TWINS TRIVIA is hopefully a fun and informative site that will help you to better enjoy the Minnesota Twins and their wonderful history. “History never looks like history when you are living through it” – John Gardner, former Secretary of Health
Cedar Rapids (Single-A – Midwest League) pitcher Brett Lee is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In two starts for the Kernels, the 22 year-old Lee went 2-0, pitching two complete games (18.0 IP), allowing two runs on 11 hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts. The left-handed 6′ 4″ Lee pitched primarily in relief in Elizabethton in 2012 where he was 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA but in Cedar Rapids this season Lee has appeared in 17 games and started 15 of them. Thus far this season Lee has a 7-4 record while posting a 3.30 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. In 95.1 innings he has allowed 100 hits with 22 walks and 74 punch-outs. Lee was a 40th round pick by the Pirates in 2009 and was selected in round 33 by the Dodgers the following season but chose not to sign. Lee was then drafted by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.
Cedar Rapids (A – Midwest League) 2B/SS Jorge Polanco is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week for the second time this season. In two games for the Kernels, Polanco hit .500 (9-for-18) with two doubles, one home run, 10 RBI and five runs scored. Polanco is hitting .306 (90-for-294) with 21 doubles, nine triples, 3 home runs, 61 RBI and 47 runs scored in 73 games this season. That is an impressive RBI total for a guy with a total of 3 home runs.
The switch-hitting 5-foot-11, 190-pound infielder was signed by the Twins for a $700,000 bonus as a non-drafted free agent on July 5th of 2009 the day after his 16th birthday and is in his fourth season of pro ball even though he is only 19 years of age. Players from the Dominican Republic are allowed to sign contracts with Major League teams as soon as they are 16 years old. Polanco was named to the MiLB.com Twins organizational All-Star team in 2012.
Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar has not allowed a run yet this year. The rookie has appeared in 13 games pitching 14.2 scoreless innings allowing just five hits. According to the Twins Game Notes, the 26 year-old Minnesota native now holds the Twins record for consecutive appearances with zero runs allowed to start a MLB career as well as scoreless innings to start a Twins career. The MLB record is 29 appearances set by Brad Ziegler in 2008 with Oakland. Aaron Crow of the Royals was the last to do it when he started his career with 13 straight scoreless appearances in 2011. Thielbar is the first player named Caleb to appear in the major leagues since 2B/OF Caleb Johnson appeared in 16 games for the Cleveland Forest Citys in 1871
Congratulations to Twins prospects OF Byron Buxton (Team USA) and 3B Miguel Sano (World Team) for getting selected to play in the 2013 All-Star Futures Game. These two guys have garnered a lot of ink this year and they deserve it but I think a number of bloggers and fans have already made reservations to attend their Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. These gents are looking good but they are still in the minors and they have yet to face one big league pitch. Hopefully they will turn out to be half as good as we think they will be.
The Twins front office has recently stated that they are not sure if they should be “buyers or sellers” this year. My thoughts? They can’t be serious. This Twins team is not a .500 team much less a playoff team. The 2013 Twins will NOT be in the playoffs, As George Zimmer formerly of Men’s Warehouse would say, “I guarantee it!” If they were not sure before, maybe two losses to the worst team in baseball the last two days, the Miami Marlins will help to convince them.
Justin Morneau
There are numerous reports floating around that the New York Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira will be under going season-ending wrist surgery in the next few days. The Bronx Bombers are only 2.5 game out of the league lead, maybe Yankee GM Brian Cashman and Twins GM Terry Ryan can hook up on a deal for Justin Morneau that can help both teams. I have loved watching Morneau over the years but the Twins could help themselves and Justin by moving him to a pennant contender that needs a first baseman. Who knows, that short right field corner at Yankee Stadium might just wake up Morneau’s power swing. The Twins could solve some manpower issues by trading Morneau and making room for Chris Parmelee to play first base every day. I know that RHP Michael Pineda is on the Yankees 60 day DL right now but he sure would look good in a Twins uniform as a PTBNL. Probably just a pipe dream though.
Max Kepler
Max Kepler recently reported to Cedar Rapids after fighting an arm injury all year. Kepler has been chomping at the bit to play some baseball and the Twins couldn’t be happier to see him get healthy and on the field again. With Brian Buxton’s recent promotion to Ft. Myers, Kepler will fit right in the Kernels line-up. In 6 games he has 25 at bats and is hitting .320 with 5 runs scored, 4 doubles, 2 home runs and 6 RBI’s. I am not positive but I think he has at least one hit in every game but his first game there. It would be great to see Max have a big season in Cedar Rapids after a late start.
Kyle Gibson
Kyle Gibson was called up by the Twins on Monday and will make his major league debut on Saturday at Target Field against the Kansas City Royals. Everyone has waited for Gibson to arrive for a long time and now we finally get to see him pitch in the big leagues. It is a shame we won’t get to see that much of Gibson this year because he has that pitch limit hanging over his head due to his TJ surgery last year but at least he should get about 40 innings under his belt.
The trade deadline is just over a month away and teams are starting to get serious with their trade discussions. But almost every year that is all that happens, lots of talk and very little action. I know it takes two to tango but the Twins need to be aggressive this year and move some players to make room for some of those young prospects that are knocking on the door. The young guys need playing time if they are going to improve and learn how to play in the majors, Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire will be doing a disservice to those players and Twins fans if they sit on their hands and stay pat with their current roster. It is darkest before the dawn so let’s throw these young guys in the fire and see if they are major leaguers or just prospects. Players I would like to see moved would be Justin Morneau, Josh Willingham, Mike Pelfrey, Jamey Carroll, Trevor Plouffe and Ryan Doumit. Has anyone made more base running blunders this year then Ryan Doumit? You wonder sometimes if he has a clue on the base paths. If someone presents a nice offer for Kevin Correia I would listen. I know all these players won’t be moved in July but who knows, stranger things have happened.
Oswaldo Arcia
Oswaldo Arcia is going to be a very nice player and deserves full-time playing time for the rest of this season but one thing that drives me crazy with Arcia is that every time he hits a ball deep he stands at home plate and admires it instead of running. He has missed out on some opportunities to stretch singles into doubles because he stands around admiring his hits. Some of the Twins veterans should take care of this problem sooner than later.
Cedar Rapids (Single-A – Midwest League) outfielder Byron Buxton is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In six games for the Kernels, he hit .370 (10-for-27) with three doubles, one home run, eight RBI, six runs scored and three walks. The 19-year old 2012 second overall pick is hitting .344 (85-for-247) with 15 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs, 51 RBI, 40 walks and 29 stolen bases in 63 games for the Kernels this season. How long can the Twins keep Buxton in Cedar Rapids? Ft. Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz must be licking his chops waiting for Buxton after three of his best position players got bumped up to New Britain in the past week.
Previous winners this season include (in order): P Tyler Duffey, 3B Miguel Sano, OF Adam Brett Walker, INF Jorge Polanco, P Kyle Gibson, 1B/OF Chris Colabello, P Logan Darnell, P Taylor Rogers and P Andrew Albers.
The records for the Twins minor league teams through yesterday are listed below.
AAA – Rochester Red Wings are 33-36 and 7 games behind
AA – New Britain Rock Cats are 32-35 and 9 games out
High A – Ft. Myers Miracle are 43-21 and in 1st place
Low A – Cedar Rapids Kernels are 40-27 and 1 game behind the leader
The DSL Twins are 6-5 and a half game out of first place
Kyle Gibson
The Twins 2009 first round pick Kyle Gibson continues to toil in Rochester while Twins management keeps saying that Gibson must show more consistency before they will call him up to pitch at Target Field. Gibson’s numbers are pretty darn good considering he is playing for the sub .500 (33-36) Rochester Red Wings. Gibson is 6-5 with a 3-26 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in 85.2 innings. Gibson has only given up 73 hits and he has struck out 73 batters. Not bad numbers for less than half a season of baseball. Gibson missed most of last year due to TJ surgery so the Twins have him on a pitch limit this year. The number of specific innings remains a Twins secret but you have to assume that it is probably about 160 innings so that means that Gibson is past the half way point. GM Terry Ryan has stated all along that Gibson will be pitching in a Twins uniform in 2013. You know the Twins want to give Gibson a taste of the big leagues this year and give him an opportunity to show what he can do against the big leaguers, but like sand through the hour-glass, time and innings are slipping by. I am thinking we will see Gibson in a Twins uniform shortly after the All-Star break.
In closing, I would like to wish all you fathers out there a very Happy Father’s Day!
Rochester (AAA-International League) left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In two starts for the Red Wings, Albers went 2-0, pitching 15.0 innings allowing just four earned runs (2.40 ERA), with 11 strikeouts and just two walks. The 6’1″ and 195 lbs. 27 year-old Albers was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent in 2011 but was originally selected by the Padres in the 10th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Kentucky. In 12 starts with Rochester this season Albers has thrown 67.2 innings allowing 71 hits, striking out 60 and posting a 3.06 ERA. Previous winners this season include (in order): pitcher Tyler Duffey, infielder Miguel Sano, outfielder Adam Walker, infielder Jorge Polanco, pitcher Kyle Gibson, infielder Chris Colabello, pitcher Logan Darnell and pitcher Taylor Rogers.
MINOR LEAGUERS OF THE MONTH: Rochester (AAA – International League) infielder Chris Colabello is the Twins Minor League Player of the Month for May. In 20 games for the Red Wings, Colabello batted .425 (34-for-80) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 20 RBI while scoring 15 times. Colabello, who was signed as a minor league free agent in 2012, was added to the Twins roster today as the 26th man in time for today’s DH. Fridays Twins /Nats game was rained out and is being made up today. Major league rule allow teams to add an extra player for a doubleheader. The rule’s intent is to allow teams to add pitching, but the Twins are already carrying 13 pitchers and have an off day on Monday, so Gardenhire chose to add an extra pinch hitter
Rochester (AAA – International League) left-handed pitcher Aaron Thompson is the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May. Over a combined 11 appearances between Rochester and Double-A New Britain, he posted a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings and allowed 2 earned runs while holding opponents to a .143 batting average with a a 0.70 WHIP. Thompson, 22, was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent in 2011 after being originally drafted in the first round by the Miami Marlins in 2005. Albers is in his 5th year of minor league ball after missing all of 2009 due TJ surgery. During his minor league career Albers has been primarily a starter going 21-7 with a 2.64 ERA and has averaged 7.7 KO/9.
MINOR LEAGUE GAME TELEVISED: FOX Sports North announced plans to televise the Cedar Rapids Kernels vs. the Kane County Cougars minor league game live at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 10. Coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a live version of “Spotlight: Next Generation,” an in-depth look at the Minnesota Twins farm system with an emphasis on the Class A team in Cedar Rapids. The telecast is designed to educate fans about up-and-coming Twins players, FOX Sports North will profile some of baseball’s top prospects, including Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Anthony Lapanta and Roy Smalley will anchor the telecast from the FOX Sports North studio with Marney Gellner reporting from Cedar Rapids. Key members of the Twins front office, including Paul Molitor and Dave St. Peter will also join the telecast to help showcase the Cedar Rapids Affiliation.
Ft. Myers (A – Florida State League) left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In one start for the Miracle, the 22 year-old Rogers pitched 7.0 shutout innings, with seven hits allowed, no walks and seven strikeouts. Rogers was selected by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Kentucky. The Twins gave Rogers a $100,000 signing bonus and that is not bad for a player drafted 340th over all. Rogers was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009 in round 37 but chose to attend the University of Kentucky.
The 6’3″ 175 lb. Rogers started the season in Cedar Rapids where he did not seem to be particularly effective starting 3 games (0-1) and pitching a total of 10 innings allowing 14 hits with 10 strikeouts along with a 7.20 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP but for whatever reason the Twins promoted him to Ft. Myers where he has started 6 games going 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Go figure….
Previous winners this season include: pitcher Tyler Duffey, infielder Miguel Sano, outfielder Adam Walker, infielder Jorge Polanco, pitcher Kyle Gibson, infielder Chris Colabello, and pitcher Logan Darnell.
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.
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
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.
Cedar Rapids Kernels (Single-A) outfielder Adam Walker is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In five games, Walker, 21, batted .455 (10-for-22) with one double, one triple, four home runs and 13 RBI’s. In 2013, Walker, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native who is playing for his first full season team is hitting .310 with 14 runs scored, six home runs and 25 RBI’s in 19 games.
After he was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 2012 Draft from Jacksonville University, the 6’4″, 225 pound right-handed hitting outfielder shared the Appalachian League lead with 15 homers for Rookie-level Elizabethton. He hit three more in the postseason, none more important than a game-tying three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3 of the Championship Series against Burlington, a contest the Twins won on Dalton Hicks‘ walk-off grand slam. Previous winners this season include right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey in week 1 and infielder Miguel Sano in week 2.
By the way – Each of the Twins four minor league affiliates have won their last three games.
Aaron Hicks
According to Elias – Aaron Hicks finally stroked his first major-league extra-base hit, a two-run double in the eighth inning of the Twins’ 7-2 home win over the Rangers yesterday. Hicks thus ended a streak of 64 straight at-bats without an XBH to start his career, the second-longest by any Twins position-player since the team relocated from Washington in 1961. Catcher Tom Tischinski didn’t record more than a single in any of his first 90 big-league at-bats in 1969 and 1970.
Starting tomorrow, the Twins will begin their longest road trip of 2013, playing 10 games in 11 days with stops in Detroit (April 29-May 1), Cleveland (May 3-5) and Boston (May 6-9). So far in 2013 the Twins are 6-6 at home and 4-4 on the road.
Max Kepler update – Star prospect Max Kepler remains on the shelf in Ft. Myers with a left elbow strain and remains shutdown for another month. Kepler, who has never suffered any serious injuries in his short career is reported to be chomping at the bit to start playing some baseball but the Twins are not going to put a young prospect like Kepler at risk of long-term injury. Having said that, there is discussion about sending Kepler to Cedar Rapids and have him DH even if he can’t play in the field.
This weeks Twins minor league player of the week is Cedar Rapids (A ball) right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey. Duffey, 22, made one start during the week on April 7 versus Beloit earning the win. Tyler pitched 7.0 no-hit innings with seven strikeouts as Josue Montanez and Tim Atherton finished off the no-hitter for the Kernels.
Duffey is a 6’3″ and 210 lbs Houston, Texas native that was drafted by the Twins in the fifth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Rice University. Duffey was 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 12 games, all in relief in Elizabethton last season. Duffey struck out 27 batters in 19 innings for the E-Twins. This season as a starter in Cedar Rapids, Duffey is 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA and has 11 KO’s in 12.2 innings.
