Minnesota Twins Daily Morning Dip: No Maas Home Runs
Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, January 20th, 2018
Welcome to the January 20th edition of the Daily Dip, your daily piece of news and notes here on Puckett’s Pond, offseason edition. You’ll find the most recent news of the Minnesota Twins organization, stories from around the game, and links to any information you may want to know about the Minnesota Twins or baseball as we work our way through the hot stove season!
Minnesota Twins Organizational Scores
Australian Baseball League Update
Brisbane lost to Perth on Friday 15-5. Aaron Whitefield did not start the game, but he did pinch hit in the 8th inning and walked. He did advance to both second and third base, but both were ruled defensive indifference, so he was not given a stolen base.
Dominican Winter League Update
The playoffs were rained out in the Dominican on Friday.
Puerto Rican Winter League Update
The Indios de Mayaguez won in extra innings over Gigantes de Carolina on Friday. Kennys Vargas started at first base, going 1-6 with a run scored, two RBI, and a pair of strikeouts.
Venezuelan Winter League Update
The VWL had a day off on Friday.
Minnesota Twins news and notes
Johan elected to Twins HOF
The Minnesota Twins announced their 2018 Hall of Fame class this year, and just one name will be part of it – Johan Santana. Sadly, Johan may fall off of the overall Hall of Fame ballot this year simply because the ballot is so full, but he will be elected to one HOF!
Team announces stadium changes
The fan experience as fans enter Target Field will be improved by Opening Day with new renovations being done in the right field concourse.
More from Puckett's Pond
- Minnesota Twins: After signing with the Mets, Correa spurns Twins again
- Minnesota Twins: You Spin Me Right Round, Right Round
- Minnesota Twins: What happens next at Shortstop?
- Minnesota Twins: Grading the Twins’ Joey Gallo signing
- Minnesota Twins: 4 Possible Trade Chips not named Kepler or Arraez
Notes from around baseball
- Darvish still strongly desired
- Papi, Pedro hope to help Red Sox
- Ichiro lends name to new species
- 50 greatest bat flips
- Cards trade Grichuk to Blue Jays
- Pence/Curry face off in Mario Kart
- Manfred inducted in Little League HOF
- Moustakas’ free agent market
- Cleveland could be best Machado fit
- Lovullo eats 30-year-old gum
- Lucroy’s balance board workout
- Phillies sign singer to contract
- Lynn market update
Next: Molitor's 2018 Resolutions
One Last Thing
Today is the 53rd birthday of former 1B/DH Kevin Maas, who played just 22 games for the Twins in his career, but has a very interesting major league path.
Maas was drafted in the 22nd round in 1986 and immediately showed himself as a much better hitter than his draft position suggested. He was promoted to the major leagues mid-way through the 1990 season due to his impressive .320 batting average, assuming he could add some quality batting average to the Yankee lineup. Instead, he went off in the power department, finishing the 1990 season with a .252/.367/.535 slash line and 21 home runs in just 79 games.
He would have only one full season in the major leagues, 1991, where he hit .220/.333/.390, and he was never able to match the success of that one burst, but for that short time, he was dominant at the plate, which is something to consider when thinking of Rhys Hoskins and Matt Olson in your fantasy baseball drafts this spring!