1.  Who holds the single season runs-batted-in record, and how many did this Twins player in his record setting season?    

 
2.  We all know Harmon Killebrew led the Twins in RBI in 9 different seasons.  But do you know who is second in leading the Twins in RBI for a season?  And how many seasons did this Twins lead the team?  
 
3.  When is the last time the Twins had two players drive in over 100 runs in a single seasn?  And name the two players?  
 
4.  True or False.  The Twins have never had three players drive in 100 or more runs in one season?  

 
5.  What rookie holds th record for most RBI in his first season with the Twins?   

6.  Just three players totaled over 1-thousand RBI in their Twins career.  Who are the three? 

 
See how you do trying to answer these 6 Twins Quiz Questions, and I'll have another quiz for you coming up soon.

"Touch 'em All,"
 
John Gordon

The Twins opened the season in early April in 1961 at Yankee Stadium.  Who was the Twins starting secondbaseman in that game?  Hint:  He later was one of the Twins Managers. 

 Billy Gardner

Everyone pretty much knows that Hall of Famer Rodney Carew started more games at second base for the Twins.  As a matter of fact he was the starter at second 9 different years.  But do you know who was second in ranking for Opening Day starts at second?  

Chuck Knoblauch-7

Over the years the Twins have had just one secondbaseman picked as number one in the June Free Agent Draft.  Name him?  Hint:  He was a star at LSU.  *Note:  When Chuck Knoblauch was drafted number one in 1989 he was drafted as a shortstop.

 Todd Walker

Let's play Who Am I.  A) I was once a quarterback at Purdue University.   B) I started at secondbase for the Twins for four straight seasons.  C) I was traded after the l966 season to the Washington Senators.  Who am I?

Bernie Allen

This former Twins secondbaseman holds the record for the best fielding percentage in a season.  This player made just three errors in 120 games, and handled 575 chances, ending up with a .995 fielding percentage.  Who is this player?

Rob Wilfong, 6. 

 In all the Twins, in their history, have turned a grand total of 11 triple plays and seven secondbaseman have been involved in 7 of the triple plays.  See if you can name at least four of the "second-sackers?"

Cesar Tovar, Rodney Carew, John Castino, Tim Teufel, Steve Lombardozzi, Al Newman, and Luis Castillo  

In 1988 the Twins made one of their most celebrated trades.  They dealt a very popular player, Tom Brunansky, for a second baseman.  This player turned out to be a complete "dud."  He lasted just one season with the Twins and then in 1989 he was traded away to the Philadelphia Phillies.  In the one season with the Twins he played in just 86 games and hit.263.  Who was this player?

Tommy Herr  
 
 

I thought we would continue with the Twins Quiz concept and I was thinking about testing your knowledge on the Twins and secondbase. Let's see how much you remember about past and present second-sackers.
 
We will post the answers later this week.
 
1.  The Twins opened the season in early April in 1961 at Yankee Stadium. Who was the Twins starting secondbaseman in that game? Hint: He later was one of the Twins Managers.
 
2.  Everyone pretty much knows that Hall of Famer Rodney Carew started more games at second base for the Twins. As a matter of fact he was the starter at second 9 different years. But do you know who was second in ranking for Opening Day starts at second? 
 
3.  Over the years the Twins have had just one secondbaseman picked as number one in the June Free Agent Draft. Name him? Hint:  He was a star at LSU.  *Note:  When Chuck Knoblauch was drafted number one in 1989 he was drafted as a shortstop.
 
4.  Let's play Who Am I. A) I was once a quarterback at Purdue University.   B) I started at secondbase for the Twins for four straight seasons.  C) I was traded after the l966 season to the Washington Senators.  Who am I?
 
5.  This former Twins secondbaseman holds the record for the best fielding percentage in a season. This player made just three errors in 120 games, and handled 575 chances, ending up with a .995 fielding percentage. Who is this player?
 
6.  In all the Twins, in their history, have turned a grand total of 11 triple plays and seven secondbaseman have been involved in 7 of the triple plays. See if you can name at least four of the "second-sackers?"
 
and 7.  In 1988 the Twins made one of their most celebrated trades. They dealt a very popular player, Tom Brunansky, for a second baseman.  This player turned out to be a complete "dud." He lasted just one season with the Twins and then in 1989 he was traded away to the Philadelphia Phillies.  In the one season with the Twins he played in just 86 games and hit.263.  Who was this player? 
 
Put your Twins thinking cap on fans, and see if you can come up with the correct answers.  We will post the answers later on this week.
 

Hi Twins Fans, 
 
The All Star Game (at Yankee Stadium) is just around the corner and the Twins will have three representatives. Joe Mauer will be the starting catcher, and Justin Morneau will be a reserve infielder. And Joe Nathan hopefully will get a chance to pitch as one of the closers. I thought I would give you a Twins All Star Quiz to see how much you remember about past Twins All Stars. Give yourself an All Star box seat if you answer all correctly.
 
1.  Name the Minnesota Twin who has started the most times in an All Star Game?
 
2.  There have been three pitchers over the years who have started an AL All Star Game. Name them?

3.  Over the years the Twins have had 7 catchers named to the AL All Star team. See if you can name 5 of the 7?
 
4.  In 2006, Torii Hunter made a great catch to take away a home run from a National League starter. Who was that hitter.
 
5.  Harmon Killebrew was an 11 time AL All Star.  But for some reason he started just a handful of game. How many games did he start?
 
6.  The Minnesota Twins have hosted two AL All Star games. What were the years?
 
7.  Just two Minnesota Twins have hit home runs in All Star competition. Who were the two?
 
8.  In the 1999 All Star game this Twins player caught the final out and he still has the ball to prove it. Who was that player? 
 
9.  Over the years the Twins have had one winning All Star pitcher and one losing All Star pitcher. Name the winning pitcher and the losing pitcher? 

10.  Just once a Minnesota Twin was named the MVP of the All Star game. Name that player and the year he won the award?

We will post the answers to the questions in a few days! 

Last week, Twins General Manager Billy Smith and I sat down for our weekly
"Inside Twins" Show and we took calls from the listeners  Here are some of their questions and comments that Billy made along with some of my thoughts on the different subject matters.
 
Question:  Twins injuries.
 
Billy Smith:  Generally pleased.  Thought spring training was very produtive and the Twins had very few injuries.  Just three players have been placed on the disabled list so far, Michael Cuddyer (finger), Kevin Slowey (sore bicep), and Adam Everett (shoulder). 
 
Gordon Comment:  As we all know injuries are part of the game.  The Twins have been relatively healthy so far this season.   Let's hope it stays that way.  The Twins certainly missed Cuddyer's bat during his stay on the DL, but the other injuries were not as costly.  When Slowey went down, Fancisco Liriano filled in for a couple of starts and then the Twins got a break with three off days in 8 days and didn't need a fifth starter.  Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert filled in nicely during the absence of Everett. 
 
Question:  Umpires strke zone.
 
Billy Smith:  Talked about QuestTech, a system that tracks every pitch of the game and the umpires read the results after the game.  QuestTech is not in every ballpark, and  it does seem to have a positive affect.  New technology is being worked on and the system could get even better.
 
Gordon Comment:  I don't understand why QuestTech is not in every ballpark.  Why is just some?  Doesn't make sense to me.  Here's my thought on umpires.  First of all they are human, just like everyone else, and they make mistakes, just like everyone else.  Secondly, umpires are differenet, like everyone else, and they call games different, just like everyone else lives differently.  By and large umpires do a teriffic job, and I very rarely see an umpire have a bad day.  I certainly wouldn't judge an umpires ball/strike calls if I was watching the game on television.  The centerfield camera is not necessarily lined up directly behind the pitcher and the angle makes it difficult to say an umpire is having a good or bad night. 
 
Question:  Plan for rotation (given Baker's status) and Liriano
 
Billy Smith:  Hopefully Baker will be ready to go.  I won't worry about what we have to do until I see that Baker is not ready to go.  Liriano will continue to pitch at Rochester and we will monitor his progress.  Liriano was rushed and he needs to stay in Rochester and pitch every fifth day.
 
Gordon Comment:  First Liriano.  I would be surprised if he returns to theTwins rotation until maybe after the All Star break.  He needs work.  That was very evident in his two starts for the Twins.  His velocity on both his fastball and slider still is not there, and he doesn't have command.  Check out his walks.  And also his pitch count and ball/strike ratio.  Hopefully Liriano will return to his '06 form, but it looks like it is going to a while if and when he does.  Now, Baker.  Hopefully Baker will be ready to pitch, when his next start rolls around.  With the Twins off days this past week and one this week, the Twins have some leadway for their starters for the upcoming four game Red Sox series.  Blackburn, Hernandez, and Slowey are going to pitch the White Sox series  Baker could pitch Friday night in the opening game of the Red Sox series or they could hold him back until Saturday night.  Bonser (on his usual four days rest) would start the Red Sox opener.  Let's wait and see what happens with Baker, since we have 5 days.  He will pitch a bullpen in Chicago and hopefully he will be pronouced fit and ready to pitch either Friday or Saturday.  The rotation at Rochester includes Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing, and Kevin Mulder as possible candidates to be called up if Baker has to miss starts and go on the DL.  Also RHP Anthony Swarzak (the organization's April pitcher of the month) who is pitching very well at AA-New Britain. 
 
That's enough for this week folks.  I'll have more comments from the fans questions on our "Inside Twins" Show next week. 
 
"Touch 'em All,"
 
JG

36 TO GO! 

The Twins are in the final 36 games of the 2007 season and while their backs are not up against the wall, the Twins are starting to back up that way.  The Twins have been waiting to make “that run” and so far “that run” has not taken place. 

About the best the Twins have been able to do is five wins out of six (late May-early June) and just recently the Twins started a “run” that produced four wins out of five games.  But that’s not enough.  The Twins need to put together a “run” of wins that goes something like 10 out of 12 or 15 out of 18.  But time is running out.  Let’s say the Twins win 27 of their 36 games (a blistering .750 winning percentage), well the Tigers or Indians would only have to play a couple of games over .500 and the Twins still wouldn’t catch either team.  It’s going to be a tough challenge for the Twins, and I guess the only thing we (Twins fans) can do it hope for the best and see what happens.

MINOR LEAGUE POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR????? 

You know how I like to follow the Twins minor league fortunes.  Each Sunday we feature Jim Rantz on the Twins Pre Game Show “The Line-up Card” and Kris Attebury updates the Twins minor league teams at least three times a week during the pre-game show.  Well I have been checking around and asking some of the top authorities and asking them “Who is going to be the Twins Minor League Player of the Year?”  And no one can come up with an easy answer.  Here are some of the leading candidates:

Rochester Red Wings:  C-Jose Morales (having a stellar season and his bat is carrying him); IF-Matt Tolbert (started strong, but has tapered off some late in the year); CF- Denard Span (having a much better second half than first)

New Britain RockCats:  SS-Trevor Plouffe (one of the leading candidates, it not the top leader Plouffe is having a steady season, and despite early problems in the field, he’s playing much better at SS)

Fort Myers Miracle:  OF Eric Lis (won a batting title last year at Beloit and if following up his ’06 season with a steady ’07 season)Beloit Snappers:  IF Brian Dinkleman (now playing at Fort Myers after his promotion, Dinkleman has put together a nice first full season in professional season)

Gulf Coast Twins:  OF Ben Revere (the Twins number one pick in the recent ’07 draft, Revere is doing quite well)

Elizabethton Twins:  IB Rene Leveret (one of the top two players for the E-Town Twins);  3B    Delbinson Romero (another top player for the E-Twins)                            

Stats on the Leading Candiates: 

Morales-.322ba, 2hr, 33rbi; Tolbert-.299ba, 5hr, 45rbi; Span-.253ba, 3hr, 49rbi; Plouffe-.280ba, 9hr, 50rbi; Lis-.279ba, 16hr, 90rbi; Dinkleman-.282ba, 13hr, 42rbi; Revere-.318ba, 0hr, 22rbi; Leveret-.302ba, 7hr, 61rbi; Romero-.309ba, 9hr, 50rbi.

Note:  Sometimes it’s tough for a short season team to have the position player or pitcher of the year.  Playing just 80 games these individuals have to have banner seasons to compete with the players (and pitchers) who have competed in a regular season 140 game season.

And a further note:  The Twins have a number of pitchers in line for the Jim Rantz Minor League Pitcher of the Year and in our next blog we will review the top pitching candidates.

Twins Quiz:  Just recently Johan Santana set a new strikeout record when he struck out 17 batters vs the Texas Rangers. The previous mark was 15, held by four different pitchers.  Who was the last pitcher to strike out 15 batters in a game and in what year did that pitcher perform this feat? 

That’s all for this time Twins fans, and I promise I will have another blog for you soon.

“Touch ‘em All,”

John Gordon

During the weekend, we'll all have flashbacks to certain plays, games or series that made the year so memorable.  Does it seem like 20 years ago to you that Puckett had the memorable weekend in Milwaukee?   Could it be that long ago that the post-ALCS rally turned into the largest pep rally ever held?  Or that it was 20 years ago Herb Carneal so dramatically, yet simply said, "Gaetti has it...over to Hrbek and the Twins are baseball's World Champions!" 

Unfortunately, 2007 also marks the 40th anniversary of the most heartbreaking season in Twins history.  The Twins were in the driver's seat heading into the final weekend of the year.  They simply needed to win one of two games in Boston to go to the World Series for the second time in three years.  Of course, they lost both games and Boston went on to the World Series only to lose it in seven games to Bob Gibson and the Cardinals.

I experienced the heartbreak from a unique perspective.  As a childhood Twins fan, I was uprooted and moved to central Missouri after the 1965 season.  My new baseball friends in Missouri reminded me regularly that the Cardinals had won the World Series as recently as 1964.  Through the 1966 season, I endured constant reminders that the Twins hadn't won a World Series ever.  But in 1967, things were going to change.  The Cardinals had a great team(and a great broadcasting team....Harry Caray and Jack Buck...more on that another time).  It was apparent by late September that the Cardinals were the best team in the National League.  It was also clear that the Twins...my Twins!...were in decent position to represent the American League.  What better way to shut up the Cardinal fans than for the Twins to sweep the Cardinals in the World Series?  The Twins had a homerun champion in Harmon Killebrew...a rookie of the year in Rod Carew and a two-time batting champion in Tony Oliva.  I was sure the Twins were not only going to get to the World Series but blitz the Cardinals once they got there.  But, alas, it didn't happen.  Lonborg and Yazstrzemski crushed my dreams and made life miserable for me in Missouri.  I won't even tell you how bad it got for me as a Minnesota sports fan when the Chiefs crushed the Vikings in the Super Bowl a couple of years later.

But, fast forward 20 years later and, lo and behold, the Twins got back into the World Series against....the St. Louis Cardinals!  My memories of that season and Series will come later, but rest assured that when I shake hands with the members of that '87 team in a few weeks, I'll shake those hands a little more vigorously than some.  I might get a little more emotional than some.  After all, those players and that team allowed me to realize what I hoped would have happened 20 years earlier!

Back in those days, the National League won almost every year to the point where it became a ritual.  Back then, they did have superior talent and it showed.  Ask Joe Torre what his biggest thrill as a player was and he'll tell you it was catching the entire 1965 All Star game at Metropolitan Stadium and catching Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Juan Marichal in the same game.  Four Hall of Famers pitched against the American League in the same game!  No wonder the National League won.

The National League dominance extended into the early 80's.  In 1982, in Montreal to cover Kent Hrbek's All Star appearance for a local station, I heard first hand why the National League held the edge for all those years.  At the press conference the day before the game, the American League captain, Carlton Fisk was asked about the superiority of the National League.  He said that there was no imbalance of talent and that the American League approached the game as an exhibition and downplayed the significance of the outcome.  The National League captain that year was Pete Rose.  When it was his turn at the microphone, he didn't even have to be asked a question before stating that the National League WAS better and that they intended to prove it the next night and that "losing ******!"  Of course, Pete epitomized the intensity the National League brought to the All Star game.  In fact, I ran into Ray Fosse at our hotel the other night...sorry bad pun.  After chatting for awhile and going off on our separate ways, I couldn't help identifying Fosse to my family as the guy Pete Rose flattened in the All Star game a long time ago.

Now, both leagues treat the game as an exhibition.  Lately, the American League has won most the of the games.  While I won't be going to San Francisco( I have gone to six All Star games as a fan), I will be there intently watching.  I'll be hoping Johan pitches a couple of shutout innings...that Justin clubs a homerun and that Torii robs Barry again!!!!

**** Bremer

When baseball started interleague play, it was done so to spark fan interest and increase ticket sales and media ratings.  By and large, it's done all that.  While the novelty of it has worn off, there still is heightened fan interest in a Cubs/White Sox series than a Royals/White Sox series.  But baseball made a big blunder in playing the games by the home team's rules.  If you're going to blur the distinction between the leagues by playing the games in the first place, why not give the fans a sample of how the games are played in the other league.  If the concept was designed for the fans in the first place, give them the novelty of watching their pitchers hit or their top pinch-hitter hit as the designated hitter.  It would be a simple fix and one that is long overdue.  People live in houses for ten years and then remodel.  Consider this a ten year tuneup or remodeling of an idea that could use a little shot in the arm.

The other modification would further complicate the scheduling.  Somehow, you have to maintain the integrity of a division race by having teams in the same division play the same inter-league schedule as much as possible.  The New York Mets have to play the Yankees in two series and the other three AL playoff teams from a year ago AND the Angels, the team with the second best record in the American League.  The Phillies have a much easier schedule playing only two teams with winning records.  As I blog, the Phillies are just two games behind the Mets in the NL East.  By season's end, the division might be decided not by who had the better team but, rather, by the whimsy of the schedule makers.  While the Mets were facing the defending AL champion Tigers last week, the Phillies were playing the Royals.  Seem fair to you?  No one here can muster any sympathy for any large market team, but fairness shouldn't be an issue when it comes to deciding a championship.  There are enough uneven playing fields in our game...this is one that should be eliminated.

On the whole, I like interleague play.  It gave Atlanta fans in the Upper Midwest a chance to see their team in person.  As we forge ahead, the concept is like any other.  It can be tinkered with and made even better.An interesting interleague note as we watch our Twins pitchers hit this week.  The Twins are one of five American League teams whose pitchers have not hit a homerun in interleague play.  The Yankees, Angels, A's and Mariners haven't had a pitcher hit one out either.  Who do YOU think will hit the first Twins pitcher homerun in interleague play?  My money's on Johan.


**** Bremer
Twins TV play-by-play

Let's get started with some Twins news.

I'LL BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS ABOUT LEW FORD.....Lew told me two stories that were news to me about the Twins outfielder. Once, while growing up in Texas and playing for his high school baseball team he once missed a game to participate in a scholastic playoff in math and science. "I just thought it was just as important to help out my academic teammates as my baseball teammates," explained Lew. I asked him how he did in the playoff and he said "not so hot," but we had fun. And Lew once played in a soccer tournament in London, England. "Our team got invited to play in this tournament and it was a blast," laughed Lew. Was Lew going to be a blossoming forward in soccer and not end up playing major league baseball?  "No way," stated Lew. "The soccer experience was fun, but I always wanted to play baseball, that was my favorite sport."

MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE:  Remember at the beginning of the season I listed two top ten lists? One was the top pitching prospects in the Twins organization, and the other was the top position player prospect list. Now that two months of the Twins minor league season is complete, let's check and see how those top prospects are doing. 

In this blog we will review the pitchers.

1.  RHP Kyle Waldop....started the season at A-ball with the Fort Myers Miracle, and was just promoted to AA-ball New Britain.  He was 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA with the Miracle, and he's struggling a bit with the RockCats. He has lost his first four decisions with NB and is 0-4.

2.  Anthony Swarzak....Started the season with New Britain and was 0-2 with an 11-ERA when he was suspended for 50 games when he tested positive using body enhancing substances. Hopefully Swarzak will return to the RockCats in late July.

3.  LHP Jay Swatski....Used out of the bullpen with the RockCats in Double-A, Swatski has appeared in 20 games and is 2-2.  He's pitched 27-plus innings and has given up 30 hits.

4.  RHP Kevin Slowey....Recently promoted to the Twins and thrust into the Twins starting rotation. He put up fantastic numbers with AAA-Rochester and was 5-2 with a 1.54 ERA which led the Internation League.

5.  RHP Matt Garza....Doing just fine with the Red Wings. He's 3-5 with a 3.19 ERA. The Twins seem to be pleased with his season thus far.

6.  LHP Glen Perkins....Started the season at Rochester and pitched (and started) in one game. Called up to the Twins to fill in in the bullpen. Currently on the disabled list with a strained left bicep. Should be back soon.

7.  RHP Tim Lahey....Was sharing closer time with Jose Mijares and now has taken over as the RockCats closer. He's 5-0 out of the bullpen. In 31 innings pitched he has 28 strikeouts.

8.  LHP Erol Simonitsch.....Has yet to pitch and is in Fort Myers rehabbing with a left arm injury.  Missing out on a chance to climb up the ladder. Hopefully he will be back soon.

9. RHP Oswaldo Sosa.....In the Miracle starting rotation.  He is 2-3 with a
2.54 ERA.  Has made 11 starts and has pitched 56-plus innings. Doing OK.

10.  LHP Jose Mijares.....Recently promoted to AAA-Rochester.  Has pitched in 3 games in relief.  Started the year at AA-New Britain and in 15 games pitched, 21 innings with 22 strikeout.

Next blog I will update how the position players are progressing.

TWINS QUIZ....OK, Twins fans, put your Twins thinking cap on and see if you can answer this question.

For years, when Randy Bush was the co-holder (with Rich Reese) for most pinch-hits in a single season. Bush twice had 13 pinch hits in a single season and that was good enough to share the mark with Reese. But in 1993 this Twins player came along and was the Twins top pinch hitter for 4 straight years, and in 1996 he set a new mark for most pinch hits in a single season with 19.  Who is this former Twins player.  Hint:  He is presently a coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

I'll have the answer for you in the next blog.

Now here’s the Answer to the Twins quiz from the last blog...

When Garrett Jones was called up last week and stepped to the plate for his first major league at-bat I pulled out my trusty little 3 X 5 card with the Twins players names that hit a home run in their first major league game.  All told their have been 8 that have accompolished that feat!  But just four that have hit a home in their first at-bat!  See if you can name the four.

Answer:
Rick Renick, Dave McKay, Gary Gaetti, and Andre David.

That's all for this time Twins fans. Hope to see you at the Dome for the Twins upcoming homestand with Washington, Atlanta, and Milwaukee.

"Touch 'em All,"

JG

There were a lot of reasons for the incredible surge and, perhaps, the best regular season baseball this area has ever seen. Justin Morneau's MVP performance in the second half...Joe Mauer's historic batting title...Torii Hunter's return to health and the electrifying three months that Francisco Liriano gave the Twins.  Critically important to the turnaround was the decision to get younger and more athletic on the left side of the infield. By trading Juan Castro and calling up Jason Bartlett and releasing Tony Batista and giving Nick Punto third base, the Twins committed themselves to speed, youth and quickness on the left side of the diamond.

Twins fans...get ready...we might be seeing a similar transformation this summer, this time, on the pitching staff.

The Twins started the year with newcomers Ramon Ortiz and Sidney Ponson in the rotation. While Ortiz was brilliant in April, both veterans now find themselves out of the rotation...Ponson released and Ortiz send to the bullpen.  The door is wide open for Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey and Matt Garza to do for the pitching staff what Bartlett and Punto did for the left side of the infield.

Baker is already here and has given the Twins a magnificent start and another decent one. Slowey has been nothing short of superb in Rochester. He simply doesn't have anything more to prove at triple-A without a chance to prove it up here. Garza has butted heads with some folks in the Twins organization, but his live fastball and improving off-speed stuff will probably make its' way to the majors sooner rather than later. In his most recent start, Garza threw ten off-speed pitches(5 for strikes, 5 for balls). That's enough for Twins' management to consider bringing him up this summer. 

Obviously, the hope is that the extra seasoning the first two months has provided the talented young pitchers will ease the transition to the major leagues, Slowey in particular.  Remember, he's never pitched up here. Both Garza and Slowey were in class A ball a year ago. 

While the Twins took a flier on Ponson and aren't ready to give up on Ortiz yet, it's clear that the time has come for the young guys to get their chance. Add Glen Perkins to the mix when he returns from his, thankfully, relatively minor shoulder injury and the Twins have the makings of an extremely talented yet inexperienced pitching staff.  Oh, and did I mention that the Twins are encouraged that next year Francisco Liriano will return to his dominating self of 2006?

As we wind our way thru their 9 game road trip, I have some Twins thoughts for you. Let's get started.

I'LL BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS ABOUT.......Juan Rincon. 

The Twins star reliever for the last 6 years almost quit baseball. At the age of 16, Juan was told by scouts and coaches he was too small to play baseball and that he didn't have a chance to advance in the game. Those people suggested he quit the game and go to school.  As you can well imagine, Juan was quite disappointed and when he went home with the bad news his mother told him, "Juan don't you quit, you love the game to much, and you go out there and prove to those scouts and coaches that you are worthy of seeking a professional baseball contract!" Juan said, "no Mom, I am going to study in school and go to college and make something out of my life."  But his mother wouldn't let him quit and Juan continued to pursue a baseball career. And there's one more chapter to the story. One of Juan's best friends is LHP Gustavo Chacin, now with the Toronto Blue Jays. And the coaches and scouts told Gustavo the same thing as they told Juan. So Juan and Gustavo made a promise to each other and to their Mom's that they wouldn't quit the game of baseball and look what happened. Nice going Juan, Twins fans sure are glad you followed your mother's advice and didn't quit the game.

MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE 

For most of the time we will concentrate on updating the progress of some of the Twins top prospects. I will get opinions from the Twins Minor League coordinators and coaches and managers on players like 3B Matt Moses, and RHP Kyle Waldrop just to name a few. But how about those players that are not on the radar screen as top prospects, but are starting to open some eyes of those co-ordinators and others. Let's look at a few that are having outstanding seasons thus far, and might just be like a Denny Hocking (a 53rd round pick) or a Tommy Watkins (38th rounder) and climb the ladder to make it to the big leagues:

RHP Robert Delaney.....Closer with the Beloit Snappers. Undrafted out of St John's University, Delaney leads the Midwest League in saves with 13 and just recently was chosen as the Twins Minor League Player of the Week.

2B Matt Tolbert.....Tearing up the International League, and at one time was the League's leading hitter. Tolbert, a non-roster infielder, got a chance to play some in Grapefruit League games and impressed the coaches and Manager Ron Gardenhire. Alexi Casilla is considered to be the Twins top infield prospect at Rochester, but Tolbert is starting to make a lot of people take notice. Tolbert was a 16th round pick out of the University of Mississippi.

OF Eric Lis.....Yes, I know he is always going to be known for hitting a home run off Roger Clemens, when Clemens pitched againt the Fort Myers Miracle. But Lis can hit. He won the batting title last year at Beloit and is approaching being a .300 hitter with the Miracle. Lis was a 9th round pick in the '05 draft out of Evansville University.

Keep your eye on these players folks, they might not be number one picks and Minor Leaguers that everyone is interested in, but they have put up some impressive numbers so far this year and are starting to be watched more closely.

TWINS TRIVIA TIME.....

When Garrett Jones was called up last week and stepped to the plate for his first major league at-bat I pulled out my trusty little 3 X 5 card with the Twins players names that hit a home run in their first major league game. All told their have been 8 that have accompolished that feat! But just four that have hit a home in their first at-bat!  See if you can name the four. I'll have the answer for you in the next blog.

Last Week's Trivia Question:

Over the years the Twins have had some outstanding minor league players who later on have made it to the big leagues and helped the Twins to 4 divsional championships in the last 5 years. Jason Kubel, Joe Mauer, and Lew Ford are all past winners of the Sherry Robertson Minor League Player of the Year. And, now all three are and have been major contributors to the Twins recent successes on the field.  In 2002, the Twins separated the Robertson Award and started naming a Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The award is named after Twins Director of Minor Leagues, Jim Rantz.  But only once has a minor league player won the award two years in arrow. Let’s see if you can name that player.

Answer to Last Week's Question:

LaTroy Hawkins. He was selected the Twins Minor League Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994. 

That's all for this time folks. Have a great day, and let's hope the Twins keep going on the winning trail.

"Touch 'em All,"

John Gordon