Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, July 11, 2017

 Miguel Sano's growth as player, leader has Twins, MLB taking notice. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1  Yankees' defeats Twins' Miguel Sano for Derby title. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Twins' Brandon Kintzler enjoying his All-Star experience. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Another sneaky reason for Twins' success so far: Baserunning. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4  Two years after closing All-Star Game, Glen Perkins' career could be closing. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 4  Miguel Sano loses out to Aaron Judge in Home Run Derby final. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Twins teammates tell Miguel Sano’s mentor ‘he’s a different guy’. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7  All-stars Miguel Sano, Ervin Santana help Twins increase Dominican presence. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8  Twins trio set for ASG: Tonight, 6:30 CT, FOX. MLB (Guardado) p. 10  Sano so close, falls to Judge in Derby finals. MLB (Langosch) p. 11  Miguel Sano found lightning both in his bat and outside the field on one Home Run Derby blast. MLB (Mearns) p. 12  Judgement Day: Miguel Sano falls to Aaron Judge in Home Run Derby final. ESPN 1500 (Coller) p. 12  Mining the Minors: Can Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero Help this Season? ESPN 1500 (Depue) p. 12  Twins’ Sano falls in Home Run Derby finals to Aaron Judge. FSN p. 13  Kyle Rudolph tweets Home Run Derby support for Miguel Sano. Broome (247 Sports) p. 14  How Thomas Boswell ranked all 30 MLB ballparks, and grouped them in four tiers. Boswell (The Washington Post) p. 14

Miguel Sano's growth as player, leader has Twins, MLB taking notice Phil Miller | Star Tribune | July 11, 2017

MIAMI – Fernando Tatis remembers the first time he saw Miguel Sano. They were playing winter ball in their homeland, one a mid-30s journeyman major leaguer trying to hold on to an up-and-down career, one a 16-year-old prodigy with TNT in his bat and an effervescent smile on his face.

Tatis watched the teenager show off at the plate, swing for the fences and laugh when he missed. He saw him try to imitate some of the great shortstops of San Pedro de Macoris, where they both lived, making plays with sheer athleticism. He watched Sano, and he thought: I can help him. I want to help him. Because once, I was him.

“He had so much talent. But young guys, sometimes they don’t take their talent seriously, because they think everything is forever. They think talent is enough,” Tatis said. “I was that way. As a young guy, I didn’t take anything serious, because I didn’t see my future. But everything ends. That’s what I wanted to tell him.”

That’s what a lot of people wanted to tell Sano, whose talent was major league before his work ethic was. He became a legend in the minor leagues, hitting home runs at the plate and errors in the field — at third base, Tatis’ position, once his bodybuilder size dictated a move off shortstop — in equal numbers. His burst into the major leagues in 2015, with 18 home runs in only 80 games, confirmed that he could hit, but came with a carefree attitude about developing that talent.

And when Sano couldn’t live up to his 2015 rookie promise in 2016, suffering through an injury-plagued and loss-filled season with the Twins, some bad habits became harder to overlook.

“You saw a lot of immature at-bats,” Twins teammate Brandon Kintzler said. “He swung at pitches he knew he shouldn’t.”

From afar, Tatis recognized the symptoms. From his own career.

“It’s happened to me. I remember my first day when my career started,” as a hotshot, power-hitting third baseman for Texas. He was traded a year later to St. Louis, where he became famous for hitting two grand slams in an inning. He hit 34 home runs as a teammate of Mark McGwire but had a hard time holding onto a job and wound up playing for five teams, never with one for more than three seasons. And never an All-Star, either. “I remember the last moment, too — you think, it’s the end,” Tatis said. “It passes so fast, you cannot even believe it.”

Sano went home last winter depressed about his season and motivated to fix it. He encountered Tatis again at a San Pedro ballpark, and the mentor knew his student was ready. Tatis agreed to make Sano his winter project — but he demanded dedication.

“Ground balls, every day. Every day. We’d start to hit at 3 p.m., and we’d finish around 7, and in between take a lot of ground balls,” roughly 5,000 over the winter, Tatis said. “It’s more work than he’d ever done before. He’d get tired, and we’d work some more. And I told him, ‘You’ve got to do it exactly the way I show you, because you’ve got to do it right. We’re putting a lot of energy in this, and I’m not going to waste it.’ ”

Sano bought in. “Tatis worked hard making me work hard,” the slugger said. “ ‘Do more. You can do better.’ He tells me this is what it takes.”

The results are evident: Sano has 21 homers in 2017, or four fewer than he hit all of 2016. His .906 on-base-plus slugging, 125 points higher than a year ago, ranks 10th in the AL.

“He’s grown up. He’s more disciplined,” said Ervin Santana, Sano’s countryman and teammate. “He’s not riding on just talent, but discipline, too.”

Those results confirm in Sano’s mind the value of maturity. He wants All-Star Games to be part of his routine. “I made sacrifices. I decided to put everything aside and work hard,” Sano said. “Every day in the offseason, I’m up early to work, because I know I need to be a leader.”

He takes the game seriously now, Tatis said. Yet he doesn’t take himself too seriously, as teammates have noticed.

“He’s a kid, he’s our big kid. He’s funny,” Kintzler said. Sano laughs, he dances, he sings, he needles teammates from across the clubhouse. “You can see it. He knows he can be a guy in this league, he can be a real powerhouse. You see his dedication every day. … If he stays a great teammate, he’s going to be a superstar.”

Yankees' Aaron Judge defeats Twins' Miguel Sano for Home Run Derby title Phil Miller | Star Tribune | July 11, 2017

MIAMI – Rematch. Like a boxer beaten but unbowed, convinced he can win, that’s what Miguel Sano was saying after his runner-up finish in the All-Star Home Run Derby: rematch.

“I feel really happy about it. I had some fun out there. My heart feels really good,” the Twins star said after hitting 32 homers over three rounds Monday. “I’ll start to work for next year, come back, and then — Aaron Judge.”

Oh yes, the Yankees rookie slugger. Judge, who leads the majors with 30 home runs at the break, destroyed the competition once he got past Miami first baseman Justin Bour in an epic first-round battle. Bour drove the Marlins Park crowd into a frenzy with 22 home runs in his four- minute outing (plus 30 seconds of bonus time), but Judge caught him with a steady onslaught of tape-measure blasts, finally hitting his 23rd during his bonus time.

After that, Judge finished off the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger 12-11 with more than a minute left on the clock. And he outdid himself against Sano in the final round. Sano homered on his last five swings of regulation time to get to 10, but Judge eclipsed him 11-10 with nearly two minutes remaining.

“He’s an animal, that’s all I can say about him,” Sano said of Judge, who despite his rookie status is a year older (25 to 24). “The first time I saw Aaron Judge in [batting practice], I could tell you: He’s a monster.”

Sano outdueled Mike Moustakas 11-10 in the first round, even though the Royals third baseman had 10 homers with a minute left. Then Sano finished off Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, who had upset defending champion and hometown favorite Giancarlo Stanton 17-16 by blasting a low line drive into the Clevelander Club in left field for an 11-10 victory.

Sano was interrupted during his final round by Twins closer Brandon Kintzler, who told him, “Go have fun and just win it,” Sano said. His , former big-league infielder Fernando Tatis, had some trouble throwing strikes.

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“I was nervous. I was surprised by that. I played a lot of years in the big leagues,” Tatis said. “Pitching is something new to me, so you’ve got to make sure you throw strikes, and that’s not easy to do.”

But Sano said he was proud of his tutor. “I think he did a great job, and he competed,” Sano said. “He don’t need to feel bad. He need feel good.”

Twins' Brandon Kintzler enjoying his All-Star experience Phil Miller | Star Tribune | July 11, 2017

MIAMI – Brandon Kintzler examined the choices and mulled the prices. He needed a jersey for a nephew, a T-shirt for his wife, maybe a couple of Christmas presents to stash away for more distant relatives.

Even All-Stars need to shop for souvenirs.

“It’s kind of expensive, isn’t it?” Kintzler joked about his stop at one of Marlins Park’s many team stores. The Twins closer didn’t have an All-Star bonus written into his contract — who would ever expect he would need one, right? — “so this is all coming out of my pocket,” he said. “We really need to win the game tomorrow” to increase his check for participating.

Believe it, though, he’s not really complaining. For one thing, he got his deposit back on the cabin he had rented for his family over the break. “They were Twins fans,” he said. “Nice people.”

No, Kintzler just has a hard time contemplating the fact that a career that once veered into independent ball when he couldn’t find a minor league job has arrived at the All-Star Game.

“It’s been a whirlwind. I haven’t had a chance to breathe,” said the 32-year-old, who was added to the AL roster Friday. “I mean, I was just sitting around eating with a bunch of All-Stars, that was a lot of fun. And taking the team picture, that may be the coolest thing so far. I was between Mookie Betts and Lance McCullers. You realize you’re taking a picture with the best players in the league. Some of those guys will probably be in the Hall of Fame.”

Jonathan Schoop, the Orioles All-Star second baseman, even came up to him and told him how impressive his sinker was over the weekend. “The fact that these guys know who I am, it’s definitely something I’m not used to,” Kintzler said.

Well, there have been a few hints that not everyone knows yet. Kintzler’s All-Star jersey was missing the “1 Star” patch that designates how many appearances each player has made. And those jerseys he bought as gifts — do they say “Kintzler” on the back? “Oh, of course not,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll put that on ourselves.”

Sale gets nod over Santana Not that he was expecting it, but Ervin Santana’s hopes to start an All-Star Game were dashed when AL manager Brad Mills chose Boston lefthander Chris Sale, who will make his second consecutive All-Star start for the AL.

“It’s OK. I’m just happy to be here,” Santana said. “I’ll just pitch when they tell me to.”

Sale is a six-time All-Star who leads the majors in and owns a 2.75 ERA, so his selection over the Twins’ Santana and Kansas City’s Jason Vargas wasn’t a surprise.

“I’m very appreciative of it,” Sale said. “A lot of hard work and dedication goes into this, not only on my end, but the people I’m surrounded by — catchers, teammates, coaching staff. I’m very lucky.”

Washington’s Max Scherzer will start for the NL. Scherzer started for the AL in 2013 when he was with Detroit.

Francona feeling better Mills said Terry Francona, who guided Cleveland to the World Series last fall, came in to the Indians clubhouse Sunday, an indication of how well he is feeling after undergoing a procedure Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat.

“I’m sure [Francona] would love to be here,” said Mills, the Indians bench coach. “He’s resting and doing well.”

Francona managed the AL team to victories in 2005 and 2008, after winning World Series with the Red Sox the previous seasons. 3

Another sneaky reason for Twins' success so far: Baserunning Michael Rand | Star Tribune | July 10, 2017

Here we are at the All-Star break — and yes the last two Twins games were a poor way to go into a four-day layoff — with the overall picture for the team looking far more optimistic than most would have imagined at the start of the season.

Minnesota is 45-43, trailing Cleveland by just 2.5 games in the AL Central and having positioned itself firmly in the Wild Card mix. The roster is hardly perfect, and there is a looming feeling that the Twins could still slide post-break and wind up more like a 75-win team than an 80-85 win team, but so far you have to consider this year a success coming off of last year’s 59-103 debacle.

The reasons for the improvement have been well-chronicled and often start with an upgraded defense that has gone from being one of the league’s worst to among the league’s best.

An underrated part of the success story, though, is worthy of at least a brief mention. So let’s dabble a bit in the Twins’ very good baserunning this season.

Per this site, as of a few days ago, the Twins ranked third in MLB in “net gain” on the basepaths, a Bill James-derived stat that measures advancement on hits, outs and stolen bases relative to missed opportunities or negative outcomes. Minnesota was plus-50, trailing only the Rangers and Diamondbacks.

This type of thing shows up obviously in things like scoring from first on a single (!), but even subtle base advancements are critical for manufacturing runs and building innings.

If you prefer a different metric, Reference offers a stat called “extra bases taken percentage,” which focuses on the times a base runner advances more than one base on a single (or more than two bases on a double). The Twins sit at 45 percent, good for fifth in MLB (again, the Rangers and Diamondbacks are two of the teams ahead of them, so there is certainly some synergy between the two different metrics).

It helps that they don’t have a lot of real plodders in their lineup. Buxton is almost automatic to go first to third on a single, while others like Brian Dozier, and are equipped for it as well. has long been considered a very good baserunner despite having only average speed.

Sticking just with stolen bases, the Twins are tied for ninth in MLB with 52, while they have been successful 78 percent of the time (tied for fifth). So they’re both reasonably aggressive and quite efficient when swiping bases.

It all adds up. It might only be a run here or a run there, but for a team with a minus-60 run differential but a winning record thanks in large part to a 10-5 mark in one-run games, extra bases that mean extra runs are vital.

Two years after closing All-Star Game, Glen Perkins' career could be closing Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | July 11, 2017

Glen Perkins was in his third professional season when he debuted with the 2006 Twins. He was on the postseason roster and made one appearance for what had been a streaking Twins team that was swept in a three-game upset by the Oakland A’s.

Two years later, Perkins spent the first month at Class AAA Rochester, moved into the Twins rotation, and went 12-4 in 26 starts. That team lost a Game 163 to the White Sox, 1-0 in Chicago.

Perkins opened the 2009 season with three excellent starts, he became less effective, had some arm problems and wound up rehabbing in Fort Myers. His numbers in the big leagues that year were terrible – 6-7 with a 5.98 ERA and 120 hits allowed in 96 1/3 innings.

He spent most of the 2010 season in Rochester and was terrible again – a 5.61 ERA, mostly as a starter. Still, he was on the 40-player roster, the Twins were scrounging for lefties, and he made 13 appearances (and one start) in the late summer in the big leagues.

It appeared that he was at the end of the line with his home-state team. Then, he had a sitdown with manager Ron Gardenhire near the end of 2011 , made the roster as a reliever, and outpitched Jose Mijares to become the No. 1 bullpen lefty.

Perkins was 29 when he started to get regular chances to save games for the Twins in the middle of the 2012 season. He was the closer from 2013 to 2015, with 102 saves and three All-Star selections. 4

The 2013 game was held at Citi Field in New York. Perkins was held in reserve by manager Jim Leyland, in case the game went to extra innings. It did not, with the Americans winning 3-0.

Perkins was an All-Star rookie and was excited to be part of the extravaganza, whether or not he pitched.

The 2014 game was held at Target Field. Perkins entered in the top of the ninth with the Americans holding a 5-3 lead. His catcher was Kurt Suzuki, a Twins teammate.

Perkins retired Miguel Montero on a fly ball, struck out Josh Harrison and retired Charlie Blackmon on a fly ball. It was a 1-2-3 save in front of a pumped-up home crowd.

“I said at the time that, individually, I don’t know how you can have a better moment,’’ Perkins said. “I appreciated that this was almost impossible – to be pitching for the Twins, my team as a kid, and getting a chance to finish an All-Star Game on a great night in a new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, after where I’d been three years earlier.’’

That home All-Star Game was the highlight of a fourth straight lost season for the Twins. There was a revival with new manager Paul Molitor in 2015, and for 3 ½ months, no one was more important to that than Perkins.

He was an All-Star again, unquestionably. He had 28 saves in as many attempts leading to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati. He had pitched in 37 games and allowed five runs, for an ERA of 1.24 and a batting average against of .193.

Again, Perkins was the pitcher on the mound at the end of an victory, 6-3. There was no save this time, as he entered with a 6- 2 lead and gave up a run on a triple by Ryan Braun and a sacrifice fly Brandon Crawford.

And then it was gone – first the save perfection, then the effectiveness, and finally the health of his left shoulder.

Kevin Jepsen was the closer down the stretch of that failed attempt to attain a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Perkins was out for a time in September -- and there were grumbles that this was a routine for him, to find an ailment when things stopped going well on the mound.

Terrific theory, but this time for sure, an ailment had found him.

He wasn’t reaching 90 miles per hour with his fastball in spring training of 2016. Again, there were grumbles, that Perkins was unwilling to turn it loose.

Torn labrums have a tendency to prevent turning it loose. Perkins pitched in two games early in April, and that was it. He went to the disabled list and spent six weeks trying to rehab the sore left shoulder.

“If you undergo labrum surgery, it takes six to eight months at a minimum to get back on the mound,’’ Perkins said. “If I had been 25, I would have undergone surgery right away. I was 33. I tried to rehab for a few weeks.’’

The surgery on Perkins’ labrum took place in late May of 2016. He hasn’t pitched since. The schedule’s a wastin’ and he’s not really close, but he’s going back to Fort Myers on Wednesday, to see if it’s feasible to get back on a big-league mound late in this season – late in what will be the last year of his contract with the Twins.

“As I mentioned, some come back in six to eight months from labrum surgery, some take a year or more, and some never are able to throw at a competitive level,’’ Perkins said. “I’m 34 and never going to throw like I did, but if I can find some consistency, I feel like I still could get some people out this season.’’

Perkins threw live batting practice and in simulated games five times at Target Field in late May, before leaving in early June for Fort Myers. He was there for five weeks, saw progress, then a setback that required a cortisone shot in his bicep, and another erratic throwing session late last week.

“I threw 35 pitches, and 15 of them were really good … decent velocity, felt great coming out of the hand,’’ Perkins said. “And then other pitches felt terrible and were flying all over the place.’’

Perkins came home over the weekend to see his family, wife Alisha and his daughters, Lyla, 10, the hockey player, and Addie, 8, the aspiring 5 distance runner. On Monday, there was a mountain bike ride. On Tuesday, a little more quality time with the girls.

How about the All-Star Game?

“I was thinking about what a great time that is for the players … for Miguel [Sano], for Ervin [Santana], and especially for a guy like Brandon Kintzler who has been through so much to get here,’’ Perkins said. “But the game itself, I’ll probably follow it on , and check the highlights if our guys have a good night.’’

On Wednesday, as the All-Star festivities close down in Miami, Perkins will be heading back to Florida, to Fort Myers, for what would appear to be his last shot at rescuing even a smidgen of the 2017 season.

“Hey, I’ve seen the No. 1 draft choice, Royce Lewis, a couple of times down there,’’ Perkins said. “I really like the way he carries himself on the field. Good kid.’’

Miguel Sano loses out to Aaron Judge in Home Run Derby final Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 10, 2017

MIAMI — Twins third baseman Miguel Sano gave it a good run in his first-ever Home Run Derby, but he couldn’t quite slug his way past Aaron Judge.

Judge, the ’ rookie right fielder who leads the majors with 30 homers, surpassed Sano’s final-round total with 1:53 left in the four-minute period. Sano, seeded fifth in the eight-man event, hit 10 homers after squeezing out a pair of 11-10 victories in the first two rounds.

“He’s an animal,” Sano said. “That’s all you can say about him. This is the first time I’ve seen Aaron Judge hit in (batting practice). I can tell you, he’s a monster.”

The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Judge, a former Fresno State teammate of Twins reliever Justin Haley, became the fourth Yankees slugger to win the event since it began at the Metrodome in 1985. He joined Robinson Cano (2011), Jason Giambi (2002) and Tino Martinez (1997).

Throwing to Sano in this made-for-TV event was former big-league third baseman Fernando Tatis, his trainer this offseason back in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Tatis, who hit 34 homers for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, has a namesake son who played in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game.

While Sano had to take more pitches than usual in the final round, he had nothing but praise for Tatis afterward.

“He threw really good,” Sano said. “He did a great job throwing the ball to me. That was a long time for him to be pitching. He doesn’t need to feel bad. He needs to feel good. Next year, if I go again, I’ll bring Tatis again.”

To reach the final, Sano had to best Judge’s Yankees teammate, Gary Sanchez, who had upset defending champion and local favorite Giancarlo Stanton 17-16 in the opening round. Hitting after Sanchez in the semis, Sano left the yard four times on his first seven swings.

In his first-round matchup, Sano prevailed over divisional counterpart Mike Moustakas of the . Sano homered just once on his first five swings before heating up.

He threatened the Home Run Sculpture in deep left-center with his fourth blast and later bonked it solidly on his ninth homer. Given a 30- second bonus round because he had at least two shots carry beyond 440 feet, Sano tacked on two more homers to his first-round total.

He needed every one of those as the lefty-swinging Moustakas mounted a late rally that fell one homer short.

“I wasn’t nervous but I felt excited on my first couple swings,” Sano said. “My first home run derby. It’s a big moment for me and my whole family. Next year I’ll prepare myself to come here for the Home Run Derby. I’m here because I want to compete with him.”

He was referring to Judge.

Sano was the seventh different Twins player to participate in the home run derby, with Brian Dozier (2014 at Target Field) the most recent. Joe Mauer competed in 2009 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

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In 2008 at Yankee Stadium, Twins first baseman Justin Morneau outlasted Josh Hamilton to win the crown. Morneau also competed in 2007 in San Francisco, while Torii Hunter was in the 2002 event at Milwaukee.

Gary Gaetti (1989) and Tom Brunansky (1985) were the only other Twins to participate in the derby since its inception in 1985 at the Metrodome.

Twins teammates tell Miguel Sano’s mentor ‘he’s a different guy’ Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 10, 2017

MIAMI — Eight-time all-star second baseman Robinson Cano has known Miguel Sano since the latter’s pre-teen days in the Dominican Republic, so when Cano’s Seattle Mariners visited Target Field last month he made sure to ask around about his protégé.

“Talking to his teammates, they say he’s a different guy,” Cano said Monday at Marlins Park. “That’s something that makes me proud because I know I’ve been talking to him and he’s getting better. He also went home to lift some weights. You can tell how hard he worked this offseason, and it paid off.”

Cano, who won the 2011 home run derby in Phoenix, urged Sano to “be patient” and wait for his pitch. Former big-league third baseman Fernando Tatis, who served as Sano’s baseball guru this winter, was set to throw Sano in the made-for-TV event on Monday night.

Tatis, who played winter ball with Cano in the past, is now his neighbor in San Pedro de Macoris.

“We’re in the same community, so we’re always talking,” Cano said. “I see him a lot. To get to where he lives, he has to pass my house, and we get along pretty good.”

Sano, who jumped to Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports a little over one year after Cano signed his 10-year, $240 million free-agent deal with the agency’s help, smiled when Cano’s name was raised.

“That’s my boy,” Sano said. “I’ve known Cano for a long time. He tries to help me a lot, and I appreciate that from him. He’s a great person. He’s a great player. He tries to teach me (on and off) the field, what all players need to do. He’s taught me a lot of good things.”

Cano made his first all-star appearance in 2006 at age 23. While Sano is 24, this is his second full season as well in the majors after losing all of 2014 to Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

Twins closer Brandon Kintzler wasn’t sure how things would work out, but the cabin owners up at Gull Lake in northern Minnesota refunded his entire $2,800 pre-payment for the all-star break.

“They were Twins fans,” said the first-time all-star, who sent in his payment just before learning he was named as an injury replacement to the American League team. “Nice people.”

Kintzler had discussed off-loading the cabin to Twins second baseman Brian Dozier or even gifting it to setup man . In the end, Kintzler opted for the refund.

He did not receive the typical $25,000 bonus for making the all-star team. That’s because the Twins have a policy against incentive clauses for players in the arbitration system.

“We tried,” said Kintzler, who is still quite a bargain this year at $2.925 million.

Winning share in Tuesday’s game is $20,000 per player, so Kintzler is hoping to offset his all-star travel outlay for friends and family that way.

“If we win the game, it pays for itself,” he said. “We’ve got to win the game.”

NO START

Asked last week if he would like to start Tuesday’s All-Star Game, Ervin Santana threw his hat in the ring.

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“Of course,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to?”

The Twins’ top starter accurately forecast that the assignment would go elsewhere. Indeed, lefty Chris Sale was named to his second straight all-star start.

He will oppose Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer, his former rival during the pair’s American League Central days with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, respectively.

The last American League starter to earn the nod two straight years was Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dave Stieb in 1983-84.

Santana still ranks fourth in AL ERA at 2.99 despite a shaky June, but Sale (2.75) got the nod over him and Kansas City lefty Jason Vargas, who leads the league with a 2.62 ERA.

Just two Twins pitchers have started the All-Star Game: Jack Morris in 1991 and Frank Viola in 1988.

All-stars Miguel Sano, Ervin Santana help Twins increase Dominican presence Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 10, 2017

MIAMI — When Miguel Sano steps into the batter’s box and Ervin Santana climbs atop the pitcher’s mound Tuesday night at Marlins Park, they won’t just be representing the Twins at the All-Star Game. They will be representing their native Dominican Republic, which has sent 13 players to this year’s midsummer classic.

The Twins join the New York Yankees (three) and Seattle Mariners (two) as the only big-league teams with multiple 2017 all-stars from that baseball-rich nation.

Factor in the recent signings of 44-year-old Bartolo Colon, author of the second-most wins among Dominican-born pitchers, and 16-year-old shortstop Jelfry Marte to a $3 million bonus at the July 2 opening of the international amateur signing period, and it’s clear the Twins are on a roll in that part of the world.

“We’re in a great place down there,” Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. “I think we have the best facility down there right now (in Boca Chica), which is meaningful for us. Certainly every other team has a presence, but we talk a lot about what that means down there and the impact we can make with young players down there.”

Also hitting the radar this year: Starting shortstop , who joined Sano in the epic 2009 international signing class; rookie pitchers Felix Jorge and Randy Rosario (called up from Double-A Chattanooga for quick cameos); and rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia, acquired last July for 2016 all-star shortstop Eduardo Nunez, also a Dominican.

TURNING THE TIDE

Twenty years ago it was Venezuela where the Twins had the strongest international scouting presence, but they seem to be climbing the charts in the Dominican Republic.

“Out of the 30 teams, we’re in the top 10 right now because of just the way we go about our business with Latin players,” said Fred Guerrero, Latin American scouting coordinator for the Twins. “We have a new academy. Players want to go there. We do a pretty good job here in the minor leagues developing talent.”

The Twins’ list of top prospects includes Dominican shortstop Wander Javier, signed for $4 million at age 16 in 2015, and hard-throwing right- hander Fernando Romero, rated the Twins’ No. 4 prospect by MLB.com. Of the Twins’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com, six were signed out of the Dominican.

That includes Jorge (8), Class A first baseman Lewin Diaz (9), Javier (15), right-hander Huascar Ynoa (22) and Rosario (27).

“It really helps when you’ve got Dominican or Latin players, and we have a bunch of Latin players right now on this team,” Guerrero said. “It makes young kids want to be with us and want to sign with us.”

When that core includes one of the game’s most feared power hitters in Sano, and a two-time all-star in Santana, signed to a four-year, $55 million free-agent deal in December 2014, the organizational profile only increases among the buscones (or trainer/agents) and impoverished 8 families.

“They’ve done a great job,” said former general manager Omar Minaya, now working as a senior adviser to players’ union chief Tony Clark. “I think that started with and Billy Smith. They’ve always been very engaged, involved. And the new (regime), I’m pretty sure, understands that and is really respectful of the work those guys have done.”

Guerrero, 37, is the son of late scouting legend Epy Guerrero, who signed close to 65 future major leaguers for the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers. The younger Guerrero has impressed those who know the confusing Dominican baseball landscape.

“That young kid they have working down there is a very solid kid,” said the Dominican-born Minaya, who helped the Texas Rangers sign Sammy Sosa in the 1980s. “He comes from really good baseball roots, and I think he’s doing a great job for them. He knows what he’s doing.”

The best example of that came in the summer and fall of 2009, when Guerrero’s strong relationship with Sano and his family enabled the Twins to prevail in a complicated, multi-team battle that included DNA testing and the involvement of the commissioner’s office.

In the end, the Twins got their man for $3.15 million, second-largest bonus ever at that point for a Dominican amateur, but well below what other clubs were willing to offer. The New York Yankees, , , Boston Red Sox and all reportedly pursued Sano.

“Fred knows how to handle things,” Minaya said. “He’s very respectful. The Twins have a guy that’s representing them really well.”

And sending Sano and Santana to the same All-Star Game can’t hurt their ability to sign more Dominican prospects.

“I think it matters,” Minaya said. “Some organizations are known as friendly toward that demographic. The Pirates and the Dodgers were known for years that way. For Latin players to be coming out of the (Twins) system, that helps out a lot.”

TATIS EFFECT

At 24, Sano is the Twins’ youngest all-star since Joe Mauer (23) and Francisco Liriano (22) were selected for the 2006 game in Pittsburgh.

With 21 homers at the break and the game’s top exit velocity for most of the first half, Sano has the game and the personality to capture the imagination of young fans across the ethnic spectrum.

He credits his offseason work with Fernando Tatis, the 11-year big-league third baseman from the same hometown (San Pedro de Macoris), with refocusing him and preparing him for the rigors of his third season in the majors.

“I worked hard every day,” Sano said. “I worked from 6 in the morning to 4 p.m., with only a little break. I was working physically and working on defense. It all started with the tee, and I got a special trainer. I was working on little things to prove I can do more and to be better.”

Those Tatis sessions, which were arranged by agent Kyle Thousand and others at Roc Nation Sports, flowed from a talk Guerrero had with Sano in the visitors’ clubhouse at Cleveland’s Progressive Field last September.

“It was more about taking care of his body and working on his defense,” Guerrero said. “He wants to be a leader. He wants to be the guy on a team and he wants to represent. I think it will be good for him to see how the other (all-stars) go about their business and learn and have that experience from other guys that have been in the league for many years.”

‘THINGS HAVE CHANGED’

Eight years after wondering whether his dream would be undercut by controversy over his age, Sano is here at the game’s individual pinnacle along with his wife Daniela, their 9-month-old son Dylan Miguel; mother Melania and stepfather Alvin; and a younger brother and sister.

Ricardo Jean, Sano’s biological father, was unable to make the trip from the Dominican for the all-star festivities but Guerrero said the hope is he will make it to the U.S. to watch his son later this season.

“It was a tough time for them (in 2009), but they’re very happy right now,” Guerrero said. “They’re not in that situation. Things have changed for them for good. Better education, new home. He’s doing well here in the big leagues. Hopefully he keeps working hard and putting up good 9 numbers.”

Having scouted Sano since he was a 14-year-old, over-sized shortstop, Guerrero had to project how he might develop in a variety of ways, including physically.

“I knew he was going to be big,” Guerrero said with a smile. “His father (Ricardo) is a pretty big man. He’s not tall, but he’s a strong man.”

Now somewhere around 275 pounds, Sano has shown even greater growth off the field, taking full advantage of the Twins’ English-language program in Fort Myers and throughout his rise through the minors.

“He’s matured a lot,” Guerrero said. “Handling the press and doing interviews and signing autographs, some people don’t see it for the Latin players, but that’s a big change for them. He’s not afraid to speak English. He likes to do interviews in English, and that’s good.”

There will be plenty of opportunities for Sano to answer media questions in both Spanish and English. His career is just getting started, and with it, perhaps, a long line of successful Twins signings out of the Dominican Republic.

“He’s a team player,” Guerrero said. “He was very loyal. We knew he was going to be good, so we went through the process and everybody was all in.”

Twins trio set for ASG: Tonight, 6:30 CT, FOX Maria Guardado | MLB | July 11, 2017

MIAMI -- Not much was expected of the Twins at the beginning of the season. After all, they were coming off a season in which they lost an MLB-most 103 games. But Minnesota emerged as a surprise contender in the first half and entered the All-Star break at 45-43, only 2 1/2 games behind the Indians in the American League Central.

One of the most tangible symbols of their unexpected success could be found on the warning track of Marlins Park on Monday afternoon, where Ervin Santana, Miguel Sano and Brandon Kintzler sat in booths and fielded questions during the media availability for tonight's 2017 All- Star Game presented by Mastercard (6:30 CT on FOX). They represent the Twins' first trio of All-Stars since 2009, when Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan earned trips to the Midsummer Classic.

"I think probably a lot of people don't believe what happened with the Twins now," Sano said. "But I can tell you that I feel real different. I know my team has a lot of surprise for this year. This is one of the best teams right now in the big leagues. We have a lot of young players. We have Ervin Santana. We have Jose Berrios. Our team is playing really good."

Sano has been at the forefront of the turnaround, bouncing back from a rough sophomore campaign to be an All-Star in his first year as a full- time third baseman. He credits Fernando Tatis for helping him this year, as he served as his trainer in the offseason in the Dominican Republic and also threw to him in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. Sano, a Dominican Republic native, said he expects roughly 20 family members to attend the All-Star festivities.

"I feel really excited to be here today because I worked really hard for this," Sano said in Spanish. "Thanks to God, they gave me the opportunity to be in the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, and I feel super happy to have the chance to be here."

Sano advanced to the Derby final on Monday night by defeating Royals slugger Mike Moustakas in Round 1 and the Yankees' Gary Sanchez in Round 2 before bowing out to Sanchez's teammate and eventual champion Aaron Judge.

Santana has been the staff's anchor this year and is an All-Star for the first time since 2008, when he was with the Angels. The 34-year-old veteran has four complete games, which is more than any team, and twice as many as any player. He also leads the AL with 11 starts in which he allowed one run or fewer.

"It's great to be here and share this with my teammates," Santana said. "I did my job in the first half, throwing strikes and keeping the ball low. Now I can focus on the second half and enjoy the All-Star Game."

Kintzler, who was added as an injury replacement, is the Twins' most unlikely All-Star. As recently as eight years ago, Kintzler was pitching in Independent ball, and joined Minnesota on a Minor League contract before last season. After Glen Perkins went down with a shoulder injury that required surgery, Kintzler slid into the closer role and flourished, entering the All-Star break with 23 saves.

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"Just being healthy and getting opportunities," said Kintzler, a first-time All-Star at 32. "You've got to get the opportunity to succeed in big roles like that, and you've got to take advantage of it. I know those opportunities for me don't come very much, so the second the Twins were willing to give me a chance to close, you've got to take it and run with it, or else that opportunity might not come again."

Kintzler had planned on spending the All-Star break with his family at a cabin in Gull Lake, Minn., though he had to cancel those plans and make new travel arrangements to Miami when he received news of his selection. He did get his $2,800 deposit back, though. "They gave me my money back," Kintzler said. "They were Twins fans. Nice people."

Sano so close, falls to Judge in Derby finals Jenifer Langosch | MLB | July 11, 2017

MIAMI -- A dark horse in an event where Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge consumed most of the pre-swing hype, Miguel Sano, as a first-time participant in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, emerged as its runner-up.

Seeded fifth in the competition, Sano knocked out Mike Moustakas and Gary Sanchez on his way to meeting Judge in the final round at Marlins Park on Monday night. There would be no upset -- Judge surpassed Sano's total of 10 finals home runs with plenty of time to spare. But on a night that served as a showcase for some of the game's young power hitters, Sano solidified his place among them.

"Especially for him, the first time in the All-Star Game and to be up there and hit all those long balls, I think it's big time for him," said former Major Leaguer Fernando Tatis, who served as Sano's offseason trainer over the winter and his Derby pitcher on Monday. "I think to be up there and be in the Derby and compete with all those big guys is completely amazing. It's something that he really needed because of the type of hitter that he is -- a power hitter."

In a finals matchup that featured the two players with the highest average exit velocity in the season's first half, Sano set the benchmark with his 10 home runs. Though Sano's longest homers came earlier in the night, he averaged 417 feet and an exit velocity of 106.4 mph in that last round.

"I competed the best I could over there," Sano said. "What I can I say about that? He's an animal. The first time I saw Aaron Judge hit BP, I could tell he was a monster."

Sano hit 32 homers in all. They covered a distance of 2.5 miles, with his longest traveling 491 feet. His exit velocity peaked at 113 mph with one of his 11 semifinal swings. All of Sano's homers went to left or left-center field, and four of the round-trippers he hit went longer than the longest regular-season homer of his career at 464 feet.

"It was a big moment for me and my whole family," Sano said. "I prepared myself to come here for the Home Run Derby. I'm here because I wanted to compete with [Judge]."

To get to Judge, Sano first had to scoot past two worthy challengers. The first of the eight participants to take a swing, Sano opened Derby night by edging out Moustakas, 11-10. Twenty-seven seconds into his first round, Sano got on the board with a 446-foot blast. Three of his next four homers traveled even farther, including a 470-foot shot that clanked off the glass windows beyond the left-field seats.

Moustakas fell a few feet short of tying Sano with his final swing in the first round. The difference proved to be the extra 30 seconds Sano earned by hitting two homers at least 440 feet in his initial four minutes of time. Sano tallied his final two during the bonus period.

Sano did not need any additional time in the semifinals, where he stepped in knowing that 10 was the number to beat. Sano did so with 43 seconds left on his clock. He crushed a 491-foot homer -- the seventh-longest home run of the night -- and bounced another off the left-field foul pole. The home run that sent him into the finals -- a 392-foot shot to left field -- was his shortest of the round.

Sano, who said he would love to participate in the Derby again, insisted nerves never set in. The same couldn't be said by Tatis, who wanted to make the most of an invitation to appear on a stage he never reached during an 11-year career. "It's a great feeling for me," said Tatis, still the only player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in one inning. "[I played] a lot of years in the Major Leagues and never being able to make it to the All-Star Game, and here we are. It was a great moment."

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Miguel Sano found lightning both in his bat and outside the field on one Home Run Derby blast Andrew Mearns | MLB | July 11, 2017

Miguel Sano might have finished runner-up to Aaron Judge at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, but he did produce perhaps the coolest GIF of the night during one of his 32 long balls.

Sano's first homer of the finals matchup against Judge was a 447-foot moonshot to left-center field that descended just as lightning struck. It was quite visible through the clear back windows of Marlins Park, creating an apt metaphor for what he just did to the ball.

Judgement Day: Miguel Sano falls to Aaron Judge in Home Run Derby final Matthew Coller | ESPN 1500 | July 10, 2017

Miguel Sano’s motion was denied by Aaron Judge on Monday night at the Home Run Derby in Miami.

The ’ All-Star third baseman advanced to the final after defeating Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas and Gary Sanchez, but Judge kept his court in order by smashing 11 home runs to take the home run title.

Judge swung a heavy gavel, beating Justin Bour and Cody Bellinger on his way to the final. He laid down the law on , clearing 500 feet several times, with his farthest homer reaching 513 feet. Judge’s final ruling totaled 47 home runs.

The Yankees’ slugger came into the Derby as the big leagues’ leader in home runs with 30.

Both Judge and Sano will be asked to appear in front of the National League on Tuesday night in the MLB All-Star Game.

Mining the Minors: Can Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero Help this Season? Jake Depue | ESPN 1500 | July 10, 2017

The Twins made an interesting (and fun) move Friday, signing 44-year-old Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal. The hope for the Twins is he can rediscover a bit of his old magic and give them some quality starts in the second half of the season. Although Colon might temporarily block intriguing young arms from getting a chance in the show, the Twins have also shown a willingness to give those arms a shot.

Double-A right-hander Felix Jorge has been given two starts in the big leagues; one good and one bad. Could his more highly-touted rotation mates—Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero—also surface in the big leagues this season?

Stephen Gonsalves

During the early part of the season, when Gonsalves remained on the DL with a shoulder issue, I posited that the injury likely delays his timeline to the big leagues. With Gonsalves pitching well again at Double-A (2.67 ERA, 0.907 WHIP, 10.3 K/9), though, there’s another way to look at his late start to the season.

If the Twins deem Gonsalves as ready for a crack at the big leagues and call him up in early August, for example, the late start might actually be a blessing in disguise. Gonsalves has pitched just 54 innings this season entering play Saturday. Had he started the season healthy, that number would likely be in the 80-90 range. Given his youth and top prospect status, the Twins likely want to be conservative with his innings this season. Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that they’ll shut him down after 180 innings or so, like the Nationals did with Stephen Strasburg a few years ago. By starting the year late, Gonsalves has, in essence, bought himself an additional 5 or so starts at the end of the season. If the Twins are in contention in September, and Gonsalves is healthy and pitching well, those extra innings could make a significant difference in a division or wild card push.

Now, I probably need to pump the brakes a bit. Gonsalves hasn’t even been called up yet, and the Twins could easily fade before September. But they’ve also shown both a willingness to call up young pitchers from Double-A (Felix Jorge, Randy Rosario), and an ability to hang around the playoff race even when metrics like run differential suggest they should be out of it. If they can keep lingering around .500 through the trade deadline, calling up a guy like Gonsalves could have a similar impact as trading for a back-end starter, and if he can give you 30 more innings than he otherwise would, all the better.

Fernando Romero

All season long, I’ve written that I’d be shocked if the Twins called up Romero this year. Unlike Gonsalves, Romero has been accruing innings all 12 season, and has never pitched even 100 innings in a season in his career. He’s at 85.2 innings on the year so far, and will likely eclipse his previous career high of 90.1 IP in his next start.

However, I’m not quite as confident in my claim that Romero has no shot of pitching in the big leagues this season anymore (walking back earlier things I’ve written seems to be a theme of this column). Romero has been really good for Chattanooga this season (2.94 ERA, 1.284 WHIP, 9.0 K/9), and dominant lately. Although I’m admittedly cherry-picking, in his last eight starts he has a 1.38 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 45.2 IP. If the Twins are willing to give Felix Jorge, a similarly young Double-A prospect with less upside than Romero, multiple big league starts, who’s to say they wouldn’t do the same with the No. 4 prospect in their organization? Romero is on the 40-man, and whatever his innings limit is this year, there’s no reason he couldn’t use some of them with the Twins.

Unlike Gonsalves, the prospect of Romero pitching into September and possibly October seems really unlikely, because of the probable innings limit. I just can’t imagine them letting him pitch late into the season when he’s had arm problems in the past (he had Tommy John in 2014). But if he could give the Twins, say, five decent starts, that would go a long way to filling out the back end of the rotation. For a team desperately looking for back-of-the-rotation stability, a combination of Colon, Gonsalves, Romero and Jorge could work for half a season. (Also, just for fun, the combined age of Gonsalves and Romero is 45, one year older than Colon).

Twins’ Sano falls in Home Run Derby finals to Aaron Judge Fox Sports North | July 11, 2017

The Sano storm in Miami was stopped just shy of a full-on blizzard.

After knocking out Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas and New York’s Gary Sanchez in the first two rounds, Minnesota Twins slugger Miguel Sano lost 11-10 in the 2017 Home Run Derby finals to Yankees rookie phenom Aaron Judge.

Sano launched 11 homers in each of the first two rounds, but he got off to a slow start in the finals. The 24-year-old slugger hit just one homer in the round’s opening 86 seconds, struggling to find an early rhythm with pitcher Fernando Tatis.

He rallied to hit five homers in his last five swings to finish with 10, but it wasn’t enough to beat Judge.

Judge, who leads with 30 home runs this season and was the No. 2 seed in the derby, hit 11 homers with 1:34 remaining on the clock to win.

Sano would have become the first Twins player to win the Home Run Derby since Justin Morneau in 2008.

Sano’s longest bomb of the finals was measured at 449 feet, and he hit for an exit velocity of 110 miles per hour three times. Judge, on the other hand, launched one 480 feet in the finals. The Yankees outfielder accounted for the four longest homers of the night — 513, 507, 504 and 501 feet — all smacked in the first two rounds.

QUARTERFINALS

In the first round of the bracket-style tournament, Sano led off the night by taking down No. 4 seed Moustakas, 11-10.

Sano blasted nine homers in the four-minute period and added two more in the 30-second bonus round to top his division rival and advance to the semifinals.

Sano’s longest home run in the quarterfinals traveled 470 feet. His hardest-hit ball had an exit velocity of 112 miles per hour.

Moustakas’ total was at 10 with a minute left on the clock, but he ran out of gas and couldn’t knock out an 11th to tie the Twins slugger.

To earn the 30-second bonus time, a player had to hit at least two homers over 440 feet. Sano blasted three, while Moustakas only hammered one (although the Royals slugger hit another ball 437 feet … so close).

Sano hit the home run sculpture (yes, that gaudy structure in left-center field that looks like it belongs in a theme park) twice.

SEMIFINALS

Sano edged out Yankees’ Sanchez in the second round by a score of 11-10. 13

Sanchez, who upset No. 1 seed and defending champion Giancarlo Stanton 17-16 in the first round, couldn’t find the same stroke in the semifinals.

Sano’s longest homer of the round measured at 491 feet, which turned out to be the seventh-longest dinger of the night. Five of his home runs traveled 440 feet or more, and his top exit velocity was 113 miles per hour. In total, his 11 home runs traveled a combined 4,829 feet.

Sanchez also hit five blasts over 440 feet — including one at 487 feet — but came up short.

The second round put Sano’s total for the night at 22, which, of course, is his jersey number. Was this the plan after all?

The Home Run Derby wasn’t the first time Sano has topped Sanchez in his career. Back in 2009, Sanchez signed with the Yankees for $3 million at the age of 15. A 16-year-old Sano one-upped that, signing with the Twins for a then-record $3.19 million.

After advancing to the final round, Sano had some inspiring words for fans around Twins Territory.

Kyle Rudolph tweets Home Run Derby support for Miguel Sano Anthony Broome | 247 Sports | July 10, 2017

Kyle Rudolph made his pick for who to root for well-known during the MLB Home Run Derby in Miami, Florida on Monday night.

The Minnesota Twins had Miguel Sano participating and he made a run all the way to the final against eventual-winner Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees' slugger. Still, the Vikings tight end was impressed with what he saw.

Kyle Rudolph ✔ @KyleRudolph82 Our guy @SanoMiguel is making it SANO down in Miami!! #HRDerby #Finals 8:46 PM - 10 Jul 2017 51 51 Retweets 474 474 likes

Sano put on an impressive showing where his power was on full display. The 24-year-old third basemen has put up monster numbers for the Twins this season, hitting .276 with 21 home runs and 62 runs batted in at the All-Star break.

How Thomas Boswell ranked all 30 MLB ballparks, and grouped them in four tiers Thomas Boswell | The Washington Post | July 11, 2017

When The Post’s deputy design director, Brian Gross, came to me looking to revive an idea for an interactive graphic featuring the 30 major- league baseball ballparks, we settled on a three-pronged approach. It would be part interactive checklist, part travel guide and part ranking — because, let’s be honest, sports fans love disagreeing with rankings.

I tapped five of The Post’s most knowledgeable baseball folks to create a composite ranking from a diverse set of viewpoints. Adam Kilgore and Dave Sheinin have covered both the AL and NL. Chelsea Janes brought both youth and a current beat writer’s opinion to the table. Lacy Lusk, a Post copy editor and contributor, has been to all 30 parks as a fan. They each willingly sent in a 1-to-30, which we used as part of the fascinating final product.

Columnist Thomas Boswell, as any Post reader knows, practically breathes baseball. Asking him to rank the 30 ballparks could not be more in his wheelhouse, and he enjoyed the project so much that he sent me not just a ranking, but commentary on how he arrived at his choices. He revised it three times. Rather than leave it on the editing-room floor, we present Boz’s insights here, as a complement to the interactive. Ballparks.

I divide them into four almost-equal groups: Great, excellent, very good and okay-to-poor. This is the age of great ballparks. That’s why only six parks are ranked worse than very good. No sport has ever seen anything like the high-quality stadium building that has happened since Camden Yards opened in 1992.

Excellent ballparks 13. Minnesota. Devoted, dome-suffering Twins fans deserve this lovely park. Minneapolis appreciates architecture and the downtown views

14 beyond right field are excellent. I walked the parks and environs for two days at the All-Star Game and while I liked it a lot, I’m biased against parks where high, steep grandstands wrap around too much of the outfield, making the experience a bit enclosed, claustrophobic from too many seats. The Warehouse District is a plus. But the 10 blocks to the Mississippi River means there’s no real waterfront connection. So, the Anacostia Riverwalk, which starts 250 feet from the Nationals Park right-field foul pole, and panoramic upper deck views in D.C., broke a deadlock with Target Field.

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