Saturday March 20, 2004
A LOOK BACK:
The 2000 USA OLYMPIC TEAM
Over the course of this week, I have been taking a look at the rosters of the USA Baseball Olympic teams back to the 1984 team. (Check out my posting on the 2003 Team USA Roster) Baseball was an exhibition/demonstration sport in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games with an 8-team tournament format. In 1992, it became a medal sport. Some really great players were able to represent America throughout these years. Some of the best college players of those years were chosen for the teams, until the 2000 team, when minor leaguers were allowed to play. Some of these players have gone on to become stars of the major leagues; some had remarkable college careers that simply did not translate into the professional level. Some were affected by injuries and some became coaches. I will discuss the players on the US Roster, with their big league successes, if any.
Monday – 1984 Olympic Team
Tuesday – 1988 Olympic Team
Wednesday – 1992 Olympic Team
Thursday – 1996 Olympic Team
Today, a day late, we will take a look at the 2000 team.
2000 was the first year that professional players were allowed to compete in the baseball tournament of the Olympic Games. NBA players had been able to compete in the basketball tournament, but baseball had remained an amateur status sport. Because the Olympics take place during the Major League Baseball regular season, players on major league rosters after a certain date were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. So, Team USA was filled with a bunch of minor league players. Some had previous major league experience and some were young and considered prospects. Because Doug Mientkiewicz had spent much of the 1999 season with the Twins, he asked himself which category he was classified with. In reality, it didn’t matter because Mientkiewicz became a hero of Team USA with his play down under, in Sydney Australia.
In the round-robin portion of the tournament, Team USA went 6-1, their lone loss coming at the hands of Cuba, a team that had not been beaten in 21 consecutive Olympic games. In a game against Korea, Roy Oswalt pitched a shutout, however, the Korean pitcher hadn’t given up a run either. In the bottom of the 9th, the US team loaded the bases, and Doug Mientkiewicz came up to the plate. On a 3-2 pitch, Mientkiewicz drilled a line drive over the right field fence, giving the US a 4-0 win.
In the medal round, Team USA started with a game against Korea. It just so happened that Roy Oswalt was the scheduled pitcher against the same Korean pitcher, Pil-Jung Jin, who had shut them out for 7 2/3 innings. After a two-hour rain delay and with the score tied at two in the bottom of the 9th, Mientkiewicz came up to the plate again and hit a game-winning home run to send the team to the Gold Medal game. In the championship game, Team USA was again pitted against the Cubans. Ben Sheets was the story, allowing just three hits as the USA won the game 4-0.
USA’s coach, Tommy Lasorda said:
I've won World Series Championships before with the Dodgers," said the choked up Lasorda. "But this is the greatest moment of my life.
Let’s take a look at the coaches and roster the comprised the 2000 Team USA Olympic Gold Medal winnings team.
COACHING STAFF
Head Coach – Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976-1996. In those 21 seasons, his career record was 1,599-1,439 (.526). He was twice named the National League Manager of the Year, and led the Dodgers to two World Series championships (1981 and 1988). Lasorda pitched four games in each 1954 and 1955 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1956, he pitched in 18 games, making 5 starts, for the Kansas City Athletics. Combined, he went 0-4 with a 6.48 ERA. Lasorda is in Baseball’s Hall of Fame, and as you could figure out yourself, it was because of his managing, not his playing career.
Assistant Coaches
Phil Regan, Eddie Rodriguez, Reggie Smith
Phil Regan, the Vulture, pitched in the big leagues for 13 seasons, from 1960-1972, for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. He was an All-Star in 1966 when he went 14-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 65 relief appearances. For his career, he was 96-81 with a 3.84 ERA. He managed the Orioles to a 71-73 record in 1995.
Eddie Rodriguez was the third base coach on the 2000 Olympic team. He held the same position for the 2003 USA Team. He has spent the last three seasons coaching with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2004, he will be the third base coach of the Montreal Expos.
Reggie Smith was signed by the Twins in 1963. Although he spent just a few months in the Twins organization, it still had to be mentioned. He played in the big leagues for 17 seasons. The seven time All-Star played for the Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants. He hit .287/.366/.489 with 314 home runs and 1,092 RBI. He had a career OPS+ of 137.
THE ROSTER
Brent Abernathy - 2B – an Atlanta, Georgia H.S. - Drafted in 1996, 2nd Round by the Toronto Blue Jays
Abernathy spent the first three seasons working his way up the Blue Jays system. In 2000, while playing at AAA, he was traded from the Blue Jays to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for Mark Guthrie and Steve Trachsel. He seemed to be an average prospect with doubles power. After starting 2001 hitting .302 at AAA, he made his major league debut and hit .270 in 79 games. 2002 was a year that saw Abernathy’s production levels dropped to .240 with 2 home runs. Lou Pinella didn’t seem to like him in 2003 and he was released shortly after the season started. He signed with the Royals and spent most of the season at AAA Omaha. Upon being called up by the Royals, he got 2 hits in 27 at bats (.074). He is currently in camp with the Detroit Tigers on a minor league contract.
Kurt Ainsworth - RHP – high school Baton Rouge, LA. – Drafted in 1999, in the 1st Round, 24th overall, San Francisco Giants
Kurt Ainsworth was a high draft pick who started his career out very well. In 1999, he was 3-3 with a 1.61 ERA. In 2000, playing at Shreveport, he went 10-9, but had a 3.30 ERA. In 2001, he again went 10-9, this time in AAA. He made his major league debut in September, pitching two games in relief. 2002 again started in AAA where he went 8-6 with a 3.41 ERA. For the Giants, he was 1-2, but had a 2.10 ERA. In 2003, he began the season with the Giants and went 5-4 with a 3.82 ERA. However, in late June it came out that he had a broken right shoulder blade and many thought his season was over. He was put on the shelf. At the trade deadline, he was sent to the Baltimore Orioles with a couple more pitchers in exchange for Sidney Ponson. And, on a bright note, he pitched three games last September for the Orioles. He is in camp this spring with the Orioles where he has a very good chance of being in the team’s rotation, ironically with Sidney Ponson.
Pat Borders - C – high school in Florida - Drafted in 1982, 6th round by the Toronto Blue Jays
Terry Steinbach was supposed to be on this team, but was injured, so they added another veteran to the squad. He was 37 years old and had been playing for the Devil Rays AAA team in Durham. Borders had already won two World Series rings (and was the 1992 World Series MVP) with the Toronto Blue Jays and played in 12 big league seasons. After spending the 2000 and 2001 seasons in AAA, he has spent the last three seasons with the Mariners AAA team in Tacoma, each year getting a few at bats for the big club. In parts of 15 big league seasons, he has hit .256/.291/.380 although he hasn’t played more than 85 games in the majors since 1993, or more than 55 games sine 1997, or more than 12 games since 1999. At 40, he is still in camp with the Mariners.
Sean Burroughs - 3B – Long Beach, CA high school - Drafted in 1998, 1st Round, 9th overall by the San Diego Padres
Burroughs is known for two things so far. First, that he is the son of former All-Star Jeff Burroughs. Second, he is remembered for being the stocky pitcher from his Little League World Series days. He actually didn’t play a lot during the Olympics because he was so much younger than much of the rest of the team. He had just hit .291 at 20 years old in AA. Following the Olympics, he spent 2001 hitting .322 in AAA Portland. In 2002, he hit .302 at AAA after really struggling in his major league rookie year with the Padres. In 2003, Burroughs really showed how good he can be. He hit .286/.352/.402 with 27 doubles. Still just 24, Burroughs will be a solid big league player for years to come.
John Cotton – OF – Angelina College – Drafted in 1989
Cotton was Team USA’s primary DH and contributed mightily to the gold medal. He started his professional career in 1989. He played with a number of organizations including Cleveland, San Diego, Detroit, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Montreal. The last two seasons, he has played with independent teams. 2003, he became the first Olympian to play in the Northern League when he suited up for the Sioux City Explorers.
Travis “Gookie” Dawkins - SS – a Newburry, SC, high school - Drafted in 1997, 2nd Round, by the Cincinnati Reds
Dawkins’ career started out well. In 1999, he split time between Hi-A Rockford and AA Chattanooga. At AA, he hit .364 in 32 games, which earned him a September call up to the Reds. He was suddenly a big prospect. In 2000, he started at AA again and hit just .231. After the Olympics, he got more time with the Reds. He was always thought of as the heir-apparent to Barry Larkin, but since his big impression in 1999, he has not hit at all, at any level. In 2001, he hit just .226. In 2002, he hit .271 (Again at AA) and moved up to AAA where he hit .251 before moving to the Reds and hitting .125 in 48 at bats. Last year, he started again with the Reds, but moved on to the Dodgers and Royals organizations, where here again did not hit. His major league totals, in 55 games and 98 at bats, he has hit .163/.204/.241. In seven minor league seasons, he has hit just .252. Even with all the experience, he is still just 24 years old.
Adam Everett - SS – U. South Carolina - Drafted 1st round in 1998 by the Boston Red Sox
Drafted by the Red Sox, he was traded after the 1999 season to the Houston Astros for, ironically, Carl Everett. Known as a great glove, no-hit shortstop, Everett actually doesn’t get enough credit for just getting on base. His 2000, at 23 and at AAA New Orleans, he hit just .245, but his 75 walks meant a .352 on base percentage. In 2001, he hit just .249 in repeating AAA, but his defensive abilities got him a call up to the Astros. In 2002, he upped his average to .275, which mean another opportunity with the big club. However, he hit just .193 in 80 at bats with the Astros. After 25 games in AAA last year, he was called up and played in 100 games with Houston. He hit .256/.320/.380 with 8 homers and 51 RBI. If he can do that and continue to play stellar defense, the 27 year old Everett should be in Houston for a few years to come.
Ryan Franklin - RHP – Seminole State College - Drafted 23rd Round in 1992 by the Seattle Mariners
Ryan Franklin has been in the Mariners organization for 12 years. They showed patience with him through his struggles. In the minors, they tried him as a starter and as a reliever. His progress through the organization was very slow. He finally made it to the majors in 1999 and pitched six games in relief. He spent the entire 2000 season at AAA Tahoma, his fourth year at that level, and was 11-5, earning the Olympic roster spot. He made just one appearance at Tahoma in 2001 before coming up to the Mariners and pitching 38 games in relief, sporting an 11-5 record with a 3.90 ERA. In 2002, he pitched in 41 games (12 starts) and went 7-5 with a 4.02 ERA. Last year, he finally got the opportunity to be a full-time starter. He responded with an 11-13 record, but an ERA of 3.57 in 212 innings. Look for him to be at the back end of the Mariners rotation again in 2004.
Chris George - LHP – Klein, TX, high school – Drafted 1st Round, 31st overall in 1998 by the Kansas City Royals
In 1998, he went 15-0 for his high school team. George is a poster child for W-L record not showing how well or how poorly a pitcher pitches. In 2003, George started the season in the Royals starting rotation. He had a record of 9-6. However, in 18 starts, he had a 7.11 ERA. In 93 2/3 innings, he gave up 120 hits and walked 44 while striking out just 39. Even in his early minor league seasons, he had winning records with average ERAs. In 2000, he started at AA and went 8-5 with a 3.14 ERA before moving up to AAA and going 3-2 with a 4.84 ERA, before going to the Olympics. In 2001, he was 11-3 at AAA Omaha with a 3.53 ERA before making his big league debut. He went 4-8 with a 5.59 ERA. In three big league seasons, he is a combined 13-18 with a 6.36 ERA. He certainly doesn’t fool anyone, walking just 84 in his 194 innings. He has a chance at making the Royals starting rotation. He will have to make some improvements though.
Shane Heams - RHP – Illinois - Drafted 41st Round in 1994 by the Seattle Mariners
He was actually drafted as an outfielder and struggled, but had a strong arm, so they converted him to a pitcher before the 1996 season. He worked himself up the Tigers organization (after being released by the Mariners), and at the time of the Olympics, he was pitching at AAA Toledo. After being released by the Tigers, he spent the 2002 season between the Red Sox and Rockies organizations. He went to training camp with the Reds in 2003, but was released and not signed since then.
Marcus Jensen - C – Oakland, CA high school - Drafted 1st Round, 33rd overall, by the San Francisco Giants
Marcus Jensen has been a backup catcher most of his career and was for Team USA as well. He moved up the Giants organization and made his big league debut late in the 1997 season. From that year on, he spent at least some time in the major leagues every season until 2003. The most games he ever played in the big leagues was 52 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2000 (he hit .209). The Twins sent him down to the minors in time to make him eligible for the Olympics. In parts of seven big league seasons, he has played in 145 at bats, hitting a combined .184. In his 14 minor league seasons, he has spent time in the Giants, Tigers, Brewers, Cardinals, Twins, Rangers, Red Sox organizations before spending last year as a part-time catcher for the Yankees AAA Columbus team.
Mike Kinkade - C – Washington State - Drafted 9th Round in 1995 by the Milwaukee Brewers
Another back up catcher for Team USA, Kinkade did not unpack his suitcase in 2000. He started the season with the Mets organization, playing both at AAA and with the Mets. He was traded to the Orioles where he played in AA, AAA and in Baltimore. All that before playing for Team USA. Then in 2001, he spent his first full season in the big leagues, playing in 61 games for the O’s. After being released, he signed with the Dodgers and hit .341 in 74 AAA games. He was called up to the Dodgers and hit .380 in 37 games (50 at bats). In parts of six big league seasons, Kinkade has hit .256/.350/.399. In seven years of minor league stops, he has hit .335.
Rich Krivda – 1B – LHP. California-PA - Drafted in 1991, 23rd Round by the Baltimore Orioles
Krivda had some very strong seasons in the minor leagues with good records, decent ERAs and strong strikeout rates. The Orioles gave Krivda three opportunities as a starting pitcher for them starting in 1995. That year, he made 13 starts and was 2-7, but had a 4.45 ERA. The next two seasons, his record got better while his ERA got worse. After the 1997 season, the Indians claimed him off waivers and he went 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 appearances before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds where he struggled to an 11.28 ERA. Before the 2000 Olympics, he went 11-9 with the Orioles AAA Rochester team. In 2001, he was with the AAA affiliate of the Cardinals. That was his last year of affiliated ball. He spent the 2003 season with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League where he went 3-6 with a 6.28 ERA.
Doug Mientkiewicz - 1B - Florida State – Drafted 5th Round in 1995, by the Minnesota Twins
After being drafted, Mientkiewicz stayed in Florida, playing in Ft. Myers in 1995 and 1996. He moved up to AA New Britain in 1997 and hit just .255 (with 15 HR, 98/67 BB/K). He stayed in New Britain in 1998 and hit .323 with 16 HR and 88 RBI (96/58 BB/K). That performance earned him a September call up to the Twins where he went 5/25 in 8 games. He spent the entire 1999 season as the Twins first baseman despite hitting just .229 with 2 homers in 327 At bats. However, 2000 was disappointing for Mientkiewicz as he was sent down to AAA Salt Lake. He did well though, hitting .334 with 18 homers and 96 RBI. He then played hero for the Olympic team and when he came back state-side, he got into three games with the Twins. In 2001, he returned to the Twins full time and hit .306 with 15 HR and 74 RBI. He also won a Gold Glove. He struggled in 2002, but came back strong in 2003, hitting .300 with 11 homers and 65 RBI. This offseason, he signed a 3 year contract for just over $7 million.
Mike Neill - OF – Villanova - Drafted 2nd Round, by the Oakland A’s
Speaking of heroic, game-winning homers, Mike Neill hit one in the 10th inning to win a game against Japan. He also made a sliding catch for the final out of the gold medal game. Heading into the Olympics, his minor league career numbers were .310/.403/.453, so it’s not surprising that he had more walks than anyone in the Olympics. In 2000, he hit .310/.423/.494. He spent time in the A’s, Mariners, Mets and Red Sox systems. He made his big league debut with the A’s in 1998. In 6 games, he got 15 at bats and 4 hits. He also walked twice.
Roy Oswalt – RHP – Holmes CC – Drafted 23rd Round, in 1996 by the Houston Astros
Oswalt may have moved up the Astros system even quicker if not for elbow problems early in his career limiting his innings. He has to be classified as a winner. In 1999, he went 13-4 in A ball. In 2000, he went 4-3 in Hi-A ball, before going 13-4 at AA with a 1.95 ERA. In 2001, he started 5 games at AAA before being called up to the Astros where he went 14-3 with a 2.74 ERA, striking out more than a batter an inning. In 2002, he went 19-9 with a 3.01 ERA. Last season, he missed a lot of time due to a groin injury, but he still went 10-5 with a sub-3.00 ERA. In his three big league seasons, he is 43-17 with a 2.93 ERA. He should continue to perform well assuming he can stay healthy.
Jon Rauch - RHP – Morehead State - Drafted 3rd Round in 1999 by the Chicago White Sox
Rauch was the minor league pitcher of the year in 2000 after going 11-3 with a 2.86 ERA in class A followed by 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA in AA. Things were looking good for the 6-11 righty. However, after six starts in AAA in 2001, he had shoulder surgery. He came back in 2002, starting the season with the White Sox. He went 2-1 but had a 6.59 ERA. He was then sent down to AAA Charlotte and was 7-8 with a 4.28 ERA. Surprisingly, he spent the entire 2003 season at AAA. The White Sox hope that he will be a part of their rotation in 2004 (although, he was sent to AAA yesterday). People see his height and thing Randy Johnson, hard-thrower, but that is not Rauch’s game. He doesn’t throw hard at all, so he needs pinpoint control.
Anthony Sanders - OF – a Tucson, AZ high school - Drafted in 1992 in 7th Round, by the Toronto Blue Jays
Sanders progression upward in the Blue Jays system was a slow one. He made his big league debut with Toronto in 1999. However, at no point before that had he hit higher than .271. He did hit some home runs (26 in ’97 at AA) and stole some bases (20 in ’97). He went from the Jays to the Mariners after the 1999 season and spent the 2000 season at AAA Tacoma before heading to the Olympics. He had a double in his lone big league at bat following the Olympics. He made his last big league appearance in 9 games in 2001. He has spent the last two seasons playing in the White Sox, Reds and Blue Jays organizations.
Bobby Seay - RHP – Sarasota, FL high school – Drafted 1st Round by the Chicago White Sox in 1996 (declared free agent)
Like Travis Lee, Seay found a loophole allowing him to sign a huge free agent contract with the Rays. With the contract came expectations and he certainly has not lived up to them. In seven minor league seasons, Seay has gone 22-32 with a 4.28 ERA. He had 12 game cups of coffees in 2001 and 2003. In those stints, he has gone 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA, with 17 strikeouts in 22 innings. I think he will be trying to make the Rays bullpen this spring.
Ben Sheets - RHP – U. of NE Louisiana – Drafted in 1st Round, 10th overall, by the Milwaukee Brewers
Clearly, Sheets was the ‘ace’ of the 2000 Olympic team. And he came through. In the Gold Medal Game, he shut out the vaunted Cuban team on just three hits. After being drafted, Sheets made some Class A starts. 2000 was his first full pro season and he split the season, making 13 starts at AA before making 13 starts at AAA. Combined, he was 8-8, but had a 2.40 ERA. All that, before the Olympics. In 2001, he made two starts at AAA and has been in Milwaukee ever since. It is hard to judge how good Sheets is. It’s unfair to look at his record because he plays for such a bad team. Yet, his ERA has never been below 4.15. However, he has pitched over 215 innings the last two seasons. Combined, his three year stats are 33-39 with a 4.43 ERA.
Brad Wilkerson - OF – U. of Florida - Drafted by the Montreal Expos, 1st Round, 33rd overall, in 1998
In college, Wilkerson ht for average, hit for power (23 HR each of his last two seasons), drove in runs (averaged 72 RBI in 3 years), stole bases (46 in three years), and drew a lot of walks without striking out. Oh, he also pitched from time to time! He started his pro career at AA and stayed there a year and a half. Before moving up to AAA for the second half of the 2000 season. He started the 2001 season at AAA and played 69 games before being moved up to Montreal. In 47 games that year, he hit just 205. He has been in Montreal full-time the last two seasons. He has hit just .267, but has walked 170 times in two years for a .375 OBP! His lone problem has been massive amounts of strikeouts. But, he has hit for power, with doubles and home runs. I would think that he could have a big 2004 season.
Todd Williams - RHP – Onondaga CC - Drafted in 54th Round in 1990 by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Here is what I wrote about Todd Williams when discussing the 2003 Team USA, a team Williams was on again.
Todd Williams spent the 2003 season at Durham, the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He pitched 56 games in relief, going 3-2 with a 1.55 ERA. He had just 36 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings. Certain, Williams, at the age of 32, is no longer a prospect, but he could be a coffee connoisseur because he has had a few cups of coffee in the big leagues (1995 - Dodgers, 1998 - Cincinnati Reds, 1999 - Seattle Mariners, 2001 - New York Yankees). In those big league showings, Williams combined for a record of 3-3 with a 5.54 ERA. He has pitched 50 career games, all in relief. My thought is that after this Team USA experience, some team will sign him to a minor league deal and he will attempt to get another big league call.
Ernie Young – OF/DH – Lewis University – Drafted in the 10th Round in 1996 by the Oakland A’s
Another member of both the 2000 Olympic Team and the 2003 USA Team is Ernie Young. Here is what I wrote about him in November.
The old man of the team and the veteran of a number of Team USA teams, including the 2000 Gold Medal Olympic team. Ernie Young is 34 years old and has been playing pro ball since 1990 when he a 10th round pick of the Oakland A’s. He stayed in the A’s organization until 1997. He has since played in the Royals, Diamondbacks and Tigers organizations, as well as overseas. In 2003, Young played in 128 games hitting .264/.342/.452 with 21 homers and 84 RBI. He has played a total of 280 major league games and hit .224/.307/.380 with 27 homers and 90 RBI. 141 of those games were with the 1996 Oakland A’s when he hit .242/.326/.424 with 19 homers and 64 RBI. I’m sure he’ll be looking for an organization to sign him for the 2004 season.
Tim Young - LHP – Alabama – Drafted in 19th Round of the 1990 draft by the Cincinnati Reds
Tim Young has always been a lefty reliever. He has never made a start in the minor leagues. In six minor league seasons, he has pitched in 266 games and gone 19-16 with 381 strikeouts in 329 innings. He has had cups of coffee with the Expos and the Red Sox. Last year, he split the season between the Triple-A teams of the Red Sox and the Rockies. This spring, he was with the Cleveland Indians, but yesterday was sent to the minors
Those are the members of the 2000 USA Olympic Baseball team. If you have any information, stories or anything on any of these players, please e-mail me.
FRIDAY - Twins 9, Blue Jays 3
It was an offensive explosion for the Twins yesterday as they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-3. With all that offense, the highlight of the day may have been the performance of starting pitcher Carlos Silva! He went 5 shutout innings, giving up just four hits and striking out two. Also, Grant Balfour threw another scoreless inning. Roster hopefuls Sean Douglass, Aaron Fultz and Seth Greisinger each gave up a run in an inning.
On offense, Justin Morneau led the way going 4-5 with two doubles. Michael Cuddyer went 4-5 against Toronto on Wednesday, and yesterday, he was 2-3 with a home run and RBI. Torii Hunter went yard and was 2-3 with 2 RBI. SS Nick Punto hit a home run as well. Minor leaguer Thomas Watkins got an AB at 2B and hit a two-run homer! Joe Mauer added a double.
Bigger News - in my opinion - was that yesterday both JD Durbin and Jesse Crain were returned to minor league camp. Durbin being sent down isn't quite as surprising. He will be a start, but there is no need to rush him. He is working on a changeup, and wouldn't be in the rotation right away anyway. He could be a midseason call up. I really thought Crain would be a member of the Twins bullpen. However, he is not on the 40 man roster, but I think he will be called up to the Twins in no time.
Other Big Names sent down yesterday - Toronto sent down Alexis Rios, Gabe Gross and Dustin McGowan. The Dodgers sent down James Loney. The Indians sent down Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore. The Cardinals sent down John Gall and Adam Wainwright. The Angels sent down Jeff Mathis and Bobby Jenks. The Devil Rays lost former #1 overall pick Josh Hamilton because he has been suspended by major league baseball for violating the league's drug policy. It takes four failures to garner a full season suspension. This is Hamilton's second consecutive season that he has missed in its entirety.
Today, the Twins face the Philadelphia Phillies (and Eric Milton) at noon.
Another look at how former Twins players performed on Friday! Note also that Jason Maxwell was sent down by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Also, Pat Mahomes was sent down by the Montreal Expos.
Friday’s Games:
· Mike Lincoln, RP – St. Louis Cardinals (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R)
· Brian Buchanan, 1B – San Diego Padres (0-1)
· Greg Myers, C – Toronto Blue Jays (1-2)
· Chris Gomez, SS – Toronto Blue Jays (1-1)
· Bobby Kielty, RF – Oakland A’s (1-3)
· Mark Redman, SP – Oakland A’s (4 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 R)
· Matt Lawton, LF – Cleveland Indians (0-2)
· Warren Morris, 2B – Detroit Tigers (0-1)
· Orlando Merced, DH – Pittsburgh Pirates (0-3)
· David McCarty, LF – Boston Red Sox (0-2)
· David Ortiz, 1B – Boston Red Sox (1-3)
· Quinton McCracken, CF – Seattle Mariners (1-2, 2B, RBI)
· AJ Pierzynski, C – San Francisco Giants (0-3)
· Todd Walker, 2B – Chicago Cubs (0-3)
· LaTroy Hawkins, RP – Chicago Cubs (1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)
· Javy Valentin, PH – Cincinnati Reds (1-1, solo HR)
· Paul Abbott, SP – Tampa Bay Devil Rays (4 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 3 ER)
· Greg Colbrunn, PH – Arizona Diamondbacks (1-1, RBI)
· Denny Hocking, LF – Colorado Rockies (1-1)
From last season, 3rd place finisher Kimberly Locke is doing quite well! Her first single “8th World Wonder” is #1 on the charts. She becomes the third former American Idol contestant to reach that level. The first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, got there. So did Kimberly’s roommate, Clay Aiken. Experts believe that this is the first set of roommates to both hit #1.
If you want to hear Kimberley’s single “8th World Wonder, click here.
Last night, the Wolves came back from a big, disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs to defeat the Phoenix Sun 93-80 on the road. The win increased the Wolves lead on the Spurs in the Midwest Division to 2 games over the Spurs. Of course, Kevin Garnett led the way with 17 points, 20 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocked shots. The big surprise for the Wolves was the 24 points the Wally Szczerbiak chipped in on 8-13 shooting, including 4-5 from behind the 3 point arc. Latrell Sprewell had 16 points and Sam Cassell added 12. The Suns got 21 points and 10 boards from The Matrix, Shawn Marion. They got 18 from Joe Johnson and 15 from both Amare Stoudemire and Leondrino Barbosa. So, as you can see, the Suns are a very athletic and talented team.
The Wolves (47-22) return home to take on Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets tomorrow afternoon.
And that is it for today and for this week! Thank you very much for stopping by for today’s Special Saturday Seth Speaks. I hope the Olympic series was interesting for all of you. If you have any questions, comments, stories, concerns or anything to do with any of the reviews, or anything period, please e-mail me.
Have a great weekend!!