New Top 50 prospects list

1. Tyler Robertson
2. Ben Revere
3. Deolis Guerra
4. Shooter Hunt
5. Aaron Hicks
6. Danny Valencia
7. Jeff Manship
8. Carlos Gutierrez
9. Anthony Slama
10. Luke Hughes
11. Trevor Plouffe
12. Denard Span
13. Brian Duensing
14. Anthony Swarzak
15. Kevin Mulvey
16. Wilson Ramos
17. Chris Parmalee
18. Angel Morales
19. Mike Mccardell
20. Cole Devries
21. Steve Tolleson
22. Alex Burnett
23. Santos Arias
24. Tyler Ladendorf
25. Philip Humber
26. David Bromberg
27. Erik Lis
28. Jon Waltenbury
29. Brian Dinkelman
30. Joe Benson
31. Rob Delaney
32. Dustin Martin
33. Brandon Roberts
34. Brock Peterson
35. Rene Tosoni
36. Edward Ovalle
37. Michael Harrington
38. Steve Singelton
39. Dan Osterbrock
40. Deibinson Romero
41. Danny Rams
42. Jay Rainville
43. Juan Portes
44. Brad Tippet
45. Mike Tarsi
46. Daniel Ortiz
47. Alex Curry
48. Alex Soto
49. Steve Singelton
50. Reggie Williams

Quarterly top 50 prospects

The first 20 I have provided stats for so this will be just a list of the top 25 prospects and tommorrow i will list the next 25

1. Tyler Robertson
2. Deolis Guerra
3. Ben Revere
4. Danny Valencia
5. Kevin Mulvey
6. Jeff Manship
7. Luke Hughes
8. Aaron Hicks
9. Anthony Slama
10. Mike Mccardell
11. Jon Waltenbury
12. Brian Duensing
13. Shooter Hunt
14. Trevor Plouffe
15. Carlos Gutierrez
16. Deibinson Romero
17. Angel Morales
18. Cole Devries
19. Santos Arias
20.Philip Humber
21. Anthony Swarzak
22.Wilson Ramos
23. Ryan Mullins
24. Alex Burnett
25. Chris Parmalee

Saturday, July 5th

Twins Talk

Twins 12 Cleveland 3

Twins 48-38 1.0 games back

• POG: Delmon Young- Delmon had probably his best day of the season by going 3-5 with 4 rbi's and his 3rd homerun of the season. With the 3 hits it raised his average to a good .289 on the season. Also the 4 Rbi's brought his season total up to 33. Delmon got off to a slow start but this homestand he has really come on hitting .422 with 2 homeruns, which is what we have been waiting to see. I have been saying it all year that his numbers will be fine and at the end of the year he will put up comparable numbers that he did last year with 10-15 homerun and around 90 rbi's which is exactly what we need out of him.


• The Twins had a great game as they defeated the Indians 12-3 last night. Livan Hernandez was shaky like usual but he made it 6 innings and only gave up 3 runs for his 4th consecutive quality start. Twins pitchers have now had quality starts in 16 of the last 19 games. Offensivly there were plenty of heros as the Twins pounded out 15 hits and 12 runs. They were led by Delmon Young and Nick Punto, yes that Nick Punto. Between the 2 of them they went 5-9 with 2 homeruns and 8 rbi's. Justin Mourneau went 2-3 with his 16th and 17th doubles of the year.


• Tonight, the Twins try to extend their winning streak to 4 games at the Metrodome against the Indians. Gametime is at 6:10 with Kevin Slowey getting the start for the Twins.

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 8 Buffalo 1

Rochester 42-48 15.0 games back

• POG: Trevor Plouffe- Trevor had probably his best night of the season since his callup to Rochester. He went 3-5 with his 3rd homerun of the season for the Red Wings. He also had his 4th double and his 12th rbi of the year. Trevor improved his average with the 3 hits to .244 on the year. Trevor has really started to pick it up as of late and has become a solid contributer for the Red Wings my only question is what is his position any more. I thought we had found our shortstop of the future, but since he went up to Rochester he has hardly played short mostly 3rd or 2nd. Makes me wonder does he not have the range to play ss at the major league level or what. Because if doesn't play SS the Twins are kind of weak at SS in the system so they may have to go outside the organization to find a SS.


• The Redwings won their 3rd consecutive game and 2nd consecutive against Buffalo as they went ahead of them in the standings. Brian Duensing had his best start in a while going 6 shutout innings to pick up his 5th win of the year. Offensively they were led by Trevor Plouffe and Howie Clark. Plouffe went 3-5 with his 3rd homerun and Clark went 4-4 with 3 rbi's.


• Tonight, the Redwings try to extend their winning streak to 4 games as they finish up their series with Buffalo going for the sweep. Gametime is at 6:05 with Francisco Liriano getting the start for the Redwings.

New Britain Business

New Britain 5 Connecticut 3

New Britain 36-49 15.5 games back

• POG: Brock Peterson- Brock had his best start in quite a while yesterday going 3-4 with his 8th and 9th homeruns of the year. With the 3 hits it raised his average to .257 and picked up his 46th and 47th rbi's of the year. Brock has been up and down all year and has not been as consistant as I expected him to be and that along with the good year of Randy Ruiz has kept Brock in AA so im hoping for a good second half from Brock to possibly starting next season up in Rochester.


• The Rockcats broke a 4 game losing streak with a 5-3 win versus Connecticut. Jeff Manship got the start and was very strong going 7 innings and only giving up 2 runs to lower his era to 3.91 for the season. Offensively, they were led by Brock Peterson who went 3-4 with 2 homeruns and Luke Hughes who hit his 15th homerun of the year.


• Tonight, the Rockcats continue their series with Connecticut in New Britain. Gametime is at 6:05 with Kyle Aselton getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 2 Lakeland 1 14 innings

• POG: Cole Devries- Cole continued the unbeliveable pitching by the Miracle pitching staff by going 6 shutout innings and only giving up 3 hits along with a walk and 6 strikeouts. With the no runs it lowered Cole's era to 2.59 on the season. Cole has been really amazing the last couple months and has put himself back on the prospect list because going into the season alot of people did not think too highly of him and with the season he has put together he should be considered for a promotion to New Britain.


• The Miracle continued their hot streak by winning their 7th consecutive game. Cole Devries went the first 6 innings, but this game went on forever. 14 innings to be exact before Eddie Ovalle hit home Steve Singelton for the game winning run. Ovalle was the hitting star going 2-6 with his 7th homerun and his 42nd and 43rd rbi's.


• The big thing as of late is the Fort Myers pitching staff. Here is a stat I have never seen anything even close to and that is in the last 42 innings the Miracle pitchers have only given up 2 runs. Yes thats right only 2 runs.


• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with Lakeland in Lakeland. Gametime is at 5pm with Alex Burnett getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit bits

Clinton 4 Beloit 0

Beloit 10-6 1.0 games back

• POG: Jeanfred Brito- Brito has really asserted himself since his call up from E-town. Last night he went 1-4 with his 3rd stolen base of the season. Brito has brought some life to a lifeless Beloit team right now with Revere limping along with Benson and Parmalee out with injuries. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up ie. Revere.
• The Snappers have had alot of success against Clinton early in the second half, but Clinton is a playoff team for a reason and they found that out last night in a 4-0 loss. Mike Mccardell was not as sharp as he had been as of late going 7 innings and giving up 4 runs to take the loss. Offensively, the Snappers were not able to get anything going against the Clinton pitching staff only able to muster 3 hits in the loss.
• Tonight, the Snappers begin a 3 game series with Wisconsin in Wisconsin. Gametime is at 7pm with David Bromberg getting the start for the Snappers.

E-town tidbits

E-town 5 Bristol 4 11innings

E-town 14-4 First Place

• POG: Shooter Hunt- Twins 1st round pick Shooter Hunt made his professional start last night and man was it impressive. Shooter went 3 innings and did not allow a hit and struck out 6 batters to get his career started. Shooter could not of asked for a better way to start his Twins career than how he did it. I look for him to skyrocket through the Twins system because he is very refined as a prospect. Before the season is up I look for Shooter to be up in Fort Myers.
• The Twins themselves had a long game last night needed 11 innings to beat Bristol. Shooter Hunt got his first professional start and was very good for 3 innings. Offensively, they were led by Angel Morales who went 3-5 with his 4th homerun of the year to put the Twins on top in the 11th inning. Also Juan Richardson and Dominic De La Osa each had 2 hits to pace the Twins attack
• Tonight, the Twins continue their series with Bristol in Bristol. Gametime is at 6:00pm with Dan Osterbrock getting the start for the Twins

Friday, July 4th

Twins Talk
off day
Twins 47-38 2.0 games back

• The Twins had yesterday off before beginning a 3 game weekend series with the Indians at the Metrodome. Gametime is at 6:10 with Livan Hernandez getting the start for the Twins vs Paul Byrd of the Indians.

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 7 Buffalo 6 13 innings

Rochester 41-48 15 games back

• POG: Kevin Mulvey- Kevin had his finest start in quite a while last night. He went 7 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 5 hits along with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. With the 2 runs Kevin lowered his era to 3.94 on the season. Kevin made a really good start and it was a start that he needed for his confidence because in June he had a 4.05era. I really believe that Kevin's best days are ahead of him and he put in a big start last night that will come a long way to getting him back on track.
• Trevor Plouffe had a game winning homerun in the top of 13th to bail out the bullpen. Kevin Mulvey handed the Red Wings bullpen a 6-2 9th inning lead and it took 4 pitchers to get through the inning and before they knew it the score was 6-6. That why it was such a big homerun by Plouffe on 2 fronts. First it got them a win in a game they had to win because if they had blown this one it would of destroyed any momentum the Red Wings had gotten. Secondly, Trevor needed that for his confidence because since his promotion he has really struggled only hitting .219 and hopefully a game like that will help him get going.
• Tonight, the Red Wings continue their series with Buffalo in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05 with Brian Duensing getting the start.

New Britain Business

Reading 6 New Britain 2

New Britain 35-49 15.5 games back

• POG: Brian Dinkelman- Brian had his finest day since his promotion to New Britain by going 2-4 with a run scored. With the 2 hits it brings Brian's New Britain average up to .218 on the season. Brian has really struggled to get going at New Britain I don't think it is something to get worried about, but it is something that you should keep an eye on, but I think he is too good of a hitter for him not to hit and I think in Time he will hit like we are used to seeing out of him.
• The Rockcats continue to struggle as of late as they lost again. The Rockcats have now lost 12 of their last 15 games. Just like usual the bad part was the pitching as Yohan Pino gave up 5 runs in only 3.1 innings. The hitters were not much better as they were only able to get 5 hits off Reading pitcher and former Twins farmhand J.D. "The Real Deal" Durbin. The only bright spots were Felix Molina picked up his 2nd triple and Toby Gardenhire picked up his 8th rbi of the year.
• Today, the Rockcats begin a 4 game series with Connecticut in New Britain. Gametime is at 3:05 with Jeff Manship getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 2 Tampa 1

Fort Myers 8-6 1.5 games back

• POG: Matt Fox- Matt continued the phenomenal pitching by the Fort Myers starters as of late going 7 innings and only giving up 1 run on 3 hits along with 1bb and 3 strikeouts. Matt has really taken off since the Miracle put him in the starting rotation after the All-Star game. With the 1 run allowed he lowered his era to 3.65 on the season and picked up his 4th win of the year. I really think that Matt is going to continue to pitch this good and will help the Miracle in their charge to a FSL title.
• The Miracle won a very close and hard fought game 2-1 over Tampa Bay. Matt Fox pitched very good going 7 innings and only giving up a run. Oswaldo Sosa and Anthony Slama pitched 2 shutout innings to protect the tight 1 run lead. His 1 run that he allowed in the 6th inning broke an unbelievable stretch. Fort Myers pitchers had gone 24 consecutive innings without giving up a run. I don't know about you but that is amazing and should not be taken lightly. Offensively they were led by Eli Tintor who went 3-3 with his 3rd homerun of the year along with 2 rbi's and a run scored.
• Today, the Miracle begin a 3 game series with Lakeland in Lakeland. Gametime is at 4pm with Jay Rainville getting the start for the Miracle.

Beloit Bits

Clinton 7 Beloit 2

Beloit 10-5 First Place

• POG: Michael Tarsi- Michael had his best start in quite a while last night as he held a good Clinton team in check. Mike went 7 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 8 hits along with a season high 11 strikeouts along with 1 walk. Mike really needed a start like this because in June he was awful going 1-2 with a 5.86era. With the 2 runs allowed last night he lowered his era to 5.48 and I think this will really help his confidence level and get him back on track.
• The Snappers had their 2 game winning streak halted by Clinton last night 7-2. Mike Tarsi put together a very nice start giving up only 2 runs in 7 innings but Loek Van Mil gave up 4 runs in only a inning and a third to get the loss. At the plate they were not able to get much going but were led by Jeanfred Brito, newly up from E-town who went 3-5 with his first rbi and his 2nd stolen base.
• Tonight, the Snappers continue their series with Clinton in Beloit. Gametime is at 7pm with Mike Mccardell getting the start for the Snappers

E-town tidbits

Greeneville 3 Elizabethton 0

E-town 13-4 first place

• POG: Brad Tippett- Brad continued his strong start of the season by pitching 7 strong innings and only giving up 2 runs on 5 hits along with 5 strikeouts. With the 2 runs allowed he lowered his era to 2.25 on the season. I think Brad is ready for a callup to Beloit again after some good starts for E-town.
• The Twins had their 5 game winning streak snapped with a 3-0 loss to Greenville. Brad Tippett had another good start going 7 innings and only giving up 2 runs. However, the Snappers could not get anything going as they could only muster 4 hits against Greenville pitcher. The only one who did anything was Michael Harrington who went 1-4 with his 3rd double of the season.
• Tonight, the Twins try to get back on track as they take on Bristol in Bristol. Gametime is at 6:00 with Dan Osterbrock getting the start for the Twins

Prospects 11-20

11. Aaron Hicks- .278 10-36 0homeruns 5 rbi's, 1 double, 1 triple, .395obp, .361 slug, .756ops.

12. Brian Duensing- 4-8 4.25era 18 starts 106inn, 104 hits, 22 walks, 62 strikeouts, .254oba

13. Trevor Plouffe- .257 77-300 20 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homeruns 32rbi's, .306obp, .400 slug, .706ops

14. Jeff Manship- 8-5 3.14era 16 starts, 1 complete game, 94.2inn, 85 hits, 23 walks, 82 strikeouts, .237oba

15. Cole Devries- 6-6 2.77era 14 starts, 84.1 innings, 87 hits, 22 walks, 59 strikeouts, .265oba

16. Deibinson Romero- .243 26-107 2hr 14rbi's, 7 doubles, 1triple, .276obp, .383 slug, .659ops

17. Angel Morales- .340 17-50 3hr 9rbi, 3 doubles, 1triple, .389obp, .620 slug, 1.009ops

18. Philip Humber- 4-7 6.00era 15 starts, 72 inn, 90 hits, 33 walks, 50 strikeouts, .307oba

19. Santos Arias- 4-3 2.70era 12 starts, 1 complete game, 73.1inn, 66 hits, 15 walks, 58 strikeouts, .238oba

20. Tyler Ladendorf- .200 8-40 0homeruns 2 rbi's, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 stolen bases, .304obp, .300 slug, .604ops

* I did not add anyone who hasn't appeared in a game yet or has not signed yet. IE: Shooter Hunt, Carlos Gutierrez

June

June players of the month

Twins
Pitcher of the Month: Kevin Slowey- Kevin had an outstanding month and am here eating crow and he is better than i thought he was. For the month Kevin went 4-2 with a 3.06era in 6starts. He pitched 47inn and only walked 3 batters while striking out 38 batters. He also held opponents to a .241 batting average. Previous: Nick Blackburn

Hitter of the Month: Jason Kubel- Jason had a phenomenal month and he is far outperforming the expectations I had for him. In June he hit .329 with 6 homeruns and 15rbi's along with 3 doubles and 2 triples. He had a .427obp and a .671 slugging for a 1.098ops. Previous: Justin Mourneau

Rochester
Pitcher of the Month: Francisco Liriano- The Red Wings did not really have much for good pitching for the month, but Francisco had a decent month and deserves the award. Liriano went 5-0 with a 3.93 era in 6 June starts. He pitched 36.2 innings and walked 8 and struck out a good 38 batters in June. Previous: Francisco Liriano

Hitter of the Month: Randy Ruiz- Randy continued his recent resurgence for the Red Wings by having his best month of the year. In June Randy hit .360 with 8 homeruns and 22rbi's. He also had 7 doubles and a triple. For the month he had a .437obp, and a awesome .658slug for a great 1.094ops. Randy has really turned the corner and if there is any kind of injury to Justin Mourneau or Jason Kubel it would not bother me at all to see him get the call to the Twins.

New Britain
Pitcher of the Month: Ben Julianel- Ben had an ok month, but as you can see New Britain did not pitch good at all for the month so there was limited choices to pick from. Lets not take away from Ben's month of June because it was very solid. Ben went 1-0 with a 3.31era. In 13 games he recorded 5 saves to bring his total on the season to 15. In 16.1 innings he only walked 4 batters and struck out 22. He also held batters to a .284oba. Previous: Jay Rainville

Hitter of the Month: Drew Butera- Drew really came alive in the month of June to claim this award. In June Drew hit .308 with a homerun and 10rbi's along with 8 doubles to help the Rockcats. He had a .378obs, along with a .477 slugging, for a ops of .855. They are not awesome numbers but I saw the most improvement of anybody from May to June in Drew and that is why he got the award. Previous: Steve Tolleson

Fort Myers
Pitcher of the Month: Cole Devries- Cole had a phenomenal month of June that is probably the best of anybody in the whole organization. In 4 June starts Cole went 2-2 with a tiny 0.69era. In 26 innings he only walked 7 and struck out 18. He also held opponents to a .217oba. Cole is often overshadowed in that good Fort Myers rotation, but he should not take a back seat to anybody and if he can continue it I expect a promotion to New Britain before the year is out. Previous: Cole Devries

Hitter of the Month: Whit Robbins- With the promotions that the Miracle had of Valencia and Dinkelman they were looking for more offense and Whit really stepped up in June. He hit .323 with no homeruns and 8 rbi's in the month. He also had 2 doubles and a triple to pace the Miracle attack. He had a .371obp and a .387 slug for a .759ops which is not great but he was the best of the bunch. I was most impressed with his .323 batting average and hopefully he can get back from his injury to help the Miracle try to win the 2nd half title to go along with the 1st half title. Previous: Danny Valencia

Beloit
Pitcher of the Month: Mike Mccardell- Mike really turned it on in June and showed why the Twins are so high on him and why he probably won't make the season for the Snappers. In June Mike went 4-0 with a 2.45era in 5 june starts. In 36.2 innings Mike only walked 3 batters and struck out a very good 32 batters. He also limited the opposition to a .213oba. Mike has really turned the corner and I think if he can make 3 or 4 more good starts like this he will be in Fort Myers before he knows it. Previous: Dan Berlind

Hitter of the Month: Ben Revere- Surprise Surprise Ben wins the award for the 2nd straight month and it seems like he is getting better and better even though teams you would think would start to figure him out. In June Ben hit a even .400 with no homeruns and 7rbi's along with 2 doubles and 2 triples and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts. He had an unbelievable .481obp along with a .486 slugging for a very good .967 ops for the month. Ben just doesnt seem to slow down and I think a promotion to Fort Myers will be in the cards for him when some of his injured teammates for the Snappers return. Previous: Ben Revere

Twins Organization Pitcher and Hitter of the Month

Pitcher: Mike Mccardell

Hitter: Randy Ruiz

Everyone let me know what you think of my thoughts

top 10 prospects stats

im doing a new top 10 prospect list with their stats so far. Let me know if you disagree with any of the prospects.


1. Tyler Robertson P Fort Myers- 5-2 2.75era 14starts 1 complete game, 78.2inn, 73hits, 28bb 72strikeouts.

2. Deolis Guerra P Fort Myers- 8-4 4.32era 15starts 1 complete game, 83.1inn, 80hits, 39bb 46strikeouts

3. Ben Revere CF Beloit- .407avg 85-209 13 doubles, 8triples 1Hr 28rbi, 25sb, .459obp, 560slug, 1.018ops

4. Danny Valencia 3b New Britain- .310avg 84-271 2odoubles, 3triples, 5Hr 47rbi .381obp, .461slug, .842ops.

5. Kevin Mulvey P Rochester- 3-7 4.06era 16starts 82inn 88hits, 30bb 72strikeouts

6. Jeff Manship P New Britain- 8-5 3.14era 16starts 1 complete game, 94.2innings, 85hits, 23bb 82strikeouts

7. Luke Hughes 2b New Britain- .343avg 72-210 10doubles, 3triples, 14Hr 35rbi, .414obp, .619slug, 1.033ops.

8. Anthony Slama RP Fort Myers- 3-0 0.41era 30games 16saves, 43.2inn, 25hits, 12bb, 75strikeouts, .162oba

9. Mike Mccardell SP Beloit- 5-1 2.88era 11starts, 1complete game, 68.2inn 58 hits, 15walks, 68strikeout

10. Jon Waltenbury DH Elizabethton- .387 24-62 8doubles, 2triples, 2Hr 12rbi, .457obp, 677slug, 1.135ops.


There is my top 10 I will be doing the same thing for my next 10 tommorrow. Let me know what you think

Tuesday, July 1st

Twins Talk

Detroit 5 Minnesota 4

Minnesota 45-38 2.5 games back

• POG: Glen Perkins- Glen had is 2nd outstanding start agains the start in as many starts against them this season. Last night Glen gave the Twins a good chance to win with a quality start. Glen went 6.1 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 7 hits while walking 1 and striking out a season high 7. With the 2 runs allowed he lowered his era to a very respectable 4.31 on the season. Glen has been really solid this season giving up 3 runs or less in 10 of his 12 starts with the Twins. I really like Glen he has proven he belongs with the Twins and has developed into a very good starter for the Twins and seems to be getting better and better every start.


• Denard Span made his return to the Twins and he did not disappoint as he showed why the Twins are so high on him. Denard went 2-4 with an rbi and a brilliant catch in the outfield to prevent a big inning in the first inning. With the 2 hits it raised Denard's average to .286 on the season. The Rbi was his 3rd of the season for the Twins. As many of you know im a big Denard Span supporter and im so glad that he is getting the chance to show what he can do at the major league level. Is he as good as Carlos Gomez no, but i think Denard will be a very solid major leaguer for a good 10 years and i don't think you will see him in Rochester again.


• The Twins bullpen imploded last night giving up a 4-1 7th inning lead. They gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in 2.1 innings. The worst of the bunch were Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier. But honestly im not too worried about them because the bullpen has been a team strength all season long and if the situation happens again tonight they will get the job done.


• Tonight, the Twins try to get back on track as they play the Tigers in game 2 of their series at the metrodome. Gametime is at 7:10 with Scott Baker getting the start for the Twins vs Nate Robertson for the Tigers.

Rochester Wrap

Rochester 2 Leigh Valley 1

Rochester 39-47 15.0 games back

• POG: Francisco Liriano- Francisco Liriano had by far his best start of the season last night in a win versus Leigh Valley. Liriano went 7 strong innings and not giving up any runs on only 4 hits. He walked only 1 and struck out a season high 9. With the Win Liriano improved his record to 5-2 on the season and has won 5 straight decisions. With the no runs he lowered his ERA to 4.07 on the season. Franchise is getting better and better as the season goes on and last night was by far his best start of the season. It was the first time all year he went over 100 pitches so that means he is feeling good and he only had 1 3 ball count which was his only walk. The question is when is the right time to bring Liriano up because he is very close to being ready. I would say if he can make 2 starts as dominant as this he will be ready and the Twins will have to find a way to make room for him.
• The Redwings were not able to muster much against Leigh Valley as they only recorded 3 hits on the night. They were led by Randy Ruiz who hit a rbi double for the redwings to give them all the runs they would need. The Redwings really havent been able to muster much offense lately and unless they come out of it they wont win many games in the second half especially with Casilla, Buscher, and Span probably not coming back.
• Bobby Korecky has really struggled as of late as he almost blew the lead for the Red Wings. In his 1 inning of work he gave up 2 hits and a run and barely were able to hang on for the save. Bobby is too good of a pitcher to pitch like he has as of late and i think he will turn things around and be the pitcher we all know he can be.
• Tonight, the Red Wings finish their short 2 game series with Leigh Valley in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05 with Philip Humber getting the start for the Red Wings.

New Britain Business

Reading 13 New Britain 8

New Britain 35-46 14.5 games back

• POG: Brian Dinkelman- Brian had his best game since his promotion going 2-5 with an rbi for the Rockcats. With the 2 hits it raised his average to a still bad .213 on the season. With the rbi it raised his total to 3 since his promotion. I think Brian is starting to come around at the plate he is too good of a hitter to toil in the low .200's. I look for him to get better and better and by the end of the year i look for him to be one of the best hitters on the New Britain team.
• Ryan Mullins had a rough game yesterday as he gave up 7 runs on 9 hits in only 4 innings of work. With the 7 runs allowed it brought his ERa up to 3.84 on the season. I dont look for his start to lead to anything he has had a pretty good year and i look for him to rebound from it.
• Even though they lost the game the good thing about it was that the bats came alive as they scored 8 runs on 12 hits. They were led by Brian Dinkelman, Toby Gardenhire and Drew Butera who each had 2 hits to pace the Rockcats. It will be key for the Rockcats to continue like this if they are going to get back in the race.
• Tonight, the Rockcats continue their series with Reading in Reading. Gametime is at 6:05 with Anthony Swarzak getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

• The Miracle had the day off yesterday and begin a 3 game series with Tampa in Tampa. Gametime is at 6:05 with Deolis Guerra getting the start.

Beloit Beat

• POG: Ben Revere- Ben continued his awesome start to the season going 3-4 to bring his average up to .418 on the season. It was really great to get him back out there as he missed a few days dealing with a hamstring injury. It will be key going forward for the Snappers for Revere to continue his hot string becuase they have so many injuries that without Ben they wont be able to put up the good numbers and win games.
• David Bromberg really struggled again for the Snappers only lasting 5.1 innings and giving up 6 runs on 8 hits. David has really struggled as of late but he is too good of a pitcher for it to continue. With the 6 runs allowed to raised his ERA to 5.31 and lowered his record to 5-6 on the season.
• Tonight, the Snappers begin a series with Clinton in Beloit. Gamtime is at 7:00pm with Santos Arias getting the start for the Snappers.

Monday, June 30th

Twins Talk

Twins 5 Brewers 0

Minnesota 45-37 1.5 games back

• POG: Kevin Slowey- Kevin had his finest game as a professionally shutting out a very good offensive team in the Brewers. Kevin went all 9 innings for his first complete game shutout of his career. In the 9 innings Kevin only gave up 3 hits and struck out 8 Brewer batters. With the no runs allowed Kevin picked up his 5th win of the year and lowered his team leading ERA to 3.47. It is time for me to eat some humble pie and admit that i was wrong about Kevin Slowey he is going to be an outstanding pitcher after seeing him a while. I didn't realize how pinpoint his control is and if he continues to hit his spots he will be a tough guy to beat. The thing though about Slowey is that he doesn't throw that hard so he needs to hit his spots or he will get drilled. He is alot like Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker in that when they hit their spots they are good, but when they dont they are awful.
• Delmon Young had a big 2 run homerun in the 6th inning to pace the Twins hitters as they got to Ben Sheets a little bit. It was his 2nd homerun of the season and hopefully it is the beginning of something good for Delmon. Everyone else contributed for the Twins as they got a big win to rebound from thier loss to the Brewers Saturday.
• Micheal Cuddyer had to go on the DL after the game yesterday due to a torn tendon on his left hand. To replace Cuddyer on the roster the Twins called up outfielder Denard Span from Rochester. I think its a great move for the Twins becuase I think Denard has proven that he belongs on a major league team and i look for him to take the ball and run with it and his days in Rochester will be over.
• Tonight, the Twins begin a huge series at the Metrodome versus the Detroit Tigers. Gametime is at 7:10 with Glen Perkins getting the start for the Twins vs Armando Galarraga for the Tigers.

Rochester Wrap

Pawtucket 10 Rochester 0

Rochester 38-47 15.0 games back

• POG: Brian Duensing- This will be quick because it was a dreadful game for the Red Wings as they showed no life and got pummelled. The best of the bunch was probably Brian Duensing as he only gave up 4 runs in 5 innings to take the loss. Brian's record dropped to 4-8 on the season and his ERA rose to 4.25 on the season. Brian atleast kept his team in the game and the Rochester bullpen made the score worse than it had to be.
• The Red Wings were only able to muster 2 hits against the Red Sox in a terribly played game for the Red Wings. The hits came from Darnell Mcdonald and Randy Ruiz with 1 hit apiece. If the Red Wings want to get back in the race they are going to have to stop having these type of efforts.
• The Red Wings lost another player after Denard Span was called up to the Twins and i dont think they will replace him for now. Look for Jason Pridie to move into center field for the Red Wings and old faithful Tommy Watkins to get plenty of playing time in the outfield until a replacement is found.
• The Red Wings try to get back on track as they begin a series with last place Leigh Valley in Leigh. Gametime is at 6:05 with Francisco Liriano getting the start for the Red Wings.

New Britian Business

New Britain 1 New Hampshire 0

New Britain 3 New Hampshire 2

New Britain 35-45 13.5 games back

• POD: Felix Molina- Felix had a very nice day for the Rockcats by going 3-6 with an Rbi in the 2 games. With the 3 hits it raised his average to .238 on the season. And the Rbi was his 19th of the year. Felix has been doing an outstanding job when called upon as of late for the Rockcats and I look for more and more playing time for him.
• The Rockcats got 2 well pitched games by Kyle Aselton and Jeff Manship each going 6 innings and Aselton not giving up a run and Manship not far off only giving up 2 runs and keeping the Rockcats in the game
• Danny Valencia and Brian Dinkelman continue to struggle going a combined 1-11 on the day with an rbi by Valencia. Dianna told me that they are struggling with the speed of the game, but my view is you need to be patient with these guys a demotion would not do either of these guys any good because they have mastered the FSL and need this challenge to see how well they will develop. If they are still struggling like this a month from now maybe we can talk, but honestly i dont see that happening I think they will do fine and a month from now we will be talking how Valencia and Dinkelman are pacing the Rockcats attack.
• Tonight, the Rockcats begin a series with Reading in Reading. Gametime is at 6:05 with Ryan Mullins getting the start for the Rockcats.

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 3 Brevard County 2

Fort Myers 5-6 2.5 games back

• POG: Alex Burnett- Alex Burnett continued the hot pitching out of the Miracle as of late as they battle to get back to the .500 mark in the second half. Alex went 7 innings and only gave up a run on 5 hits along with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Alex has continued to get better and better for the Miracle as the season has taken shape. I think he will be with Fort Myers all season, but him and the rest of them will try to bring back a FSL title for the Miracle.
• Steve Singelton has done a very good job with the Miracle since his callup from Beloit by hitting .273 which is not bad when the consider the changes you have to go through when your called up. I look at Steve as a good prospect who if given a chance and his arm strenght continues to come back will be a key contributer for the Miracle and in a few years possibly the Twins.
• Oswaldo Sosa came in relief yesterday and did ok he gave up a run and made the Miracle come back, but he continues to work hard and try to get back up to New Britain. There is no excuse for the way hes pitching because he has filthy stuff when he throws strikes so they need to get him right and right in a hurry.
• The Miracle have today off before beginning a series with Tampa.

Beloit Beat

Beloit 2 Cedar Rapids 1

Beloit 8-3 First Place

• POG: Mike Mccardell- Mike continues his hot roll that he has been on since him coming off the disabled list a month ago. Mike threw a complete game to pick up his 5th win of the year and lowered his ERA to 2.88 on the season. Whatever Mike did when he was injured has sure worked becuase right now he is unhittable and I think he is ready for a promotion to Fort Myers to coincide with a Fort Myers pitcher getting promoted to New Britain. I really like how he is pitching right now and I think he is ready to take the next step in his career.
• The Snappers are really struggling with the bats as of late as they were only able to scratch together 6 hits off Cedar pitching and that is something they are need to get fixed and fixed in a hurry if the Snappers want to continue to contend for a second half playoff spot and a spot in the Midwest league playoffs.
• The injury bug has really hit the Snappers as Chris Parmalee is out 6 weeks with a broken wrist, Joe Benson is out a month with a back fracture and Jair Fernandez is out too with a undisclosed injury. To take their spots the Snappers called up Rene Leverat and Andrew Schmeissing from E-town to take their place. Alot of their offensive struggles as of late is due to those guys being out because they are 3 of Beloits best hitters and the Snappers will have to try to keep their head above water until they get back.
• Tonight, the Snappers finish off their series with Cedar Rapids in Beloit. Gametime is at 7:00 with David Bromberg getting the start for the Snappers.

E-town tidbits

• The Twins game with Burlington last night was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader today in Burlington. The pitchers for the Twins will be Dan Osterbock and Bobby Lanigan.

Saturday, June 28th

I am back i was on vacation seeing some family and friends for the last 6 weeks in Minnesota. I just got back last night and it was so nice to sleep in my own bed last night. The weather is beautiful here and so glad to be home. Enough of that im excited to get back into Twins organization baseball. Give me a break though because i may not be up on everything that happened so give me your patience as i get caught up.



Twins Talk

Twins 7 Milwaukee 6

Twins 44-36 0.5games back

• POG: Joe Mauer- Joe continued his hot streak with the Twins by going 2-4 with a HUGE homerun in the bottom of the 8th inning to lead the Twins to the victory. With the 2 hits it raised Joe's average to a very good .326 on the season and with the homerun it was the 3rd homerun of the season. With the rbi with the homerun it brings his total to 32 on the season which ranks 4th on the team. Joe really is the heart and soul of the Twins and i know people criticize his lack of homeruns, but i will take his .330 any day of the week and if he hits 10 homeruns it is good enough for me.


• The Twins found a way to win a game that they trailed throughout and were behind 6-3 in the 5th inning. With the win it extends the Twins season high winning streak to 10 games. The thing about this streak that i really like is the fact that everyone is contributing with it. From your usuals of Mauer and Mourneau to surprising players in Harris and Buscher so its totally a team effort.


• Nick Blackburn had the worst start he has had in a very long time only making it 4.2 innings and gave up 6 runs on 10 hits with 4 homeruns. With the 6 runs allowed it raised his ERA to 4.05 on the season. I am not worried at all about Nick becuase i look at it as an anomaly and not something he will make a habit of doing. You could tell early on that Nick did not have it because he was not getting his trademark groundballs. But, in his defense Milwaukee has a very powerful lineup and any pitcher could get beat up a bit with that lineup.


• Tonight, the Twins continue their 3 game series with the Brewers at the Metrodome. Gametime is at 6:10 with Livan Hernandez getting the start for the Twins as they try to extend their winning streak to 11 games and will be going against Manny Para of the Brewers.

Rochester Wrap

Pawtucket 4 Rochester 2

Rochester 37-46 15.0 games back

• POG: Danny Graves- Danny probably had his best start of the season last night, but was a tough luck loser. Danny went 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs on 9 hits while not walking a batter and striking out 2. With the 2 runs it lowered Danny's ERA to 5.10 on the season for the Red Wings. Danny is what he is he is not a great pitcher and I really think the Twins need to make a decision on him one way or another. If they want him to come to the majors move him to the bullpen, but if they are not going to do that they miles well just release him and let some young guy get a chance at the AAA level someone like Ryan Mullins.


• The guy that most everybody gave up on a while ago is Randy Ruiz who struggled mightily early in the season and has come on like crazy the last 2 months. Last night Randy had 1 of the Red Wings 4 hits with his 11th homerun of the season along with his 46th rbi of the season. Those are really good numbers along with a .298 averag with the 11homeruns and 46rbi's. He has been very good this year for the Red Wings and if something happened to Justin Mourneau or Jason Kubel i would have no problem giving Randy a chance with the Twins to see how he can do at the major league level. I admit at the beginning of the season i was not much of a fan but he has proved me wrong and deserves a chance at the major league level.


• I have been really disappointed in Trevor Plouffe since his promotion to AAA hitting only .241 so far with the Red Wings. I really thought he was ready for the promotion, but im beginning to think that he is not ready. I was a big believer in him as the shortstop of the future and now i am having my doubts about that too. I hope im wrong and he turns it around and makes me look stupid, because that is something i will be happy to be wrong about.


• Tonight, the Redwings continue their series with first place Pawtucket in Rochester. Gametime is at 6:05 with Kevin Mulvey getting the start for the Redwings

New Britain Rockcats

New Hampshire 3 New Britain 2

New Britain 33-45 13.5 games back

• POG: Zach Ward- Zach made a spot start for the Rockcats and was very good giving them a chance to win. Zach went 6 innings and only gave up 1 earned run on 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 5. With the good 6 innings it lowered Zach's era to a very good 2.41 on the season. I am a big Zach Ward supporter I think he is ready to make the jump up to AAA and help the RedWings win some games. However, if you are going to keep him in AA keep him in the bullpen that way he can concentrate on one thing instead of wondering if he is a starter or a reliever and his future is out of the bullpen. Zach has not been lights out like he was early in the season teams have got to him a little bit, but he has rebounded nicely of late to put up good numbers and he is someone we should keep an eye on.
• The new additions for the Rockcats have really struggled to get going and that has really surprised me. Danny Valencia got only his 2nd rbi since his promotion last night and is only hitting .211. Brian Dinkelman is hitting a robust .189 and Rob Delaney gave up a homerun last night. I don't have any doubts that they will figure it out, but i guess i was expecting them to hit the ground running. I think by the end of the year they each will be doing what they do and this rough start will be just an afterthought.
• It was good to see Luke Hughes make his return to the Rockcats lineup after missing 24 days due to a pulled hamstring swinging on a cold night. I think he brings a dimension to the New Britain lineup that is just missing when he was not in there. It will be interesting to see how they mix and match Valencia, Dinkelman, Tolleson, and Hughes at 2nd,ss,and 3rd. But besides that he had a successful return going 1-4 with 2 runs scored for the Rockcats.
• Tonight, the Rockcats continue their series with New Hampshire in New Hampshire. Gametime is at 6:05pm as the Rockcats try to break out of their 5 game losing streak. Kyle Aselton will be on the mound for New Britain

Fort Myers Musings

Fort Myers 2 Brevard County 1

Fort Myers 3-6 2.5 games back

• POG: Cole Devries- Cole showed his good stuff once again by going 6 shutout innings for the Miracle. In the 6 innings he only gave up 2 hits while walking 4 and striking out 5 on the night. With the 6 shutout innings it lowered his ERA to a very good 2.77 and brought his win total up to 6 on the season. Cole has really impressed me all year he has probably been the most consistant pitcher that is currently on the Miracle's roster. I think he is ready for a promotion to AA but i dont think he will get one so all he can do is keep dominating the FSL until he gets the promotion he deserves.
• Eli Tintor was the only Miracle hitter who was able to do anything as he went 2-2 with 2 doubles and a rbi along with a run scored. With the 2 hits it raises his average up to .220 on the season and could be a sign of things to come. I am not a big Eli Tintor fan I dont think he is very good but if he keeps hitting like this I could be wrong.
• Anthony Slama pitched the last 1.1 innings to pick up his team high 15th save on the year so far. With the outing he lowered his crazy era down to a minischule 0.43 on the season. He struck out 4 of the 6 batters he faced to bring his strikeout total up to 72 in only 42 innings of work. I have been high on Anthony all season and he keeps getting better and better as the season goes on. I think they need to promote him at some time this season and when they do i think he will dominate their also.
• Tonight, the Miracle continue their series with the Mantanees in Fort Myers. Gametime is at 6:05 with Jay Rainville getting the start for the Miracle

Beloit Beat

Cedar Rapids 8 Beloit 5

Beloit 7-2 First Place

• POG: Greg Yersich- Greg probably had his best game of the season last night in the loss. He went 3-3 with a double and a rbi along with a run scored. With the 3 hits it raised Greg's average to .195 on the season and his Rbi total up to 14 on the season. Greg has really struggled all season at the bat that is why he has lost playing time to other players that is why it was so important for him to have a night like that to get the confidence of the players and coaches.
• It is good to see Ben Revere back in the lineup even though it is just as a DH. Ben went 1-4 to lower his average to .412. The Snappers did something interesting that i want to see if they will continue they hit him 3rd in the lineup. It is a risk with his speed to not being on base at the beginning of the lineup, but the way he is hitting there is a logical reason to have him hit 3rd and drive in some more runs.
• The Snappers pitching was dreadful last night especially Steven Hirschfeld and Chis Anderson. Combined between the 2 they went 5 innings and gave up 11 hits and 7 runs and they need better pitching if the Snappers are going to continue their run.
• Tonight, the Snappers continue their series with Cedar Rapids in Beloit. Gametime is at 7:00pm with Mike Tarsi getting the start for the Snappers

E-town trials

Johnson City 14 Elizabethton 4

Elizabethton 8-3 First Place

• POG: Alex Soto- Alex got the start at catcher for the Twins and didnt disappoint. He went 1-3 with his 4th homerun of the year along with 3 rbi's and a run scored for pretty much the only offense for the Twins. I look for Alex to get more and more playing time for the Twins and should split time with Danny Rams catching and give them a potent 1-2 punch behind the plate for the Twins.
• Dan Berlind was the opposite to Alex Soto he had a game that he would just as soon forget. In only 2.1 innings he gave up a whopping 11 runs on only 7 hits. He walked 5 batters along with 4 strikeouts. With the terrible outing it raised Dan's era to 10.13 on the season. For someone who is trying to get back to Beloit it is not a real appealing outing, however it will be easy to forget about and can go out next time to get back on track.
• Angel Morales had another outstanding game going 2-4 to raise his average to a team high .361 on the season. I am really high on him and look forward to see how he does going forward and if he can keep getting better and better.
• Tonight, the Twins continue their series with Johnson City in Johnson City. Gametime is at 6pm with Brad Tippett getting the start for the Twins.

Wednesday, June 11th

Sorry I haven't been on the last week lifes been crazy. I will try to add stuff more often now that i got a little more time. Today I am going to start a series on comparing Twins organization players to see who the better player is. Today I am going to start with Kevin Slowey vs Scott Baker. I welcome your comments to let me know if you agree or disagree.

• Kevin Slowey: Major League Numbers: 19 starts 6-7 4.89ERA
• Minor League Stats: 55 starts 21-13 1.94 ERA

• Scott Baker: Major League Stats: 56 starts 19-21 4.56 ERA
• Minor League Stats 78 starts 27-23 3.01 ERA

They both had very good minor league careers with Kevin Slowey much better in the minor leagues. The only problem I see with Slowey is i do not think he has a strikeout pitch and he pitches it down the middle way too often he won't pitch inside. He is a control pitcher that pitches to contact, who has very good control and did all he could in the minor leagues. Scott Baker on the other hand has that good slider to get hitters out and he throws a little bit harder than Slowey. I don't think there is a big difference between the 2 of them but i see Scott Baker as a Brad Radke clone and i see Slowey as a backend of the rotation guy. They are both good pitchers but I see more upside with Baker than I do with Slowey. With Baker when he came up he thought he could get hitters out up here with his high fastball and quickly found out that hitters in the big leagues thrive on that. It took him a couple of years of up and down in the minors for him to get it. Some time last season he got it and ever since he has been awesome for the Twins. A groin injury slowed him down this year but i think the sky is the limit for Scott Baker. Kevin Slowey on the other hand I dont see him getting a whole lot better then he is now. I don't really have alot of facts to base it just a gut feeling. Don't get me wrong I look at him as a major league pitcher but he will always give up alot of hits and will have to get out of alot of jams. He is a AAAA pitcher because he is not elite in the Majors, but there is no sense putting him in the minors because he dominates down there. I would consider if the Twins could get the right offer to trade Slowey for some good prospects because I think alot of teams value him and you could get a nice return.

Overall I would take Scott Baker in a heartbreak I look at him as a #2 starter and Slowey as a 4 or 5 and with Baker's potential him and Liriano could make up the new version of Santana and Radke.

part 2 of roster changes

Fort Myers Miracle

C. Wilson Ramos

1st Johnny Woodard

2nd Steve Singelton

SS Yancarlos Ortiz

3b Daniel Berg

Lf Juan Portes

Cf Ben Revere

Rf Edward Ovalle

DH Whit Robbins

Reserves
Allan de se Miguel C
Rodolpho Palacious C
Danny Santiesteban OF
Eli Tintor OF

Pitchers
1. Deolis Guerra
2. Tyler Robertson
3. Alex Burnett
4. Cole Devries
5. Santos Arias

Relievers
Blair Erickson
Matt Fox
Jose Lugo
Frank Mata
Matt Williams
Charles Nolte
Loek Van Mill

Beloit Snappers
C Greg Yercich
1st Chris Parmalee
2nd Yangervis Solarte
ss Ramon Santana
3b Garrett Olson
Lf Ozzie Lewis
cf Joe Benson
rf Mark Dolenc
DH Jair Fernandez

Reserves
SS Chris Cates
C Daniel Lehman
inf Paul Kelly
inf Andrew Thompson

Pitchers
1. David Bromberg
2. Michael Tarsi
3. Dan Berlind
4. Brian Kirwan
5. Mike Mccardell

Danny Hernandez
Steve Hirschfeld
Spencer Steedley
Bradley Tippett
Mark Hamburger
Omar Alcala
Daniel Latham


These 2 teams were very difficult to figure hopefully someone with more knowledge then me can put a better light on this because these are just guesses.

May Awards

Minnesota Twins

• Pitcher of the Month: Nick Blackburn- Nick had another very good month in his rookie campaign for the Twins. Nick went 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA in May. In 5 starts Nick went 33.1 innings and only walked 5 batters and struck out 10. Nick has been the biggest surprise for the pitching staff this season. Not many people myself included thought he would make this type of impact on the team and man has he. Through the first 2 months he is 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA which are very good numbers and should put him in the discussion for Rookie of the Year if he can keep it up. Previous: Nick Blackburn

• Hitter of the Month: Justin Mourneau- Justin had another really good month for the Twins. Justin hit .336 in May with 4 homeruns and 20 rbi's. He also had 4 doubles and a triple with a obp of .405 and a ops of .901. The ridiculious thing is it is just the tip of the iceberg for Justin he is capable of so much more. That is saying alot since he has way better numbers this year than he did in '06 when he went on to win the MVP award. Justin means so much to that Twins lineup and with Mike Cuddyer starting to get going it is going to mean better and better pitches for Justin and look for his numbers to keep going up as he chases another MVP award. Previous: Justin Mourneau

Rochester Red Wings

• Pitcher of the Month: Francisco Liriano- Liriano has shown some real signs that the Twins are getting back The Francise of old. Liriano went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in May with 10 walks and 27 strikeouts in 39 innings for May. The biggest thing is he brought his walk total down and his strikeout total up. In May he averaged less then 3 walks per 9 innings which was huge for him because in April that was his big problem. I think Liriano has 1 more full left in Rochester before he joins the Twins sometime after the All-Star break. The biggest thing for him is he is walking less which allowed him to go deeper into games which is huge when you get back to the show. In May he averaged 6 and a half innings a start which is getting higher every start and has been the stopper the Red Wings have sorely needed. Previous: Kevin Mulvey

• Hitter of the Month: Jose Morales- Now this is something I did not see coming because I was not a huge Jose Morales supporter and he proved me wrong. In May he hit .382 with a homer and 6 rbi's along 4 doubles and a triple. In May he had a .402 obp and a pretty decent .885 ops. Jose will never be a power hitter but he is a singles machine who if he could improve defensively could have a job with the Twins someday as Joe Mauer's backup. Previous: Jason Pridie

New Britain

• Pitcher of the Month: Jay Rainville- Now this was a surprise for me because I had all but given up on the tall righty. I think I was justified by Jay's 10.12 April ERA. However, Jay rebounded in May and went 4-2 with a much better 3.42 ERA. In 6 May starts Jay went 34.1 innings and only walked 9 and struck out 24 along with holding the other team to a .237 oba. I really think Jay has turned the corner and will have a very good season with the Rockcats and along with Ryan Mullins and Anthony Swarzak will make up a very good top of the rotation. Previous: Anthony Swarzak

• Hitter of the Month: Steve Tolleson- Steve had a phenomenal May after a pretty good April. In May Steve hit a awesome .375 average with 2 homeruns and 21 rbi's along with 10 doubles and a triple. In May Steve had a .460 obp and a phenomenal 1.023 ops. Steve really turned the corner and May and should be considered for a promotion to Rochester with his good start of the season. I look for him to someday be wearing a Twins uniform and it is probably time for a new challenge for the Rock Cats 2nd baseman. Previous:


• Luke Hughes

Fort Myers

• Pitcher of the Month: Cole Devries- Cole really turned it around for himself in May. He was not awful in May but he had the best month for the Miracle and thats saying alot with the good months put in by Jeff Manship and Tyler Robertson. He was ok in April with a 5.08 ERA and majority of that was in a couple bad outings. However, in May Cole was awesome going 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA. In 5 starts he went 30 innings with only 8 walks and 14 strikeouts. The best part was he held opponents to a .250 oba. Cole is a very interesting prospect because he doesn't have shutdown stuff, but he finds a way to get hitters out and really thats all you want out of your starter to give yourself a chance to win the game. I'm not sure he will ever have Major League stuff, but overall he is a very good pitcher who will probably help Fort Myers compete for a league championship this season. Previous: Jeff Manship

• Hitter of the Month: Danny Valencia- No big surprise here as he won the award last month also. He had a .286 with 19 rbi's and then in May he just exploded. In May he hit .402 with 2 homeruns and 25 rbi's along with 12 doubles and 3 triples. His obp was a whopping .431, but thats nothing compared to his slugging at .663 for a ops of 1.094. Danny is a doubles machine who impresses me every night when I hear about his game. Danny will be up in New Britain in a couple weeks after the All Star game i guarantee you. The only thing that he has major work on his defense which is adequate, but he has the size and arm strength to be a very good defensive 3rd basemen. I think he will be with the Twins in 2010 when that new ballpark opens and will be the starting 3rd basemen for the Twins for years to come. Previous: Danny Valencia

Beloit Snappers

• Pitcher of the Month: Dan Berlind- Dan had a very solid month to go on top of his solid April. In April he had a 5.40 ERA and exploded in May. In May he went 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA with only 10 walks and 20 strikeouts. The best part was he help opposing batters to a .202 average off of him. Dan put together a good month and could be in line for a promotion to Fort Myers with a few good starts in June because not only does he deserve it, but I think there is going to be some openings in the Fort Myers rotation. I don't know how he grades as a prospect, but all I know is he gets batters out and thats all thats important he reminds me of Cole Devries and if he can do that he will be fine. Previous: Spencer Steedley

• Hitter of the Month: Ben Revere- Really was there any doubt who would get this award. Ben came onto the scene at the end of April after spending the first month in EST after being the Twins first round draft pick in 2007. Ever since he arrived he has tore it up and unlike some people I think this is a big deal and deserves a promotion to Fort Myers. In May Ben hit .433 with 1 homerun and 18 rbi's along with 14 stolen bases. He hit an awesome 11 doubles and 5 triples for the month. His obp is crazy at .469 and an ops that is out of this world at 1.1o2. Ben has done everything that was expected out of him and more.

Minnesota Twins organization Player and Pitcher of the Month

Player: Ben Revere

Pitcher: Jay Rainville

everyone let me know what you think

The Future

I thought it would make for some good discussion so I am going to fast forward the Date for a month until July 1st and who i predict will be on what teams. I look forward to your opinions on this.

Twins
C- Joe Mauer
1st- Justin Mourneau
2nd- Alexi Casilla
SS- Nick Punto
3b- Mike Lamb
LF- Delmon Young
Cf- Carlos Gomez
Rf- Michael Cuddyer
Dh- Jason Kubel

Bench
C- Mike Redmond
of- Craig Monroe
inf- Matt Macri
inf- Brenden Harris

Pitchers
1. Glen Perkins
2. Nick Blackburn
3. Scott Baker
4. Kevin Slowey
5. Francisco Liriano

Bullpen
Boof Bonser
Craig Breslow
Brian Bass
Dennys Reyes
Jesse Crain
Matt Guerrier
Joe Nathan

Juan Rincon- Released, Livan Hernandez- Traded

Rochester Red Wings
C- Jose Morales
1st- Brock Peterson
2nd- Steve Tolleson
SS- Sergio Santos
3b- Luke Hughes
LF- Darnell Mcdonald
CF- Denard Span
RF- Jason Pridie
DH- Brian Buscher

reserves
inf Howie Clark
C- Ryan Jorgenson
Released- Randy Ruiz, Garrett Jones, Tommy Watkins, Chris Basak

Pitchers
1. Brian Duensing
2. Kevin Mulvey
3. Philip Humber
4. Ryan Mullins
5. Danny Graves

Bobby Korecky
Tim Lahey
Mariano Gomez
Casey Daigle
Heath Totten
Ricky Barrett
Carmen Cali
Zach Ward
Released- Julio Depaula

New Britain
C- Drew Butera
1st-Erik Lis
2nd- Brian Dinkelman
SS- Trevor Plouffe
3b- Danny Valencia
LF- Matt Moses
CF- Brandon Roberts
RF- David Winfree
DH- Dustin Martin

Promoted- Brock Peterson, Steve Tolleson, Luke Hughes
Bench
inf Felix Molina
C- Jeff Christy
inf Toby Gardenhire

Pitchers
1. Jay Rainville
2. Oswaldo Sosa
3. Yohan Pino
4. Jeff Manship
5. Anthony Swarzak

bullpen
Robert Delaney
Kyle Aselton
Anthony Slama
Ben Julianel
Robert Gabino
Jay Sawtaski
Jason Miller


Thats half of my projections I will have the other half later let me know what you think

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.