David Ortiz can't figure the logic in moving Miguel Sano to the outfield

FORT MYERS, FLA. – The Twins announced the signing of Byung Ho Park from the Korean Baseball Organization on Dec. 2. General Manager Terry Ryan also confirmed on that Wednesday the Twins' plan was to have Park serve as the designated hitter and to move 22-year-old Miguel Sano to right field.

There was sizable skepticism over this because of Sano's size. At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Sano would be the biggest man to play regularly in the outfield since Frank Howard played 100 games there for the Washington Senators in 1970.

Howard had been listed as 6-foot-8 and 275 pounds as an All-America basketball player for Ohio State in 1957.

I happened to mention Howard to Twins pitcher Phil Hughes in the clubhouse and he repeated a legend of Big Frank that he would hear in Yankees spring training from Reggie Jackson.

"Reggie would tell us about the day a shortstop leaped and just missed a Howard line drive, and the ball was hit so hard it stayed on that line and went out of the ballpark,'' Hughes said. "Reggie said that Howard hit the ball harder than anyone.''

Luis Tiant certainly agreed with that. Howard had a tendency to hit screamers through the box.

Howard must have done that to Tiant a couple of times, because El Tiante would hold the ball in the stretch when Big Frank was at the plate … hold it in the hope that Howard would somehow disappear.

One historical point:

The designated hitter still was three years from introduction to the American League when Howard played his last season as a corner outfielder for the Senators.

Until the DH, it was fairly well accepted that a team would put up with at least one klutz in a corner outfield spot to get his strong bat in the lineup.

First base and left field … those were the hiding spots.

Harmon Killebrew was the Twins' left fielder for three seasons (1962-64). He was out there with instructions not to run into a fence and to be extremely selective in diving for a ball.

Josh Willingham hit 35 home runs and drove in 110 runs for the 2012 Twins, and people spent more time whining about his fielding deficiencies than saluting his power display.

Much more is expected of corner outfielders today than when Howard and Killebrew were getting by in days of yore. I was trying to maintain a "we'll see'' approach to the Sano move until earlier this week, when there was a conversation with David Ortiz at the Red Sox camp.

Big Papi is a thoughtful baseball man, and here were his insights on the Sano situation:

"Moving Sano to the outfield … he's a big kid. An outfielder shouldn't be more than 220, 225. The outfield is not for big guys.

"When a big guy dives for a ball, the whole stadium shakes. Every time a big guy is running and then dives in the outfield, he's going to feel that for a long time.

"I saw it with Hanley [Ramirez] last year. He's more athletic than Sano, and Hanley in left field … it was a disaster.

"There is much more running in the outfield than in the infield. Even when the center fielder catches the ball, you're backing it up, you're backing up throws to the infield … running all the time.

"A big guy's legs take a pounding when he runs. Our pitchers were giving up five runs in two innings, and Hanley's legs would be tired by his second or third at-bat.

"Sano's the power hitter the Twins have been waiting for a long time, and by the middle of the game, his legs are going to be gone.

"I know this. You know how? I saw it. I saw it with Hanley.''

"When do we come to Minnesota? It's in the summer [June], right. You're going to remember what I'm telling you and say, 'Big Papi was right.' ''

All together now, Twins fans: "Gulp.''