Twins Minor League Player of the Week

 

Chris Colabello
Chris Colabello

Rochester (AAA – International League) 1B Chris Colabello is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week In seven games Colabello hit .560 (14-for-25) with four doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored and three walks, posting a .607 on-base percentage and a 1.080 slugging. This season the right-handed hitting 1B is hitting .348 (57-for-164) with 15 doubles, 11 home runs and 33 RBI in 43 games. The 29-year-old was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent February 2, 2012, after playing Independent ball for seven seasons in the Canadian-American Association. There is a nice story about Colabello here. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Colabello in a Twins uniform sometime this year, the man has earned his shot.

This day in Twins history – May 17

5/17/1963 – Outfielder Bob Allison becomes the first Twin to ever hit 3 home runs in a single game when he bangs out 3 against the Indians in Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland.

5/17/1998 – David (Boomer) Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0 at Yankee Stadium in front of nearly 50,000 fans on Beanie Baby Day.

5/17/2002 – In a game they would rather forget, the Twins score three times in the top of the 14th at Yankee stadium to take a 13-10 lead, Jason Giambi hits a one-out grand slam off reliever Mike Trombley to give the Bronx Bombers a one-run victory.

Harmon Killebrew5/17/2011 – The face of the Minnesota Twins, the man that every baseball fan in Minnesota knew, the greatest slugger in Twins history, Hall of Famer, Harmon Clayton Killebrew passed away today in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 74 after suffering from esophageal cancer. The Twins, who were in Seattle wore a number “3” on their right sleeve and will continue to do so for the rest of the season. The Twins players also announced that they will wear their 1961 throw back jerseys for all their remaining home games. The Twins grounds crew painted a large white number “3” behind second base and dug up home plate and placed a picture of Harmon Killebrew batting under home plate and then replaced home plate at Target Field. By the way, the Twins beat the Mariners 2-1 with Killebrew’s number “3” jersey hanging in the dugout. A sad day for sure.

 

This day in franchise history – May 15, 1918

Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson

On May 15, 1918 the Washington Senators’ pitcher Walter “Big Train” Johnson pitched a Major League Baseball record 18-inning complete game shutout, to defeat Claude “Lefty” T. Williams and the Chicago White Sox 1-0. The fans at Griffith Stadium were treated to one of the greatest pitching duels in baseball history. Check out the original posting at D.C. Baseball History and take note of the amazing time that it took to play this game.

 

According to Elias

Aaron Hicks
Aaron Hicks

Aaron Hicks, in Monday’s win against the White Sox, became the first Twins’ rookie in 14 years to hit a home run in each of back-to-back plate appearances of one game. Corey Koskie went deep in consecutive trips to the plate at Tiger Stadium on April 15, 1999.

But maybe even more important was his play in the field. Hicks reached over the center field fence in the sixth inning and snatched a potential game-tying home run by Adam Dunn to end the inning.

Twins Minor League Player of the Week

 

Kyle Gibson
Kyle Gibson

Rochester Red Wings (AAA – International League) right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Gibson pitched a 9 inning complete game shutout on May 8 at Toledo, allowing four hits, walking two and striking out eight on 114 pitches. The 25-year-old was selected by the Twins in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Missouri. Gibson, who is 6’6″ and goes about 210 pounds has been ranked in the top 10 of the Twins top prospects list by Baseball America in each of the last four years.

Gibson was limited to 28 innings in 2012 due to “Tommy John” surgery. This season in 7 starts with Rochester, Gibson is 2-4 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He has allowed 36 hits in 40.2 innings while striking out 35 and walking 11.

Expectations are high for this Twins prospect and I would expect to see him in the Twins starting rotation no later then late June.

Current Twins minor league standings

Rochester (AAA) – 14-22 and 9 games out in 6th place in the International League North

New Britain (AA) – 20-16 and 2 games out in 2nd place in Easter League East

Ft. Myers (High A) – 27-8 and in first place in Florida State League South

Cedar Rapids (Low A) – 23-10 and in first place in Midwest league West

Combined records 84-56 (.600%)

According to Elias

Oswaldo Arcia
Oswaldo Arcia

Oswaldo Arcia celebrated his 22nd birthday with a home run and a triple, helping the Twins defeat the Red Sox in Boston, 5-3. Arcia joined Yogi Berra as the youngest players to homer at Fenway Park on their birthdays. Berra did so at age 22 in 1947, in a game the Yankees lost, 4-3, when Boston scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Ted Williams is next on that list; he marked his 23rd birthday with a home run at Fenway against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1941.

According to Elias

Twins versus Red SoxThe Twins scored four runs in the top of the first inning last night at Fenway Park, the Red Sox countered with a five-run bottom of the first only to see the Twins raise them by scoring seven runs in the top of the second. This was only the second game in major-league history in which a team scored at least four runs in the top of the first, the home team then scored more runs in the bottom of the first, which was then topped by the road team in the top of the second. The only other game with such an odd line score was played on September 9, 1894 between the Brooklyn Grooms and St. Louis Browns in the second game of a doubleheader. Brooklyn scored four runs in the top of the first, St. Louis responded with five runs in the bottom of the first and then Brooklyn came up with six runs in the top of the second inning. The Twins ended up winning the game 15-8.

Twins Minor League player of the Week – Jorge Polanco

Jorge Polanco
Jorge Polanco

Cedar Rapids Kernels shortstop Jorge Polanco is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In seven games, Polanco batted .429 (12-for-28) with three doubles and 10 RBI. The switch-hitting 5-foot-11, 190-pound infielder was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent in July of 2009 and is in his fourth season of pro ball even though he is only 19 years of age. This season in Cedar Rapids in 26 games (15 at 2B, 3 at SS and 8 as DH), Polanco is hitting .352 with 16 runs scored, one home run and 24 RBI’s. Polanco was named to the MiLB.com Twins organizational All-Star team in 2012.

Previous Twins minor league player of the week winners this season include right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey, 3B Miguel Sano and outfielder Adam Walker.

Twins Minor League Players of the Month – April

Brian Buxton
Brian Buxton

Cedar Rapids Kernels outfielder Byron Buxton is the Twins Minor League Player of the Month for April. In 22 games for the Kernels, the 19-year-old batted .392 (31-for-79) with five doubles, four home runs, 25 RBI while scoring 25 times. Buxton reached base in every game last month, recorded 17 walks and posted a .510 on-base percentage. Buxton was drafted by the Twins in the first round (2nd overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Appling County (Georgia) High School.

 

DJ Baxendale
DJ Baxendale

Ft. Myers Miracle right-handed pitcher D.J. Baxendale is the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. Over a span of five starts for the Miracle, he went 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA (29.1 IP, 6 ER). Baxendale struck out 25 and walked just six batters while posting a 0.92 WHIP. Baxendale, 22, was drafted by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arkansas.

2013 First-Year Player Draft Order Announced

2013 draftHere is a copy of the MLB Press Release announced earlier today.

 

Day One on Thursday, June 6th to Feature Top 73 Selections Live From Studio 42 at MLB Network and Simulcast on MLB.com; Astros Select First Overall; Marlins, Yankees Each Hold Four Picks on Day One

Major League Baseball will hold day one of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft on Thursday, June 6th at MLB Network’s Studio 42 in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Draft will begin live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 7:00 p.m. (ET). Prior to the start of the Draft, MLB Network will air a Draft preview show, also simulcast on MLB.com, at 6:00 p.m. (ET).

The selection order of the First-Year Player Draft is determined by the reverse order of finish at the close of the previous championship season. The Houston Astros will have the first overall selection of the 2013 Draft, marking the second consecutive year, and the fourth time in Club history, that they hold the top selection (previous: 1976, 1992, 2012). It also marks the third time ever that a Club has the top pick in back-to-back years, joining the Tampa Bay Rays, who had the first pick in 2007 and 2008, and the Washington Nationals, who held the first selection in 2009 and 2010. The New York Yankees have a league-high three first round picks (26th, 32nd and 33rd overall). Four Clubs have two first round picks: the Pittsburgh Pirates (9th and 14th), the St. Louis Cardinals (19th and 28th), the Tampa Bay Rays (21st and 29th) and the Texas Rangers (23rd and 30th). The Yankees and the Miami Marlins each have four of the first 73 selections.

For the first time, the Draft will feature Competitive Balance rounds, which were agreed upon as a part of the 2012-2016 Basic Agreement between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association. The Competitive Balance rounds give Clubs with the lowest revenues and in the smallest markets the opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through a lottery, which was held last July at MLB Network. The 10 Clubs with the lowest revenues and the 10 Clubs in the smallest markets were entered into a lottery for the six selections immediately following the first round of the First-Year Player Draft (picks 34-39). The eligible Clubs that did not receive one of the six selections after the first round, and all other payee Clubs under the Revenue Sharing Plan, were entered into a second lottery for the six picks immediately following the second round of the Draft (picks 69-73; only five picks will be made in this round for 2013 after the Cleveland Indians forfeited their pick for the signing of free agent Michael Bourn).

The Draft will have 40 rounds, and a Club may pass on its selection in any round and not forfeit its right to participate in other rounds. Like each of the previous four years, the 2013 Draft will span three days. For day one on June 6th, MLB Network and MLB.com will provide live pick-by-pick coverage during the first round, Competitive Balance Round A, the second round and Competitive Balance Round B. The intervals between selections will last four and a half minutes during the first round, two minutes during Competitive Balance Round A, and one minute during the second round and Competitive Balance Round B. The Draft will resume at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on both Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th via conference call from MLB headquarters in New York City. Friday, June 7th will cover rounds three through 10, and Saturday, June 8th will cover rounds 11 through 40. Rounds three through 10 will have one minute between selections, and the remainder of the selections will be made without delays.

Beginning with the Draft preview show, MLB Network’s live coverage will feature interviews with Club front office personnel and representatives, footage from Club draft rooms, interviews with prospects and newly drafted players, and news and analysis from MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger, Larry Bowa, Peter Gammons, John Hart, Brian Kenny, Al Leiter, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds, Bill Ripken, Alanna Rizzo, Sam Ryan and Matt Yallof, as well as Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and Jim Callis of Baseball America. MLB.com will begin its exclusive live programming of the Draft’s final two days with a live draft show from its New York studios at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on June 7th, followed by a live pick-by-pick stream and draft and scouting expert commentary from Mayo and Callis. It also will provide DraftCaster, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of every draft-eligible player supplemented by statistics, scouting reports and video highlights.

Each of the 30 Major League Clubs will be represented at the Draft by one of its former players and/or a member of its front office. Last year’s representatives included Hall of Famers Pat Gillick, Ferguson Jenkins, Tommy Lasorda and Frank Robinson, along with MLB Executive Vice President Joe Torre, Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez. The Club representatives who will attend the 2013 Draft will be announced in the weeks ahead. In addition to the Club representatives, five first round selections attended the 2012 First-Year Player Draft last year, including the number one overall pick Carlos Correa.

Link to the actual draft order.

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Categorized as MLB Draft