Twins expect better balance in 2006
02/19/2006
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The sound of bats clinking and bags dropping on Sunday afternoon in the Twins clubhouse at Hammond Stadium can mean only one thing -- the unofficial start of the baseball season is here.
Dozens of Twins players passed through the Twins' Spring Training facility in Fort Myers on Sunday, the first official reporting day for pitchers and catchers. The annual rite of spring had its usual happenings as players filtered in and out during the day. Bags were unpacked, new shoes were tried on and lockers were organized.
Always the last club in the Majors to have their pitchers and catchers report, the Twins are also known for the tendency of their players to arrive earlier than required. Many of the players got a head start by arriving a few days early at the Lee County Sports Complex.
Catcher Joe Mauer was just one of the Twins taking batting practice in the days leading up to Sunday. Pitcher Johan Santana was also seen around the facility over the past two days. Even position players like shortstop Jason Bartlett and first baseman Justin Morneau got a head start on the spring, as they were seen unloading bags on Sunday afternoon.
And while the team was the last to undergo the official first reporting day, with many clubs having already gotten workouts underway, it's not something that concerns Twins general manager Terry Ryan.
"There is always conversation about us reporting the last of any club, but come March 20, you're going to hear people say, 'Man, this Spring Training is long,'" Ryan said. "We will have plenty of time to work with this club."
It seemed like everyone else in the organization, though, was ready to get started on Sunday. Enthusiasm and optimism reigned throughout the clubhouse as team pranksters Juan Rincon and Carlos Silva knocked over boxes and cracked jokes that garnered more than a few laughs.
Seeing the camaraderie of the players was enough to put a smile on pitching coach Rick Anderson's face. For him, the little jokes are just one of the small reminders of just how great a time this is for players to bond and to anticipate what may lie ahead.
"It is exciting to see the guys again," Anderson said. "I've talked with a lot of them the last few weeks, but to see them and talk to them face-to-face -- you get to see the excitement that they are showing for the upcoming season."
Excitement was the name of the game on a laidback Sunday, but the players know that hard work is right around the corner. Exactly which areas the Twins need to work on is pretty clear, but one that isn't much of a concern is the pitching staff.
The Twins' rotation is all but set, with the only opening coming at the fifth spot. Johan Santana will once again lead off one of the strongest staffs in the American League. Joining him will be Silva, Brad Radke and Kyle Lohse, who have collectively steadied the rotation for each of the last two seasons.
Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano are expected to be the top two candidates for the No. 5 role, but there is plenty of competition from within the organization as well. Other young arms such as Boof Bonser, Wille Eyre and J.D. Durbin have all been discussed as possible candidates for the spot.
All-Star closer Joe Nathan will anchor a Twins bullpen that returns Rincon, Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier. The left side of the bullpen is likely the biggest question mark for the club heading into Spring Training, but there are plenty of options there as well. Veteran lefties Dennys Reyes, Darrell May and Gabe White are all non-roster invites who should produce quite the competition for the role.
While the Twins have spots to fill in the bullpen, there is no such concern at catcher. After entering camp last year with many questions at the catching position, due to Joe Mauer's knee injury and a new backup in Mike Redmond, the Twins are much more comfortable with the situation behind the plate this spring. Mauer's health is no longer an everyday question, and the young catcher appears eager to start preparing for his second full season in the big leagues.
"The knee isn't a concern to me at all right now," Mauer said. "I'm just ready to get going and start playing baseball again."
Though pitching will once again be the cornerstone of the Twins this season, the team isn't relying merely on its strength on the mound. Building a team around the strong pitching has long been Ryan's approach, but he knows the team can't succeed if it's one-dimensional.
"Obviously, [relying solely on our pitching] didn't work last year, because we had a nice pitching staff last year and we didn't get it done," Ryan said. "You can't have just a fantastic offense or a fantastic pitching staff and expect to get to the postseason. You have to have a little bit of a combination."
The Twins will get to see more of that combination when the rest of the club reports on Friday. The first full-team workout will then take place on Saturday, and no one seems more ready to get everything started than Silva.
"The whole idea of Spring Training is exciting because you know all this month-and-a-half, we have the opportunity to get ready for the season," Silva said. "I can't wait to get started working. I'm ready to go."
Source: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The sound of bats clinking and bags dropping on Sunday afternoon in the Twins clubhouse at Hammond Stadium can mean only one thing -- the unofficial start of the baseball season is here.
Dozens of Twins players passed through the Twins' Spring Training facility in Fort Myers on Sunday, the first official reporting day for pitchers and catchers. The annual rite of spring had its usual happenings as players filtered in and out during the day. Bags were unpacked, new shoes were tried on and lockers were organized.
Always the last club in the Majors to have their pitchers and catchers report, the Twins are also known for the tendency of their players to arrive earlier than required. Many of the players got a head start by arriving a few days early at the Lee County Sports Complex.
Catcher Joe Mauer was just one of the Twins taking batting practice in the days leading up to Sunday. Pitcher Johan Santana was also seen around the facility over the past two days. Even position players like shortstop Jason Bartlett and first baseman Justin Morneau got a head start on the spring, as they were seen unloading bags on Sunday afternoon.
And while the team was the last to undergo the official first reporting day, with many clubs having already gotten workouts underway, it's not something that concerns Twins general manager Terry Ryan.
"There is always conversation about us reporting the last of any club, but come March 20, you're going to hear people say, 'Man, this Spring Training is long,'" Ryan said. "We will have plenty of time to work with this club."
It seemed like everyone else in the organization, though, was ready to get started on Sunday. Enthusiasm and optimism reigned throughout the clubhouse as team pranksters Juan Rincon and Carlos Silva knocked over boxes and cracked jokes that garnered more than a few laughs.
Seeing the camaraderie of the players was enough to put a smile on pitching coach Rick Anderson's face. For him, the little jokes are just one of the small reminders of just how great a time this is for players to bond and to anticipate what may lie ahead.
"It is exciting to see the guys again," Anderson said. "I've talked with a lot of them the last few weeks, but to see them and talk to them face-to-face -- you get to see the excitement that they are showing for the upcoming season."
Excitement was the name of the game on a laidback Sunday, but the players know that hard work is right around the corner. Exactly which areas the Twins need to work on is pretty clear, but one that isn't much of a concern is the pitching staff.
The Twins' rotation is all but set, with the only opening coming at the fifth spot. Johan Santana will once again lead off one of the strongest staffs in the American League. Joining him will be Silva, Brad Radke and Kyle Lohse, who have collectively steadied the rotation for each of the last two seasons.
Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano are expected to be the top two candidates for the No. 5 role, but there is plenty of competition from within the organization as well. Other young arms such as Boof Bonser, Wille Eyre and J.D. Durbin have all been discussed as possible candidates for the spot.
All-Star closer Joe Nathan will anchor a Twins bullpen that returns Rincon, Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier. The left side of the bullpen is likely the biggest question mark for the club heading into Spring Training, but there are plenty of options there as well. Veteran lefties Dennys Reyes, Darrell May and Gabe White are all non-roster invites who should produce quite the competition for the role.
While the Twins have spots to fill in the bullpen, there is no such concern at catcher. After entering camp last year with many questions at the catching position, due to Joe Mauer's knee injury and a new backup in Mike Redmond, the Twins are much more comfortable with the situation behind the plate this spring. Mauer's health is no longer an everyday question, and the young catcher appears eager to start preparing for his second full season in the big leagues.
"The knee isn't a concern to me at all right now," Mauer said. "I'm just ready to get going and start playing baseball again."
Though pitching will once again be the cornerstone of the Twins this season, the team isn't relying merely on its strength on the mound. Building a team around the strong pitching has long been Ryan's approach, but he knows the team can't succeed if it's one-dimensional.
"Obviously, [relying solely on our pitching] didn't work last year, because we had a nice pitching staff last year and we didn't get it done," Ryan said. "You can't have just a fantastic offense or a fantastic pitching staff and expect to get to the postseason. You have to have a little bit of a combination."
The Twins will get to see more of that combination when the rest of the club reports on Friday. The first full-team workout will then take place on Saturday, and no one seems more ready to get everything started than Silva.
"The whole idea of Spring Training is exciting because you know all this month-and-a-half, we have the opportunity to get ready for the season," Silva said. "I can't wait to get started working. I'm ready to go."
Source: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/
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