Keeping Track

Red Wings Report

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Where they stand:  Rochester is 14-16, fourth in the IL North, 3.5 games behind Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Who’s hot:  Brian Dinkelman is 9-28.  On the season he is .283/.382/.327 in 113 at-bats.  Danny Lehmann is 3-11.  On the season he is .286/.342/.400 in 35 at-bats.  Anthony Swarzak has allowed three runs on fourteen hits and only one walk with eleven strikeouts in twelve innings (two starts).  He is 2-1, 3.90, 1.30 WHIP with 25 strikeouts in 32.1 innings (six starts).  Chuck James has allowed no runs on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts in 6.2 innings (five appearances).  He is 1-1, 2.50, 1.00 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 18 innings (13 appearances).

Who’s cold:  Chase Lambin is 4-28.  On the season he is .212/.297/.303 in 99 at-bats.  Matt Brown is 5-31.  On the season he is .228/.311/.391 in 92 at-bats.  Kyle Waldrop has allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks in 8.2 innings (six appearances).  He is 1-3, 6.06, 1.71 WHIP in 16.1 innings (12 appearances).  Andrew Baldwin has allowed seven runs on fourteen hits and a walk in 11.1 innings (two starts).  He is 2-2, 7.16, 1.45 WHIP in 27.2 innings (five starts).

Coming and going:  Since last report, Jim Hoey was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota, Jeff Manship was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester, Eric Hacker was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota and sent back to Rochester again, Alex Burnett was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester and brought back to Minnesota again, Anthony Swarzak was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota and sent back to Rochester again, Rene Tosoni was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota, Trevor Plouffe was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota, Ben Revere was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota, Steve Singleton was promoted from New Britain to Rochester, Ray Chang was promoted from New Britain to Rochester, Steve Holm was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester, Rene Rivera was promoted from Rochester to Minnesota, Dusty Hughes was optioned from Minnesota to Rochester, Aaron Bates was signed and assigned to Rochester, and Brandon Roberts was placed on the seven day disabled list with a sore right oblique.

Coming up next:  The Red Wings have two more home games against Louisville.  They then go on the road for four in Charlotte and four in Gwinnett.

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of 5/10

Rochester 8, Louisville 1 in Rochester.  The Red Wings scored seven runs in the third through fifth innings.  Aaron Bates had two singles and a homer, scoring three times.  Danny Lehmann had three hits.  Anthony Swarzak worked 6.2 innings, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk, striking out five.  Jeff Manship pitched 2.a scoreless innings of relief.

Binghamton 5, New Britain 2 in Binghamton.  The Rock Cats led 2-0 after six, but the Mets got two in the seventh and three in the eighth.  Steve Hirschfeld pitched six shutout innings before tiring; for the game he gave up two runs on just two hits in 6.2 innings, although he walked four.  Jake Stevens allowed the three eighth-inning runs on four hits.

Dunedin 6, Ft. Myers 2 in Ft. Myers.  The Blue Jays scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth to put the game away.  Danny Rams singled and homered, Brian Dozier singled and doubled, and Aaron Hicks had two hits.  Kane Holbrooks took the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks in five innings.  Blake Martin pitched two shutout innings.

Kane County 8, Beloit 4 in Kane County.  The Cougars scored in each of the first five innings.  Danny Ortiz had two singles and a home run.  Andrei Lobanov surrendered six runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk in 3.2 innings.  Michael Tonkin struck out three of the four batters he faced in 1.1 innings.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 11

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Charlie Gehringer (1903)
Rip Sewell (1907)
Eddie Chiles (1910)
Jack Lang (1921)
Nestor Chylak (1922)
Vern Rapp (1928)
Milt Pappas (1939)
Frank Quilici (1939)
Jerry Martin (1949)
Dane Iorg (1950)
Mark Huismann (1958)
Walt Terrell (1958)
Trent Hubbard (1964)
Bobby Witt (1964)
Kerry Ligtenberg (1971)
Francisco Cordero (1975)

This is also the birthday of Twins’ farmhand Miguel Sano (1993).

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 11 →

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 34: Detroit Tigers 10, Rochester Red Wings 2

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I'm not even sure what to say to this one. Monday's game was a heartbreaking loss despite the inability to get any runs across the plate. To get blown out and burn up two starting pitchers the next night is like salt in the wound. Also we got skunked by Rick Porcello. I only paid partial attention to the game, and I instead spent my time on more worthwhile ventures. I think it was for the best.

I still think it's too early to freak out too much but I'm getting pretty close to giving up. Delmon's supposed to be be back on Friday, so I hope that's the start of us getting some of the regulars back. But who knows if that will be enough to counteract The Curse of #6org.

I apologize for the half-baked post, but really, it's hard to give full effort when Matt tolberting Tolbert is batting second.

Final Score: Detroit Tigers 10, Minnesota Twins 2.
Twins Record: 12-22, 11.0 GB in the AL Central. Worst record in MLB.
WP: Rick Porcello (3-2) | LP: Francisco Liriano (2-5)
Witty Remarks?: I'm all out of them. The Twins are terrible right now.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 10

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Chippy McGarr (1863)
Ed Barrow (1868)
Klondike Douglass (1872)
Harry Salsinger (1885)
Allan Roth (1917)
Hideo Fujimoto (1918)
John McMullen (1918)
Herb Carneal (1923)
Jim Hickman (1937)
Ken Berry (1941)
John Cumberland (1947)
Chris Berman (1955)
Joey Meyer (1962)
Robby Thompson (1962)
Pete Schourek (1969)

A great baseball broadcaster was born on this day, and it ain’t Chris Berman.  To some of us, Herb Carneal will always be the Voice of the Twins.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 10 →

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game Logs: Game 34 Detroit v. Minnesota

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Rick Porcello

@

Francisco Liriano.

 

I might be wrong here but I am pretty sure that Francisco Liriano, when starting on Tuesdays in 2011, only throws no-hitters.

Sorry for the shortness of this preview but I am going to be spending most of the week in Rochester this week. I will come back with scouting reports on Ray Chang, Chase Lambin, and Toby Gardenhire to make up for it.

2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 33: Red Sox 2, Twins 1 (11)

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Weather: 60°F, cloudy
Wind: 16 mph, in from CF
Attendance: 37,276
Time: 3:55

Twins record: 12-21 (tied for last in AL Central, 10.0 GB)
Fangraphs boxscore | MLB Game Wrap

Highlights:

  • Highest WPA, hitter: Span .150 (2-4, R, BB) | Highest WPA, pitcher: Mijares .299 (2.0 IP, H, BB)
  • Outfield defense - Revere's diving catch and Span's sliding catch

Lowlights:

  • Lowest WPA, hitter: Tolbert, -.346 (0-5, 1 SO) | Lowest WPA, pitcher: Hoey, -.350 (0.1 IP, H, BB, ER)
  • Tolbert: still batting second
  • MLB's continued employment of Angel Hernandez and Joe West

BOSTON -- The latest rumblings out of the Twins' clubhouse are something else indeed. General Manager Bill Smith accidentally ran his iPhone through the visitor's clubhouse washing machine in Chicago last week after spilling a Chicago-style hot dog on his pants. Smith immediately put the device in a box of rice, to no avail, and had to reluctantly borrow infielder Matt Tolbert's phone so he could make some calls and find a new catcher. Steve Holm wasn't quite Corky Miller bad in his brief appearance, but Bill Smith eventually figured out he wasn't an answer to any question worth asking. Tolbert reportedly told Smith he doesn't make enough for the Twins' GM to call 411 and ask for the Rangers' front office (more on this in a moment), but could swing a call to AAA Rochester as long as it happened on his plan's nights & weekends minutes.

Red Wings infielder Toby Gardenhire is apparently #3 on Tolbert's speed dial, right behind Voicemail (#1) and former teammate Nick Punto (#2). Smith accordingly placed his call to Gardenhire the Younger, who relayed the request for a catcher to Red Wings manager Tom Nieto. Nieto, himself a former Twin, initially volunteered his own services, but apparently requested a few days to iron the fungoes out of his swing, time that Smith just wasn't willing to waste.

In his first season with the Twins, Nieto briefly served as Tim Laudner's backup and outhit regular backup Sal Butera late in the season (.071/.188/.143 for Nieto vs. .063/.118/.125 for Butera in Sept/Oct) before being inexplicably left off the playoff roster. Nieto actually paced Twins catchers in hitting and on-base percentage that year, posting a .200/.276/.314 line to Laudner's .191/.252/.389 and Sal Butera's .171/.217/.243 mark. Overall, Nieto posted an OPS+ of 17 in his Twins career, which spanned 183 plate appearances between 1987-88. When reached for comment, Nieto said, "I out-hit Sal Butera in 1987, and I believe in the depths of my soul I can out-hit his son in 2011." Drew Butera currently owns a positively Buterian .172/.213/.251 line. "But the Twins value defense behind the plate," Nieto continued, "and I accumulated -0.2 dWAR in my Twins career, so Bill Smith elected to pursue other options."

So, that's why Rene Rivera is now with the Twins. But why Rivera instead of, say, Rangers catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli, who has only 63 at bats (but 6 HR) this season despite a career 119 OPS+ and a .238 ISO? Napoli, only 29, is likely still in his hitting prime, and despite whatever Mike Scioscia - Napoli's former manager - thinks, he appears to be a serviceable catcher. Unfortunately, Smith laundered his iPhone and apparently hasn't yet worked up the nerve to tell Jim Pohlad, Dave St. Peter, or Wade Navratil, the Twins' Senior Director of Technology. Of course, Smith could always look up Rangers GM Jon Daniels' number in his laptop's address book, or drop Daniels an email for that matter, but an unnamed source in the Twins' front office divulged that Smith has forgotten how to turn his laptop on. According to another source in the Twins' front office, former Twins GM Terry Ryan and former Twins manager Tom Kelly have offered to call former Twins GM Andy MacPhail, currently the Orioles' President of Baseball Operations, about the availability of Matt "Mauer with Power" Wieters, but Smith has repeatedly expressed the desire to put his own stamp on the club.

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This week's View from the Ballpark:

photo by Flickr user LugoLounge
I know at least 5 6 7 10 Hall of Famers played here. | photo by Flickr user LugoLounge

Remember, no embiggening.

Remodeled basement. Same half-baked taste.