before we get to a ballpark as possible (for a normal 7pm game, we’re at the truck around 1pm). By that time, I need to have talked to the talent about what we’re going to discuss in the open and anything we want to hit on in-game, know what video packs and graphics need to be built, make sure sales elements are covered and planned, have all talent reads ready. TD: You went to school for Journalism, was a career path in sports always the goal and how did it transition to more behind the scenes? VL: I always wanted to go into sports television. Growing up in Detroit, I was a huge Red Wings and Tigers fan. Not to age myself, but the Wings won a few championships during my middle school & college years. My uncle has worked for ESPN for 20+ years and was on their ‘A’ NHL crew back in the day, so my family would stop by the truck to visit when he was in town. As an influential teenager, I thought, “hey, this might be a fun job”, so I started spending more time in the truck (my mom even let me skip school a couple times). I went to Michigan State for college, and my options were either Journalism or Telecommunications. Within the J-School, you could specialize in a specific field, so I chose broadcast. I took all the TV classes but knew I didn’t want to be on-air. Something in production was always my goal. TD: While not writing, you're telling stories in what is shown to fans during a telecast. What is most thrilling about this medium and the way you're able to convey it? VL: I think what I enjoy most is you never know what’s going to happen in the course of a game…it comes down to reacting to what’s happening in front of you. It truly is a group effort to tell stories and be in sync with a director, graphics, tape ops and on-air talent. You can plan as much as you want as far as graphics and video packs, but they may never make the show. You hope what you have ready can support what’s happening during the game and sometimes we can make everyone on the broadcast look like a genius when it works out. TD: Specifically, as it relates to baseball, what draws you to this sport and how well do you think women are represented in positions surrounding it? VL: I think I’ve always been drawn to baseball, and I blame my mom for that! I spent many nights at Tigers Stadium & Comerica Park watching games with her and keeping score. What I enjoy now is getting the chance to cover a team for an entire season, follow storylines all the way through, and getting to know the players and coaches (outside of this season View full article

I have no problem with there being a change made, but I think the discussion is about why you’d do so. What do you believe it will accomplish, and is there any reason to believe that it’s doable with the action. I think there are far better initiatives the Twins are already partaking in, and could see something like this being viewed as pandering to the least impactful measure.

Today WCCO posted a story regarding the Minnesota Twins longstanding logo of Minnie and Paul shaking hands. The depiction is of two individuals representing Minneapolis and St. Paul coming together over what would be the Mississippi River. In the ongoing effort to advance diversity and inclusion however, the imagery is now be called for questioning. While not a Twins employee, Dr. Charles Crutchfield acts as the Twins consulting dermatologist. He offers that the pair need a fresh look that, “honors and reflects the team’s players and its fans from different backgrounds. He goes on to say the change is “long overdue.” Although I initially posted my thoughts on Twitter saying in short, “This is a no for me,” there’s a bit more nuance to unpack here. I couldn’t be more supportive of initiatives looking to drive a heightened opportunity for diversity and acceptance. Further, I remain open to the idea that we can revisit history and even change the way we both celebrate and cherish it. What I think those avenues provide however, are legitimate opportunities for growth and advancement. What I think should be avoided is an agenda designed solely to spark a false sense of need. In short, the imagery of Minnie and Paul couldn’t be more unassuming and less offensive. While there is no indication of a female or person of color within the logo, suggesting a need to create that storyline for the sake of diversity falsely applies an impact of presumed consciousness. We don’t need to be told whether the two individuals are trans, their sexual orientation, or their political beliefs. It’s a picture of two communities coming together to support one Twins Territory. This story appears to be the work of WCCO sports reporter Norman Seawright. I didn’t see a name attached in the byline, but he chimed in on Twitter. The initial response was that a change in skin tone of the individual on a logo could “inspire someone who looks like me (Norman is African America) and isn’t into baseball to give it a shot.” I have no idea what the world looks like through the eyes of someone in a minority class, and I’ll never pretend to understand. What I think is fair is suggesting that there’s a leap in believing inclusivity is spawned more by creating a talking point in an image moreso than actual initiatives that reflect genuine action. Almost more than any other sport, baseball’s on-field diversity is unmatched. We still need to do a better job stretching that to all other facets of the game and that remains a work in progress. Maybe I’m way off on this, but channeling focus into something that should be found in no way offensive looks like a hollow workaround to a greater good. What are your thoughts?

Last night Randy Dobnak took the title of Twins ace and continued his mastery on the mound. Allowing just a single run in five innings of work, his MLB best ERA continued to get the job done for Minnesota. With the losing streak snapped, Tyler Clippard and the bullpen will look to keep the Twins rolling tonight. Image courtesy of © David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports Last night Randy Dobnak took the title of Twins ace and continued his mastery on the mound. Allowing just a single run in five innings of work, his MLB best ERA continued to get the job done for Minnesota. With the losing streak snapped, Tyler Clippard and the bullpen will look to keep the Twins rolling tonight. YESTERDAY’S GAME RECAP MIN 4, MIL 2: The Randy and Rosie Show QUESTION OF THE DAY How do you feel about the infield playing in early in a game? TODAY Twins at Brewers 7:10 pm CT Betting lines: Minnesota -105, O/U 9.0 Twins opener: Tyler Clippard RHP, 0-0 1.17 ERA Rocco Baldelli is going with an opener for tonight’s action against the Brew Crew. With Minnesota still putting together somewhat of a piecemeal rotation they have sprinkled pen games in. Clippard has been very good for the Twins this season allowing just a single run in his seven appearances thus far. When Clippard was tasked with taking the ball to start against Cleveland nine days ago he gave the Twins two innings out of the gate. They were hitless and walkless while he earned one punchout. How much length he gives the Twins, and who the bulk guy is, remains to be seen. Last night Baldelli used each one of his horses in the bullpen. Only Taylor Rogers was taxed from a pitch total standpoint, and he struggled in back-to-back outings a year ago. Lewis Thorpe was hit around his last time out and has seen diminished velocity for most of the year. Devin Smeltzer could also be an option to follow Clippard with his start coming on August 7th. Brewers starter: Josh Lindblom RHP, 1-0 4.15 ERA This season is Lindblom’s first back in the major leagues since 2017. He spent the last two years overseas pitching for the Doosan Bears in the KBO. His sub-3.00 ERA’s and near 200 innings of performance were enough to have the Brewers enticed. Through two starts this season Lindblom owns a 12/4 K/BB and has given up four earned runs on seven hits in 8.2 IP. The secondary stats and numbers under the hood suggest there could be opportunity for the Twins to strike tonight. Lindblom has allowed a 47% hard hit rate while generating just a 21% ground ball rate. Giving up so many line drives and fly balls, the recipe for objects to start leaving the yard is there. He’s a fastball-slider pitcher and the velo on his heater rests at just 90 mph. Minnesota’s lineup still hasn’t begun to click, but this is another opportunity for them to get going tonight. Lineup: https://twitter.com/dailyrotonews/status/1293255637670023170 News and notes: The Indians were off yesterday, but it didn’t stop more bad news coming from their club. Mike Clevinger was also with fellow dummy Zach Plesac in going out on the town in Chicago. Their rotation-mate, Carlos Carrasco, recovered from Leukemia last season. Both are now quarantined and have had their starts altered. St. Louis continues to look for a clean bill of health prior to any game action return. Their doubleheader with the Tigers on Thursday has been banged. Around the AL Central DET 5, CWS 1 MIN 11-6 (+25 run differential) DET 9-5 (+4) CLE 10-7 (+22) CWS 8-9 (-7) KC 7-10 (-5) Tomorrow’s game Minnesota @ Milwaukee, 6:10 pm CT Kenta Maeda vs Eric Lauer See Also: Ranking the Twins' Current Injury Concerns Why Harder Might Not Mean Better for José Berríos View full article

The Minnesota Twins couldn’t get out of Kansas City fast enough. After a strong start to the season, they’ve now lost four straight and are fresh off a sweep by the Royals. Moving on to Milwaukee, the Brewers are hovering around .500 and are expected to be in the thick of the NL Central race when the dust settles. Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports The Minnesota Twins couldn’t get out of Kansas City fast enough. After a strong start to the season, they’ve now lost four straight and are fresh off a sweep by the Royals. Moving on to Milwaukee, the Brewers are hovering around .500 and are expected to be in the thick of the NL Central race when the dust settles. YESTERDAY’S GAME RECAP KCR 4, MIN 2: Bad Day for Berríos, Bats QUESTION OF THE DAY Would you rather the Twins had gotten off to a slower start, but have the exact same record? TODAY Twins at Brewers 7:10 pm CT Betting lines: Minnesota -114, O/U 8.5 Twins starter: Randy Dobnak RHP, 2-1 0.60 ERA This really isn’t just a cute story anymore. Randy Dobnak has pitched 43.1 big league innings and has a miniscule 1.25 ERA to show for it. His 0.60 mark in 2020 is the lowest in baseball, and eight starts into his Major League career, he continues to find ways to get the job done. Dobnak doesn’t put the ball by many hitters, as evidenced by the 4.8 K/9 in 2020. What he has been doing this season is inducing a ton of ground balls. The 52.9% ground ball rate last year was nice, but this season it’s all the way up to 68.2%. His hard hit rate remains a consistent 45% but giving up so few fly balls (just 15%) negates possibility for those events to hurt him. None of his offerings are going to break the radar gun, but the heavy sink on his fastball and the frequency he goes to it is the name of the game. A 40% chase rate happens with much of those instances coming below the zone. If there’s a guy willing to let you get yourself out, it’s this type of pitcher. Brewers starter: Adrian Houser RHP, 1-0 0.75 ERA The former second round pick is off to a fast start for the Brewers in 2020. He’s given up just a single run in 12.0 IP and has won one of the two outings he’s been on the bump for. Like Dobnak, Houser doesn’t light up the radar gun, and his ability to generate ground balls is what sets him apart. It’s an incredibly small sample size thus far, but Houser is generating grounders on 74.1% of the balls he’s had put in play against him. The 40.7% hard hit rate is a career high however. Houser utilizes a sinker as well and has gotten a career best 11% whiff rate and 30.2% chase rate this season. Free passes are something to keep an eye on with him. He’s allowed 5 walks in 12 innings already and owns a 3.1 BB/9 over the past two seasons. Lineup: News and notes: The St. Louis Cardinals season remains on pause as they deal with their COVID-19 outbreak. They have not played since the end of July and have just 5 games total under their belt this year. The series with the Pirates through Wednesday has been postponed. Indians starter Zach Plesac made a dumb and selfish decision over the weekend. He was told to pack his toys and go home. Around the AL Central DET 2, PIT 1 CLE 5, CWS 4 (F/10) MIN 10-6 (+23 run differential) DET 8-5 (0) CLE 10-7 (+22) CWS 8-8 (-3) KC 7-10 (-5) Tomorrow’s game Minnesota @ Milwaukee, 7:10 pm CT TBD vs Josh Lindblom See Also Jose Berrios, Velocity and Where Do We Go From Here The Starting Pitcher Trade Market at a Glance What’s Happening at the Alternate Site? View full article

Looking to stretch the winning streak to seven games, the Minnesota Twins came up just short in their final contest with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now onto another cellar dweller in the Kansas City Royals, Rocco Baldelli’s club faces another series with ample opportunity to bolster the number in the win column. Image courtesy of © David Berding-USA TODAY Sports Looking to stretch the winning streak to seven games, the Minnesota Twins came up just short in their final contest with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now onto another cellar dweller in the Kansas City Royals, Rocco Baldelli’s club faces another series with ample opportunity to bolster the number in the win column. Last Night's Game Recap PIT 6, MIN 5: Taylor Rogers Blows Save, Win Streak Snapped Today: Minnesota @ Kansas City Royals, 7:05 PM CT Betting Lines: MIN -155, O/U 9.5 Twins Starter: Devin Smeltzer, LHP 1-0 11.57 ERA Tonight is Smeltzer’s first start of the year as he’s worked as a bulk reliever for his two outings on the season. In six starts a year ago he posted a 4.11 ERA and allowed a .704 OPS to opposing hitters. While his ERA registered at just 3.44 when working in relief for the 2019 Twins, opponents OPS was nearly 200 points higher at .898. Smelter may be fond of Kansas City as they provided his first Major League win. When facing them at Target Field on August 4, 2019 he went 6.0 IP allowing no runs on just two hits while fanning four and walking one. The prototypical profile of a soft-tossing lefty, Smeltzer’s 89 mph average on the fastball won’t blow anyone away. His primary second pitch is the curveball, and it’s there that he looks for punchouts. He’s been a high strikeout guy in the minors and generated 7.0 K/9 last year as a rookie. The homer is his bugaboo and if he can avoid some of the Royals boppers tonight should go well for him. Royals Starter: Jakob Junis, RHP 0-0 4.15 ERA Junis has made just one appearance this season and it was a start against the Chicago White Sox. He lasted just 4.1 IP during that one and ceded two runs on six hits. Now in his fourth Major League season, the book has all but been written on Junis given the consistency he’s shown year over year. You can pencil him in for an ERA in the mid fours, and it’ll be complimented by a modest walk and strikeout rate. He’s been an innings eater of sorts throwing over 170 IP in each of the past two years for Kansas City. Where the biggest opportunity for opponents against Junis comes is launching the longball. He’s never allowed less than 1.4 HR/9 and was up to 1.6 HR/9 each of the past two seasons. Lefties had substantially more success against him last year, though the power numbers came from both sides of the plate. Kansas City knocked the Chicago Cubs around for 13 runs last night so it will be interesting to see if the bats have any runs support left in them. Lineup News & Notes - The St. Louis Cardinals return to the field today following their COVID-19 outbreak. It’s the first time they’ll have played a game since July 29, and the first time all 30 teams are active and healthy since the Marlins outbreak on July 26. UPDATE: More positives for the Cardinals, so no full slate tonight and St. Louis has a postponed game today. https://twitter.com/markasaxon/status/1291780266684559360 - Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup for the Los Angeles Angels following the MRI revealing a forearm injury that will keep him off the mound for the rest of 2020. He homered. https://twitter.com/Angels/status/1291472127955091457 - Today, Mike Trout turns 29. At 74.0 fWAR he’s already posted the 46th highest mark in MLB history. What comes from here is anyone’s guess but it’s clear we’re watching one of the best ever. Around the AL Central CLE 13, CIN 0 KCR 13, CHC 2 MIL 8, CHW 3 1. MIN 10-3 (+29 run differential) 2. CLE 8-6 (+17) 3. CWS 7-6 (+2) 4. DET 5-5 (-11) 5. KCR 4-10 (-11) View full article

Here's that roundtable:

Check out Royce Lewis' YouTube channel. He just did a roundtable with a couple of prospects.

Twins are active in the mornings from what Doogie noted on Twitter.

Look how often Cave plays though. You don't benefit at all by doing that with either prospect.

The Minnesota Twins are among the best teams in baseball and they’ve started the 60-game sprint at a scorching hot pace. With baseball virtually every day, there hasn’t been much of a lull for the fan. With no minor leagues or traditional feeder system Major League Baseball created a player pool available at an alternate location. What’s taking place in Saint Paul specifically? Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports The Minnesota Twins are among the best teams in baseball and they’ve started the 60-game sprint at a scorching hot pace. With baseball virtually every day, there hasn’t been much of a lull for the fan. With no minor leagues or traditional feeder system Major League Baseball created a player pool available at an alternate location. What’s taking place in Saint Paul specifically? Again, fortunately for the Twins, they haven’t needed to rely much on the alternate player pool to this point. Byron Buxton dealt with a small injury to start the year and Josh Donaldson is currently resting himself back to health through a calf issue. Other than that, though, Rocco Baldelli’s group has experienced a pretty clean bill of health. While it’s not just injury that provides reason for promotion, the Twins record speaks to a team currently getting the job done, even if not all facets are currently clicking. Looking to continue developing their top talent, as well as having ready to go veterans at their disposal, the group working out at CHS Field across the river has an incredible amount of talent for Minnesota. There’s isn’t an open door to fans here and checking in isn’t done simply by reading through a box score. Looking to get multiple perspectives I caught up with top prospect Royce Lewis, as well as veteran outfielder Lane Adams. For a prospect like Royce, development and inching closer to the big leagues remains the goal. Without a traditional season he noted that while there’s hurdles, “any opportunity to get on the field with my brothers is a great place to continue learning.” Game action would certainly be the most optimal way to continue progressing on his developmental path, but Lewis said, “this feels like an extended Spring Training that has been going on all year.” He went on to note that “CHS Field is beautiful and nicer than many of the those I’ve played at in the minors.” In short, while it’s different, there’s still plenty of opportunity to get work in. Checking in with Adams to get a more in-depth perspective on what actually takes place at the field, I asked what a typical day looks like in St. Paul. He broke it down like this, “There’s typically three groups of position players. The first group, which is the group that hits BP on the field first will stretch at nine while the other two groups stretch at 9:30. After the 9:00 stretch that same group will go to the batting cages and get there cage work in. The other two groups will stretch while the first group hits in the cages. After the cage work is over for the first group the 2nd group goes into the cages while the first group hits on the field as third group gets in there live defensive work. The 3rd group will then go to the cages then group 2 will go from the cages to on field hitting. After all the groups have gone through cages, BP, and live defensive reads we’ll usually do additional defensive work. After BP and defensive work, we’ll jump right into playing a live simulated game. Games haven’t been longer than 4 innings. The length of the games depends on the available arms for that day.” In other words, there’s a bit of everything and it works quite similarly to Spring Training on the back fields down in Fort Myers. Days are packed with lots of action and activity, allowing these guys to be as much ready to go should their number be called by the Twins. Lane noted that his process hasn’t really changed and that “We get plenty of swings and defensive work just like you would in a normal season setting.” So, while how things happen plays out differently, it isn’t that the preparation is lacking for anyone. When talking about what may be different with this type of scheduling, Adams offered up something that I think the Major League clubs could voice as well, and probably felt during their intrasquad Summer Camp action. “It can be a bit of a grind to really focus and concentrate during the simulated games. As hitters we have to force ourselves to mentally bare down in our at bats. The days and routines can become monotonous if you let them. Not having the adrenaline from live games and atmosphere is definitely noticeable.” I don’t think anyone would prefer the way of the world amidst COVID but understanding that you have to take the punches and roll with them is a must. Lane said the #MNTwins have done a great job walking the line between managing workloads but also staying on top of safety precautions and making sure that everyone is in the best situation to succeed. Focus can’t be easy at all when your manufacturing a different reality, but Lane clearly knows how to keep it light and do his best in that department. If you think hitting in a regularly scheduled big league game is tough, this quip provided quite the laugh. “Trying to hit Duran’s 99mph sinker at 10 in the morning with no adrenaline is definitely an uphill battle, but we’re all happy to be here and we’re making the most of it.” We’ll have minor league baseball back soon. We may have fans in the stands, and we’ll all get through this. That doesn’t mean the unprecedented nature of what we’ve endured thus far is any less interesting or different to say the least. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

You could call him a former Uber driver, but you’d be selling it short. You could call him a prospect, but he probably never garnered that status. Instead, Randy Dobnak is a self-made grinder that went from small-college West Virginia to one of the best pitchers on a staff that supports one of Major League Baseball’s best teams. After spending the better part of three seasons in the minor leagues as an undrafted free agent, Dobnak will toe the rubber tonight in what equates to his backyard. From South Park, Pennsylvania, Dobnak takes the ball for the Minnesota Twins against his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates. Something out of a storybook, this narrative couldn’t have played out better, but if you haven’t been expecting it you might also have not been watching. Pitching for three different levels in the Minnesota Twins minor league system last season Dobnak posted a 2.07 ERA 7.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9. No level was too big for him, and each stop he made the job continued to get done. Then he was promoted to the majors and got even better. With the Twins a year ago Dobnak owned a 1.59 ERA 7.3 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. After putting just 28.1 IP under his belt at the highest level, he was called upon to pitch game two of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. Despite all of the success a year ago, nothing was guaranteed for 2020. Dobnak was on the outside looking in when it came to a rotation spot or even a big-league job. The Twins had acquired the likes of Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, and Homer Bailey to round out the rotation. COVID-19 had threatened the season as a whole, and the man with the mustache became somewhat of a forgotten commodity once again. Now two turns through the rotation in 2020, Dobnak is reminding those around the sport once again, his title is Major League Pitcher. He owns a 1.00 ERA allowing a single run in nine innings on six hits. He’s fanned seven and given up an uncharacteristic four walks. When he steps on the mound in the bottom half of the first inning at PNC Park however, none of that will matter. It’ll be another night of work for a guy that’s become a lunch pail type ready to get the job done each time he’s tasked with doing so. Although every team is looking for their ace that throws 100 mph and blows the doors of every batter they see, it’s clear there’s different ways to get the job done at the highest level. Dobnak knows who he is as a pitcher, and that’s probably why he continues to see success. One of the most light-hearted personalities you’ll see postgame, Randy genuinely enjoys playing baseball and his mental makeup allows him to never let the moment get too big. Tonight, some of his biggest fans including his wife and dad won’t be in attendance. In fact, no one will be. I can’t imagine that Randy envisioned his first start in Pittsburgh to be without anyone in the stadium, but you can bet there will be plenty of eyes glued on him attending from their couches. It’s a moment he’s earned, one that he won’t allow to get bigger than him, and if any previous indications are to be believed, one he’ll rise to the occasion of. Every team in baseball would like to have a Randy Dobnak. Someone unphased by the situation, routinely able to produce, and always willing to soak it all in. Unfortunately, not all Uber drivers turn out to be Major League Pitchers. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Turning a focus to a handful of Minnesota Twins subjects, the Women in Baseball series presses on. While we have now resumed the regular season in 2020, highlighting females throughout the sport remains an integral part of growth and continuation of the path towards greater diversity. Image courtesy of Venika Streeter Turning a focus to a handful of Minnesota Twins subjects, the Women in Baseball series presses on. While we have now resumed the regular season in 2020, highlighting females throughout the sport remains an integral part of growth and continuation of the path towards greater diversity. Venturing out of the front office and into a more unique role, we find Venika Streeter. As the Manager of Authentics and Retail Sales, you can imagine the amount of history that she’s seen pass across her desk. The Twins Authentics shop is one of the most amazing within Target Field, and those items that ultimately go into the vault for curator Clyde Doepner are also jaw dropping. Paving a Path Part 1: Britt Ghiroli Paving a Path Part 2: Melanie Newman Paving a Path Part 3: Rachel Luba Paving a Path Part 4: Emily Waldon Paving a Path Part 5: Kate Townley Venika has been with the Twins for over 12 years, dating back to 2008. She’s been in her current role since 2013 and has seen plenty of good and bad baseball, along with a host of festivities along the way. In a season of unprecedented measures, there’s more than a few mementos that will be worth cataloging both for fans and future generations. Twins Daily: You graduated from Old Dominion with a Sports Management degree. Obviously, you knew the landscape you desired to pursue, but was it always baseball and how deep do those roots run? Venika Streeter: A job with an MLB team was always the goal. Both of my parents played softball and baseball in high school and I grew up playing softball as a kid. I lived in Northern Virginia around the time that Cal Ripken was chasing the 2131 Ironman record and I was completely captivated by it. I wore number 8 and played short stop because I wanted to be like Cal. I remember watching the on-field ceremony after he broke the record and thinking, “I wish that I could be a part of something like that.” After realizing that chances were slim that I’d be able to play professional baseball, I started looking for way to be involved behind the scenes and that’s ultimately why I ended up going after a Sport Management degree. TD: Prior to joining the Minnesota Twins organization you spent time in both Virginia and Texas. How did Minnesota become home, and now all these years later, what continues to make everything about your job and life here a great fit? VS: I’m a navy brat. I’ve lived all over the country and even spent 3 years in Japan. Minnesota became home simply because I got a job with the Twins not long after graduating college. I’d never had any intentions of living in Minnesota. I have zero ties to the state outside of the Minnesota Twins. I’ve been with the organization for as long as I have because I’ve been given the opportunity to try new things throughout my tenure. I’d originally intended on staying with the Twins for 5 years and then moving on to a different organization but then the All-Star Game came along and so I stayed. I couldn’t miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity like that. I was then given the opportunity to run the Authentics business and I again decided to stay. The Twins have always given me opportunities to expand my knowledge of this industry and I’m grateful for that. TD: You've spent the past 7+ years overseeing the Twins Authentics program. What does a day in the life look like, and what about your job do you love most? VS: It’s hard to describe what my day to day schedule looks like because there are so many factors that affect what I do on a day to day basis. Is the team in town? Do I have a bunch of meetings that day? Is the weather bad? The answers to those questions will usually determine what I get done for that day. Generally, when I get into the office, I check to see how many online orders I need fulfill and how many emails I have to respond to. Online order processing can take up to half of my day. Once I get orders done, I respond to emails. While that may sound like an easy task, it’s not. The emails that I get usually require me to perform some sort of action like taking photos of memorabilia or going through inventory to double check for an item. Contrary to what people might think, I do not sit ANYWHERE near the memorabilia that I sell. The game-used kiosk is on the complete opposite of the building from my desk. Between photoshoots, processing orders and multiple meetings, my day is totally booked. I love what I do though. It’s stressful and extremely time consuming but I love it. The behind the scenes stuff is where the fun is. Getting to give a player his debut lineup card or first baseballs from his first game will never not be fun. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of some great moments in Twins history. I’ll never forget being in the clubhouse when Joe Mauer put on his catchers gear for the last time. I’ll never forgot that he had the wherewithal to look for me after coming off of the field to make sure that I was able to get his final caught ball authenticated for him. I have a front row seat to history and it’s a lot of fun. TD: There's plenty of history that the game of baseball produces on a near nightly basis. What are some of the coolest pieces that have come through Twins Authentics, and how do you go about marketing decisions for new and innovative products? VS: Pretty much all of the really cool stuff that comes through Authentics and ends up in the Twins archives. I often have to explain to people that we’re in the business of preserving our history and not selling it. The Twins archives and players will ALWAYS get first dibs on game-used stuff before I do even though I’m the one that collects it. When it comes to retail and Authentics, there are a lot of fans that have the impression that we can work with any company that we want and that we can make any product that we want. That’s not the case at all. All of the product that we produce comes from working with MLB Licensees. There are only a few MLB approved companies that have the rights to take game-used product and produce new products from them. We come up with ideas and push the licensees to find ways to make it happen. Some of our ideas aren’t always possible from a financial standpoint but we’re always trying to push the envelope. I’ve been working on a drawstring backpack and duffel bags made from game-used jerseys for about 2 years now and one of MLB’s licensees has finally figured out how to do it! I’m excited to bring those products on board. TD: As a female in baseball how do you feel the landscape has changed over your nearly 13 years with the Twins, and what do you hope to see continuing to happen as far as opportunities for women within MLB. VS: The landscape for women in baseball has changed quite a bit since I first started with the Twins but there’s still a lot of work to do. Within the Twins organization there are more women working in the Baseball Operations department filling non-administrative roles and we’ve got a female trainer and nutritionist. These staffing changes were very exciting to see, but overall, I would like to see more women in leadership positions outside of HR and Community Relationship throughout the Twins organization and MLB. In my field, I’m one of a 5 or 6 of female Authentics managers in MLB. I’d like to see that number grow, and I’d like to see the women in Authentics positions have the same access that the men in our field do. I’m lucky in that my clubhouse manager is great and has always welcomed me into the clubhouse. That isn’t the case in other organizations. TD: We're obviously dealing with an incredible amount of social injustice throughout the country and Black Lives Matter has become much more than just a movement. The Twins recently held a diversity panel and participants talked about how special they feel the organization is. What are your experiences in regards to being both a woman and person of color with the Minnesota Twins? VS: Throughout the past few months, I’ve been in contact with colleagues from other teams and I can honestly say that the way that the Twins have handled diversity and inclusion is leaps and bounds better than what is taking place with other clubs. I’ve been blown away by all of the diversity initiatives that our staff has had the opportunity to take part in. The Twins are truly making a concerted effort to be on the forefront of diversity and inclusion within MLB and it’s great to be a part of that legacy. We’ve got a long way to go get to where we need to be, but we’re headed in the right direction. TD: Looking back at the four-month drought, and ahead to a 60-game season with a whole host of oddities, how will that change the collection, authentication, and marketing with regards to on field items and experiences presented to fans? VS: The biggest difference is going to be the access to players and on field memorabilia. We have contingency plans for Authentication this year, but I can’t go into specifics about them and at the rate we’ve been going, they’ll probably change at some point this week. New scenarios come up every day. Fans will need to have patience with clubs when it comes to what items we can and cannot collect and the availability of said items. A lot of the Authentics Managers are not back in the office full time. We’re working with skeleton crews if we even have a crew at this point in the year. There’s going to be a lot more game-used memorabilia posted online than there has been before. Transactions are so much easier to process online during pandemic office hours than it is going back and forth with customers via email. TD: Finally, you've been working in baseball a long time. What is some parting wisdom you'd provide to women or a person of color looking to break through and find their niche within the sport? VS: In short, GO WHERE THE JOBS ARE. This is not an industry that you can sit around and wait for a job with the hometown team to open up. Once people get in, they tend to stay, and opportunities are hard to come by. If something opens up in another part of the country, apply. Make sure that the opportunity makes sense for you but apply. I would also tell people to be open to different positions. Everyone wants to work in communications. Everyone wants to work in marketing. Everyone CAN’T work in those departments. Be open to opportunities outside of what you think you want to do. I never intended to work in Ballpark Operations coming out of college but I did what I had to do to get my foot in the door and now I’m running a business for the Twins and I’m 12 years in with the organization. If you’re unsure that you’re qualified for a position? Apply. The worst that can happen is that you get told no. A no is ok. You’re going to get a lot of them trying to get in this industry, but you will get a yes. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

The Minnesota Twins have jumped out to a 7-2 start for the 9th time in franchise history, and first since 2001. Facing arguably the toughest portion of their schedule, they’ve certainly been up to the challenge. Now with some basement dwellers on tap, this is a massively important week. Rocco Baldelli’s club welcomes former bench coach Derek Shelton to Target Field tonight for a two-game, home and home series. The Pirates are just 2-7, don’t have much in the form of Major League talent, and also aren’t ready to call up any impact prospects. The Twins getting four games with a team expected to finish near the bottom of the NL Central is a nice reward following the tough stretch. From there, things don’t get too much tougher either. While the road trip does continue to Kansas City, three games with the Royals is something this very good ballclub should be licking their chops about. Mike Matheny’s group may not finish below the Detroit Tigers, but both clubs should be battling to be the worst in the AL Central. While that’s seven games in a row where Minnesota should be substantial favorites, the schedule also tilts in their direction when it comes to the chief competition. Cleveland has a home and home series with the Reds before traveling to face the White Sox and needing to cannibalize a division rival. Chicago does the home and home thing with Milwaukee to start their week off. Just nine games in the Twins already have a 2.0 game lead, but they also have a +22-run differential with the White Sox behind them at +5. By the end of the week Minnesota could have something like a four or five game lead, and in a season that the number represents over 8% of the total action, that’s substantial. You could make a very solid argument that the Twins toughest part of the season is now behind them. They do have a difficult run in September that spans just over a week and includes the Cardinals, Indians, White Sox, and Cubs as opponents. While that period certainly will determine the division, setting themselves up in such impressive starting position is a very enviable spot to be in. Only the New York Yankees have a better record than Minnesota right now and just the Dodgers have a better run differential (+30). Baldelli’s lineup hasn’t come close to thriving yet, and still a significant part of the damage is being done in the first two innings. However, the Twins haven’t lost when scoring first so jumping on the opposing starter early is hardly a bad strategy. We knew this season was going to be a sprint, and a good start generally sets up the ability for some pace in the middle. Josh Donaldson needs to get healthy and return. The lineup needs to get going. There are some tweaks to be made, but this group is setting up for something special. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

After the Minnesota Twins put starter Homer Bailey on the Injured List due to biceps tendinitis, they needed to come up with another starting option for Monday night’s tilt with Pittsburgh. Despite being Rich Hill’s normal day of work, they’ll turn to the left-handed Aussie Lewis Thorpe. Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports After the Minnesota Twins put starter Homer Bailey on the Injured List due to biceps tendinitis, they needed to come up with another starting option for Monday night’s tilt with Pittsburgh. Despite being Rich Hill’s normal day of work, they’ll turn to the left-handed Aussie Lewis Thorpe. LAST NIGHT’S GAME RECAP Twins 3, Cleveland 1: Bullpen Dominates as Twins Take Series TODAY Twins vs. Pittsburgh, 7:10 pm CT Betting Lines: MIN -1.5, -230, 9.5 O/U Twins: Lewis Thorpe, LHP 2020: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Thorpe last worked on July 30, finishing the final two innings of the game against the Cleveland Indians. In that one Jose Berrios gave up the 2-run homer to Francisco Lindor, but Thorpe was part of a bullpen that kept the deficit where it was. He’s thrown 42 and 20 pitches in his two outings respectively, and while he’s not entirely stretched out, this shouldn’t be a bullpen game either. It’s an extremely small sample size thus far, but Thorpe has seen success in 2020 by missing barrels. His 14.3% hard hit rate is outstanding, and while both his chase and whiff rates are down, he’s keeping hitters off balance. The repertoire doesn’t include high velocity stuff, but he’s featured his slider substantially more this season and it’s been a focus for multiple Twins arms. Pittsburgh: Derek Holland, LHP 2020: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K Holland has made just one start in 2020 and it came against the Milwaukee Brewers. He was nothing short of awful in 2019 but sandwich a nice 2018 campaign for the San Francisco Giants in between that and another terrible season in 2017. Mediocrity across the board is what defines Dutch Oven, and there’s nothing that jumps off the page in terms of his numbers. Showcasing a very similar pitch mix to the Twins Thorpe, Holland does not have nearly the same positives in 2020 action. He has always been susceptible to the long ball, and he started his campaign with one in the debut outing as well. Holland has given up 2.0+ HR/9 twice in his career, and Minnesota’s righties should be licking their chops at that opportunity. LINEUP https://twitter.com/tlschwerz/status/1290356134180790273 TRANSACTION Another day, another transaction. Needing arms, the Twins brought back Caleb Thielbar. When he gets in a game, it'll be the first time since 2015 that he's been in the big leagues. NEWS & NOTES - Tonight will be the return of former Twins bench coach, Derek Shelton. He took over as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020. - Bad news for the Angels and Shohei Ohtani. He made it through just 1.2 IP in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery and underwent an MRI yesterday. https://twitter.com/FabianArdaya/status/1290095415832883200 - The Phillies and Marlins have both had another day of no positive tests. Philadelphia resumes tonight against the Yankees while Miami is back in action tomorrow. - After playing in Minnesota the St. Louis Cardinals had some positive tests and there were postponements. They now appear to be in the outbreak category with a handful more. https://twitter.com/markasaxon/status/1290369901815791616 AROUND THE AL CENTRAL CIN 4, DET 3 (G1) CWS 9, KCR 2 CIN 4, DET 0 (G2) 1. MIN 7-2 (+22) 2. CHW 5-4 (+5) 3. CLE 5-5 (+1) 4. DET 5-5 (-11) 5. KCR 3-7 (-14) SEE ALSO Week in Review: Winning and Wondering Twins Bullpen: Ready When Needed Which 3 Twins Have Started the Strongest? View full article