Major League Baseball
Twins' formula for success: injuries and replacements

By Larry Stone
Seattle Times staff reporter

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The Twins, who will be at Safeco Field on Tuesday, were savaged in the offseason, losing All-Stars Eddie Guardado and A.J. Pierzynski, along with starter Eric Milton and setup man LaTroy Hawkins.

They've been hard-hit by injuries this season, losing their brilliant young catcher, Joe Mauer, to knee surgery, while center fielder Torii Hunter had a stint on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Starter Joe Mays is out until after the All-Star break recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Entering yesterday, they ranked seventh in the American League in fielding, and fifth in pitching with a lackluster 4.35 earned-run average.

Not a pretty picture, until you look at the standings, where the Twins joined the Red Sox as the winningest team in the American League, reaching the weekend with a 15-7 record.

"A lot of people have stepped up," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said in a telephone interview.

Foremost among them is outfielder Lew Ford, who came up from the minors to replace Hunter in center field and has been a sensation, helping give the Twins one of the league's most potent offenses. Entering yesterday, Ford was first in the American League with a .419 batting average, third in on-base percentage (.471), tied for first in slugging percentage (.710) and first in OPS (on-base plus slugging) at 1.181.

"He was about the last guy we sent out in spring training; he had every right to make the club," Ryan said. "Unfortunately, he got squeezed. When Hunter was injured the second day of the season, he was the logical guy to come up."

Now, with Hunter back, manager Ron Gardenhire is trying to find a way to work Ford into the lineup, using him recently at designated hitter. With outfielder Michael Ryan thriving in a reserve role (.435 average entering yesterday), there has been speculation that outfielder Jacque Jones, a free agent after the season, could be traded.

Ryan, however, said he's not working on deals.

"I'm not even thinking in those terms," he said. "We're as-is right now. We'll ride the hot hand and see where it takes us."

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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