It's now or never for '97 class

Twins' top draft picks from that year all have something to prove this spring

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

FORT MYERS, FLA. — The Twins struck first-round gold in the 1993 draft with Torii Hunter and in 2001 with Joe Mauer.

But in between, well, there wasn't much that glittered at all.

They couldn't sign two of their first-round picks in that stretch. Two more made it to the big leagues but were branded as flawed and dumped in trades. And then came the draft-bust trifecta of Ryan Mills, B.J. Garbe and Adam Johnson from 1998 to 2000.

In all the debris of the Twins' first-round drafting between Hunter and Mauer, only one year has produced any lasting value to the organization.

And that 1997 class officially opened spring training Saturday intent on redeeming the Twins' dead-ball draft era.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to represent," said Michael Cuddyer, the ninth overall pick of the 1997 draft and starting third baseman in the wake of Corey Koskie's free agency departure to Toronto.

But there's more at stake than representing. Eight years after he was drafted and two years after he was unable to hold onto his first starting job in the big leagues, Cuddyer is trying to prove he'll be a capable everyday player in the majors.

And catcher-first baseman Matt LeCroy, the Twins' supplemental pick in the first round in '97, is back in camp trying to prepare for a new role that includes pinch hitting and hoping to get another chance at serious playing time before his chances run out.

Add that year's second-round pick, outfielder Michael Restovich, to the mix, and this might be the most important spring yet for the top of the Twins' 1997 draft class — with Restovich facing the most urgency because he's out of contract options. That means the Twins can't send him to the minors, so if he doesn't make the team, he's gone.

"They've all been pretty important for us in recent years," Cuddyer said, "but this year definitely stands out. … All three of us have the makeup and character to get through this spring shining no matter what happens."

That both Cuddyer and LeCroy have made it this far together already makes them oddities among Twins first-rounders in their era. Including supplemental first-round picks, the Twins selected nine players in the first rounds between Hunter (No. 20 in '93) and Mauer (No. 1 overall in '01), and only those two remain in the organization.

Supplemental pick Jason Varitek in 1993 and second-overall pick Travis Lee in 1996 wouldn't sign with the Twins. The first-round picks from 1994 (Todd Walker) and 1995 (Mark Redman) both made it to the big leagues in prominent roles for bad teams early in their careers, then quickly fell out of favor and were traded for minor leaguer Todd Sears and rent-a-pitcher Todd Jones, respectively — neither of whom remains with the Twins.

And then came Mills, Garbe and Johnson.

"I think we do take some pride in the fact that not too many of the high picks have been successful here and three of them from our year have done pretty well," Restovich said, "and I think we're happy to be part of that group."

That's not to say the Twins have drafted poorly throughout all those drafts. In fact, they've been particularly successful in getting quality from the later rounds, such as Brad Radke in the eighth round (1991), Eddie Guardado in the 21st (1990), J.C. Romero in the 21st (1997) and Corey Koskie in the 26th (1994).

They even drafted infielder Nick Punto in the 33rd round in 1997 — a year before the Philadelphia Phillies drafted him in the 21st round and six years before the Phillies traded him to the Twins.

"I don't have to hide behind a rock on the draft," said Twins general manager Terry Ryan, the former player personnel director for the Twins (overseeing the draft). "I always look at it like a whole. If you have success in the major leagues, nobody cares how you got there."

How much big-league success comes to the top of the Twins' 1997 draft class is a story about to unfold over the next five weeks — if not eight months.

"We all know it's a big year for each of us," Restovich said. "If this story has a good ending for us, the final chapter is all of us getting on a plane April 3 or 4 and going to Minneapolis in position to play, with Cuddy starting at third base, LeCroy getting the opportunities he can and me being there.

"We've got a month to see how that works out."