WBC gave glimpse of future

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson isn't necessarily a big fan of the World Baseball Classic, but he appreciates it enough for the chance it gave him this spring to glimpse some of the Twins' younger pitching prospects — and maybe even be reminded of his own playing days.

Because of big-league defections to the WBC, several lower-level prospects, including Class A pitchers Jose Mijares and Matt Garza, had opportunities to show the kind of organizational pitching depth reminiscent of some of Anderson's pitching-heavy New York Mets in the 1980s.

'We're backed up in pitching,' minor league pitching coordinator Rick Knapp said, referring to depth at all levels that might keep a few pitchers with their current teams longer than might be the case in other years.

FIRST WATCH

Keep an eye on first-rounder Boof Bonser this year. The 21st overall pick in the 2000 draft by the San Francisco Giants (sent to the Twins in the A.J. Pierzynski deal) is poised for a major league debut this season after leading the International League in strikeouts during a strong Class AAA season last year and an impressive start this season.

Bonser, 24, might have the best slider in the Twins' minor league system, is 2-1 with an IL-leading 0.75 earned-run average and 23 strikeouts to eight walks through four starts (24 innings) this season.

MINOR MATTERS

How impressive is the power potential of 2005 sandwich-pick Henry Sanchez? In his first at-bat for the Class A Beloit Snappers this month, the 19-year-old first baseman homered and then followed that up the next night with a walk-off homer. Those were his only home runs through the season's first two weeks.

Left-hander Dave Gassner, who is on the big-league disabled list (elbow) but expected to open at Class AAA Rochester, restarted a program in extended spring training to strengthen his arm after a minor setback last week. He still has not thrown from a mound since being shut down over the final weeks of spring training with soreness in the elbow. Surgery does not appear to be an option for the Hortonville, Wis., native.