But as the cleanup effort continues and attention moves away, the things that bound the community — like youth baseball — may take years to be reborn.

“Pitch In For Baseball” has for years been helping to fix that.  The charity’s efforts, with the support of heavy hitters like MLB, Little League Baseball, the IBAF, USA Baseball and others, have helped thousands of kids get back on the field or, in many cases, experience the game for the first time.

“In these situations, kids tend to feel no one cares about them,” said David Rhode, PIFB Executive Director.  “We have the opportunity to say there are people who care about what has happened, and who are ready to help.”

PIFB is the central organization for collecting and redistributing new and “gently used” youth baseball and softball equipment to needy communities both in the United States and around the world. The goal is to spread the game by providing kids with the proper equipment to learn and pay the game.

The recently-completed Japan effort, supported by the Major League Baseball Players Trust, included a delivery of equipment, including bats, baseballs, gloves, catcher’s gear, batting tees, helmets and equipment bags, and a visit by Milwaukee Brewers pitcher and Ishinomaki native Takashi Saito.

Takashi Saito meets the Kazuma team

“I am honored to represent my fellow Major Leaguers in presenting the equipment to the youth of Ishinomaki,” Saito said in a statement.  “I am truly grateful for the support the players have pledged to my native land, and on behalf of all players I can say we look forward to doing more in the future to help recovery efforts and to ensure that people around the world don’t forget that so much more needs to be done before life returns to normal.”

Closer to home, the PIFB team was able to move even more quickly in Joplin.  Former major leaguer Dan Smith, who pitched for for organizations in a 12-year pro career, including stints with the Red Sox and Expos, and lives in Joplin, contacted PIBF for help.  Rhode’s team worked with the Joplin Little League and within two weeks, the shipment was on its way.

A former major leaguer making an even bigger impact with PIFB is Roy Smalley III, who serves as president.  The All-Star member of the Twins and later the Yankees has utilized his substantial connections in the game as well as those of his father Roy Smalley Jr., who died in October and was also a former big leaguer, to the charity’s great benefit.

“Adding Roy Smalley III to ‘Pitch In,’ it’s like night and day,” said Rhode.  “He adds an incredible stamp of credibility.  Probably, a lot of athletes lend their name to something and don’t have much involvement.  I’m on the phone with him constantly; he is as passionate as can be about what we are doing, and has been a huge part of our success the past two years.  He connects us to the baseball industry in ways we couldn’t without him.”

While the distribution side and the success stories in outfitting kids across the world with equipment get most of the attention, the biggest surprise for Rhode has been on the collection part of the equation.

“The people who collect the equipment are the backbone of what we are trying to accomplish,” he added.  “There has been a tremendous impact that young kids have had, which we hoped for but it has exceeded anything we could have dreamed.  From Eagle Scout projects to Mitzvahs to community service, they are doing awesome work every day.  If we don’t have equipment in the warehouse, there’s nothing for us to talk about and do.”

Some of that equipment ended up in Iraq, dubbed “Operation Homerun: Baseball in Bagdad,” which presented an additional challenge.  It’s not as simple as filling out a FedEx form and shipping it off.  But it did show PIFB’s creativity in finding new ways to move the equipment — in this case via the military.

“We don’t always have the opportunity to go through normal channels,” explained Rhode.  “Sometimes it’s embassies, local post offices, transportation ‘off the grid,’ to ensure it gets there.”

People interested in helping with equipment or monetary donations, as well as those who want to alert PIFB to a need in their area, can contact the organization through its Website or Facebook page.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

Play (Snow) Ball:  The facts are in: Joe Mauer had 176 at bats while behind the plate in 2011 ; he hit .239. In sixty-six at bats at first base, he hit .424. Even with the small sample at first base, the conclusion seems obvious. Mauer’s days as a catcher ought to be finished. It would be a shame to see him play there again.

Free Agents: while the Twins had four free agents, they fell in key places in a fragile lineup. Right fielder Michael Cuddyer, now 32; reliever Matt Capps; OF/DH Jason Kubel and reliever Joe Nathan.  Nathan is now gone, having signed for two years with the Rangers. Coming off a steady offensive season, Cuddyer seems likely to look for more money in his last contract than the Twins can offer him. Relievers are a risk at best, and Capps, twenty-nine, is a fly ball pitcher, and not a closer. He might be re-signed to fill in innings. The priority here would seem to be Kubel, a solid fourth-role man who can play first, outfield, or at designated hitter. Both Cuddyer and Kubel have been offered arbitration, making the Twins eligible for compensation if they leave.

Pieces in Place: Third Baseman Danny Valencia is a rookie no more. Just about the only player who stayed off the DL in ’11, the Twins will look for steady improvement from him all through 2012. The center field power/speed duo of Denard Span and Ben Revere should persist from the leadoff spot next season. The starting rotation, for better or worse, is going nowhere. On Friday November 18, the Twins agreed to a one year, three million dollar deal with catcher Ryan Doumit, who, by my reckoning, should make an offensive/defensive tandem with Drew Butera. Both Butera and Rene Rivera are showing nice arms, but so far have offered little at the plate. Doumit hit .303 in 77 games with the Pirates last year.

Who’s on First: More than rookies or free agent signings, it’s players shuffling position that may surprise Twins fans in April. I’ve said my piece about Mauer but don’t look to see him next year at first base, where still-technically-a-rookie Chris Parmalee could see the brunt of the workload. In eighty-eight PA’s with the big club last season, Parmalee hit .355 with four home runs and 14 rbi.  Find Mauer in right field, and across from the Span/Revere duo, Justin Morneau in left. The M&M’s, the team’s experienced (read ‘aging’) stars are the logical candidates to fill in the gaps left by Cuddyer and the departure last August of left-fielder Delmon Young.  Jason Repko, and prospect Brian Dinkleman (78PA, .301) will back them up. The Twins have also announced that second-year man Trevor Plouffe, to concentrate on his production at the plate, will transit from shortstop to a sixth outfielder. These moves will leave the catching position a matter of handling and defense. With Nathan gone, look for Glen Perkins to be handed the ball in the ninth inning in 2012.

Needs Improvement: The Twins need pitching and power, but have little to offer in return. They’ll try to find more power from the players they already have—witness the assignment of former slugger Tom Brunansky as hitting coach, not in the Twin Cities, but in Rochester, N.Y. , home of the triple-A Red Wings. No one there hit more than 15 HR’s last year. He and Rochester’s new manager Gene Glynn would like to change that. A full return to health from hurler Kevin Slowey may make one starter expendable, but with WHIP’s that range from 1.3 to 1.5, only one mid-prospect would seem likely in return.

The Moves so Far: On Monday, November 8, former GM Terry Ryan replaced then-current GM Bill Smith as the man who calls the shots. While Smith fell victim to several bad trades in his term and seemed a bit too eager to downsize, a second go for Ryan, the architect of the teams’ previous success, seems more an act of desperation. Ryan has the record behind him, but the pieces simply aren’t in place for a repeat.

Ryan has signed free-agent second baseman Jamey Carroll, formerly of the Dodgers, to a two-year, six-and-three-quarter-million dollar deal. Carroll, thirty-seven, hit .290 in a full 510 P.A.’s for the Bums last year. His occasional offense and his experience promise to anchor a middle infield in transition, where Alexi Casilla, Japanese star Tsuyoshi Nishioka, first-and second baseman Luke Hughes and right-side of-the infielder Matt Tolbert are ready to jostle for playing time.

Winter Watch: will both Cuddyer and Kubel leave? The Northmen may have found the wrong pole, but, hey, at least it’s a pole. You know what that means—a step in any direction is a step up.

G.J. Von Hendy
Seamheads

]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/04/bd-off-season-outlook-minnesota-twins/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/11/29/featured-bloggers-provide-report-cards/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/11/29/featured-bloggers-provide-report-cards/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:00:52 +0000 Bill Ivie http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10837 Over the past week here on Baseball Digest, we have brought you a report card for each team in Major League Baseball.

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

Ouch! While Target field again attracted over three million fans, exodus, injury, and just plain poor play turned the franchise on its head.  Gone were the bullpen quartet of Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Brian Fuentes and John Rauch. Only seven games into the season, rookie Japanese shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka broke his left fibula turning the pivot on a double play. Diagnosed with bursitis in his left shoulder, pitcher Kevin Slowey then followed suit. On April 14, Joe Mauer hit the DL with bilateral leg weakness. The death of franchise legend and Hall-of-Famer Harmon Killibrew on May 17 could not spur the team forward. Only five games under in the middle of June, Justin Morneau hit the bench with neck problems. The pitching tired and plunged from there. Mauer appeared in 81 games: Morneau played in 69. Only rookie third baseman Danny Valencia appeared in at least 140 games. Meanwhile eighteen different men shuffled in and out of the DH position. Dead last in the American League with 103 home runs, ( two of these home runs were designated hitter Jim Thome’s 599^th and 600^th on August 15 versus Detroit) ,the Twins also scrounged up only twenty five sacrifice flies for the entire season. Opponents hit an appalling .281 against a pitching staff that finished thirteenth in the league in E.R.A. The defense also finished 13^th at a .980 fielding average and a .679 defensive efficiency rating.

Rotation: Grade: F
The Twins’ starters are no longer fresh-faced rookies just up from triple-A Rochester N.Y., and so have no excuse for catching the fat part of the plate as often as they did in 2010. Veteran journeyman Carl Pavano ate innings and walked few, but compromised by surrendering base hits. Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing were fifth and third year men who fell into the same pattern. The recuperation of Francisco Liriano seemed well on its way when he threw a no-hitter against Chicago on May 3, but inflammation returned to his right shoulder. After not pitching in 2010, Anthony Swarzak returned to fill in eleven dates. Only Scott Baker eked out a winning record at 8-6 and a sharp 3.14 E.R.A. in a limited twenty-three starts.

Bullpen: Grade: D
Seven of closer Joe Nathan’s thirty-eight hits allowed were home runs, inflating his E.R.A. to 4.84. Glen Perkins served as a bright spot; cementing his return from the mound to the bullpen, he posted a 2.48 ERA in sixty six appearances. Veteran Matt Capps won the closing job midseason, but also surrendered ten gopher balls before Nathan’s return.  Phil Dumatrait posted a career-best 3.92 in forty five games. Otherwise, a great deal of the damage was borne by names unknown except to northeners: Alex Burnett, Jose Mijares, Scott Diamond,  Jim Hoey. Some of these men do have the excuse of being young and taking their lumps on the fly.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Catchers: Grade: C
Four men combined at the catcher’s position in 2011 to hit a combined .185, be it with 25 doubles and 43 R.B.I.  Drew Butera, (son of former Twins’ catcher Sal), spent 93 games donned in the tools of ignorance, hitting only .167. Butera did, however, throw out 30 percent of his base runners. Mauer, who hit only .239 while catching, can also still show off his arm, and third catcher Rene Rivera has stronger numbers yet. The strength of this position is in handling and defense.

Infield: Grade: C-
At least five men played at every position except third base. Morneau managed fifty six games at first before his injury. Michael Cuddyer swung in from right field to relieve him. Luke Hughes showed his versatility, playing 36 times at first and 37 times at second. TsuyoshiNishioka returned later in the year to cover fifty four more games at short. Rookie Trevor Plouffe failed at the plate after being called up to fill in. Alexi Casilla led at second base, playing 56 games there and thirty six at short. Behind Casilla in the depth chart, Matt Tolbert platooned between the same two positions. Of the players mentioned so far, Casilla proved a steady offensive influence, hitting .260, and placing third on the team with 52 runs scored. Of the others, none of them, (except Cuddyer), reached .230 at the plate. Rookie third baseman Danny Valencia remained healthy the entire season. Much of his .246 BA proved clutch, as he lead the team with 72 R.B.I., while his .948 fielding percentage translated to only 18 errors, very reasonable for a rookie at third. While the offense was dismal, the inevitable confusion of a rotating infield might explain the poor defense.

Outfield: Grade: C
The shuffle continued in the outfield. In left Delmon Young hit a lackluster .266 with only sixteen doubles before finding himself a Tiger on the same day Thome hit his landmark homers..  Young’s main replacement, Rene Tosoni,  surviving from the 35^th round of the amateur draft in 2005, hit only .203 in his first stint in the majors. Jason Repko, playing all three outfield positions, continued to promise pop off the bench, but with little consistency. Bernard Span and young Ben Revere, although both left-handed batters, split center field duties, Span with a bit more power and  fine range, but decreased speed, Revere stealing 34 bases, a Twins’ rookie record. Both hit in the .260’s. Right fielder Michael Cuddyer assumed the limelight as the team’s star, leading the Twins with 20 HR while hitting .284 and driving in seventy.  When Cuddyer swung to first base, Jason Kubel served as his most frequent replacement in right. Kubel had a fine year with 100 hits, thirty four for extra bases, hitting .273 with 58 R.B.I., mostly as the designated hitter.

Best Pitcher: while you might associate more potential with Liriano, Nathan, or even Pavano, the numbers don’t lie: with a WHIP at1.17, Scott Baker pulled though as the best performance on the staff. He now boasts four winning season in a row.

Best Player: Only right-fielder Michael Cuddyer demonstrated consistency and numbers in 2011. He led the team with 243 total bases, and his twenty-nine doubles padded a slugging average of .459.

G.J. Von Hendy
Seamheads

In being named manager, Matheny beat out fellow prospective employees Jose Oquendo, Joe McEwing, Chris Maloney, Ryne Sandberg, and Terry Francona.  Matheny was a tough as nails catcher, who spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, including four years (2000-2003) in St. Louis. His career was cut short due to concussions he had suffered in his career.

Like former player Robin Ventura (Chicago White Sox), Matheny becomes a Major League manager with no managing experience. He had been a minor league instructor in the Cardinals’ organization prior to the hiring.

Next Stop Boston

One job down, two major positions left to go. The Red Sox continued their search this past week by interviewing former White Sox and Pirates’ manager, and current Tigers’ third base coach Gene Lamont.  His last managerial stint was the 2000 season, but he told the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t wanted to.

“I’ve wanted to manage all along,” Lamont said yesterday at Fenway Park [map] after interviewing for the Red Sox [team stats] opening. “I guess I just didn’t toot my horn enough.”

Boston has also spoken with Phillies’ bench coach Pete Mackinin, Torey Luvollo, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Dale Sveum. Other than Sveum’s 12 games as interim manager for the Brewers in 2008, none of the candidates other than Lamont have Major League managing experience.

Whoever the new manager is, he’ll have a new closer as well. Jonathan Papelbon agreed to a four year deal with the Phillies this past week to take over as their closer. Boston thought they had a closer in waiting in Daniel Bard, but the fireballing right-hander struggled in his set up role in 2011 and the Red Sox are not likely to go with such an inexperienced late innings guy.

The Ivy League

The other big job left is, of course, at the ivy covered walls of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Reportedly, the decision is down to four candidates, three of which are major candidates for the Red Sox job- Mackinin, Sveum, and Alomar Jr. Joining them is Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux.

The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan took a look at the competition.

Meanwhile, recently fired manager Mike Quade is a candidate to take over the Twins’ Triple-A team in Rochester, NY.

Moves and Rumors

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported that Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit has received several offers and will sign with a new team by the end of the month. Pittsburgh declined options for 2012 and 2013, which set Doumit free.

Minnesota is expected to sign veteran utility man Jamey Carroll to be their starting shortstop in 2012. The Twins dealt J.J. Hardy prior to the 2011 season and subsequently used a variety of players at the position. The 37-yr old played 146 games for the Dodgers last season, and recorded a .359 OPS. The move is a little odd in that Carroll has only played 224 games at shortstop in his 10 year big league career. In fact, he’s played more games at both third base and second base.

The Marlins met with free agents Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes, and reportedly made an official offer to Pujols. His current team, the St. Louis Cardinals, said they will not increase their current offer. SI’s Jon Heyman reported the Cardinals offered Pujols a nine year, $210MM deal prior to the 2011 season.

The Closer

Great news this weekend with the safe recovery of Washington Nationals’ catcher Wilson Ramos, who had been kidnapped in his native Venezuela.

Sad news though as former big league pitcher Charlie Lea passed away at age 54. The one time Montreal Expo and no-hit pitcher was found dead in his home Friday in Tennessee. He had been a color commentator for the Memphis Redbirds since 2002. Baseball Digest extends condolonces to his friends and family.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr. will give the keynote address at the Hutch Award Luncheon on Feb. 1, 2012. Proceeds will benefit early cancer detection research at the Hutchinson Center .

This year’s Hutch Award nominees are:

• Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals
• Tony Campana, Chicago Cubs
• Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins
• Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
• Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
• Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians
• Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
• Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox
• Josh Willingham, Oakland Athletics

The Hutch Award recipient will be selected this fall through a vote of all surviving former awardees. A total of 46 players have been honored since 1965, when Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award. Baseball’s Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock all received the Hutch Award; in recent years Jamie Moyer, Craig Biggio, Jon Lester, Mark Teahen and Tim Hudson have joined their ranks.

The Hutch Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of legendary baseball player and manager Fred Hutchinson. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – founded by Fred’s brother, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, after Fred succumbed to cancer at age 45 – is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer and related diseases.

For more information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of past recipients, or to learn more about the luncheon, visit www.fhcrc.org/hutchaward.

The Twins decision to convert Robertson from a starter to a reliever has been successful, though not without some early bumps in the road.

“It the beginning it was a little bit of an adjustment,” Robertson said before the New Britain Rock Cats began a series against Eastern League rival Trenton Thunder. “But I think the biggest thing is that I feel a lot more confident and I’m keeping the ball down better.”

Drafted by the Twins in 2006 in the third round, Robertson has spent two seasons with the Rock Cats. In 2010 he made just one appearance for Triple-A Rochester, but went 4-13 for New Britain. He finished the season with a 5.41 ERA, allowing 57 walks in the process, the most of his career.

His time in the Arizona Fall League in 2010 didn’t produce a lot of positive results. Robertson’s excellent professional debut in 2007 was followed by a 2008 season-ending injury. His 127 strikeouts in 2007 in the Midwest League had Twins brass and fans looking forward with excitement. Robertson has had his troubles since then, but the Twins haven’t given up. Reassessing his future, they saw an opportunity to send him in a new direction.

Asked if the decision was not a welcome one, Robertson is honest.

“Yeah, a little bit at first. You kind of take it as a demotion, but it’s really not. They told me that’s where they thought I had the best chance of moving up. I still believe I can start, but if the bullpen is a better fit, we’ll see what happens.”

The twenty-four-year-old is 9-3 with 16 saves in 84 innings of work. He’s allowed just six home runs this season.

Robertson’s unconventional delivery caused worry that he could run into more injuries in his career. Putting him in the pen allows him to use stamina and that big arm without being overworked. If he’s economical it can only put him in a better position to be successful. So far, the plan is working.

“He comes in and throws strikes,” said New Britain pitching coach Stu Cliburn.  “He’s not been throwing a lot of pitches per inning, so he’s been able to get multiple innings. We don’t allow him to pitch just one inning. We let him go two or three sometimes.”

He hasn’t allowed a run in his last five appearances and hitters have gotten just five hits off of him during that time.

As the season began there was the inevitable realization that the bullpen is a different baseball universe than starting. The mental and physical process requires much different preparation. Robertson has learned how to utilize his energies in the new role.

“Getting ready for the games. When you’re in a starter’s role it’s so regimented, you know everything you’re going to be doing. In the bullpen you’ve got be ready every night. You’ve got to learn how to stay loose and warm up quick,” he said.

He needed someone he could communicate with through the difficulties and Cliburn has been hugely influential in helping Robertson make the transition.

“I’ve learned more of the mental side of the game from him. I’ve learned what pitches to throw, what to throw in certain situations, things like that. He’s open and likes to joke and have a good time, but there’s till a respect level there. I think it’s a real good approach and you can talk to him about anything. It’s just good to be around him.”

The Rock Cats have used him in a long relief role and it would seem a good fit after being a starter for his entire career. “Oh, yeah. I definitely think so,” he answered, when asked if that’s helped.

“We feel like that’s his role to reach the major leagues,” said Cliburn.

Robertson knows what his body can handle and that he can go pretty far without tiring. He’s prepared for all of it. He attacks hitters and gets guys out quickly. A bullpen mentality, maybe. But whatever that is, ultimately, he is game for anything the future holds.

” I feel like I can do any role, start, long relief, go one inning at a time…I feel confident in all the roles.”

The Indians have been struggled of late (7 losses in 10 games) and have dropped 6.5 games back of Detroit in the AL Central. The Tribe’s regular DH Travis Hafner recently made his second trip to the disabled list this year and may need season ending foot surgery.

Thome entered Thursday’s play with an .842 OPS with 12 HR and 40 RBI in 238 plate appearances for the Twins. Eight of Thome’s home runs have come since July 1 and he has  a .910 OPS in the second half of the season. The fan favorite hit 334 of his home runs in a Cleveland uniform before he signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2002 season.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Facing the Detroit Tigers this evening, Thome homered off right-hander Rick Porcello in the 5th inning for his 599th career home run. Thome didn’t wait long to join Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Sammy Sosa in the exclusive home run club.

With lefty Daniel Schlereth on the mound and two men aboard, Thome drilled number 600 the opposite way in the 7th inning for a 5 RBI night.

Thome’s home run break down:

#1 – 10/4/91 vs. NYY Lee Guetterman

#100 – 5/14/97 vs. TEX Bobby Witt

#200 – 4/15/00 vs. TEX Mark Clark

#300 – 6/14/02 vs. MIN Eric Milton

#400 – 6/14/04 vs. CIN Jose Acevedo

#500 – 6/16/07 vs. LAA Dustin Moseley

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Killebrew was born in Payette, ID on June 29, 1936 and became a 17-yr old star in Idaho’s semi-pro baseball. He became the Washington Nationals first “bonus baby” after being recommonded to the club by Idaho senator Herman Welker and the Senators’ farm director Ossie Bluege.

“Killebrew swings a bat better than any youngster I’ve ever seen”, Bluege told the team’s owners. He added that “Perhaps the only player who is faster in the American League is Mickey Mantle of the Yankees.” Killebrew was given a whopping $50K to sign with the club in 1954.

Though he made nine appearances and made a good impression for the Senators in 1954, Killebrew spent most of the new few years in the minor leagues. But in 1958, Killebrew unleashed his bat on the American League and there was to be no going back to the long bus rides in the minors. Though he was never one to hit for average, he was a .256 lifetime hitter, Killebrew’s first full season in the Majors saw him hit 42 home runs and drove home 105 runs. It was the first of six home runs titles he won and the first of eight seasons in which he hit 40 or more home runs.

Bob Addie of the Washington Post profiled Harmon Killebrew during his final season in baseball in 1975. Click here to read this Baseball Digest Classic.

Killebrew was a member of 11 All-Star teams, won the AL MVP Award in 1969 when he hit .276-49-140 and walked 140 times, and was a member of the 1965 World ChampionTwins. He was also a member of a pair of division winners in 1969-1970. People forget just how versatile Killebrew was; in addition to a combined 1,760 games played between first and third base, he also played 470 games in the outfield.

Killebrew was released by the Twins after the 1975 season and played one more year with the Kansas City Royals before he retired from baseball. His 573 career home runs, most of them tape-measure shots, and his 1,584 RBI earned him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. The street that fronted old Metropolitan Stadium (now site of the Mall of America) was named “Killebrew Drive” in his honor, his number three was retired, and Gate 3 of the new Target Field was named in tribute to him. Among his many charitables efforts was the start of the Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament in honor of his former teammate who died of leukemia in 1976 at age 29. Killebrew helped to raise more than $8MM for leukemia and cancer research.

After retirement, Killebrew worked as a broadcaster and hitting instructor, and later was involved in the securities industry. He first suffered esophogeal issues in the early 1990′s and was diagnosed with cancer last December. He is survived by his second wife, Nita, nine children, 23 grand-children and two great grand-children.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Salazar, who played for the 1984 pennant winning San Diego Padres, was leaning on the railing at the top of the dugout when he was struck. Thankfully, no brain damage occurred, but his left eye was removed Tuesday after undergoing three surgeries in attempt to save it.

AL East

Baltimore: What would a season be without Brian Roberts having some kind of physical issue? This spring it’s been his back acting up after a head first slide into 1st base tweaked something. Buck Showalter told MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli that Roberts has a 50/50 chance of playing this weekend.  First year Oriole Derrek Lee has yet to see game action due to tendinitis in his right wrist, but may also play this weekend. Pitcher Koji Uehara (sore elbow) is scheduled for a bullpen session, while catcher Craig Tatum’s fight to be the back up to Matt Wieters continues to be delayed by a sore oblique. Free agent pick up Justin Duchscherer is still a couple of days away from throwing as he continues to recover from hip surgery.

Boston: J.D. Drew was considering retirement earlier this year, but his nagging left hamstring inury feels great now and he’s ready to split outfield time with Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron.

New York: Joba Chamberlain is out indefinitely, but Sergio Mitre has begun to throw again after both suffered strained obliques. Francisco Cervelli has, for the moment at least, lost the back up catching job after he fractured his foot on March 2. He’ll be out until mid-April.

Tampa Bay: Reliever J.P. Howell is not expected back in the majors until May as he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery. Shortstop Reid Brignac missed some time last week with a sore groin, but is back in action. Jeremy Hellickson finally pitched in a game last Friday after missing time with a bad hammy.

Toronto: It’s slow and steady for possible closer Frank Francisco after his right pec tightened up on him while throwing. Having thrown in only two games this spring it is not likely Francisco will be ready for the season opener. That means Jon Rauch or Jason Frasor could open the season as closer. New manager John Farrell told the Toronto Sun, “While warming up in his last scheduled outing he felt some tightness in his right pec. He came in yesterday, threw long toss and another 15 pitches off the mound. He improved as far as the feeling goes but we’re going to work him through some long toss and continue on the flat ground.”

“We feel like if we can get him three or four games (additional) before we leave camp he’ll be fine. He’s not overly concerned or overly alarmed. He feels this is a spring training aches and pains type thing that he’s going through. The red flag is not up per se with Frankie.” The Blue Jays could also be without reliever Octavio Dotel who has been shutdown with a bad hamstring. Farrell also announced that former starter Dustin McGowan will work out of the bullpen when, and if, he’s ready to come back from a pair of shoulder surgeries. The one time highly regarded prospect hasn’t thrown in a Major League game since 2008. 2nd Baseman Aaron Hill has been slowed by a quad injury, but should be ready for opening day.

AL Central

Chicago: Jake Peavy continues his come back from last year’s surgery to repair a torn latissimus dorsi muscle.  After his last start on Monday, Peavy told ESPN.com’s Doug Padilla that he would be ready to go when the season starts. He may miss his next start though with a virus. Dayan Viciedo suffered a broken thumb when he was hit by a pitch on March 10 and is likely out a month.

Cleveland: Grady Sizemore hopes to make his spring training game debut this weekend or Monday. Sliding is the final piece of the puzzle in his recovery from microfracture knee surgery. Since that’s how he hurt the knee, he is concerned. “It’s probably the last thing we’re going to try out,” Sizemore told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. “Obviously, it’s a little bit of a concern — since that’s how I hurt it, and the fact that it’s the leg that I’ll be landing on. We’ll want to do what we can to protect that in any way we can.”

Catching sensation Carlos Santana seems to be full recovered from his left knee surgery, but the Tribe is playing it cautious just the same.  It has included playing Santana at 1st base, something the The Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes spoke to manager Manny Acta about. “It’s all about Carlos getting more at bats,” said manager Manny Acta. “We wanted get him as many at bats as possible, but with him coming back from surgery, you can’t throw him back behind the plate every day.

Outfielder Trevor Crowe has been bothered by a fatigued rotator cuff all spring, but hopes to test it out by throwing tomorrow. The injury has already cost him an extra outfield spot on the Major League roster. Pitcher Anthony Reyes made his spring debut this week after having Tommy John surgery back in 2009.

Detroit: The Tigers official website reported Monday that both infielder/outfielder Carlos Guillen and reliever Joel Zumaya will start the season on the DL. Guillen is still recovering from knee surgery, while Zumaya has been slow in coming back from elbow surgery.

Kansas City: Jason Kendall continues his rehab from off-season right shoulder surgery; he’s played in a couple of games, but is likely to start the season on the DL.

Minnesota: Closer Joe Nathan continues his comeback from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He’s appeared in six spring games so far, and although the results have not been good (5.1 IP 6 H 6 ER), he’s feeling good. If Nathan’s struggles continue into the regular season, manager Ron Gardenhire will simply go to Matt Capps to close. 1st Baseman Justin Morneau is seeing regular time after returning from lingering concussion symptoms. Catcher Joe Mauer appeared in his first spring game yesterday as the DH after sitting out due to off-season left knee surgery. The Twins M&M boys are expected to be ready to go on opening day.

Michael Cuddyer could play in his first spring game tomorrow after having a wart removed from his foot three weeks ago.

AL West

Los Angeles: Free agent Scott Downs was supposed to bolster the Angels bullpen, but he’s out indefinitely after breaking his toe on Saturday. The injury occurred while he was playing with his kids. 1st baseman Kendry Morales, who infamously broke his leg last season after hitting a game winning home run, has yet to play in a game this season. In fact, he’s yet to run the bases and is not likely to be ready for opening day. “He’s going to get his work in here and tomorrow he’s back out there on the progression,” Mike Scioscia told the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett on Wednesday. “He’s moving forward. He still has some things he has to do before he gets in games and running the bases is one of them.”

Oakland: A’s closer and former AL Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey is out indefinitely with a strained elbow. Bailey left Monday’s game in excruciating pain and paid a visit to renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Bailey and the A’s were relieved to find out it was just scar tissue that was causing the pain and the reliever should be able to begin throwing again next week. It’s unknown though if he’ll be ready for the season opener. If that’s the case, manager Bob Geren would use Brian Fuentes as closer.

Oft-injured Rich Harden has been out with a strained lat, but according to the SF Chronicle’s Susan Slusser, is scheduled to resume throwing tomorrow. Harden will start the season on the DL as will infielder Adam Rosales who is out until May after having foot surgery. Lefty specialist Craig Breslow is also questionable for opening day as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

Seattle: Closer David Aardsma has thrown on flat ground three times in his rehab from hip surgery, but has yet to step on a mound. Brandon League is expected to be the interim Mariners closer once the season start, though skipper Eric Wedge hasn’t announced his decision. New starting catcher Miguel Olivo missed two weeks with a strained groin, but caught a bullpen session yesterday, and barring a setback, should be ready for the M’s opener. Lefty Nate Robertson will be out a month after hvaing arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow yesterday.

Texas: Nothing significant to note; a nice way to start 2011 for the defending AL champions.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

That has to be what every Mets fan thought towards the end of the 2010 baseball season. A pitcher that was once considered a near guaranteed victory every fifth day was to once again go under the knife.

There is no telling how Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner who won the triple crown for pitchers in 2006, will respond to shoulder surgery and it must be a concern for Santana and Mets fans alike. Without their ace, the Mets are in a state of mere hope as opposed to a few years ago when you would find Mets fans filling the end days of Shea Stadium or new beginnings of Citi Field brimming with World Series expectations and amazin’ post-season dreams.

Johan Santana was born on this date, in 1979. He has been a professional baseball player since 2000 and has since posted a record of 133-69 with an ERA of 3.10, racking up  1,877 strikeouts along the way. As a comedian, I find great pleasure in learning that Johan Santana was discovered in 1994 by Chance Partin, brother-in-law of the famous Cheech Marin. While Cheech was busy looking to keep a comedy career thriving after years of teaming up with Tommy Chong in their famed duo “Cheech and Chong”, Chance was working as a scout for the Houston Astros. If Mets fans think Carlos Beltran’s move to right field is going to be challenging, imagine what it felt like for Santana to face the unknown when Partin had him converted to a pitcher after originally playing for years as a center fielder. His arm speed was something the Astros decided was to valuable in center field and they felt it would be best to pull that talent into the infield and let it develop sixty feet, six inches from home plate.

As it would turn out, the Astros apparently felt his arm speed wasn’t valuable enough to keep in an Astros uniform. The organization left Santana unprotected after the 1999 season, making him eligible for the Rule 5 draft.

Now, if the move from center field to the mound was the first major decision to affect Santana’s professional career, the second was about to follow. The Twins had the first pick that year, followed by the Florida Marlins. After making a deal to swap picks, plus $50,000 cash from Florida to Minnesota, the Twins drafted and traded Jared Camp to the Marlins for Johan Satana, who the Marlins had selected in the draft.

His first major league appearance came on April 3, 2000 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Believe it or not, while Santana is considered to be one of the great starting pitchers in the past decade, his first appearance included a run-in from the outfield as he entered the game out of the bullpen. Four days later he made his first MLB start against the Royals and won his first game in another relief appearance two months later against the Houston Astros.

How fitting.

His rookie season didn’t cause the hype other stars have generated in the past such as Greg Maddux, Dwight Gooden or Steven Strasburg. However, it didn’t take long for people to take notice of his potential. After a couple of years, the Twins realized they had a star pitcher. Problem was, he was a one-trick pony. The Twins sent him down to the minors to perfect his changeup to complement his fastball. When he returned, Santana now had a second weapon to use against major league hitters and it made a world of difference.

In 2004, Santana’s numbers in the second half were among the greatest of all-time. Santana gave up four or fewer hits in ten straight starts, the first time that had been done since 1961. Cubs fan-favorite Rick Sutcliffe must have been among those taking notice of Santan’s talent as his record for wins in the second half of a season was broken by Santana. Thirteen wins and zero losses put Santana ahead of both Sutcliffe and Burt Hooton for the best second half in the history of baseball. Santana was awarded the Cy Young award and there was no looking back.

While the Mets were continuing to build their team to contention in 2005 and 2006 by signing stars like Pedro Martinez, Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran, Santana was continuing to build up an already impressive resume. In 2006, the year before he joined the Mets, Santana won major league baseball’s version of the pitching triple crown. He finished tied for first in wins with nineteen, led the majors in ERA with a line of 2.77 and struck out a major league leading 245 batters. Not only is the triple crown an extremely rare feat to accomplish on the mound, Santana did so while becoming the first to do so with less than twenty wins and an ERA over 2.60. The season resulted in his second Cy Young award, winning the award unanimously.

2006 was also a very successful season for the New York Mets. They finally found their way back to the top of the National League East after staring up at the Braves atop the division for nearly a decade and a half. They had star pitching, quality young talent and a powerful lineup that was capable of keeping the scoreboard operator busy every half inning they came to bat. After sweeping the Dodgers 3-0 in the NLDS, the Mets found themselves behind the eight ball in a seven game series and ultimately were eliminated when Carlos Beltran went down on a strike three call, looking.

2007 failed to deliver a happy ending as well in Flushing, NY as it resulted in one of the organization’s most embarrassing collapses in team history. Just a year before, the organization came ‘this close’ to winning their third World Series title and now their pitching was seemingly aging rapidly before their eyes, relying on names like Martinez and Glavine.

It was obvious who the Mets should try to land if at all possible. They figured it was worth making a call to Minnesota to inquire about Santana.

In a package that included young talent such as Carlos Gomez and Phil Humber, the Mets convinced the Twins to make a trade and send them arguably MLB’s top pitcher at the time: Johan Santana. Santana came to the Mets and agreed to a six-year deal worth $137.5 million dollars.

The Twins trading of Santana put great pressure on the young arms that remained to keep the Twins competitive going into the 2008 season. Paul Hoynes wrote about the trade in his 2008 American League Preview for Baseball Digest. Check it out by clicking here!

While Santana added star talent and ace quality pitching at the top of the Mets rotation, at the end of 2008 they found themselves in must-win situations during the final weekend of the season. They had once again blown another large divisional lead to the Philadelphia Phillies and the team needed their new ace Johan Santana to keep them in contention. Santana delivered with a complete game, three hit shutout in a 2–0 win against the Florida Marlins after pitching just three days before. Four days later after the team had been eliminated in the final game ever played at Shea Stadium, Santana underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. An injury the star had likely been pitching with for some time.

In New York City, the sports media was buzzing about the two consecutive collapses by the Mets. I couldn’t help but notice that while Santana is the ace of the club and is the pitcher people believe will lead them to the promise land, one thing has never changed for him in New York. Much like during Patrick Ewing’s time with the New York Knicks, Santana never had the number two that he and the Mets needed. As far as talent in the Mets’ starting rotation went, Glavine was the closest he came to a solid number two and at that point, Glavine was just about out of gas. Just as the NBA is taking a new approach where superstars plan to join up together with a particular team, baseball can’t have one superstar in the rotation alone. You need two. In 1986 nearly every single pitcher in the starting rotation was a superstar. 1988, the same was true. In 2000, the Mets’ only other appearance in the World Series, you had an effective tandem in Leiter and Hampton.

While Santana has yet to win a World Series ring, I can’t help but notice how he isn’t held to the same scrutiny the New York media holds say a superstar in the NBA. As a huge baseball fan living in New York, I go to Citi Field on a regular basis, make sure I am at Citi when the Cubs come to town and stay up to date on all MLB current events in papers like the Times and the Post.

My only guess as to why Santana isn’t judged as harshly is instead of 10 guys to lead and blame for losses, aces have 24 other guys to potentially point the finger at. Instead of playing every day, you play once every five days and usually nowadays, nowhere near the whole game. Santana is a great talent. One of the best the Twins ever had, one of the strongest the Mets ever had and nearly one of the best the Marlins ever had.  Coming off shoulder surgery, he is due back on the mound for the Mets no sooner than the All-Star break in 2011.

To date, Santana’s resume includes two Cy Young Awards, four All-Star appearances, one Gold Glove Award, a pitching triple crown and a selection to Sports Illustrated’s MLB All-Decade Team.

It will be interesting to see how close to the Santana of old the Mets actually get once he returns.

Also Born Today:

Terry Leach turns 57 today. A pitcher who threw and batted right-handed, Leach debuted with Mets in 1981. He was with the Mets off and on until 1989 with extremely brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago (NL) along the way. Leach enjoyed success as a part of the 1986 World Series Champion Mets team posting a stat line of 0-0 2.70 ERA appearing in six games. His best year with the Mets came in 1987 when he went 11-1 3.22 ERA 61 SO’s in 131.1IP. He made 2 postseason appearances, one with Mets and one with Twins. Drafted by the Red Sox in 1976 but pick was voided. He finished his career with the White Sox.

Mike Aviles turns 30 today. From Middletown, NY, this infielder with the ability to play SS, 2B and 3B is the youngest professional baseball player to ever be born on March 13th. Aviles was drafted by the KC Royals in the 2003 amateur draft and made his pro debut on May 29, 2008. In 102 games with the Royals in 2008, Aviles batted .325 with 10 HR and 51 RBI finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Ryan Maloney is a Staff Writer for BaseballDigest.com, the author of popular Chicago Cubs blog Prose and Ivy and contributing writer to MLB.com/Entertainment.

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Case in point, the Minnesota Twins where Joe Nathan is coming back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent back in March, 2010. Feeling healthy, Nathan proclaimed he was taking role his back from trade deadline acquisition Matt Capps. He recently told Kelly Thiesier of MLB.com that he’s pleased with his progress thus far. “The command has really been a pleasant surprise to this point, and I can’t ask for much more than what’s gone on out there now as far as life on the ball, movement on the ball, sharpness and stuff. Just keep moving forward and keep trying to improve and build arm strength, and I’ll be ready for April 1. I’m happy, very happy with how things feel right now.”

Seattle’s David Aardsma was a subject of trade rumors soon after the 2010 season ended, but then underwent hip surgery. He has yet to be cleared to throw which means he won’t be ready for opening day. Erratic set up man Brandon League is the favorite to fill the role, while former Orioles’ closer Chris Ray and reliever Manny Delcarmen are auditioning as well.

Jonathan Papelbon is the Red Sox closer to start the season, but the front office isn’t totally happy with the him or his $12MM salary. With former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks and closer in training Daniel Bard on the squad, the Red Sox could move Papelbon before the trade deadline.

Leo Nunez is the incumbent closer for the Florida Marlins, but by no means is his job safe. Should Nunez falter, Clay Hensley is more than willing to grab the job.

Brandon Lyon is the projected closer for the Astros. That doesn’t say too much for the Houston bullpen.

Fernando Rodney will start the season as the Angels closer, but anyone who has seen him pitch for LA (AL) or Detroit knows that may not last. Free agent pick up Scott Downs should definitely get some save opportunities as he did in Toronto.

The Orioles have Kevin Gregg as the early favorite for closer, but could go back to Koji Uehara who did a fine job when placed in the role late last season.

Texas has yet to decide whether or not to keep 2010 AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz in the closer’s role or move him to the starting rotation. Beat writer Anthony Andro tweeted on Monday that Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels is expected to make a decision around March 22.

Clint Hurdle has named Joel Hanrahan as the Pirates closer to start the season, but give Hanrahan’s erratic performance as closer with Pittsburgh and Washington (in 2008), Hurdle could turn to Evan Meek.

The Atlanta Braves are looking for a closer after Billy Wagner retired following the 2010 season. Craig Kimbrel, Pete Moylan, George Sherrill, Scott Linebrink,  and Jonny Venters are all getting a look. It’s possible new manager Fredi Gonzalez will open with a closer by committee.

Tampa Bay lost a number of players to free agency including closer Rafael Soriano. Joe Maddon, like Gonzalez, may go with a committee at first until he can pick a clear cut closer. Rookie Jake McGee impressed Maddon immediately when he came out and said he wanted the job. Now he has to back it up. Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Joel Peralta, Adam Russell, Chris Archer, and Cesar Ramos are among the pitchers looking for roles in the Tampa pen. Farnsworth is the only one with closing experience in the majors.

The Blue Jays shook up their bullpen and now must choose between three pitchers with closer experience- Frank Francisco (the favorite), Jon Rauch, and Octavio Dotel.

In non-closer news, Zack Greinke’s Milwaukee Brewers’ debut is on hold and the Brewers front office can’t be happy about it.Greinke fell hard to the floor while playing pick up basketball the first week of spring training and fractured a rib.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Franklin Sports, maker of the official batting glove of Major League Baseball which is worn by many of the world’s finest hitters, is on a spring training barnstorming tour conducting video interviews with some of its biggest stars.  Baseball Digest is posting one interview a day, continuing with the British Columbia, Canada, native, who spoke in Fort Myers, Fla., on February 23.

BBD: To start, how do you feel?
JM: I’ve been doing well so far.  It’s still a work in progress, but it’s coming a long way from where it was at the end of last season and I’m feeling pretty good.  First day of hitting off pitchers you always feel like they’re throwing about 120 and your bat speed is about 60, but you know it’s coming along and it’s going well.

BBD: Did you think recovery would be this long?
JM: I had a concussion in ’05.  I got hit in the head, it lasted a couple of days. I went on the DL, but ended up going to Florida and doing some rehab and I was back at the end of the 15 days and was ready probably a couple of days before the 15 days was up.  It happened about a week before the All-Star Game and I was still hopeful that I would be able to play in the All-Star Game.  Now that I look back on it, it wasn’t obviously realistic.  My original goal was to get back on the field quickly.  The team handled it well, health is the #1 concern, and when I’m done playing baseball I want to be able to function as a normal human being and enjoy my life.  The team has been great with that.

BBD: Have teams changed the way they handle concussions?
JM: I think there may be some new guidelines coming into play.  They may adopt the NHL system where if someone is diagnosed with a concussion they’re not allowed to play for seven days minimum.  It starts with that awareness and making sure we’re not rushing people back too soon.  You saw a few guys last year.  [Mike] Matheny had to retire with it.  [Corey] Koskie ended up retiring and he dealt with it for two and a half years.  That’s a long time so it’s one of those things where the more awareness you can raise and the more people know about it, the more you can do about it, like prevention and treatment and all the rest of it.  Hopefully it will keep going a long way but it’s come a long way in the last 5 or 10 years for sure.

Justin Morneau

BBD: Tell us about the new helmet.
JM: I’m going to use the new helmet.  It’s a little oversized.  It’s rated a lot better than the helmet I was using for sure.  I’m taking batting practice with one of those catchers helmets on too just in case you get a ricochet off the cage or something crazy happens.  It’s just a little prevention but it makes me feel good because John Olerud was one of my favorite players growing up.  Obviously his was a totally different situation but to go out there on the field the same way he was is pretty cool.

BBD: What was your other sport as a kid?
JM: I grew up playing hockey and baseball.  [I played] basketball a little bit in high school but hockey and baseball were my two main sports.  When baseball season ended, hockey season started, and when hockey season ended, baseball season started.  It was one to the next.  I think obviously I was better at baseball but I have love for hockey also.  If you asked me during hockey season what my favorite sport was I would’ve said hockey, and if you asked me during baseball season I would’ve said baseball.  I was lucky enough to be pretty good at both.

BBD: What position did you play in hockey?
JM: I was a goalie.  I asked my dad from the time I was five years old until he finally let me when I was 11 if I could be a goalie every year.  He never wanted me to be a goalie.  It was one of those things where he finally broke down and kept telling me I needed to learn how to skate first and he’d figure I’d grow out it but he finally let me and I ended up playing on my older brother’s team.  My first year I was a goalie and I loved it.  It’s a great position.  I was a goalie and actually a catcher growing up so some might say that I wasn’t very smart [for] having people throw as hard as they can at me and shoot pucks as hard as they can at me.  You’re kind of the center of all of the action in both and I enjoyed it.

BBD: So, in comparison, first base is relaxing?
JM: Yeah you get to have some good conversations over there.

BBD: When did you decide on baseball?
JM: I think I was 16 or 17.  I had a pretty good summer playing baseball and had the opportunity to go play hockey, and I decided then that I was going to go spend the winter in the batting cage working on my swing and doing all of that kind of stuff that you need to do once you get older to become a better player, especially growing up in Vancouver [where] the season is a little bit shorter.  We’re lucking being on the West Coast [that] we play pretty much from the end of March, but it’s not like Arizona where you can play in January or anything like that.  It was a tough decision at the time, but now that I look back on it I think it was the right decision.”

BBD: What advice do you have on playing multiple sports?
JM: I think it’s important to play as many as you can.  You look at me. I also played basketball.  That was more just for fun.  I did that for school, but it helps you develop different skills sets like coordination from dribbling a basketball or guys that play soccer who have footwork which also comes in big in baseball.  Hockey helps you build that strength and toughness that you kind of need.  Each one can bring something to something else, I’m not saying that you’re necessarily going to be a baseball player.  The hand-eye coordination stuff you learn in baseball from swinging and all the rest of it.  You can transfer it over to hockey if you’re a guy who stands in front of the net.  They all kind of can help each other.  I think it’s become very specialized now.  A kid playing only baseball from the time he’s 12 years old I think can get burnt out on it.  I think you need to take some time away from it.  Your body is not meant to swing a bat for 12 months out of the year.  When you’re 12 years old you’ve got to enjoy as many things as you can and it helps the other sports.

BBD: What do you think of the Jim Thome addition, and having him back for 2011?
JM: He was big.  Last year he led our team in homers in less than 300 at bats.  Bringing him back is huge.  He’s such a great teammate.  He’s such a great guy to be around.  He’s always happy.  He’s always thankful that every day he gets to put the uniform on and he brings that presence to the lineup.  When he’s hitting behind you, you know that you might get some pitches to hit because they’re afraid.  They look up there and they know that he’s got 589 homers and he’s closing in on 600.  We’re all looking forward to seeing that happen.

BBD: What are differences between the Metrodome and Target Field?
JM: There are good things about the dome.  The dome wasn’t my favorite place to play but you knew your game would start a 7 o’clock, you knew it was going to be 72 degrees, and you had your routine pretty much set to a T because there’s no rainouts, there’s no rain delays or any of that stuff.  Other than that, it was not my favorite place to play. [I like] Target Field [with] just all the facilities and everything that goes along with it; the clubhouse, weight room, and everything that helps you get ready for the game and helps you maintain during the season.  Obviously it’s playing a little bit bigger than the dome did.  [It's] a little bit bigger to the gaps.  Home run numbers as a team were down a little bit last year.  We added some speed to the lineup this year so you know we’ll be more of a team that steals some bases, gets in scoring position, comes up with some big hits, and [has] the pitchers pitch to the defense.  [Target Field] is meant for our style, Twins ball, doing the little things, moving runners over, throwing strikes, catching the ball, and making plays.  I think [Target Field] is suited for our style.

BBD: Who was your favorite player growing up?
JM: I had more than one.  Growing up in Vancouver, they showed the Blue Jays games all across Canada.  The Blue Jays were pretty good when I was younger, they won a couple of World Series and John Olerud was right in the middle of that.  He was one of my favorite players.  Ken Griffey Jr. [was another], we used to drive down to Seattle, watch some games, and see him play.  How good he was, how natural he was, and how easy he made everything look was something special.  [Another player was] of course Larry Walker, #33, Canadian guy not too far from where I grew up and one of the best all around players ever.

Franklin Sports, founded in 1946 and located in Stoughton, Mass., has been the provider of sports equipment for almost 65 years. Franklin Sports is a well-known and respected worldwide brand of sports equipment, including the batting glove of choice for more than 150 Major Leaguers. Franklin offers creative and innovative products for all who enjoy sports — from professional athletes to kids who aspire to be their best.  Last year, for the first time in its history, both MVP awards were won by players who wore Franklin gloves. Joey Votto of the Reds in the National League, and the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton in the American League, wear the Franklin batting glove.

First reported by USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale on Jim Bowden’s radio show, Brian Cashman reportedly contacted Twins’ GM Bill Smith about Liriano’s availability. Later reports had a rumored Yankees offer of pitching prospect Ivan Nova and light hitting/good glove infielder Ramiro Pena. Needless to say, rumored or real, the Twins would not ship Liriano for that minor of a package.

Both teams should be wary of how they proceed. Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of 2007 and limited him to 76 innings in 2008. Liriano struggled mightily in 2009 as he tried to regain his form- he pitched to a nearly 6 ERA and allowed 21 home runs. Last season, Liriano finally started to look like the 2006 version of himself. He averaged over nine strikeouts per nine innings, recorded a 3.62 ERA, and allowed less than a hit per inning.

But there are some details that should be pointed out. First, Liriano threw a career-high 191-2/3 innings (nearly 55 innings more than his prior top innings count) and seemed to wear out in September. His post-season performance against the Yankees was nothing to write home about either (5.2 IP 4 ER 6 H 3 BB 7 K). And his regular season ERA was more than a full point higher on the road than in his spacious home ballpark (Target Field).

Liriano complained of shoulder soreness and a tired arm shortly after reporting to spring training a few weeks ago and his initial bullpen sessions were cancelled. Manager Ron Gardenhire downplayed it as tendinitis, but the Twins have to be concerned about their pitcher with the nastiest selection of pitches. Part of the reason for the early spring issues was that Liriano did not consistently do his off-season strengthening exercises. As Scott Miller of CBS Sports pointed out, that showed a lack of maturity.

There is talk that Minnesota will wait until the July trade deadline gets closer to have a better gauge of the market (Minnesota has Liriano under control for another season, so they may not be in a rush to do anything as well), but if the Twins do move Liriano, they are better off moving him sooner rather than later.  Shoulder injuries and any necessary surgeries are much trickier and take longer to come back from than elbow injuries. Liriano’s shoulder may not be a serious issue at all, but buyers should beware of what they may be purchasing/giving up prospects for in return for the 27-yr old.

The Washington Nationals should finally get a look at Chien-Ming Wang on a mound. The Taiwanese hero and two-time 19 game winner with the New York Yankees is scheduled to pitch in a minor league intrasquad game on Friday. Not so good news for his teammate Cla Meredith who will have to undergo Tommy John surgery today.

Twins beat writer Joe Christensen tweeted this morning that Justin Morneau is making progress in his recovery from concussion symptoms, but was still not cleared by doctors on Tuesday to participate in any exhibition games.

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett who took a baseball to the head and suffered a mild concussion on Monday has been cleared to resume baseball activities.

Scott Boras has one less big name client- Mark Teixeira. There was no reason given for the dismissal.

Indians GM Chris Antonetti told the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes that he does not expect outfielder Grady Sizemore to be ready for opening day (April 1). “It’s still a possibility,” said Antonetti. “But I’d say it’s less likely than more likely that he’ll be ready for the start of the season. We’re hopeful it will still be near the start of the season. Whether that’s a few days or a few weeks, we just don’t know yet.”

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos assured fans that GM Andy MacPhail is “…not going anywhere.”  MacPhail’s contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. “Andy and Buck [Showalter] are a great combination,” Angelos told the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

The New York Times’ Joe Brescia recently spoke with Mauer about Montero, and a number of other subjects. Mauer knows what it is like to be questioned about his physical build translating to the position. “Too big. Not quick enough. I heard everything under the sun,” Mauer said by phone. As for Montero’s attitude? “That’s good,” Mauer said. “He might find that everyone wants to throw their two cents in. But I really enjoyed the position and that was not going to stop me.”

“My advice to him is try and learn as much as you can. He’s lucky he has Jorge Posada, a pretty good catcher to learn from. And he has Russell Martin there now, too, another good one to help him. Those two guys that have been around the block. He should follow those guys around and learn as much as he can.”

Bryce Harper made his much anticipated professional debut with Washington on Monday, but struck out both times up. Harper said playing in the pros felt no different than playing anywhere else and told the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore after the game that he was happy with his game. “I felt really good up there.It’s the first two at-bats. That’s why we have spring training. That’s what it’s for – get all the rinky dinks out.”

Having already lost Adam Wainwright for 12-15 months after Tommy John surgery, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa may start watching his pitchers through his fingers. His other ace, Chris Carpenter, left Tuesday’s spring training game with a mild hamstring strain.

Florida Marlins rising star Mike Stanton will probably be out two weeks after he strained a quad running out a grounder on Monday.

With no takers, free agent outfielder Garret Anderson announced his retirement Tuesday after 17 seasons in the big leagues. The career .293 hitter leaves the game with 283 HR, 2,529 hits, 1,365 RBI, one World Series ring, and three All-Star appearances. He played all but one season in California (2009 with Atlanta); the first 16 years of his career were spent with the Angels and his final season in 2010 was as a Dodger.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

The Twins have always been a bat or two short when it came to the post-season and it’s a big blow when one of their version of the M&M boys (Joe Mauer being the other) goes down with an injury.

The Phillies will be without All-Star 2nd baseman Chase Utley for at least a few days. Bother by a sore right knee, Utley was sent for an MRI which revealed patellar tendinitis. “I hope it’s just a minor blip,” Utley told reporters. “The last thing I want to do is do something to make it worse. We want to move in the right direction. I think by running on it and fielding on it at this point wouldn’t be beneficial.”

The Mets’ Oliver Perez certainly wanted to get off on the right foot after last year’s disastrous season, but he picked up right where he left off in Sunday’s exhibition game with the Braves. Perez walked the bases loaded and allowed four runs and four hits in two innings. It’s hard to imagine the team going north with him.

His teammate Carlos Beltran will be moving…to right field. The long time centerfielder is being displaced in favor of Angel Pagan, who is the better defender of the two at this point.

Red Sox staff assistant Ino Guerrero should be laying low right about now. While trying to hit a baseball into a bucket this morning he hit pitcher Josh Beckett in the head.  NESN’s Tony Lee reported from the Sox clubhouse that Beckett was “OK”. UPDATE (2/28 3:16 ET) – It’s now been reported that Beckett is suffering from a mild concussion.

Former Mets’ manager Bobby Valentine is considering buying a piece of the cash strapped team. That according to a report from ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.