Friday, October 6, 2006

Q&A with Trent Oeltjen

New Britain OF Prospect

Good morning to everyone! I know, you are here to get your fill of Twins and A's thoughts, and believe me, there will be several down below. But, since the tone of the Twins playoff series is so negative, I thought it would be good to start with a very positive posting. Today, I am happy to provide you with another Q&A with another top Twins prospect. I know it was somewhat controversial when I ranked Trent Oeltjen as the Twins #9 prospect. But, he has long been a Twins prospect that I have followed and he has just continued to get better and better each year and at each level.

The native of Australia has had a very interesting career in the Twins system. However, he has also had a lot of international competition and experience. I think that he has a chance to be very good if he is given an opportunity by the Twins. If he isn't, he could go elsewhere and have a long career. 

If you would like to see what other Twins prospects and more I have had Q&As with, please be sure to check out a page I created with all of my Q&As. Today, I need to thank Trent Oeltjen, an OF prospect who spent 2006 with the New Britain Rockcats, for taking the time to answer some questions for us! I really hope that you all enjoy the Q&As.

Trent Oeltjen was drafted by the Twins as a free agent in February of 2001 out of Sydney, Australia. You can check out his career numbers here, but let's just get the Q&A started. Thanks again to Trent Oeltjen!  If you have any comments for me or Mr. Oeltjen, please e-mail me, and I will try to answer your questions or forward them on to him and see if we can get you an answer.

Let the Questions Begin!

SethSpeaks: Growing up in Australia, was Major League Baseball a big thing?  

Trent Oeltjen: Baseball is always overlooked by the main sports of Australia Rugby, Cricket and swimming. But for me, having and American father opened my eyes to a variety of sports, especially ones that are popular in America. 

SethSpeaks: Who was your favorite team, and who were some of your favorite players growing up? 

Trent Oeltjen: My favorite team growing up was the Seattle Mariners because my dad is from Seattle and my favorite player was Ken Griffey Jr.

SethSpeaks: Tell us a little about the leagues you played in before signing with the Twins.

Trent Oeltjen: In Australia, you don't play baseball in school it is all played in leagues. There are local leagues that anyone can play in and from there you can make all-star teams and eventually state and national teams from age 12 and on.

SethSpeaks: You have represented Australia in several international competitions including the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic. What does that mean to you?

Trent Oeltjen: It is a great honor and is every kids dream to be able to step up on the podium in the Olympics receiving a medal for their country. Also the experience of the World Classic this year really helped prepare me for this season facing some of the best Major League pitchers in the game. It gave me confidence to know that i can play with those guys.

SethSpeaks: The Twins have had great success signing players from Australia. To what do you attribute that success? And, do you and the other guys in the organization keep in contact throughout the season?

Trent Oeltjen: In Australia, we have really good youth development programs  which has become a great place to scout and find some of the best Australian talent. Through this program i have played with many of the Australian players that are in the league now. I have known some of them since I was 15 years old and have played in the Olympics and many World games with them. Many of these guys are in the Minnesota organization and are some of my best mates.

SethSpeaks: You got to represent yourself, the Twins and Australia for the World Team at the Futures Game. What was that experience like? Was it fun meeting some of the other top prospects in baseball?

Trent Oeltjen: In the futures game, it was such and honor to be put in a category with many of those guys. i have played against many of them and probably knew of the rest because of their talent. I was very honored to be the sole representative of Minnesota and especially Australia.

SethSpeaks: You signed with the Twins in 2001 at that age of 18. Were there other teams trying to sign you, and what made you sign with the Twins?

Trent Oeltjen: The major teams that i remember negotiating with were the Tigers, Oakland and Nationals. It basically came down to obviously who laid down the best offer but also the amount of Australians in Minnesota was a key factor.

SethSpeaks: Grant Balfour, another Sydney native, participated in my NFL football picks last year. As a guy who made it to the Twins, was Balfour someone you looked up to, and has he helped you in any way moving up the system?

Trent Oeltjen: Yes, definitely. His success was inspiring and he took me under his wing my first few years. To this day, if i needed a mentor or just someone's advise, he is someone that i would contact because of his experience and willingness to help me out.

SethSpeaks: What are your general thoughts on the Twins organization?

Trent Oeltjen: I think they are a great organization that gives young, hardworking guys like me a chance to make it to the Bigs as well as be successful.

SethSpeaks: What was the adjustment to pro baseball like for you?

Trent Oeltjen: The long bus rides was obviously something i had to get use to, and still don't really enjoy. Also, being in a different country from all my family and friends was hard at first as well as the lingo. But i feel completely comfortable now, even driving on the wrong side of the road.

SethSpeaks: Who were some of the coaches or people that have helped you get to this point in your career?

Trent Oeltjen: First of all, i would have to say my dad who helped me in the early stages of development. He has always been there for me and as well as my mum.  As for coaches, John Yard and Andre Desjardins were some of my coaches in Australia. In my first season Al Newman took me aside and taught me the importance of recognizing my strengths and then using them to my advantage, such as bunting and my speed. I have played for Floyd Rayford for three years now and he has always believed in me and pushed me to be the best player that i can.

SethSpeaks: How would you describe yourself as a player? What are your strengths, and what areas would you say you most have to improve upon?

Trent Oeltjen: I would say that my game is built around speed. Consistency and all around effort is something that i pride myself on. I think that i have most improved on my hitting as well as being  a solid defensive player in all three outfield positions. I want to continue to get stronger as well as become a better base stealer.

SethSpeaks: In spring training a year ago, you had a very scary experience. A bat shattered during batting practice and a chip nearly went into your eye. Tell us about what happened there, and how you were able to come back so successfully from that.

Trent Oeltjen: That had to be the most unlucky thing that has ever happened to me. I was standing behind that batting cage while Romero was hitting and he broke his bat and it went through the net and hit me in the eye. That was most frustrating for me because i was in AA and since i got hurt they sent me down to high A where i remained  for the rest of the year.  

SethSpeaks: How would you describe the differences between playing in the Florida State League (A) and the Eastern League (AA)? What adjustments did you have to make to be so successful?

Trent Oeltjen: For one thing the areas are a lot different. But mostly that pitching starts to get a lot better.

SethSpeaks: You have spent parts of five seasons with Felix Molina. He had somewhat of a breakout season himself. How would you describe him as a teammate and as a person?

Trent Oeltjen: He is a great teammate, funny guy and a person i really enjoy playing with. He is also a great second baseman.

SethSpeaks: You have been a teammate with several guys who are now playing in the big leagues with the Twins. Are you close with any of them, and how does it make you feel when you see them get called up?

Trent Oeltjen: Glen Williams is a good friend of mine who i keep in contact with. Last year was exciting watching him make it to the big leagues and do so well.

SethSpeaks: As a OF, tell us a little about playing behind the likes of Glen Perkins, Matt Garza, Kevin Slowey and the other pitchers on your roster.

Trent Oeltjen: Being in AA all the pitchers on our roster are great pitchers and fun to play behind. Every game i go out there and just play my best.

SethSpeaks: Are there any of your teammates that you would say have a bright big league future? Are there any that you think will surprise Twins fans?

Trent Oeltjen: Garza will do really well. Playing with him for half a season i was able to see what a great pitcher he is.

SethSpeaks: What is the best part about a career in baseball?

Trent Oeltjen: I get to play the sport that i love and i get paid for it.

SethSpeaks: What is the most difficult part of life in baseball?

Trent Oeltjen: Being away from loved ones and family.

SethSpeaks: Favorite baseball movie?

Trent Oeltjen: Major league. Always a good laugh

SethSpeaks: Favorite baseball book?

Trent Oeltjen: The Idiot

SethSpeaks: What are your plans for the offseason?

Trent Oeltjen: Going on a road trip with my best mates and my girlfriend all around California and prepare for Venuzuela.

SethSpeaks: Did the Twins, or your New Britain coaches, talk to you after the season and let you know what they would like for you to work on during the offseason? Do they give you some direction?

Trent Oeltjen: Yeah, i spoke with Rayf about what i should focus on in the off season as well as getting at bats in Winter Ball.

SethSpeaks: What do you think it will be like to put on a big league uniform in a regular season game for the first time?

Trent Oeltjen: It is something that i have dreamed about since i was a kid. it will be amazing.

SethSpeaks: Is there anything else that you would like to share with Twins fans around the country about yourself?

Trent Oeltjen: Keep there eyes out for me! 

As a guy who has been touting Trent as a top prospect for several years, I would agree. Keep your eyes on him. Or, just keep checking out SethSpeaks.net because you can keep up with all of the Twins minor league affiliates and players. Trent, thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.

Do you have any thoughts or questions for Trent Oeltjen or me? If so, please feel free to e-mail me.

If you would like to read any previous Q&A's, I have set up a new page that contains the links to all of them. Click here to see who all has done a Q&A with SethSpeaks.

Twins/A's Thoughts

• Brad Radke is the man! I am sure we could all wax poetic about what Radke has done for the Twins with his final regular season start. Although there are many out there who just don't get it, Radke has been one of the best pitchers in Minnesota Twins history. According to an August Stick & Ball Guy study, he showed the Radke is the #1 Twins pitcher in terms of VORP (Value Over Replacement Pitcher). At the time, he was at 490.4. Bert Blyleven was second at 446.0. Jim Kaat was number three with 317.2, and Johan Santana has certainly passed him by now (he was at 313.2 at that time). Radke has pitched in all twelve of his big league seasons with the Minnesota Twins, another point in his favor.

• If all else is equal, and the Twins are down 2-0 in a best of five series, the pitcher I want on the mound is Brad Radke. Without question! The man's poise is so impressive. I have no doubt that he will be ready to pitch tomorrow mentally. How is he doing physically? Well, that is something we will find out this afternoon.

• It will be interesting to see how Torii Hunter plays today. He had an embarrassingly bad Game 2. You have to assume that he wants to show the world that he is not that bad. But how will those thoughts play into this game? Will he be overly conservative, for fear of receiving as much criticism as he got after Game 2? Or, will he go out of his way to make a web gem, or hit a ball 500 feet in an attempt to make up for his blunder?

• Here are a couple of links to top Oakland A's sites:

  • Athletics Nation

  • Oakland Clubhouse

  • Athletic Supporters

• And finally, the Twins just need to find a way to put some hits together. They need to get some leadoff hitters on base, and they need to find a way to drive them in when they get into scoring position. They need to get five innings from Brad Radke, and then let the bullpen do its job. If they can get through Game 3, and get to a Game 4, then they need to hope they can get the same from Carlos Silva. Then, if they can get through that, hopefully Johan Santana can get the job done.

• And, take a second to check out a relatively new Twins blog: Twins, Not Twinkies.

• By the time I write again (Monday), we will know the results of this Best of Five series. Can the Twins come back? It's unlikely, but as has been said, the Twins haven't done anything the easy way this year! Why not?!

Here is a quick look at the pitching stats of the potential pitchers in this ALDS. Hopefully we will get to see all three of these matchups:

• Game 3 - Fri - 3:05 - Brad Radke (12-9, 4.32, 1.41, .307) vs Dan Haren (14-13, 4.12, 1.21, .258)

• Game 4 - Sat - 3:05 - Carlos Silva (0-1, 23.62, 3.75, .500) vs Rich Harden (4-0, 3.35, 1.12, .187)

• Game 5 - Tues - 12:05 - Johan Santana (19-6, 2.77, 1.00, .216) vs Barry Zito (16-10, 3.83, 1.40, .257)  

Any thoughts on the game today? Please also feel free to Comment throughout the game, throughout the weekend. I will check the Comments frequently. You can also e-mail me.

NFL "Expert" Picks

I have been horrible at picking winners the last two weeks. Hopefully I can redeem myself a little bit in Week 5 and get caught up to the pack! If you would like updated standings or info on our players, click here.

Let me know what you think.  Send me an e-mail, or let's talk about it in the Comments here. That is it for today!

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