Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Thursday, June 05, 2014

➢ Twins’ guessing game continues right up to draft day. Star Tribune (Neal) pg. 1 ➢ I’m in the debate by staying out of it. Star Tribune (Sinker) pg. 2 ➢ A little brute strength in Twins’ order goes a long way. Star Tribune (Reusse) pg. 3 ➢ Willingham’s bat is coming around. Star Tribune (Hartman) pg. 5 ➢ Twins’ New Britain farm team gets new stadium. Star Tribune (Miller) pg. 7 ➢ Postgame: Arcia says he followed ‘unwritten’ rules. Star Tribune (Miller) pg. 8 ➢ Santana is a worthwhile option in center field. Star Tribune (Reusse) pg. 8 ➢ Hicks and Gomez are comparable stories. Star Tribune (Rand) pg. 10 ➢ Twins 6, Brewers 4: Arcia’s bug night gets the best of Milwaukee. Pioneer Press (Murphy) pg. 11 ➢ Twins’ Pelfrey to have elbow checked out by Dr. James Andrews. Pioneer Press (Murphy) pg. 12 ➢ New stadium could lure Twins’ Class AA affiliate to Hartford, Conn. Pioneer Press (Murphy) pg. 12 ➢ Twins’ Fuld, out 25 games with concussion, slated for rehab assignment. Pioneer Press (Murphy) pg. 13 ➢ Only handful of first-round draft picks haven’t reached big leagues. Pioneer Press (Berardino) pg. 13 ➢ Arcia’s four RBIs fend off Aramis-fueled Crew. MLB.com (Bollinger) pg. 16 ➢ Fuld has successful BP, will need rehab stint. MLB.com (Bollinger and Smith) pg. 17 ➢ Dozier has high praise for rookie Santana. MLB.com (Bollinger and Smith) pg. 18 ➢ Nerve issue in elbow ongoing for Pelfrey. MLB.com (Bollinger and Smith) pg. 18 ➢ Gardenhire, Plouffe reflect on being drafted. MLB.com (Bollinger and Smith) pg. 19 ➢ Twins turn to Correia in finale against Brewers. MLB.com (Smith) pg. 19 ➢ Early challenge at third favors Gardenhire. MLB.com (Bollinger) pg. 21 ➢ Arcia shows off power, drives in 4 in Twins win against Brewers. Associated Press pg. 21 ➢ 5 thoughts on 3-, slow trots, and showing emotion. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) pg. 22 ➢ How do the Twins run the operation during the MLB Draft? 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) pg. 24 ➢ Surprise Turnaround. Sports on Earth (Megdal) pg. 25

Twins’ guessing game continues right up to draft day

La Velle E. Neal III / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

Every class is unique in Major League ’s first-year player draft because of its groupings of talent. Sometimes there’s a top tier of players before the talent level drops off. Other times, there’s a , where there is one clear-cut prospect above all the others.

Teams will try to identify how deep the top group is, then the next group, and so on. The goal is to figure out what players might be available in a group when it’s your turn to pick.

The Twins believe there are three pitchers who should be in the top group of this year’s draft. As the first two rounds of the draft take place Thursday, they are trying to figure out who will be available when their turn comes with the No. 5 overall pick. “Every round has natural breaks,” said Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president of player personnel. “This year has a break of about three pitchers, then four to five guys who are pretty good. Then it drops down after that. It’s not a great draft, depthwise. It’s not a great draft from the top.”

The top three pitchers are considered to be, in no particular order: lefthander Carlos Rodon from North Carolina State, lefthander Brady Aiken from Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego and righthander Tyler Kolek from Shepherd (Texas) High. Kolek, whose fastball has been clocked at 100 miles per hour, could be the first righthanded prep pitcher ever taken with the No. 1 overall pick.

Multiple baseball publications have predicted the Twins will take shortstop from Olympia High in Orlando with their No. 5 pick. He is in a group that includes catcher-outfielder Alex Jackson from Rancho Bernardo High in Escondido, Calif; lefthander Sean Newcomb from the University of Hartford; lefthander Kyle Freeland from the University of Evansville and righthander Aaron Nola from LSU.

Gordon is the son of former major league pitcher Tom Gordon and brother of Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon.

Tom Gordon, when reached Wednesday night, said that he’s spoken with every other team in the top 10 but has been unable to get a feel for where he son might be selected. But, understandably, he feels his son is special.

‘‘He can throw people out from left field,’’ said Gordon, who is with his son and other family members near Secaucus, N.J., where they will attend the draft. ‘‘He’s started to understand his abilities. He’s started to understand his power. What he has done in the last year, he has been phenomenal to watch.’’

The Twins reportedly have done extensive research on Gordon and like his makeup, believing he will become a good pro hitter.

But it’s not that simple. Sometimes teams contact each other to see which way they are leaning, but the Twins aren’t sure what the four teams in front of them — the Astros, Marlins, White Sox and Cubs — will do.

“There’s always late information on players and how they are doing,” Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said. “You have to take every game into consideration. The list is always moving. Things are being rearranged.”

The Astros have the first pick, and most of Houston’s front-office members have been out to see Kolek pitch. But in 2012, the Astros selected shortstop Carlos Correa with the first pick and signed him to a financially-friendly deal, leaving for the Twins at No. 2. Could the Astros have something up their sleeve again?

So the Twins are spending the final moments before the draft preparing for different scenarios. They could take one of the big three pitchers if they fall to them.

They also have done a lot of work on Nola, who doesn’t have powerful stuff but could move quickly through the minors.

The Twins are looking at a group of seven to eight players they could take with the No. 5 pick.

On Thursday, they will wait and see who falls to them at No. 5, then act accordingly.

“You have to play out every potential scenario from [the Astros’ No. 1 pick],” Radcliff said.

“They could take anybody. We don’t have a clue. Nobody does.”

I’m in the Joe Mauer debate by staying out of it

Howard Sinker / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

2

I have pretty much done my best to stay out of the Joe Mauer discussions, which is a polite term for much of what I’ve heard and read, because so much of it runs counter to what I value as a fan, a media member and a neighbor. A few weeks ago, I had some fun comparing Mauer’s production at the time to that of the legend Nick Punto and it set off people in all kinds of ways.

Joe Mauer is having a mediocre year. You know it, he knows it, your co-worker who searches for truth by watching nothing but al- Jazeera and FOX News knows it. Whether it means that he’s started a career decline at age 31 or this is a big bump in his career, we’ll eventually find out. What do I think? I don’t know.

What I do wonder about is how Mauer would be remembered if his career was pretty much done at age 32 in a manner similar to Tony Oliva, who went from one of the game’s best outfielders to just-another-starter (at DH, no less) for the final few years of his career because of the knee injuries that wrecked his game. Have Mauer’s injuries taken a gradual toll much less dramatic but just as problematic as what happened to Oliva? I don’t know.

Or what would happen if Mauer’s career disappeared without warning, as it did with Kirby Puckett at age 35 because of glaucoma? Would Puckett’s legacy have been changed for some people if he’d been able to return from the fastball-to-the-face that he took in the last plate appearance of his career, but was never again capable of the play that made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer? I don’t know.

Was the prevailing wisdom that Justin Morneau was done because his play ranged from mediocre to pretty good in the three years after his concussion? Yes, you and I both know the answer to that one. And as well as Morneau is playing right now, his statistics aren’t as good as in any of the seasons from 2006-10, when he was the league's MVP, an All-Star or both.

I don’t know what’s ahead for Mauer. I do know that trying to find silver linings in this season is as ridiculous as using this season to say that he’ll never return to his previous form. I’ve heard a half-dozen theories of what Mauer should do, ranging from the insightful Dan Gladden to insight-impaired talk show participants who make me hit the radio button that takes me to old-school Hip Hop.

It’s like that, and that’s the way it is.

I’ve watched the comparisons of Mauer at age 31 to Puckett and Derek Jeter at age 31 – and I’m pretty sure those are intended to enrage the debaters more than to advance the discussion. I failed my purity test this week by comparing Mauer to the legendary ex- Twins catcher Corky Miller at age 31. In case you’re wondering and don’t want to look it up, Mauer does well in all three comparisons.

All of the Mauer battling takes away from something more interesting, and more in line with enjoying what’s happening rather than picking apart players and each other:

For all of their shortcomings, the Twins will be a .500 team more than one-third of the way into the season if they beat Milwaukee again tonight. I was among those who were convinced that 2014 could easily be the worst of the bad seasons, so being this OK is a pretty good diversion. All the more because some pretty rotten things were done with roster management, much of it revolving around outfield depth and players named Jason.

Focusing entirely on that discounts the moves that have so far turned out to be well executed and a season that’s been better than expected.

If I’m going to carry around any distress about what’s going on, it’ll happen when I look in the Milwaukee outfield and see Carlos Gomez … and in Baltimore’s infield and see J.J. Hardy … and on the roster of all-time Twins and see Jim Hoey. I’m working on getting over it, but that’s not easy.

A little brute strength in Twins’ order goes a long way

Patrick Reusse / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

3

The Twins were forced to win Wednesday night’s game twice against the Milwaukee Brewers. Oswaldo Arcia took care of both challenges.

The Twins were trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning when Arcia hit a smash down the right field line. The ball kissed off the top third of the foul pole. Arcia took a long look and then cruised the bases with a three-run homer.

The lead was pushed to 4-1 by the seventh, and it looked like more than enough with Ricky Nolasco showing the best stuff of his dozen starts with the Twins.

Nolasco was on a streak of 13 batters retired, when the Brewers’ mischievous Jonathan Lucroy opened the seventh with a single. Carlos Gomez followed with another single. Aramis Ramirez, back in the lineup after a 21-game absence, bombed a three-run homer to center.

All three hits came on 1-0 pitches, meaning the three-run lead had disappeared in a total of six pitches.

Nolasco finished the seventh and went to the dugout, knowing he was done pitching for the night and contemplating how he allowed this victory to get away.

Rob Wooten came in for the Brewers to get two outs, and then Josh Willingham — a hot hitter in recent days — doubled to the scoreboard in right-center field. This brought up Arcia, and Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke went to his antidote for lefthanded hitters: Will Smith.

Lefthanders were batting .121 against Smith. Those same lefties had struck out 18 times in 33 at-bats. Most of those K’s came on his sweeping slider.

“We saw that guy in Kansas City last year, and I think he struck out 10 of our guys in a row,’’ batting coach Tom Brunansky said. “He was just the pitcher of the month for the Brewers. That was a tough matchup for Oswaldo.’’

Smith busted a couple of fastballs in on Arcia and then went with the slider. On a 2-2 count, catcher Lucroy was set up on the outside corner. Smith didn’t get the slider all the way there. Arcia reached down and hooked the ball into right field.

Willingham came around third and there wasn’t much of a throw from right fielder Ryan Braun. The pitcher, Smith, crossed the runner’s path, and Willingham came tumbling home with the lead run.

Smith said of Arcia’s single: “Obviously, you want it farther away, down in the dirt. You can’t make perfect pitches every time.’’

That’s what Arcia was hoping for: a pitch from the Brewers’ dominant lefty that would give him a fighting chance.

“The pitch was down but in the middle of the plate, and Oswaldo was able to get to it,’’ Brunansky said.

Arcia’s fourth RBI of the night made it 5-4, and he scored from second on ’s single down the right field line. Six outs from Casey Fien and followed and the Twins had a 6-4 victory.

Arcia’s off starter Marco Estrada also came on a pitch that showed some extra hitting talent. It was pitch in on him that required Arcia to pull in his hands and generate tremendous force.

“It’s hard to do that on a pitch in there and keep the ball fair,’’ manager Ron Gardenhire said.

It was only by a fraction of the foul pole that the ball was fair. Arcia stayed at the plate and watched. This can get a hitter — especially a young one — in trouble with the opposition.

There was an excuse for Arcia: He saw the ball hooking and was waiting to find out if it was fair.

“We’ll go with that … Oswaldo was waiting to see if it was fair,’’ Gardenhire said.

4

Estrada drilled Brian Dozier with a fastball that did not look accidental an inning later. It’s anybody’s guess as to why Dozier was hit, if the Brewers were mad at Arcia.

One obvious thing: Manager Ron Roenicke and the Brewers were unhappy with the work of plate umpire Andy Fletcher for most of the night.

Brunansky was asked how it was that Arcia kept his hands inside and generated that power? Bruno rolled his eyes upward with a “because-he-can’’ look.

“Arcia and [Josmil] Pinto, too … those two guys are mule strong,’’ Brunansky said.

Willingham’s bat is coming around

Sid Hartman / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

Twins left fielder Josh Willingham finally is starting to look like the slugger the Twins got as a free agent in 2012, after struggling because of injuries for most of last season and already missing 40 games this year because of a wrist injury.

It is pretty apparent that when he is in the lineup and healthy, the Twins can compete with anyone as they showed on their recent road trip to New York against the Yankees and to Milwaukee.

Willingham was asked last week before leaving town how difficult it was to miss such a big chunk of time at the start of this season.

“How tough has it been for me this year? It has been a little frustrating,” he said.

When asked if there was any other season that was as difficult, he simply said, “Yeah, last year.”

When the Twins signed Willingham to a three-year, $21 million contract in 2011, there was a big belief the righthanded slugger would be able to replace ’s bat in the lineup and also pull a number of home runs into the shorter left-field bleachers at Target Field.

His first year with the club in 2012 proved that out when Willingham hit .260 and led the team in home runs (35), RBI (110), slugging percentage (.524) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.890).

His 35 homers were the13th-highest single-season total in team history.

But last year, Willingham really struggled because of knee injuries. He managed to play 111 games, but he never looked like himself, hitting only .208 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI in 389 at-bats.

Then this season began, and Willingham played in only six games before breaking a bone in his wrist after being hit by a pitch.

But now the slugger is looking as if he’s back to that 2012 form. Willingham went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored in a 6-4 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday night and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He is hitting .440 with four homers, 11 RBI and a .575 on-base percentage during that streak.

Following the Twins’ 6-4 victory over the Brewers on Tuesday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told the media that the team hopes Willingham’s injuries are behind him.

“Our concern was that he was swinging good when he started the season,” Gardenhire said. “You never know after you break a bone how it is going to come back. He’s come back, he’s on the baseball and I still think his legs are underneath him. He doesn’t have the knee problems and that has allowed him to do what he needs to do to get the bat head out.”

Twins saw potential 5

Willingham spent his 2011 season in Oakland. That year he faced the Twins seven times and hit .320 with three home runs and eight RBI, which helped convince General Manager to bring him to Minnesota.

When Willingham signed, he said he knew why the Twins brought him here.

“I knew I was looked upon to bring some power and some thump to that lineup,” he said in 2011. “I think I’m at my best, offensively, when I’m going deep into some counts and working some walks and seeing a lot of pitches.”

The Twins saw Willingham reach that potential in 2012, and now it looks like he’s found it again in 2014.

Busy summer at U

Summer school starts at Minnesota on Monday, and the Gophers football team expects everybody to be in school and working out. As for injured players, coach Jerry Kill reported recently that everybody should be ready to go in the fall.

“The only one, and he’s making a run at things, is [sophomore linebacker] Cody Poock, the young man who transferred in,” said Kill. “He had a [torn] ACL during the spring, and he’s already doing things that nobody thought he would do. He’s on a mission. Whether he’s going to be ready or not — we may have him in time for the Big Ten season — but you know other than that, we’re getting pretty much everybody back.

“This is a critical time. There are a lot of them going through rehab, but I think we’ll be in pretty good shape, just according to how things go.”

Kill said redshirt junior center Jon Christenson, who missed most of last season after suffering a serious leg injury, has done really well in his rehab. “I think he’s going to be able to start with us Aug. 1,” Kill said.

Jottings

• Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on whether he can tell if his players are buying into his system and coaching style: “I don’t worry about that. I don’t worry about if they are buying in. My job is to coach them hard and try to get them to be the best players they can be. You’d have to ask them if they are buying in, really. My job is to coach them.”

• Tyus Jones, the Apple Valley point guard headed for Duke, will be taking part in the USA Basketball Under-18 team training camp from June 17-24 in Colorado Springs. That team will be led by Florida coach Billy Donovan. Former Cooper standout Rashad Vaughn, who is attending UNLV, also will be at the tryouts.

• Bronson Dovich, the Chaska offensive tackle who committed to Kill and the Gophers recently, told GopherHole.com he’s happy to have signed with the Gophers because now he can just focus on playing his senior season. “Before I had an offer, I was really trying to check out a few places,” he said. “Minnesota wasn’t showing too much interest, but after the Rivals camp they started to show me more interest and offered me. I knew that was the place for me. When I heard they were getting interested in me, I knew that this was the place that I wanted to be.”

• Joe Mauer showed how quickly he can turn around his batting average, going 5-for-12 with two doubles over the past three games heading into Wednesday night and taking his average from .267 to .276. He went 0-for-4 Wednesday, dropping the average to .271.

• A year ago the Twins’ farm club at Class AAA Rochester was weak on pitching, but it is a different story this year. Since May 12, the Rochester starting rotation is 12-5 with an outstanding 2.13 ERA. One of the starters, Trevor May, was named International League Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 in two starts without allowing an earned run.

• William Leaf, an outstanding golfer from Winona, is transferring to Minnesota from SIU-Edwardsville and will be eligible this fall.

• Former Gopher Donald Snelten is 3-0 with 0.71 ERA in 11 games for the San Francisco Giants’ Class A affiliate in Augusta, Ga. Snelten has 17 strikeouts in 12 ⅔ innings pitched.

6

• Former Gopher Zach Budish has six goals and four assists in 21 playoff games for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, who are playing the Alaska Aces in the Kelly Cup finals. … Josh Birkholz, another one-time Gopher, is also on the team and has three goals and four assists in 21 games.

Twins’ New Britain farm team gets new stadium

Phil Miller / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

The Twins were not consulted about the plans of their Class AA affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats, to move into a $60 million stadium in Hartford, Conn., for the 2016 season, a deal announced in the state’s capital Wednesday. But Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said the Twins understand why owner Josh Solomon is making the move, and will likely support him.

“They’ve got a pretty good opportunity, it sounds like,” Antony said of the Rock Cats’ agreement, according to the Hartford Courant, to pay annual rent of $500,000 in the new ballpark, located about 15 miles east of their current suburban home. “They’ve had some battles in New Britain that they haven’t been able to resolve. Give them credit, they want to keep the team in Connecticut.”

Will the Twins, who have been affiliated with New Britain since 1995, go with them? It’s too soon to say; Minnesota’s two-year player development contract expires at the end of the season, and Antony said negotiations have not begun on an extension yet. It’s conceivable that a team with a new stadium, especially one located 100 miles from Boston and 125 from New York, might attempt to lure a more popular major league club. New Britain’s souvenir stands still sell “New Britain Red Sox” T-shirts, after all, since the team was affiliated with Boston from 1973-95.

Pelfrey’s slow progress

Mike Pelfrey underwent an MRI on his pitching elbow Monday, met with Twins doctors Tuesday, and will travel to Pensacola, Fla., next Monday to be examined by Dr. James Andrews, the surgeon who replaced the ligament in his pitching elbow two years ago. The Twins won’t make any decisions or announcements about the righthander’s prognosis until then, Antony said.

But he hinted that Pelfrey’s problem might be more serious than the Twins had thought.

“He has something going on with that elbow,” Antony said. “We’ve got him on anti-inflammatory [medications], but I think there’s more to it than that, and the doctors do as well.”

Antony said Pelfrey has experienced tingling in his fingers since , “but he didn’t say anything about it. He didn’t think it was a big deal, because he said he had that [tingling] before he had Tommy John [surgery].” When he mentioned the tingling to an athletic trainer, “we said come up [to Minnesota] right away,” Antony said. “We were hoping it was inflammation and irritation on the UCL [ligament], but I think they’re exploring to see if it’s something more than that.”

Etc.

• Outfielder Sam Fuld will take early batting practice Thursday, then head to the airport, assuming his concussion symptoms don’t reoccur. Fuld, on the concussion list since May 8, will join New Britain in Binghampton, N.Y., and begin his rehab stint Saturday. “The best thing about him is, he’s finally got a smile on his face,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. Given the Twins’ shortage of center fielders, was any thought given to simply activating Fuld in the majors? “No chance. It’s not fair to him,” Gardenhire said. “He needs to see live pitching.”

• Gardenhire said the Twins’ front office intends to discuss whether Danny Santana, their highly rated shortstop prospect now playing center field, might make the position change permanent. But the manager pointed out that the Twins already have a top prospect penciled in for the position in another year or two: Byron Buxton.

“Down the road, I think we all know what we’ve got coming,” Gardenhire said. “What’s long-term for [Santana], we’ll have to discuss that. Right now, he’s in the big leagues and he’s doing fine.”

7

Postgame: Arcia says he followed ‘unwritten’ rules

Phil Miller / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

A trio of leftovers from the Twins' third win in four days:

WATCHING IT GO: When Oswaldo Arcia smacked his three-run homer on Wednesday, he stood at home plate for a second or two before heading to first base. Baseball's "unwritten rules" have gotten a lot of attention lately, given the brawl that erupted between the Red Sox and Rays, so there was some discussion afterward about whether Arcia had violated them by admiring his blast. Manager Ron Gardenhire defended his young hitter, sort of. "In his defense, he's trying to see if it's fair or foul," Gardenhire said. "That's what I'm going to say."

Arcia agreed, and he pointed out that if he goes into a home-run trot and the ball -- which hit the foul pole, after all -- curls foul, that would be awkward, too. After he knew it was fair, he probably ran a little faster than a normal trot, he said. "He knew it was going to be close, he wasn't sure, so he waited," Eduardo Nunez said, acting as Arcia's intepreter. "He didn't want people to think he was walking slow. He knows he's rookie, and he went hard."

BROUGHT DOWN SHORT OF A FIRST DOWN: Arcia's tie-breaking single in the seventh inning came with an odd play, too. Josh Willingham was on second base with a two-out double when Arcia lined a Will Smith pitch into right. Willingham rounded third and never hesitated, coming home with what turned out to be the game-winning run. But as he neared the plate, Smith wandered into his path, and Willingham didn't see him. Their collision looked like a linebacker bringing down a fullback, and umpire Andy Fletcher signaled interference on Smith, awarding Willingham the base whether he was tagged or not. (He wasn't.)

Willingham was funny about the play after the game.

"I knew I got a really good jump on it, and I knew [Arcia] didn't crush it right at [right fielder Ryan Braun]. I had a pretty good feeling I was going to be safe," Willingham said. "He just sort of showed up. I was looking at the ball, he was looking at the ball, and he just got in the way. I tried to avoid him, and my athleticism took over after that."

LET'S GO TO THE VIDEOTAPE: The game was full of controversial calls and video replays, with Brewers manager Ron Roenicke especially upset with how the game was officiated.

In the first inning, Brian Dozier was called out while trying to steal third base, but Gardenhire challenged third-base umpire Mark Wegner's decision. Replays showed the ball beating Dozier to the base, but third baseman Mark Reynolds slapped the tag on the ground, not Dozier's hand, and the call was overturned. It was the sixth time this season (in 14 appeals) that Gardenhire has gotten an umpiring mistake corrected.

Replay was no help to Trevor Plouffe three innings later, however. Plouffe followed Arcia's home run with a long blast to left, a ball that crossed the foul line very close to the pole. Wegner ruled it foul, but Gardenhire convinced the umpires to check the video, which confirmed the initial judgement.

Roenicke's complaints were about a trio of calls at home plate that aren't reviewable under baseball's new rules -- one a third strike that may or may not have been foul-tipped, one a third strike that bounced to the backstop but only after ricocheting off the batter's foot, and the last about a ground ball that Lyle Overbay insisted (and replay seemed to confirm) had glanced off his leg and into fair territory. Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher conferred with his fellow umps, but not replay, to rule against Roenicke and the Brewers each time.

Santana is a worthwhile option in center field

Patrick Reusse / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

8

Danny Santana made his eighth start and third in a row in center field for the Twins on Wednesday night at Target Field. This has been framed by media types and the sporting public as a desperate act for a team caught with no reasonable alternatives to the hapless hitter, .

The Twins have been questioned by many (present company included) for giving away potential stopgaps, Darin Mastroianni and Alex Presley, because of the ridiculous flirtation to have Jason Bartlett as a utility player.

That’s probably true, but so is this: Any sane follower of the Twins would rather see Santana getting a shot to be part of this lineup over Mastroianni, Presley or Sam Fuld (still out with a concussion).

Santana is a 23-year-old switch-hitter and as fast as any Twins player since Carlos Gomez departed five years ago. ? I’d call it a dead heat, tops, for Revere.

There’s a strong chance that Santana remains the Twins’ future shortstop. For now, Eduardo Escobar has held that down in surprisingly successful fashion, and manager Ron Gardenhire has decided to go with Santana’s combination of unfamiliarity and talent in center.

Santana had a rough time in San Francisco late last month when he was cautious on a couple of fly balls into short center. On Monday in Milwaukee, he made a senseless throw into no man’s land and turned a 1-0 hole into a 2-0 hole for Twins starter .

The deal is, with his speed and his arm, Santana is more than equipped to be a center fielder. He played there only occasionally in the minors, and so what? It’s an easier position to play that shortstop.

There’s a difference between throwing Bartlett, a 34-year-old coming off a year of not playing, into left field, and using a young player with tremendous skills in center field.

Old-time Twins fans can see similarity between Santana’s presence in center field and what took place in 1966 with a player named Cesar Tovar. The Twins had traded lefthanded pitcher Gerry Arrigo to Cincinnati for Tovar in December 1964.

Tovar became a regular in 1966. A year later, he played in 164 games (two ties included), with 60 starts in center field, 56 at third base, 31 at second base, six in left field, five at shortstop and one in right field.

The moral of this tale is that if you have speed, talent and are a right-handed thrower, you can play most anywhere. This isn’t to suggest the Twins will have Santana play all nine positions, as Tovar did as a ticket-selling gimmick on Sept. 22, 1968, but he almost certainly can get by in center field.

Gardenhire’s recent lineups have had Santana batting first. If the rookie can pull it off, that allows Brian Dozier to move to a better spot for him, second, and will make for a better-looking lineup card.

It was embarrassing for all a week ago, when it was announced that Hicks had decided to give into the statistics and abandon switch-hitting. To have a 24-year-old trying to learn on the fly to bat right-handed against big-league righthanders brought on some much-deserved ridicule.

9

Fuld was out and the Twins’ view at the time was that they had no option to Hicks in center field. After a futile game for Hicks in San Francisco, Gardenhire went with Santana in center. That Sunday went poorly for Santana and the Twins, but Gardenhire has now gone back to him with better results.

Tom Kelly, the former manager, was working for FSN on Wednesday. Asked about Santana in center, Kelly said:

“As long as he’s in there somewhere. I think he’s an exciting player. If he can make the pitchers keep the ball down, he’s going to do OK. It looks like he can handle those pitches.’’

And playing center? “There are going to be some mistakes, like with any young player at any position,’’ Kelly said. “Hopefully, we can get him back in there at shortstop in time, but as I said: As long as Santana’s in there somewhere, it can be a good thing for the Twins.’’

Hicks and Gomez are comparable stories

Michael Rand / Star Tribune – 6/5/14

In their recent history, the Twins gave the leadoff spot in their batting order to a raw but exciting young center fielder who was replacing an established player. This player new struggled mightily in his first two seasons — both in terms of plate discipline and overall production.

We’re talking, of course, about Carlos Gomez.

Or are we talking about Aaron Hicks?

In some ways, Gomez and Hicks were very different players in their young Twins careers with very different things which they needed to improve. But in other ways, they’re quite similar.

Hicks could be headed back to the minors soon as he attempts to straighten out his career. Gomez, now a star with Milwaukee after being traded there following his second year with the Twins, offers a reminder with the Brewers in town that the Twins shouldn’t give up on Hicks too early.

Here's a look at the two players

Scenario in which he earned CF job

Hicks: In the offseason before the 2013 season, the Twins traded both Ben Revere and . That left a hole in center field, and after a hot spring Hicks was given the job.

Gomez: In the offseason before the 2008 season, signed a free-agent contract with the Angles. That left a hole in center field, which was filled by Gomez – a prize from the Johan Santana trade in the same offseason.

Age when he started first game with the Twins

Hicks: 23

Gomez: 22

10

On base percentage with Twins

Hicks: .281

Gomez: .293

Home runs with the Twins

Hicks: 9

Gomez: 10

At-bats per strikeout with the Twins

Hicks: 3.22

Gomez: 4.17

Early flashes of brilliance

Hicks: Hit two home runs and made a home run-robbing catch in the same game last May against the White Sox, giving fans a taste of his potential in both the field and at the plate. Always showed great range and a good arm even when struggling offensively.

Gomez: Stole 47 bases in two seasons and scored the winning run in the memorable Game 163 in 2009 against Detroit. Always showed great range and a good arm even when struggling offensively.

Ultimate outcome

Hicks: TBA. Now that Hicks is attempting to be a full-time righthanded hitter instead of a switch hitter, he likely needs more seasoning in the minors. Whether he turns a corner remains to be seen.

Gomez: Traded to Milwaukee for J.J. Hardy before the 2010 season, Gomez continued to flounder until 2012, when he began ascending toward being an All-Star in 2013.

Twins 6, Brewers 4: Arcia’s big night gets the best of Milwaukee

Brian Murphy / Pioneer Press – 6/4/14

Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez, one of the National League's most dangerous hitters, burnished his adorkable credentials Wednesday night when he fell on his rump tumbling down the dugout steps after grounding out. Whatever entertainment value the Twins dealt to the Brewers along with Gomez in 2009 they might be getting back in Oswaldo Arcia, another quirky young outfielder trying to secure his place in the big leagues. Arcia drove in four runs with a three-run homer and the game-winning single in the seventh inning of Minnesota's 6-4 victory over Milwaukee. And he contributed plenty of style points for the Target Field crowd of 31,114. Arcia posed like a peacock admiring his towering drive off Milwaukee starter Marco Estrada, which ricocheted off the right-field foul pole to give the Twins a 3-1 fourth-inning lead. "(I) thought it was going to be close," Arcia said through translator, Twins utility player Eduardo Nunez. "That was close." Three innings later, with Josh Willingham standing at second following a two-out double, Arcia stepped up against left-handed reliever Will Smith and waved a slow-motion oar at a nasty slider down and away.

11

Smith, who set up Arcia with a pair of inside fastballs, tried another breaking ball on the next pitch. This time Arcia dug in and swatted it into right field for a run-scoring single. Then he scored on Trevor Plouffe's RBI single, slapping his hands together and pumping his fists after crossing home plate. Smith entered his appearance having struck out 18 of 33 left-handed hitters had had faced. "He stayed down on the ball," manager Ron Gardenhire said about Arcia. "He didn't jump out there, especially when a guy throws a couple of fastballs, up and in -- tight -- your tendencies are to speed up. He calmed himself down enough and sat on the breaking ball and did a nice job." Arcia's 2-for-4 night was his fifth multi-hit game in his past nine. He is 13 for 38 (.342) with three home runs, eight RBIs and six runs. Sidelined most of the season with an injured wrist, Arcia nonetheless has hit safely in 12 of 14 games, with seven of his 16 hits for extra bases. Willingham added an RBI walk in the fifth and had a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Twins starter Ricky Nolasco sailed through six innings, retiring 13 straight Brewers at one point. Then his fastball flattened in the seventh and Milwaukee ripped three straight hits, including a three-run homer by Aramis Ramirez to tie the game. Nolasco settled down to escape without any further damage, finishing with seven strikeouts to improve to 4-5. "I wasn't going to let one pitch ruin my night," Nolasco said about the Ramirez home run. "He did a good job of zeroing me up and took it deep to center field. Tip my hat to him." The Twins squandered several opportunities to blow it open against Estrada, who was wild -- walking three and hitting another batter. But they ended up stranding nine runners while going 4 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Brian Dozier also had a pair of hits and stole his 13th base. He is 8 for 16 with three doubles, a home run, four runs and four RBIs following a 3-for-41 (.073) slump. Closer Glen Perkins retired the Brewers in order in the ninth to earn his 16th save. Minnesota, which split the first two games in Milwaukee of this home-and-home series, improved to 7-1 against its Wisconsin border rival since 2012.

Twins’ Pelfrey to have elbow checked out by Dr. James Andrews

Brian Murphy / Pioneer Press – 6/4/14

Twins starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey will have his troublesome right elbow examined Monday by renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Florida. Pelfrey has been on the disabled list since May 2 initially because of a groin strain. But during his rehabilitation assignment Pelfrey reported issues with his elbow, which he had surgically reconstructed in 2011. "He has something going on with that elbow," assistant general manager Rob Antony said before Wednesday's game against Milwaukee. "We've got him on anti-inflammatories but I think it's something more than that and the doctors do as well." The Twins will use Andrews' diagnosis, along with reports from the team's medical staff, to determine Pelfrey's next step, Antony said. The tall right-hander is winless in five starts this season with a 7.99 earned-run average.

New stadium could lure Twins’ Class AA affiliate to Hartford, Conn.

Brian Murphy / Pioneer Press – 6/4/14

The Twins could call Hartford, Conn., their new Class AA home as early as 2016 after the city announced Wednesday it would build a $60 million stadium to lure the Rock Cats from nearby New Britain.

12

The Rock Cats have been Minnesota's affiliate in the Eastern League since 1995. Their lease with the city of New Britain runs through Dec. 31, 2015, according to the Hartford Courant, which reported on the Connecticut capital's efforts to land a minor-league franchise. Brad Steil, the Twins' director of minor-league operations, said Wednesday he talked to the Rock Cats' ownership group about their plans. "It's not something we're involved in," Steil said. "New Britain's been very good to us. The Eastern League has six franchises in Connecticut. The Red Sox operated a farm team in New Britain from 1983-95, when the Twins affiliated there. Hartford last had a team in 1952, when it hosted the Boston Braves' affiliate, the Chiefs.

Twins’ Fuld, out 25 games with concussion, slated for rehab assignment

Brian Murphy / Pioneer Press – 6/4/14

Sam Fuld is getting healthier, and the center field plot thickens for the . Fuld, sidelined 25 games because of a concussion after crashing into the fence May 8 at Target Field, will travel to New Britain, Conn., on Friday and start a rehab assignment Saturday, Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said before Wednesday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Meanwhile, rookie Danny Santana started his eighth game in center field, having collected 18 hits in his first 17 career games. And slumping Aaron Hicks sat for the second time in three games as Minnesota is content to let Santana learn one of baseball's most demanding positions on the fly. "He's swinging the bat and we're finding ways to get him out there as best we can," said manager Ron Gardenhire. "It's a learning experience. He hasn't done this in a while, but we sure like what he brings." Santana played 23 games in center field in the minors but burnished his credentials at shortstop. The Twins are banking on top prospect Byron Buxton to roam center for them perhaps as early as 2015. But with Hicks (.190 average in 43 games) unable to secure the job, Fuld injured for a month and minor-league options nil, Santana has provided a serviceable if unconventional solution. Gardenhire and the front office are trying to determine just exactly what they have. "Right now, this is where he fits," Gardenhire said. "What's long term for him we'll have to discuss that. He's in the big leagues. He's swinging fine, able to play another position other than shortstop; it's helping us." Activating Fuld without a rehab assignment is too risky, Gardenhire said. The Twins want to see him slide hard into bases and dive for balls in the outfield to overcome any lingering doubts. "Not coming off a concussion," the manager said. "Not fair to him at all. He needs to go see live pitching. He needs to go down and run around because we can't simulate games. Plus he's probably not ready for major league pitching. "He hasn't played in a while so he's got some time to make up. The best thing about it he's got a smile on his face so you know he's feeling good. Hopefully we're past that part of it. No relapses." Briefly Gardenhire still hopes to catch lightning off the bench with struggling Jason Kubel, who leads the Twins with 57 strikeouts and has not had an extra-base hit since April 9. "There's no simple answers here," Gardenhire said. "You've got to take a shot with him late in the game. But it's not easy because he hasn't gotten a lot of hits lately and he's struck out an awful lot. He's on this ballclub. I'll figure out a way to use him one way or another."

Only handful of first-round draft picks haven’t reached big leagues

13

Mike Berardino / Pioneer Press – 6/4/14

Twins general manager Terry Ryan, still recovering from radiation treatments after February neck surgery, didn't feel up to doing any in-person scouting of amateur players in advance of Thursday's annual draft. But he's still providing a valuable resource in the final hours before the club must decide what to do with the fifth overall pick. "As much as anything, it's listening," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "Sometimes you can listen to all the discussion in that draft room, and he's smart enough to pick up and be able to ask questions and try and fill in the blanks." Since joining the Twins organization in January 1986 as scouting director, Ryan has either directly run or had a strong influence over the past 28 drafts. In that period, the Twins have picked up 31 players in the first round, from California prep catcher (1986) to Texas prep right-handed pitcher (2013). Of the 27 players taken before 2010, all but four have reached the majors at some point in their careers. That's an 85-percent success rate. The exceptions: right-hander Johnny Ard (1988), left-hander Ryan Mills (1998), outfielder B.J. Garbe (1999) and third baseman Matt Moses (2003). The first two were college pitchers, the other two were prep position players. Deron Johnson has been the Twins' scouting director since September 2007, which makes this the seventh draft he has overseen. Before Johnson, Mike Radcliff ran the Twins' draft room from 1993 until his promotion in 2007 to vice president of player personnel. Recommended slot value for the fifth overall pick this year is $3.851 million. The Twins have held a top-10 selection 12 times over those years, with eight of those coming in the top five. "Sometimes, when you haven't seen the players, you don't have any stake in it," said Antony, who regularly scouted the amateur ranks from 1995-2007 while working in baseball operations. "It's harder when you see a player you really like. That's who you want. You're pulling for him. You personally saw him." Which can cause emotions to rise. "So now you get (scouts) in that room, and they've seen guys," Antony said. "Sometimes it's good having that voice from the outside. Terry will provide that." Since 1986, the Twins have picked 17 high school players and 14 college players in the first round. They have taken a pitcher 13 times: nine right-handers and four lefties. For right-handers, it's been an near-even breakdown between high school (four) and college (five). Three of the four first-round lefties the Twins have taken have come from the college level. Of the 18 first-round position players the Twins have taken in the Ryan era, eight have been infielders (five college), seven were outfielders (all high school) and three were catchers (Parks, Joe Mauer in 2001 and Georgia Tech's , who did not sign in 1993). Year Player Pos. Pick School 2013 Kohl Stewart RHP 4 HS Texas Comment: 6.6 K/9 IP at low-A Cedar Rapids 2012 Byron Buxton CF 2 HS Georgia Comment: Minors' top prospect, 5 games in 2014 (wrist) 2011 SS 30 North Carolina Comment: Injury-plagued, on DL at Fort Myers (foot) 2010 RHP 21 Ohio State Comment: Back from Tommy John at Fort Myers 2009 Kyle Gibson* RHP 22 Missouri Comment: Breakthrough season in Twins rotation 2008 Aaron Hicks* CF 14 HS California Comment: Still struggling to seize Twins CF job 14

2007 Ben Revere* CF 28 HS Kentucky Comment: Traded to Phillies for Trevor May after 2012 2006 * OF 20 HS California Comment: In 8th tour of duty for Twins 2005 * RHP 25 Fresno State Comment: Turned down free-agent reunion this winter 2004 Trevor Plouffe* SS 20 HS California Comment: Twins 3B, 20 doubles tied for AL lead 2004 Glen Perkins* LHP 22 Gophers Comment: Twins closer made AL all-star team in 2013 2004 * RHP 25 HS Tennessee Comment: Made 24 relief outings for Twins (2011-12) 2003 Matt Moses 3B 21 HS Virginia Comment: Peaked at AAA, retired after 2009 2002 Denard Span* OF 20 HS Florida Comment: Traded to Nationals for Alex Meyer after '12 2001 Joe Mauer* C 1 HS Minnesota Comment: Six-time all-star is franchise first baseman 2000 * RHP 2 Fullerton State Comment: 9 games for Twins, released after 2004 1999 B.J. Garbe OF 5 HS Washington Comment: Stalled at AA in 2004 1998 Ryan Mills LHP 6 Arizona State Comment: Went 17-40 in 7 minor-league seasons 1997 Michael Cuddyer* SS 9 HS Virginia Comment: 2-time all-star left as free agent after 2011 1996 Travis Lee* 1B 2 San Diego State Comment: Declared free agent due to loophole 1995 * LHP 13 Oklahoma Comment: 15 total wins for Twins, traded to Tigers 1994 * 2B 8 LSU Comment:.754 OPS for Twins, 1996-2000 1993 Torii Hunter* CF 20 HS Arkansas Comment: 5-time all-star got first two nods as a Twin 1993 Jason Varitek* C 21 Georgia Tech Comment: Future Red Sox captain did not sign 1992 * LHP 26 HS California Comment: 5.88 ERA in 35 Twins games from '96-98 1991 David McCarty* 1B 3 Stanford

15

Comment: Traded for John Courtright (Perkins' agent) 1990 * RHP 12 HS Texas Comment: 57 relief outings for Twins in '97-98 1989 * SS 25 Texas A&M Comment: Twins HOF inductee this August 1988 Johnny Ard RHP 20 Manatee CC Comment: Traded for Steve Bedrosian in AA 1987 * RHP 3 HS New Jersey Comment: Won 11 games in 1993, traded to Cubs 1986 Derek Parks* C 10 HS California Comment: Played 45 games for Twins in '92-94 * Reached majors

Arcia’s four RBIs fend off Aramis-fueled Crew

Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com – 6/5/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- After Oswaldo Arcia led all American League rookies with 14 homers in 97 games last year, the Twins believed he was due for a breakout sophomore campaign this season.

But Arcia sustained a strained right wrist the first week of the season, and he did not return to the Twins until May 26, missing 43 games.

Arcia, though, has been a swinging a hot bat since his return, and he broke out in a big way on Wednesday night as he drove in a season-high four runs, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning and the go-ahead single in the seventh, to help carry the Twins to a 6-4 win over the Brewers at Target Field.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire seemed impressed by Arcia's towering shot off the foul pole in the fourth but came away even more encouraged by his two-out single in the seventh against left-hander Will Smith, who had struck out 18 of 37 lefties he had faced this year before Arcia's go-ahead single.

"It was a nice swing," Gardenhire said of the homer, "but the better one came against the lefty. He hung in there after two fastballs were up and in on him and after a couple tough breaking balls. But he left that one over, and he stayed on it and drove it for a big RBI. That's a great at-bat against a very tough lefty."

With the game tied in the seventh, Josh Willingham started the rally with a two-out double off the wall in right-center field to set the stage for Arcia's hit to right field. The single came on a 2-2 slider after Arcia was badly fooled on a 2-1 slider from Smith.

"I knew Smith was a tough lefty," Arcia said through a translator. "So I was patient and looked for the pitch I could drive in the run."

The Twins added an insurance run with Trevor Plouffe sending home Arcia from second with a single of his own to right field.

16

It made right-hander Ricky Nolasco the winner, even after he gave up a tying three-run homer to Aramis Ramirez in the top of the seventh. Nolasco went seven innings, giving up four runs on six hits and no walks with seven strikeouts to improve to 4-5 with a 5.65 ERA.

"I went out there and for the majority of the time I thought I threw the ball well," Nolasco said. "Sometimes you're just going to get beat. This is the big leagues. Aramis has been doing this for a long time. I'm not going to let one pitch ruin my night. I'd like to take it back, but he's a proven power threat in this game."

The Brewers scored their first run against Nolasco with back-to-back doubles from Rickie Weeks and Mark Reynolds with two outs in the second. But he settled down after that, retiring 13 in a row before running into trouble in the seventh inning.

Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez both singled with nobody out before Ramirez launched a home run to center field in his first game back after missing more than three weeks with a strained left hamstring.

"We didn't do anything really until we got the three-run homer," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I know what [Nolasco's] numbers are this year, but we've seen him before and he's been good. He knows how to pitch, and we chased some balls out of the zone, which hurt us again. But he did a nice job pitching."

Ramirez's three-run blast tied the game at 4, taking Brewers right-hander Marco Estrada off the hook. Estrada was headed for a loss after giving up four runs on six hits and three walks over six innings, but he instead took a no-decision.

The Twins scored three runs on one swing of the bat from Arcia in the fourth inning for his third homer of the year. The ball hit off the foul pole in right field and came on a 2-1 fastball, scoring Brian Dozier and Willingham -- a duo that reached base a combined seven times on the night.

"He hit it a long ways," Gardenhire said. "The ball was tight in, and he pulled his hands in and just spun on it. He kept it fair, which is not easy to do with a ball inside that much."

Minnesota added another run in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk from Willingham with one out. But the Twins left the bases loaded with Arcia and Plouffe each grounding out to end the inning. The Twins went just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position against Estrada.

But Arcia was able to come through in the seventh to help the Twins to their second straight victory over the Brewers. Reliever Casey Fien threw a scoreless eighth before handing it over to Glen Perkins, who picked up his 16th save with a scoreless ninth.

"Our bullpen came in and did a wonderful job," Gardenhire said. "It was a good way to start this homestand."

Fuld has successful BP, will need rehab stint

Rhett Bollinger and Alex M. Smith / MLB.com – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Sam Fuld, who has not played since May 7 after sustaining a concussion on May 2, took batting practice on the field without any issues on Wednesday, and he could begin a rehab assignment as early as Friday. 17

Fuld started light baseball activities last Wednesday upon meeting with concussion specialist Dr. Micky Collins in Pittsburgh. Collins cleared Fuld for baseball activities, and the outfielder has been able to ramp it up every day since without any issues. "I really turned a corner about a week ago since I got back from Pittsburgh," Fuld said. "I started pushing myself more physically, and as a result I actually feel better. I feel really good. I've been symptom-free for over a week." Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said the plan was for Fuld to work out early at Target Field on Thursday before heading for Double-A New Britain that night. Fuld would then begin his rehab assignment Friday or Saturday, but there was no timetable for his return. Fuld said he received peace of mind after meeting with Collins. He started playing catch on the field once he got back from Pittsburgh, and he has been taking batting practice in the cages and catching fly balls without any issues in recent days. "That was huge just to hear from one of the experts in the field and to be reassured, because with injuries like that there's always fear about the long-term issues," Fuld said. "So it was nice to know he doesn't think it'll be an issue moving forward, and his message was really to push myself more and recalibrate my system." Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said there was "no chance" Fuld would be activated from the 15-day disabled list without a rehab assignment because he had been out nearly a month and needed to get through playing games without any issues to be activated. "It wouldn't be fair to him," Gardenhire said. "There are still some questions in his mind. He still needs to see live pitching and run around, because we can't simulate games. He can take BP and run around on the field, but you can't simulate diving and all those things in batting practice. He needs to slide into second and all those things. Plus, he's probably not ready for Major League pitching."

Dozier has high praise for rookie Santana

Rhett Bollinger and Alex M. Smith / MLB.com – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Dozier is a big fan of new center fielder Danny Santana. "Santana can really run," Dozier said. "He can do some things that I probably can't do. He's exciting, a big-time threat on the bases. He's fun to watch." The second baseman even offered an All-Star comparison. "He reminds me of a young Jose Reyes," Dozier said. "Lightning-fast hands. Can run and hit for power. He's gonna be pretty good." Santana, rated the Twins' No. 10 prospect by MLB.com entering the year before he was called up as a shortstop on May 5, is the answer in center field right now while the Twins wait for Aaron Hicks to step up his game, Sam Fuld to recover from a concussion and top prospect Byron Buxton to make his way through the Minors. "I like him," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I don't always have the final say, but I like him a lot." The 23-year-old has started the past five games and owned a four-game hitting streak entering Wednesday. He also had yet to make an error in 21 outfield chances. "I'm not worried about him like I was earlier," Gardenhire said. "Right now, this is where we need him at the most."

Nerve issue in elbow ongoing for Pelfrey

18

Rhett Bollinger and Alex M. Smith / MLB.com – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Pelfrey is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews on Monday to get a second opinion on his right elbow, as the anti-inflammatory medicines haven't helped the nerve issue in the right-hander's elbow. Pelfrey also met with Dr. Thomas Varecka in Minnesota on Tuesday after receiving a diagnosis of nerve irritation and scar tissue in his elbow last week. Pelfrey, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since May 2 with a strained groin, originally complained of shoulder discomfort before the nerve irritation was found in his elbow. Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said the club would wait until Pelfrey met with Andrews before releasing any more information. But surgery could not be ruled out, especially after the anti-inflammatories did not help as much as Pelfrey had hoped. "He has something going on with that elbow," Antony said. "We've got him on anti-inflammatories, but I think there's more to it than that, and the doctors do as well." Pelfrey had Tommy John elbow-reconstruction surgery performed by Andrews on May 1, 2012. But a recent MRI exam on his elbow found no structural damage, as Pelfrey's issue is believed to be related to the ulnar nerve and not the ulnar collateral ligament.

Gardenhire, Plouffe reflect on being drafted

Rhett Bollinger and Alex M. Smith / MLB.com – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- One day before MLB's First-Year Player Draft was scheduled to commence, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire reflected on his own Draft experience in 1979. The former University of Texas infielder was in the midst of the College World Series when he was picked by the New York Mets. "I didn't know whether I was gonna go in the Army or the baseball Draft," said Gardenhire, a sixth-round pick. "Probably the Army would've been better suited for me, as it turned out with my swing. "It was a screwed up thing, because it really distracted from where we were at and what we had done. Guys who got drafted, guys who didn't get drafted -- a lot of disappointment." Third baseman Trevor Plouffe, a former infielder at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif., had a less exciting Draft story when he was taken by the Twins in the first ound of the 2004 Draft. "I was just huddled around the computer," Plouffe said. "I remember getting the call from [general manager] Terry Ryan. I didn't know what to make of it at that point. But I'm blessed to be in this organization."

Twins turn to Correia in finale against Brewers

Alex M. Smith / MLB.com – 6/5/14

Kevin Correia has been unlucky. That's what the numbers say, anyway.

The Twins starter went 9-13 last season with a 4.18 ERA. This season, his record (2-6) has dipped and his ERA (5.87) has soared despite maintaining better numbers in strikeouts/nine innings (4.99), walks/nine innings (2.05) and home runs/nine innings (0.88).

19

The primary culprit? Correia's left-on-base percentage. Last year, he stranded 76.1 percent of his baserunners. Entering Thursday's conclusion of a four-game set against the Brewers, he is trapping only 59.6 percent.

"I think that's been the main difference between this year and last year," Correia said. "I don't think I've thrown the ball much worse. I think last year I got a lot of those balls to get out of some jams, and this year it's kind of gone against me."

Correia's latest outing -- a no-decision against the Yankees in New York -- could end up being a turning point for the season. Correia got out of a bases-loaded jam and also pitched into two double plays.

"That was the first game I felt like things kind of went my way," he said. "It's a fine line between really good and really bad. I need those breaks sometimes, and I need to make those good pitches in those situations."

Brewers starter Wily Peralta has also faced some bad breaks. His 2.73 ERA is 19th-best in the Majors among starting pitchers, but he still has a losing record (4-5). Peralta and Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija (1-5, 2.54) are the only pitchers in the Top 20 to have more losses than wins.

Unlike that of Correia, though, Peralta's most recent outing was a turn for the worse. Peralta gave up six earned runs in only 5 2/3 innings, which sunk a punchless Brewers offense in an 8-0 loss at Wrigley Field.

"You know, I don't feel like I had my best today, but you know you're going to have days like that; you're going to have to make pitches," Peralta said. "I wasn't able to do that today."

The Twins may not be the best team for Peralta to get back on track against. He needed 108 pitches to get through five innings in last year's matchup at Miller Park. He gave up five walks and three earned runs in a 6-3 loss.

Correia, meanwhile, tends to struggle against the Brewers. On his career, he has a 5-6 record with a 4.57 ERA against Milwaukee.

Brewers: Road trippin' Thursday will be the second game in a stretch that will see Milwaukee play 15 of 18 on the road.

The Brewers head to Pittsburgh on Friday for a three-game series before taking a day off to fly to New York and face the Mets for three games. Then they get a three-game home reprieve against Cincinnati before taking off for seven more at Arizona and Colorado.

"It's a good test for us," manager Ron Roenicke said. "We'll see where we are. Only coming home for three games is going to be interesting."

That's not all -- the first game of the Mets series will kick off a stretch of 20 straight games without a break.

Twins: Embracing the double play Minnesota led the Majors in double plays turned last season (178), which had about as much to do with poor pitching as it did with defensive prowess -- more runners on the basepaths meant more opportunities to double up.

20

Currently, the Twins are 17th in MLB with 51 double plays turned, but that number has recently spiked amid a rash of athletic infield plays. Entering Wednesday night, the Twins had turned nine double plays in four games, the most impressive being a 4-3 turned by Brian Dozier on Sunday at the Yankees.

The second baseman slid to his right to snag an Ichiro Suzuki ground ball and tag second base all in one motion. He then powered a throw to first base to get the speedy Suzuki.

"I feel like the pitchers feel very confident getting those ground balls," Dozier said.

Worth noting • Despite Peralta's stellar pitching, Milwaukee has lost five straight when he starts. His most recent win came May 2 at Cincinnati, when he threw eight scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory.

• Minnesota's Josh Willingham has hit safely in eight straight games, a season high. He was 2-for-3 with an RBI on Wednesday night.

• Twins catcher Joe Mauer went 0-for-4 with a walk on Wednesday night, which ended MLB's longest active Interleague hitting streak at 20 games. The all-time record is 37 games, which former Twin Matt Lawton accomplished from 1999-2001.

Early challenge at third favors Gardenhire

Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire successfully challenged a play at third base in the first inning of Wednesday night's game against the Brewers. Brian Dozier doubled with one out off right-hander Marco Estrada and then attempted to steal third base with Joe Mauer at the plate. Dozier was initially ruled out by third-base umpire Mark Wegner, but Gardenhire came out to challenge the ruling on the field. After a review of two minutes, three seconds, the call was overturned and Dozier was ruled safe at third base. It was the sixth time in 13 tries that Gardenhire had a play overturned. But it did not lead to a run for the Twins, as Dozier was stranded at third when Mauer flied out to right field and Josh Willingham flied out to center field to end the inning. Video replay was used again in the fourth inning, as the umpires initiated a review to see if a potential homer hit by Trevor Plouffe was foul or fair. After a review, it was confirmed as a foul ball.

Arcia shows off power, drives in 4 in Twins win against Brewers

Associated Press – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Oswaldo Arcia drove in four runs, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, to push the Minnesota Twins past Milwaukee 6-4 on Wednesday night for their seventh win in the last eight meetings with the Brewers.

21

Arcia hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning, going deep for the third time in 10 games since his recall from Triple-A, and Josh Willingham forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning before setting up Arcia's go-ahead single with a two-out double.

Aramis Ramirez returned from the disabled list after missing 21 games with a strained left hamstring to wallop a three-run homer that tied the game at 4 in the seventh, following leadoff singles by Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez.

Ricky Nolasco (4-5), who retired 13 straight batters until that point, recovered to finish the inning and pick up the victory when the Twins rallied again in the bottom of the frame against Rob Wooten (1-3) and Will Smith, who was summoned to face Arcia. He took second on the throw home and scored on a single by Trevor Plouffe, just the second earned run against Smith all season and the first in 15 games.

Nolasco struck out seven without a walk while allowing six hits, another step forward from an awful first month with the Twins after signing the richest free agent contract in club history.

Glen Perkins pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances.

Ramirez started the season strong but was slumping badly when he got hurt, and the first-place Brewers haven't missed a beat without him, with Mark Reynolds and his 13 home runs at third base. They started this string of 15 of 18 games on the road with the lead after consecutive two-out doubles by Rickie Weeks and Reynolds in the second, but for the second straight game the Twins had success against part of what has been a sturdy rotation for the Brewers.

The return of Willingham and Arcia to the heart of the order after missing a combined 74 games with wrist injuries and rehab assignments was a big boost for the Twins last week, and they gave Marco Estrada trouble.

Estrada has pitched six or more innings in 10 of his 12 starts, but only once has he finished seven. He gave up six hits and three walks while striking out four.

The Twins played Danny Santana, who has been brought up as a shortstop, in center field instead of the sputtering Aaron Hicks for the seventh time in the last 10 games, and manager Ron Gardenhire said the organization has been considering a longer-term experiment for Santana there.

"It's a learning experience. He hasn't done this for a while, but we sure like what he brings," Gardenhire said.

Game notes

The four-game burst between the border-state rivals finishes Thursday, with Wily Peralta (4-5, 2.73 ERA) pitching for the Brewers and Kevin Correia (2-6, 5.87 ERA) taking the mound for the Twins. Peralta is 0-4 in his last five starts, but with a 3.64 ERA. Correia lost to Mashiro Tanaka and the Yankees in New York last week while giving up just one run in six innings. Both teams will wear throwback uniforms from the 1980s, with the Twins in their powder-blue road jerseys from that era.

--Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey, put on the DL more than a month ago due to a strained groin, had an MRI Monday and saw a specialist Tuesday about his surgically repaired elbow. Next week, he will travel to Florida to see Dr. James Andrews, who performed the Tommy John ligament replacement procedure on his arm in 2012.

--Gomez's success in the No. 4 spot, where he batted for the 12th straight game, allowed manager Ron Roenicke to ease Ramirez back in at No. 5. But Roenicke said his ideal order is Gomez leading off. The Brewers have used at least four different players in each of the nine spots this season.

--Twins CF Sam Fuld (concussion) will start a rehab assignment with Double-A New Britain if there are no problems after batting practice Thursday.

5 thoughts on 3-run shots, slow trots, and showing emotion

22

Derek Wetmore / 1500 ESPN – 6/4/14

MINNEAPOLIS -- Oswaldo Arcia showed off some big power to right field when he struck a 3-run homer that hit well up the right-field foul pole. He also drove in a run with a single one pitch after getting completely fooled in the seventh inning, and the Twins won, 6-4.

This column presents 5 thoughts from Wednesday's game.

As always, feel free to ask any questions or make any observations in the comments. If you have a unique baseball observation during a game, feel free to share it with me on Twitter (@DerekWetmore).

--

1. Brian Dozier stole third with one out and Joe Mauer at the plate. He took off on a 1-0 pitch in the first inning. Either he guessed correctly or he stole the catchers' sign because he stole the base against a curveball. Breaking pitches make it easier to steal the base because there's a higher probability they end up in the dirt and because they take longer to get to the catcher than a fastball.

With a left-handed Mauer at the plate, the catcher, Jonathan Lucroy, had a clear path to throw to third. Despite the curveball, he made a good and quick throw to the bag and initially Dozier was called out. Replay overturned the call and Mauer had a chance to drive in Dozier from third with one out. He flew out to right field and the Twins did not test Ryan Braun's arm.

Josh Willingham flew out, which stranded Dozier on third to end the inning.

--

2. Ricky Nolasco struck out Logan Schafer in the third inning on a play that invoked a rarely cited rule. Schafer checked his swing and missed the pitch with nobody on base and nobody out, and the ball kicked away from catcher Kurt Suzuki. Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher ruled that Schafer indeed did swing at the pitch, so he called it a strike. But as the ball kicked away from Suzuki, Schafer was automatically out and was not allowed to run to first base, like on an ordinary dropped third strike.

That's because the big slider broke so much that it hit Schafer in the foot. In that case, the ball is dead and the strike out is registered without having to throw to first base.

--

3. Casey Fien struck out Carlos Gomez to end the eighth inning to preserve a two-run lead. Fien is demonstrative after big moments in games and seems to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Gomez, you'll remember from his time in Minnesota, is the same way.

After he struck out Gomez, Fien walked off the mound pumping his fists and shouting, as the crowd celebrated. Gomez stood at the plate and just smiled as he removed his helmet.

Some might feel Fien should scale back his celebrations to avoid the perception he's showing up his opponents. Personally, I prefer to see authentic passion.

--

4. Oswaldo Arcia's 3-run shot off the right-field foul pole gave the Twins the lead in the fourth inning. It was an inside pitch and Arcia got his hands through the hitting zone extremely quickly and kept them inside the path of the ball. He generated terrific power to drive the ball as far as he did.

There may have been a catch, though. Arcia didn't exactly hustle out of the box as he watched the ball carry, which may have caused the perception he was admiring his blast. (Again, I have no problem personally with this but you wonder if some teams or players consider this a code violation.) After the ball was ruled fair Arcia ran hard the rest of the way around the bases. Asked postgame about the shot, Arcia cleared up that he was not trying to show up anybody.

"The angle he saw the ball, he thought it was going to be homer right away but he knew it was going to be close," Eduardo Nunez said, interpreting for Arcia. 23

"He never thought about running the bases slow. Just he was waiting about the home run. He doesn't want people to think he's [trying to be] David Ortiz or something like that, running slow. He knows he's a rookie."

--

5. Brian Dozier got hit twice Wednesday. Once while sliding back into first base on a pickoff attempt, the throw struck Dozier in the back that appeared to get him between the shoulder blades. And in the fifth inning, he was hit by a pitch, again in the upper back area.

He was hit by the pitch the inning after Arcia's home run. Was it retaliatory? It's hard to say.

In defense of the Brewers, though, Dozier was the third batter of the fifth inning and Marco Estrada walked the next two batters, including Josh Willingham with the bases loaded.

--

Bonus thought, because I want to display I'm not a hot-hand theorist or bandwagon jumper: Josmil Pinto went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Wednesday as the designated hitter.

I would advocate starting him Thursday at DH or catcher.

#FreePinto

How do the Twins run the operation during the MLB Draft?

Derek Wetmore / 1500 ESPN – 6/5/14

MINNEAPOLIS - The first two rounds of the MLB First-Year Player Draft take place Thursday. The MLB Draft doesn't get nearly the attention the other Major American pro sports drafts receive because of the anonymity of its draftees. It's more likely a player drafted will not contribute than that he will. Even those who contribute are usually at least a few years away from doing so.

But it's a critical day for any organization. It might be the single most important day of the year.

The Twins own the fifth pick and the 46th overall pick in Thursday's portion.

How do they operate during Draft days?

They'll have 14 members of their staff together in a fourth floor office in left field, having done their homework for a full year and in many cases, many years.

That list includes Deron Johnson, the Twins scouting director, who has the final say when the team is on the clock. Also in attendance: GM Terry Ryan, assistant GM Rob Antony, two area scouts, four supervisors, VP of Player Personnel Mike Radcliffe, several national crosscheckers and Senior Manager of Scouting and International Administration, Amanda Daley.

Generally, the Twins (like most teams) subscribe to the 'best player available' theory. Line up draft prospects in order and take the highest on your board when it's your turn.

"There are a lot of things [to consider] though," Rob Antony said about needing to occasionally deviate from that strategy. "Because you can have guys ranked and once you go past a certain round, the guy that you have ranked here might not be signable any more...So he becomes invisible."

24

Teams fear not being able to sign a player to a deal near the recommended slot money, thereby losing the rights to that player and, in essence, forfeiting the draft pick. That's not the only reason teams might swerve from the 'best player available' philosophy.

"And also when you start seeing a particular position start to get picked over you start saying, 'we need to get a catcher,'" Antony said. "You might have to go get [a position of] need and you might have to overdraft certain player or position because it's a need for your organization. You could say, 'if we take this guy, he becomes our second-best catching prospect in the minors right now. You have to make some decisions on the fly."

"Early on, especially the first pick, you don't do that," Antony said. "The guy that you deem is the best player, you need to take. That's our philosophy."

"A couple years ago we were dying for pitching but [Byron] Buxton was the number one guy on our board. There wasn't any doubt if he wasn't taken first by Houston, we were taking him."

Surprise Turnaround

Howard Megdal / Sports on Earth – 6/4/14

NEW YORK -- Back in 2012, then-Minnesota Twins shortstop Brian Dozier hit .234/.271/.332 with six home runs. Robinson Cano hit .313/.379/.550 with 33 home runs. So it seems pretty remarkable that since 2013 began, Dozier now leads Cano in home runs by a second basemen, with 30 to Cano's 29.

The power surge, accompanied with a development of broad-based skills that have made Dozier a legitimate candidate to play, if not start, at second base for the American League All-Stars at his home stadium this July, came as a big surprise even to his manager, Ron Gardenhire.

"No, I don't think we all thought he'd hit 20 home runs," Gardenhire told me in the visiting manager's office at Yankee Stadium on Friday. "I don't think anybody thought that. I mean, 17 [actually 18] last year, something like that. He can drive a ball, he can turn on a ball, he can get the bat head out there. But that's not something I envisioned."

The power, it turns out, is a happy byproduct of a dramatically revamped approach. To expect it from someone who never cracked double digits in home runs in the minor leagues, whose season-high in home runs in college was five, wouldn't have made much sense. Nor is Dozier, visually, someone who looks like a power threat. He's listed at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. See his 6-5 teammate Joe Mauer walk past him, and you'd figure Mauer is the home run leader on the Twins, but it is Dozier who leads the team in home runs with 11.

Standing in front of his locker, Dozier's intensity as he talks is constant. He's bought into what the Twins want him to do, at the plate and in the field, where the lifelong shortstop has transitioned to second base. He has the stats of a cornerstone player at age 27 and communicates like one, too.

To hear Dozier tell it, the team moving him to second served as the catalytic event for all of his growth as a player. It was striking to hear him speak with such honesty about his own unwillingness to change in the big leagues at first.

"To be honest with you, and in this dugout, across the league, they do the same thing," Dozier said. "They're young, we think that what you think is always right. And it's tough to come to the big leagues, let's do this different, this different -- well, let me test what I've got first, instead of being all ears like you should be.

"Everybody goes through that, and not saying I wasn't watching film, because I was, day-in and day-out. But it's the time that I really wanted to implement it, to do what it takes to be a true professional. You have to do it. It's night and day, to be honest with you."

So when Dozier sat down with Gardenhire and Twins general manager Terry Ryan following the 2012 season, he quickly realized his chance to succeed with the organization -- perhaps his final chance to start -- was in front of him. They asked Dozier to go down to Venezuela for winter ball and learn second base, with a chance to win the regular job at second if all went well.

25

"Once I really got the feeling, so to speak, where everything comes positioning-wise, where every ground ball I know to go this way, this way, this way," Dozier said, gesturing in different directions. "Where I knew where step-pull was for a left-handed hitter, where I knew where step-two-oppo was for a right-handed hitter, I just got comfortable over there, instead of the field feeling lopsided, everything kind of took off."

One key to that transition: Gardenhire made sure Dozier could focus on second base, and only second base.

"Once I got down to spring training that year [2013], before workouts started, I was taking a bunch of ground balls at second, he was watching. And then I went over to shortstop, took a few. And he called me over and said, 'I never want you to take another groundball at shortstop until I tell you otherwise.' And to be honest, that's the last one I've taken."

I asked Gardenhire what he saw that convinced him Dozier would adapt so well to the new position. Certainly, having a manager who'd played both positions in the major leagues, as Gardenhire did, helped him evaluate Dozier's middle-infield options.

"Well the one thing, shortstop, you need to be a little more aggressive," Gardenhire said. "You have to come get the ball that's on the other side of the field. And Doz is one of these fielders that would kind of lie back. And every play at first base from shortstop would be bang-bang. And there'd be times when he'd lie back and a guy would beat it. So you start thinking about at second base, would be perfect, because you do lie back there a lot more.

"He's very athletic. He's turned out to be perfect for it. But you never know. You say, we'll put you over here and see what happens over here. You know at shortstop, we constantly tried to get him to move up in the field, play shorter, because he'd back up so much. And he was never comfortable there. He'd always go back, go back ... we knew he was a good player, good hands, good arm, he could swing it a little bit, he could run. So now you just have to find a fit for him. So you try the other side. ... It's worked out for him."

If that new fit in the field was an immediate success, the head-turning improvement at the plate took some additional adjustments. Dozier, playing second in 2013, hit .227/.277/.293 through May 1, with just six walks and no home runs in 84 plate appearances. He hit rock bottom as a hitter in Detroit, with consecutive multi-strikeout games, and an 0-for-9 over his first two games against the Tigers.

That's where he and hitting coach Tom Brunansky sought, and ultimately found, answers within the video he probably wouldn't have scoured quite so voraciously just a year before.

"Me and Bruno dissected all kinds of film," Dozier said. "I went 0-for-5 that night, couple of strikeouts. And all the strikeouts were fastballs down the middle. And that's one thing, I always thought I could hit a fastball. The other stuff always gave me trouble, but I could always hit a fastball. And I wasn't hitting them, so I knew something was wrong.

"So we dissected my swing for days upon days, that whole week in Detroit. And we saw I wasn't getting my foot down -- meaning, I was getting my foot down, but my toe. My whole foot wasn't flat, so when I started my swing, my whole foot wasn't down, I started [and] everything kind of collapsed. We made it muscle memory for a week, trying to get the foot down, and ever since then, I started seeing the ball more, creating more power, walks up, strikeouts down, just because I could see the ball better."

This is no exaggeration. He went to Cleveland next, and had a three-hit game in that series opener. Two days later, he collected another two hits, including his first home run of the season. Over the final 539 plate appearances of Dozier's 2013, he hit .246/.317/.433, with 18 home runs. His walk rate, which had been 4.7 percent in 2012, jumped to 8.2 percent.

It was the kind of performance, absent context, that would seem like a fluke. But Dozier's mechanical change allowed him to get into hitting position earlier. That extra time has allowed him to recognize pitches better than before, and do so while "being grounded, having a hitter's base," as Dozier put it. It has him swinging at the pitches he wants to hit, not just pitches that look like strikes.

Dozier swung at 47.6 percent of all pitches he saw in 2012. That's down dramatically, to an even 37 percent in 2014, below even the 39.5 percent he swung at in 2013. Much of that drop comes from fewer swings on balls out of the strike zone. Even on pitches within the zone, he's at 50.3 percent in 2014, down from 59.7 percent in 2012.

Perhaps the biggest adjustment Dozier's made is to lay off sliders. In 2012, he offered at more than 46 percent of them. In 2014, that number is down to 29 percent.

26

"As a young hitter, anything around the plate I'm trying to hit," Dozier said. "Now that I've gotten older, I know when to take shots, know when to crank one, so to speak, or know when, I know this guy throws 85 percent -- I know from studying film, statistics, all that stuff -- I know he throws 85 percent middle half of the plate. And know laying off of the pitches inside he wants to get in on your hands. As opposed to another guy who works in, works in, lay in wait outside. Or a guy like Tanaka, his splitters, his sliders are all in the dirt, so you just wait and recognize the fastball. Stuff like that that makes it not just the strike zone, but makes it your pitch."

Thus, his 2014 numbers are actually up over what he did in his 2013 breakout season. He's at .246/.345/.446, with 12 home runs in 264 plate appearances. A batting average on balls in play of just .241 entering Tuesday suggests his overall numbers should rise further as the season progresses. That walk rate is up to 12.5 percent.

"You don't succeed at this level by hitting breaking balls," Dozier said. "You succeed by not missing fastballs. And that's what I had to really come to terms with. Instead of trying to hit the hanger, you stick to your plan. Those guys are good on the mound, but they're not superhuman. They make mistakes."

He's certainly making pitchers pay for those mistakes. But he's also looking at how to become a more complete player. When I asked him what his biggest focus was at the moment, he told me it's on the basepaths. He stole a respectable 14 bases last season, getting thrown out seven times. So far in 2014, in roughly a third as many games, he already has 12 steals, getting thrown out four times.

"I want to really, not just stealing bases, but going first to third, knowing when to test a guy's outfield arm. But the biggest thing is stealing bases. Me and [Paul] Molitor and [third base coach] Joe Vavra, we've been working -- I mean, night and day compared to where I was, working on tendencies, times, everything for pitchers, what pitches to go on, what counts to go on. And I want to continue to get better, the next two or three years, to max out on my running game."

Suddenly, Brian Dozier profiles less like a marginal regular, and more like a potential 20-20 guy, if not 30-30. Gardenhire has been hitting him leadoff or second, but acknowledged he wouldn't hesitate to hit Dozier third, either. I asked him if merely the idea of Brian Dozier, No. 3 hitter, would have occurred to him 18 months ago.

"The great thing about the game is, you let guys play out, they make their own way in the game," Gardenhire said. "Everybody tries to project, but until a guy starts getting it done at this level, then you can start to project. And he's getting it done."

27