A Minor Leaguer To Keep An Eye On

When Minnesota Twins spring training opens, most of the talk will be aropund the big questions on the major league side: Who will play center field? Will Francisco Liriano be able to come back from "Tommy John" surgery on his elbow?

Don't look now, but Liriano won't be the only pitcher in camp recovering from elbow surgery. On the minor league side of camp, a 21 year old pitcher named Chris Anderson is also  fighting for a place on the team. Actually, Anderson's is hoping for a spot at Class A Beloit. The odds are, though, that he'll end up at either Elizabethton, or in the Gulf Coast rtookie league. Anywhere would be good for anderson, who two years ago looked to be out of professional baseball entirely.

The Twins drafted Anderson at that time, out of high school in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the 18th round. he then flunked his physical, the Twins dropped him, and he underwent surgery on his elbow. He didn't throw again until last February, and the results were good enough that the bTwins offered him another chance and this year he'll be in his first spring training camp.

Now, like most young players, Anderson's future is hardly guarunteed. But he has a couple of things going for him. He's left-handed, which for major league teams is always a consideration, and reports from the training center is that his fastball is regaining its velocity, and his curveball "has come back all the way."

If that's true, Anderson should start making his way up the minor league chain fairl steadily. All lefties get a shot, and a lefty with a first-rate curveball is something teams are always looking for. We'll be keeping an eye on Anderson here, and see how he does as a rookie minor leaguer for the Minnesota Twins.