2013 Spring Training Work Groups

I know the AAA official roster came out and looks like the Work Group, rest are probably the same. Here is the pic of the Work Group assignments that I picked up today. Also gives you an idea of who is staying back in extended ball.

Here's some information that I also picked up at the fields today for those who care. Liam Hendricks was pitching in the Rochester vs New Britain game and he was looking good, velocity appeared to be down and the breaking ball wasn't crisp. After the game he said he felt good on how he threw but felt he needed to hit his spots better. Really nice guy and looks Dunkin Donuts.

 

Buxton looked great in the field and at the plate and in the cages. He's really nice kid and signs everything and anything for the fans. He acts nothing like you would think, nowhere new close to many of those primadonna top picks do. Can't say the same for Miguel Sano. He looks like a butcher over at third, brick hands and poor mobility and that's after working with Molitor every morning at 3B on his defensive skills. The other day Miguel made four errors at 3B in a matter of two innings. But with that bat, he is deadly, when he hits hit, he hits it hard very hard. Off the field he's very much a primadonna, he does respond better when you talk to him in Spanish though; apparently he doesn't know much english. He did rolled up in a brand new BMW with Virginia plates that read "LIQUID".

 

 

Talked to Pete the Bus Driver, now this guy has got a job. He picks the players up at 9am from the Hilton Garden Inn drops them off and sits in the bus until the players are down which today was around 330 as the two games, AAA vs AA and High A vs Low A. He's been the driver for the Miracles and Spring Training the past five years. Talking with him, he said Brian Dozier and Chris Parmelee are stand up guys and probably one of the nicest that he's seen in his time there. He also said there is one guy here who is "uppidity" and that was Miguel Sano but the organization was going to change that with him this year. Much as they always do either that or ship them out. He also had high praise for the Mauer boys. Jake rode shotgun with him for the past few seasons on the bus and he called him a stand up guy. He also called his brother Joe one of the best guys in the game and gave a little story from earlier in the season where Mauer went and caught for Pelfrey in a minor league spring training game. Joe went and caught for him for 5 innings to get in a groove together, they both rode the team bus with the other minor leaguers something most MLBers don't do. After the game, Joe was signing for all the hawks and eventually gets to this 7 year old boy with a little wooden mini bat and asks him to sign it. Joe gets down on eye level with the kid signs for him, gives him and hug and takes a picture with him. Talk about some class.

 

Other tidbits, Grimes is looking very comfortable behind the plate. Alex Meyer was charting for the AAA vs. AA game. Salcedo, Rodgers, May all threw in the High A vs Low A game as well. J.O. Berrios was very pleased to be reminded how he dominated Ellsbury and Crawford in a GCL game last season. I was surprised to see how many of the guys eat at McDonalds, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. Once again, I'm not a diehard Twins fan, that allegiance goes to the Chicago Cubs but I very much respect the Twins organization. Things definitely look to be run the right way, keep it up.

More pictures:

 

Nice postings, but why would you sell out the bus driver. If he in fact said that about Sano - he obviously wouldn't want it posted on line. Bad move Bob.

The driver had no problem with being candid and in fact he had some of the nicer things to say about Sano than others did. He chalked much of it up to a young kid- new place, lots of new money, and knows he's good. I did see Sano with his host "Fort Myers" family at the end of the game and he was extremely sweet and playful with their kids. It was about the only time I saw the guy smile and laugh all day. I left out what one high ranking staffer/coach had said about Sano but said they were working on it.

 

+1, might want to go with the ol "anonymous source" on that one. Former Bus Driver Bob likely working his way out of the circle of trust!

Nay, the driver was as honest as could be and he had no problem with anything that was said being written. As an old New Yorker, he was brutally honest. The driver and I talked for almost an hour, he lives in my neighborhood and his prized possession that he carries around is a ball signed by the Mauer boys, Jake and Joe. I'm not a Bus Driver or even former one by any regards, just a baseball fan who was doing nothing on Easter morning.

 

More tidbits:

Funniest line came from Blake Martin, when he was asked by a young kid, he said his name was Miguel Sano. Which carries more levity as Blake is as pasty white as one can get and rather smaller in size to Miguel's 6'3 200+lb frame.

 

Coach Smith joked with Daniel Santana on enjoying the 84 degree weather in Florida now because it's going to be a lot colder where your going.

 

Markus Solbach and Max Kepler arrived together with some huge cinnamon rolls that they were giving out.

 

Joe Benson when asked if he was upset with not making the MLB club said the club made the right call and that he still has kinks in his swing that he needs to work out and to stay healthy. Benson, Jeff Clement and PJ Walters were all incredibly nice. If I didn't know better I'd say Walters was out on the ranch, cowboy boots and hat and pulled up in a truck that looks like it should be a Monster Truck rally.

 

Probably the biggest dick of the day was Brandon Boggs, when a young kid asked him who he was he told the kid he needed to do a better job.

What's wrong with Kepler?

Do you mean physically? He did all the warm up drills as the rest of the team did, he took some batting practice and did the running but I didn't see him throw much at all or play the field. I did see him working with the trainer stretching out his shoulder and forearms and doing some theraband stetches as well. I'm not a Twins insider but I am a Chiropractor so with the stretches he was doing it looked like focus was on the supraspinatus and serratus anterior with some pec minor and major work as well.

 

Kepler appeared in good spirits and was very jovial with his fellow comrades- he was with Mason Melotikis and Tyler Jones two of more jokster guys out there.

Buxton makes it really hard NOT to root for him. 5 tool athlete yet still acts like the kid next door.