Update: Manager Ron Gardenhire gave Valencia a vote of confidence as the starting third baseman despite a 0-for-21 slump that's seen his batting average fall to .198, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Valencia went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's loss to the Angels

Recommendation: With Jamey Carroll moving to a utility role with Brian Dozier promoted from Triple-A there was some thought that Carroll could get starts at third base or take over the job. However, that doesn't appear to be the plan in the near term.


(rotowire.com)

Twins optioned INF Danny Valencia to Triple-A Rochester. Valencia opened the season as the Twins' starting third baseman but batted just .190 with 23 strikeouts and two walks in 103 plate appearances.



(fantasysp.com)

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire doesn't have any plans to bench the struggling Danny Valencia.

"I've given Danny a couple days," Gardenhire said. "He's good to go. Danny's ready to play. I don't think he needs a day to relax. I know he's pressing a little bit, trying to get hits like everybody else in our lineup. But a good two-hit day would probably make him feel pretty good about himself." Gardy would probably be warm to the idea of putting Valencia on the bench if he had better options, but, unfortunately, he doesn't, so he'll let him try to hit his way out of a slump. Valencia is hitless in May and sports a hideous .207/.221/.315 batting line for the year.


(rotoworld.com)

ANAHEIM -- Danny Valencia was held out of Twins' starting lineup on Wednesday because of a stiff back, giving Trevor Plouffe his first Major League appearance at third base.

Valencia started feeling the stiffness during Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Angels and was held out of action for precautionary reasons. Valencia actually wanted to stay in the lineup, as he's 3-for-12 with two homers off Angels ace and Tuesday starter Jered Weaver in his career.

"Danny's definitely available for the game if I need him," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We gave him some Weaveritis medicine and he should be fine. But he did make it known that he has two home runs off him. Nah, he's got a stiff back. He was hurting last night during the game."

Plouffe, meanwhile, has played 76 games at third base in the Minors, and said he's comfortable playing there despite not having any Major League experience.

"I've played more games there than I have than the outfield," Plouffe said. "You've got to catch the ball and throw it to first base. I worked there yesterday and I've been getting ready for it. I feel like I'm prepared. I know the bunt plays. It's my job to play anywhere so I'm ready."

Plouffe said his experience as a shortstop makes the transition easier, as the throw across the diamond is about the same.

"The left side of the infield is similar," Plouffe said. "When you move over to the other side, it's a little different. So third base is kind of the same throw. It's just different assignments like with bunts and cutoffs. But it's my job to feel like I can play anywhere."


(mlb.com)

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - Danny Valencia has become a fixture in the Minnesota Twins lineup, playing every day at third base.  

He's looking to build on the 15 home runs he hit last season.  "Just pretty much trying to use the whole field.  I feel I'm doing my best, and I'm being most successful, when I'm using right field, and I don't want to get away from that," Valencia told ESPN 760's Joe Girvan.  

Growing up in Boca Raton, the former University of Miami standout developed the power to leave any ballpark.  He's also trying to get better in the field.  

"I've been working hard on my defense.  I'm happy, you know, I feel like I've been making some good strides.  I feel pretty good out there," Valencia said.  

Improvements aside, the 27-year-old says he's not really big on personal goals.  "I feel if the team has a lot of success, and we win, you know, and we get back to the playoffs, I feel individual success will have to be there so, you know, obviously it's cliché to say it, but the team goals are more important than my individual ones."  

Long before he made the big leagues, Valencia was a star at Spanish River High School and he's still giving back to the Sharks.  

Said Spanish River baseball head coach Bill Harvey, "He's been really nice to us here at Spanish River -- helped us out as far as equipment goes.  Bought our baseball hats for us this year, so we're styling some New Era Major League caps this year, so we're certainly looking good.  So, we appreciate all that Danny does for us."  

Sharks shortstop Cody Meyer is also appreciative.  "It means a lot 'cause, I mean, we've had guys that we've know go up to the pros, and you see 'em.  They don't give back to the community, and it just means a lot to see someone that actually thinks about us -- the little guys down here."


(wptv.com)

Danny Valencia belted his first homer of the season in Monday's loss to the Red Sox.

It was a two-run shot in the fourth inning that tied up the game at the time. Valencia hasn't bounced back from last year's disappointing showing yet, as he's hitting just .220 thus far with only five extra-base hits. He's not much of a mixed league option.


(rotoworld.com)

FORT MYERS, FLA. - Mindy Valencia has tried to gauge her son's standing in the Twins clubhouse the past two years from words spoken and unspoken by manager Ron Gardenhire.

Naturally, she's biased.

Danny Valencia, in her words, is "a really, really good kid. He works hard. He doesn't drink. He doesn't do drugs. He's the most kind, when it comes to the fans."

But after a promising 2010 rookie season, Valencia's performance sagged last year with the rest of the team. There were suggestions the third baseman had grown complacent, and his University of Miami swagger was wearing thin, especially on Gardenhire.

"I'd like to think it's tough love, that Gardenhire thinks he's got the ability to do better," Mindy said. "Do I know? I don't know. But it's a man's world. And in my opinion, men pretty much care about how you perform between the lines."

Valencia's OPS (on-base-plus slugging percentage) was .677 last year, down from .799 as a rookie. Gardenhire sensed he lacked focus defensively, at times, because he was thinking about his at-bats. Valencia committed 18 errors, the most for a Twins third baseman since Gary Gaetti made 18 in 1990.

But on an injury-laden team, Valencia led all Twins in games played (154) and RBI (72). By September, he started regaining his manager's praise.
"Danny made a lot of improvement toward the end of last year," Gardenhire said. "I thought he was handling himself a lot better. He wasn't out there, trying to be in Danny World. He was fitting in really nicely."

Valencia, 27, put himself through a grueling offseason workout routine and arrived at spring training looking stronger and leaner. He worked especially hard on his defense, which seems to have him on the same page as Gardenhire. Only last Saturday, for example, the two spent several moments near Valencia's locker, talking defense.

"Honestly, our relationship's great," Valencia said. "It's not like it's hostile ground. He's the manager; if it wasn't good, I wouldn't be here. Gardy does a good job of managing personalities. He knows how to push guys, and I guess I'm a guy that he feels he needs to push and challenge all the time.

"That works. I like that."

Valencia's outgoing personality has long invited scrutiny.

"He likes attention," Mindy said. "And I think that most people around here [in Boca Raton, Fla.] understand that. Then there are other people who are more conservative and just don't quite get him."

As a rookie, Valencia led the Twins in Kangaroo Court fines, saying he practically financed the team party by himself. His fashion sense is Miami chic. Last week, after a game in Bradenton, Fla., he wore a pair of royal blue pants that were so bright, he said he had to plug them in.

Valencia has a black T-shirt that says "The 'U' invented swagger." That's 'U' as in University of Miami. But his own journey to and from the Hurricanes baseball program is a fairly humble story.

"As much as we get on Danny, he's a dedicated guy with a lot of desire," said Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president of player personnel. "He was not a high-profile, big-time recruit. He deserves credit to get where he's at."

Valencia's parents, Mindy and Michael, met in Chicago when they were both working as accountants for Arthur Andersen. They settled in Boca Raton and raised two children. Valencia's sister, Laura, works in New York for baseball agent Peter Greenberg.

The family always loved baseball. Mindy remembers taking Danny to countless Miami games when he was a kid.

Valencia was a four-year starter at shortstop for Spanish River High School. He was a second-team all-state selection twice but went undrafted out of high school and barely got a look from the state's three biggest college baseball programs -- Miami, Florida and Florida State.

"There weren't many scouts coming to Boca Raton," Mindy said. "They're in Miami, but they're not in Boca."

Valencia went to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where he was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. When he transferred to Miami, most of the team's scholarship money was taken, so the school covered his books, and he paid the rest with a $30,000 student loan.

As a sophomore, Valencia moved to first base because Miami had a pretty good third baseman named Ryan Braun. As a junior, Valencia batted .324 with nine homers and 61 RBI. But on the first day of the 2006 draft, 18 rounds passed, and Valencia was still on the board.

"You can't imagine the pain of it," Mindy said.

The Twins took Valencia the next day, in the 19th round, with the 576th overall pick, and signed him for $75,000. He rose through their system gradually, stopping at most levels twice, despite never batting below .284.

"I had to play with a chip on my shoulder," he said. "I rubbed a lot of people the wrong way early on because I felt I was always being overlooked. And when you're a 19th-round draft pick, you're one bad year from being released."

After finally reaching the majors in June 2010, Valencia was a revelation for a playoff team, batting .311 with seven homers and 40 RBI in 85 games. Gardenhire often complimented Valencia's defense, as the rookie committed only six errors at the hot corner.

When things went south last year, Valencia didn't mope or pout. In fact, he baffled teammates when he told the Star Tribune, "If this is a bad year, I'm going to have a really bright future."

Maybe he was trying to convince himself.

"This game is so mental," he said last weekend. "I've seen great players get down on themselves to the point where they ruin their careers. No matter how bad you're doing, you've gotta treat yourself with a belief that you can dominate."

Valencia said his defense always will be a work in progress, but he's determined to improve his first-step quickness.

"He wants to be one of the better third basemen," Mindy said. "He doesn't like to be considered a defensive liability."

Offensively, Valencia hopes to use the opposite field more this year. Last year, he tried pulling too many pitches in a quest for home runs, and it backfired. He hit 15 homers but his average fell to .246.

For what it's worth, he's been better this spring. Through Tuesday, he was batting .293 with four homers and an .845 OPS.

Still, Valencia is far from satisfied. He's engaged to marry his high school sweetheart this fall and knows this is a pivotal year in his Twins career.

"I've always been a guy who didn't get in trouble," Valencia said. "I'm not by any means a partier. It's not like I've never had a drink before, but it's just not something for me.

"I'd rather eat healthy and drink water and feel good every single day because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don't want to look back 10 years later and say I wish I would have done something different."


(startribune.com)

Danny Valencia went 3-for-4 and homered Monday as the Twins and Rays played to a 6-6 tie.

Valencia wasn't an asset as the Twins' third baseman last year, so he has something to prove entering 2012. He's hit .282 with four homers this spring, which qualifies as a decent start. He actually showed more pop than expected last year, finishing with 15 homers, but his .246 average and .294 OBP weren't at all satisfactory. We're guessing an average closer to .270-.280 is in store for this season.


(rotoworld.com)

PROJECTED STARTER
Danny Valencia, .246 BA, 15 HRs, 72 RBIs in 2011

After an impressive rookie campaign in which Valencia batted .311 with 40 RBIs in 85 games in 2010, his offensive numbers regressed last season. His batting average dropped nearly 70 points, and his on-base percentage fell more than 50 points from the previous year. Still, some of Valencia's offensive numbers in 2011 were impressive.

His 15 homers were second on the Twins, behind only Michael Cuddyer's 20. Valencia's 154 games played led an injury-plagued Minnesota team. He was one of just a few every-day position players to avoid the disabled list last season, something Valencia took pride in.

Offensively, Valencia has been working on driving the ball to the opposite field. According to baseball-reference.com, just 12 of Valencia's 139 hits in 2011 were to the opposite field. Fifty of his hits were pulled to left, while 77 were up the middle.

"Danny has been working at it. He's been on the extra field taking extra swings, doing things in the cages," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "He's told himself he's going to use the whole field and drive the ball. When he starts looking around and tries to hit the ball where they ain't is when he starts to get in trouble. But when he gets the barrel out on the ball he can drive it with anybody."

So far this spring, Valencia has a team-high three home runs through Wednesday, along with seven RBIs in 13 games. He's batting .308 (12-for-39) and slugging .615. He has also improved his ability to hit to the opposite field.

"It makes it all the more worthwhile, that's for sure," Valencia said of his success driving the ball this spring. "It makes you feel like you're not out there taking 100 swings and getting blisters all over your hands for nothing. It's not so much the results I'm looking for, but the comfort in the batter's box and the feeling of my swing being short and direct to the ball."


(foxsportsouth.com)

JUPITER, FLA. — Twins third baseman Danny Valencia, born and raised in Miami and a former University of Miami player, announced his return to the area with authority Saturday, clubbing a home run to left field on the first pitch he saw from righthander Ricky Nolasco in the first inning.

Valencia was 2-for-3 on the day as the Twins railed to beat the renamed Miami Marlins 5-2. He was solid in the field -- except for a grounder in the fifth he could have handled more cleanly. Instead, it made his throw to first a hair late, allowing Omar Infante to reach base.

The inning was extended, and Marlins star Hanley Ramirez -- the shortstop-turned-third baseman who is batting .474 this spring -- followed with a two-run homer off Carl Pavano.

Acting Twins manager Scott Ullger said Valencia could have taken a better angle to the ball to make things easier for him.

"He realized it,'' Ullger said.

Valencia leads the Twins in home runs (three), RBI (seven) and total bases (19) this spring. He led an injury-plagued Twins team last season with 15 home runs and 72 RBI and looks ready to build off that.

"He looks really in command at the plate," Pavano said.


(startribune.com)

Danny Valencia may smile more per minute than any other player in the Minnesota Twins’ clubhouse, like a kid living the dream of being a pro baseball player.

Last year, those smiles were fewer and farther between.

“This game is very humbling,” Valencia said. “It’s a tough game, it’s a hard game. It’s a game of adjustments.”

Valencia has already had to make a few adjustments, starting last year with his expectations. The third baseman made a quick impression on the Twins in his major league debut in 2010, hitting .311 after getting called up and .394 with runners in scoring position, best in the American League. He finished third in voting for the AL Rookie of the Year honors.

But 2011 hit hard for the Twins as they dropped from AL Central champs to dead last with 99 losses. It hit similarly hard for their rising star at third base.

“Last year was tough because we got used to winning so much in 2010, and to come into 2011 and not play the way we need to play was definitely disappointing,” Valencia said. “It was definitely frustrating.”

Valencia experienced a similar dip from the year before, watching his batting average drop from .311 to .246 over his first whole season, adding 15 home runs and 72 RBI. His struggles carried over to defense, where he committed 18 errors.

It was disheartening for Valencia, and worrisome for a Twins organization hoping he could be the next big star to follow in former MVPs Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer’s footsteps.

“He’s got a lot of talent,” said Twins general manager Terry Ryan. “I think that’s the apparent visual of him. He can do everything most third basemen that make all-star teams can do. He can hit a long way, he can really throw, he’s a better runner than you’d think. He’s certainly athletic enough to play the position.”

But Valencia got frustrated with his inconsistent production and his team’s spiral downward, and the frustrations manifested on the field and in the clubhouse.

“Sometimes it was about taking your bat out to the field, or sometimes it was how you’d react to a bad call,” Ryan said. “Sometimes it was about what was written, and players, some react better than others. How you fit into a clubhouse and all that stuff. A couple of years ago, when he came up here, you didn’t hear much of that about him because we were winning a lot. Last year, some stuff might have come out because we weren’t winning.”

But Valencia is smiling again this spring, with the hopes of a breakout for himself and a return to glory for his team. Though the Twins have struggled at the plate, Valencia has shown some encouraging signs, knocking out home runs two home runs in the last four games to lead the team in the statistic this spring.

And Valencia is starting to show that enthusiasm again.

“I try to be in good spirits. I try to have fun,” Valencia said. “I’m getting paid to play a game. And this game’s predicated on failure, so to get the best out of all the failure and to deal with it throughout the season, you’ve got to loosen it up and have a little fun with it.”

He’s focusing now on improving every outing with the belief he can be the next homegrown star for the Twins.

“I think so,” Valencia said. “I feel that way. I have confidence in my abilities. But until then, I’m a role player. I’ll do my best to help my team, drive in runs, play good defense, and let our so-called ‘big boys’ do what they do.”


(news-press.com)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- After breaking out as a rookie in 2010, Twins third baseman Danny Valencia went through a sophomore slump of sorts last season.

There were some bright spots -- he hit 15 homers while leading the team in games played (154) and RBIs (72) -- but saw his batting line tumble from a .311 batting average/.351 on-base percentage/.448 slugging percentage to .246/.294/.383.

Valencia also had his fair share of struggles in the field, committing 18 errors and ranking in the bottom half among third basemen in advanced metrics such as Ultimate Zone Rating and the Fielding Bible's Plus/Minus System.

As a result, Valencia spent all offseason working hard on both his offense and his defense, and it's carried over into Spring Training.

Valencia has spent extra time on practice fields working on his swing with hitting coach Joe Vavra and Hall of Famer Rod Carew, while also taking his fair share of ground balls.

The results have been paying off, as Valencia is hitting .353 with two homers and five RBIs in six games while looking much more comfortable at third base.

"Danny has been working at it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's been on the extra field taking extra swings, doing things in the cages. He's told himself he's going to use the whole field and drive the ball. When he starts looking around and tries to hit the ball where they ain't, [that] is when he starts to get in trouble. But when he gets the barrel out on the ball, he can drive it with anybody."

Valencia said one thing he's been trying to get better at is driving the ball with power to right field, as he hit just .179 with three doubles and no homers on balls hit to the opposite field last year. This spring, he already has two doubles to right.

"I feel like I'm doing well and at my best when I'm using right field," Valencia said. "I'm a natural right-field hitter and it's something I've been my whole life. So it's something in Spring Training I've really emphasized."

But while Valencia is trying to improve his all-around approach with ability to use the whole field, he's also not shying away from turning on the ball, either.

Both of his homers this spring went to left field, and his raw power remains one of his best tools, as evidenced by his 15 homers last year and the shows he puts on during batting practice.

"We've been working on staying through the ball," Valencia said. "Working on driving the ball to the big part of the park and getting some good backspin on the ball. Trying to get it true with some good spin on it. I feel like I've gotten some good results with it, but obviously it's still just Spring Training, so it's a process. I've made some strides, but I'm not where I want to be yet."

Valencia is also working hard to improve his defense, as he had trouble ranging to his left year because of his tendency to stand straight up, which allowed balls to get under his glove. He also is trying to set his feet better on throws, as he made 10 throwing errors last season.

"I've worked a ton on my defense," Valencia said. "After last year, obviously, you can't be content with the way things went. I need to get better. My defense is going to be a work in progress forever. It's not just going to be, 'Oh, he's great.' It's something I'm going to have to work at."

Gardenhire has noticed a difference already this camp, and he praised Valencia for making the necessary changes.

"He's attacking the ball a lot lower," Gardenhire said. "His legs are underneath him a lot better. The big thing with us is not standing up and going after a ball. He's staying low now. He's using his legs a lot better. That will help his movement automatically, because he's going to be closer to the ground rather than standing straight up in the air and having to go back down."

So while Valencia has been impressive at camp, it's only been through six games and he needs to prove it over the course of the season.
The Twins remain hopeful that Valencia can be their third baseman of the future, but now it's up to him to prove it this year.

"Everybody wants Valencia to take the next step is what it comes down to," Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan said. "There's no reason he shouldn't be a guy who's a productive member of this organization. We've been looking for a guy to get over there who's got the prototypical third-base skills, and he has them. Now we've just got to get some consistency, is all."


(mlb.com)

Danny Valencia homered and doubled off Jo-Jo Reyes as the Twins beat the Pirates 4-2 on Saturday.

The Twins finally found a pitcher they could knock around a bit, scoring their four runs off Reyes in the fifth and sixth innings today. Valencia is 5-for-14 this spring. He'll be the Twins' everyday third baseman once again, but as much as his average fell off last year, his future as a long-term regular is in doubt.


(rotoworld.com)

FORT MYERS, Fla. - When Danny Valencia assesses his 2011 season, he reveals a perfect distillation of what makes him Danny Valencia.

"I'm better than that," he said.

While an acknowledgment of a sophomore slump, it's also a bold declaration of his strength and skill as a baseball player. It's part humility but mostly hubris - and all Danny Valencia.

Say what you will about the kid who played college ball and majored in confidence at Miami (Fla.), he has made himself a major league baseball player. Entering just his second full major league season, Valencia is hardly surrounded by predators ready to swoop in and take his job at spring training.

"There are plenty of people that could play third base," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "but not as good as Danny should be able to; that's the key."

The Twins brought in Sean Burroughs but mostly to fill in defensively and give the lineup some good at-bats. Luke Hughes has been a steady fielder and has shown some pop, but his batting average - .223 last season - hasn't inspired management to project him beyond a utility role. Valencia, on the other hand, has shown glimpses of major league longevity.

"He's got a lot of talent. I think that's the apparent visual of him," general manager Terry Ryan said. "He can do everything most third basemen that make all-star teams can do. He can hit it a long way, he can really throw and he's a better runner than you'd think."

As a rookie in 2010, he turned a June all-up into a full-time job by hitting .311 with 40 runs batted in in 85 games and fielding his position. He had a down year all around last season, earning public scrutiny from Gardenhire for his defensive shortcomings while watching his average (.246) and on-base percentage (.294) drop precipitously. Still, he led the Twins in games (154) and RBIs (72).

Valencia, 27, went home for the offseason knowing he can be better in 2012. Rather than work out in Miami with a group that included major leaguers such as Alex Rodriguez, he stayed home in Boca Raton and worked with a trainer.

The results are evident. Valencia is noticeably bigger, almost 220 pounds, yet still lean, and his defense already is receiving positive notices from the manager.

Last year, Valencia threw away a lot of at-bats - he walked only 40 times in 608 plate appearances - and became less steady at third; after six errors in 80 starts as a rookie, he was charged with 18 in 146 starts in 2011.

"I hold myself to high standards," he said. "Obviously, I feel a little disappointed with last year, mainly my on-base percentage - that really bothers me, looking back at it. It's really unacceptable. I've got to take my walks when I can and swing at better pitches and do a better job of controlling the strike zone."

Though he finished with a .246 batting average, he hit well in the clutch, .471 with the bases loaded (8 for 17) and .444 with runners on second and third (4 for 9).

"He should hit for a higher average, but I thought he was pretty good," Gardenhire said. "I don't have all the numbers to prove it, but as far as driving in big runs for us, he was one of our better ones last year. He came up with a lot of big hits for us that I remember. Those things stick in your mind."

They also help smooth over personality clashes. Notably confident - cocky, to some - Valencia has irritated a few teammates. As a rookie, he led the team in kangaroo court fines, joking last offseason that he financed the team party by himself. A common complaint was that he didn't know his place in the hierarchy of a major league clubhouse.

For that, he is unapologetic.

"I have a personality," Valencia said. "They can't take that away from me."

But he also had a tendency to take his at-bats onto the field, which is a nice way to say he cared more about hitting than defense, a no-no in Minnesota. Gardenhire, in fact, accused him of simply not paying attention at times at third base.

"Danny had things that he knew he needed to improve on, and as I told you at the end of last year, Danny made a lot of improvement toward the end of last year," Gardenhire said. "I thought he was handling himself a lot better; a lot of guys would make the same statement. He wasn't trying to be out there all the time; he wasn't trying to be in Danny World. He was fitting in really nicely. I thought he made a great effort toward the end of last year. He worked hard on his defense. He was working hard.

"Do we all have opportunities to be better people? Every one of us in here can all be better at something, and Danny's been working at it."

If Valencia has changed the way he behaves behind closed doors, it's not evident in public. He's still smiling and chatting with fans, teammates and coaches - and swinging for the fences in batting practice. When he was hit by a Francisco Liriano fastball in BP on Tuesday, he ran out of the cage and yelled at the pitcher, "It'll take more than that to destroy this body!"

"I'm a guy who likes to be loose, but I work hard," Valencia said. "I feel like I get along with everybody. I like to keep it fun in here. We don't have too many guys here who have big personalities. I think it's a good thing; it changes things up. You don't want to get too dull and boring."

Then Valencia smiles with more than a hint of mischief and says, "It's nice to brighten people's days, you know?"


(twincities.com)

Go to about the 1:50 mark.

I headed over to the other side of the clubhouse, where Danny Valencia dresses. Get your urban dictionaries out, because Valencia wants everyone to know he's ``yoked,'' this year.

He weighs about the same as he did last season but says it's the best he's ever felt.

``It's night and day how I feel,'' he said.``I really made a serious, conscious effort to get my body right. I feel like I can move and feel strong at the same time.

``I  worked really hard,'' he said, `` but I feel great., I'm a lot stronger than I've ever been. I'm faster than I've ever been.''


(startibune.com)

In his second season as a big-leaguer, Valencia was struck by the infamous sophomore slump, with his OPS sinking by 122 points after an outstanding rookie campaign. That drop-off, however, was largely attributable to a 70-point dive in BABIP, which suggests that with steady peripheral rates and neutral luck his numbers at the plate will creep back upward in 2012.

Yet, judging by Ron Gardenhire's comments during the course of last season, Valencia's offense was not deemed by the club to be his most worrisome deficiency. If the young third baseman's starting job becomes endangered at some point this year, it seems likely that his glove will be the cause rather than his bat.

Late in August, Gardenhire expressed his frustration with Valencia's passive approach at the hot corner. On occasion, the manager intimated through media outlets that the team's future at third base had fallen into question.

You could hardly blame Gardy. After looking surprisingly sharp in the field during his big-league debut, Valencia showed severe regression in Year No. 2. Not only was he far more sloppy, committing 18 errors, but his range was visibly deteriorated. I'm reluctant to apply the UZR metric in single-season samples, but the difference there was stark: after putting up a 10.2 UZR/150 in 2010, Valencia finished at -6.1 in 154 games last season. In other words, UZR showed a 16-run defensive swing from one season to the next.

Whether you buy into that statistic or not, it seems clear that Valencia took a sizable step backward in the field last year, and that if he's unable to reverse that trend, his grip on the starting job will continue to loosen. As we've seen time and time again in the past, Gardenhire and the Twins are far more tolerant of substandard production at the plate than a failure to consistently get the job done defensively.


(startribune.com)

Check out our EXCLUSIVE photos from the 2012 UM Baseball Fan Fest which featured a HR Derby won by proCane Minnesota Twin Danny Valencia. Other proCanes like Jemile Weeks, Jon Jay, Chris Perez, Eddy Rodriguez and many more joined the festivities.


Jemile Weeks, Danny Valencia

Jemile Weeks

Peter O’Brien

The Maniac

Jemile Weeks

Rony Rodriguez

Danny Valencia

Jemile Weeks

Danny Valencia

Danny Valencia, Peter O’Brien




Click here to see more photos ->> Read More...

Check out our EXCLUSIVE photos from the 2012 UM Baseball Fan Fest which featured a HR Derby won by proCane Minnesota Twin Danny Valencia. Other proCanes like Jemile Weeks, Jon Jay, Chris Perez, Eddy Rodriguez and many more joined the festivities.


Jon Jay, Danny Valencia, Jemile Weeks, Coach Jim Morris, Chris Perez

Peter O’Brien, Rony Rodriguez, Jemile Weeks, Danny Valencia

Jon Jay, Jemile Weeks

Danny Valencia

Jon Jay, Coach Gino DiMare, Jemile Weeks

Adan Severino, Richard Giannotti

Chris Perez

Jon Jay

Alex Fernandez




Click here to see more photos ->> Read More...

Danny Valencia will be at Hit A Double in Boca Raton, FL tomorrow from 6-8pm to help raise money for Spanish River HS. Help spread word!!!

Danny Valencia has broken in at third, and we're waiting to see if he takes off.

Interesting note about Valencia. MLB third baseman had a .252/.316./.390 slash line last year with 15 homers and 75 RBI. Valencia's: ..246/.294/.383 with 15 homers and 72 RBI. It's hard to find production at that position, and Valencia is not far away from being above average.


(startribune.com)

After committing 18 errors last year -- the most for a Twins third baseman since Gary Gaetti made 18 errors in 1990 -- Danny Valencia started his offseason with some homework.



(fantasp.com)

Danny Valencia returned to action on Sunday as a pinch-hitter, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning of a 6-5 loss.

It was the third baseman's first appearance since Wednesday, as the flu has been keeping him out of action. Valencia now has an impressive 70 RBI to go with a .250 batting average.


(rotoworld.com)

CHICAGO - A day after absorbing more criticism from his manager, Twins third baseman Danny Valencia vowed to be a better defensive player next season.

"I've always been an offense-minded player, but this past offseason I took my defense seriously - and this year it will be even more so," he said. "I want to be good on both sides. I want to be a very good hitter and a very good defensive player, and I take pride in that. I want to be the best player I possibly can be."

Valencia has played a team-high 130 games and is tied with Michael Cuddyer for the team RBI lead with 61. But his defense has been a consistent irritant to Ron Gardenhire, who has worked hard to correct what he sees as a hitch in Valencia's mechanics.

He also has at times criticized Valencia for lacking focus in the field.

After Monday's 3-0 loss to the White Sox, the manager singled out Valencia for failing to stop a hot grounder that led to a run, and went on at length about the third baseman's tendency to straighten up when balls are hit to him. On Tuesday, he gave Valencia the day off.

Though Valencia declined to fall on the sword Monday, he acknowledged Tuesday that, in his first full major league season, there are still flaws in his game.

"The things I feel like I can take out of this year are two things: My first-step quickness has to get better, second thing is I need to get with a long toss program," he said. "I have a strong arm, but I have not done long loss as much as I need to. Those are the two things that I'm really going to emphasize going into this offseason and carrying into next season."


(foxsports.com)

CHICAGO - Danny Valencia knows he has a tendency to stand straight when a ball is hit to him at third base. He's working on it, but he doesn't believe it cost the Twins a game Monday night.

"You can't win games without scoring any runs," he said after the Twins' 3-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, and certainly he is correct.

But with one month remaining in a lost season, questionable defense is going to stick out more than another lousy offensive performance against Mark Buehrle. That's why manager Ron Gardenhire was focused on plays his defense didn't make in the Twins' 10th loss in their past 12games.

Valencia, Gardenhire said, probably could have stopped at least one of two hot grounders hit by him at third in the seventh and eighth innings. Both runners scored. If Valencia could curb his tendency to stand straight up before stooping to make a play, maybe one of those is an out.

"That's his mechanics, and we've been trying to get him out of that habit," Gardenhire said. "He stands up. It's just like a pitcher that's dropping his elbow, or a hitter that's hitching. You're trying to get him out of the habit to make him a better fielder and give him more range.

"But he's got bad habits; he just stands up. We're not trying to pick on him."

It seems that way to Valencia, who declined to take any blame for Monday's loss beyond his part in a four-hit performance. He went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts and an infield hit, and was one of two Twins baserunners to reach second.

"There are some plays that could have gone either way," he said. "Like I said, (Kevin) Slowey pitched really well, we just didn't score any runs."
Asked about his fielding mechanics, Valencia said, "It's something I work on, obviously, and it's something I can get better at, obviously, but I don't think it was a factor in tonight's game at all."

The reality is, Minnesota's defense has been bad all season, and all around the horn. The Twins entered Monday's game with 95 errors, third most in the American League, and there was plenty of blame to go around in their latest loss.

Trevor Plouffe, playing just his third game in left field, had trouble tracking Alejandro De Aza's fly ball in the second. The White Sox right fielder reached on a double, stole third and scored on Tyler Flowers' sacrifice fly. The third run scored when Alexei Ramirez came home on a weak chopper to short by Dayan Viciedo.

Valencia charged it but couldn't make the pick. That Viciedo reached safely was no surprise. What was a surprise was he scored on the play, essentially because shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka - back in the lineup for the first time in eight games - didn't back up the play.

"Nishi's got to be there," Gardenhire said. "He was right in behind him, then he runs to cover third. He's got to be right there in case Danny misses it. We told him, 'You can't play without the ball.' "

Also consider that Ramirez tagged from first on a fly ball to right because teams know they can run on center fielder Ben Revere's arm. Later in the inning, Nishioka failed to make a swipe tag despite a perfect throw from Rene Rivera when Viciedo stole second.

Some of the Twins' young players may feel like it's nitpicking, especially in a game that featured just four Twins singles, but in a season like this, nitpicking is really all that's left. In that sense, only Slowey's performance stood out for the right reasons.

He held a potent Chicago lineup to two earned runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings.

"If we had made some plays," Gardenhire said, "it could have been a 0-0 ballgame. I think all three runs, really, shouldn't have been out there without us giving them to them."


(twincities.com)

Danny Valencia hit a solo home run in Minnesota's loss to the Orioles on Tuesday.

Valencia's third-inning bomb was the extent of the offense for the Twins in an 8-1 setback at home. He's now batting .277 with four home runs and 15 RBI since the All-Star break, though his season triple slash remains an uninspiring .248/.295/.400.


(rotoworld.com)

Danny Valencia was ejected from Monday's game against the Orioles in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes.
Valencia struck out swinging, but didn't like the strike two call by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was also given the boot after standing up for his player. Valencia went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts before leaving the ballgame.


(rotoworld.com)

Valencia did not start in Sunday's loss to the White Sox, but later entered the game as a pinch hitter and flew out. There are growing concerns about his defense and some in the organization don't view him as the long-term answer at third base and would rather see Joe Mauer get more time at third base, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.


(fantasysp.com)

Danny Valencia went into Saturday's late game against the Athletics with more runs batted in (55) and games played (103) than any other Minnesota Twin. He also led the team in trips to the doghouse, where he spent Friday's 9-5 victory at Oakland Coliseum.

Manager Ron Gardenhire wasn't happy that Valencia failed to hold a runner at third base during an intentional walk in Thursday's 4-1 loss at Texas. It didn't help that he committed a throwing error on the next play, extending the Rangers' breakaway inning.

Did Gardenhire believe Valencia gained anything while sitting on the bench Friday?

"No, but we did. So we're all good," the manager quipped. "We won, and I didn't have to yell at him one time last night. So everything came clean; now he can go back out there and play."

Valencia came to the Twins with something of a target on his back, known as much for his hubris as his talent since being drafted out of the University of Miami (Fla.) in the 19th round of the 2006 draft. That he has stuck as solidly as he has is a testament to what he's been able to do.

He won the starting third base job last season, hitting .311 with 40 RBIs in 85 games, and has led the Twins in RBIs most of this season despite batting .248 with runners in scoring position. But the Twins, and Gardenhire in particular, believe Valencia can be better.

"I feel like he holds me to high standards; he thinks that I can be better than sometimes I show, and he wants to bring out the best in me," Valencia said. "At the same time, there will be some times where I make a mistake here or there and I sit for it. So it's tough.


(stpaulpionneerpress.com)

Danny Valencia ranks 10th among the Twins' position players with more than 100 at-bats with a .232 batting average.

But Valencia has proved that batting average is not as important as runs batted in, in which he leads the team with 51. Valencia also has 13 game-winning hits and four walk-off hits over the past two seasons.

Those statistics include his two crucial hits in the final two victories of the series with Cleveland this week -- a two-run single in the ninth inning in Tuesday's 2-1 win and a tiebreaking eighth-inning single that drove in the go-ahead run Wednesday in a 7-5 victory. Valencia leads the team with walk-off hits this year at three.

Only Michael Cuddyer, with 160 total bases, has more than the 135 of the former University of Miami standout. Valencia also is second on the team in homers with 11, behind only Cuddyer's 14.

With Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Denard Span, Delmon Young and Jim Thome out for long stretches, it has been Valencia and Cuddyer who have carried a team that has had a hard time scoring runs.

Last season Valencia hit .311 with seven homers and 40 RBI in 291 at-bats after being called up on June 3, so he has shown he can hit for a high average as well as for power.

"I like to consider myself one of the big hitters, also," Valencia said. "But hitting behind Jim Thome, obviously you know they're going to pitch around him to get to me, so being able to come into those situations and capitalize and get the job done for our team to win is all that I care about, and I'm happy we got a win."

Does he feel pressure coming up so many times with the tying or winning runs on base?

"You can never get enough of those [at-bats], you want as many as you can get," Valencia said. "To have a lot of RBI and some homers and just have production, just helping the team win games is all I care about, really. But I would like to get my average up.

"I don't feel too much pressure; occasionally I do, more so from my mom, but I don't feel that much pressure out there because it's just easy for me to relax, really."


(startribune.com)

Danny Valencia's two-run single off Indians closer Chris Perez in the ninth inning Tuesday propelled the Twins to a 2-1 victory.
Valencia was 0-for-3 heading into the at-bat having ground into a double play and struck out twice. He made everyone forget that with one swing in a crucial game for the Twins. Perez intentionally walked Jim Thome to load the bases in order to face his former college roommate; Minnesota's third baseman roped a single to left and was mobbed by his teammates. Valencia now has 50 RBI on the season despite hitting just .232/.283/.384.


(rotoworld.com)

Danny Valencia is crushing lefties, hitting them to the tune of a .296/.351/.507 line. Unfortunately, he's hitting right-handed pitching at just .196/.245/.307. Much has been made of Valencia's poor luck of late, and it's supported in his splits: Valencia's .305 BABIP against left-handed pitching is right where you'd expect it to be, while he has an abysmally low .210 versus right-handers in spite of a strong 17.4% line drive ratio.


(twinkietown.com)

Danny Valencia belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning of Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Valencia's three-run blast off Randy Wolf gave the Twins a temporary 3-2 lead before Prince Fielder put the Brew Crew back up for good. Three of Valencia's eight longballs this season have come in the last week, though he's still batting just .215 on the season after batting .311 in his rookie year.


(rotoworld.com)

It will be interesting to see if Danny Valencia will be able to play tonight against the Giants. The Twins third baseman missed Sunday's game with a sore triceps  but expressed optimism that he would be ready to take the field at AT&T Park.

The way things have been going for the Twins this season, he might not.

Most projections the Twins have made about their injured players have  been short. This isn't to blame them as much as it suggests that it just isn't their year with injuries.

Joe Mauer and Tsuyoshi Nishioka missed two months each. No one was sure on Sunday when Denard Span and Jason Kubel will return. Justin Morneau could be out until the first full week of July with a wrist sprain - and that depends on what shape his wrist is when the cast comes off at the end of this week,

Valencia has to prove he can throw. The more I think about it, the Twins might want to have him go through pre-game drills then see how he feels tomorrow.

It's too bad for Valencia, who has homered in his last two games, 

``I don't view myself as a .218 hitter,'' he said Saturday.

Valencia has hit the ball hard with few results to show for it. He's trying to be patient, waiting for things to even out.

Some stats on www.fangraphs.com suggest that it should happen.

Valencia entered Saturday with a 19.8 line drive percentage that was third best on the Twins behind Denard Span and Jason Kubel.
Valencia hit .311 with 7 homers and 30 RBI last season when he had a line drive percentage of 18.8.

Last season, Valencia's batting average on balls put in play was .345. This year is .233. According to Fangraphs, an average hitter's BAPIP is .290 to .310.

So that's bound to rise, right? With Valencia hitting line drives at a slightly better rate than last season, he should see more balls fall in. Or, as the case was on Saturday, fall in a fan's lap.

What he needs now is to be healthy so he can turn his season around.


(startribune.com)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Third baseman Danny Valencia exited the Twins' 1-0 win over the Padres on Saturday after the eighth inning with a strained right bicep he suffered while throwing to first base for the first out of the inning. He is day to day.

Valencia, who gave the Twins their lone run of the game with a homer in the second inning, injured himself while throwing to first after bobbling a grounder from Jesus Guzman.

"I just rushed it to get that out and my whole bicep kind of tightened up," Valencia said. "It feels like I'm pretty much flexing my bicep. But they said it should be all right. We worked on it in there and hopefully tomorrow it'll feel better."

Valencia added he hopes to be in the lineup on Sunday, but it seems more likely the Twins will give him a day to rest his arm.

"I don't know," Valencia said when asked if he'll play Sunday. "I'm going to come in prepared to play. I told them [I] think I'll be all right to go back out there, but when it first happened it really bothered me. I never felt anything like it before. So they pretty much said I strained my bicep."

Valencia did make another throw after injuring himself, as he threw out Chris Denorfia at first for the next out. However, he was replaced by Matt Tolbert at third base for the ninth inning.


(mlb.com)

Danny Valencia went 0-for-3 on Thursday and is hitting just .152 in 46 at-bats this month.

Valencia posted solid RBI numbers despite mediocre numbers everywhere else in April and May. Unfortunately, so far in June, he's driven in just three runs, and his season line is down to .216/.279/.328. The Twins don't have anyone to replace him with, but he's a liability with the way he's playing right now.


(rotoworld.com)

CLEVELAND - Danny Valencia was out of the starting lineup for a second straight day Tuesday.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he wanted to give Valencia another breather, then added that Valencia also "doesn't have any success off this guy, he's 0 for 7 with no quality at-bats," referring to Tuesday's opposing starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco.

Valencia was batting .219 this season - and just .179 in his past 14 games. Before sitting on Monday and Tuesday, he started each of the Twins' first 58 games of the season. He pinch hit for Rene Rivera in the eighth inning Tuesday and grounded out.

"It'll be good for him, because I know his head's going to be spinning now, and you know what, sometimes that's a good thing," Gardenhire said of Valencia's time off. "Maybe get him a little fired up and stay focused."

Asked whether, because he mentioned Valencia perhaps getting fired up, he thinks the third baseman has become complacent, Gardenhire said no.

"I like it when you can irritate people as a manager," he said. "It's good. I get irritated all the time, so sometimes a manager gets a chance to irritate people a little bit, and that kind of maybe (will) get a little extra oomph out of him. We'll see. He hasn't come in here yet, so...I dare him. Just kidding."


(twincities.com)

Amid all the injuries and illnesses the Minnesota Twins have endured this season, Danny Valencia has been a rare constant in the lineup.

Valencia, in his second year with the Twins, has been in the lineup for every game Minnesota has played this season — 52 starts through Monday's game against Detroit. He's one of just three Twins players to appear in 50 or more games. Jason Kubel has also played in all 52, but did not start in two of those games. And Denard Span has played in 51 of 52 games, including 50 starts.

With so many players making trips to the disabled list, Gardenhire has not had to worry about plugging the second-year third baseman into the lineup every day.

"Danny likes to be out there," Gardenhire said. "Him and I think (Kubel) played pretty much every day. … They're getting it done, so it's hard for me to take those two out of the lineup."

Kubel was injured in Monday's game and is day-to-day with a sprained left foot. Valencia, meanwhile, continues to stay healthy.
Knock on wood.

"The offseason, I worked hard to try to prevent injuries," Valencia said. "I've been beat up a little bit, getting tired here and there. But I'm here to play; I'm here to help the team. I feel it's best for me to be out there and play every day."

Valencia made his major league debut last June. From that point, he's been Minnesota's every-day third baseman, filling a position that hasn't seen consistency in years. As a rookie in 2010, Valencia batted .311 with a .448 slugging percentage and 40 RBIs in 85 games. Those numbers helped him finish third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

A year later, Valencia's average has dipped to .230, but he's been one of the more productive hitters on the Twins — his 25 RBIs are second-most behind Kubel's 29, and he's tied for the team lead in home runs (5) with Kubel and Michael Cuddyer.

"This year, it's been tougher with scouting reports. I feel pretty good with where I'm at," Valencia said of the difference from his rookie year to this season. "Obviously I'd like to be hitting for a higher average, but production's been pretty good. A couple balls will fall for me and I think I'll be alright."

"We need his bat in the lineup," Gardenhire said. "Average-wise, it's not been great yet to this point, but if you look at production, he's driving in runs. He's knocking in some runs. You've got to keep him out there."

Valencia has also shown a knack for coming up with clutch hits, including a handful of game-winners in his two seasons. The latest came Saturday, as his 10th-inning single drove in the lone run of Minnesota's 1-0 win against the Angels.

"Danny seems to come up with some big hits," Gardenhire said.

While Valencia's hitting is still a work in progress, so too is his fielding. In 223 defensive chances in the field last season, Valencia committed six errors — a .973 fielding percentage. In 129 chances this year, he's already had five errors.

Gardenhire said he's trying to get Valencia to rely less on his strong arm and instead work on his foot positioning to have easier throws to first base.

"I think with Danny, he has a certain style. He's not one of these attack guys at third. He relies a lot on his arm," Gardenhire said. "We're constantly telling him, if he'll just go get the ball a little bit more, a little more movement, he could not have to rely on that arm all the time to wind up. Just get to the ball a little quicker, use your feet, shorten the distance and make a little easier throw."

Still, Gardenhire can take solace in the fact that Valencia hasn't missed a game, providing some stability to a shaky infield. Second baseman Tsuyohsi Nishioka has been out since the first week of the season with a broken leg. Alexi Casilla has rotated between shortstop and second base. First baseman Justin Morneau missed time with the flu, and continues to battle back from a concussion he suffered last season.

But besides the normal wear and tear of a baseball season, Valencia said he's feeling healthy.

"You get tired. Everybody gets fatigued from playing every day," he said. "I'm just going out there and trying to help the team win, being a serviceable player."



(foxsportsnorth.com)

Danny Valencia went 2-for-4 with three RBI in the Twins loss to the Orioles on Wednesday.

The multi-RBI game was the first of the season for Valencia, who now has nine total. Hitting just .238, he has managed to post multi-hit efforts in two of his past three starts. Not a power bat, he isn't somebody you need to stick with through thick and thin this year.



(rotoworld.com)

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins lost four key relievers to free agency from last year's division champions, guys that got almost $40 million in guaranteed money between them in contracts with their new teams.

So far, those fan fears have been allayed. The remade bullpen is all right.

After a 12-up, 12-down performance by the 'pen, Danny Valencia hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the 10th inning to lift the Twins to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Dusty Hughes (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the victory and watched former teammate Robinson Tejeda (0-1) fail the Royals.

"That's baseball," Tejeda said. "I just try to come in and do my job. Sometimes you miss a spot, and they're going to make you pay for it."

He gave up a one-out single to Delmon Young and walked Michael Cuddyer. Then came Jason Kubel, who crushed a pitch to right-center where Jeff Francoeur nearly made a nifty running catch with his glove outstretched and his body bent awkwardly at the wall. Francoeur dropped it, though, sticking Kubel with a really long single and a disbelieving look to load the bases for Valencia.

"I don't care how far you have to go. Once it's in my glove, it's in my glove. That's what was frustrating for me," Francoeur said.



(seattletimes.com)

After batting .273 in 11 games last spring, Twins 3B Danny Valencia has had a much better go-round this year. He has gone 13 for 38 (.342) with one homer and five RBI in 15 games, with a .390 on-base percentage and .553 slugging percentage.



(fanstasysp.com)

JUPITER, Fla. — This year is different for Danny Valencia. The third baseman no longer is wondering when he'll get his big-league break, and he's not clearing his Hammond Stadium locker of baby food and diapers as he had to last spring after some harmless rookie hazing.

Yet Valencia doesn't feel far removed from those days. He might have placed third in rookie of the year voting last season, but as for 2011, Valencia said, "I'm still the rookie."

Take a spring training game earlier this month in Bradenton. Valencia doubled in each of his first two at-bats, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire gave the third baseman the option to be done for the day or to hit once more. Valencia opted for one more turn at the plate, finishing his day with an ugly strikeout and drawing the comical ire of the manager.

"He wanted one more, and then he looked like (expletive)," Gardenhire quipped while Valencia sat in the clubhouse eating his postgame meal. "I told him, 'That's why I'm the manager — I take you out after two, you have two good at-bats, you could have walked away good.' Now he's in there eating chicken thinking about his last at-bat."

So Gardenhire keeps Valencia on his toes, and Valencia, with his boisterous personality and wellestablished confidence, offers up plenty of chances for entertainment. All of that remains the same. What's different this year is Valencia's status with the team.

Valencia batted .311 with seven homers and 40 runs batted in in 85 games for the Twins last season. He came into spring training with the third-base job all his own, offering stability at a position that for so many years in this organization has been uncertain.

But will the confident 26-year-old try too hard to outdo his 2010 output? Will he feel the pressure to match his rookie results and stumble into a sophomore slump? Does any of that worry Gardenhire?

"Not in the least, to tell you the truth," Gardenhire said. "Danny likes Danny. That's Matt Tolbert's line — Danny likes Danny. I kind of think that, too. I don't think he worries about too awful much. I think he likes to play baseball, he gets out there and I don't think you have to really worry about it with him. That's pretty entertaining to me. That's why I've said it's his job, just take it and run with it."

Valencia contends he's still trying to win his position, but perhaps that's just his way of "walking the line," something he said he'll do all of this season. But there is no doubt that it's his, and Gardenhire has been happy with how Valencia has handled that responsibility during camp.

When Valencia came up last June, the Twins worked with him on two things specifically — helping him find the power in his swing after he failed to homer in 185 minor league at-bats before his call-up and coming to the ball on defense rather than sitting back and letting the ball come to him.

The Twins have had to continue to work on Valencia's tendency to stay back on balls, but even that seems a small issue to Gardenhire, who said his defense with the Twins last season was much better than what the team saw from him during spring training earlier in the year.

And though he needs a defensive reminder every now and then, Valencia seems to remember quite well his 2010 hitting lessons. Despite not yet hitting his first Grapefruit League home run, he has been one of the most impressive players to watch during batting practice and right away started hitting the ball hard in games.

In nine spring games, Valencia is batting .381 (8 for 21) with four doubles, three RBIs and a .458 on-base percentage.

"He's popping the ball," Gardenhire said. "He's a force when he walks to the plate nowadays. He gets the barrel out there, he gets in good hitting counts. He's not afraid, if you give a 3-0 green light, he'll be up there ripping. And you know he has some courage, so that's a good thing."

For his part, Valencia said he's trying not to think about the possibility of a sophomore slump, choosing instead to focus on winning a job that's already his.

"I set high goals for myself. I have high expectations for myself, so I don't think there's anybody putting any more pressure on me than I am doing myself," he said. "If I can just build off last year and build off the routine that we established, I think I'll be all right."



(twincities.com)

Early in spring training, Twins third baseman Danny Valencia tweeted, “My loungin’ shirt!” A quick click, and there was a photo of a t-shirt with the inscription “The ‘U’ invented swagger.”

The “U,” of course, is the University of Miami, Valencia’s alma mater. And swagger, of course, is about the last thing you’d expect from those bastions of Midwest sensibility and baseball humility, the Twins.

Needless to say, Valencia’s college roommate, Indians closer Chris Perez, was not surprised to learn that as a rookie, Valencia was the most heavily fined Twin in kangaroo court last season.

“I can imagine, especially with that team,” Perez said, chuckling. “They are exact opposites, (with) the way the Twins are. They don’t really rock the boat, and then to have him come along; yeah, it’s definitely a different style.”

The Twins are not as staid as they might appear — manager Ron Gardenhire has one of the game’s quicker wits, and right fielder Michael Cuddyer says “it’s a very light-hearted group in here, actually.”

But Valencia, 26, is indeed something of a novelty for the club, a combination of brass and flash from Boca Raton, Fla.

“You hear before you see him,” Perez says.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay, another former UM teammate of Valencia’s, describes him as “one of a kind.”

A third former Hurricane, Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez, nodded and agreed.

“When I first met him, I was like, 'Who the heck are you? What is wrong with you?' ” Sanchez said. “But once you start to talk to him, once you get to know him, he’s a good kid, he really is. He means well in everything he does. He’s just one of those guys who is very outspoken.”

The most outrageous remark that Sanchez can recall hearing from Valencia?

“He’s like a Yogi Berra,” Sanchez says. “I don’t think you can pick out just one thing.”

The Twins can’t, either.

Cuddyer, when asked why Valencia is such a popular clubhouse target — Is it his bright-lights personality? Is it for being a knucklehead? — grinned and said, “Those two go hand in hand.

“He definitely is learning, let’s leave it at that,” Cuddyer said. “He talks. He definitely talks. But he’s doing well.”

Valencia freely acknowledges that of all the Twins players, “I get the most heat.”

Why? He smiled broadly.

“Because they love me.”

Actually, Valencia is rather lovable. He might talk, but he backs it up. To the Twins, that is all that matters.

Valencia joined the club last June 3 and immediately stabilized third base, a position that the Twins had filled in recent seasons with players such as Nick Punto, Joe Crede, Brian Buscher and Mike Lamb.

In 85 games Valencia batted .311/.351/.448 with seven homers and 40 RBIs. However, Gardenhire was perhaps even more impressed by how Valencia handled himself defensively.

“I like that when he first came up and I was taking him out for defense late in the games, he got pissed,” Gardenhire said. “He started taking more groundballs. He made himself a good fielder. He just kept working. That says a lot about him.”

And Valencia’s persona?

“Obviously, the guys give him a lot of grief. They say, ‘You’ve just got to understand, Danny loves Danny,’” Gardenhire said. “But honestly, he fits in well.

“He doesn’t mind taking the grief. I think he enjoys it. I think he lives for it.”

Valencia says he didn’t mind when, just prior to his major-league debut, first baseman Justin Morneau hung a No. 79 jersey in his locker rather than his usual No. 19. He also didn’t mind paying repeated fines for his numerous convictions in kangaroo court.

“They were getting me for the little things, hitting me up for not wearing socks on the plane, little ticky-tack things,” Valencia said. “It was all in good fun. Me and (catcher) Drew Butera ended up financing the team party at the end of the year. It went to a good cause.”

Valencia was only a 19th-round draft pick in 2006, the 576th player chosen. Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was the third overall pick that year. The Royals’ Alex Gordon, Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman and Brewers’ Ryan Braun — who was a year ahead of Valencia at Miami — went second, fourth and fifth overall in ’05.

Braun’s departure enabled Valencia to move from first base to third for his junior year. Valencia hit a grand slam against Mississippi to lift Miami into the College World Series, but still barely registered with major-league clubs.

“He always had a chip on his shoulder, not going as high in the draft as he wanted to,” the Cardinals’ Jay said.

Yet Valencia never lost faith in himself, even as it took him nearly four years to climb through the minors.

“You’ve got to think you’re the best,” Valencia says. “If you don’t have the confidence to believe that you’re the best, who’s going to believe?”
Perez, who recalls watching “Entourage” and playing video games with Valencia at Miami, said, “I don’t think Danny would be where he’s at without that personality.”

But even Perez’s tolerance has its limits.

“He would always tell me, ‘I hit a home run off this guy, off that guy,’” the Indians’ closer said. “Last year after he got called up, he said he was going to hit a home run off me, and I struck him out on four pitches. He talks the game always.”

Valencia volunteered a similar memory of the matchup, then said, “But you don’t have to write about that.”

Too late, but not to worry.

Valencia can take the heat, on and off the field.



(msnfoxposrts.com)

Danny Valencia spent part of his offseason working out with Alex Rodriguez. Now the Minnesota Twins third baseman hopes to play like him.
In the previous seven seasons, six different players have started at third base for the Twins on opening day. Barring injury or the unforeseen, Valencia will become the seventh opening day starter on April 1 in Toronto.

The 26-year-old said he hoped to end the trend of the Twins having turnover at the "hot corner" position.

"It's very important to me, and it's important for the team to have someone there," Valencia said. "I'd be happy to fill that role. Hopefully good things happen and we win."

Good things happened for Valencia, and the Twins won on Sunday. He went 1-for-2 with a first-inning double and run scored as the Twins defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 in front of an announced, sellout crowd of 7,924 fans.

"It's a matter of time," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The talent is there. Whether he was going to allow himself to do a few things and listen - it's all about learning. When he came up to the big leagues, he started listening and learning.

"That's what this game is all about. You go to the ballpark and try to learn something every day. You don't want to be content with being OK. You want to do higher things.

"He's done that."

Learning from Rodriguez and working out with him - both played at the University of Miami - helped, Valencia said.

"It was a good experience," he said. "It was very informative. It was fun, and it's nice to see a guy you grew up watching work hard."

Valencia hit .311 in 85 games last season after getting called up from Triple-A Rochester on June 3. He had 18 doubles, seven home runs, 40 RBI and two stolen bases. The batting average ranks ahead of Koskie for second place as best for a rookie hitter with a minimum of 300 at-bats. Only Tony Oliva fared better, hitting .323 in 1964.

"Wow," Valencia said. "That's nice to be mentioned with those guys. It was a great rookie year. I can't think of any way it could have been better unless we could have gotten deeper into the playoffs."

Valencia got an infield single in his first big-league game off a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher in Felix Hernandez on June 3. Valencia slugged his first major-league homer off another Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, against the Royals on July 26 in Kansas City.

It was a grand slam.

"I got ahead in the count," Valencia said. "I got a fastball, and I was able to put a good piece of wood on it. I was pretty happy. At the time, I hadn't hit a home run the whole entire year. I kind of forgot how to run around the bases. It was a good feeling. I'm sure years from now I'll remember my first home run in the big leagues."

Gardenhire said Valencia has impressed him with his desire to learn.

"He's a very confident guy, probably overconfident," Gardenhire said. "There's nothing wrong with that as long as you continue to learn and listen and pay attention. Danny has done that. He has handled himself a lot better than most people would have expected. That says a lot about him."

It would say even more if Gardenhire writes Valencia's name in the lineup at third base when the calendar turns to 2012.

"I've said that about 10 times, and we'll wait and see," Gardenhire said of Valencia being a long-term solution. "That's why we drafted him. That's why we've tried to sell him as being our long-term solution at third base. He definitely has the ability to do that."



(new-press.com)

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A pair of two-out RBI doubles by Danny Valencia highlighted the Twins' 4-2 victory over the Pirates at McKechnie Field on Wednesday afternoon in the first of four spring meetings between the two clubs.

Valencia, who is now 4-for-7 this spring, connected for his first extra-base hit off Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf in the first inning. Ben Revere scored easily after walking and advancing to second on a passed ball earlier in the frame.

Valencia doubled home Trevor Plouffe two innings later to extend Minnesota's lead.



(mlb.com)

BRADENTON, FLA. - After Twins third baseman Danny Valencia had RBI doubles in his first two at-bats on Wednesday, manager Ron Gardenhire gave him the option of coming out of the game or getting one more at-bat.

"Yeah, yeah I feel really good. I got this guy," Valencia said to Gardenhire.

Valencia dug in against Pittsburgh Pirates righthander Mike Crotta in the fifth.

"It was a quick four pitches," Valencia said. "The only pitch I swung at nearly hit me in the stomach."

Valencia took strike three, ending the inning. The Twins went on to win 4-2, but Gardenhire won't let Valencia, who is not short on confidence, forget his last at-bat.

"Now he's in there [the clubhouse] eating chicken, thinking about his last at-bat," Gardenhire said.

Valencia was called up last season and finished with a .311 average, seven homers and 40 RBI in 85 games. The Twins might finally have their long-term answer at third --which means Gardenhire might get plenty of chances to ride Valencia in the coming years.

Valencia drove a ball over left fielder Jose Tabata in the first to drive in Ben Revere. He then blasted one in the gap in the third, scoring Trevor Plouffe.

And Valencia dived to his right to grab a grounder by budding star Andrew McCutchen in the bottom of the third and threw him out.
How was that play?

"Great," Gardenhire said. "[Valencia] still struck out in his last at-bat."



(startribune.com)

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- If the Minnesota Twins were house paint, they'd be beige.

If they were a food, they'd be wild rice soup.

Last year, Danny Valencia strutted into the Twins' understated clubhouse and stood out like a disco ball in a DMV.

"What's the opposite of a chameleon?" outfielder Michael Cuddyer said. "Whatever the opposite is, that's what Danny was. So if the background was green, he'd be blue."

Valencia's personality cost him plenty of green last year. Cuddyer and the other veterans fined him constantly for violations of unwritten Twins rules.

In baseball, this justice system is called the Kangaroo Court. You do not have the right to legal representation. You do not get one phone call.

Valencia, who made himself the Twins' third baseman of the present and future last summer, not only had to pay fines, he had to carry the box in which the fine money was kept.

"He got fined for everything," Cuddyer said. "From wearing sunglasses at midnight during an interview - inside! - to leaving the Kangaroo Court box pretty much everywhere we went. We'd go on the road, and he'd forget it. There were numerous other things along the way."

Valencia played at the University of Miami. He still wears a T-shirt that brags, "The U Invented Swagger."

Did he deserve his reputation as a cocky guy? "Oh, yes," Cuddyer said.

Last year a funny thing happened while Valencia was trying to put the "fun" in the Twins' fundamentals and his teammates were trying to deflate his ego from the size of a blimp to that of a balloon animal: He proved true the Dizzy Dean theorem that "It ain't braggin' if you can do it."

Called up on June 3 as part of the Twins' annual midseason infield restructuring, Valencia hit .311 with a .351 on-base percentage and a .448 slugging percentage, and acquitted himself well in the field. He finished third in the American League rookie of the year voting despite spending the first two months of the season in the minors.

His ability to fill and field a position of need during a pennant race helped the Twins offset the loss of Justin Morneau and became one key to their latest division title.

This spring, Valencia seems less flashy and particularly driven. A mutual friend introduced him to Alex Rodriguez, and he spent the winter working out with Rodriguez in Miami.

"It was great," Valencia said. "I was really blown away by the way he works. He works hard. He's one of the best players who ever played the game, and his work ethic is unbelievable.

"Seeing a guy who's an established All-Star at the position I play, to see what he does to prepare to play at the top level, that was great for me."
Not many Twins make a habit out of working out with Yankees. Valencia often found himself takings swings alongside Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, and sometimes with former Yankee Melky Cabrera.

"If you get to know Alex, he's a really cool guy," Valencia said. "A great guy. He's funny. The past few years he's gone through some tough stuff, but he's handled it well. He's really a good role model."

A Twin with A-Rod as a role model? A Twin driven to gather as many Twitter followers as possible?

Some players shun fame; some crave it.

"I want to be famous for the right reasons," Valencia said. "I would like to be famous for my performance on the field and for doing good work in the community.

"Do I want to be famous for doing the wrong things? Obviously not. I think when you're great at your job you're going to get notoriety whether you want it or not.

"Hopefully, I'll handle it the right way."

If he doesn't, he'll pay. Cuddyer and the Kangaroo Court will see to that.



(mercedsunstar.com)

FORT MYERS, FLA. — If the Twins were house paint, they'd be beige.

If they were a food, they'd be wild rice soup.

Last year, Danny Valencia strutted into the Twins' understated clubhouse and stood out like a disco ball in a DMV.

"What's the opposite of a chameleon?'' outfielder Michael Cuddyer said. "Whatever the opposite is, that's what Danny was. So if the background was green, he'd be blue.''

Valencia's personality cost him plenty of green last year. Cuddyer and the other veterans fined him constantly for violations of unwritten Twins rules.

In baseball, this justice system is called the Kangaroo Court. You do not have the right to legal representation. You do not get one phone call.
Valencia, who made himself the Twins' third baseman of the present and future last summer, not only had to pay fines, he had to carry the box in which the fine money was kept.

"He got fined for everything,'' Cuddyer said. "From wearing sunglasses at midnight during an interview -- inside! -- to leaving the Kangaroo Court box pretty much everywhere we went. We'd go on the road, and he'd forget it. There were numerous other things along the way.''

Valencia played at the University of Miami. He still wears a T-shirt that brags, "The U Invented Swagger.''

Did he deserve his reputation as a cocky guy? "Oh, yes,'' Cuddyer said.

Last year a funny thing happened while Valencia was trying to put the "fun'' in the Twins' fundamentals and his teammates were trying to deflate his ego from the size of a blimp to that of a balloon animal: He proved true the Dizzy Dean theorem that "It ain't braggin' if you can do it.''

Called up on June 3 as part of the Twins' annual midseason infield restructuring, Valencia hit .311 with a .351 on-base percentage and a .448 slugging percentage, and acquitted himself well in the field. He finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting despite spending the first two months of the season in the minors.

His ability to fill and field a position of need during a pennant race helped the Twins offset the loss of Justin Morneau and became one key to their latest division title.

This spring, Valencia seems less flashy and particularly driven. A mutual friend introduced him to Alex Rodriguez, and he spent the winter working out with Rodriguez in Miami.

"It was great,'' Valencia said. "I was really blown away by the way he works. He works hard. He's one of the best players who ever played the game, and his work ethic is unbelievable.

"Seeing a guy who's an established All-Star at the position I play, to see what he does to prepare to play at the top level, that was great for me.''
Not many Twins make a habit out of working out with Yankees. Valencia often found himself takings swings alongside Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, and sometimes with former Yankee Melky Cabrera.

"If you get to know Alex, he's a really cool guy,'' Valencia said. "A great guy. He's funny. The past few years he's gone through some tough stuff, but he's handled it well. He's really a good role model.''

A Twin with A-Rod as a role model? A Twin driven to gather as many Twitter followers as possible?

Some players shun fame; some crave it.

"I want to be famous for the right reasons,'' Valencia said. "I would like to be famous for my performance on the field and for doing good work in the community.

"Do I want to be famous for doing the wrong things? Obviously not. I think when you're great at your job you're going to get notoriety whether you want it or not.

"Hopefully, I'll handle it the right way.''

If he doesn't, he'll pay. Cuddyer and the Kangaroo Court will see to that.

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon and weekdays at 2:40 p.m. on 1500ESPN. His Twitter name is Souhanstrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com



(startribune.com)

Click here to see last year’s photos

To see more photos click here ---> Read More...

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the majority of his baseball career, Danny Valencia has felt like he's had something to prove.

The third baseman said he wasn't heavily recruited by colleges out of high school and the Twins drafted him in the 19th round in 2006 out of the University of Miami. Valencia was touted for a couple of years as Minnesota's third baseman of the future, but the road to the Majors included many bumps along the way as well.

So the 26-year-old admits it's a little strange to head to Spring Training this month being labeled as the club's third baseman for 2011.

"It feels nice -- don't get me wrong, it is flattering," Valencia said during TwinsFest this past weekend. "At the same time, you can't get complacent in this game. You have to go out and you have to perform. I'm going to go do that. I'm going to go play hard. It's nice to hear, but at the same time, it's the results that keep you on the field."

The Twins have certainly been looking hard to find a consistent solution at third base since Corey Koskie departed as a free agent after the 2004 season.

Before Valencia emerged in late July as the club's everyday third baseman, the Twins had 18 different players start at the position over the past six seasons. The hope is that the club has found a long-term solution following Valencia's strong rookie season in which he hit .311 with seven home runs, 18 doubles and 40 RBIs. He batted .386 at Target Field and finished third in American League Rookie of the Year balloting.

"We expect him to take the job and run with it," manager Ron Gardenhire said last Friday. "He goes into camp as our third baseman, and I'm pretty sure he's going to leave as our third baseman. He should be fine. I'm looking forward to seeing him out on the field again.

"He was pretty impressive. He deserves that."

Valencia said that his competitiveness and his drive to prove himself has sometimes come out the wrong way. He acknowledged that he wasn't exactly the model teammate early in his career as he was focused on himself. His brashness was occasionally a problem. In one instance, he was benched at Class A Fort Myers toward the end of the 2007 season for being what Twins director of Minor Leagues Jim Rantz called "a distraction."

Valencia credits former Twins general manager and current senior adviser Terry Ryan for helping him see that he needed to change some things before he got to the Majors. One piece of advice that Ryan gave Valencia was that he needed to be seen and not heard.

"He's one of those guys that I always felt was in my corner," Valencia said. "When I was young, when I first came in '06 and '07, I had a bit of an attitude, maybe a little chip on my shoulder. He told me I needed to get rid of that. I worked hard on that to try to be a better teammate, a better guy in the clubhouse and I think I've done that."

The rookie was well-liked in the Twins clubhouse, but he certainly took his share of grief last season. Valencia joked that he financed the team's party with all of his fines in Kangaroo Court. He was subjected to the traditional rookie hazing, donning one of the more embarrassing costumes, and his teammates had a little fun with Valencia wearing sunglasses during an interview in the clubhouse by playing Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" when he came up to bat the next game.

Valencia has taken all of the chiding in good fun and he doesn't expect it to stop just because he's entering his second season with the team, although he joked that new teammate Tsuyoshi Nishioka will have the responsibility of toting the Kangaroo Court fine box around in 2011.

"I was the guy that got ragged on the most, but I think the way that I handled it, they respected that," Valencia said. "I looked up to a lot of those guys and I told them right from the get-go, 'I look up to you guys.' I may not have shown it the way I should have at the beginning but they knew that I genuinely cared and genuinely wanted to do what they wanted me to do."

While Valencia has worked hard to shed some of that brashness in the clubhouse, he acknowledges that he'll continue to carry that little chip on his shoulder while he's on the field and use it as motivation.

"On the field, I'm just as competitive as anybody else out there," Valencia said.

Valencia spent the early part of the winter working out in Boca Raton, Fla., but he recently headed down to Miami to work out with a few other Major Leaguers. That includes the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada and Royals outfielder Melky Cabrera.

In addition to picking the brains of some of the guys he's working out with now, Valencia has also been in constant contact with some of his Twins teammates -- including starter Carl Pavano. The two have talked quite a bit about Valencia's hitting approach and what Pavano sees in it from a pitcher's perspective.

For Valencia, it's all about trying to build off the success he had in 2010 to grow into an even better player in his second year in the big leagues.

"I've become more consistent," Valencia said. "I think I've always been able to play defense, but I have slacked a little at times. Consistency makes you a big league player. These guys up here are extremely consistent day in and day out. They stay out of those prolonged slumps and try to avoid those as much as possible. Consistency keeps you up here."



(mlb.com)

The Twins have gotten him to settle down a little, but they haven't turned Danny Valencia into a machine. Whether you call it spirit or hubris, the team's young third baseman still exudes it.

"Not everybody is always going to like you," he said. "If you try to make everybody like you, it's not going to work."

Even before he was called up for his major league debut last June, Valencia's confidence was legendary; he was the talented infielder from the University of Miami, where student-athletes can major in audacity, who needed a lesson in humility.

He got more than his share last season, even as he hit .311 and took the third base job for his own.

He led the team in kangaroo court fines, imposed for breaches of clubhouse etiquette ("I financed the (team) party," he said). He had his clothes shredded during a road trip to Texas (and had to wear them home). And when the rookies wore costumes for an annual hazing road trip ritual, the veterans saved the most embarrassing one for him.

"Danny's a very proud guy, as he should be. He's a very good player and all that," clubhouse leader Michael Cuddyer said. "The majority of time, rookies figure things out on their own. They need to figure things out. Not just baseball, but the life of being a major league baseball player, and the quicker you can figure things out, the better off you are."

None of the hazing seemed to dim Valencia's fire. He has started this year by opening a Twitter account and taking aim at Cuddyer and Denard Span, the team leaders in Twitter followers, telling readers he was looking for 5,000 by the time TwinsFest ends this afternoon (he had 3,111 by Saturday evening).

"That's just how I am," he said. "I'm so competitive. It's just how I am."

Valencia said that's a key to his success on the field, but it also has at times run him afoul of teammates and others. It was enough of an issue that Twins senior adviser and former general manager Terry Ryan pulled him aside and gave the then-minor leaguer some pointed advice.
"He's always shot me straight, told me what I need to work on and what I need to clean up; what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right," Valencia said. "I really respect Terry Ryan for that."

And what was the message of the sermon?

"When I was young," Valencia said, "when I first came here in '06 and '07, I had a bit of an attitude, maybe a little chip on my shoulder. He told me I needed to get rid of that. I worked hard on that to try to be a better teammate, a better guy in the clubhouse, and I think I've done that.

"A lot of that was really getting that wakeup call from him, because when you hear from the GM, where there is smoke there is fire. When you hear it from him, you have to believe it."

It's hard to find fault in Valencia's game right now. He hit .311 with seven home runs and 40 runs batted in, batted .386 at Target Field and finished third in American League rookie of the year balloting.

The performance essentially earned him the third base job this season.

"We expect him to take the job and run with it," manager Ron Gardenhire said Friday. "He goes into camp as our third baseman, and I'm pretty sure he's going to leave as our third baseman. He should be fine. I'm looking forward to seeing him out on the field again.

"He was pretty impressive. He deserves that."

Valencia said he has worked hard this winter in Miami — with New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, and Kansas City's Melky Cabrera — and vows not to get complacent. As for his clubhouse manner, he swears he gets it, and that he always did.

"I looked up to a lot of those guys, and I told them right from the get-go, ' I look up to you guys,' " he said. "I may not show it the way I should at the beginning, but they knew that I genuinely cared and genuinely wanted to do what they wanted me to do."

General manager Bill Smith said Valencia's path to the majors is not uncommon, and that no one should read too much into his brushes with management.

"I don't want to get too much into Danny Valencia because he's not the only player," Smith said. "There are a ton of players that have been taken aside by managers, coaches, front-office people and given some counseling. Danny's one of them. He joins a long list, and a lot of them are in the big leagues now.

"You don't want to take away a player's personality. We don't want to turn them all into robots."

Clearly, that is not the case. And if Valencia continues to perform the way he started in 2010, that spirit — or hubris — might be easier for everyone to understand. Or at least deal with.

"The people who know me realize that's what I use to perform," Valencia said. "That's what kept me going, kept me competitive on the field. You know, you have to accept everybody for who they are."



(twincities.com)

BLAINE, Minn. -- Twins third baseman Danny Valencia has spent the past couple of weeks working out in Miami and getting in some swings alongside some well known Major Leaguers -- including the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada and Melky Cabrera of the Royals.

For Valencia, it's been an opportunity to learn from some of the veterans in the game while he prepares for his second season in the big leagues.

"It's always nice to pick guys' brains, especially Posada," Valencia said. "You get the catcher's standpoint, which I think is helpful. I can do that with [Joe] Mauer. To hear an opposing catcher's point of view, it helps you out a lot."

Valencia said he's also taken the opportunity to work on his defense with Rodriguez at third base, and that the Yankees third baseman has been very receptive to helping him out. But in addition to talking to players he's been working out with, Valencia said he's also been in constant communication this winter with Twins starter Carl Pavano.

"He really gives me his perspective on my hitting, what he thinks I should do and how I should think at the plate," Valencia said. "Here's a guy with lots of years in the big leagues. He knows a lot. When I first came up, I sat next to him on the bench a lot and listened to him analyze hitters, and talk about his game plan for the next day, when he's facing these guys.

"I've been in contact with him and we've discussed my hitting a bunch. Toward the end of the year, I was hitting more home runs but I was striking out more -- and he said he thought maybe I was getting a little too pull happy. He said, 'When you're going good, you're hitting the ball the other way, and that gets you going.' And I was able to go out there and do that a couple times."



(mlb.com)

Denard Span had a rather humorous tweet a little while ago (above) as he prepares to come to this frozen state from Florida.

But the Twins' Twitter development of the day has to be Danny Valencia joining up this morning.

He seems to be enjoying himself in a *ahem* typically understated way. Sample tweets:

"Is 5,000 followers the first day a possibility? I think it is!!! Come out of hiding and follow, I don't bite!!!"

"That 'hide your daughters' thing really got blown out of proportion!!! Come out come out wherever you are....and follow me on here!!!! Lol"

"I decided to bring my charisma to twitter! I apologize in advance for anyones feelings who may get hurt!!"

That last tweet was Valencia's first-ever tweet. And it brings you to this photo. Nicely done, Mr. Third Base.



(startribune.com)

SIOUX CITY – Minnesota's Twins might again finally have a top-notch third baseman.

At least that's what longtime Twins radio announcer Dan Gladden, a former two-time World Series winner, believes.

Danny Valencia, who was in Sioux City Monday morning on the Twins Caravan, hit .311 and knocked in 40 RBIs in just 85 games for the Twins last season after being called up from the minors in June.

“I got called up for four days and it turned into four months,” said Valencia.

Gladden noted that Valencia was third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and appears to be the strong third baseman the Twins have been looking for since the hard-hitting Corey Koskie left the team in 2004.

Valencia, the former University of Miami standout from Boca Raton, Fla., was drafted by the Twins in 2006. He said last season was “the best summer of my life.”

And, Valencia hopes for more ahead. He thinks the Twins again are the “team to beat” in the Central Division.

As far as beating the Yankees, who have eliminated the Twins in the playoffs the last two years, both Valencia and fellow infielder Matt Tolbert, who was also on the Caravan, said they can't pinpoint why the Yankees seem to have their number.

But maybe the Twins are ready to make another run as they are happy to retain veteran designated hitter Jim Thome, starting ace Carl Pavano, all-star reliever Joe Nathan and all-star first baseman Justin Morneau this season.

Thome and Pavano signed contracts last week, while Nathan is coming back from Tommy John surgery and Morneau is returning from a concussion.

“Nathan was really ready to play late last season,” said Gladden. “I think he's in better shape than he has been normally. And we learned a lot from (Francisco) Liriano, who also had Tommy John surgery.”

Morneau, meanwhile, has been working out in Arizona, Gladden said, and he is ready to get to spring training and see how things go there.



(siouxcityjournal.com)