Monday, February 20, 2006

SPRING TRAINING Q&A (Part 2)

& 7 STORIES OF SPRING

Good Monday morning everybody! Spring Training is officially upon us today. This morning at 8:30 Eastern Time, the Twins Pitchers and Catchers will officially begin their training camp. Although many (if not most) of the position players are already in Ft. Myers, the rest of the roster must report for a practice on Friday.

Happy Presidents Day to everyone as well! For me, it is a Day Off from work, so you will also not see a lot of new information here. However, please check out below, to Friday's Spring Training Q&A. I received responses from three more people over the weekend, and am happy to post their answers to my questions. I again need to thank all of these guys for their participation. With everything that I am sure they have going on, it was nice of them to take a few minutes to give us a different perspective on Spring Training. The six who answered spring training questions were:

Grant Balfour

Tommy Watkins

Pat Neshek

Kevin Slowey

Chris Brown

Chris Coste

So, what does spring training mean to me? I am a fan. I love the game of baseball. Those who read this site know that I am fanatical throughout the off-season, following every move in baseball, especially anything related to the Twins or any of their players. It has been over four-and-a-half months since we last saw the Twins play a game. All of those moves that Terry Ryan have been reviewed and scrutinized ad-nauseum. Now, it is time to put up. The players are in Ft. Myers. The pitchers are getting their arms stronger. They're going to be tired of Pitchers Infield Practice within the first half hour. The hitters will show up later this week, and will be getting excessive amounts of swings in. They'll do some base running, and they will be hit hundreds, maybe thousands, of ground balls and fly balls.

But it is also about stories. The local newspapers will be writing up stories on the players and their offseasons and their hopes for 2006. Bloggers will be trying to keep up with the latest news. Here, you'll hopefully find a place where you can link to some of these great Twins stories. But, what are the big stories of 2006? Here are my thoughts on:

The Top 7 Stories heading into the 2006 Spring Training

1.) The WBC Effect - As I have written from time to time, I believe that the concept of the WBC is a good one. It will bring this great game to a bigger audience. However, it won't tell us where the best baseball is. No short series can do that. But that is not the story. My only concern with the WBC is the injury factor. If Johan Santana gets hurt pitching for Venezuela, the Twins hopes to compete are drastically hurt. Same with Carlos Silva who is coming off of arm surgery. Juan Rincon and Luis Rodriguez also will play for Venezuela. Jesse Crain and Justin Morneau will be playing for Canada. Joe Nathan will be representing the United States. Luis Castillo will don a Dominican Republic uniform. Others in the Twins system will also play. The Twins should be proud to be represented by so many of its players, but believe me, they will be equally nervous!

2.) Youth - Spring Training is not for Santana. It is not for Brad Radke. If Torii Hunter goes 0 for training camp, he will still be the CF for the Twins on Opening Day. For veterans, it is solely about getting ready for opening day. Training Camp is for guys trying to make a name for themselves. Glen Perkins, Errol Simonitsch, Pat Neshek and Adam Harben will likely not make the team out of training camp. However, the Twins big league coaching staff will see him for a few weeks and be better able to gauge where he is at. Tommy Watkins probably will not have a roster spot with the Twins on Opening Day, but he is fighting for a spot for Rochester, and again, being seen by Ron Gardenhire and his coaching staff. Showing a couple of skills in camp may be remembered when the Twins find themselves in a bind later in the season.

3.) Positional Battles:

a.) 5th Starter - Scott Baker appears to have the edge heading into camp. Francisco Liriano is not far off. Boof Bonser may be just as important as either of the top-level prospects. Why? Well, if those two both perform well throughout Spring Training, the Twins would be more willing to trade Kyle Lohse if Bonser proves himself ready in case of an injury.

b.) Right Field - I still contend that the leader heading into training camp to be the team's starting RF on opening day is Michael Cuddyer. Does that mean he is better than Lew Ford? No, but Lew has a lot of value in his ability to play all three OF positions. Does that mean that Cuddyer is better than Jason Kubel? Not necessarily. It could just mean that the coaching staff has decided to let Kubel get his legs under him for a couple of months at Rochester. If Kubel is ready, I think we would all agree that his ceiling is the highest of the three, and also that there is a good chance that Kubel will be starting in RF down the stretch.

c.) Bullpen spots - Assuming the Twins go with an 11 man rotation, there are plenty of givens. The five starters, Joe Nathan as closer; Jesse Crain and Juan Rincon as set up men. I also think that Matt Guerrier earned a spot in the bullpen again in 2006 with his excellent rookie year. So, that leaves two roster spots available, essentially the replacements for JC Romero and Terry Mulholland. I think we all could concede that it is likely one of the two spots will be filled by a left-handed reliever. Non-roster invitees Darrell May, Gabe White and Dennys Reyes will compete with the likes of Dave Gassner or Errol Simonitsch and maybe even Francisco Liriano for that spot. The other spot would likely be a long reliever, the role held down by Guerrier a year ago. I think that job is Willie Eyre's to lose after what he has done in Rochester the past two seasons as well as his job in Venezuela this winter.

4.) Rob Bowen - Bowen is out of options. He needs to make the Twins 25 man roster and stay with them the whole season, or likely be claimed off of waivers by another team. The Twins have Joe Mauer and Mike Redmond to fill their catcher roles. There simply is zero reason for Bowen to make the team, especially with Chris Heintz on the 40 man roster. Let's not fool ourselves either. We may not believe that Rob Bowen is ready to contribute to a big league team. However, he is a 24 year old, switch hitting catcher who had a decent year at AAA in 2005. Someone would claim him, so then it  becomes a matter of if we can work out a trade with the team that claims him.

5.) Jason Pridie - Again, I give the Twins Rule V draft pick about a 2.1% chance of actually remaining on the Twins 25 man roster unless a trade sends Torii Hunter, Shannon Stewart, Lew Ford, Michael Cuddyer or Lew Ford elsewhere. If he is worth keeping around, it will be interesting to see if the Twins can work out a deal to keep Pridie in our minor league system. Remember, last year the Twins and Mariners were unable to work a deal to keep Ryan Rowland-Smith with the team, so he was sent back to the M's.

6.) Joe Vavra - It will be interesting to see how the Twins new hitting coach is able to work with the players. I think we know he has the respect of most of the younger players, but will he be able to work with the veterans? Also, what will the dynamic be when it comes to the fact that former hitting coach Scott Ullger is still on the staff as the new 3B coach (replacing Al Newman).

7.) Justin Morneau - Above, I wrote that the performance of veterans really matters very little in spring training. I think that is the truth. However, in the case of Justin Morneau, I do believe that it will be important for him to get off to a good start, even in spring, just to get his confidence built back up.

What do you think about my Top Stories of Spring? Are there others that you will be following? If so, send me an e-mail, or leave some Comments below.

Just a couple of quick links and a reminder to check down below for the three additions of the Spring Training Q&A:

 

   

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Friday, February 17, 2006

OTHER THOUGHTS

SPRING TRAINING Q&A

Good morning everyone! Major League training camp has now opened for about half of the teams with pitchers and catchers arriving. Twins pitchers and catchers will report to Ft. Myers on Sunday with their first workout scheduled for Monday morning. It is an exciting time of year for us, as fans, thinking about what our favorite team has done in the off-season and we have hope for a successful 2006 season. Instead of talking or projecting what certain players will contribute, we will actually get to see. It has been about three and a half months since the White Sox won Game 4 of the World Series to win the Championship, so it will just be very good to have real baseball to talk about. As exciting as it is for you and I, imagine what this time of year means to the players. Today, I hope to help you know the answer to those questions.

I sent five or six questions to the people who did Q&As for this site over the off-season. The questions were fairly short and talked about spring training, the off-season and the upcoming season. (I have to point out that I expect to receive responses from two or three more people today, hopefully a couple who are going to major league spring training with the Twins, so be sure to check back later this afternoon and there may be more. If I receive my responses back over the weekend, I will post them as I receive them. IF there are any other minor leaguers, or big leaguers, who are reading this and would like to participate, please e-mail me. Thanks!) I think that the varying views of training camp by each individual is very interesting. Why don't we get to their thoughts right away. 

If you have any Spring Training thoughts or stories, please click here. or leave Comments below.

GRANT BALFOUR - The Twins signed the 28 year old righty as a free agent in 1997 out of Australia. He started in the GCL that season and moved up one level each of his first full seasons. In 2001, he was pitching with New Britain when he was called up to the Twins and pitched in two games. He resurfaced with the Twins in 2003 and demonstrated a dominant fastball. By 2004, he was an important part of the Twins bullpen, but late in the year, arm problems forced him out. He missed all of 2005 after Tommy John Surgery. He had another surgery last fall. The Twins decided to drop him from their 40 man roster when they signed Rondell White. After mulling over a minor league contract from the Twins (And likely lots of other organizations), the Cincinnati Reds offered him a guaranteed Major League contract for the year. So, he wisely signed with the Reds. He has been working very hard to rehab that shoulder and looks to be able to pitch again by early summer. Here are his thoughts heading into training camp:

SethSpeaks: How are you doing? How is that arm treating you? 

BALFOUR: I am doing real well. I have been throwing at 60 feet and my arm is feeling good. The ball is coming out of my hand nicely and my throws are fairly firm.

SethSpeaks: First, when does Major League spring training start for the Reds? 

BALFOUR: Camp for the Reds started on the 16th as reporting day, physicals on the 17th and first workout on the 18th.

SethSpeaks: In general, what does the start of spring training mean for you?

BALFOUR: Spring is a time to get back into a routine. Waking up going to the field and getting everything you need to get done to prepare you for the upcoming season. You should have come in to camp in shape so now it is time to maintain what you have done in the offseason.

SethSpeaks: How was your offseason?

BALFOUR: My offseason was spent doing rehab very different to others in past years. I was still able to lift my lower body and run. I did get to go home to Australia and see my family for 3 weeks which was great.

SethSpeaks: Where are you at physically and mentally heading into the upcoming season?

BALFOUR: Well physically I am not ready but am on my way. I feel great and in good shape. I just need to get the arm back into shape and I will be ready to go. Mentally I am very excited about being with the reds and I am looking forward to getting back on the field and competing. I love to compete and when you get a chance to compete against the best in the world you thrive on that.

SethSpeaks: Heading into your first Major League training camp with the Reds (or any team other than that Twins), what are your hopes and expectations?

BALFOUR: I am going to go through the rehab program and when I am ready to go I am going to give it my all. I have been given a chance to pitch in the Big Leagues from the Reds and I want to make the most of it. I hope to be very successful. I want to help this team win. I want to be apart of a winning team and will do my very best to help the team in doing that.

SethSpeaks: Finally, have you set any goals for yourself for the 2006 season?

BALFOUR: I am going to set myself some goals here soon for the upcoming season. I am going to do everything I can to achieve them.

TOMMY WATKINS - 25 year old Tommy Watkins is about to report to his first Major League spring training. The Twins invited him as a non-roster player to participate in training camp. The Ft. Myers native was selected by the Twins in the 38th round in 1998. He has progressed through the system slowly. He is a very good player, especially with the glove, but everyone wants to talk about what a great guy and a great leader he is.  Here are some of his thoughts heading into training camp (Note - this is a very small portion of a full Q&A with Tommy Watkins which will hopefully be appearing here later in the week.):

SethSpeaks: First of all, congratulations on getting an official invite to Twins Spring Training in Ft. Myers! That had to be very exciting for you. What are you most looking forward to in training camp?

WATKINS: To be around around the Major leaguers on a daily basis, to learn from them and being at home also.

SethSpeaks: What have you been doing in the off-season to prepare for the 2006 season?

WATKINS: I have been working out everyday since the end of last season to be in the best possible shape for this coming season.

SethSpeaks: Do you set goals? If so, what are your goals for the upcoming season? Where do you plan on playing?

WATKINS: My goal is to do the best that I can to help my team and teammates to win games. I hope to make the Rochester team.

PAT NESHEK - The Twins 6th round pick in 2002, Neshek broke out last year with an excellent season as the closer of the New Britain Rockcats. Following the season, he was added to the Twins 40 man roster. That, of course, means that he will be reporting to Ft. Myers for his first Major League spring training on Sunday. With the trades of JC Romero and Travis Bowyer, there is a good chance that Neshek will be the closer at AAA Rochester in 2006. If you checked out my 2006 Twins Projections, you saw that I also predicted a September call-up for him. If you haven't already, you should start reading his website, On the Road with Pat Neshek, where he keeps us updated on what's going on with his season and more. Here are his thoughts heading into training camp:

SethSpeaks: What does spring training mean to you?

NESHEK: Pretty simple answer, a time to get ready for the season and tune up, that's about it.

SethSpeaks: How do you feel, physically and mentally, heading into training camp?

NESHEK: Physically the best I have ever felt, mentally I'm not exhausted and feel very refreshed. I'm ready for another 6 months of baseball!

SethSpeaks: You have said that you did more this off-season to prepare for spring training. Do you feel like you are where you want to be at this point?

NESHEK: Yes and probably a lot more than I expected. Stephanee and I concentrated very hard on running and lifting so this has set a great base for me to build on throughout the season. Get in a lot of games, impress people and try to earn a spot.

SethSpeaks: What are your expecting from spring training with this being your first year on the 40 man roster?

NESHEK: Get in a lot of games, impress people and try to earn a spot.

SethSpeaks: What are your goals, first for spring training, but then for the whole year?

NESHEK: Spring training goals are basically to set myself up for the season. Make sure my arm stays healthy. Get in the gym a bunch and feel good. For the season they are pretty much the same as last year. Stay consistent and compete against every batter I face.

SethSpeaks: In my 2006 Twins projections, I predicted for you to get a couple of innings in September. What do you think it will be like to put on the Twins uniform in a regular season game for the first time?

NESHEK: It would be the greatest day of my life, I couldn't imagine the feeling.

KEVIN SLOWEY - The Twins 2nd round pick in 2005 is heading into his first spring training. He had quite an impressive 2005 season starting at Winthrop University and at two levels with the Twins organization. Slowey hopes to follow fellow Twins collegiate pitchers taken in recent second rounds. Remember, Scott Baker and Jesse Crain were college pitchers and in their second year with the organization, they each started at Ft. Myers, went to New Britain and up to Rochester by the end of the year. Will that happen? I think it is fair to say that the Twins pitching staffs at each level will be very strong and very deep. But he does have the ability to make that type of move. Here are his responses to the questions:

SethSpeaks: First, when does Twins minor league spring training start?

SLOWEY: Minor League pitchers and catchers report the 9th and 10th of March, but most guys are down there about a week early. Im driving down from Durham March 1st, moving in and circumventing as much of the chaos as I can.

SethSpeaks: What does the start of spring training mean for you?

SLOWEY: Well, this year is my first spring training, so I don't really know what to expect from it. I'm excited to be getting back into the swing of things after a long off-season (it's amazing how much downtime you have in the off-season, and just how little you have in-season.) I'm really looking forward to getting after it on the field and getting my first full season under way.

SethSpeaks: We did our Q&A shortly after the end of last season. How was your off-season?

SLOWEY: My off-season was great, long and boring at times, but great overall. I spent the majority of it in Durham living with my older brother and working out at the Sports Performance lab at Duke University. Each day I followed a pretty similar routine, breakfast and workouts till about 2 and then just relaxing the rest of the day. I spent most of my weekends down at Winthrop (only a 2 hour drive), hanging out with teammates and just enjoying the time off.

SethSpeaks: Do you feel physically and mentally prepared for the upcoming season?

SLOWEY: Ha ha, well I feel ready, but Ill have to get back to you with the verdict at the end of spring training. Like I said, I spent a lot of time working out over at Duke with a couple other minor league players from the Carolinas. As for throwing I've just been following along the routine that the Twins laid out for us in our off-season manual. Anytime I need to throw a bullpen or flat ground I usually just head over to UNC-Chapel Hill where Coach Forbes and Coach Fox have really been great, letting me practice and work out with the pitching staff whenever I need to.

SethSpeaks: Heading into your first minor league training camp, what are your hopes and expectations?

SLOWEY: My hope heading into camp is that I'll be able to prepare myself for the upcoming schedule, which is 2-3 times as long as any season schedule I've played up to this point. I'm also hoping to get a chance to learn some things from the older players/coaches in the organization just by hanging around and watching them compete. I'm sure its going to be quite an experience, and I cant wait to get started.

SethSpeaks: Finally, have you set any goals for yourself for camp and for the 2006 season?

SLOWEY: I haven't really set any goal for camp, just because I'm not sure exactly what camp is going to entail. As for the season, my goals are pretty simple...I just want to continue to get better, really develop my secondary and tertiary pitches, and keep doing everything I can to make steady progress through the organization. I know those are pretty nondescript when it comes to goals, but a lot of what goes on in the organization is way beyond my control, so I figure, the simpler the better.

*My segue from Kevin Slowey to Chris Brown is a rather interesting picture from a Beloit game in Lansing. Kevin Slowey is on the mound and Chris Brown, playing 1B, makes a leaping attempt at a line drive. I will leave it up to your imagination to determine the inning, score and whether or not Chris caught the ball. Maybe Kevin or Chris remember this very play.

CHRIS BROWN - a non-drafted free agent signing by the Twins in 2004, Brown took advantage of an opportunity to play at Beloit last year and posted some very impressive offensive numbers. I think that there is a good chance that Chris Brown will spend most of the season at Ft. Myers playing with the Miracle. He could see time at 1B, 3B, DH, and probably would play about anywhere to get his name on the lineup card. The following are his responses to my questions:

SethSpeaks: First, when does minor league spring training start?

BROWN: Position players report on March 12th and I believe pitchers and catchers are a couple days before that.

SethSpeaks: What does the start of spring training mean for you?

BROWN: Basically it is just a time for me to get back with my teammates and get re-acclimated to playing ball. You can work out on your own all you want but this is when the baseball begins. Its a time to get in baseball shape and get ready for opening day.

SethSpeaks: We did our Q&A shortly after the end of last season. How was your off-season?

BROWN: Too long. I've been working out pretty much since the end of last season and everyday I wish I was still playing games.

SethSpeaks: Do you feel physically and mentally prepared for the upcoming season?

BROWN: I feel pretty good. I'll have a better bearing after the first week of spring training on how I did in the off-season. Mentally I am almost always prepared and I believe I have done my best to be physically prepared for the long season.

SethSpeaks: Heading into your second minor league training camp, do you feel any different this year than in your first camp?

BROWN: I think I can come in more relaxed having been through it once. The first one I was a little nervous, but I think this year I will be more relaxed and able to perform better.

SethSpeaks: Finally, have you set any goals for yourself for camp and for the 2006 season?

BROWN: Pretty much just to improve upon the numbers I put up last year. Again I tried to emphasize power this off-season. I am working on bettering my strike zone discipline to cut down on strikeouts and increase my batting average. Other than that I hope I can play at least as well as I did last year.

CHRIS COSTE - former college teammate who went undrafted out of college despite being a three-time All-American. Coste is now 33 years old and will spend training camp in the big league camp of the Philadelphia Phillies. He has been a AAA All-Star a few times and his numbers have deserved a call-up. To date, he has not had a Major League call-up. Maybe this is the year! My Q&A with Chris Coste was also posted on the home page of the Scranton-Wilkes Barre website.

SethSpeaks: First, when does minor league spring training start for the Phillies?

COSTE: I am in Major league spring training and I report with the pitchers and catchers officially on the 15th of February and the first official workout is on the 16th. I think minor league pitchers and catchers arrive the first week of March.

SethSpeaks: What does the start of spring training mean for you? (kind of an open question)

COSTE: It means the start of another mysterious season, which is to say that each season brings crazy new experiences, hopes, dreams experienced and occasionally dreams crushed. It means another attempt to prove to whoever will listen that I can play at the big league level. It means being prepared for anything, not to expect anything but at the same time to expect everything!! It means meeting new people and trying to prove myself once again.

SethSpeaks: We did our Q&A about six weeks ago. How was the rest of your off-season?

COSTE: I spent the remainder of the off-season in Fargo and after a season of nearly 200 games in 2005 (summer and winter), I was in the “rest the body” mode, which is to say that I didn’t do nearly as much preparation as I have in the past. I went to the gym almost everyday and I am very strong, but I did not do a lot of baseball activities. However, as I have learned from my other major league spring trainings is that the first two weeks of the spring is a “go at your own pace” environment. I can’t drift and take it easy but it is not nearly as demanding and intense as minor league spring training. Also, I finished winter ball only one month ago so it should not take too long to get back into baseball shape.

SethSpeaks: Do you feel physically and mentally prepared for the upcoming season?

COSTE: I guess I kind of answered that in the previous question, but one thing that I am happy about is coming back to the same team. I will get to walk into a major league spring training clubhouse with the same team for the first time in my career. It is always somewhat intimidating walking into any clubhouse when you don’t know anyone and you can double that intensity when it is a big league clubhouse and you are a guy with no big league time. So it is incredibly nice to step into a clubhouse where I will know nearly everyone, especially the front office and coaching staff, and many of the players that know and respect me as a baseball player.

SethSpeaks: Heading into your second Major League training camp with the Phillies, what are your hopes and expectations?

COSTE: I play many positions so it is anybody’s guess as to how I will be used this season. I had a good season in 2005 with some power but I did not get to catch much so that guaranteed me not being called to the big leagues. I am a decent 3rd baseman but the Phillies have MANY players that can play 3rd base, so if I don’t catch this season then it will be the same story. I know that the manager of the Phillies, Charlie Manual, is a big fan of Chris Coste, as are much of the big league coaches, but if there is not a specific need for my skills then there will be no call-up for me.

SethSpeaks: Finally, have you set any goals for yourself for camp and for the 2006 season?

COSTE: I am now 33 years old and my only goal each season is to stay healthy. I am strong and I still have a lot of baseball left in me at a high level, which is to say that I think I am better now than I have ever been in my life, but my body does not quite heal like it used to and it is harder and harder to stay healthy every year!!! If I stay healthy I will have a good season; this is not a guarantee, it is simply based on my history. I have had one bad season and I was hurt almost the entire season (2003) and in 2004 I had other smaller injuries and my power number suffered as a result. Injuries are a huge part of the game and if I can stay healthy I am sure it will be a successful season.

OTHER THOUGHTS

Just wanted to post a few more thoughts on some topics for the weekend. Again, please feel free to email me or comment on anything. Thanks!

That is it for today. I hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend! Be sure to check back later to see if I got any further responses to my Spring Training Q&As. Thanks!

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