Different in stature and versatility, five Minnesota Twins are all trying to find out the same thing: if they are the right man for the team's right field job.
Brian Buchanan, Michael Cuddyer, Dustan Mohr, Bobby Kielty and Michael Restovich are all trying to become Minnesota's starting right fielder.
"We're trying to get their feet wet," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "We're just trying to get these guys at-bats."
Although Gardenhire has said that the job is Buchanan's to lose, Minnesota wants to give the other four players a fair chance as well.
Buchanan has been sidelined by a sore left wrist, which has provided the other players with more opportunities to play.
During Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers at the Lee County Sports Complex, Restovich started in right field, with Mohr in left and Cuddyer at first base.
Kielty started in center, allowing regular starter Torii Hunter a chance to rest his sore right shoulder.
"I have to put them all on the baseball field and let them play," Gardenhire said. "Buck had a bad break. Dustan Mohr is playing in left field, but there's no reason we can't move him over to right."
As it's too early to tell who is the leading candidate, Gardenhire said he'll just evaluate the five players each week, leading up to Opening Day on April 1.
"I can't go to their homes and check to see if they're sweeping their attics," Gardenhire said.
"We're hoping someone will step up and win the job."
Two or three of the five players likely will remain with the major-league team, while the rest of them will be sent to the minor leagues.
Each player can claim to have an advantage to win the job for different reasons:
Brian Buchanan
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound, 28-year-old slugger might have the most power of the five. He hit 10 home runs in just 69 games last season, with a .274 average.
Married to the former Jill Havlicek, whose father is Hall-of-Fame basketball player John Havlicek, Buchanan spent three seasons in Triple-A before breaking into the big leagues for 30 games in 2000.
Since then, Buchanan has slowly progressed to being the front-runner to win this spring's biggest camp battle.
"Buchanan was there all last year," Restovich said, referring to the big leagues. "He deserves it."
Michael Cuddyer
At age 22 -- he'll turn 23 on March 27 -- he probably has the best long-term potential.
Drafted as a shortstop prospect out of Great Bridge (Va.) High School in 1997, Cuddyer moved to third base and hit .298, with 16 home runs and 82 RBI, for the Class A Fort Myers Miracle in 1999.
Last season, he hit 30 home runs for Double-A New Britain and had an eight-game call-up to the majors in September.
At the end of last spring, former Twins manager Tom Kelly told Cuddyer that he better start learning to play a multitude of positions if he wanted to break into the big leagues.
The Twins were set at shortstop with Cristian Guzman, and at third with Corey Koskie.
"I've been through a position change before," Cuddyer said. "It's helped me out to move into the outfield."
Cuddyer, who is listed at 6-2 and 215 pounds, said he has tried to stay away from the magazines that list him as the Twins' top upcoming rookie.
"You can't get caught up in the expectations," he said. "The only person who knows is you.
Obviously, I want to be in the big leagues, but I've always wanted to play every day as well.
"My goal is to make the team. That's what I'm trying to do. In this game, you have to take it game-by-game and at-bat by at-bat. If you start looking at the future, you won't have a chance."
Dustan Mohr
The darkhorse of all the candidates won back-to-back state titles at Oak Grove High School in Mississippi. After playing at the University of Alabama, he was released by the Cleveland Indians and then signed by the Twins in time to play for the Miracle in 2000.
Mohr hit 11 home runs that season and then increased that total to 24 last summer in New Britain. He earned a late-season call-up to the majors as well.
"I did not expect it," Mohr said of the promotion. "I was really concentrating on getting ready for the (Double-A) playoffs.
"It's been nothing but fun, being here and being part of what's going on."
Mohr, who has played mostly left field this spring, said he doesn't know what his chances are to win the job.
"I'm just glad to get a chance to play," he said. "Gardenhire made it clear during the first meeting that he wants us to go out and play hard and have fun.
"It's no good to worry about what they're looking for. The most important thing is to have fun and play the game the way you know how."
Bobby Kielty
Before Sunday's game, Kielty said he has written himself off as a candidate to start in right field.
When asked if he was serious, Kielty replied: "I'm jokingly serious, and I'm seriously joking.
"I feel like I'm fighting for the fourth outfielder's spot. They saw me play right a little bit last year, so they have an idea of what I can do."
This spring, Kielty has played in center field, relieving the currently injured Hunter. Because of his versatility, Kielty said he's probably best suited for the fourth outfielder spot, at least for now.
At 6-1 and 225 pounds, Kielty is the only switch-hitter of the group. He hit .250, with two home runs and 14 RBI, in 37 major-league games in 2001.
"Really, I'm just going to fight for a job," Kielty said. "I guess whoever's going to prove himself is going to get it."
Michael Restovich
The 6-4, 245-pound right-handed hitter would be the long-shot candidate. He's the only one of the five without a game of major-league experience to his credit.
A Minnesota homegrown talent -- he attended Rochester Mayo (Minn.) High School -- he hit .263, with eight home runs and 64 RBI, for the Miracle in 2000 before hitting .269, with 23 homers, last season in New Britain.
Although Restovich said that Buchanan deserves the first chance at the job, he certainly wouldn't mind having it himself.
"I'll leave that up to them," Restovich said, referring to Twins management. "I'm just trying to do the best I can. We've got so many right fielders now. All are doing well, and all are good players."
