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Twins Fest Podcast Tonight at 8!

26 Jan

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

I’m really excited about tonight’s two-hour SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast. It is a pre-Twins Fest show with a bunch of guests. It starts at 8:00 central time. If you are able to listen live, you can participate in the interviews by writing your questions in the chat room.

Here is the schedule (Times Central):

8:00-8:05 – Introduction

8:05-8:20 – John Sickels, Minor League Ball  

8:20-8:35 – Pat Neshek

8:35-8:50 – Joe Benson

8:50-9:05 – Carlos Gutierrez

9:05-9:10 – Catch Up

9:10-9:25 – Kyle Gibson

9:25-9:35 – Open

9:35-9:45 – Denard Span

9:45-9:55 – Jeff Manship

9:55-10:00 – Wrap-Up 

I am really excited. I think it will be a fun show. Hopefully you will be able to join in live. Of course, if you are unable to, you can listen to the podcast later. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let me know.

Monday Morning Update

25 Jan

also available at http://www.SethSpeaks.net – 

It was kind of a Vikings Centric weekend, wasn’t it? And for good reason, the Vikings haven’t been to a Super Bowl since I was 2. Vikings versus Saints is what we have been waiting for since about Week 7. And, although I’m not a Vikings fanatic, I am a huge Vikings fan and I don’t think I missed a game all season. I know football. I get Xs and Os. So, I’m just going to go through some of my thoughts on the game:

  • The Vikings pretty much dominated the game in all facets. Offensively, the Vikings nearly doubled the Saints in yardage. That is a credit to the Vikings offense because they ran and passed up and down the field. It’s also a credit to the Vikings defense which held the vaunted Saints offense in check most of the game.
  • However, fumbles and the two interceptions are the difference in the game. The fact that two of the fumbles happened inside the ten yard line were devastating.
  • Turnovers are what lost that game for the Vikings. It never should have got to overtime. Yes, there were a couple of questionable calls in the overtime. The pass interference sure looked obvious in live action, but upon further, slow motion review, became questionable. And whether or not it was catchable is up for debate. On the Pierre Thomas 4th down leap, my initial take was that he was well beyond the spot needed for the first down, and far enough that even when the ball was jarred slightly, he was still past the spot. In my mind, it was like many spots, it’s a best guest by the referee and there are no camera angles with 100% accuracy. It’s not like a catch or a fumble.
  • Adrian Peterson is incredibly talented, but the fumbles are ridiculous. I fully tout the Chester-Taylor-needs-to-play-more, but I also think that AP’s big play ability means that you just have to live with the fumbles.
  • Brett Favre had an impressive game. With the exception of the two interceptions, he was terrific. He was beaten up, rushed, hit so often, it was really remarkable what he was able to do.
  • Unfortunately, the Vikings defensive line was unable to do anything similar. Drew Brees had plenty of time. Which again speaks to how impressive the Vikings defense was. The linebackers and defensive backs got the job done.
  • Finally, Brad Childress deserves some of the credit for the excellent Vikings season. Talk of him being fired (from the fans only, I’m sure) is absolutely ridiculous. As with baseball managers, head coaches get way too much credit for wins and way too much blame for losses. Is he perfect? Is any coach?
  • Now we wait two weeks and we get a Colts/Saints Super Bowl, which should be a great game. I would love for the Vikings to be in it, but at least there is a matchup that will make me actually want to watch the game as well as the commercials.
  • General Larry Platt, who gained lots of attention for being the 62 year old who went on American Idol and sang “Pants on the Ground,” was brought to New Orleans (allegedly on Bryant McKinney’s dime) to perform for the Vikings on Sunday morning. Here is the video that Bernard Berrian took, and here are some new lyrics (courtesy of me):

“Pants on the Ground,

Saints pulled them down,

Looking like some fools,

Put the ball on the ground.”

Alright, let’s talk Twins a little bit: 

BIG NAMES or BIG IMPACT PLAYERS

On Friday, a couple of big names were found in some headlines. First came news that the Baltimore Orioles had signed Miguel Tejada to be their 3B for 2010. He signed a one year contract worth $6 million, plus an incentive package. Secondly, the Twins and White Sox appear to be the two teams vying for the 2010 services of my homie, Jim Thome. My thoughts?

  • I generally have a belief that signing free agents that are older than me is crazy. Both are older than me.
  • I fully believe that a team should pay a player for what they believe he will do, not for what he has done in his career. Thome has hit well over 550 home runs. He has hit over 30 home runs twelve times in his career. But what will he do in 2010, and what is that worth?
  • Tejada will be switching positions. I think he will be just fine at 3B and he has played there in the winters in the Dominican and in the WBC. He actually hit .313 last year with an NL-leading 46 doubles. Is he the #2 hitter that the Twins need? No. He, like JJ Hardy, is probably a #7 hitter.
  • Jim Thome is a DH. Maybe he could play a game or two a month at 1B. But he is not as good as Jason Kubel. So the question would become, do you want Thome at DH and Kubel in LF, or do you want Kubel at DH and Delmon Young in LF? I guess, for me, I’ll take my chances with the 23 year old with every day playing time.
  • That said, if Jim Thome is OK with being the DH twice a week and pinch hitting duties, and the contract would be $2 million or less, he would be a very good acquisition. Why? Right now, the Twins bench looks like Tolbert, Casilla, Pridie and Butera. A Thome-like bat would be good.
  • I still prefer Rocco Baldelli, and would be fine with even Eric Byrnes.
  • There are no ‘impact’ free agents out there anymore. The closest to impact players are Felipe Lopez and Orlando Hudson. They probably aren’t impact players, but they could have a strong impact on the Twins since they can play 2B and bat second.
  • For more on The Thome Paradox, check out Over the Baggy.

SPECIAL TWINS FEST PODCAST

I’m pretty excited about Tuesday night’s SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast. With Twins Fest coming up this coming weekend, I thought it would be fun to invite several Twins and Twins prospects who will be in attendance at Twins Fest to call in to the show. Well, in doing so, the response was very good. So, the show will now be two hours instead of just one. It will start at 8:00 central time and go until 10:00. Guests will include John Sickels (from MinorLeagueBall.com), Twins Prospects (Joe Benson, Kyle Gibson and Carlos Gutierrez), and Twins players (Pat Neshek, Jeff Manship and Denard Span). That’s right, seven guests will be on in the two hours with the possibility of a couple more as well. I should mention that Manship and Span will be on the Twins Winter Caravan on Tuesday. They will be in Sioux Falls, SD, for a program that night. They will call in to the show if the program and autograph signings are complete. I haven’t done a two hour show before, but I think that there will be plenty of guests, and if there is time, we will talk Twins topics too.

By the way, I will also be a guest on Travis Talks Minnesota Sports podcast tonight (Monday) which starts at 9. His first guest will be Gonzo from The Daily Norseman, a Vikings blog. I will come on in the second half of the show to talk Twins. In future weeks, he’ll start talking more about the minor leagues and also has guests lined up from other AL Central bloggers.

2010 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook Update

I mentioned this on Friday, but I do want to invite those of you who are interested in the 2010 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook and would like updates to e-mail me. The book should go to the publisher today. I should receive the review copy within two weeks and assuming all looks alright, it should be available very soon after that. I hope to have a cover picture posted here soon. Like I wrote on Friday, I am pretty excited about how it has turned out. For more information, please scroll down for a longer update, and again, feel free to e-mail me to be included in e-mail updates.  

TWINS LINKS

Here are a few more links for you today: 

If you have any questions or comments, click here.

Twins Arbitrary Thoughts

19 Jan

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

There will be a new SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast Tuesday night at 9:00 central time. I am finalizing a guest list, so be sure to check back to find out who will be on the show.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins and all eight of their arbitration-eligible players will be in the news. The players and their agents will tell the Twins the amount of money they hope to make in 2010. The Twins will also tell the players (and the world) what value they would like to pay each player in 2010. Basically, this process lets the players and teams know what the other would like, and many times they come to an agreement right at the midpoint. However, if neither side is will to budge, they will go to an arbitrator in early February and will either make the amount the player wanted or the amount that the team was willing to pay, depending on a three person panel. The third option is that the two sides will agree to a multiple year contract.

In the following chart, you will see what the player’s base salary, and my predictions for what the Player will request, what the team will offer, and then the midpoint of the two. Of course, if you bought the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook, you have probably already read plenty on this topic. What are your thoughts on the below? What will happen? Will any sign multi-year deals?

SETH’S ESTIMATES

Player 2009 Salary Player Request Team Offer Mid-Point
Jesse Crain $ 1.7 M $ 2.6 M $ 1.8 M $ 2.2 M
Pat Neshek $ 0.44 M $0.85 M $ 0.55 M $ 0.7 M
Matt Guerrier $ 1.475 M $ 3.0 M $ 2.25 M $ 2.675 M
Francisco Liriano $ 0.43 M $ 1.5 M $ 0.75 M $ 1.05 M
Carl Pavano $ 1.5 M $ 8.25 M $ 6.75 M $ 7.5 M
JJ Hardy $ 4.65 M $ 6.5 M $ 5.5 M $ 6.0 M
Brendan Harris $ 0.4461 M $ 1.45 M $ 0.85 M $ 1.15 M
Delmon Young $ 1.152 M $ 3.0 M $ 2.1 M $ 2.55 M

Looking at this list, it’s hard to find a name that the team would want to sign for more than just the one year. In situations like Crain, Young and Liriano, you have to see which version will show up in 2010. Which JJ Hardy is the Twins getting?  What will Brendan Harris’s role be in 2010, much less beyond. Of course, therein lies the risk. In some cases, a multi-year contract might come at a lower dollar value than it will in a year if they do produce. The Twins will weigh that risk, but I can’t see any multi-year deals. I see a lot of mid-point deals being reached.

If you have any questions or comments, click here.

Twins Link Blotter

13 Jan

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

Good Wednesday, All! I pretty much passed out last night after my podcast, but I wanted to get up early this morning and at least provide you with some links!

That’s it for now, have a great day! Any thoughts?

Twins Notes, and Week 12 NFL “Expert” Picks

25 Nov

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

Here are the Week 12 picks from our Expert Panel! The Week 11 winner was Andrew Kneeland, so congratulations to him. Travis Aune is now tied with Dan Slowey in the overall standings through Week 11. There are eight people within three games of the leaders. Should be an interesting final weeks. If you want to see the overall standings and more, click here. Before we get to our Week 12 picks, here are a few other quick notes to get you through the Thanksgiving weekend.

  • I hosted a very informal SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast last night. It was about 35 minutes of me talking Twins. There appeared to be some issue with the system so it could not be heard. But you can hear the podcast here.
  • The first place you need to go is to Over the Baggy where Parker has linked to many Joe Mauer MVP articles.
  • The 40 man roster was set last week, Granny Baseball takes a look a potential 25 man roster.
  • Pat Neshek threw his final bullpen until spring training. He got to face Nick Freitas and 16 year old Max Kepler Tuesday. He said he added another mile per hour to his fastball and felt good about his slider. But sure to check out a few more interesting tidbits at Pat Neshek’s blog.
  • Check out which three Twins were named Top 10 Dominican Summer League prospects according to Minor League Baseball Prospects.
  • Again, you can follow me and SethSpeaks.net at Facebook, Twitter (@SethTweets), and probably other places too.  

WEEK 12 Picks

For our picks for the 12th week of the season, click here.

Q&A with Anthony Slama

11 Aug

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

Since Pat Neshek was injured in May of 2008, there have been question marks in the Twins bullpen. Plenty of pitchers have been given an opportunity in that role. Some of them have been alright, some have been pretty brutal. All the while, the Twins have had two relief pitching prospects dominating the minor leagues.

Rob Delaney was a non-drafted free agent that the Twins signed in 2006 out of St. John’s University (in NY). He has flown through the system with great strikeout numbers and very low walk rates. In 2008, MILB.com named him the Relief Pitcher of the Year. After 26 games in New Britain this year, he was promoted to AAA Rochester where he has pitched in 26 more games. In Rochester since the beginning of July, he has pitched in 12 games. In 13.2 innings, he has given up ten hit, two walks and struck out 13. The 24 year old appears to be very close.

Anthony Slama was the Twins 39th round draft choice in 2006 out of the University of San Diego. Last year, he was incredible and no one really understands why he stayed in Ft. Myers all season. He had a 1.01 ERA. In 71 innings, he gave up 43 hits, walked 24 and struck out 110! He was named the Twins minor league pitcher of the year for 2008. He moved up to AA New Britain this year and has continued to pitch very well and rack up strikeouts. He is 4-2 with a 2.48 ERA. In 65.1 innings, he has allowed 46 hits, walked 32 and struck out 93. Again, we are asking what he has to do to get promoted.

If you dig deep, you can find a couple of things. First, the walk rate is a little bit high. Second, like Pat Neshek a few years ago, you could look at what left-handed hitters have done against him. This year, right-handed batters are hitting just .129 against him. Left-handed batters are hitting .286, and he has walked a higher percentage. So, there is something, if you really want to nit-pick.

(by the way, I did ask Pat Neshek about Slama in the interview with him last night on the SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast. Listen to the whole show, but for the Slama discussion, go to the 20:00 minute mark. I asked Neshek, in part, because he was 25 years old in AA as well, putting up very similar numbers.)   

This morning, I am thrilled to bring another Q&A with a member of the Twins organization. Today, I want to thank Anthony Slama for spending some time answering questions. As you will see, he clearly put some time into his responses!

…Let the Questions Begin!

SethSpeaks: Here we are in the dog days of August. You’ve been throwing every couple of days since March. How is the arm feeling at this point in the season? 

Anthony Slama: Thanks Seth for asking, my arm is feeling as strong as ever.  I have already tied all of the appearances that I had last year and my arm and body feel like they should at this point in the season.

 SethSpeaks: Is there a pitcher that you would compare yourself to, or that you’ve heard others compare yourself to? 

Anthony Slama: When I was in college, I had a pitching coach who compared me to Mark Prior, and tried to parallel my mechanics to his.  I read all of the Tom House perfect pitching mechanics books and completed the drills to try and use my legs more to push off and keep my shoulders on the same line to the plate, like Mark.   Since then, my arm slot dropped naturally to a low three quarters slot but I kept the high leg kick and strong push from the rubber.   

I have other pitchers that I like to watch now, but I would say Prior’s dominance during that period was a huge influence on my pitching style as I was developing into a serious pitcher.  My mechanics have definitely changed since then though; I am not nearly the same pitcher I was in college.
 

SethSpeaks: What pitches do you throw, and what would you consider your strikeout pitch?

Anthony Slama: I throw a four-seam fastball, slider, and a circle change.  My slider is a strikeout pitch but I have also gotten quite a few swing and miss strikeouts with my fastball on the outer half.

SethSpeaks: Alright, the one tough question that has to be asked… do you feel like you’ve been held back (from earlier promotions) this year or last year?  

Anthony Slama: I do not feel I have been held back, I think that the Twins are giving me every chance to develop in the minor leagues.  I understand that getting to the major leagues is a process and every day spent in the minor leagues is a learning experience and grinding it out here makes you better.  The Twins will promote me when they feel I am ready.

SethSpeaks:  Has anyone with the organization talked to you at all about a plan or why you’ve been kept back? 

Anthony Slama:  I know that the plan is to develop into a quality major league arm.  That is the plan for all minor league pitchers.  To be able to get outs at the major league level, When the Twins feel that I am ready to be moved up the organization they will let me know. I have confidence that they know the best route to get to the big leagues and be successful.

SethSpeaks: On my site, I’ve said that I think you’re the next guy to be called up, straight from AA, and that it will happen before September 1st. What would that mean for you, to get to the big leagues?

Anthony Slama: It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to pitch in the major leagues. It would mean everything to me and my family to get to the big leagues at any time.  Thanks for pulling for me!  I hope to be there as soon as possible.

SethSpeaks: What are the differences between the Florida State League and the Eastern League (for you as a pitcher)?

Anthony Slama: I have thought about this question a lot.  The hitters are smarter, stronger and much more patient in this league.  if you make a mistake to these hitters they will not miss it most times.  They put a good swing on balls left over the plate and jump on pitches that hang in the strike zone.  Lefties especially have been patient with me taking their strikes until they can put the bat on the ball and flip a fastball to the opposite field.  This forces you to keep the ball down and attack the strike zone early, not fall behind in counts 

SethSpeaks: Do you look at your numbers, or are there any specific statistics that you look at to gauge how you’re doing? 

Anthony Slama: I guess I look at my walks and WHIP the most, since keeping them off of the bases is crucial for a reliever.  Keep those categories down and it’s a good bet you are going to be successful.  

SethSpeaks: Seeing how well you’ve done since being drafted in 2006, is there any explanation for why you lasted until the 39th round, or simply a lot of teams missed? (or same with how Delaney went undrafted that same year?) 

Anthony Slama: I don’t know why I went where I did in the draft or how teams passed on Rob.  I can’t explain the draft or why some players are drafted higher than others.  All I can say is that I am happy to be drafted at all; I still feel it’s an honor.

SethSpeaks:  Who are some of the people that you would credit most for getting you to this point in your career? 

Anthony Slama: My parents have been supportive since day one.  I credit them the most for getting me to this point in my life and my career.  I would not be here without my coaches who always did the most to advance my career.

SethSpeaks: You were the Twins minor league pitcher of the year last year and would certainly be in the top 2 or 3 choices again this year. How much did you enjoy your trip to the Twin Cities for Twins Fest, the Diamond Awards and the cold?

Anthony Slama: Thanks Seth, and the trip to Minnesota for the Awards dinner and weekend was one of the highlights of my career so far.  I had a blast.  It was cool rubbing shoulders with Morneau and Mauer, they’re both great guys and everyone was very nice.  The cold was a shock for me.  I’m from California and I’ve never been in anything like that.  It was something like 10 below when I was there, too cold to do much sightseeing outside.  I hope to see more of Minnesota in the summer heat!

A huge thank you to Anthony Slama for taking the time to answer all of these questions. We certainly wish him the best of luck the rest of the 2009 season with the Rockcats and hopefully the Twins! Let me know what you think.  Send me an e-mail, or leave your questions or comments for me or Anthony here. Who knows? Maybe Anthony will even read them and reply??? Have a great day!

Monday Night Notes

11 Aug

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

It was an off day for the Twins, but there is still plenty to talk about. Here are a few topics for your discussion before getting to the minor league updates:

  • The SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast last night was  lot of fun. Pat Neshek was on for the first 25 minutes or so. We talked about what he is doing in his rehab and several other Twins topics. The second half of the show, I was joined by Phil Mackey and Darren “Doogie” Wolfson.
  • I posted a StarTribune.com Your Voices Blog asking people to comment and rank their favorite sports to watch. With Tiger Woods shooting some golf this week in Chaska, I wondered where golf ranks, which may be directly dependent upon whether Tiger is in the tournament or not.
  • Speaking of Your Voices blogs, Doogie Wolfson’s newest blog article is on the White Sox acquisition of OF Alex Rios for nothing. Definitely an interesting topic for discussion.
  • Joe Christensen reported that the Twins have released 2B Mark Grudzielanek. Reports indicated that he looked really rusty. Shocking, you know, since he hadn’t played in a year.
  • Those of you that listened to last night’s podcast know that I also have a Q&A that is ready to be posted.  I fell asleep at my computer last night and will get that posted later today, so be sure to check back for that.  

 The Twins will send Nick Blackburn to the mound tonight to face Kyle Davies and the Royals in the first game of a crucial homestand. The Twins will play three against Kansas City and three against Cleveland, and winning less than five out of six will make it tough.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Monday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Angel Morales, Beloit Snappers

Monday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Tom Stuifbergen, Elizabethton Twins

ROCHESTER REPORT

Monday – Game 1 – Rochester 8, Buffalo 2 – Armando Gabino made another start and threw six shutout innings. He gave up two runs in the 7th inning, but after Juan Morillo got the final out of the game, Gabino had his fourth win. Brock Peterson went 3-4 with his 14th double. Jose Morales went 2-3 with a walk. Steve Tolleson went 2-5. Danny Valencia, David Winfree and Trevor Plouffe each hit a double.  

Monday – Game 2 – Rochester 7, Buffalo 8 – R.A. Dickey made his first start since being sent back down to Rochester. It didn’t go so well. The veteran knuckleballer gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks in just 3.1 innings. Jason Jones gave up four hits in 2.2 shutout innings. Rob Delaney threw two shutout innings, but with two outs, he gave up a bloop single that drove in the game-ending run. Drew Butera went 3-4 with two doubles. Brock Peterson went 2-4 with his 15th double. Jason Pridie was 2-4. Justin Huber had just one hit, but his 7th inning grand slam tied the game.    

ROCKCAT RECAP

Monday – New Britain  – No games scheduled in the Eastern League.    

MIRACLE MEMOS

Monday – Ft. Myers, Sarasota – Postponed by Rain.   

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Monday – Beloit 7, Cedar Rapids 5 – Angel Morales remained white-hot. In his last 30 games, he had hit .367 with a .647 Slugging Percentage. On this day, he was 4-5 with his 18th double. Ramon Santana hit his eighth home run. Bobby Lanigan gave up four runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out seven. Steve Blevins went two innings and gave up one run. Billy Bullock got the final four outs for his fourth save.  

E-TWINS EXTRAS

Monday – Elizabethton 3, Greeneville 2 – Tom Stuifbergen was impressive yet again. The Dutch righty went the first eight innings. He gave up just one run on four hits. He walked none and struck out three. Dakota Watts came in and gave up a game-tying run but got the Win when the E-Twins scored a run in the bottom of the 9th. Derek McCallum went 2-3 with a walk and a double.  

GCL TWINS GOINGS ON

Monday – GCL Twins 11, GCL Red Sox 6 – Wilson Ramos has been solid in his rehab time with the GCL Twins. In this game, he hit a double and his third home run in three games. Yesterday, his triple should have shown that his hamstring is better. Today, he caught. Yangervis Solarte was also rehabbing and went 2-4. Nick Freitas, Oswaldo Arcia and Matej Hejma each went 2-4. Freitas had two doubles and four RBI. Arcia notched his seventh double. Hejma had a triple and a walk.    

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

Very Quick Posting

5 May

also available at http://www.SethSpeaks.net –

I’m going to have to issue an apology to everyone because there may not be a ton of written words in today’s posting. I am exhausted.

So, be sure to check out Aaron’s Baseball Blog and Nick’s Twins Blog from yesterday to read their minor league updates on some top prospects. They are very good reads. And of course, I encourage everyone to listen to last night’s SethSpeaks.net Weekly Twins Podcast. The hour-long show included an interview with Twins reliever Pat Neshek who is in Ft. Myers rehabbing after his November Tommy John surgery. He certainly sounds much more positive than he did the last time he was on the podcast, which was the night after he found out that he needed the surgery. The 20+ minutes with Pat were excellent. Then we were joined by Jim Mandelaro of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. He covers the Rochester Red Wings and blogs at a site called Extra Bases. It was fun to get a different perspective on several Twins minor leaguers who are at the level closest to the big leagues. Finally, Nick Nelson joined us for the final ten minutes and talked about the Twins 7-2 win in Detroit and several other key Twins topics. So, please listen to the podcast and let me know what you think. Your feedback is always welcome.  

TWINS 7, TIGERS 2

The Franchise, Francisco Liriano had another very solid start, and this time, with five Twins runs in the top of the 7th, he got the run support necessary to get his first win of the year. In 7.1 innings, he gave up two runs on struck out nine. Matt Guerrier came in and got all five batters out that he faced. Denard Span went 4-5 in the game with an RBI. Michael Cuddyer remains on fire. He went 2-3 with yet another walk and drilled a two-run triple over the head of Curtis Granderson. He is now 9-20 with nine walks. That’s a .450 batting average and an on-base percentage over .650 over his last seven games. Today the Twins will send Nick Blackburn to the mound against young Rick Porcello.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

ROCHESTER REPORT

Sunday –Rochester 4, Louisville 2 – Kevin Mulvey picked up his first win of the season with five innings of one-run ball. He gave up four hits and walked four as well. Mike Gosling gave up a run on a hit and a walk in an inning. He struck out three. Sean Henn then recorded his second save with two scoreless innings. Matt Tolbert went 4-6 to raise his average to .244. Luke Hughes was 3-4 with two walks. Dustin Martin was 2-4 with a walk. Drew Butera went 2-4. Jim Mandelaro mentioned too that Jason Pridie was 0-5 until a ninth inning single extended his hitting streak to 15 games. I also learned that Carmen Pignatiello was released to make room for Juan Morillo.  

 ROCKCAT RECAP

Sunday – New Britain 2, New Hampshire 8 – Ryan Mullins continues to really struggle. He gave up five runs on 11 hits in just 3.2 innings. He struck out four. Frank Mata came in and gave up a run in 2.2 innings. Yohan Pino then gave up two runs in 2.1 innings. Zach Ward got the final out. Wilson Ramos and Whit Robbins each went 2-4.  

MIRACLE MEMOS

Sunday –Ft. Myers 8, Sarasota 6 – Mike McCardell won for the third straight start to improve to 3-2. In this game, he went six innings and gave up three earned runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Kyle Waldrop pitched a scoreless seventh inning before giving up three runs in the 8th. Spencer Steedley came in and gave up a hit, but Blair Erickson got the save with two strikeouts in an inning. Danny Berg went 2-4 with his first home run. Deibinson Romero went 2-5 with his eighth double and a stolen base. Danny Lehmann went 2-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Ben Revere went 2-5.Rene Leveret got a hit in his first at bat to raise his average to .368, but he left the game with some injury. Estarlin de los Santos has missed the last few games. Yangervis Solarte also is likely to miss the remainder of the season.   

SNAPPERS SNIPPETS

Sunday – Beloit 5, Great Lakes 1 – Brad Tippett had another very good start. He gave up one run on five hits in seven innings to improve to 2-0. He walked none and struck out eight. Danny Rondon gave up just one hit over the final two innings. Evan Bigley went 2-4 with his fifth double.

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

Neshek to Appear on Podcast Tonight at 9!

4 May

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

Pat Neshek headlines tonight’s SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast tonight at 9:00 central time. The Twins right-handed reliever had Tommy John surgery last November and will spend the entire season rehabbing in Ft. Myers. So, we will catch up with him to see how he is progressing and what he does in a normal day, but we will also ask about the status of Boof Bonser. Following Neshek is a columnist for the Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle, Jim Mandelaro. Jim also has a blog there called Extra Bases. We’ll ask how the first month for the Red Wings has been. Finally, Nick Nelson of Nick’s Twins Blog will grace the show for the final segment and we will talk about several Twins topics including tonight’s game at Detroit against the Tigers.  

As always, the chat room will be open for your questions during the live show. I will be sure to ask questions that I receive. Justin the show live online, or download the episode tomorrow.

Busy Busy

2 Apr

also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –

I may not have pulled any April Fools jokes on Wednesday, and I didn’t have any pulled on me, but I do think it is fair to call me a fool. Busy would be an understatement, and I do it to myself. Here are some of the things that I have been working on:

·         Yesterday afternoon, there was a SethSpeaks.net Live Minnesota Twins Chat.

·         I participated in the BaseballDigest.com “Expert” Fantasy Baseball Draft last night (see below).

·         I had to send questions to someone in the Twins organization who contacted me the day before and expressed interest in doing a Q&A. I sent questions, and amazingly, received the answers less than two hours later. So that Q&A will be here tomorrow.

·         At Baseball Digest.com, the Twins writers posted their selections for American League and National League Breakout Player of the Year. Which players do we believe could bust out like Carlos Quentin a year ago?

·         I wrote this week’s StarTribune.com/yourvoices blog. With Opening Day fast approaching, I posted my Top 15 Baseball Movies list. I would love your feedback and your lists.

·         I also worked on a couple other projects that I will be involved in as the season starts that, at this time, I am unable to discuss, but be sure to check back for more information.

 

In the meantime, the rest of the world was unwilling to freeze for me, so there was still plenty going on, including:

·         Joe Christensen told us that the Twins received lefty Jose Lugo back from the Mariners. You will recall that the Oakland A’s selected Lugo from the Twins in December’s Rule 5 draft and immediately traded him to the Mariners. Unable to make that club, the Twins were happy to bring him back and will send him to New Britain to start the season.

·         He also mentioned that Scott Baker threw five innings in a minor league game yesterday which will be his final appearance before he starts the Twins home opener on Monday night.

·         Joe Nathan is the Answer Man. He answered many questions on baseball but plenty of other topics including all of his commercials at the yahoo.com blog Big League Stew.

·         Pat Neshek wrote about his first day of throwing, what he did and how it went.

·         I have heard from several players and people near the team where certain players will be beginning the 2009 season. I think there will be surprises, but it shouldn’t be terribly surprising, in some cases.  

 

Finally, I want to encourage everyone to check out this article about me and the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook that covered half of the front page of the sports section of last week’s Perham Enterprise Bulletin. It’s actually very good.

 

Any other Twins thoughts as the season approaches? Feel free to Comment here.

 

FANTASY DRAFT #4

Again, last night I participated in my fourth fantasy baseball draft of the spring. It is a twelve team, 5×5 roto league. I have another fantasy baseball draft tonight, and my final draft will be on Sunday afternoon.  Here are my draft picks from last night’s 30 round draft. Please note a couple of intricacies of this particular league. Two catchers play each week, and four relief pitchers play as well. Those two things altered my typical draft strategy somewhat. I had the #3 overall pick, which of course meant that I didn’t draft again until #24. Again, I share these to give you a feel for approximately where some players are being drafted.

 

1.)    David Wright – 3B – New York Mets

2.)    Justin Morneau – 1B – Minnesota Twins

3.)    Dustin Pedroia – 2B – Boston Red Sox

4.)    Joe Nathan – RP – Minnesota Twins

5.)    Geovany Soto – C – Chicago Cubs

6.)    Joakim Soria – RP – Kansas City Royals

7.)    Joe Mauer – C – Minnesota Twins

8.)    Daisuke Matsuzaka – SP – Boston Red Sox

9.)    Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers

10.)                         Pat Burrell – OF – Tampa Bay Rays

11.)                         Brad Hawpe – OF – Colorado Rockies

12.)                         Zack Greinke – SP – Kansas City Royals

13.)                         Kevin Slowey – SP – Minnesota Twins

14.)                         David Price – SP – Tampa Bay Rays

15.)                         Brett Myers – SP – Philadelphia Phillies

16.)                         Jed Lowrie – SS – Boston Red Sox

17.)                         Delmon Young – OF – Minnesota Twins

18.)                         Adrian Beltre – 3B – Seattle Mariners

19.)                         Jason Kubel – OF – Minnesota Twins

20.)                         Yunel Escobar – SS – Atlanta Braves

21.)                         Billy Butler – 1B – Kansas City Royals

22.)                         Cameron Maybin – OF – Florida Marlins

23.)                         Chris Volstad – SP – Florida Marlins

24.)                         James McDonald – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers

25.)                         Michael Cuddyer – OF – Minnesota Twins

26.)                         Joel Zumaya – RP – Detroit Tigers

27.)                         Joe Blanton – SP – Philadelphia Phillies

28.)                         Juan Cruz – RP – Kansas City Royals

29.)                         Jonathan Sanchez – SP – San Francisco Giants

30.)                         Chris Coste – C – Philadelphia Phillies

 

 

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