Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Staff reports

Red Wings manager Stan Cliburn expected Jason Kubel to provide some pop in
the heart of Rochester's lineup. Cliburn didn't know what to expect from
emergency starter Matt Ford.

The duo led Rochester to a doubleheader sweep of Syracuse at Alliance Bank
Stadium Sunday. The Red Wings took the opener, 8-6, and won Game 2, 5-1.

The Red Wings (22-14) pulled even with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for first
place in the International League's North Division.

Kubel blasted a three-run home run, the Wings' first round-tripper in six
games, and he also tripled and finished with four RBI in Game 11.

Ford, making his first start since 2004, allowed three hits over four
effective innings and reliever Ricky Barrett closed the door with three
shutout innings to pick up his first win in Game 2.

The Red Wings jumped to a 6-0 lead heading into the sixth inning of Game 1
and withstood a rally by the SkyChiefs (18-19).

Rochester played "small ball" to take a 1-0 lead. Luis Maza's fielder's
choice scored Terry Tiffee in the second.

Kubel, who had two homers in 89 at bats, blasted a three-run shot to left
field to give the Red Wings a 4-0 lead in the third inning. After Kubel's
homer, Rochester added two more on Jason Bartlett's double with two outs
in the fourth.

Syracuse pulled within 6-3 in the sixth before Kubel delivered a
run-scoring triple and Garrett Jones' sacrifice fly made it 8-3 heading
into the bottom of the seventh.

J.D. Durbin (2-0) allowed three runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings for
the win. Pat Neshek surrendered a solo homer and a two-run homer in the
seventh but struck out Chad Mottola to end the game and earn his sixth
save.

Jason Tyner might be the hottest Red Wing, and he showed why in the
doubleheader. Tyner went a combined 6-for-8 in the two games and extended
his hitting streak to eight games. He is 17-for-34 during the streak.

Tyner led off Game 2 with a stand-up triple and scored on Gil Velazquez's
sacrifice fly. Syracuse struck in the first when Sergio Santos doubled and
scored on Mottola's double.

Steve Lomasney, giving Shawn Wooten a rare off-day behind the plate, put
Rochester ahead 2-1 in his first at bat in a Wings uniform. Lomasney
singled between shortstop and third, driving in Glenn Williams. Tyner then
dropped a single into right, scoring Jason Hart and Velasquez made it 4-1
on a single up the middle.

Hart hit the second pitch he saw in the fourth over the left-field wall to
put the Wings ahead 5-1.

May 15, 2006

By Jim Mandelaro
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Wings outfielder Jason Kubel came to the plate in a bunting situation on
Tuesday: runners at first and second, no outs, game tied.

Manager Stan Cliburn wasn't biting.

"You will never see me ask Jason Kubel to bunt," the manager said. "He's
here to get on track and swing the bat."

Kubel, the 2004 International League Rookie of the Year and batting champ,
is the Twins' No. 1 hitting prospect.

"I don't think Mr. Terry Ryan would think too highly of me for bunting
Jason Kubel," Cliburn said, referring to the Twins' general manager.

By Jim Mandelaro
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

The Rochester Red Wings were off on Monday, but they suffered a big loss.

Right fielder Jason Kubel was recalled to the Minnesota Twins after left
fielder Shannon Stewart was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left
foot injury. He is eligible to come off the DL on June 4.

Kubel, the 2004 International League Rookie of the Year and batting champ,
is considered the Twins' No. 1 hitting prospect.

He started the year with Minnesota but was demoted after hitting .188 in
seven games.

He missed the 2005 season recovering from major knee surgery.

Kubel was hitting .283 with 4 home runs and 22 RBI in 30 games for the
first-place Red Wings, who open a four-game series in Columbus tonight.

May 23, 2006

With Stewart out, prospect gets another shot at majors

BY JASON WILLIAMS
Pioneer Press

Jason Kubel is back in the majors. And this time, the Twins' top hitting
prospect says he isn't looking over his shoulder.

"I feel more relaxed about it now," said Kubel, who was recalled from
Class AAA Rochester on Monday to replace injured left fielder Shannon
Stewart. "I feel like I'm ready. Nothing's going to bother me this time."

Stewart was put on the 15-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his
left foot after team physician Dr. John Steubs discovered a slight tendon
tear. The veteran leadoff hitter missed two months of the 2004 season with
a similar injury to his right foot.

But general manager Terry Ryan believes Stewart will be ready to return to
the lineup when he is eligible to come off the disabled list June 4.
Stewart, who has a history of injuries since coming to the Twins in a July
2003 trade, last played Friday in Milwaukee.

"It's not good," Ryan said of Stewart's latest injury. "But this one
doesn't seem to be of that (2004) nature. He wanted to play through it. We
said, 'Nope, we're going to get you right.' "

The Twins now will count on their top hitting and pitching prospects — in
addition to another rookie pitcher — to help dig them out of a
double-digit hole in the American League Central Division standings. Kubel
arrives after a weekend series at Milwaukee in which hotshot left-hander
Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser bolstered the beleaguered starting
rotation.

Kubel, who turns 24 on Thursday, will again be given the opportunity to
prove himself after he spent the first two weeks of the season with the
Twins. Returning this season after missing the 2005 season to recover from
a knee injury, Kubel made the team out of spring training because veteran
outfielder Ruben Sierra was hurt. Kubel batted only .188 (3 for 16) in
seven games, including an Opening Day start in right field.

"I didn't expect to make it out of spring training," Kubel said. "I always
had that thought (of getting sent to the minors) in the back of my mind."

But, Kubel said, he won't worry about his job status once Stewart is ready
to return.

"I'm not going to let it affect how I play this time," Kubel said.

Kubel is viewed as the right fielder of the future. And if he proves
himself during this go-round, the Twins could have a surplus of
outfielders.

Stewart, who is batting .298 this season and has been one of the Twins'
most consistent hitters since arriving from Toronto, is in the final year
of his contract.

With a .338 batting average this month, Michael Cuddyer has solidified
himself in right field and in the fifth spot in the order. He's into the
arbitration years now — he's making $1.3 million this season — and a
breakout season could drive up his salary.

Manager Ron Gardenhire reiterated last weekend that he believes Kubel will
help the Twins at some point this season. And the only way Kubel is going
to do that is by playing regularly, although Gardenhire mentioned he might
platoon Kubel and Lew Ford in Stewart's absence.

Ryan said he believes Kubel will fare better with the Twins this time
because Kubel was able to develop a rhythm as an everyday player with
Rochester. Kubel, who played a lot in left field during spring training,
batted .283 with four home runs, two triples and seven doubles in 30 games
with Rochester. He also had 22 RBIs.

The time in the minors also has helped Kubel to overcome any fears about
his surgically reconstructed left knee.

"It's fine," Kubel said. "I now know I can do stuff and it won't mess it
up."

Posted on Tue, May. 23, 2006

If Jason Kubel can get his swing going, the Twins will have to sort
through the options when Shannon Stewart returns from the disabled list.

By Patrick Reusse
Star Tribune

ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire spent the early days of
this West Coast road trip talking about how much he would like to see
Jason Kubel regain his sharpness at the plate. "I really like that swing,"
Gardenhire said. "There are three lefthanded bats there -- [Joe] Mauer,
[Justin] Morneau and Kubel -- that can be a big part of this lineup for
years to come."

On Tuesday night, Kubel hit his first home run, and his first in the big
leagues since Sept. 22, 2004. It was a shot off the Angels' Jeff Weaver
that carried over the center-field fence. He hit a line drive to deep
center off reliever Brendan Donnelly in his next at-bat.

The question becomes: If this was the start of a turnaround at the plate
for Kubel (age 24 as of May 25), what happens in the next couple of weeks
when Shannon Stewart presumably will reappear from the disabled list?

The options would seem to be: A) put Stewart back in left field and return
Kubel to Class AAA Rochester for full-time duty, or B) give up on Rondell
White, tell Stewart that he's now a designated hitter, and go with Kubel
as the primary left fielder.

Stewart always has balked at the notion of serving as a DH -- even though
he's a mediocre outfielder with a horrendous arm. But that's not the real
problem in going with Option B.

The Twins signed White to a $2.5 million contract. General Manager Terry
Ryan has not often written off such investments. He's more likely to hang
onto White, 34, in the hope he can show some life with the bat, making him
tradable to a contender in July.

That could be beyond wishful thinking. Entering the final game of May,
White was batting .195. He had no home runs. He had three walks (one
intentional) and six extra-base hits (doubles). That left him with an
on-base percentage of .211 and a slugging percentage of .232.

"I try not to look at my average, but it's hard to miss when it's on the
scoreboard," White said. "I know I've hit better than that ... hit enough
balls hard to be batting .270. What I can't explain is no home runs. I
can't believe that."

White said what he no longer needs are the small kindnesses of teammates
and strangers. " 'Hang in there ... keep your head up,' " he said. "If I
had a hit for every time I've heard those things, I would be batting .500.

"I don't want to hear any more sob stories for myself. I'm the one who has
to get hot, show some power, be the hitter that I've been all my life."

And if he's still not that two weeks from now, and Stewart's back and
Kubel's bat has come alive, then what?

"The last thing we want Kubel to be thinking about is what happens when
Shannon comes back," Gardenhire said Tuesday. "He should concern himself
with one thing: having good at-bats, like he did the last two times at the
plate tonight.

"What we've noticed with him is that he's drifting forward, getting his
weight on the front foot too soon. He's out front, but the bat is dragging
behind. He's catching the ball too late in the zone.

"That's not what we saw two years ago, before he missed last season with
the knee injury. When we got Kubel up here in 2004, he was solid on his
back foot, his weight shift was great and he hit line drives. He knows the
problem, and he's working with [hitting coach] Joe Vavra to fix it."

Vavra spent an hour throwing batting practice to Kubel on Tuesday. "I have
the evidence," said Kubel, showing off a blistered right hand.

The pregame work was rewarded with a big-league home run for the first
time in 20 months, although Kubel was not ready to pronounce himself
cured.

"I've been trying too hard," he said. "I have to forget whether I'm going
to stay here, and just hit. What's frustrating is I'm fouling off good
pitches to hit. A couple of years ago, I killed those pitches."

Gardenhire believes Kubel will again -- and perhaps soon.

Last update: June 01, 2006

By Patrick Reusse
Star Tribune

Left fielder Shannon Stewart has a small tear in the plantar fascia of his
left foot. He is eligible to come off the disabled list Sunday.

"He's not close," Gardenhire said. "He hasn't done any running yet. I
don't think he'll play for 10 days, at least."

That would be more than three weeks without playing, putting Stewart in a
position where the Twins presumably would want him to go on a
rehabilitation assignment for a couple of days before returning to the
lineup.

As long as the Twins stay with the current 11 pitchers, there's a good
chance Jason Kubel will remain with the big club even after Stewart's
return.

"The key to Kubel staying here is getting him enough at-bats -- and I'm
going to make sure that happens," Gardenhire said.

By La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

Lew Ford strained his right oblique muscle in the fifth inning during an
at-bat that ended in a double play Thursday night against Cleveland, then
was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game.

It was the last thing the Twins outfield needed. Jason Kubel has sore
knees. Shannon Stewart has a sore foot.

"It came out of nowhere," Ford said.

The Twins have purchased the contract of outfielder Jason Tyner from Class
AAA Rochester. Tyner entered Thursday batting .329 with 22 RBI with the
Red Wings and played in the Class AAA All-Star Game on Wednesday.

Kubel's left knee underwent major reconstruction in 2004, costing him the
2005 season. Kubel theorized Thursday that his right knee was aching
lately because of compensating for the left one.

Kubel hoped the All-Star break would be enough rest for his knees, but he
felt the same discomfort during pregame warmups Thursday.

Kubel was examined during Thursday's game, and doctors concluded there is
no structural damage to his knees. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire thinks
Kubel's knees got stiff during the All-Star break.

"He needs to fight through it," Gardenhire said.

Kubel is batting .291 with seven homers and 24 RBI and had taken over most
of the left field duties.

Radke's sore shoulder

Righthander Brad Radke also needed some time to rest his shoulder,
revealing that he's been in discomfort since mid-May. He hasn't had full
range of motion and even had trouble throwing between starts. His fastball
lately has been fluctuating between 84 and 91 miles per hour.

The last straw came July 5, when he lasted only five innings against
Kansas City, giving up three runs on 11 hits. He flew to the Twin Cities
the next day to receive a cortisone shot.

Radke (7-7, 5.13) said his shoulder now feels great as he prepares to
start tonight against Cleveland. How long does he think the shot's effects
will last?

"Hopefully another three months," he said.

Radke was 4-7 with a 6.42 ERA on June 3 but never went public with his
condition.

"He refused to use it as an excuse," Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson
said.

Silva to return

Anderson described righthander Carlos Silva's bullpen session as "lights
out," and he will start Sunday against Cleveland. That means righthander
Scott Baker will start Monday against Tampa Bay.

The Twins' rotation never has been so unstable, with Radke's shoulder,
Silva's knee and Baker trying to keep the back end of the rotation from
flying away.

Garza moves up

The Twins promoted righthander Matt Garza to Class AAA Rochester after he
went 6-2, 2.51 in 10 starts at Class AA New Britain. It's a promotion
worth noting because Garza could position himself for a late-season look
if he does well.

Garza was the Twins' first-round pick in the 2005 draft, meaning he's
rocketed through the system in just more than 13 months as a pro. He began
this season at Class A Fort Myers, where he was 5-1, 1.42 in eight starts
before moving to New Britain.

Last update: July 14, 2006 – 12:10 AM

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BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

Twins outfielder Jason Kubel hadn't started a game since Aug. 30 and
hadn't gotten a hit since Aug. 18, but after putting him in the lineup,
Gardenhire suggested the young left-handed hitter can be a key for the
Twins in the final three weeks.

"We still think he has a great swing,'' said Gardenhire, who batted Kubel
as the designated hitter because of the favorable lefty-righty matchup
with Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman. "He can really help us down the
stretch if we can get some confidence in him and get him swinging. He
could really be a boost for us, giving us a left-hander against some of
these tough righties — and even pinch-hitting.''

Kubel, who was batting .167 since the all-star break, ended a 0-for-19
skid with a single in the seventh inning.

La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

Twins outfielder Jason Kubel needed surgery last week to repair a torn
meniscus in his right knee, but should be ready for spring training in
February,

Kubel tore three ligaments in his left knee in 2004 and was forced to miss
the entire 2005 season. He batted .241 with eight homers in 73 games last
season, but his mobility was limited. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan
suspects that Kubel injured his right knee by compensating for his left.

"Everything structurally is fine," Ryan said. "He will be ready to go. I'm
almost relieved that there was something in the good knee that didn't
allow him to function. We have the health issues taken care of now, so we
can move on."

The Twins are willing to hand over the starting left field job to Kubel if
he's healthy. Kubel, 24, is a career .320 hitter in the minors.

"I don't have to give him a pep talk," Ryan said. "I gave him the lay of
the land here. There's ample opportunity for him to come in and get a job,
but we want to make sure people win them and don't give them up."

The Twins have few other options for left field. Free agency might not be
a solution. The Twins already need starting pitching and a designated
hitter and might not have the money to sign even mid-range talent to fill
those holes.

Liriano in Miami

The Twins and agents for lefthander Francisco Liriano have agreed to have
Liriano rehabilitate in Miami.

Liriano, who had Tommy John elbow surgery last month and will miss the
entire 2007 season, will work with Ray Jaffet. The Twins are familiar with
Jaffet, who has helped Shannon Stewart with his plantar fascitis problems
in recent seasons.

Talent search

Ryan is preparing to meet with teams and agents at next week's winter
meetings in Orlando. Like many other league executives, he has been
startled by the expensive free agent market and might not be able to
afford a quality starter. The Twins were interested in Rockies righthander
Jason Jennings, but those talks have cooled.

The Twins like righthander Gil Meche, but he's in line for a big contract
after Adam Eaton rocked the market with his three-year, $24 million deal
with Philadelphia.

"We'll find somebody," Ryan said. But don't be surprised if the Twins look
to Scott Baker, Matt Garza, Glen Perkins or J.D. Durbin to fill out their
rotation next year.

Notes

Hockey legend Gordie Howe recently called Justin Morneau to congratulate
him on winning the A.L. MVP award.

Ryan said the club and outfielder Rondell White have agreed to "keep all
options open" about a return to the club. White feels he has unfinished
business because he battled shoulder problems most of the season, and the
free-agent market might make White an affordable solution. The Twins
prefer White to DH while Kubel plays left.

Last update: November 29, 2006 – 10:14 PM



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By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Minnesota's Matt Garza made a strong early
impression toward winning a spot in his team's rotation.

Boston's Curt Schilling didn't need to.

Garza, the Twins' minor league pitcher of the year last season, and
Schilling, penciled in as the Red Sox's opening day starter, each pitched
two scoreless innings in a 4-4 tie in 10 innings Wednesday night.

"It was a blast," Garza said of pitching against Schilling in both teams'
exhibition opener. "There's no pressure on me. I got up (to the majors) in
a year. That's more than I can ask for."

Garza, 23, won his first five decisions at Triple-A Fort Myers last season
and was a combined 14-4 before making his major league debut on Aug. 11.
On Wednesday, he struck out David Ortiz on a slider in the first inning.

"We just want him to do what he did tonight," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire
said. "Throw the ball down, attack the hitters and make them swing the
bat."

Schilling allowed two hits and the Red Sox led 4-1 before Julian Tavarez
allowed a three-run homer in the fifth by Joe Mauer.

"I felt a little stronger than I thought I might be," said Schilling, who
threw 19 pitches -- 18 fastballs and one slider. "I feel like I'm good to
go for a lot more than that right now."

Francona said he didn't think it was worth it to change his plan and send
out Schilling, who threw 15 strikes, for a third inning even though he
hadn't thrown many pitches.

"He got two innings under his belt and he threw strikes," Francona said.

"I was nervous and short of breath and all the things I normally am
whether I'm facing Northwestern or the Yankees," Schilling said. "It's
that first time out, that anxiety."

The Twins had taken a 1-0 lead in the third against Boston closer
candidate Joel Pineiro on a single by Jason Bartlett, a throwing error by
shortstop Julio Lugo and an RBI single by Rondell White.

Boston went ahead 4-1 against Scott Baker with two runs in both the third
and fourth innings. Lugo and Ortiz singled in runs in the third and Jacoby
Ellsbury doubled home two in the fourth.

The Twins nearly took the lead in the ninth, but right fielder Alex Ochoa
turned a double play by catching Alexi Casilla's fly ball and throwing out
Luis Rodriguez at home after he tagged up.

"As soon as it was hit, I said, `Oh, no, he can throw," Gardenhire said.

Francona said, "That's one of the better baseball throws you'll ever see."

Ochoa, a long shot to make the Red Sox, also threw out a runner at second
in the fifth.

Notes

Before the game, a statue was unveiled of former Red Sox star Ted Williams
in front of City of Palms Park. His former teammate, a tearful Johnny
Pesky, 87 participated in the ceremony. ... Twins first baseman Ken Harvey
will miss at least 3-4 days after pulling a chest muscle on his first
swing. Center fielder Torii Hunter is day-to-day after bending a
fingernail back while sliding.

By Scott Hotard
Naples Daily News

FORT MYERS — The ball barely cleared the baggie in right field, a
sacrifice fly that grew angry somewhere along the way.

It kept going. By the time Jason Kubel had rounded first base, his
full-count drive was in the books as the biggest hit of his young career.

A grand slam. A game-winner.

There was no pain in his left knee — or the right, for that matter. With
each step he took, Kubel could sense the arc of something other than the
ball he’d hit.

His career. Finally, it was taking flight.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in my life,” Kubel said, recalling the
June 13 homer against Boston, a 12th-inning smash for a 5-2 win. “That was
awesome.”

Not just that moment, in fact, but the entire month of June. Kubel hit
.333 in 81 at-bats, highlighted by a three-game home-run streak.

But the stretch run would be a struggle. Hobbled again — this time by
trouble with his right knee — Kubel couldn’t finish what he started.

In short, he couldn’t entrench himself as an everyday outfielder. He’ll
have to try again this season, one he plans to spend in good health.

“I feel great,” said Kubel, who had surgery on the right knee in the
off-season. “I’m just ready to start playing.”

The 6-foot, 210-pounder didn’t play in the Grapefruit League opener
Wednesday at City of Palms Park. But when Minnesota travels to Tampa today
to face the New York Yankees, he is expected to be in the starting lineup.

The Twins hope it’s for good.

“He’s one guy with a high ceiling,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said,
“where we said, ‘Man, this guy can hit.’ Now it’s just about if he’s got
his legs underneath him and he can stay healthy enough to stay out there
and get it done.”

Kubel played in only 73 games last season, batting .241 with eight homers
and 26 RBIs. He was expecting so much more of himself. He was hungry for
it.

After tearing up his left knee in an October 2004 fall game, he missed the
entire 2005 season. This came on the heels of a pivotal stretch in his
first big-league action, as Kubel batted .300 after a September call-up.

Despite the time he missed, Kubel looked good last spring. So good, in
fact, that he started on Opening Day in right field, a 6-3 loss in
Toronto.

But he would get only a taste of stardom. The five home runs in June. The
Gatorade shower by Michael Cuddyer after his grand slam. The rest was
downhill. He hobbled, this time on the right knee.

To be sure, the injuries were linked. Kubel believes he was compensating
for the other knee, the one that kept him out the previous season.

There was too much pressure on the right knee. His body was asking too
much of it.

“I didn’t really notice it until May or so,” Kubel said. “It just kept
getting worse from there.”

By the end, he wasn’t a factor for the Twins. After earning just nine
at-bats in the final month of the season, he didn’t even see the field in
the playoffs.

Back at full strength, Kubel is expected to be the Opening Day designated
hitter.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” Kubel said. “I’m just ready to do what I do.”

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Red Sox-Twins night game kicks off Grapefruit season

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

The spirit of generosity, sportsmanship and good will seemed to flow
toward and within the new right-field section of seats Wednesday night at
City of Palms Park as spring training began in Southwest Florida.

An hour before Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling threw the first pitch of
this Grapefruit League season — to Minnesota Twins second baseman Luis
Castillo at 7:06 p.m. — a light downpour cooled the temperature to 73
degrees.

The first of a capacity 7,707 fans, which does not include the
standing-room-only crowd, filtered into the ballpark at 4:30 p.m., when a
ceremony dedicating the Ted Williams statue outside the entrance took
place.

Reciting a poem from heart, a version of "Casey at Bat" adapted to fit the
legendary Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, Dick Flavin, 70, delivered
the final line with a fist pump.

“And the crowd goes wild at Fenway Park,” Flavin said, “because Teddy hit
one out!”

The aroma of bratwursts, hot dogs and Shan-san rolls — they've got
crabmeat and cream cheese, topped with eel sauce and a spicy Japanese
mayonnaise — filled the air.

Like following the feather in the movie “Forrest Gump,” observers could
watch the path of a baseball and the lives that crossed its path prior to
the game.

The ball, thrown by a Twins coach, hit by a Twins player and fielded by an
outfielder, was then tossed to Al Slothower, a 40-year-old Atlanta native
vacationing in Fort Myers.

Spotting a 13-year-old Red Sox fan several stools down, Slothower handed
it to the kid.

They were sitting on two of the 96 new barstools on the right-field deck,
replicas of the stools found above the famed left-field Green Monster wall
at Fenway Park in Boston.

Families and friends seemed to fill this new section. Those who didn't
know each other introduced each other during the 4-4, 10-inning game.

Slothower and his friend Michael Bushman, soon to be 40, watched the game
from the front row.

“I’m a Yankee fan, but I want to keep that quiet,” said Bushman, who took
in the first of many baseball games this year.

Bushman, a banker and a sailor, quit his job, bought a 25-foot-long yellow
school bus, renovated it into a mobile home and will travel the country
this year in search of the nation's best hamburger. He also will cram in
as many baseball games as he can.

“I guess you can call it a mid-life crisis,” Bushman said.

The journey, at least baseball-wise, started here.

“This is the year of the bus,” said Bushman, who will travel to Tampa on
Thursday and catch his beloved Yankees in action Friday at Legends Field.

On Wednesday, Bushman said he was just fine with watching his favorite
team’s archrival, the Red Sox.

While Bushman and Slothower each finished a beer, the Hay family talked of
their pilgrimage to Fort Myers several stools down.

“This is our first time here,” said Stephen Hay, 51.

A native of Fitchburg, Mass., Hay lives 35 miles west of Boston. He even
played, as a 13-year-old, in Boston Garden, former home of the Boston
Celtics.

“I got to play on that court,” he said. “And I still remember it like it
was yesterday.”

Hay first went to Fenway Park at age 8 in 1963. It took 44 years for him
to finally see the Red Sox in spring training. That dream came true
Wednesday night as he walked past the Williams statue and through the
turnstiles.

Twins fans also were thrilled to take in the first game. Minnesota plays
its first spring home game at 7:05 p.m. Friday against the Cincinnati Reds
at Hammond Stadium.

Thomas Hodne Jr., who has season tickets at Hammond Stadium this spring,
will celebrate his 39th birthday for the 41st time on May 14, he said.

With the silver hair and beard, he resembled a skinnier version of Santa
Claus.

Hodne Jr. used to watch the Twins train in Orlando, their spring
headquarters from 1961 through 1990. He changed his February-March
destination to Fort Myers in 1991, when the team relocated to the Lee
County Sports Complex in south Fort Myers.

“I gave up alcohol in 1975,” Hodne Jr. said. “My addiction was alcohol and
architecture.

“Now, my addiction is baseball, and I’m a Diet Cokaholic.”

Twins catcher Joe Mauer hit the first home run of spring training, a
three-run blast in the top of the fifth inning.

That ball sailed over the left-field fence, so the fans in the new
right-field section didn't get a chance to retrieve it.

That suited Griffen Hay, 13, just fine. Two hours earlier, a stranger
named Slothower handed him a ball — a ball relayed from outfielder, from
bat, from Twins batting-practice coach.

Play ball, indeed.

Originally posted on March 01, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Johnny Damon gave George Steinbrenner quite an early
eyeful.

Damon hit a leadoff home run, Jason Giambi also homered and Chien-Ming
Wang pitched two perfect innings as the New York Yankees beat the
Minnesota Twins 6-1 Thursday in an exhibition opener.

Steinbrenner, who has rarely been seen at Legends Field this spring,
watched from his suite on the first-base side of the stadium.

Damon homered off Carlos Silva to start a three-run first inning.

"It's only downhill from this," Damon joked.

Giambi, coming off surgery on his left wrist, walked in the first and hit
a two-run homer the next inning to make it 5-0.

"I hope it's a good omen," Giambi said. "The wrist feels great. I feel
good up there."

Wang, a 19-game winner last season, needed just 19 pitches. He began the
game by inducing three straight groundouts.

"He wasn't down in the zone like he needs to be," Yankees catcher Jorge
Posada said. "It's normal. First time out, probably felt too strong. But
he got the ground balls, that's all you can ask for."

Silva allowed five runs and four hits over two innings. He threw 42
pitches, including 26 in the first.

Top Yankees pitching prospect Phil Hughes followed Wang and gave up one
run on a hit and two walks in 1 1-3 innings. He struck out AL MVP Justin
Morneau with his last pitch.

"He was high a lot," New York manager Joe Torre said. "He may have had
some butterflies. He recovered real well. He struck out a pretty good
hitter to say goodbye."

Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui made a nice sliding catch near the foul
line on Nick Punto's two-on, two-out fly in the third.

Twins left fielder Jason Kubel making a diving catch on Robinson Cano in
the third. Kubel drove in the Twins' run with a fourth-inning single.

Andy Phillips, trying to win the right-handed half of the Yankees' first
base platoon, will be gone for at least a couple days after his mother was
seriously injured Wednesday in a car accident in Alabama.

"As long as he needs," Torre said. "We all hope and pray that everything
will be OK, but it's pretty serious right now."

Notes

A moment of silence was held before the game for former Yankees Hank Bauer
and Cory Lidle. ... Damon built a gym during the offseason at his Orlando
home. "Look good with the shirt off ... wife still digs me," Damon said
with a smile.... New York RHP Carl Pavano (bruised left instep) threw 45
pitches off a bullpen mound and is scheduled to pitch Sunday. "I can't
wait," Pavano said. ... Minnesota LHP Dennys Reyes, who left camp for the
birth of his daughter, is expected to rejoin the team Friday. ... New York
RHP Humberto Sanchez (elbow inflammation) hopes to throw this weekend.

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By Joe Christensen
Star Tribune

DETROIT - It was about this time last year, when Michael Cuddyer took
over right field for the Twins and never looked back. The team hopes
the same thing is happening now for Jason Kubel in left field.

Kubel has started six consecutive games in left, with manager Ron
Gardenhire letting him face both righthanded and lefthanded pitchers.
In this stretch, Kubel is batting .280 (7-for-25).

He went 2-for-5 with three RBI and made a nice diving catch in
Saturday's 11-3 victory against the Tigers.

With a calf injury keeping Rondell White on the disabled list
indefinitely, Kubel will continue to receive his chances.

"We're trying to give him as many at-bats in a row as we can here, to
see if we can get him going," Gardenhire said. "And he's been doing a
good job."

Last update: April 28, 2007

Peoria Star Journal

BELOIT, Wis. - For the second game in a row, the Peoria Chiefs fell behind
early, but this time their rally was cut short as the Beloit Snappers hung
on for a 4-2 Midwest League victory Sunday.

The Snappers pulled ahead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning when
Alex Maestri hit Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee flew out to center. When
Chiefs center fielder Matt Camp attempted to double Benson off first base,
his throw sailed into the Chiefs dugout, advancing Benson all the way to
third.

Benson scored on a fielding error by Dylan Johnston. Danny Santiesteban,
who reached on Johnston's first error, came around to score on a throwing
error by Johnston.

In the eighth, the Chiefs rallied for one run on a sacrifice fly by Camp,
but Johnston was thrown out at third when he overran the base on Ryne
Malone's ensuing sacrifice fly.

For the record

Winning pitcher - Adam Hawes (2-4), 71/3 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, 3
strikeouts.

Losing pitcher - Alex Maestri (3-1), 32/3 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk, 3
strikeouts.

Save - Rob Delaney (14), 12/3 innings, 1 strikeout.

Chiefs - fall to 20-21.

Big sticks

Chiefs - Matt Camp 1-for-3, RBI.

Snappers - Chris Parmelee 1-for-4, HR, RBI.

Notable

Beloit's Brian Dinkelman led off the bottom of the first with a 10-pitch
at-bat against Alex Maestri before drawing a walk. ... Universiity of
Illinois football coach Ron Zook will throw out the first pitch at
tonight's game. ... The Chiefs were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring
position.

Today

Lansing (TBA) at Peoria (LHP Chris Shaver 0-0, 0.00), 6:30 p.m., O'Brien
Field.

Radio - WOAM-AM (1350)

Internet - www.peoriachiefs.com

Monday, May 21, 2007

By MIKE LOVECCHIO
Daytona Journal News

DAYTONA BEACH -- Daytona continues to struggle in one-run games.

For the second consecutive night the Cubs fell in extra innings, this time
to the Fort Myers Miracle 5-4 in 12 innings just one night after falling
to Jupiter in 10 innings.

Daytona held a 4-3 lead going into the eighth inning, but a leadoff walk
by Steve Tolleson came back to haunt the Cubs after Juan Portes knocked
Tolleson home on a single later in the inning.

Tolleson struck again in the 12th inning, lacing a double to left-center
field scoring Brian Dinkelman for the go-ahead run.

Daytona fought back in the bottom half of the inning with Yusuf Carter and
Alfred Joseph hitting back-to-back singles with one out, but Adam Hawnes
sealed the deal for Ft. Myers getting the next two hitters out in order.

"I don't like losing two games period," Daytona manager Jody Davis said.
"We had several chances to get a big hit and win the game. Yesterday it
was errors, today it was a leadoff walk."

Brian Dopirak continued to hit the ball well, going 2-for-5 with three
RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning that gave Daytona its
4-3 lead. If Dopirak continues to hit the way he has as of late, a
promotion back up to Double-A Tennessee may be approaching.

"I feel close. It's all about bats and trying to be productive," Dopirak
said. "I've been pretty confident up there. I've been able to stay patient
at the plate and be more selective to try and get something to hit."

Dopirak's 15th home run of the season put pitcher Paul Schappert in
contention to pick up the win in his first start since returning to
Daytona, but Tim Layden gave up the game-tying run in the eighth, leaving
Schappert with a no-decision.

Schappert returns to Daytona where he picked up 20 saves one season ago.
He began the year in Triple-A Iowa where he recorded a 1.69 ERA in 5 1/3
innings, but struggled after being sent down to Double-A, going 3-7 with a
7.51 ERA in 76 2/3 innings.

Schappert stumbled out of the gate Sunday, giving up back-to-back home
runs to Tolleson and Dustin Martin and an RBI triple to Eddie Ovalle. But
he settled down after that, allowing just two hits in his next four
innings.

With two consecutive games going into extra innings, the Cubs must
conserve pitching. Adalberto Mendez returns to the mound for Daytona
today.

"We'll be a little thin, but we have three guys," Davis said.

Adalberto was sent down from Double-A earlier in the week, but posted an
impressive 2.14 ERA in 59 innings for Daytona last season.

Alfred Joseph broke out going 4-for-6 with four singles. Alfred was
hitless in his first 11 at-bats with the Cubs coming into the game.

August 06, 2007

By Staff report
New Brtain Herald Press

ERIE, Pa. - Erie started quickly and turned back each attempt by New
Britain to climb back into the game in a 6-3 win Tuesday night.

Erie took a 2-0 lead on back-to-back doubles by Matthew Joyce and Jeff
Larish and a single by Michael Hollimon off starter Oswaldo Sosa (0-2).
All three hits came with two outs.

After the Rock Cats cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third on a Garrett
Guzman single, the SeaWolves pushed the advantage back to two at 3-1 on a
Larish home run in the fourth.

A Guzman homer in the sixth pulled the Cats closer at 3-2.

Erie put the game out of reach with three runs in the last of the seventh.
New Britain tacked on another in the eighth to make it 6-3.

Alan Mills closed it out in the ninth for his 16th save.

08/07/2007

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