Hey everyone, again sorry for the lack of posting this week. I was pretty busy trying to get everything I could done before Spring Break which happens to be next week for me, however I have a lot of homework (pretty much from just one class) that I'm going to have to do over break, but hopefully I can return to managing my time more efficiently.
Anyways, not a whole lot happened this week, but here are some things that you might find interesting:
• Ron Gardnehire all but said that Jason Pridie will not be the opening day starter in a quote earlier this week in which he called Pridie a "role guy", which means that puts more all the spotlight on Denard Span and Carlos Gomez to win the job, as if it wasn't already all on them to begin with. Span and Gomez have combined to go 2-14 this week, and Span collected both hits, one being a double. Pridie on the other hand has gone 2-4 with an RBI. We'll see how this thing plays out.
• Scott Baker's shoulder strain could force him to start the season on the DL, which would likely make way for either Nick Blackburn or Philip Humber in the rotation, as both of them seem to be pitching much better than Kevin Slowey. However, it's going to be hard sending Slowey back to Rochester when he has absolutely nothing left to prove there. Either way, this is not good news for the Twins who have many questions in their rotation to begin with. Now we might have to hear about Baker's injury for a while if it continues to linger.
• Jesse Crain is also injured after being hit near his knee with a line drive in yesterday's Minor League game. It doesn't sound like it's serious, but we'll likely find out more sometime later today.
• Francisco Liriano made his second start of the Spring and went 2 innings and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits while walking 2 and striking out just 1. However, I don't view this as necessarily a bad thing, he reportedly pitched near 90% and pitched 53 pitches. His control is alarming right now though, and hopefully he can get that under wraps before the time the season starts. But again, I can't expect too much from him this season, nobody can.
• Seth Stohs gave us 7 different perspectives on the center field competition, he also gave us 7 perspectives on the second base competition. Definitely check those out, they're a good read.
• Nick Nelson is in the middle of his "Position Analysis" series in which he addresses each position and gives his thoughts on that spot including who he thinks will be the starter come opening day. He's done catcher, first base and second base.
• Lisa Winston does a nice job going over the Twins in an article on milb.com.
• Former Twins pitcher Kyle Lohse has signed a 1-year $4.25 deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. They'll likely depend on Lohse a lot this season, as the Cardinals pitching staff just can't seem to stay healthy. This wasn't a bad move by the birds.
Have a great day.
March 14, 2008
March 12, 2008
Twins have options at Second
Last season, Luis Castillo was traded in July to make room for the up and coming Alexi Casilla at second base. Although he put together a solid 4 month 'audition' by hitting .302 with great defense, the Twins 'only' got an aging catching prospect in Drew Butera and a solid outfielder in Dustin Martin. Many thought the Twins could've gotten more, or should have gotten more, but that was not the case. However, many were ecstatic at the thought of Casilla gaining experience in order to take over the starting job this season. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
The 23-year-old Casilla made many mistakes on and off the field, including a time where he arrived late to a game and was in manager Ron Gardenhire's "doghouse" for the remainder of the season. He certainly did not leave a very good taste in the mouth of the manager's and Gardenhire later went as far as to say that Nick Punto was (most likely) going to start at second base next season, basically disregarding any sort of competition between Punto and Casilla.
Then in late November, a gift that some still might think came from the heavens above, the Twins acquired Delmon Young from the Tampa Bay Rays. Along with Young, the Twins also acquired infielder Brendan Harris. Harris, had a very solid season in 2007 with the Rays. Playing mostly shortstop, he hit .286/.343/.434 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI's last season in 521 plate appearances last season. The Twins would love to see him duplicate those numbers, or even improve on them, but one thing could hold him back, his defense.
To put it into perspective, Brendan Harris allowed 11 errors in 87 games at shortstop. In fact, if he qualified, he would've ranked last in the league in both Zone Rating and Range Factor as a shortstop. However, as a second baseman, although he would've ranked last in Range Factor, he would've been league average in Zone Rating and his 1 error in 47 games would've become about 4 (give or take) throughout an entire season. That would've ranked him 2nd in the league only behind Gold Glove Winner Placido Polanco. Basically what this shows is that as a shortstop, Harris is dreadful, but as a second baseman, he is at least average.
But Harris, Punto, and Casilla aren't the only three players that seem to be vying for the job, although they do seem to be the most likely to win.
Matt Tolbert is also hoping to crack a spot on the roster, and Ron Gardenhire has already said that he will not use him as a utility player. He instead views Tolbert as an everyday player, so it's all or nothing for Tolbert. After hitting .337 between April and June, he took a nosedive the rest of the season hitting .249 from July and September. Tolbert was at one point in time moved to third base to take over for Nick Punto, but the arrival of the next person on this list shot that plan down. Tolbert can play a variety of positions, but like Harris, he's best valued at second base.
Brian Buscher is not a player many would consider for the second base job, and to be frank, I don't see him winning the job at all. But nonetheless, he is an option. As much as I like Buscher, he just would be too much of a liability on defense to be able to justify having him in the middle of the infield. His bat is probably the best out of this group, however his defense would make any of these guys mentioned look like Roberto Alomar at second. I believe that Ron Gardenhire is only considering him at second base in a reserve role, however it is something to keep an eye on. If his defense was even close to any of the guys mentioned, I would be all for having him in the linepu. However, our lineup in my opinion is improved over last season as is, so there's no need to abandon our defensive philosophy just to have a (slightly) better hitter in the lineup.
Tommy Watkins is also a guy fighting for a roster spot, and although he's unlikely to win a starting job, if anyone on this list deserves it, it'd be him. Watkins has spent 10 seasons in the organization and finally made his Major League debut last season. In his (very) limited time with the Twins last season, he impressed many with his versatility and his great approach at the plate. I don't see him having anything more than just an "average" year for a second baseman, but he's definitely fighting for a backup job and if he begins to hit the cover off the ball, he could challenge for a starting spot, although even I know that's very unlikely to happen.
With that said, (and obviously, things can change between now and then, but) I believe that Nick Punto will start at second base on opening day. And it won't be because he won the position, instead I believe that it will have to do quite a bit on who's pitching. Livan Hernandez looks to be destined to start opening night and he is a sinker-ball pitcher which means that there will be plenty of ground balls for the infielders to have their hands full with. I think the team would like to start the season out on a good foot (defensively) and Punto would likely give us that. I'm not saying Punto will play every time a groundball pitcher is on the mound, because that would likely be 3-4 times per week, but I do believe that at least to begin the season, the pitchers would probably appreciate the fact that Punto can help them out more than Harris could and it should put (even if only a little) less stress on the pitchers, which should result in better outings by our starters.
The 23-year-old Casilla made many mistakes on and off the field, including a time where he arrived late to a game and was in manager Ron Gardenhire's "doghouse" for the remainder of the season. He certainly did not leave a very good taste in the mouth of the manager's and Gardenhire later went as far as to say that Nick Punto was (most likely) going to start at second base next season, basically disregarding any sort of competition between Punto and Casilla.
Then in late November, a gift that some still might think came from the heavens above, the Twins acquired Delmon Young from the Tampa Bay Rays. Along with Young, the Twins also acquired infielder Brendan Harris. Harris, had a very solid season in 2007 with the Rays. Playing mostly shortstop, he hit .286/.343/.434 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI's last season in 521 plate appearances last season. The Twins would love to see him duplicate those numbers, or even improve on them, but one thing could hold him back, his defense.
To put it into perspective, Brendan Harris allowed 11 errors in 87 games at shortstop. In fact, if he qualified, he would've ranked last in the league in both Zone Rating and Range Factor as a shortstop. However, as a second baseman, although he would've ranked last in Range Factor, he would've been league average in Zone Rating and his 1 error in 47 games would've become about 4 (give or take) throughout an entire season. That would've ranked him 2nd in the league only behind Gold Glove Winner Placido Polanco. Basically what this shows is that as a shortstop, Harris is dreadful, but as a second baseman, he is at least average.
But Harris, Punto, and Casilla aren't the only three players that seem to be vying for the job, although they do seem to be the most likely to win.
Matt Tolbert is also hoping to crack a spot on the roster, and Ron Gardenhire has already said that he will not use him as a utility player. He instead views Tolbert as an everyday player, so it's all or nothing for Tolbert. After hitting .337 between April and June, he took a nosedive the rest of the season hitting .249 from July and September. Tolbert was at one point in time moved to third base to take over for Nick Punto, but the arrival of the next person on this list shot that plan down. Tolbert can play a variety of positions, but like Harris, he's best valued at second base.Brian Buscher is not a player many would consider for the second base job, and to be frank, I don't see him winning the job at all. But nonetheless, he is an option. As much as I like Buscher, he just would be too much of a liability on defense to be able to justify having him in the middle of the infield. His bat is probably the best out of this group, however his defense would make any of these guys mentioned look like Roberto Alomar at second. I believe that Ron Gardenhire is only considering him at second base in a reserve role, however it is something to keep an eye on. If his defense was even close to any of the guys mentioned, I would be all for having him in the linepu. However, our lineup in my opinion is improved over last season as is, so there's no need to abandon our defensive philosophy just to have a (slightly) better hitter in the lineup.
Tommy Watkins is also a guy fighting for a roster spot, and although he's unlikely to win a starting job, if anyone on this list deserves it, it'd be him. Watkins has spent 10 seasons in the organization and finally made his Major League debut last season. In his (very) limited time with the Twins last season, he impressed many with his versatility and his great approach at the plate. I don't see him having anything more than just an "average" year for a second baseman, but he's definitely fighting for a backup job and if he begins to hit the cover off the ball, he could challenge for a starting spot, although even I know that's very unlikely to happen.
With that said, (and obviously, things can change between now and then, but) I believe that Nick Punto will start at second base on opening day. And it won't be because he won the position, instead I believe that it will have to do quite a bit on who's pitching. Livan Hernandez looks to be destined to start opening night and he is a sinker-ball pitcher which means that there will be plenty of ground balls for the infielders to have their hands full with. I think the team would like to start the season out on a good foot (defensively) and Punto would likely give us that. I'm not saying Punto will play every time a groundball pitcher is on the mound, because that would likely be 3-4 times per week, but I do believe that at least to begin the season, the pitchers would probably appreciate the fact that Punto can help them out more than Harris could and it should put (even if only a little) less stress on the pitchers, which should result in better outings by our starters.
Livan Hernandez Starting Opening Day?
Yesterday, Ron Gardenhire mentioned that he's leaning toward having Livan Herandez start the March 31st Home Opener against the Los Angeles (of Anaheim) Angels.
The only "locks" for the rotation seem to be Hernandez, Boof Bonser, and Scott Baker. And barring injury, Baker will likely follow Hernandez with Bonser then following Baker. Of course, Spring Training still has just under 3 weeks from being completed, so anything is possible.
“We’re kind of trying to go with [Hernandez], but we’ll see how everything goes,” Gardenhire said. “He should be the guy. … I was kind of leaning that way, but wait and see what happens as we go along here.”Hernandez is not having a great spring, especially not one that would justify having him start opening day, so this just goes to show how much Gardenhire values having a veteran starting pitcher in the rotation. Hernandez is not concerned with his numbers this spring and said that he generally does not have impressive numbers in the spring as he takes his time getting ready to pitch when it counts.
The only "locks" for the rotation seem to be Hernandez, Boof Bonser, and Scott Baker. And barring injury, Baker will likely follow Hernandez with Bonser then following Baker. Of course, Spring Training still has just under 3 weeks from being completed, so anything is possible.
March 10, 2008
Thoughts from the Weekend
Hello again everyone. Sorry for my lack of posting, I was fairly busy this weekend. Anyways, the Twins went 3-1 this weekend.
On Friday, the club had a split squad game. One squad played against the Red Sox, and the other against the Blue Jays. Francisco Liriano started the game for the Twins against the Red Sox and went 1 2/3 innings and allowed 2 hits while walking one and striking out one. He threw 40 pitches, with just a handful of the pitches being sliders. His change-up looks to be another potentially great pitch. He'll likely rely more and more on his fastball-change-up as his bread and butter instead of his slider which he threw about 20 times too many per game. Nick Blackburn turned in 2 1/3 innings of hittless relief. Justin Morneau and Craig Monroe both went deep for the first time of the spring to lead the way offensively. The Twins won 7-2.
The other game was started by Glen Perkins who went 3 innings of scoreless ball and struck out 3 batters in the process. Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey both pitched 2 innings apiece and combined for 5 strikeouts. Carlos Gomez went 2-5 at the plate with an RBI triple and his 3rd stolen base of the season. Randy Ruiz went 3-4 with his 2nd home run of the spring. The Twins won 4-0 and outhit the Blue Jays 11-5.
On Saturday, the Twins faced the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scott Baker took the mound for the Twins and struck out 3 in his two innings of scoreless ball while leaving the game early with a "tweaked lat muscle." The injury is not considered to be serious, however the club will still push back his next start as a precaution. Juan Rincon pitched out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the 4th inning, while Brian Duensing allowed 3 runners in and loaded the bases before he left the game. Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer lead the way offensively, while Jason Kubel, Craig Monroe and Jon Knott all went yard to put the Twins ahead for good 8-4.
On Sunday, the game was again televised and Twins fans got a double-dose of center field action. Denard Span started the game in center field, while one of the players competing for that position, Carlos Gomez, started in right field. Span went 0-1 at the plate to start the game, while reaching base the next four consecutive at bats on walks. He showed great discipline at the plate and was solid defensively. Gomez left four men on base while going 0-3 at the plate. Jason Pridie also left four men on while going 0-2 at the plate, but did come around to score late in the game. Randy Ruiz continued to impress the club as he went 1-1 in two plate appearances with a walk, a run, and an RBI. He's batting .471 this spring with 4 RBI's. Boof Bonser, Randy Keisler, and Matt Guerrier all had an ERA of 9 in their innings. Bonser and Keisler combined for 7 of the teams 8 walks. The Twins lost 7-4, despite scoring 2 runs in each of the last two innings.
This is something that I'm going to try and do the rest of Spring and probably carry it into the season as well. These are my players of the week (March 3rd-9th):
Note: Ruiz had a very solid week while getting a fair share of at bats in the lineup. He is fighting for a roster spot, and is definitely making it interesting. Unfortunately for him, his versatility is an issue as he's viewed mostly as a DH and a first baseman. He's spent some time in the outfield, but it's unlikely that he'd ever play there with the Twins. In order to make the team, he'll have to continue to rake. He finished the week by going 7-12 at the plate while scoring 4 times, driving in 4 runs, and hitting 2 Home Runs.
Runner-Up: Delmon Young, Left Field. 7-14, 2 Runs, 4 RBI's, 1 Home Runs.
Note: Bass made 3 appearances this week and impressed the team as he's trying to prove that he's not just a dark horse candidate for a rotation spot. After a solid season in Rochester, he is most likely going to be back there to begin the season, unless he continues to pitch this well. He went 5 innings, and gave up 1 run, on 5 hits, while striking out 6.
Runner-Up: Phillip Humber, Right Handed Starter. 4 Innings Pitched, 1 Hit, 3 Strike Outs.
On Sunday, the Twins made the first round of roster cuts. The two players some are surprised by are infielder's Alejandro Machado and Jose Morales. The team has plenty of infielders and still a few more catchers that they have to look at, however I'm surprised with these two as they both have a good chance of being in Minnesota at some point this season. And early at that. The rest of the cuts looked as follows:
-Pitchers-
Armando Gambino
Oswaldo Sosa
Jose Mijares
Zach Day
Brian Duensing
Deolis Guerra
-Infielders-
Jeff Christy
Felix Molina
Allan de San Miguel
-Outfielder-
Darnell McDonald
Have a great day!
On Friday, the club had a split squad game. One squad played against the Red Sox, and the other against the Blue Jays. Francisco Liriano started the game for the Twins against the Red Sox and went 1 2/3 innings and allowed 2 hits while walking one and striking out one. He threw 40 pitches, with just a handful of the pitches being sliders. His change-up looks to be another potentially great pitch. He'll likely rely more and more on his fastball-change-up as his bread and butter instead of his slider which he threw about 20 times too many per game. Nick Blackburn turned in 2 1/3 innings of hittless relief. Justin Morneau and Craig Monroe both went deep for the first time of the spring to lead the way offensively. The Twins won 7-2.
The other game was started by Glen Perkins who went 3 innings of scoreless ball and struck out 3 batters in the process. Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey both pitched 2 innings apiece and combined for 5 strikeouts. Carlos Gomez went 2-5 at the plate with an RBI triple and his 3rd stolen base of the season. Randy Ruiz went 3-4 with his 2nd home run of the spring. The Twins won 4-0 and outhit the Blue Jays 11-5.
On Saturday, the Twins faced the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scott Baker took the mound for the Twins and struck out 3 in his two innings of scoreless ball while leaving the game early with a "tweaked lat muscle." The injury is not considered to be serious, however the club will still push back his next start as a precaution. Juan Rincon pitched out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the 4th inning, while Brian Duensing allowed 3 runners in and loaded the bases before he left the game. Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer lead the way offensively, while Jason Kubel, Craig Monroe and Jon Knott all went yard to put the Twins ahead for good 8-4.
On Sunday, the game was again televised and Twins fans got a double-dose of center field action. Denard Span started the game in center field, while one of the players competing for that position, Carlos Gomez, started in right field. Span went 0-1 at the plate to start the game, while reaching base the next four consecutive at bats on walks. He showed great discipline at the plate and was solid defensively. Gomez left four men on base while going 0-3 at the plate. Jason Pridie also left four men on while going 0-2 at the plate, but did come around to score late in the game. Randy Ruiz continued to impress the club as he went 1-1 in two plate appearances with a walk, a run, and an RBI. He's batting .471 this spring with 4 RBI's. Boof Bonser, Randy Keisler, and Matt Guerrier all had an ERA of 9 in their innings. Bonser and Keisler combined for 7 of the teams 8 walks. The Twins lost 7-4, despite scoring 2 runs in each of the last two innings.
This is something that I'm going to try and do the rest of Spring and probably carry it into the season as well. These are my players of the week (March 3rd-9th):
Player of the Week
At the Plate
Rand Ruiz - First Base/DH
Rand Ruiz - First Base/DH
Note: Ruiz had a very solid week while getting a fair share of at bats in the lineup. He is fighting for a roster spot, and is definitely making it interesting. Unfortunately for him, his versatility is an issue as he's viewed mostly as a DH and a first baseman. He's spent some time in the outfield, but it's unlikely that he'd ever play there with the Twins. In order to make the team, he'll have to continue to rake. He finished the week by going 7-12 at the plate while scoring 4 times, driving in 4 runs, and hitting 2 Home Runs.
Runner-Up: Delmon Young, Left Field. 7-14, 2 Runs, 4 RBI's, 1 Home Runs.
On the Mound
Brian Bass - Right Handed Starter
Brian Bass - Right Handed Starter
Note: Bass made 3 appearances this week and impressed the team as he's trying to prove that he's not just a dark horse candidate for a rotation spot. After a solid season in Rochester, he is most likely going to be back there to begin the season, unless he continues to pitch this well. He went 5 innings, and gave up 1 run, on 5 hits, while striking out 6.
Runner-Up: Phillip Humber, Right Handed Starter. 4 Innings Pitched, 1 Hit, 3 Strike Outs.
12 Players Cut
On Sunday, the Twins made the first round of roster cuts. The two players some are surprised by are infielder's Alejandro Machado and Jose Morales. The team has plenty of infielders and still a few more catchers that they have to look at, however I'm surprised with these two as they both have a good chance of being in Minnesota at some point this season. And early at that. The rest of the cuts looked as follows:
-Pitchers-
Armando Gambino
Oswaldo Sosa
Jose Mijares
Zach Day
Brian Duensing
Deolis Guerra
-Infielders-
Jeff Christy
Felix Molina
Allan de San Miguel
-Outfielder-
Darnell McDonald
Have a great day!
March 6, 2008
My Thoughts From Yesterday's Game
First, I want to acknowledge that this is the two-year anniversary of the death of Kirby Puckett. He suffered a stroke at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona and emergency surgery couldn't revive him and he passed away. Honestly, all that needs to be said about him, has been said. All we can really do is cherish the memories he gave so many fans and remember the true legend that he was.
In case you didn't see it, I was blogging during the game yesterday and I tried to give enough information for those of you who couldn't watch the game, to get an understanding of what is going on.
Anyways, after the game, these are my thoughts on some of the players:
Delmon Young: Isn't he great? I was just thinking to myself on how much of an asset he's going to be in our lineup in the future. In his first at bat, he took ball one, and then watched as a strike went straight down the middle. After that pitch, he tilted his head in disgust and slapped his bat. He then took the next two pitches for balls before Ian Kennedy left a ball up in the zone and he took it to deep center field. And as soon as it was hit, everyone knew it was gone.
He later laced a single to right field in his last at bat. The entire game, he showed great patience at the plate and definitely shows that he's working on improving his OBP and average, despite the fact that Ron Gardenhire wants him to stay aggressive at the plate.
Kevin Slowey: He didn't pitch great, however the box score looks a lot more than what actually occurred. In my opinion, Slowey pitched great besides two balls left up in the zone to both Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit back-to-back in the second inning, which both were hit for doubles to deep center field. Besides that, I liked the way he worked all four corners of the strike zone and the way he kept throwing strikes to guys like Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. He didn't back down against anyone, and I liked the way he handled himself out on the mound.
In regards to his walks, both were to Derek Jeter and Rodriguez and both were on full counts. It really surprised me with how many people were jumping down Slowey's neck after the game. He pitched a good game against all of the Yankees starters (give or take Betemit) and he didn't pitch great, but it's too early in the Spring to pretend that the sky is falling with him. He'll probably pitch in another 6-7 games and still has a lot of time to solidify his spot in the rotation.
Carlos Gomez: Now, Gomez definitely did not excite anyone yesterday. He went 0-5 at the plate and made multiple mistakes on defense. First he misjudged a ball hit by Robinson Cano in the second inning. In first glance, I didn't think it mattered as the ball kept carrying, however after watching the play a few more times, you'll see that if he didn't take a step towards home plate and instead he took a step back, he would've caught the ball with no problem. But instead, the ball went about five feet over his head. Next, he made two bad throws towards home plate, one right after another. He first tried throwing out Johnny Damon out at home, and had the ball been about 10 feet to the right, he would've gotten him out by a good 5-10 feet. He then later tried to (what looked like) make a throw home to get Jason Giambi out, but Justin Morneau wisely cut it off and tossed it to second base to get Robinson Cano out.
However I did observe two positives. One, although his arm is inaccurate, he definitely has a cannon and he just needs to take his time making an accurate throw and that will come with experience. The other positive was that he can definitely fly. In his first at bat, he placed a soft bunt between the pitching mound and third base and nearly beat out the throw. The only reason he was out was because Wilson Betemit made a nice barehanded play.
Brian Buscher: He had a couple great at bats, and even looked good on defense. As silly as it may sound to some of you, he may challenge Mike Lamb for the starting third base job. However, he still has a lot to prove. He made great contact with the ball and showed great awareness at the plate. In his at bat where he laced a single to right field, he was behind 2-2 and took two balls very close to the strike zone. But in his first at bat, he hit a hard liner to first baseman Jason Giambi who made an impressive leaping grab to stun Buscher as he ran to first base.
I'm very excited to see how he does the rest of Spring. I've been on Buscher's bandwagon since he made his arrival in Minnesota last season, and I still think he could be a solid starter for us.
Brendan Harris: He looked stiff at the plate, as well as defense. If I had to guess right now, I'd say that Ron Gardenhire would likely start Nick Punto over Harris if the season opened tomorrow. Because at least we know that Punto offers good defense. But I think that Harris will become more and more comfortable on both aspects of his game, which could make him the favorite.
Garrett Jones: He's an interesting story. He's a 26-year-old prospect who is looking for a spot on the 25-man roster. If he doesn't make the club out of Spring Training, he'll have to clear waivers in order to go back to Rochester, and it's very unlikely that he does that. So in essence, this is Jones last shot in a Twins uniform. If he doesn't make it, he's gone. And yesterday, he definitely raised some eyebrows as he took a Joba Chamberlain fastball to the bleachers in deep right field. Chamberlain left the ball up in the zone and Jones capitalized.
It's going to be interesting to see what they choose to do with Jones. I think it's really a competition between Jones and Brian Buscher for the last spot on the bench. Matt Macri could be an option, however Buscher is outplaying him at the same position, so as of right now, it's Jones-Buscher. Buscher has options left, but he probably has more value to the Twins future than Jones does. Either way, he definitely moved up in my books after that home run. Yowza.
Randy Keisler: They were talking about his inability to throw strikes in his career, but he had no problem with that yesterday. He jammed a lot of hitters and forced them to swing at balls that they shouldn't have. He has a very small chance of making the roster, but he definitely impressed viewers yesterday.
Alexi Casilla: He made a few very nice plays yesterday. On defense, he made a great dig at shortstop and made an off-balance throw on one foot to get Jason Giambi out at first. He also later took part in the teams only double play of the afternoon. On offense, he 'goofed' by not swinging on a hit & run but Jason Pridie (for some reason) was called safe at second despite not sliding. But after that he hit a hard grounder up the middle for a single and later stole second base. He definitely looks like he improved over the winter and I'm excited to see what he'll do this season.
Alejandro Machado: I have to admit, I don't know a ton about this guy, but yesterday he was pretty impressive at the plate. With the bases loaded, he hit a 2-run double down the first baseline that put the Twins up 6-4. I didn't get to see him on defense, as he took over at DH, but from all the reports he plays great defense so he could also have a shot at making the roster.
Jason Pridie: If it weren't for Colin Curtis' diving catch in the 8th, he would've finished the game 2-2 with a double (possibly a triple) 2 RBI's and a stolen base. However, Curtis robbed him on a great play and allowed just one run to cross the plate. I hope that Pridie plays more in the next televised game, so we can all get a better glimpse of him then. But consider me impressed with what I saw from him in this game.
Ricky Barrett & Oswaldo Sosa: Barrett definitely had some control problems, however he has a very nice curveball that got a few batters to make awkward swings. Sosa has a lot of movement on his pitches, which is nice since I saw most of his fastballs sit in the 88-90 range. But he did serve Shelly Duncan a beach ball at the letters and Duncan completely crushed the ball to (possibly) the other side of Florida.
Overall: I don't want people to get the impression that I'm putting a lot of stock into this game, because I'm really not. I just wanted to share my thoughts on the game. I was throughly impressed for the most part and it got me even more excited for the season to start.
R.I.P. Puck!
In case you didn't see it, I was blogging during the game yesterday and I tried to give enough information for those of you who couldn't watch the game, to get an understanding of what is going on.
Anyways, after the game, these are my thoughts on some of the players:
Delmon Young: Isn't he great? I was just thinking to myself on how much of an asset he's going to be in our lineup in the future. In his first at bat, he took ball one, and then watched as a strike went straight down the middle. After that pitch, he tilted his head in disgust and slapped his bat. He then took the next two pitches for balls before Ian Kennedy left a ball up in the zone and he took it to deep center field. And as soon as it was hit, everyone knew it was gone.
He later laced a single to right field in his last at bat. The entire game, he showed great patience at the plate and definitely shows that he's working on improving his OBP and average, despite the fact that Ron Gardenhire wants him to stay aggressive at the plate.
Kevin Slowey: He didn't pitch great, however the box score looks a lot more than what actually occurred. In my opinion, Slowey pitched great besides two balls left up in the zone to both Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit back-to-back in the second inning, which both were hit for doubles to deep center field. Besides that, I liked the way he worked all four corners of the strike zone and the way he kept throwing strikes to guys like Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. He didn't back down against anyone, and I liked the way he handled himself out on the mound.
In regards to his walks, both were to Derek Jeter and Rodriguez and both were on full counts. It really surprised me with how many people were jumping down Slowey's neck after the game. He pitched a good game against all of the Yankees starters (give or take Betemit) and he didn't pitch great, but it's too early in the Spring to pretend that the sky is falling with him. He'll probably pitch in another 6-7 games and still has a lot of time to solidify his spot in the rotation.
Carlos Gomez: Now, Gomez definitely did not excite anyone yesterday. He went 0-5 at the plate and made multiple mistakes on defense. First he misjudged a ball hit by Robinson Cano in the second inning. In first glance, I didn't think it mattered as the ball kept carrying, however after watching the play a few more times, you'll see that if he didn't take a step towards home plate and instead he took a step back, he would've caught the ball with no problem. But instead, the ball went about five feet over his head. Next, he made two bad throws towards home plate, one right after another. He first tried throwing out Johnny Damon out at home, and had the ball been about 10 feet to the right, he would've gotten him out by a good 5-10 feet. He then later tried to (what looked like) make a throw home to get Jason Giambi out, but Justin Morneau wisely cut it off and tossed it to second base to get Robinson Cano out.
However I did observe two positives. One, although his arm is inaccurate, he definitely has a cannon and he just needs to take his time making an accurate throw and that will come with experience. The other positive was that he can definitely fly. In his first at bat, he placed a soft bunt between the pitching mound and third base and nearly beat out the throw. The only reason he was out was because Wilson Betemit made a nice barehanded play.
Brian Buscher: He had a couple great at bats, and even looked good on defense. As silly as it may sound to some of you, he may challenge Mike Lamb for the starting third base job. However, he still has a lot to prove. He made great contact with the ball and showed great awareness at the plate. In his at bat where he laced a single to right field, he was behind 2-2 and took two balls very close to the strike zone. But in his first at bat, he hit a hard liner to first baseman Jason Giambi who made an impressive leaping grab to stun Buscher as he ran to first base.
I'm very excited to see how he does the rest of Spring. I've been on Buscher's bandwagon since he made his arrival in Minnesota last season, and I still think he could be a solid starter for us.
Brendan Harris: He looked stiff at the plate, as well as defense. If I had to guess right now, I'd say that Ron Gardenhire would likely start Nick Punto over Harris if the season opened tomorrow. Because at least we know that Punto offers good defense. But I think that Harris will become more and more comfortable on both aspects of his game, which could make him the favorite.
Garrett Jones: He's an interesting story. He's a 26-year-old prospect who is looking for a spot on the 25-man roster. If he doesn't make the club out of Spring Training, he'll have to clear waivers in order to go back to Rochester, and it's very unlikely that he does that. So in essence, this is Jones last shot in a Twins uniform. If he doesn't make it, he's gone. And yesterday, he definitely raised some eyebrows as he took a Joba Chamberlain fastball to the bleachers in deep right field. Chamberlain left the ball up in the zone and Jones capitalized.
It's going to be interesting to see what they choose to do with Jones. I think it's really a competition between Jones and Brian Buscher for the last spot on the bench. Matt Macri could be an option, however Buscher is outplaying him at the same position, so as of right now, it's Jones-Buscher. Buscher has options left, but he probably has more value to the Twins future than Jones does. Either way, he definitely moved up in my books after that home run. Yowza.
Randy Keisler: They were talking about his inability to throw strikes in his career, but he had no problem with that yesterday. He jammed a lot of hitters and forced them to swing at balls that they shouldn't have. He has a very small chance of making the roster, but he definitely impressed viewers yesterday.
Alexi Casilla: He made a few very nice plays yesterday. On defense, he made a great dig at shortstop and made an off-balance throw on one foot to get Jason Giambi out at first. He also later took part in the teams only double play of the afternoon. On offense, he 'goofed' by not swinging on a hit & run but Jason Pridie (for some reason) was called safe at second despite not sliding. But after that he hit a hard grounder up the middle for a single and later stole second base. He definitely looks like he improved over the winter and I'm excited to see what he'll do this season.
Alejandro Machado: I have to admit, I don't know a ton about this guy, but yesterday he was pretty impressive at the plate. With the bases loaded, he hit a 2-run double down the first baseline that put the Twins up 6-4. I didn't get to see him on defense, as he took over at DH, but from all the reports he plays great defense so he could also have a shot at making the roster.
Jason Pridie: If it weren't for Colin Curtis' diving catch in the 8th, he would've finished the game 2-2 with a double (possibly a triple) 2 RBI's and a stolen base. However, Curtis robbed him on a great play and allowed just one run to cross the plate. I hope that Pridie plays more in the next televised game, so we can all get a better glimpse of him then. But consider me impressed with what I saw from him in this game.
Ricky Barrett & Oswaldo Sosa: Barrett definitely had some control problems, however he has a very nice curveball that got a few batters to make awkward swings. Sosa has a lot of movement on his pitches, which is nice since I saw most of his fastballs sit in the 88-90 range. But he did serve Shelly Duncan a beach ball at the letters and Duncan completely crushed the ball to (possibly) the other side of Florida.
Overall: I don't want people to get the impression that I'm putting a lot of stock into this game, because I'm really not. I just wanted to share my thoughts on the game. I was throughly impressed for the most part and it got me even more excited for the season to start.
March 5, 2008
Live Game Blogging: Twins vs. Yankees
Twins win 7-5!
(Winning Pitcher): Pat Neshek (Losing Pitcher): Edwar Ramirez (Save): Oswaldo Sosa
I should have my post game thoughts up later tonight/early tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the updates.
• Bottom of 9th:
Pitching change: Oswaldo Sosa in for Ricky Barrett
Morgan Ensberg flied out to Carlos Gomez in center field for the first out of the inning. Brett Gardner grounded out to second baseman Felix Molina for the second out. And Shelly Duncan hit a fastball up in the zone over the fence in left field. Chris Woodward then hit a single to left-center field to extend the inning. Before Jason Lane who represented the tying run struck out looking. Twins 7, Yankees 5
• Top of 9th:
Pitching change: Ross Ohlendorf in for Chris Britton
Carlos Gomez (who has played the entire game) hit a fly ball to start the inning. Felix Molina struck out swinging. Jose Morales laced a ground ball single left field as Chris Woodward was beginning to shade him to second base and then Morales hit it his way. Randy Ruiz got jammed up and in by a 97 mph fastball before later striking out on a pitch down and away. Twins 7, Yankees 4
• Bottom of 8th:
Pitching change: Ricky Barrett in for Pat Neshek
Colin Curtis grounded out to Randy Ruiz to begin the inning. Francisco Cervelli hit a hard grounder to third base, and Matt Macri made a strong throw to get him out at first. Nick Green hit a grounder up the middle, but Alexi Casilla was shading him perfectly and got him out. Twins 7, Yankees 4
• Top of 8th:
Pitching change: Chris Britton in for Edwar Ramirez
Position change (Yankees): Francisco Cervelli in for Jorge Posada at catcher.
Jose Morales drew a lead-off walk to start the inning. Randy Ruiz hit a grounder to shortstop and Morales was out on the fielders choice. On the relay to first, Shelly Duncan couldn't dig it out of the dirt and Ruiz was safe. Chris Basak was then hit with a pitch to put a runner on first and second with one out. Matt Macri hit got an infield hit which was misplayed by Morgan Ensberg at third base. With the bases loaded and one out, Alejandro Machado hit a 2-run double down the first base line to put the Twins ahead. With one out and runners on second and third, Jason Pridie hit an RBI sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Macri from third. Machado stayed at second base and later stole third base while Alexi Casilla was at bat. Casilla then grounded out to second base to end the inning. Twins 7, Yankees 4
• Bottom of 7th:
Pitching change: Pat Neshek in for Dennys Reyes.
Position change (Yankees): Gregory Porter in for Alex Rodriguez at DH.
Pat Neshek retired the Yankees side in order for a very quick inning. Chris Woodward, Jason Lane and Gregory Porter never had a chance. Porter struck out to end the inning. Twins 4, Yankees 4
• Top of 7th:
Pitching change: Edwar Ramirez in for Jonathan Albaladejo.
Position changes (Twins): Alejandro Machado in for Jon Knot at DH.
Position changes (Yankes): Chris Woodward in for Derek Jeter at shorstop. Nick Green in for Bernie Castro at second base. Morgan Ensberg in for Wilson Betemit at Third Base. Brett Gardner in for Melky Cabrera in Center Field.
Alejandro Machado popped out. Jason Pridie hit a single to left field to start the inning. Jason Pridie advanced to second base on a stolen base (failed hit and run, Casilla didn't swing, Pridie didn't slide and was out, however was called safe despite the fact that the umpire was right there to see it). Alexi Casilla hit a sharp single up the middle and was off of glove which allowed Pridie to score from second base. Alexi Casilla then stole second base while Carlos Gomez was at bat. With a full count, Gomez struck out. On a wild pitch, Casilla advanced to third base. Felix Molina then struck out swinging to end the inning. Twins 4, Yankees 4
• Bottom of 6th:
Pitching change: Dennys Reyes in for Randy Keisler
Position change (Twins): Chris Basak in for Delmon Young in Left Field. Randy Ruiz in for Justin Morneau at First Base.
Position change (Yankees): Bernie Castro in for Robinson Cano at second base (pinch run)
Robinson Cano hit a hard single up the middle to start the inning off. Wilson Betemit hit a routine grounder to third base, but the ball got away from Felix Molina at second base, trying to start a double play. Both runners were safe. With two on and nobody out, the Yankees tried a hit & run but Alexi Casilla tapped second base and made the throw to first to get the double play, Castro advanced to third. Shelly Duncan struck out swinging to end the inning. Great job by Dennys Reyes to not allow a run to cross the plate despite the Yankees having two on and no outs. Twins 3, Yankees 4
• Top of 6th:
Pitching change: Jonathan Albaladejo in for Joba Chamberlain.
Position change (Twins): Jose Morales in for Joe Mauer (pinch run)
Position changes (Yankees): Jason Lane in for Bobby Abreu in Right Field. Shelly Duncan in for Jason Giambi at First Base. Colin Curtis in for Johnny Damon in Left Field.
Joe Mauer hit a double to left center field. Justin Morneau then hit a fly out to center field, and Jose Morales tried to advance to third base and Melky Cabrera threw him out by a mile. With two out, Delmon Young hit a sharp single to right field. Matt Macri struck out swinging to end the inning. Twins 3, Yankees 4
• Bottom of 5th:
Position changes: Alexi Casilla in for Matt Tolbert at Shortstop. Jason Pridie in for Garrett Jones in Right Field. Matt Macri in for Brian Buscher at Third Base. Felix Molina in for Brendan Harris at Second Base.
Alex Rodriguez hit a deep fly ball just short of the center field warning track, but it was hauled in by Carlos Gomez. Alexi Casilla made a great dig and a phenomenal throw to first base to just get Giambi out by a foot. Casilla was off-balance on one foot to make the play. Jorge Posada hit a soft grounder to Justin Morneau at first base to end the inning. Twins 3, Yankees 4
• Top of 5th:
Brian Buscher hit a hard single to right field to begin the inning. Jon Knot struck out looking on an inside fastball. Garrett Jones crushed a home run to deep (deep) right field, also scoring Buscher. Matt Tolbert was hit on the back of his ankle, on the very next pitch. Carlos Gomez hit a shallow fly ball which almost dropped but Melky Cabrera made a nice running catch. Tolbert retreated to first base before Cabrera's throw reached the base. With two out and a runner on first, Brendan Harris hit a grounder up the middle and Tolbert was out at second on a fielders choice. Twins 3, Yankees 4
• Bottom of 4th:
Pitching change: Randy Keisler in for Julio DePaula
Melk Cabrera struck out swinging to start the inning. Johnny Damon hit a ground ball to Brendan Harris for the second out. And Derek Jeter hit a hard grounder under Brendan Harris' glove for a base hit. Jeter latter advanced to second base on a wild pitch that got away from Joe Mauer. Bobby Abreu then hit a fly out to center field for the third out. Twins 1, Yankees 4
• Top of 4th:
Pitching change: Joba Chamberlain in for Heath Phillips
Brendan Harris got ahead 3-1 before grounding out to second base. Joe Mauer hit a chopper to first base. On a full count, Justin Morneau drew a walk. Delmon Young hit a ground ball to third base to end the inning. Side note: Joba Chamberlain threw 18 pitches in the inning, 11 of which were counted for balls. He definitely was working on his off-speed stuff and only threw a couple fastballs. Twins 1, Yankees 4
• Bottom of 3rd:
Pitching change: Julio DePaula in for Kevin Slowey
Julio DePaula allowed a single to Jason Giambi on the first pitch. DePaula later balked, allowing Giambi to advance to second. Jorge Posada got behind 0-2 before hitting a fly out to right field on a 3-2 count. Robinson Cano hit an RBI single, but was tagged out trying to advance to second base. It looked as if Carlos Gomez attempted to throw it home, but Justin Morneau cut it off and tossed it to Matt Tolbert at second base to tag Cano out at second. Wilson Betemit struck out to end the inning. Twins 1, Yankees 4
• Top of 3rd:
Pitching change: Heath Phillips for Ian Kennedy
Phillips got Garrett Jones out right away. Matt Tolbert struck out swinging. Carlos Gomez hit a broken bat grounder to shortstop and was out by a few feet at first to end the 1-2-3 inning. Twins 1, Yankees 3
• Bottom of 2nd:
Delmon Young scared viewers (and himself). After Jorge Posada hit a fly ball to the left field warning track, the sun made him lose track of the ball and it scared him when he hit his glove. But bottom line, he made the out. Robinson Cano hit a double over Carlos Gomez's head, after Gomez made a bad cut on the ball, however he probably wouldn't have gotten it had he made a perfect jump on it anyways, the ball kept carrying. Robinson Cano scored as Wilson Betemit hit a double off of the center field wall. Gomez made a nice play getting it back into the infield. Slowey struck out Melky Cabrera swinging. Slowey then threw a wild pitch to the backstop which allowed Betemit to advance to third base. Johnny Damon hit a single up the middle, despite an attempted dive by Brendan Harris, Betemit scored from third. Damon then stole second base. Slowey then walked Derek Jeter in a good at bat by Jeter. With runners at first and second, Bobby Abreu hit a single to center field and Gomez made a wild throw to home plate and it went wide of the plate, allowing Damon to score from second base and Abreu to advance to second base. With runners on third and second, Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging for the third out. Phew. Twins 1, Yankees 3
• Top of 2nd:
Justin Morneau Hit a flyout to Melky Cabrera in center field. Delmon Young hit a home run to deep center field on a 3-1 count. One word... WOW. Brian Buscher hit a hard line drive to right field, however Jason Giambi made a great jumping grab. Jon Knot hit a grounder to shortstop to end the inning. Twins 1, Yankees 0
• Bottom of 1st:
Kevin Slowey had a solid first inning. He gave up a single to Derek Jeter and then Bobby Abreu hit a forceout to second base. He made Rodriguez look silly on a few swings before eventually walking him in a very good at bat. Jason Giambi struck out looking for the third out. Slowey pitched very well in this inning. Twins 0, Yankees 0
• Top of 1st:
Carlos Gomez almost beat out a bunt to first, but a barehanded throw by Wilson Betemit got him by a half step. Brendan Harris hit a single to left. Joe Mauer hit a 3-4-1 double play to end the inning. Twins 0, Yankees 0
Wednesday Morning Update
The Twins released their lineup for today's game against the Yankees, which is scheduled to start in just over 3 hours.
1. Carlos Gomez - CF
2. Brendan Harris - 2B
3. Joe Mauer - C
4. Justin Morneau - 1B
5. Delmon Young - LF
6. Brian Buscher - 3B
7. Jon Knott - DH
8. Garrett Jones - RF
9. Matt Tolbert - SS
Kevin Slowey (starting)
Randy Kiesler
Ricky Barrett
Julio DePaula
Dennys Reyes
Pat Neshek
Brian Bass
Oswaldo Sosa
Here's the Yankee Lineup:
1. Johnny Damon - LF
2. Derek Jeter - SS
3. Bobby Abreu - RF
4. Alex Rodriguez - DH
5. Jason Giambi - 1B
6. Jorge Posada - C
7. Robinson Cano - 2B
8. Wilson Betemit - 3B
9. Melky Cabrera - CF
Ian Kennedy (starting)
Joba Chamberlain
Not sure who else is supposed to pitch for the Yankees
It's going to definitely be a fun game to watch and I'm hoping the Twins can pull out a win on National Television, yeah, that'll show 'em! (I wish)
La Velle E. Neal III also reported that Francisco Liriano will start Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. He also said that the Twins are working with Liriano to reduce the way he spins in his follow-through.
I also just noticed for the first time (probably has been this way for a while), but the Twins website has added Delmon Young to the top of the page, and took out Johan Santana. But like I said, I just noticed it today, but it's probably been there for a while.
1. Carlos Gomez - CF
2. Brendan Harris - 2B
3. Joe Mauer - C
4. Justin Morneau - 1B
5. Delmon Young - LF
6. Brian Buscher - 3B
7. Jon Knott - DH
8. Garrett Jones - RF
9. Matt Tolbert - SS
Kevin Slowey (starting)
Randy Kiesler
Ricky Barrett
Julio DePaula
Dennys Reyes
Pat Neshek
Brian Bass
Oswaldo Sosa
Here's the Yankee Lineup:
1. Johnny Damon - LF
2. Derek Jeter - SS
3. Bobby Abreu - RF
4. Alex Rodriguez - DH
5. Jason Giambi - 1B
6. Jorge Posada - C
7. Robinson Cano - 2B
8. Wilson Betemit - 3B
9. Melky Cabrera - CF
Ian Kennedy (starting)
Joba Chamberlain
Not sure who else is supposed to pitch for the Yankees
It's going to definitely be a fun game to watch and I'm hoping the Twins can pull out a win on National Television, yeah, that'll show 'em! (I wish)
La Velle E. Neal III also reported that Francisco Liriano will start Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. He also said that the Twins are working with Liriano to reduce the way he spins in his follow-through.
I also just noticed for the first time (probably has been this way for a while), but the Twins website has added Delmon Young to the top of the page, and took out Johan Santana. But like I said, I just noticed it today, but it's probably been there for a while.
Span, Twins Can't Catch a Break
The Minnesota Twins had their game against the Tampa Bay Rays called short yesterday afternoon due to rain. The game was called in the top of the fifth inning as the Twins held a 3-0 lead.
Boof Bonser pitched three scoreless innings while striking out three before Nick Blackburn pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning. The Rays got another good performance from Edwin Jackson, pitching three scoreless innings of his own, before Al Reyes gave up all three of the Twins runs in the fourth inning.
Denard Span lead the way for the offense with a 2-3 performance with his first extra base hit of Spring Training. However, despite his great game, his stats will not count towards his total stats from spring training. That doesn't mean that Ron Gardenhire (or the rest of the coaches) won't take this game into consideration for the center field competition.
Mike Redmond drove in the first run of the game with a single to right field which scored Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer, Redmond and Garrett Jones all scored while going 1-2 at the plate.
Today, the Twins will send Kevin Slowey to the mound to face Ian Kennedy of the Yankees. The first pitch is scheduled around 12:05 (CT) and remember that the game is on ESPN for all of you that are hoping to get a glimpse at some of the newest members of the Minnesota Twins in action.
And for those of you who may be wondering, it's supposed to be partly cloudy and in the upper 60's around game time. So at least it doesn't look like there's any chance that this game will be rained out. But then again, weather men (or women) are not the most reliable professions out there. But hopefully, they're correct and we get to watch some good baseball.
Francisco Liriano update
Francisco Liriano threw his fourth throwing session since he arrived in camp last week, and it was his second time throwing live batting practice. He reportedly had no pain in his newly repaired elbow and all indications are that he will make his Spring Training debut this Friday when the Twins face both the Red Sox and Blue Jays in two split-squad games. It's not known which team he'll face.
After throwing around 45 pitches in his session on Tuesday, Liriano said, "I didn't feel any pain, any soreness at all," Liriano said. "I feel real good."
He also admitted to holding back a little bit on his slider. "I feel a little different with my slider, like I'm sacred to throw it, let it go," Liriano said. "I'm going to take it easy and keep working on it to get better."
However he has been working more and more on his change-up which will (hopefully) allow him to use his slider as an out pitch instead of making it a common pitch in his repertoire, like he did in 2006.
Unless he experiences any soreness before the game, this will be a big step for him, however I'm sure after all that he's gone through over the last 18 months, it's probably just another baby step in a very long process to get back from surgery.
Finally
Perhaps I've been out of the loop, but I didn't know that Kevin Slowey had his own blog. Call me crazy, but I haven't seen that before. Definitely check it out.
Boof Bonser pitched three scoreless innings while striking out three before Nick Blackburn pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning. The Rays got another good performance from Edwin Jackson, pitching three scoreless innings of his own, before Al Reyes gave up all three of the Twins runs in the fourth inning.
Denard Span lead the way for the offense with a 2-3 performance with his first extra base hit of Spring Training. However, despite his great game, his stats will not count towards his total stats from spring training. That doesn't mean that Ron Gardenhire (or the rest of the coaches) won't take this game into consideration for the center field competition.
Mike Redmond drove in the first run of the game with a single to right field which scored Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer, Redmond and Garrett Jones all scored while going 1-2 at the plate.
Today, the Twins will send Kevin Slowey to the mound to face Ian Kennedy of the Yankees. The first pitch is scheduled around 12:05 (CT) and remember that the game is on ESPN for all of you that are hoping to get a glimpse at some of the newest members of the Minnesota Twins in action.
And for those of you who may be wondering, it's supposed to be partly cloudy and in the upper 60's around game time. So at least it doesn't look like there's any chance that this game will be rained out. But then again, weather men (or women) are not the most reliable professions out there. But hopefully, they're correct and we get to watch some good baseball.
Francisco Liriano update
Francisco Liriano threw his fourth throwing session since he arrived in camp last week, and it was his second time throwing live batting practice. He reportedly had no pain in his newly repaired elbow and all indications are that he will make his Spring Training debut this Friday when the Twins face both the Red Sox and Blue Jays in two split-squad games. It's not known which team he'll face.
After throwing around 45 pitches in his session on Tuesday, Liriano said, "I didn't feel any pain, any soreness at all," Liriano said. "I feel real good."
He also admitted to holding back a little bit on his slider. "I feel a little different with my slider, like I'm sacred to throw it, let it go," Liriano said. "I'm going to take it easy and keep working on it to get better."
However he has been working more and more on his change-up which will (hopefully) allow him to use his slider as an out pitch instead of making it a common pitch in his repertoire, like he did in 2006.
Unless he experiences any soreness before the game, this will be a big step for him, however I'm sure after all that he's gone through over the last 18 months, it's probably just another baby step in a very long process to get back from surgery.
Finally
Perhaps I've been out of the loop, but I didn't know that Kevin Slowey had his own blog. Call me crazy, but I haven't seen that before. Definitely check it out.
March 4, 2008
Looking at 3 years from now
Hello everyone. Yesterday, the Twins played two games. The "B game" was against the Red Sox in the last game against the defending World Champions (at least for a little over a week). The two teams tied, meaning the Red Sox won the series 2-1-1.
The "A game" was against the Reds and the Twins made a late-surge to send the game into extra innings and the team eventually won on a 2-run home run by Chris Basak. Randy Ruiz sent the game into extra's with his own 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Joe Mauer stayed hot this spring with another 1-3 outing where he drove in his first RBI of the spring. Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla were menaces on the base paths stealing 3 bases, 2 for Casilla, one for Gomez. Both also drove in a run as well. Casilla and Brendan Harris helped the team turn 4 double plays on the afternoon.
The team will play the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at noon and will face the Yankees tomorrow afternoon at 12:15. The game will be aired on ESPN, so make sure to watch it. According to Kelsie Smith, Mauer, Delmon Young and Justin Morneau will be held out of the game against the Rays, which makes one only assume that they'll play against the Yankees. Gomez may also get the game against the Rays off, after starting two consecutive games, which may make him a probable against the Yankees. Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun to get to watch Twins baseball again, regardless of who is playing.
Now onto my thoughts. I read an article on Carlos Gomez the other night and he was talking
about leading off and whatnot, and he had this to say:
My guess, is that Ben Revere will be competing for a spot in the outfield at that time and could push for the lead-off spot.
I can realistically see a lineup as follows:
1) Ben Revere - CF
2) Carlos Gomez - RF
3) Joe Mauer - C
4) Delmon Young - LF
5) Justin Morneau - 1B
6) Michael Cuddyer - DH
7) Deibinson Romero - 3B
8) Trevor Plouffe - 2B
9) Alexi Casilla - SS
Now, I don't expect Gomez ever beating out Young for the right to bat third, even in three years. However, I can see Mauer finally developing more power to make him a more desirable #3 hitter than he is right now. If that happens, I could honestly see Gomez hitting second, in front of Mauer and hopefully his Carl Crawford comparisons will be accomplished, which would make him a very desirable #2 hitter infront of Mauer. Imagine a 9-1-2 with Casilla, Revere and Gomez on the basepaths. They all have potential to steal 40+ bases per season, however I may be putting too much stock into Revere considering he only has 191 at bats through 50 games in the Twins system, all with the GCL Twins in the rookie league. However, many predict Revere to have a very good career, and I'm one of those who believe he will as well. I don't know how the Twins would be able to justify having Trevor Plouffe play shortstop over Casilla. All indications are that Casilla has better defense, and his speed/range is not even a comparison. I see Trevor Plouffe at second base. DJ Romero is a fast-rising prosect through the Twins system who many believe is on the "fast-track" to the major leagues. He has a potential big league bat, which could make him a solid addition to the middle-of-the-lineup.
Wilson Ramos is another guy who could compete for a spot on the roster, however having him in the lineup would likely mean moving Joe Mauer, and I'm not going to get into that discussion right now. It's too early for me to predict Mauer's future behind the plate. However, if he is forced to move (injury reasons or because of Ramos or another prospect), third base, first base, left field, and DH are all possibilities. I guess I'm just not that high on Ramos just yet, however he definitely is one of the guys I'm most excited to see how he does this season.
As for the rotation, there should definitely be many options available, as the Twins pitching in the farm system is full of guys very capable of someday starting in the majors. I personally see the rotation like this:
1) Francisco Liriano
2) Deolis Guerra
3) Kevin Slowey
4) Tyler Robertson
5) Kevin Mulvey
I think Liriano will re-gain his 2006 form eventually, however I'm not sure he will this season. But by 2011, he should. Guerra is another very high-potential pitcher who would be 22-years-old in 2011, but will likely already have a solid amount of starts under his belt before 2011. Mulvey is potential #3 starter, with Robertson & Slowey potentially having front-of-the-line stuff. They could have many challengers with Jay Rainville, Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak, Oswaldo Sosa, Alex Burnett, Michael McCardell, and David Bromberg to name a few. And don't forget guys like Boof Bonser and Scott Baker who both aren't eligible for Free Agency until 2013 and guys like Philip Humber, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, and Glen Perkins who are all fighting for spots in the rotation right now.
Lets just say, the Twins have PLENTY of options for the rotation for both now, and in the near future.
How does your 2011 lineup/rotation compare to mine?
The "A game" was against the Reds and the Twins made a late-surge to send the game into extra innings and the team eventually won on a 2-run home run by Chris Basak. Randy Ruiz sent the game into extra's with his own 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. Joe Mauer stayed hot this spring with another 1-3 outing where he drove in his first RBI of the spring. Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla were menaces on the base paths stealing 3 bases, 2 for Casilla, one for Gomez. Both also drove in a run as well. Casilla and Brendan Harris helped the team turn 4 double plays on the afternoon.
The team will play the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at noon and will face the Yankees tomorrow afternoon at 12:15. The game will be aired on ESPN, so make sure to watch it. According to Kelsie Smith, Mauer, Delmon Young and Justin Morneau will be held out of the game against the Rays, which makes one only assume that they'll play against the Yankees. Gomez may also get the game against the Rays off, after starting two consecutive games, which may make him a probable against the Yankees. Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun to get to watch Twins baseball again, regardless of who is playing.
Now onto my thoughts. I read an article on Carlos Gomez the other night and he was talking
about leading off and whatnot, and he had this to say:"In two, three more years, I won't hit leadoff. I have to use my speed now. When I get older, I want to hit third."Obviously, I think it's everyone's dreams to hit in the third spot of the lineup, especially one as (potentially) good as the Twins. But it got me thinking of some of the players who may be viewed upon as a lead-off batter at that time. Ben Revere should be about ready in three years, especially if he doesn't hit a snag in his development in any of his stops in the minors. Joe Benson has a lot of upside, but he still needs to prove that he's not just all hype and needs to produce this season to lay some of his critics to rest. However, Benson (like Gomez) has potential to have a "big bat" that could allow the team to bat him second, third or anywhere else in the order. Denard Span and Jason Pridie are both possibilities, I suppose, but many expect Gomez to have center field locked in by then, and Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer both expect to be around at that time as well, and both will be older than many of the other younger candidates.
My guess, is that Ben Revere will be competing for a spot in the outfield at that time and could push for the lead-off spot.
I can realistically see a lineup as follows:
1) Ben Revere - CF
2) Carlos Gomez - RF
3) Joe Mauer - C
4) Delmon Young - LF
5) Justin Morneau - 1B
6) Michael Cuddyer - DH
7) Deibinson Romero - 3B
8) Trevor Plouffe - 2B
9) Alexi Casilla - SS
Now, I don't expect Gomez ever beating out Young for the right to bat third, even in three years. However, I can see Mauer finally developing more power to make him a more desirable #3 hitter than he is right now. If that happens, I could honestly see Gomez hitting second, in front of Mauer and hopefully his Carl Crawford comparisons will be accomplished, which would make him a very desirable #2 hitter infront of Mauer. Imagine a 9-1-2 with Casilla, Revere and Gomez on the basepaths. They all have potential to steal 40+ bases per season, however I may be putting too much stock into Revere considering he only has 191 at bats through 50 games in the Twins system, all with the GCL Twins in the rookie league. However, many predict Revere to have a very good career, and I'm one of those who believe he will as well. I don't know how the Twins would be able to justify having Trevor Plouffe play shortstop over Casilla. All indications are that Casilla has better defense, and his speed/range is not even a comparison. I see Trevor Plouffe at second base. DJ Romero is a fast-rising prosect through the Twins system who many believe is on the "fast-track" to the major leagues. He has a potential big league bat, which could make him a solid addition to the middle-of-the-lineup.
Wilson Ramos is another guy who could compete for a spot on the roster, however having him in the lineup would likely mean moving Joe Mauer, and I'm not going to get into that discussion right now. It's too early for me to predict Mauer's future behind the plate. However, if he is forced to move (injury reasons or because of Ramos or another prospect), third base, first base, left field, and DH are all possibilities. I guess I'm just not that high on Ramos just yet, however he definitely is one of the guys I'm most excited to see how he does this season.
As for the rotation, there should definitely be many options available, as the Twins pitching in the farm system is full of guys very capable of someday starting in the majors. I personally see the rotation like this:
1) Francisco Liriano
2) Deolis Guerra
3) Kevin Slowey
4) Tyler Robertson
5) Kevin Mulvey
I think Liriano will re-gain his 2006 form eventually, however I'm not sure he will this season. But by 2011, he should. Guerra is another very high-potential pitcher who would be 22-years-old in 2011, but will likely already have a solid amount of starts under his belt before 2011. Mulvey is potential #3 starter, with Robertson & Slowey potentially having front-of-the-line stuff. They could have many challengers with Jay Rainville, Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzak, Oswaldo Sosa, Alex Burnett, Michael McCardell, and David Bromberg to name a few. And don't forget guys like Boof Bonser and Scott Baker who both aren't eligible for Free Agency until 2013 and guys like Philip Humber, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, and Glen Perkins who are all fighting for spots in the rotation right now.
Lets just say, the Twins have PLENTY of options for the rotation for both now, and in the near future.
How does your 2011 lineup/rotation compare to mine?
March 3, 2008
Spring Training Notes
Here are a few news/notes coming out of Spring Training:
• Livan Hernandez had a solid first outing for the Twins yesterday as he allowed 1 run over 2 innnings while the Twins faced the Boston Red Sox. The reason I clarify it as a "solid first outing" is because of the fact that he faced many of the key members of the Red Sox lineup, while sporting a low-velocity repertoire of pitches. In fact, according to Joe Christensen, the home run ball hit by Mike Lowell was clocked at 83 mph.
He also impressed Ron Gardenhire:
• Craig Monroe has a strained calf muscle. He hopes to get back into the lineup sometime early this week, but I just hope that any injury doesn't prolong throughout the season like another former Tiger's did last year.
• Francisco Liriano had another bullpen session yesterday and was pitching much better than in his previous two sessions. He also left a good impression on pitching coach, Rick Anderson:
• Brian Buscher has been steadily increasing his stock so far in the teams first few games. He's hit the ball very well and has made a few nice digs on defense as well. He's also playing some first base as well to increase his chances of making the club as a reserve for both Mike Lamb and Justin Morneau. That of course is if he isn't starting over Lamb. Anything is possibly I guess, although given the contract the team just gave to Lamb, I'd be surprised if he wasn't starting come opening day.
• The Twins are encouraging Delmon Young to take a lot of swings at pitches this spring and he's been showing better discipline than ever. In Tampa, he was being encouraged to take more balls and he'd end up swinging away. In fact, he lead the league in swings in at bats last season. I'm really excited to see what this guy is going to do for our team.
Here's what Ron Gardenhire has to say:
• Joe Nathan does not have a new contract, however Jim Souhan explains why he's worth the big money.
• Ron Gardenhire is also very impressed with Carlos Gomez thus far, he likes the way he plays the game and loves the excitement he brings while he's on the field. Over the weekend, he stole second base off of Jon Lester of the Red Sox and was safe by a longshot. The team is very encouraged with his speed and athleticism on the field. But at the plate, they know he still has a lot to work on. Here's what hitting coach Joe Vavra had to say:
• Here's how the center field competition looks so far (through 4 of 31 games):
Denard Span - 2-7, 2 runs, 1 SB, 1 assist
Carlos Gomez - 1-6, 1 K, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 assist
Jason Pridie - 3-8, 2 K's, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 SB,
I'm happy this looks to be like it's going to be a good competition. I definitely can't wait to see how this thing plays out.
• Here's a good quote from Ron Gardenhire:
• Livan Hernandez had a solid first outing for the Twins yesterday as he allowed 1 run over 2 innnings while the Twins faced the Boston Red Sox. The reason I clarify it as a "solid first outing" is because of the fact that he faced many of the key members of the Red Sox lineup, while sporting a low-velocity repertoire of pitches. In fact, according to Joe Christensen, the home run ball hit by Mike Lowell was clocked at 83 mph.He also impressed Ron Gardenhire:
“There wasn’t much of a strain out there. Just flipping it out there, not afraid to throw any pitch at any time, and that’s kind of why we signed him. So that was kind of a refreshing day for a starter. Looked like he fit right in. That was good stuff.”
• Craig Monroe has a strained calf muscle. He hopes to get back into the lineup sometime early this week, but I just hope that any injury doesn't prolong throughout the season like another former Tiger's did last year.
• Francisco Liriano had another bullpen session yesterday and was pitching much better than in his previous two sessions. He also left a good impression on pitching coach, Rick Anderson:
“That was outstanding,”La Velle E. Neal III also said that Liriano's expected to have another bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to make his Spring Training debut on Thursday or Friday of this week.
• Brian Buscher has been steadily increasing his stock so far in the teams first few games. He's hit the ball very well and has made a few nice digs on defense as well. He's also playing some first base as well to increase his chances of making the club as a reserve for both Mike Lamb and Justin Morneau. That of course is if he isn't starting over Lamb. Anything is possibly I guess, although given the contract the team just gave to Lamb, I'd be surprised if he wasn't starting come opening day.
• The Twins are encouraging Delmon Young to take a lot of swings at pitches this spring and he's been showing better discipline than ever. In Tampa, he was being encouraged to take more balls and he'd end up swinging away. In fact, he lead the league in swings in at bats last season. I'm really excited to see what this guy is going to do for our team.
Here's what Ron Gardenhire has to say:
"All the on-base percentage [stats] and all those things -- he's dangerous when he lets that thing fly and gets fastballs," Gardenhire said. "We're going to want him to swing this year more than taking a lot of pitches and watching them go by."
• Joe Nathan does not have a new contract, however Jim Souhan explains why he's worth the big money.
• Ron Gardenhire is also very impressed with Carlos Gomez thus far, he likes the way he plays the game and loves the excitement he brings while he's on the field. Over the weekend, he stole second base off of Jon Lester of the Red Sox and was safe by a longshot. The team is very encouraged with his speed and athleticism on the field. But at the plate, they know he still has a lot to work on. Here's what hitting coach Joe Vavra had to say:
This is what Ron Gardenhire had to say about him:"You're thinking, 'How many swings can he make like that without breaking down?' " Vavra said. "Because he puts a tremendous amount of torque on his back, and if you do that too many times, boy. You try not to be so violent in your approach but try to be aggressive."
"I really think he swung so hard that the bat broke before the ball got there," Gardenhire said. "... He's a little bit of a free spirit."
• Here's how the center field competition looks so far (through 4 of 31 games):
Denard Span - 2-7, 2 runs, 1 SB, 1 assist
Carlos Gomez - 1-6, 1 K, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 assist
Jason Pridie - 3-8, 2 K's, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 SB,
I'm happy this looks to be like it's going to be a good competition. I definitely can't wait to see how this thing plays out.
• Here's a good quote from Ron Gardenhire:
"Hey, we lost the cannons," (in regards to losing Johan Santana, Carlos Silva and Torii Hunter) Gardenhire said, smiling. "But we've got more bullets."
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