Category: Twins

Minnesota baseball fans are known for their road trips to watch the Twins in cities like Milwaukee and Kansas City but no doubt some are bound for Beloit, Wisconsin next summer.

The Beloit Snappers, the Twins Class A farm team, has much publicized prospects Miguel Sano (third base), Levi Michael (shortstop) and Eddie Rosario (second base) on the roster. Jim Rantz, Twins senior director for minor league operations, has heard the talk about Beloit road trips by fans.  “I’ve had people stop me and say, ‘Sounds like we need to make a trip to Beloit this year,’ ” Rantz told Sports Headliners.

Mlb.com’s top 2012 prospects has Sano ranked No. 23 in a top 100 listing.  That’s better than any other player in the Twins organization but Rantz was “surprised” the 18-year-old Dominican Republic native didn’t receive even a higher ranking.

Last fall Sporting News Magazine listed Sano and Washington’s Bryce Harper as its two top candidates for 2012 Minor League Player of the Year.  Sano is known for his power and in just 267 at bats for Elizabethton hit 20 home runs last year.  In an October interview with Sports Headliners Rantz said if Sano “does not get hurt and progresses like he has been, he is a can’t miss guy.”

Rosario impressed a lot last season, too, and he’s intriguing because the former center fielder is being moved to second base.  The 20-year-old was a teammate of Sano and hit 21 home runs in 270 at-bats.

“He will play second base because of all the center fielders (in the organization) we have coming along,” Rantz said.  “I know there’s a lot of buzz about both these guys (Sano and Rosario).”

Michael was the Twins first pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.  Michael, who turns 21 tomorrow, has Rantz and other Twins officials anxious to see him play at Beloit because injuries in 2011 limited their evaluation of the promising infielder.

The Mlb.com prospect listing had one other player from the Twins in the top 100, center fielder Aaron Hicks.  The 2007 No. 1 draft choice was ranked No. 72.  “He’s a heck of an athlete,” Rantz said.  “He’s a scratch golfer and a lot of organizations took him as a pitcher.”

Mlb.com said the switch hitting Hicks batted only .258 hitting right-handers in the Arizona Fall League but hit .361 versus left-handers.  Rantz said the 22-year-old will play for Class AA New Britain this season.  “He’s got a chance to do it from both sides,” Rantz said.

The Twins lost 99 games last season and were unable to repeat as Central Division winners, but club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the franchise isn’t deflated about the news 2011 division champ Detroit has acquired slugger Prince Fielder.  He also said his organization goes into each season with the goal of winning the World Series.

Baseball talk was prevalent over the weekend with fans attending the three-day TwinsFest at the Metrodome.  In a few weeks the Twins open spring training in Fort Myers with only a few changes from the 2011 roster.

The Twins were World Series champions in 1987 and 1991.  When will they win another a World Series?  “We’re working hard.  We’re trying,” St. Peter said.  “That’s obviously the goal every year. …We do believe there’s still a core group of players (on the 2012 roster) that can contribute to a world championship.

“Our job as an organization is to continue to try to build on that base and to continue to acquire through all means—whether it means through the draft, whether it be free agency, whether it be trade—incremental players who are winners.  At the end of the day that’s the road that we’re on and we feel good about that.”

The Twins won division titles in 2009 and 2010, but the Tigers were champions last year with a 95-67 record compared with Minnesota’s 63-99.  In 2010 the Twins were 94-68.  That record and season gives St. Peter optimism.

“I think it’s important to remember that the starting (pitching) rotation we’ll go to spring training with—mainly (Carl) Pavano, (Francisco) Liriano, (Scott) Baker and (Nick) Blackburn—those were the same guys that were the starters for us in 2010 when we won 94 games and a division championship.  We believe in those guys.  We think they all can contribute to a very successful season. …We’re looking for bounce back years from those guys.”

St. Peter said he wasn’t discouraged by news the Tigers signed Fielder last week for a reported $214 million.  Fielder hit 38 home runs and drove in 120 runs for Milwaukee last year.

“…Hey, you respect the teams in your division, obviously,” St. Peter said.  “We’ve been battling the Tigers for a decade.  We’ve come out most of the time in this division.  They’re the defending champs so they’re gonna defend.

“They had a significant loss in Victor Martinez and now they’ve replaced that bat with Prince. We tend to focus more on the Twins and what we can do.  As long as our guys are healthy and we play at the level that we’re capable of playing, we like our chances to play and contend in this division, and that includes the Tigers. …”