Post by The Vermont Bombers on Nov 16, 2014 10:39:54 GMT -5
Twins Have New Father
Four Time All-Star Lavagetto Hired to Parent New Team
Roger Smith
Baseball Writer, Minnesota Currier
Out with the old, in with the new.
The Washington Senators of Walter Johnson are now the Minnesota Twins of Harmon Killebrew. Griffith Park has been replaced with Metropolitan Stadium and the nation’s Capital is a distant memory while Bloomfield, Minnesota intends to build the future of Major League baseball. It is in this mold that GM and Acting Manager Adam Costa recused himself of his managerial duties this winter and gave the keys to the clubhouse to a new man. That man is former Brooklyn Dodger and Pittsburgh Pirate infielder Cookie Lavagetto.
“I’m thrilled to be here.” Lavagetto told a packed room at his introductory press conference. “This is a fantastic opportunity to help create a great legacy for the Twins and the people of Minnesota, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Lavagetto is best known for his seven seasons in Brooklyn for the now Los Angeles Dodgers. During his tenure there he played Second and Third Base and was a four time All-Star. As a player, his value was in his ability to on base. He rarely struck out, never registering 40 strikeouts at any point in his career. Lavagetto also drew a lot of free passes, averaging 70 to 80 a season while he was a full time player. He also had a little power and moderate speed, stealing 15 bases during his first All-Star season. Minnesota hopes that he can help teach that plate discipline and strike zone judgment to his young players, especially young outfielders Curt Flood and Joe Christopher, who are expected to bat lead off and number two in
the Minnesota lineup.
Lavagetto is best known for breaking up Bill Bevens no-hitter in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series against the Yankees. Lavagetto broke up Bevens’ no hit bit by slapping a 0-1 fastball over the head of Yankees outfielder Tommy Henrich for the game winning double, driving in pinch runners Al Gionfriddo and Eddie Miksis and giving the Dodgers the 3-2 victory. The Yankees would go on to win the series in seven games, claiming their 15th pennant. In spite of this, Game 4 has become known as “The Cookie Game” due to Lavagetto’s double.
Lavagetto replaces GM Adam Costa in the Manager’s Chair, as Costa returns solely to his role in the Front Office. Lavagetto inherits a team that is coming off of the worst season in its history, after finishing dead last in the AL East with a 64-90 record. In spite of this, all is not lost for Lavagetto and the Twins. Both the Major League team and Minor League system are filled with good, young talent.
While their farm system ranks 10th of the 18 teams in the league, it is a farm system that is deep in pitching talent. The foremost amongst their crop of young arms are this year’s second overall pick Mel Stottlemyre, Louis Tiant, the 10th overall pick in the 1959 draft and other promising young arms such as Don Morehead (2nd Rd, 22nd overall this season) and Lee Stange (2nd round, 25th overall in 1957).
The Twins also have talented young hitters that are close to the majors, especially Catcher Tom Haller and Outfielder Bud Zipfel. There is an outside chance that Haller could start this season in the Major Leagues after finishing last season in Triple A with a batting line of .274/25/92 while displaying maturing strike zone judgment that saw him put up a nearly 1 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio. When asked about it, Lavagetto was non-committal.
“We’ll see.” He replied with a shrug. “Everyone in the organization wants to win and win soon and Tom will undoubtedly be a huge part of that in the future. In the short term, Tom’s progress is the most important thing. He looks like he’s close to being ready, but we’re not going to rush him. He has too huge of a future in this game for us to do that. We have to be responsible with his future.”
The future is what the hiring of Lavagetto is all about. With a solid and improving farm system, some good young talent already on the field and veteran leadership on the field, Minnesota has the potential for a very bright future. No one in the team’s front office assumes that it will be easy to make that potential into a reality, and Lavagetto knows this as well as anyone. He knows that it won’t be easy, but as a four-time All Star, he’s not one to blink at a challenge.
While some might see the comparison of Tom Haller’s future to that of the team, Lavagetto knows that it’s the perfect comparison to make. If they rush Haller, as well as their other top prospects, they could ruin them and nobody wants that to happen. This team needs the likes of Haller, Stottlemeyr, Tiant, Christopher and their other top prospects to work out. If they work out, the team’s envisioned future works out. If they rush them and put the kids in the show before they’re ready, Minnesota’s can expect their future to look a lot like their past was in Washington. This team has seen enough defeat.
They’re ready to win and Lavagetto can get them there. He just needs to be an All-Star for them, like he was for Brooklyn.
The Twins have a new city, a new stadium and newly added talent. They needed a new “father” in the clubhouse to raise them up and turn them into a family. Lavagetto gets that role now. The Twins have their new father.
Welcome home, Dad
.
Four Time All-Star Lavagetto Hired to Parent New Team
Roger Smith
Baseball Writer, Minnesota Currier
Out with the old, in with the new.
The Washington Senators of Walter Johnson are now the Minnesota Twins of Harmon Killebrew. Griffith Park has been replaced with Metropolitan Stadium and the nation’s Capital is a distant memory while Bloomfield, Minnesota intends to build the future of Major League baseball. It is in this mold that GM and Acting Manager Adam Costa recused himself of his managerial duties this winter and gave the keys to the clubhouse to a new man. That man is former Brooklyn Dodger and Pittsburgh Pirate infielder Cookie Lavagetto.
“I’m thrilled to be here.” Lavagetto told a packed room at his introductory press conference. “This is a fantastic opportunity to help create a great legacy for the Twins and the people of Minnesota, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Lavagetto is best known for his seven seasons in Brooklyn for the now Los Angeles Dodgers. During his tenure there he played Second and Third Base and was a four time All-Star. As a player, his value was in his ability to on base. He rarely struck out, never registering 40 strikeouts at any point in his career. Lavagetto also drew a lot of free passes, averaging 70 to 80 a season while he was a full time player. He also had a little power and moderate speed, stealing 15 bases during his first All-Star season. Minnesota hopes that he can help teach that plate discipline and strike zone judgment to his young players, especially young outfielders Curt Flood and Joe Christopher, who are expected to bat lead off and number two in
the Minnesota lineup.
Lavagetto is best known for breaking up Bill Bevens no-hitter in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series against the Yankees. Lavagetto broke up Bevens’ no hit bit by slapping a 0-1 fastball over the head of Yankees outfielder Tommy Henrich for the game winning double, driving in pinch runners Al Gionfriddo and Eddie Miksis and giving the Dodgers the 3-2 victory. The Yankees would go on to win the series in seven games, claiming their 15th pennant. In spite of this, Game 4 has become known as “The Cookie Game” due to Lavagetto’s double.
Lavagetto replaces GM Adam Costa in the Manager’s Chair, as Costa returns solely to his role in the Front Office. Lavagetto inherits a team that is coming off of the worst season in its history, after finishing dead last in the AL East with a 64-90 record. In spite of this, all is not lost for Lavagetto and the Twins. Both the Major League team and Minor League system are filled with good, young talent.
While their farm system ranks 10th of the 18 teams in the league, it is a farm system that is deep in pitching talent. The foremost amongst their crop of young arms are this year’s second overall pick Mel Stottlemyre, Louis Tiant, the 10th overall pick in the 1959 draft and other promising young arms such as Don Morehead (2nd Rd, 22nd overall this season) and Lee Stange (2nd round, 25th overall in 1957).
The Twins also have talented young hitters that are close to the majors, especially Catcher Tom Haller and Outfielder Bud Zipfel. There is an outside chance that Haller could start this season in the Major Leagues after finishing last season in Triple A with a batting line of .274/25/92 while displaying maturing strike zone judgment that saw him put up a nearly 1 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio. When asked about it, Lavagetto was non-committal.
“We’ll see.” He replied with a shrug. “Everyone in the organization wants to win and win soon and Tom will undoubtedly be a huge part of that in the future. In the short term, Tom’s progress is the most important thing. He looks like he’s close to being ready, but we’re not going to rush him. He has too huge of a future in this game for us to do that. We have to be responsible with his future.”
The future is what the hiring of Lavagetto is all about. With a solid and improving farm system, some good young talent already on the field and veteran leadership on the field, Minnesota has the potential for a very bright future. No one in the team’s front office assumes that it will be easy to make that potential into a reality, and Lavagetto knows this as well as anyone. He knows that it won’t be easy, but as a four-time All Star, he’s not one to blink at a challenge.
While some might see the comparison of Tom Haller’s future to that of the team, Lavagetto knows that it’s the perfect comparison to make. If they rush Haller, as well as their other top prospects, they could ruin them and nobody wants that to happen. This team needs the likes of Haller, Stottlemeyr, Tiant, Christopher and their other top prospects to work out. If they work out, the team’s envisioned future works out. If they rush them and put the kids in the show before they’re ready, Minnesota’s can expect their future to look a lot like their past was in Washington. This team has seen enough defeat.
They’re ready to win and Lavagetto can get them there. He just needs to be an All-Star for them, like he was for Brooklyn.
The Twins have a new city, a new stadium and newly added talent. They needed a new “father” in the clubhouse to raise them up and turn them into a family. Lavagetto gets that role now. The Twins have their new father.
Welcome home, Dad
.
