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Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Friday, April 19, 2013

 For birthday boy Mauer, there’s no time like the present. StarTribune.com (Miller) pg. 1  Twins-Chicago White Sox series preview. StarTriune.com (Neal) pg. 2  TwinsCentric: Why you should expect a rebound from . StarTribune.com (Hageman) pg. 3  Thursday (Roofless ) edition: Wha’ Happened? StarTribune.com (Rand) pg. 6  add tech at Target Field for fans. PioneerPress.com (Lindberg) pg. 7  For Twins’ Justin Morneau, paying it forward off field ‘best part of job.’ PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 7  ’s 30th birthday means another milestone for Twins . PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 10  Once again, Mauer quietly at the top of his game. MLB.com (Bollinger) pg. 14  Twins prospect Miguel Sano ‘could hold his own’ in majors right now. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) pg. 15  Five Minor League Games to be Televised By MLB Network. BaseballAmerica.com (Cooper) pg. 16  7-game skid comes to end. DemocratandChronicle.com (Mandelaro) pg. 16

For birthday boy Mauer, there’s no time like the present

Phil Miller / StarTribune.com – 4/19/13

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were already friends when the realization struck. Morneau was in the on-deck circle in Fort Myers, Fla., in March 2002, enjoying the thrill of his first big-league training camp, when he witnessed a moment that, even then, struck him as memorable. “I was standing there for Joe’s first at-bat in his first ,” Morneau said. “He went up there, took a pitch like he does, then got a hit up the middle, like you see all the time. He got a standing ovation — in spring training.

“I thought, ‘Oh, great. I get to follow this my whole career.’ ”

It’s actually turned out that way, mostly, through a career’s worth of milestones they’ve shared — the MVP awards, the fixed-for-life contracts, the weddings, the births (in Mauer’s case, the upcoming birth of twins). And on Friday, another big one.

Joe Mauer turns 30.

“It’s kind of crazy to think about,” said the St. Paul native, a Minnesota celebrity — all-conference basketball player, a Florida State recruit as a quarterback and the first pick in the major league draft in 2001 — for more than half his life. “I don’t want to make it too crazy, but it’s a birthday. You’re supposed to celebrate.”

He will party in Chicago, with some close friends and family that he has flown in for the occasion, and for the Twins’ series with the White Sox. And maybe he will reflect a little on the mile marker, as Morneau, who reached the round number in May 2011, did as well. “A lot of good memories, a lot of good times,” the Twins said. “It’s pretty amazing how fast it’s gone by.”

It’s official adulthood, basically, no turning back now — but it’s hardly the end. In fact, Morneau said he viewed his 30th as a way to look forward, not back.

~ 1 ~

“You hope it’s the start of the second half of your career,” said Morneau, who has been a full-time major leaguer since 2004. “You know, in everyday life, with a regular job, when you turn 30 you’re hopefully working your way up to a goal, or you’re just getting started out on your career. In , if you’re like Joe, he came up early, he’s been here a while — you’re not old, but you’re experienced. Your career is ahead of you, but a lot of it is behind you, too.”

Past the peak? How much more is ahead? The statistical peak of the average major league player was once pegged at around 27, but it has gradually grown to a year or later, sabermetricians say. Mauer, who has played 1,078 games before the age of 30 — 855 of them behind the plate — could easily be expected to play a similar number after his birthday, especially if he eventually moves to a less demanding position.

“For every guy who starts to decline at 30, there are some who keep going for a lot longer,” Twins closer Glen Perkins said. “He’s like a computer with his work ethic, and he hasn’t been reprogrammed. There are exceptions to every rule, but Joe is the exception to a lot of rules already. I expect he’ll be an exception to this one, too.”

That disciplined approach to his work and his preparation might be a big reason why.

“Seeing all the preparation he does, it’s so impressive. The games are only a fraction of the work he’s putting in,” said lefthander , who does a thorough review of each opposition hitter with Mauer before every start. “Having Joe as a catcher, someone who knows these hitters inside and out, he’s great at establishing a game plan and giving you confidence.”

Sports are fun, Mauer said, but they’re a profession for him, and he made it clear he takes that responsibility seriously. He has developed routines that he rarely deviates from, designed to keep him productive well beyond 30.

“At 25, you work hard on your swing, and taking ground balls. You work on your game,” Morneau said. “At 30, you work on your body.” There have been a few well-known glitches in that department, a kidney ailment that cost him a month in 2009, leg injuries that ruined 2011. But “he’s holding up pretty well,” said Perkins, a fellow Minnesotan who met Mauer when both were 15. “You look at that picture of us as teenagers, he still looks pretty much the same. He’s a little bigger, a little thicker, but not much.”

And a little more mature, perhaps, his manager said. “He’s always been very professional. That hasn’t changed a bit,” said Ron Gardenhire, the only manager Mauer has ever had in the big leagues. “He probably speaks a little more to the younger guys than he did when he first came up. That’s probably the biggest thing you notice — he’s a little more open now.”

Especially with his family, which has begun growing larger. He married his high school classmate, Maddie Bisanz, in December, and the couple is expecting twins this fall. That might be the achievement that Mauer at 30 is most proud of, more than his three batting titles, the 2009 MVP award, the three Gold Gloves and five All-Star selections. More than owning the second-highest career average (.324) of any active player, and the 44th best in history.

“Getting married, that was big. Family is so important in this game to keep you going in the bad times, and help you enjoy the good,” Morneau said. “He really enjoys that. It helps him.”

And helps him celebrate turning 30, too. “I’ve never been one to go all-out [for a birthday],” Mauer said, “but this one’s going to be fun.”

Twins- series preview

La Velle E. Neal / StarTribune.com – 4/18/13

THREE-GAME SERIES AT U.S. CELLULAR FIELD Friday, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM

RHP Vance Worley (0-2, 10.50 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Peavy (2-1, 3.93)

Saturday, 2:05 p.m. • Ch. 9, 96.3 FM

~ 2 ~

LHP Scott Diamond (0-1, 8.31) vs. RHP Gavin Floyd (0-3, 6.32)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3

RHP Kevin Correia (1-1, 2.95) vs. RHP Dylan Axelrod (0-1, 4.70)

TWINS UPDATE Reliever Tim Wood (shoulder) is on his way to Class AAA Rochester as he continues his rehab assignment. Righthander Cole De Vries (forearm) will throw in the bullpen Saturday, then head to Fort Myers to begin a rehab assignment. … The Twins entered Thursday a respectable 10th in the majors in team on-base percentage (.331) but 25th in home runs (nine). … They are 29th in starter’s ERA (5.98), but third in relief ERA (2.23). … The Twins were a dismal 4-14 against the White Sox last season, their fewest victories against them since 1999.

WHITE SOX UPDATE Second baseman Gordon Beckham had surgery on Monday to repair a broken hamate bone in his wrist and will miss six weeks. Conor Gillaspie has replaced him in the lineup. … Catcher Tyler Flowers was in a 1-for-25 skid when he broke out Wednesday with two hits, including a three- homer. Flowers decided to open up his batting stance a little bit and it paid off immediately. … Pitching Don Cooper is set to rejoin the club after recovering from diverticulitis. He’s been away since April 9.

TwinsCentric: Why you should expect a rebound from Brian Dozier

Parker Hageman / StarTribune.com – 4/19/13

Let’s just say Brian Dozier has had a slow start to his 2013 season.

Repping a less than stellar.189/.279/.243 batting line through his first 44 plate appearances, the Twins’ second baseman has been extremely inoffensive and has statistically continued where he left off during following his demotion in August of last year. Despite this slow beginning, there is reasons to not lose hope that Dozier’s career will fall into a no-hit middle infielder that has plagued the Twins for the better part of the new millennium.

The first encouraging sign from Dozier is that he is (1) sporting a much improved -to-walk ratio.

This is supremely important to any future success for the middle infielder. As a minor leaguer, Dozier owned a decent 1.2 - to-walks ratio – meaning he drew nearly as many walks as he did strikeout. When he was promoted to the majors last year, that ability to hone the zone dissipated. He took just 16 walks in 340 plate appearances while striking out 58 times - or a 3.63 strikeout- to-walk ratio – a true indicator that he was not completely comfortable at the major league level. But, through 13 games this year, he’s had a much improved walk rate and has a 1.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, closer mirroring his minor league track record. Those few free passes in 2012 resulted in a 4.7% walk rate which placed him in the bottom third in that category. Much of that derived from overextending the strike zone (35% out-of-zone swing rate compared to the 30% league average) and having an overall overzealous approach at the plate. Again, in the small sampling this year, he’s increased his walk rate to a significantly improved 11.4% - the fifth-highest among qualified second basemen. The story has been slightly different for Dozier in 2013. He has trimmed his swing zone down to a more manageable area (chasing just 26% of out-of-zone pitches) and has been able to fight off a high number pitches to extend his at bats. So far this year, he’s 39% of his strikes have originated from foul balls while the rest of the league’s average is 27%. Consider this: When Ron Gardenhire put him in the lead-off spot after Darin Mastroianni was pushed to the DL on Tuesday, Dozier’s first at bat against the Angels’ Jason Vargas consisted of him fouling off five fastballs – working the left-hander over for ten pitches total. While the at bat resulted in an out, Dozier got Vargas’s pitch count rising from the get-go. In the fourth , he got enough of Vargas’s 0-2 down-and-dirty curve in order to see a fastball the next pitch which he drilled into right field for a base hit. Fouling off pitches is not a repeatable skill, per se, but it has aided him in prolonging his at bats which has led to a higher frequency of walks. The end game -- more walks and high on-base percentage -- bodes very well for Dozier’s contributions for the rest of the season. The second reason Dozier is rather than attempting to pull every pitch, he’s (2) going the other way and back up the middle. Check out his breakdown of batted balls by direction hit from last year to this year:

~ 3 ~

Dozier’s Batted Ball By Location Pulled Center Opposite 2012 40% 41% 19% 2013 26% 37% 37%

Without question, Dozier is going the other way with the pitches that are on the outer-half of the strike zone rather than trying to yank everything under the sun. As I outlined at Twins Daily last year, opponents recognized this tendency and lambasted him with fastball away and an abundance of sliders. I concluded that analysis by writing:

“Specifically for Dozier, offensive progress means trying to re-calibrate his swing zone. If are going to continue to pound away, make sure you start going with that pitch instead of turning it over (CC: Danny Valencia). If they are trying to get you to fish, try to wait for something in the zone (which is always easier said than done). Being a successful everyday contributor means being able to make adjustments quickly.”

As mentioned above, Dozier’s keying in on pitches in the zone better. Additionally, what we see out of him is a much better ability to go with the pitch rather than turn on everything. He is allowing the ball to travel deeper into the zone before contact. As such, he keeps his weight ack well and that helps drive the ball to center and opposite field.

Here’s a still comparison of the point of impact and his improved mechanical balance. The first two images are his swings in 2013. Notice how he has a firm front side and keeps his weight back on these pitches middle-up and middle-away:

~ 4 ~

There are examples of swings that Dozier displayed in spring training, in which I advised to watch for this year. While the results have been not been there, the form is much better.

Compare those two examples to two from 2012. Both instances came against left-handed pitches, both locations were away and both wound up grounders to the left side. In both cases, Dozier’s weight gets out in front of him as he reaches for – and pulls – both pitches thrown on the outer-half of the zone. Notice, too, that his front foot comes unglued in the samples. This is creating a less than solid base to swing from.

~ 5 ~

Dozier has a much more solid fundamental approach at the plate this season - something that was not present a year ago. With a more discriminating eye at the plate and now functional mechanics in place to drive the ball to all areas of the ballpark, his numbers should steadily improve as the season progresses.

Thursday (Roofless Target Field) edition: Wha’ Happened?

Michael Rand / StarTribune.com – 4/18/13

This is the most miserable April, weather-wise, that we can remember. Those that have been around here longer than us say it is the worst in 40 years. From rain to snow to general gloom, it has been dismal.

Naturally, the awful weather has brought up an old debate for some Twins fans: Should Target Field have a retractable roof to deal with the elements?

Despite some cold games and a couple of weather postponements, we are here to say, without a doubt, no it should not.

Target Field would not be the gem it is if it had a retractable roof. There are six retractable roof ballparks out there right now: Chase Field, Marlins Park, Miller Park, Minute Maid Park, Rogers Centre and Safeco Field. We have been to all but Marlins Park. And -- open or closed -- we have experienced nothing but mediocrity from all the other places except one: Safeco Field. That is the one retractable roof ballpark that gets it right. The rest feel like cavernous warehouses ... a nice place to store an airplane, but not watch a ballgame. And there's this: Safeco takes up nearly 1.2 million square feet. Target Field is 1 million. A Safeco replica wouldn't have worked on the Target Field site, which uses every square inch of available space.

The beauty and charm of Target Field -- and similarly intimate and great newer ballparks like the ones in San Francisco and Pittsburgh -- would be eradicated with a roof.

~ 6 ~

Would you rather trade many of the things you love about the Target Field experience for the guarantee that you wouldn't miss a small handful of games a year because of weather or have to brave the elements in a handful of others?

Hopefully you didn't say yes. Because that would mean you want mediocrity all of the time instead of greatness most of the time. And that's just no way to live.

If you love Target Field, the weather is just something you have to deal with, good or bad. You can't have it both ways.

Minnesota Twins add tech at Target Field for fans

Joseph Lindberg / PioneerPress.com – 4/18/13

Target Field has the food. It has the sightlines. And it continues to add technology: The organization announced more technology improvements Thursday, April 18, to a building already equipped with free Wi-Fi and compatibility with multiple smartphone apps. Fans now can upgrade their seats from their iPhone or Android smartphones using the MLB.com "At the Ballpark" app. Throughout the season, a limited number of seats will be available for upgrades once the gates open.

Fans also can download the "Twins At The Plate" app, which asks for in-game predictions, pitting fans against each other for high scores and prizes, according to a news release from the Twins.

The popular Tweet Board, an MLB-first stadium screen that shares fans' tweets during the game, will continue in 2013 alongside another MLB first: Fans arriving early may be featured in parts of the game-opening video.

And fans who check in to Target Field using the "At the Ballpark" app can upload and share photos from every game they attend. The "Twins at the Plate" app is available on iPhone and Android smartphones at Target Field through the popular MLB.com At The Ballpark app.

For more information, the complete rules and an instructional video, visit www.twinsbaseball.com/attheplate.

For Twins’ Justin Morneau, paying it forward off field ‘best part of job’

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 4/19/13

The boy's name was Kenny Johnson.

A 14-year-old eighth-grader in the Faribault School District, Kenny was one of 20 kids getting fitted for free hearing aids Monday, April 15, at Starkey Hearing Technologies in Eden Prairie.

As an audiologist prepared to put the boy through a series of computerized tests, a handful of media members, several with bulky TV cameras, crowded into the small room to observe.

Kenny, understandably nervous, fell silent.

Justin Morneau jumped in.

"You play baseball, Kenny?" the Twins first baseman asked.

The boy nodded beneath a green ballcap with a white "F" on the front.

"What position do you play?"

Right field and catcher.

~ 7 ~

"Those are good ones," Morneau said.

Noticing the black batting glove covering the boy's damaged left hand, Morneau asked Kenny if he batted righty or lefty.

Righty.

"So that's your bottom hand," Morneau said, talking shop with a fellow ballplayer.

The boy smiled slightly, then clicked his way through a two-minute test as Morneau and Twins Scott Diamond, joining him for this appearance, observed quietly, without movement.

Later, the players asked Kenny if his team has been able to get on the field yet. The boy said they've been working out in the gym. "I've spent some time in the gym," Morneau said with a knowing smile. "Usually not in April, though."

Test over, Morneau signed the boy's cap, taking care to choose the best color of Sharpie. Silver was the choice. A cameraman asked Morneau what he thought of the whole process.

"Doesn't matter what I think," the 2006 American League most valuable player said. "Matters what he thinks."

He nodded toward Kenny, now wearing a fancy new onyx hearing aid.

The boy heard his words and smiled.

STARKEY HELPED DAD

This could be Morneau's final season with the Twins.

That's not exactly a news flash.

As he finishes up a six-year, $80 million deal, Morneau is open to staying but already is seeing his name pop up on those early-season lists of Players Most Likely to be Traded.

Last weekend Jim Bowden, the former big-league general manager now on a second tour of duty at ESPN, listed Morneau in his top five, suggesting Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Texas as the three most likely destinations.

Asked about his future several times this spring, Morneau's stock answer is that he hopes the rebuilding Twins will surprise people and be in a position to add talent, rather than subtract, at the July 31 trade deadline.

In the meantime, it's clear Morneau has no plans to alter his attitude or decrease his visibility as he powers into his 11th season in the majors, all with the Twins.

He and wife Krista will maintain their strong presence in the Twin Cities community, even with two young children at home. On Day, Morneau was among the most eloquent Twins in praising the contributions of the baseball pioneer.

Hours earlier, Morneau kept his word and spent nearly 90 minutes on a game day at the Starkey facility, where founder and CEO Bill Austin greeted him like family.

Two years ago, Morneau brought his father in for a fitting after years of gradual hearing loss.

"I'd say it went on for a good four or five years, maybe longer," Morneau said. "Ask his wife. You could hear their TV probably two houses over."

Once George Morneau, a former junior hockey standout, received his hearing aids, the difference was unmistakable. ~ 8 ~

"It was almost as helpful to the rest of the family as it was for him," Justin Morneau said. "It can be frustrating for the people around. With my dad, you would have a conversation with him, and he'd repeat what he thought he heard back. It's frustrating, and I think it was frustrating for him, too."

The Morneaus returned to Starkey world headquarters last fall so Austin could make some adjustments in George's hearing aids. The Twins star has attended one of Starkey's fundraising galas and pledged to represent the company on one of its many worldwide goodwill missions, perhaps as soon as this winter.

"From talking to (NFL star wide receiver) Larry Fitzgerald and hearing the way it's made a difference in his life and how amazing he says it is to be there and be able to see it change people's lives and witness it, I'm really looking forward to it," Morneau said. "Just to see the good that people are doing is something you want to be a part of."

Starkey, which has linked up with the Clinton Global Initiative, has conducted missions to more than 110 countries, from Africa to South America and most points in between.

"Hopefully it's this winter," Morneau said of his participation. "Somewhere warm, that's for sure."

Monday's event was the first time Morneau had seen first-hand the difference Starkey can make for children.

"This is something we take for granted, I think, and that is being able to hear," Morneau said. "You kind of feel isolated and like you're by yourself in a classroom or whatever it might be. To be able to give that gift of hearing is pretty amazing. And to see the videos from around the world, kids who have never heard a sound before, to see them be able to hear, it's pretty touching, pretty cool."

'PAYING IT FORWARD' Even with the uncertainty that awaits him after this season, Morneau will not change.

Healthy again after a series of debilitating physical issues, including multiple bouts with post-concussion syndrome, he seems to be in a good place as he approaches the 10th anniversary of his big-league debut on June 10.

"We're very fortunate as athletes in the communities we play in to be able to make a difference and to do things we normally otherwise wouldn't be able to do," Morneau said. "For us, I think we're given so much from the places we've played. I've spent my whole career here, and I've benefited from the people of Minnesota and Twins fans in the area."

For instance, Morneau was humbled to meet 14-year-old Lucas Morang of Winsted, Minn. On Monday, Lucas presented the Starkey Hearing Foundation with a donation of nearly $31,000, funds raised over a period of six years through a series of garage sales, carnivals, silent auctions and the like.

That was all Lucas' idea, a brainstorm that came to him six years ago after his mother, Donna, struggled to purchase hearing correction for Lucas at age 8.

"That's amazing to me," Morneau said. "That makes as big a difference in my life as it does somebody else's. He was touched by the gift of hearing himself, and it kind of passes the good along. We see a lot of negativity in this world and a lot of negativity in the news. To see good things happening and see it passed along and people paying it forward, it's always good to see those positive stories." Morneau left Morang and his family tickets for Monday night's game against the . Morneau went out that night and cracked a run-scoring to deep center his second time up.

Hours after Morneau spoke, the world would be shaken anew by the bombing tragedy at the Boston Marathon. He had no idea another unspeakable horror was about to unfold as he and Diamond signed the T-shirts of those hearing-impaired children, some as young as 6. Morneau, who turns 32 on May 15, was still posing for pictures -- with the kids, their family members and the Starkey staff -- on his way out the door.

~ 9 ~

"I think that's the best part of our job, if you want to call it a job," he said. "It's being around kids and seeing their enthusiasm and seeing how happy they are when you walk into a room or whatever it is. For me to be able to come out and do any small thing that makes a difference, that's a pretty special feeling."

No, he never saw this coming all those years ago back in , .

"It's something you didn't dream of when you dreamed of being a player," Morneau said. "You didn't think you could make a difference in young people's lives like that."

Kenny Johnson knows better.

Joe Mauer’s 30th birthday means another milestone for Twins catcher

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 4/19/13

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- This is quite a period of milestones for Joe Mauer.

The Twins' franchise catcher has made the transition to married life without a hitch, even managing to keep photos of the 600-guest, Dec. 1 ceremony out of the media.

Fatherhood is just around the corner, with the former Maddie Bisanz expecting the couple's first two children in late August. Twins -- would you believe it?

Mauer was healthy enough to play in the for the first time this spring, hitting .429 for Team USA and wearing the Stars and Stripes on the international stage for the first time since he was a teenage prodigy growing up in St. Paul.

On April 19, less than three weeks into the 2013 regular season, Mauer will turn 30, which might carry more significance if he weren't coming off one of the most underrated all-around seasons of his decorated career.

He didn't just stay healthy after a nightmarish 2011 season marred by leg issues. Amid more nagging criticism about his relative lack of home runs, he reached a career high by appearing in 147 games for a team that finished last for a second straight season.

The three-time American League batting champion didn't just lift his batting average back to .319, just four points off his gaudy career figure. He also led the league in on-base percentage with a .416 mark.

So what will turning 30 mean to Mauer as he essentially begins the back nine of a baseball journey long assumed to have Cooperstown as its ultimate destination?

"As far as careerwise? Geez, I don't know," Mauer says early one morning at his Hammond Stadium locker. "I guess I really haven't thought too in-depth about that."

Mauer being Mauer, he politely entertains the notion of this chronological crossroads, one that typically carries more significance for those who play his highly demanding position.

"Obviously, it is a number, but the number I think you should pay attention to is how many games and how many years," Mauer says. "This will be my 10th year (in the majors). That's a pretty cool milestone for me. Just thankful I've been able to play in the big leagues for one, and then for 10 years, that is pretty cool."

It also means Mauer, with 1,065 games already in the books, will qualify for a big-league pension after this season. The man entering year three of an eight-year, $184 million contract allows himself a small chuckle over that factoid.

"There you go," he says. "There's another milestone right there."

~ 10 ~

FAR FROM THE END

Terry Steinbach had five big-league seasons, including three straight World Series appearances, on the back of his baseball card when he turned 30.

A Minnesota kid like Mauer, Steinbach already had established himself as an all-star catcher and a vital part of the Oakland A's mini-dynasty during the late 1980s and early 1990s. There was no sudden decline for Steinbach upon reaching 30; in fact, he doubled his total (from six to 12) in that 1992 season.

Yet he noticed some differences.

"The only thing with turning 30 is, you are developing different aches and pains," says Steinbach, starting his first season as Twins bench coach. "When you're 20 to 25, or even 25 to 30, it's pretty much, 'Hey, let's go.' All of a sudden for me, 30 to 35, it was, 'Ohhhhhh, OK. Maybe I have to adjust something a little bit. Maybe I should lift differently or more in the offseason.' "

All professional athletes go through some sort of transition as their bodies change and begin to wear down. For , that transition tends to be even more drastic, although there are certainly physically gifted freaks such as Carlton Fisk and Ivan Rodriguez -- the Two Pudges -- who can ward off the aging process into their 40s.

"Then the plus-35 was, for me, 'Ohhhhhh, OK, I didn't know I had some of these,' " Steinbach says. "That's life."

Mauer has always been a fitness fanatic. He is famous for postgame workouts that can last up to an hour or more while deadline-conscious media members stand around and stew.

It isn't anything done out of disrespect. For Mauer, it's a matter of professional survival.

The same goes for the elaborate pregame stretching routines in the training room. This spring, he could be seen through the open door in the Twins clubhouse down on one knee in the training room, grinding out another set of exercises with a resistance band.

Other times, Mauer would lie flat on his back on a training table while a trainer helped him do a series of crunches and leg lifts, all designed to keep his lower body explosive and prepared for the grind of a six-month regular season.

"What all the players have to do here is just be honest," Steinbach says. "We have a great training staff, great strength and conditioning with (coordinator) Perry Castellano. You just have to let them know what you're experiencing. There's a billion different ways to work out."

Mauer has experimented with a number of them since turning pro in 2001 and reaching the majors three years later.

"I don't anticipate anything (drastic) with Joe," Steinbach says. "We all know what Joe's deal is. If we can keep him healthy and keep him on the field, he does great things and the team does great things. It's just a matter of Joe reading Joe and letting him be honest with himself and letting the appropriate people know what's going on."

SLIGHT CONCESSIONS One place you won't find Mauer as much these days is the batting cage.

Oh, he still loves his tee work, still puts in the time doing soft toss and other drills with new hitting coach Tom Brunansky, the former Twins outfielder.

However, if Mauer has made concessions to Father Time in any area of his game, it's in the honing of a swing that, frankly, hasn't changed much for years.

"I used to be a guy that loved to get in the cage and swing and swing," Mauer says. "The last few years, I think I've learned quality over quantity. I get in there. Obviously, you have to get in the cage and get your work done, but I might not get out there and take as many swings as I used to." ~ 11 ~

He smiles and gestures over his left shoulder, toward the batting cages just outside the entrance to the Twins' clubhouse. The sounds of early-morning extra hitting waft into the room when the wind changes direction.

"You could go out there right now and see a lot of young guys just swinging and swinging, which is good," Mauer says. "You find your swing that way. I guess the older you get, you've got to save some of those bullets. You work smarter. I think that's the biggest thing.

"You don't just go out there to say, 'Hey, I took hundreds of swings today.' It's, 'Hey, I got some work done and went about it a smarter way.'"

Mauer is too young to have played against Fisk, but he remembers watching Rodriguez catch all those years in the Texas heat and then surge right on through the latter stages of his Cooperstown-worthy career in Detroit, just as Mauer was getting established.

He saw former Twins catcher Henry Blanco across the way this spring and marveled at how the journeyman has stayed in such great shape at 41.

"I was a rookie, and we had him over here (in 2004)," Mauer says. "He's still catching and still looks good back there." In other words, it can be done.

The question is can it be done at the impossibly high standard Mauer has set across the first nine years of his career? That will be the challenge for him going forward, even as more cameos at designated hitter and even first base will be offered or suggested to him, if not outright demanded.

Mauer has talked this spring about wanting to catch more this season after making just 72 starts behind the plate in 2012. That could mean a return to the 950-inning range at catcher, something he hasn't done since 2010.

Then again, those days could be over.

"That's the thing," he says, "it's a very demanding position, physically and mentally, but some guys are able to be back there a long time. " It helps, no doubt, that Mauer is among the more mentally aware players of his generation. With each passing year, he picks up little tricks of the trade, another survival skill or two, to keep putting his body through all that punishment behind the plate.

"You're more aware of things that are happening around you," he says. "You just see little things. That's just being around the game for longer."

It helps, too, that Mauer has a natural curiosity. When it comes to the secrets of baseball, he remains a seeker.

"Absolutely," he says. "I learned a long time ago, when you think you know it all, it's probably time to get out. You're continually finding new ways to do things and trying to get better at your craft. That's what makes it a lot of fun."

ABOUT THOSE HOMERS ... If there's one area in which Mauer remains a bit sensitive to criticism, it's power production.

For years, fans and media people have questioned his home run output.

Aside from his MVP season of 2009, when he hit a career-high 28 homers, Mauer has never hit more than 13 homers in a season. His high since the move to spacious Target Field is the 10 he hit last year.

So when asked if he and Brunansky might work on that area of his game, Mauer gives a deep sigh. He has been down this path before. "I hear it all the time about, 'Home runs. Home runs.' Focus on having good at-bats," he says. "What good is a home run if nobody's on base? Obviously it's a run, but sometimes you've got to stick with your plan.

"We don't play in a very homer-conducive park, especially for left-handers. That can be frustrating, but you just have to have good at-bats and hit the ball hard where it's pitched, and I'll keep doing that." ~ 12 ~

In order to increase his home run total, Mauer knows he probably would have to try to pull more pitches. He also probably would have to expand his hitting zone, swinging at some of those borderline pitches just off the plate that he's been taking for years.

He doesn't sound interested in doing that.

"You try to do too much, usually that's when you get into trouble," he says. "You try to work on things and get better in all aspects, but I've never been one to dwell and focus on power numbers. I've just never really been a numbers guy to begin with, so when I get these questions, I just kind of ... whatever.

"Everybody's going to have an opinion. I'm trying to go out there and be the best player I can be. I've just never really been too, 'Hey, I have to hit this many home runs this year.' That's just never been me. It's more about what can I do to help my team win. That's kind of what I'm about."

REDMOND'S TAKE When it comes to teammates who have helped Mauer, few Twins over the years have had the impact on him that Mike Redmond did. For five seasons with the Twins, from 2005-09, Redmond backed up Mauer and served as an invaluable resource for the budding young superstar. Now in his first season managing the , the team he helped through an unlikely World Series title run in 2003, Redmond shakes his head in amazement at the mere notion of Mauer turning 30.

"I think when I was around him, geez, I think he was 21, 22 years old," says Redmond, 41. "We talked about life, just the pressures. I think I was more of a sounding board for him, just because of all the stuff that was going on. Everybody expected so much out of him.

"I was just a backup catcher -- little bit crazy -- and I felt like I could loosen him up a little bit and get him not to think about the game and just go out there and have fun, and whatever happened, happened."

No doubt, "naked flips," in which Redmond would take swings in the batting cage wearing nothing but a jockstrap and cleats, were at the top of that list.

"Oh, I did a lot of stuff," Redmond says, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's been well-documented." The Twins reached the postseason twice with Redmond. All three of Mauer's batting titles and his only AL Most Valuable Player Award came during that partnership.

"My time with Joe is special," Redmond says. "He'll be a friend of mine forever. I went to his wedding, and it was great. I was so happy for him. Just to see how he's matured and the type of person that he is and the friend that he is, not only to me but to all the people that are close to him. He's a great guy. Everybody says the same thing. He's a great guy and a great friend."

What advice would Redmond, who caught in the big leagues until age 39, give to Mauer now? What would Redmond share about what lies ahead on the other side of 30?

"The biggest thing is going to be his body, how he's going to feel and pacing himself a little bit," Redmond says. "Health is probably always going to be an issue for him, but I think as an older player -- and 30 is not old -- you kind of have to dig for that knowledge that you've obtained over the years, whether it's a conversation that I had with him or anybody had with him."

Redmond pauses. There is something else he wants to add now that he has emerged from the baseball mortality phase of his career and resurfaced in a different leadership role.

Perhaps, he suggests, it is time for Mauer to take on more of a responsibility in that area, even if it doesn't necessarily come naturally to him. "Now, as you get older, you're the guy," Redmond says. "You're the guy that's got to be the sounding board for younger players." The way Redmond was for Mauer those five years in Minnesota.

~ 13 ~

"I think if I was sitting next to him," Redmond says, "I'd say, 'Joe, now's the time for you to give some of that knowledge you've picked up over the years to some of these younger players. Take these young kids under your wing, because I know they look up to you, and teach them the little things. Teach them the things that have made you successful and appreciate the game for what it is, man, and enjoy it.' " Redmond smiles again.

"Because before you know it," he says, "you're out."

Once again, Mauer quietly at the top of his game

Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com – 4/18/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- The list of catchers with at least 1,000 hits, 250 doubles and 500 walks before their 30th birthday is a short one. There's Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, and , along with eight-time All-Star Ted Simmons. Then there's Joe Mauer. Mauer, who turns 30 on Friday, has already established himself as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball history, as evidenced by his three batting titles, five All-Star Game appearances and an American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2009.

And while he dealt with injuries in a forgettable 2011 season, Mauer has not showed any signs of slowing down, as he hit .319 last season while posting a Major League-best .416 on-base percentage in a career-high 147 games.

Mauer is at it again so far this season, as he's currently riding a nine-game hitting streak and logged back-to-back four-hit games against the Angels on Monday and Tuesday.

But it doesn't surprise Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire, who has managed Mauer since he broke into the big leagues in 2004 as a 20-year-old. "I've seen him hit his whole career, so we've seen him do this," Gardenhire said. "We keep saying it's incredible to do this at this level, and it is. He can just rack up those hits, and it's incredible, and that'll never change. He's just an incredible hitter."

A big part of Mauer's game is his pitch recognition and ability to hit with two strikes, and it's showing yet again this season. Mauer leads the Majors with 16 two-strike hits, as he's hitting .410 (16-for-39) in those situations this season, which is impressive considering the league average with two strikes this season is a mere .176.

"I'm just trying to have a plan," Mauer said. "You go up there and you try to execute it. A pitch might look good on TV, but it's not really something I want to offer at. Getting a couple strikes on you, to be able to come through with a hit is huge."

Gardenhire explained it a different way, as he said that Mauer, who is hitting .386 this season, simply has no fear hitting when he's behind in the count.

"It takes courage," Gardenhire said. "In the first place, not many guys want to get to two strikes and fight balls off. But it's not like he fights balls off. He puts as good a swing on with two strikes as he does any other time in the count."

Mauer has been on a tear recently, hitting .462 (18-for-39) with two homers and four doubles during his nine-game hitting streak. He's also been adjusting to his new role as the club's No. 2 hitter after serving as the No. 3 hitter throughout most of his career. Second baseman Brian Dozier, who took over as leadoff hitter on Tuesday, said his job is made easier by having Mauer hit behind him.

"Especially right now, when he gets hot, nobody can really stop him," Dozier said. "He's obviously a joy to hit in front of or behind, whatever it is. But he does some pretty neat things with the bat."

Mauer is also getting high praise for his defense, and he has caught 10 of the club's first 13 games so far. That's a much higher percentage of games caught compared to last season, when he only started 72 of his 147 games behind the plate.

Mauer has made it a point to catch more this season, and right-hander Mike Pelfrey, who is in his first year with the club, likes the way Mauer calls games and frames pitches.

~ 14 ~

"There's a reason he's making what he's making," Pelfrey said with a smile. "I don't think I've even seen a better catcher. He's the complete package."

Mauer, who is signed through 2018 as part of an eight-year, $184 million deal signed before the '11 season, is also impressing those in the other dugout with his play, especially after tallying eight hits in 10 at-bats in two wins over the Angels.

"His physical ability obviously warranted being the top pick in the country when he was drafted and being one of the best players in the game," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who was an accomplished catcher himself with the Dodgers. "Although he's been banged up a little bit the last couple years, he's one of the best, not only offensive catchers, but behind the plate -- the way he can control a game, the way he throws, the way he receives, does everything."

Despite his accolades, Mauer remains humble and soft-spoken, preferring to keep it simple, just like his approach at the plate. "I'm just trying to take good at-bats and find good pitches to hit," Mauer said. "Hopefully I can keep it going."

Twins prospect Miguel Sano ‘could hold his own’ in majors right now

Phil Mackey / 1500ESPN.com – 4/19/13

Former Minnesota Twins first baseman is finding out this whole managing thing is a pretty easy gig -- when he has Miguel Sano batting fourth every night.

Mientkiewicz's Fort Myers Miracle -- the Twins' High-A affiliate -- improved to 13-1 on Thursday night with an 11-8 slugfest win over the St. Lucie Mets.

Not surprisingly, it was Sano who carried the biggest stick in the slugfest, going 2-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season, three RBIs and a walk, raising his batting average to .389 through the first 14 games.

Sano is certainly validating the monster numbers he posted in his first 1,144 minor league plate appearances from 2010 to 2012 -- a .282/.370/.550 batting line with 55 home runs.

"No matter what his at-bat before looked like, no matter if he struck out on three pitches or whether he hit a rocket somewhere, when we need him the most he's always there, and I think that's the sign of a polished hitter," Mientkiewicz said in an interview with 1500 ESPN earlier this week. "I have to pinch myself every once in a while to remember he's only 19 years old. ...

"I don't think Terry (Ryan) can say he's major league hitting ready, but you know what? You wouldn't see his best numbers, but he could hit some homers for you right now, there's no doubt about it. He could hold his own in the big league level right now (at the plate)."

Of course, as Sano continues to climb the ladder -- and it's possible he could move up to Double-A New Britain at some point this year -- opposing teams and pitchers will make more adjustments on him.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs, for instance, put three infielders on the left side of second base earlier this week against Sano. Some pitchers are trying to throw more fastballs inside on, then sinkers off the outside edge of the plate to keep him off-balance. "I just kept trying to preach to him, 'They're trying to speed you up inside to get you off your game,'" Mientkiewicz said. "Sure enough, they left a breaking ball up and he hit it over the fence."

Twins officials have said the only reason Sano didn't progress beyond Low-A Beloit in 2012 is because of his mediocre defense at third base -- something Mientkiewicz and roving minor league instructor Paul Molitor have keyed in.

Sano made a whopping 42 errors in 125 games last season, and even though advanced fielding metrics aren't widely available for minor leaguers, it's likely his 6-3, 245-pound frame limits his range.

But Sano, a converted shortstop, has made only three errors in 14 games this year so far -- a pace of 27 over 125 games -- and two of them came in one inning on back-to-back plays recently. ~ 15 ~

"One was just kind of a little bit of a bobble, and the other was a tough bunt that he should have just probably not thrown at all," Mientkiewicz said.

"Miggy's been playing so much better at third base. ... He's made more plays than I expected... He looks a lot more comfortable, even from spring training than he does compared to now."

With his bat seemingly closer to being big league-ready than his glove -- and noting his incredibly large frame -- it's widely assumed Sano is destined for first base sooner or later, to which Mientkiewicz said, "I'd be very hesitant to move him and label him as a first baseman as of yet, because there's a defender there in him."

Mientkiewicz, an elite defensive first baseman during his career, seems to have taken it upon himself to help turn Sano into much more serviceable fielder.

"What I'm trying to do with him, and (Molitor) has been working extremely hard with him lately, is try to get him (positioned properly)," Mientkiewicz said. "Because he moved to a corner (from shortstop), the issues that he's been having have been more positioning -- where he's playing as far as depth from the infield grass.

"He kind of played an in between spot. He likes to get his glove low to the ground to start with, and that's where he's losing his first-step quickness. We've backed him up a little bit. He's got really good hands, and he's got a cannon for an arm."

Five Minor League Games to Be Televised By MLB Network

J.J. Cooper / BaseballAmerica.com – 4/17/13

Once again this year, MLB Network will air a series of minor league games, the network announced on Wednesday. MLB Network’s schedule will feature seven different -A teams as well as the July 17 Triple-A all-star game in Reno, Nev. All four regular season games will be day games.

The complete schedule is: • April 22: Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies), 10:30 a.m. ET. • April 30: Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) at (Twins), 11:30 a.m. ET. • May 13: (Tigers) at Indianapolis Indians (Pirates), 11:00 a.m. ET. • June 11: Columbus Clippers (Indians) at Gwinnett Braves (Braves), 12 p.m. ET. • July 17: Triple-A all-star game: International League at Pacific Coast League in Reno, Nev., 9 p.m. ET.

7-game skid comes to end

Jim Mandelaro / DemocratandChronicle.com – 4/18/13

You can forgive the modest crowd at Frontier Field if they muttered “Here we go again” in the top of the first Thursday night. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had just scored an unearned run, and that runner reached base because shortstop Ray Olmedo dropped a wind-blown pop fly.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the Red Wings’ eighth straight loss. They responded with four runs in the bottom of the first, keyed by a two-run home run from Chris Colabello that may still be traveling , and Rochester held on to beat the RailRiders 5-4 at Frontier Field.

Everybody can exhale.

“You just have to keep grinding and the results will take care of themself,” Colabello said. “We’re not particularly happy with the way things have been going, so it’s great to get a win.”

~ 16 ~

The Wings greeted right-hander Dellin Betances with four straight hits to open the bottom of the first. None was bigger than Colabello’s huge blow to left. It came on a first-pitch fastball and put Rochester up 4-1.

“I’ve faced him before and knew he has a good fastball,” he said. “I told myself to be aggressive.”

Colabello’s team-high fifth homer came in front of his parents, Lou and Silvana, who made the drive from Milford, Mass.

The Wings made it 5-1 when Colabello drove in another run on a fielder’s choice in the third. Scranton chipped away with a run in the fifth and made it nail-biting time with solo homers from Melky Mesa in the eighth and David Adams in the ninth — both off Luis Perdomo. But Perdomo got the last word, striking out Dan Johnson looking on a 3-2 pitch.

The Red Wings began the night 2-11, their worst mark since at least 1939.

“It’s not about our record, even though we’re embarrassed by that,” manager Gene Glynn said. “It was a big win for us.”

Wings starter Virgil Vasquez allowed two runs (one earned) in five . Tyler Robertson relieved Daniel Turpen with two outs and runners at second and third in the seventh and struck out Johnson to keep the Wings ahead 5-2.

The Wings will try to build on their momentum Friday night against first-place Pawtucket.

~ 17 ~