Danny Valencia leads Twins' winter tour lineup

The Twins have announced the lineups and schedule for their winter caravan, with stops at over 60 communities within the region.

Former Twins outfielder and current radio broadcaster Dan Gladden will be joined by infielders Danny Valencia and Matt Tolbert when the caravan stops in Sioux Falls on Monday, Jan. 24. The time and site of the visits will be announced at a later date, though Sioux Falls will be the last of three stops on Jan. 24, following Sioux City and Yankton. The group will also visit Watertown the following day.

Valencia should be a good draw, as this will be the first chance for many fans to get a chance to see the youngster up close.

The 26-year-old third baseman began last year in the minor leagues, but ended up finishing third in American League Rookie-of-the-Year voting, as he gave the Twins a big boost at a position they'd struggled to fill.

In 85 games, Valencia hit .311 with seven home runs and 40 RBI.

Tolbert, 28, will compete for a utility role after bouncing back and forth between the Twins and the minor leagues in recent years. In three seasons with the Twins, Tolbert has played in 160 games, batting .246 with three home runs.

Gladden has spent several years doing color commentary on the Twins Radio Network after a memorable career as a Twins outfielder. He hit a grand slam in Game 1 of the 1987 World Series, and scored the winning run in their historic 1-0 victory over Atlanta in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.



(argusleader.com)