Beloit Hot Stove

The Beloit Snappers held their Hot Stove Banquet on Tuesday. The Beloit Daily News post the story on their website yesterday afternoon. I'm getting to it today. Technology will make us effiicient...

Ryan has big plans for Twins
Ex-Snappers could see duty

[Twins General Manager Terry] Ryan has been busy this off-season trying to re-tool his pitching staff. When the Twins head to Fort Myers, Fla., Feb. 19 to prepare to defend their fourth AL Central title in the past five years, they'll have only two starters back from their Opening Day rotation of 2006 - ace Johan Santana and Carlos Silva.

Complicating matters is the retirement of workhorse Brad Radke and the Tommy John surgery incurred by last year's rookie phenom, Francisco Liriano. He won't even return until 2008, at the earliest.

“We have a bunch of young pitchers who are talented and who we like, but they are not proven,” Ryan said. “We like (Matt) Garza. We like (Glen) Perkins and we like (Kevin) Slowey. But they're all young with very little track record. We think they're all going to be pretty good at some point. That's why I went out and got a couple of guys to help with the numbers.”

Those “guys” are two former effective pitchers who've hit hard times - Sidney Ponson and Ramon Ortiz. Ponson was signed to a minor league deal while Ortiz got a one-year contract. The past two seasons in the National League, Ortiz went 20-27 with a 5.47 earned run average. Ponson, once a standout, has struggled since 2003.
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Ryan said it's unlikely any former Snapper position players, like third baseman David Winfree or shortstop Trevor Plouffe, are ready to crack the big-league roster in 2007, but there isn't a need, either. The Twins return all their regulars and its a talented lineup with AL MVP Justin Morneau, batting champion and catcher Joe Mauer and veteran Torii Hunter. The Twins finished first in the AL in batting in 2006 and there's no reason to think they can't repeat or even surpass that success.

Ryan is also keeping an eye on the Snapper stadium situation.

Ryan said he remains an interested observer in the Snappers' quest for a new stadium and can sympathize with officials here. The Twins fought a long battle before securing a new stadium set to open in 2010.

“The nicest thing about (acquiring the stadium) is that at these sort of things in Minnesota, I'm no longer asked any stadium questions,” he said.