Growing their own: the draft and the farm system are fertile areas for the revenue-strapped Twins, who find players—and a way to win—by emphasizing patience, stability and flexibility

Sporting News, The, June 7, 2004 by Stan McNeal

At first glance, nothing appeared out of the ordinary about the Twins' 9-1 victory over the White Sox two Saturdays ago. No. 1 starter Brad Radke allowed one run in seven innings and got scoreless relief help from Juan Rincon and J.C. Romero. Promising young hitters Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau each had three hits. The game lasted two hours, 39 minutes, attendance at the Metrodome was listed at 27,413 and the two teams returned the next day to do it all again.

But look a little closer. There actually was something quite different about this game. All of Minnesota's key players that night--Matthew LeCroy added a home run--have been Twins since the ink dried on their first contracts. In this era when players change teams as often as gas prices rise and fall, finding a game dominated by so many home-grown products is as unusual as seeing a big-leaguer drive home in a used sedan.

With most clubs, anyway. But not the Twins. Of the 29 players on their roster (including those on the disabled list), 12 of them--about twice as many as the major league average--were drafted by the Twins, came up through the Minnesota farm system and now are paying dividends for the major league club. For a small-market franchise such as Minnesota, building through the draft is as crucial to success as an intentional walk is to a pitcher trying to beat Barry Bonds. For a team like Anaheim, the only other club with 12 of its own draft picks, adding key free agents (Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Jose Guillen, Kelvim Escobar) is a major part of the mix--and a luxury the Twins don't have.

It isn't easy to mine high schools and colleges across the land for future major leaguers. Consider the numbers: There will be about 1,500 players taken in baseball's amateur draft next week, not to mention hundreds of foreign players who are not draft eligible and will sign as free agents during the year. According to a study by Baseball America, just over half of the players drafted in the first round will reach the majors, and only 8 percent of those taken in the first 10 rounds will play regularly.

Including supplemental choices, Minnesota has five first-round picks this year and hopes to continue its June success. The Twins, however, aren't alone in benefiting greatly from the draft. The A's drafted their Big Three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito from 1997 through '99, chose third baseman Eric Chavez in '96 and selected rookie shortstop Bobby Crosby in 2001. The Angels built their 2002 World Series champions with a heavy emphasis on draft picks and undrafted free agents. A key reason the Rangers are playing so well this season is because their young picks--led by Hank Blalock--are contributing. The Cubs, Phillies and Astros also have enjoyed a steady run of strong drafts in recent years, particularly when it comes to pitchers. The Padres, expected to take Long Beach State righthander Jered Weaver with the first pick this year, have produced a number of promising players since drafting Sean Burroughs in 1998.

Picking the right guys is just the beginning. The job of developing draft choices into players falls on the farm director and the minor leagues. The Twins excel in both drafting and development, as evidenced by division titles in 2002 and 2003 and a trip to the American League Championship Series in '02. The success was attained despite a skimpy payroll--one that ranks 19th this season. Their winning formula is based on three traits that would serve most companies well: patience, stability and flexibility.

Patience. The Twins won the World Series in 1991, finished 90-72 the next year and then suffered through eight consecutive losing seasons. They did not look for the quick fix, though, partly because they can't afford to buy free agents, and they did not rush their prospects. With the exception of catcher Joe Mauer, who was drafted No. 1 ahead of Mark Prior in 2001, most of the Twins have endured more than their share of long bus rides in the minors. Corey Koskie, Doug Mientkiewicz and LeCroy, all of whom played college ball, piled up more than 1,700 at-bats in the minors--a healthy number for a player drafted out of high school. Torii Hunter, the club's Gold Glove-winning center fielder who was a high school pick, toiled in the farm system for most of his first seven years in pro ball, getting more than 2,000 at-bats. Twins pitchers also are given plenty of innings in the minors, serving apprenticeships that often are interrupted by call-ups to the big club.

"It's having a belief in your players," says Twins general manager Terry Ryan. "For example, we all could see the skills in Torii. He could run, field, and you could see he would have power. It was a matter of if his bat would develop. But we knew Torii and his work ethic. We knew how he wanted to succeed."

"A lot of new owners coming into the game think you can turn things around in a year or two," says Tim Wilken, a longtime scout and now a special assistant to the general manager for the Devil Rays. "When you're talking about the draft, you're looking at probably five to seven years. The Twins have a blueprint--one that's not rigid, not geared to a certain kind of player--and they've stuck to it. Now you can see it in the consistency of their club."