Let’s Go Farming - the Twins’ weekly minor league report
Posted on April 22nd, 2009 – 2:31 PMBy La Velle
DELANEY AND SLAMA: BACK…WITH A TWIST
Righthanders Rob Delaney and Anthony Slama shared closing duties at Class A Fort Myers last season - and it was quite a one-two punch.
Delaney was promoted to New Britain in June. Slama took over as closer at Fort Myers and finished 4-1 with a 1.01 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 71 innings. He also was named Twins minor league pitcher of the year.
The two have been reunited at New Britain - but it’s Slama who has opened the season as the Rock Cats’ closer while Delaney sets him up.
I don’t know if it is going to stay that way or they might go the other way the next time,’’ said Jim Rantz, the Twins director of minor leagues. “Both of them have done well. I think it’s the fact that Slama finished so strong last year that they are going to continue with him as that guy.’’
Slama on Wednesday earned his second save for New Britain and has pitched 6/23 scoreless innings so far. Delaney has a 1.69 ERA in seven games.
Both are similar pitchers who throw around 90 miles an hour, although Rantz said Slama throws a little harder than Delaney.
Both throw good sliders. Delaney is a battler and excellent competitor. Slama is working on changing speeds against left-handed hitters. Both could get promoted to Class AAA Rochester during the season - which makes a major league debut sometime this year a possibility.
WHERE IS AARON HICKS?
Beloit broke camp in Fort Myers, Fla, without outfielder Aaron Hicks, the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft who has the club buzzing about his five-tool ability.
The Twins did the same thing last year with 2007 first-rounder Ben Revere, who needed to work on arm strength and accuracy. Revere was sent to Beloit to replace an injured player, batted .379 with 10 triples and 44 steals and ended up the Twins minor league player of the year.
Hicks, who hit .318 with four homers and 27 RBI for the Gulf Coast League rookie team appears to be more polished than Revere, so what gives?
“He had to work on some things, some fundamentals and defensive things,’’ Rantz said. “Yes, he has a strong arm and can run but he’s getting regular at-bats and can work on fundamentals.’’
The Twins’ outfields at Beloit and Fort Myers have players the club needs to evaluate before they move Hicks in front of them. Angel Morales, Evan Bigley and Michael Harrington hit 15, 14 and nine home runs, respectively at short-season Elizabethton, Tenn. and need to play. Ozzie Lewis is back after missing a chunk of the season with a wrist injury.
Fort Myers’ outfield has top prospects Revere and Joe Benson, plus Christopher Parmelee splitting time in the outfield and first base. It appears that it will take promotions, demotions or injuries for Hicks to get to Beloit - or he might have to wait until June and start the year Elizabethton.
Revere, by the way, is batting .333 with a homer 10 RBI and five steals through 11 games at Fort Myers.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
Jim Shellenback, the pitching coach at Elizabethton who filled in as bullpen coach while Rick Stelmaszek recovered from fatigue, confirmed that the organization is really high on righthander Carlos Gutierrez, the Twins’ other first-round pick last year.
And Gutierrez, who throws an excellent sinker, has given up just one earned run over his first 11 innings at Fort Myers.
Shellenback was asked about righthander Shooter Hunt, who was taken with the 31st pick of the draft - four picks after Gutierrez.
“He won’t throw it over,’’ Shellenback said.
Hunt’s struggles continued on Tuesday at Beloit, as he gave up five earned runs on three hits and six walks over 22/3 innings. Hunt is 0-1. 9.31 through three games. Of the 55 batters he’s faced, 28 have reached base.
“There is something to that,’’ Rantz said of Shellenback’s statement. “I don’t know if it’s insecurity but, eventually, he has to throw it over.’’
ETC.
Australian outfielder Justin Huber has worked out his visa problems - he had to go to Toronto to get things straightened out - and will join Class AAA Rochester on Friday. “He’s got some sock and that’s what we need on that club,’’ Rantz said.
First baseman Henry Sanchez, who was drafted in 2005 and is 23 years old but is just getting to Fort Myers because of injuries, is now slowed by a left quadriceps strain at Fort Myers.
Righthander Loek Van Mil, who is at extended spring training working his way back from a sore elbow, has been slowed by a biceps strain.
84 Responses to "Let’s Go Farming - the Twins’ weekly minor league report"
LaVelle:
you gotta mention Swarzak among the good 
Here is a question for you:
Rochester’s roster is at 27 and have 2 pitchers in the DL (Hendrickson and Lahey) and Huber in the reserve list. There is one spot for Huber. What do you think will happen when Crain & Mauer get healthy dropping 2 from the Twins to Rochester? and when Lahey gets healthy? methinks that the ground is trembling below Cristie/Machado, Pagiatello and Sanchez at least.
Could have used either Slama/Delaney at AAA today as Julianel and Gabino coughed up a 5 run lead in the 9th, then Gabino and Gosling gave the game away in the 11th.
make that Pignatiello
Great stuff Lavelle, but is Joe C. going to be mad at you for cherry picking posters off his blog?
thrylos,
deSan Miguel will probably bounce back to FM, and Christy to AA…tho I would prefer the Twins to keep Morales and have Redmond become the bullpen coach to help out Stelly. Red doesn’t seem to have much left in the tank.
Pignatiello/Gosling/Santos should not feel very secure.
Funkytown,
they could do that and deSan Miguel is very young, but I would agree with you on the Morales/Redmond assessment… Redmond should hang them up. I still don’t understand why they picked that option the off-season. Pop flies are as hard as he can hit any more and his arm is a noodle… Would be a good coach though
Yeah, Christie is likely pretty safe. He’s pretty good defensively. I would get Pignatiello would be at risk, maybe Lahey, certainly Tommy Watkins as a hitter.
de San Miguel seems fairly safe in the organization as well and could go to FM.
Seth,
they probably need to cut 3 pitchers to fill the 2 DL spots and the Crain replacement. I think given the fact that Lahey was the closer for some reason, I think that he might be safe. Julianel on the other hand… I bet that they will try to work some kind of a minor league trade to get lower level bodies for some Rochester bodies
if they all came down or came off the DL at the same time, they would have to make such decisions, but in reality, there is the minor league “fake DL” too. And there could be other injuries there or at the big league level that could affect this. Lahey’s probably as saved by the fact that he’s right handed. I’d be curious how the organization would rank the lefties: Gosling, Henn, Julianel, Pignatiello?
Thank you LaVelle. It’s always nice to hear answers from the minor league field staff. I’d love it if you’d remember to ask Rantz and Joe Mauer who they think is standing out during extended spring training.
Hicks will get to Beloit by June, it’s just a matter of what happens up above to get him there.
When Crain is healthy Dickey or Fireballer will go. When Mauer comes back Morales will go to AAA and christy to AA and San Miguel to Fort Myers. I think it is the end of the road for Tommy Watkins when Huber is activated
There is a part of me that wants to argue that Hicks should be given every meaningful atbat that he can get as a top prospect, but this is how they handled Revere, and the results look outstanding, and we have Denard Span and Jason Kubel, and 3 other backup outfielders up here already. So it might be pointless to put any pressure on a kid 3-5 years away from the show.
I’m cheering for Machado. I hope he’s not the player to be cut. I think if one of the Twins starters gets hurt, Tolbert will be up here, and that will take some of the pressure of the kid. I just want to see what a full season of him healthy could be like.
Agreed BC - there is no reason to rush an 18 or 19 year old through the low levels of the minors. None.
Sure there are guys like Griffey who did it, but for every Griffey, how many BJ Upton’s are there, who came up at 19 and then didn’t do much for a couple of years (also Justin Upton), and just as important, how many more are there that get pushed so fast and never get out of AA?
Very solid points, BC and Seth. If he’s the real thing, we’ll get to enjoy him when his time comes. Remember following Puckett? Mauer? Let’s hope for that kind of joyful experience.
[…] Update (5:50 p.m.): Brad Penny is playing catch in the outfield. The Twins are hauling equipment out to the bullpen. (Another good sign), but … that rain keeps falling. Meantime, be sure to check out La Velle’s minor-league notebook. […]
A couple of these guys up here with the big club don’t get things going, they will be appearing in the next installment of the minor league report.
“Australian outfielder Justin Huber……..will join Class AAA Rochester on Friday. ‘He’s got some sock and that’s what we need on that club,’ Rantz said.”
HAAAAAAAAAAH! What a hoot. That guy is worthless.
[…] Twins Insider – […]
Thanks LaVelle.
Pitchers have a limited number of pitches in their arms (most of them anyway). Keeping players down because they haven’t “earned” it is silly. The best players should be in MN. Having stiffs at the end of the bullpen is how some pitchers get over used.
Slama and Delaney were needlessly held back last year. Had Slama been at AA and dominated last year, he’d be months ahead of the Twins’ slow pace machine. Now he has to prove it there first…when he could have last year.
mww,
“Slama and Delaney were needlessly held back last year. Had Slama been at AA and dominated last year, he’d be months ahead of the Twins’ slow pace machine. Now he has to prove it there first…when he could have last year.”
You are absolutely on target with every point you make.
The Twins (pitching side of the) farm system is constipated and good young pitchers move through it, at the speed of s##t!
Who were the last highly-regarded young Twins pitchers who were found to be “not ready” for the Big Leagues, because they were “rushed”.
Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Garza, Blackburn, Perkins, Neshek, Mijares, and Bonser were MLB-ready from day one.
That either means that the Twins timed all their arrivals perfectly (unlikely) or that many were unnecessarily delayed. (more likely)
I would not say Baker or Slowey were ready from day one. They both struggled pretty heavily when brought up. Perkins is also a question.
The others I agree with you though. Although it is hard to argue that Garza was unnecessarily delayed as he played very little time in the minors.
Adam Johnson and The Real Deal Durbin come to mind as guys that were not ready.
Adam Johnson was terrible, the only thing he was ready for was his next job. I don’t think he’s a guy that was rushed….
There were some real stinko picks in the 90’s and early this decade. Terrible picks.
RyanW,
“Adam Johnson and The Real Deal Durbin come to mind as guys that were not ready”
I am differentiating between “not ready” and “total failure”.
Johnson and Durbin weren’t “rushed”.
They failed BOTH immediately and ULTIMATELY.
sane,
I 100% agree with you. The Twins’ farm system is constipated at the top and gets worse every season with all of those minor league free agent junk they sign and keep in Rochester. And the 40-man roster has players like Duensing, Gabino, Butera and Macri.
Donuts to dollars, if they need another pitcher up this year they will bring Duensing and Swarzak (that might not be a bad move) over Slama and Delaney…
Why is “Ready from Day 1″ a negative thing?
Thanks for the caps. I can tell you are passionate about this- and an issue this important warrants such emphisis.
So for someone to be “rushed”, they would need to first perform poorly when brought up but ultimately be a decent pitcher?
And how does Kevin Slowey not fit this description?
Seth,
“Ready from day 1″ is a great thing.
But “Ready from day 1″ being stuck behind retreads is a negative thing.
Here is an example from this season:
Rob Delaney’s record in New Britain:
7 games, 10.2 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, 0 BB, 15 K, 1.69 ERA, 0.84 WHIP
he is stuck down there setting up Slama, instead of closing in Rochester, where he belongs, because this organization is constipated with the free agent never beens they signed.
Or a 24 year old Baker with a 6.37 ERA in 83 innings. Is that ready from day one?
I am sure that no ML hitters will be able to hit Rob Delaney’s 90 mph fast ball.
Is is possible that he needs to develop a better second or third pitch to be a successful ML reliever?
are the Twins grooming Delaney to be their closer, or to be a 7th or 8th inning guy?
Don’t get me wrong, I think that Delaney should be in Rochester. I also believe he will be up there shortly. Not because of 10.2 innings this season, but because of a half-season there last year and those 10.2 innings.
RyanW - Delaney has that slider that is pretty good. But you’re right. His stuff can dominate A ball and AA ball, but we don’t know what he would do in the big leagues.
I am sure that no ML hitters will be able to hit Rob Delaney’s 90 mph fast ball.
I am not sure you got my point. My point is that Delaney should be in Rochester getting work in closer situations. He has nothing to prove in AA. He did that last season. I am not arguing about being in the Twins’ pen this year (even though, arguable he would have been a better choice than either Duensing or Humber to start the season)
Seth,
I agree. He should be up there. Keep Gabino, if you have to, he is young and might turn out ok, but the rest… why?
My point is that relievers rarely jump from AA to the ML with much success. Mujeres is more of an exception than the rule.
More often than not, those players perform like Juan Morillo (who also made that jump- a couple times).
That said, I do not disagree that he should be in AAA.
Gotta keep Gabino. He’s been solid the last couple of years, and it made sense to keep him around.
I liked when they brought in several veteran minor league lefties for spring training. Based on following Mijares’s career, I didn’t think he was a given to make the team, so it made sense to bring in Henn, Gosling, Pignatiello. Julianel dominated at AA last year, so he clearly deserves the opportunity at AAA. I don’t understand why they are all still there.
back to that Julianel point:
Julianel this year is as old as Randy Ruiz was last year.
(Randy, btw, has a 1.100 OPS with 5 HRs in AAA this season, if you were wondering)
Julianel (as a situational lefty in the majors) is probably 4th in the depth chart behind Breslow, Mijares and Duensing.
Why keep him?
because you could argue he would be ahead of Pignatiello, Henn and Gosling.
Again, you have to fill rosters, and depth is good. Also, how much of a ’sure thing’ would you say Breslow is this year? Is Mijares a sure thing? How about Duensing?
When minor league pitchers dominate at their level for one-half the season, they should be promoted.
Slama was held at Fort Myers despite dominating ALL of 2008.
Delaney is now repeating AA, despite dominating at that level during the 2nd half of last year.
If the system flow was not constipated due to minor league free agents at AAA, then pitchers would advance at the optimum rate per the following equation:
(one-half year domination = one level promotion)
“Why is “Ready from Day 1″ a negative thing?”
Because it can mean either:
1) the pitcher reached MLB at precisely the right time - which is definitely positive;
OR
2)the pitcher wasted valuable career time in the minors and belatedly started his MLB career.
But he was definitely ready on day-one (or day-one MINUS X wasted days)
THAT is how “Ready from Day 1″ (can be)a negative thing”
sane,
that’s both a good exercise in semantics and an interesting point about being ready from day 1.
as for domination, i presume you find that a few are ready to compete against grown men by age 18, more figure themselves out over the next few years (often in college), a few get it in their late 20s and most never really get it at all.
then, by early to mid-30s, athletic prime begins to fade and the scale tips toward brains over brawn every time.
[…] La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis-Star Tribune gives us some updates from around the Twins Minor League […]
sane-The Twins will have to decide who their CF of the future is. Who really knows how GO-GO will turn out and if he ever realizes his potential and if he does,then Boras and his next contract becomes problematic.Will that affect how they move Morales,Revere and Hicks through the system?
There just isn’t a reason for Delaney to be in AA, and if Slama had not been held back unnecessarily last year, we’d have an idea if he was good vs AA. After a month or two of dominating at AA (hopefully) he could then be promoted to AAA.
I REALLY want to see what this Slama kid is all about! Bad news about Shooter. Hope he pulls it together because he’s the future.
Slama and Delaney throw 90 mph. Sounds kinda like Korecky, Bass, Depaula. woo hoo
From everthing I read, both these guys need work on their secondary pitches.
Neither is ready for here and Neither should be thrown to the wolves of AAA.
too high: how fast do you think most MLB pitchers actually throw the ball?
clutterheart: Delaney dominated AA last year for a full year. No reason to keep him at AA still. Only way to find out if he’s ready is to move him up. Slama is not young, and dominated A. He should have been in AA last year. If he had been, and dominates for a month or two this year, then they can test him at AAA. Keeping them down on the farm slows their progress. Pitchers have a limited number of pitches in their arms….
The application of logic in defending the Twins front office in any way will not be tolerated, clutterheart. Please cease and desist.
If you didn’t know it already, I’m a big fan of Slama and Delaney and agree with everything that’s been said about them and their minor league careers so far.
They compare very well (even exceed) to the minor league career of another Twins reliever who came up to the MLB and dominated pretty much from the start, and they all have similar stuff. That reliever they compare to is Pat Neshek.
I’d take a couple more of him on the team. Pretty sure the evidence points to Neshek being the key to the bullpens success the last few years. Awesome when he was there, crap when he’s not…
also, I hope I don’t jinx him, but Slama has yet to give up a HR in his 2+ minor league seasons (109.1 IP)….
Slama, Anthony
Yesterday from BA:
1.2IP 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 3K 0.00 2nd Save;
“Striking out nearly 2 batters an inning this year”
First TNG, you realize Slama will now give up two tonight, right?
I agree with most everything here. MWW- Delaney only spent half of last year at NB, but again, I fully believe that he is ready for AAA. But hey, I think Tolleson is too, and right now, he’s hitting barely .200 at AA.
Slama - he absolutely should have been in AA last year, especially due to his age. However, he wasn’t, so letting him spend a good half-season in AA doesn’t hurt him in any way.
Also, both do throw over 90, consistently 91-93, and occasionally 95. With sliders. They’ll probably be fine.
too high,
“Slama and Delaney throw 90 mph. Sounds kinda like Korecky, Bass, Depaula. woo hoo”
If mph meant anything, Juan Morillo should have been an MLB All-Star when he was clocked at 104mph in 2004.
GETTING HITTERS OUT is the object.
That’s why Korecky, Bass, DePaula are in the trash.
That’s why Morillo is a project.
And that’s why Slama and Delaney are legitimate prospects. They have been dominating the hitters at every level at which they have pitched, unlike the other four.
Thanks for the correction Seth, for some reason I thought Delaney was there all last year. Doesn’t change either of our opinions on where he should be this year though.
As for Slama, you’ve kind of made my point, right? Had they promoted him last year he’d have that half year in AA already under his belt. Clearly he needs some time in AA this year, as he wasn’t there last year. I’m not disagreeing with this year’s decision (so far, let’s see how long they hold him down, assuming he’s as good as most of us think), it’s last year’s decision and my fear that they’ll repeat that kind of decision with others that concerns me (Hicks, Aaron, for example).
sane -
more stats (last year):
Delaney - Ft. Myers, 9.7 K/9, New Britain, 10.0 K/9. Sub 0.9 WHIP at both stops.
Slama - Ft. Myers, 13.94 K/9, .94 WHIP.
to keep my comparison going:
Neshek - Ft. Myers, 9.0 K/9, .96 WHIP. New Britain, 9.9 K/9, 1.21 WHIP.
and fangraphs says Neshek’s fastball averaged 89.7 MPH, so the velocity doesn’t matter if you’ve got the stuff, which Slama and Delaney appear to have.
Plus, they are relief pitchers, so they can get away with having only 2 or 3 pitches that are wicked.
seth - hence the ‘hope i don’t jinx’ him line…
Seth,
“he absolutely should have been in AA last year, especially due to his age. However, he wasn’t, so letting him spend a good half-season in AA doesn’t hurt him in any way.”
The point is:
“letting him spend a good half-season in AA” is necessary(?) to correct his hostage status at High-A last year.
Two wrongs make a wrong.
And both wrongs were (are) caused by crappy minor league free agents blocking Slama last year and Delaney this year.
Bummer to hear about Tolleson struggling to start the year. Could part of that be the disappointment of still being in NB?
I also agree with those that think Slama and Delaney have been held back a little too much, but was’nt a big part of Nesheks early succes at the big league level because of his delivery.
[…] LaVelle E. Neal posted some Minor League notes on his blog. Be sure to check out the comments as I made a few points in […]
In the five or six years I’ve paid a ton of attention to the Twins minor league system, I have seen a ton of guys have tremendous years at AA. I’ve then thought they should move up to AAA the next year, but they don’t, and then they struggle that second year at New Britain and a year or two later, they’re gone.
Names include, but not limited to: Danny Matienzo, Kevin West, Luis Maza, Doug Deeds. maybe appropriately enough, I am having a brainfreeze. The hope is that guys that get sent back to a level prove everyone wrong and quickly earn that promotion the next season. If they’re that good, they’ll be up there in time.
Good point SS. BTW who is playing second in Rochester this year?
Seth,
“Names include, but not limited to: Danny Matienzo, Kevin West, Luis Maza, Doug Deeds.”
None of those are pitchers.
I am sure there are pitchers in that category also, but can you remember DOMINANT PITCHERS (like Slama/Delaney) that seemed to have been “rushed” to AAA and hit the wall there?
If there are MANY of those, then that would be an argument against my [one-half season of dominance = one level of promotion] guideline.
“BTW who is playing second in Rochester this year?”
Alejandro Machado 2B-LF-DH
Matt Tolbert SS-2B
Where is Kyle Carr and how is he doing. He is a North Dakota boy and is from my home town so I like to know his situation.
tvet99,
He is likely in extended Spring Training until the Rookie leagues start in June.
Anybody that thinks rushing talented players through the minor leagues should consider the distinction between Denard Span and Carlos Gomez. Gomez arguably is the most physically gifted player on the Twins, but his lack of experience and training in the minors shows up as sloppy outfield play, poor accuracy on his throws and utter frustration at the plate.
Contrast that to Denard Span, a first rounder who spent what he thought was too long in the minors. But what did he do down there? Learn, learn, learn. Today, Span plays all three outfield positions like a polished major leaguer, while Gomez spends frustrating days on the bench after more embarrassingly lame plate appearances.
What Carlos Gomez really needs is six months in AAA, learning to throw straight, bat with discipline and steal bases. Then we’d have a great CF for awhile…until he signed with the Yankees.
“Anybody that thinks rushing talented players through the minor leagues should consider the distinction between Denard Span and Carlos Gomez.”
Proof of nothing.
In two years, when Gomez is 24, he may be fundamentally sound…or maybe he NEVER will be, because he isn’t the same person or player as Span.
Show me a comparison of TWO IDENTICAL PLAYERS, one who learned to play in the majors and one who learned to play in the minors.
An impossible comparison obviously.
The DIFFERENCE will be that the Major League team will have lost games because of the player who learned to play in the majors, and some minor league teams will have lost games because of the player who learned to play in the minors.
Players, like Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Harmon Killebrew, Billy O’Dell, Lindy McDaniel, Mike McCormick and Joey Jay learned to play in the Majors because of the Old Bonus Rule and the first three are HOF’ers.
The other difference is that players who learn to play in the majors experience more failure, which can destroy their confidence if they aren’t secure enough to persevere.
That is why it is risky to ACTUALLY RUSH a player through the system.
But to needlessly DELAY those players (and any employees) who deserve promotions can also risk crushing their spirit and ambitions.
WTF sane,
Someone gives you Span and Gomez
Then you say its not apt because that “identical”?!?!?!
That makes no sense.
Then you talk about HOF guys as examples of how effective being rushed can be? For every one of those guys there are 20 other guys who couldn’t do it.
–
Eddie G. is an example of someone who DOMINATED AA for a half season, was sent up to the majors and struggled.
Turns out he was a solid reliever but it took him a long time to figure that out.
Twins would have been wise to go slower with him.
–
Further Delany and Slama are hardly delayed. It makes a lot of sense to evaluate those guys. Sure they dominated single A. But lots of pitchers do. You never know how good a pitcher is until they spend some time in AA. (Manship anyone?)
Half a season as a reliever is not very long. Hitters only see you once or twice and you don’t have a good sense of who that pitcher is.
Give it time. The twins have a pretty solid record of developing players.
one important thing that does not show up in the stats (or mph of pitches thrown) is that Slama has a unique delivery that makes him difficult to hit.
He hides the ball very well. The effect of this delivery is to give the impression that a 92 mph fastball is more like a 98 mph fastball…because the hitter picks the ball up later.
How many of you guys remember Eddie Bane?
“Then you talk about HOF guys as examples of how effective being rushed can be?”
How effective being rushed can be?
Where do I say THAT?
RUSHING PROSPECTS IS WRONG!
Is that clear enough?
NEEDLESSLY delaying a pitching prospect’s promotion is not quite as wrong, but it is wrong nonetheless.
If he is dominating his level after one-half season, he needs to be challenged and rewarded.
The next time a reader falsely accuses me of endorsing the “rushing” of prospects, I am going to stop posting and start drinking like that reader is doing.
“The Twins’ outfields at Beloit and Fort Myers have players the club needs to evaluate before they move Hicks in front of them. Angel Morales, Evan Bigley and Michael Harrington hit 15, 14 and nine home runs, respectively at short-season Elizabethton, Tenn. and need to play.”
So far this year the Beloit outfielders are hitting:
Evan Bigley .235
Adan Severino .208
Michael Harrington .200
Angel Morales .175
Gee, I hope they don’t keep Aaron Hicks at Extended Spring Training too long while waiting for those guys to cool off.
Needlessly delaying?
Come on!
Last year he pitched 34 innings in AA.
34!!!!
College pitchers usually do well in A ball then falter in AA.
Give him time to dominate agian, if he does he is legit. If he doesn’t he is just another guy.
Twins are right to be slow with guys of his pedigree.
“falsely accuses” yow harsh there.
Eespecially because you seemed to be endorsing the value of “learned to play in the Majors.”
But whatever, fine. You are not pro rushing.
clutterheart,
“Players, like Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Harmon Killebrew, Billy O’Dell, Lindy McDaniel, Mike McCormick and Joey Jay learned to play in the Majors because of the Old Bonus Rule and the first three are HOF’ers.”
My point was that learning to play in the majors HAS WORKED, NOT that it is preferrable.
And Gomez’s failures are due to many things, not just his major league education.
Nearly all the other HOF’ers and MLB players learned to play in the minors, so obviously that is preferrable, for reasons I mentioned:
“players who learn to play in the majors experience more failure, which can destroy their confidence if they aren’t secure enough to persevere…That is why it is risky to ACTUALLY RUSH a player through the system.”
“Last year he pitched 34 innings in AA.
34!!!!”
That is one-half season for a closer.
Joe Nathan pitched 67.2 innings (68 games) last year.
The saga of Hank Sanchez continues…
“The saga of Hank Sanchez continues…”
It’s time to beach that whale.
Hank Sanchez and Matt Bush - the cream of the crap of San Diego HS baseball.
[…] standard control issues. Asked about Hunt’s situation, Twins director of minor leagues Jim Rantz said: “I don’t know if it’s insecurity, but eventually he has to throw it over.”What makes Hunt’s […]
