Wednesday, May 28th

Twins Talk
Minnesota 4 Kansas City 3 12 innings
Minnesota 26-25 2.0 games back

• POG: Nick Blackburn- Nick had by far his best start of the year last night its just too bad he didn't get credit for a win because he definatly deserved it. Nick went 8.1 innings and only threw 92 pitches and only 17 balls. Nick gave up 2 runs on 8 hits along with no walks and 4 strikeouts. With the awesome outing it lowered his ERA to 3.39 on the season. Nick has been a pleasant surprise this year probably the most consistant pitcher on the staff. I was always a big Blackburn supporter that just needed a chance to shine and with the chance he has shown how good he can be. Some critics didn't think he would be good because he doesn't strike out alot of people, but Greg Maddox doesn't strike out alot of people and he has been pretty successful. I really think Nick is going to remain in the Twins rotation for years to come and will keep getting better and better.
• Here is the situation runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs in 9th and Joe Nathan facing Mark Teahan and he hits a slicing line drive and Delmon Young in left slides to catch the ball and he misses it and Teahan ends up with an inside the Park 3 run HR to tie the game. After the game there was alot of badmouthing of Delmon Young and i seriously don't get it. Granted he should of played it conservatively with the 3 run lead, but when has it been a bad thing to give all out hustle and give up your body to try to help your team win. I will take that from Young all year long and for the haters would you rather him not try and them tieing the game anyway cause it would been a 2 run double and a guy at 2nd with no outs. For me I will take that aggressiveness anyday and some days it pays off and some it don't, but i'll take it.
• Seems like Michael Cuddyer is starting to come out of his slump a little bit as in the last 2 games he is 4-9 with 2 rbi's. Last night he went 3-6 with 2 rbi's including the game winning single in the 12th inning. I know Mike is only hitting .237, but I still have alot of faith in him and will take him any day of the week.
• Tonight, the Twins continue their 3 game series with the Royals in Kansas City. Gametime is at 7:10 with Livan Hernandez getting the start for the Twins vs Zach Greinke for the Royals.

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 12 Charlotte 0

Rochester 21-32 12.0 games back 2game winning streak

• POG: Philip Humber- Philip had his best start of the season last night for the Red Wings. Philip went 6 shutout innings and only gave up 3 hits along with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. With the 6 shutout innings it brings Philip's ERA down to 5.19 There is no doubt about it Philip has underacheived this season so far alot more was expected out of him and to be honest he hasn't gotten the job done. However, in his defense the defense has been horrible and I'm not talking about the errors I'm talking about the balls that should be gotten too that the no range infield doesn't get too. I really hope this is the start of good things for Humber because he has way too much talent to be pitching like he is and I think he will be fine.
• Randy Ruiz had his finest game as a Red Wing as he went 4-5 with 2 doubles also a rbi and 3 runs scored. With the 4 hits it raised his average to still a really bad .266 on the season. I am not a Ruiz fan at all yeah he had a good game, but he needs to go. Brock Peterson actually has a future unlike Ruiz and they should be giving him the atbats against better competetion not an old guy who can't hit. Granted Ruiz had a good game last night and helped the Red Wings to a big win.
• The Red Wings finally got the bats going scoring 12 runs on 16 hits led by Randy Ruiz, Brian Buscher, and Sergio Santos. Basically everyone contributed and its about time because it seemed like the Red Wings were in a season long slump. Hopefully, the Red Wings can build on this and improve their hitting because the pitching has really not been the problem.
• Tonight, the Red Wings continue their series with Charlotte in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05 with Danny Graves getting the start for the Red Wings as they try to extend their winning streak to 3 games.

New Britain Business

Connecticut 6 New Britain 4

New Britain 24-27 9.0 games back

• POG: Dustin Martin- Dustin had his best game in quite a while last night in the Rockcats tough loss. Dustin went 2-4 with 2 rbi's and a double. With the 2 hits it raises Dustin's average back up to .311 on the season. After a monster start Dustin really cooled down in his last 10 games he is only 9 for his last 35 a .257 average. Dustin is a very good player who went into a little bit of a slump but is starting to come out of it a little bit. I really like him as a player and hope he gets a promotion sometime this year and see how he can do against better competition.
• Oswaldo Sosa was decent not great, but ok. Sosa went 5 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits along with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. With the 4 runs it raises Oswaldo's ERA to a very bad 6.46 on the season. Oswaldo Sosa has to be one of the more disappointing players this year as he was expected to do alot more than he has done. It's early in the season so he has a chance to get back to where he is expected to be at, but he hasn't lived up to the billing we all thought he would do this year.
• The Rockcats have really struggled after a fast start as they have now lost 3 straight to drop a season high 3 games under 500. They have the hitting, but the pitchers really haven't done their part and right now they are not a very good team.
• Today, the Rockcats continue their series with Connecticut in New Britain. Gametime is at 9:35am with Ryan Mullins getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 5 Sarasota 0

Fort Myers 33-18 First Place 2 game winning streak

• POG: Cole Devries- Cole had another outstanding start and his last 2 or 3 starts have been very good. Last night Cole went 6 shutout innings and only gave up 4 hits along with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. With the 6 shutout innings it lowered Cole's ERA to 3.70 on the year. Cole is a very good pitcher on a good staff. I don't know what kind of future he has because he really doesn't have plus pitches he just finds a way to get people out and really thats all that is important is getting people out. It will be interesting to see if he can move up this season or anchor the Miracle staff this season and possibly move up next season.
• Yancarlos Ortiz had an outstanding game going 2-3 with a walk along with 2rbi's and a run scored. With the 2 hits it raised his average up to .268 on the season. Ortiz has been very steady at shortstop and anything he gives you offensively is a bonus. I really don't see much of a major league future for Ortiz until he develops more of a all around game and not rely just on his defense. If he can do that he will be a good prospects becuase defensively he is very good.
• Eli Tintor made his debut last night for the Miracle. He went 1-4 at the plate as he served as the DH last night. Tintor was suspended 50 games for drugs and last night was his first game back so he is someone worth keeping an eye on to see how he will do.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Sarasota in Fort Myers. Gametime is at 6:05 with Jeff Manship getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 28-23 9.0 games back

• The Snappers had the day off yesterday and take on Clinton tonight in Beloit. Gametime is at 7:00pm with Santos Arias getting the start for Beloit.

Tuesday, May 27th

Twins Talk
off day
Minnesota 25-25 3.0 games back

• The Twins had yesterday off before they play another 21 games in 21 days starting tonight in Kansas City. The Twins begin a 3 game series with Royals tonight with gametime at 7:10 with Nick Blackburn getting the start for the Twins vs Brian Bannister for the Royals.

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 7 Charlotte 6 10 innnings

Rochester 20-32 12.0 games back

• POG: Garrett Jones- Everytime you are ready to give up on Garrett and send him packing he has a game like that which makes him such a tease. Garrett has alot of talent he just doesn't show it on a consistant basis, but when he is on he is a solid AAA player. For example last night he went 3-5 with his 4th homerun of the year along with 2 rbi's and a run scored. With the 3 hits it raises his average back over the mendoza line at .202 on the season. With the 2 rbi's it brings hit season total up to 18. He is a very hard person to figure out because he can look terrible for a week adn then have a couple games like this to keep his job. The Twins are waiting for him to put it together more consistantly, but i dont think its going to happen and I dont think he will make the year as a member of the Red Wings. My view is when they are ready to bring up some of the AA guys Jones will get his release and reach his potential with another team.
• Francisco Liriano made a start for the Red Wings and it didn't go so well. Liriano gave up 6 runs on 6 hits in 6.2 innings along with a walk and 4 strikeouts. With the 6 runs it raised his era to 4.61 on the season. The question is this a step back for Liriano as he tries to come back from Tommy John surgery? My gut feeling is no it is not and im not being a homer by saying that, granted im a big Liriano fan, but i think he made one mistake and it made his start look worse than it really was. The thing about Liriano is he was throwing 43% sliders when he was dominant in '06 when he hurt his arm. So going into spring training this year they wanted to limit how many sliders threw so he was throwing alot of changeups when he got his callup, but he couldn't place the fastball. So they sent him down and he found his fastball, but i think he is getting too dependent on his fastball right now. Thats the reason he is getting hit a lil more and not as many strikeouts. I don't know if he can't feel his slider yet or if it hurts when he throws it, but until he finds that slider he will only be a average pitcher. I think he will find it eventually and I was wrong they shouldn't bring him up now they should wait till he finds his slider. Im glad he found his control, but thats only half the battle because even minor league hitters can hit a 91 mile per hour fastball thats why he needs that good slider to get them out. My gut feeling is he will be up by the all star break and be a very good pitcher for the Twins.
• After struggling quite a bit of late the Red Wings bullpen really came up big. Mariano Gomez and Tim Lahey pitched 3.1 perfect innings with no walks and 4 strikeouts. Those are probably are 2 best relievers for Rochester and if you can get them the ball with a lead late in the game they are going to win pretty much every time.
• Tonight, the Red Wings continue their series with Charlotte in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05pm with Philip Humber getting the start as he tries to rebound from an awful start his last time out.

New Britain Business

Portland 15 New Britain 11

New Britain 24-26 9.5 games back

• POG: Erik Lis- Erik had an outstanding game for the Rockcats in a tough loss again to Portland. Erik went 2-3 with his 4th homerun of the year along with 3 rbi's, 3 walks, and a run scored. With the 2 hits it brings Erik's average up to .293 on the season. With the 3 rbi's it brings his season total up to 20. I am a really big believer in Erik he has Power and discipline in the batters box. The only problem with him is defensively he has work to do so if he is going to make it probably it will be as a DH for the Twins. Do i think he has that kind of ceiling, actually i do he does alot of things very well and I think his power will continue to develop because he is only 24 years old and his power will continue to develop. I think Erik is a good propect and if he can work on his plate disipline he has a chance to make it with the Twins.
• Errol Simonitsch got really rocked yesterday in his 3rd start of the year. Errol went 4.1 innings and gave up 10 runs on 11 hits along with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts with 2 homeruns. With the 10 runs he gave up it brings his ERA up almost 4 runs to now a very high 10.67 on the season. Was it a bad start yes it was, but it was only 1 start and you can't base things off of one bad start. He was decent in his first 2 and should be given a little more time to show what hes got before they make a change. He should keep in mind though that Jeff Manship and Tyler Robertson are breathing down his neck and if he has another start or 2 like this there won't be much future for him with the Twins based on results and the fact that he is 26 years old and only in AA and the fact there are a line of guys getting ready to pass him so get it going Errol or you will be looking for work.
• The Rockcats offense came out of a little slump to put out 11 runs on 15 hits led by Steve Tolleson, Trevor Plouffe, and Erik Lis who all had 2 hits apiece. Even though they lost the game the Rockcats should look at it as somewhat of a positive that they were able to hit good Portland pitching that well and that bodes well as they move forward.
• Tonight, the Rockcats begin a series with Connecticut at New Britain. Gametime is at 5:35pm with Oswaldo Sosa getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

off Day

Fort Myers 32-18 First Place

• The Miracle had yesterday off as they are set to begin a 3 game series with Sarasota in Fort Myers. Gametime is at 6:05 with Cole Devries getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Burlington 12 Beloit 8

Beloit 28-23 9.0 games back

• POG: Jair Fernandez- Jair Fernandez has really been a surprise for the Snappers after they acquired him in a trade this spring when the Twins allowed the Mariners to keep pitcher R.A. Dickey in the Rule V draft. I was not expecting much out of him, but he has easily exceeded my expectations for him. Yesterday, Jair went 3-5 with 2 runs scored to raise his average to a very good .341 on the season. Jair needs to work on his defense but he is very good offensively and he is only 22 years old which is good for his level. If he can become more consistant defensively I think he can develop into possibly a backup catcher with the Twins in a few years.
• Brian Kirwan did not have a very good start yesterday which surprised me since he had been so good so far this year. Yesterday, he went only 4 innings and gave up 7 runs on 8 hits with 6 of the runs earned to raise his era to 5.13 on the season. I think it was an anomaly and he will rebound his next start and give the Snappers what they had been expecting out of him which is 6 innings and 2 or 3 runs.
• Ben Revere rebounded from his only hitless game of the year with another ho hum 2-5 day with a double, an rbi and his 15th stolen base of the year. With the 2 hits his average stays at .405 on the season. It just amazes me how consistant he is still hitting over 400 with 116 at bats so its not even a hot streak its being consistant day in and day out and thats all the Twins want out of him. I disagree with people that say Joe Benson is as talented as Ben becuase i look at Ben as a special player who will be starting for the Twins in a few years and i look at Benson as an underacheiver who will probably never reach his potential. I will always take the sure thing over the maybe any day of the week. Even if Benson did reach his potential i would still take Revere becasue i look for him to win batting titles in the big leagues and steal many bases. The only thing really he needs to work on is his defense and I think that will come with more playing time.
• The Snappers have today off before they begin a series with First Place Clinton tommorrow night in Clinton.

Monday, May 26th

Twins Talk
Minnesota 6 Detroit 1
Minnesota 25-25 2.5 games back

• POG: Glen Perkins- This was a tough choice to pick between Perkins and Jason Kubel, but i think its a bigger story how well Perkins is pitching. I really did not see this coming from Perk because everything i was hearing from Rochester was he couldn't find the plate and when he did he was getting hit pretty hard thats why i wasn't expecting this. I am glad to admit that i was wrong about Glen because he is pitching as good as anybody in the major leagues and its a pleasure to watch him pitch. Yesterday, he went 7.2 innings and only gave up 1 run on 7 hits along with 2 walks and 4 strike outs. With the 1 run allowed it lowered him Starter low ERA to 2.77 in 5 starts. Right now he is the best starting pitcher the Twins have and im surprised but very pleasantly surprised. He always had good stuff with a fastball at 93-94 with a good curveball and a decent changeup he always had talent just couldnt put it together. Since he came up he has been a different pitcher getting ahead to almost every batter and when he gets ahead he is filthy because you have to look for that curveball and just when you do that he sneaks that fastball by you. If Glen Perkins can continue to get ahead in the count and not fall behind hitters he will win alot of games and will be in the Twins rotation for many years.
• Jason Kubel had a huge hit yesterday going deep for a grand slam, his 6th homerun of the season, to break a 1-1 8th inning tie. I don't think you can understate how big of a hit that was for the psyche of a young team. When you have as many young players as the Twins have it was huge to get a win yesterday after the debacle on Saturday. With the bases loaded and 1 out Michael Cuddyer struck out and if Kubel had not gotten a hit and the Twins had lost who knows where they go from here. But Kubel probably got the biggest hit of the season so far for the team. Jason has been a key member of the Twins this year with 6 hr and 25 rbi's and if it was up to me i would play him against lefty's too.
• Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla are so exciting to watch out there. They make their fair share of mistakes, like bunting with 2 strikes, but they make things happen. Case in point in the 9th inning with 2 outs Gomez got a rare walk, then he stole second and scored on a Casilla base hit to get an important insurance run. Those 2 will make mistakes but the good far outweighs the bad.
• The Twins have today off before they begin a series against the Kansas City Royal in Kansas City tommorrow night.

Rochester Wrap

Pawtucket 11 Rochester 1

Rochester 19-32 13.0 games back

• POG: Chris Basak- There was hardly anything to feel good about in a day when they were only able to muster 4 hits against a very good Pawtucket team. Clay Buchholz was making a rehab start for Pawtucket so you knew hits would be at a premium and they definatly were. The best one was probably Chris Basak who went 1-3 driving in the only run for the Red Wings. With the 1 hit it brings Chris' average up to .239 on the season and his rbi total up to 9. Chris has really struggled this year and will see his playing time diminish even more with either Howie Clark or Matt Macri coming back to the Red Wings. The thing i like about Chris is his versatility though thats why he gets in the lineup just about every day because he can play anywhere.
• Brian Duensing had one of his few bad starts and when he gets hit he gets hit. In 4.2 innings he gave up 8 runs on 9 hits along with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts and 2 homeruns allowed. With the 8 runs allowed his ERA jumped by over a run to 4.50 on the season. I dont think you can put too much into this start everybody has them every once in a while. If he consistantly got hit it would be one thing but Brian has been the most consistant pitcher on the Rochester staff and he is allowed a mulligan every once in a while we should give him a break on this one. However, it is something to keep an eye on to see if he can rebound his next start in which i am pretty confident he will because he is a very good pitcher.
• Julio Depaula got drilled again raising his ERA to 5.20 on the season. Will someone please explain to me why he is still in the Twins organization. He either walks everybody and when he throws it over the plate he gets drilled. If you ask me the best course of action with Julio Depaula is to just flat out release him.
• Today, the Red Wings host Charlotte in the Memorial Day game. Gametime is at 3:05 with Francisco Liriano getting the start for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

New Britain 6 Portland 3

New Britain 24-25 8.5 games back

• POG: Luke Hughes- Luke came off the disabled list a week ago and was rusty which was to be expected given he was out about 2 weeks. Yesterday, may be the return to form for Luke as he went 3-4 with a walk and 3 rbi's along with 2 runs scored. With the 3 hits it raises Luke's average back up to .356 on the season. With the 3 rbi's it brings his total up to 25 on the season. Luke seems to have his swing back and that is good for the Rock Cats because when they won 8 games in a row earlier this season they were led by his bat along with others. I still think he is ready for a promotion to AAA I think the Twins made a mistake when they promoted Felix Molina to AAA and not Hughes. What that tells me is they are waiting for Hughes' bat to heat up and then they will bring him up. Molina i don't see being with Rochester very long because when they feel Luke is ready he will be coming up and Molina will return to the Rock Cats.
• Another Phenomenal start by Jay Rainville yesterday as he went 6 shutout innings and only gave up 2 hits along with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts to lower his era to 6.61. Jay is on fire as of late after this start he has a 13 inning scoreless streak going as he will try to extend it his next start. How has he done it? In my opinion its pretty simple better control of the fastball. He is hitting his spots so much better and like i have said before when any pitcher hits his spots he is tough to hit. I look for Jay to continue to get better and better as the season goes on and it will be interesting to see how long his scoreless innings streak can last because he has really good stuff who was underperforming and now is showing why so many people were so high on him.
• News Flash Zach Ward gave up a run. I know you are shocked by that but a homerun in the 8th inning was all it took to end his recent trend of scoreless innings. Zach has now only given up 2 runs in 32 innings still very good and it looks like he has found his niche as a reliever and I think there is a future for him as a setup man possibly with the Twins if he keeps pitching like this.
• Today, the Rockcats finish off their series with Portland in New Britain. Gametime is at 12:00 with Oswaldo Sosa getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 10 Palm Beach 2

Fort Myers 32-18 First Place

• POG: Tyler Robertson- Tyler continued his strong pitching of late by notching his second consecutive really good start. Tyler went 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 3 hits along with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. With the 2 runs his ERA still sits at 3.04 on the season. Tyler has really turned the corner as of late based on his last 2 starts he has only given up 2 runs in his last 13 innings along with 5 walks and 8 strikeouts. Im starting to think that maybe Tyler might be ready to take the jump up to AA. He is dominating good lineups in the FSL and i think he might be ready. I would not have a problem if they kept him in Fort Myers for a while longer but if he continues to pitch the way he has lately his days in the FSL are certainly numbered.
• Wilson Ramos continues to show power that i didnt realize that he had as he connected with his 7th homerun of the year a grandslam that put the Miracle on their way. I really was not very high on Ramos as my player rankings would attest too, but maybe i was wrong about him. I don't see him as a catcher for the Twins with Joe Mauer around, but i could see him making it with the Twins as a backup Catcher/DH type if he continues to hit with this kind of power. It will be interesting to see if he can become a better hitter because power does you no good if your only hitting .220. He is definatly someone that all Twins fans should keep their eye on to see how he will do.
• Danny Valencia had another outstanding game for the Miracle going 2-3 with 2 more Rbi's. With those Rbi's it brings his team leading total up to 41 rbi's on the season along with his .344 average. Is there any doubt that Danny is ready for the step up to AA to see how he can do against better competition. I think he is more ready than Tyler Robertson and if you want to see continue to improve you need to put him up against better competition.
• Today, the Miracle are off before they begin a series with Sarasota in Fort Myers. That series begins Tommorrow night.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 4 Burlington 3

Beloit 28-22 8.0 games back 5 game winning streak

• POG: Joe Benson- Joe had another outstanding game going 2-4 with his third homerun of the year along with 2 rbis and a run scored. Seems ever since Ben Revere got onto the scene players like Benson and Ozzie Lewis have played with a chip on their shoulders because they dont want to get passed up. Joe is a 5 tool player who has not played like one this season and was in danger of getting passed up. He still might but he is playing alot better now than he was earlier in the year. I look for Revere to get promoted to Fort Myers soon and for Joe to take over center again and hopefully he can show that he can be as good as his potential says he can be. Joe has just as much potential as Revere does he just hasn't lived up to it yet and if he could ever get there he would be an outstanding outfielder either for the Twins or someone else.
• The Snappers recent trend of great starting pitching continued as Dan Berlind had another awesome start. Dan went 7 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 5 hits along with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. With the 2 runs it brings Dan's ERA down to 3.77 on the season. Dan has really come on as of late and the starting pitching has been contagious as the Snappers have played much better as of late and will stay in contention all year if they continue to pitch like this.
• Ozzie Lewis continues to raise his average day by day as he went 2-5 with a double and an rbi single in the 11th inning that sent the Beloit fans home happy. With the 2 hits it raises Ozzie's average to still crappy .173 on the season. However, if you look at how bad it was you can see life out of him and I look for his average to continue to go up and up as he gets more comfortable and gets more playing time.
• Today, the Snappers finish off their series with Burlington in Beloit. Gametime is at 1:00 with Brian Kirwan getting the start for the Snappers as they try to extend their winning streak to 6 games.

Sunday, May 25th

Twins Talk
Detroit 19 Minnesota 3
Minnesota 24-25 2.5 games back

• POG: Matt Macri- In an awful performance by the Twins the only one that stood out for anything good was Matt Macri who was making his major league debut. Matt went 2-3 with a walk and a rbi along with a stolen base. Matt really stood out for the Twins in a game that got out of hand in a hurry. I look for him to stay with the Twins even after Nick Punto comes back on Tuesday and will platoon with Mike Lamb playing against left handed pitching as long as he continues to hit.
• If i had to pick a word to use to describe Boof Bonser last night it would be Dreadful and even that doesn't seem like a strong enough word to describe how bad he pitched last night. He went 3+ innings and gave up 9 runs on 7 hits along with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. With the 9 runs his era went up to a huge 6.16 on the season. In the Month of May he is 0-2 witha 9.56 era. The question has to asked what do you do with him becuase it is definatly not working for us with him in the starting rotatiion. I think there are a couple options first, try sending him to the minors, but he is out of options and some team would for sure claim him so I dont think that is very smart thing to do. Second, is send him to the bullpen to work on things . I think thats the best choice because when he is right he is a decent pitcher and the bullpen needs some help. The only problem with that is they don't have another pitcher to take his place. Scott Baker is currently in Florida rehabbing and they think he is a week to a week and a half away from being ready so we will be forced to watch another trainwreck on Friday night against the Yankees. My advice is make alternate plans for after the game gets out of hand.
• Alexi Casilla continued his recent power surge by tying the game at 2 in the 3rd inning with his second homerun of the year. With the 2 rbis it brings his total up to 9 on the season. He has been much better than i thought he would be and if he can play good defense we might of found our second basemen of the present and future.
• Today, the Twins finish off their 3 game series with the Tigers in Detroit. Gametime is at 12:05 with Glen Perkins getting the start for the Twins vs Justin Verlander of the Tigers.

Rochester Wrap

Pawtucket 9 Rochester 1

Rochester 19-31 13.0 games back

• POG: Kevin Mulvey- Kevin had his best start in quite a while last night for the Red Wings. The final score may be a little deceiving on how well he actually pitched and that was very well. Kevin went the first 5 innings and gave up only a run on 6 hits along with 2 walks and also 2 strikeouts. I don't knwo the reason he was taken out after 5 innings because he only threw 81 pitches. However, it was much better than how he was pitching and if he can keep this up he will have a successful year and possibly a September callup by the Twins organization. With the 5 good innings he lowered his era to a respectable 4.10 on the season.
• The real problem was that Rochester bullpen look at these numbers. They went 3 innings and gave up 8 runs on 6 hits along with 7 walks and 2 strikeouts. The main culprit was Julio Depaula who got 1 out and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits with 2 walks and a strikeout to bring his ERA up to 4.44 on the season. Games like that are the reason Depaula will never be with the Twins because he is so inconsistant and walks too many batters and those are things that are not cool with the Twins.
• The only real brightspot was Darnell Mcdonald who is coming back from a hamstring injury and slowly, but surely is getting back his hitting stroke. He went 2-4 to bring his average back up to .326 on the season. If the Red Wings are able to be respectable it will be because of Mcdonald one of only a few good players that are there and someone who can make a difference offensively.
• Today the Red Wings finish off their series with Pawtuckett in Pawtuckett. Gametime is at 5:05 with Brian Duensing getting the ball for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

Portland 4 New Britain 1

New Britain 23-25 8.5 games back

• POG: Anthony Swarzak- In a game the offense was only able to muster 2 hits against the other pitcher Anthony kept the team in the game until he tired late in the game. Alot of people will look at the 4 runs allowed and say it was a bad start but i thought he really showed some improvement. He went 6 innings and only gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 of those runs came in the 6th when he was running out of gas. With the 4 runs it raises his era to 4.29 for the season. Im sure you can look at the negatives but the way i look at it going into the 6th inning he only gave up 1 run on 2 hits against a good Portland team so I take it as a good start.
• There is not alot of good things offensively as they were only able to push across 2 hits against very good Portland pitching. The two guys with hits were Dustin Martin and Toby Gardenhire. Steve Tolleson scored the only run that the Rock Cats were able to push across.
• The Rock Cats have really struggled losing 3 in a row to drop a season high 2 games under 500. They are not playing well as a team right now it seems like when they pitch good they cant hit and when they hit the pitching does not go good. They need to figure some things out if they are going to make a run and there is too much talent on this team for them to play this bad.
• Today, the Rockcats finish their series with Portland in Portland. Gametime is at 12:00 with Jay Rainville getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Palm Beach 6 Fort Myers 3

Fort Myers 31-18 First Place

• POG: Juan Portes- Juan had a very good at the plate in a losing cause for the Miracle. Juan went 2-4 with a run scored to pace the Miracle's attack. With the 2 hits it bring's Juans average up to .275 on the season. Juan has really been one of the pleasant surprises for the Miracle and a big reason that they find themselves in first place. He doesn't have much power but he is a very good singles hitter who finds a way to get on base and score runs.
• Alex Burnett was good again last night. He went the first 7 innings and only gave up 3 runs on 5 hits along with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. With the outing it brings his ERA up to 3.27 on the season. Alex is really underated if you ask me and does not get the credit he deserves because he has been the most consistant pitcher on the Miracle starting staff. He reminds me of a young Pedro Martinez in that he is short in stature but finds a way to get hitters out. Im sure Alex would take the kind of career Pedro was able to put together and he is definatly worth watching.
• Jose Lugo had a rough outing last night going 2 innings and giving up 3 runs on 4 hits along with 2 walks and a strikeout. With the outing it brings Jose's era up to 6.00 on the season. He was doing a good job of late and then he had an outing like that im sure it was a little disconcerting for the Miracle coaching staff.
• Today, the Miracle conclude their series with Palm Beach in Fort Myers as they go for the series split. Gametime is at 12:05 with Tyler Robertson getting the start for the Miracle as he tries to build off his awesome last start.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 8 Burlington 0 7 innings

Beloit 3 Burlington 1 7 innings

Beloit 27-22 8.0 games back

• POD: Ben Revere- Ben's amazing start to his career continued in a doubleheader by going an amazing 5-8 in the 2 games. He added a double and a triple along with 3 runs scored and 2 stolen Bases. With the 5 hits it brought his season average to a crazy .425. People say its easy to hit that way when you dont have very many at bats but Ben has over 100 at bats so its a good sample size. In his last 10 games Ben is hitting 20-43 a .465 average with a homerun 6 rbi's, 5 stolen bases and 8 runs scored. He fills the box score up like nobody i have ever seen I would love to watch him play live im sure he's alot of fun to watch. I was always a proponent of having him stay at Beloit all year becuase look at the difference he has made with the team. They were really struggling before he came and now they are hitting their stride and winning almost every night and are in 3rd bearing down Kane's neck and waiting for Clinton to slip up. However, if he hits like this for another month you almost have to move him up to Fort Myers because you want to protect these kids but at the same time you dont want to limit them and thats what you would be doing by keeping him in Beloit if he continues to dominate and when hes ready for a new challege.
• The Snappers got a couple good pitching performances by Michael Tarsi and Mike Mccardell. Tarsi's start stood out as he went 6 shutout innings and only gave up 2 hits while striking out 8 batters in his best start of the season. Mccardell hadn't made a start in a month so he was only able to go 3.2 innings but he only gave up 1 run on 1 hit along with a walk and 5 strikeouts. The biggest difference in the Snappers since they started winning has been their starting pitching. Tarsi if he can build off of this will make it so much better becuase he has the best stuff out of anybody on the Snappers staff and if he can keep it up the Snappers should continue to rise.
• The Snappers have been playing some really good ball as of late winning 4 games in a row to get within 8 games of first place. I remember early in the season they were really struggling and people were getting hurt people were predicting a last place finish. If Deibinson Romero can come back and hit like we know he can the Snappers will keep putting pressure on Clinton and might get a chance to defend their Midwest League title.
• Today, the Snappers continue their series with Burlington in Beloit. Gametime is at 1:00 with Daniel Berlind getting the start for the Snappers as they try to extend their winning streak to 5 games.

Saturday, May 24th

Twins Talk
Minnesota 9 Detroit 4
Minnesota 24-24 2.5 games back

• POG: Mike Lamb- Mike came out of a season long slump by going 2-3 with his first homerun of the season along with a triple and a rbi and 4 runs scored. With the 2 hits it raises Mike's average to still a bad .232 on the season. With the Rbi it brought his total up to 20 on the season. Mike really needs to step it up and he is very capable based on what he did in Houston and with me living in Texas i saw alot of Astros games on Tv last year and he was way better than this so i still have confidence that he will get it going and be the hitter that we were expecting when we signed him. He is too good of a hitter to hit like this and it seemed like when he hit that homerun last night he just relaxed and you could tell when he got back to the dugout he exhaled and all the pressure came off and now he can just relax and hit. Honestly, I have been pleasantly surprised with his defense at 3rd it hasn't been gold glove quality but it has been definatly decent. I look for Mike to really take off now and put up the type of numbers we are expecting out of him.
• Kevin Slowey pitched a pretty good game last night going 6 shutout innings and only giving up 4 hits along with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. With the 6 shutout innings he picked up his first win of the season and lowered his era to a decent 4.21 on the season. For what his ERA was after that first start before he got hurt he has pitched very good since to get it down in the 4's and hopefully he can keep it going. My only problem with Kevin is he nibbles to much so his pitch count is elevated and he tires in the 6th inning. For example last night he cruised through 5 and then they started hitting him in the 6th. He gave up 2 hits in the 6th and everything was hit hard. The reason is his pitch count was up because of his nibbling earlier in the game. If he can just show the same aggressiveness late in the count as he does early in the count he would lower his pitch count and be able to pitch in the 7th and 8th innings. Until he does that it will put alot of pressure on our bullpen a bullpen that has really struggled this season.
• Justin Mourneau continued his hot start to the season by going 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 run batted in. With the 2 hits it brought his average up to a very good .306. With theh 2 rbis it brought his total up to 39 on the season which ranks him 3rd in the American League. I had someone say that Justin is not clutch and i totally disagree I think he is totally clutch. This is baseball you are not going to do it everytime but i have alot of confidence that when there are runners on base Justin is going to find a way to ge them into score.
• Tonight, the Twins take on the Tigers in game 2 of their 3 game series in Detroit. Gametime is at 6:05 with Boof Bonser having a huge start as he tries to stay in the rotation. Nate Robertson gets the start for the Tigers.

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 6 Pawtucket 4

Rochester 19-30 13.0 games back

• POG: Danny Graves- Danny continues to impress out of the Rotation showing a veteran guile to get hitters out that pitchers like Philip Humber need to take heed of. It doesn't matter how hard you throw the key is being able to get the hitters out. Danny went 6 innings, his longest outing of the season, and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits along with 2 bases on balls. I just love the way Danny pitches his fastball has good movement on it and has rediscovered his good slider. If Danny keeps pitching like he is and if the Twins bullpen continues to struggle it wont be long until Danny gets a well deserved callup to the big club and i really think he can help them.
• Sergio Santos had his finest day as a member of the Red Wings by going 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. With the 2 hits it raised Sergio's average to a still bad but getting better every day .202 on the season. He is hitting .258 wiht the Red Wings a big improvement from what he was doing with Toronto which led to his release from the Blue Jays organization. I see alot of talent in him and if he keeps working on his game he could be a decent shortstop. He was a first round pick so you know there is talent and maybe a bad Red Wings team is a perfect way for his game to come together lets hope so.
• I was going to write an article on this but decided to use the time here to write about it. The Twins organizationo have really screwed up Rochester. They take all their best players and dont replenish the players with other players of equal value. Rochester signed a 2 year extension with the Twins so they have no bargaining power with the Twins. They have lost Howie Clark, the team leader, Matt Macri, Alexi Casilla, Denard Span, Kevin Slowey. Who have they gave them Danny Graves, Sergio Santos and Felix Molina. Nothing against those players but they are not players up to that par. I would like to have seen Trevor Plouffe, Luke Hughes, Erik Lis and Anthony Swarzak getting the call instead to see how they would do. All i know is the Rochester coaching staff does not have much of a chance to win consistantly with those players. Pretty much all of them are journeymen who will never make it to the Bigs and all have something they dont do will. All i know is its going to be a long season in Rochester and i hope eventually the Twins wise up and give them something to work with.
• Tonight, the Redwings continue their series with Pawtucket in Pawtucket. Gametime is at 5:05 with Kevin Mulvey getting the start for the Red Wings trying to rebound after a few bad starts.

New Britain Business

Portland 7 New Britain 6

New Britain 23-24 7.5 gams back

• POG: Matt Moses- In a game that the Rock Cats only managed to get 6 hits in the game Matt was 1-3 with a walk along with his 3rd homerun of the season. He walked once drove in a run and scored 2 runs With the 1 hit it brought Matt's average up to .253 on the season. With his rbi it brought his total to 19 on the season. Matt is a key to the Rock Cats offense along with David Winfree and when they hit the Rock Cats have a chance to win and when they dont they almost always lose so it is key for Matt to swing the bat well something that he really has not done on a consistant basis this year. I do think he can get better and better and the Rock Cats are counting on him being the force in the middle of the lineup that will drive in runs and be a consistant tough out.
• Ryan Mullins should of stayed home last night. He went 4 innings and gave up 6 runs on 7 hits along with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. The thing that really hurt Ryan is Portland connected for 4 homeruns off of him which took out any chance for the Rock Cats to get the win. Ryan has been the most consistant pitcher for the Rock Cats all season and every pitcher has a day where nothing works and they are smashing everything you are throwing up there. Im sure he wishes he could go out today and get that bad taste out of his mouth and not have to wait 5 days. With the rough outing it brought Ryan's ERA to 3.81 on the season. I really believe next time out Ryan will put this start behind him and show exactly what kind of pitcher he is and throw good innings.
• I can't get over how well Zach Ward continues to pitch out of the Pen. In 30 innings this year he has only given up 1 earned run for a ERA of 0.30 on the season. I would like to see him get the promotion to AAA to see if he has a future in the bullpen and if he can a chance with the Twins next season or if he is just hot right now.
• Today, the Rock Cats continue their series with Portland in Portland. Gametime is at 12:00 with Anthony Swarzak getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 5 Palm Beach 3

Fort Myers 31-17 First Place

• POG: Danny Valencia- Danny continues his hot string by going 3-3 with an rbi and a run scored. With the 3 hits it brings Danny's average up to a team high .346 on the season. With the rbi it brings his team high to 39 on the season. He has been especially hot in his last 10 games by going 21-38 a ridiculous .553 average with 2 homeruns and 12 rbi's along with 6 doubles and 2 triples. Danny is dominating the FSL so much that you almost have to promote him to AA to see what he can do. I think he definatly is the future 3rd basemen for the Twins and a new level of competiton is what Danny needs to see where he is at. I look for him to dominate that league too and look for him to be playing 3rd base for the Twins when the new ballpark opens in the 2010 season.
• I dont know how to describe the start for Deolis Guerra yesterday. On one hand he only gave up 2 runs on 2 hits in 5 innings, but he also walked 7 batters which is awful and thats why he only lasted 5 innings. With the 2 runs it lowered Deolis' ERA to 4.56 on the season. We just have to hope his wildness was just an abberation because his stuff is too good for him to be walking 7 in a game adn i really believe he will get that walk thing under control after this start. Other than the Walks he was very good holding a good Palm Beach lineup to only 2 hits in 5 innings so its hard for me to be too hard on him because they really didn't hit him very hard and if he can get the walk thing under control he will be fine.
• The Combo of Slama and Delaney continued to impress going the last 2 innings and only gave up 1 hit and 1 unearned run in relief. Between the 2 of them they have went 51 innings and only given up 5 earned runs. They have walked 12 batters and struck out 71 batters. I think they both have a future with the Twins and it maybe time to move 1 of them up to see how they can do against better competion.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Palm Beach in Fort Myers. Gametime is at 6:05 with Alex Burnett getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 7 Burlington 4

Beloit 25-22 8.5 games back

• POG: Ben Revere- Big surprise Ben had another ho hum game going 2-4 with his first homerun of the year along with 2 runs scored. With his 2 hits he raised his average up to .408 on the year. It is no fluke either because he has 98 at bats so pitchers have had a chance to make adjustments against him and he is still hitting like this. It amazes me how well he has come on this year coming in midseason to help the Snappers get into contention in the Midwest league. I think it would be an injustice to him to move him up to fast I would let him dominate at Beloit this year and next year move him up to Fort Myers to see how he does and that allows him to keep his confidence up. I seriously did not see this coming i thought he would be a good player but i didnt think he would dominate so early in his career and it will only be a few years until he is patrolling the outfield for the Twins. Can the imagine the outfield speed out of Revere and Carlos Gomez wow.
• David Bromberg had an ok outing not great and not bad. He went 5.2 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits along with 5 strikeouts without a walk. David has really come on lately to lower his era to a respectable 4.70 on the season. That probably seems high but how he was pitching earlier in the season i will take it. David is a very talented pitcher and when he can get his slider over the plate he is downright dominent. I look for him to stay in the rotation and keep getting better as the year goes along.
• The surprise of the team has to be Ozzie Lewis who went 2-4 with his 3rd homerun of the season along with 2 rbi's and a run scored. Since he came off the DL he has hit 5-15 a .333 average much better than his average before. Slowly but surely Ozzie is getting his average up after the disaster begging of the season. His average now sits at .137 and goes up every day and i think he will be just fine.
• Tonight, the Snappers continue their series with Burlington in Beloit. Gametime is at 5:00 with Michael Tarsi getting the start for the Snappers as they try to continue their strong play of late.

2011 Minnesota Twins

Here is a fun look who I think will make up the 2011 Minnesota Twins see if anybody agrees or disagrees.

C- Joe Mauer
1b Justin Mourneau
2b Alexi Casilla
SS Trevor Plouffe
3b Danny Valencia
Lf Ben Revere
Cf Carlos Gomez
Rf Delmon Young
DH Jason Kubel


1. Carlos Gomez
2. Ben Revere
3. Joe Mauer
4. Justin Mourneau
5. Delmon Young
6. Jason Kubel
7. Danny Valencia
8. Trevor Plouffe
9. Alexi Casilla

Reserves
Jose Morales C
Denard Span OF
Matt Tolbert IN
Luke Hughes IN

Pitching
1. Francisco Liriano
2. Deolis Guerra
3. Tyler Robertson
4. Anthony Swarzak
5. Kevin Mulvey

Bullpen
LP Glen Perkins
RP Pat Neshek
CL Joe Nathan
RP Anthony Slama
RP Jesse Crain
RP Robert Delaney
RP Philip Humber

everyone let me know what you think

2011 Minnesota Twins

Thursday, May 22nd

This is my big 40 game Twins prospect top 50 list that i have been working on for quite a while so i hope you all enjoy. I plan on having one every 40 games or so lets see how it changes.

1) Tyler Robertson P
2) Deolis Guerra P
3) Kevin Mulvey P
4) Ben Revere CF
5) Anthony Swarzak P
6) Danny Valencia 3b
7) Jeff Manship P
8) Luke Hughes 3b
9) Trevor Plouffe SS
10) Denard Span CF
11) Brian Duensing P
12) Deibinson Romero 3b
13) Ryan Mullins P
14) Alex Burnett P
15) Brian Dinkelman 2b
16) Wilson Ramos
17) Philip Humber
18) Rene Tosoni
19) Erik Lis
20) Anthony Slama
21) David Bromberg
22) Cole Devries
23) Brock Peterson
24) Steve Tolleson
25) Joe Benson
26) Zach Ward
27) Dustin Martin
28) Jose Morales
29) Johnny Woodard
30) Steve Singelton
31) Chris Parmalee
32) Oswaldo Sosa
33) Mike Mccardell
34) Drew Butera
35)Yohan Pino
36) Yancarlos Ortiz
37) Jay Rainville
38) Eddie Ovalle
39) David Winfree
40) Juan Portes
41) Michael Tarsi
42) Robert Delaney
43) Brandon Roberts
44) Matt Moses
45) Brian Kirwan
46) Tim Lahey
47) Jair Fernandez
48) Danny Lehman
49) Dan Berlind
50) Garrett Olson

thats my top 50 let me know what you think

Tuesday, May 20th

Twins Talk
Minnesota 7 Texas 6 12 innings
Minnesota 22-22 1.5 games back

• POG: Bobby Korecky- In one of the crazier games you are ever going to see on a baseball field a reliever gets player of the game honors. Something that probably won't happen ever again, but did Bobby earn the honor. Bobby came into a bases loaded 1 out jam in the 11th and got out of it with a pop up and a strikeout. Then he came up to bat because Brenden Harris, who began the game as the DH, had to come in a play defense so they lost the DH and he got a hit unbelievably. Then he pitched a scoreless 12th to pick up his first major league win along with his first major league hit. Bobby Korecky is a guy that is not going to overpower you, but just knows how to get people out and has done it for a long time. He was the closer for Rochester for a good amount of time before getting his chance with the Twins. The Twins haven't used him a whole lot so far, but hopefully this is something that will gain their confidence to use him in more clutch roles becuase i believe he can do it given a chance.
• Another unlikely hero was Howie Clark who entered the game in the 10th inning as a defensive replacement. He came up with Carlos Gomez on 2nd with 1 out in the 12th with the pitcher hitting next so he knew he would get a good pitch to hit and took advantage of it. He belted a line drive over the center fielder's head to send all the fans at the Dome home happy. I know i have been critical of Howie Clark being in the Mitchell report, but it took alot of guts by him to keep playing in the minor leagues and to show that type of determination is a credit to him as a person so good for him.
• Last night was one of the craziest games i have watched in a long time, but i think Gardy should be questioned a bit for using everyone up so the pitcher had to hit. It worked out good but lets say if clark flies out and then the pitcher would of had to hit and he got out and we lost the game gardy would be getting murdered, but it didn't happen so like the old saying goes alls well that ends well so a great win by the Twins to get back within a game and a half of first place Chicago.
• Tonight, the Twins take on the Rangers in game 2 of their 4 game series at the dome. Gametime is at 7:10 with Glen Perkins getting the start for the Twins.

Rochester Wrap

gm 1 Syracuse 5 Rochester 0

gm 2 Rochester 7 Syracuse 6 8 innings

Rochester 18-28 12.0 games back

• POD: Matt Macri- Matt Macri who came off the disabled list last weekend came out hot as he went 3-8 over the 2 games which is a .375 average. He had a double along with 2 additional singles to pace the Red Wings attack. With the 3 hits it brought Matt's average up to .255 on the season. Matt has had his up and downs this season for the Red Wings and just when it looked like he was getting his swing down he pulled his groin and was out about 3 weeks. Now that he is back slowly but surely he is getting the feel at the plate again and i think he will be a big member of the Red Wings lineup as they try to rebound from an awful start. Do i think he will make it to the majors probably not but he is a good solid Minor League player.
• Randy Ruiz finally showed a little power at the plate in the second game yesterday as he belted his 3rd homerun of the year, a 3 run shot, that helped the Red Wings get a win in the 2nd game. Randy had a very good spring and there were some people that thought he should of made the Twins, but he went to Rochester and has really struggled. I dont know if it is a hangover from not making the team or what but he needs to put it together because there are guys below him ready to take his spot so hopefully he can get it done offensively and help the Red Wings win some games.
• Jose Morales has really come on at the plate as of late. Early in the season he was hitting a meager .218 and after a good streak he has his average up to .290 on the season. Look at the last 10 games to show how well he has hit he has gone 15-33 a .455 average to bring his batting average up to .290.
• Today, the Red Wings take on Syracuse in the final game of the series. Gametime is at 10am with Francisco Liriano getting the start for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

New Britain 5 Harrisburg 1

New Britain 22-21 5.5 games back

• POG: Jay Rainville- Jay had one of the best outing of his career last night. Jay went 7 innings and only gave up an unearned run along with 3 hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out 8 to get his 3rd win of the year. With the no earned runs it lowered Jay's ERA to a still high but better 7.53 on the season. This was the kind of start the Twins have been waiting to see out of Jay it just reinforces how talented this kid is and that they are right to be patient with him. He is a tease he will be very good and then be average for a few starts and then bam he will be awesome. My hope is that he can build off of this game and come out next time and do it again because he has proved that he is sure capable of being a very good pitcher.
• Trevor Plouffe had another good game as he continues his hot hitting as he brought his average up to .294 on the season. He has especially been hot the last 10 games in which he has hit 13-38 a .342 average along with 3 doubles and a triple. Trevor did like he usually does and gets better as the season goes along at the plate. What he really needs to work on though is his defense as he committed his 6th error of the season and if he is going to play with the Twins he is going to have to cut down on the errors or he wont make it, but i think with his work ethic it will be fine.
• Drew Butera finally showed something at the plate going 1-3 with a double and 3 rbi's to pace the Rock Cats attack. He is very good defensively and calls a good game so anything he can give you offensively is a plus so hopefully he can keep it going.
• Tonight, the Rock Cats continue their series with Harrisburg in New Britain. Gametime is at 5:35 with Oswaldo Sosa getting the start for the Rock Cats.

Fort Myers Musings

Jupiter 4 Fort Myers 2

Fort Myers 28-16 First Place

• POG: Daniel Berg- In a game where the Miracle bats went silent with only 6 hits in the game. One bright spot was Daniel Berg who went 1-3 with a walk and an rbi driving in 1 of the Miracle's 2 runs. With the 1 hit last night it brought Daniel's average up to .250 on the season. Daniel is a good all around player who has come in handy with the injurys to Valencia and Tosoni becuase he can play anywhere and do a good job no matter where you put him. I look for Berg to get more and more playing time as the season goes on and for his average to continue to rise.
• Alex Burnett was ok not great but not horrible. He went 6 innings and gave up 3 earned runs along with 9 hits. He walked noone and struck out 4. It was not one of Alex's better starts but he got through 6 innings to make it a quality start and he does atleast that every time out.
• The Miracle defense continues to hurt them as they committed 2 more errors to bring their season total up to 42 errors in only 44 games and if they continue to do that they will see a difference in their wins and losses.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Jupiter in Jupiter. Gametime is at 5:35 with Tyler Robertson getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 6 Clinton 5

Beloit 23-20 7.5 games back

• POG: Ben Revere- Ben continued his torrid pace for the Snappers as he had 3 more hits and 2 more rbi's. With the 3 hits it brought his average up to a unbelievable .432 on the season. With his 2 rbi's it brought his total in that to 11 on the season. I have never seen a start for someone taking a jump up in competition like he is doing by going into A ball less than a year after being drafted. There is some thought that maybe he is ready for the big jump up to high A in Fort Myers. I think he would do fine there but why rush him he is only 20 years old and he can continue to dominate the Midwest league and then next year move him up. With that said if he keeps hitting like he is now i dont see how you can keep him away from Fort Myers especially with the injury to Tosoni, but if i had a choice i would keep him in Beloit for the season.
• Michael Tarsi had another so so outing for the Snappers. He went 5.1 innings and gave up 4 runs on 9 hits. Along with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts to add to his crummy start. With Mike Mccardell back in the fold i think Tarsi could be the one that goes to the bullpen because he has been pretty unimpressive this year going 1-6 with a 6.84 era. I think maybe it would help him to be in the bullpen to get some confidence back because he is probably the most talented pitcher on the team and when he gets his confidence back watch out.
• Garrett Olson also had a big game going 3-4 at the plate to bring his average up to .276 on the season. It will be interesting to see what they do with Olson when Romero comes back in a month or so becuase you need to get both their bats in the lineup.
• Tonight, the Snappers continue their series with Clinton in Clinton. Gametime is at 7pm again with Daniel Berlind getting the start for the Snappers.

Monday, May 19th

Twins Talk
Colorado 6 Minnesota 2
Minnesota 21-22 2.0 games back

• POG: Justin Mourneau- Justin was one of the few bright spots on the dreadful day for the Twins. Justin went 1-4 with his 8th homerun of the year along with 2 rbi's to bring his total up to 34 on the year that ranks 4th in the American League. With the 1 hit it brought Justin's average to .306 on the season. Justin has been one of the bright spots from a struggling offense all year and he is putting Justin Mourneau numbers up. Some were worried that he would struggle after getting the big contract i.e. Michael Cuddyer but he has not he has done everything expected of him. I really think that by seasons end he will do his usual 35 and 120 again.
• Kevin Slowey continues to do his usual. He is such a tease becuase he has good stuff and wil be good for 4 or 5 innings and then bam he will lose it about 90 pitches. Yesterday he went 5.2 innings and gave up 7 hits and 3 runs to drop his record to 0-4 on the young season. With the 3 runs it lowered his era to 5.49 on the season. Kevin nibbles to much in my opinion which gets his pitch count up and then runs out of gas and gives up runs late in his outings. The biggest thing he needs to start doing is to continue to attack the strike zone with 2 strikes. Its like he gets up on the hitter and then nibbles and nibbles and that may create strikeouts but it also gets his pitch count up.
• Yesterday was a day that Twins fans are not accustomed to seeing out of the Twins players as they struggled to move guys along, situation hitting, and defensively they commited 3 errors and thats not a Twins team. Before the Twins can win on a consistant basis they need to get their defense up to par because we have an expection to live up to and that is to play defense and not beat ourselves.
• Tonight, the Twins try to get back on track as they Host the Texas Rangers at the Metrodome gametime is at 7:10 with Boof Bonser starting for the Twins vs Kevin Feldman for the Rangers

Rochester Wrap

• The Red Wings game vs Syracuse in Cooperstown to celebrate the International League's 125th anniversary was suspended in the 2nd inning because of rain and will be made up today at 4pm. The regularly scheduled game with Syracuse will follow at 6 with Brian Duensing getting the start for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

Portland 7 New Britain 6

New Britain 21-21 6.0 games back

• POG: Steve Tolleson- Steve continued his hot streak at the plate by going 3-5 with a double and a rbi his 26th of the season. In Steve's last 10 games he has went 17-43 a .395 batting average with 3 doubles, a triple and a homerun. Steve really stepped it up when Luke Hughes went down to keep the Rock Cats afloat. I really love his flexibility in that he can play infield or outfield and hits wherever you put him in the lineup he can hit leadoff or he also can hit in the middle of the order. I really like him as a player who brings alot to the table for the Rock Cats and will be a key player if the Rock Cats are going to get back on track.
• Anthony Swarzak was what he has been his last 4 or 5 starts and that is ok. Not bad but not real good either. Yesterday he went 5.2 innings and gave up 3 earned runs and 6 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2. With the 3 runs it brings his era up to 4.06 on the season. Anthony started out like a banchy but has come back down to earth after starting off so well. But the key is when he gets the ball down he can abe downright dominant and when he figures out how to do that watch out.
• David Winfree drove in another run in a late pinch hitter appearance and got a hit to drive in his team leading 35th run of the year. David's average has not been what we were hoping for but his run production has by belting a team high 10 homeruns along with the 35 rbi's.
• Tonight, the Rock Cats begin a series with Harrisburg in New Britain. Gametime is at 5:35 pm with Jay Rainville trying to build on a quality start his last time out.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 12 Jupiter 10

Fort Myers 28-15 First Place

• POG: Deolis Guerra- In a 12-10 game you may be surprised that i am picking the starting pitcher for player of the game honors. However, Deolis had his best outing in quite a while last night going 6 strong innings and only giving up 2 earned runs on 6 hits along with only 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. He didn't get the win but it was a step forward for Deolis as he works on his mechanics and delivery. With the 2 runs allowed it lowered his ERA to 4.67 on the season. I think its funny how everyone is giving up on the kid and hes just 18 years old and has a world of potential and when he gets ahead in the count its almost over for the hitter. Look for him to get better and better as the season goes on, but i dont think he will be promoted this year i think they are going to take their time with this guy to make sure he gets to his potential.
• The Miracle are really on a roll right now especially their offense even with Danny Valencia nursing a sore hand they cranked out 17 hits at the game. They were led by Johnny Woodard's 4-5 at the plate with 4 rbi's and Wilson Ramos' 2 homeruns along with Danny Santiesteban who drove in the game winning runs in the top of the 12th to seal the vicory.
• In Roster news the Miracle placed Rene Tosoni on the 7 day DL and recalled Yangervis Solarte from extended Spring Training to help out in the infield with Valencia hobbled.
• Anthony Slama pitched the bottom of the 12th inning to pick up his 8th save of the season in relief. Anthony is 24 years old and still in high A so i think a combo of his age and his ridiculious stuff makes him a prime candidate to get moved up to New Britain. The Rock Cats need a closer and Anthony's 0.37 era would fit in very well there and would let Robert Delaney get all the saves for the Miracle.
• Today, the Miracle continue their series with Jupiter in Jupiter. Gametime is at 6:05pm with Alex Burnett getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 5 Peoria 4

Beloit 22-20 8.5 games back

• POG: Joe Benson- Joe is really coming on of late going 14-38 a .368 average in his last 10 games with 6 doubles and 2 triples along with 7 rbi's and 4 stolen bases in that span. Yesterday he went 3-4 with a double and 3 rbi's along with his 10th stolen base of the season. With the 3 hits it raises Joe's average to .263 on the season. With Joe and Ben Revere in that outfield right now the Snappers have alot of speed and the way they both have been hitting is a big reason that the snappers have been on such a role as a team lately to get over the 500 mark. I think Ben Revere probably has passed Joe Benson in the eyes of the Twins, but thats not to take anything away from the resurgence of Joe Benson who I still think is a good prospect and will have a future in the major leagues if he can cut down on his strikeout total which i think he can if he is just a little more selective at the plate.
• Another big reason for the revival of the Snappers has been their great starting pitching. David Bromberg continued that by making another quality start by going 6 innings and only giving up 2 earned runs along with 7 hits. He walked 2 and struck out a nice 6 batters to get the win. If the Starters can keep doing what they are doing the Snappers are going to continue to rise in the standings.
• In a Roster move the Snappers activated Mike Mccardell off the disabled list and released Ben Petsch who was a 19th round draft pick in the 07 draft. Ben had alot of talent their just was not enough at bats for him so they decided it was best to let him go somewhere else to get the at bats he needs.
• Tonight, the Snappers begin a series with first place Clinton in Clinton. Gametime is at 7pm with Michael Tarsi getting the start for the Snapper.

Howie Clark debate

You know what i think of Howie Clark being recalled, but i want to know what you all think. Do you think its ok for the Twins to have someone in the Mitchell report who has admitted to taking steroids. Before i get a comment about Juan Rincon it was different that was a banned supplement that was not steroids so give me your opinion on this issue.

Saturday, May 17th

Twins Talk
Minnesota 4 Colordao 2
Minnesota 21-20 0.5 games back

• POG: Delmon Young- Delmon really snapped out of his slump in a big way by going 3-4 on the night with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. With the 2 hits it raises Delmon's average to .276 on the year. Delmon has struggled with power still searching for his first homerun of the year, but he is hitting .276 and that is a respectable average. Jim Souhan in the Star Tribune said yesterday that all he is a singles hitter and even if he is that i have no problem with that its not like he is making alot of money. However, I don't think he is going to stay a singles hitter i look for him to develop his power this season we just need to be patient. I look for him to end up hitting 15-20 HR's and I think he will hit alot of doubles and if the people ahead of him get on he will have alot of rbi's by the end of the year. Some guys just start off slow and mash the ball after that and thats what i think Delmon Young is and we should all stop worrying.
• Nick Blackburn continued his strong season by going 7 solid innings and only giving up 2 runs on 6 hits along with 5 strikeouts without a walk. With the 7 innings it lowered his Era to 3.77 on the season. Nick is just a solid middle of the rotation starter and has been everything we have been expecting and more.
• Justin Mourneau continued his recent hot string by going 2-4 with a walk to raise his average to .307 on the season. Justin got off to a slow start but has really been raking the ball of late to bring his average over .300 on the season.
• Tonight, the Twins take on the Rockies in game 2 of their series in Colorado. Gametime is at 7:05 with Livan Hernandez(6-1 3.93) getting the start for the Twins vs Rookie Greg Reynolds(0-1 6.35) getting the start for the Rockies.

Rochester Wrap

Columbus 5 Rochester 4

Rochester 17-26 12.0 games back

• POG: Philip Humber- Philip had his best start of the year by far by going 6.2 innings and only giving up 3 runs on 6 hits along with 3 walks and 1 strikeout. With the 3 runs allowed it lowers his ERA to a still bad 5.09 on the season. This was a start Philip really needed not only for the team but also for his own psyche. He had really been struggling to throw strikes and get batters out. Granted it was not a great start but it was a good one as he kept the Red Wings in the ballgame and thats all you can ask from a pitcher. I'll be honest i was expecting more out of him this year. I thought him being the 2nd year out from Tommy John surgery he would really take off and that obviously hasn't happened. He is right where he belongs in AAA and hopefully can keep working to possibly get a September callup with the Twins because they need to see him up here because after this year he will be out of options and they need to figure out if he can help them next year or if they should try to trade them instead of getting nothing in return.
• Brian Buscher had another outstanding game going 2-4 with his 6th homerun of the young season along with 2 rbi's and 2 runs scored to pace the Red Wings. With the 2 hits it raised Brian's average up to a very good .325 on the season. I know Brian is very disappointed today which ill explain in a minute but all he can do is keep hitting and wait for his chance to get back to the big leagues and when he gets there do enough so he won't have to go back.
• After the game Last Night it was announced that Twins infielder Matt Tolbert was put on the DL with a torn ligament in his thumb and the Twins purchased the contract of Howie Clark to replace him. Ill admit my first thought was Howie Who? The more i thought about it the more it irritates me not only because i think there are more deserving people to be in the majors and he is not even good he doesn't belong on a AAA team let alone a major league one. The major reason it irritates me is he is everything the Twins are not about. In case you didn't know this Howie Clark was named in the Mitchell Report for taking illegal steriods. He is not the type of guy that i want with the Twins he cheated to keep his spot. I know I know he won't play much but really do you want to send that message to the kids watching the Twins that its ok to take steroids it will allow you to make it to the majors I know i don't.
• Tonight, the Red Wings begin a series with their bitter rivals from Syracuse. Gametime is at 6:00pm with Danny Graves getting another start for the Red Wings

New Britain Business

New Britain 20-19 5.0 games back

• New Britain had their game rained out and is playing a day night doubleheader today in response to a earlier rainout with Portland in New Britain. Game 1 with start at 12:05 with Ryan Mullins getting the start. Game 2 is at 5:35pm with Anthony Swarzak getting the start for the Rock Cats

Fort Myers Musings

Tampa 3 Fort Myers 2 11 innings

Fort Myers 26-15 First Place

• POG: Cole Devries- Cole had by far his best start of the season and it is something that has been a long time coming. Cole went 7 innings and only gave up a run on only 4 hits along with only 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. With the 1 run allowed it lowered Cole's era to 4.56 on the season. It was a really good sign for Cole that he was able to shut down that lineup like that and shows that he belongs at that level and hopefully next time he can follow it up with a better start.
• Brian Dinkelman was one of the few Miracle hitters that could solve the very good Tampa pitching. Brian went 2-4 with a walk and a doulbe also. With the 2 hits it raises Brian's average to a very good .324 on the season. I think him and Valencia will be battling for the team lead in average all season long.
• The Miracle's bullpen struggled getting anybody out yesterday. In 4 innings of work they allowed 2 runs and 3 hits along with 4 walks to blow the game. Its pretty obvious there is an A team part of the bullpen with Delaney, Slama, Vais, and Lugo being apart of the A team and everyone else on the B team.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Tampa in Fort Myers. Gametime is at 6:05 with Jeff Manship getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 6 Peoria 3

Beloit 20-20 8.5 games back

• POG: Brian Kirwan- Brian continued the recent strong pitching performances by the Snappers starting pitchers. Brian went 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 8 hits along with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. With the 2 runs Brian lowered his era to a very respectable 3.68 on the season. Brian has been very consistant all year long keeping his era in the 3's and has continued to find a way to get people out. I would probably say he has been the most consistant pitcher on the staff and if he keeps it going he will have a high quality season and possibly a promotion to Fort Myers.
• Joe Benson had a outstanding game overall going 3-4 with a single, a double, and a triple all he needed for the cycle was a homerun. He also had an outfield assist in the outfield along with a run scored. It was by far the most complete game of the season for Joe and he needs to show more consistancy to hold off the hard charging Ben Revere as starting center fielder for the Snappers.
• Ben Revere is so consistant going 2-5 with a run scored to pace the Snappers 11 hit assault. With the 2 hits it brings Ben's average back to where it was when they began the day at .397 on the season. Seems like every game Ben is 2-5 with atleast a run scored and most of the time a stolen base. My view on him though is not push him too hard he just graduated high school last year so let him dominate the Midwest league this year and move him up to Fort Myers next year.
• Tonight, the Snappers continue their weekend series with Peoria in Beloit. Gametime is at 6:30 again with Santos Arias getting the start for the Snappers

Friday, May 16th

sorry for missing yesterday i had a million things to do but back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Twins Talk
Toronto 3 Minnesota 2 11innings
Minnesota 20-20 1.5 games back

• POG: Glen Perkins- There was not alot of good things that happened to the Twins yesterday afternoon but the one big thing is the continued improvement of Glen Perkins as a major league starting pitcher. Glen went 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and a personal major league record 6 strikeouts. With the 6 innings it lowered his era to 3.75 on the season. Glen has been everything he wasn't in Rochester he is throwing strikes and getting ahead so that he can throw his good offspead pitches to get hitters out. Glen always had the talent but he was something of an anamoly who you were wondering when he was going to figure things out becuase he has a major league arm. It looks like he is finally figuring it out, however its only 2 starts so things could change but its a step in the right direction becuase his biggest problem was his control. In 12 innings pitched so far this year he has only walked 2 and thats a big improvement so hopefully he can keep it going for the Twins.
• Justin Mourneau continued his strong homestand by going 2-4 with a walk and a rbi. With the rbi it brings his season total up to 32. With the 2 hits it brought his average over .300 to a .302 clip. After a slow start Justin has really been raking it lately in the just finished 7 game homestand he hit at an amazing .444 batting average. Justin is showing why the Twins had so much faith in him to give him the biggest contract in Twins history and showing its money well spent.
• The Twins threw the ball around way too much against Toronto and thats the big reason they got swept out of the Metrodome. In the 3 games the Twins committed 3 errors but it seemed like they were all in big situations and thats so not like the Twins. Going into yesterday the Twins were ranked 14th in the American League in fielding and thats just not going to get it done. The way the Twins play baseball is to pitch and play great defense and so far this year they havent done that. Most of the errors are mental mistakes too so they can be fixed. They better get it done soon or they soon will be out of contention.
• Tonight, the Twins begin interleague play as they begin a 3 game weekend series in Colorado to take on the Rockies. Gametime is at 8:05 with Nick Blackburn getting the start vs the Rockies Ubaldo Jimenez.

Rochester Wrap

Columbus 3 Rochester 1

Rochester 17-25 11.5 games back

• POG: Francisco Liriano- Francisco coming back from Tommy John surgery keeps getting better and better each and every start. When he went down he said he had no confidence, but i think its coming back. Last night Liriano went 8 innings and gave up 3 runs on 7 hits , but the 2 most important stats from last night is he had only 1 walk and he made it through 8 innings on only 93 pitches. Its a step at a time for him and him getting his control back is a huge step. Now he can work on making better pitches to cut down on the hits and runs. But finding the strike zone is the most important thing and the fact that it seems that it is coming back is a huge deal for Francisco and every Twins fan out there because if he can get back to where he was that makes our pitching staff from good to awesome.
• Denard Span continues his torrid hitting by going 2-3 with a walk to raise his team high average up to .369 on the season. He failed to hit a Homerun in his 4 th straight game but what a stretch he is in. Whatever he learned when he was up with the Twins he is taking it back to Rochester with him and is really raking the ball right now. If he keeps hitting like this it won't be long until he is back with the Twins as the 4th outfielder.
• Rochester is really struggling right now when they pitch good they cant hit and when they hit they struggle pitching. They need to figure something out in a hurry or they will get buried before they know what happens.
• Tonight the Red Wings finish their series with Columbus in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05 with Philip Humber getting the start.

New Britain

Binghamton 7 New Britain 6 11 innings

New Britain 20-19 4.5 games back

• POG: Erik Lis- Erik continued his hot streak by going 4-5 with 2 doubles a rbi and a run scored. With the 4 hits it brings Erik's average up to a nice .292 on the season. He has been very hot of late going 10 for his last 20 a .500 average in his last 5 games. Erik struggled early on this season but he is really raking it of late and being the hitter that we have all seen and enjoyed. Erik probably projects as a DH in the Majors but with that stick i really think the future is bright for Lis and if he can develop a little more power with that sweet swing of his the sky is the limit.
• Errol Simonitch made his first start of the year and really struggled coming off his arm injury. Errol made it 5 innings and gave up 5 runs on 8 hits along with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. It was only Errol's first start of the year so it could be a coincidence but he needs to pitch better than that to stay in the Rock Cats rotation especially with the good job Yohan Pino was doing. My guess is it probably won't be long before Pino is back in the rotation and Simonitch is in the bullpen for the Rock Cats.
• Luke Hughes made his return to the Rock Cats lineup after being out for 8 days because of that hamstring injury. What does he do when he comes back his first at bat he went deep for his 10th homerun of the season and extended his hitting streak to a really good 17 games. He played as the Dh yesterday so hopefully we can get him in the field because if he can show he's healty and continue to hit he will be with Rochester before the end of the month in my opinion.
• Tonight, the Rockcats begin a series with Portand in New Britain. Gametime is at 5:35 with ace Ryan Mullins on the mound for the Rock Cats as they try to snap their 4 game losing streak.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 6 Tampa 5 10 innings

Fort Myers 26-14 First Place

• POG; Tyler Robertson- Tyler had his most dominant start in quite a while last night its just too bad he got a no decision. Tyler went 7 innings and only gave up 6 hits and 3 runs with no walks and an awesome 9 strikeouts. With the good 7 innings it brought his ERA down to 3.53. With the 9 strikeouts it brought his team high strikeout total up to 45. Tyler had really been struggling with getting his fastball over for a strike which made his slider not as effective. They would not swing at the slider because he couldnt get the fastball over for a strike. Last night he did a much better job getting that first pitch fastball over so they would chase that devastating slider. It is a good start for him to build on for his next start.
• Robert Delaney had probably his worst outing of the season going an inning and giving up the lead in a 4-3 game. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and was bailed out by the Miracle hitting. Robert is probably the best closer in the FSL and games like this are few and far between so im not too worried about it and think he will come out firing next time.
• Daniel Berg had another solid game off the bench going 2-3 and scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. What we have found out about him is he is very flexible who is not going to hurt you no matter where he plays. He is the type of utility man that all good teams seem to have. On other teams he could start at many different positions and do a good job.
• This Morning the Miracle continue their series with Tampa in Fort Myers. Gametime is at 9:35 am with Cole Devries getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Clinton 4 Beloit 2

Beloit 19-20 8.5 games back

• POG: Ben Revere- Ben continues to rake the ball since his callup from EST and has pretty much taken over the leadoff spot in the lineup and is in center field just about every game. Last night he went 2-5 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base his 10th of the season. With the 2 hits it raises Ben's average to a crazy .397 on the season. This is unbelieveable that a year ago he is playing high school baseball and now he is dominating a league that is known as a tough hitting league with all the good pitching. There is some talk now about maybe sending him up to Fort Myers. I think its a bit soon for that i would let him finish the season in Beloit and if he continues to hit like this have him start next season in Fort Myers when he is more ready.
• Daniel Berlind was ok not great but not horrible. His biggest problem was his control he threw too many pitches to make it late into the game. Daniel went 4.1 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits along with a walk. With the 3 runs it raises his era to 3.62 on the season. Daniel is very hit and miss and when he can throw strikes he is tough to hit so hopefully he can learn from this game and come out better next time.
• Steven Hirchfeld continues to pitch very well out of the Snappers bullpen. Steve went 3.2 innings in relief of Berlind and only gave up 1 hit and no runs while striking out 2 on the game. With the outing it dropped his era to a minischule 0.73 on the season. He has done everything the Snappers have needed him to do start,relieve it hasnt mattered and i think he will continue to dominate for the Snappers all season long.
• Tonight, the Snappers begin a series with Peoria in Beloit. Gametime is at 6:30 with Brian Kirwan getting the start for the Snappers.

Wednesday, May 14th

Twins Talk
Toronto 5 Minnesota 3
Minnesota 20-18 First Place

• POG: Carlos Gomez- Carlos continues to improve each and ever day before our eyes and last night was another step in that direction. Carlos went 2-4 with his 3rd homerun of the season along with another hit to raise his average up to .275 on the season. With the RBI it brought Carlos' rbi total up to 14 on the season and thats pretty good for a leadoff man. Carlos seems to be getting more and more confidence every time he comes up to the plate. A sign you can tell he is getting more confident is the lack of bunts lately. Early in the season he was trying to bunt almost every at bat and now people are playing for the bunt and he is hitting it right by them. I look for him to keep doing what he is doing and to get better and better as the year goes on.
• Kevin Slowey had another solid start last night going 5.2 innings and only giving up 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts to bring his era down to 5.79 on the young season. Kevin i thought nibbled a little too much but i am being picky it was better than his last start and is something to build on as the season goes forward for Kevin Slowey as he gets more and more confident.
• The Twins bullpen really struggled last night giving up 2 runs and 5 hits along with 3 walks in only 3.1 innings. The worst was Dennys Reyes who faced 2 batters and gave up 2 hits in his first poor outing of the year to bring his era up to 0.79 on the season. The question is will the bullpen minus Pat Neshek be a problem. I really dont think so i think they will be fine Juan Rincon pitched excellent the other night along with Jesse Crain. Before last night Dennys Reyes had been pitching great and i look for Glen Perkins to join that bullpen when Scott Baker gets back so i dont see it as a problem at all.
• Tonight, the Twins take on the Blue Jays in game 2 of their series at the Metrodome. Gametime is at 7:11 with Boof Bonser getting the start for the Twins against the Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.

Rochester Wrap

Columbus 7 Rochester 5

Rochester 16-24 12.0 games back

• POG: Brian Buscher- Seems like Brian is coming out of a bit of a slump that started when he came back from the Twins. Last night he continued his recent good string by going 4-5 with his 5th homerun of the year along with 3 rbi's to bring his season total up to 16 on the season. With the 4 hits it brought Brian's average up to a good .324 on the season. Brian is a good prospect in my opinion and needs to be in the majors because he dominates AAA pitching and needs the new challenge of seeing if he can do that at the Major League level keeping him at AAA really is not helping anymore and i hope he makes it back with the Twins very soon.
• Kevin Mulvey struggled for his 5th straight start last night. In 3.2 innings he gave up 5 runs even though only 1 of them was earned along with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts to lower his era to 3.89 on the season. Kevin needs to make some adjustments because he has been hit very hard his last 4 or 5 starts and needs to find a way to get the hitters out. With that being said i still think Kevin is going to be a solid pitcher at the major league level and will contribute eventually to the Twins. Like i said before the year he needs a year at AAA to refine his pitching and being more consistant and i still think so. If he makes the adjustments that he needs to make he will be fine and will be with the Twins in sometime 2009.
• The Red Wings continue to struggle in the win column. I know some people don't pay attention to the wins and losses but im not one of those people. I think you develop a winning attitude at a young stage and shouldnt lose it now. I truly believe the teams with the better prospects are the teams that win division titles and win IL championships so the Red Wings have to find a way to turn it around becuase they are too good to be 12 games out on the 14th of May.
• Today, the Red Wings continue their series with Columbus in Rochester. Gametime is an early 10:05 game as Brian Duensing tries to improve on his 2-4 record.

New Britain Business

Binghamton 4 New Britain 2

New Britain 20-17 3.5 games back

• POG: Jay Rainville- I know he got tagged with his 5th loss of the year but Jay needed to come up with a good performance to stay in the starting rotation at best and he did a really good job in my opinion. Jay went 6.1 innings and only gave up 3 earned runs on just 7 hits along with a walk and 2 strikeouts to lower his awful era to 9.00. The way i look at it is that was a baby step in the right direction. Before he can run he needs to walk and his start last night was a step in the right direction. He got ahead of the hitters so he didnt have to throw that cookie that the other team had been drilling. Also a bad thing about getting behind in the count is Jay was not able to stay in ball games long and it was putting alot of pressure on the Rock Cats bullpen. I liked what i saw out of him last night and my hope is that he can continue to do that and get better and better in each of his next few starts.
• I just can't get over how well Zach Ward has pitched for the rockcats this season. Last night he went 1.2 innings and gave up no runs with no hits and a strikeout to lower his tiny era to 0.36 on the season. Look at the numbers he has put up this season so far in 25 innings of work he has only given up 1 earned run along with 22 strikeouts. I really think Zach is ready to be a starter or move to Rochester if they want to keep him in the bullpen because in the role he is in right now he is absoultely dominant and i don't see any reason he can't keep it up.
• The bad defense continues to hamper the Rock Cats as they committed 3 more errors to bring their season total up to a unbelieveable 27 errors in only 37 ballgames. I can only jockey that up to lack of concentration becuase those guys are too talented defensively to play that bad of defense. Like i have said before until they learn to play defense the Rock Cats will not get over the hump.
• Tonight, the Rock Cats continue their series with Binghamton in Binghamton. Gamtime is at 5:35 pm with Oswaldo Sosa tries to improve on his 1-2 record.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 10 Sarasota 6

Fort Myers 24-14 First Place

• POG: Danny Valencia- Danny continued his recent hot string of hitting by going 2-4 with his 4th homerun of the year and 3 rbi's. With the 3 rbi's it brings his total to a team high 32 on the season. He also had a triple and a walk adn scored 3 runs for the Miracle. With the 2 hits it raises Danny's average up to .326 on the season. In his last 5 games Danny is 12-20 a crazy .600 batting average with a homerun and 5 rbi's. After going through a little bit of a lul Danny has come up on fire the last week and is now in league leaders in just about every offensive catergory. I really believe Danny will be playing 3rd base for New Britain before this year is through and if he keeps hitting like this it will be sooner rather than later.
• Deolis Guerra continues to struggle with his control. He went 5 innings last night and gave up 5 runs on 5 hits along with 2 homeruns to raise his era to 4.93 on the young season. His problem last night is he cant hit the catchers glove and that is the one thing you need to do at every level of baseball and until he can do that on a consistant basis his results will suffer. I think its a good thing the Twins were patient with him and having him repeat high A again because he's only 19 years old so whats the problem with waiting for him until he is ready to be the dominant starting pitcher that we all hope and believe that he is going to be. His biggest issue is getting more consistant in hitting the glove and then all his other pitches will follow.
• The Miracle bullpen continues to show why they are the strength of this Miracle team by throwing 4 innings of relief of Deolis Guerra. First Danny Vais threw 2 shutout innings and then Anthony Slama pitched 2 innings and only gave up an unearned run. The Miracle bullpen is what is making the Miracle a first place team and i really think they can keep it up.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Sarasota in Sarasota. Gametime is at 6pm with Alex Burnett trying to improve his record from 2-1 that it is right now.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 7 Clinton 5

Beloit 18-19 8.5 games back

• POG: Ben Revere- Ben continued his hot start with the Snappers by going 2-4 with 3 rbi's and a stolen base to raise his stolen base total to 8 on the season. With the 2 hits it raises his average to .379 on the season. Ben has basically taken over that lead off spot from Joe Benson and has not looked back since. I really like his plate disipline and when the pitcher makes a mistake he makes you pay. He has a decent arm in the outfield with his 2 outfield assists. It wont be mistaken for Carlos Gomez' but its decent all the same. I think he will stay with beloit and continue to put up good numbers for the Snappers and next year it will be on to a new challege at Fort Myers.
• David Bromberg continued his resurgance as he went 6 innings and only gave up 3 runs on 7 hits. He also walked 2 batters and struck out 9 to bring his era down to 4.93 on the season. That is quite the jump based on how slowly he started the year off and how some people were ready to give up on him so early. With the 9 strikeouts it brings his total up to 52 on the year WOW!! If he keeps pitching like this he will be in Fort Myers sooner rather than later.
• Garrett Olson had another solid game as the Snappers try to piece together 3rd base until Deibinon Romero comes back in a few weeks. Garrett went 2-4 with a double to raise his average up to .273 on the season. I love Garrett's versaitlity and the fact that hes a good hitter is all the well better so keep an eye on him see how he does.
• Tonight, the Snappers conclude their series with first place Clinton in Beloit. Gametime is at 6:30pm with Michael Tarsi getting the start trying to improve on his 0-6 record for the Snappers.

Tuesday, May 13th

Twins Talk
Minnesota 7 Boston 3
Minnesota 20-17 First Place

• POG: Craig Monroe- Craig continued his recent hot streak by going 1-2 with 2 walks, a double and 2 rbi's to raise his average to .290 on the season. Craig has been just what the Twins were looking for when they traded him and being back in the Al Central seems to have rejuvanated him. For the year Craig has 4 homeruns and 15 rbi's in only 68 at bats this year. My feeling is its time to get him regular playing time while he is performing like this. You need to remember he had 28 homeruns for the Tigers in 06 and if he can come close to that you need to keep him in the lineup. Is it fair to Jason Kubel who hasn't done anything to get benched no its not. However, its looking more and more like the Twins have a chance to contend so you go with the hot hand as long as it lasts and if he slows down you can always go back to Kubel.
• Livan Hernandez continues to impress notching his 6th win of the season with only 1 loss against him. In the 10 starts he has made this season for the Twins the Twins are 9-1 which tells you how effective he has been to keep us in the games. Last night he went 6 innings and only gave up 3 first inning runs on 10 hits. He walked 1 and also struck out 1 to bring his ERA to a starter low 3.90 on the season. If anybody would of said he would be this good for the Twins i would of called them a liar but i love watching him pitch because he gets by on guile and guts and you have to respect that. Hopefully, he can keep it up and theres no reason why he cant because he has faced good lineups so far and should keep us in most games.
• The Twins bullpen slammed the door pitching 3 shutout innings in relief of Hernandez led by Juan Rincon's 2 perfect innings. Rincon is the key becuase we need him to pitch like he did 2 years ago if we want to stay in 1st place.
• Tonight, the Twins begin a 3 game series with Toronto at the Metrodome. Gametime is at 7;11pm with Kevin Slowey making his 2nd start since coming off the dl vs Blue Jays righty Jesse Litsch.

Rochester wrap

Rochester 5 Buffalo 1

Rochester 16-23 12.0 games back

• POG: Danny Graves- Danny got the spot start for the Wings and man did he impress for the Red Wings. He went 4 shutout innings and only gave up 2 hits and also struck out 2 batters. Danny is not the same pitcher he was 10 years ago but he is a very good pitcher with good movement on his pitches. He still has that very good slider that he uses as his out pitch. The Twins want to find out if they can use him with the injury to Pat Neshek and my gut says yes he has some left in the tank. I think a few more good outings for Danny and i think before the 1st of July you could see Danny Graves in a Twins uniform trying to get big outs.
• The Red Wings offense finally got on track a little bit by pounding out 16 hits led by Denard Span and Jose Morales who had 3 hits apiece and homeruns by Span and Chris Basak to pace the Wings attack.
• Tim Lahey was really dominant as he continues his recovery from that bad outing a few times ago. He picked up his 4th save of the year by going the last 2 innings of the game and not giving up a run and only allowing 1 hit. Along with that he struck out 5 out of the 7 batters he faced to show how dominant he can be. I look for Tim Lahey to be in a Twins uniform sometime this season.
• Tonight, the Red Wings begin a series with Columbus in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05 with Kevin Mulvey getting the start as he tries to improve on his 2-4 record.

New Britain Business

New Hampshire 11 New Britain 4

New Britain 20-16 3.5 games back

• POG: Felix Molina- Felix had his best game so far of the season by going 3-4 with an rbi to bring his average to .259 on the season. Felix is a key contributer off the bench for the Rock Cats and what i really like about him is his flexibility. He can play 2nd, short , or 3rd base and not only play it but play it well. Thats one of the reason that he finds his way into the lineup just about every day. With the injury to Luke Hughes Felix has been playing alot of 3rd base and has done a very good job.
• Anthony Swarzak got the start and wasn't good, but really he was not terrible either. Anthony went 4 innings and only gave up 1 earned run on 5 hits. He walked 4 and struck out 3 in the outing. Anthony's problem lately has not been about getting drilled its about that he cant find the plate which gets his pitch count up which leads him having to leave the game earlier than he or the Rock Cats would like him too. With the earned run it brings Swarzak's ERA down to 3.96. He got off to such a fast start that the expectations for him went through the roof some even saying he is ready for the majors. However since then he has been in a little bit of a funk and is getting behind early in counts and having to throw a cookie and even at AA that will get hit hard. I think he needs to go back to the basics of getting ahead and staying ahead and he will show the signs that made him so high of a prospect by the Twins and probably get a promotion to AAA before years end.
• Jay Sawatski continues to struggle and makes you wonder if maybe he might get released becuase he gets hard every time he comes into the game and i don't see much of a future for him. In 1.1 innings he gave up 6 hits and 6 runs to raise his era to a crazy 8.41 on the season. Hopefully he can turn it around but im not counting on it.
• Tonight, the Rock Cats start a series with Binghamton in Binghamton. Gametime is at 5:35pm with Jay Rainville getting the start as he tries to improve on his 2-4 record.

Fort Myers Musings

Sarasota 7 Fort Myers 2

Fort Myers 23-14 First Place

• POG: Brian Dinkelman- Brian was the only bright spot for the Miracle in a game where they were only able to muster 5 hits. Brian went 1-4 with a double and one of the 2 rbi's the miracle had as a team. With the 1 hit Brian's average is at .326 on the season and his rbi total is at 15 for the season. Dinkelman and Valencia have led the Miracle at the plate even though their pitching staff has been inconsistant and actually Brian has been the most consistant hitter on the team and i look for him to get a promotion up to New Britain sometime this summer.
• Jeff Manship had his first bad outing of the year going only 4 innings and giving up 10 hits and 6 runs along with 2 walks. There are 2 bright spots in his start he struck out 8 to bring his season total to 46 on the season and the second thing is the start is over. Jeff has been the most consistant pitcher on the staff so i take this as a anamoly and will come out next start and keep the Miracle in the game and give them a chance to win a ball game like he usually does.
• Frank Mata got his first action of the year by pitching a scoreless inning along with his 1st strikeout of the season. It will be interesting how long he will be in Fort Myers before he is moved up to New Britain.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Sarasota in Sarasota. Gametime is at 6pm with Deolis Guerra getting the start as he tries to improve on his 3-1 record.

Beloit Beat

Clinton 6 Beloit 5

Beloit 17-19 9.5 games back

• POG: Joe Benson- Joe had his first good game in a while going 2-4 with a double to keep the Snappers in the game. With the 2 hits it brought Joe's average up to .234 on the season. Joe has been very up and down this year and the hope is by moving him down in the lineup it will let him relax a bit and swing at better pitches. The biggest problem with him this year has been he strikes out too much and y0u cant have that at the beginning of the lineup. In 128 at bats this year he has already struck out an unbelievable 43 times which is 34% of his plate appearances. With Ben Revere coming on fast Joe is on the verge of being passed up so he needs to work hard to prevent that from happening.
• Santos Arias put together another solid start by going 5 innings and giving up only 3 runs and 7 hits. He was the tough luck loser for the Snappers picking up his first loss of the season. With the 5 innings it brought his ERA up to 2.81 on the season. He has put together 3 good starts in a row. When Mccardell is ready to come back the Snappers are going to have an interesting decision with starting pitching becuase they are all pitching well.
• Ben Revere continues to get the job done even though he didnt have a hit for only the 2nd time since he arrived he still found a way to score a run and steal a base to bring his stolen bases up to 7 on the season. The more i see this kid the more excited i get about him and i really think he's special and should be the starting center fielder for the Snappers all season.
• Tonight, the Snappers continue their series with Clinton in Beloit. Gametime is at 6:35pm with David Bromberg getting the start for the Snappers as he tries to improve his record which right now sits at 1-2 on the season.

Just to let everyone know im working on a Q and A and hopefully have it up in the next few days so hopefully you will like it.