Boofpen

It's official. Boof Bonser is now a member of the Minnesota Twins bullpen.

This will be Boof's first time ever as a regular member of a bullpen. He has one career relief appearance, his professional debut, for Salem-Keizer back in 2000.

UPDATE: The same article now states that Bonser is back in the rotation, taking the spot of the injured Carlos Silva. No matter what is going on, Boof's next start is crucial to establishing himself as a starting pitcher to remain competitive for a rotation spot in 2008, which is by no means a sure thing.

Spring has sprung

The Twins have reported to camp. Games begin in one week. I haven't blogged in awhile since there's nothing new on the Boof front. Still projected as the #2 or #3 (maybe behind Silva). I mean, when your team guarantees Sidney Ponson a rotation spot, you'd think you could let a guy named Boof Bonser have one too...

Bonus: another Boof card pic for y'all.

Another Bit of the Rotation

The Twins signed Ramon Ortiz. That makes the Twins '07 rotation look something like

1. Johan Santana
2. Boof Bonser
3. Carlos Silva
4. Ramon Ortiz
5. ???

And the order is probably wrong. I'm not a Twins fan, I'm a Bonser fan.

Actual Boof news is slow this week. So I'll treat y'all to another card, this one his first mass-produced card, 2001 Bowman Draft Picks.

A scary thought...

Earlier in the off-season, if you'll let me rumor in the past-tense, there were Jason Jennings-to-the-Twins rumors. The Rockies wanted two young starters in return. They allegedly had their eyes on one Mr. Boof Bonser. Twins GM Terry Ryan wouldn't have any of it. Good for him. A pitcher with a tenuous grasp on the long ball, pitching in Colorado...I think we all could have bid Boof bye-bye if that had happened.

Also, note that a full summary of Boof's career stats can now be found on the right-hand side of the page. Read and reflect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally!

With spring training a mere five weeks away, the marvel of Boof's standing within the Twins organization has begun to sink in. Depending on whose reports you read, Boof will begin the season as either the #2 or #3 starter in the Twins' rotation. This from a pitcher called up in mid-season last year, with sadly mediocre numbers in the minors the past few seasons.

The situation may say more about the Twins' depth than Boof's ability, but Bonser has finally established himself in the majors. If Lohse and Silva hadn't had career-worst years and Liriano hadn't ruined his elbow in '06, Boof was beginning to look like a minor-league lifer.

Instead, he got to start Game 2 of the ALDS (which the Twins lost through no fault of Boof's - 6 IP, 2 ER, 3 K's). Now he gets to start 34 Game 2's in 2007. Boof finally got his break.