Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Twins
Minnesota Twins Daily Clips
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson tossing out traditional training methods. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Twins' day at camp: Jorge Polanco ended up at short despite little prep last year. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 2 Here are the five best Twins promotions for the 2017 home season. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 3 Rod Simons, Twin Cities broadcaster, dies at 56. Star Tribune (Staff) p. 4 Molitor admits Polanco development should have been handled differently. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 4 Rod Simons, former KSTP-Channel 5 sports anchor, dies at 56. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Craig Breslow passes first test facing batters for Minnesota Twins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Minnesota Twins: Kyle Gibson changes delivery to keep shoulder healthy. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Dream finally comes true for Twins coach. MLB (Butherus) p. 8 Twins president thanks fans, vows commitment. MLB (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins mourn passing of journalist Simons. MLB (Randhawa) p. 9 Twins' players take part in unique spring drills. MLB (Butherus) p. 9 Slegers learning to fit in with Twins. MLB (Butherus) p. 10 Zulgad: Limiting Mauer in 2017 will be smart play as Twins plan for the future. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 10 Paul Molitor says Twins didn’t handle Jorge Polanco the right way in the minors. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11 Trevor May joins eSports team Luminosity. NBC Sports (Baer) p. 12 The Top 3 Breakout Canidates at Every Position Entering 2017. Bleacher Report (Shafer) p. 13 Minnesota Twins sign hometown RHP Seth Rosin. UPI (Butler) p. 13 New catcher Castro looks to make effect on Twins’ pitching. FanRag Sports Network (Perrotto) p. 14
Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson tossing out traditional training methods Phil Miller | Star Tribune | February 21, 2017
FORT MYERS, FLA. – Ryan O’Rourke was driving the Massachusetts Turnpike, heading to Boston a couple of months ago, while having a phone conversation about his pitching motion. What he heard was so insightful, O’Rourke said, “I had to pull over at a rest stop, just so I could focus. That conversation changed my world.”
Kyle Gibson sat in a gym with Twins strength coach Perry Castellano in Plant City, Fla., last December, skeptically absorbing a presentation about how he could rid his back and shoulder of the nagging soreness that afflicted him throughout the most disappointing season of his professional career. Four hours later, Gibson said, “it’s like it all vanished. It was unbelievable. I said, ‘Wow, this is the real deal.’ ”
If they sound like product endorsers, well, maybe someday they will be. But for now, the Twins righthanders are simply veteran pitchers searching for new ways to find health and success, and open-minded about where they might find them. Which is why O’Rourke now heaves a set of weighted balls as part of his training, and Gibson perches a giant yellow ball on his shoulder while he warms up.
“It wasn’t easy at first, because there’s a lot of modern thinking about the throwing motion and I’m more of a traditional baseball guy,” Gibson said. “I had to open up a little bit to accept new ways of thinking. And I’m glad I did.”
The Twins will be, too, if the nontraditional techniques produce more strikes, fewer runs and healthier pitchers. Pitching coach Neil Allen observed Gibson’s methods over the weekend, and was as excited about his pitchers’ passion as his workout.
“If it makes him feel better about who he is and what he can do, if he shows consistency with it, I’m all for it. He’s feeling really good about his pitching, and that’s what we want,” Allen said. “If he feels it’s going to help him, how can I stand in the way?”
For Gibson, it’s more than a new way of thinking — it’s an entirely new way of delivering the baseball, about as fundamental a change as a pitcher can make. But the 29-year-old former first-rounder decided he had to do something drastic after muddling through a discouraging season that included a month and a half on the disabled list, only six quality starts out of 25, a 5.07 ERA, and discomfort in his back and shoulder that wouldn’t go away. He didn’t make a start all season without anti-inflammatory medication, Gibson said, and he was tired of the constant soreness.
“I was like, OK, I have a choice to make here: Get through spring training, take anti-inflammatories and just try to get through it again, banging my head against the wall,” he said. “Or try something different to prepare for camp. If it doesn’t work out, what have I lost? I’m still getting my arm ready. And it turned out, it was awesome.”
A former college pitching coach at Missouri directed Gibson to Randy Sullivan, who operates the Florida Baseball Ranch, a facility dedicated to keeping pitchers’ arms healthy. Sullivan, a licensed physical therapist, spent an afternoon explaining his techniques to Gibson and Castellano, and putting the pitcher through some demonstration exercises.
The drills are meant to retrain Gibson and alter his throwing motion, so he holds the ball more upright, at an angle of less than 90 degrees, which enables him to reach his release point more directly. That, combined with a de-emphasis on extending his arm after releasing the ball, has dramatically reduced the amount of stress on his pitching shoulder.
And so almost every morning before training camp workouts, Gibson goes through a series of unusual throwing exercises, using a balloon-sized rubber ball, an oversized glove that looks like a stocking cap covering his right hand, and a set of hardballs of varying weights. Keeping pressure on the large ball insures his arm doesn’t extend outward too far. The ball he releases into the giant glove acclimates his shoulder to a shorter post-release extension.
“I know how it looks. I hear about it from the guys,” Gibson said. “It’s not easy, because I’ve pitched the same way for 20 years. But I can feel a huge difference in my shoulder and my back.”
So can O’Rourke, who signed on with Driveline Baseball, another performance academy located just south of Seattle that he first learned about on Twitter. He used a simplified weighted-ball workout last year and said it kept his arm strong. So over the winter, at the suggestion of a teammate on his Venezulan League team, he called Driveline founder Kyle Boddy, who has worked with several major leaguers.
“He blew my mind with how he explained his program. He taught me to ‘think backward’ about how I pitch,” said O’Rourke, who became so dedicated to the workouts, he forced himself to make time for them during a vacation to Las Vegas. “I’m looking for health, to be able to pitch as well on Saturday as I did on Friday. I look at my mechanics from a year ago, I’m much more behind the ball now.”
Of course, neither of the forward-thinking pitchers has faced a hitter yet, as Gibson conceded. “The hitters will tell me if it’s working,” he said. “But if it keeps me feeling good on the mound, I’m pretty confident I’m going to see some results.”
He’s pretty sure the Twins are onboard with his program, too. The first time he met Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, Gibson said, he was doing his specialized workout and Falvey walked over and said, “Did you get that ball from Randy Sullivan?”
Allen isn’t ready to pass out weighted balls and rubber balloons to the rest of the staff yet. But he’s far less skeptical than he was a week ago.
“In all honesty, until we see the results, it’s mostly a psychological [tool],” Allen said. “But I know there is science behind it. If these guys find something that works for them, by all means, I’m going to support them.”
Twins' day at camp: Jorge Polanco ended up at short despite little prep last year La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, FLA. – The last time Jorge Polanco played shortstop in the minors was 2015, spending 83 games there at Class AA Chattanooga and 19 games at Class AAA Rochester. He did not play a lick there for the Red Wings in 2016.
The Twins, however, ended up using Polanco at shortstop during the second half of the season, and he is expected to be the starter there in spring games.
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It led to a question for manager Paul Molitor on Monday: Why didn’t Polanco play shortstop at Rochester last season?
Molitor responded bluntly. “I wish I had a better explanation for you,” he said. “But I think myself, a lot of other people, realized we didn’t handle it the right way.”
Polanco’s case has been somewhat complicated. Signed as a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, some Twins evaluators felt he was better suited at second base as he moved up the system. But Polanco would change their minds with bursts of strong play at short.
Polanco entered 2016 as Rochester’s second baseman. The Twins usually move their infielders around in the minors, but that didn’t happen with Polanco. Meanwhile, the Twins went from having Eduardo Escobar at short to Eduardo Nunez. When Nunez was traded to San Francisco in July, the Twins needed a shortstop. They went with Polanco despite giving him no time at short at Rochester.
“It’s not the first time that we’ve had situations where guys have come up here and end up playing where we haven’t exposed them enough,” Molitor said. “[Former General Manager] Terry [Ryan] was always about playing guys around down there, and either managers get caught up in winning or we don’t have enough foresight to what possibly could happen. Sometimes you are going to miss them. That one probably maybe seemed a little more obvious that we should have had covered. Unless [Brian] Dozier got traded.
“Part of it, too, was that a lot of people in our evaluation, some people weren’t convinced that he was ever going to play a game in the big leagues at shortstop. Part of the reason to try to make him the best second baseman possible. Things happen.”
Polanco’s offensive potential — he batted .288 with four homers and 27 RBI in 68 games with the Twins — makes a strong case for the switch hitter to remain in the lineup at short. He also committed 15 errors, and his arm is considered average. But the Twins appear committed to giving Polanco time to polish his skills there. Which looks like something that should have been handled at Rochester.
Etc.
• Players association chief Tony Clark will make his annual appearance at camp Tuesday when he addresses the players following their workout.
LET’S MEET
Zack Granite, outfielder
Age: 24
2016 stats: Batted .295 with four homers and 51 RBI in 127 games at Class AA Chattanooga.
Acquired: Selected in the 14th round of the 2013 draft.
Role: Has a chance to start the season at Class AAA Rochester.
Did you know? Last year’s Twins Minor League Player of the Year, Granite is from Staten Island, N.Y., and hit .299 in 156 career games at Seton Hall.
Here are the five best Twins promotions for the 2017 home season Michael Rand | Star Tribune | February 20, 2017
The Twins just released their promotional schedule for the 2017 season at Target Field. Depending on your level of pessimism after last year’s 103-loss campaign, this news could be more significant than any offseason roster additions or projections in determining which games (and how many) you will attend this season.
I counted 30 total games out of 81 with some sort of giveaway (not counting fireworks nights. You can only take memories home from those). Here are what I consider the best five (click here for a full promotional schedule list):
April 3 vs. Royals — Long-sleeve hooded T-shirt (first 30,000 fans): I can’t say I own a lot of hooded T-shirts. Maybe I want one? If so, I know where to be: Target Field on Opening Day. If a chance to see the Twins open the season at home for the first time since 2013 doesn’t move you, maybe a pretty nice giveaway will do the trick. And because there are 30,000 available, you don’t have to get there REALLY early to ensure you get one. 3
April 15 vs. White Sox — Fur trapper hat (first 10,000 fans): I’m a sucker for odd hats, and this one certainly qualifies. This also falls on Jackie Robinson Day, which is one of the best overall promotions MLB puts on.
July 22 vs. Tigers — 1987 World Series commemorative stein (first 10,000 fans): Relive the glory of the Twins’ first World Series title with a commemorative stein. Added fun: guessing how many beers each member of the 1987 Twins consumed after winning Game 7.
Aug. 4 vs. Rangers — Commemorative trading card pack (all fans): This doesn’t fall into the category of really cool gift, but there really isn’t much better than opening a pack of baseball cards. If you’re not instantly transported to your youth (assuming you aren’t a kid already) when you open a pack of cards, I feel for you. Plus, this promotion is for all fans.
Aug. 18 vs. Diamondbacks — Rod Carew bobblehead (first 10,000 fans): This should be one of the best nights at the ballpark in 2017. Not only are the Twins honoring Rod Carew with a bobblehead, but also there will be fireworks with 1977 songs playing in the background (the year Carew won the MVP award and flirted with .400 before settling for only .388).
Honorable mention: May 20 (batting practice pullover); June 18 (Twins socks for Father’s Day); Aug. 19 (Michael Cuddyer bobblehead).
Rod Simons, Twin Cities broadcaster, dies at 56 Staff | Star Tribune | February 20, 2017
Rod Simons, a Twin Cities broadcast journalist and former sports anchor at KSTP television, died Monday in Fort Myers, Fla., where he was covering Twins spring training. He was 56.
“Sad day in Fort Myers,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said on Twitter. “RIP Rod. God bless your family. You were ALWAYS a positive light in an often negative world. Definition of class.”
Twins second baseman Brian Dozier tweeted, “Just hearing about the passing of Rod Simons this morning down here at spring training. A great man with an amazing heart.”
Twins pitcher Glen Perkins tweeted: “I’ve known Rod Simons since he came to my parents house on draft day in 2004. He was a great man. Rest in Peace my friend.”
Simons, owner of Rod Simons Media Communications, ran Game On! TV, which featured freelance television reporting and was a contributor to the Twins broadcasting station, 96.3-FM.
He was a sports anchor for KSTP from 2003-08 after working for television stations in Seattle and Portland, Ore. He was active with the Gift Of Adoption fundraisers and golf tournaments.
Simons is survived by his wife, Pamela, and daughter, Annie.
“Absolutely crushed to hear about @rodsimons,” Vikings executive director of communications Jeff Anderson tweeted. “Always an incredible energy and smile. I’m heartbroken for his wife and daughter.”
Molitor admits Polanco development should have been handled differently La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune| February 20, 2017
Here are two quick rants following the Twins workout at the CenturyLink Sports Complex.
Twins manager Paul Molitor admitted the club blundered last season when it didn't play Jorge Polanco at short while he was at Rochester. The Twins needed a shortstop for the second half of the season, and called Polanco up in late July.
Polanco's arm isn't the best at short, and he made several of his 15 errors there. But the Twins appear committed to helping him improve his defense there. Offensively, he has a lot of potential. Polanco, 23, is a switch hitter who rarely has looked overmatched at the plate.
The Twins historically have moved their infielders around to make sure they don't get caught like they did last year. I wonder if that got lost in the aftermath of Terry Ryan getting fired.
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"I wish I had a better explanation for you," Molitor said. "But I think myself, a lot of other people, realized we didn't handle it the right way."
Wow.
Molitor really shouldn't have to take the blame for how Polanco was used in the minors. That's someone else's area.
My second rant is about safety.
Pitchers during live batting practice have the option of using a protective screen - called an L-screen - to shield them from batted balls hit back up the middle. In two days, I have seen just one pitcher, Michael Tonkin, use a screen. I talked some pitchers about it. Some said it was a comfort issue. Some felt it gave a false sense of security. All it is going to take is one line drive back up the middle to change these opinions.
Part of this might be pitching coach Neil Allen's challenge to throw more quality strikes in camp. Perhaps pitchers are locked in more than normal at this time of year. I just don't think it is worth the risk.
I checked with one of the beat writers for the Red Sox. Their pitchers also have the option of using the screen - and ALL have used the screen.
One final note: My heart goes out to the family of longtime sports reporter Rod Simons, who has died of an apparent heart attack. Simons was here in Fort Myers yesterday, conducting interviews in his familiar upbeat way. He didn't show up at the park today, and we soon found out why.
This has ended up being a very sad day. I was standing right next to him yesterday, and now he's gone. Rod was a kind, hard working man who won awards for his work and invested time in causes like his Golf for the Gift charity.
Palms to the sky, Rod.
Rod Simons, former KSTP-Channel 5 sports anchor, dies at 56 Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Longtime Twin Cities sports broadcaster Rod Simons has died while in Fort Myers to cover Twins spring training, the team confirmed Monday. He was 56.
Simons, who most recently served as host of a Sunday morning Twins-themed radio program on Go 96.3 FM, spent Sunday at Twins spring camp conducting interviews. He is survived by his wife Pamela and their young daughter Annie.
A nine-time sports Emmy Award winner, Simons arrived in the Twin Cities in 2003 as lead sports anchor at KSTP-Channel 5 after prior broadcasting stints in Seattle, Portland, Boise, Idaho; and Detroit. Since leaving the station in 2008, he had operated his own media company, producing shows such as Game On!
He also worked for multiple charities, including his Golf for the Gift, which raised money to help families with adoption grants.
Craig Breslow passes first test facing batters for Minnesota Twins Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. — It was only live batting practice on a distant back field, but for Craig Breslow it marked an important step in his bid to make the Twins after reinventing himself this offseason.
Breaking out his newly lowered arm angle along with his “new weapon” — a glove-side sinker that was moving a good six inches — the 36-year- old left-hander received positive feedback Monday from the likes of Joe Mauer, who caught him a decade ago in his first stint with the club, as well as special assistants LaTroy Hawkins and Torii Hunter.
“Not bad,” Mauer remarked while tracking pitches in the cage. “That was a good one right there.”
Starting Twins catcher Jason Castro, who caught Breslow for the second time this spring, concurred.
“There it is — right there,” Castro barked as Breslow faced hitters for the first time since asking for his release from the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A club last August. 5
Through his first 11 big-league seasons, covering 539 outings, Breslow’s pitches typically stayed arrow straight. Now that he has a front-hip sinker to use against right-handed batters, or “back door” to lefties, Breslow is eager to show he can maximize the pitch.
When Miguel Sano lifted his hands at the last second as a Breslow sinker ran back over the plate, everyone around the cage nodded in appreciation.
“The risk/reward equation there is very much in favor of the pitcher,” Breslow said. “If you miss, you miss off the plate. That’s a pitch I’ve never really been able to do before, but it’s intuitively really hard to pull the trigger on a pitch that your eyes tell you it’s a ball.”
Signed to a minor-league deal a week before camp opened, Breslow traditionally has posted fairly even splits when facing lefties or righties. He hopes to increase his effectiveness against both sides with his new look.
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Twins manager Paul Molitor admitted the organization dropped the ball when it failed to get young infielder Jorge Polanco any starts at shortstop last season at Triple-A Rochester.
Called up to replace Eduardo Nunez after the all-star shortstop was traded to San Francisco just before the Aug. 1 deadline, Polanco struggled in the field after getting all of his minor-league reps either at second base, his natural spot, or third base.
“I wish I had a better explanation,” Molitor said. “We didn’t handle it the right way. Sometimes you’re going to miss them. Some people weren’t convinced that he was ever going to play a game in the big leagues at shortstop.”
With Brian Dozier still around after an rumor-filled offseason, Polanco is penciled in as the Opening Day shortstop.
“That one probably seemed a little more obvious, that we should have had covered,” Molitor said.
SLEGERS SHOWDOWN
Facing 6-foot-10 right-hander Aaron Slegers, Dozier parked one fastball over a palm tree beyond the left-field fence, then got spun off the plate on the next pitch.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Hunter yelled from the behind the cage as Slegers tried to suppress a smile.
When Dozier’s foul pop failed to exit the cage on the ensuing pitch, Hunter was all over him.
“See?” he said. “Now he can’t concentrate.”
Slegers, a 2013 fifth-round pick out of Indiana, posted a 3.38 earned-run average in 301 1/3 combined innings the past two seasons. He enjoyed having an audience for his first live BP session in a big-league camp.
“That was fun, especially with Torii and LaTroy back there,” Slegers said. They provided a little commentary.”
BRIEFLY
Right-hander Seth Rosin, the former Mounds View High School and University of Minnesota standout, has signed a minor-league deal with the Twins after making just five appearances last season in the San Diego Padres’ system. Rosin, 28, has four career big-league outings with the Texas Rangers (2014) and Philadelphia Phillies (2015). … Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, is scheduled to make his annual address to the Twins clubhouse at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. … Single-game tickets for the Twins’ home schedule go on sale Friday at 9 a.m. Central. Special promotions include bobblehead giveaways honoring Rod Carew (Aug. 18), new Twins hall of famer Michael Cuddyer (Aug. 19), T.C. Bear (Aug. 6) and Rocket Raccoon (May 6). The 30th reunion of the Twins’ 1987 World Series champions will be the weekend of July 21-22.
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Minnesota Twins: Kyle Gibson changes delivery to keep shoulder healthy Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson has drawn some quizzical looks in the early days of spring training as he continues an experimental throwing program designed to keep his shoulder and lower back healthy.
Wearing an oversized, oven-mitt type apparatus on his right hand, Gibson has been spotted pantomiming his pitching delivery in the bullpen and in the practice cages. Inside the trademarked Durathro mitt is a 7-ounce ball — 2 ounces heavier than a regulation baseball — that he releases from his hand to retrain his throwing shoulder to better handle what happens after the pitch is made.
At the same time Gibson keeps a bright yellow “connection ball” tucked between his elbow and his throwing shoulder to prevent his hand from drifting too far away from his head.
Fans and teammates alike have stopped to gawk and smile, which Gibson completely understands.
“They just have no idea what it is,” Gibson said. “It obviously looks weird when you have a professional baseball player going out there and doing something that really nobody else is doing. It’s still a new thing, so it’s interesting to see the responses you get.”
Now 29 and set to earn $2.9 million after his first pass through arbitration, Gibson was annoyed and somewhat alarmed by a seven-week stint on the disabled list early last season. Sidelined by a shoulder strain after battling lower-back issues the prior two years, Gibson still felt “some discomfort” when he started his offseason throwing program, so he reached out to one of his former coaches at the University of Missouri for ideas.
“I was like, ‘OK, let’s do something different,’ ” Gibson said. “I didn’t want to have to be on anti-inflammatories all year and didn’t want to have to deal with it. I was at a point where if I want to … compete and (pitch) like I need to pitch, getting rid of arm and back pain is going to be a big part of that.”
His old coach referred him to Randy Sullivan’s Florida Baseball Ranch, a two-hour drive up the road in Plant City. Gibson spent 4 1/2 hours at the facility on Dec. 22, undergoing baseline testing and giving Sullivan a chance to map out a three-week program.
A licensed physical therapist who bills himself as “The Arm Pain Assassin,” Sullivan is affiliated with Ron Wolforth’s Texas Baseball Ranch, which new Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey visited multiple times during his days in the Cleveland Indians front office. According to Wolforth, the program has helped nearly 270 pitchers push their peak velocities to 90 mph for the first time.
Increased velocity wasn’t Gibson’s aim, even though the pitcher now carries training balls weighing up to 32 ounces with him each day.
“He doesn’t think I’m going to go up to 97 (mph),” Gibson said. “I’m throwing 92-23, so what are we really going to do at this point?”
Instead, the goal is to teach Gibson’s arm to pronate properly at the end of his delivery. That, in turn, should keep the humerus from rubbing on the shoulder’s connective tissues.
“He almost lost me at a couple points because he’s got such forward thinking,” Gibson said. “He said, ‘Getting out front and extension, that’s just a myth.’ I was like, ‘Hold on. This is a foundation of what I do.’ “
Over the course of their initial consultation, Sullivan convinced Gibson that too much extension after the ball has been released “is only putting your shoulder at more risk.” They immediately began working to retool Gibson’s delivery.
“It’s like a golf swing,” Gibson said. “Once you hit, you’re not adding anything (by extending); the ball is gone. This way, your shoulder has more time to slow down. I feel a huge difference.”
Now two months into Sullivan’s program, Gibson, who returned to Plant City last month for additional high-speed video analysis, has been encouraged by how his shoulder and back feel, and how his vaunted sinker is behaving.
“That was something I was a little worried about: how pitches are going to move,” Gibson said. “(Sullivan) said normally when guys make this change, they tend to see the same movement, same velocity and similar command. In live (batting practice), I felt like I was throwing the ball where I wanted to and everything was sinking.”
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Watching a recent bullpen session, the pitcher’s father made an interesting observation.
“Your arm just looks fast, like it was in college,” Harold Gibson told his son.
Gibson theorizes he may have lost arm speed over time as he made adjustments to his delivery. A quicker arm can only add to the deception and effectiveness of his other pitches, most notably the changeup.
“There were a few deficiencies and a few disconnects in my delivery that (Sullivan) thought he could fix and make things go smoother,” Gibson said. “I’ve got 15 years of pitching on my arm, going way back. It’s trying to take the shoulder and the body I have now and adapt, and hopefully make it a little more efficient so I don’t have another strain.”
Dream finally comes true for Twins coach J. Scott Butherus| MLB | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Jeff Smith has dreamed about reaching the Major Leagues since he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1995.
"I've been a Minnesota Twin for almost half my life," Smith said. "I bleed Minnesota Twins."
Over two decades after being drafted, Smith, 42, will walk out onto the field this season in a big league uniform. Granted, it won't be the way he first envisioned it, but after falling just short as a player he is ready to make his big league debut in another capacity. Smith will be a member of the Twins' Major League staff this season.
"It's been a long journey," Smith said. "But I wouldn't change it for the world."
After being selected in the 20th round of the 1995 Draft out of Stetson University, Smith was part of a crop of young Minor Leaguers in the Twins' organization that included David Ortiz, Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie, Jacque Jones, Doug Mientkiewicz, and A.J. Pierzynski. That group ended up being the nucleus of a team that reached the postseason six times between 2002 and 2010.
Smith, a catcher, never got his chance to join them. He made it all the way to Triple-A before suffering a series of knee injuries. In 658 Minor League games, Smith batted .282 with 44 home runs and 285 RBIs. He never did get to make his Major League debut.
When the injuries put an end to his playing career, Smith began his coaching career with the Gulf Coast League Twins in 2005. After a season in Beloit, Wis., Smith was promoted to manager of the Fort Myers Miracle, where he won the Florida State League Manager of the Year award in 2009. He was promoted to the team's Double-A affiliate in New Britain for the next five seasons before returning to the Miracle in 2015 for two seasons.
Smith, who was also a finalist for the head coaching position at his alma mater, Stetson, this winter, was promoted to the Twins' first-base coaching job this spring.
"It was a combination of the fit -- even though he wasn't your prototypical first-base coach -- and his ability to help out with the catching duties that I thought would make him valuable," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I've always been impressed from my time in player development, when I went to his clubs, with his preparation and his thoughtfulness. He certainly improved tremendously in his ability to teach and coach, and to handle personalities."
As well as being what Molitor referred to as a "good soldier" for the organization, Smith brings a familiarity with many of the younger players in the clubhouse, having coached many of them at some point in their Minor League careers.
"I've had a lot of these guys at multiple stages in their career whether it was Beloit, Fort Myers, in the instructional leagues or from when I go down to the Dominican," Smith said. "I think the big thing is relationships and not just on the field. I know about their families and who they are as a person. I'll continue to let those relations grow."
The only downside for Smith, who grew up in nearby Naples, Fla., and still lives there with his family, will be having to leave southwest Florida once spring camps break for the first time in three seasons.
"When this job was offered I talked to my wife and she looked me right in the eye and told me, 'You've worked your butt off for this for 20 years. You better take it and do your best and enjoy it,'" Smith said.
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It is, after all, something he has dreamed about for a very long time.
Twins president thanks fans, vows commitment Rhett Bollinger | MLB | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins are coming off a rough year that saw them post the worst record in the Majors, but with their new leadership led by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, Twins president Dave St. Peter believes brighter days are ahead.
St. Peter is optimistic about the future and took time to give three messages to Twins fans as part of MLB.com's Presidents Day coverage on Monday. Here's what St. Peter, who has been the club's president since 2002 and is active on Twitter (@twinsprez), had to say:
"First and foremost, I want to say thank you to our fans. Our fans been incredibly patient. We know that they've been historically supportive of Twins baseball in huge ways. I'm expecting them to come back in big numbers in 2017 and beyond. We think our baseball team is going to be better. We're excited about our new leadership. Derek Falvey is our chief baseball officer and Thad Levine is our general manager, providing new leadership and a new vision. I'm really excited about their collaboration with Paul Molitor to ensure that a nucleus of really exciting young players take a meaningful step forward. I think that will result in a significant step forward in the win-loss column and hopefully playing meaningful games deep into the season.
"Secondly, I think our fans should know we're committed to providing the best in service and facilities. We certainly hope people are making plans to come out to Target Field to be part of Twins baseball in 2017. When they do so, we continue to want to get their feedback on our service, food and beverage, our security, everything that goes into the game-day experience. It's absolutely central to us and we're committed to it in a big way.
"Thirdly, I'd like to say it's always part of our vernacular to be active in the community. So organizationally, our players, we're excited to get back to Minnesota and continue to do everything we can to grow the game at the youth levels but also to give back across Twins Territory. It's what we've been doing since 1961 and will continue to be a high priority in 2017. Thanks for the opportunity to share this message. We look forward to seeing everybody down here in Fort Myers over the next several weeks but also in Minnesota starting April 3. Win Twins."
Twins mourn passing of journalist Simons Rhett Bollinger | MLB | February 20, 2017
Longtime Minnesota area sports journalist Rod Simons has passed away at the age of 56, the Twins have confirmed.
Simons, who spent the last two decades covering sports in various parts of the country, passed away in Fort Meyers, Fla., while covering Twins Spring Training. He is survived by his wife, Pamela, and daughter, Annie.
Simons owned Rod Media Communications, producing sports shows such as Game On! and Go Twins Territory for Go 96.3 FM. He also wrote for GoMN.com, and from 2003-08, he was a lead anchor for KSTP-TV (ABC). He won nine Emmy awards and was honored with multiple Outstanding Sports Anchor Awards in the Minnesota region.
Simons was an advocate for multiple causes, including raising money to aid families in obtaining adoption grants through the Golf for the Gift charity.
Twins' players take part in unique spring drills J. Scott Butherus| MLB | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Minnesota Twins are having a ball with drills at Spring Training.
Of course, there are the thousands of baseballs the club brought down to Fort Myers. There are even more than a few golf balls floating around the clubhouse.
But it's some balls you might not expect that the Twins hope give them an edge this spring.
Pitcher Kyle Gibson has been using a specially weighted inflatable ball during his throwing program. The veteran right-hander started using it during his time with strength coach Randy Sullivan at the Florida Baseball Ranch in Plant City this winter. The "connection" ball, about the size of a beach ball, is held between the forearm and bicep of his throwing arm during drills to promote a more controlled delivery all the way through each pitch. 9
"I'm trying to clean up my arm motion a little bit and hopefully make it more efficient," Gibson said. "It puts less stress on my arm. Less stress on my back."
Another type of ball you don't usually see around camps is a racquetball, which Twins strength and conditioning coach Perry Castellano uses in one of his agility drills. During the drill, which is designed to increase agility and footwork, players have to track down a rapid-fire succession of bouncing racquetballs that are thrown in random directions, forcing players to rapidly change directions.
"That one wears you out," outfielder Byron Buxton said, after completing his turn with the drill on Monday.
Slegers learning to fit in with Twins J. Scott Butherus| MLB | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In his first Major League Spring Training camp, Minnesota Twins pitcher Aaron Slegers is just trying to blend in.
That's easier said than done when you are nearly 7 feet tall.
"The tall jokes, the basketball jokes, they all kind of come with the territory," Slegers said. "The first day of stretching lines were relentless."
Although he will likely start the regular season in the minors, the 6-foot-10 right-hander is excited for the learning experience of working out with the big league club this spring.
"I've been trying to keep my eyes open and absorb as much as I can from the older guys and some of the younger guys that have been here before," Slegers said. "I'm just trying to get more comfortable in the clubhouse and learn as much as possible and hopefully make some noise along the way."
Slegers, 24, was a fifth-round selection by the Twins in the 2013 Draft out of Indiana University, where he was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in his junior season. In 82 appearances, Slegers is 28-25 with a 3.54 ERA over four Minor League stops, including last year at Double-A Chattanooga where he went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 25 starts. One of the big things he is working on this spring is finding consistency with a delivery that has a lot of moving parts, something he has been focusing on since joining the Fort Myers Miracle, the club's High-A affiliate in late 2014.
"I'm a much different pitcher than I was just a few years ago," Slegers said. "I think I'm much more mature as well. That's something I'll continue working on."
Being that tall can cause also problems outside of maintaining proper mechanics on the pitching mound. Earlier this week, during the team's golf outing, he experienced a unique problem on the links.
"I was swinging on a drivable par-4 with my hybrid, and I broke the extension that makes my clubs longer," Slegers said. "It snapped off mid- swing, and [the club head] went flying down the fairway."
Zulgad: Limiting Mauer in 2017 will be smart play as Twins plan for the future Judd Zulgad | ESPN 1500 | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, FLA. — Joe Mauer created some short-term optimism last spring that he might have started to regain his once marvelous hitting stroke.
Despite the Twins’ horrendous start, Mauer had a .323 batting average, .447 on-base percentage and a .434 slugging percentage in the season’s opening month. But any feeling that the first baseman might be experiencing a resurgence dwindled over the next month as his hitting line dropped to .240/.325/.390.
Mauer finished the Twins’ 103-loss season hitting a career-low .261 with a .363 on-base percentage and a .389 slugging percentage. He added 11 home runs and 49 RBIs in 134 games.
A quadriceps injury was part of the reason Mauer had a horrible finish, but certainly not the only one. Mauer’s batting average left the three- time American League hitting champ with a .308 career average, a 15-point drop from as recently as 2013, when his season was ended because of a concussion that forced him to give up catching. 10
There was an extended period where the subject of Mauer’s struggles seemed to be off limits with the Twins’ brass. Signed to an eight-year contract in 2010 that called for him to make $23 million a season, the St. Paul-native got the benefit of the doubt no matter how much fans wondered if he was worth the investment.
It became clear that was no longer the case in November when Twins manager and fellow St. Paul native Paul Molitor was asked about Mauer’s playing time during an interview on 1500 ESPN.
“I think I overplayed Joe the first half,” Molitor said. “I think it resulted in maybe leading to a potential injury as well as maybe the downslide of performance near the end of the season. So I don’t think he’s a guy that you’re going to look to play 150-plus games.
“It’s going to smarter, it’s going to be better matchups, it’s going to be rest along the way, and where he ends up in total games, I think it’s going to be less than what we’ve seen the last couple years to try to get the most out of Joe.”
The thing with Mauer is that he has only played in more than 150 games once in his 13-year big-league career. That came in 2015, when he appeared in 158 games. But that was in part because Mauer spent his first 10 seasons as a catcher and also had battled injuries throughout his career.
There was a time when no one thought it would be a good idea to take his bat out of the lineup. Those days are gone.
It has been three months since Molitor expressed his desire for a plan that almost certainly came with input from new chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine. Falvey and Levine have no prior connection to Mauer so there will be no allegiance based on what they saw during the former catcher’s best days or because they drafted Mauer.
Mauer is now a 33-year-old — he will turn 34 on April 19 – who has hit .277, .265 and .261 his past three seasons and doesn’t provide any real pop. Long gone are the days when Mauer could go nearly an entire offseason without picking up a bat and then win a battling title based on his ability.
Also gone are the days the left-handed hitter could dominate against southpaws. In 2013, Mauer hit .324 against righthanders and .322 against lefties. Last season, he hit .272 against righties and a dismal .223 against lefties.
Entering the second-to-last season of his contract, Mauer will be asked to accept a reduced role for the good of a franchise that could be in for another long season in 2017 and almost certainly won’t achieve consistent success until after he’s gone.
The logical short-term play will be for Mauer to see the majority of his starts at first base against righthanded pitching and for the switch-hitting Kennys Vargas to face lefthanders. If Molitor is serious about getting Mauer rest, he likely will see limited time as the Twins’ designated hitter on the days he isn’t in the field.
If Miguel Sano struggles at third base, there also is a chance the Twins could make the power hitter their everyday first baseman, impacting Mauer’s playing time even more. This doesn’t even get into the fact that Mauer’s spot in the batting order is no longer necessarily set. If he struggles this season, could he find himself hitting seventh or eighth? It has to be considered a possibility.
Mauer might be a soft-spoken guy but there is a good chance none of these plans will sit well with him, especially if he feels he is healthy. Paying Mauer $23 million this season and not having him be an everyday player won’t make sense to some, but Falvey and Levine weren’t responsible for that contract.
They are responsible for making sure the Twins become competitive again, and the best way to accomplish that will be for Mauer to become a part-time player in 2017.
Paul Molitor says Twins didn’t handle Jorge Polanco the right way in the minors Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The way things look on paper right now, the Twins will open the season with Jorge Polanco playing shortstop, the position he played all of last season—in the Majors, that is.
Polanco, a promising young hitting prospect, didn’t spend a day at shortstop in the minor leagues last year. At the time it seemed puzzling, because the Twins had Brian Dozier installed at second base and after a dreadful start to the season he put on a power display for the ages. 11
So if the team’s best player played second base and Polanco was knocking on the door of the Major Leagues, why didn’t he get any looks at shortstop in the minors?
“I wish I had a better explanation for you,” manager Paul Molitor said flatly. “But I think myself, a lot of other people, realized we didn’t handle it the right way.”
Polanco took over at shortstop in early August and finished the year with a firm hold on the job. He had his defensive lapses, sure, but when a 22-year-old middle infielder hits .282/.332/.424 in his first extended look in the Majors, he’ll catch some attention.
In all, Polanco played 45 games in the big leagues in 2016, and all of them were as a shortstop.
“It’s not the first time that we’ve had situations where guys have come up here and end up playing where we haven’t exposed them enough to,” Molitor said. “Terry [Ryan] was always about playing guys around down there [in the minors], and either managers get caught up in winning or we don’t have enough foresight to what possibly could happen.
“Sometimes you are going to miss them. That one probably — maybe seemed a little more obvious that we should have had covered. Unless Dozier got traded,” he said.
Dozier didn’t get trade and he did pull out of his nosedive at the plate by the end of May.
Part of the reason for Polanco’s handling was that there were people behind the scenes with the Twins who didn’t think he could play shortstop. So the Twins were trying to develop him into the best second baseman possible.
The armchair view of things is that their handling of Polanco would have made a lot more sense if the plan all along was to trade Dozier. But seeing as that didn’t happen, it’s fair to call into question how Polanco was handled in the minor leagues.
And perhaps the most interesting part of the whole deal is Molitor’s matter-of-fact way of putting it months after the fact.
It’s definitely an open question as to whether or not Polanco will succeed defensively at shortstop in the Majors. But it seems like an open-and- shut case on whether the Twins have given him the best chance to do so.
Trevor May joins eSports team Luminosity Bill Baer | NBC Sports | February 21, 2017
When he’s not throwing baseballs, Twins pitcher Trevor May is an active gamer. He streams on Twitch, a very popular video game streaming site, fairly regularly and now he’s officially on an eSports team. Luminosity Gaming announced the organization added May last Friday. It appears he’ll be streaming and commentating on Overwatch, a multiplayer first-person shooter made by Blizzard Entertainment.
@trevmay65 It's happened! Thank you so much @Luminosity for the warm welcome. Hype Hype Hype, omg i love videogames
May is the only current athlete to be an active member of an eSports team. Former NBA player Rick Fox owns Echo Fox, an eSports team that sports players in games including League of Legends, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Street Fighter V, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Mortal Kombat X. Jazz forward Gordon Hayward is also a known advocate of eSports.
The NBA in particular has been very active on the eSports front. Kings co-owners Andy Miller and Mark Mastrov launched NRG eSports in November 2015. Shortly thereafter, Grizzlies co-owner Stephen Kaplan invested in the Immortals eSports team. Almost a year later, the 76ers acquired controlling stakes in Team Dignitas and Team Apex. The same month, the Wizards’ and Warriors’ owners launched a group called Axiomatic, which purchased a controlling stake in Team Liquid, a long-time Starcraft: Brood War website which has since branched out into other games. And also in September 2016, Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko bought team Renegades, moving them to a group house in Detroit. In December 2016, the Bucks submitted a deal to Riot Games in order to purchase Cloud9’s Challenger league spot for $2.5 million. The Rockets that month hired someone specifically for eSports development, focusing on strategy and investment. Last month, the Heat acquired a controlling stake in team Misfits.
Once an afterthought, eSports has grown considerably in recent years and now it should be considered a competitor to traditional sports. 12
League of Legends, in particular, is quite popular, reaching nearly 15 million concurrent viewers at its peak in the most recent League of Legends World Championship. That championship featured a prize purse of $6.7 million with $2 million of it being split among winner SK Telecom T1’s members.
The Top 3 Breakout Canidates at Every Position Entering 2017 Jacob Shafer | Bleacher Report | February 21, 2017
The following is an excerpt from the full article:
In the vernacular of sports, "breakout" is a nebulous term. It means different things to different people.
Here's what it means to me: a not-yet-star player who elevates his game and statistics significantly. He can be a youngster who's only sipped his cup of coffee or have a few seasons under his belt. He can trail some hype or toil in relative obscurity.
In fact, you'll find guys who match all of those descriptions here. There are top prospects with rookie status intact about to get their first extended shot, established players coming back from injuries, and a few names who have taxied down the runway of stardom and appear poised for liftoff.
I've tapped three breakout candidates at each position, including starting and relief pitchers. Inevitably, some will soar and some will fizzle—but they'll all be worth watching closely in 2017.
Third Base
Miguel Sano (MIN)
After debuting with a .916 OPS for the Minnesota Twins in 2015, Miguel Sano saw that number plummet to .781 in 2016.
The 23-year-old struggled defensively in the outfield and will try to hone his skills at third base, where he made 15 errors in 42 games last season. His power, though, is as undeniable as it is tantalizing.
Center Field
Byron Buxton (MIN)
You've been hearing about Byron Buxton as the next big thing for a while. You have every right to be skeptical given his .220/.274/.398 line in 138 big league games.
The 2012 No. 2 overall pick posted a 1.011 OPS and nine home runs and 22 RBI in his final 29 contests with the Twins, however. For those inclined to get excited, there's your ammunition.
"I just went out and stopped worrying about everything else," Buxton said, per Guy N. Limbeck of the Post-Bulletin. "I just went out and played my game."
Minnesota Twins sign hometown RHP Seth Rosin Alex Butler | UPI | February 20, 2017
Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Seth Rosin has appeared in just four Major League Baseball games since being drafted in 2010.
On Monday, Rosin's career took another turn. The Minnesota Twins signed the right-handed pitcher to a minor league deal, according to multiple sources.
Rosin allowed eight runs and 14 hits in 8.2 innings in 2016 for the San Diego Padres' Triple-A squad. The 28-year-old University of Minnesota product was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants. He was traded in 2012 to the Philadelphia Phillies, as part of the Hunter Pence deal. He was then selected by the New York Mets from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2013 rule 5 draft. The Los Angeles Dodgers bought him out that same day, before he was waived.
The Texas Rangers picked up Rosin in 2014, before he reunited with the Phillies. Rosin signed as a free agent in 2016 with the San Diego Padres. 13
He holds a 12.00 ERA in six big-league innings for the Rangers and Phillies. Rosin owns a 3.95 ERA in 430.1 minor league innings.
New catcher Castro looks to make effect on Twins’ pitching John Perrotto | FanRag Sports Network | February 20, 2017
FORT MYERS, Fla. — A new Minnesota Twins’ front office made only minor changes to the roster during the offseason, which was surprising on a couple of fronts.
For one, new management usually likes to put its stamp on the team. Secondly, the Twins’ 59-103 record was both the worst in the major leagues last season and since the franchise relocated to the Twin Cities from Washington in 1961.
Yet chief operating officer Derek Falvey and team president Thad Levine are cognizant that the Twins went 83-79 in 2015 and were in contention until the final weekend that season.
“There are some great people here, some great players here,” Levine said. “We never had any intention to come in here with a bulldozer and risk losing great players, great people, by making short-sighted, rash decisions.”
Falvey and Levine made one major addition, though, by signing free-agent catcher Jason Castro to a three-year, $24.5 million contract. The 29- year-old spent his first six seasons with the Houston Astros and hit just .210/.307/.377 with 11 home runs in 132 games last year.
However, the Twins believe Castro’s defense can make a major impact on a pitching staff that had the second-worst ERA in the major leagues last season. Minnesota’s 5.08 mark was barely better than the 5.09 of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“That basically everyone on our pitching staff is still here tells you that management has confidence in us,” Twins left-hander Hector Santiago said Sunday morning before his team’s first full-squad workout of spring training at the CenturyLink Sports Complex.
“We had a lot of injuries and one of those years where a lot of things didn’t go our way. But you look at what guys have and add Jason now to catch and I think you’re going to see a major improvement.”
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Statcorner.com ranked Castro fourth in pitch framing last season among major-league catchers who caught at least 5,000 pitches. The site’s metrics determined Castro turned an average of 0.92 pitches per game that should have been called balls into strikes, saving the Astros 12.8 runs over the course of the year.
“I’ve watched him from the other dugout get his pitchers a couple of extra strikes over the course of a game because he has such soft hands,” Santiago said. “You appreciate every edge you can get because it’s tough getting big-league hitters out.”
Though not a grizzled veteran, Castro enjoys helping to develop. He was given that task starting at a young age as the Astros lost 106, 107 and 111 games in a three-season span from 2011-13 before reaching the playoffs in 2015.
“Any catcher’s No. 1 priority is his pitching staff,” Castro said. “That is why I was brought over here, to try to help make the pitchers better. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve already caught most of the guys during bullpens and they have good stuff. It’s a matter of them staying healthy and being a little more consistent.”
The Twins need to get their starting rotation straightened out. Ervin Santana and Santiago finished last season healthy, but Phil Hughes’ year ended June 10 because of a fractured right knee and Kyle Gibson missed six weeks in the first half with a balky shoulder.
Highly-regarded 22-year-old right-hander Jose Berrios has the inside track on the No. 5 spot but went 3-8 with an 8.03 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in 14 starts as a rookie last season. Trevor May, who was moved to the bullpen in 2015, is being stretched out as a starter this spring and he and veteran Ryan Vogelsong are expected to push Berrios for the job along with Tyler Duffey and rookie lefty Adalberto Mejia.
“I’ve been on 100-loss teams before and this is not a 100-loss team in my eyes,” Castro said. “Pitching is always the key and if we pitch the way I think we can then I think you could see things turn around here pretty quickly.”
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