Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Quick Links

Hey Ya'll, real quick day today with some links to some current, former and future Twins. Hope you enjoy and have a great day!

• Dave Gassner helped Hortonville (Wisconsin) High School to a state title. If you happen to be in the area on January 20th, he will be the featured instructor at a pitching camp.

• Ruben Sierra, who had all of 28 at bats with the Twins last year, will likely sign a minor league contract with the New York Mets. The 41 year old switch hitter could team with Julio Franco be really old!

• Whit Robbins, the Twins fourth round pick in June, played in this year's College Baseball World Series for Georgia Tech. But, did you know, that his older brother Matt played in the College World Series this year for Georgia. The two teams did not play against each other.

• Another Twins 2006 draft pick, Garrett Olson, will also be hosting baseball camps at Oxford Hills (Maine) Middle School.

• Randy Bush? Kent Hrbek? Or Mickey Hatcher? Which Twins hitter broke up a Jim Clancy no hitter with a broken bat single in the 9th? Which one sent the broken bat autographed by "Randy Bush" to Clancy the next day? Great story!

• Here is a fun story on Scott Miller, a former Twins beat writer. My favorite parts are those involving Chuck Knoblauch. Apparently, he was a bit of a whiner! Ha!

• Mike Pagliurulo owns a 'state of the art consulting and scouting service called Baseline Report.' It includes very indepth scouting reports on Japanese players as well, including Daisuke Matsuzaka.

• The A's considered Chili Davis as their new Hitting Coach this year, but instead they went with Ty Van Burkleo.

• Sid told us a couple of weeks ago that 1991 pinch runner Jarvis Brown is now the head baseball coach at Wisconsin-Parkside, in Kenosha.

• Gary Gaetti got a job in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays minor league system.

• Former Twins catcher Mark Salas will take over as the Chicago White Sox bullpen coach.

• Frank Viola's daughter Kaley was All-State in Florida Class 3A in Volleyball.

• Former Twins reliever George Frazier will join Rockies OF Matt Holliday at a benefit for Oral Roberts' baseball program.

• Lynn Henning, the great Tigers beat writer for The Detroit News, wrote something very nice about the Twins organization and Terry Ryan.

  "The Twins have been the least busy, adding only third baseman Jeff Cirillo while losing Brad Radke to retirement and Francisco Liriano to Tommy John surgery. Typical of the Twins, they will add youngsters Boof Bonser and Matt Garza to their starting rotation in 2007, and both will probably get Cy Young Award votes if we know anything about Minnesota's ability to replace."