Travis Bowyer and
Francisco Liriano were both picked to be a part of the Futures
Game. It is a game of the top prospects in baseball held in the
All-Star city. Not every team needs to be represented, so it is
great that the Twins were able to put two in the game. Francisco
Liriano started the game for the World Team and had a 1-2-3 first
inning. That was his day. Bowyer had to work a little bit harder. He
pitched the 7th inning for the USA team. He got the first out, but
that was followed by a hit, a walk, and another hit, which loaded
the bases. He then got a big strikeout, followed by a fly out, to
strand all three runners. It is exciting to see the top prospects
get this kind of recognition!
Also, our good friend
"Roger" frequently sends me e-mails regarding the Twins and
their minor league system. We go back and forth a few times a day on
players or the teams and more. Over the weekend, he took the time to
write up a very interesting and thorough look at the Twins minor
league system this past week. I hope you will enjoy it. I know how
much work these minor league updates are, so please check out his
thoughts. They are followed by my look at the Twins' affiliate's
games from this weekend.
Not sure if it is the same
"Roger", but there is a very interesting posting at Twins Territory
on the Twins top pitching prospects.
Check it out here.
ROGER'S MINOR LEAGUE WEEK IN REVIEW
Several games were
rained out for both Florida teams due to "Dennis,", but it was
an excellent week for the system with an overall record of
21-17. Rochester was 5-2 and is now in second place. New Britain
was 3-4, Ft. Myers...2-4, Beloit...2-5, Elizabethton...5-1, and
the Gulf Coast Twins were 4-1.
Candidates for player of the week must include several Red Wings. Boof
Bonser got two wins as he lowered his era to 3.45. Chris Heintz
had a homer and 8 rbi's. Jason Bartlett raised his average to
.312 with 10 rbi's and Terry Tiffee got his average up to .270
with 2 homers and 8 rbi's. After well publicized problems with
the Twins and slow starts back at Rochester, it looks like
Bartlett and Tiffee are both back in the groove.
Errol Simonitsch didn't get any wins, but pitched well in 7 innings
lowering his era to 2.65. After a hot start, Denard Span has
struggled of late with his average dropping to .250. Danny
Matienzo had another homer (17) and 7 rbi's (64). Felix Molina
continues to play well as he raised his average to .319 in his
first 69 ab's. Although he is playing mostly third base, he
seems to be another player in the mold of Rodriguez and Maza who
at 22 years old could have a future with the Twins.
Tristan Crawford got a couple starts at Ft. Myers as they look for
starters to replace Perkins and Simonitsch. He went 1-1 for the
week while keeping his era at a respectable 3.75 with a
remarkable K/BB ratio of 7.5/1 (60/8) in 50.1 innings this seson.
Expect the Twins are taking notice of this 22 year old Aussie.
Jay Sawatski had another tough week as his era rose to 4.10 in
three innings including one terrible outing. Matt Moses
continues his limited play (19 ab's this week) as he struggles
with his injury. Although hitting only .237, catcher Kyle Geiger
had two homers. Seth's favorite, Aussie Trent Oeltjen raised his
average .021 to .262 with 10 stolen bases this season. Madison
Area Tech's Scott Whitrock has a system leading 16 steals to go
with his 10 homers but is hitting only .229. For a power hitter,
Matt Moses has a surprising 13 steals.
Beloit's David Winfree has 9 homers and a system leading 66 rbi's (5 this
week). Unfortunately, his 25 errors are more than double any
other Twin minor leaguer except his teammate, Trevor Plouffe who
has 21. Deacon Burns raised his average to .297 with 6 rbi's.
The Twins have always been high on Aussie second baseman Luke
Hughes. The 20 year old is hitting a respectable .256 with 6
homers and 32 rbi's. After an excellent first few games, Jose
Mijares struggled this week with 2 losses as his era rose to
4.38 from 3.14. Closer JP Martinez continues to pitch very well
as he lowered his era to 1.80 with 9 saves.
Elizabethton is again off to an excellent start at 14-4. Alexander Smit
pitched 8 innings of relief as he lowered his era to 2.81. He
now has 33 K's and 1 BB in 16 innings (33:1 K/BB ratio is
obscene)...looks like the demotion should be doing wonders for
his confidence and we must continue including him as a future
prospect. Ex-Cornhusker, lefty Brian Duensing had an excellent
first start going 5 innings giving up 0 runs, 3 hits, 6 K's and
0 BB's. Matt Garza faired better this week however has yet to
dominate. Opening day starter Eduardo Morlan did not pitch this
week...will have to find out why. Reliever Dan Powers got his
first win in last night's comeback extra inning win. Perhaps the
most interesting player at Elizabethton is Tim Lahey. The
catcher from Princeton taken in the 20th round of the 2004 draft
was converted to a closer in extended spring training. In 6
games (5.1 ip), he has 3 hits, 0 runs, 8 K's and 0 BB's. 2004
hitting star at the GCL, Juan Portes raised his average to .323
this week with a homer and 4 rbi's. They are playing him at
second most of the time, however, he also saw some time this
week in left field. Defense has been a concern, however, I
expect the Twins believe he has the potential to be an excellent
big league hitter and will find a place for him to play. 2004
4th round pick Mark Robinson did not adjust well last year as he
hit only .215 in the GCL. He is off to a great start at
Elizabethton, hitting .323 with a homer and 10 rbi's. Recent
signee Steven Tolleson continues to be reported as Stephen
Colleson on the minor league website.
Two Gulf Coast League Twins must be under consideration for player of the
week. In a shortened week (5 games, 13 games this season), Danny
Santiesteban continues his torrid hitting with 2 homers (6) and
7 rbi's (18). First baseman Josh Dean was even hotter, raising
his average to .407 with a homer and 5 rbi's this week. Richard
Sojo is also hitting .378 and sixth round pick JW Wilson who
signed last week is hitting .357 in his first 14 ab's.
Rochester's Aaron Craig continues to perform well as their
closer with a 1.80 era in 5 innings with 4 saves and 5 K's/0
BB's. Aussie Matt Williams lowered his era to 1.54 in 5 innings
this week (he has 12 K's in 11.2 innings). Starter Kyle Edlich
pitched very well in his recent start as he lowered his era to
1.29. He has 14 K's in 14 innings this year. Like Tim Lahey,
Omar Burgos converted from a third baseman to pitching after
hitting .206 in 2004 and .223 in 2003 at the Quad Cities. It had
often been said he had the best arm of any infielder in the
Twins system. Unlike Lahey however, he has struggled in his
first 4 appearances with 6 hits and 2 BB's in 3.2 innings (7.36
era).
ROCHESTER REDWINGS
Friday - REDWINGS
6, Buffalo 2 - Boof Bonser is officially having a very strong
season. On this night, the righty went 6.1 innings and gave up two
runs on eight hits. He did walk five and struck out two. Travis
Bowyer came in and gave up just a hit and a walk over 2.2
innings. He struck out two and then left the team to go to Detroit
to participate in the Futures Game. Jason Tyner went 2-2 with
two walks and two doubles. Terry Tiffee was 2-4 with a walk
and a double. Todd Dunwoody was 2-3 with a walk and a double.
Saturday - REDWINGS
9, Buffalo 3 - Ricky Barrett made another start and gave up just
one hit over five innings. He allowed two runs, largely due to the
five walks. Brent Schoening gave up a run in his two innings
before Beau Kemp pitched two scoreless innings. Jason
Bartlett led the offense with a 4-5 day. He had a double and
four RBI. Brent Abernathy went 3-5. Luis Maza went 2-4
with a double.
Sunday - REDWINGS
9, Buffalo 6 - Henry Bonilla has been used in about every role
for the Redwings this season. Yesterday, he started and gave up
three runs on seven hits over five innings. He walked none and
struck out three. Levale Speigner went the next 1.2 innings
and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. Willie Eyre
finished the last 2.1 innings and gave up a run on two hits. Luis
Maza led the offense by going 3-5 with a double. Brent
Abernathy started in CF and moved to LF. He went 2-4 with a
double. The team has been playing him around the field in an attempt
to make him more valuable to the Twins. I suspect he will be
recalled to the Twins shortly after the All-Star break. Jason
Bartlett went 2-4 with a walk and a triple. Chris Heintz
was 2-4 with four RBI. Rob Bowen hit his second homer of the
season.
NEW BRITAIN ROCKCATS
Friday
- ROCKCATS 0, Bowie 4 - The Rockcats were able to do very
little off of big leaguer Eric Dubose. In 8 innings, Dubose
gave up no runs on four hits and a walk while striking out ten.
Jason Grimsley then pitched the final inning. Doug Deeds
did notch two of the 'cats five hits. Jim Abbott started and
gave up four runs (3 earned) on seven hits and two walks. Justin
Olson pitched one scoreless inning.
Saturday
- ROCKCATS 2, Bowie 3 - Matt Yeatman has been struggling
of late. On this night, he gave up three runs on three his and two
walks over just 4.2 innings. Jason Miller then pitched two
scoreless innings and Kevin Cameron pitched the final inning
and a third. Doug Deeds went 2-4 with his ninth homer.
Felix Molina and Tommy Watkins each had a double.
Sunday
- ROCKCATS 13, Bowie 6 - Glen Perkins has been struggling
with his control since his promotion. On this night, Perkins walked
five and struck out just one in only 4.1 innings. He gave up three
runs on four hits. Kevin Cameron went the next 2.2 innings
and gave up an unearned run. Pat Neshek gave up two runs in
an inning before Daylon Childress pitched a scoreless frame.
Pretty much everyone hit for the Rockcats in this game, with the
exception of (arguably) their best hitter, Doug Deeds.
Bryan Kennedy was 3-5 with a double. Denard Span was 2-5
with a walk. Luis Jimenez went 2-5 with two doubles. Alex
Romero was 2-2 with his 18th double and a walk. Tommy Watkins
went 2-4 with a double. Ben Pattee was 2-5 with a double.
Felix Molina (1), Danny Matienzo (18) and James Tomlin
(4) each hit a home run.
FT MYERS MIRACLE
Friday
- MIRACLE 2, St. Lucie 5 - The Miracle managed just six hits in
this game. Kyle Geiger hit his fourth home run, but that was
about it for the offense. Tristan Crawford started and went
five innings. He gave up four runs on eight hits. However, he walked
none and struck out nine. Josh Gray gave up a run in his
inning, and then Julio DePaula and Jay Sawatski each
pitched a scoreless inning.
Saturday and Sunday
- Rained out as a result of "Dennis."
BELOIT SNAPPERS
Friday - SNAPPERS 1, Burlington 5 - Jose Mijares took the
loss but did not pitch poorly. In six innings, he gave up three runs
(2 earned) on eight hits. He walked three and struck out seven.
Kyle Aselton gave up two runs over the final three innings. The
Snappers were only able to get six hits, the biggest one being the
sixth home run of Luke Hughes.
Saturday - SNAPPERS 2, Burlington 6 - David Shinskie fell
to 1-7, but his ERA did improve to 7.66. In six innings, he gave up
four runs on nine hits. He walked none and struck out four. Kevin
Slowey finally gave up a couple of runs. In three innings, he
gave up two runs. He gave up three hits, but he walked none and
struck out seven. Landon Burt led the offense with a 3-4 day.
Deacon Burns was 2-4 with his 9th triple. Chris Brown
hit his seventh homer.
Sunday
- SNAPPERS 0, Burlington - Kyle Waldrop pitched one of
his best games of the season, and for it, he takes another loss. the
righty went 7.2 innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He
gave up an unusual walk and struck out four. Deacon Burns hit
his 29th double.
ELIZABETHTON TWINS
Friday - E-Twins 11, Greeneville 4 - Oswaldo Sosa
improves to 3-1 with five innings of work. He gave up three runs (2
earned) on five hits and two walks. Erik Lis led the offense
going 2-5 with a grand slam (his second homer) and 5 RBI. Mark
Robinson and Juan Portes were both 2-4. Dustin Bensko
and Josh Land were both 2-5.
Saturday - E-Twins 9, Greeneville 8 - Juan Portes had a
big game. He was 4-6 with his sixth double and third homer. Portes
home was followed by the second home run of the year by Edward
Ovalle, who was 3-4 on the day. Sean Richardson
also hit his second home run. Yohan Pino started and gave up
four runs on eight hits in just three innings. The Alexander Smit
came in. In his four innings, he gave up a run on two hits. He
walked none and struck out another six batters. Danny Powers
got the win despite giving up three runs (just 1 earned) over four
innings. He too struck out six.
Sunday
- E-Twins 9, Greeneville 0 - First-round pick Matt Garza
pitched very well for his first professional win. He did not allow a
run over six innings. He gave up just two hits and a walk, and he
struck out nine. Then Adam Hawes, Brian Duensing and
Tim Lahey each threw one scoreless inning. Edward Ovalle
led the offense this game. He went 3-5 with his sixth double, third
homer and four RBI. Mark Robinson was 2-5 and Yancarlos
Ortiz went 2-4.
GULF COAST TWINS
Friday - GCL Twins 15, GCL Reds 0 - It was a big offensive day
for the GCL Twins. Of course, that means it was a big day for Danny
Santiesteban. The slugger from junior college went 3-4 with his
third double and sixth home run of the short season. Michael
Lysaught was 2-5 with his first homer. Marion Knowles was
2-4 with a walk. Drew Thompson hit his first professional
homer. Kyle Edlich was the beneficiary of all of the run
support. That said, he pitched well. In five innings, he gave up no
runs on three hits and three walks. He also struck out eight. Former
3B prospect Omar Burgos pitched one scoreless inning of
relief.
As with the Miracle, the GCL
Twins games on Friday and Saturday were affected (postponed) by
"Dennis."
I
love the baseball, and specifically the Kansas City Royals, do
so much to celebrate the Negro Leagues. The Negro League Museum
is in Kansas City. Anyway, on Sunday, the Royals wore the
uniforms of the Kansas City Monarchs. The Twins wore the
uniforms of the St. Paul Colored Gophers. Not exactly a
politically correct term at this point in history, but that is
the way it was at that time. Those uniforms were sweet! However,
I understand the season's big picture and wanting to get players
some time off, but did anyone else find it unfortunate that on a
day that celebrates the history of the Negro Leagues, the
Twins outfield consisted of just one member of The Soul Patrol.
Jacque Jones was in right field, but Lew Ford
patrolled center while Michael Ryan was in left field.
OH,
and I think that it is fair to say that Mike Sweeney did
his best in this series to make the Twins brass wonder if he
should be their every day DH!! Not sure how I feel about trading
within the division, however, Sweeney can hit. Of course, that
has never been the question with Sweeney, he has always hit. His
problem is that he has missed a lot of time in the past two or
three seasons because of injury. One of those injuries is a bad
back, which is never easy to come back from fully. So injuries
are an issues along with his big contract! He was 11 for his
last 15 with three doubles, two homers and seven RBI. Yesterday,
he hit two solo home runs including one on the 10th pitch from
Joe Nathan in the bottom of the ninth. 
Carlos
Silva did his job on Sunday, pitching seven solid innings.
Of course, the thought there would be that it would be a day off
for the bullpen after many were used on Saturday. Good in
theory. In reality, the game went 12 innings and more relievers
needed to be used.