Ponson mourns ex-teammate

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: May 2, 2007 - 11:22 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - The recent death of St. Louis Cardinals reliever Josh Hancock hit home this week with Twins pitcher Sidney Ponson.

Ponson was Hancock's teammate for half a season last year in St. Louis. As speculation mounted Wednesday that Hancock was drinking before his car crashed into a tow truck, Ponson viewed the story as someone who has been through three drunken-driving arrests.

In August 2005, Ponson checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation clinic. He said he hasn't driven drunk since then.

Of Hancock, Ponson said, "We went out a couple of times. On team flights, we'd play cards."

Asked if he sensed Hancock had a drinking problem, Ponson said, "Last year, he didn't show he was struggling."

Ponson also was teammates with Steve Bechler, who died of heat stroke after ingesting the stimulant ephedrine in February 2003. Bechler, in fact, collapsed in Ponson's arms during a running drill before being carted off the field.

"It's hard when any team has to go through something like that," Ponson said.

Cuddyer scratched

Michael Cuddyer was scratched from the lineup because of a bruised back, suffered when he did a somersault after stumbling between second and third base Tuesday.

Cuddyer had played in 135 consecutive games. The last time he sat was May 31, 2006.

This time, he came to the ballpark thinking he could play, but the back felt worse during batting practice, so Twins manager Ron Gardenhire pulled him.

Justin Morneau is the only Twin to start all 27 games this season.

"Mornie likes to play," Gardenhire said. "He doesn't even like to come out of long games, when I ask him. Cuddy's been the same way. They want to be out there. That's good. I told them both when that when they start feeling it, and they get a little arm-weary, you have to let me know that, too, so we can protect them."

Kane County special

The Twins have a nickname for those chop hits off home plate that Luis Castillo has made into a speciality: Kane County.

That is the Class A Midwest League stop where Castillo and Mike Redmond played during their minor league careers with the Florida Marlins.

"I always remind him of Kane County," Redmond said. "To me that means watching him get two choppers off the plate, or three hits and a lineout, and he's hot [with anger] because he didn't get four hits. That's typical Luis."

Etc.

• Matt Garza had nine strikeouts in six innings, earning the victory as Rochester, the Twins' Class AAA farm club, beat Columbus 7-2 Wednesday. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan was there to watch. Garza is 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA. He has allowed 26 hits and 11 walks in 25 innings pitched, but he also has 27 strikeouts.

• Lew Ford went 1-for-5 in that same game for Rochester and is batting .211 four games into his rehabilitation assignment. He is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. "He's a little behind, as expected," Gardenhire said. "It's like his spring training. He's got a little weight on him he's trying to shed. ... We'll see where he's at after 10 games or so and go from there. We could leave him there for 20 days. It's all depending on how he does."

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com