Twins: New faces try to find their way

BLOGGING IN FLORIDA

Star Tribune writers Joe Christensen and La Velle E. Neal III will be blogging all through Twins spring training. Go to startribune.com/twins.

FORT MYERS, FLA. - After watching his pitchers finish their running drills Monday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire pulled aside the team's newest member, Livan Hernandez, for a little talk.

There were two problems: Hernandez was wearing earrings, and the 12-year major league veteran hadn't kept up with the other pitchers in the drills.

"He had a couple of really big [diamond] earrings, and we talked about that," Gardenhire said. "We don't wear bling-blings out on the field."

As for the running, Gardenhire said: "He's excited to be here. We're going to have to mold him into our kind of guy. He's been doing things a long time in this game. First I want to see him out on the field, and then we slowly talk to him about the way we do things."

Yes, it was a day for first impressions, as the Twins held their first pitchers and catchers workout of spring training.

Gone are Johan Santana, Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva, whose new deals -- with the Mets, Angels and Mariners, respectively -- are worth $275 million combined.

The Twins are a much younger and quieter team without them, but Gardenhire and his staff had plenty to capture their interest on Day 1, just studying the newcomers.

Finally, they could start putting some faces to names such as Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra -- the four players obtained from the Mets for Santana.

All four are in big league camp. Humber even has Santana's old locker.

"I hope it has some good karma," Humber said, "And maybe some notes about the changeup, things like that."

Humber, 25, was the Mets' first-round draft pick in 2004 (No. 3 overall) and had Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in 2005.

"I don't even think about [the surgery] any more," Humber said. "Last year, you're still getting a feel for your pitches. Now I feel like I'm way past it."

Twins catcher Drew Butera is familiar with Humber and all the former Mets prospects, having been one himself before coming over last July in the Luis Castillo trade.

On Humber, Butera said: "I've only caught him in the bullpen. I know he has really good stuff. He throws everything hard."

Mulvey, 22, is more of a finesse pitcher with better control.

"He has four pitches, sometimes five," Butera said. "He never looks flustered. He's always in command. When he was on the mound [at Class AA Binghamton], we knew we had a really good chance to win."

Then there's Guerra, whose new uniform number (89) matches his birth year. He won't turn 19 until April, and he's already an imposing figure at 6-5 and 200 pounds.

Guerra's fastball can reach 95 miles per hour, but Butera is most impressed with his changeup.

"He has such control of it," Butera said. "He can throw it in any count for a strike. He'll throw it to righties and lefties.

"He's working on his curve ball. When he has all three pitches working, he's pretty tough."

Guerra likely will open the season at Class A Fort Myers or Class AA New Britain. Mulvey likely will start at New Britain or Class AAA Rochester.

Of the three, Humber has the best chance at making the Opening Day roster.

Gomez also is on the bubble, but he is eager to impress. Reporting day for position players isn't until Saturday, but Gomez arrived Monday, lining one pitch over the fence during batting practice.

Gomez, 22, will spend camp competing with Denard Span and Jason Pridie for the starting center field job.

"I don't like to have expectations on paper," Gomez said. "I don't like to say Carlos Gomez -- center field, Twins. I come in here and try to open the eyes of everybody."

As for Hernandez, past teammates always have said he marches to the beat of his own drum. Yet somehow he has pitched at least 1992/3 innings each of the past 10 years.

Hernandez, who turns 33 Wednesday, said he actually hopes to pitch until age 40.

"I talked to him and he said all the right things," Gardenhire said. "He's excited. He's heard a lot of good things. I think he and [former Twins second baseman] Luis Castillo were good friends, and I think Luis having nothing but good things to say about this place helps."

Today, these newcomers can make a second impression -- without the bling.