Danny Valencia has nailed down third base job for Minnesota Twins

One moment in spring training belied Danny Valencia's powerless minor league season to come, one at-bat and one swing that manager Ron Gardenhire remembers still. It happened in March, across the state from Fort Myers, Fla., in Jupiter, with former Twins ace Johan Santana on the mound for the Mets.

That day Valencia hit a home run off the two-time Cy Young winner so convincingly that it gave Gardenhire pause and later — when Valencia didn't muster a single homer in 185 at-bats with Class AAA Rochester — confidence that the 26-year-old could rediscover his slugging potential.

"I saw him in spring, I saw him hit a home run off Santana and that ball went forever," Gardenhire recalled earlier this week. "You know he's got the swing. It's just a matter of finding yourself. You never know what's going to happen, and you never can predict whether a guy's going to come up here and do well or not do well. You just have to let him play."

That's what Gardenhire did, and what Valencia did in turn is just what the Twins organization loves. He forced his way into the lineup and solidified his place as the team's everyday third baseman. Finally, after so many seasons without a consistent solution at Corey Koskie's old position, general manager Bill Smith won't have to search for a third baseman this winter.

"Danny Valencia certainly has stepped up and taken that position and I think given people a lot of confidence that he's ready to continue to play at this level," Smith said. "He has done a tremendous job this season."

Valencia is batting .323 with a .363 on-base percentage, .465 slugging percentage, seven homers and 18 doubles in 288 at-bats for the Twins this season. His batting average has been above .300 for all but five of his 121 days in the big leagues.

He has been better than expected at third base, and, though he's a long shot to win, he certainly deserves some votes for American League rookie of the year.

"I definitely don't feel complacent and feel like the job is mine," Valencia said. "I don't have the contract that guys have or the feeling or the sense of security that no matter what you do the job is yours. Obviously me being a rookie, I have to go out there and perform. I can't just relax and think that, proclaim it as mine. I can't do that."

The Twins called up Valencia from Rochester on June 3. Because Orlando Hudson, Alexi Casilla and J.J Hardy were injured, he played in 15 of his first 16 games with the Twins, batting .317 during that time with no show of power.

Despite Valencia's impressive start, Gardenhire remained tentative, taking his time to get a feel for the Twins' third baseman of the future. The manager fretted about Valencia's defense, occasionally taking him out in late innings of a ballgame in favor of a more trusted glove, explaining that in the minors Valencia had relied too heavily on his strong arm by sitting back on balls hit at him. He talked about Valencia's well-documented confidence and, perhaps related to that, didn't offer the rookie too much praise early on, more often rolling his eyes at Valencia's gaffes.

"At first he was getting a few hits, but he wasn't driving the ball. I was taking him out for defense because I wasn't sure yet," Gardenhire said. "Eventually, by the way he played, he just said leave me alone, just by the way he played. And that's what I've done."

Soon enough, Valencia's name turned up in the lineup daily. Hitting coach Joe Vavra worked with him on his balance at the plate, an adjustment that better distributed Valencia's weight and left him with more torque and momentum in his swing. Valencia absorbed the lessons and hit his first big-league homer in late July, one that outdid even that shot off Santana in spring training — a grand slam against 2009 American League Cy Young winner Zack Greinke in Kansas City.

He has seven homers this season but five in his past 13 games, his long swing effortlessly catapulting balls over left field fences.

"It's all on the player's shoulders. If they're not willing to watch or work or watch or listen, it doesn't do any good," Gardenhire said. "He's paid a lot of attention. And found a very nice swing."

Valencia's campaign to convince the Twins he could handle the third base job less than a year after the team deemed he was not ready for a September call-up never required convincing himself. His confidence is undisputed, unwavering and, maybe, essential to his success this season.

"I love being around him and talking to him because he does sometimes bring out my own confidence," center fielder Denard Span said. "I've never seen somebody that's more confident than he is."

Smith said Valencia has changed a great deal since the Twins drafted him in the 19th round in 2006, that he's grown up in the past few years, and Gardenhire lauded him for keeping "his mouth shut" during his first season in the majors. Maybe Valencia has tempered his confidence, but Span still sees it. He has a different perspective on his teammate, a player proud to wear a black T-shirt bearing the logo of his University of Miami that reads, "The U invented swagger."

"He hasn't changed. I wouldn't say he's changed. He's stayed true to himself, and that's part of the reason why he plays so well when he goes out there on that field," Span said. "He's come up big for us the second half of the season, especially with some of the injuries we've had. He's been just as valuable this second half as Delmon (Young) has been this whole year."



(twincities.com)