Five players to watch

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

Jim Rantz, 69, has been a part of the Minnesota Twins since the team’s inaugural season in 1961. He serves as the organization’s director of minor league operations.

A former pitcher, Rantz spent five years as a player and manager before moving into the front office after the 1965 season.

Rantz gave news-press.com his take on five promising players who will start this season with the Fort Myers Miracle. Most of these players logged time last season for low-Class A Beloit, in Wisconsin. They were due a promotion.

RHP Kyle Waldrop

A first-round draft pick (25th overall) in 2004, Waldrop went 3-2, with a 3.57 ERA, in seven starts for the Miracle at the end of last season. He was the opening day starter on Thursday when the Miracle played at Sarasota.

“He’s done well,” Rantz said. “There’s certain players that you put on clubs who can compete at that level. This guy is a starter. He’s just 21 years old. We want to keep certain guys in the rotation, and he’s one of them.”

1B Whit Robbins

A fourth-round draft pick last year out of Georgia Tech, Robbins ranked third on the Yellow Jackets in batting average (.352), hits (87), runs (71), home runs (13) and RBI (67).

“He probably was one of the top hitters in spring training,” Rantz said. “He can play first base and he can play third base. He came from a good program and good competition. He should be go to go.”

1B/OF Erik Lis

Lis, a ninth-round draft pick in 2005 out of Evansville (Ind.) University, hit .326 last summer in Beloit, winning the Midwest League batting title.

“He’s going through a bit of a transition,” Rantz said.

With Justin Morneau entrenched at first base in the major leagues, the Twins’ first-base prospects have been learning other positions. Lis will learn the outfield.

“He’s a good offensive player who can hit. He’s a guy who’s going to hit for power, too,” Rantz said.

RHP Oswaldo Sosa

Sosa comes from an out-of-the-way town in Venezuela, where soccer is more popular than baseball. But that didn’t stop another Tovar Merida native from making it big. Johan Santana, a neighbor of Sosa’s, has won two Cy Young awards. Sosa went 4-1, with a 2.08 ERA, last season with the Miracle.

“We hope so,” Rantz said of Sosa performing like Santana. “That would be fine with us. He was over there in big-league camp this year, his first year on the roster. He did all right.”

RHP Jay Rainville

Rainville missed all of last season because of a right-shoulder nerve injury. The second-round draft pick in 2004 out of Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I., posted a 4-3 record and 2.67 ERA for the Miracle at the end of the 2005 season.

“He’s one of your starters,” Rantz said. “The good thing is, the shoulder that was giving him trouble, he had surgery and he’s better. He got back to pitching in instructional league. His velocity is still improving.

We’re hoping that when we get into it, he’ll get back in to the 90s. He’s throwing 88 to 89 (mph).”