Month: September 2024

2024 Arizona Fall League

With the Minnesota Twins season probably about to come to a surprisingly quick ending, the Arizona Fall League is about to start their season on October 7. This fall league is always full of top baseball prospects and this year will probably be no exception.

If you happen to be in Arizona during this season I would urge you to stop by and catch some of the action. Watching AFL action is like no other, as attendance is usually very limited and the odds of you sitting next to a scout or a team FO person are high. I have been to a number of these games over the years and I find it to be a very enjoyable experience. In addition to talking to scouts I have spend an entire game talking with the pitchers in the bullpen as the game progressed.

The game are played in the same stadiums as AZ spring training so unlike Florida ST the games, AZ ballparks are all near-by and you can easily drive to any game that interests you so you can watch the prospect(s) you want to see.

Since the AFL began play in 1992, it has spawned more than 3,000 big leaguer’s, including Hall of Famers Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza and current stars including Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and Francisco Lindor.

This year the Twins will be part of the Salt River Rafters team which will be stocked by players from the Twins, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Rockies, and Nationals.

Twins (Salt River): Kala’i Rosario, OF (No. 20); Danny De Andrade, SS (No. 22); Kade Bragg, LHP; Jacob King, RHP; Devin Kirby, RHP; Jack Noble, RHP; Benjamin Ross, INF
Rosario played in the Fall League last year and won the league’s home run derby. He made it to Double-A this year, but missed nearly three months with an elbow injury so he’s returning to make up for some lost at-bats. The Twins signed De Andrade for $2.2 million in January 2021 and the 20-year old had moved to High-A this season, only to see his season end after 29 games with an ankle injury that required surgery.

Twins cut minor league catcher Derek Bender for tipping pitches

The Twins released their sixth-round draft pick from July after they learned he informed opposing hitters what pitches were coming as his minor league team competed for a playoff berth, the Minnesota Star Tribune confirmed. Derek Bender, a catcher from Coastal Carolina, lasted less than two months in the Twins organization after he received a $297,500 signing bonus. Sources indicate that Bender will get to keep the money.

After Fort Myers dropped the first three games, ESPN first reported Bender tipped off pitches to Lakeland Tigers hitters in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 6. Lakeland scored four runs in the second inning against lefty pitcher Ross Dunn, and Fort Myers was eliminated with a 6-0 loss. Fort Myers won its final two games.

Fort Myers coaches were notified by Lakeland coaches about Bender’s pitch tipping after the game, sources said. Bender’s willingness to tip pitches surprised Lakeland players, and there were no indications of wrongdoing from the Flying Tigers, sources said. Bender had told teammates he wanted the season to be over, according to sources. You have to wonder why the home plate umpire said nothing.

Bender spent the final two games of the season, which the Mussels won, in the team’s bullpen instead of his typical place in the dugout, sources said. Bender batted .200 in 19 games with two homers, two doubles and eight RBI.

5 greatest QB’s in Minnesota Vikings history

The Minnesota Vikings have had some excellent QB’s over the years. Some seriously good ones. There is just something about their coaching setup that has managed to create some good quarterbacks. There are so many good QB’s in Viking history that choosing just five is a challenge. You might not necessarily agree with the ‘greatest list’ we’ve put together as you might replace one name with another, but we are positive that you can agree that every single name mentioned in this article has had a positive impact on the Minnesota Vikings.

Fran Tarkenton

If there is one name on this list that won’t be controversial at all, it’ll have to be Fran Tarkenton. Quarterback from 1961 to 1966 and again from 1972-1978. Fran Tarkenton led the Minnesota Vikings during one of the most successful periods of their history.

He helped the team make three Super Bowls. Gained the NFL MVP Award and is now one of only a few lucky people to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Those who came up against Fran Tarkenton said that he was a nightmare to play against. He had a huge amount of mobility, and he was able to quickly get out of situations that would seem impossible for other quarterbacks.

Some say that Fran is one of the greatest QB’s in NFL history. While we may not go that far as there have been some great players in the modern era, it is amazing what Fran was accomplishing at a time when sports science was still fairly new, and he certainly wasn’t training in the same way that his modern counterparts are.

Daunte Culpepper

During the draft, Daunte Culpepper was the player that most teams wanted. The Minnesota Vikings were lucky enough to grab him in the first round, and they are probably glad they did. Between 1999 and 2005, he was probably the best QB in the NFL. His offensive play was second to none, with many defenses trembling when Culpepper ran at them. He was often backed by sports bettors keen to make a buck or two on the game. He was certainly a sure bet for a whole host of markets during his time. Remember, if you want to gamble on the Minnesota Vikings, you do need to choose the right website. We suggest you check out: https://www.askgamblers.com/sports-betting/bonuses.

Like Tarkenton, Culpepper was somewhat of a jack of all trades. While he loved to be on the offense, nabbing a few points for himself, he didn’t hog the spotlight. If another player had an opening, Culpepper would gladly pass, and with the awesome arm on him, you knew that most of the time it would be a successful throw.

Brett Favre

Brett Favre had already cemented himself as one of the top 10 QB of all time. He had nothing else to prove. Most of his time was spent away from the Minnesota Vikings though. It was only at the tail end of his career, in 2009, that he joined the Minnesota Vikings, and he was only there for one season. However, for many, it was a season that would go down in history, if only for the fact that many Vikings fans were impressed that they were able to secure a player of Favre’s caliber.

He broke several franchise records, including passing touchdown and passer rating. He also managed to guide the team to the NFC Championship game.

It’ll be a while before some of the records Favre set for the Minnesota Vikings are beaten. While he is unlikely to be massively remembered for his stint at the Vikings, since Favre spent so much of his time elsewhere, he will be a QB that everybody will remember for the team.

Tommy Kramer

In 1977, Tommy Kramer joined the Vikings. He was the perfect pick in the first round of the draft. If you needed a player to win you the game during its dying minutes, Tommy Kramer is who you would call. He managed to save the day so many times in the dying minutes that he eventually became known as two-minute Tommy.

He stuck with the team for 12 years, helping the team to multiple playoff spots. The only downside to Kramer was the fact that he was very injury prone. This meant that there were a few games that he had to sit out. Although, he did state that there were also a few games where he was very injured yet decided to play. You could barely tell. This was a guy who bled for the Vikings during his tenure and one who would always get a cheer from a Vikings supporter if they saw him in the street.

Kirk Cousins

Let’s wrap up with Kirk Cousins, a bit more of a recent QB. While he spent most of his career away from the Vikings, they had to snap him up in 2018 when he became a free agent. Over the next few years, Cousins would completely change the way the team played.

If you needed to get a ball somewhere accurately, it was best being placed in Kirk’s hands. You knew that if he threw it, it would get to where it needed to be. At the time, Kirk Cousins had some of the best offensive plays in the league. It was thanks to Kirk that the Vikings managed to grab a few playoff wins during his tenure.

Again, most people probably are not going to remember Kirk Cousins for his Minnesota Vikings stint. He did perform well elsewhere. However, Minnesota Vikings fans will definitely remember him. Even now, you’ll find people singing the praises of him as one of the hottest free agents of the time.

So, what do you think? Do you agree with our list? Are there more names you would add? We bet there are. As we said earlier, the Minnesota Vikings have a long history of quality QB’s in their ranks, and this will likely continue. Who knows? The list could completely change a couple of decades from now.