Saturday, April 26th

Rochester Wrap
Leigh Valley 6 Rochester 2

Rochester 10-12 5.5 games back

• POG:Randy Ruiz- For the 2nd consecutive day Randy had a impact for the Red Wings. He was 1-4 with 2 more RBI's for Randy to bring his rbi total to up to 12 on the season. Hopefuly, he can keep it going because the Red Wings offense needs his bat in there for the Red Wings to continually get runs.
• Philip Humber struggled again on the mound only able to make it 4.2 innings and giving up 4 runs on 8 hits. I don't know what to say about this guy becuase he has too much talent to have a era in the 5's in AAA. He needs to look himself in the mirror and figure things out if he wants to make it with the Twins.
• The Twins sent down Francisco Liriano and Denard Span so that should help the Red Wings. The only bad thing is they lost closer Bobby Korecky so they will need to find a new person to close for the red wings.
• Tonight the Red Wings continue their series in Leigh Valley as the series moves to Leigh Valley. Gametime is at 6:05 with Glen Perkins getting the start.

New Britain Business

Trenton 8 New Britain 3

New Britain 9-11 5.5 games back

• POG: Luke Hughes- for the record 4th straight day Luke got the pog by going 1-4 with his 7th homerun and 3rd in 3 days and 2rbi's. With the game his average actually lowered to a team high .367. Luke continues to be the class of the Rock Cats and i find it hard to see him staying with New Britain for very much longer especially with Rochester continuing to struggle swinging the bat so it will be interesting.
• For the first time this year Ryan Mullins struggled getting his 2nd loss of the year only going 4 innings and giving up 5 runs and 7 hits to raise his era to 2.33. The tall lefty will be fine all good pitchers have days that are unforgettable and this is one for Ryan and he will be fine.
• I don't know why the Twins organization continue to put up with Danny Graves who was awful again going an inning and giving up 2runs on 3 hits. I just don't see why they keep him in the organization it is just a waste.
• Today the Rock Cats continue their series with Trenton in Trenton. Gametime is at noon today with phenom Anthony Swarzak getting the start for the Rock Cats.

Fort Myers Musings

Tampa 3 Fort Myers 2

Fort Myers 13-9 First Place

• POG: Jeff Manship- Jeff had his best start of the season last night going 7 innings and only giving up 3 hits and 1 run for the Miracle. Jeff is the leader of that great pitching staff and seems like when he is on he is tough to beat.
• The Miracle's defense left them in the late innings with late errors by Toby Gardenhire and Zach Day. Usually, the Miracle have good defense and i think it was an anomaly so we shouldnt worry about them except it cost them a win.
• Toby Gardenhire had a good night at the plate but im sure he wishes he could take back that error. But at the plate he went 3-4 to raise his average to .314. With games like that Toby will find more and more playing time.
• Tonight, the Miracle begin a series in Lakeland wiht the Flying Tigers. Gametime is at 5pm with Kevin Slowey making a rehab start for the Miracle. He is expected to throw about 70 pitches tonight before he moves onto Rochester.

Beloit Beat

• Last nights game with Wisconsin was rained out and will be made up with a double header today. The first game's starter pitcher is David Bromberg with gametime at 1pm. The second game's starter will be Michael Tarsi after the first game.

Mock Draft 11.0 final mock draft

1. Miami- Jake Long OT Michigan

2. St. Louis- Chris Long De Virginia

3. Atlanta- Glen Dorsey DT LSU

4. Oakland Darren Mcfadden RB Oakland

5. Kansas City- Derrick Harvey DE Florida

6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St

7. New England- Sedrick Ellis DT USC

8. Baltimore- Matt Ryan QB Boston College

9. Cincinnatti- Keith Rivers LB USC

10. New Orleans- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida

11. Buffalo- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St

12. Denver- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois

13. Carolina- Ryan Clady OT Boise St

14. Chicago- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh

15. Detroit- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy

16. Arizona- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon

17. Kansas City- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt

18. Houston- Dominique Rodgers Cromartie CB Tennessee St

19. Philadelphia- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee

20. Tampa Bay- Aqib Talib CB Kansas

21. Washington- Phillip Merling DE Clemson

22. Dallas- Felix Jones RB Arkansas

23. Pittsburgh- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina

24. Tennessee Titans- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma

25. Seattle- James Hardy WR Indiana

26. Jacksonville- Calais Campbell DE Miami

27. San Diego- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College

28. Dallas- Limas Sweed WR Texas

29. San Francisco- Desean Jackson WR California

30. Green Bay- Dan Conner LB Penn St

31. New England- Forfeited

32. New York Giants- Kenny Phillips S Miami

Mock Draft 10.0

1. Miami- Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St Louis- Chris Long DE Virginia
3. Atlanta- Glen Dorsey DT LSU
4. Oakland- Darren Mcfadden RB Arkansas
5. Kansas City- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St.
7. New England- Keith Rivers LB USC
8. Baltimore- Matt Ryan QB Boston College
9. Cincinnatti- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
10. New Orleans- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
11. Buffalo- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St
12. Denver- Brandon Albert OT Virginia
13. Carolina- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
14. Chicago- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy
16. Arizona- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St
17. Kansas City- Ryan Clady OT Boise St
18. Houston- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
19. Philadelphia- Limas Sweed WR Texas
20. Tampa Bay- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
21. Washington- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
22. Dallas- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
24. Tennessee- James Hardy WR Indiana
25. Seattle- Desean Jackson WR California
26. Jacksonville- Calais Campbell DE Miami
27. San Diego- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College
28. Dallas- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
29. San Francisco- Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
30. Green Bay- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee
31. New England- Forfeited
32. New York Giants- Kenny Phillips S Miami

Friday, April 25th

Rochester Wrap
Rochester 8 Leigh Valley 2
Rochester 10-11 4.5 games back

• POG:Brian Duensing- Brian continued his revival with another solid start for the Red Wings. He went 7 innings and only gave up 1 run on 3 hits to lower his ERA to 2.40 on the year. His last 2 starts have been awesome in 12.2 innings Brian has only given up 2 earned runs and 7 hits. I don't understand why he doesn't get more press because i feel he is the ace of the Red Wings staff and is ready for a callup to the Twins. The only problem is the surplus of pitching but i really believe by the end of the year he will be in the major leagues either with the Twins or possibly some where else.
• Jose Morales continued his resurgence by going 3-4 with 2 Rbi's for the Red Wings. In his last 4 games Jose is 6-15 a .400 average with a homerun, 4rbi's and a run scored. Jose is getting back to being the offensive force the Red Wings knew that they had in him and someone you have to keep an eye on.
• Randy Ruiz had one of his first good games of the year going 2-3 with his first hr and 4 rbi's for the Red Wings. Randy like Jose Morales has to get it going for the Red Wings if they are going to contend in the International League and he can do it he has hit everywhere he has been so hopefully he can keep it up.
• Tonight, the Red Wings finish their series with Leigh Valley as they go for the sweep. Gametime is 6:05 with Philip Humber on the mound trying to get on track for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

Trenton 2 New Britain 1

New Britain 9-10 4.5 games back

• POG: Yohan Pino- Yohan was the toughluck loser going 7 innings and only giving up 2 runs on 4 hits, but the Rock Cats hitters couldn't help him out so he took his first loss of the season. It is 3 consecutive quality starts for Yohan and he is turning out to be one of the best pitchers on the staff and a quality prospect the Twins need to look at.
• After being in such a groove offensively the Rock Cats ran into a buzzsaw in Trenton and were only able to scrape 1 run across on 7 hits. You know what they say good pitching always beats good hitting and every once in a while your going to have a night like that. Hopefully, the Rock Cat hitters can get back on track tonight.
• Only bright spots offensively were Dustin Martin who went 2-4 to raise his average to .358 and David Winfree who hit his 3rd homerun of the year to give the Rock Cats their only run of the ballgame.
• Tonight, the Rock Cats try to get back into the winning column as they play game 2 against Trenton. Gametime is at 6:05pm with Ryan Mullins getting the start for New Britain.

Fort Myers Musings

Tampa 4 Fort Myers 2

Fort Myers 13-8 First Place

• POG: Cole Devries- Cole had his first quality outing in my opinion of the year going 5 solid innings and only giving up 2 earned runs and striking out 5. Cole is a hit and miss pitcher who has struggled so far this season. Hopefully, this start will get him going so that he can reach the potential we all want for him because he has a good arm he just hasn't shown it this year so far.
• It was a rough day at the plate for the Miracle only able to muster 6 hits on the game. But they have been hitting really well and theres no reason to think this will last longer than a day.
• On a positive note Rene Tosoni went 1-4 to raise his average to a team high .339 a point ahead of Brian Dinkelman. Should be fun to watch because those guys are going to be battling all year for the team batting lead.
• Tonight, the Miracle finish their series off with Tampa in Tampa. Gametime is at 6pm in Tampa with Jeff Manship getting the start for Fort Myers.

Beloit Beat

Day off

Beloit 6-14 9.5 games back

• Beloit had the day off and begin a series with Wisconsin tonight. Gametime is at 6:35pm with David Bromberg getting the start for the Snappers

Mock Draft 9.0

1. Miami- Jake Long OT Michigan

2. St Louis- Glen Dorsey DT LSU

3. Atlanta- Matt Ryan QB Boston College

4. Oakland- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St

5. Kansas City- Chris Long DE Virginia

6. New York Jets- Darren Mcfadden

7. New England- Brandon Albert OT Virginia

8. Baltimore- Sedrick Ellis DT USC

9. Cincinnatti- Ryan Clady OT Boise St

10. New Orleans- Keith Rivers LB USC

11. Buffalo- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St

12. Denver- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois

13. Carolina- Derrick Harvey DE Florida

14. Chicago- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh

15. Detroit- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy

16. Arizona- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida

17. Kansas City- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt

18. Houston- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee ST

19. Philadelphia- Kentawn Balmer DT North Carolina

20. Tampa bay- Aqib Talib CB Kansas

21. Washington- Phillip Merling DE Clemson

22. Dallas- Felix Jones RB Arkansas

23. Pittsburgh- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College

24. Tennessee- James Hardy WR Indiana

25. Seattle- Desean Jackson WR California

26. Jacksonville- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee

27. San Diego- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon

28. Dallas- Limas Sweed WR Texas

29. San Francisco- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma

30. Green Bay- Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech

31. New England- forfeited

32. New York Giants- Dan Conner LB Penn St

Thursday, April 24th

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 5 Leigh Valley 3
Rochester 9-11 4.5 games back

• POG: Jon Knott- Jon came out of his slump a little bit going 2-3 with his first Hr of the years as the Red Wings came back in the bottom of the 8th inning to get the win. Jon has really struggled this year hitting only .214 so he needs to get going with the bat because he is a much better hitter than that.
• Kevin Mulvey had a solid start again giving up 1 earned run in 5.2 innings for the Redwings. He was a little more wild walking 4 while striking out 5 batters, but overall he has been the most consistant starter for the Red Wings and probably the first one to get the call if something happens.
• The Red Wings continue their horrible defense with 3 more errors on the night. That is one reason that not many people will get promoted cause if you dont play defense you wont be in the majors.
• Rochester continues their series with Leigh Valley tonight at 5:35 gametime. Brian Duensing gets the start for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

New Britain 15 Reading 6

New Britain 9-9 4.5 games back

• POG: For the 4th straight day i have to give it to Luke Hughes. Luke went 4-5 with his 5th and 6th homeruns and 5 rbi's and 2 runs scored to raise his average to .380 on the season. I have said it before but i think Rochester could use his bat in their lineup. With a player like him you need him to either sink or swim to see how big of a future he has for the Twins.
• The Rock Cats continued their offensive explosion by scoring 15 runs and 21 hits. In the last 2 games they have scored 22 runs and 35 hits.
• Oswaldo Sosa got hit pretty good giving up 4 runs and 8hits in only 3 innings but the bullpen did a decent job and with the sticks they had it was a easy win.
• Tonight the Rockcats travel to Trenton to take on the Thunder for a 3 game series. Yohan Pino gets the start for the Rock Cats in the opener

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 8 Tampa 1

Fort Myers 13-7 First Place

• POG: Wilson Ramos- Looks like Wilson is breaking out of a early season slump by going 3-5 with a double and 2 rbi's. Wilson Ramos is a key to this offense and getting him going is the key for the Miracle scoring runs.
• Alex Burnett had a good outing going 5.2 innings and only giving up 2 hits and 1 run while walking 4 and striking out 3
• A big encouraging note was the return of Danny Hernandez. Hernandez has been battling injuries who made his Miracle season debut by going the 9th inning without giving up a hit for the miracle.
• This morning the Miracle continue their series with Tampa with an early 10 am game today. Cole Devries got the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

West Michigan 5 Beloit 4

Beloit 6-14 9.5 games out

• POG: Brian Kirwan- Brian continued his strong start on the hill for the Snappers going 7 innings and only gave up 3 earned runs while striking out 2. His ERA now stands at 2.42 on the season. Brian is one of the most consistant pitchers on the Snappers staff.
• Garrett Olson was the shining star offensively going 3-6 with a run scored for the Snappers.
• Blair Erickson blew it in the 13th he did not get an out and gave up the winning run to raise his era to 7.36 and his record to 0-3.
• The Snappers get a well needed day off before they face the Wisconsin Rattlers in a series this weekend.

Mock Draft 8.0

1. Miami Dolphins- Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St Louis Rams- Glen Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan QB Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders- Darren Mcfadden RB Arkansas
5. Kansas City Chiefs- Chris Long DE Virginia
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St
7. New England Patriots- Branden Albert OT Virginia
8. Baltimore Ravens- Keith Rivers LB USC
9. Cincinnatti Bengals- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
10. New Orleans Saints- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
11. Buffalo Bills- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St
12. Denver Broncos- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinios
13. Carolina Panthers- Ryan Clady OT Boise St
14. Chicago Bears- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit Lions- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
16. Arizona Cardinals- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy
17. Kansas City Chiefs- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
18. Houston Texans- Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie CB Tennessee ST
19. Philadelphia Eagles- Limas Sweed WR Texas
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
21. Washington Redskins- Desean Jackson WR California
22. Dallas Cowboys- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
24. Tennessee Titans- James Hardy WR Indiana
25. Seattle Seahawks- Dustin Keller TE Purdue
26. Jacksonville Jaguars- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
27. San Diego Chargers- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
28. Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
29. San Francisco 49ers- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee
30. Green Bay Packers- Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
31. New England Patriots- Forfeited
32. New York Giants- Kenny Phillips S Miami

Wednesday, April 23rd

Rochester Wrapup

• Rochester had the day off but begin a series with Leigh Valley tonight at 5:35 in Rochester with Kevin Mulvey gets the start as the Red Wings try to improve their 8-11 record.

New Britain Business

Reading 11 New Britain 9

New Britain 8-9 5.5 games back

• POG: Luke Hughes- For the record 3rd straight day Luke gets player of the game honors with a 2-5 game with his 4th homerun and scored 3 runs for the Rockcats. With the 2 hits it raises his team high average to .348. Makes a person wonder how long is he going to be in New Britain with Rochester really struggling offensively. Luke would be an upgrade at 3rd base for the Red Wings, but i think they are going to give it a little more time to see if he comes down to earth or if he is that good.
• Jay Rainville got lit up last night going 3.2 innings and giving up 13 hits and 10 runs while walking noone and striking out 1. He has really struggled this year and he needs to get it going because he has been the worst pitcher for New Britain and there are guys in Fort Myers waiting for the call.
• Seems like the Rock Cats have come out of their offensive slump getting 14 hits on the night so if they can get their pitching in order they will win some games.
• Today the Rockcats finish their series with Reading with an early 9:35am game today in New Britain. Oswaldo Sosa goes for the Rock Cats as they try to rebound.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 10 Lakeland 9

• POG: Juan Portes- Juan led the Miracle back from a 9-3 deficit with a 2 run homerun in the bottom of the 9th to win the game for the Miracle. He went 2-4 with 3 rbi's and 2 runs scored. He is the hottest player on the miracle team going in his last 5 games he is 10-21 which is a .476 average to raise his average to .302. He is on fire so lets see if he can keep it coming.
• Tyler Robertson was not helped out much by his defense as they committed 3 errors which led to 5 unearned runs. I thought he pitched decent and a little defense behind him he would of had solid stats so i am not too worried about him.
• Johnny Woodard continued his strong start going 3-4 with 2 runs scored to raise his average to .317
• Tonight the Miracle begin a 3 game series with the Yankees in Tampa. First pitch is at 6:05 with Alex Burnett getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

West Michigan 5 Beloit 3

Beloit 6-13 9.5 games back

• POG: Mark Dolenc had a solid game going 2-3 with a run scored for the Snappers to raise his average to .283. The good thing about Mark is he is very flexible he can play so many different positions and does a good job wherever you put him.
• Daniel Berlind had a solid outing going 4 innings and giving up only 2 earned runs his defense betrayed him by giving up 2 unearned runs to make his out look worse than it actually was.
• Lets be honest Beloit is not a very good team and it doesn't help when Chris Parmalee is in a 0-13 streak to lower his batting average from .351 to .255. If they are going to win some games he has to be the key to it or they will continue to struggle.
• Tonight the Snappers continue their series West Michigan. Game time is 6:35 with Brian Kirwan getting the start for the Snappers

Mock Draft 7.0

1. Miami Dolphins- Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St Louis Rams- Glen Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan QB Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders- Darren Mcfadden RB Arkansas
5. Kansas City Chiefs- Branden Albert OT Virginia
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St
7. New England Patriots- Chris Long DE Virginia
8. Baltimore Ravens- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
9. Cincinnatti Bengals- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
10. New Orleans Sainst- Keith Rivers LB USC
11. Buffalo Bills- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St
12. Denver Broncos- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
13. Carolina Panthers- Ryan Clady OT Boise St
14. Chicago Bears- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit Lions- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
16. Arizona Cardinals- Mike Jenkins CB S. Florida
17. Minnesota Vikings- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy
18. Houston Texans- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
19. Philadelphia Eagles- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
21. Washington Redskins- Desean Jackson WR California
22. Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers- James Hardy WR Indiana
24. Tennessee Titans- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
25. Seattle Seahawks- Dustin Keller TE Purdue
26. Jacksonville Jaguars- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
27. San Diego Chargers- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College
28. Dallas Cowboys- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee ST
29. San Francisco 49ers- Limas Sweed Wr Texas
30. Green Bay Packers- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee
31. New England Patriots- Forfeited
32. New York Giants- Dan Conner LB Penn St

Tuesday, April 22nd

Rochester Wrap

Scranton 3 Rochester0

Rochester 8-11 5 games back

• POG: Glen Perkins- It was not an easy decision because Glen was not great, but compared to the hitters he was great. Glen went 5 innings and gave up 1 run on 6 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. The only problem is he was only able to go 5 innings because he threw 99 pitches in his 5 innings. I have said this before but i think his future is in the bullpen because he is better in short bursts than for many innings. Last night's performence lowered his era to 4.26 on the season.
• The Red Wings had no answer for pitcher Darrell Rasner of Scranton only getting 2 hits for the night. Its tough to win a game with only 3 hits so they need to do better.
• The Red Wings bullpen struggled again giving up 2 runs in 4 innings in a game in which they needed to be perfect with the lack of hitting and they couldnt hold them down
• The Red Wings have the night off before they begin a series with Leigh Valley tommorrow in Rochester

New Britain Business

New Britain 5 Reading 2

New Britain 8-8 4.5 games back

• POG: Luke Hughes- For a record 3rd straight game Luke gets player of the game by going 2-4 with his 3rd HR of the year with an rbi, a run scored and also a walk. With the great game Luke improved his average to a team high .344 for the Rock Cats
• Anthony Swarzak struggled for the first time this season only lasting 4 innings. The problem was he had trouble throwing strikes, but he found a way to get out of some jams only giving up 2 runs in the 4 innings. He gave up 7 hits and walked 3 batters while striking out 5. He raised his ERA to 1.35 on the year, but im not worried at all about him because he has been awesome this year and he wasnt terrible last night its just he set such a standard that when he gives up a run he looks terrible. I look for Anthony to rebound in his next start and be the pitcher we have seen so far.
• Armando Gambino was awesome last night going 3.1 in relief of Swarzak and throwing scoreless ball and let the Rock Cats offense take over. He gave up 4 hits and struck out 4 without a walk to lower his era to 1.80.
• Tonight the Rockcats continue their series with Reading. First pitch is at 5:35pm with Jay Rainville getting the ball for the Rock Cats

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 10 Lakeland 4

• POG: Johnny Woodard- Johnny continued his hot streak with a Hr and 5 rbi's to raise his average to .286. In his last 4 games he is 7-16 with 6 rbi's and 4 runs scored. Johnny when healthy brings a big bopper to the lineup that they need so hopefully he can keep it coming.
• With the win the Miracle moved back into a first place tie with Dunedin at 11-7
• Danny Valencia continued his resurgence going 3-4 with an rbi to bring his average to .279 on the season. Like i said with Woodard when Danny is hitting it makes everyone better. But not to be outdone was Rene Tosoni went 4-5 to bring his average up to a team leading .373. Last night our 1-5 went 13-21 which is a .619 average with a Hr and 9 rbi's all i can say is wow
• The pitching kept its end too Kevin Slowey got the start and went 3 innings and only gave up a solo homerun and struck out 5 in his 3 innings of work.
• Deolis Guerra came in relief and was ok not as good as he has been but still solid going 4 innnings and gave up 2 earned runs on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 3 to bring his era up to 1.42. He did fine but when you come into the game with a .60 era it doesnt take much to go up.
• Tonight the Miracle finish their 3 game series with Lakeland in Fort Myers. Game time is at 6:05 with phenom Tyler Robertson getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

West Michigan 2 Beloit 1

Beloit 6-12 9.0 games back

• POG: Michael Tarsi- For the first time this year Micheal showed what he is made of on the hill going a complete game and giving up 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 4 without a walk. This is the kind of performance the Snappers have been waiting all year out of Michael and if they are going to have a decent year they need more of the same out of Michael Tarsi
• Once again the Snappers struggled with the bat only able to get a run on 6 hits
• Chris Parmalee has struggled since his big game last week going 0-10 since he went off to lower his average by about 70 points.
• Deibinson Romero got the only run with a Hr but the bigger issue is he has really struggled this year so far at the plate in the field. There are alot of people that are very high on him but he has not delivered. He is only hitting .214 with a Hr and 7 rbi's with 7 errors already. He is way too talented to keep this up but its a little disconcerting because some people including myself looked at him as the 3rd basemen of the future but if he is struggling this much at Beloit whats it going to be like for him as he goes forward. I believe he will turn it around but he needs to get better in every sense of the game offensively and in the Twins organization he needs to play better defensively or he wont be around long so he is someone to keep an eye on.
• Tonight the Snappers continue their series with West Michigan. First pitch is at 5:35 with Daniel Berlind getting the start for the Snappers.

Mock Draft 6.0

1. Miami Dolphins- Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St Louis Rams- Glen Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan QB Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders- Darren Mcfadden RB Arkansas
5. Kansas City- Chris Long DE Virginia
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St
7. New England Patriots- Brandan Albert OT Virginia
8. Baltimore Ravens- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy
9. Cincinnatti Bengals- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
10. New Orleans Saints- Keith Rivers LB USC
11. Buffalo Bills- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
12. Denver Broncos- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
13. Carolina Panthers- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
14. Chicago Bears- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit Lions- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
16. Arizona Cardinals- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
17. Minnesota Vikings- Ryan Clady OT Boise St
18. Houston Texans- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St
19. Philadelphia Eagles- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Devin Thomas WR Michigan ST
21. Washington Redskins- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
22. Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College
24. Tennessee Titans- Limas Sweed WR Texas
25. Seattle Seahawks- Dustin Keller TE Purdue
26. Jacksonville Jaguars- Calais Campbell DE Miami
27. San Diego Chargers- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
28. Dallas Cowboys- Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
29. San Francisco 49ers- Desean Jackson WR California
30. Green Bay Packers- Dan Conner LB Penn St
31. New England Patriots- Forfeited
32. New York Giants- Kenny Phillips S Miami

Monday, April 21st

Rochester Wrap
Rochester 7 Scranton 4

• POG: Jason Pridie- Jason continued his strong resurgence for the Red Wings with a game winning 3 run Hr in the top of the 9th to culminate a good comeback for the Wings. Jason has been very solid lately to bring his average to .274. Yesterday he went 1-4 with the hr 3 rbi's and 2 runs scored.
• Philip Humber continues to struggle on the mound for the Wings giving up 4 runs in 5 innings of work. I know people are wondering if Francisco Liriano should of been brought up, but who else could they of brought up Humber has not done enough at Rochester to warrant a recall with an era of 5.09. At the time Liriano was the only one who could of been recalled. Yesterday Humber gave up 4 runs in which 3 were earned in 5 innings with 4 walks and a strikeout. Thankfully the Wings offense and bullpen bailed him out he really needs to step it up if he wants to be with the Twins sometime this year.
• Jose Morales continues his hot streak going 1-4 with his first hr of the year and continuing his resurgence.
• Tonight, the Red Wings finish their 2 game series vs the Yankees in Scranton. First pitch is at 6:00pm with Glen Perkins getting the start.

New Britain Business

New Britain 5 Trenton F/12innings

• POG: Brock Peterson- I was struggling to who to give the player of the game honors to yesterday considering it was a well played game. But with the pressure on his shoulders Brock Peterson came up big. He had a 2 out rbi single in the bottom of the 12th to send the faithful home happy. He was 1-5 with that rbi to win a game the Rock Cats had to have after coughing up a 9th inning lead the prime time players need to step up and thats what Brock did.
• Another good start for Ryan Mullins he went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs, but only 1 of them were earned to lower his era to 1.57. I really believe that Ryan is ready to take the next step and try his hand up at AAA in Rochester. He has been dominant at New Britain and i think he has deserved a chance to see if he is ready to take the next step. Keeping him with the Rock Cats is not a bad deal it will help the team win games, but i think his talent would be better served in Rochester.
• I have been really disappointed in Jay Sawatski this year he has given up leads left and right and he did it again yesterday. Putting the first 2 guys on in the 9th which led to Trenton tying the game. He needs to get this fixed because right now he is just not very good.
• Tonight, the Rock Cats start a 3 game series with Reading in New Britain. Game time is at 5:35pm with Phenom Anthony Swarzak getting the start.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 6 Lakeland 2

• POG: Danny Valencia- Danny came out of his slump with a 2-4 night with his 3rd homerun of the year and 3 rbi's to raise his average to .246. Danny is too talented of a player to be hitting in the .230's. I have a lot of hope for Danny as he is going forward and i think this is just the beginning of his revival and by the end of the year Danny will be putting up the kind of numbers he had last season in Beloit and Fort Myers
• Jeff Manship had a very solid outing probably his best of the year to be honest. He went 5.2 innnings and gave up only 2 runs on 6 hits. He is a key to success of the Miracle pitching staff becuase he brings leadership and a guy that knows how to pitch so hopefully he can keep it going.
• Brian Dinkelman continued his hot streak going 2-2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored. With the good day it raised his average to an unbelivable .351. All i can say is wow and hopefully he can keep it going.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with the flying Tigers in Fort Myers. Gametime is 6:05 with Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey making a rehab start for the miracle.

Beloit Beat

Wisconsin 4 Beloit 3

• POG: Ramon Santana- There is not alot to get excited about with the Snappers as they dropped another one to fall 8 games back already. But Ramon Santana continues to fill the box score every game. Yesterday he went 2-3 with a stolen base, a double, a run scored, and his first hr and rbi of the season.
• Another quality start by Michael Mccardel who has been the most consistant starter for the Snappers. Yesterday he went 5 innings and only gave up 1 run.
• For a 6-11 team with every positive there will be 2 negatives but the biggest negative is the bullpen or should i say lack of bullpen. Yesterday Mccardell left with a 3-1 lead and hoping to get a win. But in the last 4 innings the bullpen gave up 3 runs and 3 hits along with 3 walks to yank a victory away.
• Tonight the Snappers begin a series with the Tigers in West Michigan. Michael Tarsi gets the start for the Snappers with gametime at 5:35pm.

Mock Draft 5.0

1. Miami Dolphins- Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St Louis Rams- Glen Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan QB Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders- Chris Long DE Virginia
5. Kansas City- Branden Albert OT Virginia
6. New York Jets- Darren Mcfadden RB Arkansas
7. New England Patriots- Vernon Gholston LB Ohio St
8. Baltimore Ravens- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
9. Cincinnatti Bengals- Ryan Clady OT Boise St
10. New Orleans Saints- Keith Rivers LB USC
11. Buffalo Bills- Leodis Mcklevin CB Troy
12. Denver Broncos- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
13. Carolina Panthers- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
14. Chicago Bears- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit Lions- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
16. Arizona Cardinals- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
17. Minnesota Vikings- Dominique Rodgers-Cromratie CB Tennessee St
18. Houston Texans- Aqib Talib Cb Kansas
19. Philadelphia Eagles- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Desean Jackson WR California
21. Washington Redskins- James Hardy Wr Indiana
22. Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
24. Tennessee Titans- Phillip Merling De Clemson
25. Seattle Seahawks- Limas Sweed WR Texas
26. Jacksonville Jaguars- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College
27. San Diego Chargers- Dan Conner LB Penn St
28. Dallas Cowboys- Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
29. San Francisco 49ers- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
30. Green Bay Packers- Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
31. New England Patriots- Forfeited
32. New York Giants- Kenny Phillips S Miami

Sunday, April 20th

Rochester Wrap
Scranton 1 Rochester 0

• POG: Brian Duensing- Brian continued his strong start this season going 5.2 innings and only giving up 1 run on 4 hits. After a slow start he has been really solid the last few starts and has really come on. With the solid start it lowered his era to 2.74 on the young season and his record dropped to 1-3.
• Julio Depaula really struggled again when he came in the 6th inning there was runners on first and third with 2 outs and he walks 2 hitters in a row to force in a run. I know Brian Duensing got credit for the run but i blame Depaula. He has good stuff he just walks to many hitters in 12.2 innings so far he has walked 12 batters. Until he gets his control better he will never make it to the majors.
• You could tell that the Red Wings really missed the bat of Brian Buscher who earlier in the day had gotten called up to the Twins after Adam Everett got put on the disabled list. The Red Wings were only able to mount 3 hits off Scranton pitching and its becoming obvious the Red Wings have little hitting and its going to be a tough year.
• Today the Red Wings continue their series with the Yankees in Scranton. Game time is 12:30 today in Scranton with Philip Humber getting the ball for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

Trenton 5 New Britain 3 F/11innings

• POG: Luke Hughes for the second consecutive day gets player of the game honors for the Rock Cats. Luke went 3-5 with his 2nd hr of the year and also scored 2 runs for the Rock Cats. With the 3 hits it raises his team high average to an impressive .365 on the year. He has really impressed me and if he keeps it up wouldnt surpise me to see him in Rochester before the end of the year.
• Yohan Pino continued his strong start going 5 innings and giving up only 1 run on 3 hits and left with the lead.
• For a change the bullpen did not get the job done giving up a 3-1 lead. Jason Miller was awful giving up 2 runs in his 2.1 innings of work. In extra innings Ben Julianel was awful giving up 2 runs in the 11th and barely getting out of the 10th. He is a good pitcher who will help you more than he will hurt you.
• Today the Rock Cats continue their series with the Thunder in New Britain. First pitch is at 2pm with Ryan Mullins getting the start for the Rock Cats.

Fort Myers Musings

Sarasota 2 Fort Myers 1

• POG: Juan Portes- Juan was a bright spot for the Miracle going 3-4 on the night with his 4th rbi of the year. The Miracle had many chances but couldnt put the hits together to score runs. Juan raised his average to .289 on the season and seems to be coming around after a little slow start.
• Cole Devries had a solid start for the Miracle going 5 innings and giving up only 2 runs which should be looked at as a step forward for Cole who had been struggling so far this season.
• With the loss the Miracle drop to 9-7 and drop into 2nd place behind Dunedin a game behind them.
• Today the Miracle take on the Flying Tigers in Fort Myers. First pitch is at 4:05 with Jeff Manship getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

Wisconsin 5 Beloit 3

• POG: Steve Singleton was the hitting star for the Snappers going 2-4 with his 2nd Homerun of the season and drove in his 10th and 11th runs of the year. He has been the most consistant hitter for the Snappers all season raising his average to .400 on the season.
• David Bromberg had his first quality start of the season going 6 innings and only giving up 2 runs. He has been the real disappointment of the team with a run of bad starts and he is the one people were expecting the most out of so hopefully this was the beginning of things to come.
• The Snappers bullpen did not come to the office either Spencer Steedley got the loss in relief for the Snappers giving up 2 runs in 2.1 innings. He is a good pitcher and that wont happen very often.
• Today the Snappers continue their series with the Rattlers in Wisconsin. Gametime is at 2:00 pm with Micheal Mccardell getting the start for the Snappers.

Liriano Start 2

Francisco Liriano had his 2nd start of the season last night and had some good points and some bad points.

• He threw 88 pitches and got threw 5 innings of work
• He seems to be able to locate his slider and changeup and they both have good break on them.
• His velocity is still down he is only throwing 89-92 on his fastball and only 80-82 on his off speed pitches
• He can't locate his fastball at all yet its all over the place
• In 88 pitches he only threw 47 strikes

What does all this mean i look at it is a work in progress and i like that he is doing this up here because he pitched good enough to win last night if we could of hit we could of got him a win. Its like baby steps he was a little bit better than his first start and i think that will continue. I think it will be a year long thing but i am hopeful after this start that eventually we will see the Liriano of old. The reason i say that is he had some bite on some of this sliders and changeups that is something we didnt see in his last start. Be patient with him and i think you are going to see The Franchise back by the end of the year.

Wadena-Deer Creek Shockers

TT: Briefly can you tell me about 2007 season with your record and how you did in the playoffs and any special acheivements worth noting.

RJ:Around .500 no acheivements

TT:Is there any key additions to the team?

RJ: No

TT: is there any key losses from the team?

RJ: No

TT: What do you view as the teams strengths this season?

RJ: Pitching

TT: What are some things the team needs to work on to be the best it can be come playoff time.

RJ: hitting with runners in scoring position

TT: What are the expections you have for your team going into the season.

RJ: regions and a dent in regional playoffs

TT: If you could say what player is the key to your success or failure and why

RJ: Jamie Nordland

TT: Break down your league for me and where do you see your team fitting into your league.

RJ: tied for second....D.L. Shockers, Bluffton, Bertha

TT:Where do you see amateur baseball going in the next 5 years.

RJ: The Same

TT: If you could change something about amateur baseball what would it be.

RJ: Some how bring it back to is old status of that was the only thing in town to do.

I would like to Thank Randy Jahnke for answering my questions on the Shockers. I know he didn't shed too much light on them but from my experience playing them they have solid pitching with the George brothers. Solid defense should be a strength with them up the middle and a team people should check out and watch some good baseball

Saturday, April 19th

Rochester Wrap
Rochester 1 Richmond 0

• POG: Jose Morales- Jose is coming out of a god awful early season slump going 2-4 last night and throwing out a runner at 2nd base. He is too good of a hitter to struggle this much with the bat. With the 2 hits it raises Jose's average to still a terrible .143 on the season but it looks like he is coming around.
• Heath Totten had a solid start as he is continuing to build up arm strength going 4 innings giving up 0 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts. I was really skeptical on him but he has been solid so far as a starter.
• Jason Pridie continued his hot streak getting a hit and driving in the only run of the game.
• Tonight, the Red Wings try to build on their series with Richmond as they travel to Scranton to take on the Yankees. First pitch is at 6pm with Brian Duensing getting the ball for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

Trenton 8 New Britain 4

• POG: Luke Hughes- Luke continued his hot streak going 3-4 with a double and a rbi and a run scored. He has really been hot after starting out slow he has raised his average to a great .340 on the season.
• Oswaldo Sosa struggled again for the Rock Cats going only 4innings and giving up 5 hits and 4 runs to raise his era to 5.84. I was expecting more out of him i thought he would do better than he has so far this season.
• Dustin Martin has cooled down from a hot start and it makes you wonder why we are not seeing Brandon Roberts in there more.
• Tonight the Rock Cats continue their series with Trenton in New Britain. First pitch is at 5:35pm with Yohan Pino getting his 2nd start of the season trying to get that first win out of the way.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 5 Sarasota 3

• POG: Rodolfo Palacious- For someone who has hardly any playing time at all for the Miracle to come out with 2 hits and 2rbis says a lot. Makes you wonder why he hasn't been playing a little more.
• With the win the Miracle moved into a first place tie with Dunedin in the Western Division of the Florida State League.
• Danny Vais improved to 3-0 on the young season going 1.1 innings in relief of Alex Burnett to get the win. His ERA now stands at 0.75 on the season. He is developing into quite the bullpen guy and someone you can count on for good innings.
• Tonight the Miracle try to go into first place all by themselves as they finish their quick 2 game series in Sarasota against the Reds. Cole Devries gets the ball for the Miracle with game time scheduled for 5pm.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 5 Wisconsin 3 Final 5innings

• POG: Joe Benson- Joe shrugged off a early season slump with his first homerun of the season and also reaching on a walk. His job is to get on base and that is something he has struggled with so far this season. His OBP is only .357 and its usually higher than that so thats something he needs to work on.
• Brian Kirwan continued his early season success going 4.2 innings and giving up 2 runs to bring his ERA to 1.76. Brian has been the most consistant starter for Beloit so far and hopefully he can keep it up.
• Its obvious that teams don't want to pitch to Chris Parmalee right now so it was a positive sign that he took 2 walks last night. If he can continue to show that kind of patience at the plate his strikeouts will go down and his walks will go up which will only help him.
• Tonight the Snappers continue with their series with the Timber Rattlers in Grand Chute,Wisconsin. Game time is 6:30pm with David Bromberg getting the start for the Snappers.

Wolf Lake Wolf Pack

Boone Caughey of the Wolf Pack was nice enough to answer my questions about the Wolf Pack and their upcoming season.

TT: Briefly can you tell me about 2007 season with your record and how you did in the playoffs and any special acheivements worth noting.

BC:We finished with a 23-8 record, won Region 16C, and advanced to the state tournament where we lost in the first round. Our goal the last few years has been to win the state tournament, which we obviously didn’t accomplish, but overall I’d say that 2007 was a success. We won a tournament in Brookings , SD which was fun, in part because the trophy is absolutely huge. I’m not kidding, it’s probably four feet tall.

TT: Is there any key additions to the team?

BC: We haven’t signed anyone new yet but a couple guys have expressed an interest. We are getting a couple guys back from injuries so that’ll help.

TT:Is there any key losses from the team?

BC: Not that I know of.

TT: What do you view as the teams strengths this season?

BC: We’re strong up the middle and our pitching staff is pretty solid

TT:What are some things the team needs to work on to be the best it can be come playoff time?

BC: Our coaching needs improvement

TT:What are the expections you have for your team going into the season?

BC: I expect Ron Litzau to concoct a lame excuse why he has to DH, Shane and Ryan Hendrickson to each break a bat per game in BP, Isaac Hjermstad to pick up about 30% of the signs, the temperature to be at least 95 the day we play at the always lovely Matt Leritz field, and finally I expect to win all but a handful of the team poker tournaments.

TT: If you could say what player is the key to your success or failure and why?

BC: Whoever is pitching that day. It’s a lame answer but picking one guy is impossible.

TT:Break down your league for me and where do you see your team fitting into your league.

BC: We play in the North Division of the Lake and Pine. Wolf Lake and Midway have finished 1-2 for as long as I can remember, and I expect the same this year. However, Lakes Area Lightning is new to our division in 2008 and I think they’ll be far more competitive than Nevis , the team they’re replacing, so it should be interesting. Nimrod and Red Eye are two of the top teams in the South Division and I expect them to battle for the top spot again this year.

TT: Where do you see amateur baseball going in the next 5 years?

BC:Unfortunately amateur baseball is on a downswing and I don’t see that changing over the next five years. Ten years ago it was not uncommon to see a 16 year old and a 45 year old on the same field. Now the 16 year old works a summer job or sits on the computer, and the guys that used to play forever retire at 30 so they can be at the lake all summer. It’s a shame

TT: If you could change something about amateur baseball what would it be?

BC: I would get rid of the draft.

I would like to thank Boone for answering my questions about the upcoming season and im sure the Wolf Pack will have another outstanding season this year. They are one of the best teams in this area so casual fans if you get a chance to watch them go ahead and do it you will see good baseball.
BC:

Friday, April 18th

Rochester Wrap
Rochester 2 Richmond 1

• POG: Kevin Mulvey- Kevin continued his strong start to the season going 7 strong innings for the Red Wings. He only gave up 6 hits while walking nobody and striking out 9 in the impressive outing. It amazinging heighted his ERA to a great 1.02 ERA on the season. He has only given up 2 runs in 17.2 innings so far with only 3 walks and 20 strikeouts on the young season. All i can say is wow and hopefully he can keep it up.
• Brian Buscher continued his strong start giving the Red Wings all the runs they needed with a 2 run hr in the 3rd inning. Brian is hitting .352 this spring and possibly might be getting a promotion to the Twins soon.
• Mariano Gomez has been a pleasant surprise so far this year. Yesterday he went 2 shutout innings to pick up the save and lower his era to 0.87 on the season.
• Today the Red Wings finish their 5 game series with Richmond in Rochester first pitch is 6:05. Heath Totten is on the mound for Rochester

New Britain Business

Trenton 7 New Britain 4

• POG: Brock Peterson- Brock continued his recent surge with a 3 run HR in the 1st inning to raise his average to .196 on the young season.
• Jay Rainville pitched solidly giving up only 3 runs in 5 innings for the Rock Cats lowering his era to 5.40.
• Jay Sawatski continued his struggles this season giving up 4 runs in only 2 innings of work. He has really struggled this year and you have to wonder if he has much of a future considering that he is 28 years old and he is struggling at AA.
• Tonight the Rock Cats continue their series with Trenton in New Britain first pitch is at 5:35. Oswaldo Sosa is on the mound for the Rock Cats

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 3 Clearwater 2

• POG: Johnny Woodard continued his strong resurgence for the Miracle going 3 for 4 at the plate to raise his average to .273 with a run scored for the Miracle.
• Tyler Robertson was good again keeping runs out when he did not have his good stuff only giving up 1 unearned run in 5 innings. He walked 2 while struck out 5 to lower his era to 2.57 on the season.
• Anthony Slama continued his strong start going 1 inning to get the win for Miracle. He has worked 8 innings so far this season without giving up a run.
• Tonight the Miracle begin a short 2 game series with the Sarasota Reds in Sarasota with the first pitch at 6:05. Alex Burnett gets the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

• Beloit had the day off yesterday but today they begin a 3 game series with Wisconsin in Beloit. First pitch is at 6:30 with Brian Kirwan getting the start for Beloit as the Snappers try to get back on track after losing their last game.

Mock Draft 4.0

1. Miami Dolphins- Jake Long OT Michigan


2. St Louis Rams- Glen Dorsey DT LSU


3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan QB Boston College


4. Oakland Raiders- Chris Long DE Virginia


5. Kansas City- Brandon Albert OT Virginia


6. New York Jets- Darren Mcfadden RB Arkansas



7. New England Patriots- Vernon Gholston LB Ohio State



8. Baltimore Ravens- Aqib Talib CB Kansas



9.Cincinnatti- Sedrick Ellis DT USC



10. New Orleans- Keith Rivers LB USC



11. Buffalo- Devin Thomas WR Michigan St

12. Denver- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh

13. Carolina- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt

14. Chicago- Ryan Clady OT Boise St

15. Detroit- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois

16. Arizona- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida

17. Minnesota- Derrick Harvey DE Florida

18. Houston- Leodis Mcelvin CB Troy

19. Philadelphia- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma

20. Tampa Bay- Limas Sweed WR Texas

21. Washington- Kenny Phillips S Miami

22. Dallas- Dominique Rogers-Cromartie CB Tennessee ST

23. Pittsburgh- James Hardy WR Indiana

24. Tennessee Titans- Desean Jackson WR California

25. Seattle- Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina

26. Jacksonville- Phillip Merling DE Clemson

27. San Diego- Gosder Cherlious OT Boston College

28. Dallas- Felix Jones RB Arkansas

29. San Francisco- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee

30. Green Bay- Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech

31. New England- Forfeited

32. New York Giants- Dan Conner LB Penn St

Bluffton Braves

Kyle Dykhoff of the Braves was nice enough to answer my questions about the Braves and their upcoming season.

TT: Briefly can you tell me about 2007 season with your record and how you did in the playoffs and any special acheivements worth noting.

KD:I Believe our record was about 17-13 and we got 3rd place in regions with both losses coming to Carlos. The 2007 season was one of our better seasons in awhile. A lot of our losses came in heart-breakers. Our season highlights consisted of coming back from 5 runs down to defeat Perham in a league playoff elimination game.

TT:Is there any key additions to the team?

KD:Our team will be adding two promising highschool kids . Nick Goeden is a infielder with great speed and Josh Sweere is a big kid who should be able to have good power like his older brother Marc (1b)

TT: Is there any key losses from the team?

KD: Our one key loss could be our veteran catcher Wayne Dykhoff who is contemplating retirement. Wayne is a great hitter and is probably the best game caller in the league behind the plate.

TT: What do you view as the teams strengths this season?

KD: Our biggest strength is our pitching. We have three above average starting pitchers(Cody Geiser,Dustin Geiser, Kyle Dykhoff)

TT:What are some things the team needs to work on to be the best it can be come playoff time?

KD: Our team needs to be able to have more quality at-bats where we put the ball in play hard.(less strikeouts and pop-ups)

TT: What are the expections you have for your team going into the season?

KD: We want to go to state this year! We have got third place in regions two consecutive years. We could have everyone back this year and we expect to get over the hump.

TT: If you could say what player is the key to your success or failure and why?

KD: Our team revolves our left-handed sticks, (Brent Weller, David Klinnert, and Marc Sweere) with Marc Sweere being our best hitter.

TT:Break down your league for me and where do you see your team fitting into your league.

KD: Detroit Lakes-Team to beat ,Great line-up, weak pitching Bertha-Young but talented WDC-Great potential and pitching, can't seem to pull things together NYM- Weakest team in division Perham-Very young, good potential, Veterans key to success. Bluffton- Should challenge DL for division

TT:Where do you see amateur baseball going in the next 5 years?

KD:Amateur Baseball is big in our area, should stay strong

TT:If you could change something about amateur baseball what would it be.

KD: Nothing

Bluffton has a good young team and baseball fans their I know from experience like to come check them out. Any baseball fan should go check them out and you will be impressed they play the game the right way and you will have a good time. A thank you to Kyle Dykhoff for being so nice and answering my questions good luck this year.

Thursday, April 17th

Rochester Wrap
Richmond 5 Rochester 4

• POG: Jason Pridie- Seems like Jason is coming out of an early season slump going 2-4 with 3 rbi's for the Red Wings. The 2-4 brought his avearge up to .255 hopefully he can keep it going.
• Glen Perkins continues to struggle starting maybe they should put him back in the bullpen. He went 4.1 innings and gave up 8 hits and 4 runs thats just not going to cut it.
• Julio Depaula threw 3.2 shutout innings
• Bobby Korecky then came on and gave up the go ahead run not a huge deal he doesnt do that very often so i wouldnt be too concerned.
• Today the Red Wings plays game 4 of their 5 game series with Richmond with first pitch at 12:35 in Rochester. Kevin Mulvey gets the start for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

New Britain 4 New Hampshire 1

• POG: Anthony Swarzak- Anthony continued his strong start for the Rock Cats going 6 innings giving up only 3 hits and 0 runs with 0 walks and 10 strikeouts. He has been so impressive this year with a miniscule 0.56 in 3 starts for the Rock Cats. Makes you wonder if maybe he is ready for a promotion to Rochester and he is showing that he is back on track to being one of the top prospects for the Twins.
• Brock Peterson went 2-4 with 4 rbi's to lead the hitting attack for the Rock Cats
• Luke Hughes went 2-3 with 2 walks to help out the hitting for the Rock Cats
• Today the Rock Cats begin a series with the Trenton Thunder with the first pitch at 11:05am in New Britain. Jay Rainville gets the start for the Rock Cats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 4 Clearwater 1

• POG: Deolis Guerra- Deolis continued his unbelievable start for the Miracle this season getting his first win by going 5 innings and only giving up 4 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts to lower his ERA to an impressive 0.60 for the season. Just listening to the game on the radio the announcer went on and on how impressive his changeup is for a 18 year old. I have to wonder as great as Johan Santana is how can you let a guy this talented get away. The way i look at it is their loss is our gain and the Twins will be patient with him but he will be in a Twins uniform in a couple years.
• Danny Graves made his 2nd appearance for the Miracle and after giving up a leadoff triple pitched much better the rest of his outing.
• Danny Santiesteban was the hitting hero for the Miracle with a 3 run Hr in the 2nd inning for Miracle giving them all the runs they needed.
• Today the Miracle continue their series with Clearwater with the first pitch at 6:05 in Fort Myers. Tyler Robertson gets the start for the Miracle should be interesting to watch.

Beloit Beat

Dayton 9 Beloit 2

• POG: Jair Fernandez the throw in player the Twins acquired when we let the Mariners keep R.A. Dickey went 3-4 for the Snappers for one of the only bright spots for Snappers.
• Why would they not play Chris Parmalee when he had 7 rbi's the day before. Nothing like the coaching staff stop the momentum.
• Michael Tarsi was well thought of going into the season, but he has been terrible this year so far. He is 0-3 with a 16.68ERA its early but its something to keep an eye on.
• The Snappers have today off before beginning a 3 game series this weekend with Wisconsin in Beloit.

Pelican Rapids Lakers

Tyler Zierke of the Lakers was nice enough to answer my questions about the Lakers and their upcoming season.

TT: Briefly can you tell me about 2007 season with your record and how you did in the playoffs and any special achievements worth noting.

TZ: The Lakers 07 team had a subpar year. I believed we finished fourth in the countryside league ahead of Frazee. In the playoffs we lost to Frazee and then lost to Vergas.

TT: Is there any key additions to the team?

TZ: The Lakers have some new faces and some former Lakers returning to the lineup. Tom Wacker, Matt Malone, Chris Ostile and Brian Heston have left the Flames organization are coming to play with Lakers. Andrew Johnson and Josh Rudie are coming back after a year off. Greg Sjostrom moved back to the lakes area is is planning on making a return. Pat Lisko is also making his return to Laker lineup after spending the last two years with the Moorhead Brewers.

TT: is there any key losses from the team?

TZ: No key losses

TT: What do you view as the teams strengths this season?

TZ: Pitching and catching will be the strengths to the Lakers this year. Starting pitchers will be Josh Holmes, Adam Johnson and Andrew Skow Anderson. Along with a strong bullen of veteran pitchers in Matt Malone, Brian Heston, Andrew Johnson and Tyler Zierke. The catching will be split up between Ryan Mason, Tom Wacker and Pat Lisko. The overall speed of the team increased with the addition of the new players.

TT: What are some things the team needs to work on to be the best it can be come playoff time?

TZ: Hitting will be one of things we need to work. Our pitching will keep us in the game but if we can hit the ball we should have a pretty good year.

TT: What are the expectations you have for your team going into the season?

TZ: The Lakers have a good chance of making the region tournament

TT: If you could say what player is the key to your success or failure and why?

TZ: I don’t know if one player is the key to our success or failure. I think it more so getting big hits when needed, not making the mental mistakes and making the routine plays.

TT: Break down your league for me and where do you see your team fitting into your league?

TZ:As many people have been saying the gap is getting small between FF and the other teams. FF has lost some players that have anchored them for the past couple years but will have a solid team. Dent is young and some excellent talent. Pelican will have solid pitching but can we get the big hits? Vergas is always competitive but without the addition of new players they the still compete. Frazee will be young and with the loss of four veteran players will struggle this season. Hawley should be competitive but since they are new I am not sure what to expect from them.

TT: Where do you see amateur baseball going in the next 5 years?

TZ: I think amateur will be around, a lot of young are going out and enjoying the game.

TT If you could change something about amateur baseball what would it be?

TZ: No real changes.

Knowing a lot of the guys on the Lakers they should be very competitive so all baseball fans in the area go check them out and you will see some very good baseball. Thanks again Tyler for answering my questions and good luck on the upcoming season.

Tuesday, April 15th

Rochester Wrap
Rochester 9 Syracuse 4

• POG: Brian Buscher- Brian continued his strong start for the Red Wings going 2-3 with his 3rd HR of the year and driving in 2 runs and also scoring 2 runs. It brings his season average to .342 on the young season.
• The Red Wings drew 4 more walks to continue a trend they would like to see all year long.
• Brian Duensing got the win going 5.2 innings only giving up 3 runs for his first win of the season.
• Today the Red Wings have a doubleheader with Richmond with game 1 starting at 5:05pm. Phillip Humber gets the start in game 1 while Casey Daigle gets the start in game 2.

New Britain Business

New Britain 7 New Hampshire 2

• POG: David Winfree- David came out of an early season slump to lead the Rock Cats to a victory. Winfree went 2-5 on the night with his 2nd HR with 3 rbi's. The good night brought his average to .200 that just shows how much he struggled to start the year.
• Yohan Pino was strong on the mound going 4 innings without giving up a run. He walked 1 and struck out 3 in a strong outing for Yohan.
• Jason Miller worked 4 innings to pick up the win for the Rockcats giving up 2 hits and 2 runs for the victory.
• Today the Rockcats take on Fisher Cats in game 2 of their series in New Hampshire. Game time is 5:35pm with Ryan Mullins getting the start for the Rock Cats.

Fort Myers Musings

off day

• The Miracle had the day off and start a series with Clearwater in Fort Myers. Gametime is 6:05pm with Jeff Manship getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit beat

Dayton 10 Beloit 4

• POG: Garrett Olson- Garrett had a great game for the Snappers going 3-5 with a double and a run scored to bring his average up to .282 on the young season.
• David Bromberg was strong for the Snappers going 5 innings and only giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. He walked 4 while striking out 7 on the night.
• The Snappers defense betrayed them they committed 4 errors on the night which led to 7 unearned runs. Your not going to win very often with 7 unearned runs so they need to tighten up that defense.
• Tonight the Snappers continue their series with the Dragons. First pitch is 6:30pm with Michael Mccardell gets the start for the Snappers.

Staples Legionaires

A member of the Staples Legionaires was nice enough to answer my questions about the season for them and i hope you all enjoy.

TT: Briefly can you tell me about 2007 season with your record and how youdid in the playoffs and any special acheivements worth noting.

SL: Our regular season record was 3-21, 3-13 in the Lake & Pine League. We lostboth of our 2 playoff games which was a best of 3 series with the Wolf LakeWolfpack (who I believe ended up winning region 16C and going to state).The '07 season was our 2nd year having a team, this coming season will be our 3rd.

TT: Is there any key additions to the team?

SL: Jeff Johnson, a long time high school varsity and amateur umpire in thearea, will be taking over as our 3rd manager in 3 seasons, but will allowus to have a non-player/manager for the first time. His 2 sons, Zack andGunner Johnson, will be coming over to our team from the Nimrod Gnats. For the past 4 seasons Zack has played as either the starting CF or SS for a good Nimrod team that went to regions each of those years. Zack hit for a .329AVG last season, and is also probably one of the fastest 2 or 3 players in all the L&P League, and the Legionnaires need his speed. Gunner is still a young highschooler, but may earn a starting spot this season

TT: Is there any key losses from the team?

SL: Manager/Backup catcher David Lundberg is leaving the team after moving to a new area

TT: What do you view as the teams strengths this season?

SL:We don't have much for power hitting, but we might be able to more than make up for that with our speed on the bases and at the plate. Our lineup will have a number of guys that will be threats on the bases and that are very capable hitters at the plate that find ways to get on base and move runners over. Our defensive depth in the outfield may have us with more good outfielders than we're able to find playing time for.

TT: What are some things the team needs to work on to be the best it can become playoff time?

SL: Improving our defense will be the biggest issue. We especially will need to find guys to fill holes at catcher and 3rd base. Our pitching depth also looks like it may be shorter than we'd like

TT: What are the expections you have for your team going into the season?

SL: After last season, I think most of us on the team are hoping to be a middle of the pack team in the league, and to be playing good enough come playoff time to just have a shot at winning a few games and making it to regions

TT: If you could say what player is the key to your success or failure and why?

SL: David Anderson is key to our pitching success, he threw more than 30% of our innings last season. Centerfielder Jason Bachman probably had the teams best offensive year last season, batting .333 and scoring 18 runs. It will also be interesting to see how Justin Kolling has recovered from last years season ending injury. A month into the season, Justin was hitting .407 with 7 runs scored before dislocating his shoulder, breaking a collar bone, and needing offseason elbow surgery all due to a play where he ran into the foul pole at full speed while making an amazing catch at the fence

TT: Break down your league for me and where do you see your team fitting into your league.

SL:Each of the last few years, Wolf Lake, Nimrod, and Midway have taken 3 of the 4 region spots from our league. This year I expect the top tier to be made up of Wolf Lake, Midway, and the league newcomer Lakes Area Lightning(from Brainerd). The middle pack will be made up of Nimrod, Red Eye,Sebeka, Verndale, and I believe also Staples, and I expect all these teams to be pretty much equal. I would expect Huntersville to be the only bottom dweller, but after last season the other teams in the league would probably tell you that they think Staples belongs in that group as well.The North Division is made up of Staples, Wolf Lake, Midway, and LakesArea, so at least 1 of those 3 teams that I consider to be the best in ourleague will not make the region tournament. The South Division is made up of Nimrod, Red Eye, Sebeka, Verndale, and Huntersville, and I don't see it being as nearly as top-heavy as the North Division.

TT: Where do you see amateur baseball going in the next 5 years?

SL: Don't really have any thoughts on this

TT: If you could change something about amateur baseball what would it be.

SL:I would move a large number of the top C teams up to class B. It doesn'tmake sense to me that Class C is so large that only about 10% of teams makeit to the state tournament, when at the same time the number of teams inClass B is so small that like 50% of the teams go to state.

Amateur Baseball Angle

I am starting a new facet of my blog im going to have an amateur baseball angle. As some of you know and for people that don't i have a long history with amateur baseball. Growing up going to games when i wasn't old enough to walk got the love of baseball in me long before i got into the Twins. So i have decided to involve Amateur Baseball in my blog and i have chosen the Countryside,Hi-ten,Lakes and Pine, and Resorters leagues to focus on because thats what i am most familiar with. I sent out questionaires to every manager in those leagues and i will do a preview of every team in those leagues. If i missed any of the teams in those leagues it was probably because i couldnt find a contact email or number so email me back and ill get you a questionaire. What this aspect of my blog will entail is teams sending in their scores and ill keep a standings up atleast once a week. It is a good way for people that love baseball to talk about real small town baseball that most of us have experienced one time or another. I hope everyone enjoys it and i hope all the teams take part because i think it can be fun if the teams become actively involved in this angle.

DH

I will be continuing my series on the Twins position by position look into the Twins organization. Today i will be moving onto the Right Field position hope everyone enjoys it and let the comments continue. Im excited about this position because we have some exciting players at this position

Twins

• Jason Kubel- I am going to be honest going into the second half of last year i was not too impressed with Jason his average was languising in the .230's and he didn't look impressive at all. But i admit i was wrong about him he has been outstanding since then. Jason was a 12th round pick by the Twins in the 2000 draft. His minor league stats were phenomenal he was a .319 hitter in 4 years in the minor leagues. He came up in 2004 and looked to be on his way to stardom starting in the playoffs for the Twins. Then disaster struck in an Arizona Fall League game he collided with another player and destroyed his knee which caused him to miss the entire 2005 season. It took him a while to get back and the second half of last year was when i saw the Jason Kubel that i remember in 04 with good plate discipline and power for a guy his size. I'm really happy for him and expect a breakout year for Jason and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I see Jason as a cornerstone for the Francise and someone the Twins need to get signed long term for the Twins to go back on their Throne as Central Division Champions.

Rochester

• Jon Knott- Jon is an interesting player who has good power and a good professional player. Jon came over to the Twins this offseason and brought with him a very professional attitude and a plan at the plate. Jon is a career .280 hitter who had his best seaon in 2006 at Portland where he hit 32 hr and 113 RBI's. I am kind of high on Jon who i think if there is injury's could help the Twins out as a bat off the bench, but i think he will spend the season in Rochester trying to help them make the playoffs.

New Britain

• Erik Lis- I am really high on Erik he knows how to hit and has good power and his future is pretty good. Erik was a 9th round pick by the Twins in the 2005 draft and has put up good numbers. Last season for Fort Myers he hit .274 with 18Hrs and 97 rbi's. Defensively he has struggled in the outfield but you need to find a way to get his bat in the lineup. He struck out 109 times so he needs to cut down on that but i am high on him and if he continues to develop i could forsee a major league career for him as long as he keeps working on it and keeps getting stronger.

Fort Myers

• Whitney Robbins- Whitney has some potential as a hitter its just way to early to tell how good he can be. Whitney was a 4th round draft pick in 2006 so this is only his 2nd full season as a professional. Last year he struggled at Fort Myers hitting only .210 with no homeruns in 64 games. He has a lot to improve on this year and i really dont think there is a lot of future for him, but like i said its too early to tell how he will take the coaching and if he is willing to put in the work to get better so the jury is still out on him.

Beloit

• Ben Petsch- Ben is an interesting player who has immense talent who is starting to come into his own. Ben was a 19th round pick in the 2007 draft so this is his first full season as a professional. In a shortened season last year he hit .310 in only 27 games. It is way to early to tell how good he is going to be and being a 19th round pick he has to beat out people taken ahead of him but he definatly is someone to keep an eye on this year for the Snappers.

Monday, April 14th

Rochester Wrap
Syracuse 3 Rochester 2

• POG: Mariano Gomez- He pitched 3 solid innings in relief of Heath Totten only giving up 1 hit and 0 runs to lower his era to 1.80. He walked 1 and struck out 3.
• The Red Wings continue with the struggles at the plate only getting 4 hits on the day.
• Heath Totten made a decent spot start going 3 innings and giving up 2 runs with only 1 earned.
• The Red Wings continue to struggle defensively committing 2 more errors to bring their season total to 20 errors in only 10 games. They need t0 tighten that up or its going to be a long season.
• Today the Red Wings conclude their series with Syracuse with a 5:35 game in Rochester. Brian Duensing gets the start for the Red Wings

New Britain Business

Portland 5 New Britain 1

• POG:Trevor Plouffe- Trevor continued his good weekend for the Rock Cats going 1-3 with a triple and an rbi. He also reached on a walk to raise his average to .308 on the young season.
• The Rock Cats struggled with the bats only able to scratch together 2 hits against Portland starter Dustin Richardson.
• Jay Sawatski had a good outing in relief of Oswaldo Sosa going 2 and 2/3 shutout innings giving up 3 hits while striking out 2.
• Oswaldo Sosa had a tough outing for the Rock Cats going 3 and a third innings giving up 5 runs and walking 6. It wont happen very often with Sosa he is too good of a pitcher.
• Tonight the Rock Cats begin a series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in New Hampshire. Game time is 5:35 with Yohan Pino getting the start for the Rock Cats.

Fort Myers Musings

Dunedin 9 Fort Myers 3

• POG: Danny Valencia- In not a very good game for the Miracle Danny hit his 2nd hr of the season for the Miracle and drove in 2 runs.
• Yancarlos Ortiz had a good game at the plate going 2-3 for the Miracle. He is known for his glove so anything he brings offensively is a plus.
• Cole Devries got the start for the Miracle and struggled giving up 5runs and 8 hits in 5 and 2/3 innings. Walking 3 and striking out 6 for the Miracle. He is too good of a pitcher to pitch like that I look for him to bounce back next time out.
• The Miracle were shut down offensively only scratching out 6 hits against the First place Blue Jays.
• The Miracle take today off before beginning a series with Clearwater on Tuesday.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 8 Fort Wayne 3 game 1

Beloit 6 Fort Wayne 1 game 2

• POG: Mark Dolenc- Mark had a good couple of games going 5-6 in the 2 games with 2 doubles , 2 runs scored and a RBI in the 2 games as the Snappers swept the doubleheader.
• Chris Parmalee had a good couple of games going 3-6 with 3 rbi's in the 2 games.
• Daniel Berlind struggled a bit in the first game going 3 innings for the snappers and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits but walked 5 batters which is way to much.
• Brian Kirwan pitched his 2nd consecutive strong performance for the snappers going 5 innings and giving up only 1 run on 2 hits. To lower his team leading ERA to 0.84.
• Today the Snappers try to continue their winning streak to 3 games as they play host to Dayton in the first game of a 3 game series. Game time is 6:30 with David Bromberg getting the start for the Snappers

Right Field

I will be continuing my series on the Twins position by position look into the Twins organization. Today i will be moving onto the Right Field position hope everyone enjoys it and let the comments continue. Im excited about this position because we have some exciting players at this position

Twins

• Michael Cuddyer: Michael has finally found a home in right field for the Twins. This past offseason he signed a 3 year contract extension with a option. Michael has developed into a very strong offensive player and defensively he is outstanding making 15 outfield assists last season. Mike is a career .270 hitter who has become very consistant the last 3 or 4 years. You get what you see with Cuddyer and he is a very good major leaguer and a cornerstone player when the Twins move into their new stadium in a couple years. I would like to see him be a little more aggressive at the plate he looks at a lot of good pitches. He is a very good leader and will lead the Twins for the next 4 or 5 years.

Rochester

• Garrett Jones- Garrett is a very interesting player who does a lot of things very well. Garrett signed as a free agent from the Braves in 2002. He is a good hitter with power he just has not been consistent enough to be a major leaguer. The Twins have gave him every chance to be successful so they had to take him off the 40 man roster. He puts the Twins in a tough spot becuase he excells at AAA but when you bring him up to the Majors and struggles. I just look at him is a career minor leaguer who i dont see alot of upside for him.

New Britain

• David Winfree- David is a guy who has a lot of talent who could be really good, but really hasn't lived up to his expectations. David was a 13th round pick in the 2003 draft. Many people have expected a lot of him and he really hasn't lived up to expectations. David is a career .267 who has some power, but his defense sent him to the outfield, but i dont much future for him i see him as a career minor leaguer.

Fort Myers-

• Rene Tosoni- I am very high on Rene Tosoni as an outfielder. He is a very good hitter who has a good arm. Rene was drafted in the 36th round in the 2005 draft. He has outperfomed his draft pick. He hit .301 last season for Elizabethton and i think he will continue to get better every year. Its pretty early to tell but i think if he continues to develop who knows in a couple years. I am really big on him so he is one player to keep your eye on.

Beloit

• Chris Parmalee- I think Chris has tremendous upside who is the class of the minor league right fielders. He has tremendous Power who i have heard compared to Adam Dunn power wise. The thing he needs to do is cut down on his strikeouts to make it. He struck out 137 times last year and thats way to many. Chris was a 1st round pick in the 2006 draft. I really like him and i think he will be the right fielder for the Twins in 4 years and will be a 30hr guy if given the proper time and the chance to develop so keep an eye on him.

Sunday, April 13th

Rochester Wrap
Syracuse 2 Rochester 0

• POG: Kevin Mulvey-Kevin was one of the only bright spots for the Wings. He was the tough luck loser going 5 innings and only giving up 4 hits and 1 run. That is 2 good starts in a row to start the season for Mulvey to lower his ERA to 0.84.
• The Red Wings continue to struggle with the bat only able to scratch out 2 hits on the day.
• The Red Wings have a big decision to make with Liriano going up to the Twins they need to find a permanent replacement.
• Today in Rochester the Red Wings finish up their 3 game series with Syracuse hoping to take the series and get back on track. Heath Totten gets the spot start today with the Red Wings game time is 12:35Pm in Rochester.

New Britain Beat

New Britain 14 Portland 5

• POG: Trevor Plouffe- There were many people I could of chosen as player of the game as the Rock Cats broke out of their opening hitting slump. I chose Trevor cause he went 4-6 with his first HR of the year and 4rbi's and 3 runs scored.
• Jay Rainville had a much better 2nd start then he did in his first one. He went 5 innings and gave up 5 hits and 2 runs with only 1 earned.
• Dustin Martin continued his crazy start going 4-5 to bring his average to a crazy .619.
• Today the Rock Cats finish their 3 game series with the Sea Dogs in Portland. Oswaldo Sosa gets the start today for New Britain with the first pitch at Noon.

Fort Myers Musings

Dunedin 5 Fort Myers 4

• POG: Johnny Woodard continued his upswing with the Miracle going 2-4 with his 2nd Hr of the year.
• Robert Delaney blew the save for the Miracle blowing at 2 run 8th inning lead. That won't happen very often, Delaney is one of the most consistant closers in the Florida State League so more times then not it will be a win for the Miracle.
• Brian Dinkelman continued his early season success going 2-5 to bring his average up to .351.
• Today the Miracle conclude their series with the Blue Jays with a 12:05 tilt in Fort Myers. Cole Devries gets the start today for the Miracle.

Beloit Beat

• Game was postponed becuase of rain/snow doubleheader today in Beloit
• Game 1 will be started by Daniel Berlind
• Game 2 will be started by Brian Kirwan

Center Field

I will be continuing my series on the Twins position by position look into the Twins organization. Today i will be moving onto the Center Field position hope everyone enjoys it and let the comments continue. Im excited about this position because we have some exciting players at this position



Twins

• Carlos Gomez- If you want to talk about exciting you need to go no further than the man they call Go-Go. I know this word goes around a lot but Carlos is a 5 tool player with unlimitless potential. Offensively, he is a work in progress while he learns how to hit on the major league level. The reason you can let him do that up here is his blazing speed. Jose Reyes who many thought was the fastest man in the major leagues says that Carlos Gomez is faster than he is. That should tell you a lot about Carlos' speed. He uses his speed well too bunting for base hits and stealing bases. The thing people dont talk about is his defense i dont think we are losing any Defense with him instead of Torii Hunter and i never thought i would say that. He has a very strong arm that is a little inaccurate but given time will have one of the best arms in the game. Going forward I see things a little different he is only 22 years old and i see his game changing as he gets older cause i see him picking up power. I actually in 2 or 3 years see him being a 30-30 guy. I really believe we have found a winner in Carlos Gomez and because of him and Deolis Guerra I think 5 years from now people are going to say the Twins got the best of the Santana deal.

Rochester

• Denard Span- Being i dont see him being with the Twins after Michael Cuddyer comes back I look for him to man center field for the Red Wings again. Denard is a very interesting player he was a 1st round pick by the Twins in the 2002 draft. Many believed he was going to be the Center Fielder of the future, but he has had his up and downs. He is a career .287 hitter who can do a lot of things very well. He is fast who puts together good patient at bats and plays a good center field with a good arm. I was ready to give up on him after he had a tough 2007 for the Red Wings. This spring however, he bounced back and gave Carlos Gomez all he could handle in the battle for Center Field for the Twins. I really believe now Denard Span is going to be a solid major league player and i look for him to be back in a Twins uniform as early as September. I also look for him to be a Twin next year and never get sent down again.

New Britain

• Brandon Roberts: Brandon is a very interesting player that brings alot to the table for the Rock Cats. He is a career .299 hitter who brings good defense and speed to the table. Brandon came over to the Twins from the Cincinnatti Reds organization and has hit everywhere he has been. I think he is a good professional player, but I see better players in the organization and its going to be hard for him to get much further than he is now. I think he is solid, but with the Twins centerfielders Solid is not going to get it done.

Fort Myers

• Juan Portes- The Miracle have 4 outfielders who share playing time so it was hard who to pick but i am intrigued by Juan Portes. Juan was a 15th round pick by the Twins in the 2004 draft. He is a .272 career hitter in 4 professional seasons. He is a solid outfielder that doesn't do a lot of things great but doesnt have major weaknesses. I don't see much of a future for him but he is a solid professional player who can play a good center field.

Beloit

• Joe Benson- Some people are not as high on Joe as i am but i think he can be a Major League player if he keeps growing. Joe was the Twins 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft. He is a career .257 hitter that needs to show some improvement at the plate, but i think he can do it. He is very good defensively and a good arm who plays a good center field. If he can improve on the offense side i think he could be a 4th outfielder some day.

Elizabethton

• Ben Revere- Reason im going that far down is i have heard good things about Ben and he will have something to say about the future for center field for the Twins. Ben was the Twins first round draft pick in 2007. Right now he is in extended spring with the Twins and last year in only 50 games he hit .325 for Elizabethton. Its way early to judge him but he definatly is worth keeping your eye on him.

Saturday, April 12th

Red Wing Wrap

Rochester 7 Syracuse 5

• POG: Chris Basak- Chris had an outstanding game at the plate showing the discipline that had been lacking for the Red Wings in drawing 4 walks and also driving in a run.
• Big come from behind win for the Red Wings
• When a team is struggling with the bats like the Red Wings are you need to find any way to get it done and it was huge drawing 10 walks
• Today Rochester takes on Syracuse again in game 2 of their 3 game series. Gametime is 12:35 in Rochester. Kevin Mulvey is on the hill for Red Wings making his 2nd start of the season.

New Britain Beat

New Britain 3 Portland 1

• POG: Anthony Swarzak- Anthony continued his strong start with 5 shutout innings to lower his ERA to a lights out 0.90 ERA and getting his first win of the season. He pitched 5 innings and gave up only 3 hits while striking out 4 without walking a batter.
• Dustin Martin continued his torrid start going 2-3 to bring his average to a crazy .563 in the young season. He has 9 hits in only 16 ats so far. I know he will cool down but man what a start.
• Today the Rock Cats continue their series with Portland in Portland. Jay Rainville gets the start for the Rock Cats. First pitch is at Noon.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 3 Dunedin 2

• POG: Brian Dinkelman- Brian went 2-4 on the night with his first HR of the year to raise his average to .344.
• The Miracle were able to get after Big League Closer B.J. Ryan a bit tagging him with the loss getting the winning run off of him in his lone inning of work.
• Tyler Robertson was ok he threw too many pitches so he was only able to work 4 innings. He gave up 6 hits and 2 runs. He walked 2 while striking out an impressive 7 batters.
• Tonight the Miracle take on the Blue Jays in game 2 of their 3 game series. Alex Burnett gets his 2nd start of the young year for the Miracle. Game time is 5:05 in Fort Myers.

Beloit Beat

Fort Wayne 11 Beloit 1

• POG:- It was not a good night for the Snappers, but a pleasant surprise was Chris Parmalee who continued his strong start to the 08 season. Chris went 2-3 with the only Snapper RBI to raise his average to .304. If he keeps this up he wont be in Beloit all season.
• Like i said not a very good night for the Snappers they committed a season high 6 errors and pitcher Micheal Tarsi gave up 9 runs in only 2 innings of work this is a game the Snappers would just soon forget.
• The Snappers try to get back on the winning side today when they face the Wizards in game 2 of the 3 game series in Beloit. Daniel Berlind is scheduled to get the ball today first pitch is at 1PM. UPDATE: Beloit's game today with Fort Wayne is rained out.