Minnesotan Twins (in the Minors)
Joe Mauer has made
many All-Star appearances to go with his batting titles, Gold Gloves, Silver
Sluggers and MVP award. Glen Perkins has become one of the best relief pitchers
in baseball in 2011. Both were Twins first-round draft picks from their home
town state. There have been many other Minnesotans who have played for the Twins,
like Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield.
Kent Hrbek is a Twins Hall of Famer from Bloomington. St. Paul native Jack
Morris provided one of the greatest World Series pitching performances in
history for the Twins. Pat Neshek mesmerized hitters
out of the bullpen for a couple of years.
However, the Twins have been able to draft
and sign several players from Minnesota. Right now, there are ten players from
Minnesota in the farm system. Here is a quick look at each of them:
Andy Baldwin
Baldwin is a Duluth, MN, native. He went to
Oregon State and then became a 5th round pick of the Phillies in 2004. He
quickly worked up the minor leagues and was then traded to the Seattle
Mariners. He pitched for AAA Tacoma the past three years. This offseason,
the Twins signed him to help their AAA Rochester roster. Now 28 years old,
he is 4-7 with a 5.57 ERA for the Red Wings. In 86 innings, he has walked 22
and struck out 71.
Cole DeVries
DeVries is from Eden Prairie and pitched for the University
of Minnesota. The Twins signed him in August of 2006 as a non-drafted free
agent after he pitched well in the Cape Cod League. He pitched very
well as a starter in the lower levels of the minor leagues, but last
year he really struggled at AA and AAA. This year, he moved
to the bullpen and began the season by dominating AA batters. In
15 appearances, he was 0-0 with nine saves and a 2.28 ERA. In 27.2
innings, he walked just five and struckout 33.
He moved up to AAA Rochester where he started out well. At their All-Star
break, he is now 3-2 with a 5.00 ERA although 12 of his 14 runs allowed him
come in just four appearances. He has done well in late innings and middle
relief and even made a spot start recently.
Mark Dolenc
The Twins used their 15th round pick in 2006
on a very talented outfielder from Minnesota State-Mankato. He had graduated
from Eagan high school. Now 26, Dolenc is in his
second season with the AA New Britain Rock Cats. He is hitting
.280/.331/.345 with eight doubles, three triples and a home run. He also has 13
stolen bases.
Nate Hanson
Hanson went to Eden Prairie High School and
then the University of Minnesota. Following the 2008 college season, the Twins
drafted him with their 28th round pick. In 2010 in Ft. Myers, he showed
some power for the Miracle with 18 doubles and 11 home runs. He returned to the
Miracle to start this season and hit .267/.327/.383 with 12 doubles and four
home runs in 52 games before being promoted to AA New Britain. With the
Rock Cats, he is hitting .245/.306/.372 with six doubles and two home runs in
26 games.
Matt Schuld
Schuld, a Plymouth native, had a very impressive collegiate
career for the Tommies of St. Thomas. When he went
undrafted, the Twins quickly signed him. After 11 appearances in the GCL, he
made six relief appearances in Ft. Myers. He began this season at Extended
Spring Training but quickly was called up to the Miracle where he has been a
very solid starter. He went 4-1 with a 3.99 ERA in 70 innings over 11 starts
and four bullpen appearances. This weekend, he was promoted to
AA New Britain where he went four innings in a start on Monday night.
It may be a short-term promotion, but he has certainly been impressive in his
year with the Twins organization! And, he is still just 22 years old.
Derek McCallum
The Twins liked the Shoreview native so much,
they drafted him twice. They selected him in the 50th round of the 2006 draft,
but he instead went to play for the Gophers. Following a tremendous junior
season in 2009, the 2B was taken by the Twins in the 4th round. He signed
quickly and began his minor league career in Elizabethton. 2010 was a
frustrating season for McCallum who was limited to just 47 games in Beloit due
to two sepate injuries. He returned to the Snappers
for the 2011 season where he hit .200/.278/.264 in his 39 games. he was promoted to Ft. Myers and hit .191/.295/.191 in 22
games (68 at bats). This weekend, the 23-year-old was returned to Beloit.
Roy Larson
Larson was another key component in those
talented St. Thomas teams. The 22 year old Burnsville native signed in
September and began his pro career this spring. At 6-5, Larson is currently
playing 1B and 3B for Elizabethton. He has hit .250/.295/.350 in his first 40
at bats. He's got four doubles.
AJ Pettersen
The Minnetonka native, Pettersen,
who played on that Excelsior American Legion team in the World Series a few
years ago, spent four years under the tutelage of John Anderson at the
University of Minnesota. Following a very solid college career, he was drafted
by the Twins in the 25th round of this year's June draft. He signed quickly and
was sent to Elizabethton. He played in three games and went 2-9 with three
walks. Unfortunately, he was hit by a pitch in the face in that third
game and required some nose surgery. He is currently getting healthy and will
soon head back to Florida to start getting ready to play again.
Madison Boer
The Twins drafted Boer from the University of
Oregon with their 2nd round pick in this year's draft. The 21 year old pitched
for Eden Prairie High School before heading west to play for the Ducks. The
hard-throwing right-hander has begun his career in Elizabethton where he is
pitching at the end of games right now... and dominating. He is currently 2-1
with four saves and a 2.45 ERA in his seven appearances. In 7.1 innings, he has
walked none and struck out 14. He could advance quickly in 2012!
John Krogstad
J. R. Krogstad was
born in Crookston and grew up in Erskine. He did not play baseball in high
school in South Dakota because it wasn't offered. Instead, he got heavily
involved in paleantology. But friends encouraged him
to go to the American Baseball Institute in Florday.
He did, and recently he went to Ft. Myers for a tryout with the Twins who kept
him around. He has pitched in two games (2.2 scoreless innings) for the
GCL Twins. (Check out this
article in the Crookston Times, the town where he still has
family and friends.)
The Twins drafted another former Gophers
pitcher TJ Oakes in the 41st round of the 2011 draft. In the 16th round,
they drafted the 2011 Mr. Baseball Austin Malinowski, a pitcher from Centennial
High School. Add 2010 25th round pick, North Dakota native Andy Leer, who is
playing in Beloit this year, and the Twins do a nice job of keeping several
local ball players in their system. I think that is a good thing.
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