2007 Twins Blog

Twins announce scouting changes

2008-02-07T15:10:00.001-06:00

The Twins made some changes in their scouting department today, shifting around some scouts and announcing a couple of hires. Here's the press release ....

TWINS MAKE CHANGES IN SCOUTING DEPARTMENT

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have promoted/reassigned seven members of their scouting department and added six new scouts to the organization.

The Twins have reassigned their Major League coverage by region. Ken Compton will cover the two Western Divisions along with amateur work in April and May (prior to the draft), Bob Hegman moves from Major League Advance Scout to cover both Central Divisions along with minor league coverage in April and May, and Earl Frishman moves from East Coast Scouting Supervisor to cover the two Eastern Divisions along with amateur work in April and May (prior to the draft).

Shaun McGinn has been hired as the club’s new Advance Scout. He most recently served as the Senior Director of Minor League Operations for the Kansas City Royals (2000-06) and served as a professional scout in 2007. He signed with Philadelphia in 1993 and played in the Phillies minor league system until 1995.

Three area scouts have been promoted to new positions within the scouting department. Sean Johnson takes over as West Coast Supervisor, Mark Quimuyog has been promoted to East Coast Supervisor and Bill Milos has been named Professional Scout.
In addition, Billy Corrigan has been relocated to the Florida territory.

Jeremy Booth will replace Corrigan and oversee Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. After spending five seasons in the Mexican Minor Leagues, he played in the Tampa Bay and Milwaukee organizations in 2001 and 2002. In 2007, Booth was a Regional Scout for the Global Scouting Bureau.

JR DiMercurio will oversee Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. For the last two years, DiMercurio served as the Assistant Baseball Coach at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas, KS.

Jeff Pohl will oversee Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. He served as the pitching coach for the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League from 2002-06 before managing the team in 2007. Pohl was a player in the San Francisco Giants minor league system from 1996-1999.

Jack Powell will oversee Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. He has scouted with four organizations (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Tampa Bay), with 30 years of scouting experience.

Ted Williams will oversee Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. He joins the Twins after serving as the “4 corners” Scouting Supervisor for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1999-2007.

Jason Kubel and wife welcome first child

2008-01-23T11:42:00.000-06:00

Jason Kubel's wife Blake gave birth to the couple's first child early this morning at a hospital in California. Owen Michael Kubel weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

Congrats to the Kubels.

So Long to Silva

2007-12-20T18:59:00.000-06:00

The Twins are confident they can absorb the loss of a $48 million pitcher. That says something about Minnesota’s pitching depth, the market value of .500 starters, or both.

Carlos Silva, who went 47-45 over four seasons in Minnesota and 13-14 last season, walked away from the Twins on Thursday by signing a four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners that will average $12 million per season.

“Good for Carlos. He’s a really good guy,” said Twins general manager Bill Smith, whose own offer, reportedly around $18 million over three seasons, would have paid half per season what the Venezuelan right-hander, the beneficiary of a thin crop of free-agent pitchers, will receive from the Mariners. “We went into the winter hoping we could keep him, but it quickly became apparent he would have some good offers.”

And the Twins quickly determined that they could save those millions by parceling out the 202 innings the sinkerballer pitched last season to their class of young pitchers coming up from their minor-league system.

“It’s the one area we’ve got some depth in,” Smith said. “Carlos provided us some innings here, which was good. But we hope we are able to cover those innings with (Scott) Baker and (Boof) Bonser and (Francisco) Liriano and (Kevin) Slowey. We’ve got (Nick) Blackburn, (Glen) Perkins, (Brian) Bass. We really like this group, and now they have that much more of an opportunity.”

Silva’s 47 wins over the past four seasons for Minnesota were second only to Johan Santana’s 70. It’s also 17 more victories than Eric Milton (30-33) has collected since the pitchers were exchanged for each other in a trade with Philadelphia (which also included Nick Punto coming to the Twins) in December 2002.

“This was a great fit here for Carlos,” Smith said. “We took a guy who was stuck in a relief role and gave him a chance. He performed well for us, and I’m happy for him.”

-- Phil Miller

Twins Add 3B Lamb

2007-12-14T16:38:00.000-06:00

The Twins’ infield is suddenly coming together.

One day after adding former Astros shortstop Adam Everett, the Twins signed free agent Mike Lamb, the Houston third baseman who has played alongside Everett for four seasons, to a two-year contract (with an option for 2010).

The 32-year-old Lamb, who also played four seasons with Texas, has batted .288 or better in three of his four seasons with the Astros, and averaged 12.2 home runs over that span.

The presence of Lamb, who will compete for playing time with Brian Buscher, and Everett likely makes Brendan Harris, acquired last month from Tampa Bay, the favorite to start at second base.

-- Phil Miller

Twins Let Tyner Go

2007-12-12T17:02:00.000-06:00

With Craig Monroe added to the roster and the strong possibility that another outfielder will be obtained this winter, the Twins have chosen not to offer a contract to Jason Tyner next season, the team announced Wednesday.

Tyner appeared in 114 games last season and hit .286, including his first career home run. But the Twins decided to release him rather than offer him the chance to go to salary arbitration. Tyner earned $400,000 last season, now becomes a free agent and can negotiate with any team (including, under a recent change to baseball rules, the Twins).

The move could clear the way for Jason Pridie, acquired along with Delmon Young and Brendan Harris from Tampa Bay last month, to make the team as a reserve outfielder.

The other five arbitration-eligible Twins -- Juan Rincon, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, Matt Guerrier and Jason Kubel -- were all offered contracts for 2008.

-- Phil Miller

Monroe Signs for '08

2007-12-11T17:50:00.000-06:00

Craig Monroe apparently decided the Twins' offer -- by rule, it couldn't go below roughly $3.8 million -- was more than he would receive as a free agent. So Monroe signed a one-year contract with Minnesota on Tuesday, one day before the Twins would likely have cut him loose had he refused.

Monroe, acquired last month from the Cubs for a player to be named (likely a low-grade prospect), adds depth to the Twins' outfield and gives them a right-handed hitter who can potentially get some at-bats at designated hitter.

Monroe is a six-year veteran who suffered a dreadful year last season, hitting just .212 overall. The Tigers dumped him in August to Chicago, and things didn't get much better there. But he's a lifetime .256 hitter who has hit 18 or more home runs in four different seasons. And remember, even his down-year total of 12 homers last season would have ranked fourth on the Twins.

-- Phil Miller

Winding Down

2007-12-06T14:36:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Opryland Hotel is quickly turning into a ghost town. Bill Smith and most of the Twins’ staff is staying until Friday, but there might be only one or two other teams still here.

Smith just spoke about his week, and the gathering with reporters could best be described as “drowsy.” Everybody is exhausted after four straight 18-hour days.

Smith didn’t sound disappointed, exactly, that no transactions had been completed this week, but I think he was a little surprised that all the momentum from last weekend dissipated so quickly. The new GM said this week was helpful, that it's much easier to talk in person than on the phone or via email, but that didn't change the outcome. He also said progress was made on more than just the Johan Santana negotiations.

His phone is still on, he said, so things could change. But it's clear there isn't much talking going on now. If something is going to happen on the Santana front, it doesn’t look like it’ll be this week.

-- Phil Miller

Rule 5: Minus 6

2007-12-06T10:58:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Right from the start, the Rule 5 draft was an unusual one for the Twins. Tampa Bay selected Rochester pitcher Tim Lahey with the first pick, and the scavenging of Minnesota’s organization had begun.

By the time the draft -- actually drafts, since Triple-A and Double-A drafts are held immediately after the major-league portion -- ended a half-hour later, the Twins had lost six players out of their system, more than any other team, while adding nobody. Minnesota ended up with the 11th pick (teams had to have fewer than 40 players on their major-league roster), but when the player they had intended to select was taken ahead of them, the Twins ended up being the first team to pass.

But teams couldn’t pass up the Twins’ eligible players. After Lahey, who went 8-4 with 13 saves in Class AA New Britain’s bullpen before being called up to Rochester in August, was taken by the Rays (and immediatelyl sold to the Cubs), the Twins watched as Seattle chose pitcher R.A. Dickey and Washington took outfielder Garrett Guzman. Dickey, a veteran knuckleballer who was Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year last season for Nashville, had just been signed by the Twins last week. Guzman batted .314 for New Britain.

In the Triple-A phase, the first two players picked were both Twins prospects, outfielder Rashad Eldridge by Tampa Bay and right-handed pitcher Joshua Hill by Pittsburgh. Both played for New Britain in 2007. In the Double-A phase, Fort Myers right-hander Jonathan Martinez was selected by Baltimore. The Twins passed again in both rounds.

“It’s a glass-half-full sort of thing,” said Twins scouting director Mike Radcliff. “We’re disappointed to lose players we’ve invested in, but it means we have talent in our organization.”

Six-year veterans who are not on major-league rosters are eligible to be drafted.

In other news -- well, there's no news, not on Johan Santana's status. But it's early.

-- Phil Miller

Biding Their Time

2007-12-05T18:31:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After talking to Bill Smith, I’m more convinced than ever that Johan Santana will be traded next week, or next month, but not today or tomorrow. It just appears he believes that competition will pick up again at some point, and the offers will improve.

Here’s one way it might happen: It’s now being reported by several publications that the Mets are interested again. Anything that rachets up the pressure on a certain owner’s son in New York – say, the prospect of the “other” team in town making a splash – has to be a good thing for the Twins’ chances of getting their asking price. Same with the growing consensus (not sure I buy it) that the Tigers might be Boston’s top competition next year, not the Yankees.

Until then, some of the rumors going around are getting fairly far-fetched. One of them that caused a few chuckles in the press room involved a three-way deal that supposedly sends Santana and Bobby Crosby to the Mets, Dan Haren to the Twins, and Jose Reyes to the A’s, with a few minor prospects sprinkled around, too. Can you imagine the reaction in the Twin Cities if Smith traded Santana, and all he got back was a starting pitcher who isn’t as good? Yikes.

-- Phil Miller

Santana vs. Lackey on Opening Day?

2007-12-05T14:50:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Well, it looks like the Twins’ big story of the winter meetings is going to be a non-story after all. Some well-connected folks at Baseball Prospectus just quoted a Twins official as saying they are “99 percent certain” Johan Santana will be a Twin when the meetings end tomorrow. I haven’t been able to find anyone to say anything nearly that definitive (mostly the team’s employees say, ‘You know I can’t talk about that’), but it certainly fits the general consensus in the Opryland Hotel.

Peter Gammons of ESPN has also reported that the Twins aren’t moving their ace this week, and various reports keep coming in that other teams, sensing hesitation on Minnesota’s part, are contacting general manager Bill Smith with messages along the lines of “What would it take?” Supposedly the Mets and Mariners have made that call – but apparently not the Yankees, not yet.

The Red Sox offers are apparently still on the table, and a Baseball Prospectus report a couple of hours ago said the Twins might ask that Jon Lester be examined by their doctors to make sure his arm is sound.

Now that the Tigers-Marlins trade is official, it might make sense for the Twins to just wait a while and see whether other teams start feeling pressure to match Detroit’s dramatic move. The Yankees say they are happy with their rotation now that Andy Pettitte is coming back, but as spring training draws closer, it’s hard to imagine that the opportunity to upgrade won’t entice them.

But for the moment, Ron Gardenhire is right: Santana is his opening day starter against the Angels.

-- Phil Miller

Gardenhire Drops By

2007-12-05T10:59:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The reality of the Twins’ current plight really hit home this morning when an out-of-town reporter asked Ron Gardenhire a blunt question: “You don’t know who you’ll have a third, short, second and center, do you?”

Gardenhire smiled and said, “Yeah, everywhere left of first base. First base, I’ve got covered.” But the question pretty much summed up how much work is left to do for the Twins.

They’ll start trying to accomplish it again today, but with general managers in meetings all morning, there are no signs of any movement on the Johan Santana front. Gardenhire, in a half-hour media session this morning, sounded resigned to losing his best pitcher, though he did keep reminding the crowd that “Johan Santana is still my Opening Day starter.” Actually, Gardenhire looked far more alarmed at the prospect of life without Joe Nathan; it’s clear he doesn’t want his closer going anywhere. But he said, if GM Bill Smith decides the move has to be made, "I'm sure we'll have a plan."

The prevailing opinion in the Opryland press room is that the Twins, particularly in the wake of Detroit’s stunning addition to its lineup, may be biding their time, in hopes that New York, Boston or even the Angels decide they need to match that move. So the vigil could last several more hours, days, weeks.

-- Phil Miller

Another Long Night

2007-12-04T19:00:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Boston general manager Theo Epstein just held a briefing session with the team’s beat reporters, and while he wouldn’t comment on what’s being talked about, he said he expected negotiations to go “well into the night,” presumably with the Twins. He also said the teams are being flexible, that no “final offers” have been made.

-- Phil Miller

Big Trade Complete (No, Not That One)

2007-12-04T17:46:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tigers’ acquisition of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from Florida will have repercussions for the Twins, perhaps even immediately.

For one thing, it makes Detroit the new favorites in the AL Central next year, making the Twins’ task of returning to the playoffs immediately that much more difficult. The Tigers now have a lineup that will go something like Granderson-Polanco-Sheffield-Ordonez-Cabrera-Guillen-Rodriguez-Renteria-Thames, which is a little scary.

But by rejecting offers from the Dodgers and Angels, have the Marlins shoved those high-payroll teams back into the Santana Sweepstakes? Both teams have plenty of young prospects to offer, and a thirst to outdo each other that’s only a little less intense than Red Sox-Yankees.

The Angels deny they’ve talked to the Twins, but that was while they were still pursuing Cabrera. Now? Well, this is a team that has a history of making fast and decisive moves, as Torii Hunter could tell you.

The deal also figures to make Brandon Inge available, but he’s probably a longshot for the Twins. He’s 30 years old and coming off a .236 season, but he’s owed $19 million for the next three years. He can field the position, and hit an occasional home run (70 in the past four seasons in spacious Comerica Park), but the Twins probably want a more permanent (or less costly) option.

-- Phil Miller

Not So Fast ...

2007-12-04T17:23:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Couple more hours, couple more denials.

Bill Smith just told reporters that moving Basak off the roster had nothing to do with a pending trade, that it’s a move that’s been in the works for a week. Basak apparently signed a major-league contract last week and then cleared waivers, so the Twins could move him without losing him. Smith said Basak knew when he signed what the Twins planned, so the timing – smack in the middle of trade talks – was just a coincidence.

Of course, the Twins obviously knew a week ago that if they traded Santana, they would need extra roster space for the package of players who came back. So it might fall a bit short of coincidence.

Meanwhile, Angels GM told reporters in the lobby a few minutes ago that not only has he not made an offer for Santana, he hasn’t even talked to the Twins. So the Red Sox are apparently still the front-runners.

-- Phil Miller

Making Room for the New Guys?

2007-12-04T15:21:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Twins have outrighted infielder Chris Basak to Triple-A Rochester, which could be the first solid indication that a trade is nearing completion.

The move reduces Minnesota’s roster to 38, which allows the Twins to absorb two more players – room they will need if they complete a 3-for-1 trade involving Johan Santana.

At any rate, the timing of the move is sure to churn up the rumor mill again. The Red Sox and Twins have been meeting this afternoon, according to several reports from Boston. So the weeklong trade talks may be nearing a resolution.

Basak, by the way, is the infielder the Twins claimed off waivers from the Yankees in August, when call-ups of Brian Buscher and Tommy Watkins left Rochester short of experienced infielders.

UPDATE: Peter Gammons is reporting for ESPN that the Red Sox have added another player to their package, Ryan Kalish, an outfielder from New Jersey who will turn 20 next spring. Kalish hit .368 in 23 games at Class A Lowell last season, but a wrist injury cut his season short. Presumably the addition of Kalish means the Sox are standing by their stance that they will not part with both left-hander Jon Lester and centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

ESPN also reports that the Angels have contacted the Twins, but there is no indication that they made any progress. And the Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that the Yankees have dropped out for good.

-- Phil Miller

More Talks Coming

2007-12-04T12:19:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – According to Peter Gammons, who is well connected in Boston’s front office, the Red Sox and Twins plan an afternoon meeting to continue their discussions. So there could be some news later today.

If Boston remains adamant about not including both Lester and Ellsbury in the same deal, I just heard speculation that Bill Smith might try adding a prospect of his own to the deal, in hopes of making the trade more palatable. If that’s the case, this could be another all-nighter.

-- Phil Miller

Driving a Hard Bargain

2007-12-04T11:41:00.001-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The story making the rounds here is that when the Twins asked for Ian Kennedy from the Yankees, in addition to Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera, the Yankees said no. So the Twins substituted two high-ceiling minor-league prospects in Kennedy's place. The Yankees may have agreed to one, but not two, and that’s when the talks died.

Now, according to SI.com, the Red Sox believe they are close to a deal, and are making an “improved” offer for Johan Santana. The Twins asked that Boston present its best deal that revolves around left-handed pitcher Jon Lester. We’ll see what the offer turns out to be. The feeling in the press room is that if Boston relents in its refusal to package Jacoby Ellsbury and Lester, a deal will be done pretty quick.

Well, “pretty quick” is a relative term. Once the teams reach an understanding, the Red Sox would have to negotiate a contract with Santana. But his demands are pretty well known, so the Sox must have already determined that they can meet an asking price of around $24 million.

-- Phil Miller

Watching and Waiting

2007-12-04T11:00:00.000-06:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The anticipation here is pretty amazing. Everyone is waiting for word that a Johan Santana deal has been struck with the Red Sox, but no hints have come from the Twins that anything is happening yet. Since the talks went so late on Monday – the understanding as we packed up in the press room after 1 a.m. last night was that talks were still going on – you have to wonder, when do these guys sleep?
It seems a given that the Red Sox are the only team in the talks now, given that Hank Steinbrenner has publicly announced his inability to reach a deal with the Twins. So the Twins will have to decide which combo they like better – Jon Lester and Coco Crisp, or Jacoby Ellsbury and a lesser pitcher. A scout I talked to yesterday said the player that most impressed him, of those being offered by Boston and New York, was Philip Hughes, by far. But he agreed that Ellsbury is a great fit for Minnesota, the sort of leadoff hitter Ron Gardenhire treasures.
It feels like something will happen today, but I wonder how long this can go on. As I left the press room last night, a national writer joked that Tuesday would be Boston’s day and that the Yankees would rush back in Tuesday night with another pitch. And the teams would take turns like that all week. After the siege of the past week, I can’t say it’s far-fetched.
-- Phil Miller

A chat with Coco Crisp's agent

2007-11-30T13:29:00.000-06:00

Just talked with Coco Crisp's agent, Steve Comte. He acknowledged the Twins and Red Sox have talked about Crisp.

"Needless to say, Covelli's name has been mentioned in numerous scenarios, a couple of which are with Minnesota," he said. (Comte always uses Crisp's real first name, Covelli.)

"A couple of which" likely means the Twins have approached the Red Sox about a trade for Crisp that wouldn't be part of a deal for Johan Santana and about a trade that does involve Santana.

Also talked with Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson today about his 2008 rotation. Asked if he has any reason to believe Santana will be with the Twins come spring training, Anderson said, "No."

Look for more on Minnesota's pitchers in tomorrow's Pioneer Press.

Phil Miller will be in Nashville starting Sunday night for the winter meetings, so look for blog updates throughout next week from him.

-- Kelsie Smith

Twins acquire Craig Monroe

2007-11-13T12:19:00.001-06:00

The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have acquired outfielder Craig Monroe from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later.

In August, the Tigers designated Monroe for assignment during a disappointing season and after he had been replaced by Marcus Thames in left field. Nearly one week later, Detroit traded Monroe to the Cubs for a player to be named.

Look for more on this in tomorrow's Pioneer Press.

Monroe's stats from the Twins press release ...

Monroe, 30, batted .219 (86-for-392) with 23 doubles, 12 home runs and 59 rbi in 122 games last season (99 with Detroit and 23 with Chicago). He was traded from the Tigers to the Cubs on August 22, 2007. In 2006, he batted .255 (138-for-541) with 35 doubles, two triples, 28 home runs and 92 rbi for the Tigers.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder has a career batting average of .256 (628-for-2499) with 135 doubles, nine triples, 104 home runs and 388 rbi in 722 games.

Santana and Hunter win Gold Gloves

2007-11-06T16:37:00.000-06:00

Twins pitcher Johan Santana and center fielder Torii Hunter have been selected as Rawlings Gold Glove winners for the 2007 season. It's Hunter's seventh Gold Glove in as many years (and puts him ahead of Kirby Puckett's six Gold Gloves) and Santana's first.

Look for more in Wednesday's Pioneer Press. For now, here's some information from the Twins press release ...

Hunter, 32, batted .287 (172-600) with 45 doubles, one triple, 28 home runs, 107 rbi and 18 stolen bases in 160 games in 2007 for the Twins. Hunter led the club in games, at-bats, runs, hits and doubles, and was second in home runs, rbi and stolen bases.

He had a .995 (2 E, 394 TC) fielding percentage with five outfield assists last season and has a career fielding percentage of .991 (28 E, 3171 TC) with 72 outfield assists. Hunter becomes just the second Twin to be at least a seven-time winner (Jim Kaat, 11) and the first since Kaat (1962-72) to win the award in seven consecutive seasons. It also marks the 14th time the award has been given to a Twins outfielder.

Santana, 28, was 15-13, 3.33 (219.0 ip, 81 er) in 33 starts, with 52 walks and 235 strikeouts for the Twins in 2007. He had a 1.000 (0 E, 40 TC) fielding percentage last season, and has a career fielding percentage of .932 (15 E, 221 TC). Santana’s four pickoffs were tied for the second most in the American League last season. He becomes just the second pitcher in club history to win the award and the first since Jim Kaat in 1972.

Twins' Minor-Leaguer Suspended

2007-09-24T17:31:00.000-06:00

Hibbing native Eli Tintor, who played for the Twins’ Class A team in Beloit this season, has been suspended for 50 games for failing a drug test, the team announced Monday.

Tintor, who tested positive for a drug of abuse, will serve his suspension at the beginning of the 2008 season. He hit .286 with five home runs in the Midwest League this season, and was not invited to play for the Twins’ fall league or instructional league teams.

Drafted out of Hibbing in the 18th round of the 2003 draft, Tintor has been a catcher and outfielder for the Twins.

Tintor is the second Twins prospect to be suspended under the minor league drug policy this season. New Britain pitcher Anthony Swarzak served a 50-game suspension over the season's first three months.

Punto's Got a Job

2007-09-17T17:41:00.000-06:00

Nick Punto is in tonight’s lineup against the Rangers, and he’s going to be in a lot of lineups next year, too, if his manager has his way. Despite Punto’s disastrous .205 season at the plate, Ron Gardenhire all but handed Punto the second base job on the 2008 Twins.

Punto is the best fielder on the team, Gardenhire said, and while he agrees that Punto doesn’t hit well enough to play third, traditionally a power position, he definitely wants Punto on the field. It’s probably safe to assume that Alexi Casilla’s two-month tryout with the Twins has convinced Gardenhire that the rookie needs another season in Rochester.

For his part, Punto said he plans to work harder this winter than ever before, to make sure there’s no repeat of this horrible season at the plate. And he seemed awfully thankful for Gardenhire’s unwavering support.

One other note: Left-hander Kason Gabbard has been scratched from Wednesday’s start for the Rangers. Vicente Padilla, who ignited a brawl with the A’s on Sunday, will fill that slot.

Tonight’s lineups:

RANGERS
Catalanotto dh
Murphy cf
Young ss
Byrd rf
Botts lf
Wilkerson 1b
Quiroz c
Vazquez 2b
Metcalf 3b

Volquez p

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Kubel dh
Mauer c
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
Jones lf
Buscher 3b
Punto 2b
Slowey p

Good Enough to Win

2007-09-11T17:41:00.000-06:00

It was interesting to listen to Ron Gardenhire after Monday’s 4-2 win. He was OK with Boof Bonser’s performance -- five innings, two runs, in and out of trouble every inning -- but not really satisfied. He liked that Alexi Casilla cut down his swing, as instructed, and hit the ball on the ground in his first at-bat, collecting a base hit. But he wasn’t particularly happy that Casilla’s swing got longer as the night went on, and he popped the ball up in his next two left-handed at-bats.

Both outings were acceptable, mostly because the Twins won the game, 4-2. You got the feeling that his patience might not be so abundant if things had gone poorly.

Glen Perkins was activated before Tuesday’s game, as expected. He says he’s fine and looks forward to facing a few left-handed hitters. Gardenhire sounds a little reluctant to put him in Dennys Reyes’ old role as a one- or two-batter specialist, seeing him as a two- or three-inning guy. But I wonder if that opinion will change when Jim Thome or David Ortiz comes to the plate in the eighth inning some night.

Luis Rodriguez is in the lineup, not because of any particular matchup problem for Brian Buscher -- though Gardenhire said Rodriguez (and Jason Tyner, playing instead of Garrett Jones) might be better able to handle Kyle Davies’ cut fastball -- but just because he intends to play everybody in September.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Kubel dh
Mauer c
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
Tyner lf
Rodriguez 3b
Casilla 2b

Baker p

ROYALS
DeJesus cf
Grudzielanek 2b
Teahen rf
Sweeney dh
Gordon 3b
Butler 1b
Gathright lf
LaRue c
Pena ss

Davies p

Twins add catcher Morales to the roster

2007-09-06T11:24:00.000-06:00

The Twins selected the contract of catcher Jose Morales from Class AAA Rochester today to help out Chris Heintz behind the plate while Joe Mauer (hamstring) and Mike Redmond (finger) recover from injuries.

In 108 games for the Red Wings this season, Morales batted .311 with 25 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 37 runs batted in. He played on the International League team in the Class AAA All-Star Game this July and was also named the catcher on the IL Postseason All-Star Team.

The Twins chose Morales, a converted infielder, in the third round of the 2001 draft. He will join the team in time for Friday's game at Chicago.

Another Rochester Call-Up

2007-09-04T17:27:00.000-06:00

Stan Cliburn pitched batting practice for the Twins on Tuesday, and seemed as excited as one of his players about being in the majors. It’s been a long time since he’s been in the majors, he said -- his catching career with the Angels began and ended in 1980. In fact, he had never set foot on the Metrodome field, though he did hit a home run in Metropolitan Stadium as a player.

Cliburn, the manager of the Twins’ Triple-A team in Rochester, said it’s an honor to be invited to spend September with the parent team. He’s also thrilled to see so many of his players up here -- he said he has managed at least 21 of the current Twins at some point.

One of the highlights, he said: The day when Terry Ryan called a team meeting to deliver the news that Tommy Watkins was being sent up to Minnesota. Cliburn couldn’t stop smiling as he told the story of that day.

Watkins, incidentally, is headed to Fort Myers when the Twins leave town, in order to rehab the abdominal muscle he injured last week. Ron Gardenhire said the Twins would like to get Watkins back on the field before the season ends.

Another of Cliburn’s players, IL Pitcher of the Year Kevin Slowey, makes his first start since July 5 for the Twins tonight. The lineups:

INDIANS
Sizemore cf
Cabrera 2b
Hafner dh
Martinez c
Garko 1b
Peralta ss
Lofton lf
Gutierrez rf
Blake 3b

Laffey p

TWINS
Casilla 2b
Bartlett ss
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
White lf
Kubel dh
Heintz c
Rodriguez 3b
Slowey p

Dome Days Ahead

2007-08-29T16:32:00.000-06:00

The Twins took batting practice on Wednesday, but that’s their last chance for awhile. They play day games for four straight days when they return home. Players don’t generally like arriving in the morning hours for batting practice, but that’s not the only problem this weekend.

The Vikings play an NFL game Thursday night, and the Gophers open their football season Saturday night, with three baseball games in between. That means the Metrodome stadium crew will be busy switching the field back and forth from football to baseball and vice versa. Painting (and removing) all the lines is a big job, and the pitcher’s mound must be rebuilt to major-league specifications each time. So the baseball field might not be ready in time for practice.

The Twins -- who will play three games in roughly 25 hours Friday and Saturday -- plan to limit their work to indoor cages, which isn’t the same, but it’s the best they can hope for until Tuesday. Just one of the disadvantages to sharing a stadium -- something that ends in two more years.

For now, “it’s a good thing we play on the turf,” Michael Cuddyer pointed out. “Can you imagine how torn up the field would get with two football games and three baseball games in three days?”

Tonight’s lineups for Santana vs. Sabathia (a terrific matchup that will be repeated in the Metrodome on Monday afternoon:)

TWINS
Casilla 2b
Bartlett ss
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
White dh
Redmond c
Tyner lf
Punto 3b

Santana p

INDIANS
Sizemore cf
Cabrera ss
Hafner dh
Martinez c
Garko 1b
Gutierrez rf
Lofton lf
Gomez 2b
Blake 3b

Sabathia p

Relievers Need Relief

2007-08-28T16:46:00.000-06:00

The Twins need a lot from Boof Bonser tonight. Not just another performance like the one he supplied last weekend in Baltimore, when he broke his 12-start winless streak, and not just a critical pennant-race victory.

They also need a little relief. From the starter.

The bullpen is stretched thin, Ron Gardenhire made clear before Tuesday’s game. Too many short starts, a situation made worse by Carlos Silva’s 3 2/3 outing on Monday. Scott Baker lasted six innings on Sunday, and Matt Garza only five innings on Saturday.

That’s why Carmen Cali and Juan Rincon have worked two of the past three nights, and Julio DePaula has pitched in three straight.

“If we have to go out there early, I’m not sure what we’ll do,” Gardenhire said. “We need some help from the starter.”

Nick Punto is at second base tonight, mostly because of his .375 lifetime average (in just 16 at-bats, of course) against Jake Westbrook. Brian Buscher returns to third base, with Alexi Casilla getting the night off.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS
Tyner lf
Bartlett ss
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
Kubel dh
Redmond c
Buscher 3b
Punto 2b

Bonser p

INDIANS
Sizemore cf
Cabrera 2b
Hafner dh
Martinez c
Garko 1b
Peralta ss
Lofton lf
Nixon rf
Blake 3b
Westbrook p

Catcher Still Can't

2007-08-27T16:38:00.000-06:00

No Joe Mauer again tonight, and probably not for a few days, at least. Ron Gardenhire said Mauer was not significantly improved -- in fact, he said, “Right now, he’s Kirk Gibson waiting to pinch hit.” Yeah, Gibson homered in that ’88 Series, but that’s not a very happy comparison, considering what a difficult time Gibson had walking back then. Remember, that Game 1 homer was Gibson’s only at-bat in the entire series.

Mauer did some exercises, and worked out in the swimming pool that he got plenty of use out of when the Twins were here in May.

Gardenhire is still trying to find out whether Scott Baker, who is home in Louisiana with his wife after the birth of their second son, expects to be back by Wednesday to do his normal between-starts workout. If not, his next start probably will be pushed back to Saturday and a Triple-A pitcher, presumably Kevin Slowey, will start one end of Friday’s doubleheader with Kansas City. If Baker makes it to Cleveland, he and Matt Garza could pitch in the doubleheader, and no call-up would be needed.

Tonight’s game wasn’t on the Indians’ original schedule; it was supposed to be played Thursday, but was moved back so Cleveland and Seattle can fit in one of their makeup games from the season-opening snowstorm. But because they didn’t start selling tickets for this game till mid-season, the crowd appears to be tiny. It’s a half-hour to first pitch, and there can’t be more than 2,000 people in the park.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS
Casilla 2b
Bartlett ss
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
Kubel dh
Redmond c
Tyner lf
Punto 3b

Silva p

INDIANS
Sizemore cf
Cabrera 2b
Hafner dh
Martinez 1b
Peralta ss
Blake 3b
Lofton lf
Gutierrez rf
Shoppach c
Byrd p

Injuries? What Injuries?

2007-08-17T15:49:00.000-06:00

No sign of Jason Bartlett or Jason Kubel in the lineup tonight, but both are feeling pretty good today, and both figure to avoid the disabled list. Kubel has shaved his beard, and was a little hard to recognize. Until he got in the cage, anyway -- he was launching line drives all over the field, as usual.

The Twins have painted 20th anniversary logos on the field, and are really going all out for the 1987 team. I asked Mike Redmond, who was still in high school in 1987, who he pulled for in the ’87 World Series -- he said the Twins, of course. Why? “They’re closer to Spokane.” Makes perfect sense.

By the way, about three weeks ago, the Twins had an off night in Cleveland. I spent it at Jacobs Field, watching Kason Gabbard, tonight’s starter for Texas, get hammered by the Indians. The Red Sox (who traded him in the Gagne deal a week later) handed him an 8-1 lead or something like that, but he couldn’t get out of the fifth inning to earn the win.

Tonight’s lineups:

RANGERS
Catalanotto lf
Kinsler 2b
Young ss
Byrd cf
Botts dh
Cruz rf
Wilkerson 1b
Saltalamacchia c
Vazquez 3b

Gabbard p

TWINS
Casilla 2b
Punto ss
Mauer c
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
White lf
Redmond dh
Watkins 3b
Silva p

Buscher Out, Watkins In

2007-08-08T17:49:00.001-06:00

It was interesting to see the whisper tree go around the Twins’ clubhouse as the word leaked out -- Tommy Watkins is coming. The rookie is obviously tremendously popular with the Twins, and there were a lot of happy people to hear the news.

Unfortunately, it’s not good news for Brian Buscher. The rookie fouled off a pitch -- on his second at-bat in the big leagues, of all the luck -- and the bruise is now roughly the size of a basketball. That’s how it looked to me, anyway. Buscher may spend a night or two in the hospital while doctors treat the infection, which Buscher said Tuesday was extremely painful.

Anyway, tonight’s lineups don’t include Rondell White, but that’s just because Ron Gardenhire doesn’t want to risk any uncertain defense behind Johan Santana, and Joe Mauer is the DH. Sounds like White might try the outfield in Anaheim this weekend.

The lineups:

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Punto 3b
Mauer dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Tyner lf
Casilla 2b

Santana p

ROYALS
DeJesus cf
Grudzielanek 2b
Teahen rf
Butler dh
Gload 1b
German 3b
Brown lf
Buck c
Pena p

Diamondbacks claim Cirillo off waivers

2007-08-03T15:39:00.001-06:00

Jeff Cirillo’s brief tenure with the Twins is over. The team just announced it activated Michael Cuddyer for tonight's game. To make space on the roster, Minnesota allowed Jeff Cirillo to join Arizona, which had claimed the utility infielder off waivers. The Twins received no compensation for Cirillo, and the Diamondbacks will assume his contract.

Just before the team gathered on the field for pre-batting practice stretching, manager Ron Gardenhire walked to the batting cage and said something to Cirillo. The pair went back to the clubhouse together.

Cirillo, a 14-year major-league veteran who signed a one-year free-agent contract last December, is hitting .261 with two home runs. His season was hampered by arthroscopic knee surgery in April, and he had suggested that he might retire after the season.

Going to the first-place Diamondbacks could give Cirillo a chance to achieve a career-long goal of playing in the postseason for the first time.

Tonight’s lineups:

INDIANS
Sizemore cf
Blake 3b
Martinez c
Garko 1b
Hafner dh
Peralta ss
Lofton lf
Gutierrez rf
Barfield 2b
Sabathia p

TWINS
Tyner lf
Bartlett ss
Mauer c
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond dh
Punto 3b
Casilla 2b
Santana p

Cirillo Traded?

2007-08-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

Looks like Jeff Cirillo’s tenure with the Twins may be over, though there is no official word yet. The team intends to activate Michael Cuddyer for tonight’s game with Cleveland, and word in the clubhouse is that he’s been traded to the National League.

Just before the team gathered on the field for pre-batting practice stretching, manager Ron Gardenhire walked to the batting cage and said something to Cirillo. The pair went back to the clubhouse together.

The team has now begun their stretching, and Cirillo is not on the field. There is no confirmation on where he is headed, but we will update once an announcement is made.Cirillo, a 14-year major-league veteran who signed a one-year free-agent contract last December, is hitting .261 with two home runs. His season was hampered by arthroscopic knee surgery in April, and he had suggested that he might retire after the season.

No deals

2007-07-31T15:54:00.000-06:00

Tuesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline came and went with no new addition to the Twins’ lineup. After general manager Terry Ryan and manager Ron Gardenhire hinted Monday night that another trade was possible, Ryan was unable to find a match, according to Gardenhire.

The news, or lack of it, one day after Luis Castillo was sent to the Mets for two minor-leaguers, seemed to deflate the Twins’ clubhouse, though some players promised the team would contend, anyway.
“We have the players capable of doing things,” said Justin Morneau. “We’ve just got to play like we’re capable, and we can catch” Detroit and Cleveland.
Torii Hunter, who said he prayed Monday night for a trade that would beef up the Twins’ lineup, isn’t so sure. Asked if the Twins’ current roster is capable of winning a championship, Hunter said “I plead the fifth. I don’t know. I can’t tell you right now.”
Alexi Casilla has arrived and is in the lineup. With a left-hander on the mound, rookie Brian Buscher is not.

TWINS
Tyner rf
Bartlett ss
Mauer dh
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Cirillo 3b
Ford lf
Casilla 2b

Silva p

ROYALS
DeJesus cf
Grudzielanek 2b
Teahen rf
Brown dh
Gload lf
Gordon 3b
Smith 1b
Pena ss
LaRue c
De La Rosa p

Comings and Goings

2007-07-27T16:31:00.000-06:00

A trade was made, and the new player will be in the lineup here tonight. But it’s the Indians making the move, not the Twins. Cleveland added Kenny Lofton, sending minor-leaguers to Texas for the former Indian.

Torii Hunter sounds resigned to leaving Minnesota over the next few days, even talking about what it would mean to be back in the pennant race. He still wants to stay, he keeps saying, and wants to be in the race with the Twins. But everyone seems to regard this weekend as win-or-else, and if it’s ‘else,’ Hunter sounded ready for Terry Ryan to move him to a contender.

“It’s baseball. Sometimes you don’t want it to happen, but what can you do?” Hunter said. “The nice thing is, I would be going to a contender, to a team that wants me.”

Brian Buscher is here and sounds like he can’t believe it’s real. He said he would have been happy staying in Double-A all season; now he’s jetted through the system and arrived in the majors. He’ll play third base tonight and tomorrow, though probably not Sunday against C.C. Sabathia. With Buscher in the lineup, Nick Punto moves to shortstop tonight, because his numbers against Paul Byrd (5 for 18) are much better than Jason Bartlett’s (1 for 15). You get the idea that that sort of shuffling might become pretty standard, at least if Buscher hits.

The lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Tyner rf
Mauer c
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
White dh
Buscher 3b
Punto ss

Bonser p

INDIANS
Sizemore cf
Lofton lf
Martinez 1b
Hafner dh
Peralta ss
Blake 3b
Nixon rf
Shoppach c
Barfield 2b

Byrd p

In Sickness and in Health

2007-07-24T16:49:00.000-06:00

Torii Hunter is still dragging, still stuffed up. Said he spent the entire day lying down, took some cold tablets. But he’ll play, of course. He felt the same way yesterday and only hit a second-deck homer and a double.

They closed the Rogers Centre roof during the game last night -- it was raining by the time I left the park -- and everyone was talking about how dark this place seemed once they did. The lights here aren’t bright spotlights like they are in most ballparks; they’re sort of like fluorescent lights.

“Darkest park I’ve played in,” Nick Punto said. Ron Gardenhire said everything looked yellow to him once they closed it. But it doesn’t seem to affect play.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Mauer c
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
White dh
Ford rf
Punto 3b

Baker p

BLUE JAYS
Johnson lf
Overbay 1b
Rios rf
Glaus 3b
Wells cf
Thomas dh
Hill 2b
Zaun c
McDonald ss
McGowen p

Remember Him?

2007-07-23T16:16:00.000-06:00

Rondell White is here in Canada, and boy, does he seem excited about it. After whiling away almost four months of the baseball season in Florida, his legs are finally up to playing in the big leagues again, and he seemed thrilled to see his teammates again. It’s been a long road back, and he almost took a different road. “I live on I-75 in Georgia, and every day (in Fort Myers), I took I-75 to the ballpark,” he said. “And some days, I was tempted to just stay on the freeway and drive home.”

He made it clear that he’s not 100 percent, but feels good enough to play. Interesting, White said one of his thighs is naturally bigger than the other, and it’s always given him trouble.

He’ll DH tonight and probably all week on Toronto’s carpet. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him stay there for awhile.

Torii Hunter looked terrible before the game, fighting some sort of sinus congestion. His eyes are red, his nose and throat are stuffed up, and he was dragging in the clubhouse. But he expects to play.

The lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Mauer c
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
White dh
Tyner rf
Punto 3b

Santana p

BLUE JAYS
Johnson lf (lifetime vs. Santana: .563)
Rios rf
Glaus 3b
Wells cf
Thomas dh
Hill 2b
Stairs 1b
Thigpen c
Clayton ss

Marcum p

Two Weeks, No More, Cuddyer Says

2007-07-20T17:08:00.000-06:00

All things considered, Michael Cuddyer was upbeat about the thumb injury that will keep him out of action for two weeks. It’s not as bad as it could have been, he said. And two weeks, he figures, is about the upper limit of how long it will take him to recover, meaning he should be ready to play against the Indians on Aug. 3, the first day he’s eligible.
Cuddyer will have to wear a soft brace on his hand for the next five or six days, but then he should be able to start taking batting practice again, in order to be ready in time.
He just hates the timing -- the Twins are nine games out, they have been starved for clutch hits, and he hit .524 (11 for 21) over the past week. “It’s frustrating as it is, but it’s doubly frustrating to have to sit right now,” Cuddyer said.
Rondell White could make an appearance soon. White, reportedly totally healthy again, will resume playing in Gulf Coast League games today, and manager Ron Gardenhire, mindful of his hitting shortage, joked that one hit might be enough to convince the Twins he’s ready to play again.
For now, Darnell McDonald is the right fielder, though he looked fairly dazed at the reality of returning to the major leagues three years after his last appearance.
Tonight’s lineups:

ANGELS
Figgins 3b
Cabrera ss
Guerrero dh
Anderson lf
Matthews cf
Kotchman 1b
Izturis 2b
Napoli c
Willits rf

Lackey p

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Mauer c
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
McDonald rf
Jones dhPunto 3b

Twins put Cuddyer on DL

2007-07-20T13:21:00.000-06:00

The Twins placed right fielder Michael Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list today, retroactive to July 19, with a sprained right thumb.

In his place, the team called up outfielder Darnell McDonald from Class AAA Rochester. McDonald was acquired from the Washington Nationals in a trade for pitcher Levale Speigner on June 24. In 22 games for the Red Wings, McDonald hit .282 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 13 RBIs.

Check back for a more thorough update on Cuddyer's condition before tonight's game.

Torii's Hurt, but Not Bad

2007-07-19T10:25:00.001-06:00

Torii Hunter says he’s OK, mostly. But his hamstring is sore enough to keep him out of the lineup today, though he hopes to be ready tomorrow. He’s available to pinch-hit, he said.
Jason Tyner will replace Hunter in center, with Garrett Jones getting a start in right field against Jeremy Bonderman. That leaves Michael Cuddyer as the only regular outfielder in the lineup today -- and he’s iffy.
Cuddyer’s hand became swollen after breaking up a double play, the same play in which Hunter pulled up lame. His hand “looks like one of those blown-up cartoon gloves,” manager Ron Gardenhire said, but given the urgency of the Twins’ situation, he’ll be in the lineup.
Justin Morneau, too, feels a little soreness today, in the elbow that was hit by a pitch. But he’ll play.
Hey, it could be worse: The Tigers’ Marcus Thames, who made a difficult tumbling catch to preserve Detroit’s lead, injured his right leg severely enough that he was put on the disabled list this morning. Timo Perez was called up to replace him.
Today’s lineups:

DETROIT

Granderson cf
Polanco 2b
Sheffield dh
Ordonez rf
Guillen ss
Casey 1b
Perez lf
Rabelo c
Inge 3b

Bonderman p

MINNESOTA

Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Mauer dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Redmond c
Jones lf
Tyner cf
Punto 3b
Baker p

Where Was His Stuff?

2007-07-18T17:42:00.000-06:00

To those who read Matt Garza’s comments after his seven shutout innings Tuesday night -- that his arm felt “weird” and that he didn’t have his normal velocity -- and were ready to panic, here’s some advice: Don’t.

Garza explained Wednesday that the problem was nothing physical, and it wasn’t even that unusual. “You don’t get out of bed every morning with your best stuff,” Garza said. “Sometimes your fastball just doesn’t have the usual pop. That’s all it is. You go out there with what you’ve got.”

What he had was pretty good. The Tigers -- who, it should be noted, have outscored the major leagues’ second-highest scoring team by an amazing 34 runs, or roughly six percent more -- managed only three hits, and a single, unearned run.

So Garza’s manager wasn’t buying that the pitcher was anything but his best.

“You don’t go through that lineup over there without some good stuff,” Ron Gardenhire said. “He had a great fastball, had a good breaking ball.”

-- Phil Miller

Happy birthday, Torii

2007-07-18T16:57:00.000-06:00

Torii Hunter turns 32 today, but he shouldn't expect a gift from his manager. Asked what he got Hunter for his birthday, Ron Gardenhire said, “I put him in the six hole. He can give me something for his birthday, a couple of hits.”

Here are your lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Jason Bartlett SS
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jeff Cirillo DH
Lew Ford LF
Nick Punto 3B
Johan Santana P

Detroit
Ryan Raburn CF
Placido Polanco 2B
Gary Sheffield DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Carlos Guillen SS
Ivan Rodriguez C
Marcus Thames 1B
Craig Monroe LF
Brandon Inge 3B
Andrew Miller P

Hunter back in the lineup

2007-07-17T17:55:00.000-06:00

Just as predicted, Torii Hunter is back in the lineup today after taking a bit of a break on Sunday (he did have to pinch hit).

Not much else is new here at the Metrodome, seems the Twins are anxious to see if they can restart what they had going against Oakland in this three-game series against the Tigers -- certainly one of the biggest series of the year so far.

Lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Jason Bartlett SS
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jeff Cirillo DH
Jason Tyner LF
Nick Punto 3B
Matt Garza P

Detroit
Curtis Granderson CF
Placido Polanco 2B
Gary Sheffield DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Carlos Guillen SS
Ivan Rodriguez C
Sean Casey 1B
Marcus Thames LF
Brandon Inge 3B
Nate Robertson P

Twins recall Garrett Jones

2007-07-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

The Twins recalled Class AAA Rochester first baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones because of Rondell White's latest setback. The team had hoped White would be ready after the All-Star break, but recent soreness in the outfielder's troublesome calf has extended his recovery time.

Jones was batting .295 with 29 doubles, 11 home runs and 58 RBIs for the Red Wings. In four appearances with the Twins earlier in the season, Jones went 1 for 8.

Sunny on the South Side

2007-07-06T11:02:00.000-06:00

The weather is pretty perfect right now at U.S. Cellular, though the sun might get a little hot by this afternoon. There is a bit of a breeze, though, and the humidity is low. That might help the Twins get through today's doubleheader without getting too fatigued.

Manager Ron Gardenhire, despite general manager Terry Ryan's contrary belief, said he remains optimistic that Rondell White will return after the All-Star break. White (I know, I know, you all are sick of hearing about this) went 2 for 4 and played left field for 7 innings yesterday for the GCL Twins.

The skipper said the decision to start Baker in the first game today came in part because Baker has proven lately that he's capable of pitching deep into games. That, Gardenhire hopes, will save his bullpen from being depleted this afternoon with another game to go tonight.
If the Twins have to go to the pen early this afternoon, Gardenhire joked they might have to "fly in a reliever from the closest city on a leer jet" to get here in time for game 2.

Game 1 lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Jason Bartlett SS
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Jason Tyner DH
Nick Punto 3B
Scott Baker P

Chicago
Jerry Owens CF
Juan Uribe SS
Jim Thome DH
Paul Konerko 1B
Jermaine Dye RF
Rob Mackowiak LF
Josh Fields 3B
Alex Cintron 2B
Toby Hall C
Jon Garland P

Garza recalled, will pitch in 'pen

2007-06-28T14:39:00.000-06:00

The Twins called up RHP Matt Garza from Class AAA Rochester. Garza will start one of the team's double headers next Friday in Chicago but otherwise will pitch from the bullpen.

To make room on the roster Minnesota sent catcher Chris Heintz back to Rochester.

Morneau in the lineup

2007-06-28T10:38:00.001-06:00

Justin Morneau took batting practice on the field before today's game and decided he's ready to go. He's in the fifth slot as the designated hitter.

Morneau said his chest muscles are still sore, but not enough for it to bother him. Doctors told him his injury can't get any worse by DHing. Ron Gardenhire said Morneau will likely DH all of the Detroit series.

Luis Castillo came to the park feeling a little sore, normal for the second baseman on a day game after a night game, so he's out of the lineup today.

With that ...

Minnesota
Jason Tyner RF
Jason Bartlett SS
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer 1B
Justin Morneau DH
Torii Hunter 8
Jason Kubel LF
Luis Rodriguez 3B
Nick Punto 2B
Carlos Silva P

Blue Jays
Alex Rios RF
Howie Clark 3B
Vernon Wells CF
Matt Stairs 1B
Frank Thomas DH
Aaron Hill 2B
Adam Lind LF
Jason Phillips C
John McDonald SS
A.J. Burnett P

Nathan Keeps Going

2007-06-27T15:53:00.001-06:00

Several stories have been written about how Johan Santana’s record doesn’t reflect how he’s pitched this year, but the same could certainly be said for Joe Nathan. Like Santana, a simple examination of one statistic -- wins for the starter, saves for Nathan -- could lead you to believe he’s having an off year. Nathan has only 14 saves so far this year, ranking him an amazing 14th in the majors, with barely half of Coco Cordero’s 27 saves for Milwaukee.

It seems like a down year for a guy who has averaged 41 over the past three years -- and yes, his ERA of 2.43 is higher than last year’s incredible 1.58 -- but it’s all a matter of circumstance.
The Twins just haven’t had many save situations for Nathan this year, but he feels he has made adjustments to his game that make him just as effective.

His 33-pitch effort Tuesday night, by the way, won’t keep him out of tonight’s game, if the situation arises.

Tonight’s lineups:

BLUE JAYS
Wells cf
Rios rf
Stairs 1b
Glaus 3b
Thomas dh
Zaun c
Lind lf
Clark 2b
Clayton ss

Towers p

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Mauer dh
Cuddyer 1b
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
Redman c
Ford rf
Punto 3b

Bonser p

Transcript from Morneau interview

2007-06-26T17:40:00.001-06:00

Justin Morneau met with reporters before the game tonight. The transcription is below. Enjoy.

How are you feeling?
“I’m feeling better. We’ve got to talk to the doctors at six o’clock. On the scan this morning there was still something there, but they said it showed improvement, so it’s getting better. We just have to figure out how we’re going to go after it. Pretty simple.”

When would you like to return?
“As soon as possible, but I don’t want to put a date on it. It should be, who knows, hopefully in the next couple days, but you don’t want to push it too much and then have something come back and all of the sudden I’m out for two or three weeks. You may as well take the extra day or two to make sure everything’s better and then we’ll be ready to go the rest of the way.”

Do you feel like you’ll be ready to come back this homestand?
“I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Who knows. We’ve got to see how it goes, and then I’ve got to run around a little bit and see how it goes, see it makes anything worse or anything like that, and then we’ll go from there. Right now we’re just going to wait to talk to the doctors when they come in at 6, and then see what our plan is.”

You said the test showed there is still something there, what does that mean?
“Just the bruise, the contusion on the lung is still (there). You could still see it on the CT scan I had this morning. They said it’s still there, but they said it showed improvement like it’s supposed to, and it looked good.”

Is that something that’s supposed to clear up before they clear you?
“I don’t know. I guess we’re going to find out when they come in. That’s all I heard from the doctors so far. When they come in they said we’re going to get together with the trainers and figure out what our plan is and go from there.”

How scary was this for you?
“It was pretty scary, especially after. After it happened I thought I just got the wind knocked out of me, and then you know I get up and get back to the dugout and all of the sudden I start coughing and then I’m coughing spitting and there’s blood. Anytime that happens that’s real scary. I wasn’t too sore and then once we got back in the clubhouse I started to get real sore. I started to get a little bit worried, and that probably didn’t help anything. We get over to the hospital, they take the scan and everything looked to be all right. It was kind of a lot of waiting around just to get the tests done, just to make sure everything was OK. It was a little frustrating, but I managed to find the game on TV. The game Sunday wasn’t on TV. I had to watch that little pitch-by-pitch thing on the computer. That was a long day, but it was good.”

Are you in any kind of pain?
“Right now, yeah a little bit but not too much, not anything I’m on any crazy painkillers for or anything like that. It’s tough because you walk around, you feel all right, but swinging or if I had to dive for a ball, or something, who knows what would happen there. That’s where it would get a little dicey. It’s a reaction in the game. If you’re going to dive, you’re going to dive, and you don’t want to re-injure yourself or anything like that, so I think that’s what we’re kind of waiting for.”

Did you see the replay? What did you think?
“It was a little embarrassing. You run the catcher, the catcher is supposed to fall over not you. I got a few messages for that one. (Corey) Koskie asked me if I wanted to come over, he could teach me how to run the catcher. He said he could set his kids up. He said we’d start with the youngest one who’s one and a half or whatever, so I told him that was real good. The (Wild winger Mark) Parrish asked me if (former Wild defenseman) Willie Mitchell taught me how to hit. They love that stuff. That was after I got out of the hospital. They waited a couple days before they started to get one me. It was one of those things, just kind of a reaction play, kind of got me just in the wrong spot. It’s just part of the game. (Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo) made sure I was all right.”

What’s the most physical activity you’ve done in the last few days?
“I just walked on a treadmill for 10 minutes. That was pretty strenuous. No, it was fine. They said they just want to wait and see what our plan is before I do anything. You don’t want to take a step back and do anything backwards.”

Is it strange to see someone else playing first?
“I remember the last time Cuddy played first was the last time I took a day off over there. It was June, I think it was June 7. I didn’t ever want to see that again. Well, not against Cuddy, but just because I want to play everyday. You never want to miss a game, and how good Cuddy is in right field, but Cuddy can handle it. He’s played everywhere, and we’re doing what we can to fill all the holes right now with a lot of guys banged up. Hopefully I can get back sooner than later and help us win.”

People find out how tough first base can be?
“It’s a little different. Guys that play third, they say it’s easy to move over there, but if you don’t go for that ball, you still have to get to the bag and cover the bag. It takes a little while. You just have to get used to it. It’s not as hard as I make it look sometimes. It’s something you have to learn. It’s a different feel, but those guys, Cirillo’s been in the league forever, so he knows how to play, and Cuddy’s been over there a bit, so you have faith in those guys.”

This couldn’t have happened at a worse time, could it have?
“Yeah, definitely. We have 11 games in 10 days or whatever it is. We’ve got four in New York, which will be tough, and Chicago and Detroit, which are tough places to play. We always have good games against them. You want to be there, but at the same time you want to be smart. There’s a fine line between toughness and stupidity. You want to be out there, you want to be tough, but at the same you don’t want to do anything to hurt yourself.”

Was this a freak accident? If you’re in the same position again, will you hesitate a little bit coming down the third baseline?
“It’s just kind of a reaction play. When you’re going in, you know rounding third, you know if the play is going to be close, if you’re going to have to run the catcher. You kind of read the catcher, and if you think he’s going to get the ball before you get there and it’s a close game, tight situation, you try to knock the ball lose, that’s what you try to do. It’s hard to stop yourself from doing that reaction … Right now I don’t think I’d feel comfortable if I had to go run the catcher tonight, but it’s something that will hopefully clear up and we’ll be good in a couple days.”

When you said you’re in pain, what type of pain? Where?
“Just my chest. Just if I move around quick or do anything like that. Kind of soreness, nothing too bad.”

Is breathing tough?
“I haven’t really gotten my heart rate up too much, but first it was if I took any kind of breath it was sore, and then after they’d come in and check your lungs, they’d tell you to take a deep breath and that would hurt. Now it’s starting to clear up a little bit. That kind of pain with breathing is mostly gone.”

What are the doctors main concerns?
“Just not doing anything to make it worse. You don’t want to take a step back. You don’t want it to start bleeding in there or anything like that … Anytime you have fluid in your lungs it can turn into pneumonia or things like that. We haven’t really discussed that, so I’m not too worried about that. You just want it to clear up, go away.”

All Star voting update

2007-06-26T12:30:00.000-06:00

Fan voting ends Thursday. Here's a rundown of how the Twins are doing so far ...

Justin Morneau, 2nd place (1,063,173 votes) – leader David Ortiz has 1,810,440
Joe Mauer, 3rd place (951,664 votes) – leader Ivan Rodriguez has 1,362,506 votes
Luis Castillo, 4th place (529,031 votes) – leader Placido Polanco has 1,269,717 votes
Torii Hunter, 5th place (1,085,445 votes) – third place Ichiro has 1,409,762 votes

Morneau is released, back in the Twin Cities

2007-06-25T16:42:00.000-06:00

First baseman Justin Morneau was released from the hospital Monday morning and has returned to the Twin Cities. The team does not know whether Morneau will be at the Metrodome for tonight's game against the Blue Jays.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said a trip to the disabled list for Morneau has not been discussed. Morneau will be tested tomorrow by the team's doctors, and could return by Wednesday or Thursday if all goes well, Gardenhire said.

Joe Mauer is back in the three slot tonight as the designated hitter. Jeff Cirillo continues his stint at first base in Morneau's absence.

Also, be on the look out for some history to be made this week at the Metrodome. Frank Thomas is at 499 career home runs ...

With that, lineups -

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Jason Bartlett SS
Joe Mauer DH
Michael Cuddyer RF
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Mike Redmond C
Jeff Cirillo 1B
Nick Punto 3B
Kevin Slowey P

Toronto
Vernon Wells CF
Alex Rios RF
Matt Stairs 1B
Troy Glaus 3B
Frank Thomas DH
Gregg Zaun C
Aaron Hill 2B
Adam Lind LF
John McDonald SS
Roy Halladay P

Morneau May Stay

2007-06-24T10:03:00.000-06:00

Justin Morneau has been text-messaging his teammates from his hospital bed, but it sounds like that’s about all the Twins will see of him for a few days. Morneau remains at Memorial Hospital West in nearby Pembroke Pines, undergoing a few more tests today on his bruised right lung.

The Twins leave for Minnesota immediately after Sunday’s game, and manager Ron Gardenhire said doctors are leaning toward keeping Morneau off the team plane. The first baseman might remain in Florida for a couple more days, as a precaution.

It’s looking more like Garrett Jones will be called up as a fill-in, though Gardenhire said he and general manager Terry Ryan will wait till the team returns home before making that decision.

Today’s lineup looks odd as a result, though not as odd as they could have. Gardenhire revealed that he originally wrote in Joe Mauer’s name at first base, a position the all-star catcher hasn’t played since Class A ball in 2002. But Mauer wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea, and said he would rather catch. Luis Castillo is also out with a recurrence of his nagging leg injuries.

The lineups:

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Cirillo 1b
Mauer c
Cuddyer rf
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
Rodriguez 3b
Punto ss
Santana p

MARLINS
Carroll cf
Uggla 2b
Ramirez ss
Cabrera 3b
Willingham lf
Boone 1b
Hermida rf
Treanor cKim p

Morneau's Staying in Hospital

2007-06-23T16:46:00.001-06:00

Justin Morneau isn’t at the ballpark tonight -- in fact, he’s not out of the hospital yet. After a lung specialist examined the Twins’ cleanup hitter on Saturday, he decided to keep Morneau overnight again.
The Twins emphasized, however, that it’s not an indication that Morneau’s condition is any worse. But since Morneau was simply going to return to the team’s hotel, the doctor decided keeping him in the hospital for observation just made more sense.
Morneau is expected to be released on Sunday, after another set of x-rays are taken, and should be able to fly home to Minnesota with the team.
Tonight’s lineups, Morneau-free for the first time this season:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Punto 3b
Mauer c
Cuddyer rf
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
Cirillo 1b
Bartlett ss
Bonser p

MARLINS
Amezaga cf
Uggla 2b
Ramirez ss
Cabrera 3b
Jacobs 1b
Willingham lf
Hermida rf
Olivo cOlsen p

No Taking the D-Train

2007-06-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

The series in Florida hasn’t even begun, and already Ron Gardenhire is disappointed. Well, sort of.

The Marlins have decided to push Dontrelle Willis’ next start to Tuesday, spoiling a great matchup with Johan Santana. And though the Twins figure to have better luck against Byung-Hyun Kim than the D-Train, Gardenhire said he was disappointed by the news.

“I was hoping we could get a chance to see him pitch. It looks like he really enjoys the game of baseball,” Gardenhire said. “That’s what baseball is all about, when you see him out there competing. That’s pretty fun for me.”

But Willis experienced tightness in his left forearm Tuesday in Chicago, and was pulled after just one inning. Willis threw on the side Friday, but Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said the team wants to give him more time so the problem doesn’t recur.

Can’t blame them for that. So it’s Santana-Kim on Sunday.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS

Castillo 2b

Mauer c

Cuddyer rf

Morneau 1b

Hunter cf

Cirillo 3b

Ford lf

Bartlett ss

Bonser p

MARLINS

Amezaga cf

Uggla 2b

Ramirez ss

Cabrera 3b

Willingham lf

Hermida rf

Olivo c

Boone 1b

Olsen p

Blyleven's bald

2007-06-20T15:53:00.000-06:00

Well, at least pretty close. Johan Santana held the clippers as the FSN cameras rolled in the visiting clubhouse at Shea Stadium Wednesday afternoon. The shave was a close one, and team barber Ramon Ortiz cleaned up Blyleven's neck once Santana did most of the damage.

Said Torii Hunter, "Bert looks like he in prison!"

Here are your lineups as the Twins wrap things up in New York ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Lew Ford LF
Nick Punto SS
Scott Baker P

New York
Jose Reyes SS
Paul Lo Duca C
Carlos Beltran CF
David Wright 3B
Carlos Delgado 1B
Shawn Green RF
Jose Valentin 2B
Ricky Ledee LF
Oliver Perez P

Autographs, home runs, and Johan at the bat

2007-06-19T15:45:00.000-06:00

Got off the Subway at the same time as Matt Guerrier and Joe Nathan this afternoon. Nathan was bombarded by autograph seekers, but Guerrier was left, for the most part, alone. One sympathetic fan ran up to Guerrier, thrust a ball at him and said, "Here, I feel bad."

Classic.

A few little facts before the lineups ...

Justin Morneau is looking for his 100th career home run. His walk-off on Sunday against the Brewers was his 99th.

Johan Santana sat in the dugout before the game with his batting gloves on, holding his bat and looking quite excited about the opportunity to hit tonight. Perhaps he'll give himself some of that run support he's been missing.

Michael Cuddyer is riding a nine-game hitting streak. During that time the right fielder is hitting .333.

When asked what he'd heard about Mets starting pitcher Jorge Sosa, Ron Gardenhire said, "slider, slider, slider."

Lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Jason Tyner LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Johan Santana P

New York
Jose Reyes SS
Paul Lo Duca C
Carlos Beltran CF
David Wright 3B
Carlos Delgado 1B
Damion Easley 2B
Shawn Green OF
Carlos Gomez LF
Jorge Sosa P

White plays; Rabe has surgery

2007-06-15T17:08:00.000-06:00

Rondell White went 2 for 3 in an extended spring training game. It was White's first game action since straining his calf skipping up the dugout steps of U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago April 5.

Josh Rabe underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He's expected to miss five months.

Glen Perkins will go to Florida to continue his throwing program instead of traveling with the team to New York and Miami.

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2b
Joe Mauer dh
Michael Cuddyer rf
Justin Morneau 1b
Torii Hunter cf
Mike Redmond c
Jason Kubel lf
Luis Rodriguez 3b
Nick Punto ss
Scott Baker p

Milwaukee
Corey Hart rf
J.J. Hardy ss
Ryan Braun 3b
Prince Fielder dh
Bill Hall cf
Johnn Estrada c
Geoff Jenkins lf
Tony Graffanino 1b
Craig Counsell 2b
Claudio Vargas p

Mauer OK after getting hit by Jones' bat

2007-06-14T19:30:00.001-06:00

Catcher Joe Mauer just got hit with Andruw Jones' backswing. Looks like it just grazed Mauer's left arm. He didn't seem hurt at all but was bleeding slightly. Trainers wiped it down, slapped on a band-aid and play resumed.

Everyone take a deep breath : )

Desperate's Denton at the Dome

2007-06-14T18:22:00.001-06:00

Desperate Housewives star James Denton threw out the ceremonial first pitch at tonight's game to center fielder Torii Hunter.

Twins media guru Mike Herman commented from the pressbox before the throw, as a huddle of women circled Denton down by the dugout, that every woman who works for the Twins was down on the field.

Kubel back in the lineup

2007-06-14T17:47:00.000-06:00

Jason Kubel is back in the lineup for tonight's game against Atlanta, batting seventh and playing left field.

Dennys Reyes is available to pitch from tonight, manager Ron Gardenhire said. Reyes is rejoining a bullpen that hasn't given up a run in its last 12 innings of work.

A win tonight would mark the Twins fourth sweep of the season.

Lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2b
Joe Mauer c
Michael Cuddyer rf
Justin Morneau 1b
Torii Hunter cf
Mike Redmond dh
Jason Kubel lf
Nick Punto 3b
Jason Bartlett ss
Johan Santana p

Atlanta
Kelly Johnson 2b
Edgar Renteria ss
Chipper Jones dh
Andruw Jones cf
Jeff Francoeur rf
Matt Diaz lf
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 1b
Brian McCann c
Yunel Escobar 3b
Tim Hudson P

Twins will activate Reyes post-game

2007-06-13T16:55:00.000-06:00

Manager Ron Gardenhire said the team will activate LHP Dennys Reyes from the 15-day disabled list after tonight's game, likely sending down LHP Carmen Cali to make room on the roster ... Jason Kubel is available off the bench tonight and will likely return to the lineup tomorrow.

Each player's chair had a cigar on it this afternoon, in honor of the team's two newest fathers, Carlos Silva and Juan Rincon, whose wives both gave birth to boys on Tuesday morning.

Gardenhire joked this afternoon about the record Atlanta manager Bobby Cox will tie with his next ejection -- the most ejections for one person in major league history -- "He's leery now," Gardenhire said. "When it comes time, I guarantee you he won't be leery."

And now, lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jeff Cirillo DH
Lew Ford LF
Nick Punto 3B
Jason Bartlett SS
Carlos Silva P

Atlanta
Kelly Johnson 2B
Willie Harris LF
Edgar Renteria SS
Chipper Jones DH
Andruw Jones CF
Brian McCann C
Jeff Francoeur RF
Scott Thorman 1B
Yunel Escobar 3B
Chuck James P

Good afternoon from the Metrodome ...

2007-06-13T14:17:00.000-06:00

Just arrived at the Metrodome for tonight's game against Atlanta. The pitchers are on the field, looks like more pitcher's batting practice to get ready for the road trip to New York and Miami next week.

The pitchers love taking BP and generally make it into a contest -- relievers vs. starters. Yesterday the relievers won 6-4 (I'm not sure how the score keeping works) with Joe Nathan and Matt Guerrier's home runs leading the way.

Check back later for snippets from Gardenhire's pre-game talk and, of course, lineups.

-- Kelsie Smith

Twins/Braves lineups

2007-06-12T17:41:00.000-06:00

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond DH
Lew Ford LF
Nick Punto 3B
Jason Bartlett SS
Kevin Slowey P

Atlanta
Kelly Johnson 2B
Willie Harris LF
Brian McCann C
Andruw Jones CF
Jeff Francoeur RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia DH
Scott Thorman 1B
Yunel Escobar SS
Pete Orr 3B
Kyle Davies P

Injuries, injuries, injuries ...

2007-06-12T16:57:00.001-06:00

Dennys Reyes (shoulder inflammation) threw a 35-pitch simulated game Tuesday afternoon and said he has no pain in his shoulder. If Reyes comes to the park tomorrow with no soreness, manager Ron Gardenhire said the left-hander would likely be activated rather than go on a rehab assignment.

Rondell White (torn calf) will start playing in extended spring training games in the next couple days, Gardenhire said.

And Glen Perkins started his throwing program today. The process will be slow, throwing from very short distances at first.

Be back shortly with lineups ...

Twins sign first-round pick

2007-06-12T13:44:00.000-06:00

The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have signed first-round draft pick Ben Revere. As per club policy, details of the contract were not released.

Minnesota has now signed 11 of last week's draft picks:

Round 1: Ben Revere, OF
Round 6: Michael McCardell, RHP
Round 7: Danny Berlind, RHP
Round 9: Steve Hirschfeld, RHP
Round 11: Andrew Schmiesing, OF
Round 14: Dan Rohlfing, C
Round 15: Daniel Latham, RHP
Round 18: Lee Martin, RHP
Round 19: Ben Petsch, 1B
Round 22: Ozzie Lewis, OF
Round 25: Spencer Steedly, LHP

Twins take Kentucky high schooler with first-round pick

2007-06-07T16:05:00.000-06:00

The Minnesota Twins chose Ben Revere, a 19-year-old center fielder who recently graduated from Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky, with their first-round pick (28th overall).

Revere, 19, bats left-handed and throws right-handed and hit .516 with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 9 home runs 41 RBIs and 24 stolen bases as a senior at Lexington. He was named the 2006-2007 Gatorade Kentucky Baseball Player of the Year.

Revere was not projected to be taken in the first round or even the early part of the second round, but Twins director of scouting Mike Radcliff said Revere, ranked the 42nd best high school prospect by Baseball American, continued to climb the team's rankings in recent weeks.

The center fielder's greatest strength, Radcliff said, is his speed. Revere has run the 60-yard dash in 6.28 seconds and the 40 in 4.3.

Mauer in, Miller out

2007-06-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

The Twins will officially activate catcher Joe Mauer from the 15-day disabled list Friday and option reliever Jason Miller to Class AAA Rochester to make room for Mauer on the roster.

Joe's Moving Up

2007-06-05T19:03:00.000-06:00

Things have changed in the month that Joe Mauer has been out of the Twins’ lineup, and the changes affect the former batting champion, too. If Mauer is activated on Friday, as the Twins are planning on, he will probably bat second in the lineup, not his customary No. 3 spot.

Manager Ron Gardenhire, concerned about generating more offense at the top of his lineup, has tentatively decided to insert the 2006 A.L. batting champion right behind leadoff hitter Luis Castillo, and leave his 3-4-5 core of Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter intact.

Gardenhire said he thought about making the move last year, too, but decided not to change things when the Twins were playing so well. This year is a different story, and the manager is ready to try a different tactic.

Mauer caught five innings in Fort Myers on Tuesday, and reported no problems in his strained left quad. He’ll suit up for the Fort Myers Miracle on Wednesday against Vero Beach, and fly to Minneapolis on Thursday.

Tonight’s lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Tyner dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
Heintz c
Rodriguez 3b
Bartlett ss

Baker p

ANGELS
Willits dh
Cabrera ss
Guerrero rf
Matthews cf
Anderson lf
Kotchman 1b
Kendrick 2b
Molina c
Figgins 3b
Escobar p

Four Days to Joe

2007-06-04T19:37:00.000-06:00

Three time zones away from his teammates, the reports on Joe Mauer were good today. Ron Gardenhire said Mauer worked out on his sore leg Monday and reported no ill effects.

That makes Tuesday a fairly big day in the progression: Mauer will get behind the plate during a game -- albeit an extended spring training game -- for the first time since May 3, two days before he went on the disabled list with a strained right quad.

Mauer will catch five innings, Gardenhire said, and the team will see how he feels. If he’s up to it, he could then catch a Fort Myers Miracle game against Vero Beach on Wednesday.

That makes Thursday decision day, and if there are no setbacks, the Twins would send Mauer home to Minnesota and activate him Friday night for the Metrodome game with Washington.

The Twins could certainly have used him here in Anaheim, where the Angels are getting great pitching lately. Here are tonight’s lineups, with Luis Rodriguez giving the Twins an extra left-handed bat against Jered Weaver:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Punto ss
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Kubel lf
Rodriguez 3b
Tyner dh

Bonser p

ANGELS
Willits dh
Cabrera ss
Guerrero rd
Matthews cf
Anderson lf
Kotchman 1b
Kendrick 2b
Napoli c
Figgins 3b

Weaver p

You Saw a No-Hitter

2007-06-01T19:37:00.000-06:00

I realized the Twins’ bullpen was good, but I guess I didn’t realize it was this good. I mean, the seven guys out there right now have combined to throw a bullpen no-hitter -- 11 1/3 consecutive innings without a hit, dating back to last Saturday -- and nobody seems particularly impressed in the Minnesota clubhouse.

“It just means we’re doing our jobs, that’s all,” said Pat Neshek. “I don’t feel like we’re on a real hot streak or anything -- everyone is just going pretty good, and when that happens, you get outs.”

Sure, but this is a staff that’s missing three pretty good pitchers -- Jesse Crain, Dennys Reyes and Glen Perkins -- and hasn’t so much as given up a seven-hopper up the middle.

Ron Gardenhire doesn’t even think the no-hit streak has as much to do with his relievers as with his starters. “The arms are there. It’s a matter of using them properly, not overworking them,” he said. “It all starts with the starters -- if they’re going deep in games, we can use the bullpen so they can be most effective.”

To say the least, eh?

Anyway, tonight’s lineups don’t include ex-Twin Shannon Stewart, who is getting a night off.

-- Phil Miller in Oakland

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Cirillo dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Ford lf
Punto 3b
Bartlett ss

Slowey p

ATHLETICS
Buck lf
Swisher 1b
Bradley rf
Johnson dh
Chavez 3b
Crosby ss
Kotsay cf
Scutaro 2b
Kendall c

Kennedy p

Mauer won't be back Friday

2007-05-30T11:00:00.001-06:00

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Joe Mauer is still feeling sore, did very little work today because of that soreness and will not be ready for activation for Friday's game in Oakland.

Luis Castillo was also feeling pretty sore today, so you'll see Nick Punto at second base and Jeff Cirillo at third. Jason Tyner gets DH duties today. Mike Redmond's elbow is fine, and he said he could play this afternoon, but Heintz is stepping in instead.

And now that I've given it all away, here are the lineups ..

Minnesota
Jason Tyner DH
Nick Punto 2B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Chris Heintz C
Jason Bartlett SS
Scott Baker P

Chicago
Darin Erstad CF
Tadahito Ighuchi 2B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Paul Konerko 1B
Rob Mackowiak LF
Joe Crede 3B
Alex Cintron SS
Toby Hall C
Jon Garland P

Slowey called up, will start Friday

2007-05-29T20:36:00.001-06:00

The Twins have called up right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey from Class AAA Rochester. Red Wings manager Stan Cliburn announced the move after the team's 7-6 win over Richmond on Tuesday night.

Slowey, ranked the Twins No. 3 prospect by Baseball America, will leave for Minnesota Wednesday afternoon and make his major league debut on Friday, starting for the Twins in Oakland.

For Rochester, Slowey went 6-2 with an International League best 1.54 earned run average. He struck out 57 batters, walked only five and held opposing hitters to a .200 average.

Gibson out with "medical condition"

2007-05-29T17:43:00.000-06:00

Twins media guru Mike Herman just told reporters that Greg Gibson is absent because of a medical condition, according to Major League Baseball. Gibson likely won't return for tomorrow's game either. MLB told Herman that Gibson's absence has "nothing" to do with Monday's incident.

Hmm ... interpret that as you like.

Umpire Gibson gone

2007-05-29T17:17:00.000-06:00

Umpire Greg Gibson, who was at first base for Monday's game and was the target of Ron Gardenhire's tirade, is not with the umpire crew tonight. No word yet on why Gibson was gone.

Yesterday when the Twins dugout was yelling toward first base and at A.J. Pierzynski after Justin Morneau said Pierzynski stepped on the first baseman's foot, Gibson looked over to Minnesota's dugout and delivered a throat-slashing motion. That incensed Gardenhire, who said the motion "got the Oklahoma up in me."

Check back for an update on Gibson's absence.

The spike: Day two

2007-05-29T16:38:00.000-06:00

I listened in on Ozzie Guillen's pre-game talk today. The White Sox manager said he doesn't think A.J. Pierzynski intentionally stepped on Justin Morneau's foot yesterday. He did say, however, that he sent the Twins a message afterward - if there is a problem, take care of it on the field.

Certainly sounds tough, but it Guillen went on to say there are two ways to handle that type of situation: forget about it, or fight, and Morneau, obviously, did the latter. He also mentioned that he didn't really like the way Minnesota's bench was yelling and pointing at Pierzynksi after the incident.

It does seem that tonight will be quiet, and Ron Gardenhire said the whole thing is over and forgotten. You never know, though, with these teams. Check in with us later tonight. If something interesting happens, we'll let you know about it.

Oh, and Joe Mauer has shaved. Don't get excited, though. He said the beard was just getting too uncomfortable.

Finally, lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond C
Jeff Cirillo DH
Jason Kubel LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Boof Bonser P

Chicago
Darin Erstad CF
Alex Cintron 2B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Paul Konerko 1B
A.J. Pierzynski C
Joe Crede 3B
Rob Mackowiak LF
Juan Uribe SS
John Danks P

- Kelsie Smith

Mauer is still bearded

2007-05-26T15:35:00.000-06:00

When reporters asked Twins manager Ron Gardenhire today how Joe Mauer is progressing, the skipper pointed to his catcher, who still has his beard -- evidence that he's not ready yet. Friday Mauer told reporters he would shave when he's ready to play (a beard and a catcher's mask don't go well together).

Mauer also said, however, the beard might go before he's back in the lineup, saying the facial hair just feels a bit strange.

Jason Bartlett is still out of the lineup, though Gardenhire said the shortstop could come in the game at some point tonight and will likely start tomorrow's day game.

With that, lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond C
Jason Kubel DH
Lew Ford LF
Nick Punto SS
Ramon Ortiz P

Toronto
Alex Rios RF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Vernon Wells CF
Troy Glaus 3B
Frank Thomas DH
Matt Stairs LF
Aaron Hill 2B
Royce Clayton SS
Sal Fasano C
Tomo Ohka P

Pain in the Neck

2007-05-25T17:44:00.000-06:00

Jason Bartlett won’t play tonight -- well, won’t start anyway -- but he should be back on the field this weekend. The shortstop seemed entirely relieved to learn that the neck pain that has bothered him since January isn’t anything serious. Guess that means the pain isn’t going to go away completely for awhile, considering he plays just about every day, but he doesn’t seem to mind that too much. He’s been living with the neck pain for a while; only when he started feeling it in his shoulders did he believe he needed to do something about it. And he says, after four days off, he feels a lot better today. No doubt having that off his mind helps, too.

Joe Mauer is still getting better but still isn’t activated. From reading between the lines, I’m guessing he doesn’t play this weekend but wants to get back next week. Of course, he’s not close to saying any such thing, because he doesn’t want to disappoint anyone if it doesn’t happen.

Matt Stairs put on a show in batting practice. He hit a ball off the speaker above straightaway center field once and planted three balls way up into the upper desk. The last of them hit the bottom of the Twins’ AL championship banner, maybe 10-15 feet above the highest rows of fans. Truly McGwire-esque.

Tonight’s lineups:

BLUE JAYS
Rios rf
Overbay 1b
Wells cf
Glaus 3b
Thomas dh
Stairs lf
Hill 2b
Phillips c
Clayton ss

Litsch p

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Cirillo 3b
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Kubel dh
Ford lf
Punto ss
Baker p

Got a Twins question?

2007-05-25T07:26:00.001-06:00

Post it here.

Each week Phil Miller and Kelsie Smith will choose a question or two to answer on the Sunday baseball page in the Pioneer Press.

Torii's No DH

2007-05-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

Torii Hunter was supposed to just DH today, but Ron Gardenhire changed his mind. Robinson Tejeda is starting for the Rangers, and left-handers bat .299 against him, while right-handers manage only .198. So Gardenhire decided to use Jason Tyner rather than Lew Ford, who would have taken Hunter’s place in the outfield.

That means Hunter forfeits his DH day, but he didn’t mind. “I told Gardy if he needed me, I’d just as soon play the field,” Hunter said after his 45-minute commute to Arlington from his home in the northern Dallas suburbs. He said he's feeling no ill effects from running into the wall last night.

Sammy Sosa is taking the day off today. The lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Tyner cf
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
Rodriguez 3b
Heintz c
Punto ss

Bonser p

RANGERS
Lofton cf
Young ss
Teixeira dh
Diaz rf
Cruz lf
Kinsler 2b
Vazquez 3b
Kata 1b
Stewart c
Tejeda p

Trouble Spreads to Short

2007-05-22T17:33:00.000-06:00

Another Bartlett-less night, and apparently that’s going to continue awhile. The shortstop isn’t going to play until he sees a doctor in Minneapolis on Thursday. His pain began as a neck problem, but spread to his shoulder the past few days, and it’s got him a little alarmed.

Also, Justin Morneau is getting the night off, sort of, for the first time this year. He’s the DH, with Jeff Cirillo playing the field. Hey, maybe the Twins can finally get their first home run of the season from a DH.

Lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Cirillo 1b
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Kubel lf
Rodriguez 3b
Punto ss

Santana p

RANGERS
Kinsler 2b
Young ss
Teixeira 1b
Sosa dh
Diaz rf
Cruz lf
Laird c
Kata 3b
Mahar cf

Loe p

New Guy, Same Look

2007-05-22T17:00:00.000-06:00

Carmen Cali has arrived, and he’s pretty excited to be here. He threw 3 1/3 innings last night, but ask him if he’s available to pitch tonight, and he gets a pretty good laugh. “Anything they want,” he said. “I’m ready.”

Yeah, dumb question. You don’t get called up to the majors -- he got the word at 1:15 a.m. today, in his hotel in Norfolk, Va. -- and immediately tell the manager you’re too tired to pitch. Besides, Cali only threw 28 pitches in a very efficient outing.

Cali replaces Glen Perkins, who won’t be the only pitcher to go on the disabled list. Dennys Reyes’ arm soreness will probably sideline him, too.

One of the first things Cali did upon arrival was get the standard Twins’ look -- no, not the uniform. He was marched into the restroom and got the buzzed-off haircut that his new teammates all sport already.

“First time since college,” he said with a laugh.

-- Phil Miller

Carmen Cali to replace injured Perkins

2007-05-22T07:52:00.000-06:00

The Twins placed left-handed pitcher Glen Perkins (shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contract of left-hander Carmen Cali from Class AAA Rochester.

The 28-year-old reliever was 2-0 with a 2.70 earned run average and one save in 12 appearances (16 2/3 innings) for the Red Wings. He will be available for tonight's game against the Rangers.

Bartlett's Neck Hurts

2007-05-21T16:38:00.000-06:00

No Jason Bartlett tonight. He’s got a stiff neck that’s been getting worse, and now it’s become painful enough to keep him out of the lineup.

“He’s not taking batting practice today -- that should tell you how he feels,” Ron Gardenhire said of the normally work-intensive shortstop. He doesn’t expect the problem to last more than a day or two, though.

Bartlett’s absence allows Gardenhire to move Nick Punto to shortstop for another day. The third baseman will be Luis Rodriguez, though, not Jeff Cirillo. I imagine that’s because Gardenhire is already planning to play Cirillo at first base on Tuesday (and give Justin Morneau a DH day), and doesn’t want his knee to be overworked.

Lineups:

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Punto ss
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Kubel dh
Ford lf
Rodriguez 3b

Silva p

RANGERS
Lofton cf
Young ss
Teixeira 1b
Sosa rf
Cruz lf
Catalanotto dh
Kinsler 2b
Laird c
Vazquez c
Padilla p

Failure Can Be Fun

2007-05-18T18:36:00.000-06:00

Ron Gardenhire was talking before the game about how everyone in the dugout gets a few good laughs during the interleague games because they get to watch the pitchers hit. And it made me wonder: Do any pro athletes face expectations as low as American League pitchers when forced to hit?

It’s really strange, when you think about it -- teams fight for every tiny edge they can get, yet A.L. teams basically shrug and all but accept an automatic out one-ninth of the time when they play in N.L. parks.

How great would it be to have a job where you could fail at something every time, and have your supervisors merely laugh at how inept you are? Are there any other sports where this occurs? I can’t think of any -- it’s like having a kicker play middle linebacker, or a goalie take faceoffs, or Shaquille O’Neal shoot free throws. Nobody expects anything but failure, so what’s the point?

I mentioned this theory to Michael Cuddyer, who disagreed somewhat. He points out that pitchers are expected to sacrifice bunt successfully if runners are on base, and he’s right. There is actual pressure to perform in those instances. But the rest of the time? Close your eyes and see what happens. Not a bad gig.

Feel free to email me (pmiller@pioneerpress.com) if you can think of any other low-expectation jobs.-- Phil Miller

Back on the Field

2007-05-16T16:57:00.000-06:00

Jeff Cirillo seemed excited about his two-inning stint at third base on Tuesday, his first action in the field since having arthroscopic knee surgery a couple of months ago. He started a 5-4-3 double play and said Wednesday he felt great.

That’s good news for the Twins, since Cirillo’s limitations have added to Ron Gardenhire’s feeling that he doesn’t have many options with this team. Gardenhire would like to use the veteran infielder to spell Nick Punto occasionally, and even back up Justin Morneau whenever the first baseman’s nose gets broken.

That’s what happened last week in the Metrodome, of course. While Morneau bled, Gardenhire considered Cirillo for the spot, but the infielder said he had no lateral range, so Luis Rodriguez got the call.

Cirillo hurried back from the knee surgery, and is OK at the plate. But trusting the knee enough to field ground balls has taken far longer, frustrating him. So his good mood Wednesday was good news for the team.

Cirillo is in the lineup tonight at designated hitter, and Gardenhire will consider the same duty Friday night against Chris Capuano. Miller Park is Cirillo’s old home park, after all.

One other lineup switch on a dreary, drizzly night in Cleveland: Chris Heintz gets his first start since being called up in Joe Mauer’s spot. With a day game tomorrow, Gardenhire decided Mike Redmond would sit out one game, and he decided he would rather have Redmond catch Johan Santana on Thursday.

Tonight’s lineups, assuming they play (and the Indians really want to get the game in, considering all the makeup games they already have scheduled later this year because of the four-game snowout in the season's first week):

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Cirillo dh
Ford lf
Heintz c
Punto 3b

Silva p

TIGERS
Sizemore cf
Blake 3b
Hafner dh
Martinez c
Nixon rf
Peralta ss
Dellucci lf
Garko 1b
Barfield 2b
Sabathia p

So Long, Sid

2007-05-14T20:57:00.000-06:00

I’d heard about Sidney Ponson’s history, about the jail time in Aruba and the DUI arrests. Like a lot of people, maybe most people, I figured Ponson must be a bad guy, a spoiled athlete with no respect for anyone else.

I’m happy to say, I was wrong about Ponson. Which is why I’m not happy he’s gone.

Other teams, other cities had problems with the 30-year-old pitcher, but he was a unique presence in the Twins’ clubhouse. Between starts, he was just a guy who liked to have a good time -- yeah, it’s not hard to see how he got into trouble back when he equated “fun” with “drinking” -- and he liked to entertain others, too.

As Ron Gardenhire said yesterday, “We had a ball with him. He was loud at times, which was fun.”

The only time he wasn’t trying to make people laugh was after poor pitching performances, when he clearly was angry with himself. But even then, he stood up and answered questions, never ducking responsibility for the losses. It’s too bad that he never harnessed his talent enough to stay in the rotation, because you could see how much he wanted to pitch well.

Here’s hoping Ponson figures out what he’s doing wrong. Because for all the trouble he’s caused, and despite the reputation that dogs him still, he really seems like a good guy at heart.

-- Phil Miller

Lew's Back, but Where's Gardy?

2007-05-11T17:16:00.000-06:00

There’s a new face on the Twins’ bench tonight, and a familiar one missing.

Lew Ford has reported to the Twins, fresh off 10 days in Rochester, and he’ll be available for pinch-hitting duty. Josh Rabe, who said his right shoulder has been bothering him, was placed on the 15-day disabled list to make room.

Rabe’s injury is not considered serious, though it has affected his throwing, and will require a shot to help heal. That would keep him out of action for three or four days, not two weeks -- “but we don’t have four days right now,” manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Speaking of Gardenhire, he made that comment with his left leg propped up on his desk. The manager had his left knee operated on Friday morning, to clean up a couple decades of wear and tear. He arrived at the Metrodome around 5 p.m. and was ferried to his office in a golf cart. He won’t be in the dugout tonight -- four flights of stairs between the clubhouse and the field make that impractical -- but will be in communication with his coaches while he watches on TV from his office.

-- Phil Miller

Options Aren't Optional

2007-05-10T17:20:00.000-06:00

Ron Gardenhire feels a little restrained right now, and he doesn’t like it. He kept talking about “options” before Thursday’s game, and how he doesn’t have many. And for a major-league manager, that’s not a good thing.

The bench was never especially deep to begin with, but Mike Redmond has essentially been a regular for a month, even before Joe Mauer got hurt. Jason Tyner was supposed to be a plug-in guy, filling in all over to give people rest, but he’s played 23 of 33 games.

Meanwhile, Luis Rodriguez is hitting .171 and Josh Rabe is at .194. Chris Heintz is the second-string catcher, and Gardenhire is leery of using both catchers.

So he has no options. And it must feel like wearing a straightjacket on the bench.

“Right now, pickings off the bench is pretty tough,” he admitted before another shutout on Thursday. “Come off the bench and get a hit -- we don’t have guys used to that stuff.”

The manager knows that help from outside the organization is unlikely, and that’s why he is so eager to bring Lew Ford back to the big leagues. Ford hit only .226 last year, and the chances of him reclaiming his usefulness has to be considered only moderate.

But Gardenhire at least wants the option. Other than runs, it’s what he wants more than anything these days.

-- Phil Miller

The Quote Machine

2007-05-09T16:59:00.000-06:00

Ozzie Guillen’s answer to the first question I ever asked him gave me a pretty good idea of what a unique person he is. He went on for two and a half, maybe three minutes, exploring various tangents, recounting a minor-league homer he once hit in Salt Lake City, talking about how you can teach various skills but you can’t teach heart, and discussing the physics of baseball at high altitude.

Great answer. Very quotable. It’s especially remarkable, though, when you know my question:

“Excuse me, Ozzie. Got a minute?”

That encounter was two seasons ago, but I’m happy to report that the stream of consciousness hasn’t slowed a bit. Guillen’s pregame media sessions are more like performance art, with a 20-person audience. Give him a question -- or even a three-word phrase -- and stand back. He is forceful, candid, and as entertaining as David Letterman. He uses his hands (or a bat) for emphasis. He poses questions to himself, he grows angry and then amused as he speaks, and he is capable of shocking you with his frankness. (He also works a little blue, if you know what I mean.)

Take his answer on Tuesday to a question about teams that are responding to the death of Josh Hancock by banning alcohol from their clubhouses. Guillen said he had no plans to do so, though if ordered to, he would. And why won’t he initiate a ban? (He answered without being asked, naturally.) Because, he said, Josh Hancock wasn’t drinking in the clubhouse. Very few players do. And to make a knee-jerk reaction that has very little actual effect “makes it look like we feel guilty about something. And I don’t feel guilty about anything.”

Whether you agree or not, just hearing such honesty in an era of carefully chosen, say-nothing quotes makes you appreciate the guy. Yeah, he has some opinions that aren’t admirable. But purely in the service of battling blandness, Guillen holding court is a show worth seeing.

-- Phil Miller

Mauer resting

2007-04-27T16:50:00.000-06:00

Fresh off his game-winning hit Thursday, Mike Redmond has been promoted, at least for one night, in the Twins’ lineup. Redmond will bat third against the Tigers, giving regular catcher Joe Mauer a night off. A frigid, overcast night off.

“With a day game tomorrow, he was going to take one of them off, and this is a tough matchup,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said, referring to Tigers left-handed starter Nate Robertson. “If I’m going to give him a break, I’m going to give him a break against a tough lefty.”

Gardenhire said Mauer has felt a twinge of soreness in his upper leg, the result of either catching or filling the DH role since April 15. Mauer, though, said he feels fine -- it’s the manager’s call to make.

Jim Leyland made a similar call in the Detroit dugout, choosing to keep Ivan Rodriguez on the bench for Game 1 of this three-game set.

Gardenhire also decided to bench rookie Alexi Casilla for a night, figuring that, when playing such a tough opponent as the A.L. champions in their home park, “he might get a little overwhelmed.” Better to let him get used to his surroundings, Gardenhire said, by watching for one night.

Those changes make tonight’s lineup an unusual one, with Nick Punto moving into the leadoff spot. But at least Torii Hunter -- or “Mushmouth,” as Derek Jeter nicknamed him after he was beaned in the face on Thursday -- decided he can play despite some lingering swelling and soreness. The lineups:

TWINS
Punto 3b
Rodriguez 2b
Redmond c
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Rabe dh
Kubel lf
Bartlett ss

Ortiz p

TIGERS
Granderson cf
Polanco 2b
Sheffield dh
Ordonez rf
Guillen ss
Casey 1b
Monroe lf
Rabelo c
Inge 3b

Robertson p

Hunter hit in jaw by pitch

2007-04-26T12:54:00.000-06:00

Torii Hunter went to Abbott Northwestern Hospital during Thursday’s game with the Royals, after being hit in the jaw by a Zack Greinke pitch in the second inning.

Hunter tried to turn away from the high-and-tight pitch, but the ball struck him squarely in the face, knocking him to the ground. Hunter jumped up, flipped off his helmet and took two quick steps toward Greinke. But he either thought better of the impulse to charge the mound, or was overcome by pain, because the Twins’ center fielder immediately stopped, then knelt, then laid back on the turf.

Hunter was spitting blood as the athletic trainer attended to him, and Jason Tyner pinch-ran for him. Two batters later, Jason Bartlett was hit by another pitch, setting off a loud round of boos from the crowd. But a double play quickly ended the inning.

Hunter needed three stitches on the inside of his lip to halt the bleeding. The Twins won't know until Friday whether their center fielder will be available to play in Detroit.

-- Phil Miller

White suffers setback; Wild join BP

2007-04-25T16:46:00.000-06:00

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Rondell White felt his calf pop while running in the outfield this afternoon. He doesn't know yet if that means White reinjured his calf or not.

Jeff Cirillo ran the bases today and Gardenhire said the infielder wouldn't necessarily need a rehab stint before rejoining the team. Luis Castillo continues to improve but Gardenhire had no timetable for his return.

The four bottles of champagne that have caused Torii Hunter so much trouble were returned today. Hunter ran by Gardenhire while the manager was talking to reporters and said, "Gardy, the champagne's back. Want to drink it tonight?"

Gardenhire responded, "Sure, invite (Royals DH Mike) Sweeney."

Five members of the Minnesota Wild -- Mark Parrish, Wes Walz, Nick Schultz, Wyatt Smith and Stephane Veilleux -- joined the Twins for batting practice today at the Metrodome. Bloomington native Parrish hit a home run to left field and Walz displayed decent skills taking grounders at second and short.

With that, lineups.

Minnesota
Alexi Casilla 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond DH
Jason Kubel LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Sidney Ponson P

Kansas City
David DeJesus CF
Esteban German 2B
Mark Teahen RF
Mike Sweeney DH
Ross Gload 1B
Emil Brown LF
Alex Gordon 3B
Jason LaRue C
Tony Pena, Jr. SS
Odalis Perez P

White, Cirillo feeling good

2007-04-24T16:31:00.000-06:00

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Rondell White (calf) is feeling much better and, if that continues, White would run the bases tomorrow and could return in a couple days. Luis Castillo (quad) is increasing his activity, but still doesn't want to move around too much.

And, one final injury update: Jeff Cirillo (knee) hit out of the cage and took batting practice. He's also taking ground balls. Gardenhire said the utility infielder should be ready to return to the lineup in a week to 10 days.

Jason Tyner is hitting leadoff tonight as the designated hitter. Alexi Casilla, starting at second for Castillo, is moving to ninth in the order. Gardenhire said that, because Casilla hasn't seen any of the pitchers in the majors, hitting ninth could help him get an idea of how to approach that night's pitcher.

With that, the lineups ...

Minnesota
Jason Tyner DH
Nick Punto 3B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Alexi Casilla 2B
Johan Santana P

Cleveland
Grady Sizemore CF
Casey Blake 3B
Travis Hafner DH
Victor Martinez C
Ryan Garko 1B
Trot Nixon RF
Jason Michaels LF
Mike Rouse SS
Josh Barfield 2B
Fausto Carmona P

Take the Morning Off

2007-04-22T11:41:00.000-06:00

Ron Gardenhire was lamenting his team’s bad baserunning again Sunday morning, when a strange voice from just outside his office door began a booming chant that soon consumed the entire clubhouse: “No B-P! No B-P! No B-P!”
The Twins’ manager hopped up, ran out of his office … and quickly gave in. “OK,” he said with a broad grin. “I’m easy.”
Truthfully, it probably didn’t require an organized uprising to convince the manager; the Twins skip Sunday batting practice more often than they take it. But a not-so-subtle suggestion from a badly disguised voice made the decision that much easier for Gardenhire.
Funny, that voice sounded a lot like Torii Hunter with a bad accent. Didn’t it, Torii?
“Wasn’t me, wasn’t me,” Hunter protested, with a wry smile -- and the same accent.

Today’s lineups, after the Royals scratched leadoff hitter David DeJesus with a sprained ankle:

TWINS
Casilla 2b
Punto 3b
Mauer c
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond dh
Rabe lf
Bartlett ss

ROYALS
German 2b
Gload lf
Teahen cf
Sweeney dh
Gordon 3b
Sanders rf
Buck c
Shealy 1b
Pena ss

Pitchers: Ramon Ortiz vs. Jorge de la Rosa. (And keep in mind -- Cuddyer is 0-for-8 lifetime against de la Rosa.)
-- Phil Miller

Hunter still recovering; out of the lineup

2007-04-19T16:59:00.000-06:00

Torii Hunter is taking another day off to rest his shoulder. I saw him after he took some swings in the batting cage, and he said he felt really good. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he thinks Hunter will return to the lineup tomorrow against Kansas City.

Nick Punto has returned to third base and the second spot in the order. Gardenhire opted to use both his catchers for the second day in row, this time putting Joe Mauer (who turns 24 today) behind the plate to catch Johan Santana and Mike Redmond in the DH slot. Josh Rabe got the start in left field, and Jason Tyner's back in center filling in for Hunter.

The sun is shining in Seattle today and the roof at Safeco Field is open. That means that around 4:30, according to hitting coach Joe Vavra, it will get wicked tough to see the ball through the shadows. Right now the shade is such that the batter is in the sun but the catcher is not.

Twins face red-hot Felix Hernandez

2007-04-18T18:17:00.000-06:00

Center fielder Torii Hunter is out of the lineup after bruising his left shoulder attempting to make a diving catch during Tuesday's game. Hunter said he woke up feeling sore but thought he might feel good enough to play tonight, if necessary.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Hunter would be available to pinch hit.

Jesse Crain (shoulder) is available for tonight's game. He was also available last night but did not pitch. Crain hasn't pitched since Tuesday, April 10 against the Yankees.

Nick Punto is getting another day to rest his sprained ankle. Gardenhire said Punto came to the park today sore from all the exercises he's been doing to speed his recovery.

Finally, apologies for my lack of blogging lately. Look for the blog to be regularly updated from now on.

With that, lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Jason Tyner CF
Joe Mauer DH
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Mike Redmond C
Jason Kubel LF
Luis Rodriguez 3B
Jason Bartlett SS
Carlos Silva P

Seattle
Ichiro Suzuki CF
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jose Vidro DH
Raul Ibanez LF
Richie Sexson 1B
Jose Guillen RF
Kenji Johjima C
Yuniesky Betancourt SS
Jose Lopez 2B
Felix Hernandez P

Twins, Devil Rays lineups for Friday

2007-04-13T17:21:00.000-06:00

Jason Bartlett returns to the lineup this evening for game 2 of this four-part series against Tampa Bay.

Jesse Crain (shoulder) is still on the mend and said he could return as soon as Saturday.

Lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Josh Rabe LF
Luis Rodriguez DH
Jason Bartlett SS
Johan Santana P

Tampa Bay
Rocco Baldelli CF
Ben Zobrist SS
Carl Crawford LF
Ty Wigginton DH
Delmon Young RF
Akinori Iwamura 3B
Carlos Pena 1B
Josh Paul C
B.J. Upton 2B
Scott Kazmir P

Cirillo to have surgery Wednesday

2007-04-10T15:22:00.000-06:00

Jeff Cirillo will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday morning, manager Ron Gardenhire said Tuesday.

Josh Rabe and Alexi Casilla arrived in Minneapolis this morning, and Rabe is in the starting lineup batting seventh and playing left field.

Here are your lineups ...

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Josh Rabe LF
Mike Redmond DH
Jason Bartlett SS
Boof Bonser P

New York
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Melky Cabrera LF
Andy Pettitte P

Cirillo: surgery is likely

2007-04-09T15:55:00.000-06:00

Perhaps you've already read the news on www.twincities.com, but if not, here you go: Jeff Cirillo said the irritated minscus tear in his left knee is not improving and he will likely have arthroscopic surgery to repair it.

Cirillo said doctors would evaluate him before tonight's game and the final decision would be made after that.

Juan Rincon's neck is still pretty stiff, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Gardenhire did not yet know if Rincon would be available when he spoke with reporters before the series opener against the Yankees.

Lineups:

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Mike Redmond DH
Jason Bartlett SS
Sidney Ponson P

New York
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Melky Cabrera LF
Carl Pavano P

Still chilly in the Windy City

2007-04-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

The projected game-time temperature tiday is 37 degrees, a bit warmer than Saturday, but not noticeably.

Juan Rincon is nursing a sore neck. He wasn't available to pitch yesterday because of it, and manager Ron Gardenhire said Rincon still seemed pretty sore today. Gardenhire said he didn't know if Rincon would be available for use today.

Rondell White said his calf is feeling a little better today. He spent Saturday evening icing, soaking it in hot water in his hotel bathtub, and watching We are Marshall. He's still day to day.

Jeff Cirillo is again available to pinch hit, though Gardenhire said if Cirillo gets on base, he'll have to pinch run for him.

With that, lineups.

Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Joe Mauer C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond DH
Jason Tyner LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Johan Santana P

White Sox
Pablo Ozuna LF
Darin Erstad CF
Paul Konerko 1B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Joe Crede 3B
A.J. Pierzynski C
Tadahito Iguchi 2B
Juan Uribe SS
John Danks P