Twins bullpen collapse secures Sox win

The bullpen could not preserve the lead yesterday and the Twins fell to the White Sox, 7-4.

Nick Blackburn was a little erratic early on, but finally came in his grove in his final inning. Matt Guerrier was good his first inning, but left the game in the 7th inning with a runner on 1st and third. When Pat Neshek came in, he immediately gave up an RBI single to Jermaine Dye. Carlos Quentin then singled to left field before Joe Crede broke the game open with a game-winning grand slam. There are some outings that Neshek is spot on and is probably the best reliever in the league, but then there are some days that the ball just doesn't stay down and he is hit hard, and this would be one of those outings.

The Twins got out to an early lead when Carlos Gomez bunted the first pitch of the game down the first base line for his 4th bunt single of the season. He then stole second base before advancing to third on a ground out by Denard Span. Joe Mauer drove in Gomez with a single to right field. Unfortunately, it was Gomez and Mauer's only hits of the afternoon.

Denard Span got his first major league hit with a single between the third baseman and shortstop into right field. He also walked, stole a base, and scored as well. Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Delmon Young, and Brendan Harris all had just one hit apiece. Young drove in Denard Span in the 8th inning, but it was too late.

Matt Tolbert also had just one hit in the game, but he also only had one AB. He continues to stay hot at the plate, and this should buy him some more playing time in the near future. Mike Lamb put together his first multi-hit game for the Twins, as he hit 2 RBI doubles.

The Twins have an off day today, but on Wednesday the Twins will send RHP Scott Baker (1-0, 4.05) to the mound to face off against LHP John Danks (0-0, 1.35) of the Sox. Opening pitch is scheduled for 7:11 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Game Ball
Mike Lamb - Third Base

Line: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Down on the Farm

Rochester Red Wings beat Norfolk Tides, 4-1.

Kevin Mulvey got his first taste of the International League yesterday and faired very well, going 5 2/3 innings giving up just 5 hits. He also struck out 5 and walked one in this scoreless outing. Glen Perkins pitched in relief and gave the Wings 2 innings but gave up one run on 1 hit and 2 walks. He continues to struggle with his control, but it will likely get better as the weather warms up. Bobby Korecky pitched 1 1/3 innings to pick up his first save of the season. He struck out three batters while walking just one.

Randy Ruiz, Garrett Jones, Brian Buscher and Matt Macri all had a pair of hits. Macri and Buscher both had RBI's and Ruiz had two RBI's. The Wings had 4 extra-base hits; Jose Morales, Brian Buscher and Matt Macri all had doubles, while Macri also had a triple.

Tonight: LHP Francisco Liriano (0-0, 0.00) will get his first start for the Red Wings as he faces off against RHP Hayden Penn (0-1, 12.46) of the Tides.

New Britain Rock Cats vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The Rock Cats were off yesterday, but tonight they face off against the Fisher Cats. RHP Oswaldo Sosa (0-0, 0.00) will face off against RHP Jean Machi (0-0, 0.00) of the Fisher Cats.

Ft. Myers Miracle lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays, 7-4.

Alex Burnett got hit very hard by the Blue Jays, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 12 hits in 4 innings pitched. It wasn't the FSL debut he was looking for. Anthony Slama pitched two good innings of relief, striking out 2 batters while walking one. Matthew Fox went the next two innings but gave up 2 more runs on 4 hits.

The Blue Jays out hit the Miracle, 17-8. Rene Tosoni and Brian Dinkelman both had a pair of hits and an RBI. Danny Valencia's 2-run double in the first inning to give the Miracle a 2-0 early lead. Wilson Ramos reached base 3 times, 1 hit and 2 walks.

Tonight: RHP Cole Devries (0-0, 27.00) is scheduled to make his first start of the season, and he'll be facing off against the Clearwater Threshers.

Beloits Snappers beat the Peoria Chiefs, 8-0.

The Snappers 2-hit the Chiefs while using three different pitchers. Brian Kirwan went 5 2/3 innings giving up just one of the hits and striking out 4. Next was Charles Nolte who pitched the next 2 1/3 innings. And Blair Erickson came on and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure the win.

Chris Parmelee continues to hit home runs, hitting his 3rd solo home run in as many games. He finished 2-4 on the evening. Joe Benson and Steven Singelton combined to go 4-10 with 1 run scored and 3 RBI's from the top of the lineup. Garrett Olson, Deibinson Romero, Danny Lehmann, and Marc Dolenc all had one hit apiece.

Today: RHP David Bromberg (0-1, 9.67) will face off against RHP Ryan Acosta (0-0, 0.00) of the Chiefs.

Weekend Wrap-up

Here's a recap of this weekend's games.

Friday

The Twins received a strong start by Scott Baker and the Twins ended up beating the Royals 4-3. Pat Neshek and Joe Nathan continued their dominance and improved their status as one of the best setup man/closer duo's in the league, combining for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball to close out the game. Nathan received the save, which was his second of the season.

Carlos Gomez, Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer went 1,2,3 in the order and combined to go 7-10 with an RBI, 2 runs and 2 stolen bases. Unfortunately, Cuddyer had to leave the game after sliding head first into third base. Royals third baseman Alex Gordon's spikes lacerated Cuddyer's right index finger and he was forced to leave the game. Jason Kubel replaced him in right field. Justin Morneau finally broke out of his beginning of the season slump and went 1-4 with an RBI.

Game Ball
Carlos Gomez - Center Field

Line: 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 SB

Saturday

Livan Hernandez gave the Twins another strong outing going 7 strong innings and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits. Far from spectacular, but it got the job done as the offense was able to score 6 runs to give the Twins a 2-run lead that they held the rest of the way. Matt Guerrier pitched a scoreless 8th before Nathan came on in the 9th to get his 3rd save of the season.

Just one day after breaking out of his hitless slump, Justin Morneau went 2-4 with an RBI double and a 3-run home run to bring his total number of RBI's on the day to four. Jason Kubel went 1-4 with a run scored and a run driven in. Matt Tolbert got the start at second base for Brendan Harris who is battling the flu. Tolbert went 2-4 with 2 runs scored while he batted in the #2 spot.

Game Ball
Justin Morneau - First Base

Line: 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Sunday

Boof Bonser gave a very strong performance going 7 innings and giving up just 3 runs on 8 hits while striking out 4. He didn't get any love from our offense though as he fell victim to a 3-1 loss. Jesse Crain and Dennys Reyes pitched scoreless 8th and 9th innings but the offense just couldn't help the pitchers out.

Justin Morneau followed up a 2-4 game on Saturday with another 2-4 game on Sunday. He also hit his second home run and his 7th RBI of the season. Delmon Young, Joe Mauer, Carlos Gomez and Brendan Harris all had a hit apiece while Matt Tolbert had another 2-hit performance.

Game Ball
Justin Morneau - First Base

Line: 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Cuddy lands on the DL

Michael Cuddyer left Friday's game due to a lacerated finger. The team had to place him on the 15-day disabled list after the doctors told them he'd require at least 2 weeks to heal. The team decided to call up Denard Span from Triple-A to replace Cuddyer on the roster. As many readers know, I've been a big supporter of Denard and have pulled for him to have a great season.

Denard started in right field on Sunday and went 0-2 with a walk.

Twins-White Sox Preview

This afternoon, Nick Blackburn (0-1, 1.29) faces off against Javier Vazquez (0-1, 7.20) of the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox outscored the Detroit Tigers 26-10 in their previous 3 games and have now won 4 straight.

Minor League Scores

If you'd like to know what went on with the Twins minor leagues on Friday and Saturday, make sure to read Seth Speaks for great detailed game recaps. Here are Sunday's recaps:

Rochester Red Wings vs. Richmond Braves

The game was postponed due to bad weather. The game will be made up on Tuesday, April 15 as part of a doubleheader.

Tonight: RHP Kevin Mulvey (0-0, 0.00) will face off against RHP Jim Johnson (0-0, 0.00) of the Norfolk Tides.

New Britain Rock Cats lost to the Portland Sea Dogs, 6-3.

Jay Rainville's first go around in the Eastern League did not go the way he had wished. He allowed 4 runs on 4 hits. However, possibly the worse number of the game was that he walked 5 batters in his 3 1/3 innings pitched. Kyle Aselton and Zach Ward combined for 3 2/3 innings of hitless innings, however they combined for 5 walks as well. Jason Miller allowed 1 run in the 8th inning before Ben Julianel allowed another (unearned) run in the 9th.

Dustin Martin carried the team offensively, however it still wasn't enough. Starting in right field, Martin went 2-3 with with an RBI double, driving in David Winfree after he lead off the inning with a double. Luke Hughes went 2-3 with a run scored while playing third base. Erik Lis and Felix Molina both had one RBI single apiece.

Tonight: The Rock Cats have an off-day today. Their next game is tomorrow against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. RHP Oswaldo Sosa (0-0, 0.00) will face off against RHP Jean Machi (0-0, 0.00) of the Fisher Cats.

Ft. Myers Miracle lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays, 3-0.

The game was called after the 6th inning due to rain, but the game is still official. Tyler Robertson went 5 innings and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 6 in his first action in the Florida State League. Aaron Craig came on in the 6th inning and gave up another run after allowing back-to-back doubles. The game was then called and Robertson was declared the loser.

Toby Gardenhire was the only player to record a hit off of the Blue Jays prized young arm, Kenny Rodriguez. Rodriguez went 6 innings and struck out 7 batters while giving up just the one hit. Great debut for him!

Tonight: RHP Alex Burnett (0-0, 0.00) gets his first taste of the FSL against RHP Julio Pinto (0-0, 0.00)

Beloit Snappers lost to the Kane County Cougars, 5-2.

Daniel Berlind got hit for 3 runs on 6 hits in his three innings of work. Mathew Williams came on to pitch the next 3 innings and did not allow a run on 3 hits and 3 walks. Dominique Rodgers came on to pitch a scoreless 7th inning. Spencer Steedley pitched a scoreless 8th and left the 9th inning after loading up the bases. Blair Erickson allowed 2 of the inherited runners to score, but due to an error by Chris Cates the runs were not earned.

Christopher Parmelee went 1-3 with his second home run (and RBI) of the season. Steven Singleton and Ramon Santana both went 2-4 at the plate. D.J. Romero, Ozzie Lewis and Greg Yersich all had one hit apiece. Yersich's was a triple in the 5th inning. Garrett Olson drove in the other run while grounding out in the bottom of the first inning.

Tonight: RHP Brian Kirwan (0-0, 0.00) will take the mound against LHP Zach Ashwood (0-0, 0.00) of the Peoria Chiefs.

Twins Review/Preview, Liriano Update, Minor League Scores

The Twins started with what was at first a very promising series after an opening day loss, and finished it with 3 straight losses. Yesterday, the Angels beat the Twins 5-4.

Kevin Slowey started the game and cruised through the two innings before getting roughed up in the third for 3 runs. He left the game with a strained bicep in the fourth inning and was replaced by Brian Bass. Bass went on to pitch 3.1 innings out of the bullpen, but gave up 2 runs, both of them off of home runs. Juan Rincon, Dennys Reyes and Matt Guerrier finished off the last 2.1 innings with scoreless relief, but the damage had already been done.

The offense just couldn't get anything strong going, despite having the opportunities. They did manage to score 4 runs, but they had enough opportunities to get at least 6-7 with just another single or two. Joe Mauer was the best hitter of the game, going 2-4 with two doubles and a couple of RBI's. Carlos Gomez went 2-4 and came around to score once. Jason Kubel hit a monster home run to the upper deck for his first home run of the season. Delmon Young, Adam Everett, and Brendan Harris also got hits in the game. Justin Morneau continues his struggles, however he did walk once and hit a sacrifice fly for his first RBI of the season. The sac fly was the first ball he's hit out of the infield this season.

The Twins need to capitalize on their attacks. I've seen numerous times this season that a player gets a leadoff hit and only a few of them have ever come around to score. Michael Cuddyer came on in the 9th inning with the tying run 180 feet away and the winning run 270 feet away and he struck out swinging. He has struggled hitting between Mauer & Morneau, I'm not calling for Gardenhire's head yet, but he will have to make a change sometime soon if he doesn't turn it around. He doesn't figure to be there long term anyways, so why not go with the hot hand which is Young. Cuddyer left 5 men on base yesterday, with the way Mauer & Gomez hit the ball in front of him, that's not acceptable in the 3-hole.

Game Ball
Joe Mauer - Catcher

Line: 2-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Slowey Update

Kevin Slowey was pulled from yesterday's game with a strained right bicep. When the trainers and Ron Gardenhire went out to check on him, they never touched him. Instead they just talked a bit, he tried moving his arm around and after a few words, he was out of the game. The Twins a calling it a day-to-day thing right now, but he'll be reevaluated today. If the worse happens, and he's placed on the Disabled List, Ron Gardenhire shot down the notion of calling up Francisco Liriano:

“We will not adjust his schedule because of something that happens up here. Liriano is on schedule, and he’s going to do what we set out to do, and we will not make any adjustments. Only when Liriano’s ready, and that’s a couple of starts, at least.”

If he does hit the DL, I believe Philip Humber will be recalled to take his spot. But it looks like the Twins will just skip his next start since there's an off-day on Tuesday. We should know more (hopefully) by this afternoon.

Royals-Twins Series Preview

Friday: (LHP) John Bale (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP) Scott Baker (0-0, 0.00)
Saturday: (RHP) Gil Meche (0-0, 4.50) vs. (RHP) Livan Hernandez (1-0, 2.57)
Sunday: (RHP) Brett Tomko (0-0, 4.50) vs. (RHP) Boof Bonser (0-1, 4.50)

The Royals have a lot of momentum coming into this series, winning three consecutive games against the "Powerhouse" Detroit Tigers. The Royals outscored the Tigers 13-5 in their 3-game sweep. The Twins on the other hand lost the last 3 games of the series against the Angels and were outscored 17-8.

Fortunately, the Twins don't have to face Zach Greinke or Brian Bannister, but they will have their hands full with Gil Meche I am sure. Meche went 1-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 3 starts against the Twins in 2007. On the Twins side, Scott Baker was very impressive against the Royals in 2007. The (then) 25-year-old right hander went 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his 3 starts against Kansas City. In his career, Baker is 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA vs. the Royals.

Players to watch

Craig Monroe - OF:
Monroe surprisingly has raked against the Royals in his career. In 286 career at bats vs. the Royals, Monroe has hit .304/.350/.577 with 21 doubles, 19 HR's and 62 RBI's. Monroe is figured to start Friday against the left-hander Bale, but unless he hits well in that game, it might be his only game of the series.

Joe Mauer - C:
Mauer has also had a great career against the Royals. The 24-year-old catcher has hit .320/.403/.483 in 172 at bats. He has also hit 19 extra-base hits, four of them being home runs. Mauer might DH on Saturday as the Twins play an afternoon game after a night game. However, the Twins might choose to start him both games and just choose to rest him on Sunday.

Minor League Scores

Before I begin, I just want to direct people to a few very informative posts regarding the Twins Minor Leagues:

• Seth Stohs gives us his thoughts on a few players on each team. It's very informative and he gives great thoughts.
• Josh Taylor examines each teams roster and gives great insight. Here his analysis for the Rochester Red Wings, New Britain Rock Cats, Ft. Myers Miracle and Beloit Snappers.
• Jesse Lund of TwinkieTown did a great interview with Minor League "guru" John Sickels.
  
• All did a great job!
  

Rochester Red Wings beat the Richmond Braves, 9-5.

Rochester Red Wings opened their season against the defending International League Champions, the Richmond Braves. Glen Perkins started the game for the Twins but allowed 1 run on 3 hits while walking 4 batters in three innings. It's not exactly the start the organization was looking for, however I'm sure he'll get his control under wraps. Casey Daigle, Heath Totten, Ricky Barrett and Bobby Korecky combined for 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, while Julio DePaula and Mariano Gomez combined to give up 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Barrett was credited with the win while Korecky picked up his first of what's believed to be many saves.

Denard Span (CF) and Alexi Casilla (SS) were 1 & 2 in the lineup and the two speedsters combined for 4 hits and 3 runs. Casilla also had an RBI. Jose Morales started at catcher and went 1-4 with a run and a walk. Garrett Jones was in right field and had a very good opening day. The 26-year-old exiled prospect went 3-4 with 3 runs scored and had 2 RBI's with his first double and first walk of the season. Randy Ruiz batted in 6th spot and went 2 RBI's including an RBI double, he also walked. Jason Pridie and Matt Macri hit in the 8th and 9th spot of the lineup and both went 1-4 with a run scored and an extra base hit. Pridie's was a double, and Macri's was a triple. Brian Buscher played DH and hit in the cleanup spot and Howie Clark started at second base hitting in the 7th spot and both went 0-4 at the plate with a run batted in.

Tonight: (LHP) Brian Duensing (0-0, 0.00) will face off against (LHP) Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 0.00) of the Braves.

New Britain Rock Cats lost to the Portland Sea Dogs, 3-0.

The first three pitchers for the Twins were fantastic. Ryan Mullins pitched 5 scoreless innings, surrendering just 2 hits and walks while striking out 3. Zach Ward and Jason Miller followed with scoreless innings of their own. Miller struck out 2 of the three batters he faced. The Rock Cats surrendered their first run in the 8th inning. It was an RBI single off of Armando Gabino. The 9th inning was also rocky for the Rock Cat bullpen while Ben Julianel gave up 2 runs on a single and a double.

The Rock Cats offense was pretty much non-existent. Drew Butera and Matt Moses were really the only bright spots for the Cats. Butera went 2-3 with a walk as the catcher. Moses went 1-4 with a double while playing left field. Trevor Plouffe and Felix Molina were the only other batters to get hits in the game. The "Big Boppers" David Winfree, Brock Peterson and Erik Lis went 0-10 with 6 strikeouts.

Tonight: (RHP) Anthony Swarzak (0-0, 0.00) will face off against (RHP) Michael Bowden (0-0, 0.00) of the Sea Dogs.

Ft. Myers Miracle lost to the Sarasota Reds, 8-3.

I listened to the game and Francisco Liriano's start was far from stellar. The 24-year-old left-hander lasted just 5 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and two walks. He did strike out 8 batters however, which is very encouraging. He also worked his pitch count to 82 pitches, 49 of those were thrown for strikes. Obviously he still has plenty of control problems, but that's typical in Tommy John pitchers. Regardless of the line, the Twins were looking at his pitch count, and the fact that he's getting closer to 100 pitches has to encourage the Twins organization.

Cole Devries who will take over for Liriano when he's promoted to Rochester was dreadful in his first appearance in the Florida State League. The former University of Minnesota pitcher gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in just 1 1/3 innings pitched. Julio Lugo and Danny Vais pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings to finish the game.

Offensively, Danny Valencia and Wilson Ramos carried the team while batting 3rd and 4th in the lineup. Valencia started at third base and finished the game 1-3 with 2 runs, 4 RBI's including a 3-run home run with two outs in the 9th inning to bring th Miracle within 2. Ramos went 3-5 with 2 RBI's. He hit his first home run in the FSL which was a 2-run bomb in the first inning. Rene Tosoni who skipped Low-A Ball went 2-4 in his Miracle debut in right field. Whit Robbins had an encouraging game after missing about half of 2007. He went 1-3 with a walk while DHing for the Miracle. Yancarlos Ortiz and Juan Portes both went hitless, but both had a pair of walks and both came around to score.

Tonight: (RHP) Jeff Manship (0-0, 0.00) will pitch against former Twin farmhand out of the Netherlands (LHP) Alexander Scmitt (0-0, 0.00). Click here to see his website.

Beloit Snappers vs. Kane County Cougars

The game was postponed due to bad weather. This is the second straight season opener for the Snappers that has been canceled in Beloit. The game will be made up on Saturday as part of a 7-inning double-header. I'm figuring that last nights starters Chris Italiano (Cougars) and David Bromberg (Snappers) will both start game one on Saturday. But I can't confirm this.

Here was the Snappers opening day lineup: Joe Benson - CF, Steve Singleton - DH, DJ Romero - 3B, Chris Parmelee - RF, Ozzie Lewis - LF, Ramon Santana - 2B, Ben Petsch - 1B, Greg Yersich - C, Garrett Olson - SS.

Tonight: (RHP) Michael McCardell out of Kutztown University is scheduled to make his Midwest League debut against (RHP) Travis Banwart (0-0, 0.00) of the Cougars.

I'm going out of town this weekend, so I don't think I'll get a post up at all. So have a great weekend and GO TWINS!

Twins Waste Blackburn's Strong Start

The Twins bats were dreadful (again) last night as they got shutout by Joe Saunders and the Angels shut them out, 1-0.

The entire night was not a failure however, the team got a great start by Nick Blackburn in his first start in the Major Leagues. Blackburn threw only 86 pitches through 7 innings, but a wild pitch kept him from shutting the Angels out. He fanned 6 batters, including Vladimir Guerrero, twice. Although he doesn't figure to be in the rotation once Francisco Liriano gets back, but this start was definitely encouraging. If nothing else, it vastly improved his value in case the Twins look to move him sometime around the deadline. However if he continues to pitch like this, he may prove to be too valuable to trade.

Matt Guerrier came into the game in the 8th inning and loaded up the bases before Dennys Reyes came in to throw one pitch which became an inning-ending double play. Neshek pitched a hitless 9th inning, just to cap off a great night for the pitchers.

But as the old saying goes, "you can't win a game without scoring any runs, no matter how good your pitcher does." And that was definitely the case for the Twins last night.

The only players to record hits were Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, Matt Tolbert and Nick Punto (of all people). However I should probably mention that Joe Mauer only had one plate appearance, which was a pinch hit. Mike Lamb was benched in favor of Punto. Gomez failed to lay down a bunt five times. Each time it went foul and he looked disgusted after each time, and I think I found a reason as to why.

Former Twins center fielder Torii Hunter got his first (two) hits as a member of the Angels. He is now 2-12 against the Twins. He attributed his success to "doing things differently" when he got to the Metrodome. He went through a "different door" he claims. How that makes a difference, I'm not sure, but listening to his thoughts after the game, it seems he's finally realizing that, "I'm an Angel now." It's also known that he was with former-twin thirdbaseman Corey Koskie. Koskie is a resident of Minnesota, and the two have remained close friends despite not playing together since 2004.

The Twins made two great plays on defense, however. Justin Morneau made a great stop and flipped the ball to the pitcher from foul territory. And then later, Punto made a phenominal diving throw from third base to Morneau at first base. Both will likely be on Baseball Tonight's "Web Gems."

Morneau was great on offense, but at the plate, he has yet to hit the ball out of the infield. Again, I have been nervous about him all off-season. And I know that he's already making people wonder about his new 6-year $80 million contract, and whether the Twins made a mistake or not. I won't go that far, yet, however if he continues to play like this, I'm sure I will.

Player of the Game
Nick Blackburn - Pitcher

7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 run, 6 K's

And finally, on a side not, I just wanted my readers to know that yes, I support the "Free Jason Kubel" Campaign.

Wednesday Afternoon: Minor League Rotations Set

Yesterday, La Velle E. Neal III gave us a look at the starting rotations for 4 of the Twins Minor League Affiliates. Here they are:

•Class AAA Rochester
RHP Philip Humber
RHP Kevin Mulvey
LHP Glen Perkins
RHP Heath Totten
LHP Brian Duensing

•Class AA New Britain
LHP Ryan Mullins
RHP Jay Rainville
RHP Oswaldo Sosa
RHP Anthony Swarzak
LHP Jason Miller

•Class A Fort Myers
LHP Fransisco Liriano
RHP Jeff Manship
RHP Deolis Guerra
LHP Tyler Robertson
RHP Alex Burnett

•Class A Beloit
RHP Mike McCardell
RHP David Bromberg
RHP Danny Berlind
LHP Steven Tarsi
RHP Brian Kirwan

He also mentioned that Cole DeVries will take over for Liriano in the Miracle's rotation after he is moved up to Rochester, former starter Matt Fox has been moved to the bullpen in Ft. Myers and Kyle Waldrop has been placed on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury.

The Twins seem to be doing something a little different. Generally they promote their players (regardless of their results) after one year (or a good amount of games) in each level. But by looking at this depth chart and knowing that guys like Trevor Plouffe (New Britain), Joe Benson (Beloit), Danny Valencia (Ft. Myers), and Chris Parmelee (Beloit) have been held back where they spent (at least most of) 2007. It confuses me to see a guy like Winston Marquez (Ft. Myers) skip an entire level when he wasn't even that great in the GCL anyways, and he's only 20-years old. Or to see

Now, before I begin on my rant, I do want you all to know that I do understand that the Twins Minor League Affiliates have a priority. Their first priority is just like that of the big leagues, win. The second is to develop players. But I have to say that I'm incredibly confused with a move.

In Triple-A, why is Heath Totten starting while guys like Anthony Swarzak, Jason Miller and even Ryan Mullins are stuck in New Britain? No one in their right mind can honestly say that he gives the Red Wings a better shot of winning than either Swarzak and Miller, and Mullins and he are probably comparable, however Mullins at least has some potential to make it to the majors some day. Totten does not.

Here are Totten's numbers in Triple-A over the course of 3 seasons:

• 296.2 innings pitched in 54 games (51 starts)
• 16-25 win/loss record
• 204 earned runs
• 2.7 K/BB ratio
• 6.02 ERA
  

I do know that he has absolutely nothing to prove at Double-A anymore, so moving him to New Britain would be a wrong move. But I don't see how keeping one of our other guys in New Britain so this minor league lifer can take up space in the rotation at our highest minor league level. We have some seriously good arms in our organization, however they're being pushed aside for scrubs.

Jason Miller is almost 4 years younger, and has better numbers at Triple-A (granted mostly as a reliever) and yet he's moved down to New Britain. Miller I don't think has much of a future in the league, however I think any of us can argue that his potential much higher than Totten's. But again, why do we have to keep a guy like Jeff Manship in High-A when he pitched fine there last season? I know that he only has a half season in Fort Myers, but one of the purposes of drafting college pitchers is that they don't need as much time at each level as high school prospects. I'm not going to justify that a guy like Oswaldo Sosa or Deolis Guerra should move up a level, because both have much more to prove at their respected levels, but Manship should definitely be in New Britain right now. He made 13 starts in Beloit, he has made 13 starts in Fort Myers. Now, the results were a little different, he completely and utterly dominated the opposition in the Midwest League but he's been very good in the Florida State League as well.

Jeff Manship pitching for Ft. Myers


The only logical explanation I have is this. Totten is just holding a spot int he rotation until Francisco Liriano makes his way to Rochester (which is expected to be shortly), and after Liriano's gone, the Red Wings will call up a pitcher, as will New Britain. The thing is though, Zach Day is on the 15-day disabled list (with what, I don't know, and really don't care, but) when he gets back, is Totten going to be moved to the bullpen for Day, another guy with limited (if any) upside?

I don't want people to get the drift that I think all these players deserve to be promoted. I think that these guys can really benefit from another portion of the season being spent in the same level that they spent in 2007, but I don't agree with them being held because of a guy who does not give them any more of a chance to win than they do. I'm sorry, I just don't entirely agree with it.

Is this a fair assessment? Or is the organization seriously losing it? Am I wrong in my argument? I know I seem a bit exasperated with some of these decisions, but I guess I just fail to see good explanations for some of them. And I know that the season hasn't already begun and I'm already complaining, but I guess it's just something I had to get off my chest. Many probably agree with the moves, that's fine, but I just don't think any of them give those teams a better chance of winning, which again is their main priority.

A Different Looking Team Then On Monday

• The Twins gave everyone great optimism with their intensity and their readiness to play on Monday, but Tuesday the team made a complete 180° turn in the opposite direction. The team as a whole did not pitch great, they did not hit great, and they made a few mental errors on defense.

Boof Bonser got knocked up early with back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning. He cruised through the second, third and fourth before giving up two more runs in the fifth. One of which was a home run to catcher Mike Napoli to lead off the inning, the other was an unearned run after an error by Adam Everett. Bonser was pulled after going 6 innings and giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits. He didn't walk any while he struck out 4. Jesse Crain came into the game in the 7th inning, it was his first appearance since May 15th, 2007. He gave up one run in 2/3 of the inning pitched. Dennys Reyes allowed Garrett Anderson to hit an RBI single, he was the only batter "Big Sweat" faced. Brian Bass and Juan Rincon finished off the game and combined to allow 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits, 2 walks, and one strikeout in the final 2.1 innings. Not exactly an encore by the bullpen, although they were all different pitchers from a night ago.

Delmon Young continued to really impress me. He did fall behind in the count quickly, however he fought back and ended up getting the pitches he wanted. He went 3-4 with a run scored and his first double of the season. The first three hitters in the lineup Carlos Gomez, Joe Mauer, and Michael Cuddyer all went 1-4. Jason Kubel also had a hit, which was almost caught by Torii Hunter. The only run of the game came off of Adam Everett's bat when he hit an RBI single to score Young in the fifth inning.

Justin Morneau remains hitless in 7 at bats. I've been saying for a little while that I'm nervous about him, so count me not surprised by his struggles.

Both Everett and Brendan Harris made mistakes on defense. Everett had a great stop in the fifth inning, but his throw to first pulled Morneau off the bag. Harris also made a great stop, but he flipped the ball into the air trying to be fancy by getting a double play. If he pulled it off, it would've been the #1 web-gem, but he should have played it safe and just reached over and tag the bag himself.

Hopefully the team can come back and give us a stronger effort like they did on Monday. However, I do expect some very inconsistent play this season. It's going to be a roller-coaster kind of year. I just hope I don't hurl like I wanted to last night.

Player of the Game
Delmon Young - Left Field

3-4, 1 R, 2B

• Hunter gets Award: Before the game, Torii Hunter received his 7th consecutive Gold Glove. He was presented the award by his former manager Ron Gardenhire and he had a big standing ovation. But like yesterday, Twins fans loved to see him struggle at the plate. I loved what Torii Hunter brought to this team. He had a positive attitude and was clearly a leader on and off the team for our other players.

One thing I do think is overrated about him though is his defense. Is he good? Without questions. But I think that the voters took him playing in the Metrodome too much and I don't think he's been necessarily deserving of the award for a few years. He provided security in center field, however he has definitely lost a step over the course of the last few years. It's really made me start to think that the award has really got a "respectful" nature to it, in that I believe both Ivan Rodriguez and Hunter were given the award out of respect, more than necessarily deserving.

I want to also say something that I knew would happen. On Monday night, Hunter received a standing ovation. After his introduction, he took the field and immediately caught a few balls and the fans started to boo. Dick Bremer and Bert Blylevin had a problem with the fans booing him and all I have to say is that he's not a Twin anymore, he's given up that privilege of being cheered for by fans in Minnesota. What were we supposed to do? Clap? Say "atta boy Torii!"? You can't be serious.

What do some (not all) of his former players think of him now? Well perhaps Juan Rincon's beaning says more than we may think.

Twins win opener

The Twins beat the Los Angeles Angels yesterday in the season opener, riding a strong performance from newly acquired starting pitcher, Livan Hernandez. Hernandez went 7 very strong innings and gave up just 2 runs on 7 hits. He didn't walk any batters, but only struck out one. Being at the game, it was hard to miss his extreme change in velocity. I saw the radar gun hit 89 a few times, never 90 (although I do admit I did not check every time) but he fooled batters by changing velocity. I saw the radar as low as 58, and he'd then turn around and throw a 89 MPH fastball. His 58 mph pitch was likely a Eephus, which is an incredibly slow curve ball. He made a few batters look very silly with his change in velocity, and it was a great outing from the Twins number one starter. It was Hernandez's first win as a Twin.

Offensively, I think that everyone knows who impressed the most, and that is the newcomers. Carlos Gomez went 2-3 with a double, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. He played strong defense and made the opposing defense stay on their toes while he was at the plate and on base. He had a great game and the Twins have to feel good about what they saw from their 22-year-old center fielder. Both Brendan Harris and Delmon Young also had two hits (apiece) at the plate. Young scored a run, while Harris hit a double. Mike Lamb went 1-3 with an RBI and a walk. All four of them certainly had great debuts with the team.

Interesting side note: I saw Carlos Gomez, Nick Punto, Brendan Harris, Delmon Young, and Matt Tolbert shag fly balls after the game. None of them really seemed to have a problem with the lights and ceiling of the dome, but it was interesting to see those guys immediately start practicing after the game.

Both Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer went 1-4 with an RBI. Jason Kubel relieved the hitless Craig Monroe at the plate and hit a blooping double that dropped in front of Garrett Anderson.

Justin Morneau, Monroe and Adam Everett all went hitless at the plate. Everett almost broke the game open in the 8th inning with the bases loaded, he hit a line drive down the left field line that went over the fence no more than 5 feet from the foul poll. It would have been a big treat for the Twins to have Everett (of all players) hit a grand slam to assure the win.

Player of the Game
Carlos Gomez, Center Field

Game: 2-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 SB

Next Game: Tonight against the Los Angeles Angels @ 7: 10 PM (CT)
Boof Bonser will face a familiar face as ex-White Sox pitcher Jon Garland takes the hill for the Angels. Should be a good game with two pitchers trying to turn over new chapters in their careers.

Player to Watch
Jason Kubel - Designated Hitter. In 17 at bats against Jon Garland, Jason Kubel has 7 hits (.412 average). 3 of the hits were home runs and add that with the strong finish from last year and the nice hit last night, I think there's no question that Kubel has a lot to prove this season. Hopefully he can start proving it tonight against Garland. Craig Monroe's hitless performance last night almost assures that Kubel will start at designated hitter tonight.

Your 2008 Minnesota Twins

The Twins open the 2008 season tonight against the Los Angeles Angels. There will be a familiar face in center field for the Angels, as former Twins center fielder Torii Hunter will be making his Angels debut tonight at the dome.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Minnesota Twins

Jered Weaver ..............Livan Hernandez
(0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Meet your 2008 Minnesota Twins.

Rotation

Starter 1. Livan Hernandez, 33,Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: I don't expect a ton from Hernandez. We brought him in to solely eat up innings, and if he can give us a sub 5.00 ERA with over 200 innings, I think I will be satisfied. It will really be up to our offense and defense to help Hernandez out while he's on the mound.

Starter 2. Boof Bonser, 26,Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Bonser shed the pounds, and now it's time for him to show better results on the mound. I expect him to have a much better season than in 2007 and I think we could be seeing Bonser near the 15 win mark.

Starter 3. Nick Blackburn, 26, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Blackburn doesn't figure to be in the rotation for a long period of time as Francisco Liriano looks to be poised to join the team on their first road trip of the season. Blackburn certainly turned the corner in 2007 and if he can turn in a couple solid performances, perhaps the Twins have found their most attractive trading pieces that they can use at the deadline to upgrade at a different position.

Starter 4. Kevin Slowey, 23, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: The Twins pitcher of the year should be poised for a strong first full season in 2008. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, but his command has drawn comparisons to pitchers such as Greg Maddux and former-twin Brad Radke. His precise control has allowed him to an 8.8 K/9 ratio in the minor leagues, but without great velocity, he needs to stay very good with his control to get near that ratio in the majors.

Starter 5. Scott Baker, 26, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Probably our best starting pitcher out of the gate, but after a battle with the flu, Baker will end up being the teams 5th starter to begin the season. He really established himself as a solid starting pitcher last season after being called up in May. If he can further establish himself this season, we should expect to see Baker in the Twins rotation well into the new ballpark.

Bullpen

Long Reliever. Brian Bass, 26, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Bass finally has made his way to the majors. After being drafted in the 6th round of the 2000 draft, Bass was picked up by the Twins prior to the 2007 season. Pitching mostly in relief, Bass had a strong 3.48 ERA through 103 innings in Triple-A. He reminds me a bit of Matt Guerrier, and hopefully he can produce like he has with the Twins. He could be used in Spot Start situations and hopefully can provide a steady arm in the bullpen this season.

Middle Reliever. Jesse Crain, 26, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: After missing all but 18 games in 2007 after undergoing rotator cuff/labrum surgery on his right-shoulder, I don't expect a ton from Crain this year. He had a successful first 3 seasons prior to 2007, and 2008 will likely be focused on just staying healthy. If he can stay healthy all season, I think we can all label this season a success for Crain.

Middle Reliever. Juan Rincon, 29, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Rincon had a very bad season in 2007, especially after 3 sub 3.00 ERA seasons while working as the main setup man to Joe Nathan. He went 3-3 with a 5.13 ERA in 63 appearances last season, but it was known that he had multiple off-the-field issues that he had to pay attention to during the course of the season. Hopefully everything on the field can click again, but regardless I expect this to be his last season in Minnesota. The Twins love having steady arms in the bullpen, but if he has an amazing year, he'll likely want mega-bucks and a chance to closer or setup elsewhere. And if he has another down year, why keep him? We can really only hope that he has a fantastic year to help the Twins out. If we're out of the race, I can fully expect to see him traded, and if the rest of our bullpen is great, I can see them moving him to upgrade a different position. We'll see, but I expect this to be his final year with the Twins.

LOOGY. Dennys Reyes, 31, Left-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: As the sole left-hander on the Twins opening day roster, a lot will be riding on Reyes' shoulders this season. He had a rough 2007 after a completely dominant 2006. He still posted a reasonable 3.99 ERA in 50 appearances and a lot of his bad outings had to deal with injuries which he fought with for most of the season. He had a great spring and should have a better season this season. I don't expect him to have a sub .90 ERA like he did in '06, but a 2.50-3.00 ERA in nearly 70 appearances would be great.

Set-Up Man. Matt Guerrier, 29, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Guerrier had a breakout season in '07 in which he emerged as one of the games top setup men in baseball. Guerrier posted a 2.35 ERA through 73 appearances while making 14 holds. He should have another strong season, but I expect him to regress a little closer to his 3.65 career ERA pre-2007. But another solid season is expected.

Set-Up Man. Pat Neshek, 27, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: Neshek has been amazing over the last year and a half with the Twins. He really tailed off at the end of 2007 due to arm fatigue, but he devoted his entire off-season to gaining strength so that doesn't happen again. He was down right dominant the first half of the season and I expect him to have another phenominal season in 2008.

Closer. Joe Nathan, 32, Right-Handed Pitcher


Outlook: With his long-term contract now behind him, hopefully Nathan can check in another All-Star caliber season in 2008. He's been one of the best closers in the game since the Twins acquired him from the Giants before the 2004 season, and he there's no reason to believe he won't continue his dominance this season.

Lineup

1. Carlos Gomez, 22, Center Fielder


Outlook: Gomez is definitely one of the most exciting players the Twins have had in a while, and he has not even officially played for the Twins in a regular season game. He has the ability to lead the league in stolen bases, win a gold glove, and continue to improve at the plate to someday be an All-Star caliber player. The Twins are going to have a very exciting lineup this season, and it will start at the top.

2. Joe Mauer, 24, Catcher


Outlook: Mauer had a great spring training and is fully healthy coming into the season. If he can stay off the DL and maintain health all season, he should be poised for another All-Star caliber season and could very likely start in his second All-Star game of his career. I don't expect him to hit nearly .350 or even flirt with .400 for any extended period of time, but I do expect him to hit for slightly more power this season while he continues to keep his average well over .300.

3. Michael Cuddyer, 29, Right Fielder


Outlook: Cuddyer doesn't really seem like the most logical fit in the third spot of the lineup, however he provides a steady bat with the ability to drive in quite a few runners. He also had an injury plagued season in 2007 and should be ready for a season closer to his 2006 production in which he had over 100 RBI's and 70 extra-base hits.

4. Justin Morneau, 26, First Baseman


Outlook: After winning the A.L. MVP in 2006, he had a great first half in 2007 before really falling off in the second half. He had 24 of his 31 home runs before the All-Star game. His pre/post All-Star Break splits are incredibly different and hopefully he can regain his 2006 form. He struggled this spring, which could make fans begin to worry after the team just signed him to the biggest contract in franchise history.

5. Delmon Young, 22, Left Field


Outlook: Young seems to be the better fit between Mauer & Morneau, however I do agree with Ron Gardenhire's reasoning to leave Young behind Morneau, which is to protect his first baseman at the plate. Teams won't be able to pitch around Morneau anymore as long as Young is hitting behind him. He's the example of a "free swinger" however he has the potential to be one of the games best hitters and at just 22-years-old, he has the chance to lead a much improved Twins offense. He has made mistakes in his past, but truly seems to have left all of that in Tampa Bay and he should be counted on to provide a very strong bat with great power potential in the heart of the order for the next 10-15 years.

6. Jason Kubel, 25, Designated Hitter


Outlook: Kubel really turned the corner the second half of last season which gives many the thought that this season (instead of last) is when he'll finally break out. He was one of the best all-around hitting prospects to come through the Twins system in recent years (a list that includes both Mauer & Morneau) and he looked poised for stardom until he severely injured his knee before the 2005 season. After missing all of '05 and counting all of 2006 a wash and having the main purpose of staying healthy in '07, he should be ready to step up and provide yet another strong bat to the Twins lineup. Unfortunately, Kubel saw most of his success come while batting in front of Joe Mauer, and this season, he'll have to do it without the help of one of the games best hitters batting behind him. The only reason I don't see Kubel having a breakout season this season is if manager Ron Gardenhire takes away at bats from him by giving them to Craig Monroe, which I have to say is a strong possibility knowing Gardy's tendencies to give veterans their share of at bats.

7. Mike Lamb, 32, Third Base


Outlook: One of the reasons I feel so optimistic about our offense this season is the addition of Lamb at the hot corner. He won't impress anyone with his glove, and I expect the turf at the Dome to give him his fair share of problems, but as long as he can separate offense and defense in his mind, he should give the Twins a big upgrade at the plate. He should give the Twins a great bat at the bottom of the order, and will also provide great veteran presence in the clubhouse as well.

8. Brendan Harris, 27, Second Base


Outlook: Harris finally got a chance to play (almost) everyday with the Rays last year and he certainly delivered. Playing mostly shortstop, he hit 12 home runs and batted in 59 runs while a strong line of .286/.343/.434 in 521 at bats. He's now played in 5 different organizations in 5 years, so hopefully that doesn't take its toll while he's expected to give the Twins a strong bat at the bottom of the order.

9. Adam Everett, 31, Shortstop


Outlook: Everett really does not have to do all that much to make me impressed. As long as he plays steady defense and hits around his career average of .248, I'll be satisfied.

Bench

Mike Redmond, 36, Catcher


Outlook: Redmond has really been impressive from behind the plate after signing him prior to the 2005 season. He is a very steady backup to Joe Mauer and should continue to be just that. Redmond is the kind of player you'd hope would be with your team forever, however this sadly may be his last season as his contract expires at the end of the season.

Nick Punto, 30, Utility Infielder/Outfielder

Outlook: As long as Punto comes in and plays good defense when needed, I'll be fine. But when Ron Gardenhire starts giving Punto a spot in the lineup 2-3 times a week (which I think is expected), I'll be extremely pissed. Of course, that is unless he all of a sudden turns it around again and starts hitting the ball. But I think that's very unlikely.
Matt Tolbert, 25, Utility Infielder


Outlook: Tolbert really had a strong first-half last season, but really dropped off in the second half and when many thought he'd be the guy brought up to replace Nick Punto at third base, the coaches in Triple-A labeled him "not ready, mentally" that must have flipped a switch in Tolbert and he came to Spring Training ready to fight for a spot. He hit .289/.347/.356 in 45 at bats this spring. Unfortunately, he's just another light-hitting utility player which the team already has in Punto. But I think that Tolbert will have a great year and will take over as the primary utility player next year, with Punto (likely) out of the picture.
Craig Monroe, 31, Outfielder


Outlook: Craig Monroe was traded for a PTBNL in the off-season and is expected to split time at DH with Jason Kubel. Gardenhire has said that he won't just base his DH decision on a Lefty/Righty basis, but instead will look at the pitching match-up and see who's best suited to face that pitcher. That's a fine reason, but I think it's truly just a way for Gardenhire to give his veteran pickup a few extra at bats. I like Monroe, but I would really like to see him as a fourth outfielder, instead of a platoon mate with Kubel at DH.

And there you have it folks, your 2008 Minnesota Twins. I'm very excited to see what this season brings, and as long as we can stay healthy, I think we can really surprise many teams this season.

I'm going to be at the game tonight, but be sure to post any thoughts you have on the game (or the post) in the comment section. Have a great day!

Liriano not going North, yet.

After a very impressive outing yesterday, Francisco Liriano found out that he still won't go North with the Twins. Instead, the Twins have optioned him to Ft. Myers and according to La Velle E. Neal III, he will make a start next Thursday for the Miracle and if everything goes fine, he'll then go to Rochester and make a start for the Red Wings. The Twins are hoping to have him with the team when they go on an 8 game (9 day) road trip to Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit. In his place, the Twins will go with Nick Blackburn in the rotation. Blackburn is expected to start the third game of the season, following Livan Hernandez and Boof Bonser in the rotation. Kevin Slowey is expected to make the teams series finally against the Angels.

Unfortunately, despite a great outing by Liriano in which he went 5 innings and gave up just 1 run while striking out 7, the Twins still lost to the Pirates.

La Velle also gives us a little bit of news that Liriano's wife will be induced next Friday. And I know that he will never read this, but congratulations.

Sorry not a lot to post on tonight. The Twins have their final game of Spring Training today against the Pirates. And yes, that's two consecutive games against the Pirates.

Liriano's final start, Blackburn impressive

• Nick Blackburn turned in a great performance yesterday as the Twins fell short to the Reds, 5-1. Blackburn pitched 5 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits while walking 2. He also struck out 4 in the start that looks like is his ticket to the rotation. Of course, a lot will depend on the teams decision on Francisco Liriano and the health of Scott Baker. At least the Twins know they have one viable option for the rotation if one of them is not able to go when the season starts. Blackburn has thrown 16 innings this spring with a strong 2.25 ERA. His great command has not been shown, however all the reports are that he's having great movement on all of his pitches and looks much better than he did at the end of last year with the Twins.

Jesse Crain came in after Blackburn and gave up a two-run home run to Ken Griffey Jr, to let the Reds take a 3-0 lead. Joe Nathan had a solid inning in relief before Anthony Swarzak allowed 2 runs on 3 hits in the 8th inning.

Offensively, the bats were very quiet. Matt Tolbert hit in the lead off spot after Carlos Gomez was scratched from the lineup. Tolbert went 2-4 with an RBI and a double. Center field prospect, Brandon Roberts, took Gomez's place in center field and went 1-3 with a double and later scored on a Matt Tolbert single. Jason Kubel and Nick Punto also had a hit apiece. Kubel's was a triple to lead off the 5th inning, but Mike Redmond, Brendan Harris, and Roberts failed to drive him in.

• Next, the Twins and Francisco Liriano will face the Pirates and Paul Maholm today. It will be Liriano's final start of the spring, and if he really impresses, it could earn him a ticket to Minnesota, if not he'll likely stay in Ft. Myers until the weather improves in Rochester.

• As I mentioned before, Carlos Gomez was scratched from the lineup. He took batting practice and afterwards reluctantly told manager Ron Gardenhire that there was some lingering soreness in his left leg. The Twins held him out, but Gomez reiterated that he'd like to play either today or tomorrow.

• La Velle E. Neal III said in his blog yesterday that Ben Revere - despite having an impressive spring - will start the season in extended spring training and later play for the Elizabethton Twins. The reason for this has nothing to really do with Revere's ability to play in the Midwest League or his talent, it is because the outfield in Beloit will already be packed with 2006 top draft picks Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee returning for a second go-around in Beloit.

I've proposed before that the Twins could consider moving him to second base, another position he was familiar with in high school, with the amount of outfield prospects in the lower level of the organization seeming to rise every season. The depth at middle infield prospects in the lower levels is very weak, and I think that Revere would be a solid infielder. However, I do understand that he's most valuable as a center fielder as he's one of the fastest players in the organization.

Revere will likely be joined with other 2007 draftees such as Reggie Williams, Danny Rams, and Angel Morales. All four have very high ceilings and will give Elizabethton another very good offense after their 2007 offense won them the Appalachian League Championship. Williams, Rams and Morales will all greatly benefit from a season in the Appalachian League as none of those three are nearly ready for Beloit. Revere on the other hand, is ready and I think that if one of Parmelee, Benson, Ozzie Lewis, or Rene Tosoni gets promoted, and as long as they can guarantee everyday at-bats, Revere may make his way to Beloit sometime mid-2008.