After a year off, Ryan Sweeney making the most of chance with Minnesota Twins

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA — It was just after 9 a.m. here Monday morning when Cedar Rapids native Ryan Sweeney left the enclosed batting cages under Hammond Stadium, the spring training home of the Minnesota Twins.

Game time was still more than three hours away but the Xavier graduate was working on his swing since he was in the starting lineup for the Twins, batting sixth and playing right field.

'Pretty much in the morning I am trying to get loose,' said Sweeney, standing outside of the Twins clubhouse a few minutes later. 'I have to stretch for an hour before we stretch (as a team). I am not 21 anymore.'

Sweeney, who turned 31 last month, has added motivation to arrive just after 7 a.m. for 1 p.m. home games.

After making his pro debut in 2003 and big league debut three years later, the left-handed hitting outfielder was out of baseball last season after getting released by the Cubs in April, 2015.

He spent most of last season resting his body, playing golf and spending time with his family, which includes his wife and 2-year-old son.

'I just started earlier than I normally would have. Instead of starting to hit in January I started in November and December,' said Sweeney, who lives in the Chicago area in the off-season. 'To be honest with you after taking a year off I don't feel like I took a year off.'

Sweeney, with seven years of big league experience, came to Florida early before reporting to spring training with the Twins in Fort Myers.

'The main thing was about seeing live pitching and getting your timing down,' said Sweeney, a career .276 hitter in the majors. 'I came down to Tampa a week early before camp started. I took BP outside and ran around outside.'

Sweeney is making a strong bid for an Opening Day roster spot, though the Twins outfield picture was crowded with less than two weeks left in camp.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan said before Monday's game with the Pittsburgh Pirates that Sweeney has done well — a .333 spring average (9 for 27) with four doubles, six walks and six RBIs through Sunday. Sweeney last played in the majors with the Cubs in 2014, collecting 207 at bats in 77 games with a batting average of .251.

'I think he is doing fine for a guy who did not play the game last year,' Ryan said. 'He was a pretty good player for the Cubs in 2014. He has always taken professional at bats. He has a good idea of the strike zone. He can play all three (outfield spots). There are a lot of things there that are attractive. I think he has done well.'

Sweeney feels he has been given a fair shot by the Twins.

'I feel like I have had a decent amount of at bats,' said Sweeney, who singled in his first at bat here Monday against the Pirates. 'I think (the Twins) have done a pretty good job of getting the starters in there and the guys (who are reserves) in there. I have played nine innings a few times and gotten a decent amount of starts.'

Sweeney also attracted interest from the Cincinnati Reds before signing with the Twins.

'I was not in a position to be picky. This was a good situation for me since (the Twins) had a young outfield,' he said.

Another nonroster veteran outfielder in camp with the Twins is Carlos Quentin, who started at first base here Monday.

Does Sweeney feel he has a shot to make the Opening Day roster? And if not would be consider going to Triple-A?

'I mean, who knows? I have seen a lot of stuff happen,' he said. 'I feel like guys like me and Carlos have been around and have a track record and have shown that we can play. It is kind of out of our control.'

He is playing for Twins Manager Paul Molitor, a St. Paul native who played for Minnesota and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

'He called me in the off-season when they signed me,' Sweeney said. 'Any time you can get a manger that played as long as he did (1978-98) is huge. He understands the game and what is going on.'

The Red Sox also train in Fort Myers and Sweeney is staying in the same place he used to rent while with Boston in spring training in 2012. He recently took his family to a zoo in nearby Naples and said his son has had to adapt this month after Sweeney was home most of last season.

'Now he realizes daddy has to go to the field every day. Maybe he got spoiled,' said Sweeney, with a grin.

THE RYAN SWEENEY FILE

Full name: Ryan Joseph Sweeney

Born: Feb. 20, 1985

Hometown: Cedar Rapids

High school: Xavier

Drafted: 2003 by the Chicago White Sox in the second round

Big league debut: Sept. 1, 2006

Last big league game: Aug. 26, 2014 with the Chicago Cubs

2015 season: Did not play organized ball

Current big league organization: Minnesota Twins

Bats/throws: left/left

Position: outfield

Did you know? Sweeney has played in the major leagues with the White Sox, Oakland A's, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs ... he has 23 career homers in 682 big league games ... Sweeney was released by the Cubs in April, 2015 ... He was signed to a minor league contract on Dec. 17, 2015 by the Twins and invited to spring training as a nonroster player ... Sweeney had a career-high 484 at bats with Oakland in 2009 ... he was hitting .333 this spring with the Twins through games of Sunday ... The Twins minor league affiliate plays in Cedar Rapids in the Single-A Midwest League.

Editor's note: Freelance writer David Driver covers the Washington Nationals for The Sports Xchange and has been doing spring training features since 2009. He can be reached at his website.