Computer software arrived in Danny Valencia's clubhouse stall one day during spring training. The young Twins third baseman looked at the small packages and shook his head.
"I bought all the wrong stuff," he said.
It's no longer just about having the right bat manufactured or knowing which cleats are most comfortable. Players make sure their computers are equipped to play archived video of their at-bats.
With a lot of help from Sean Harlin.
This spring, Valencia has been working with Harlin, the Twins manager of major league video, to add software to his computer so he can prepare for games.
"We're going to get something together to where I can look at all my at-bats from last year," Valencia said. "What could be better than to analyze and break down your swing when you are going good?"
Valencia is among the many Twins players and coaches looking ahead to the regular season, when they can walk into Harlin's office at Target Field.
Target Field drew raves last season for its design details. That was also true behind the scenes, where players go to Harlin's office -- which houses about $200,000 in technology -- to help them figure out ways to get better.
Harlin, the team's former director of baseball communications before moving to managing video, is starting his 20th year with the Twins but has not watched a live game since 2005 because of his video duties.
While the games are played, Harlin, 45, is in his office, monitoring games, fielding requests to pull up certain games and loading hard drives of information for players and coaches. For example, Harlin has put every at-bat of Justin Morneau's career on a hard drive for him to plug into his computer and access at any time.
"He makes me a little hard drive I have of every pitcher that is pitching in a series," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I watch it on the road."
As the season progresses, Harlin provides players with copies of games that upcoming opponents are playing. In addition to looking at reports on opponents, Twins players can watch footage and develop their own strategy. He can't pack up his office for road trips but does travel with a scaled-down version of the office that's assembled in a large trunk. During road trips, Twins players are seen at the trunk, breaking down video.
"This is one of the biggest changes in baseball," Harlin said. "I've been with the Twins since 1992. If you're not doing video at this level, you are at a disadvantage, because everyone is doing it.
"Some [Twins] use it a lot. Some use it a little. But everyone is using it to a certain degree."
Valencia said minor leaguers were on their own as far as preparing for certain pitchers. In 2009, he would ask teammate Justin Huber, who kept a book on pitchers, for tips.
"If you didn't see the pitcher before or if you didn't face the pitcher before, then there's nothing on him," Valencia said. "Now in the big leagues, where you have video on them and you got charts on them, it isn't even close."
Twins players hang a right as they leave the main entrance of their clubhouse, then take a quick left to get to Harlin's office, which is 430 square feet and includes four floor-to-ceiling towers that hold monitors, satellite TV receivers, recording equipment and docking stations -- all the tools the Twins need for their study sessions.
"The new video system we have is awesome," pitching coach Rick Anderson said.
Harlin's office has the look of a study room. His desk, computers, printers and monitors are on one end of the room.
Along one wall are four viewing stations -- computer monitors and mouse pads on tables that are used to work with video of Twins players and opponents. Special software organizes the games and situations they want to pull up.
Harlin, using cameras that are installed around Target Field, provides different angles for players to look at. Hitters can look at replays of their at-bats from the standard center field camera view, an overhead view or a side view. A click of the mouse can put all three angles on the screen at once, all able to move simultaneously, and as slow as the player wants to watch it.
Anderson will bring his pitchers in to examine their mechanics. Hitting coach Joe Vavra does the same thing with position players. Both will look at footage and help their pupils come up with a game plan.
"Before the pitcher goes into a start they have a chance to watch themselves against hitters as many times as they want," Anderson said. "That's a cool way to prepare. It refreshes them about what they did against them before. Themselves or somebody else.
"If we are playing the Yankees, they can see Derek Jeter's recent at-bats, as many as they want to see. You get the visual of what he's doing, what pitches are getting him out, what pitches he's hitting. You devise a game plan."
A sofa is across from the viewing stations, facing the other wall, which has more television screens. Players can keep up with any game going on in the league. Hitters can come in during the game and focus on opposing pitchers' arm angles. They can watch who's warming up in the bullpen to see if there's anything they can pick up that will help them.
Harlin can zoom in or out and rotate cameras at Target Field to record pregame workouts that coaches could use as study-aids.
For someone who misses all the action on the field, Harlin has quite an impact on how the Twins prepare for games.
"I don't know if it is warm or hot outside," Harlin said. "You miss a lot of nuances in the games, being in here."
Then again, he finds a lot of nuances as well.
