Twins come calling again, Van Steensel jumps

CEDAR RAPIDS - He could have been bitter, but Todd Van Steensel relished another opportunity with a club that originally didn't think he was good enough.

The Minnesota Twins released the Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher after a mediocre 2011 season in Rookie ball. He continued to toil, even winding up playing professionally for a bit in the Netherlands, of all places.

When his fastball velocity somewhat unexpectedly increased over the winter throwing for a team in his native Australia, major league organization's became interested again. There were the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Red Sox, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Detroit Tigers.

Thanks, but no thanks. Minnesota offered him another contract, another opportunity, and that was that.

'My velo jumped up a little bit and teams started calling me again. It was like I was 17 again,” said the affable Van Steensel, whose Kernels had a double-header against Peoria at Veterans Memorial Stadium rained out Monday night. 'When I was with the Twins the first time, I really enjoyed it. So when they gave me the offer, I was like ‘OK, I had fun there, it was great. I loved it. I'm going to take this chance again and run with it.'”

He's running fast and has been hard to catch. Definitely hard to hit.

Since coming to Cedar Rapids from extended spring training April 26, the right-hander has given up just one run in eight innings and struck out 15. His stuff, combined with a deceptive, unique delivery have been too much for Midwest League hitters.

Van Steensel, 23, employs a high leg kick and twisting motion patterned after former big leaguer Dontrelle Willis.

'I started doing that when I was about 16 because I really loved him,” Van Steensel said. 'It used to really look like Dontrelle, but it's calmed down a little bit. It just feels natural to me now.”

Van Steensel first signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a 16-year-old in 2008 but was released after one season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He signed with the Twins the first time around in 2010.

Now he is back and better than ever, hoping the third time is indeed a charm.

'I guess I just have grown into my body a little bit,” Van Steensel said. 'I worked really hard all winter, which is your summer, working on arm strength and working on mechanics. I have a friend back home who really drilled into me the importance of mechanics. So I think that contributed to my increase in velo.

'My career has taken me to a few places. A couple of weeks ago I was in Fort Myers (Florida). Now I'm in Cedar Rapids, enjoying playing baseball.”

The Kernels and Chiefs are scheduled to play double-headers Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons beginning at 5:05. Cedar Rapids is 19-16, a half-game behind Peoria for second place in the Midwest League's Western Division.

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