Wow!! The Twins have some really incredible pitching prospects, don't they? If the first three or four games of the season are any indication, everything we have anticipated will be true. These teams had some really spectacular first starts, starting with Glen Perkins five no-hit innings to start the New Britain season. That is fun to see. If you're like me, it also tells us that the Twins will remain competitive in the AL Central and in the American League for years to come. Of course, the question becomes the hitting. However, if you look at the lineups and rosters from New Britain down, there are a lot of very strong hitting prospects. Sure, right now Rochester is using roster spots for more veteran players, but even they have a couple of very good prospects. The fact that Doug Deeds and Danny Matienzo are still in New Britain tells you how good the system maybe be. There were some very impressive performances this week. As always, I appreciate any thoughts, opinions or disagreements with anything I may write, so please feel free to e-mail me.

Quickly, before I get started on the weekend game summaries and thoughts, I do want to discuss the minor leaguers that you will see tomorrow on the left side of the screen. I asked you to e-mail me the names of up to six Twins minor league prospects, and you responded well. I received responses from no less than 29 readers, which I think is pretty impressive. Here are the results, by number of votes received:

15 - Glen Perkins (Minnesotans want to keep tabs on the Stillwater native and former Gopher)

14 - Denard Span, Matt Moses (isn't it strange that these two are always tied together?)

11 - Pat Neshek (Another local pitcher, who is doing great so far as the Rochester closer)

9 - Trevor Plouffe (I will mainly be pointing out offensive numbers!!)

7 - Matt Garza (the top 2005 pick garnered a lot of votes)

6 - Boof Bonser (I think there are many curious if he can help the Twins if need be)

4 - David Winfree, Alex Romero (two of the top prospects in the organization, in my opinion)

3 - Justin Jones, Alexi Casilla, Garrett Jones, Juan Portes, Anthony Swarzak, Paul Kelly

2 - Adam Harben

1 - Jason Miller, Bobby Korecky, Nick Blackburn, Danny Matienzo, Jay Rainville, Justin Arneson, Yancarlos Ortiz, Caleb Moore, Eli Tintor, Yohan Pino, Erik Lis, Deacon Burns, Andrew Thompson, Alexander Smit, Kevin Slowey, Jose Mijares, Doug Deeds, Loek Van Mil, JR Taylor, Luis Maza

So, again, the format of these statistics may alter over the year. I, of course, have the right to add or subtract players if I feel it necessary. I may end up doing a 2005 draft picks segment as I did last year for the 2004 picks. We will see. If you have any thoughts, please e-mail me.

 

ROCHESTER REPORT

Friday - Red Wings , Syracuse  – Rained Out. Will be made up as part of a doubleheader in May.

Saturday - Red Wings 1, Syracuse 4 – The Red Wings had to play in some cold temperatures this weekend, temps that got below freezing. Their bats and gloves showed the effects on this night. The offense was only able to strike for three hits. Jason Bartlett and Terry Tiffee each had a double while Chris Heintz had a single. The gloves were not much better. Garrett Jones and Josh Rabe each had an Error while Terry Tiffee had two. That didn't help starter Ryan Glynn. He went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs (2 earned) on four hits and two walks. He struck out four. Henry Bonilla came in and gave up two hits, but no runs, in 1.1 innings. Mike Smith walked one in a scoreless inning. Jason Miller allowed a hit, but struck out the other three batters he faced. Beau Kemp struck out all three batters he saw.

Sunday - Red Wings 1, Syracuse 0 – In the third inning, Luis Maza hit a solo home run. At the time, I'm sure very few figured it would be the game's lone run! Peter Munro started and recorded the Win by pitching five shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked none and struck out five. I wonder if he has it in his contract again that if he is not with the Twins by June 1, he will become a free agent? Beau Kemp pitched another scoreless inning. Ricky Barrett came back from his poor first outing with two shutout innings. He walked two, but he struck out five. Pat Neshek dominated the ninth with three strikeouts on the way to his second save. Josh Rabe went 2-2, and Jason Hart added a double. Maza's homer was his lone hit. On another note, Garrett Jones played out in RF most of the game.    

NEW BRITAIN NEWS

Friday - Rockcats 3, New Hampshire 7 – The Rockcats khad some hits, but it was not enough as the pitching failed for once. Matt Moses went 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Scott Whitrock went 2-4. Tommy Watkins played 3B and went 2-4 with an RBI. JR Taylor was 2-4 with a run scored. Doug Deeds had just one hit but it was a home run. Nick Blackburn was a great story last year for the Twins. He went just 4.1 innings and gave up five runs. He allowed eight hits and walked two. Justin Olson came in and went the next 2.2 innings. He gave up a run on two hits. He walked none and struck out three. Lefty Jay Sawatski then allowed a run in the final two inning. He also struck out three.

Saturday - Rockcats, New Hampshire – Rained Out.

Sunday - Rockcats 5, New Hampshire 4 – Justin Jones made his first AA start and responded with a victory. The lefty went the first five innings and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out seven. Levale Speigner and Jay Sawatski combined for 2.1 innings before Bobby Korecky came in and recorded the save. Now, he allowed two runs on four hits over the final 1.2 innings, but it was a good start. Remember that Korecky led the league in Saves in 2004, but missed all of the 2005 season after arm surgery. It is good to see him back. Denard Span led the offense. He was 3-4 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored. Trent Oeltjen may have been 0-2, but he walked twice and was also hit by a pitch. He stole two bases and scored three times. Matt Moses was 2-2 with a walk and two RBI. An interesting double play occurred when Denard Span threw a guy out trying to tag to third base.

FT MYERS MEMOS

Friday - Miracle 6, Sarasota 0 – Another great start by another top prospect. Anthony Swarzak, Baseball America's 100th rated prospect and Twins 2004 2nd round pick, started and went five innings. He gave up just four hits, walked two and struck out five. Angel Garcia pitched the next two innings, striking out one. JP Martinez recorded the save with two shutout innings of his own. Garrett Guzman continued his hot start with a 2-5, two RBI day. David Winfree was also 2-5 with a double and two RBI. Alexi Casilla went 1-3 with two walks and two stolen bases.

Saturday - Miracle 11, Sarasota 7 – 2005 2nd round pick, and friend of SethSpeaks, Kevin Slowey just continues to pitch wonderfully. In his first start of the season, he had a perfect game through the first five innings. In the sixth, he walked one and gave up two hits, but didn't get any fielding help either. In that inning he gave up four runs (none earned). In the game, he struck out eight and walked one. Josh Hill came in for him and in his inning, he gave up two hits and two earned runs. In a perfect illustration of why the Win statistic is worthless in evaluation of pitchers, Ryan Callahan came in and got on out... after allowing tow hits and a walk. It was a 'blown save', but because the Miracle went ahead in the next half inning, Callahan got the Win. Alexander Farfan, a Rule V pick this winter, went the final two innings. He allowed an unearned run on one hit. Another Rule V pick this winter, Erold Andrus (whose brother Elvis is a top Braves prospect) went 2-4 with two runs and six RBI. The big hit was his 7th inning grand slam that gave the team the lead. Alexi Casilla was 2-4. So were Garrett Guzman and David Winfree, but they each added a walk as well. Three games, Three Errors for Trevor Plouffe at shortstop.  

Saturday - Miracle 8, Sarasota 4 – Alexi Casilla and David Winfree continued to hit well. Casilla went 3-5 with two doubles and an RBI. Winfree was 3-5 with a double and two RBI. Jeremy Pickrel went 3-4 with a walk, a triple and an RBI. Luke Hughes was 2-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI. Lefty Kyle Aselton came out of the bullpen last year in Beloit in the season's second half and was great. This year, he starts in the Ft. Myers rotation. His first start probably wasn't as bad as it looked. He gave up four runs in four innings, but just one of the runs was earned. However, he did allow eight hits and two walks. Tim Lahey picked up the Win. He went three innings and gave up just two runs. Julio DePaula got his second save by pitching two shutout innings.

The Infield situation in Beloit is interesting. I think that ideally they would start Alexi Casilla at 2B, Trevor Plouffe at SS and David Winfree at 3B. However, they also need to get At Bats for Luke Hughes. Through just four games, Casilla has played three at 2B and one at SS. Plouffe played yesterday at 3B after three games at SS. Winfree has been the team's DH each game, and Hughes has played both 2B and 3B.     

BELOIT BITS

Friday - Snappers 2, Cedar Rapids 1 – The dominant pitching continued to the team's lowest full season affiliate. The team also got a little something that the Twins would love to have. 2005 pick Brian Duensing, a lefty from Nebraska, started and gave up just one hit and a walk over five innings. He struck out seven. David Shinskie, a 2001 draft pick, gave up an unearned run in his 1.2 innings. Jose Lugo came in and gave up just a hit in 1.1 relief innings. Yohan Pino got the Win after he gave up two hits and in a scoreless inning. In the end though, it was Henry Sanchez, the team's supplemental first round pick in 2005, who was the story. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th with the score tied at one, Sanchez drilled a game winning home run. Paul Kelly, 2005 second round pick, was the DH again and he went 2-4 with two doubles and the other RBI.

Saturday - Snappers 2, Cedar Rapids 4 (12 innings) – Adam Hawes was the ERA leader in the Appalachian League last year. He threw six shutout innings in this game. He gave up just three hits and a walk, and he struck out four. Alexander Smit came in and gave up an unearned run in his inning. Danny Vais went the next 1.2 innings and gave up another run. Yohan Pino went 1.1 scoreless. But Jose Lugo took the loss. He pitched a scoreless inning before giving up two runs in the 12th. Eli Tintor must really be enjoying his move to the outfield and playing every day. He was 3-5 on this day. Catcher Caleb Moore, 4th round pick in 2005, went 3-4 with two doubles. Tarrence Patterson and Paul Kelly went 2-6 while Dwayne White was 2-4. 

Sunday - Snappers 3, Cedar Rapids 2 – Down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, the Twins rallied and on RBI singles by Paul Kelly and Erik Lis, the Snappers had tied the game. With two outs, Eli Tintor came up and was the hero with a single to right field to drive in the game-winning run. Lis was playing 1B for the first time this season and went 2-4 with a double and a stolen base. Tintor was 2-4. 2005 third round pick Ryan Mullins started this game and went six innings. He gave up two runs on five hits. He walked none and struck out seven. Danny Powers pitched two shutout innings and struck out three. Eduardo Morlan again struck out three in his inning of work to record the win.

The infield situation is just as crowded in Beloit. Paul Kelly, Andrew Thompson, Steven Tolleson, Toby Gardenhire and Yancarlos Ortiz will all see plenty of time. At 1B, Henry Sanchez and Erik Lis will both see time.