Gardenhire enjoying Gomez, Young

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: March 1, 2008 - 11:29 PM

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Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young weren't even born in 1985, when Twins manager Ron Gardenhire played his last major league game.

Both players, filled with raw talent, turned 22 this past fall. So far in spring training, Gardenhire has enjoyed watching them play.

This new dynamic was on display in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox, as Gardenhire's top of the order went Gomez, Joe Mauer and Young.

Gomez led off the first inning with a single against Red Sox starter Jon Lester and stole second on the next pitch.

In his next two plate appearances, Gomez came up with runners on base and took some tenacious swings that left Gardenhire chuckling. "I really think he swung so hard that the bat broke before the ball got there," Gardenhire said. "... He's a little bit of a free spirit."

Gardenhire met with Gomez on Saturday and encouraged him to keep being aggressive. "He took it to heart," Gardenhire said. "He looks at me and says, 'Boy, I like this guy.'

"He was hacking; nothing wrong with that. I like the way he plays. He's pretty fast, and he can be pretty exciting."

Young swung at more pitches last year (1,484) than any player in baseball. But he took the first six pitches he saw for balls Saturday, drawing a first-inning walk that loaded the bases, and then ripped a run-scoring single in the second inning.

Instead of pleading for more patience, as Young's former team did in Tampa Bay, the Twins have asked him to stay aggressive.

"All the on-base percentage [stats] and all those things -- he's dangerous when he lets that thing fly and gets fastballs," Gardenhire said. "We're going to want him to swing this year more than taking a lot of pitches and watching them go by.

"And I think he'll be more than willing to let them fly."

Monroe strains calf

Craig Monroe has a strained calf muscle, which could keep him out a couple more days, Gardenhire said.

Monroe hasn't played since Thursday, when he went 1-for-3 against Cincinnati. "He wants to get out there pretty quick," Gardenhire said.

Etc.

• Francisco Liriano will pitch live batting practice today in a key test for his surgically repaired left elbow. If all goes well, Liriano's work could come in a game.

• Randy Keisler didn't give up a run last spring in eight innings for the Cardinals. The Twins let him start Saturday, and he gave up three runs in 1 1/3 innings.

• Brian Duensing took a ball off his left ankle before leaving in the sixth but later said it felt fine.

• The sign Joe Nathan posted above his locker to minimize questions about his contract wasn't there Saturday. The sign says, "Nothing yet, thank you." So was something up? "No," Nathan said. "I think it fell down."

Upcoming

Livan Hernandez will make his spring debut today, as the Twins play their third in a row against the Red Sox. Tim Wakefield pitches for Boston.

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