Odds & Ends for Friday

A couple from the Seattle Times today to get you ready for the big series with Oakland.

Lots of stuff from JJ Putz (WI '00) at Young relievers help M's join AL West race:

"I learned from Nellie and Arthur and Shiggy, as well as Eddie," Putz said, referring to Jeff Nelson, Arthur Rhodes and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, all veterans, all gone.

"Eddie [Guardado] was with our whole group essentially and helped us, mentally more than anything. "Believe me, all of them were raucous out in the pen. Like Eddie, they'd clown around out there just like he does in the clubhouse before or after games. But only in the early innings. Later on, it was serious time. For every one of them, it was the same."

...

In a sense, Guardado's legacy also includes Mark Lowe, the youngster who came from Class AA and has been nothing but magic since. Lowe replaced Guardado in the bullpen.

"How does that kid do it?" Putz ponders the question. "He may not know himself. And we don't want him sitting around trying to figure it out. All he's got to do is keep doing it."

Also, here is Larry Stone's column Suddenly wild and wide-open AL West waits to be won

Chris Snelling (WI '00) is featured in the subscribers only Baseball America Triple-A report. Here are a few quote. (Not too many though. Don't want to lose my subscription to BA)

No matter how many times Snelling has had to go through rehabilitation--and he says he’s lost count--it never gets easier.

“I honestly think you lose your mind during rehab. You live in Arizona in the summer months where it’s 110 degrees in the shade and it does something to your mind,” Snelling explained.

“You do weird things. One time I had a competition with people voting to see who was the ugliest guy in the clubhouse. Who would ever take time to do that?

...

“I can’t tell you how many people have asked me why I haven’t quit. Some come right out and ask me, ‘Stupid, what are you doing?,’ “ Snelling said.

“People in Australia who don’t even know anything about baseball ask since I’ve been hurt so much why am I still doing it. I’ve learned that you’re not going to change people’s minds, but you have to make sure they don’t put any doubt in your mind.

And that is why Snelling has always been one of my favorite former Rattlers.

Interesting story about Barbaro Garbey in the Peoria Journal-Star today, First to defect to U.S. from Cuba national team stays realistic about Castro illness Here are a few excerpts, but please read the whole thing.

PEORIA - Reports of Fidel Castro's shaky health excite Cubans hoping to see leadership changes on the communist island.

Peoria Chiefs hitting coach Barbaro Garbey, the first player ever to defect from Castro's beloved national baseball team, is more reserved.

"He is still alive," Garbey said before Thursday's game at O'Brien Field, reacting to reports of Cubans celebrating in Miami.

"I don't know why people are jumping around," Garbey said. "We hope that the system changes, a little more democracy. But it will be very difficult to change that system in Cuba - Fidel, Raul (Castro's brother) or whoever is coming from the Communist Party, it's going to be the same thing."

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Garbey made history in 1980 when he spurned Castro to play baseball in the United States. He was among 125,000 Cubans welcomed to the U.S. as part of the Mariel Boatlift.

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Garbey's six siblings remain in Cuba. That includes brother Rolando, a two-time Olympic boxing medalist (silver in 1968, bronze in 1976) who now is a coach with the national boxing team, and sister Marcia, who placed fourth in the Olympic long jump in 1972.

Phone conversations keep Garbey up to date on his siblings' families, their jobs and other details. He sends money back to family in the cash-strapped nation. But Garbey knows to never bring up Castro or
politics.

"You can't talk like that on the phone," Garbey said. "The system in Cuba is, you have to be quiet. Don't say anything, don't get in trouble. The freedom of speech is not there. You have to say what they want to hear."

When I was with the Dukes in the Northern League Jackie Hernandez was the hitting coach and Mike Cuellar was the pitching coach. Both are from Cuba. The subject of Cuba came up one day and Jackie was talking about wanting to go back to see his family and someone asked about Castro. Mike very plainly said, "****, Castro!" I think you can fill in the ****.


Twins GM Terry Ryan stopped by Pohlman Field the other day. Twins' GM Ryan studies Snappers

“I think it's important that we get down to see the minor league affiliates, whether it's Low-A or Triple-A,” Ryan said. “It doesn't matter because ultimately these guys are going to end up being the people up there that serve us and help us get to where we want to get.”

The Twins-Snappers affiliation is in its second season, and on the field, it's been a huge success. Beloit was in the playoffs last season as a second-half wild card, and this summer the Snappers are once again in a playoff chase. Several up-and-coming players in the Twins' organization are currently playing at Pohlman Field.

More later. Gotta finish the game notes and take care of a few things that keep me employed.