Tag: Clete Thomas

Who can hit leadoff for Twins?

The Twins have not had a decent leadoff hitter since Denard Span was traded after the 2012 season and he was a good leadoff man, not a great one. This past season the hitters that Ron Gardenhire sent up to the plate to hit lead off for the Twins were just plain dismal.

Rk Player G OBP PA AB R H HR RBI SB BB SO BA
1 Darin Mastroianni 3 .357 14 12 2 3 0 0 1 2 2 .250
2 Alex Presley 27 .339 121 112 9 32 1 11 1 8 21 .286
3 Clete Thomas 17 .312 77 69 12 16 2 5 0 8 21 .232
4 Brian Dozier 74 .310 344 312 40 79 12 44 7 23 63 .253
5 Jamey Carroll 26 .252 120 110 13 21 0 3 1 9 19 .191
6 Eduardo Escobar 9 .182 33 30 4 3 0 1 0 3 4 .100
7 Aaron Hicks 10 .109 46 43 3 2 0 3 0 3 20 .047
8 Chris Parmelee 2 .000 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
9 Wilkin Ramirez 1 .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
10 Ryan Doumit 1 .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
11 Chris Herrmann 2 .000 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/22/2013.

 

Brian Dozier
Brian Dozier

The Twins could use Brian Dozier to hit lead off again but that is not his ideal spot in the batting order but yet Gardy might not have a choice. All things being equal, if you look a the projected Twins line-up the leadoff hitter should come from center field. But who will play center field for Minnesota in 2014? Unless something dramatic happens it looks like Darin Mastroianni, Alex Presley, and Aaron Hicks will battle it out this spring in Ft. Myers to see will open the season as the Twins center fielder.

Darin Mastroianni
Darin Mastroianni

Mastroianni spent most of 2013 on the DL and if you look at his major league OBP, it stands at .298 which is not very good but it is a small sample size of just 230 at bats. In the minor leagues Mastroianni had a .370 OBP but that is in the minors. Darin is 28 years old so he is not the Twins center fielder of the future by any means and is best suited in a back-up role but that doesn’t mean he might not start the season in center field.

Alex Presley
Alex Presley

Alex Presley who the Twins acquired from Pittsburgh last season in the Justin Morneau trade is also 28 and he was OK in that role at the tail end of last season but nothing in his past major league stats indicates that he could put up the same kind of numbers over a 162 game schedule. In the minors Presley had a .352 OBP but again, that is in the minors. He too has a shot at being the Twins center fielder on Opening Day but he too might just be a placeholder.

Aaron Hicks
Aaron Hicks

The ideal man for the job is 24 year-old Aaron Hicks but when the Twins gave him the job in 2013 he hit for a .047 average and his OBP was a microscopic .109 in the 46 plate appearances that Gardy gave him in that role. Hicks would like to get the 2013 season in his rear view mirror and start his major league anew in 2014 but who knows if the Twins brain trust will let him start the season with the Twins in Chicago. The Twins sent Hicks down to  prove he belongs in the big leagues after hitting .192 in 81 games and Hicks responded by hitting all of .222 in the 22 games he played in Rochester. The Twins sent Hicks a message by not recalling him in September and Hicks had better come to Florida with a chip on his shoulder and play like a man possessed if he want to be the Twins opening day center fielder because he has something to prove to Gardy and Terry Ryan. Then again, Hicks had a fantastic spring training in 2013 and yet when the season started Hicks flopped big time. Hicks could very well start the season in Rochester and have to beat the Twins door down to prove he belongs in the big leagues with Minnesota. Dozier did it in 2013 and Hicks can do it this year. This team needs Hicks as their center fielder.

Looking back in Twins history to see who the best Twins leadoff hitters have been from a OBP perspective you have to admit that Chuck Knoblauch was the best the Twins have ever had. I know that Knoblauch was a jerk at times and a stuck up snob much of the time but the man played some good baseball for the Twins and it is a joke that he is not in the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.  Hopefully he will get voted in this year, remember that you are voting for him for what he did in a Twins uniform on the ball field, not how he choses to live his life. While you are voting, put a “X” down next to Cesar Tovar too, he also deserves to be in the Twins HOF.

 Best OBP hitting lead off with 100 games or more

Chuck Knoblauch

Rk Player Year G OBP PA AB R H HR RBI SB BB SO BA
1 Chuck Knoblauch 1996 151 .448 699 577 140 197 13 72 45 97 74 .341
2 Chuck Knoblauch 1995 134 .423 620 530 105 175 11 63 45 77 94 .330
3 Denard Span 2009 145 .392 676 578 97 180 8 68 23 70 89 .311
4 Chuck Knoblauch 1997 155 .390 712 608 116 178 9 58 62 84 84 .293
5 Kirby Puckett 1986 128 .375 592 558 103 189 25 77 15 26 74 .339
6 Lenny Green 1962 149 .367 713 609 96 165 14 62 8 87 36 .271
7 Cesar Tovar 1971 142 .364 653 598 90 191 1 41 18 41 34 .319
8 Otis Nixon 1998 107 .360 498 446 71 132 1 20 37 44 55 .296
9 Cesar Tovar 1970 156 .356 721 646 119 194 10 54 30 51 46 .300
10 Jacque Jones 2002 133 .346 606 558 92 169 25 81 6 37 123 .303
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/22/2013.

Thoughts on the Gardenhire extension and other things

Ron Gardenhire
Ron Gardenhire

Two days have past since Terry Ryan and the Twins announced that they have extended manager Ron Gardenhire‘s contract by two years and the sky has not fallen as yet. I was in favor of Gardenhire being kept on as the Twins skipper but I had the perception that I was in the minority based on what I was reading in numerous Twins blogs, the  local papers and what I was hearing on all the sports talks shows that allowed fans to call in and state their views. Now I am not so sure that fans are all that upset with Gardy staying on. I am curious why. Are Twins fans really happy with the extension or are Twins fans just apathetic about anything the Twins are doing now days? I would hate to see that Twins fans are getting indifferent to the home team and see no hope.

I am an old-timer so I can remember back to the 60’s when the Twins first called Minnesota home. The Twins won 102 games in 1965 and went on to lose the World Series in 7 games to the Los Angeles Dodgers and then followed it up with 89 wins and a second place finish in 1966. On June 9th of 1967 owner Calvin Griffith grew impatient with skipper Sam Mele and fired him bringing in Cal Ermer to take over the manager’s job and Ermer managed the Twins in one of the greatest AL pennant races ever only to lose out to the Boston Red Sox by losing their final two games in Beantown. The Twins had a down year in 1968 going 79-83 and Calvin fired Ermer for his efforts. Griffith then hired Billy Martin to bring the Twins back from the previous seasons seventh place finish and Martin did just that by leading the Twins to a 97-75 record and a trip to the playoffs where they unfortunately had to play the Baltimore Orioles and lost the ALCS three games to none. Shortly after the playoff loss, owner Calvin Griffith fired Martin and started a firestorm of fans reactions. How do you fire a manager that won 97 games and took the team to the playoffs? There are many possible reasons why that happened but the point here is that the Twins fan base went crazy and many people including myself were very upset about seeing Martin let go. I was so upset about it that I didn’t attend a Twins game in Met Stadium for two years. I know, it was silly when I look back on it but Griffith really ticked me off, I really liked the feisty Billy Martin as the Twins manager. I guess the point I am making is that the Twins fans now days don’t seem to be as agitated about the Gardenhire extension as Twins fans were with the Martin firing back in 1969 even though the team fan base is much larger now then it was back then.

I can’t imagine anything better than to see Twins fans engaged and expressing their feelings both positive and negative to the Minnesota Twins organization. Negative comments about the Twins are not necassily a bad thing, it just shows that they care and are passionate about their team. We need to see more passion about what the Twins are doing or not doing by having more fans pass on their thoughts to the Twins organization. The Twins have done a lot of good things over the years and they have done a lot of bad things but one of the things I really think is wonderful about the Twins organization is that they allow their fans to communicate with the front office. All you have to do is go to the Twins web site, click on Roster, then on Front Office and you are able to send an e-mail to pretty much anyone in the organization. I have looked at a number of other big league teams and believe me, this is not something that many MLB teams do. I am not saying the Twins will do what you want, I am just saying that they are willing to listen to what you have to say. Don’t just gripe in the comments on blog sites, send an e-mail to the Twins and let them know what you think.

I watched the Twins press conference on TV Monday afternoon and was really taken back when owner Jim Pohlad was asked a question about the organizations loyalty and what he was going to do to improve the Twins. His response was – “I think everybody knows that we value consistency and loyalty,” Twins owner Jim Pohlad said. “We did go with a two-year extension because we’re pretty sure that somewhere in those two years we can get Gardy’s 1,000th victory.” Apparently Pohlad was trying to be funny here but I have to wonder if anyone else associated with the Twins had said in front of Pohlad if they would still be collecting a Twins paycheck today. Then again maybe it was just me that did not see the humor in it.

Another item I took away from the press conference was about the Twins coaching staff. GM Ryan stated that the entire coaching staff has been invited back I still have not heard officially that they have all accepted and will be returning. I can’t help but wonder what is going on there. Oh, the Twins did say they are considering adding a seventh coach, I am thinking they should spend their money on a player versus hiring another coach.

GM Terry Ryan
GM Terry Ryan

The Twins had a call to season ticket holders on Tuesday and apparently Terry Ryan said that everyone is available for trade, including Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. I know that when you lose 90+ games three years in a row you are not exactly loaded with untouchables but Sano and Buxton are two players you just can’t trade under any circumstances. Who could any team possibly offer the Twins that has that much potential and will be under team control for as long as these two will be? If the Twins were contenders and needed a missing piece or two I could maybe understand it but the Twins ar far from contending and giving up players like this would be the worst move the Twins could possibly make. Then there is Joe Mauer who is sitting on a no-trade clause and he isn’t going anywhere either. I know Terry Ryan has to say what he said about everyone being available but there is no way that Mauer, Buxton, or Sano are going anywhere. I have a better chance of being the Twins GM than Ryan does in trading Mauer, Buxton or Sano.

Today the Twins assigned pitchers Cole De Vries, Shairon Martis, Josh Roenicke and outfielder Clete Thomas to AAA Rochester leaving the 40 man roster at 36. There are numerous other players on the 40 man roster that could easily be taken off in the near future. So the moves have begun.

 

And leading off for the Twins…..

The Twins just can’t find a leadoff hitter this season. After trading both Denard Span and Ben Revere this past off-season, manager Gardenhire has been searching high and low to find someone who can fill that role. The Twins have tried 6 players leading off the game and they have all failed miserably but since someone has to hit first, Gardy has given that job to 2B Brain Dozier since July 2. During those 29 games Dozier has 135 PA’s and is hitting .258 with a .306 OBP. Not exactly all-star caliber production but it is what it is.

 

Twins leadoff hitters in the games first at bat

Rk I Player Year G OBP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OPS TB HBP ROE
1 Clete Thomas 2013 16 .313 16 14 5 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 .214 .527 3 0 1
2 Eduardo Escobar 2013 7 .286 7 6 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .167 .452 1 0 0
3 Jamey Carroll 2013 25 .280 25 23 3 5 1 0 0 0 2 3 .217 .541 6 0 1
4 Brian Dozier 2013 51 .235 51 48 5 9 0 3 1 1 1 7 .188 .610 18 2 0
5 Aaron Hicks 2013 10 .200 10 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 .000 .200 0 0 0
6 Darin Mastroianni 2013 2 .000 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 0 0 0
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/8/2013.

 

How does 2013 compare to how the Twins leadoff hitters has done over the years? I know this is not probably going to shock you but the 2013 team is on a historically bad pace and if thing don’t improve quickly, this will finish as the worst OBP for a leadoff hitter in their history, even worse than the 1982 Twins who finished 60-102. A good leadoff hitter is nice to have but it certainly does not guarantee that you will be in the playoffs or even play .500 ball for that matter.

Historical Twins teams leadoff hitters in the games first at bat

Rk Year G OBP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OPS TB HBP ROE
1 1995 144 .507 144 120 34 49 10 2 3 3 20 21 .408 1.107 72 4 0
2 1996 162 .481 162 133 37 49 8 1 5 5 21 20 .368 1.038 74 8 2
3 1992 162 .414 162 144 41 49 9 2 5 5 16 27 .340 .948 77 2 5
4 1970 162 .407 162 151 40 55 9 3 1 1 11 10 .364 .891 73 0 0
5 1994 113 .398 113 95 25 27 6 1 4 4 18 16 .284 .893 47 0 1
6 1987 162 .383 162 141 29 41 10 0 3 3 20 23 .291 .808 60 1 3
7 1977 161 .379 161 143 37 43 5 3 1 1 18 12 .301 .777 57 0 5
8 1997 162 .370 162 140 38 38 4 2 3 3 20 23 .271 .763 55 2 0
9 2009 163 .362 163 142 26 38 4 1 3 3 21 19 .268 .735 53 0 1
10 1990 162 .358 162 151 37 47 6 2 2 2 8 23 .311 .775 63 3 3
11 1976 162 .358 162 148 33 44 6 1 1 1 14 10 .297 .730 55 0 1
12 1966 162 .358 162 150 28 46 8 3 0 0 9 24 .307 .758 60 3 2
13 1973 162 .352 162 146 27 41 8 3 2 2 16 24 .281 .770 61 0 2
14 2005 162 .352 162 150 19 45 6 1 1 1 10 17 .300 .725 56 2 2
15 1969 162 .352 162 146 36 41 9 1 3 3 15 11 .281 .770 61 1 4
16 1998 162 .352 162 150 24 45 7 2 2 2 10 28 .300 .765 62 2 2
17 1971 160 .350 160 149 21 45 6 1 0 0 10 5 .302 .706 53 1 2
18 2002 161 .348 161 153 29 48 12 2 11 11 8 33 .314 .982 97 0 4
19 1975 159 .346 159 143 24 39 9 0 0 0 16 14 .273 .682 48 0 1
20 1999 161 .342 161 147 29 41 9 2 5 5 13 24 .279 .811 69 1 1
21 1978 162 .340 162 146 28 39 7 0 2 2 16 23 .267 .696 52 0 1
22 1980 161 .335 161 151 28 44 6 2 2 2 10 11 .291 .733 60 0 3
23 1967 164 .335 164 150 36 41 12 2 2 2 12 17 .273 .755 63 2 2
24 1989 162 .333 162 143 32 35 4 1 1 1 17 17 .245 .641 44 2 3
25 1986 162 .333 162 151 28 43 5 2 6 6 8 23 .285 .797 70 3 1
Rk Year G OBP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OPS TB HBP ROE
26 2004 162 .333 162 153 24 45 6 0 6 6 8 16 .294 .784 69 1 1
27 2000 162 .327 162 149 32 40 10 4 3 3 13 27 .268 .777 67 0 1
28 1993 162 .321 162 153 21 43 1 0 1 1 7 20 .281 .628 47 2 3
29 2010 162 .321 162 144 28 34 9 1 1 1 16 18 .236 .654 48 2 2
30 2007 162 .321 162 147 23 37 4 1 0 0 15 17 .252 .614 43 0 4
31 2006 162 .321 162 145 22 35 4 0 1 1 17 21 .241 .611 42 0 2
32 2001 162 .321 162 146 19 36 7 3 4 4 15 24 .247 .739 61 1 0
33 1968 162 .321 162 147 27 37 7 0 2 2 10 13 .252 .661 50 5 1
34 1962 163 .319 163 143 29 32 5 1 1 1 17 13 .224 .613 42 3 1
35 1961 161 .317 161 148 25 38 9 0 1 1 13 18 .257 .655 50 0 2
36 2011 162 .315 162 148 29 37 3 3 1 1 14 22 .250 .646 49 0 2
37 1972 154 .312 154 142 25 36 3 1 0 0 9 9 .254 .600 41 3 3
38 2003 162 .309 162 153 28 41 9 1 6 6 9 28 .268 .766 70 0 3
39 1964 163 .307 163 151 31 38 9 2 3 3 9 23 .252 .704 60 3 0
40 1985 162 .302 162 149 25 36 6 1 0 0 13 18 .242 .598 44 0 2
41 2012 162 .302 162 152 22 39 9 1 1 1 10 15 .257 .651 53 0 0
42 2008 163 .301 163 147 25 33 5 1 2 2 16 27 .224 .614 46 0 2
43 1974 163 .301 163 148 25 34 5 1 3 3 12 19 .230 .638 50 3 5
44 1963 161 .298 161 154 24 41 8 2 5 5 7 15 .266 .740 68 0 1
45 1984 162 .296 162 154 27 40 2 1 1 1 7 17 .260 .601 47 1 1
46 1979 162 .296 162 150 22 36 4 1 0 0 12 16 .240 .576 42 0 1
47 1981 110 .291 110 103 17 25 1 1 1 1 7 16 .243 .592 31 0 0
48 1983 162 .290 162 153 24 38 5 0 4 4 8 19 .248 .650 55 1 2
49 1991 162 .278 162 149 23 32 3 1 3 3 12 21 .215 .587 46 1 1
50 1988 162 .272 162 155 25 37 8 0 5 5 7 19 .239 .659 60 0 2
Rk Year G OBP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OPS TB HBP ROE
51 1965 162 .265 162 153 29 34 13 1 2 2 8 31 .222 .625 55 1 3
52 1982 162 .253 162 151 12 30 2 0 0 0 11 29 .199 .465 32 0 0
53 2013 111 .252 111 101 16 18 1 3 1 1 8 20 .178 .529 28 2 2
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/8/2013.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the Twins best ever leadoff hitters and see who had the best years and when they had them. I don’t think there is much question that Chuck Knoblauch was the best leadoff hitter the team has ever had.

Best Twins leadoff hitters in the games first at bat

Chuck Knoblauch

Rk I Player Year G OBP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OPS
1 Chuck Knoblauch 1995 134 .500 134 111 32 44 9 2 2 2 19 20 .396 1.068
2 Chuck Knoblauch 1996 151 .497 151 125 36 49 8 1 5 5 18 19 .392 1.089
3 Cesar Tovar 1970 156 .417 156 145 39 54 9 3 1 1 11 10 .372 .913
4 Chuck Knoblauch 1997 155 .374 155 134 36 37 4 2 3 3 19 21 .276 .777
5 Jacque Jones 2002 132 .364 132 124 27 40 10 2 11 11 8 26 .323 1.065
6 Denard Span 2009 143 .364 143 125 20 34 4 0 2 2 18 17 .272 .716
7 Cesar Tovar 1971 142 .359 142 133 19 42 6 1 0 0 8 4 .316 .735
8 Denard Span 2010 151 .338 151 133 27 33 8 1 1 1 16 17 .248 .684
9 Lenny Green 1962 149 .315 149 133 25 31 5 1 1 1 13 13 .233 .624
10 Kirby Puckett 1985 160 .300 160 148 25 36 6 1 0 0 12 18 .243 .597
11 Zoilo Versalles 1965 155 .258 155 148 27 33 12 1 2 2 6 30 .223 .616
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/8/2013.

 

Here we are looking at the Twins best players leading off in any inning. I know a good leadoff hitter is important but when you look at the numbers over an entire season and the number of times that the leadoff hitter actually leads off any inning, I think you will find that none of them even average two leadoff plate appearances a game. I think the best you will find on the list below is about 1.97 per game.

Rk I Player Year G OBP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OPS
1 Chuck Knoblauch 1996 152 .462 288 242 65 87 15 5 8 8 35 38 .360 1.024
2 Chuck Knoblauch 1995 136 .458 240 202 52 72 13 5 4 4 32 32 .356 .988
3 Shane Mack 1992 133 .413 213 189 52 64 14 1 7 7 19 34 .339 .948
4 Kirby Puckett 1986 147 .385 270 253 58 87 12 2 10 10 13 29 .344 .911
5 Cesar Tovar 1970 156 .376 303 277 67 88 17 4 3 3 23 17 .318 .817
6 Denard Span 2009 144 .369 260 230 43 66 6 1 4 4 30 38 .287 .743
7 Chuck Knoblauch 1997 156 .368 272 242 59 70 9 3 4 4 27 34 .289 .768
8 Cesar Tovar 1971 147 .365 271 257 49 85 12 3 0 0 13 10 .331 .766
9 Denard Span 2010 151 .361 277 242 50 65 12 3 1 1 32 37 .269 .716
10 Zoilo Versalles 1966 130 .347 236 217 36 63 14 2 1 1 15 31 .290 .735
11 Jacque Jones 2002 135 .345 232 220 49 68 18 2 13 13 12 49 .309 .931
12 Lenny Green 1962 151 .336 298 268 52 70 12 2 5 5 26 18 .261 .712
13 Cesar Tovar 1968 142 .333 255 234 43 64 13 3 3 3 14 14 .274 .726
14 Zoilo Versalles 1964 137 .322 242 225 42 61 12 3 8 8 14 27 .271 .780
15 Kirby Puckett 1985 161 .320 300 282 42 78 10 3 1 1 18 31 .277 .664
16 Dan Gladden 1988 130 .315 248 230 46 60 12 1 6 6 17 29 .261 .715
17 Cesar Tovar 1967 136 .311 241 223 48 57 11 3 2 2 15 16 .256 .670
18 Cesar Tovar 1972 131 .311 238 221 43 57 8 1 0 0 14 15 .258 .614
19 Zoilo Versalles 1965 157 .285 284 267 54 64 20 3 2 2 14 47 .240 .645
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/8/2013.

 

According to Elias

Twins generate power from unlikely spots –

Brian Dozier, Oswaldo Arcia, Clete Thomas, and Eduardo Escobar provided unlikely power in the Twins’ 8-4 win over the White Sox at Target Field. It was the first time in team history that Minnesota players homered from the first, seventh, eighth, and ninth slots in the batting order in the same game.

There was one other such game this season. On April 30, the Indians homered from the 1, 7, 8, and 9 slots (Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall, Ryan Raburn, and Drew Stubbs). But prior to that, it hadn’t happened in the majors since 2005.

Twins continue roster shuffle

The Twins have the day off today but Terry Ryan and his front office staff have been busy. Minnesota Twins announced after yesterday’s game that Chris Colabello has been optioned to AAA Rochester. In two stints with the Twins this year, Colabello appeared in just six games, hitting .133 (2-for-15).

Clete Thomas
Clete Thomas

This morning the Twins announced that reliever Tyler Robertson currently in Rochester has been designated for assignment to free up a spot on the 40-man roster to make room for outfielder Clete Thomas who has been recalled from Rochester and will join the team in Kansas City. The 28-year old left-handed hitting outfielder appeared in 12 games for the Twins last year hitting .143 with 16 strikeouts in 28 at-bats after being claimed off waivers from Detroit in April. In 36 games in Rochester this season, Thomas is hitting .296 with 9 home runs but history tells us that once he returns to the big leagues that things will change. I am not sure what the Twins see in Thomas but he can play some decent outfield and will make a good late inning outfield replacement until Wilkin Ramirez returns from the DL.

Tylere Robertson
Tylere Robertson

Robertson wore out his welcome in Minnesota earlier this year when he walked 14 batters and allowed 4 home runs in 25 innings. Robertson is only 25 and a lefty so I am sure there are teams out there that will be happy to take Robertson off the Twins hands and maybe the Twins can even get a PTBNL, who knows, stranger things have happened. I think it is interesting that in the last week or so the Twins have cut ties with two 25 year-old players like Robertson and Joe Benson that were considered promising players a short time ago. I am not sure if the Twins and Terry Ryan feel that they have much more promising players in the pipeline or if they are sending some sort of message to the entire organization, time will tell.

Twins sign Rich Harden to minor league deal

Rich Harden

The Twins announced that they have signed right-hander Rich Harden to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. The 31-year old Canadian native missed all of 2012 with a right shoulder strain and had rotor cuff surgery on January 31, 2012.

Harden was originally drafted by the Oakland A’s in the 17th round in the 2000 amateur draft and made his big league debut in 2003 as a 21-year old. Harden pitched a career high 189.2 innings in 2004 and has never pitched more than 148 innings an any season since. Harden throws a fastball, splitter, slider, and a change-up and has a 9.2 SO/9 career mark but staying healthy has proven to be Harden’s undoing. Harden pitched for Oakland from 2003 to 2008 before being traded to the Chicago Cubs where he pitched through the 2009 season. Harden signed a FA deal with the Rangers in 2010 but only appeared in 20 games going 5-5 with a 5.58 ERA. Rejoining the A’s in 2011, Harden went 4-4 in 15 games with a 5.12 ERA.

Harden is only 31 but he has been in the big leagues since 2003 and has a 3.76 career ERA in 928.1 innings to go with a 59-38 record. Harden along with a cast of thousands will try to make the Twins 2013 pitching staff but when a team is desperate enough to sign Harden with his medical history, you know that desperate times are at hand. To add to that desperation the Twins announced that their best pitcher in 2012, Scott Diamond has undergone clean-up elbow surgery on his pitching elbow this past Tuesday to take care of some bone chips. The ballclub states that Diamond will be ready for spring training but why would Diamond wait this long to have surgery? I can’t help but think this was another Twins cover-up so that other teams and free agents did not get a whiff of the Twins desperate pitching needs.

The Twins have also announced their list of non-roster invites to spring training and the list is long: Pitchers  Nick Blackburn, Deolis Guerra, Alex Meyer, Lester Oliveros, Bryan Augenstein, and Anthony Slama; outfielders Brandon Boggs and Clete Thomas; infielders Jeff Clement, Chris Colabello, Ray Olmedo and Mark Sobolewski; and catchers Kyle Knudson, Danny Lehmann and Dan Rohlfing.

It has been reported that former Twins lefty Francisco Liriano is signing a two-year $13  million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Good luck to the Pirates and Francisco Liriano.

Twins to sign another starter – Mike Pelfrey

Mike Pelfrey

CBSSports.com is reporting that the Twins have agreed to sign 29-year-old RHP Mike Pelfrey to a one year deal for $4 million and another $1.5 million in possible incentives. The former Mets first round pick (ninth overall) in 2005 has pitched for the Mets since 2006 and has a 50-54 record with a 4.36 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in 149 big league starts. Pelfrey only had 3 starts in 2012 before under-going season ending TJ surgery. Prior to last season the 6’7″ Pelfrey had thrown between 184 and 204 innings from 2008-2011 but on the down side Pelfrey has always given up more hits than he has innings pitched. Sources indicate that Pelfrey throws a four-seam fastball between 92-95, a two seamer between 88-92, an 82-85 splitter, a slider between 83-87 and a 74-80 MPH curveball but then again that was before the TJ surgery so who knows what Pelfrey will show us now. History seems to show that Pelfrey has pitched well in even-numbered years but guess what, next year is 2013.

In current times $4 million for a starter is a drop in the bucket and with the Twins pitching staff in shambles I would like to say that this is nice sign but I just can’t bring myself to believe that. I have never been a Pelfrey fan and I can’t see why if GM Terry Ryan didn’t want to pay Scott Baker who was coming off TJ surgery why he would be willing to take a chance on Mike Pelfrey. Then again, Ryan is the Twins GM and I am just a fan so I will wait and see what happens but I am still one of the few that thinks that the recent Kevin Correia signing is  a better deal.

No team seems to value quantity as much as the Twins do and they have been busy signing players this off-season but when I look at the list, I can’t help but think, why?

 
Clete Thomas – OF 
Kevin Correia – RHP
Reynaldo Rodriguez – 1B
Brandon Boggs – OF
Bryan Augenstein – RHP
Ray Olmedo – 3B
Virgil Vasquez – RHP
Michael O’Connor – LHP
Scott Elarton – RHP
Lester Oliveros – RHP
Jason Lane – LHP
Jeff Clement – 1B
P.J. Walters- RHP
Samuel Deduno – RHP
Tom Boleska – RHP
Tim Wood – RHP
Jason Christian – 3B
Eric Fryer – C
James Beresford – 2B
Josh Roenicke – RHP
Tommy Field – SS (then lost on waivers)
 

It is difficult for me to have hope for the immediate future of this team when they continue to sign players like this. With the ownership this team has and a brand new stadium at Target Field it is hard for me to understand why they continue  to act like they have no money to spend. Last year they signed Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit as free agents and at least gave us something to look forward to but so far this year that has not been the case. Then again, it is still mid December.

2012 Little League World Series underway

The 2012 Little League World Series began play in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania on August 16 and will culminate with the championship game on August 26. This year is the 66th playing of the Little League World Series. The sixteen-team tournament has eight International teams (Caribbean, Japan, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America) and eight U.S. teams (New England, Northwest, Southeast, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, West, Southwest, and Midwest). In 2011, the Ocean View Little League of Huntington Beach, California defeated Hamamatsu Minami Little League of Hamamatsu City, Japan 2–1 in the World Championship game.

Three former Minnesota Twins players have participated in this grand event.

  • Minnesota Twins prospect Clete Thomas was a member of the 1996 Panama City, Florida club that advanced to United States final before losing to Cranston, Rhode Island.
  • Minnesota Twins infielder Sean Burroughs, who was the ninth overall pick in the 1998 First-Year Player Draft was a member of both the 1992 and 1993 Long Beach, California teams that won back-to-back Little League World Series titles.
  • Jason Marquis a Twins pitcher earlier this season and currently with the San Diego Padres was a member of the Staten Island, NY 1991 LLWS team.

Six Little League teams from Minnesota that have gone on to play in the Little League Baseball World Series. Players for each team are typically the “All Stars” from the geographic area of each league. The players are chosen after the Little League regular season has ended. The Minnesota teams that have participated are listed below. Most of these Minnesota teams have been able to get past the first round, but no Minnesota team has made it beyond round two of Little League Baseball World Series play.

1963 – Duluth Central LL team from the Duluth area
1985 East Tonka LL from the Minnetonka area
1994 Brooklyn Center American LL from the Brooklyn Center area
1995 Little Lakes West LL from the Arden Hills area
2007 Coon Rapids National LL from the Coon Rapids area
2010 Plymouth-New Hope LL from the Plymouth area
 

The only two players  to participate in a Little League World Series, a College World Series and a MLB World Series are Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek.

 

So why do Twins pick up Erik Komatsu

Erik Komatsu

Put me down under the confused column. Why would the Twins pick up Erik Komatsu? I have no problem sending Clete Thomas packing as he had 28 at bats in a Twins uniform and he hit .143 and he struck out 16 times, enough said. But why pick up Komatsu who is a Cardinals Rule 5 pick-up in December of 2011? Komatsu grew up in California and graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School where he was a teammate of Delmon Young. Komatsu was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 8th round in 2008, missed most of 2009 with a concussion and hamstring issues and was traded to the Washington Nationals in July 2011. Komatsu has 348 minor league games under his belt and he hit .302 but he has never played above AA ball. I know he can play all three outfield positions and he has stolen 57 bases in the minors but he also got caught 24 times. It’s not like Komatsu is a corner outfielder with power potential. If the Twins don’t keep Komatsu on the roster they need to offer him back to the Nats. Why would the Twins want a player like this? If you want to replace Thomas why not pick up one of your own minor league players? What kind of message does this send to your own minor leaguers? Do the Twins think so little of their own minor league players that they feel they need to pick up players like Clete Thomas and Erik Komatsu? Put yourself in Ben Revere’s or Rene Tosoni’s shoes, what are they thinking? If the Cardinals thought that Komatsu had potential why didn’t they strike a deal with Washington and keep him? The only reason he made the Cardinals team this year anyway was due to all the injuries the Cardinals outfielders suffered. I would like to know why a player from another organization that hasn’t played AAA ball can play in Minnesota but when it comes to their own players they would prefer they get AAA experience first. Don’t tell me about Parmelee, I know he has no AAA experience but the Twins are hardly playing Parmelee this season anyway. I know this team is playing poorly and need some changes but a fourth/fifth outfielder is hardly the answer here unless………. the Twins know they are going to move some players soon and go into full rebuilding mode sooner than later. If that is the case, then the Twins can keep Komatsu on the roster all season and this move might make some sense. I just don’t know if Terry Ryan and the Twins brain trust knows where they are going, they seem to wander aimlessly so far this season grasping at straws.

Let’s look at the numbers so far

The Twins have crawled out of the starting gate at a 2-7 clip and now are headed for New York and Tampa. I know that they have played just nine games but let’s look at some of the numbers that the Twins have put up so far in 2012. I know there will be fans that say that it is too early to get a good feel for what this team can accomplish this year and that the sample size is real small and I agree, but no matter how you color it, this team is playing poorly and under performing in all three categories, hitting, pitching and fielding.

  • The Twins starting pitchers are 0-5 and are the only team in the American league without a win to their credit. By contrast, Texas Rangers starting pitchers are 6-0.
  • The Twins starting pitching ERA is 5.54 with the opposition hitting at .284 clip. The Yankees starting pitching ERA is 5.26 and opponents are hitting .308, it will be interesting to see if the Twins hitters can take advantage of this.
  • Twins starting pitchers have only walked 12 batters, only Cleveland has been better this year.
  • Twins starters as we know are not strikeout pitchers and their numbers back that up with the lowest number of strikeouts in the league at 24 in 52 innings.
  • Twins relievers are in the middle of the pack with a 2-2 mark and a 4.50 ERA and only four teams in the league have thrown fewer innings than the Twins bullpen has (that surprises me). Opponents are only hitting .250 against the Twins relief staff.
  • Twins relievers have only given up three home runs, it just seems like more.
  • Twins pinch-hitters are 0 for 5.
  • Twins DH’s are among the worst in the league hitting a combined .206 scoring 2 runs with 1 home run and 2 RBI’s.
  • The Twins are hitting .258 (fifth best in the league) but are tied with Seattle for fewest home runs with 7.
  • The Twins have stolen 4 bases in 5 attempts and have hit into a league leading 13 double plays.
  • Twins hitters have left 63 runners stranded as compared to the White Sox fewest at 49. The Yankees have left a league leading 76 “ducks on the pond”.
  • Scoring runs continues to plague Minnesota as they have scored just 28 times tieing them for league worst with Oakland.
  • The Twins fielding percentage is .980, the third worst in the league and the team has turned just 6 double plays. As a team they have committed nine errors in nine games.

What are the Twins going to do with Justin Morneau? The last few days you hear that Justin is unhappy as a DH and wants to play 1B. This is a no brainer, send the guy out to play first, what have you got to lose? The man is hitting .206 with one home run and two RBI’s as a DH and claims he is still feeling his way in the DH role. He has been DHing for a month now in Florida and here, how tough can it be to get a routine?. Oh, and slide Morneau down to the fifth spot in the order and move Willingham up one spot, seems like another no brainer. Put Parmelee in right and Doumit at DH and then you don’t have to worry about that catchers back-up role and you can use Clete Thomas as a defensive sub for Willingham or Parmelee when the Twins have a late inning lead.

Maybe the Twins can play a bit better on the road and take a couple from the New York Yankees who have probably already put 3 wins in their win column knowing the Twins are coming to town. I sure hope that the Twins can turn things around soon.

The Yankees and Twins will meet four times at Yankee Stadium this season, all in this series. The home town Yanks are 28-5 in home regular season games vs. Minnesota since the start of the 2002 season (33-7 including home postseason games). In 2011, went 3-1 versus the Twins at Yankee Stadium. In season series play, the Yankees have won the last 10 consecutive home season series when playing the Twins (2002-11).