Hey! I know it has been an extremely long time since I wrote anything on Twins Chatter, but I just thought I would let y'all know that I'm still alive and kicking. After a bit of trouble at the airport (let's just say that I spent a night in Atlanta and yada yada yada, I was really tired the next day) I returned from Florida yesterday (Monday) morning. The trip was a great experience and I got to take in an absolute ton of baseball overall. However, most of it was St. Olaf baseball and not Minnesota Twins baseball, so I don't have loads and loads of content to share with you at this time. That being said, I was able to attend last Thursday's spring training game against the Pirates at Hammond Stadium, and I'll have a few things to share with you from that day later this week.
Also, another reason Twins Chatter went un-updated last week was the fact that my $2,000 laptop computer suffered a major mishap during our first day in Florida. As some of you might know, one of the reasons I went along with the team was to webcast a number of their games via our website for the good folks back home. I brought my computer along with me to the field last Monday (to do statistics and play music) and in what was quite possibly the most freakishly amazing event in the history of the world, my computer screen was nailed ON THE FLY by a foul ball from a neighboring field, rendering it completely unusable.
Before you dismiss my previous claim (the one about the freakishness and the history of the world, etc.), take these facts into account:
-I was sitting over a 100 feet away from home plate on the adjacent field (where the rouge foul ball originated from)
-My laptop's screen is a mere 15" wide
-The impact occured during the second batter of our first game, and not a single foul ball landed any where near me for the next 10 games (a span of about 75 innings)
-The ball hit smack dab in the middle of the screen, leaving a large crater in its wake, but then just bounced harmlessly away, leaving the actual inner workings of my computer completely unharmed.
So now I am left with the world's most expensive non-portable laptop computer, as I am relegated to my desk (where I have rigged up an old monitor to use as a working display). My laptop screen actually looks pretty cool, what with the impact crater and the jagged cracks in the LCD display. If you look closely enough, you can even see where the seams of the baseball hit! Perhaps tomorrow I'll put up a picture so you can all see what I'm talking about.
Anyway, the entire point of my rambling disertation was to tell those of you loyal readers (the ones who haven't completely given up on me yet) that I'm still alive and kicking and that Twins Chatter is far from dead: I'm back from my trip and rip-roaring ready to go. Spring is a very busy time for me, so I can't make any promises as to how often I'll be able to write, but rest assured I will squeeze in some time before school ends to share my Twins-related thoughts with those of you who care to read them. Thanks for noting my absence in the comments section below; it's good to know that people were still hoping I'd write something!
Until next time,
Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Friday, March 18, 2005
A Tumultuous Week Behind... And Ahead
First off, I want to apologize for taking this week off. I know I was riding high after churning out four pretty decent posts last week, but part of the reason I did that was because I knew this past week would be hectic. It was mid-term time up here at St. Olaf, and I was plenty hard myself. Writing for this site was a luxury that I simply did not have time to do, unfortunately.
However, next week is my spring break and I have a special announcement to make: I'm going to Florida! I'll actually be in the Fort Myers area (in the neighborhood of Port Charlotte) with the St. Olaf baseball team on their spring trip. I'm sure it will be a blast to be down in the warm weather watching baseball every day under beautiful sunny skies.
Even though this will not be a Twins-centric trip (someday perhaps, but not this year) I'm still planning on spending a couple days at Hammond Stadium late next week. To be certain, Twins Chatter readers will benefit greatly from this visit. I've got something lined up with a member of the team's front office and I'm bringing our athletics deparment's very nice camera with to (hopefully) snag some excellent photos. More information will be forthcoming, but obviously I'm very excited about the trip!
Have a good weekend everyone.
-R. Maus
However, next week is my spring break and I have a special announcement to make: I'm going to Florida! I'll actually be in the Fort Myers area (in the neighborhood of Port Charlotte) with the St. Olaf baseball team on their spring trip. I'm sure it will be a blast to be down in the warm weather watching baseball every day under beautiful sunny skies.
Even though this will not be a Twins-centric trip (someday perhaps, but not this year) I'm still planning on spending a couple days at Hammond Stadium late next week. To be certain, Twins Chatter readers will benefit greatly from this visit. I've got something lined up with a member of the team's front office and I'm bringing our athletics deparment's very nice camera with to (hopefully) snag some excellent photos. More information will be forthcoming, but obviously I'm very excited about the trip!
Have a good weekend everyone.
-R. Maus
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
The Light's On But Nobody's Home
Sorry again about the lack of a new post today. Mid-terms are coming up this week and things have been getting extremely hectic around campus... plus, I need my sleep! If it's Twins talk you're looking for, look no further than Stick and Ball Guy, one of the most up-and-coming blogs on the Twins scene. Tuesday is Twins Day, and SBG is ranting about someone near and dear to the collective heart of Twins Chatter: the Official Player of this Blog, "Sweet" Lew Ford. Check it out today!
Also, I'd like to call your attention to this little gem on the newly-formed Twins Territory site. The article, written by someone named dukemag1, is rather interesting and details the "Trade that Keeps on Giving", i.e. the Knoblauch trade. I highly recommend that you check the article out as well some of the other good stuff at Twins Territory.
That's all from me today. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow, but as has been the case since I began flying solo (temporarily, hopefully) a couple months ago, I can't promise anything. Until then, have a great Tuesday!
-RM
Also, I'd like to call your attention to this little gem on the newly-formed Twins Territory site. The article, written by someone named dukemag1, is rather interesting and details the "Trade that Keeps on Giving", i.e. the Knoblauch trade. I highly recommend that you check the article out as well some of the other good stuff at Twins Territory.
That's all from me today. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow, but as has been the case since I began flying solo (temporarily, hopefully) a couple months ago, I can't promise anything. Until then, have a great Tuesday!
-RM
Friday, March 11, 2005
2004 Draft Follow-Up: Part Two
Hello! Thanks for stopping by Twins Chatter today. I especially want to welcome all of you who made the trip today because you just had to read more from the genius who so dominated Stick and Ball Guy’s weekly game of Pepper! today. Well, here I am!
Seriously, SBG has a great thing going with his Friday feature, as well as his many other features throughout the week. It seems like nearly every Twins blog has been at the top of its game the past few weeks, and I’d like to think that Twins Chatter is holding its own as well.
Today, as promised, I’m going to finish reviewing the Twins’ fourth, fifth, and sixth overall draft choices from last year’s June draft: Matt Fox, Jay Rainville, and Anthony Swarzak. This will wrap up prospect week, but in case you missed it, here’s all that went on:
Twins Chatter’s Top 10 Prospects #6-10
Twins Chatter’s Top 10 Prospects #1-5
2004 Draft Follow-Up: Part One
Matt Fox (1st rd supplemental– 35th overall, RHP, U. of Central Florida)
In the buildup to the draft, I saw Fox’s name listed at around #65 in terms of the draft’s best players, so I was somewhat surprised when the Twins took him with the 35th overall pick. However, it was good to see the Twins draft a more polished collegian to help balance out all the high school pitchers they ended up drafting.
After having a spectacular senior spring season at Central Florida (14-2, 1.85 ERA, 10.07 K/9) Fox also experienced success last summer down in Elizabethton. His 5.40 ERA is a little misleading, as he averaged almost 11 strikeouts per nine innings and allowed just eight walks in 26.2 innings. Just like Waldrop, Fox has shown excellent command thus far, a great sign for a rookie pitcher.
Fox is a big guy (6’3”, 190 lbs.) and as you can also see, a strikeout pitcher. I’m looking forward to following Fox’s progress this season, as it will be interesting to see if he’s able to achieve a rapid rise to the big leagues like some of the team’s other polished college pitchers. ETA: late 2007-2008
Jay Rainville (1st rd. supplemental – 39th overall, RHP Bishop Hendricken HS, Pawtucket, R.I.)
Rainville, who has drawn comparisons to a young Roger Clemens, was considered one of the top high school pitchers entering the draft but saw his stock fall slightly in the days immediately preceding draft day. Fortunately for us, Rainville’s (slight) loss was our immense gain!
He is a big (6’3”, 220 lbs.) hard-throwing righthanded strikeout pitcher, the kind that scouts dream about. Last summer, Rainville pitched well with the GCL Twins (low-rookie ball), allowing 19 runs in 34 innings while walking just three (!) and striking out 38. Keep in mind this was at the lowest level of the minor leagues, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Jay this season at Elizabethton. ETA: 2009
Anthony Swarzak (2nd rd. – 61st overall, RHP Nova HS, Ft. Lauderdale FL)
Of all the prospects on this list, I regrettably admit that Swarzak is the one I know the least about (I do have his rookie card at my house, but I’m still at my dorm right now). But I do know that Swarzak had a very good first professional season with the GCL Twins (click on his name to see the stats) which vaulted him up near the top of many Twins’ prospect lists. Other than that, there isn’t much I can tell you. ETA: 2009
Overall, it appears that the 2004 draft was an immense success for the Twins. The team was able to squeeze several very good players out of what was perceived as a relatively mediocre draft pool. It also served as a way to replenish a minor league system that had graduated many top prospects (Mauer, Morneau, Crain) into the major leagues. With a solid foundation in place at the lower levels, there is no reason the Twins can’t continue to win using their current approach: scout well, draft well, and develop your own talent.
Personally I had became a bit worried last June after reading quotes like “this isn’t a good year to have a lot of picks” or “2004 features one of the weakest drafts in years”. But the Twins made the right choice in focusing on high school pitchers, which are much more high risk/high reward-type players than their college counterparts. If even a couple of these players live up to their potential, the 2004 draft may go down as one of the best in team history.
That’s quite enough for one night. Again, if you haven’t done so already read my Pepper! answers over at SBG. After writing four elaborate posts in a row, I may be taking next Monday off, so don’t be too disappointed if there’s nothing new to start next week. However, John (remember him?) may possibly make his triumphant return to the Twins blogging scene sometime in the next few days, so keep your eyes open for that.
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Seriously, SBG has a great thing going with his Friday feature, as well as his many other features throughout the week. It seems like nearly every Twins blog has been at the top of its game the past few weeks, and I’d like to think that Twins Chatter is holding its own as well.
Today, as promised, I’m going to finish reviewing the Twins’ fourth, fifth, and sixth overall draft choices from last year’s June draft: Matt Fox, Jay Rainville, and Anthony Swarzak. This will wrap up prospect week, but in case you missed it, here’s all that went on:
Twins Chatter’s Top 10 Prospects #6-10
Twins Chatter’s Top 10 Prospects #1-5
2004 Draft Follow-Up: Part One
Matt Fox (1st rd supplemental– 35th overall, RHP, U. of Central Florida)
In the buildup to the draft, I saw Fox’s name listed at around #65 in terms of the draft’s best players, so I was somewhat surprised when the Twins took him with the 35th overall pick. However, it was good to see the Twins draft a more polished collegian to help balance out all the high school pitchers they ended up drafting.
After having a spectacular senior spring season at Central Florida (14-2, 1.85 ERA, 10.07 K/9) Fox also experienced success last summer down in Elizabethton. His 5.40 ERA is a little misleading, as he averaged almost 11 strikeouts per nine innings and allowed just eight walks in 26.2 innings. Just like Waldrop, Fox has shown excellent command thus far, a great sign for a rookie pitcher.
Fox is a big guy (6’3”, 190 lbs.) and as you can also see, a strikeout pitcher. I’m looking forward to following Fox’s progress this season, as it will be interesting to see if he’s able to achieve a rapid rise to the big leagues like some of the team’s other polished college pitchers. ETA: late 2007-2008
Jay Rainville (1st rd. supplemental – 39th overall, RHP Bishop Hendricken HS, Pawtucket, R.I.)
Rainville, who has drawn comparisons to a young Roger Clemens, was considered one of the top high school pitchers entering the draft but saw his stock fall slightly in the days immediately preceding draft day. Fortunately for us, Rainville’s (slight) loss was our immense gain!
He is a big (6’3”, 220 lbs.) hard-throwing righthanded strikeout pitcher, the kind that scouts dream about. Last summer, Rainville pitched well with the GCL Twins (low-rookie ball), allowing 19 runs in 34 innings while walking just three (!) and striking out 38. Keep in mind this was at the lowest level of the minor leagues, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Jay this season at Elizabethton. ETA: 2009
Anthony Swarzak (2nd rd. – 61st overall, RHP Nova HS, Ft. Lauderdale FL)
Of all the prospects on this list, I regrettably admit that Swarzak is the one I know the least about (I do have his rookie card at my house, but I’m still at my dorm right now). But I do know that Swarzak had a very good first professional season with the GCL Twins (click on his name to see the stats) which vaulted him up near the top of many Twins’ prospect lists. Other than that, there isn’t much I can tell you. ETA: 2009
Overall, it appears that the 2004 draft was an immense success for the Twins. The team was able to squeeze several very good players out of what was perceived as a relatively mediocre draft pool. It also served as a way to replenish a minor league system that had graduated many top prospects (Mauer, Morneau, Crain) into the major leagues. With a solid foundation in place at the lower levels, there is no reason the Twins can’t continue to win using their current approach: scout well, draft well, and develop your own talent.
Personally I had became a bit worried last June after reading quotes like “this isn’t a good year to have a lot of picks” or “2004 features one of the weakest drafts in years”. But the Twins made the right choice in focusing on high school pitchers, which are much more high risk/high reward-type players than their college counterparts. If even a couple of these players live up to their potential, the 2004 draft may go down as one of the best in team history.
That’s quite enough for one night. Again, if you haven’t done so already read my Pepper! answers over at SBG. After writing four elaborate posts in a row, I may be taking next Monday off, so don’t be too disappointed if there’s nothing new to start next week. However, John (remember him?) may possibly make his triumphant return to the Twins blogging scene sometime in the next few days, so keep your eyes open for that.
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Thursday, March 10, 2005
2004 Draft Follow-Up: Part One
Wow! I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who have come to Twins Chatter for prospect week thus far, especially yesterday to see Twins Chatter’s top 5 prospects. It’s good to know that everyone enjoyed what I had to say. Prospect week continues today with my exclusive follow-up analysis of the 2004 amateur draft.
As you may remember, the excitement surrounding last June’s amateur draft was considerably higher than usual. Because of the free agent defections by LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado, the Twins received several early compensation picks, giving them a total of six picks in the first two rounds (including the supplemental first round). Last June I spent an entire day crafting an in-depth Draft Preview, which was well received by many readers. I encourage you to go back and read some of the things that I said, as it’s interesting to see where I was both right and wrong! The next day I also wrote a short draft recap, which you can read here (it's the second post on the page).
Below I’ll write a little about the top three of those first six picks, including what was said about them when they were drafted last year, their performance in 2004, and their prospects for the future. The other three will be discussed tomorrow.
Trevor Plouffe (1st round, 20th overall, SS, Crespi HS, Northridge, Calif.)
Plouffe was the team’s first pick in the draft last June, which came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I was under the impression that he was going to be available for the team in the supplemental round, allowing them to draft Missouri prep infielder Blake DeWitt (who went 28th overall to the Dodgers). However, the Twins decided to fill an organizational weakness by taking a guy they know can play shortstop (DeWitt played SS in high school but projected as a 2B/3B in the pros).
Plouffe, who I named the team’s 10th best prospect the other day, started his professional down in Elizabethton last summer. He hit .283/.380/.340 in 237 at-bats, which falls under the category of good-but-not-great. Unfortunately he did commit 16 errors at short, which obviously isn’t the most impressive stat in the world.
“Why on earth,” you’re probably asking me by now, “did you name this guy on your top prospects list if he had such a mediocre first season?” For me, the key word here is “projectable”. Plouffe is still a young kid, but he’s got a tall, athletic frame, good hands, and an excellent arm (he threw over 90 mph as a pitcher in HS). Once the 18 year-old fills out a little (he’s listed at just 175 lbs.) and gains some experience as a hitter, I could see him patrolling the infield of the not-yet-constructed Pohlad Park for a long time.
Glen Perkins (1st round-22nd overall, LHP, U. of Minnesota)
Perkins also made it on to my top-10 list the other day (he was number 7) has established himself as one of the up-and-comers in the organization. Last June there was little doubt that the Twins would be the ones to sign the ‘U’ product and Stillwater native; it was just a matter of when. Well the team played it safe and took the lefty with their second overall pick.
Perkins, who was one of the best pitchers in Gopher history, pitched extremely well during his first season at low-A Quad Cities (although the Twins eased him into pro ball by throwing him a few innings in E-Town before that). In 9 starts, Perkins posted a 1.30 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and struck out 9.12 batters per nine innings. I assume he’ll start 2005 with the Fort Myers Miracle (keep an eye out Dianna!) and don’t be surprised if he earns himself a mid-season promotion up to AA as well. This kid is definitely on the fast track.
As we discussed the other day, the only knock against Perkins is his size. He’s 5’11”, 190 lbs., which isn’t small by any means but also isn’t big. The thing is, if Perkins was 6’1” or 6’2”, the Twins would never have had a chance to draft him in the first place! There are countless examples of pitchers making it without possessing great height (our very own Johan K. Santana, for instance) so I’m not too worried about Perkins. I see no reasons why this guy shouldn’t be able to fill a spot in the Twins rotation beginning in 2007.
Kyle Waldrop (1st round-25th overall, RHP, Farragut HS, Knoxville TN)
It is players like Waldrop that separate award-winning organizations like the Twins from the average major league program. Waldrop was a dark horse in the 2004 draft. Draft previews said that he would most likely go in the 10th round or higher, despite possessing first-round skills, simply because of signability issues. This is sometimes the case with top high school players—Dexter Fowler (14th rd, Colorado) and Mark Trumbo (18th rd, Anahiem) are two prime examples of outstanding talents who dropped to the later rounds because of such concerns.
However, the scouting director Mike Radcliffe and the rest of the team’s front office sought out Waldrop before the draft and worked out a deal with him, allowing the team to take the prep righty with the 25th overall pick and quickly sign him for a $1 million bonus. He quickly proved his mettle down in the Gulf Coast League and in Elizabethton, going 5-2 overall with a 2.14 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP, including just seven walks (an outstanding number for such a young player). Looking back, Waldrop appears to be the steal of the first round.
Because he’s so young, we must temper our excitement at least slightly when it comes to this kid. Dominating the Appalachian League (rookie ball) is one thing—doing well in A or AA is quite another. Even with that being said, I think Waldrop has a good chance of succeeding and making it to the big leagues someday.
I don’t want to drag on too much for one day, so that’s all I’m going to print for today. Be sure and check back tomorrow (Friday) as I round out prospect week by profiling picks #4-6 from last year. I'll also finish off the two-part post with a brief preview of the June 2005 draft. Thanks for stopping by Twins Chatter!
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
p.s. If you're still looking for more coverage of last summer's draft, be sure and read this piece from Baseball America, published last November.
As you may remember, the excitement surrounding last June’s amateur draft was considerably higher than usual. Because of the free agent defections by LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado, the Twins received several early compensation picks, giving them a total of six picks in the first two rounds (including the supplemental first round). Last June I spent an entire day crafting an in-depth Draft Preview, which was well received by many readers. I encourage you to go back and read some of the things that I said, as it’s interesting to see where I was both right and wrong! The next day I also wrote a short draft recap, which you can read here (it's the second post on the page).
Below I’ll write a little about the top three of those first six picks, including what was said about them when they were drafted last year, their performance in 2004, and their prospects for the future. The other three will be discussed tomorrow.
Trevor Plouffe (1st round, 20th overall, SS, Crespi HS, Northridge, Calif.)
Plouffe was the team’s first pick in the draft last June, which came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I was under the impression that he was going to be available for the team in the supplemental round, allowing them to draft Missouri prep infielder Blake DeWitt (who went 28th overall to the Dodgers). However, the Twins decided to fill an organizational weakness by taking a guy they know can play shortstop (DeWitt played SS in high school but projected as a 2B/3B in the pros).
Plouffe, who I named the team’s 10th best prospect the other day, started his professional down in Elizabethton last summer. He hit .283/.380/.340 in 237 at-bats, which falls under the category of good-but-not-great. Unfortunately he did commit 16 errors at short, which obviously isn’t the most impressive stat in the world.
“Why on earth,” you’re probably asking me by now, “did you name this guy on your top prospects list if he had such a mediocre first season?” For me, the key word here is “projectable”. Plouffe is still a young kid, but he’s got a tall, athletic frame, good hands, and an excellent arm (he threw over 90 mph as a pitcher in HS). Once the 18 year-old fills out a little (he’s listed at just 175 lbs.) and gains some experience as a hitter, I could see him patrolling the infield of the not-yet-constructed Pohlad Park for a long time.
Glen Perkins (1st round-22nd overall, LHP, U. of Minnesota)
Perkins also made it on to my top-10 list the other day (he was number 7) has established himself as one of the up-and-comers in the organization. Last June there was little doubt that the Twins would be the ones to sign the ‘U’ product and Stillwater native; it was just a matter of when. Well the team played it safe and took the lefty with their second overall pick.
Perkins, who was one of the best pitchers in Gopher history, pitched extremely well during his first season at low-A Quad Cities (although the Twins eased him into pro ball by throwing him a few innings in E-Town before that). In 9 starts, Perkins posted a 1.30 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and struck out 9.12 batters per nine innings. I assume he’ll start 2005 with the Fort Myers Miracle (keep an eye out Dianna!) and don’t be surprised if he earns himself a mid-season promotion up to AA as well. This kid is definitely on the fast track.
As we discussed the other day, the only knock against Perkins is his size. He’s 5’11”, 190 lbs., which isn’t small by any means but also isn’t big. The thing is, if Perkins was 6’1” or 6’2”, the Twins would never have had a chance to draft him in the first place! There are countless examples of pitchers making it without possessing great height (our very own Johan K. Santana, for instance) so I’m not too worried about Perkins. I see no reasons why this guy shouldn’t be able to fill a spot in the Twins rotation beginning in 2007.
Kyle Waldrop (1st round-25th overall, RHP, Farragut HS, Knoxville TN)
It is players like Waldrop that separate award-winning organizations like the Twins from the average major league program. Waldrop was a dark horse in the 2004 draft. Draft previews said that he would most likely go in the 10th round or higher, despite possessing first-round skills, simply because of signability issues. This is sometimes the case with top high school players—Dexter Fowler (14th rd, Colorado) and Mark Trumbo (18th rd, Anahiem) are two prime examples of outstanding talents who dropped to the later rounds because of such concerns.
However, the scouting director Mike Radcliffe and the rest of the team’s front office sought out Waldrop before the draft and worked out a deal with him, allowing the team to take the prep righty with the 25th overall pick and quickly sign him for a $1 million bonus. He quickly proved his mettle down in the Gulf Coast League and in Elizabethton, going 5-2 overall with a 2.14 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP, including just seven walks (an outstanding number for such a young player). Looking back, Waldrop appears to be the steal of the first round.
Because he’s so young, we must temper our excitement at least slightly when it comes to this kid. Dominating the Appalachian League (rookie ball) is one thing—doing well in A or AA is quite another. Even with that being said, I think Waldrop has a good chance of succeeding and making it to the big leagues someday.
I don’t want to drag on too much for one day, so that’s all I’m going to print for today. Be sure and check back tomorrow (Friday) as I round out prospect week by profiling picks #4-6 from last year. I'll also finish off the two-part post with a brief preview of the June 2005 draft. Thanks for stopping by Twins Chatter!
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
p.s. If you're still looking for more coverage of last summer's draft, be sure and read this piece from Baseball America, published last November.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Twins Chatter’s Top 10 Prospects: Part Two
Yesterday marked the beginning of prospect week, which I kicked off by naming prospects 6-10 on the Twins Chatter Top 10 prospects list. Today we’ll complete the list, and the choices become a little more controversial (although just a little).
5. Kyle Waldrop - When the Twins drafted Waldrop with the 25th overall pick in last year’s draft, most people (including myself) were very surprised. Because of perceived signability issues, Waldrop was not projected as a very high pick. But Terry Ryan and the Twins’ scouting department did their homework and convinced Waldrop to sign for a fair price (appx. $1 million).
The 19 year-old most definitely did not disappoint in his first pro season. Waldrop displayed amazing poise and control for such a young pitcher at both levels of rookie ball. He posted a 2.14 ERA and walked just seven batters in 63 innings. It looks like the Twins have found another gem where others couldn’t! ETA: 2008
4. Francisco Liriano - When the A.J. Pierzynski trade was announced, Liriano was most definitely the most unknown piece. As it turns out, he may yet prove to be the most valuable. Liriano may not have the raw stats of a Baker or Waldrop, but he has the word “projectable” written all over him. Just 20 years old and in already entering his fifth season of pro ball, Liriano finally dispelled the injury concerns that haunted him in the Giants organization the past few years. He’s a flame-throwing lefty who has actually drawn comparisons to Johan Santana. Sounds like one heck of a pitcher; can’t wait to see him in the Show! ETA: 2007
3. Jason Kubel - Ah, yes. We come to it at last: Jason Kubel, the great unknown. Had I published this list any time between last summer and October 21, Kubel would be a no-brainer at number one. The guy had arguably one of the best minor league seasons in team history, posting a 1.120 OPS at AA and slugging 16 homers with 71 RBIs in just 90 games at AAA. 2004 was the epitome of the “breakout season” for Jason Kubel.
Then came that fateful day in the Arizona Fall League, when Kubel collided with an infielder while trying to make a catch and suffered “a torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn posterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral collateral ligament”—whatever all that means (edit: actually, I do know what an ACL is). In any case, it was some bad [stuff]. Kubel had to have major surgery this winter and will most certainly miss the entire 2005 season. Will he ever be the same player again? Many think that he will make a full recovery, especially given the fact that speed was never a big part of his game. However, you don’t just take a year off and not suffer any consequences. I’m still optimistic that Kubel will turn into the player we all hoped he’d become early last fall, but I’m not entirely sure of myself. ETA: 2006
2. J.D. Durbin - Yes, I know Durbin is having yet another horrible spring, but the fact remains that this guy is very highly regarded prospect. We’ve all heard gobs about his tough demeanor and “makeup” (which coincidentally doesn’t seem to be serving him all that well at the moment) but Durbin’s also got great stuff and throws hard. Plus, he’s proven that he can succeed at every level of the minor leagues. Let’s hope this recent funk is nothing more than a speed bump on the road to greatness. ETA: late 2005
1. Jesse Crain - The Twins are in somewhat of a unique position with their two top “prospects”, Joe Mauer and Jesse Crain. Both played a pretty decent amount in the majors last season, and both experienced considerable success. However, I have chosen to omit Mauer from this list and deny him his “prospect” status (as I’m sure he values my opinion on the subject very much). But Crain is in a little different boat from Mauer. Despite the fact that he was with the team from the trading deadline on, he threw only 27 innings and was used surprisingly little by Gardenhire, which in my mind still makes him somewhat of an unknown.
However that all should change this season. Jesse Crain is now an integral part of what is sure to be on the American League’s best bullpens. He throws absolute gas (95+ mph) and has, as Gardenhire said last spring, a “curveball from hell”. I actually think his best pitch is his slider, but we’re not here to nitpick. Crain is still the best relief prospect in the bigs and is the closest thing to a “sure bet” that exists in the Twins organization today. ETA: 2005
Well, there you have it folks. To recap, here’s the complete list:
10. Trevor Plouffe
9. Adam Harben
8. Jason Bartlett
7. Glen Perkins
6. Scott Baker
5. Kyle Waldrop
4. Francisco Liriano
3. Jason Kubel
2. J.D. Durbin
1. Jesse Crain
As you can see, that list contains an inordinate amount of pitchers (7 in all) and most of them relatively young. That is indeed where the organization’s current strength lies: young pitching. Just you know, that is a very good thing! There are tons of organizations that would love to have the Twins’ surplus of young stud arms, and if Smilin’ Carl decides to open up the checkbook at the trading deadline this year (an annual vain hope in Twins Territory) then we definitely have the chips to bargain with.
Prospect week continues tomorrow with an analysis of the monumental 2004 amateur draft. Until then, take care!
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
5. Kyle Waldrop - When the Twins drafted Waldrop with the 25th overall pick in last year’s draft, most people (including myself) were very surprised. Because of perceived signability issues, Waldrop was not projected as a very high pick. But Terry Ryan and the Twins’ scouting department did their homework and convinced Waldrop to sign for a fair price (appx. $1 million).
The 19 year-old most definitely did not disappoint in his first pro season. Waldrop displayed amazing poise and control for such a young pitcher at both levels of rookie ball. He posted a 2.14 ERA and walked just seven batters in 63 innings. It looks like the Twins have found another gem where others couldn’t! ETA: 2008
4. Francisco Liriano - When the A.J. Pierzynski trade was announced, Liriano was most definitely the most unknown piece. As it turns out, he may yet prove to be the most valuable. Liriano may not have the raw stats of a Baker or Waldrop, but he has the word “projectable” written all over him. Just 20 years old and in already entering his fifth season of pro ball, Liriano finally dispelled the injury concerns that haunted him in the Giants organization the past few years. He’s a flame-throwing lefty who has actually drawn comparisons to Johan Santana. Sounds like one heck of a pitcher; can’t wait to see him in the Show! ETA: 2007
3. Jason Kubel - Ah, yes. We come to it at last: Jason Kubel, the great unknown. Had I published this list any time between last summer and October 21, Kubel would be a no-brainer at number one. The guy had arguably one of the best minor league seasons in team history, posting a 1.120 OPS at AA and slugging 16 homers with 71 RBIs in just 90 games at AAA. 2004 was the epitome of the “breakout season” for Jason Kubel.
Then came that fateful day in the Arizona Fall League, when Kubel collided with an infielder while trying to make a catch and suffered “a torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn posterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral collateral ligament”—whatever all that means (edit: actually, I do know what an ACL is). In any case, it was some bad [stuff]. Kubel had to have major surgery this winter and will most certainly miss the entire 2005 season. Will he ever be the same player again? Many think that he will make a full recovery, especially given the fact that speed was never a big part of his game. However, you don’t just take a year off and not suffer any consequences. I’m still optimistic that Kubel will turn into the player we all hoped he’d become early last fall, but I’m not entirely sure of myself. ETA: 2006
2. J.D. Durbin - Yes, I know Durbin is having yet another horrible spring, but the fact remains that this guy is very highly regarded prospect. We’ve all heard gobs about his tough demeanor and “makeup” (which coincidentally doesn’t seem to be serving him all that well at the moment) but Durbin’s also got great stuff and throws hard. Plus, he’s proven that he can succeed at every level of the minor leagues. Let’s hope this recent funk is nothing more than a speed bump on the road to greatness. ETA: late 2005
1. Jesse Crain - The Twins are in somewhat of a unique position with their two top “prospects”, Joe Mauer and Jesse Crain. Both played a pretty decent amount in the majors last season, and both experienced considerable success. However, I have chosen to omit Mauer from this list and deny him his “prospect” status (as I’m sure he values my opinion on the subject very much). But Crain is in a little different boat from Mauer. Despite the fact that he was with the team from the trading deadline on, he threw only 27 innings and was used surprisingly little by Gardenhire, which in my mind still makes him somewhat of an unknown.
However that all should change this season. Jesse Crain is now an integral part of what is sure to be on the American League’s best bullpens. He throws absolute gas (95+ mph) and has, as Gardenhire said last spring, a “curveball from hell”. I actually think his best pitch is his slider, but we’re not here to nitpick. Crain is still the best relief prospect in the bigs and is the closest thing to a “sure bet” that exists in the Twins organization today. ETA: 2005
Well, there you have it folks. To recap, here’s the complete list:
10. Trevor Plouffe
9. Adam Harben
8. Jason Bartlett
7. Glen Perkins
6. Scott Baker
5. Kyle Waldrop
4. Francisco Liriano
3. Jason Kubel
2. J.D. Durbin
1. Jesse Crain
As you can see, that list contains an inordinate amount of pitchers (7 in all) and most of them relatively young. That is indeed where the organization’s current strength lies: young pitching. Just you know, that is a very good thing! There are tons of organizations that would love to have the Twins’ surplus of young stud arms, and if Smilin’ Carl decides to open up the checkbook at the trading deadline this year (an annual vain hope in Twins Territory) then we definitely have the chips to bargain with.
Prospect week continues tomorrow with an analysis of the monumental 2004 amateur draft. Until then, take care!
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Twins Chatter’s Top 10 Prospects List: Part One
First off, thanks for coming by the site today. I know I have been extremely unreliable of late, but school and some other things have been just kicking my butt recently (I’m speaking in the figurative sense of course, although it wouldn’t surprise me if those words proved prophetic, the way things are going right now). Anyway, last week I promised that prospect week was on its way, and I intend to deliver on that promise.
I’ve been contemplating when to do my top 10 Twins prospects lists for quite some time (the post practically writes itself!) but I just haven’t found the most opportune time yet. But I figured with spring training starting and all (minor leaguers will be reporting next week I think) I thought it was high time I gave it the ol’ college try.
The top five will be released today, while I’ll post the next five tomorrow. More analysis and discussion will also be forthcoming over the next few days, but feel free to post your own thoughts and comments as well below.
Twins’ Top 10 Prospects
10. Trevor Plouffe (SS, drafted 1st round 2004) – The Twins have so many solid prospects that this spot could have gone to any number of players, but I particularly like Plouffe. He’s a bit on the spindly side right now (6’1”, 170 lbs) but has an athletic body that projects well. He experienced moderate success at Elizabethton last year, and it will be interesting to see how he fares during his first full pro season in 2005. ETA: 2008
9. Adam Harben (RHP, 12th rd. 2002) – Harben is a guy that neither I nor most other Twins fans know much about right now, as he’s kind of flown under the radar. But people like John Sickels and Baseball America regard him highly (especially as a sleeper) and his stats are very impressive from Quad Cities—3.09 ERA and 10.8 K/9 IP a year ago. Not too shabby at all. ETA: late 2007/2008
8. Jason Bartlett (SS, acq. in Brian Buchanan trade 2001) – Obviously this is a “prospect” list for a reason, as the major league-ready Bartlett is pretty advanced compared to some of the other guys on this list. I like Bartlett’s chances to be a very solid (if unspectacular) shortstop in the major leagues for quite some time. He should hit well enough to keep a job in the long run (this season notwithstanding) and if his defensive issues can be worked out (and I believe the Twins coaching staff was right to be critical of him last year) he could have a good career ahead of him. ETA: 2005
7. Glen Perkins (LHP, 1st rd. 2004) – For whatever reason, Perkins just hasn’t gotten as much recognition as I would have anticipated coming off a strong first pro season. First of all no major baseball card manufacturers produce a rookie card of the ‘U’ product (which might not strike you as particularly noteworthy, but from someone who knows, believe me—it is odd) and then BA leaves him completely off their top-10 prospects list. Who knows why this is the case, but we do know that Perkins is a very advanced and polished pitcher who probably won’t ever been a #1 starter, but should end up as a very solid lefty for the Twins within the next couple of years. Keep an eye out for a Scott Baker-like rise from Perkins in 2005. ETA:2007
6. Scott Baker (RHP, drafted 2nd rd. 2003) – Baker’s rapid ascension in 2004 was pretty unexpected, but exciting. The 23 year-old pitched at three different levels last season (A, AA, and AAA) and dominated the first two during this rather brief stints. However, he did hit up against reality at Rochester, where his ERA jumped up to almost 5.00 and his strikeout rate dipped significantly. I firmly believe Baker will be ready for the Show after a full season at AAA and could possibly help the team later in 2005 if injuries and/or ineffectiveness become a problem. I get the impression that Baker doesn’t quite have the stuff to dominate the majors like he did the minors last year (which is why he’s sixth on this list instead of like two or three), but there’s still no reason that he shouldn’t be a solid #2-4 starter in the very near future. ETA: mid-to-late 2005
TOMORROW:Prospects #1-5
I’ve been contemplating when to do my top 10 Twins prospects lists for quite some time (the post practically writes itself!) but I just haven’t found the most opportune time yet. But I figured with spring training starting and all (minor leaguers will be reporting next week I think) I thought it was high time I gave it the ol’ college try.
The top five will be released today, while I’ll post the next five tomorrow. More analysis and discussion will also be forthcoming over the next few days, but feel free to post your own thoughts and comments as well below.
Twins’ Top 10 Prospects
10. Trevor Plouffe (SS, drafted 1st round 2004) – The Twins have so many solid prospects that this spot could have gone to any number of players, but I particularly like Plouffe. He’s a bit on the spindly side right now (6’1”, 170 lbs) but has an athletic body that projects well. He experienced moderate success at Elizabethton last year, and it will be interesting to see how he fares during his first full pro season in 2005. ETA: 2008
9. Adam Harben (RHP, 12th rd. 2002) – Harben is a guy that neither I nor most other Twins fans know much about right now, as he’s kind of flown under the radar. But people like John Sickels and Baseball America regard him highly (especially as a sleeper) and his stats are very impressive from Quad Cities—3.09 ERA and 10.8 K/9 IP a year ago. Not too shabby at all. ETA: late 2007/2008
8. Jason Bartlett (SS, acq. in Brian Buchanan trade 2001) – Obviously this is a “prospect” list for a reason, as the major league-ready Bartlett is pretty advanced compared to some of the other guys on this list. I like Bartlett’s chances to be a very solid (if unspectacular) shortstop in the major leagues for quite some time. He should hit well enough to keep a job in the long run (this season notwithstanding) and if his defensive issues can be worked out (and I believe the Twins coaching staff was right to be critical of him last year) he could have a good career ahead of him. ETA: 2005
7. Glen Perkins (LHP, 1st rd. 2004) – For whatever reason, Perkins just hasn’t gotten as much recognition as I would have anticipated coming off a strong first pro season. First of all no major baseball card manufacturers produce a rookie card of the ‘U’ product (which might not strike you as particularly noteworthy, but from someone who knows, believe me—it is odd) and then BA leaves him completely off their top-10 prospects list. Who knows why this is the case, but we do know that Perkins is a very advanced and polished pitcher who probably won’t ever been a #1 starter, but should end up as a very solid lefty for the Twins within the next couple of years. Keep an eye out for a Scott Baker-like rise from Perkins in 2005. ETA:2007
6. Scott Baker (RHP, drafted 2nd rd. 2003) – Baker’s rapid ascension in 2004 was pretty unexpected, but exciting. The 23 year-old pitched at three different levels last season (A, AA, and AAA) and dominated the first two during this rather brief stints. However, he did hit up against reality at Rochester, where his ERA jumped up to almost 5.00 and his strikeout rate dipped significantly. I firmly believe Baker will be ready for the Show after a full season at AAA and could possibly help the team later in 2005 if injuries and/or ineffectiveness become a problem. I get the impression that Baker doesn’t quite have the stuff to dominate the majors like he did the minors last year (which is why he’s sixth on this list instead of like two or three), but there’s still no reason that he shouldn’t be a solid #2-4 starter in the very near future. ETA: mid-to-late 2005
TOMORROW:Prospects #1-5
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Cosmetic Upgrades
In lieu of a new post today, I decided instead to spend my time on a few much-needed cosmetic upgrades for Twins Chatter. Simply put, the site was getting extremely stale. It was a very plain site to begin with, but after 10 months I was getting sick of seeing the same drab lettering over and over.
Overall, I've tried to simplify things a bit. Gone are all the funky, multi-colored lines, and gone is the super long marquee "Twins Chatter: A Better Way for Twins Fans". I assume those of you with older Macs or low-resolution monitors couldn't even fit those words on one line of your screen, let alone the equally tedious blog description below it ("Your source for insightful, thoughtful, and somewhat opinionated Minnesota Twins coverage..."). So they are gone. I know it seems like there is a lot of empty space up there, but that will change within the next few days. I'm in the process of creating a banner that will incorporate our official logo (what you see above) with some photos of Twins players. I'm still a Photoshop novice, but hopefully it will turn out well in the end.
Anyway, the otherwise hardly-noticable changes are the result of a couple hours' work tinkering with my Blogger template. I flirted with the idea of starting from scratch and creating a whole new site using Macromedia Dreamweaver but the complexity of the software and the cost of server space pretty much squashed that idea. It is possible to have a pretty decent looking site using Blogger, so I've decided instead to work with what I have.
I know you all didn't come here today to read my ramblings about the appearance of the site, so I'll provide a little teaser for tomorrow. I've decided that my next string of posts will deal with the Twins minor league system/prospects, which is a topic near and dear to my heart. Baseball America recently finished naming their 100 Top Prospects, and to mark the spirit of the occasion I've decided to follow suit in the coming days. Keep checking back over the course of the next week or so as the series gets started.
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Overall, I've tried to simplify things a bit. Gone are all the funky, multi-colored lines, and gone is the super long marquee "Twins Chatter: A Better Way for Twins Fans". I assume those of you with older Macs or low-resolution monitors couldn't even fit those words on one line of your screen, let alone the equally tedious blog description below it ("Your source for insightful, thoughtful, and somewhat opinionated Minnesota Twins coverage..."). So they are gone. I know it seems like there is a lot of empty space up there, but that will change within the next few days. I'm in the process of creating a banner that will incorporate our official logo (what you see above) with some photos of Twins players. I'm still a Photoshop novice, but hopefully it will turn out well in the end.
Anyway, the otherwise hardly-noticable changes are the result of a couple hours' work tinkering with my Blogger template. I flirted with the idea of starting from scratch and creating a whole new site using Macromedia Dreamweaver but the complexity of the software and the cost of server space pretty much squashed that idea. It is possible to have a pretty decent looking site using Blogger, so I've decided instead to work with what I have.
I know you all didn't come here today to read my ramblings about the appearance of the site, so I'll provide a little teaser for tomorrow. I've decided that my next string of posts will deal with the Twins minor league system/prospects, which is a topic near and dear to my heart. Baseball America recently finished naming their 100 Top Prospects, and to mark the spirit of the occasion I've decided to follow suit in the coming days. Keep checking back over the course of the next week or so as the series gets started.
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Nothing Doing
I absolutely hate to once again disappoint all of you that made the trek to Twins Chatter today, but I simply don't have it in me tonight to write a quality post. My numerous non-blogging activities (newspaper, baseball team, school) have been taking up an insane amount of my time the past two days, and I am completely exhausted.
I was actually at the Metrodome for most of today, where I witnessed the St. Olaf Oles lose their first two games of the season to Wartburg College. They were disappointing losses, to be certain, but my little brother Josh (an infielder on the team) played well in his collegiate debut, which was good to see.
Anyway, I have a few juicy topics cooking on the back burner right now and promise write about one of them for tomorrow. Right now, however, it is time for sleep.
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
I was actually at the Metrodome for most of today, where I witnessed the St. Olaf Oles lose their first two games of the season to Wartburg College. They were disappointing losses, to be certain, but my little brother Josh (an infielder on the team) played well in his collegiate debut, which was good to see.
Anyway, I have a few juicy topics cooking on the back burner right now and promise write about one of them for tomorrow. Right now, however, it is time for sleep.
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Monday, February 28, 2005
Justified Optimism?
"Hope springs eternal" is how the saying goes, and that certainly seems to be the case this spring, especially when it comes to the Minnesota Twins. There is a sense of optimism sorrounding every team every year during spring training (hey, even the Royals are tied for first right now!) but the Fort Myers seems to be execuding even more positive vibes than normal this time of year.
I bring this topic up today primarily because of this article Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan wrote over the weekend. Souhan's start as a columnist has seen its ups and downs thus far, but he has been at his best when writing about the Twins - with whom he is obviously extremely familiar.
Saturday's column was well written, but my question for you is this: Is Souhan's confidence in this team truly justified? Is this really the "the best Twins team to kill grass at Hammond Stadium since Gene Larkin hit that fateful fly ball in October of '91"? I'd like to think so, but quite honestly, I don't share Souhan's unbridled optimism.
Don't get me wrong: I am a huge fan and supporter of the home team (I have, after all, been writing on this site for the past 10 months). That being said, I simply don't think we should be falling all over ourselves praising this team as one of the best in Twins' history! Will the Twins be good? Yes. Will they make the playoffs again? Yes, I believe so. But is this outcome all but guarenteed? Far from it.
Yes, the Twins led the A.L. with a 4.03 team ERA last year, but isn't very possible that that number could come down to earth in 2005? For every Kyle Lohse and J.C. Romero that underachieved in '04, isn't is also possible that Juan Rincon and Carlos Silva overachieved? I know it isn't Souhan's place to openly question things such as this, but this is a scenario that every Twins fan needs to consider.
Also, who out there can safely assume (which many people are doing) that the Twins offense (ranked 10th in the A.L.) will improve considerably in '05? The Twins have scored 780, 801, and 768 runs the past three seasons respectively, which is a relatively consistent number (a spread of just .2 runs per game). It is widely assumed that no matter who (if anyone) emerges at shortstop will be at least a slight downgrade offensively from Guzman, and it is seems a safe bet to assume that Cuddyer will do no more than match Koskie's production at 3B, if even that. Is it realistic to assume that full seasons of two very young players (Mauer and Morneau) will not only make up that slack, but provide significantly increased production in an otherwise average lineup? Quite frankly, I'm not willing to blindly believe that this will necessarily be the case (although obviously I hope it happens).
I just thought I would throw these thoughts out there on this Monday morning. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade or anything, but I think it's time we took a step back before we all become drunk with giddiness. The American League Central is going to be a very competitive division this season (perhaps more competitive than it has ever been before), and I think it's important too remember that before everyone starts getting ahead of themselves. As always, if you have any thoughts on the subject feel free to leave a comment below and I'll be sure to respond.
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Before you go, I'd like to highlight a couple of excellent links for you today. Longtime Twins Chatter supporter Seth Stohs is featuring an excellent interview with Twins' farmhand (and MN native) Pat Neshek today. Turns out that Neshek runs his own often updated webstite and is an avid autograph collector. I too have a pretty respectable collection of baseball autographs, and some pretty neat stories to go along with many of them! Perhaps sometime I'll share them in this space on a slow news day.
Meanwhile, fellow blogger Stick and Ball Guy is featuring an exclusive report from Fort Myers on his site, which Fort Myers Miracle Gal was kind enough to supply. FMMG also runs a couple of Twins minor league blogs, one about the Miracle and one about the New Britain Rock Cats! I didn't even know these sites existed before today, so you can believe that I will be checking them out often as the beginning of the season approaches.
I bring this topic up today primarily because of this article Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan wrote over the weekend. Souhan's start as a columnist has seen its ups and downs thus far, but he has been at his best when writing about the Twins - with whom he is obviously extremely familiar.
Saturday's column was well written, but my question for you is this: Is Souhan's confidence in this team truly justified? Is this really the "the best Twins team to kill grass at Hammond Stadium since Gene Larkin hit that fateful fly ball in October of '91"? I'd like to think so, but quite honestly, I don't share Souhan's unbridled optimism.
Don't get me wrong: I am a huge fan and supporter of the home team (I have, after all, been writing on this site for the past 10 months). That being said, I simply don't think we should be falling all over ourselves praising this team as one of the best in Twins' history! Will the Twins be good? Yes. Will they make the playoffs again? Yes, I believe so. But is this outcome all but guarenteed? Far from it.
Yes, the Twins led the A.L. with a 4.03 team ERA last year, but isn't very possible that that number could come down to earth in 2005? For every Kyle Lohse and J.C. Romero that underachieved in '04, isn't is also possible that Juan Rincon and Carlos Silva overachieved? I know it isn't Souhan's place to openly question things such as this, but this is a scenario that every Twins fan needs to consider.
Also, who out there can safely assume (which many people are doing) that the Twins offense (ranked 10th in the A.L.) will improve considerably in '05? The Twins have scored 780, 801, and 768 runs the past three seasons respectively, which is a relatively consistent number (a spread of just .2 runs per game). It is widely assumed that no matter who (if anyone) emerges at shortstop will be at least a slight downgrade offensively from Guzman, and it is seems a safe bet to assume that Cuddyer will do no more than match Koskie's production at 3B, if even that. Is it realistic to assume that full seasons of two very young players (Mauer and Morneau) will not only make up that slack, but provide significantly increased production in an otherwise average lineup? Quite frankly, I'm not willing to blindly believe that this will necessarily be the case (although obviously I hope it happens).
I just thought I would throw these thoughts out there on this Monday morning. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade or anything, but I think it's time we took a step back before we all become drunk with giddiness. The American League Central is going to be a very competitive division this season (perhaps more competitive than it has ever been before), and I think it's important too remember that before everyone starts getting ahead of themselves. As always, if you have any thoughts on the subject feel free to leave a comment below and I'll be sure to respond.
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Before you go, I'd like to highlight a couple of excellent links for you today. Longtime Twins Chatter supporter Seth Stohs is featuring an excellent interview with Twins' farmhand (and MN native) Pat Neshek today. Turns out that Neshek runs his own often updated webstite and is an avid autograph collector. I too have a pretty respectable collection of baseball autographs, and some pretty neat stories to go along with many of them! Perhaps sometime I'll share them in this space on a slow news day.
Meanwhile, fellow blogger Stick and Ball Guy is featuring an exclusive report from Fort Myers on his site, which Fort Myers Miracle Gal was kind enough to supply. FMMG also runs a couple of Twins minor league blogs, one about the Miracle and one about the New Britain Rock Cats! I didn't even know these sites existed before today, so you can believe that I will be checking them out often as the beginning of the season approaches.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Bonus Material
TGIF loyal Twins Chatter readers! I don't have time for a new Twins-related post today, but never fear. As longtime visitors to this site may remember, one activity that demands a fair amount of my time is our humble St. Olaf school newspaper, for which I am a sports editor and writer. Rather than send you back to your home page empty handed, I've decided to reprint my column from this week's issue, entitled "February: the Cruelest Month". It's nothing too special, but if you have the time and/or inclination to read another sports column this Friday, I encourage you to continue on down this page.
Have a great weekend and check back on Monday!
-Ryan M.
twinfan21@msn.com
February: the cruelest month
By Ryan Maus
Of all the months on the calendar, February always seems to get the short end of the stick. It has the fewest number of days, its main holidays are predominantly arbitrary and overly commercialized and it falls during the time of year when winter seems like it may never end.
Even sports wise, February has traditionally been something of a letdown. The Super Bowl, the most over-hyped annual event in the history of the world, is now over. The already-too-long NBA season is dragging along at a snail’s pace, its playoff chase still months away. The Madness that is college basketball’s conference and national tournaments doesn’t commence until March (which, I’ll admit, isn’t necessarily a bad thing – “February Fanaticism” just doesn’t have the same ring to it).
Even the National Hockey League, previously a popular winter diversion for dozens of fans south of the Mason-Dixon Line, gave into greed and officially canceled its season last week. A large percentage of the league’s nine southernmost teams will probably cease to exist by the time its labor problems are solved, which may not happen before the year 2007.
In other news, Canadian pharmacies prepared for a run on the popular antidepressant Prozac, as millions of distraught Canucks mourned the imminent demise of their favorite national pastime.
While February may be a dark and dreary month in more ways than one, hope still exists for the near future. College basketball’s postseason is shaping up to be a classic. Will the still-undefeated Illinois men glide all the way to the Final Four? Can the top-ranked LSU women put an end to UConn’s streak of three straight national championships? Will a recent slide keep the upstart Gopher men out of the NCAA tournament for the sixth consecutive year? All of these questions and more will be answered soon enough – just not during February.
Last week also saw the passing of another annual February landmark: the beginning of Major League Baseball’s spring training. This past offseason was one of the most eventful in baseball history, although not always for the right reasons. Just days the Red Sox put the kabash on their infamous Curse, it was leaked that several current major league baseball players (including superstars Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi) admitted in front of a grand jury to have used illegal steroids. Over the past few months, steroid speculation has been a constant topic in baseball circles, almost overshadowing the numerous high-profile player transactions that have taken place.
The offseason of 2004-05 won’t be remembered as the winter the Yankees traded for Randy Johnson and the Orioles for Sammy Sosa, or even the year that the Mets signed both Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran to extravagant contracts. Instead, it will be remembered as the offseason when the truth about baseball’s dirty little secret was finally revealed.
Fortunately, it seems as though fans are willing to forgive baseball for its previous (and some would argue, current) transgressions. Spring training and regular season ticket sales are up all over the country, as the 2005 season promises to be yet another great one.
So even though the sports landscape currently looks pretty bleak, don’t despair. Pretty soon you’ll be cursing an anonymous shooting guard from some school with three hyphens in its name for ruining your entire bracket, and shortly thereafter the boys of summer will head north and start playing games that actually count.
Instead of being bored to tears this February because there’s absolutely nothing happening, try to think of this month as a speed bump on the road to bigger and better things. In that regard, one of February’s many shortcomings may actually be a positive thing: With just 28 days, the month will be over that much more quickly.
Have a great weekend and check back on Monday!
-Ryan M.
twinfan21@msn.com
By Ryan Maus
Of all the months on the calendar, February always seems to get the short end of the stick. It has the fewest number of days, its main holidays are predominantly arbitrary and overly commercialized and it falls during the time of year when winter seems like it may never end.
Even sports wise, February has traditionally been something of a letdown. The Super Bowl, the most over-hyped annual event in the history of the world, is now over. The already-too-long NBA season is dragging along at a snail’s pace, its playoff chase still months away. The Madness that is college basketball’s conference and national tournaments doesn’t commence until March (which, I’ll admit, isn’t necessarily a bad thing – “February Fanaticism” just doesn’t have the same ring to it).
Even the National Hockey League, previously a popular winter diversion for dozens of fans south of the Mason-Dixon Line, gave into greed and officially canceled its season last week. A large percentage of the league’s nine southernmost teams will probably cease to exist by the time its labor problems are solved, which may not happen before the year 2007.
In other news, Canadian pharmacies prepared for a run on the popular antidepressant Prozac, as millions of distraught Canucks mourned the imminent demise of their favorite national pastime.
While February may be a dark and dreary month in more ways than one, hope still exists for the near future. College basketball’s postseason is shaping up to be a classic. Will the still-undefeated Illinois men glide all the way to the Final Four? Can the top-ranked LSU women put an end to UConn’s streak of three straight national championships? Will a recent slide keep the upstart Gopher men out of the NCAA tournament for the sixth consecutive year? All of these questions and more will be answered soon enough – just not during February.
Last week also saw the passing of another annual February landmark: the beginning of Major League Baseball’s spring training. This past offseason was one of the most eventful in baseball history, although not always for the right reasons. Just days the Red Sox put the kabash on their infamous Curse, it was leaked that several current major league baseball players (including superstars Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi) admitted in front of a grand jury to have used illegal steroids. Over the past few months, steroid speculation has been a constant topic in baseball circles, almost overshadowing the numerous high-profile player transactions that have taken place.
The offseason of 2004-05 won’t be remembered as the winter the Yankees traded for Randy Johnson and the Orioles for Sammy Sosa, or even the year that the Mets signed both Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran to extravagant contracts. Instead, it will be remembered as the offseason when the truth about baseball’s dirty little secret was finally revealed.
Fortunately, it seems as though fans are willing to forgive baseball for its previous (and some would argue, current) transgressions. Spring training and regular season ticket sales are up all over the country, as the 2005 season promises to be yet another great one.
So even though the sports landscape currently looks pretty bleak, don’t despair. Pretty soon you’ll be cursing an anonymous shooting guard from some school with three hyphens in its name for ruining your entire bracket, and shortly thereafter the boys of summer will head north and start playing games that actually count.
Instead of being bored to tears this February because there’s absolutely nothing happening, try to think of this month as a speed bump on the road to bigger and better things. In that regard, one of February’s many shortcomings may actually be a positive thing: With just 28 days, the month will be over that much more quickly.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
No One Said it Would Be Easy: Part Four
Today is the day that I will finally finish up my four-part miniseries previewing the Twins’ competition in the American League Central for 2005 (I’ve done the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox already). Today’s will also be the shortest of the series, because, quite frankly, today’s team can hardly be considered a threat to the Twins in their quest for a four-peat.
Today’s Topic:The Kansas City Royals
Key Acquisitions:
Jose Lima (SP, F.A. from LA)
Chris Truby (3B, acq. as F.A)
Terrance Long (OF, acq. via trade with S.D.)
Eli Marrero (OF, acq. from Atl.)
Key Losses:
Darrel May (SP, traded to S.D.)
Joe Randa (3B, signed with Cin.)
Benito Santiago (C, traded to Pitt.)
2004 Season: 58-104, 34 GB Twins
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
The 2004 season, which began as a hopeful one for the Royals, ended exactly the way many believed it would before the team’s surprising 2003 showing: with Kansas City in last place. The Royals made a valiant effort to improve their team last offseason, but it appears now that 2003 might have been one of the flukiest seasons in recent baseball memory (in case you forgot, the Royals won 83 games that year and led the division until late summer).
This past winter, Royals’ GM Alard Baird harbored no such delusions of grandeur. The Royals are in full-blown rebuilding mode, just as they should be. This is apparent just by glancing at their “Key Acquisitions” from this winter—Jose Lima might only be an upgrade in the rotation for a team that doesn’t expect to win many ballgames. 21-year old wunderkind Zack Greinke is about the only thing this team has going for it right now. Simply put, this guy is amazing. He has outstanding control and can change speeds like a 20-year veteran, and I think the Greg Maddux comparisons are very appropriate in his case. The rest of the Royals’ rotation is decidedly mediocre on a good day, so if you’re going to see Kansas City play the Twins this year, pick a day that Greinke is pitching. You won’t be disappointed.
Kansas City’s offense is also well below average. Mike Sweeney is a force to be reckoned with when healthy, but that has not been the case for quite some time. Matt Stairs had a productive 2004 season but is still no more than a Ron Coomer-type player (circa 1997). Centerfielder David DeJesus has potential, but still needs to show that he can produce offensively over an entire season.
The Royals’ bullpen will also undoubtedly be the worst in the division this year. I like the arm of Jeremy Affeldt, who will enter the season as the de facto closer, but other than him, not one of KC’s projected bullpen arms would even make the roster of the Twins or Indians.
Prediction:
I’ve drawn a little bit of heat for my predictions thus far in the preview series, but of today’s I am fairly confident: the Royals will once again lose 100 games and finish in last place in the Central. Their offense is shoddy, their rotation thin, and bullpen weak. Doesn’t get much worse than that, does it? This team has enough young players where they could potentially get better in the not-so-distant future, but I think there is almost no chance of that happening this year.
Today’s Topic:The Kansas City Royals
Key Acquisitions:
Jose Lima (SP, F.A. from LA)
Chris Truby (3B, acq. as F.A)
Terrance Long (OF, acq. via trade with S.D.)
Eli Marrero (OF, acq. from Atl.)
Key Losses:
Darrel May (SP, traded to S.D.)
Joe Randa (3B, signed with Cin.)
Benito Santiago (C, traded to Pitt.)
2004 Season: 58-104, 34 GB Twins
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
The 2004 season, which began as a hopeful one for the Royals, ended exactly the way many believed it would before the team’s surprising 2003 showing: with Kansas City in last place. The Royals made a valiant effort to improve their team last offseason, but it appears now that 2003 might have been one of the flukiest seasons in recent baseball memory (in case you forgot, the Royals won 83 games that year and led the division until late summer).
This past winter, Royals’ GM Alard Baird harbored no such delusions of grandeur. The Royals are in full-blown rebuilding mode, just as they should be. This is apparent just by glancing at their “Key Acquisitions” from this winter—Jose Lima might only be an upgrade in the rotation for a team that doesn’t expect to win many ballgames. 21-year old wunderkind Zack Greinke is about the only thing this team has going for it right now. Simply put, this guy is amazing. He has outstanding control and can change speeds like a 20-year veteran, and I think the Greg Maddux comparisons are very appropriate in his case. The rest of the Royals’ rotation is decidedly mediocre on a good day, so if you’re going to see Kansas City play the Twins this year, pick a day that Greinke is pitching. You won’t be disappointed.
Kansas City’s offense is also well below average. Mike Sweeney is a force to be reckoned with when healthy, but that has not been the case for quite some time. Matt Stairs had a productive 2004 season but is still no more than a Ron Coomer-type player (circa 1997). Centerfielder David DeJesus has potential, but still needs to show that he can produce offensively over an entire season.
The Royals’ bullpen will also undoubtedly be the worst in the division this year. I like the arm of Jeremy Affeldt, who will enter the season as the de facto closer, but other than him, not one of KC’s projected bullpen arms would even make the roster of the Twins or Indians.
Prediction:
I’ve drawn a little bit of heat for my predictions thus far in the preview series, but of today’s I am fairly confident: the Royals will once again lose 100 games and finish in last place in the Central. Their offense is shoddy, their rotation thin, and bullpen weak. Doesn’t get much worse than that, does it? This team has enough young players where they could potentially get better in the not-so-distant future, but I think there is almost no chance of that happening this year.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
No One Said it Would Be Easy: Part Three
This week I’m going to conclude the series I began a little over a week ago in which we’ll take a quick pre-Spring Training look at the Twins’ competition in the AL Central. Two Fridays ago it was the Detroit Tigers, and last Monday I broke down the Cleveland Indians. Today it’s the team that everybody loves to hate, the Chicago White Sox.
Today’s Topic:The Chicago White Sox
Key Acquisitions:
A.J. Pierzynski (C, F.A. from S.F.)
Luis Vizcaino (RP, acq. via trade w/Mil.)
Jermaine Dye (OF, F.A. from Oak.)
Scott Podsednik (OF, acq. via trade w/Mil.)
Tadahito Iguchi (2B, F.A. from Japan)
Orlando Hernandez (SP, F.A. from NYY)
Dustin Hermanson (RP, F.A. from S.F.)
Key Losses:
Carlos Lee (OF, traded to Mil.)
Magglio Ordonez (OF, signed w/Det.)
Jose Valentin (IF, signed w/L.A.)
2004 Season: 83-79 9 GB Twins
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
The Pale Hosers from the South Side have been one of the biggest conundrums in baseball the past few years. On paper they’ve always been impressive with plenty of power hitters, an impressive starting rotation, and what should be a solid bullpen. However, each year they find a new way to lose to the Twins.
In 2005 the shoe is on the other foot. The Sox finally realized the sit-back and wait-for-the-three-run-homer approach wasn’t working. So oft-maligned G.M. Kenny Williams used this past off-season to revamp his roster to better reflect the managerial style of Ozzie Guillen. Gone are big boppers Lee, Mags, and Valentin; taking their place are speed-and-contact hitters like Pierzyski, Podsednik, and Iguchi. Dye, with 23 homers in 2004, is arguably the team’s greatest power threat behind Paul Konerko.
Williams also sought to emulate the Twins’ success by building a deep starting rotation. In addition to returnees Mark Buehrle (16-10, 3.89 ERA in 245.1 IP), Freddy Garcia (3.81 ERA), Jon Garland (12-11, 4.89 ERA), and Jose Contreras, the Sox signed Orlando “El Douque” Hernandez to a two-year, $8 million contract. Personally, I think it is foolhardy to give a pitcher pushing 40 (he’s technically listed at 35 years old, although few actually believe that number) 8 million dollars for 15 starts with moderate success. Yet, that is exactly what the ChiSox did. If healthy, El Douque could conceivably stretch his 2004 numbers (3.30 ERA, 8.9K/9IP) but that is a tremendously HUGE “if”. His signing was a big risk for Williams, one that could prove invaluable or could just be a big waste of money.
Despite the latter situation being more likely in the case of Hernandez, this rotation is still pretty decent. Buehrle and Garcia form a very solid 1-2 punch, and Garland could emerge as a respectable number three guy. I’m not very high on Contreras despite his terrific stuff. He has to prove that he can succeed consistently at this level before I give him any credit.
The White Sox bullpen falls under the classic category of “good-but-not-great”. Shingo Takatsu (19 for 20 in save opportunities last year) is the rare closer who gets the job done without an overwhelming fastball. Williams was smart to get Vizcaino in the Carlos Lee trade, as the Dominican flamethrower has an excellent arsenal of pitches. Damaso Marte is also one of the premier bullpen lefties in the league and always pitches well against the Twins. Hermanson had a good year in San Francisco last year, even serving as their closer for a spell, although his upside is limited.
Prediction:
While you have to admire the Sox for realizing their flaws and moving on, this team doesn’t have the players to finish ahead of both the Twins and Indians in the division. While the Twins have been perfecting their “good pitching and small ball” approach for the past four years, the White Sox seem to believe they can simply bring in a motely collection of assorted ballplayers, throw them on the field together, and win. It doesn’t work like that. The White Sox don’t stand out in one particular area, and have neither the offense nor starting pitching to win the Central in ’05. I’m predicting a .500 record and third or fourth place finish in the division.
Next up: the Kansas City Royals
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Today’s Topic:The Chicago White Sox
Key Acquisitions:
A.J. Pierzynski (C, F.A. from S.F.)
Luis Vizcaino (RP, acq. via trade w/Mil.)
Jermaine Dye (OF, F.A. from Oak.)
Scott Podsednik (OF, acq. via trade w/Mil.)
Tadahito Iguchi (2B, F.A. from Japan)
Orlando Hernandez (SP, F.A. from NYY)
Dustin Hermanson (RP, F.A. from S.F.)
Key Losses:
Carlos Lee (OF, traded to Mil.)
Magglio Ordonez (OF, signed w/Det.)
Jose Valentin (IF, signed w/L.A.)
2004 Season: 83-79 9 GB Twins
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
The Pale Hosers from the South Side have been one of the biggest conundrums in baseball the past few years. On paper they’ve always been impressive with plenty of power hitters, an impressive starting rotation, and what should be a solid bullpen. However, each year they find a new way to lose to the Twins.
In 2005 the shoe is on the other foot. The Sox finally realized the sit-back and wait-for-the-three-run-homer approach wasn’t working. So oft-maligned G.M. Kenny Williams used this past off-season to revamp his roster to better reflect the managerial style of Ozzie Guillen. Gone are big boppers Lee, Mags, and Valentin; taking their place are speed-and-contact hitters like Pierzyski, Podsednik, and Iguchi. Dye, with 23 homers in 2004, is arguably the team’s greatest power threat behind Paul Konerko.
Williams also sought to emulate the Twins’ success by building a deep starting rotation. In addition to returnees Mark Buehrle (16-10, 3.89 ERA in 245.1 IP), Freddy Garcia (3.81 ERA), Jon Garland (12-11, 4.89 ERA), and Jose Contreras, the Sox signed Orlando “El Douque” Hernandez to a two-year, $8 million contract. Personally, I think it is foolhardy to give a pitcher pushing 40 (he’s technically listed at 35 years old, although few actually believe that number) 8 million dollars for 15 starts with moderate success. Yet, that is exactly what the ChiSox did. If healthy, El Douque could conceivably stretch his 2004 numbers (3.30 ERA, 8.9K/9IP) but that is a tremendously HUGE “if”. His signing was a big risk for Williams, one that could prove invaluable or could just be a big waste of money.
Despite the latter situation being more likely in the case of Hernandez, this rotation is still pretty decent. Buehrle and Garcia form a very solid 1-2 punch, and Garland could emerge as a respectable number three guy. I’m not very high on Contreras despite his terrific stuff. He has to prove that he can succeed consistently at this level before I give him any credit.
The White Sox bullpen falls under the classic category of “good-but-not-great”. Shingo Takatsu (19 for 20 in save opportunities last year) is the rare closer who gets the job done without an overwhelming fastball. Williams was smart to get Vizcaino in the Carlos Lee trade, as the Dominican flamethrower has an excellent arsenal of pitches. Damaso Marte is also one of the premier bullpen lefties in the league and always pitches well against the Twins. Hermanson had a good year in San Francisco last year, even serving as their closer for a spell, although his upside is limited.
Prediction:
While you have to admire the Sox for realizing their flaws and moving on, this team doesn’t have the players to finish ahead of both the Twins and Indians in the division. While the Twins have been perfecting their “good pitching and small ball” approach for the past four years, the White Sox seem to believe they can simply bring in a motely collection of assorted ballplayers, throw them on the field together, and win. It doesn’t work like that. The White Sox don’t stand out in one particular area, and have neither the offense nor starting pitching to win the Central in ’05. I’m predicting a .500 record and third or fourth place finish in the division.
Next up: the Kansas City Royals
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Friday, February 18, 2005
Let the Games Begin!
Right on cue: just as those misguided millionaires (and billionaires) of the NHL cancel their season, a new dawn begins - the start of the 2005 Major League Baseball season! Okay, so the season hasn't technically "started" yet, but for all intents and purposes, it really has. The first teams reported to spring training ealier this week, and Twins' pitchers and catchers are set to report this upcoming Sunday and Monday. Even though the temperatures are hovering the single digits up here in MN (brrrrr) I can't help but have a little extra spring in my step, just knowing that they're playing baseball outside down in Florida and Arizona. If you're having a crappy day yourself, just think of baseball in the warm weather and I guarentee you'll feel a whole ton better.
Even though the madatory reporting date isn't for a couple of days, it seems many Twins players are already down in camp working out. The Star Tribune jumped the gun in a similar fashion today, as they're featuring a number of different Twins Spring Training preview articles. One discusses Joe Mays heavily, another is a Q and A with Ron Gardenhire, and yet another is a pretty well-written position-by-position preview from LaVelle E. Neal, who I think does an excellent job as a Twins beat writer. He brings up some very interesting material, which will no doubt serve as fodder for some analysis next week here at Twins Chatter.
I'd also like to direct you to this article (by ESPN's Jayson Stark) which brings up some very valid points about the Yankees' new ace, Randy Johnson. I'm a little skeptical that the Big Unit will mesh with the Big Apple, to be quite honest with you. We'll have to see what transpires over the next eight months.
Also, friend of Twins Chatter Stick and Ball Guy continues his very poplular Pepper! feature today. Stadium guru Shane from Greet Machine is featured, and the two have some insightful things to say (despite the word limit!).
That's about all I have time for today at Twins Chatter. I know I've been saying this for a few days now, but I promise to finish up my AL Central Spring Training previews next week. I kinda got sidetracked during the latter part of this past week with homework and the Johan signing, but we'll get back on schedule very soon. Thanks for stopping by the site today and have a great weekend!
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Even though the madatory reporting date isn't for a couple of days, it seems many Twins players are already down in camp working out. The Star Tribune jumped the gun in a similar fashion today, as they're featuring a number of different Twins Spring Training preview articles. One discusses Joe Mays heavily, another is a Q and A with Ron Gardenhire, and yet another is a pretty well-written position-by-position preview from LaVelle E. Neal, who I think does an excellent job as a Twins beat writer. He brings up some very interesting material, which will no doubt serve as fodder for some analysis next week here at Twins Chatter.
I'd also like to direct you to this article (by ESPN's Jayson Stark) which brings up some very valid points about the Yankees' new ace, Randy Johnson. I'm a little skeptical that the Big Unit will mesh with the Big Apple, to be quite honest with you. We'll have to see what transpires over the next eight months.
Also, friend of Twins Chatter Stick and Ball Guy continues his very poplular Pepper! feature today. Stadium guru Shane from Greet Machine is featured, and the two have some insightful things to say (despite the word limit!).
That's about all I have time for today at Twins Chatter. I know I've been saying this for a few days now, but I promise to finish up my AL Central Spring Training previews next week. I kinda got sidetracked during the latter part of this past week with homework and the Johan signing, but we'll get back on schedule very soon. Thanks for stopping by the site today and have a great weekend!
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
No Batta
Since John and I have written three original posts already this week, we're taking today (Wednesday) off. However, we've got an interesting little discussion going in the comments section of yesterday's post "Four More Years!" if you would like to contribute some thoughts of your own. If anything interesting comes up I will be sure to chime in myself sometime during the day. Be sure and stop by tomorrow as I'll continue my previews of the American League Central Division. Next up: the Chicago White Sox.
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Four More Years! Four More Years!
Note: In the spirit of classic Twins Chatter dualism, both John and I have posted our thoughts about yesterday's big signing. Make sure you read John's post as well, located direcly below this one (or click here).
No matter what your political affiliation, this is one return that you have to support.
Yesterday morning, it was announced that the Twins had indeed come to terms with 2004 AL Cy Young award winner Johan Santana on a 4-year, approximately $40 million contract. Johan will receive around $5 million this season, $9 million in 2006, $12 million in 2007 and then $13.25 million in 2008 (according to the Star Tribune).
My initial reaction (which was probably shared by nearly every Twins fan, save one) was that of extreme jubilation. It truly made my day!
This signing was a huge day in Twins history. Some people were criticized the Twins’ front office because they failed to sign Corey Koskie (I don’t consider Guzman much of a loss anymore), but locking Santana up long-term more than makes up for that. This was perhaps the team’s only chance to retain Johan past 2006, because if he has another Cy Young-type season his price may very well skyrocket out of the Twins’ range.
It also signifies an important commitment on the part of Carl Pohlad. I have to admit that I have been pleasantly surprised recently by the amount of money our notoriously stingy owner has allowed Terry Ryan to spend this winter in multi-year contracts. Some decisions have been questionable (i.e. $4 million for the duo of Juan Castro and Mike Redmond through 2006) but $58 million for six seasons of Santana and Brad Radke is most definitely a good deal in today’s market.
Still, 40 million dollars is an awful lot of money. There is no doubt that the Red Sox or Yankees would have happily doled out $15+ million a season for the game’s best starting pitcher in 2007, but for a small market team like the Twins this is the penultimate financial commitment. If Johan performs at the level that we’ve seen the past two seasons (and there is no reason to believe he won’t) then he is worth the money, but there is still a degree of risk involved. The injury bug can strike and strike hard at any time, and such large contracts can severely handicap small market teams (see Mays, Joe).
Despite the risks involved, I still firmly believe this was the right decision on the Twins’ part. I believe there was little chance the team could have retained Santana past 2006 had a deal not been done this winter. The Yankees may actually need an ace by then (as opposed to simply acquiring one for the heck of it), and a $100 million dollar contract may not have been out of the question for a rare talent like Johan. Who knows? Maybe by 2009 circumstances will have changed enough (*cough* new stadium *cough*) and the Twins will be able to keep Santana well into his prime.
In my mind, here is what Monday’s resigning has a few key implications.
1.) The Twins were able to reward their best player with a fair market value contract that will allow them to keep him two years longer than they otherwise would have.
2.) Santana is finally being paid what he is worth ($1.6 million, Johan’s 2004 salary, is verifiable high robbery for a Cy Young award winner this day and age) and gets the added security and stability of a long term deal.
3.) Twins ownership shows that they are willing to spend money liberally on an irreplaceable commodity that is absolutely essential to the franchise’s continued success.
4.) Have I mentioned this one enough yet? Baseball’s best pitcher will take the mound for the Twins every five days until the end of the Bush administration!
Unlike many politicians, I have no doubt this is one candidate who will actually live up to all his promises.
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
No matter what your opinion of the guy on the right, the reelection of this leftie was a major coup for fans in Twins Territory.
No matter what your political affiliation, this is one return that you have to support.
Yesterday morning, it was announced that the Twins had indeed come to terms with 2004 AL Cy Young award winner Johan Santana on a 4-year, approximately $40 million contract. Johan will receive around $5 million this season, $9 million in 2006, $12 million in 2007 and then $13.25 million in 2008 (according to the Star Tribune).
My initial reaction (which was probably shared by nearly every Twins fan, save one) was that of extreme jubilation. It truly made my day!
This signing was a huge day in Twins history. Some people were criticized the Twins’ front office because they failed to sign Corey Koskie (I don’t consider Guzman much of a loss anymore), but locking Santana up long-term more than makes up for that. This was perhaps the team’s only chance to retain Johan past 2006, because if he has another Cy Young-type season his price may very well skyrocket out of the Twins’ range.
It also signifies an important commitment on the part of Carl Pohlad. I have to admit that I have been pleasantly surprised recently by the amount of money our notoriously stingy owner has allowed Terry Ryan to spend this winter in multi-year contracts. Some decisions have been questionable (i.e. $4 million for the duo of Juan Castro and Mike Redmond through 2006) but $58 million for six seasons of Santana and Brad Radke is most definitely a good deal in today’s market.
Still, 40 million dollars is an awful lot of money. There is no doubt that the Red Sox or Yankees would have happily doled out $15+ million a season for the game’s best starting pitcher in 2007, but for a small market team like the Twins this is the penultimate financial commitment. If Johan performs at the level that we’ve seen the past two seasons (and there is no reason to believe he won’t) then he is worth the money, but there is still a degree of risk involved. The injury bug can strike and strike hard at any time, and such large contracts can severely handicap small market teams (see Mays, Joe).
Despite the risks involved, I still firmly believe this was the right decision on the Twins’ part. I believe there was little chance the team could have retained Santana past 2006 had a deal not been done this winter. The Yankees may actually need an ace by then (as opposed to simply acquiring one for the heck of it), and a $100 million dollar contract may not have been out of the question for a rare talent like Johan. Who knows? Maybe by 2009 circumstances will have changed enough (*cough* new stadium *cough*) and the Twins will be able to keep Santana well into his prime.
In my mind, here is what Monday’s resigning has a few key implications.
1.) The Twins were able to reward their best player with a fair market value contract that will allow them to keep him two years longer than they otherwise would have.
2.) Santana is finally being paid what he is worth ($1.6 million, Johan’s 2004 salary, is verifiable high robbery for a Cy Young award winner this day and age) and gets the added security and stability of a long term deal.
3.) Twins ownership shows that they are willing to spend money liberally on an irreplaceable commodity that is absolutely essential to the franchise’s continued success.
4.) Have I mentioned this one enough yet? Baseball’s best pitcher will take the mound for the Twins every five days until the end of the Bush administration!
Unlike many politicians, I have no doubt this is one candidate who will actually live up to all his promises.
-Ryan Maus
twinsfan21@msn.com
No matter what your opinion of the guy on the right, the reelection of this leftie was a major coup for fans in Twins Territory.
Monday, February 14, 2005
A Winning Message
I have never been big on Valentines Day. It always seems like my relationships come and go around it leaving me without any obligations. I’m not much of a romantic and I wouldn’t know the difference between an expensive wine and the $2 berry stuff. This year the holiday has taken on a different meaning. A day the Twins lock up Johan Santana for 4 years is better than any box of chocolates, pretty flowers or even a hot date.
It is not about the money or even the great pitcher in the American League last season. This deal is about the Twins showing a commitment to winning in the years to come. Many people point to Brad Radke’s deal as the turning point turning this team from a perennial loser into 3-time division champs. This deal is what is going to take this team from playoff pretender to contender.
Not signing Santana would have meant any bump in the road could have been the end. The distraction of contract negotiations would have carried into this season and the next, leaving the team one long losing streak away from rampant trade speculation and thoughts of rebuilding. Starting this summer teams would be calling everyday, at first just to gauge Santana’s availability. Next winter he would have been a hotter commodity than both Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder this past off-season.
The Twins did take a risk in signing Santana to a multi-year deal. Everyone remembers what happened with Joe Mays. Santana is a special talent who has never had a serious injury. His career numbers have improved every year and he is entering the prime of his career. In two years Santana could have easily become the highest paid pitcher in history. If Pedro Martinez, past his prime, is worth $13 million and Kevin Brown is making 17, some team would certainly be willing to break the bank for Cytana.
The way Santana pitched last year it is unimaginable that he would grow comfortable now that he is locked up. He is a fierce competitor that will continue to toy with hitters while giving the Twins a great chance to win every 5th day. There are only a handful of pitchers of his caliber in baseball and for the Twins to have one goes a long way towards fulfilling their championship aspirations.
Valentines has always been a prelude to spring training. Its ties to baseball appear to be hard to see but this year “Be Mine” had a special meaning.
It is not about the money or even the great pitcher in the American League last season. This deal is about the Twins showing a commitment to winning in the years to come. Many people point to Brad Radke’s deal as the turning point turning this team from a perennial loser into 3-time division champs. This deal is what is going to take this team from playoff pretender to contender.
Not signing Santana would have meant any bump in the road could have been the end. The distraction of contract negotiations would have carried into this season and the next, leaving the team one long losing streak away from rampant trade speculation and thoughts of rebuilding. Starting this summer teams would be calling everyday, at first just to gauge Santana’s availability. Next winter he would have been a hotter commodity than both Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder this past off-season.
The Twins did take a risk in signing Santana to a multi-year deal. Everyone remembers what happened with Joe Mays. Santana is a special talent who has never had a serious injury. His career numbers have improved every year and he is entering the prime of his career. In two years Santana could have easily become the highest paid pitcher in history. If Pedro Martinez, past his prime, is worth $13 million and Kevin Brown is making 17, some team would certainly be willing to break the bank for Cytana.
The way Santana pitched last year it is unimaginable that he would grow comfortable now that he is locked up. He is a fierce competitor that will continue to toy with hitters while giving the Twins a great chance to win every 5th day. There are only a handful of pitchers of his caliber in baseball and for the Twins to have one goes a long way towards fulfilling their championship aspirations.
Valentines has always been a prelude to spring training. Its ties to baseball appear to be hard to see but this year “Be Mine” had a special meaning.
Twins Sign Santana Long-Term!!
This just in: the Twins and Johan Santana have reportedly agreed to a 4-year deal worth approximately $40 million! This means that Santana is signed through his arbitration years ('05 and '06) as well as his first two seasons of potential free agency. This contract commemorates what is a monumental day in Twins history, and one that I will discuss in length tomorrow (the Central previews will be pushed back a day or so; you can find the Cleveland Indians' preview directly below this post).
Remember, you heard the news first at Twins Chatter! :)
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Special thanks to Seth for the heads up!
Remember, you heard the news first at Twins Chatter! :)
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Special thanks to Seth for the heads up!
No One Said It Would Be Easy: Part Two
Over the next few days I’m going to continue the series I began last week in which we’ll take a quick pre-Spring Training look at the Twins’ competition in the AL Central. Last Friday it was the Detroit Tigers, and today it will be none other than this year's chic pick in the division, the Cleveland Indians.
Today’s Topic:The Cleveland Indians
Key Acquisitions:
Kevin Millwood (SP, FA from Philadelphia)
Arthur Rhodes (RP, acq. via trade)
Juan Gonzalez (OF, FA from KC)
Aaron Boone (3B, signed last year from NYY)
Alex Cora (IF, FA from LA)
Jose Hernandez (IF, FA from LA)
Key Losses:
Omar Vizquel (SS, went to SF as FA)
2004 Season: 80-82, 12 GB Twins
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
Most people believe that the up-and-coming Indians will be the biggest obstacle for the Twins in their quest for a fourth straight division title, and after looking at this team on paper (while keeping in mind the scare they gave us back in August) I have to agree with those people. This is a very formidable team in nearly every aspect of the game. The Twins have never looked all that impressive on paper (Terry Ryan usually admits this, even without prompting) but the Indians seem to have all the pieces in place: a great offense, a deep bullpen, a solid bench, and a potentially good rotation. However, division championships are won on the field, not on paper. I know that’s a rather hackneyed expression (you’re probably groaning about now), but it still rings true.
This Indians offense has the potential to challenge New York for the best in the American League. Victor Martinez had a breakout season at catcher last year and should repeat that production again in 2005. North Dakota native Travis Hafner is one of the best young hitters in the majors and could emerge as a superstar. The lineup contains several other solid producers, most of who’s names happen to start with the letter “B” (Broussard, Belliard, Boone, and Blake). Even if all these players don’t fulfill expectations, the Indians will still score a lot of runs (quite a few more than the Twins, to be certain).
But as the Indians of the mid-to-late ‘90s proved by not winning a WS title, good pitching will almost always beat good hitting when it really counts. The Tribe’s bullpen is relatively unspectacular (no mind-bogglingly amazing Joe Nathan-like numbers here) but very deep. Rhodes is a nice addition from the left side, and should rebound from a sub-par 2004 campaign by going back to his old role. Righties Shuey, Raphael Bentacourt, Bobby Howry, David Riske, and Bob Wickman also compare favorably with the Twins’ own quartet of Nathan, Rincon, Balfour, and Crain.
However, starting pitching might be the area that separates these two Central contenders. C.C. Sabathia is quite possibly one of the most physically gifted pitchers in the game, but he regressed a bit last year with a low strikeout rate and a 4.12 ERA. I imagine he will rebound at least somewhat, but he’s definitely no Johan Santana. The Tribe also signed Millwood to help out the front of their rotation. Experts always seem to expect big things from Millwood, but you have to realize that there’s a reason he had to sign with the Indians for one year and “only” $3.5 million. Millwood’s injury and performance woes over the past couple of seasons make him anything but a sure thing. Third starter Jake Westbrook had one of the most improbable seasons in the majors last year (215 innings with just a 3.38 ERA) and was truly 2004’s Estaban Loaiza. Can he do it again or will we see a Loaiza-like crash down to earth in 2005? I’d lean more towards the latter, but realistically we’ll probably see something between the two. The Indians’ potential fourth and fifth starters (Cliff Lee and Scott Elarton) are nothing to write home about, although don’t be surprised if Lee has a breakout season.
Prediction:
Like the Tigers, starting pitching is the greatest weakness of this Indians team. But unlike the Tigers, the Indians experienced a taste of actual success last season and proved that they don’t merely look good on paper. I admit that I am not exactly a non-partisan observer (this site is, after all, called Twins Chatter for a reason) but I’m not quite ready to anoint the Indians as the successors to the AL Central crown. They will take another step this season, but their rotation and inexperience will enable the Twins to take the division once more. I’m predicting 85-88 wins and a second place finish for the Tribe in ’05.
Tomorrow/Wendesday’s topic: the Chicago White Sox
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Today’s Topic:The Cleveland Indians
Key Acquisitions:
Kevin Millwood (SP, FA from Philadelphia)
Arthur Rhodes (RP, acq. via trade)
Juan Gonzalez (OF, FA from KC)
Aaron Boone (3B, signed last year from NYY)
Alex Cora (IF, FA from LA)
Jose Hernandez (IF, FA from LA)
Key Losses:
Omar Vizquel (SS, went to SF as FA)
2004 Season: 80-82, 12 GB Twins
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
Most people believe that the up-and-coming Indians will be the biggest obstacle for the Twins in their quest for a fourth straight division title, and after looking at this team on paper (while keeping in mind the scare they gave us back in August) I have to agree with those people. This is a very formidable team in nearly every aspect of the game. The Twins have never looked all that impressive on paper (Terry Ryan usually admits this, even without prompting) but the Indians seem to have all the pieces in place: a great offense, a deep bullpen, a solid bench, and a potentially good rotation. However, division championships are won on the field, not on paper. I know that’s a rather hackneyed expression (you’re probably groaning about now), but it still rings true.
This Indians offense has the potential to challenge New York for the best in the American League. Victor Martinez had a breakout season at catcher last year and should repeat that production again in 2005. North Dakota native Travis Hafner is one of the best young hitters in the majors and could emerge as a superstar. The lineup contains several other solid producers, most of who’s names happen to start with the letter “B” (Broussard, Belliard, Boone, and Blake). Even if all these players don’t fulfill expectations, the Indians will still score a lot of runs (quite a few more than the Twins, to be certain).
But as the Indians of the mid-to-late ‘90s proved by not winning a WS title, good pitching will almost always beat good hitting when it really counts. The Tribe’s bullpen is relatively unspectacular (no mind-bogglingly amazing Joe Nathan-like numbers here) but very deep. Rhodes is a nice addition from the left side, and should rebound from a sub-par 2004 campaign by going back to his old role. Righties Shuey, Raphael Bentacourt, Bobby Howry, David Riske, and Bob Wickman also compare favorably with the Twins’ own quartet of Nathan, Rincon, Balfour, and Crain.
However, starting pitching might be the area that separates these two Central contenders. C.C. Sabathia is quite possibly one of the most physically gifted pitchers in the game, but he regressed a bit last year with a low strikeout rate and a 4.12 ERA. I imagine he will rebound at least somewhat, but he’s definitely no Johan Santana. The Tribe also signed Millwood to help out the front of their rotation. Experts always seem to expect big things from Millwood, but you have to realize that there’s a reason he had to sign with the Indians for one year and “only” $3.5 million. Millwood’s injury and performance woes over the past couple of seasons make him anything but a sure thing. Third starter Jake Westbrook had one of the most improbable seasons in the majors last year (215 innings with just a 3.38 ERA) and was truly 2004’s Estaban Loaiza. Can he do it again or will we see a Loaiza-like crash down to earth in 2005? I’d lean more towards the latter, but realistically we’ll probably see something between the two. The Indians’ potential fourth and fifth starters (Cliff Lee and Scott Elarton) are nothing to write home about, although don’t be surprised if Lee has a breakout season.
Prediction:
Like the Tigers, starting pitching is the greatest weakness of this Indians team. But unlike the Tigers, the Indians experienced a taste of actual success last season and proved that they don’t merely look good on paper. I admit that I am not exactly a non-partisan observer (this site is, after all, called Twins Chatter for a reason) but I’m not quite ready to anoint the Indians as the successors to the AL Central crown. They will take another step this season, but their rotation and inexperience will enable the Twins to take the division once more. I’m predicting 85-88 wins and a second place finish for the Tribe in ’05.
Tomorrow/Wendesday’s topic: the Chicago White Sox
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Friday, February 11, 2005
No One Said It Would Be Easy: Part One
Here at Twins Chatter we usually focus our efforts primarily on everyone’s favorite hometown nine, the Minnesota Twins. However, the Twins obviously wouldn’t be the three-time reigning Central Division Champions if there weren’t four other teams to beat up on! The rest of the division has been pretty active overall this off-season, with three teams (Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit) positioning themselves to challenge for the 2005 crown. Today I’ll be starting a four-part series in which we’ll take a brief look at the competition in the AL Central before the beginning of spring training.
Today’s Topic:The Detroit Tigers
Key Acquisitions:
Troy Percival (CL, free agent)
Magglio Ordonez (OF, free agent)
Kyle Farnsworth (RP, trade w/Cubs)
Key Losses:
None
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
In my mind, I compare the Tigers to one of those pick-up basketball players who talks big, but really doesn’t have the game to back it up. Detroit has made waves the past two off-seasons by doling out exorbitant multi-year contracts to high-profile/high-risk free agents. They did it last winter with Ivan Rodriguez and did it this year by committing $91 million to injury-prone former superstars Troy Percival and Magglio Ordonez.
However, even though I may not agree with their costly methods, I have to admit that Detroit will debut a pretty formidable lineup in 2005. Speedster Alex Sanchez will be followed by All-Stars Carlos Guillen (who had a tremendous 2004 season), Rodriguez, and Ordonez. Back that up with the likes of Dmitri Young (16 HRs, 60 RBIs in 104 games last season), a revitalized Rondell White, and young slugger Carlos Pena (27 HRs in ’04), and you are looking at a lineup that should average well over 5 runs a game.
Unfortunately, five runs a game won’t do you too much good if your pitching staff gives up six. For all the money they’ve spent the past two years, the Tigers still haven’t addressed one of their most pressing needs from a year ago: starting pitching. While Jeremy Bonderman (4.89 ERA, 168 Ks in 184 IP) certainly has the stuff to be a number one starter, the rest of this staff is thoroughly mediocre. Lefties Mike Maroth and Nate Robertson are serviceable pitchers but would each be #4 or #5 guys on a true contender. The signing of Jason Johnson last winter was (predictably enough) a less-than-brilliant move by GM Dave Dombrowski, as I will be surprised if he posts an ERA under 5.00 this season. 6-4 lefthander and former Rule-5 pick Will Ledezma is an intriguing possibility (much like the Royals’ Jeremy Affeldt) but I’m not sure how much of an impact he’ll have this season.
The Tigers’ bullpen, another sore spot for the Tigers a year ago, should be improved with the additions of Percival and Farnsworth. However, neither one of those guys is a “sure thing.” Percival is clearly on the downside of his career and could break down at any time, although he still dominates the Twins. No one can deny that Farnsworth is immensely talented, but even a change of scenery may not be enough to eliminate his sometimes maddening inconsistency. Returnees Estaban Yan, Ugie Urbina, and Jamie Walker help fill out a bullpen that, barring numerous disappointments, should actually be one of the better units in the division.
Prediction:
The Tigers took out the checkbook last winter and were rewarded with a 29-game improvement from their dreadful 2003 campaign. Yet, the fact remains that the team still lost 90 games and was never a true threat to win the division. If everything goes right (Percival stays healthy, Mags reverts to his pre-injury self, two or more starters emerge) the Tigers could battle for a playoff spot until late in the season. However, seldom (if ever) does everything go according to plan in baseball. I predict that the Tigers’ starting pitching still holds them back despite a potent offense, good enough for a .500 record and third place in the Central.
Next week we’ll review the other three teams in the division, starting with the Cleveland Indians on Monday. Be sure and stop by Twins Chatter then also. In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone!
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
Today’s Topic:The Detroit Tigers
Key Acquisitions:
Troy Percival (CL, free agent)
Magglio Ordonez (OF, free agent)
Kyle Farnsworth (RP, trade w/Cubs)
Key Losses:
None
Pre-Spring Training Outlook:
In my mind, I compare the Tigers to one of those pick-up basketball players who talks big, but really doesn’t have the game to back it up. Detroit has made waves the past two off-seasons by doling out exorbitant multi-year contracts to high-profile/high-risk free agents. They did it last winter with Ivan Rodriguez and did it this year by committing $91 million to injury-prone former superstars Troy Percival and Magglio Ordonez.
However, even though I may not agree with their costly methods, I have to admit that Detroit will debut a pretty formidable lineup in 2005. Speedster Alex Sanchez will be followed by All-Stars Carlos Guillen (who had a tremendous 2004 season), Rodriguez, and Ordonez. Back that up with the likes of Dmitri Young (16 HRs, 60 RBIs in 104 games last season), a revitalized Rondell White, and young slugger Carlos Pena (27 HRs in ’04), and you are looking at a lineup that should average well over 5 runs a game.
Unfortunately, five runs a game won’t do you too much good if your pitching staff gives up six. For all the money they’ve spent the past two years, the Tigers still haven’t addressed one of their most pressing needs from a year ago: starting pitching. While Jeremy Bonderman (4.89 ERA, 168 Ks in 184 IP) certainly has the stuff to be a number one starter, the rest of this staff is thoroughly mediocre. Lefties Mike Maroth and Nate Robertson are serviceable pitchers but would each be #4 or #5 guys on a true contender. The signing of Jason Johnson last winter was (predictably enough) a less-than-brilliant move by GM Dave Dombrowski, as I will be surprised if he posts an ERA under 5.00 this season. 6-4 lefthander and former Rule-5 pick Will Ledezma is an intriguing possibility (much like the Royals’ Jeremy Affeldt) but I’m not sure how much of an impact he’ll have this season.
The Tigers’ bullpen, another sore spot for the Tigers a year ago, should be improved with the additions of Percival and Farnsworth. However, neither one of those guys is a “sure thing.” Percival is clearly on the downside of his career and could break down at any time, although he still dominates the Twins. No one can deny that Farnsworth is immensely talented, but even a change of scenery may not be enough to eliminate his sometimes maddening inconsistency. Returnees Estaban Yan, Ugie Urbina, and Jamie Walker help fill out a bullpen that, barring numerous disappointments, should actually be one of the better units in the division.
Prediction:
The Tigers took out the checkbook last winter and were rewarded with a 29-game improvement from their dreadful 2003 campaign. Yet, the fact remains that the team still lost 90 games and was never a true threat to win the division. If everything goes right (Percival stays healthy, Mags reverts to his pre-injury self, two or more starters emerge) the Tigers could battle for a playoff spot until late in the season. However, seldom (if ever) does everything go according to plan in baseball. I predict that the Tigers’ starting pitching still holds them back despite a potent offense, good enough for a .500 record and third place in the Central.
Next week we’ll review the other three teams in the division, starting with the Cleveland Indians on Monday. Be sure and stop by Twins Chatter then also. In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone!
-Ryan M.
twinsfan21@msn.com
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