Snappers Want Halladay

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The Yankees. The Red Sox. The Phillies. The Beloit Snappers. What do these teams have in common? They have made proposals to the Toronto Blue Jays in an attempt to acquire Roy Halladay. (check out the Snappers press release) Here is more on that, as well as several other trade rumors. The big one today seems to have Cliff Lee going from Cleveland to the Phillies in a package that could include pitcher Carlos Carrasco, IF Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson. Thoughts?

From Joe Hamrahi (of Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Daily Digest): The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired first baseman Jeff Clement, shortstop Ronny Cedeno and right-handed pitchers Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for shortstop Jack Wilson and right-handed pitcher Ian Snell.

Testa Promoted to Ft. Myers

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Another day. Another promotion. Travis from Travis Talks is reporting that Joe Testa has been promoted to Ft. Myers. The news comes just one day after he pitched in the Midwest League All-Star game. He faced two batters and got two outs. He told me this afternoon that he threw just three pitches. I asked him this afternoon if he had heard anything, but said he hadn’t. We looked at the Miracle roster and saw they were actually down to just 10 pitchers, so I figured it was just a matter of time. And again, according to Travis, the time was this evening. Testa has been excellent out of the Snappers bullpen all season. In 45.2 innings, he had 63 strikeouts. He also had 23 walks. He was 0-2 with a 2.56 ERA. He has recorded seven saves. You recall that Testa signed with the Twins out of Wagner University last year after the draft and pitched for the GCL Twins. When the Miracle needed a left-handed pitcher, Testa walked across the parking lot and performed well until an injury cut short his season. He has definitely earned this promotion.

Again, I don’t know of any subsequent moves that may be necessary, but I will try to keep you updated. Let me know what you think.

FINALLY! Hicks to Beloit!

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All is right in the world!

LaVelle E. Neal posted this afternoon that the Twins have sent Aaron Hicks to Beloit. It should be very interesting to see how he adjusts to the Midwest League. It would be fun to see he and Angel Morales roaming the same outfield! Travis from Travis Talks will be in Beloit this weekend to witness the festivities! Call me officially jealous! 

Any thoughts? Leave your Comments here. And don’t forget to sign up for a reminder for tonight’s SethSpeaks.net Live Chat.

Weekend Update

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I haven’t really posted anything for awhile, and I apologize for that. Unfortunately life had to get in the way, work and other commitments had to take priority. Thank you for your understanding. I should probably go back and do minor league game reports and updates for the last week to ten days, but that may just be a bit much and a bit overwhelming. So, I’ll write about the weekend games and share a few comments on some other topics related to our favorite baseball team. Then I will try to stay on top of things moving forward, so please continue to stop by and be sure to leave your comments.

Last night, I was excited to help KFAN’s Phil Mackey host Twins Weekly in studio from 5 to 6:15. Talking Twins baseball is always fun, but put a microphone in front of me and it is quite an experience. As you know, PMac does a great job on the show, so I thought it went quite well. I thought I would use some of the topics we discussed to start my ramblings about the Twins. (By the way, I also saw a copy of the inaugural issue of Minnesota Poker Magazine, a venture that Mackey and several others have made a reality. So, be sure to check out the site and bookmark it.)

• The Twins won two out of three in Chicago against the Cubs. There were a ton of people from Minnesota at Wrigley, and that would be an amazing experience. If you happen to have been in attendance, please be sure to leave your thoughts.
• After Saturday, the Twins had hit the .500 mark for the season for the first time in a long time. But Sunday’s loss put them a game back again.
• The Twins went 5-5 on this road trip. Winning Sunday would have been great, but for a team that is so bad on the road, we probably should be happy. The Twins also do not generally hit well against pitchers that they have not seen before which is pretty much that whole Oakland pitching staff. The team played well on the road. In the five losses, the Twins lost by a combined six runs.
• The Outfield Situation is a mess right now. It was bad enough with Denard Span back in Minneapolis and Michael Cuddyer manning CF, flanked by Delmon Young and Jason Kubel, but Saturday and Sunday, Cuddyer was out too. So, when they promoted #3 catcher Jose Morales to the big leagues for Sunday’s game, I thought it was perplexing. Why not call up Jason Pridie just to have a fourth outfielder. What is one of the outfielders would have been hurt on Sunday? I believe Matt Tolbert would have been in the outfield while two catchers sat on the bench.
• As Jose Morales has done in his time with the Twins this season, Anthony Swarzak showed that he can be a big league starting pitcher if an opportunity presents itself. That’s all you can hope for from a injury replacement. Swarzak’s seven shutout innings on Saturday against the Cubs showed that again. He was sent to Rochester following the game where he hopefully has been given a list of two or three things to work on. I expect we will see him in the Twins rotation again in the near future.
• Scott Baker gave up two runs on just five hits and no walks on Sunday. Swarzak gave up no runs on four hits and a walk on Saturday. Kevin Slowey struck out ten in the first five innings on Friday before giving up three sixth inning runs. Nick Blackburn has been the team’s best starting pitcher in 2009. He has certainly been the most consistent. Francisco Liriano has had two straight quality starts. Glen Perkins takes the mound for the Twins on Tuesday against the Pirates, and you have to wonder how long his leash is. My personal opinion is that he was really good this year when healthy. The big question is when did his arm start hurting, and how much of his struggle was due to the arm. He should be given at least three starts before discussing any alternatives.
• Jesse Crain has been the brunt of much criticism the last couple of months. I have been as big of a Crain supporter for the better part of six years, and I simply can’t do it any more. He has experienced too much success in a Twins uniform to completely abandon, but why he was brought in to a 2-2 game in the bottom of the ninth against the Cubs’ 3-4-5 hitters is beyond me. I understand not bringing in Joe Nathan and Matt Guerrier, but Jose Mijares could have thrown. I think I may have preferred seeing R.A. Dickey in that situation. Now, I am not certain, but I think that Crain must have some options left. Since Crain made his big league debut with the Twins in early August of 2004, he has not been optioned to the minor leagues. Does this mean that he has three options left? If so, Bobby Keppel is sure looking good at Rochester right now! There is precendence for such a move. The Twins sent Kyle Lohse and JC Romero to AAA after they had spent significant time in the big leagues.
• Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel are very good. Need I say more?
• I actually am happy with Gardy’s decision to go with Brendan Harris at shortstop with Nick Punto taking over at 2B. Harris has been a better defensive shortstop this year than Punto (small sample?). In reality, have there been any plays the last couple of weeks that Harris did not make that Punto would have? And Harris has earned the right to play every day. 2B has been a mess for the Twins. Alexi Casilla has disappointed, and Matt Tolbert simply is not a very good player. If Punto can hit .260-.280 the rest of the season and play good defense, he is likely their best option. I certainly think this is the best option the Twins have.
• The Twins decided last week to go with a lot of college players, and their top four picks were all college pitchers. I liked the picks because they are risks, but their upsides are terrific. The Twins don’t have a lot of #1 type of pitchers, and I believe the Kyle Gibson can be that. Ben Tootle will need to get bigger again, but he was a guy who was predicted to go higher. Derek McCallum was a great choice in the fourth round. Not only is he a local guy, but he can flat out hit and is good with the glove. I’m not certain why they went with a couple of catchers so early, but you need guys behind the plate. I like the Eric Decker pick as well, and I hope that the two sides can reach some sort of creative agreement so that he can play. I will have much more on the Twins draft later in the week.
• The Twins have a much-needed day off again on Monday before starting at three game home series against the Pirates. That will be followed by three games at the Metrodome against the Houston Astros. This would be a good time for the Twins to make a run!
• Tonight at 9:00 central time, there will be a new, live episode of the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast. There are a couple of guests lined up already, so be sure to check that out.      

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Friday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – James Beresford, Beloit Snappers

Friday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Matt Fox, New Britain Rockcats

Saturday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Erik Lis, New Britain Rockcats

Saturday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Dan Osterbrock, Beloit Snappers

Sunday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Jair Fernandez, Ft. Myers Miracle

Sunday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Steve Hirschfeld, Ft. Myers Miracle

Be sure to check out Roger’s Weekly Minor League Update.

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday –Rochester 1, Toledo 2 – Bobby Keppel threw a great game, but the offense just was not able to support him. Keppel went all eight innings and gave up two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out four, dropping his ERA to 2.36. Justin Huber and Trevor Plouffe each went 2-4.

Saturday –Rochester 2, Toledo 4 – Justin Huber had a good game. He went 2-4 with his seventh double and fifth home run. David Winfree was 2-4 with his 15^th double. Philip Humber fell to 1-4 with this game. In 5.1 innings, he gave up four runs (3 earned) on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three. Armando Gabino struck out three in 1.2 innings. Tim Lahey worked a scoreless inning.  

Sunday –Rochester 1, Toledo 6 – Brian Duensing gave up four runs on ten hits in six innings to take the loss. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out five. Ben Hendrickson pitched the seventh inning and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. Rob Delaney threw a perfect inning, striking out two. Steve Tolleson is now batting third for the Red Wings and after he went 2-4 with his sixth AAA double, he is now hitting .352.   

ROCKCAT RECAP

Friday – New Britain 1, Bowie 2 – Matt Fox continues to pitch well and really is deserving of a promotion. In this game, he went the first seven innings. He gave up a run on four hits and a walk while striking out six. He dropped his ERA to 2.64. Alex Burnett took the loss. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk over two innings. Wilson Ramos went 1-2 before pulling his hamstring, which will keep him out of the lineup for up to another month. Juan Portes and Brian Dinkelman went 1-3 with a walk.   

Saturday – New Britain 6, Bowie 5 – Carlos Gutierrez was much improved in his second AA start and Erik Lis helped provide the offense. Lis went 4-4 with a walk and two RBI. Yancarlos Ortiz went 2-4 with a walk. Whit Robbins and Matt Moses each went 2-5. Gutierrez against went five innings in this game. He gave up one run on five hits and three walks. He did not record a strikeout. Frank Mata got just one out and gave up three runs (2 earned) on two hits and a walk. Jose Lugo came in and gave up only an unearned run over 2.1 innings. He gave up three hits and three walks while striking out three. Yohan Pino came in and got the final out of the 8^th inning. Anthony Slama struck out two in a scoreless ninth and was credited with the Win.

Sunday – New Britain 2, Bowie 5 – Ryan Mullins took another loss. He gave up four runs (2 earned) on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. Zach Ward came in and gave up a run on two hits and a walk in 2.1 innings. Alex Burnett was perfect for 2.1 innings to lower his AA ERA to 1.54. Whit Robbins went 2-4 with his 16^th double.

MIRACLE MEMOS

Friday – Ft. Myers 1, Daytona 6 – Deolis Guerra falls to 4-6 after going just four innings in this game. He gave up six runs (3 earned) on six hits. He walked three and struck out seven. Loek Van Mil continues to impress. He threw two shutout innings, striking out two. Spencer Steedley and Henry Arias each threw a scoreless inning. Evan Bigley went 2-4, and Steve Singleton hit his second home run.  

Saturday – Ft. Myers, Daytona – Postponed by Rain.

Sunday – Game 1 – Ft. Myers 1, Daytona 8 – I’m certain Mike McCardell would like a Do-Over for the start of this game. He gave up eight runs in just 1/3 of an inning before leaving the game. He gave up four hits and walked three. Just one of the eight runs was earned as there were also three errors in that inning, one on McCardell. In reality, only one run really should have scored in the inning. Santos Arias then struck out four over the next 3.2 innings. Blair Erickson and Henry Arias each pitched a scoreless inning. The Miracle had just three hits. Nick Romero hit his second home run.  

Sunday – Game 2 – Ft. Myers 4, Daytona 1 – Rain shorted the second half of the double header after seven innings. Steve Hirschfeld picked up the win in a spot-start. He threw five shutout innings, allowing just two hits. He walked three and struck out four. Kyle Waldrop gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. Spencer Steedey is credited with the Save with a scoreless inning which dropped his ERA to 0.61 on the season. Jair Fernandez led the offense. He went 2-3 with his fifth double and first home run. Steve Singleton was 2-3 with a walk and his tenth double. Deibinson Romero and Evan Bigley each went 2-4. Ben Revere was 1-2 with two walks.

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Friday – Beloit 10, Burlington 5 – Dan Berlind got some run support to improve to 2-6 on the season. In seven innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on four hits and two walks. Blake Martin struck out three over the final two scoreless innings. James Beresford went 3-5 with a walk. Ozzie Lewis was 3-5. Nathan Hanson went 2-4. Drew Thompson and Ramon Santana each had a hit and two walks.

Saturday – Beloit 4, Burlington 1 – Dan Osterbrock went 6.1 innings to improve to 4-5. He gave up a run on six hits and a walk. Joe Testa recorded his sixth save, striking out four over 2.2 innings. The Snappers managed just six hits. Ramon Santana hit his 13^th double.   

Sunday – Beloit 2, Clinton 9 – The Snappers managed just two hits in this one. Bobby Lanigan gave up one run over the first 3.1 innings. He gave up four hits, walked none and struck out six. Danny Rondon gave up an unearned run over the next 2.2 innings. He struck out three. Steve Blevins gave up a run on two hits and a walk in two innings to suffer the loss. Matt Williams gave up six runs (just two earned) on four hits and a walk in one inning.   

Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Saturday Game Reports

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From my BaseballDigest.com Game Recap –

The Twins had several opportunities and really should have won, but instead, they had to work some overtime, burn the bullpen and in the end lost 10-7 to the Kansas City Royals in 11 innings. The game was back and forth throughout. Both teams had several opportunities to take over the game, but both teams squandered opportunities.

Glen Perkins started for the Twins and gave up five runs on ten hits in six innings. Luis Ayala came in and gave up two runs (1 earned) on three hits in 1.1 innings. Jose Mijares came in and got the final two outs. But an Alexi Casilla error caused another tying run to score. Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth. Matt Guerrier threw a scoreless tenth. Then in the 11th inning, Craig Breslow came in and walked three out of the four batters he faced. He left with the bases loaded, and R. A. Dickey was the only bullpen arm still available. The knuckleballer came in and didn’t throw any knuckleballs in a walk to John Buck that gave the Royals the lead. A fielder’s choice and a single later, the Royals had the 10-7 lead that Joakim Soria held onto in the bottom of the inning.

In his second game, Joe Mauer had four more hits. Delmon Young, in the lineup because Jason Kubel was scratched because he was sick, went 3-4 with two RBI. Michael Cuddyer went 2-4 with his second home run. Joe Crede, back from a day with his wife who gave birth to their third child, went 2-5.

On Sunday afternoon, the Twins will send Scott Baker to the mound against the Royals’ Gil Meche.

OTHER NOTES

• Craig Breslow – 6.2 innings, 9 walks. I know he’s smart and has something like 57 different pitches in his arsenal. However, he needs to pick out like four or five of them that you can throw for strikes! Otherwise, Brian Duensing should be on call.
• Nick Punto – sure, he has been on Web Gems a lot in previous seasons. But this year, how many times has he bounced throws to 1B. He certainly doesn’t have Bartlett-like range.
• Carlos Gomez – I don’t know if I can put up with watching him anymore. Sure, he covers a lot of ground on defense. I get that. But he can’t hit, he doesn’t even try to bunt for hits anymore, he can’t lay down a sacrifice bunt, and clearly the plate discipline that he was trying to develop didn’t happen yet. How he has a big league gig is beyond me right now.
• Alexi Casilla – he’s not quite in my ‘ready-to-give-up-on’ or ‘send-him-to-Rochester’ lists, but it’s getting close. He at least takes pitches and generally has good swings. Maybe it’s the turf, but he does not seem to have much range on ground balls either.
• Ron Gardenhire – He made the perfect move in the 8^th inning when he brought Jason Kubel off of the bench as a pinch hitter for Alexi Casilla. It forced Trey Hillman’s hand, and he brought lefty Ron Mahay into the game. If Kubel was too sick to play today, it didn’t make a lot of sense for him to pinch hit in that situation. And, because he was pinch hitting for Casilla, the perfect move would have been to have Brendan Harris pinch hit for Kubel. That would have created a righty-lefty matchup with one of the Twins best right handed hitters. It would have been perfect to use Kubel as a decoy to get the matchup you wanted. Instead, Kubel was left in to face Mahay, and he struck out to end the threat.
• 0-2 – That is a good pitcher’s count. Why do Twins pitchers give up so many solid base hits when the count is 0-2? It goes back to Brad Radke who did the same thing.  
• Like Torii Hunter, Doug Mientkiewicz has never seen a microphone he didn’t like. But this time, I’m listening. It is great to read him come out with statements about his former high school teammate, Alex Rodriguez, whose most recent round of questions brought up by Selena Roberts involves him taking steroids as early as high school. “There’s no way. I was with him too much, I was with him for too long. Our team was together, like, 20 hours of the day. Every day.”

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

• Roger posted his weekly minor league report at Twinkie Town.

ROCHESTER REPORT

Saturday – Game 1 – Rochester 5, Indianapolis 1 – Philip Humber made his first Red Wings start and did very well. He gave up just one run on three hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out three to gain his first win. Sean Henn got the final six outs, allowing only one hit. Dustin Martin went 2-2, was hit by a pitch and stole two bases. Luke Hughes went 2-3 with an RBI.

Saturday – Game 2 – Rochester 2, Indianapolis 3 (8 innings) – The Red Wings managed just four hits in this game. Matt Tolbert had a double and a triple. Trevor Plouffe also hit a triple. Brian Duensing started this one and gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings. Juan Morillo threw a perfect inning in relief. He needed just six pitches, and four of them were strikes. Mike Gosling pitched a scoreless seventh inning, but he gave up a run with one out in the bottom of the 8^th inning.

 ROCKCAT RECAP

Saturday – New Britain 7, Trenton 6 – Jeff Manship put together and incredible start in this game, and the bullpen held on, barely. Manship worked the first seven innings and gave up no runs on just one hit. He walked one and struck out five to earn his second win of the season. Zach Ward came in and gave up two hits and two walks before being taken out of the game without recording an out. Yohan Pino came in and gave up one hit, but did get the team out of the inning with a three run lead. Anthony Slama recorded his third save, but he struggled. He gave up two runs on a hit and two walks. He struck out one. Rene Tosoni went 2-4 with his third double and first stolen base. Matt Moses and Brian Dinkelman were each 2-3 with a walk. Whit Robbins hit his second home run. Brandon Roberts had a double and drove in three runs.  

MIRACLE MEMOS

Saturday –Ft. Myers 6, Charlotte 4 – David Bromberg gave up two funs on four hits and four walks in five innings, but he won his second game of the season. Steve Hirschfeld gave up two runs (1 earned) on one hit and one walk. Henry Arias picked up his first save by throwing two shutout innings. Steve Singleton went 3-5 with his fifth double. Chris Parmelee went 3-4 with his third double, fourth homer and three RBI. Ben Revere went 2-5 with his 12^th stolen base.    

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Saturday – Beloit 6, Great Lakes 18 – Dan Osterbrock had another bad start in this one and falls to 0-3. In just 2.1 innings, he gave up nine runs on nine hits, including two home runs. He walked two, hit one and struck out two. Bruce Pugh went the next 2.2 innings and gave up just one run. Henry Reyes then gave up seven runs on seven hits and two walks in just 1.2 innings. Steve Blevins gave up a run over the final 2.1 innings. The offense was able to score six runs despite getting just six hits. Ozzie Lewis and Jonathan Waltenbury each hit their first home runs of the season. Drew Thompson got his first hit, a double.   

Please feel free to Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Weekend Updates

Welcome back to the work week. I am happy to report that after a week away, I am back home so hopefully, for the readers of this site and any of my other blogs, there should be a return to normalcy. This blog posting will take a look back at the weekend. The Twins won two out of three games in Cleveland. There were certainly some interesting performances at each of the Twins minor league affiliates. Joe Mauer played three games for the Ft. Myers Miracle. The Rochester Red Wings played a game with a football score on Saturday. Shooter Hunt was back on the mound, which has become a story in itself.

 

To hear more about the weekend series and look forward to the upcoming home series against Tampa Bay, be sure to tune in to the MNGameNight.com podcast. I joined The Twins Geek and Kyle Eliason to do the show. Instead of doing it over the phone, he set up a studio with cool MacGyver-like microphones, a sound board, and several retakes. But it was a lot of fun, and having listened to the podcast a couple of times, I think it turned out quite well. So please, check it out, listen to it, and then e-mail me any comments that you may have on it.

 

Speaking of podcasts, be sure to check out the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast tonight at 9:00 p.m. central time. Please note that this is a change as previously I had been posting on Tuesday nights. I am looking forward to this change because Mondays are more frequently off days for the Twins and their affiliates. I do have a couple of confirmed guests for the show. I’ll try to send out a schedule tomorrow afternoon. Be sure to click on the link and set up the RSS Feed for the show.  

 

One other topic for discussion is the Minnesota Vikings selection of Percy Harvin, a WR type from Florida, in the first round (22^nd overall) despite reports that he is not one of the best people in the world. However, he can be a dynamic, impact player for the Vikings if he can stay healthy and stay out of trouble. The obvious comparison there is to Randy Moss, who the Vikings were thrilled to take later in the first round. He certainly became an impact player, if not the best WR in NFL history. Some people are trying to force the comparison between Harvin and Twins reliever Jose Mijares. I don’t really get the comp. Yes, they both have some off field issues they needed to address, but for Mijares those were work and worth ethic. For Harvin, those off field problems are legal problems (like failing a drug test at the combine. For Mijares, it has been probably like weight control and composure. So, let me ask this, when is the last time that the Twins signed or drafted a guy with a questionable history. Have there been any?

 

FRIDAY – TWINS 5, CLEVELAND 1

SATURDAY – TWINS 7, CLEVELAND 1

SUNDAY – TWINS 2, CLEVELAND 4

Before the season, most people thought these were the two teams that would challenge for the AL Central crown. They may still be, but when the series started, they were the bottom two teams in the division. The Twins got two out of three games this weekend. On the road, you have to be thrilled with that.  

Here are a few other thoughts from the series:

·         Nick Blackburn pitched well. He gave up one run in seven innings on Friday night.  

·         Kevin Slowey pitched excellent. He threw eight shutout innings on Saturday and fully took advantage of a larger strike zone. He was allowed to go out to the mound for the 9^th inning, in an attempt to get a shutout, but three soft singles loaded the bases and Luis Ayala came in to finish the game.  

·         Joe Crede began the series with a .167 batting average. He went 4-12 in the series, with a home run, to raise his average to .204. That’s still not good, but his defense remains excellent, and although he won’t hit for my batting average, he should hit for some power as the season moves forward. The funny thing is that some fans have already given up on Crede. If that is the case, imagine if the Twins had traded for Mark Derosa. The Cleveland utility player went 0-3 on Sunday to drop his season batting average to .195. Their averages are about the same, but Crede’s defense is significantly better, so I would say that the Twins made the right decision.

·         Jose Morales started in the Friday and Sunday games. Not only did he go 2-4 Friday and 4-4 Sunday, but he also threw out his first would-be base stealer, the aforementioned Mark Derosa. I have been asked several times if I think that the Twins should keep Morales up in the big leagues when Joe Mauer comes back. That answer is easy. Of course not, he should go to Rochester and play. Mike Redmond has earned his role on this team over the last three or four seasons. He has an adequate bat (.300 from a backup catcher is just fine!) He has just 31 at bats so far this season, so his .226 batting average would be nearly .300 with just two more hits. Defensively, he is yet to throw anyone out, but he will come around. Also, he does a very good job of game calling. Again, Morales can hit a little bit. As a big leaguer, he will hit for a little average, won’t take many walks and won’t show any power. He could be an adequate backup. But he does have options, Redmond is on the roster and deserves to be, and we will see him again. The bigger questions regarding the catching position comes after the season when the Twins need to determine if they want Mike Redmond on the roster to open Target Field, and where Jose Morales’s defense is, where Drew Butera’s offense is, and how much Wilson Ramos still needs to do.     

·         Jason Kubel continues to impress. On Saturday, he went 3-5 with two home runs in the Twins win. The big question for Twins fans should be, who will lead the Twins in Home Runs in 2009, Justin Morneau or Jason Kubel?

·         If 22 year old Carlos Gomez isn’t going to play every day (and he shouldn’t), shouldn’t he be playing every day at Rochester? Doesn’t that just make sense?

·         The Twins much maligned bullpen worked six shutout innings over the three game series.

·         The Twins will now send Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Nick Blackburn to the Metrodome’s mound this week to face Jeff Niemann, James Shields and Scott Kazmir.

 

 

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

With that, here are the reports on the Twins minor league games from the weekend along with a few other notes:

·         By the way, this is something that just needs to be recognized:

1.      Rob Delaney 2009 – 9 games, 13.1 innings, 12 hits, 0 walks, 19 strikeouts.

2.      Anthony Slama 2009 – 7 games, 7.2 innings, 4 hits, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts.

3.      I think all those veterans at Rochester should start filling out their resumes.

·         On the polar opposite side of the spectrum are a couple of stories:

1.      First, it was reported on Friday that Twins minor leaguer Hank Sanchez, supplemental first round pick in 2005, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a drug of abuse. Sanchez was supposed to be providing right handed power for the Twins organization, but he has been hurt most of his professional career, and when he has been healthy, he has struck out a ton.

2.      The Twins second first round pick last year, Shooter Hunt, pitched again on Sunday afternoon. See how well he threw in the game report below. Here are his complete season stats to this point. He has pitched in 11.2 innings over four starts. He has walked 23 and struck out ten! Not good.

·         Be sure to read up on two Twins prospects that had high expectations, didn’t pan out as anticipated, and have started this season very strong. The article by cmathewson is at Twinkie Town.  

·         Also, be sure to check out Roger’s Weekly Twins Minor League report from this weekend.

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday – Rochester 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 6 – Anthony Swarzak was the tough-luck loser again in this game. He fell to 0-3 with just a 1.59 ERA. Swarzak gave up two runs on five hits and an intentional walk in six innings. Sean Henn struck out two in his scoreless innings. Bobby Keppel then gave up four runs on six hits in just 0.2 innings. Mike Gosling came in and struck out the lone batter he faced to get out of that 8^th inning. Carmen Pignatiello struck out two in his scoreless ninth inning. Trevor Plouffe went 2-4 with his third double.

Saturday – Rochester 14, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 17 (13 innings) – The Barons kicked that 13^th inning field goal to win this one. What a game. Each team scored one run in the 10^th, the 11^th and the 12^th innings before the game-deciding 13^th inning. Reid Santos started and in 4.2 innings, he gave up six runs on six hits and four walks. Ben Julianel gave up an unearned run on a hit in 0.1 innings. Mike Gosling gave up two runs in 2.1 innings. He struck out five. Sean Henn gave up two unearned runs in 1.2 innings. Armando Gabino gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in his three innings. Carmen Pignatiello gave up three runs in the 13^th. The bats definitely did their part in this game. Brock Peterson went 3-6 with a walk, two doubles and his first home run. Luke Hughes went 3-6 with a walk, a triple, and two home runs. Matt Macri went 2-7 with his second and third home runs. Dustin Martin was 3-7 with a double. Drew Butera went 2-3 with two walks. Justin Huber made his Red Wings debut and went 2-2 with a double and a home run before getting hurt. He has a sore hamstring that will keep him out of action. To activate him, Tommy Watkins went on the seven-day DL with a “sore hamstring.”  

Sunday – Rochester 7, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3 – As you would imagine, after Saturday’s game, the Red Wings needed some solid pitching, and they got it. Brian Duensing started and gave up three runs on five hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out six. Philip Humber made his first appearance since clearing waivers. He threw two scoreless innings. Bobby Keppel threw two shutout frames. Alejandro Machado went 2-3 with a walk. David Winfree and Jeff Christy each had a double and two RBI.  

 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Friday – New Britain 3, Trenton 6 – Danny Valencia is on fire. In this game, he went 3-4 with his second double and first triple. Wilson Ramos went 2-4. Yancarlos Ortiz went 2-5. Cole Devries started and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings. Jose Lugo gave up three runs on three hits. Rob Delaney struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings. Zach Ward gave up an unearned run on one hit in his inning.

Saturday – New Britain 5, Trenton 1 – Matthew Fox got his first win of the 2009 season. He started and threw seven shutout innings. He allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five. Rob Delaney then gave up a run on two hits in one inning. Anthony Slama struck out the side in the ninth. Rene Tosoni and Toby Gardenhire each went 2-4. Whit Robbins had a double with three RBI.

Sunday – New Britain 11, Trenton 3 – Jeff Manship finally got some run support and recorded his first win of the season. He gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. Jose Lugo, Frank Mata and Yohan Pino each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Danny Valencia was a single short of the cycle. He hit his third double, second triple and second home run. Juan Portes had two doubles in five at bats. Rene Tosoni went 2-5 with his third home run and three RBI. Wilson Ramos went 2-4 with his second double. Matt Moses went 2-4 with a walk and his third double. Yancarlos Ortiz went 2-4.

 

MIRACLE MEMOS

So as not to overplay it within each game report, Joe Mauer did play in all three games for the Miracle. He caught Friday night and Saturday night, and he was the DH on Sunday night. What he does at the plate isn’t important, in my mind. He will be just fine with the bat. It is good to see how well he worked with the Miracle pitchers. Be sure to specifically note how well the Miracle starts performed Friday and Saturday, and ask yourself if you think Mauer had anything to do with that.

Friday –Ft. Myers 3, Jupiter 1 – Michael McCardell did not pitch well in his first two starts, so it was great to see him pitch well in this game. The big righty gave up just one hit and one walk in six innings. He struck out six. Kyle Waldrop gave up two hits, but no runs, in his inning. Blair Erickson gave up a run on a hit and a walk in 1.2 innings. Spencer Steedley got the final out and recorded his first save of the season. Joe Mauer went 2-4 with a double and two RBI. Chris Parmelee went 2-4 with the other RBI.

Saturday –Ft. Myers 1, Jupiter 2 (10 innings) – Carlos Gutierrez showed exactly what he could be as a starting pitcher in this game. In seven innings, he gave up just one unearned run on two hits. He walked none and struck out just one. In seven innings, he needed just 73 pitches. He coaxed 17 ground outs, and three fly outs in the game. Henry Arias walked two and struck out two in his inning. Alex Burnett pitched a scoreless ninth before giving up an unearned run in the 10^th for the loss. Joe Benson went 2-5 with his third double. Joe Mauer went 0-3.

Sunday –Ft. Myers 1, Jupiter 5 – Deolis Guerra was putting together another solid performance, until the 6^th inning. He gave up five runs on six hits and two walks in six innings. Through five, he had given up just two runs on two hits. Santos Arias struck out three in this two scoreless innings. Joe Mauer and Chris Cates went 2-4. Estarlin de Los Santos went 2-5.  

 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Friday – Beloit 7, Quad Cities 5 – Alexander Soto was the story in this game. The catcher went 4-4 with his third double and second home run. Ozzie Lewis went 3-4. Ramon Santana went 2-3 with a walk. Henry Reyes made the start and it didn’t go so well. He gave up five runs on five hits and two walks in just four innings. He struck out five. Danny Rondon struck out two in his three innings. Bruce Pugh gave up two hits and a walk in 1.2 scoreless innings. Matt Williams came in and got the final out.

Saturday – Beloit, Kane County – Postponed by Rain.   

Sunday – Game 1 – Beloit 6, Kane County 11 – Michael Allen was a sleeper pick for many this past offseason. This was not a good start. In just 1.1 innings, he gave up eight runs (7 earned) on seven hits, a walk and a hit batter. Dan Belind came in and gave up three runs (2 earned) on three hits in 3.2 innings. Joe Testa struck out two in his inning of work. Nick Romero went 3-3 with his second homer and four RBI in the game. Ramon Santana went 2-3 with a walk and his third double. Ozzie Lewis went 2-4 with an RBI.

Sunday – Game 2 – Beloit 7, Kane County 8 – Let’s be honest… when Shooter Hunt pitches, people take notice. It’s that whole “train wreck” thing. In this game, Hunt gave up four runs on one hit, six walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches in just two innings. Steve Blevins then gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. Danny Rondon then struck out three, but walked three, in two innings. Nick Romero went 2-2 with a walk and two RBI. Ramon Santana went 2-3 with his fourth double. Evan Bigley went 2-4.  

 

 

That is it for today. Enjoy your week!  Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Friday Night Lights

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

TWINS 11, ANGELS 9

KEYNOTE STORY – I mean, really… is there any question who produced tonight’s big story? Jason Kubel came into his 8^th inning at bat with a single, a double, and a triple. He had already missed one opportunity to hit for the cycle. The Angels had intentionally walked Justin Morneau in front of Kubel to load the bases. So, with the Twins trailing by two runs, Kubel came to the plate and on the second pitch, he gave himself the cycle and he gave the Twins the lead with a grand slam. Kubel became the ninth player in Twins history to hit for the cycle. Carlos Gomez was the most recent, and he did it in 2008. More importantly, Kubel’s blast completed a comeback that saw the Twins fall behind 8-3, and then 9-4 going into the bottom of the eighth. Kubel’s home run capped a seven run inning. He went 4-5 with five RBI. Here are a few other thoughts on the game:

·         Nick Blackburn pitched pretty well. He gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks in 6.1 innings.

·         Unfortunately, the bullpen did not help him out. Five runs scored in that 7^th inning for the Angels. Jesse Crain came in with runners on and it didn’t go well. He had to throw 30 more pitches and got just one out before four runs scored on two hits and three walks. Matt Guerrier came in and gave up a run over the next 1.1 innings. Another rough night for the Twins bullpen.

·         Once Kubel gave the Twins the lead though, Joe Nathan came on for the ninth inning and pitched a perfect ninth inning.

·         For the first time this season, Jason Kubel played in the OF, making the start in LF.

·         Denard Span made his second consecutive start in CF which means that Carlos Gomez did not start for the second straight game.

·         Span, Mike Redmond and Michael Cuddyer each had two hits. 

·         Saturday night, the Twins and Angels will play the middle game of this series, starting at 6:05 p.m. The Twins will send Kevin Slowey to the mound to face the Angels lefty Darren Oliver.  

 

HUMBER DFA’d, MORILLO CLAIMED

Hours before last night’s game, the Twins made a couple of transactions. First, they Designated Philip Humber for Assignment. It was time. He got a few opportunities and it was pretty clear that he would not be much help to even the back end of the Twins bullpen. I still contend that given time, he would have been better than Brian Bass, but the Twins bullpen situation requires immediate attention. He will go through the waiver process, and if he is claimed, he will go to the other team. If he is not claimed, the Twins will have ten days to trade him, release him or send him to Rochester. If they are able to, I think it would be great if he could remain in the organization.

 

Twenty-five year old Juan Morillo was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies, and the Twins claimed him. He has pitched in just 8.2 innings out of the bullpen in three stints over the last three years with the Rockies. Last year in AAA, in 59.2 innings, he gave up just 53 hits. He struck out 55. Unfortunately he also walked 56 batters. So why would the Twins want him? Well, that ability to throw 100 mph is something very few people are able to do. He is still very young, and many believe that Rick Anderson can work miracles. Worst case scenario – He never is able to find control, he walks several batters in low leverage situations. He sticks with the Twins for a few weeks, maybe a month, allowing Jose Mijares, Rob Delaney and Anthony Slama a little more time. Best case scenario – Rick Anderson finds something and Morillo gains some control. He pitches well in low leverage situation and gradually starts pitching in the 7^th innings, then the 8^th inning. Have I mentioned that 100 mph fastball? I see this as an excellent move for the Twins. It is a very low risk and potentially very high reward acquisition.

 

BULLPEN WOES

The last two games, the Twins starters have made solid starts. Then the bullpen has completely lost it. Jesse Crain has now pitched Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That kind of usage is what really hurt Matt Guerrier in 2008. Before being used frequently three straight games (and 14 out of 17 games in one stretch), he had nothing left. Crain and Guerrier are the Twins bullpen hopes to get the ball to Joe Nathan, so they really should not be used like this.

 

Here is me admitting I was wrong. I still have confidence in Joe Nathan, Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier. I think Craig Breslow will be solid most of the time. And R.A. Dickey will be just fine as the mop up man. That means that Luis Ayala is a big question mark. I liked the signing when it happened. I do think he will be alright, and I don’t think anyone was claiming he would be an 8^th inning guy, but he has been incredibly hittable to this point. We can’t give up on him yet, but I would also say that he may want to start performing soon because I think Bill Smith has shown he won’t hesitate to let a veteran go.

 

Juan Cruz would have helped this team. Joe Nelson would have been a great addition. Russ Springer could have helped out a lot. However, if they were being used as much as Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier and others in the Twins bullpen are being used to this point, they likely would not be much more productive. And no, I’m not advocating the signing of Pedro Martinez at this point, unless he’ll sign for $2 million or less, and he won’t.

 

At this point, the guys they have need to be given a month. If at that time, they still are not ready, that is when they should go to Jose Mijares, Rob Delaney and Anthony Slama.     

 

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

With that, here are the reports on the Twins minor league games from Friday night, but first, be sure to check out this terrific article on Ben Revere. It discusses from a scout’s perspective what the Twins saw when they were watching him play (and they did a lot) in high school. I think the article gives a very good view of what scouts look for. The picture (see it at www.SethSpeaks.net) is of Ben Revere with his five Twins awards presented to him earlier in spring training.

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday – Rochester 0, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 11 – The Red Wings were shut out for the second straight game despite notching nine hits. David Winfree went 2-4 with his fifth double. Reid Santos started and gave up five runs (3 earned) on eight hits and three walks in five innings. Sean Henn struck out five hitters in two shutout innings. Carmen Pignatiello moved back to the bullpen now that Brian Duensing is back with the Red Wings. He pitched the 8^th inning and gave up six runs on five hits and a walk.     

 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Friday – New Britain 1, New Hampshire 11 – After a nice first AA start, this one didn’t go so well for Cole Devries. In 4.1 innings, he gave up five runs on six hits and three walks. But Yohan Pino’s performance was really non-good. In 1.1 innings, he gave up six runs on nine hits, including two home runs. Zach Ward struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings. Rob Delaney struck out two in 1.2 shutout innings. The Rockcats bats managed just seven hits. Erik Lis went 2-4. Toby Gardenhire went 2-3 with a double.

 

MIRACLE MEMOS

Friday –Ft. Myers 1, St. Lucie 3 – The Miracle managed just four hits in this game. Ben Revere went 1-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Steve Singleton went 1-3 with a walk and a double. Tyler Robertson went the first four innings and gave up a run on two hits and three walks. He struck out three. Kyle Waldrop took the loss despite pitching very well. In three innings, he gave up one run on four hits. Spencer Steedley gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk in his inning.

 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Friday – Beloit 6, Burlington 5 (10 innings) – Ramon Santana is off to a terrific start for the Snappers this season. Tonight was his best moment yet of this young season. The shortstop went 2-5, but his solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the 10^th inning ended the game and gave the Snappers the win. Nick Romero went 3-5 with a stolen base. Dominic de la Osa went 2-5 with a double and a triple. Michael Harrington went 2-4 with his second double. Nathan Hanson was 2-4. Alexander Soto hit his first home of the year. Bobby Lanigan made the start. He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. Joe Testa walked three and struck out two in two innings. He gave up two runs. Steve Blevins struck out three in 2.2 perfect innings.

 

That is it for today. Enjoy your weekend!  Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Minor League Report

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

UPDATE – I have now posted my most recent blog at the Star Tribune’s Your Voices blog page. It is called Why the Vikings? I think Twins fans will enjoy it, but it is also asking for your comments, so please feel free to add your opinions in their comments section. I would also encourage you to let any Vikings fans know about the article too, because I am very curious about their thoughts. I also want to encourage you to check out the great writings there of Darren “Doogie” Wolfson, who has been writing a couple of blog postings each week. I think you’ll really enjoy his list of the top 10 Gophers Multi-Sport Athletes.  

 

 

The Twins lost 12-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. It was a horrible game. The Twins jumped ahead 2-0 on Scott Richmond but then the Jays scored a dozen straight. Scott Baker made his first start of the year, and his performance looked a lot like his spring starts. He gave up four home runs (out of the five hits he gave up). He gave up six runs as he also walked two. Philip Humber struggled again. R.A. Dickey did a nice job for 2.1 innings, but then Luis Ayala gave up two runs in the 9^th inning. The offense did a good job of making another pitcher they hadn’t seen before look good.

 

So, we are simply not going to talk any more about that game. We just have to keep saying that it was just one out of 162 games! For much more on the Twins, please be sure to listen to last night’s MNGameNight.com podcast. I was the host, Parker Hageman of Over the Baggy was the guest, and John Bonnes, the Twins Geek, called in from outside the Dome after the game. And then at 10:00 (central time) tonight, John and I will be hosting the final episode of the week.  

 

 

Instead, we are going to talk about the Twins minor league system. The four full-season Twins affiliates have now been playing for about a week. As a quick reminder for most of you, or a bit of information for those of you who weren’t aware, here are the Twins full season affiliates:

·         AAA – Rochester Red Wings (New York) – International League – for the great majority of players, this is the final stop before the big leagues. This year’s roster has a good combination of prospects that could be Twins in the future, guys like Trevor Plouffe, Luke Hughes, Kevin Mulvey, Anthony Swarzak, Jose Mijares, Drew Butera and Dustin Martin. There are also several minor league veterans who are brought in for organizational depth (to fill a whole either for a year or just temporarily until someone from AA is ready to move up) or guys that a Twins scout or coach saw do something and felt might have a chance.

·         AA – New Britain Rockcats (Connecticut) – Eastern League – there is generally a belief that if a player succeeds at AA, he may only need an opportunity to become a big leaguer. Although the Twins prefer to promote one step at a time, there is plenty of precedent showing they will promote from AA. Brad Radke was called up from AA. Just last year, the Twins weren’t afraid to promote Jose Mijares from AA during a pennant race. In previous seasons, the Rockcats have had tremendous talent and expectations, yet have really struggled. This year’s roster has a ton of talent and several guys who arguably could be playing in AAA. Guys like Steve Tolleson, Rob Delaney, Zach Ward and Danny Valencia all had success at this level a year ago. They will start the season back here and with a strong start could be promoted quickly.

·         Hi-A – Ft. Myers Miracle – Florida State League – this is typically known as a pitcher’s league, but this year’s team has scored a lot of runs early in the season. The Twins have a history showing that if a prospect has a strong first half with the Miracle, they will be promoted to AA for the season’s second half. Last year, four players were promoted after the team won the 1^st Half championship and clinched a playoff spot.

·         Low-A – Beloit Snappers – Midwest League – This is typically a group of players spending their first season in full-season ball. That is an adjustment from the short-season teams. They also have to deal with Wisconsin weather in the spring, so its’ always interesting to see how the Latin American players as well as players from southern climates perform early in the season.

·         BONUS – Extended Spring Training – Players that did not make a full-season squad and were not released stay in Ft. Myers and participate in drills led by Jake Mauer. They also play games against each other and other organizations in the area. It is an opportunity for young players to develop skills without the pressure of a full-season team. It allows them to mature. There are currently 55 players in Extended Spring Training. Several players who played last year in the Dominican Summer League came to Ft. Myers last week, so they will also be learning a new culture and new teammates. This will continue until mid-June, after the draft, when these players and the drafted players will go to either Elizabethton, Tennessee, to play (usually college players drafted) or if they will stay in Ft. Myers and play for the Gulf Coast League Twins. Of course, injured players will also be in Ft. Myers rehabilitating.

·         Learned that the Twins will again maintain their academy in Venezuela in 2009. However, they will again choose not to participate in the Venezuelan Summer League.  

 

So, of course, one of the obvious discussion points at this time is where the players ended up. Here are some guys I was curious about:

·         Steve Tolleson – after a solid season in AA in 2008, he went to the Arizona Fall League and surprised a lot of people with a very strong showing. He was added to the 40 man roster in December. The assumption was that he would move up to Rochester for the 2009 season. Instead, he is back in New Britain. There are a couple of reasons. First, he was injured during big league camp and didn’t get a lot of playing time. Secondly, the Rochester middle infield already includes Trevor Plouffe, Matt Macri, Alejandro Machado, Luke Hughes and Matt Tolbert, and they all deserve to be there and play as well. Adding Tolleson to that mix would mean that he would not play every day, and his at bats would take at bats away from those other guys. Tolleson has three years worth of options remaining. He can go back to New Britain and play every day and continue to get better.  

·         Rob Delaney – he started the 2008 season by dominating at Ft. Myers. He was one that moved to New Britain for the second half of the season where he continued his dominance. He was named MiLB.com’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He went to the Arizona Fall League where he had his moments, but certainly didn’t dominate. After a full season, that should not be factored terribly much. Since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006, he did not yet need to be added to the Twins 40 man roster last winter. The Twins did invite him to big league came as a non-roster invitee. From box scores and reports, Delaney did alright, but nothing spectacular. So, I think another half season at AA will be good for him. He can again team with Anthony Slama to form a great back end of the bullpen. That said, unlike Tolleson, who is blocked by players that need to play and could contribute to the Twins in 2009, Delaney is being blocked by several organizational fillers. That is not to say that there aren’t still things he could work on at AA. There is value in him spending more time there, but I also believe that he could be called up soon.

·         Kyle Waldrop – after missing all of 2008 because of shoulder surgery, several people were asking me where I felt Waldrop should start the 2009 season. In 2007, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He has begun the 2009 season in the Ft. Myers bullpen, and I fully support that decision. The overall future of the Twins top 2004 draft pick remains as a starter at this point. However, after missing all of 2008, I think it is important to ease him back in. To start the season, it will be nice for him to be able to pitch a couple of innings at a time rather than feeling like he has to provide five or six innings and throw more pitches. Pitching out of the bullpen allows him to be a little more structured and progress naturally. Secondly, a guy that is coming off of major arm surgery is better off staying in the warmth of Ft. Myers than being asked to push it in the northern climates. Waldrop appeared on a SethSpeaks.net Weekly Twins Podcast this offseason and I made the comment that where he starts the 2009 season doesn’t really matter. Where he ends it will be much more important.

·         Tom Stuifbergen – ‘Stuif’ became a known Twins prospect this spring when he started the elimination game between the Dominican Republic and his team from the Netherlands. Stuifbergen managed to throw four shutout innings against that incredible Dominican lineup. Many Twins fans wondered if he might have done enough to start the season as high as Ft. Myers! Think about that for a second, the 20 year old would have been approximately the same age that Deolis Guerra was at Ft. Myers last year, and I think we all believe that he was unjustly pushed too quickly. Then add in the fact that Stuifbergen missed all of the 2008 season with shoulder surgery and pitched just a handful of innings in the GCL in 2007. It is likely that he will be pitching for Elizabethton in June, unless there is a need in Beloit earlier.

·         Rene Tosoni – Last year, Tosoni skipped Beloit and played well during the early stages of the 2008 season for Ft. Myers. Unfortunately he was hurt early in the season and only came back for the last two games of the regular season and the playoffs. I thought he would head back to Ft. Myers for a little time, but instead he is now playing in New Britain. The Twins are often accused of being overly patient and cautious with promotions, but Tosoni is certainly a case of the opposite. There is a strong belief in the organization in not only Tosoni’s ability to hit, but also in his abilities as an all-around baseball player. They are also confident in his maturity and ability to handle the promotions.

·         Aaron Hicks – Obviously this is the one most people talk about first. Remember that Hicks is even younger than Ben Revere was a year ago. Although he is more advanced than Revere was overall, that isn’t to say there aren’t things that he could work on before moving up to a full season team. Tyler Robertson is another example of a recent high school draft pick who began his first full season at Extended Spring Training before moving up and having a lot of success. That is not a bad pattern to follow. Secondly, notice that the Twins did not invite Hicks to spring training. Several major league organizations invite their top pick from the previous season to big league camp. Look at the Philadelphia Phillies. They had 2008 top pick Anthony Hewitt in big league camp. A year earlier. They had Kyle Drabek, another top pick out of high school, in big league camp. The Twins believe, and rightfully so, that players need to earn things, no matter their draft status. Big league camp has to be earned. And by not just handing Aaron Hicks a job in Beloit, it may be beneficial on several levels over time. Finally, Aaron Hicks is from southern California. He has likely never played ball in the types of conditions and temperatures that he would see in Beloit. Trevor Plouffe’s early season numbers in his Midwest League season would be an indicator. I have no doubt that Aaron Hicks will be in Beloit before the short season teams start.

 

I also asked about some players who are beginning the season on a Disabled List in the Minor Leagues:

·         Paul Kelly is at home resting his knee. Not much more he can do right now.

·         Oswaldo Sosa will miss the entire season with a fracture in his lower back. This is the same injury that Whit Robbins has had in the past, and Joe Benson missed most of the second half of 2008 rehabbing. Drew Thompson also had this injury and has not played in about two years. He was able to stay healthy throughout spring training, but the organization wisely is not putting him into the cold of Beloit yet.

·         Several players with arm injuries are rehabbing at various stages from return. Loek Van Mil had the same injury as Pat Neshek and like Neshek was told to rest and then rehab it. He is close and has been pitching in minor league spring games and EST games. Blair Erickson missed a bunch of time in Spring Training but appears to be close. David Martin could start throwing in about a week. That is about the same timeline that Curtis Leavitt will start throwing again. Michael Tarsi and Ben Hendrickson are also rehabbing, but their timelines are a little longer. Thomas Wright broke his hand, so his timeline is certainly still up in the air. Finally, Brian Kirwan had surgery and will likely miss the entire season.

·         With Brian Duensing returning to Rochester, a roster move was necessary. Tim Lahey was put on the Disabled List with a foot injury.

 

Every once in awhile, I learn something that I previously was unaware of. Maybe I should have known, but maybe there was just never any reason for me to think of it.

·         The Twins signed Justin Huber very late, right near the start of the World Baseball Classic (Huber played for Australia). When the tournament was complete, he reported to Twins minor league camp and participated. So it was strange to me that he had visa problems at that time and could not play. That is why he is on the restricted list for Rochester. To play in the WBC, Huber was on a visa waiver program. The Twins signed him late, so they were not prepared with a work visa, but they are now in the process of doing that. He was able to play in Spring Training games because players are not paid during spring training. I was unaware of that. The players are provided with three meals a day and lodging in a hotel (or a per diem if they choose not to stay in the hotel). Technically, the contracts do not start until the regular season. Major League players receive an ‘allowance’ during the spring, something that was negotiated in the Basic Agreement.

 

Have you changed your opinion yet?

·         When the Twins added Drew Butera to their 40 man roster in December, it was roundly criticized by bloggers and fans alike. I was a little surprised, but I also understood. I remain curious about his defense. Seeing Jose Morales struggle with his throws has made me wonder more if Butera should be promoted. With all of the talk of the defensive abilities of Butera, I am curious if anyone has changed their opinion on the Twins decision to add him to the 40 man roster?

 

Speaking of catchers –

·         I found it interesting that 1.) Eli Tintor was moved back to catcher, and 2.) That he was sent back to Beloit after playing in Ft. Myers last year. Natural, level-by-level promotion would put him in New Britain this year. The decision was made because Tintor has not caught for awhile and pushing him too far up would likely not be fair. Allan de San Miguel is the backup catcher to Wilson Ramos for the Rockcats. The organization has a lot of confidence in his abilities behind the plate.

 

That’s what I’ve got for a minor league update for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and hopefully you have learned something. I hope to do occasional updates on the minor league system and I would love your input. What types of questions do you have about players, or player development, or philosophies that I should dig into? Please feel free to e-mail me those types of questions and I will research.

 

With that, here are the reports on the Twins minor league games from Wednesday night:

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Wednesday – Rochester 2, Pawtucket 4 – Six Red Wings hitters had one hit. Matt Tolbert was 1-3 with a walk. Kevin Mulvey started and in 4.2 innings, he gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out five. Armando Gabino gave up a run on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief. He struck out two. Mike Gosling struck out four in two innings.

 

ROCKCAT RECAP

Wednesday – New Britain 6, Portland 3 – Matt Moses went 3-5! Yes, that Matt Moses. He had three hits in this game! Erik Lis went 3-4 with a walk. Juan Portes went 2-4 with his second double. Brian Dinkelman went 2-5. Jay Rainville made the start. In four innings, he gave up three unearned runs. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out four. Then the bullpen took over with five scoreless innings. Zach Ward struck out two in two innings. Jose Lugo threw an inning. Rob Delaney struck out all three batters he faced. Anthony Slama got the save with two strikeouts in the 9^th.   

 

MIRACLE MEMOS

Wednesday – Game 1 – Ft. Myers 3, Jupiter 0 – Deolis Guerra threw five shutout innings for his first win of the year. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three. Santos Arias pitched a scoreless sixth, and Alex Burnett picked up the save with two strikeouts in the 7^th. Rene Leveret led the offense by going 3-3 with an RBI.

Wednesday – Game 2 – Ft. Myers 2, Jupiter 4 – The Miracle managed just six hits in this game. Mark Dolenc and Chris Cates each had a double. Carlos Gutierrez started and gave up a run on four hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out three. Matt Williams struck out two in his inning. Kyle Waldrop came in for the save, but he gave up three runs (just one earned) on three hits in the inning to take the loss.  

 

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Wednesday – Game 1 – Beloit 0, Quad Cities 3 – Michael Allen threw a complete game in the first game, all six innings. He gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out six. Unfortunately Hector Cardenas and Kevin Thomas combined to no-hit the Snappers. A Ramon Santana walk was the only thing from perfection.

Wednesday – Game 2 – Beloit 3, Quad Cities 6 – The Snappers were able to manage four hits in the second game though! Ramon Santana hit his second homer and drove in two runs. Ozzie Lewis hit his second double. Shooter Hunt remains a complete anomaly. In just 3.2 innings, he gave up two runs on two hits. Not bad, right? Until you see that he also walked seven hitters and hit another. He did strike out five. Dan Berlind came in and got one out. He walked two batters and both scored. Henry Reyes gave up two runs (1 earned) on a hit. He struck out two. Steve Blevins came in and threw a scoreless inning.

 

That is it for today. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.   Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments here.

Roster Preview: 2009 Beloit Snappers

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

OK, today we are going to be trying to project the roster of the Beloit Snappers to start the 2009 season. In case you’ve missed any of my projections, here are my thoughts on the 2009 Minnesota Twins roster, the 2009 Rochester Red Wings roster, the 2009 New Britain Rockcats roster, and the 2009 Ft. Myers Miracle roster. This list will include many from that 2008 Appalachian League champion Elizabethton Twins. Please remember that these rosters are simply my opinions. I have been following the Twins minor league system for several years and tried to figure out patterns and such. So at worst, it’s a relatively educated guess.

 

A couple of quick notes before proceeding:

·         I wish I knew my geography and world better. One area that Twins fans should get to know would be Australia. They have a great connection to players from that country. Grant Balfour is from Sydney. Glenn Williams and his 13 game hitting streak grew up in Gosford. Luke Hughes is from Perth, and Brad Tippett is from Mone Vale. Pert and New South Wales have baseball teams, and this past weekend, they played a best of three series in the Claxton Shield Grand Final. Tim Schumacher is a Minnesotan in western Australia who went to Game 2 and posted some of his thoughts. It is quite impressive the contribution that the two teams got from Twins prospects. Liam Hendicks started Game 1 for Perth. Luke Hughes went 3-5. Allan de San Miguel twice prevented a go ahead run from scoring by blocking the plate. Brad Tippett took the loss, but was impressive. He entered the game with the bases loaded and the game tied in the 6^th inning and got out of the inning without allowing another run to score.

·         Luke Hughes was named the series MVP as he went 7-13 in the three games.

·         Tippett was impressive on the mound, but it may be even a little more impressive when you find out that he found out a couple of days later that he was pitching with a broken finger. He won’t be able to throw for four weeks, ending his hope of pitching for Australia in the WBC. However, he anticipates being ready for minor league camp in mid-March.

·         Speaking of prospects, Aaron Gleeman posted his thoughts on his #11-15 Twins prospects.

·         Josh Johnson posted his choices for the #7 and # 8 Twins Prospects.

·          Phil Mackey posted his early 2009 projections for Twins players on his blog.

·         For some interesting notes on the other teams in the AL Central, check out Over the Baggy

·         Be sure to head to Twinkie Town to participate in their series of Player Projections. You can do the same thing at Twins Territory too.

·         Nick Nelson discusses a fun-filled blogger get together from last Saturday afternoon, and then discussed the Odd Man Out.

·         Roberto Alomar was one of my favorite players. Maybe it was that little mustache thing on his 1988 Donruss Rated Rookie mug shot. Well, this story that came out yesterday is pretty sad, and questionable… I really like Stick & Ball Guy’s perspective on it!    

·         LIVE MINNESOTA TWINS CHAT TONIGHT AT 8:00! I will open up the chat room at 7:30 and answer questions until they run out. It’s always a good time, so tune in and participate. Get an answer to any of your questions. And yes, I will be watching the Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice special at the same time! Check back later today for the link to the chat.

 

2009 BELOIT SNAPPERS

Starting Pitchers

Carlos Gutierrez

Shooter Hunt

Dan Osterbrock

Bobby Lanigan

Brad Tippett

The Twins have had a tremendous amount of success drafting college pitchers over the last four drafts (Garza,  Slowey, Duensing, Mullins, Manship, McCardell). Well, 2008 was another year for the Twins drafting strong college pitchers. Carlos Gutierrez was the Twins second first round pick as a closer out of the University of Miami. To limit his work load, he went to Ft. Myers after signing and pitched out of the Miracle bullpen. To transition back to starting, I think it is best for him to go back to Beloit and experience success as a starter, even if it is just ten to twelve starts. Many believe that Shooter Hunt has as good of stuff as anyone in the organization. Very good fastball, and a big time curveball. If he shows any measure of control, he could fly through the system. Dan Osterbrock may not throw hard, but the lefty knows how to pitch and get hitters out. He signed quickly and was the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year. Eight walks and 104 strikeouts in 75 innings says a lot about his control. I expect him to dominate the Midwest League as well. Bobby Lanigan went to a Division II school and really impressed the Twins. He pitched very well at Elizabethton as well, and like the other three 2008 draft picks, I expect him to be very successful at this level. What an exciting and potential dominating starting five. I think that all five of them could legitimately move up one level during the season. Maybe the more difficult thing would be determining which other five starters will be here at the end of the season!? And to call Brad Tippett a #5 starter on any team is a little silly. He was dominant in the E-Town bullpen in 2007. He did well in the Snappers bullpen the first half of last season. He was excellent at an E-Twins starter last year. He’s definitely ready to move up and I expect he will do well again.     

Closer

Michael Allen

Michael Allen was the Twins 13^th round pick in 2005 out of high school. After a suspension, he came back and was excellent out of the Snappers bullpen in 14 games. I think he could  be a very good starter but he could really dominate as a closer. And he may end up starting later in the season… although I think there is a better chance that he is in the Ft. Myers bullpen.

Relief Pitcher

Michael Tarsi

Santos Arias

Henry Reyes

Chris Anderson

Curtis Leavitt

Joe Testa

Santos Arias started the 2008 season in the Snappers’ starting rotation. He made 15 starts and then moved to the bullpen in the second half. He seems to profile well as a reliever, and his stuff is good enough to be a closer. He will likely get plenty of time closing too. Michael Tarsi was in the Snappers starting rotation the first half of 2008 as well, but he really struggled. He is left-handed, so it is worth keeping him around. Henry Reyes is another lefty with good stuff. He is 6-7 and thin. He gave up too many homers and walked too much, but he is someone you keep around. Chris Anderson is a great story. A former draft pick, the lefty had to have surgery. The Twins released him, but when he came back and pitched for a town team, the Twins showed up and signed him again. He went right to Beloit, and had his moments. I think he can be a very solid relief pitcher. Curtis Leavitt has really pitched well the last two years at Elizabethton. He stayed in the Appy League last year for a chance to start, but didn’t get much opportunity. He can be a dominant reliever. Joe Testa went undrafted last year. He then dominated the GCL before four games in Ft. Myers. It is likely he will at least start this season in Beloit.

Starting Lineup

Joe Benson CF

Dominic de la Osa 2B

Evan Bigley RF

Jonathan Waltenbury 1B

Michael Harrington DH

Angel Morales LF

Nick Romero 3B

Alexander Soto C

James Beresford SS

The Appalachian League champions at Elizabethton last year, this lineup features many players from that powerful lineup. But it starts with Joe Benson who will be back for his third season. Because he missed half of 2008 with a back injury, I think he needs to get a month more time in Beloit just to get some everyday at bats before moving up to Ft. Myers. Dominic de la Osa is a good on base guy with some pop not typical at the 2B position. Evan Bigley is someone who could jump to Ft. Myers, if there is an opportunity. He seems to be a solid all around hitter. Jonathan Waltenbury has a strong left-handed bat that must be in the middle of the lineup. Michael Harrington put up amazing numbers last year in his senior season at the College of Charleston and continued to hit in Tennessee. Angel Morales is maybe the player I am most intrigued by what he is able to do in 2009. He is so young and yet, he led the Appy League in home runs. He also was on base over 40% of the time. The strikeouts are a concern though. Nick Romero is a solid hitter who is able to do a little of everything. Alexander Soto is a very good hitting catcher, with a very strong arm. Finally, James Beresford will likely get a lot of playing time at SS and 2B for this team. 

Reserves
Greg Yersich	Backup Catcher
Nick Papasan	2B, SS
Yangervis Solarte	Backup IF/OF
Andrew Schmiesing	Backup OF
Jeff Lanning	Backup Catcher

Greg Yersich was much better in 2008 than 2007, and he will get a lot of playing time. Jeff Lanning also needs to move up to the Snappers. Yangervis Solarte was promoted to Ft. Myers mid-season last year. He was only supposed to be there a few games, and played well and stayed. When he was finally moved down to Beloit, he struggled. I expect him to stay with the Snappers and although I have him on the bench, he will play all over the field and be nearly a regular. As with Paul Kelly at Ft. Myers, I would really like to see what Nick Papasan can do offensively if he can stay healthy for the full season. If he plays SS, he likely would not be hitting 9^th! And St. Olaf grad Andrew Schmiesing should start 2009 where he ended 2008. 

The starting pitching staff on this roster will carry this team. There are plenty of good bats on this roster as well. I mentioned Joe Benson playing for the Snappers for maybe a month. It is at that time that I think 2009 top pick Aaron Hicks will get the call and move from Extended Spring Training to the Snappers. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Twins decide that the even-younger-than-Hicks Angel Morales to start the season at EST as well. That was the path planned for 2007 top pick Ben Revere before injury forced him to the Snappers. This roster could see much change throughout the season!

Any thoughts?  Send me an e-mail, or let’s talk about it in the Comments here.

NOW AVAILABLE: Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook – 2009

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net -

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your turkey, napping and football watching with family and friends.

Would you prefer to stay away from the shopping malls which are opening at crazy times in the middle of the morning? Would you like to complete your Christmas shopping for all of your Minnesota Twins fan friends and family members without leaving your home?

The Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook – 2009 is now available online at LuLu.com. You can order your copy by clicking here, the SethSpeaks Storefront. (or click on the book above) When you get to the site, you can click on the book title and see a brief preview of the book, leave reviews and more.

On the site, you can order the copy in two ways. The paperback version of the book is available for $12.95 plus shipping and handling. You can also purchase an e-book, the pdf version of the book, for $8.00.

Again, if you would like to read an excellent review of the book, please check out the Over the Baggy review here.

Here is a press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Minnesota Twins Farm System; Its Greatest Asset

Who will be the Next Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau?

 

Now available just before Christmas at LuLu.com is the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook – 2009. This 81 page book profiles over 175 players in the Twins minor league system. It contains a Foreword by Twins reliever Pat Neshek and several Twins prospect rankings. It is a great gift for fans of the Minnesota Twins and their minor league affiliates.

In 2008, the Twins received significant contributions from several players who have been promoted to the team within the last two years including Denard Span, Kevin Slowey, Alexi Casilla, Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins and even September call-up Jose Mijares. The staples in the middle of the Twins lineup, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, and Michael Cuddyer were all drafted and developed in the Twins system.

Following players as they come up through the ranks makes the average fan feel better because losing Torii Hunter and Johan Santana can make anybody depressed. Seth is more of an optimist and adds, “Over the past several seasons, the Twins have called up a lot of players from the minor leagues. Each year there are new players. It is fun to know about those guys before they get to the big leagues. It is really just an extension of being a Twins fan.”

When asked, how much fun is it to see a player start with the Twins Gulf Coast League (GCL) team and a few years later have a locker with his name on it in the Metrodome, Seth responds, “I’m sure it’s not as much fun as a writer as it is for the player himself. But we all have had that dream, and getting to follow a player from when he is drafted and signed, through the promotions, the struggles, the successes, for them to reach that ultimate dream is a joy.”

One of the positive aspects to find and follow the next Twins All-Star is getting to interview these new players.  It is difficult to obtain a good read on players from just a box score.  Seth looks back on some of his past interviews on his www.SethSpeaks.net blog, and remembers Mike Radcliff has had a couple of really good ones. Matt Garza did one in early 2006 while he was still with the Ft. Myers Miracle. David Winfree has had a couple of very good interviews. Seth has kept in contact with players like Pat Neshek, Kevin Slowey, Jeff Manship, and others.

Seth has been writing about the Minnesota Twins and their minor league system on a daily basis since June of 2003 and now he is passing all his experience to you. Pat Neshek says of the book, “The culmination of all his (Seth’s) hard work is this book that is deeper than anything ever published on the Minnesota Twins Minor League system.”

Read about players who are likely to be ready to make a contribution in 2009, who might be able to plug the gaps in case of injuries, and which players have the best chances to become household names after the Twins have moved into the Target Field in 2010. Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook – 2009, will be made available online at www.SethSpeaks.net or www.lulu.com.

 

If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Seth Stohs, please email Seth at SethSpeaksNet@hotmail.com.