Monday, May 14, 2007

Weekend Update

Good Monday Morning! First things first... congratulations to Chris Coste who was called back up to the Philadelphia Phillies when Ryan Howard was put on the Disabled List.

It was a great weekend, but a lot of driving, so today I have several Twins thoughts for you to peruse as well as some highlights from the Twins minor league weekend. So let's get right too it! Please feel free to Send me an e-mail or leave some Comments below.

TWINS THOUGHTS

The Twins lost two out of three to the Detroit Tigers this weekend. They were beaten rather badly on both nights. Johan Santana pitched fairly well on Friday night, but he again threw too many pitches early, so he didn't stick around too long. Sidney Ponson made his final start for the Twins on Saturday and lasted just four innings. Here are some other thoughts on the Twins weekend, primarily from last night's 16-4 win. That is much more fun to talk about.

SEE YA SIDNEY - I was at the game on Saturday afternoon. When the first batter in the Tigers' lineup walked, I started chanting "We want Slowey!" (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap) For some reason, it didn't catch on in my section. When the fourth batter reached (after the 2nd and 3rd hitters got on), I tried, "Sllllllllooooooooowwwwweeeeeyyyyyy!!!!!" Still didn't catch on. So, I just watched Ponson give up a bunch more base runners over four innings just knowing that he would not be around much longer. So, Sunday, when I heard that Ponson had been Designated for Assignment, I was quite happy! But at the same time, I was partially surprised. Earlier in the day, I listened to the Ron Gardenhire Show and when asked about Ponson, Gardy basically said, "Yeah, he hasn't been too good." The surprising part was that he really didn't come up with anything positive to say about his pitching. He talked about him being a good teammate and doing all they had asked of him, but he did not talk positively about his pitching. That did make me wonder a little. But, I thought that Ponson had shown some improvement. He has not been good at all, but I thought that the Twins would stick with him longer. I mean, they stuck with Tony Batista and Juan Castro until mid-June last year. This move was absolutely necessary for the Twins. They needed to put someone else into the rotation. But I can't be upset at Ponson. Clearly he did what he had to do and really all that the Twins could have asked him when they gave him a chance. He lost a bunch of weight. He drank less. He apparently put in the work and the time necessary. As a fan, that's all we can ask. The fact is though that Ponson is just done. He has not been good since about 2003, and even then he wasn't great. It wasn't a bad signing, but as I said before the season, the big thing would be when the Twins pulled the plug, and if it would be too late. Well, we are in mid-May and the move has been made. We will find out later in the week who it is that will be replacing Ponson in the rotation. We will find out at the end of the year (or sooner) if it was too late or not. 

MY CHOICE - So, I am sure that you all will want to know who my choice would be to replace Sidney Ponson as the Twins 5th starter. My choice may surprise many. The best pitcher right now at Rochester is Kevin Slowey. He has been excellent in each of his starts. He has excellent control and the mind, personality and composure to be very successful. I think that he could step in right now and be successful. However, he is currently not on the Twins 40 man roster (which is not a big deal as Ponson is no longer on it and Alejando Machado also could be moved to the 60 Day DL). Matt Garza has the biggest upside of any of the Twins prospects. If you take out his start last week, his numbers are very good this year... with one exception. He just has walked too many batters. He has not been real consistent yet. I don't know if he is working on things, maybe throwing too many offspeed pitches, but I believe that he could use more time. Glen Perkins has been pitching decent out of the Twins bullpen. I do believe that he also has a lot of potential as a starter. That said, I think that he needs to get extended and would likely need to spend a little time at Rochester to do so. But my choice for who the Twins should call up to replace Ponson and start on Saturday... is none other than... Scott Baker. That's right. Scott Baker is absolutely deserving of a big league call up. But what he also is deserving of is a real shot at a spot in the rotation. What I mean by that is that he needs to know that he will be in the starting rotation for no less than two or three months. He needs to be able to go to the mound and know that even if he has a rough outing or two, his manager and his teammates will stick behind him. He has to know that he is good, because he definitely is. There is a reason that he advanced quickly through the Twins system in 2004. There is a reason that he came up to the Twins in 2005 a few times and pitched very well. There is a reason that he started the season in the Twins rotation. I know, a lot of people don't buy minor league numbers as an indicator, but they do need to mean something. Baker has completely dominated AAA hitters the last three years. This year, he is getting more strikeouts. Confidence, in my opinion, is what he needs. So, as much as I would be absolutely thrilled if Kevin Slowey gets the call this week, I believe that Scott Baker deserves this right now. Also, I thought it was also quite telling that Gardy chose to spend much of his radio show, when asked about Slowey, Garza and Perkins, talking about how well Scott Baker has looked and how Tom Kelly has said that he is throwing better than ever. I think we all know that the opinion of Tom Kelly is very important to anything that is done in the organization, so that all says a lot.

GETTING TO KNOW 'EM - Garrett Jones is set to join the Twins. This is the first big league promotion for the large, slugging lefty. Jones was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1999 out of his Illinois high school. He stayed in the Braves organization for three seasons, never getting out of the rookie leagues, before he was released. Soon after, the Twins signed him and sent him to the Midwest League (Low A Quad Cities). He hit just .202, but he did hit 10 homers. In 2003, he went up to Ft. Myers where he hit just .220, but he hit 18 homers, which is impressive in the Florida State League. 2004 was really his breakout year. He moved up to New Britain and he hit .311 with 33 doubles, 30 homers and 92 RBI. For good measure, he stole 10 bases. I wrote an article called Rockcats with Bats about the monster seasons that Jones, Kevin West and Luis Maza had. He has spent the last two years hitting in the middle of the Rochester lineup. He hit a combined 45 homers in those year yet hit just .238 and .245 in those seasons. So, he is not a good hitter. He strikes out way too much. However, he has a lot of power, including home run power. Despite what happened in the Twins game last night, the Twins lineup can certainly use some power. So, I think this was a good call up. He deserves a shot. The Twins can use a guy with some power potential. Jones hit two homers for Rochester over the weekend giving him five for the season. I believe that he will be out of options next year, so I also believe it will be a good evaluation of Jones before next spring. How long will he be up? Well, that depends on how he does, but also on if the Twins decide to keep 11 or 12 pitchers on their roster starting next weekend.

COULDA BEEN - There was a lot of talk that Matt Tolbert could be called up to take the place of Sidney Ponson on the Twins roster. The middle infielder currently leads the International League in batting average. He has some extra base power, some speed and is a decent defender up the middle. I wasn't really sure why he was considered as a call up at this point. Don't get me wrong, had he been called up, I would have said he has earned it. Since he was sent back to Ft. Myers from New Britain last year at this time, he has been excellent. He moved back up to New Britain and continued to rake. He went to the Arizona Fall League and mashed there. He will get a shot with the Twins at some point. His role may be more of a utility player as well since the Twins have Jason Bartlett at SS and probably Alexi Casilla at 2B. Right now, I would say that Tolbert is better than Nick Punto, which isn't saying a lot. Punto is a utility player with a starting spot for now. I don't think he has quite the potential that Jason Bartlett had and has. So, as you can tell by my description, if the Twins needed someone with home run potential for now, Garrett Jones was the right choice. Had they wanted a line drive hitting middle infield type, Tolbert would have been ready.

KUBEL!!!! - That's to Stick & Ball Guy's site, I learned that Jason Kubel leads the American League in Line Drive Percentage... so, knowing that should hush some of his critics... but probably won't.  

CONTRACT YEAR - Torii Hunter is putting together an excellent season. Last night, he had one of those special games that people will not forget. He went 3-5 with a double, two homers and seven RBI. With that game included, he is now hitting .324 with eight home runs and 29 RBI. That puts him on pace for 35 homers and 126 RBI. That puts him on pace for about six years and about $90 million. That... would put him officially out of the Twins future. The ESPN telecast (and Joe Morgan) pointed out the change in Hunter's hitting mechanics. Instead of the big Kirby Puckett leg kick, Hunter's stance starts a little wider and basically just does a quick foot tap. By being able to keep his head still, he is probably better able to see the pitches a little longer. If that can help him from swinging wildly at so many pitches, then he has the athleticism, talent and knowledge to truly be a special player.

THREE'S A CHARM - Hunter wasn't the only Twins hitter with three hits last night. Luis Castillo had two singles and a triple. Jason Kubel had two singles and a double. Michael Cuddyer had a single, a double and his third home run. And that little guy, Justin Morneau, had three singles.

FINALLY - It took eight tries, but Boof Bonser picked up his first win of the season. He didn't actually pitch particularly well though. He gave up four runs and lasted just five innings. He did have the strikeout pitches working with six in five innings. If he needs to work on one thing, it is throwing less pitches. In his eight starts, he has pitched in the seventh inning just one time. Run-support is a beautiful thing. Matt Guerrier, Pat Neshek and Joe Nathan combined for four shutout innings in relief.

PUT ME IN COACH - Luis Rodriguez entered the game on Sunday in place of Luis Castillo. He singled to center in his only at bat. On Saturday, it was Luis Rodriguez who entered the game at 1B when Justin Morneau broke his nose. He immediately participated in a double play. He then singled to center in his only at bat. He then made a diving play for an out at 1B. I still don't understand why the Twins don't play him more, particularly at 3B. It also baffles me why some Twins fans just don't seem to like him. I frequently read that he should not be in the big leagues. I don't understand that. No, he doesn't do any one thing great. However, he is a utility player. He plays three defensive positions adequately. He has put in practice time at 1B, just to help the team. He is the emergency catcher. He puts together solid at bats, particularly when he is pinch hitting. Traditionally, he walks more than he strikes out. He has little, but some, power. He is in the right position, a utility infielder. In contrast, Nick Punto is out of position. He is currently the Twins starting 3B when in reality he should be a utility player.          

Twins and their Minor League Updates

Do you have any further thoughts on any Twins prospects, minor leaguers, or these summaries? E-mail me, or also feel free to leave comments below.

That is it for today. Have a great day!

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