Speed on record pace

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

If you think the Twins have a lot of 'piranhas' on the their big-league roster now, keep an eye on some players at Class AA New Britain and advanced-A Fort Myers coming through the system over the next couple of years.

But don't blink or you might miss them. That's the kind of speed the Twins have in the organization — in large part because of two trades the Twins made in the past nine months to dump major leaguers.

Infielder Alexi Casilla and outfielder Brandon Roberts, Class A players acquired for pitcher J.C. Romero and shortstop Juan Castro, respectively, both have more stolen bases this season, with a week left to play, than the Twins have had from a minor leaguer since 1998.

Through Thursday, Casilla had 49 steals, including 18 in 19 attempts since his promotion to AA New Britain. Roberts had 48, with 25 coming since his trade from Cincinnati in June.

Class A outfielder Tarrence Patterson has another 33 (albeit, getting caught about a third of the time), which would have led the Twins' system each of the past two years.

If Casilla and Roberts 52 this season, they would have more steals than any Twins minor leaguer except Anthony Felston since the Twins began a "men of steal" honor each year for the player with the highest total. Felston led all of the minors with 88 in 1998.

FIRST WATCH

Left-hander Glen Perkins, the 2004 first-rounder out of the University of Minnesota, credits conversations he had with minor league pitching instructor Rick Knapp recently for a dramatic turnaround in a dominating start Monday against San Francisco affiliate Connecticut.

Perkins (3-11, 4.01 earned-run average) stuck out 10, walked one and allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings for Class AA New Britain in beating Connecticut 1-0 to snap a six-decision losing streak and earn his first victory since June 4.

MINOR MATTER

Not only did Josh Rabe stay focused enough after this past week's demotion to Class AAA to go 3 for 4 with a homer and four runs batted in in his first game back in the minors, he got there in time to join Rochester for Saturday's minor league doubleheader at Fenway Park in Boston. The Red Wings played the twinbill against Red Sox affiliate Pawtucket.