Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

 Thome relishes Twins reunion. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 2  Kid (with Phillies cap) grabs foul ball from Phillies . Associated Press (Krawczynski) p. 3  Postgame: Revere's giving Twins a big spark, and it's not just luck. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 4  Souhan blog: Sorry, Joe (That's Vavra, not Mauer). Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 4  Souhan: Boswell was a character as well as a competitor. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 5  Buxton, all ready to sign, gives a try. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 6  Right mix boosts Twins offense in 11- outburst. Star Tribune (Christensen) p. 7  give a big welcome. Pioneer Press (Goessling) p. 8  Minnesota Twins' recalls his big-league introduction. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 9  Minnesota Twins' Carl Pavano still isn't throwing. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 10  Ex-Minnesota Twin Jim Thome says thrill hasn’t gone at 41. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 11  Twins 11, Phillies 7: Offense rolls behind , . Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 12  Minnesota Twins ride Trevor Plouffe’s power past Phillies. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 13  Former Twins Boswell passes away. MLB.com (Garretson) p. 14  Twins have deal with Buxton, sources say. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 15  Twins offense stays hot in win over Phillies. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 15  Notebook: Buxton hits with Mauer, should sign Wednesday; Thome returns. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey & Sandell) p. 17  Twins bats go off again: ‘Everyone felt this is how we could play’. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) p. 19  Scorching Trevor Plouffe continues hot streak, credits everyone else. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) p. 20  Bryon Buxton’s bonus worth $6M, making him draft’s highest-paid player. 1500ESPN.com (Mackey) p. 21  Twins thank veterans with visit to VA Hospital. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 22  Twins’ Buxton: ‘I’m ready to start playing’. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 23  Former Twins Pitcher Boswell dies at age 67. Associated Press (Staff) p. 24  Twins offensive surge raises confidence. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 25  Thome continues to be a Twins fan favorite. FSNorth.com (Mason) p. 26  Twins aim for 11th win in 14 games. Associated Press (Staff) p. 28

~ 1 ~

 No. 2 pick Buxton beats Mauer’s Twins record, gets $6M bonus. Insider (Heyman) p. 29  Twins get payoff for sticking with Plouffe. The SportsXchange (Staff) p. 29  Twins, Buxton Agree On $6 Million. (Callis) p. 30  Minnesota Twins Turn to High-Tech Cameras To Improve Stadium Security. Forbes.com (Smith) p. 30  Top Twitter Mentions p. 32

Thome relishes Twins reunion

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/13/12

Jim Thome was back at Target Field on Tuesday, getting ready to bat cleanup as the Phillies designated hitter, and looking back fondly on his time with the Twins.

Leading up to the series, Thome was peppering his former Twins teammates with e-mails and text messages, talking smack.

"Those guys are like my brothers," Thome said. "I've sent them texts and e-mails all year long. That's kind of what we do is have fun. One thing about the game is you always stay in touch with your guys, and I think everybody knows my two years here were very, very special."

Thome, who will turn 42 in August, joined the Twins for the 2010 season, when they opened Target Field, and led that team with 25 home runs in only 276 at-bats.

"They gave me an opportunity, to be honest, when not many teams were calling," Thome said. "I thank them for that."

Thome returned to the Twins in 2011 and hit 12 more home runs before the Twins sent him to Cleveland in late August, giving him a chance to be part of another pennant race.

Twins fans gave Thome another loud ovation before his first at-bat Tuesday, just as they did last September, when he returned with the Indians. He finished last season with 604 career homers, and after returning to the Phillies, he didn't hit his first one this year until Saturday in . He spent five weeks on the disabled list because of a lower-back strain, but appeared to find his swing just in time to face the Twins.

Thome went 2-for-4 Tuesday with a two-run single off Alex Burnett. He also scored the Phillies' first run in their four-run fourth inning after drawing a leadoff walk off Nick Blackburn.

Asked how much longer he expects to play, Thome said: "I have to be honest, I do like to compete, I really do. I like to dig in that box. I like to work. I like to come to the ballpark. That, I think, is a tough part. I know I'm getting toward the end, but I can still go out and do it. That's what drives me to come back every year. It'll be interesting going forward here."

Rosario breaks face bone

Eddie Rosario, who was listed as the Twins' No. 3 prospect last winter, suffered a fractured facial bone just beneath his nose Tuesday during batting practice for Beloit. Rosario was leading off from third base when the line drive hit him right beneath his nose.

Twins minor league director Jim Rantz said Rosario likely will spend six weeks on the disabled list.

~ 2 ~

Rosario, 20, converted from center field to second base this year and has batted .293 with seven homers, 20 doubles, nine stolen bases and 40 RBI in 62 games. His on-base percentage is .362 and his is .473.

Saturday's starter TBA

All signs still point to the Twins promoting Liam Hendriks from Class AAA Rochester to make Saturday's start against the Brewers, but the team doesn't plan to announce a decision until Thursday and might not make the official roster move until after Friday's game.

Hendriks went 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in four starts for the Twins earlier this year but is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA in seven starts for Rochester since his demotion. The past two have been especially impressive, as he's racked up 18 and only three walks in 15 2/3 scoreless innings.

Kid (with Phillies cap) grabs foul ball from Phillies third baseman

By: Jon Krawczynski, Star Tribune- 6/13/12

MINNEAPOLIS - With two on and two outs in the seventh inning, Philadelphia third baseman Mike Fontenot tracked a soft popup near the seats in foul territory to get the Phillies out of the inning.

Just as he was reaching up to make the catch, a young kid's glove came over the top and snatched it away. Fontenot looked over and the youngster was wearing a Phillies cap and shirt. Minnesota's Ben Revere followed with an RBI single, proving that these hard-luck Phillies just can't catch a break.

Kyle Kendrick gave up six runs on eight hits in four innings and the Phillies left 10 runners on base in an 11-7 loss to the Twins on Tuesday night.

"I owe that little kid dinner," Revere said with a chuckle. "He helped me out a little bit there."

Nobody is laughing in Philly, where the preseason NL East favorites have dropped nine of their last 10 games to fall 9 1/2 back of Washington in the division. With injured stars Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay still on the mend, it's not quite clear who is going to get them turned around.

"What can I say? It seems like it's hard for us to get it," Phillies manager said. "It's hard for us to put together a solid game."

~ 3 ~

Postgame: Revere's giving Twins a big spark, and it's not just luck

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/13/12

Cole Hamels has held opponents to a .230 batting average, so hits might be tougher to come by for the Twins on Wednesday, but they racked up 17 of them in Tuesday night’s 11-7 victory over the Phillies.

“We're making our hitting coach look pretty nice right now,” Ben Revere said.

Yes, Joe Vavra took some heat early in the year, but that talk has quieted. Revere has been part of the reason, as he's batting .340 after going 3-for-5 in this game, with two RBI singles.

“I’m just seeing good pitches, just putting bat on ball, putting it in play and finding holes,” Revere said.

Revere is showing why he was a .326 hitter coming through the minors. With his speed, if he puts balls in play, good things will eventually come.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Revere batted just .297 on balls in play last year, when his batting average for the Twins was .267. Entering Tuesday, his BABIP was .347. That might be an unsustainable number for some hitters -- the league average BABIP is closer to .300 -- but Revere could keep this up because of his speed. A big key for him is his rate. Entering Tuesday, Revere had struck out in just 5.5 percent of his plate appearances. Among MLB hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, only Carlos Lee (4.8 percent) was lower. Across MLB, 19.6 percent of all PA's are ending in K's this year, and Adam Dunn has fanned 36.5 percent of the time.

And when you’re going good, you’re going good. In the seventh inning, Revere hit a pop up just beyond Philadelphia's dugout. It looked like third baseman Mike Fontenot would catch it, until some kid -- wearing a Phillies shirt and hat -- reached above Fontenot’s glove to make the catch himself.

So Revere stayed alive and promptly delivered another run-scoring single.

“I owe that little kid dinner," Revere said.

Souhan blog: Sorry, Joe (That's Vavra, not Mauer)

By: Jim Souhan, Star Tribune- 6/12/12

So I recommended the Twins reassign hitting coach Joe Vavra. And in the Twins' last nine games, they're hitting .318 with 35 extra-base hits and 59 runs. They're hitting .371 on the homestand.

Maybe this means Vavra is a great hitting coach, or that he invented a new buzzphrase that sticks between the ears of his hitters.

What it probably means is that I shouldn't have written about a coach, because they are too often scapegoated. I thought the Twins' young hitters would benefit from Tom Brunansky's voice in the lockerroom.

~ 4 ~

The real-world, big-picture view is this: Hitting coaches are paid to work hard and pat a lot of backs, but they don't determine success and failure. The Twins' early-season struggles and their recent successes have much more to do with the health of Morneau and the improved approach of Trevor Plouffe than any hitting drill anyone could invent.

What's shocking is that the Twins could go on this impressive surge...and still be 10 games under .500.

Souhan: Boswell was a character as well as a competitor

By: Jim Souhan, Star Tribune- 6/13/12

Most of the stories told about Dave Boswell begin on the mound or in a bar, and then there are those that begin on the mound and end in a bar.

"Actually, they always end the same," Clark Griffith said. "With lots of beer."

Boswell won 20 games for the Twins in 1969 and pitched in the 1965 and the '69 Championship Series. Monday night, he died of an apparent heart attack at his home in Joppa, Md. He was 67.

"I have a baseball card of Dave on the bookshelf in my office," Griffith said. "I hadn't looked at it for years. For some reason that I'll never understand, Monday afternoon, I turned and looked at it and said, 'Ah, Boswell.' It was like somebody was trying to tell me something."

They played Legion ball against each other when Griffith was growing up in Washington and Boswell was the son of a steel worker living in a tough section of Baltimore. Buck Boswell, his father, would carry a 10-gallon crab pot and a "stomper" in his trunk to shape the high school mounds on which Dave would pitch.

Griffith became a Twins executive. Boswell became a phenom.

He broke into the bigs in 1964 at the age of 19, winning his first two decisions. In 1969, he started Game 2 of the ALCS against Baltimore. It was the pinnacle, and undoing, of his career.

"Bos was such a great competitor," Tony Oliva said. "He was talking in the dugout, saying, 'Just get me one run, just one run.' We didn't."

Boswell pitched 10 shutout innings. Baltimore's Dave McNally pitched 11. In the bottom of the 10th, Boswell threw a slider to strike out . "It felt like my shoulder went right into my jawbone," Boswell would tell the Fort Myers News-Press years later. "The arm would actually turn black and run all the way down to the elbow."

After five full seasons in which he never posted an ERA higher than 3.40, Boswell would see his ERA climb to 6.42 with the Twins in 1970 and 4.66 with the Tigers and Orioles in 1971. He wouldn't pitch in the majors again.

"He was a good roommate," said former Twins player and manager Frank Quilici. "They put me in his room so I would settle him down, and after three years I thought I was going his way. But that was a good way to go."

Sometimes it was a tough way to go. Boswell is more famous for a punch he took than any pitch he threw.

~ 5 ~

On Aug. 7, 1969, the Twins were playing in Detroit. Most visiting ballplayers would frequent the Lindell AC, a bar near Tiger Stadium.

That day, Boswell refused to run with the other , citing a blister on his foot. When manager saw him at the bar, he confronted Boswell, who eventually advertised his intent to get back at pitching coach Art Fowler for complaining to Martin.

Boswell found himself in an alley with , a Martin ally. Boswell knocked down Allison. Martin knocked down Boswell. Boswell required 20 stitches in his head. Martin said he won a fair fight.

"There were two guys from the Lindell holding Bos' arms," Griffith said. "Boswell was furious about that right up through ... Monday.

"Boswell was really strong. He would have killed Martin if he had had the chance."

Boswell would work briefly for the Twins as a scout. He worked for beer distributors and at fantasy camps and as a pitching coach for hire. "He's the kind of guy who today would be making $6 million a year and wouldn't have a care in the world," Griffith said. "But he didn't pitch in those days. He pitched in a time when players didn't make that much and the pension was not that great."

Boswell had beaten cancer. "I thought he was better," Oliva said. "That's why I was so surprised to hear the news. His wife called my wife [Tuesday] morning and had a long talk."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel played with Boswell but hadn't heard from him in years before Boswell reached him recently. "He had been out of the hospital four or five days," Manuel said. "He had had open heart surgery. We talked about him coming fishing with me over the winter."

Quilici remembers an opponent spiking him at second base. "Bos said, 'Wait until I pitch to that guy, he won't walk for a week,' " Quilici said. "Next time, Bos stuck a fastball in his ribs. The guy was rolling around on the ground. Bos walks up and says, 'Take that, you SOB.' "

"I miss him," Griffith said. "When I traveled with the team, we always went out after his starts, either to lament the disaster that had occurred or to celebrate the enormous victory. The results were similar."

Buxton, all ready to sign, gives Target Field a try

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/13/12

Eight days after the Twins made him the No. 2 pick in the draft, Georgia high school outfielder Byron Buxton had the chance to take batting practice at Target Field on Tuesday, alongside former MVPs Joe Mauer and .

No pressure, kid.

"I was worried he was going to either embarrass the heck out of our hitters or get a little bit too amped up, but he handled himself fantastic," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just went about his business and swung the bat and got the barrel on it and did fine. He did his thing. Looks like he had some fun."

Buxton, 18, took his physical and has agreed to a $6 million signing bonus from the Twins -- a touch below the $6.2 million slot recommendation for the No. 2 pick -- a person familiar with the negotiations confirmed. The signing likely will become official on Wednesday. ~ 6 ~

The Twins invited Buxton into the clubhouse, along with his parents. The team gave him a locker stall between former first-round picks Ben Revere and , and had a white home jersey waiting with Buxton's name and the No. 1.

"It took my breath away," Buxton said. "I wasn't expecting to see that, but I'm glad I did."

Buxton played catch with , another former first-round pick, then headed for the cage. But first Mauer (the No. 1 overall pick from 2001) handed him one of his bats. Then, with pitching coach Rick Anderson grooving hit-me fastballs, Buxton made weak contact with a couple swings before ripping some line drives to all fields.

A righthanded hitter, Buxton eventually cleared the fence once with a ball into the visitors bullpen in left-center.

"I thought he did quite well out there for a young guy that came up here, 18 years old, and hasn't been around the caliber of player that these guys are," General Manager Terry Ryan said.

The Twins plan to have Buxton start in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, and there is talk he could gain a quick promotion to rookie-level Elizabethton. Scouts rave about Buxton's speed and throwing arm.

He's 6-2 and 190 pounds, and it's a frame that should fill out over time. After hitting 10 home runs as a junior at Appling County High School in Baxley, Ga., he batted .513 as a senior with three homers and 17 doubles, swiping 38 bases in 39 attempts.

He fanned 18 batters in the Class 2A state championship game, with a fastball clocked at 95 miles per hour. When the Twins drafted him on June 4, Buxton was pretty tongue-tied in his interviews. Surrounded by cameras and recorders Tuesday, Buxton gave short answers again but showed a little more personality.

Asked if it had sunk in that he would be a part of the Twins organization, Buxton said, "It just hit me about 20 minutes ago."

And what was it that made it sink in?

"I was in there with Joe and Justin," he said. "And that's two All-Stars right there."

Right mix boosts Twins offense in 11-run outburst

By: Joe Christensen, Star Tribune- 6/13/12

Sixty games into the season, it looks like the Twins have found themselves an infield. And what do third baseman Trevor Plouffe, Brian Dozier, Jamey Carroll and first baseman Justin Morneau have in common?

None of them started at that position on Opening Day.

Plouffe continued his torrid June, and Carroll matched him with three hits Tuesday night, as the Twins won an 11-7 slugfest against the Phillies before an announced crowd of 32,622 at Target Field.

Dozier was the only one in the lineup who didn't get on base, as the Twins racked up 17 hits, improving to 10-3 in their past 13 games. He's a rookie going through some growing pains, but the team believes he will be fine.

~ 7 ~

Morneau didn't have a huge game either, going 1-for-5, but the Twins love his presence at first base.

The biggest development of late has been Plouffe, who has batted .417 in nine June games with four doubles, five homers and 12 RBI.

The Twins have an opening at third base because is back in the minors, and Plouffe is making the most of his playing time there.

"He's confident," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's actually staying in one position right now. We haven't moved him around too awful much. Hopefully he'll just continue that because he's hitting the ball and catching the ball, and that's a place that we need some offense and we need to catch the ball."

Plouffe's defense isn't perfect. In the sixth inning, he took a slow first step to his left as bounced a single through the hole to load the bases. But Plouffe made three tough plays over the final three innings, as the Twins held on for their sixth victory in their past seven home games.

"I just like being in the lineup," Plouffe said. "Third base -- it's been nice to go out there and know where I'm playing, but down the stretch, if we need to move me to the outfield, or anywhere, I'm fine with that."

Plouffe's ability to handle the hot corner has allowed Carroll to move to second base. Carroll has a .338 on-base percentage for the season, compared to .276 for Opening Day second baseman Alexi Casilla.

Carroll has improved since moving lower in the batting order. After batting .227 for 27 games the No. 2 spot, he's batting .299 in the same number of games from the No. 9 spot.

"We like him," Gardenhire said. "No matter where you put him -- I can bat him second, I can bat him eighth, ninth -- it doesn't matter, he's going to do the job."

This was a see-saw game, though the Twins never trailed. They built a 5-0 lead by the second inning against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick (2- 6), but the Phillies scored four runs in the fourth inning against Twins starter Nick Blackburn (3-4).

The key for the Twins was their ability to expand the lead each time Philadelphia got close.

It was 5-4 in the fourth inning, but the Twins made it 8-4 by the fifth. It was 8-7 in the sixth inning, but the Twins pulled away from there, getting a sixth-inning solo homer from Josh Willingham -- his 12th of the season -- before adding two more in the seventh.

"We had some great performances on offense," Gardenhire said. "Plouffey had a heck of a night. Jamey Carroll. Span got us off on the right foot with a . All the way up and down the lineup, some guys did some pretty good things."

Minnesota Twins give Byron Buxton a big welcome

By: Ben Goessling, Pioneer Press- 6/13/12

Officially, Byron Buxton isn't yet a member of the Twins organization. But for all practical purposes, his time as one of the franchise's cornerstones began Tuesday, June 12, with a welcome worthy of a marquee player. ~ 8 ~

He took batting practice with Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau at Target Field, receiving one of Mauer's bats as a souvenir. The No. 2 pick in last week's major league draft shagged fly balls, launched a home run into the bullpen in left-center field and fielded questions from general manager Terry Ryan in the middle of his news conference. And he was greeted by Twins players at a locker set aside for him in the team's clubhouse, where a jersey with his name and No. 1 hung behind him.

"We brought him in to expose him to our major league coaches and our manager and our players," Ryan said. "I thought he did quite well out there for a young guy that came up here, 18 years old, not (having) been around the type of caliber that these guys are, but (he) did quite well there. I'm proud of that. It was good to see."

The Twins haven't announced a deal with Buxton, but a person close to the situation said Monday that the team has a tentative agreement with the Appling County (Ga.) High School outfielder. Buxton underwent a physical Tuesday, and the deal could be announced Wednesday. It would pay him $6 million bonus, considerably more than the $4.8 million the gave No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa. In all likelihood, Buxton will be the highest-paid player from the 2012 draft class.

On Tuesday, Buxton was still a wide-eyed teenager taking in the spectacle of the major leagues for the first time. He said "it took my breath away" when he saw his name on a Twins jersey and said getting Mauer's bat was "the best feeling I've had so far."

Ryan ate dinner with Buxton's family and his adviser, Al Goetz. Buxton's father, Felton, talked with Twins manager Ron Gardenhire while Byron was taking swings in the batting cage.

"I was worried he was going to either embarrass the heck out of our hitters or get a little bit too amped up, but he handled himself fantastic," Gardenhire said. "He just went about his business and swung the bat, got the barrel on it and did fine. He did his thing. He took some swings and enjoyed it. Looks like he had some fun."

Briefly

The Twins officially have deals with 15 players from their 2012 draft class and have agreed to terms with pitcher Jose Berrios (the No. 32 overall pick) on a $1.55 million bonus, according to a person familiar with the situation. They have signed or agreed to terms with nine of the top 10 players they picked: Buxton, Berrios, second-rounders Mason Melotakis and J.T. Chargois, third-rounder Adam Walker, fourth-rounder Zach Jones, fifth-rounder Tyler Duffey, sixth-rounder Andre Martinez and seventh-rounder Jorge Fernandez.

Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer recalls his big-league introduction

By: John Shipley, Pioneer Press- 6/12/12

Byron Buxton, the Minnesota Twins' first-round pick in last week's amateur draft, was at Target Field on Tuesday, June 12, as a sort of precursor to a contract expected to be sealed soon. He took batting practice with Minnesota's A-listers and held a news conference alongside general manager Terry Ryan.

It brought back memories for Joe Mauer, the Twins' top pick in the 2001 draft who had a similar experience. Buxton, 18, was the second overall pick in last Monday's draft; Mauer was still a teenager when the Twins picked him No. 1 overall.

"I remember the day I went in was 's birthday, and I got to go out in early hitting and hit with the guys," Mauer said. "I just remember trying to not mess up their day, you know? You don't want to get in the way or anything. It's an exciting time to put on a big- league uniform and get out there and see some of the guys up close."

Buxton batted with Mauer, Justin Morneau and Ryan Doumit. Not known for power -- he had only three homers at Appling County High School in rural Georgia -- he lined one into the bullpen in left-center. ~ 9 ~

"You just tell him, 'Keep working hard; this is only the beginning,' " Mauer said.

Mauer has won three American League batting titles, three Gold Gloves and the 2009 AL MVP Award, but back on July 18, 2001, he was just a nervous high school kid trying to stay out of everybody's way.

"I was more nervous, wanting to not mess anything up," he said. "I understand players have a routine and things like that; now I realize it wasn't that big of a deal. But back then I just wanted to make sure I was respectful and let them know I was excited about the opportunity."

Minnesota Twins' Carl Pavano still isn't throwing

By: John Shipley, Pioneer Press- 6/12/12

Minnesota Twins pitcher Carl Pavano, on the disabled list because of shoulder injury, said he is nearing a decision on whether he can start throwing a baseball again, something he hasn't done since before he went on the disabled list June 4.

"The motion and the strength are gradually coming back in my arm," he said. "Obviously I'm still working out but not throwing, so I'm kind of excited to see where that brings us. I'm excited."

But even if that happens quickly, the right-hander won't be pitching for the Twins for some time. The weakness and soreness in his shoulder, diagnosed as a strain to his anterior capsule, is something Pavano, 36, has battled since .

"You're almost starting from scratch," general manager Terry Ryan said. "It's going to be awhile. But he's also a veteran and knows how to get prepared and all that good stuff. He's already been on the DL for about 10 days or so, and he hasn't thrown a ball yet. It's going to be some time before we even think about sending him out for a rehab (assignment). So he'll be out for a while."

Pavano was 2-5 with a 6.00 earned-run average and still leads the pitching staff with 63 innings pitched.

Briefly

The Twins need to add a fifth starter before Saturday's game against the Brewers at Target Field, whether it's a spot start from someone already in the bullpen such as or Anthony Swarzak, or a minor league call-up such as Liam Hendriks.

The Twins have had an opening since sending Cole De Vries back to Class AAA Rochester on Monday. They don't have to make a move until Friday, and might not.

"I do have a plan, and you'll probably get that on Thursday," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've got time."

~ 10 ~

Ex-Minnesota Twin Jim Thome says thrill hasn’t gone at 41

By: John Shipley, Pioneer Press- 6/12/12

Jim Thome began his major league career 21 years ago, and in all that time, the feeling he gets when he hits a home run has never changed. Even after 605 of them.

"Never. Never. You just get around the bases a little slower," he said with a laugh before adding, with a point of his finger toward the bleachers, "But that feeling when it leaves? No."

It's that feeling that keeps Thome, 41, from leaving.

Thome was back at Target Field on Tuesday night, June 12, as a member of the , with whom he signed after playing the 2010 and 2011 seasons in Minnesota. He doesn't get around the way he used to, and hasn't for a few years now, perpetually battling a bad back that recently put him on the disabled list for a month. Yet he entered the series opener Tuesday hitting .400 (6 for 15) with a homer and four RBIs since being activated.

Those 605 career homers rank eighth all time, and he's within four of seventh, so he likely already has sealed his invitation to baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. And though he has never won a World Series, he has played in two with Cleveland and came within two outs of winning it all in 1997. In all, he has been to the postseason nine times with four different teams, most recently with the Twins in 2010.

In other words, he could retire a happy man. Yet he hasn't, and frankly, baseball hasn't quite told him he should. Asked if he'd like to retire while he can still hit, the slugger said: "I have to be honest, I do like to compete. I really do. I like to compete."

He signed with Philadelphia for a few reasons, the most critical being that the Phillies offered him his most reasonable chance of playing in another World Series, though it doesn't appear now that will happen. The Phillies entered play Tuesday last in the East with a 29-33 record, 8-1/2 games behind first-place Washington.

Still, it's the day-in, day-out routine Thome craves most. He took early batting practice with his teammates Tuesday, picked up stray and helped carry the ball bag in from behind second base when the basket ran dry. He didn't shag flies in the outfield, but he was out there with a bat in his hand, taking swings while he chatted with teammates and former teammates.

"I like to dig in that box," he said. "I like to work. I like to come to the ballpark. That I think is a tough part. I know I'm getting toward the end, but I can still go out and do it. That's what drives me to come back every year. It'll be interesting going forward here."

He's within five home runs of surpassing (609) for seventh place on the career list; that seems like a slam dunk for the man who led the Twins with 25 homers just two seasons ago. But playing for a National League team severely limits his chances. Though he has played four games at first base, he is many seasons removed from being an everyday player at any position but designated hitter.

When interleague play ends in two weeks, he'll likely be back to pinch hitting -- though as he talked to reporters on Tuesday, his mitt was by his side.

"I always take it," he said. "You have to be a baseball player."

But there was another message there, too.

"I like to play. I'll be honest," he said. "I think that's always in you."

Whether he plays in the field again will be up to manager Charlie Manuel, who first met Thome as a hitting coach in the Indians organization and later was his big-league manager in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

~ 11 ~

"I think that's something we'll sit down and talk about," he said. "I definitely want to sit down with Charlie at some point and really kind of go over that and see what the next phase of that is."

That will put off talk of the phase after that, at least for a while. But whether Thome hangs it up this year, next year or beyond, he is likely to find a satisfying second act in being a baseball hall of famer.

"Without a doubt," Manuel said. "All you've got to do is see the numbers, see the winning teams he's been on -- everything about it. Yeah, he's a hall of famer. Without a doubt."

Twins 11, Phillies 7: Offense rolls behind Ben Revere, Trevor Plouffe

By: John Shipley, Pioneer Press- 6/13/12

RECAP: Ben Revere went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, and Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run home run as Minnesota outslugged Philadelphia in front of 32,622 at Target Field on Tuesday, June 12.

Denard Span started the game with a homer, the fifth leadoff homer of his career, and Josh Willingham added a solo home run in the sixth after the Phillies had pulled to within 8-7. Plouffe went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Jamey Carroll was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Twins improved to 5-1 in interleague play.

Nick Blackburn (3-4) gave up four earned runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings but earned his second straight win since coming back from the disabled list (quadriceps) on June 4.

MEANING: The Twins are 10-3 since May 28 and have not lost consecutive games since a five-game skid May 23-27.

ETC.: Joe Mauer's two-out walk to load the bases in the seventh inning was the 500th of his career, seventh on the Twins' career list.

UP NEXT: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, FSN, KSTP-AM 1500

~ 12 ~

Minnesota Twins ride Trevor Plouffe’s power past Phillies

By: John Shipley, Pioneer Press- 6/13/12

Trevor Plouffe took his lumps last year, from the manager and the media, so when reporters approached him for comment after the Twins' 11-7 victory on Tuesday night, June 12, his diffidence was reasonable. Even after a 3-for-5 night that included his 10th homer of the season.

"If it means we're winning, I'm OK with it," he said.

Plouffe, however, might want to start enjoying the attention. After struggling for most of his brief major league career, he is finding new life in his game, and supplying new life to a team that was all but dead after a 6-16 April.

"He's picking us up big time right now, which we needed," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We needed that desperately."

Those are significant words from one of Plouffe's biggest critics, and the surest sign yet that Plouffe is not only finding his major league legs, but actually helping the Minnesota Twins win baseball games.

The Twins pulled within 10 games of .500 on Tuesday, and within a shocking 2-1/2 games of third-place Detroit in the American League Central. Since May 28, they're 10-3, and it's no coincidence that in those 13 games, Plouffe is batting .345 with six homers, five doubles and 12 RBIs. He now has 10 homers, tied with Justin Morneau for second on the team behind Josh Willingham's 12, and is batting .231.

On May 7, his average was .103. That he wasn't sent back to Class AAA Rochester was as much about his being out of options as it was that Minnesota wasn't ready to give up on a player who was a first-round draft pick, 20th overall, in 2004. Despite never hitting for average in the big leagues, he had shown real power potential, with 15 homers at Rochester and eight with the Twins in 2011.

But he also struggled defensively, and it stood out on a team that struggled just about everywhere last season. Like the rest of his teammates -- the team lost 99 games, after all -- Plouffe spent the season answering questions of a mostly negative nature.

"Well, this game's not going to give you anything; you have to go out and earn it," Gardenhire said. "I don't think he took his lumps unfairly, and I think he'd tell you the same thing. He scuffled. He wasn't great. He threw the ball around, and he's had opportunities."

Flash forward to Tuesday, when Plouffe clocked a two-run home run in a four-run second that put the Twins up 5-0, a lead the Phillies threatened but never surpassed. He also scored runs after singling in the fifth and doubling in the seventh. He's batting .417 in June.

"To his credit, he's worked really hard," Gardenhire said. "He came into spring training and accepted, 'Wherever you play me, I'll just go do it.' That's the biggest part of it -- 'Wherever you want me to play, I'll go play. I just want to be a part of the team.' There you have it."

This is a theory Plouffe essentially corroborates, telling reporters that all he really cares about anymore is winning.

"This year I really bought into that," he said. "Not that I didn't last year; I wanted to win last year for sure. But that's one thing (Justin Morneau) has really impressed on my mind: It's not about the individual guy, it's about everyone coming together. As the saying goes, a rising tide raises all ships. We're rooting for each other, everyone has each other's backs."

Whether or not Plouffe has found any peace of mind, he has definitely found a home in the lineup.

"You accept your role up here, then you try to make it better when you have opportunities. You go out and get it done," Gardenhire said. "He's getting it done. That's why he's playing. It's not for any other reason than he's getting it done. That's why he's playing."

~ 13 ~

Former Twins pitcher Boswell passes away

By: Jordan Garretson, MLB.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Twins pitcher Dave Boswell passed away on Monday. Boswell, 67, died of an apparent heart attack.

The right-hander played eight seasons in the Majors, seven of which were for the Twins (1964-70). He registered a 68-56 career record, with a 3.52 ERA. Boswell's career was highlighted by the 1969 season in which he went 20-12, helping Minnesota to a division title.

Funeral arrangements for Boswell in Baltimore are pending. He lived in Joppa, Md., with his wife, Lou. Those wishing to send their condolences can do so at the following address: Dave Boswell Family 309 Roxbury Court Joppa, MD 21085

Twins sign fifth-round Draft pick Duffey MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota has now officially signed deals with 15 of its 43 picks from the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

The latest signees include fifth-rounder Tyler Duffey, a right-handed pitcher from Rice, who was at Target Field for Tuesday's game against the Phillies. Duffey struck out 68 in 51 1/3 innings for the Owls in 2012.

"It's surreal," Duffey said after signing his contract. "When I came out of the tunnel and was walking out on the field before the game, it just kind of hit me. And sitting in the boxes here, it's kind of setting in now.

"It's all real life now. It's been a whirlwind -- I've been everywhere doing everything. It's awesome."

Thome speaks glowingly of Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS -- Jim Thome spoke glowingly of the Twins and his tenure in Minnesota before Tuesday's game, the first time he played at Target Field since joining the Phillies. He started as Philadelphia's designated hitter on Tuesday.

The left-handed slugger said he still keeps in contact with many of his former Twins teammates.

"Those guys are like my brothers," Thome said. "I've sent them texts and e-mails and all that all year long. That's kind of what we do is have fun. One thing about the game is you always stay in touch with your guys, and I think everybody knows my two years here were very, very special. They gave me an opportunity to be honest, when not many teams were calling at that time. I thank them for that, I appreciate that, and same thing for the fans as well."

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said it was fun to see Thome, but he wasn't exactly thrilled to have him back in town. It means Gardenhire's pitchers would have to find ways to get him out.

"Good luck," Gardenhire said. "He's a great hitter. He has a lot of home runs for a reason. You make a mistake on him, and he's going to be ready to hit it.

Thome, whose 605 career home runs are the eighth-most all-time, is hitting .242 this year, with one home run and four RBIs in 33 at-bats.

"Try to stay out of his whomping zone," Gardenhire said. "There's about 600-and-some people who haven't done it. Don't get on the list, and you'll be fine."

~ 14 ~

Twins have deal with Buxton, sources say

By: Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com- 6/13/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Outfielder Byron Buxton, the No. 2 overall selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft, was at Target Field on Tuesday, as he underwent a physical and took batting practice before the Twins' game against the Phillies.

According to sources close to the negotiations, the Twins have reached an agreement with Buxton and an official announcement is expected to come on Wednesday. The deal is for $6 million, according to a source, just below 's recommended slot bonus of $6.2 million.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan said that nothing is official yet, but added he was happy to have Buxton around to meet players, coaches and executives before Tuesday's game. Buxton -- who was joined by his family, his agent, Al Goetz, and Twins scout, Jack Powell -- also took batting practice with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Ryan Doumit.

"We brought him in to expose him to our Major League coaches, and our manager and our players," Ryan said. "I thought he did quite well out there for a young guy that came up here, 18 years old, not been around the type of caliber that these guys are. I'm proud of that. It was good to see. We didn't want to see balls going up in the cage and so forth. We wanted to see them go out, and that's exactly what he did."

Buxton -- using a bat given to him by Mauer -- sprayed the ball over the field, and hit one homer into the bullpen in left-center field. Buxton said it was especially cool to get the bat from Mauer, and to get his own personalized Twins jersey with his name and No. 1 on the back of it.

"It was great," Buxton said. "I wasn't nervous. I was just being myself and relaxed, and I stayed calm."

The five-tool outfielder batted .513 with three homers, 17 doubles and 35 RBIs in his senior season at Appling County High School (Ga.). He also went 10-0 with 154 strikeouts over 81 innings as a pitcher, including an 18-strikeout performance to clinch his high school's first state title. He's expected to begin his professional career in the Gulf Coast League, with the chance to move up to Rookie League Elizabethton (Tenn.) by the end of the season.

"I'm very excited," Buxton said. "I'm ready to start playing."

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire liked what he saw from Buxton, as he had the chance to meet him for the first time and watch him run around and take batting practice.

"I just told him to enjoy it -- 'Congratulations, enjoy the heck out of this. Be yourself, and let your ability take over and go have some fun,'" Gardenhire said. "He's a nice-looking young man. We'll see how he does when he gets down to the Minor Leagues, but he looks like he's got a lot of tools. He looks like he's a talented young man, which he must be, or we wouldn't have drafted him with the second pick."

Twins offense stays hot in win over Phillies

By: Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com- 6/13/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- When analyzing his team before the season, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire kept harping on how he felt the offense would be his club's strength this year.

It took a while for the offense to get going, however, as the Twins got off to another slow start coming off of a disappointing 2011 campaign. ~ 15 ~

But now the offense is rolling, and it was apparent again on Tuesday, as Denard Span, Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham each homered to help lead the Twins to an 11-7 win over the Phillies at Target Field.

It was another impressive showing from Minnesota's offense, which has been averaging more than six runs per game over its last nine contests. The Twins are 7-2 over that stretch, and have won 10 of 13.

"It was a fun night if you like to see a lot of runs like that," Gardenhire said. "I like to see us swing the bats like that. You know the guys on the other side can hit. You know it's going to be one of those types of games, because those guys are veterans over there. So it's good to hang on and get a win."

Willingham agreed with his manager, and used "fun" to describe the way the Twins have been playing, considering they lead the Majors in runs scored per game this month, with 60 runs in 10 games.

"These are the fun games," Willingham said. "When you score a lot of runs and bang the ball around, and everybody scores runs and gets hits, it makes it fun."

Span started it off with his fifth career leadoff homer and his second homer of the season in the first inning against right-hander Kyle Kendrick.

The Twins added four more runs in the second, as Plouffe connected on a two-run blast before Ben Revere and Joe Mauer hit back-to-back RBI singles.

"It was down and in," Kendrick said of Plouffe's 10th homer of the season. "Two strikes. Changeup. It was a good pitch. I don't know if he was looking for it. It wasn't a bad pitch with two strikes."

The Phillies, though, came back with four runs of their own in the fourth against right-hander Nick Blackburn. Ty Wigginton brought home the first run on an RBI groundout, before Michael Martinez added a run-scoring single. Jimmy Rollins then brought home two runs with a bloop off of Willingham's glove in left field.

"I scuffled one inning, and that cost me the chance to go late in the game," said Blackburn, who allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings to pick up the win. "That's part of it. There was a couple well-placed hit balls. Not exactly the outcome I want. But it was a great win for the team to go out there and score as many runs as they did."

Minnesota answered with a run in the fourth on a double from Mauer that plated Span, before scoring twice in the fifth on an RBI single from Plouffe and an RBI double from Jamey Carroll.

"It was good that we could keep the momentum going to help our pitching out a bit," Revere said. "Blackburn threw a good game. They just got a bunch of bloopers in there. That's baseball for you. He pitched a heck of a game, and guys came in and got the key outs."

The Phillies made it interesting again in the sixth against left-hander Brian Duensing, who came on in relief of Blackburn, but loaded the bases with one out. All three runs came in to score, as reliever Alex Burnett gave up an RBI groundout to John Mayberry before former Twins designated hitter Jim Thome laced a two-run single to left. ~ 16 ~

Minnesota added three insurance runs, however, as Willingham hit a solo shot in the sixth and Carroll and Revere both brought home runs with RBI singles in the seventh.

"It's been a good trend we've been getting into lately," Willingham said of answering back with runs. "We've been coming back and responding after a team scores on us. That's the mark of a team that's getting better."

Notebook: Buxton hits with Mauer, should sign Wednesday; Thome returns

By: Phil Mackey and Nate Sandell, 1500ESPN.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- No. 2 overall pick Byron Buxton will be a multi-millionaire as soon as he officially puts pen to paper on his contract -- a deal that is expected to be completed on Wednesday after he passes his physical.

But on Tuesday Buxton was just a wide-eyed, 18-year-old kid soaking in -- and participating in -- the Minnesota Twins pre-game atmosphere with his family.

Buxton had a Twins jersey with the No. 1 on the back waiting for him on Tuesday in the Target Field clubhouse, where he shook hands and chatted with several players.

"It took my breath away," Buxton said of the jersey. "I wasn't expecting to see that."

Buxton then took batting practice in a group with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Ryan Doumit. Using Mauer's bat, Buxton launched one home run into the bullpen in left-center field.

"It was great. I wasn't nervous. I was just being myself and relaxed and stayed calm," Buxton said.

As for using the bat of a three-time batting champ, Buxton said, "It was the best feeling I've had so far."

Buxton already has a relationship with Ben Revere, who was born in Georgia, and he says that friendship might be an advantage "because he can show me what I'm doing wrong and stuff like that."

Buxton is expected to begin his minor league career with the Twins' rookie ball team in Elizabethton.

Thome returns

Almost a year after his two-season stint with the Twins, being in the opposite dugout at Target Field is still strange for Phillies slugger Jim Thome.

"It feels different, but great to be here," Thome said with a large smile before the Phillies began a three-game series with the Twins on Tuesday. "Obviously the two years I was here, myself and my family really enjoyed our time here. Seeing all the guys out here early was a lot of fun."

~ 17 ~

Thome has a reason to be nostalgic about his brief stay in Minnesota. In the winter prior to the 2010 season, the Twins chose to take a gamble on the aging 39-year-old free agent. The result was more than the Twins expected.

"My two years here were very, very special," Thome, now 41, said. "They gave me an opportunity, to be honest, when not many teams were calling at that time and I thank them for that. I appreciate them for that."

The accommodating and joyful slugger quickly became a fan favorite, as he has at all five of his stops in the Majors. Thome was a crucial cog during the Twins's memorable 2010 campaign and continued to make headlines as he marched towards his 600th home run on August 16, 2011, surpassing former Twins great Harmon Killebrew in the process.

Images from those two seasons were fresh in Thome's mind while he sat in the Phillies dugout, gazing out towards right field where he has landed numerous home run balls.

"It brings back great memories," Thome said. "So many great memories -- the Thorton home run that won it that night (against the White Sox in 2010), the home run over the backdrop, tying Harmon, which for me is really as big as it gets because of the man Harmon was."

After he was traded to spend the twilight of the 2011 season with the , Thome chose forgo retirement for at least another year and sign with Philadelphia, where he spent three seasons between 2003 and 2005. Though stuck on the disabled list throughout May, he returned to the lineup on June 6 and has belted eight hits in a five-game span.

Thome, in Tuesday's lineup as the Phillies' designated hitter, isn't looking to hold back against his former team.

"Those guys are my buddies, but I want to beat them," Thome said

Well aware of the power and danger Thome presents, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire didn't have much advice for his pitching staff other than to keep the ball down.

"I'm going to sit there and be nervous, because I've seen what he can do," Gardenhire said. "If you make a mistake on him he's going to be ready to hit it. You've got to try to keep the ball down and stay out of his whopping zone. There's about 600 and some that haven't done that. Just don't get on that list and you'll be fine."

Twins won't announce fifth starter yet

Due to having multiple off-days over the past week the Twins don't need a fifth starter until Saturday against the .

Do they know who that fifth starter will be?

"Yes I do," said Gardenhire. "I do have a plan. And you'll probably get that on about Thursday."

The fifth starter is likely to be Liam Hendriks, who lowered his -A ERA to 1.94 by throwing 8 2/3 scoreless innings on Saturday. Hendriks struck out 10, walked two and didn't allow a fly ball out of the infield. He hasn't allowed a run since May 30.

Because Hendriks threw 124 pitches in his last outing it could benefit him to have a couple extra days off this week.

Quick hits

• Jim Thome, visiting this week with the Phillies, has hit the three longest home runs in Target Field history -- the longest being a 490-foot moon shot on July 17 last season.

• The Twins entered Tuesday with a 14-9 record in their last 23 games, which is the fourth-best record in the American League in that span.

• The Twins surpassed the 1 million mark in attendance on Sunday, putting them on pace to draw approximately 2.7 million this season. ~ 18 ~

Twins bats go off again: ‘Everyone felt this is how we could play’

By: Phil Mackey, 1500ESPN.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Behind yet another offensive outburst by Trevor Plouffe, the Minnesota Twins outslugged the Philadelphia Phillies 11-7 on Tuesday night at Target Field.

The skinny

The Twins offense, collectively, drew four walks and tallied 17 hits, including five doubles and home runs by Trevor Plouffe, Josh Willingham and Denard Span, who led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot.

The 11-run outburst marked the fifth time since mid-May the Twins have scored at least 10 runs in a game.

"Plouffe had a heck of a night, Jamey Carroll, Span got us all on the right foot with a big home run going in," manager Ron Gardenhire said, "and all the way up and down the lineup those guys did some pretty good things. So a fun night."

Equipped with a 5-0 lead, Twins starter Nick Blackburn ran into trouble in the top of the fourth inning. He issued a leadoff walk to Jim Thome, who advanced on a wild pitch then later scored after back-to-back groundouts.

With two outs and nobody on base Blackburn appeared to control the damage, but three straight sharp groundball singles by Carlos Ruiz, Mike Fontenot and Michael Martinez made it 5-2.

Once again, it looked like Blackburn was in position to get out of the inning, but well-placed, lazy fly ball off the bat of Jimmy Rollins bounced off left fielder Josh Willingham's glove and landed just inside the chalk line for a two-RBI double, cutting the Twins lead to 5-4.

Blackburn left after five innings and 95 pitches. He was charged with four earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out one. But his outing came with some bad luck, as the right-hander induced 15 grounders out of 21 batted balls.

"I'm going to give up a lot of hits that are groundball hits," Blackburn said. "All I can hope for is they hit it at somebody. Obviously not going to happen every time. So that's definitely a positive that I'm still getting the groundballs and showing that I have the good movement and all that stuff. But I need to start throwing more strikes and being more pitch efficient and getting deeper into games."

The Twins tacked on to their 5-4 lead courtesy of an RBI double by Joe Mauer in the fourth and an RBI single by Plouffe and RBI double by Jamey Carroll in the fifth.

Thome, in his first game back at Target Field since joining the Phillies last offseason, delivered a two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth off Alex Burnett to cut the Twins lead to 8-7.

Willingham found the bullpen with a solo homer off left-hander in the bottom of the sixth, and Carroll drove home Plouffe with a single in the seventh for the Twins' 10th run. Revere singled shortly after to make it 11-7.

"Every time I come back up (to bat) Plouffe is dropping bombs every day, and (Jamey) Carroll is just hitting doubles everywhere," said Ben Revere, who went 3-for-5 with three singles and two RBIs. "They've been killing the ball. Not just those guys, everybody. It was a great team effort."

Jared Burton pitched a scoreless seventh inning, a scoreless eighth -- with two more strikeouts -- and Matt Capps tossed a 1-2-3 ninth.

~ 19 ~

"Coming out of spring training I think everyone felt this is how we could play, and we knew it," Plouffe said. "Baseball's a lot more fun when you're winning. I think we're confident as a team right now."

Turning point

Mauer's double off the wall in the fourth inning provided an immediate jolt after the Phillies nearly took the lead in the top half of the inning.

The Twins went on to score in three consecutive innings after that.

Numbers game

5: Career leadoff homers for Span.

10: Home runs for Plouffe.

12: Home runs for Willingham.

6: The number of times the Twins have scored at least 10 runs in a game this season.

Health report

Eddie Rosario, one of the Twins' top prospects, was hit in the face with a batted ball during batting practice and will likely be sidelined for a few weeks. Rosario was hitting .293/.362/.473 with seven home runs for Beloit as of Monday.

On deck

Wednesday: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m. RHP P.J. Walters (2-1, 4.42) vs. LHP (8-3, 2.93) Thursday: vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m. LHP Scott Diamond (5-1, 1.61) vs. RHP (5-6, 5.40)

Scorching Trevor Plouffe continues hot streak, credits everyone else

By: Phil Mackey, 1500ESPN.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- For much of the past two seasons -- maybe more -- key people in the Minnesota Twins organization have questioned whether former first-round draft pick Trevor Plouffe "gets it."

"Gets it" -- as in does Plouffe understand what it takes mentally, physically and otherwise, to be an impactful major league baseball player?

Truth is, had Plouffe not been out of minor league options it's likely he would have been banished to Triple-A Rochester right behind Danny Valencia in early May.

Funny how things work out, because since Valencia was demoted Plouffe is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and he continued his torrid streak on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies with a 3-for-5, three-RBI performance that raised his slugging percentage to .507. ~ 20 ~

Plouffe delivered a two-run homer to left field in the second inning off right-hander Kyle Kendrick that put the Twins up 3-0. He later drove in another run with an RBI single, then doubled off the wall in right-center with one out in the seventh, scoring eventually.

Since May 16, Plouffe is hitting .311 with nine home runs, 17 RBIs and a slugging percentage over .700. His 10 home runs on the season put him on pace for 25 or so -- and that includes a frigid April in which Plouffe barely cracked the starting lineup and failed to sniff the Mendoza line.

The bottom third of the Twins' lineup was a black hole for the first five weeks of the season. But thanks to Plouffe -- and also a red-hot Jamey Carroll -- the bottom of the lineup is now, dare we say, dangerous.

And Plouffe is starting to prove he "gets it."

"I think the team doing well helps a lot," Plouffe said of his hot streak. "When guys around you are hitting it kind of helps you out, it's contagious. They say it all the time and it's true. The way (Josh) Willingham has been swinging the bat, and (Ryan) Doumit, and (Justin) Morneau -- being able to follow those guys, they're always on base. It helps."

In 2011 Plouffe struggled finding a comfort zone in the big leagues. He was in the position of fighting for a roster spot, which was a burden that weighed more heavily than if he were feeling comfortable and just trying to help the team win every night -- as he is right now.

"This year I really bought into that," Plouffe said. "Not that I didn't last year. I wanted to win last year for sure. But that's one thing that Morneau has really pressed into my mind -- it's not about one guy, it's about everyone coming together. And as the saying goes, a rising tide raises all ships. So we're rooting for each other, and everyone has each other's backs. When hitters around you are hitting and on base all the time it's going to put the pressure on the pitcher, and therefore you get better pitches to hit."

Plouffe has played six different defensive positions already this season, but since May 16 he has started at third base 12 times. When asked if it helps that he has seemingly settled in at the hot corner for now, Plouffe said, "It's been nice to go out there and kind of know where I'm playing, but if down the stretch we need to move me to the outfield or anywhere, I'm fine with that."

Plouffe went on a similar offensive tear for Triple-A Rochester early last season, hitting 15 home runs over a two-month stretch and posting an -high OPS over 1.000.

"I'm just seeing the ball well and not chasing pitches. Like I said before, it's all about getting into those hitters counts and not missing your pitch."

Over the last month, Plouffe isn't missing that pitch very often.

Bryon Buxton’s bonus worth $6M, making him draft’s highest-paid player

By: Phil Mackey, 1500ESPN.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxton is about to become the richest player taken in last week's Major League Baseball amateur draft.

A league source confirmed Tuesday night that the Minnesota Twins and Buxton, the No. 2 overall pick, have agreed to terms on a signing bonus worth $6 million, which is $1.2 million more than the Houston Astros gave No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa. The deal is expected to be ~ 21 ~

finalized sometime Wednesday.

The recommended slot value for the No. 1 pick was $7.2 million and $6.2 million for No. 2.

Buxton took batting practice alongside Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer at Target Field on Tuesday.

Twins thank veterans with visit to VA Hospital

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS — Of all the events the Minnesota Twins participate in during Hope Week, Tuesday's was perhaps the highlight for manager Ron Gardenhire.

The Twins skipper was joined by Drew Butera, pitcher P.J. Walters, former Twins Kent Hrbek and Tim Laudner, and mascot T.C. Bear at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis. The group spent time with military veterans, signing autographs and swapping stories.

Gardenhire, a self-proclaimed "Army brat" whose father was in the military for nearly 25 years, had a special appreciation for the service of those men and women he met with Tuesday.

"It's emotional, really emotional for me," Gardenhire said. "I look in their eyes. I can see that they appreciate us being here, which that makes it all worthwhile, them understanding that we're here just to say thank you. But it's emotional for me because I see my dad right in there in that room."

Among those in the hospital's common room that had the chance to meet the Twins was 94-year-old Harley Wishart, who served in World War II as a member of the Air Force's 49th Fighter Group. Wishart recalled buying tickets to see Minnesota play at the old Metropolitan Stadium, paying just $1 to sit in the left field seats. He and the other veterans were given Twins hats, which were then autographed.

It was clear that after meeting with the players and Gardenhire, Wishart and others were grateful for the experience.

"This (hospital) is a great institution, but the daily life gets dull after a while," Wishart said. "To see these people come in and greet us, give us caps, it lifted our spirits and gives us something to talk about. . . . It was sure wonderful for the Twins to come and say hi."

Tuesday marked the third day of the Twins' second annual Hope Week, in which the players and coaches give back to the community. On Sunday, Justin Morneau hosted his annual Casino Night, which raises money for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. During Monday's off day, the Twins took part in a Habitat for Humanity project and also interacted with fans while raising money during the Hanging with the Majors event.

But Tuesday's visit to the VA Hospital put the game of baseball into perspective for the players after meeting with veterans who risked their lives for their country.

"It's definitely something that you're thankful that they gave their time and their service for us to be able to play baseball," said Butera, whose grandfather was in the military. "To hear what they went through, some of the stories of war, I'm speechless. Sometimes I don't know what to say other than thank you. This is our way of saying thank you and coming out and talking to them."

Added Gardenhire: "I think our players, you see them in there, it's reality for them, too. We're going to go leave here and we're going to go back to the ballpark and get ready for a baseball game. You won't forget some of the faces in there, some of the smiles and some of the tears coming out of their eyes. Us being here, you won't forget that ever. I never have and I don't think my guys will, either." ~ 22 ~

The Twins will wrap up Hope Week on Friday with "Field Day for the Kids" at Target Field, which allows local kids to meet and interact with the Twins players. Before then, there will be several other surprise events along the way.

For Gardenhire, though, Tuesday's time spent at the VA Hospital was one he won't soon forget.

"To see all these men and women in here and understand they've been through the same thing my dad has and been a part of that, it's real special for me," Gardenhire said. "It's really neat to be able to shake some hands and tell them thanks."

Twins’ Buxton: ‘I’m ready to start playing’

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/12/12

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins haven't yet officially signed their first-round draft pick, but Byron Buxton is one step closer to becoming a player.

Buxton, who was taken No. 2 overall in this month's draft, was at Target Field on Tuesday, along with his parents, his younger sister and his agent. The completion of his deal will likely be announced Wednesday after it passes through the commissioner's office. He was also scheduled to have a physical Tuesday at Target Field, but indications are that won't be an issue.

In the meantime, Buxton joined the Twins for batting practice prior to Tuesday's game. He was placed in the same hitting group as former AL MVPs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, as well as catcher Ryan Doumit. He borrowed a bat from Mauer, a three-time batting champion.

"It was great. I wasn't nervous," the 18-year-old Buxton said. "I was just being myself and relaxed and I stayed calm."

With all eyes on him and a swarm of cameras clicking, Buxton took his swings with the Twins. He hit one home run into the back of the bullpen in left-center field, but otherwise mostly sprayed line drives to the outfield.

"I thought he did quite well out there for a young guy that came up here, 18 years old, not been around the type of caliber that these guys are, but (he) did quite well there. I'm proud of that," said Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who met Buxton in person for the first time Tuesday. "It was good to see. We didn't want to see balls going up in the cage and so forth. We wanted to see them go out, and that's exactly what he did."

The Twins took Buxton with the second overall pick after the Houston Astros surprisingly selected Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa with the No. 1 pick. That left Minnesota with the option of choosing Buxton, a five-tool high school outfielder from Georgia, or Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, who was widely regarded before the draft as the likely top pick.

Despite a lack of pitching depth in the system, the Twins took Buxton, whose skills were too good to pass up.

"He's a nice-looking young man," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We'll see how he does when he gets down to the minor leagues, but he looks like he's got a lot of tools. He looks like he's a talented young man, which he must be or we wouldn't have drafted him with the second pick."

Before taking batting practice, Buxton was given a tour of Minnesota's clubhouse and introduced to many of the Twins, including Morneau, who asked the teenager, "You buying dinner tonight?"

Buxton was also greeted with a white Twins jersey with his last name and the No. 1 on the back. ~ 23 ~

"It took my breath away," Buxton said of the jersey. "I wasn't expecting to see that, but I'm glad I did."

Buxton played his high school baseball at Appling County High School in Georgia. As a senior, he batted .513 with 17 doubles, three home runs and 35 RBI. The speedy the 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder also stole 38 bases and was named First Team Rawlings Preseason All- American.

As talented as he was on the , Buxton was also an All-State defensive back and wide receiver for his high school football team.

"We're glad we can maybe get him away from that sport and over here to this one," Ryan said.

With Buxton's deal all but official, he'll be joining the Twins organization and starting his pro career soon, something he's dreamed about for years.

"I'm very excited," he said. "I'm ready to start playing."

Former Twins Pitcher Boswell dies at age 67

By: Staff, Associated Press- 6/12/12

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dave Boswell, who won 20 games for the Minnesota Twins in 1969 despite missing a couple of weeks after a fight with manager Billy Martin, has died. He was 67.

He died in his home in Joppa, Md., on Monday, said the , his last major league team.

The right-hander had a colorful, albeit short, career and participated in a great pitching duel with Baltimore's Dave McNally in Game 2 of the 1969 AL championship series.

The Twins signed Boswell, a native of Baltimore, in 1963 and he sped through the system to make his debut as a 19-year-old in 1964. He pitched for Minnesota in the .

Boswell spent seven seasons with the Twins and finished his career with short stints with Detroit and his hometown Orioles in 1971. He was 68-56 overall.

Boswell may have had as many memories off the diamond as he did on it. Known in Twins lore for his adventures out on the town, perhaps his most infamous night came in August 1969 when he received 20 stitches after being punched by Martin, the Twins' irascible manager, during a fight in a parking lot in Detroit.

The two exchanged apologies shortly after, and Boswell played a key role in helping the Twins win the AL West.

Boswell threw 256 1-3 innings that season, going 20-12 with a 3.23 ERA and 10 complete games. He then locked up with McNally in a tense playoff matchup featuring future Hall of Fame hitters Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew.

A day after the Orioles squeaked past the Twins in the first ALCS game ever played, Boswell and McNally took their scoreless duel into extra innings. On a late Sunday afternoon at old Memorial Stadium, it was still 0-0 in the bottom of the 11th when Boswell was pulled with two outs and a runner on second.

~ 24 ~

The Baltimore crowd gave Boswell an ovation as he left the mound, having followed his career since he was a prep star. Reliever Ron Perranoski gave up a single to Curt Motton, with Boog Powell lumbering home for the winning run.

Boswell worked around seven hits and seven walks, striking out four. McNally went the distance, allowing three hits while striking out 11 and walking five.

The Orioles went on to sweep the best of five series, and Boswell never again was the same pitcher. He went 3-7 for Minnesota the next year, and was out of baseball after going a combined 1-2 for Detroit and the Orioles in 1971.

Boswell pitched in 205 games, 151 of them starts. The Baltimore native threw 37 complete games, including six shutouts, and finished with a 3.52 ERA.

Twins offensive surge raises confidence

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/13/12

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have said all season that hitting is contagious.

It looks like the entire team is currently infected.

For the third time in 10 games this month, the Twins' offense exploded for 10 or more runs when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies by an 11- 7 final on Tuesday at Target Field. Eight of Minnesota's nine starters had at least one hit, and the team had 17 hits as a whole. Four players had three hits, the second time this season that's happened.

It was an example of just how dangerous the Twins' offense can be when the entire lineup contributes like it did Tuesday.

"Any time any team has the opportunity to do that, everybody contributes, it's going to be a positive day," said second baseman Jamey Carroll, who had three hits and drove in two runs Tuesday. "Today's just a pure example of it."

Coming out of spring training, the Twins figured their offense would be good, but they weren't exactly sure how good. With the addition of several free agent bats in Carroll, Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit, Minnesota's lineup was filled with plenty of veterans, including former MVPs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Throughout much of the first few months of the season, scoring runs wasn't Minnesota's biggest problem. The starting pitching was the team's Achilles heel, as the rotation had the worst ERA in all of baseball.

As of late, though, the Twins' rotation has slowly started to stabilize, while the lineup seems to be producing at an even higher level.

Since losing five in a row in late May, the Twins have not lost consecutive games. During that span, they're 10-3 and have averaged 5.54 runs per game. In the 47 games before that, Minnesota was scoring just 3.91 a game.

"We're making the hitting coach look pretty nice right now," said Ben Revere, who had three hits Tuesday to boost his average up to .340. ". . . One through nine can put the bat on the ball and drive it. If we can keep this going, we're going to be a tough team to beat."

A sign that the Twins' lineup is becoming more potent was Minnesota's ability to score runs with two outs on Tuesday. Of the 11 runs the Twins scored Tuesday, seven came with two outs. Revere, Carroll and Joe Mauer all had two two-out RBI. Prior to Tuesday, Minnesota was batting .241 with two outs and runners in scoring position. ~ 25 ~

"You've got to be able to get key hits, and key hits come with two outs," said Willingham, whose solo homer came with two outs in the sixth inning. "We got several of those tonight. Guys put together really good at-bats."

Willingham was one of three Twins to homer on Tuesday. Denard Span led off the first inning with a solo homer to right, his fifth career leadoff home run. One inning later, the red-hot Trevor Plouffe sent a two-run shot to left field. It was Plouffe's third home run in the last four days. He finished with a game-high three RBI and has now driven in 12 runs in nine games this month.

"Coming out of spring training, I think everyone thought this is how we could play," Plouffe said. "We knew it. I had confidence in the team, and therefore I had confidence in myself. Now that we're winning games, baseball's a lot more fun when you're winning. I think we're confident as a team right now."

Confidence is one thing, but the Twins are making sure not to get overconfident now that they're starting to win a few games. They're still 10 games under .500 and nine games out of first place in the American League Central.

As good as the Twins' offense has been as of late, there's always the chance the bats may go quiet. That happened against Cleveland on June 1 when Derek Lowe and the Indians held the Twins to one run. On June 5, Bruce Chen and the Royals blanked Minnesota in a 1-0 win in Kansas City.

Then there are games like Tuesday, when Minnesota shows it's capable of putting up plenty of runs on any given night.

"Do we feel like we're capable? Sure. But it's not (always) going to happen," Willingham said. "It's baseball. Sometimes you're going to run into a good pitcher that's going to throw the ball great that night. You've got to be able to win those games 3-2. It's not like we're just going to throw a lineup out there and score eight, 10 runs a game. We've got to be able to win 3-2 games as well."

Thome continues to be a Twins fan favorite

By: Tyler Mason, FSNorth.com- 6/13/12

MINNEAPOLIS — He's no longer a Minnesota Twin, but slugger Jim Thome still draws a crowd in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Thome, now with the Philadelphia Phillies, made his second Target Field appearance since Minnesota traded him to Cleveland prior to last year's trade deadline. He returned once again Tuesday to the ballpark he made look small with his mammoth home runs while a member of the Twins.

"It feels different, but great to be here," Thome said in the visiting dugout Tuesday, surrounded by a horde of media members. "Obviously the two years I was here, not just myself, but my family really enjoyed our time. Seeing all the guys out here early was a lot of fun for sure."

There are many reasons why Thome still commands the attention he does, even during his second trip back to Minneapolis. For starters, his home runs in Minnesota were a thing of legend. He hit one high off the Target Field flagpole in right field. He hit another over the 36-foot-tall batters' eye in straightaway center field. In fact, Thome has hit the three longest home runs in the three-year history of Target Field -- tape measure shots of 490, 480 and 465 feet. Of course, he also hit career homer No. 600 while with Minnesota, passing the late Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew on the all-time list along the way.

Ask Thome which Target Field home run stands out, though, and it's an easy call: his walk-off blast against the White Sox, his former team, in 2010. Thome tagged Chicago reliever Matt Thornton for a blast to right field and was mobbed by his Twins teammates at home plate.

~ 26 ~

While that one stood out, each of his 37 home runs he hit with Minnesota were memorable, he insists.

"A couple guys were asking me about the flag pole there and it brings back great memories," Thome said. "There were so many great memories. The Thornton home run that won it that night, the home run over the backdrop, tying Harmon, which for me is really as big as it gets because of the man Harmon was."

But as impressive as Thome was at the plate, his teammates praised him perhaps more for what he brought to the clubhouse. A 22-year big league veteran, Thome took time to give pointers to the Twins' younger players and was always willing to lend an ear when a teammate had questions.

For that reason, not so much his towering home runs, Thome's former teammates were eager to see him again Tuesday, chatting with him or giving him a hug before batting practice.

"I enjoyed playing with him when he was here, just being part of that historic day in Detroit and everything," said outfielder Ben Revere, referring to Thome's 600th home run. "He's a great person. You couldn't ask for anything else, a wonderful career like he's had. To be his teammate for just a couple years, it was a blessing, definitely."

Thome made his first trip as a visitor last year after Minnesota traded him to Cleveland, the franchise with which he spent most of his career. It was certainly an odd sight for Twins fans to see Thome on the other side, but that's ultimately part of the game.

"When you're on this side, you're competing. Those guys are my buddies but I want to beat them. That's the bottom line," Thome said. "Any time you're on the other side, the friendships and all that go to the side. You're trying to beat them and do well against it. But when it's over you respect them and all that. . . .

"With Cleveland, I was in the same division. This time we're not, we're just coming through with interleague. It's special for sure."

The 41-year-old Thome has battled health issues already this season, spending about a month on the disabled list with a back injury. He just hit his first home run of the season on Saturday, showing that even at his advanced age, he can put a charge in a baseball.

"He's a great hitter. He's got a lot of home runs for a reason," Gardenhire said. "If you make a mistake on him, he's going to be ready to hit it. We have to keep the ball down. We know that, as with all great hitters. You've got to keep it out of his wompin' zone. There's about 600 and some pitchers who haven't done that. Don't get on the list and you'll be fine."

When Thome was introduced for his first at-bat of Tuesday's game, many Twins fans gave him a standing ovation. They're surely aware that this series will likely be Thome's last at Target Field.

And while Thome hasn't decided yet whether he'll play next season, he has to know this is probably his last trip to Minneapolis during his illustrious career.

"I have to be honest, I do like to compete. I really do," Thome said. "I like to dig in that box. I like to work. I like to come to the ballpark. ... I know I'm getting toward the end but I can still go out and do it. That's what drives me to come back every year. It'll be interesting going forward here."

~ 27 ~

Twins aim for 11th win in 14 games

By: Staff, Associated Press- 6/13/12

The Minnesota Twins may be at the bottom of the AL Central, but Trevor Plouffe's production is one reason why they're currently one of the hottest teams in baseball.

A struggling rotation has the last-place Philadelphia Phillies looking every bit the part.

The Twins look to continue their resurgence, as Cole Hamels tries to help the Phillies avoid a fourth straight loss Wednesday night at Target Field.

Minnesota (25-35) has been mired in the AL Central basement for most of the season, but has won 10 of 13 following a five-game skid to pull within one-half game of fourth-place Kansas City.

The Twins had three homers among 17 hits in Tuesday's series-opening 11-7 win over Philadelphia (29-34), matching a season high in scoring.

Trevor Plouffe went 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs, and is batting .417 with five homers and 12 RBIs in his last nine games. His 15 hits in that stretch are just one shy of the total from the season's first 32 games for the career .228 hitter.

"The team doing well helps a lot," Plouffe said. "When guys are hitting, it kind of helps you out. It's contagious. I say it all the time and it's true."

Ben Revere has also been hot, batting .417 in his last 14 games after driving in two runs with three hits Tuesday.

"We're making our hitting coach look pretty good right now," Revere said.

Revere and Plouffe teed off on the Phillies, who have dropped nine of 10 thanks in part to a 5.98 ERA from their rotation.

Five-time defending NL East champion Philadelphia is now in last place.

"What can I say? It seems like it's hard for us to get it," manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's hard for us to put together a solid game."

Manuel hopes Hamels (8-3, 2.93 ERA) can as he tries to avoid losing a third consecutive start for the first time since Aug. 7-19, 2010.

The left-hander has wasted a three-run lead in each of his last two outings, surrendering four runs and six hits in six innings of Thursday's 8-3 home loss to the .

"I hate to lose, and I've got two losses (in my past two starts)," Hamels told the Phillies' official website. "It's frustrating because you want to battle. We get the lead and we're giving it up. That's the frustrating part. You kind of see a win in one hand, and see it kind of evaporate."

Perhaps a start on the road is what Hamels needs since he's 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA in five outings away from home this season.

He didn't get a decision in his only career start against the Twins, a home loss for the Phillies on June 19, 2010.

The Twins are slated to give the ball to P.J. Walters (2-1, 4.42), who will try to win for the first time in four starts. The right-hander has a 6.46 ERA and a .377 opponent batting average over his last three outings, but has not gotten a decision in that span.

He gave up five runs and eight hits - two homers - in five innings Friday. when Minnesota defeated the 8-7 in 10 innings.

Walters has never faced the Phillies. ~ 28 ~

No. 2 pick Buxton beats Mauer’s Twins record, gets $6M bonus

By: Jon Heyman, Baseball Insider- 6/13/12

Byron Buxton, the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB draft, agreed to sign with the Twins for $6 million, breaking Joe Mauer's team record $5.1 million draft bonus and setting a high bar to be this year's top bonus.

Buxton, the five-tool high school from Baxley, Ga., beat No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa's $4.8 million bonus and seems unlikely to be topped by any of the players that followed him in the draft. Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, who was seen as the top college pitcher and became the No. 8 overall pick, was selected by the Pirates, who have a $6.5 million allotment for all their bonuses; they've said they will not lose their pick next year, which means they can only go five percent over the $6.5 million.

Buxton has many talents but his biggest attribute is his speed. He's viewed as B.J. Upton or Dexter Fowler type, but perhaps even better.

Jim Callis of Baseball America first mentioned the $6 million figure.

Twins get payoff for sticking with Plouffe

By: Staff, SportsXchange- 6/13/12

The Minnesota Twins were hoping Trevor Plouffe would finally find a role this season as what they called a "super utility" player, a guy who can play every infield position (he has) and both corner outfield spots (he has).

They're getting so much more.

"He's picking us up big time right now, which we needed," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We needed that desperately."

That's an impressive compliment for a player who was batting .103 on May 7, but it's an apt one. The Twins are slowly crawling out of the miasma in the AL Central, pulling within 10 games of .500 and 2 1/2 games of third-place Detroit after an 11-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, and Plouffe is a big reason.

After going 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs Tuesday, he's batting .345 with six homers, five doubles and 12 RBI since May 28. Not coincidentally, the Twins are 10-3 over that span.

Plouffe isn't the only hitter getting it done, but he's a big piece for a lineup that had been relying on its stars for virtually all of its offensive production. Plouffe now has 10 homers, tied with Justin Morneau for second on the team behind Josh Willingham's 12. Plouffe has 20 RBI in 41 games.

On May 7, when his average dipped to a season-low, he had one homer and two RBI. That he wasn't sent back to Class AAA Rochester was as much about the fact that he's out of options as the fact that Minnesota wasn't ready to give up on a player who was a first-round draft pick,

~ 29 ~

20th overall, in 2004. Despite never hitting for average in the big leagues, Plouffe had shown real power potential, with 15 homers at Rochester and eight with the Twins in 2011.

"To his credit, he's worked really hard," Gardenhire said. "He came into spring training and accepted, 'Wherever you play me, I'll just go do it.' That's the biggest part of it. 'Wherever you want me to play, I'll go play. I just want to be a part of the team.' There you have it."

Plouffe doesn't disagree, telling reporters Tuesday that all he really cares about anymore is winning.

"This year I really bought into that," he said. "Not that I didn't last year -- I wanted to win last year, for sure. But that's one thing (Morneau) has really impressed on my mind: It's not about the individual guy; it's about everyone coming together. As the saying goes, a rising tide raises all ships. We're rooting for each other, everyone has each other's backs."

Twins, Buxton Agree On $6 Million

By: Jim Callis, Baseball America- 6/12/12

The Twins have agreed to terms with No. 2 overall pick Byron Buxton on a $6 million bonus.

An outfielder from Appling County HS in Baxley, Ga., Buxton was Baseball America's top-rated prospect in the 2012 draft class. He's a potential five-tool center fielder who has drawn comparisons to the likes of and Justin Upton. He had committed to Georgia.

Buxton's bonus is $200,000 less than the $6.2 million value assigned to the No. 2 choice. He got 25 percent more than the $4.8 million that No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa received from the Astros. It's unlikely that any other player in this draft will top Buxton or Correa.

Buxton becomes the 16th player in draft history to earn a bonus of $6 million or more. He matches Eric Hosmer (Royals, 2008) as the recipient of the largest straight bonus (not spread over multiple years under provisions for two-sport athletes) ever given to a high school position player.

Minnesota Twins Turn to High-Tech Cameras To Improve Stadium Security

By: Chris Smith, Forbes.com- 6/12/12

Marvin Norwood and Louis Sanchez will soon have to stand trial for last year’s vicious beating of Bryan Stow, the fan who miraculously survived the violent incident but will suffer severe brain damage for the rest of his life. The Stow family’s subsequent

~ 30 ~

lawsuit against the Los Angeles Dodgers and then-owner Frank McCourt alleged that the team had insufficient security measures, and fans loudly echoed the sentiment. Complaints grew even louder when another fan was assaulted after a Dodgers’ home game earlier this season.

Some have suggested that improved lighting or more security personnel could help stymie future incidents of fan violence, but the most proactive teams have turned to much more sophisticated technology. One such team is the Minnesota Twins, who installed a state-of-the- art, high-definition camera system at Target Field, their home since 2010.

The team installed nearly 170 high-definition Avigilon cameras during stadium construction. The cameras offer a full megapixel resolution and ample, affordable storage space. Three “bowl cameras” are used to widely monitor crowd behavior, while the rest are located in high- traffic areas both outside and within the stadium walls.

Such an advanced and expansive camera system is obviously a pricey investment. Dave Horsman, the Director of Ballpark Operations at Target Field, could not provide precise installation costs, but he noted that the team was forced to switch camera systems during construction because its first choice would have put the stadium project over budget. Despite the initial cost, however, Horsman feels that the camera network will save the team money in the long-term. The team’s security command center now requires fewer staffers, and the simplicity of the interface means that any security employee can be slotted into camera duty. Says Horsman, “There is not much in terms of training costs, so you don’t have to dedicate a specific person to cameras.”

And the benefits of comprehensive video coverage are immense.

Horsman says that the bowl cameras have helped security personnel locate and remove troublesome fans, while cameras on the stadium’s exterior have assisted in preventing fans from attempting to climb over the stadium’s fence on multiple occasions. Recordings of such events have also assisted the team in refuting fan accusations of unfair ejection. Team administrators even used video footage to corroborate a staffer’s claims of a conflict between employees. “Not only do we have the ability to prevent issues,” argues Horsman, “but we can go back and find out what was missing.” In other words, video footage helps security teams to adapt and adjust so that they will be better prepared in the future.

Would high-definition video cameras have been enough to stop Bryan Stow from being attacked? Maybe not. But they could have improved the response times of medical professionals, provided conclusive evidence against his attackers and even aided the Dodgers in identifying contributing factors that could be changed to prevent future incidents.

Cameras are just the beginning of high-tech stadium security, and Horsman is excited about ongoing developments in surveillance technology. Video analytics continue to improve, allowing cameras to read license plates, recognize faces and identify oddities like unattended bags or cars driving the wrong way. Horsman even suggests that new video technology will be able to recognize a throwing motion, helping security teams to pinpoint unruly fans who would have previously gotten away with tossing things onto the field or at other fans.

Stadiums have long turned to technology to improve the fan experience, from massive digital scoreboards to beer cups that fill from the bottom. But fans should be most thankful for the high-tech endeavors that are also being implemented behind the scenes to keep them safe.

~ 31 ~

TOP TWITTER POSTS TO @TWINS

Dave Ammentorp @daveammentorp@Twins FACT: Trevor Plouffe has more home runs than Albert Pujols!

Gillette Children's @GilletteChildrnT-Minus....1 hour until our @Twins Pizza Party @davannis! Stay tuned for pics! #twins #twinsterritory

Laura Lineer @llineerJust bought tickets to the vs. @Twins game.... Road Trip!

Joe Parks @joepaMNPlouuuuuuuuffe-ing is now a thing at Target Field. Much like Kuuuuuuuubel-ing or Lewwwwwwww-ing before it. @Twins #MNTwins He's on a roll!

Rachel Barth @Doodle11Excited to go to the @Twins game tonight!! Hope the work day goes by fast!! brett tiffany @brettzky7@ByronBuxton1 I think you'll find lots of positive support from the @Twins fans! Best of luck on a successful journey to the bigs! kevin pribyl @kpribyl7@Twins are on a roll!! Keep it up boys

Damon Becker @Damon_Becker50th tweet goes @Twins for playing great baseball lately #keepitup

Erin Marie @erinmarieWHad a great night at the Twins game. Didn't eff up my score card, got to see Thome, and the @Twins won! #perfect

Kortney Spaeth @kortneyspaethMy new best friend Darin Mastroianni. @twins #HangWithTheMajors http://instagr.am/p/LzTrJ9EKk5/

~ 32 ~