Notes and Links

I've been a bit light on posting this week, but it's awfully hard to motivate myself to write up posts in the wake of all these depressing losses. Today, I'll just share a variety of Twins-related notes and links...

* Yesterday, the Twins announced that they have called up 23-year-old pitching prospect Anthony Swarzak. With Glen Perkins on the disabled list, Swarzak will get the nod on Saturday night when the Twins square off against the Brewers.

Swarzak is an interesting case; he was awful in Class-AA New Britain last year, posting a 5.67 ERA and 1.60 WHIP while allowing opposing batters to hit .304 against him over 20 starts. Oddly enough, he was promoted to Class-AAA Rochester late in the season and he was lights out there, going 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .243 BAA in seven starts. The late hot streak seemed flukish to me, so I left Swarzak out of my preseason Top Ten Twins Prospects list.

As it turns out, that may have been a mistake. This season, Swarzak has essentially picked up right where he left off in Rochester, posting a 2.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 32-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 44 innings while surrendering only one homer and holding opponents to a .248 batting average. He has earned this call-up and I'm excited to see what he can do against Milwaukee on Saturday.

* In order to make room for Swarzak, the Twins waived lefty reliever Craig Breslow, who was quickly claimed by the Athletics. This move was both surprising and unsurprising. Surprising because I figured the Twins would give Breslow more time to get his control in check after performing so well last year, and because he looked pretty good in his appearance on Tuesday night. Unsurprising because the Twins have little patience with pitchers who can't throw strikes, and because the team seems confident in Sean Henn's ability to emerge as a solid lefty specialist in this bullpen.

Breslow was the first victim the team's attempts to upgrade its inadequate bullpen, but it's highly unlikely that he'll be the last.

* I was thinking about writing up an article discussing the improved plate approach Carlos Gomez has displayed over the past couple weeks, but our friend Parker at Over The Baggy has already got it covered with an excellent statistical breakdown of Gomez's and Delmon Young's performances at the plate so far this season.

* On a serious note, I would like to send my deep and sincere condolences to the Young family, who lost a mother this week. I know all too well the pain associated with losing close family members to cancer, and I wish Delmon the best as he tries to cope with this difficult situation.

* Torii Hunter: always a class act.

* A new blog that's definitely worth checking out is Minnesota Twins Examiner. Lots of well-written game recaps coupled with quality analysis.