Sunday Notes: Drew Gilbert Grew Up a Twins Fan (and Loves Playoff Baseball)

Boyhood allegiances sometimes go away after a participant is drafted and indicators with a workforce aside from the one he (or she) grew up following. Drew Gilbert isn’t essentially an exception to that rule, however the 24-year-old St. Paul native does retain a gentle spot for the Minnesota Twins.

“I feel that occurs slightly extra in order you grow old, not essentially precisely if you signal,” mentioned Gilbert, whom the Houston Astros drafted twenty fourth total in 2022 out of the College of Tennessee. “You progress round lots. I went from Minnesota to Tennessee, after which when you get drafted you go across the nation with completely different associates. I don’t wish to say you lose the fandom, however it naturally goes away slightly bit. That being mentioned, when [the Twins] had been within the playoffs final yr it was nonetheless tremendous enjoyable to look at. After all, any time you get playoff baseball, regardless of who you’re rooting for, it’s a cool factor to look at.”

The 2023 Twins aren’t the one workforce he’s had motive to root for within the postseason. The Astros received the World Sequence in his 2022 draft yr, and his new group’s father or mother membership has an opportunity to take action this yr. The New York Mets acquired Gilbert as a part of final summer time’s Justin Verlander commerce deadline deal.

“The Astros have been the most effective workforce in Main League Baseball for the final 5 or 10 years,” Gilbert mentioned of his since-coming-to-pro-ball allegiances. “Any probability I used to be in a position to get to look at them, I did. With all the nice gamers they’ve on that roster, I might be a idiot to not tune in. And now… I imply, any time you’re in a corporation that’s going deep within the playoffs it’s a fairly cool factor. Once more, it’s tremendous enjoyable to look at.”

Which brings us again to his boyhood fandom, and on to his hopes of forging a protracted and profitable profession in a Mets uniform.

“I used to be a giant Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau fan,” mentioned Gilbert, who reached Triple-A this yr however performed in simply 62 video games attributable to accidents. “These had been three of my favourite gamers to look at. I’m not essentially much like any of them — all of them had 10-plus years within the large leagues — so whereas I’m bettering, I haven’t accomplished what they’ve. I’m not saying I received’t.”

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Jeff McNeil was requested for his ideas on Jett Williams when the previous made a short rehab stint within the Arizona Fall League earlier than becoming a member of the Mets’ NLCS roster. Following up on one other reporter’s query, I requested the now-32-year-old if he ever displays again on when he was the highly-regarded infield prospect’s age.

“Once I was 20, I used to be nonetheless in faculty,” replied McNeil, who had been on the shelf since early September with a wrist harm. “He appears to be flying by way of the system. He’s in Double-A. These youngsters have vivid futures. I really feel like the sport is getting youthful and youthful.”

Drafted 14th total in 2022 out of Texas’s Heath-Rockwell Excessive Faculty, Williams suffered a wrist harm of his personal and was out from mid-April till mid-August after present process surgical procedure. He entered the season No. 3 on our 2024 Mets High Prospects checklist, one spot behind Gilbert.

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Jason Kipnis went 9 for 16 in opposition to Jordan Zimmermann.

Ron Cey went 13 or 25 in opposition to Neil Allen.

Dexter Fowler went 20 for 51 in opposition to Clayton Kershaw.

Brook Jacoby went 21 for 55 in opposition to Frank Tanana.

Julio Franco went 22 for 52 in opposition to Frank Viola.

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An A.J. Hinch quote caught my eye earlier this month, and whereas the Tigers have since been eradicated, what he mentioned applies to any workforce competing in October. Jeff Seidel shared the phrases of knowledge at The Detroit Free Press.

“Being cussed in your methods is most damaging within the playoffs,” Hinch mentioned. “I feel you see that the groups that win, they’ve needed to veer off of their norm. I feel that’s the artwork of managing within the postseason.”

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Is John Smoltz broadcast analyst? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot throughout Friday’s NLCS Sport 5, and the outcomes weren’t all that shocking. Broadcasters are likely to get extra criticism than reward on social media, and the erstwhile hurler has been polarizing, due partially to his old fashioned opinions (one-knee-down catching being a current instance.) My opinion on Smoltz is blended. I actually respect his pitching data, however among the different stuff… not a lot.

As for the ballot, 73.2% voted “No.” Once more, not all that shocking.

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A quiz:

Who was the primary participant in Mets historical past to guide the Nationwide League in dwelling runs? (A touch: He additionally received a house run title taking part in for an additional NL workforce.)

The reply may be discovered under.

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NEWS NOTES

The Detroit Tigers are reportedly hiring Shane Farrell as their farm director. The 35-year-old son of former big-league pitcher and supervisor John Farrell has spent the final 5 years because the Toronto Blue Jays novice scouting director.

The Boston Pink Sox are selling Kyle Boddy to the function of director of baseball science (per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). The Driveline founder and former Cincinnati Reds pitching coordinator was a particular assistant to Craig Breslow this previous season.

Gaylen Pitts, an infielder who appeared in 28 video games for the Oakland Athletics throughout the 1974-1975 seasons, died on October 9 at age 78. A College of Arkansas product, Pitts coached and managed for 3 many years, primarily within the St. Louis Cardinals group, following his taking part in profession.

Bud Daley, who pitched for 3 groups — the Cleveland Indians, Kansas Metropolis Athletics, and New York Yankees — from 1955-1964, died earlier this week at age 92. The southpaw had back-to-back All-Star seasons with the A’s and received two World Sequence with the Yankees.

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The reply to the quiz is Dave Kingman, who hit an NL-best 37 dwelling runs with the Mets in 1982. Three years earlier, “King Kong” led the circuit with 48 dwelling runs as a Chicago Cub.

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A random obscure former participant snapshot:

Charlie Spikes had a robust begin to his profession, following up a 14-game cameo with the New York Yankees in 1972 with a pair of team-leading dwelling run seasons with the Cleveland Indians. In 1973, Spikes went deep 23 occasions at age 22, and in 1974 he did so 22 occasions at age 23. His profession went downhill from right here. The Bogalusa, Louisiana native batted .233 with simply 17 dwelling runs in three subsequent Cleveland seasons, then was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Tom Veryzer. Spikes would later end his profession with the Atlanta Braves, having totaled 502 hits, together with 65 dingers, over elements of 9 MLB seasons.

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José Caballero grew to become the second Rays participant to guide the American League in stolen bases this yr — Carl Crawford topped the circuit 4 occasions — swiping 44 bases in 60 makes an attempt (his 16 caught-stealings additionally led the league). Requested concerning the imminent accomplishment on the ultimate weekend of the marketing campaign, the 28-year-old infielder instructed a small group of reporters that he’d hoped to pilfer much more luggage than he did.

“The purpose I put to myself firstly of the season was that I wished to achieve 50,” mentioned Caballero, who swiped 28 bases in his 2023 rookie season with Seattle (the Rays acquired him in January in trade for Luke Raley). “I used to be type of quick on that. If I’m the American League chief in stolen bases, it will be a present. However I’d be slightly unhappy about myself as a result of I couldn’t attain 50.”

Reaching base extra usually would have helped him attain that purpose. The Panamanian speedster had a .283 OBP over 483 appearances.

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Kia Tigers and Samsung Lions will meet within the KBO’s championship sequence starting tomorrow. The Tigers had been the highest seed going into the postseason, the Lions the second seed. If you wish to know extra, Jee-ho Yoo wrote about the forthcoming Korean Sequence at Yonhap New Company.

The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants beat the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 1-0 earlier at present and can play once more tomorrow with the winner advancing to NPB’s championship sequence to face the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Fukuoka superior by beating the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

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Uncle Charlie hasn’t disappeared, however he has actually been seen much less usually. As my colleague Michael Baumann wrote towards the tip of August, “This season, simply 8.12% of complete pitches thrown have been curveballs, which is the bottom mark of the pitch monitoring period.”

A couple of days after Michael’s piece ran, I requested John Schneider why benders are more and more out of vogue.

“The curveball was such a giant pitch, even two, three years in the past, with fastballs on the prime of the zone,” the Toronto Blue Jays supervisor replied. “I feel hitters have adjusted to it slightly bit. I feel we’re type of at that turning level of what pitchers are doing and what hitters’ swings are geared to hit. Hitters are type of used to protecting the highest and the underside, fastball and curveball. I feel we’re going to see extra splitters develop over the subsequent couple of years.”

I’d requested the previous catcher a forward-focused query a day or two earlier — slightly over a month later I can’t recall what it was — as a result of he punctuated his response with, “I really feel like I’m studying into the longer term with you the final couple of days. I’m doing my finest.”

I responded in sort, saying that good managers — ditto executives —do their finest to learn into the longer term.

“Precisely,” replied Schneider. “If we might see the longer term we’d most likely be doing one thing else, however it’s a good trait to have.”

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FARM NOTES

Kemp Alderman leads all AFL hitters with six dwelling runs, the latest of them a 443-foot blast that had an eyebrow-raising exit velocity of 119.5 mph. Hampered by a damaged hamate bone within the early portion of the minor league season, the 22-year-old outfielder within the Miami Marlins group went deep simply eight occasions over the course of the marketing campaign.

Robert Hassell III is 11-for-28 with 5 doubles, a triple, and a house run for the AFL’s Salt River Rafters. The 23-year-old outfielder within the Washington Nationals group had an 87 wRC+ over 362 plate appearances throughout three ranges — he topped out at Triple-A— in an injury-hampered season.

Colt Emerson is 16-for-39 with eight doubles for the AFL’s Peoria Javelinas. The 19-year-old shortstop within the Seattle Mariners system had a 119 wRC+ over 336 plate appearances between Low-A Modesto and Excessive-A Everett.

Eriq Swan has allowed three hits and one run, with 10 strikeouts, over six innings for the AFL’s Glendale Desert Canine. The 22-year-old right-hander within the Los Angeles Dodgers group had a 5.16 ERA this season between the Arizona Complicated League and the California League.

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Denzel Clarke is seeking to observe within the footsteps of a former teammate who broke out with a monster second half of the season with the Oakland Athletics. Similarities exist. Whereas Lawrence Butler swings from the left aspect and Clarke from the proper, every is an athletically-gifted outfielder who celebrated his twenty fourth birthday this summer time. Furthermore, their minor league numbers aren’t dissimilar.

Clarke is at present taking part in with the Mesa Photo voltaic Sox — the 2 had been teammates with the AFL membership in 2022 — and I requested him about the opportunity of his becoming a member of Butler within the A’s lineup within the not-too-distant future.

“He’s a really particular ballplayer,” replied Clarke, who is 2 months older and has additionally performed with Butler at Excessive-A and Double-A ranges. “He’s bought a number of expertise and I’m tremendous blissful to see him go on the market and simply dominate, really, on the big-league stage on the again half of the season. I do know the skillset he has, and I do know the skillset I’ve. We’ve each been gifted to play this sport and we’re going to simply maintain taking part in exhausting every day.”

That he’s serving a second stint within the dessert on the heels of a Double-A season wherein he slashed .269/.339/.445 with 13 dwelling runs, 36 stolen bases, and a 120 wRC+ isn’t essentially how he hoped to complete out his yr. Not that the Toronto, Ontario native is about to show down a chance to additional fine-tune his abilities.

“It’s not in my management,” Clarke mentioned of his AFL project. “I do what I’m requested and play exhausting on daily basis that I’m on the market. I’m at all times going to play my hardest.”

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

SI’s Jack Sommers caught as much as Diamondbacks prospect Kristian Robinson, who’s taking part in within the Arizona Fall League 4 years after a psychological well being disaster landed him in authorized hassle.

MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra wrote about San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Bo Davidson, a 2023 non-drafted signee who might need essentially the most fascinating backstory of anybody taking part in within the AFL.

Over at Draft Nation, John Perrotto talked to Cleveland President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti concerning the Guardians’ easy formulation for achievement.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s high-stakes gamble paid off for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in NPB’s Climax Sequence. Jason Coskrey had the story at The Japan Occasions.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

The typical time of a nine-inning sport in MLB this season was 2:36, down from 2:39 a yr in the past, and the shortest since 1984 when the common time was 2:35. In 2022, the final season earlier than the pitch clock was instituted, time of sport was 3.03.

Vic Wertz was the sufferer of Willie Mays’s well-known over-the-shoulder catch in deep middle area on the Polo Grounds within the 1954 World Sequence. The Cleveland Indians slugger completed that yr’s Fall Basic 8-for-16 with two doubles, a triple, and a house run.

Ryan Merritt had simply 11 big-league innings underneath his belt when he began and threw four-and-a-third scoreless innings in Cleveland’s 2016 ALCS-clinching win over the Toronto Blue Jays . The southpaw went on end his temporary MLB profession 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 9 appearances comprising 31-and-two-thirds inning.

New York Yankees reliever Jake Cousins made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers on June 21, 2021. The primary batter he confronted was present Cleveland supervisor Stephen Vogt. He struck him out swinging.

In 1988, the Boston Pink Sox topped the American League East with 89 wins. The second- by way of fifth-place groups logged 88, 87, 87, and 85 wins respectively.

On at present’s date in 1990. the Cincinnati Reds accomplished a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics to win the franchise’s fifth (and most up-to-date) World Sequence title. Hal Morris’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly plated the deciding run within the 2-1 remaining.

On at present’s date in 1991, Kevin Tapani went eight robust innings and Scott Leius homered within the penultimate body to raise the Minnesota Twins to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in Sport 2 of the Fall Basic. 5 days later, Jack Morris went the space in Sport 7 because the Twins took dwelling the title.

The St. Louis Cardinals captured a World Sequence title on at present’s date in 1982, rallying from 3-1 all the way down to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 in Sport 7. Keith Hernandez tied the sport with a sixth-inning two-run single, and George Hendrick adopted with a single of his personal to drive in what proved to be the decisive run. Bruce Sutter retired all six batters he confronted for the save.

Gamers born on at present’s date embrace Dave Collins, a speedy outfielder who swiped 395 bases whereas taking part in for eight groups from 1975-1990. Seven of the Speedy Metropolis, South Dakota native’s seasons got here with the Cincinnati Reds, though his most notable marketing campaign got here north of the border with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1984, Collins batted .308 with a 122 wRC+ and legged out an AL-best 15 triples.

Additionally drawing his first breaths on at present’s date was Skel Roach, who went the space for the win in his lone big-league sport, that with the Nationwide League’s Chicago Orphans in 1989. Born Rudolph Charles Weichbrodt in Danzig, Germany — his household emigrated to the US when he was 9 years outdated — the right-hander started his skilled profession with the Des Moines Prohibitionists and ended it with the Seattle Siwashes.