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RJA

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  1. RJA
    Great article. I, too, was at the University of Minnesota when Winfield played baseball and basketball. He joined the basketball team when Musselman recruited him from his intramural team, "The Soulful Strutters". He became part of the iron five that won the title. He ranks up there with Deion, Bo and a few others among the best all around athletes to ever play professional sports. That would be a great discussion topic: who were the best all around athletes in history?
  2. RJA
    I agree with your assessment about so many players having too much swing and miss in their game, but in Rodriguez's case, he is still very young. It is not unusual for a 17-18 year old player to be anxious and overly aggressive. Plus, he has some knowledge of the strike zone as witnessed by his ability to draw some walks. In his case, I think there is reason to believe that his strike outs will go down as he matures. Clearly his power is phenomenal. At this stage of his career, it is all about projection, but the skills are there for him to be special.
  3. RJA
    Good summaries, Nash. Rodriguez is a prospect we can all dream on. If he makes more consistent contact as he matures, he will be climb the rankings quickly. I like the Hajjar pick. He fits the mold of a Twins college arm selection--he has an excellent secondary offering in his changeup, and has room to get a little more giddy up on his fastball. It will be interesting to see if they can get him working consistently in the mid 90's with his heater. It would make his changeup even more effective. Enlow looked ready to break out before TJ. Let's hope he makes a full recovery.
  4. RJA
    Great teaser article, Seth! It gets us all ready for the Top 20. The thing that strikes me about the Twins farm system is the sheer quantity of legitimate prospects. We may not have as many big name prospects that others have, but the depth is amazing. In today's game, with player development processes getting better and better, having great depth in your farm system is the way to go. Just look at the number of pitchers that are adding 3 or 4 mph to their fastballs, without a loss of control, after working with the development team for a few months or a year. And, in many cases the secondary stuff is improving as well. I do confess that I am a bit worried about the performance of some of our first round players--Cavaco, Sabato for example, so it will be a big year for them. It is unusual when first round picks are not in the top 20 prospects list. But, let's hope for big years from both of them so they are on the list for next year. Keith Law has his top 20 Twins prospects out and that is an interesting read as well.
  5. RJA
    I agree it hurts the recent additions to the 40 man as they are hoping that a strong spring training performance will earn them a roster spot or early call up. I think this is especially true of our young pitchers. This is clearly a year when there are spots available (as of now anyway) and if spring training is truncated, they will have much less of a chance to earn a roster spot. Actually, the current labor dispute is the worst possible situation for the Twins as a whole, with no clear starting rotation, no shortstop, loads of young prospects who need a chance to show what they can do, and no ability to make trades until what looks like will be the very last minute this spring. Not doing anything last fall in the free agent or trade market might very well come back and bite the Twins this spring.
  6. RJA
    I am an old guy and can remember how awed I was to see Willie Mays play centerfield. He made it look so effortless that even tough catches were made to look routine. I have seen a lot of great centerfielders since Willie, but Byron is the only one I would put in his class. He is just an incredible talent and truly a generational player. More importantly, he is a great human being. We all pray that he has good health this summer. If he does, Katy bar the door.
  7. RJA
    A pox on both their houses if they don't settle this soon. IF the season has to be shortened, it will make getting off to a fast start extremely important. With what is looking like a young starting rotation, this will be a challenge for the Twins, especially if spring training is truncated. In fact, even if the full season is played, it is important for the Twins to start fast to put last year in the rear view mirror. The White Sox games will be a very important, and a good barometer of where the Twins are at.
  8. RJA
    Thanks for the article, Cody. It is good to remember these players as they were members of our baseball family of players and fans. It is a way to keep their memories alive. Stories like these always remind me to be thankful for every day I have on this earth.
  9. RJA
    Nice article, Sherry. It is fun to learn about folks who work behind the scenes for the Twins. Heather sounds like a talented and dedicated writer. I will check out her stuff. Thanks for writing about her.
  10. RJA
    Great story, Seth, about a remarkable, multi-talented man. I especially like the pictures and video of Lannie Garrett (that lady has a remarkable voice) as they add richness to the article. Nice feature for Black History Month. I can't wait for your next one.
  11. RJA
    If this is anything other than a flyer on a depth piece, we are in trouble. As a depth piece, there is no harm in taking a look to see what he can do. If the negotiations go badly and stretch out, there will be a shortage of players in the upper minors for sure.
  12. RJA
    Lewis and Enlow dropped due to injury and inactivity, but truthfully while both players showed promise, neither player really demonstrated can't miss type performances before their injuries. Cavaco has yet to show why he was a first pick. But, all three of these players were drafted out of high school so there is still time for them to shine despite their injuries and challenges. Miranda is a good example of why we should never write off minor league players too early. But, to answer your question, Cody, I would have to say Cavaco's stock has dropped the most since his performance has not been affected by injury like the others, and he looks a little lost at times.
  13. RJA
    I actually would favor mediation as a way to jump start serious negotiations given the short time frame. I am not certain that MLB suggested mediation only for PR purposes. Sometimes if a negotiator believes his own group as well as the other side are being stubborn, he or she will ask for mediation to move BOTH sides along. In this case, MLB has not been very responsive which may indicate that there are members on the negotiating team that are being inflexible. In addition, when the new PA negotiator was hired he bragged he was going to shake things up which is not the way to start negotiations, it is a bit of a shot across the bow. Let's hope both sides get more flexible and this gets done soon. I do think mediation would help that along.
  14. RJA
    I have seen this kid live and on TV and he has impressed me with his stuff and his poise. I add my name to those who are looking forward to seeing him at Target Field, whether that is at the start of the season or a few weeks in. I think one of the most exciting things in baseball is watching the debut of a young starter or position player at the major league level. It reminds us all that this is a great game and many young men are working their tails off to get to the bigs.
  15. RJA
    I really enjoy these interviews. It allows me to attach a face and personality to these kids. Your interview technique is very relaxed and I think that helps the kids relax. Nice job. I also like the fact you bring up coaches that may have helped the young men on the way up. Rec league and travel team coaches are so important to the development of players that it is good to see them recognized. Keep up the good work, Seth. My compliments.
  16. RJA
    Whose stock rose the most? I would have to say Miranda as he has been in the system longer and had nowhere near the success in prior years as he did last year. He was a guy who was pretty much unknown who became one of the best hitters in minor league baseball last year. What a great story. Let's hope he carries that success to the bigs this year.
  17. RJA
    Good kid with good head on his shoulders and a chance to get better through hard work. I will be pulling for him. It is what I love about baseball--a kid from a small school with a dream of making the bigs gets a chance.
  18. RJA
    Nick, your mention of baseball movies got me thinking that I haven't watched The Perfect Game in a long time. I am going to tee it up this weekend. This lockout too shall pass (I hope!).
  19. RJA
    Yea, I hear you. I'm frustrated as well. Maybe this will be the year.
  20. RJA
    Boy, aren't you Mr. Optimistic :).
  21. RJA
    I agree Celestino could be an important piece regardless of whether Buxton is hurt or not but I think we need another half season at St. Paul to really see if he is ready. He would take on even more importance if Kepler is traded as he would normally spell Buxton on occasion in CF. As for Gordon, it is easy to pull for this kid, but if the Twins think Martin is MLB ready, he would be a better choice as he could play all over as well and has a better bat. But, if trades are on the horizon, Martin, Celestino, Jeffers, Garver and others may be gone, so it is really a crap shoot trying to predict who is going to be where this season. Good topic, Cody. It is fun to noodle these things.
  22. RJA
    Matthew and chpettit19 are spot on as far as I am concerned. But, I too, would love to have Petty be the next Gooden, baseball wise. Hope springs eternal.
  23. RJA
    Another good entry in the series. I think he was a great prospect to take a chance on in the 4th round. He obviously can mash the ball as his consistent performance at all levels demonstrate. It appears that his ceiling will depend on 2 things. First, is there too much swing and miss in his game to make it tougher for him as the quality of pitching he faces gets better and better as he climbs the ladder. In that case he may be similar to Adam Brett Walker. Second, can he find a defensive home that will allow him to be a position player. If not, his bat will have to play well enough for him to DH. Whatever happens, he is the type of player that it is fun to watch, and the Twins were right to give him a shot in my humble opinion.
  24. RJA
    I admit Glasnow has great talent, but he doesn't see the diamond enough to realize his potential. The Twins have shied away from free agent pitchers thinking a 3 or 4 year contract is too risky. So why would they trade for a player coming off TJ who will not pitch this year and will be in his first year back from TJ in 23? I can't think of a bigger risk than that. I cannot believe given his past and TJ that he would even pitch a hundred innings in 23, and then he is a free agent. Now, let's assume I am wrong and he pitches 140-150 innings of great baseball. Then he will be a free agent who will command at least a 3 year contract at a significant salary which is what the Twins traditionally avoid. Finally, the Twins really need help this year. If they are willing to trade Jeffers and Duran, I would try to get someone that could help the next couple of years. Interesting topic.
  25. RJA
    Great article, Nick. I like that you made suggestions about where to go from here. I do not agree with the two comments above. There are loads of free agent impact pitchers that have been successful. Sure there are notable failures as nothing is fool proof, but many have been outstanding. Plus, the problem with trades for the Twins is that they are very unlikely to sign these guys to long term contracts which means you are right back in the same situation in a year or two. Why not sign one free agent for 3 or 4 years, and trade for one additional quality starter. Then you could have a starting rotation of someone like Ray, someone like Montas, Ryan, Ober and let's add Pineda. Now with the young kids coming up, you may be set for 3 or 4 years. If the Twins think they have a window, spend some money and go for it. As for the second comment, I think Polanco is a superb second baseman. He is not a superb shortstop. If you move him, you effectively weaken 2 positions. I think it is better to leave him where he is, and sign an excellent defensive shortstop, giving the young pitchers a great defense up the middle. Just my humble thoughts. Love this kind of discussion.
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