Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Picking the Playoffs- The Championship Series
NFL "EXPERT" Picks - I could not stay up long enough to see the end of the Monday Night football game. When I went to bed, it was 21-16 Steelers midway through the fourth quarter. I hope to wake up before work to update this section.
Q&A with Wes Holtsclaw
Good Morning everyone!
Darin Erstad just made a diving play on a hard hit Hideki Matsui grounder. He flipped the ball to Francisco Rodriguez at first base, and the Angels had their 5-3 win, and the 3-2 series victory over the New York Yankees. It started out quite inauspiciously for the Angels. After a scoreless first inning, Bartolo Colon started the second inning, but five pitches later, his night was done because of a mysterious "inflamed shoulder." Ervin Santana (formerly Johan) came in, into a completely unfair situation. He actually walked the batter Colon had started pitching to, and two more. The Yankees scored two runs. But the Angels clawed back, and took the lead, and were able to hold on for the win. I have to continue to bring up one thing though. Terry Ryan and the Twins continue to talk about how they need veterans. Well, aside from Derek Jeter, who was the Yankees best hitter in the playoffs? That's right, the 22 year old Robinson Cano! Who was the winning pitcher in Game 5 for the Angels? That's right, rookie Ervin Santana! It's fun to see the young guys do well in the spotlight!
As I have mentioned, I would really like to be able to do a Q&A each Tuesday throughout the offseason. I still have a few of them lined up. However, I would need to find some more. If there are any players in the Twins system who are interested in doing a Q&A, or any media members who cover any of the teams, please e-mail me and let me know if you're interested.
Today, I am excited to introduce to you Wes Holtsclaw. Wes has covered the Elizabethton Twins the last couple of years. The E-Town Twins won the Appalachian League title this past year. As you know, I enjoy following the Twins minor league system very much, so this Q&A was very interesting to me. Wes is very knowledgeable about the team's history and the league, and is very open about a number of the Twins minor league prospects that have played there. I hope that you will enjoy this, and if you happen to have any questions for me, or for Wes, please feel free to e-mail me and I will try to get your questions answered. Enjoy!
SethSpeaks: Please tell us a little about yourself. Where do you work, and how did you get to be covering the Elizabethton Twins?
Wes: I write for the Elizabethton STAR, a six-day daily, in Tennessee and am the Sports Editor of the Erwin Record, a weekly. I began covering the Twins occasionally four years ago and began steadily covering them in 2003 when they won the city's eighth league crown.
SethSpeaks: What is your position there?
Wes: I am just a writer at the STAR, Sports Editor at the Record
SethSpeaks: Do you cover other sports and teams for the paper?
Wes: I am very versatile in that I have covered every sport in our region at one point or another. I steadily cover the Tennessee Volunteers football squad and the Tennessee Titans, along with regular articles on Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (who is from E-Town) for the STAR. The Erwin job is mostly high school stuff, although their baseball team has won its share of State Titles.
SethSpeaks: What is your background in journalism, and how does that transfer to your current position?
Wes: I was actually the P.A. Announcer for the basketball teams at Cloudland High School during my sophomore-senior years in high school. My junior year in high school, the STAR was looking for someone to cover middle school/little league sports and offered me a stringer's position. I worked my way up from there.
SethSpeaks: What is your background in baseball? Did you play ball growing up?
Wes: I began playing tee-ball at the age of six and played two years of Little League ball across the state line in Avery County, North Carolina. I played high school baseball for Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, TN, although my career is not something to brag about. I had power behind the sticks, but couldn't field worth a crap. I had much more success keeping the official score book for our coach. I've always been a big fan of the sport and have attended many games.
SethSpeaks: Who were your favorite baseball players when you were younger? How about now?
Wes: My dad is a big Los Angeles Dodgers fan, while the rest of my family are huge Atlanta Braves fans. From the age of three, I grew up liking the New York Yankees. I was a big Don Mattingly fan and enjoyed reading the history books on Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and those guys. In the mid-90s, I really enjoyed Wade Boggs, David Cone, Jimmy Key, Tino Martinez, a young Jeter, Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte. I was, and still am a fan of Todd Helton, who played collegiately at Tennessee, although I dislike the Rockies organization. Now, I still like the Yankees. However, I miss Soriano and was actually against A-Rod, Randy Johnson and Pavano if you can believe that. I miss the home-grown guys and the Yankees farm system is in shambles. I have become a serious Minnesota Twins fan since I began seriously covering the Elizabethton team. Joe Mauer is a solid guy and I enjoyed watching him. I like Mauer and Morneau.
SethSpeaks: Were there any writers that have influenced you?
Wes: Obviously guys I've worked around. Jamie Combs, the STAR's Sports Editor, Trey Williams of the Johnson City Press and Bucky Dent of the Bristol Herold-Courier in this area. Nationally, I've always enjoyed reading Peter King's work with Sports Illustrated, Joe Biddle of the Nashville Tennessean and Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News are my favorite columnists.
SethSpeaks: During the summer, what was your typical routine on a game day?
Wes: I would either bring Chinese to the park or grab a couple of hot dogs at the park and go watch each team's batting practice. While the away teams hit, several of the Twins would hang out around the concession area and stage behind the park. Most of the time I will get information from those guys and hang out with them off the field.
SethSpeaks: Did you travel with the team?
Wes: I've never traveled with the squad on the team bus, but each year I have covered most of their away games.
SethSpeaks: Do you take the time to read sports blogs, specifically any of the many Twins blogs?
Wes: Most definitely. I thoroughly enjoy reading your material. I will occasionally read info on the Yankees and the University of Tennessee when I have time.
SethSpeaks: Do you feel the need to draw a line between friendships with players and coaches, and a professional relationship with them?
Wes: Most definitely. I have a solid professional relationship with the administration and coaches of the squad. Since I am a young guy myself, I can relate to the players and I have occasionally, in the past, hung out with the players off the field and gotten to know them on a personal level.
SethSpeaks: Tell us a little bit about the Appalachian League. What is the E-Twins fan base like?
Wes: The Elizabethton Twins have a dedicated fan base. Our community is so small, yet we continue to produce solid numbers each year. I believe the squad has seen its attendance record broken six years in a row. You will see people who have worked around the organization frequent the away games along with the host parents. There is a big gap between the older baseball fans 40 years plus and the younger fans 18-under here. There are a lot of younger fans that come in droves to the home games. The 'Betsy staff does a great job promoting the team. There was a promotion for every home game this past season and I believe there were over 10 games with free admission.
SethSpeaks: Can you please try to explain the situation with the rookie leagues for us? Major League baseball wants to eliminate some leagues and then a league like the Appalachian League would incorporate consolidated teams? Why are they trying to do this? What benefit would there be?
Wes: From what I've gathered, a majority of Major League teams are wanting to cut costs within minor leagues in general. They are starting with rookie leagues and working their way up. Of the Appalachian League, seven teams voted in favor of retaining the league. Six teams that are currently in the league and one (Chicago Cubs) that isn't. Minnesota is a huge backer of the league, along with New York, Baltimore and Houston. What would happen if the league becomes consolidated is that each of the cities would field players from two or three teams. The younger general managers in the league, who haven't found much success, are in favor of it because they believe they will get better players. That is a wrong assumption. Several of the Appy League teams, such as Elizabethton, are the second spot up the ladder and a consolidation would make each of the towns the bottom rung. And there's no guarantee of high draft picks coming to the cities like there has been the past couple of years. The current contracts of the league guarantee play through the 2007 seasons, after that we will see what happens. One idea that has been heavily mentioned is that teams such as Minnesota can keep their teams. Franchises, like the Devil Rays and Blue Jays, who want to consolidate can add other teams to their cities and field Co-Op squads. A couple of new cities, fielding Co-Op teams of course, may join the league and make it a 12-team league. That seems to be the most popular idea at this point.
SethSpeaks: How do the people of Elizabethton feel about this decision? How would it hurt them?
Wes: The people of Elizabethton have been fighting this because since 1974, this town has had an identity. If you add the Red Sox and Cubs with the Twins, the identity that these small towns have built will be gone and the league will be just a few years from disbanding. Elizabethton wants to remain with Minnesota and vice versa. I believe it will stay that way.
SethSpeaks: Who comprised the E-Twins coaching staff, and how would you describe them, or their styles? I would think that patience and a willingness to teach are pretty important at the rookie league!
Wes: Patience is a must at this level. Former Twins catchers Ray Smith and Jeff Reed, who both married hometown girls and reside in the Elizabethton/Johnson City area, are the Manager and Hitting Coach, respectively, while former Washington Senators ace Jim 'Shelly' Shellenback leads the pitching staff. Each of these gentlemen are easy going and relaxed at all points in the season. They strive towards a team-first attitude and weed through the 'individual' problems that each team faces. The 2004 team was full of 'me first' guys. The 2003, 2005 squads each were determined to win the Championship from day one and did it. Ray is very patient throughout the season and has to keep us writers in check when players have a bad day here and there or slump. Jeff has a batting cage in his home and gives lessons to the local youngsters. If he can do that during the offseason, he must really enjoy working with the older, mature hitters. Overall, these guys are great at getting players out of slumps and make fundamental improvement fun. A perfect example of that is their work with some of the players this past year. Erik Lis and Caleb Moore, for example, started out rough, and their batting improved steadily by the end of the year. Elizabethton, by far, has the best coaching staff in Rookie League baseball.
SethSpeaks: What really is the goal of the rookie league team?? Is it to win, or is it to develop players? Or, is there a combination of the two?
Wes: In Elizabethton it is a combination of the two. Minnesota has drafted so well and the Elizabethton coaching staff again stresses that winning mentality all while seeing the players play their best ball at the years end.
SethSpeaks: The E-Twins were able to win the Appalachian League championship with a tough series win over Danville. What was special about this team, and what made them so good?
Wes: They worked as a team from day one. The first day the players were in town, each of them told me in surveys that they were going to win the league. The pitching was so good all season long. And even after promoting the bulk of the staff, there was enough talent at the end of the year to continue carrying the club. I was most impressed at how each player on the roster did something positive and if they were removed from the equation, Elizabethton may have not won the league. Take for instance Toby Gardenhire. He struggled to hit all season, but let me tell you - he is the real deal in the field late in the season. He could play every position in the infield, outfield and caught in the bullpen some nights. You could count on him for some web gems. Guys like Mark Robinson and Larry Jones slumped at times, but they picked it up late when it mattered. The consistency of Juan Portes, Eddie Ovalle and Jilmer Arratia, when healthy, were clutch.
SethSpeaks: Alright, let's get to the players that you have covered the past two seasons. I’d like you to give about 10-20 words to describe the person, both as a person, and as a player. Feel free to go over the 20 words, and tell stories. I think readers are interested in those things.
Wes:
Erik Lis: He reminds me so much of Jason Giambi in a good way. The way he swings, and he even resembles him a little. He was very attentive to the coaches and did everything he could to adapt his game to the better. I expect big things out of him in the future if he continues to develop his swing.Caleb Moore: I've known Caleb for quite a while, having attended ETSU with him. He is a class act on and off the field and has a tremendous work ethic. He has a great arm and finally got his swing going late in the season. He will only get better.
Josh Land: Another great story. Here's a guy that struggled most of the season and didn't get that many chances to shine. But he cranked his game late in the year and played up to his potential.
Sean Richardson: I like Richardson as a catcher. I've said this before, I think Richardson, Moore and Tintor will all at least be back-up catchers in the bigs. These guys all work hard. Sean has a pretty swing and can surprise you with his power some nights.
Yancarlos Ortiz: Tremendous fielder. He made plays I will probably never see again. He has a lot of speed and if he can lead off and get on base, he will score 99 percent of the time.
Larry Jones: I was glad to see him finish strong in the playoff series. The Alabama native was a super nice guy all year long.
Juan Portes: I can go on and on about Portes. He's the real deal and somebody that should've made the league's All-Star team. That disappointed me more than anything all year when the league left him off. He was clutch at times, but he was consistent. He could be a good major league player.
Edward Ovalle: Eddie is impressive some nights, some nights he isn't.
Eli Tintor: He had a strong start to the year and was a favorite of the ladies in the area.
Matthew Betsill: It was good to see the Southern Conference boy do well. He is a good third baseman. Has a solid arm.
Dustin Bensko: Bensko is a great guy on and off the field. He will get there.
Jilmer Arratia: The team would've been much more dominant had he been healthy all year long. It was a big boost to get him back later in the year.
Travis Kalin: Travis is another solid guy with supportive parents who came up from Florida often. He struggled late in the year and had a hard time getting out of the slump. He made some nice plays in the field.
Mark Robinson: Robbie has a lot of potential. He has the tools and I think that one day they will be utilized.
Toby Gardenhire: Hands down the best utility guy I've seen in Elizabethton. I wish he was better behind the sticks, because he is just an awesome defender wherever you put him.
Yohan Pino: Pino was solid, but I had such high expectations of him coming into the year. He will only get better, and I hate that I'll miss him breaking out.
Adam Hawes: This Canadian can throw and he's an awesome guy to hang out with. He has solid potential.
Oswaldo Sosa: He was another consistent guy all year for the E-Twins.
Ryan Mullins: Amazing arm. Look out for this kid. I'm glad I got to cover him.
Brian Duensing: Talented guy. Will get better down the road.
Alexander Smit: Time will tell if he can keep up his solid performances at the relief level. He can do it.
Tim Lahey: He is the closer of the future. Trust me on this one. If he can keep developing a 'special pitch,' he will be money!
Kevin Slowey: I was so impressed by him at the beginning of the year. I didn't know they played good ball at Winthrop. He proved me wrong.
Matt Garza: I had fun doing the preview stuff with him. He is a bright guy and he loves his baby.
SethSpeaks: This team had one of the better starts and records of any E-Town team in recent memory, how does this team compare talent wise to other good Elizabethton teams?
Wes: The 2005 E-Twins squad had the best pitching staff from the beginning of the season to the end of the year than any team since 1989. I'm still doing research on the two League titles in the late 30's and early 40's when we were affiliated with the Red Sox and Dodgers, respectively. As far as Minnesota goes, this was the best pitching year. As far as notable talent goes during league championship years, in 1978, we had Jesse Orosco, Ron Grout, Len Faedo, Steve Greene, Rubio Malone and Ken Angulo (nine wins and 97 strikeouts); in 1984, Jay Bell, Gene Larkin and Dave Vetsch (22 double and MVP) led the way to that league title. The 1989 squad was paced by Marty Cordova, Mike House (.376 average that year), Rex Delanuez, Mike Misuraca and Denny Neagle, while Denny Hocking, Paul Russo (22 HRs, 58 runs, 67 BIs - MVP), Pedro Grifol and Todd Ritchie paced the 1990 unit. Luis Maza, Rafael Boitel and Luke Martin, Rob Bowen paced the squad in 2000. In 2003, we had Denard Span, Dusty Gomon, Brock Peterson (led the league with 53 runs) and that group. This year's team was talented defensively as well, but offensively, comes no where close to the 1999 squad with Eric Sandberg and Ruben Salazar or the 2001 unit with Joe Mauer, Sandy Tejada, James Tomlin and company.
SethSpeaks: We only had one all-star, Alexander Smit, why considering our record and BA ranking 3 players in the Top 20 prospects (Portes, Smit & Mullins)?
Wes: The media in the North Division along with Bristol and Kingsport has a lot of pull in the voting process. Those guys all thought Danville had the best players. I thought that there were seven guys on this 'Betsy squad that should've made the team. Many of those media members didn't see players from other teams that they voted for play Elizabethton and get shut down. Of the guys that made the All-Star team, only four of them were successful or moderately successful against the Twins. We had the best closer in the league in Tim Lahey, Portes should’ve made it, Lis definitely, Mullins, Smit and Hawes all could've been recognized. Our catchers were all so good and were better than the guy who made the team, but that guy saw more action this year and had better numbers. I agree that the Campbell guy from Danville was the MVP, he was the only dominant player in the league against us and everybody else all year.
SethSpeaks: Can you please give us more information about Juan Portes, how good is he and what is his defense like?
Wes: Portes has a pure swing, but struggles against certain outside pitches. His hot spots this season were inside and the lower middle section of the strike zone. Defensively, the guy made sick plays all year. I've never seen a player make so many one-handed, no-look plays in my life. He's calm, cool and collected. If he doesn't start somewhere in the majors in a couple of years, I'll be shocked. He's really good.
SethSpeaks: You wrote about Mullins the weekend before the playoffs when he was MIA, what ever became of all that? Also, tell us about Mullins stuff because with 13 K's in 5 innings in the playoffs, this kid must be special?
Wes: Mullins is currently attending Vanderbilt University and is in the process of finishing his degree. The last week of the season, he went back to Nashville to get started in his classes. He was scheduled to be back the Monday before the league championship series, as he was scheduled to start the first game. They wanted to get him in the pen and keep his arm active. Anyways, he failed to show up and the team was worried about him, and there were others who told me off the record that they thought he wasn't going to show up period. He didn't return any phone calls and there were plans to sit him out the rest of the year. However, he returned the next night and wound up making the successful opening start in the series. Danville pitched their Pitcher of the Year against the 'Betsy Bombers, and he didn't last long. Mullins, in my opinion, also should've made the All-Star team and was a better thrower than the guy from Danville. He proved his worth in the game, after giving up the opening run, he struck out nine of the next ten successively. After the game, he returned to Nashville to get back in classes. As we all know, Vanderbilt is a tough and prestigious school. I don't blame him for finishing off and getting his degree while he can. It was good of him to come back and help the team, and you can be assured that a ring is on its way to him as we speak.
SethSpeaks: Let’s get back to some of your thoughts on some guys who played in E-Town in the past couple of seasons. Please tell us a little about each:
Wes:
From the 2004 Team:
This was the fun team. I run a karaoke show on Tuesday nights at the campus bar - Poor Richards. These guys frequented us and had a blast all year.
Deacon Burns: Ray and Jeff both called him 'Lil Puck.' I knew when I watched him that I would be seeing him on TV someday.
Jeremy Pickrel: One word-KARAOKE. Pickrel does the best version of Twista/Jamie Foxx's 'Slow Jams' that I have ever seen. He got up on the stage at PRs a few times and worked the mic. He can free style and do it all. In the field, he was one of the more talented outfielders we had that year. He has a lot of talent for sure.Trevor Plouffe: When I first met and interviewed Trevor, I immediately thought "Hollywood." This kid was a favorite of the local teenage girls in town. He got the rock star treatment at the beginning of the year.
Matt Tolbert: Such a nice guy. I enjoyed covering him and was happy to see him come away with some big games for us last year. Tolbert's uncle is a state senator in Mississippi, and he kept in contact with me throughout the season to get pictures and information on his nephew. I covered the game in Bristol when he nearly hit for the cycle. It was in July of 2004, and that keyed a strong finish to the year for him. He struggled at the beginning of the year, but came along nicely. I was impressed with the fact that he was an All-State football and baseball player in Mississippi. I heard he was an unbelievable football player, but decided to concentrate on baseball.
Johnny Woodard: Woodard was a fun guy to talk to after games, and I remember he had a nice swing during parts of the season.
Steven Duguay: Steven had a solid arm and a good year for the squad.
Matt Fox: Fox was injured most of the season. In his first couple of starts, he really didn't live up to the hype and I couldn't believe he was a sandwich pick. He's a super good guy, but I don't know if he'll go too far down the road.
Glen Perkins: This guy was unbelievable in his brief stint with the E-Twins. We knew he wouldn't be around long. Twins scorekeeper and former GM Bill Crow, who has been around the organization for well over 30 years, noted that he was one of most impressive guys he'd seen.
Kyle Waldrop: I saw Kyle pitch in High School for Farragut, TN in the State Tournament that year in Memphis. All I could say then was wow. When the Twins drafted him, I was hoping he would begin in Elizabethton, but he was sent to the GCL. He finished the year here and was a fun guy to watch. He has a great family and obviously everybody in the state has high expectations for him and his career.
From 2003:
Brock Peterson: Brock, to be a young guy that season, really impressed me and was really clutch with the multi-base hits. It seemed like he scored all of the time for the unit. At least once or twice per game for a while there. I have several stories about Peterson that year, not Brock, but his father Norm who is my favorite E-Twins parent of all time. Norm, who ran a Budweiser distributing facility in Chehalis, Washington at the time, spent a lot of time in Elizabethton. He loved the town. He video'd almost all of the games and plugged into the radio equipment of Twins' former radio guy Frank Santore. The E-Twins were on Teamline that season and the pack from Chehalis always had Teamline parties and listened to the games. Frank always made mentions to them, which was funny. Norm took us to Hooters and another place once. Needless to say, Santore and Norm came up with a nickname for myself. Frank occasionally mentions it with me on air - Captain Morgan. Figure that one out for yourself.Kyle Phillips: He had an amazing start to the season and was very. very talented that year. I thought instantly that he would quickly progress up to the majors like his brother did. His brother had a good year for the Mets that season. Kyle was a nice guy as well.
Denard Span: So much talent with this guy. It seems like I talked to him almost every other game. He was clutch, but didn't get a lot of attention due to Gomon that season. I feel bad about that now.
Julio DePaula & Angel Garcia: These guys had solid arms and were productive all season long for the squad.
Tim Henkenjohann: He was a nice guy off the field, but on the field that year he was a pain to watch. I remember one game when he lost control and nearly threw one that hit the backstop and bounced up the net towards the press box. We still talk about that one.
Errol Simonitsch, Chris Schutt & Levale Speigner: These guys had a solid year for Elizabethton. I've followed them since then. They were good to talk to after the games. They gave colorful quotes.I need to say Thank you to Wes for taking the time to answer all of my questions and let us learn a little more about Elizabethton and many of the Twins minor leaguers who have played their in recent years.
So, do you have any thoughts or questions for Wes or me? If so, please feel free to e-mail me.
To keep this brief, I will just highlight some of the key parts to a team in a playoff series for the two Championship Series. If you have any specific thoughts on any of the series that you'd like to share, please e-mail me.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
#2 Angels vs #1 White Sox
Starting pitching - Advantage White Sox (a fairly significant advantage, especially considering they go four decent pitchers deep, and El Duque is now in the bullpen)
Relief pitching - Advantage Angels (El Duque helps, but the Angels have Scot Shields and Brendan Donnelly)
Closer - Advantage Angels (K-Rod and Jenks are both nasty.)
Offense - Advantage PUSH (Sox have the edge at 1B and CF. Angels in RF. The other positions are pretty even.)
Defense - Advantage Angels (very slight advantage)
Manager - Advantage Angels (it isn't even close!)
Seth's prediction is Los Angeles Angels in 6 games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
WC Astros vs #1 Cardinals
Starting pitching - Advantage Astros (More Great Matchups. The Astros have Pettitte, Clemens and Oswalt while the Cardinals will counter with Carpenter, Mulder and Morris. The fourth starters may be the key to the series, and that will probably be Brandon Backe against either Jeff Suppan or Jason Marquis)
Relief pitching - Advantage PUSH (Astros relievers may be a little better, but after Astros Game 4 win, the Cardinals 'pen is much more rested)
Closer - Advantage Astros (Lidge is a lot more sure than Isringhausen)
Offense - Advantage Cardinals (Pujols is the best hitter, and he's got some support, but the advantage isn't as big as we would assume.)
Defense - Advantage Cardinals (fairly significant advantage, both in the infield and the outfield)
Manager - Advantage Cardinals (I may not like Larussa, but he has been here a lot.)
Seth's prediction is St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games.
What do you think? E-mail me.
The Vikings were on their bye week, but the games still go on, and so do our panelists. So how did we do this week? Well, it was another rough week for most of the panel. There were a couple of upsets, as there are every week, but there were also a bunch of games that were simply tough to make a call on. Through Sunday's games, there are three panelists with nine correct (out of 13). Here is the scenario going into tonight's game between the Chargers and Steelers. If the Steelers win, Aaron Gleeman is the sole winner this week. If the Chargers win, Cory Hepola and myself will be co-winners. For up-to-date standings, check out the NFL "Expert" Picks page here.
Final Standings Total Week 5 Over All Name Site W
L Win% W L Win % Trevor Born Twins Junkie 8 6 57.1% 50 24 67.6% Cory Hepola KTVH-TV Sports 9 5 64.3% 48 26 64.9% Mike Brasel Fantasy FB Guru 8 6 57.1% 47 27 63.5% Seth Stohs SethSpeaks.net 9 5 64.3% 47 27 63.5% SethSpeaks Panel 8 5 61.5% 45 27 62.5% Aaron Gleeman Aaron's BB Blog 10 4 71.4% 46 28 62.2% Brent Hanson BrentNet 9 5 64.3% 44 30 59.5% Melissa Lien SethSpeaks.net 7 7 50.0% 43 31 58.1% Stick & Ball Guy Stick & Ball Guy 7 7 50.0% 41 33 55.4% Will Young Will's Twins Blog 7 7 50.0% 39 35 52.7% Grant Balfour Twins Relief Pitcher 8 6 57.1% 38 36 51.4% Ben Jacobs Hardball Times 5 9 35.7% 37 37 50.0% Kevin Slowey Twins Pitching Prospect 6 8 42.9% 36 38 48.6%
And on that note, I will call it a day. I certainly hope that you have found the Q&A with Wes interesting and worth reading. I may take the day off tomorrow, but will be back on Thursday with my first Guest Writer. If you're interested in participating, please let me know. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me.