Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's HR Record!

Congratulations to Barry Bonds on his historic HR. I'm not going to debate if I think he's "clean" or not. For right now, I will pay my respect as I watch the greatest record in sports being broken.

No Mood!

Twins lost yesterday, 5-1 to the Kansas City Royals. And again, the offense could only score once despite having 3 doubles and again the strong starting pitching was wasted. Boof Bonser didn't pitch a great game, but he still wasn't at fault for this loss. The offense needs to score more than 1 run if they expect to win a game.

The Twins won 1-0 on Saturday, the were shutout on Monday, and Tuesday they again only scored 1 run. This loss drops the Twins to 6 games behind the AL Central Division leading Detroit Tigers.

I'm not really in the mood to talk about the Twins struggles for what feels like a month now this morning. Last nights game was another pathetic loss the Twins can add to their loss column. I will give a game ball with only two positives in the game was Justin Morneau finally getting out of an 0-17 slump with 2 doubles. Luis Rodriguez was also a positive with Brian Buscher now out of the lineup indefinitely with an "infected leg."

Game Ball

Profile: Justin Morneau, 25, 1B Game: 2-4, 1 Run, 2 Doubles

Rochester Red Wings beat the Syracuse Chiefs, 4-1.

The game during the top of the 6th inning because of rain. Starter Brian Duensing was pitching a solid game giving up just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 4 in the 5 innings of work. Matt Tolbert and Jose Morales both had 2 hits each. Darnell McDonald drove in his 58th RBI. Garrett Jones had 2 RBI's. Tommy Watkins went yard for just the 8th time this season. Denard Span went 1-3 and stole his 23rd base.

New Britain Rock Cats lost to the Erie Sea Wolves, 6-3.

Oswaldo Sosa continues to improve going 6 innings and only giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. He also struck out 7. Josh Hill gave up 3 unearned runs in 1 inning. Tim Lahey pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Brandon Roberts went hit his 2nd HR and 31st RBI of the season. Garrett Guzman went 3-4 with his 13th HR of the season and he also drove in 2 RBI's.

Ft. Myers Miracle beat the Daytona Cubs, 8-1.

Jay Rainville added another stellar game to his season while giving up 1 run in 8 innings. Armando Gabino pitched the final inning. Dwayne White drove in 2 runs on 2 hits. Juan Portes also had two hits and drove in his 47th RBI of the season. Dustin Martin had 2 hits and he also scored twice. Erik Lis had just 1 hit and it was his 12th HR of the season.

Beloit Snappers lost to the Wisconsin Rattlers, 6-1.

Starter Brian Kirwan did not have a great start. He gave up 5 runs in 6 innings. He was hit hard in the 1st inning, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Jose Lugo pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Lugo now hasn't given up a run in almost 3 weeks. Matt Williams gave up another run in his lone inning of relief. The only ruy of the game came off the bat of Danny Santiesteban when he hit his 8th HR of the season and his 31st RBI. Wilson Ramos got 3 hits including his 14th double. Garrett Olson also hit his 14th double.

GCL Twins lost to the GCL Orioles 6-4.

Liam Hendricks had a solid start giving up just 2 runs (1 eanred) in 5 innings. He also struck out 6. Rodney Gessmann gave up 4 hits and 2 runs in just one inning of relief. Dominque Rodgers gave up 2 unearned runs and picked up his 1st loss of the season. Danny Rondon came on pitched a scoreless 8th, but the damaged had already been done. Yangervis Solarte had 3 hits and drove in his 25th RBI. Andrew Schmiesing drove in his 13th RBI. Ben Revere went 2-4 with his 9th triple and 15th stolen base of the season.

...

Elizabethton Twins beat the Bristol White Sox, 6-3.

Mike Tarsi went the first 5 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits while picking up his 4th win of the season. Bradley Tippett pitched 2 scoreless innings and Daniel Latham pitched another before Blair Erickson pitcked up his 7th save in the 9th. Rene Tosoni went 2-5 with 5 RBI's. He now has 9 RBI's in his last 5 games.

Jeff Manship Interview

Jeff Manship was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 14th round of the 2006 draft out of Notre Dame. He is the highest rated pitcher to come out of Notre Dame, and most likely the reason he fell in the draft (as he was projected to be the 13th overall pick in the 2003 draft by BaseballAmerica.com) is because he had Tommy John surgery before his Freshman season at Notre Dame.

He started the 2007 season in Low-A Beloit. For the Snappers he and posted a 7-1 record with a 1.51 ERA with 77 strikeouts in just 77.2 innings.

He was promoted to Advanced-A Ft. Myers on June 25th and has continued his success with a 5-3 record a 2.45 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 47.2 innings for the Miracle.

He is moving up on a lot of "top prospect" boards, and Twins fans should be looking forward to watching him have a very successful career within the Twins Organziation.

Enjoy.
..

Josh's Thoughts: Growing up in Texas, what team did you follow when you were growing up? Who was your favorite player?

Jeff Manship: I never really had a specific team that I would always follow when I was young. The Astros were the closest team to San Antonio so I followed them the most. I also enjoyed watching the Mariners with Ken Griffey Jr, Alex Rodriguez, Jay Buhner, Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez. My favorite player growing up was Ken Griffey Jr.

Josh's Thoughts: (Sorry in advance if this is a difficult subject to talk about). You had Tommy John surgery in College, what exactly was wrong with your forearm? What was the hardest part about rehab? And does a player need to stick to a strict program while recovering?

Jeff Manship: I first felt discomfort in my elbow while playing for Team USA in the summer after my senior year of high school. We were playing in a tournament in Curacao, Netherland Antilles and in the 4th inning of a game against Venezuela, I injured my arm. I threw a fastball and immediately my whole forearm and elbow tightened up. I followed with 3 more pitches and they all felt the same so I pulled myself out of the game. I never heard the infamous "pop" of my ligament tearing so I did not believe any serious damage had occured. I ended up having Tommy John surgery in Febuary of my freshman year.

The hardest part about the rehab was how monotonous it got. The pain was never too severe. The only discomfort I felt was in the early stages when trying to stretch my elbow out and remove the scar tissue

If you want to recover it is wise to strictly follow the program. I was determined to come back 100% so I made sure to do everything correctly. I was also informed that I could possibly come back throwing harder so that provided extra incentive to work harder.

Josh's Thoughts: Who has influenced you the most in your career?

Jeff Manship: My father has been my biggest influence both on and off the field. He taught me how to pitch when I was 10 and has continued to provide helpful advice. In addition, my pitching coach in High School and former professional pitcher, Ben Van Ryan, was a very influential coach in my life. My brother, Matt, was very important. He has served as a role model throughout my life and continues to be a person that I greatly admire.

Josh's Thoughts: You went to Notre Dame, what were your best memories while playing for such a great program?

Jeff Manship: The tradition of the school is amazing. Hearing the fight song before every game was great. I always loved everyone on the team. We were very close-knit and that helped us to be successful.

Josh's Thoughts: At Notre Dame, what was your major?

Jeff Manship: Economics with a minor in Computer Applications.

Josh's Thoughts: What has been the most difficult part of pro baseball? Best part?

Jeff Manship: The most difficult part is the repetiveness. Playing everyday and
having few off days can be tough. The best part about professional baseball is the independence. If I want to succeed I have to be willing to put in the time and effort. In pro ball, I am handled as an adult with my own responsibilities.

Josh's Thoughts: If you weren't playing baseball, what other profession would you want to be?

Jeff Manship: I have no idea what my profession would be if I was not playing baseball. I actually have not put a huge amount of thought into it yet. Hopefully baseball will carry me a long way and provide a great career.

Josh's Thoughts: What do you like to do in your free time?

Jeff Manship: I play video games, swim and fish in my off time.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your favorite style of music? Favorite Artist?

Jeff Manship: Most people are shocked when they find out my favorite music is heavy metal. I don't have a band that I favor more than another, but I enjoy listening to Rage Against the Machine, Slipknot, and Korn.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your favorite movie? Favorite Actor/Actress?

Jeff Manship: My favorite movie is Saving Private Ryan. My favorite actor is Denzel Washington.

Josh's Thoughts: What kind of pitcher would you consider yourself as?

Jeff Manship: I guess I would consider myself as a power pitcher. I throw a 2 and 4 seam fastball, curveball, slider and change-up.

Josh's Thoughts: What pitch would you consider as your strikeout pitch?

Jeff Manship: My slider.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your greatest baseball moment?

Jeff Manship: Pitching to Ken Griffey Jr. during Spring Training this year.

Josh's Thoughts: What do you think you will need to work on between now and before you arrive in Minnesota?

Jeff Manship: Developing my change-up and throwing to contact more often rather than trying to strike everyone out.

Josh's Thoughts: What has been the biggest adjustment from playing in the Midweest League with Beloit, to playing in the Florida State League with Ft. Myers?

Jeff Manship: The hitters are obviously better so when you miss a spot it gets harder more often. The heat is also a huge change.

Josh's Thoughts: What advice would you give a young baseball player that hopes to make it into pro baseball someday?

Jeff Manship: Continue to work hard toward your goals. As a pitcher make sure to throw strikes and get ahead of hitters.

Josh's Thoughts: Thank you for answering some questions. I know you have a busy schedule and I hope you the best for the rest of the season and the rest of your career as well.


This interview can also be seen at TwinCitiesDugout.com (it's part 1 of 2).

Call Me: Scotty "Too Hotty" Baker

Sunday's game was exactly what has been wrong with the Twins all season, no offensive consistancy. Although, this outcome showed to be much better then most previous outcomes. With only being able to muster 5 hits from the bats, the Twins were able to keep a 1-0 lead from the 4th inning to finish the game by the same score.

...

The Indians were also only able to get 5 hits from the Twins, and only 4 against starter Scott Baker. Baker allowed only 4 hits in his 8 shutout innings. Baker, a 25-year-old right-hander has now only allowed 1 run in the last 16 innings and has won his 2nd consecutive game. Baker has also turned 6 out of his last 8 starts into quality starts. After having a 7.33 ERA in the middle of June, Baker has been great and despite giving up 7 runs in one start, still has managed to lower his season ERA to 4.43.

...

But like I said, the offense was again inconsistant (almost non existant). The only offensive hero's could be Jason Kubel who reached base all four times including two hits and two walks. And Alexi Casilla is the other player who could be named "offensive hero" as he drove in the only run of the game with an RBI ground rule double. The play probably should've scored Brian Buscher who was at first base, but the run would've been insignificant anyways with the Twins shuting the Indians out. I will say that the batters were facing one of the best starters in the game right now in Fausto Carmona, and that in part is not entirely the offense's fault for only having 5 hits. But 5 men left on base by Michael Cuddyer, is not something I can entirely blame on the pitcher he faced. That is just horrid.

...

Joe Nathan has been used a lot lately. Mostly in part to the Twins having little offense to go along with their great starting pitching. After pitching 4 games in a row last week, he got his 2nd game in a row yesterday, and again he continued to dominate. The 32-year-old closer now has converted 25/29 saves this season, and 10 for his last 11. Twins fans (including myself at times) feel that they can get by with Pat Neshek as the closer if we can net some nice prospects for Joe Nathan, but it's hard to argue that with the way the Twins bullpen has played this season, in part to Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier and Joe Nathan being so consistant.

Today, the Twins will send Carlos Silva to the mound to face Paul Byrd to wrap up the 4 game series. The Twins will need a strong, quality outing from "Chief" Silva to give them the ability to take the game and the series from the Cleveland Indians. With a win, there's a chance that the Twins can be 3 1/2 games back of the AL Central lead by tomorrow.

The Twins have come a long way in just the last week and a half, mostly in part to the poor play by the division leaders, but none-the-less the Twins are on their way up.

Game Ball

Profile: Scott Baker, 25, RHP

Game: 8 IP, 5 H, 0 ER/R, 2 BB, 4 K

LEWWWWWWW!
During Saturday's game, pitching coach Rick Anderson told manager Ron Gardenhire that he's going to need "more arms" if they keep using the bullpen the way they have been as of late. So with that in mind, the Twins optioned outfielder Lew Ford to Rochester as they recalled left-handed reliever, Carmen Cali.

Ford was not playing has not been that great this season while posting a line of .232/.308/.366 with just 14 RBI's in almost 50 games. Along with his poor hitting, the thing he's been relied on the most, his defense hasn't been great either with losing balls in the outfield and making poor decisions with his throws. I cannot say that I am really that surprised with Lew Ford being the one to go to Rochester. The Red Wings can also use his bat with Chris Heintz now on the shelf, for possibly the rest of the season after braking a bone in his right wrist while he was struck by a pitch last Thursday.

Carmen Cali had a great month of July while winning 2 games and losing none in 15.2 innings of relief. He had a 3/1 K/BB ratio and posted allowed just a .241 average against him. He has been one of the most reliable pitchers in AAA this season and with already having some pitching experience with the Twins this season, this move is also not very surprising.

Lew Ford will likely be the first one recalled, if there is an injury, but I don't expect any "LEEWWWWW" chants at the Metrodome until September.



Rochester Red Wings lost to the Pawtucket Red Sox, 6-4.
Brian Bass fell behind early and the Red Wings weren't able to come back, despite a later-inning surge. Bass gave up 5 runs over 4 innings of work. Brad Baker gave up another run before Jay Sawatski pitched two scoreless innings to try and stop the bleeding. With Chris Heintz on the DL, Gil Velazquez played 3rd base and had delivered with 2 hits and his 10th RBI. Glenn Williams also had 2 hits, while he got his 42nd RBI. Tommy Watkins hit his 46th RBI and also his 22nd double. Matt Tolbert drove in the other run on an RBI double.


New Britain Rock Cats lost to the Akron Aeros, 9-6.
The pitching failed to keep the Rock Cats in the game, and most of it was from Jesse Flloyd who gave up 5 runs in over 5 innings of work. The bullpen didn't help with Jose Mijares allowing 3 runs and Tristan Crawford allowing another. The offense came off the bat of Garrett Guzman. Guzman delivered with 2 RBI's, 3 hits, and his 12 HR of the season. Matt Allegra, Drew Butera and Trevor Plouffe also drove in runs for the Rock Cats. Matt Moses also helped with 2 hits.


Ft. Myers Miracle beat to the Dayton Cubs, 5-4.
The Miracle needed 12 innings, but they got the job done. Kyle Aselton started and gave up 1 run in 2 innings. David Shinskie gave up 3 unearned runs in 3 innings of relief, but the two errors which lead to the runs were charged to Shinskie. J.P. Martinez, Rob Delaney and Adam Hawes combined for 7 scoreless innings of relief. Delaney picked up his 2nd win while Hawes picked up his 1st save. Steven Tolleson had a game to remember on Sunday. The shortstop went 4-5 with 2 runs scored, his 5th HR and also drove in 2 RBI's including the game winning RBI double. He also stole his 24th base of the season. Dustin Martin hit his 3rd HR in 7 games as a member of the Miracle. Juan Portes and Ed Ovalle both drove in the other runs.


Beloit Snappers beat the Dayton Dragons, 4-3.
Tyler Robertson wasn't able to get out of the 6th inning, but he still picked up win #7 as he allowed 3 runs to cross the plate. Danny Leatherman did a great job of holding the opposition to that score until Danny Vais came on in the 9th to pick up his 2nd save of the season. All the offense was supplied from home runs. Chris Parmelee hit his 13th home run and 57th RBI. Eli Tintor hit HR # 5 and RBI #23. But Steven Singleton hit his first HR of the season and also drove in 2 runs. His 2 Run HR proved to be the game winner.


GCL Twins beat the GCL Reds, 8-3. (Game 1)
Tom Wright pitched his best game of the season going 5 innings and only giving up 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 4 in his 2nd win of the season. Danny Rondon later picked up save number 9 on the season in a scoreless relief appearance. Andrew Schmiesing and Danny Rams both drove in two runs each. Juan Richardson, Jeanfred Brito, and Wang-Wei Lin each drove in a run as well. Ben Rever went 2-4 with his 8th triple of the season, but was caught stealing twice.


GCL Twins to the GCL Reds (Game 2)
Jarrad Eacott got the start in the 2nd game. The 19-year-old southpaw from "The Down Unda" allowed just 2 hits in the 3 innings he pitched. Charles Nolte pitched the next 3 innings and picked up his 3rd win of the season in the process of shuting out th Reds. Rodney Gessman piched a scoreless 7th inning. Juan Richardson hit his 2nd triple of the season and drove in 2 RBI's for the Twins. Jeanfred Brito also had an RBI. Yangervis Solarte chipped in with 2 hits. And Ben Revere continued his great season with 2 runs, a hit and his 14th stolen base of the season.


Elizabethton Twins beat the Burlington Royals, 15-5.
Starter David Bromberg lasted 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 10 batters. Michael Rogers allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 2 innings and struck out 2 more. Curtis Leavitt struck out the side in the 9th. D.J. Romero had 3 hits and 4 RBI's including his 6th HR of the year, a grand slam to add onto an 11 run, 5th inning by the Twins. Rene Leveret had 4 hits and an RBI. Rene Tosoni, Mark Dolenc, and Matthew Lawman all had 2 RBI's. And Danny Lehman had another RBI.

Saturday's Thoughts

Bonds hits home run #755.

I for one am happy for him. Everyone has their opinion on this issue, and I am fine with what Barry has accomplished. He may have used steroids, and maybe we'll never know. But until it is proven, I will hold my judgement and in the meantime he will still be one of my favorite players.

Friday's Thoughts

Twins Notes

Cuddyer to return from DL Today.

All reports are that the Twins are planning on activating Michael Cuddyer from the DL before tonights game against the Cleveland Indians. The right fielder hasn't played a game since he injured his thumb sliding into second base on July 18th.

There is no official word of who's place he will be taking on the roster, but some believe that Luis Rodriguez may be the one to go. I think that Ramon Ortiz would be a better option right now. But I do agree that with the promotion of Alexi Casilla, L-Rod is probably the last position player on the bench. And with there only being 11 pitchers on the 25 man roster right now, I think that we can rule out Ramon Ortiz or Juan Rincon being the ones Cuddyer replaces.


The games will go on!

According to Joe Christensen, the Minnesota Twins will infact play this weekends series against the Cleveland Indians. There were talks of postponing tonights game (or all the series) against the Indians after the tragic event which took place on Wednesday evening. Here is what Twin's President, Dave St. Peter had to say:

“The Minnesota Twins and all of Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened by the tragic events, which took place on the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis last night,” Twins president Dave St. Peter said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families who are impacted by this horrific situation. “Since the moments following last evening’s tragedy, the Twins organization has been in regular contact with public safety officials,” St. Peter continued. “Those discussions led to the decision to play last night’s game and the postponement of today’s game versus the Royals. Following additional consultation with various agencies including the Minneapolis Police Department and the Department of Public Safety today, the Twins have been encouraged to proceed with the series against the Indians as scheduled.”

Thursday's afternoon game was postponed until August 31st in which it will then be part of a day-night doubleheader.

Here are the probable pitchers for the Cleveland series: (Twins starters in Blue/ Indians Starters in Red)

• Friday: Johan Santana vs. C.C. Sabathia. This is going to be a great game featuring two of the best lefties in baseball.
• Saturday: 23 year old Matt Garza vs. 22 year old Aaron Lafey. The Twins hope to beat up on Lafey in his Major League Debut.
• Sunday: Scott Baker vs. Fausto Carmona. Carmona won 5 straight before his last start. The Twins hope to make it two in a row for Carmona.
• Monday: Carlos Silva vs. Paul Byrd. This should be a quick game with a small amount of walks.

Minor League Scores

Rochester Red Wings beat the Syracuse Chiefs, 7-4.

Starter Brian Duensing continued his impressive season with another great start in AAA. The 24 year old southpaw went 7 innings and gave up just 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 7. Julio DePaula gave up a 2-run HR in his inning of relief and Bobby Korecky gave up a solo home run in his only inning of relief as well. Glenn Williams had 2 hits including his 7th HR and 2 RBI's. Denard Span went 2-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Tommy Watkins batted in his 43rd run of the season and also stole his 12 base. Matt Tolbert and Darnell McDonald both went 2-5 with an RBI.

New Britain Rock Cats lost to the Erie Sea Wolves, 13-3.

Joshua Hill gave up 7 runs (3 earned) in just 3 innings on Thursday. Tristan Crawford gave up 2 runs in 2 innings. Frank Mata gave up another run in his two innings of relief. And J.P. Martinez gave up 3 more in his 2 innings of work. Brandon Roberts, Matt Allegra, and Felix Molina all drove in a run each. Garrett Guzman and Allegra were the only batters to have 2 hits.

Ft. Myers Miracle beat the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 9-5.

Errol Simontisch had another solid start in his rehab assignment. The southpaw gave up 2 runs on 4 hits over 6 innings. It was his 2nd win of the season for the Miracle. Armando Gabino and Eddie Morlan gave up 3 runs in their combined 3 innings of relief. Rob Delaney pitched a scoreless ninth in the non-save decision. Dustin Martin hit his 1st HR as apart of the Twins organization. It was his 6th of the season. Danny Valencia, Korey Feiner, and Ed Ovalle each had 2 RBI's. Juan Portes went 3-3 with 2 runs scored and his 44th RBI of the season. Brian Dinkelman had two hits to go along with his 16th RBI of the season.

Beloit Snappers lost to the Fort Wayne Wizards, 2-1.

Despite outhitting the Wizards 11-8, the Snappers fell short behind a good outings by Brian Kirwan and Jesus Carnevales. Kirwan gave up 2 runs over 6 1/3 and struck out 6. Carnevales gave up 1 hit over the final 1 2/3 innings. Joe Benson had 3 hits and is now hitting over .400 over the last 10 games. Steven Singleton also had 3 hits along with his 8th stolen base. Matt Betsill had 2 hits including his 6th double.

GCL Twins beat the GCL Orioles, 3-2. (Game 1)

Daniel Berlind gave up 2 unearned runs over 5.1 innings pitched. He also struck out 6 of the 21 batters he faced. Danny Rondon pitched the final 1.2 innings to pick up his 8th save. Both now have ERA's under 0.75. Jeanfre Brito had 3 hits and also recorded his 13th RBI. Yangervis Solarte had 2 hits and an RBI. Juan Richardson drove in the other run. Ben Rever went 1-2 and Angel Morales went 1-3.

GCL Twins beat the GCL Orioles, 8-0. (Game 2)

Liam Hendricks pitched 5 shutout innings and struck out 9 of the 17 batters he faced en route to his 2nd win of the season. Dutchman, Tom Stuifbergen and Australian, Jarrad Eacott both pitched scoreless innings of relief. Jeanfred Brito went 1-4 with 2 RBI's, Ben Revere went 2-2 with his 7th triple and 2 RBI's, and Danny Rams went 1-3 with his 2nd double and 2 RBI's.

Elizabethton Twins lost to the Danville Braves, 5-3.

Jose Castillo gave up 3 runs on 7 hits over 4 innings of work. Spencer Steedley gave up 2 runs over 3 innings before Danny Latham pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief. Rene Tosoni finally went hitless. Greg Yersich went 2-3 with a HR and 3 RBI's. Mark Dolenc had 3 hits and D.J. Romero had 2 hits.

Incase I don't blog, have a safe and fun weekend!

Thursday's Thoughts

Tragedy in Minneapolis

I'm sure everyone has heard about the I-35W bridge which crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis which collapsed around 6:00 pm on Wednesday Night. The cause of the collapse is currently unknown, but the speculation is that it's due to the construction that was being done on the bridge. There are reports of 50 vehicles that are in the water and there is a report of 6 deaths at this point that have been confirmed. I send my thoughts and prayers out to everyone and their families that are affected by this. Hopefully there are no more deaths.

This is a horrible tragedy.

And in regards to the Twins, La Velle E. Neal III said that the Twins let the game go on as schedule so that it would "lessen traffic stress on the area. That way, first response teams can get in and out of the area."

But in regards to tomorrow's afternoon game and groundbreaking ceremony, those have both been postponed.

Writen by Joe Christensen, Twins president Dave St. Peter said this about the status of this weekends games:

“In terms of the weekend, we have not made any decisions about the Indians series,” St. Peter said. ”We’ll deal with those one day at a time. Right now we’re focused on tonight and tomorrow and hopefully a lot of prayers and thoughts go out to those families who are impacted by this.”

Twins Notes

Rincon, Twins lose to Royals.

It's hard to write about the Twins with an event like that happenening so close to home. I will do just a brief recap of the game.

Boof Bonser 7 solid innings. Allowing just 2 runs on 8 K's. The Twins had a 3-2 lead (courtesy of 2 RBI's by Jason Kubel and 1 by Jason Bartlett) until the 8th inning when a leadoff single, later advancing to second along with a bad play by Lew Ford and a wild pitch by Matt Guerrier let the game tied, 3-3. The run was charged to Pat Neshek.

Later we went to extra innings when Juan Rincon gave up a game-winning 2-run HR to Alex Gordon to put the Royals ahead, 5-3.

The Twins couldn't counter and the hopes of a 3 game sweep against the Royals was gone.

Jason Kubel went 2-4 with 2 RBI's. Newbies, Brian Buscher went 1-2 with a run scored, and Alexi Casilla went 1-4. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Torii Hunter all had 1 hit each.

With the Thursday game being postponed, the next scheduled game will be on Friday when C.C. Sabathia and Matt Garza get to have a rematch of Sunday's matchup. Although, I do think that Matt Garza's start may be pushed back a day to allow Johan Santana to pitch on (somewhat) regular schedule. Should be an interesting couple of days for the Twins and the Twins Cities.


Santana and others Speak out.

In Wednesday's paper, Joe Christensen wrote an article about some of the reactions (Johan Santana's in particular) about the events that went on during the trade deadline.

He said:

"You always talk about future, future. ... But if you only worry about the future, then I guess a lot of us won't be part of it."

"Why waste time when you're talking about something that's always going to be like that? It's never going to be beyond this point. It doesn't make any sense for me to be here, you know?"

Howard Sinker has a great opinion of the situation (along with a great title), "Kwityerbitchin’andsticktopitchin’"

But all that I am going to say is that right now, unless the Twins rebound and make it to the playoffs or unless Terry Ryan adds a guy like Kevin Millar (leader, someone who could help, good clubhouse guy), it looks slimer and slimer that Torii Hunter and Johan Santana will be apart of our future plans. I will say that a lot of them are just very upset right now and that they'll likely cool off with time, but that's just an optimistic view of the situation.

I think that if the Twins don't resign Torii Hunter, Johan Santana will not come back and the Twins will likely have to look to a team like the Yankees to trade some high-profile prospects like Phil Hughes, Jose Tabata and/or Joba Chamberlain.

I will hate it if it came to that point, but it's looking like a real possibility at this point.

Minor League Scores

Rochester Red Wings lost to the Syracuse Chiefs, 6-2.

Kevin Slowey allowed just 1 earned run (and one unearned run) in 6 innings of work. He wasn't struck out 3 and walked 2 while throwing 102 pitches. Carmen Cali who has been great as of late, allowed 2 runs (1 unearned) in one inning of relief. Jay Sawatski gave up 2 more in another inning of relief. Jose Morales had two hits to go along with his 27th RBI, and Tommy Watkins drove in RBI #42. Darnell McDonald had 2 hits, one being his 25th double. Doug Deeds hit his 2nd triple of the season.

New Britain Rock Cats lost to the Erie Sea Wolves, 5-0.

Oswaldo Sosa continued to progress in his starts, this time he allowed 3 runs (1 earned) in 7 innings of work. Jose Mijares did his part by pitching 1 inning of scoreless relief and Angel Garcia gave up 2 in his inning of relief. The only batters to get hits were Garrett Guzman, Matt Moses and Brandon Roberts.

Ft. Myers Miracle lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays, 2-1. (Game 1)

Jay Rainville pitched a good game, he went 6 innings and gave up just 1 run while striking out 9. David Shinskie came on in relief and gave up an unearned run to lose his 4th game of the season. Erik Lis drove in the only run. Luis Ugueto and Steven Tolleson both had 2 hits each.

Ft. Myers Miracle lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays, 3-1. (Game 2)

Zach Ward lost his 15th game of the season by allowing 3 runs over 5 innings. Rob Delaney pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief and struck out 4 batters in the process. Brian Dinkelman had 2 hits. Chris Woodward hit a triple in the 6th with one out, but was not able to score.

Beloit Snappers beat the Fort Wayne Wizards, 5-4.

Finally a win for the System! Alex Burnett gave up 3 runs (2 earned) in 4 innings of work. Danny Vais blew a save in the 9th by giving up a game tying HR. AGAIN Anthony Slama was not braught into the game and AGAIN Danny Vais blew a save. I hope the Snappers will not let history repeat itself again anytime soon. Luckily Aaron Craig and Jose Lugo (finally) stepped up to hold the Wizards in the extra innings. Eli Tintor and Wilson Ramos both had 3 hits but Ramos drove in 2 runs (including a game-winning triple) compared to Tintor's 1 run. Garrett Olson went 2-6 with his 13th double of the season. Chris Parmelee broke out of an 0-16 slump with an RBI single in the 3rd inning. Joe Benson (who on the otherhand has been great recently) continued to improve by going 1-3.

GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox.

Game postponed due to rain.

Elizabethton Twins beat the Princeton Rays, 5-3.

Mike Tarsi pitched 6 innings and only gave up 1 unearned run in the process. Bradley Tippett pitched 3 no-hit innings of relief to improve to 5-0. Blair Erickson allowed 1 run in the 9th but picked up his 4th save of the season. Ozzie Lewis had 2 RBI's to go allowing with 3 hits and 2 runs scored. Greg Yersich also had 3 hits (2 which were doubles) and drove in his 15th RBI. Rene Leveret and the hot hitting, Rene Tosoni, both had 2 hits each.

Wednesday's Thoughts

Of Note To Fans

As you know, you can wait for what seems like hours for a rain delay to end. While this is nothing foreign to the die-hard baseball fan, online sports betting can make that time pass in a flash. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection and you're ready to go. It's not a bad idea for the seventh inning stretch either.

Twins Notes

Twins don't make another move.

On Monday, the Twins sent Luis Castillo and most of the fans/players were lead to believe that we'd get another bat to help our offense out. Well, the 3:00 (central time) came and passed and the Twins didn't make a move. I am never upset when we don't make a move. Because if the pieces don't fit, they can't be forced. The Twins were most likely reluctant to part with their young starting pitching, but you have to remember that pitching is the key to a teams success, and it's been the way the Twins have ran their organization for years. Why change now? If we were a bottom feeder, barely getting by, then something would likely have to change. But as we sit right now, we are 6 games behind the Tigers for the Division crown, and we are 5 games behind the Indians for the AL Wild Card. The Twins are very much still in it, in fact, if we can continue to have success against the Royals and if we carry that into the next series against the Indians, we could see a drastic change within the next week. I have to agree with what Seth Stohs said:

"I'm mainly disappointed in myself for getting my hopes up. I allowed myself to think that the Twins would actually make a significant trade at this deadline. They made one trade, but it was really ho-hum."

This really isn't anything new, or that I haven't exprienced since I've been a Twins fan (my entire life). I just need to remember that I need to not get my hopes up when nothing has ever happened before.


Twins beat Royals, 5-3.

Carlos Silva showed the team why they made a good decision by not trading him to another team. "Chief" Silva, went 8 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 7 hits. Joe Nathan gave up a 9th inning HR, but he still picked up his 24th save in the process.

Torii Hunter got the offense started with a leadoff HR (his 22nd of the year) in the top of the 2nd. His HR kickstarted a 4-run 2nd inning which even had Lew Ford and Alexi Casilla chipping in with RBI's. Hunter later had a HR robbed by center fielder, David DeJesus.

Alexi Casilla had a good day at the plate. He went 2-3 with a run scored and a run batted in. Lew Ford also had a good day going 2-3 with 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. Jason Tyner had another good game at the leadoff spot. He went 1-4 while Jason Bartlett went 2-4 in the #2 spot.

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Mike Redmond, and Jeff Cirillo all went hittless.

Minor League Scores

Rochester Red Wings beat the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees, 3-1.

Starter Brian Bass put together another gem of a game. The 25 year old right hander gave up just 1 run over 7.1 innings. Bobby Korecky picked up his 30th save while pitching 1 2/3 innings. Denard Span and Matt Tolbet both had 1 hit. Darnell McDonald had 3 hits and drove in his 56 RBI. Garrett Jones and Chris Heintz both had 1 RBI apiece.

New Britain Rock Cats beat the Erie Sea Wolves, 6-2.

Jesse Floyd gave up 2 runs while pitching 6 innings to pick up his 5th win of the season. He also struck out 7. Danny Powers pitched the final 3 innings to pick up his 1st save of the season. Rashad Eldridge hit his 6th HR of the season and 2nd in as many days. He drove in 3 runs on the HR. Trevor Plouffe had 3 hits and an RBI to raise his season average to .291. Garrett Guzman and Matt Moses both had 2 hits.

Ft. Myers Miracle vs. the Dunedin Blue Jays

Game postponed due to rain.

Beloit Snappers beat the Ft. Wayne Wizards, 7-4.

Tyler Robertson has been phenominal all season, and it continued on Tuesday. He allowed 2 runs over 6 innings while striking out 9 batters. Anthony Slama later pitched a scoreless 9th to pick up his 6th save of the season. Joe Benson and Wilson Ramos both had great games. Both had 3 hits and while Benson drove in 2 RBI's, Ramos drove in 3. Chris Cates and Matt Betsill both had RBI's. Eli Tintor and Danny Santiesteban both had 2 hits.

GCL Twins vs. the GCL Reds.

Game postponed due to rain.

Elizabethton Twins lost to the Princeton Devil Rays, 6-3.

Michael Allen pitched a good game by allowing just 1 unearned run to score over 5 innings, but Ludovicus Van Mil and catcher turned pitcher, Caleb Moore couldn't perserve the game for the Twins. Van Mil gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 1 inning of relief, while Moore gave up 3 runs in 1 inning. Rene Tosoni had 2 more hits to continue his hot streak. The 21 year old has 13 hits in the last 10 games. Ozzie Lewis, Danny Lehman, Wesley Connor, Mark Delonc, and Eric Santiago all had 1 hit.

Tuesday's Thoughts

Twins Notes

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Luis Castillo traded to the Mets.
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If you haven't already heard, the Minnesota Twins have traded Luis Castillo to the New York Mets. In exchange, the Twins received 24 year old catcher, Drew Butera, and 23 year old outfielder, Dustin Martin. The 2nd baseman is in an option year of a 3 year $16 Million deal. He's making $5.75 Million this season. According to Twins GM Terry Ryan, the Twins were unlikely going to resign him after the season was over.

Drew Butera was selected by the Mets in the 5th round of the 2005 Draft out of the University of Central Florida. He was hitting .188/.208./.231 in AA this season with 1 HR and 4 RBI's in 30 games (117 AB's), he hit .258/.348/.418 in High-A with 5 HR's and 22 RBI's in 52 Games (182 AB's). Butera is the son of former Twins catcher, Sal Butera. His father won a World Series Ring with the Twins in 1987. He will be reporting to AA New Britain.

Dustin Martin was selected by the Mets in the 26th round of the 2006 Draft out of Sam Houston State. He was hitting .287/.358/.421 in High-A this season with 5 HR's and 52 RBI in 93 games (363 AB's) in High-A. Martin is another left-handed hitting outfielder with below-average power, so he should feel right at home in the Twins system. Although there are reports that he will develope more power as he progresses. Hopefully. I can see Martin turning out to be a Brandon Roberts-like steal that the Twins pulled off last year with the Reds. He will report to High-A Ft. Myers.
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Who will take over at 2nd Base?
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With Luis Castillo being traded, it opened a spot on the 25-man roster. So immediately after the trade, the Twins recalled infielder Alexi Casill from Rochester. Casilla is viewed as being the future 2nd baseman for the Twins, so it was no surprise to see him being called up. Casilla has been hot and cold at times this season, but he may be an option against left-handed hitters where he has hit .337/.388/.484 in 95 AB's at AAA this season. He and Nick Punto will likely split time at 2nd base, with Luis Rodriguez making an occasional appearance.
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Twins beat Royals, 3-1.
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In the midst of all the trade talk, there was a baseball game to be played.

Scott Baker pitched well for the Twins, and really deserved the game ball last night. The 25 year old went 8 innings and gave up 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 7. Both hits came in the 4th inning, otherwise he had 7 1-2-3 innings. He set down the first 9 and the last 14 he faced in order. Baker has now lowered his ERA to a respectable 4.88 (considering it was betwen 6-7 just a month ago). He is next scheduled to pitch against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, August 4th.

The offense started off on a great start as well. Jason Tyner and Jason Bartlett lead off the Twins with back-to-back singles which lead up to Joe Mauer's 2-run double to put the Twins up 2-0 after the 1st. The Twins wouldn't score again until the 8th inning when Joe Mauer hit Jason Tyner in after a leadoff double. Mauer went 2-4 with his 19th double and 44th-46th RBI.

With Luis Castillo now gone, Jason Tyner got the start at leadoff on Monday and he did a great job. He went 3-4 with a single, doublem, and a triple (which was almost his 2nd ML home run). He has been great as of late, in his last 4 games, he is 8-15 with a solo home run. He is likely going to see more time at the leadoff spot now that the Twins traded Castillo.

The top of the lineup did a great job for the Twins. The 1-4 hitters who were Tyner, Jason Bartlett, Mauer and Justin Morneau combined to go 8-15 with all 3 runs scored and driven in and 2 doubles and a triple. The rest of the lineup was horrible. Torii Hunter, Jason Kubel, Rondell White, Brian Buscher, and Nick Punto combined for 1 hit in 16 AB's and left 10 men on base. The one hit was by Brian Buscher who had his first hit at the Metrodome with a 2nd inning single. Jason Kubel had a couple nice hits, including one that was just about 5 feet foul of his 10th HR, but he finished the game with 3 K's.

Joe Nathan come out in the 9th and set the Royals down in order to pick up his 23rd save of the year and his 3rd in the last 3 games/days.

Carlos Silva (8-11, 4.76) will face Jorge De La Rosa (8-10, 5.35) on Tuesday in the 2nd game of a 4 game series against the Royals. Silva is 3-2 with an ERA of 4.18 in 9 career starts against the Royals. De La Rosa is 1-3 with an ERA of 4.74 in 6 games (4 starts) in his career against the Twins. De La Rosa pitched 8 innings and gave up just 1 run (which was unearned) against the Twins on April 22nd.
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Minor League Scores

Rochester Red Wings beat the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees, 3-2.

Dave Gassner may have extended his stay in the Red Wings rotation, at least for the time-being. The 28 year-old southpaw went 6 innings and gave up just 1 run on 3 hits. Julio DePaula helped him win the game by perserving a 3-1 game by pitching 2 innings of no-hit ball. Bobby Korecky picked up his 28th save, but also allowed another run which was his 4th in his last 3.2 innings pitched. Jose Morales hit 2 RBI's and his 2nd HR of the season. Garrett Jones went 1-2 with 2 walks and his 60th RBI of the season.

New Britain Rock Cats beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 8-7.

Starter Anthony Swarzak wasn't as good yesterday than in his previous starts, but he wasn't that bad. He gave up 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 9 in 6 2/3 innings. Tim Lahey pitched 2 innings and gave up 2 runs (1 earned) to pick up his 8th win of the season. Trevor Plouffe went 2-4 with 3 RBI's and his 8thHR of the season. Rashad Eldridge went 3-5 with a two-run game winning HR in the 9th.

Ft. Myers Miracle beat the Dunedin Blue Jays, 6-5.

Kyle Walrdop gave up 4 runs (3 earned) in 5 innings on Monday. Adam Hawes pitched 4 innings in relief to pick up his 2nd win of the season. Steven Tolleson and Erik Lis went 2-4 with an RBI each. Alexander Soto went 2-4 with 2 RBI's. Danny Valencia and Brian Dinkelman both had hits as well.

Beloit Snappers beat the Fort Wayne Wizards, 5-2.

Starter Cole DeVries went 5 innings of 1 run (which was unearned) baseball en route to his 8th win of the season. Jesus Carnevales, Aaron Craig and Anthony Slama finshed off the game. Slama picked up save number 5. Steven Singleton went 2-3 with his 17th RBI. Eli Tintor went 1-2 with his 19th RBI. And Joe Benson went 2-5 with 2 RBI's.

GCL Twins beat the GCL Pirates, 8-3.

Starter Thomas Wright went 4 innings and gave up 3 runs (2 earned). Lee Martin, Tom Stuifbergen, Dominique Rodgers, and Michael Mopas combined for 5 shutout innings. Martin picked up his 2nd win of the season. Juan Richardson went 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in. Yangervis Solarte, Andrew Schmiesing, Angel Morales and Nick Biagini all had 2 hits each. Morales had 4 RBI's and his first HR of the season. Ben Rever went 1-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 SB's.

Elizabethton Twins beat the Greenville Astros, 6-2.

David Bromberg picked up his 5th win of the season while going 5 innings and giving up 2 runs and striking out 8. Spencer Steedley, Curtis Leavitt, Omar Alcala and Bradley Tippett combined for 4 shutout of relief innings, 2 hits, and 5 K's. Every starter had a hit, so I won't list those guys. But the RBI's went to Estarlin De Los Santos, D.J. Romero, Rene Leveret, Wesley Connor and Mark Dolenc. Dolenc had 2 RBI's which came from his 2-run HR, his 3rd of the year.

THE TWINS SYSTEM SWEPT THER OPPONENTS ON MONDAY, 7-0!

Monday's Thoughts

Twins Notes

Twins beat Indians, 4-1.
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The Twins came from behind in the 8th inning to beat C.C. Sabathia and the Indians, 4-1. The victory clinched a series win, which was needed after being swept by the Blue Jays last week.

Matt Garza was dealing in this game. He pitched out of a big jam in the 1st. After allowing the first two batters to reach, he struck out Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, and Ryan Garko consecutively. Garza finished the game with 11 strikeouts in just 6 innings of work while allowing 1 run on 5 hits in the no decision.

C.C. Sabathia was also dealing. He struck out 11 batters in 7 2/3 innings including Joe Mauer 3 times and Nick Punto and Lew Ford twice. He allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits in his 6th loss of the season.

The Twins bullpen was good in its 2nd staight game after being roughed up a few previous games. Dennys Reys, Pat Neskek and Joe Nathan combined for 3 scoreless innings of relief. Reyes picked up his 2nd win and Nathan picked up his 22nd save.

The offense was pretty bad until the 8th. With one out, Jason Tyner was hit by a pitch from Sabathia. Bartlett then grounded out to make 2 outs with Tyner still at first. Nick Punto was lifted for pinch hitter, Mike Redmond. "Red Dog" hit a game-tying RBI double to right field which drifted over Trot Nixon's head and drove in Jason Tyner from 1st. Luis Rodriguez pinch ran for Redmond. Joe Mauer hit a dribbler to Josh Barfield who threw the ball over Ryan Garko's head which allowed Mauer to reach safely and advance to 2nd while Rodriguez scored. Then Justi Morneau delivered an RBI double down the left field line to score Mauer from 2nd.

All that on a two-out rally. Amazing what just 1 hit by pitch can end up being at the end.

The offense will need to stay hot against the Kansas City Royals who have been playing very well as of late. They are 9-7 since the All Star Break and took 2/3 from both the Red Sox and Tigers before losing 3/4 games to the Yankees. But coming off of a 3 game sweep of the Rangers, the Royals are hitting and pitching great and hopefully the Twins can kill the momentum in game one.
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Back, Back, Back, GONE!
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Jason Tyner, after over 2600 AB's (including the Minor Leagues) finally hit his 1st Major League Home Run on Saturday off of Jake Westbrook. The ball landed in the Twins bullpen which was then snagged by Pat Neshek. Here's what Jason Tyner had to say about the hit and who got it:

“I’ve hit balls a lot better than that at the Metrodome,'’ he said. “That ball would not have been out at the Metrodome, but I’ve definitely hit some balls harder than that.'’

“Between second and third it was kind of seeping in,'’ he said. “I was kind of excited so I couldn’t get into a home run trot.'’

“My biggest fear was that Neshek would have it up on his website before the game was over,'’ Tyner said.

Michael Cuddyer Injury Update
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Michael Cuddyer (sprained thumb) feels that he'll be able to return on Friday, when he's eligable to return from the disabled list. On Saturday he hit off of a tee and played catch pryer to the Twins-Indians game in Cleveland. The swelling has reportedly gone down and he also doesn't feel any pain while swinging the bat. Ron Gardenhire said:

"I think he's pretty optimistic," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just talking to Cuddy, he's pretty fired up. And if he's fired up, that probably means he'll get there."

Buyers? Or Sellers?
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The thing that everyone wants to know is if the Twins are going to be "buyers" or "sellers" by the time Tuesday afternoon comes. The Twins currently are 2 games above .500. While I think that we can still make a strong playoff push, I don't think that (with this market of batters) we'll be able to find the bat that we need. The guy that would help us out the most is Mark Teixeira, but the Twins (reportedly) have no interest in adding him and his expiring contract. Another batter who would help the Twins, Adam Dunn, also hasn't been shown any interest by the Twins. A few guys who the Twins have shown interest in are both off the table. Dmitri Young signed a 2-year, $10 Million extension to stay with the Nationals. And Ty Wiggington who can play 1st, 2nd, 3rd, DH, and has also played outfield in the past, is also off the table after being traded by the Devil Rays to the Astros for reliever, Dan Wheeler. I don't know who the Twins (realistically) could acquire that would turn this season around, but we'll have to wait and see what happens today and tomorrow to see.

Another thing, is that the Milwaukee Brewers traded former Twin, Grant Balfour to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Seth McClung. He struggled in his brief stay with the Brewers, after dominating the minor leagues. Hopefully the Devil Rays will give him more of a chance before they pull the plug on him, which I suspect they will; after all, Edwin Jackson is still in their rotation as the #3 starter. Yikes.
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What About Me?
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The young prospect that everyone has forgotten about has finally resurfaced. Anthony Swarzak has been on a tear after he served his 50 game drug suspension. He has been pitching so well that many think he may still be promoted to Rochester before the end of the season. Tim Kolehmainen has a great success story on Anthony Swarzak and the season that he has had to overcome.
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Minor League Scores

Rochester Red Wings the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, 3-0.

Ryan Mullins has improved from his 1st start to his 2nd start in AAA, and Sunday, he improved from his 2nd to 3rd start. The 23 year old southpaw went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3. He may have saved his spot in the rotation, for now, despite losing his 2nd game in a Red Wings uniform. Carmen Cali pitched the final 2 innings and gave up no hits and no walks while striking out 1. Alexi Casilla and Denard Span both went 1-3 and also stole a base. Garrett Jones and Chris Heintz both had 1 hit each.

New Britain Rock Cats lost to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 10-2.

Yohan Pino's 2nd start was much better than his 1st. Pino went 5 innings and gave up 4 runs on 4 hits while striking out 5. Still, he picked up his 2nd loss of the season for the Rock Cats. Frank Mata and fellow Venezuelan gave up 5 runs in 1 1/3 innings. Tristan Crawford and Jose Mijares both gave up 1 run each. Despite going 0-5 and dropping his average to .273, Matt Moses picked up his 26th RBI, Matt Allegra drove in his 50th. Luke Hughes, Rashad Eldridge, Garrett Guzman and Felix Molina all had 2 hits apiece.

Ft. Myers Miracle

No Games Scheduled.

Beloit Snappers lost the South Bend Silver Hawks, 3-2.

Matt Fox pitched a fantastic game on Sunday. The 24 year old right hander went 7 innings and gave up 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 7. Danny Vais pitched 2 innings of relief and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits. Why wasn't Anthony Slama allowed to pitch the 9th? He's been their (best) closer since Rob Delaney was promoted, and I think that's the question people would like answered. Wilson Ramos drove in his 32nd RBI of the season. Garrett Olson hit his 12th double of the season. Joe Benson and Christopher Parmelee both went hitless with 2 K's each.

GCL Twins

No Games Scheduled.

Elizabethton Twins beat the Greenville Astros, 7-2. (Game 1)

6'7" Southpaw Dennis Reyes took the mound in game 1. The 24 year old allowed 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 9 in 5 innings. Daniel Latham and Blair Erickson both pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Estarlin De Los Santos went 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Rene Tosoni went 2-3 with a run scored and a run driven in. D.J. Romero went 2-4. Rene Leveret & Ozzie Lewis both went 1-3, Lewis drove in 2 runs. Gregory Yersich went 2-3 with 3 RBI's and his first HR.

Elizabethton Twins beat the Greenville Astros, 6-3. (Game 2)

Michael McCardell pitched another impressive game on Sunday. The rookie out of Kutztown went 5 innings and gave up 2 hits while striking out 9. Southpaw, Michael Rogers went 2/3 of an inning and gave up 3 runs (1 earned). He walked 3 and gave up 1 hit while striking out 1. Caleb Moore went 1 1/3 inning to get his first save of the season. Rene had 2 RBI's to go along with 2 hits. Ozzie Lewis and Gregory Yersich both had 2 hits each. Danny Lehman had 2 runs scored. Mark Dolenc drove in his 23rd run of the season, and Matt Lawman drove in two of his own.

Pat Neshek Interview

Twins Notes

Interview: Pat Neshek

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Pat Neshek was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 6th round of the 2002 draft. He attended Butler University where he holds many strikeout records including most strikeouts in a game, season, and career. Pat finished 3rd in the Final Vote for the AL All-Star team. He has his own website called "On the Road with Pat Neshek." On the site he talks about life in the majors, collecting sports cards, and autograph stories. Be sure to check out the site after reading the interview.

Name: Pat Neshek
Age: 26
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
College: Butler
Draft: 2002 6th round #182 overall by the Minnesota Twins



Josh's Thoughts: Growing up in Minnesota, were the Twins your favorite team? Who was your favorite player(s)?

Pat Neshek: Yep, I also liked the A's. My favorite players were definitely Tony Gwynn #1 and Kirby Puckett.

Josh's Thoughts: You were drafted by the Twins twice, both in 1999 (out of high school) and then again in 2002 (out of Butler). How much contact with the Twins did you have before you were drafted both times? Was it hard to turn them down?

Pat Neshek: Both times I was really surprised they picked me. I had a lot of other teams hound me a lot harder than the Twins did, especially in
college. I only signed a questionaire with the Twins out of high school, that's my only contact. In college I met with Scout Billy Milos and talked to him for about an hour and also a couple times on the phone.

Josh's Thoughts: Who has helped you the most in your career (on and/or off the field)?

Pat Neshek: My parents and Butler coach Steve Farley, he scared the crap ouot of me some days but he really taught me how to pitch and throw my slider.

Josh's Thoughts: How did you develope such an unorthodox style of delivery? Have you always thrown like that or did you learn to throw like that?

Pat Neshek: High School injury, I came back throwing from the side since I played shortstop all the time when I was hurt.

Josh's Thoughts: What has been the most difficult part of pro baseball?

Pat Neshek: Dealing with the failure and doing the same exact thing for half a year... it really sucks sometimes.

Josh's Thoughts: If you weren't playing baseball, what other profession would you want to be?

Pat Neshek: If we weren't going by paychecks, I wouldn't mind being a garbage man, lawn mower guy, planner or financial type guy. My major in college is finance so I'm good at that now I understand how the business goes. I wouldn't mind doing anything easy and outside.

Josh's Thoughts: What do you like to do in your free time?

Pat Neshek: Website, collect cards, autographs, play with my dogs, go shopping with my wife, beat her at Nintendo games. Just anything a nerdy guy would do, I do.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your favorite style(s) of music? Favorite Artist(s)/Group(s)?

Pat Neshek: Hard rock, Metal, Metalcore are my favorite styles. I like Chimaira, Lamb of god and Goldfinger probably the most.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your favorite movie(s)? Favorite Actor(s)/Actress?

Pat Neshek: The Pianist and The Count Monte Cristo. I don't have a favorite actor or actress.

Josh's Toughts: What has been your favorite stadium to play at in the Majors? Minors?

Pat Neshek: Metrodome and probably Vero Beach, because of my personal history with the place.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your greatest baseball moment?

Pat Neshek: MLB debut. Can't beat that.

Josh's Thoughts: Your website is a big success, where did you get the idea of starting it? How long have you been running it?

Pat Neshek: I started it in 2004. I wanted to get in touch with fans and share autograph stories.

Josh's Thoughts: What is your repertoire of pitches? Which would you call your "strikeout pitch?"

Pat Neshek: Fastball, Slider, Change-up. My Slider gets a lot of strikeouts.

Josh's Thoughts: What advice would you give a young baseball player that hopes to make it into pro baseball someday?

Pat Neshek: It's a long road and it doesn't happen over night. If you always believe and really believe deep down in your darkest moments of life you know things like college, getting dumped, not succeeding, failure that is when you get tested and can shy away from what you really want. If you still want it then, then that is pretty much the battle. All it takes from there is being prepared, lifting, throwing, getting better, knowing how the system works.

Josh's Thoughts: Thank you for taking time to answer some questions. I wish you great luck not only for the rest of this season, but throughout your career.