Kubel's debut a good one

FORT MYERS - Jason Kubel's surroundings were very familiar Friday afternoon, which helps explain why the shy 21-year-old felt so at home.

Kubel made his 2004 spring training debut with the Minnesota Twins a memorable one by homering in his second at-bat at Hammond Stadium. His solo shot cleared the wall in right field where he roamed all summer as a member of the Class A Fort Myers Miracle - and helped Minnesota to a 10 - 4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

"Hitting a home run was the last thing on my mind I was just trying to hit the ball somewhere," said Kubel, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, before Saturday's 6-2 Grapefruit League win over the Boston Red Sox. "It felt all right leaving the bat but I wasn't too sure. Everyone was up yelling and giving me high-fives when I touched home."

Miracle fans weren't surprised at all, not after watching Kubel drive in 125 runs, hit 298 and commit just two errors all season.

He was ranked the 17th best prospect and best outfield arm in the Florida State League by Baseball America and made both the midseason and postseason All-Star teams.

Unfortunately for Kubel, he happened to be on the same team as phenom catcher Joe Mauer and high profIle pitching prospects Jesse Crain and J.D. Durbin. Mauer is being penciled in as the Twins' starting catcher for the upcoming season and Crain and Durbin are making strong cases for landing on the Opening Day roster.

Shannon Stewart, Hunter and Jacque Jones are secure in the outfield, and a bevy of more experienced players are ahead of Kubel for that fifth spot. He likely will have to treat his first camp more as a learning experience than as an opportunity to make the club.

"There are a lot of little things that he needs to learn," Twins first base and outfielders coach Jerry White said. "He has some ability, and I just notice just watching him in the outfield that there's little things that we do that he needs to pick up on. He's doing a good job."

Kubel's locker in the clubhouse is in between veterans Corey Koskie and Doug Mientkiewicz, and he said those two guys as well as Hunter, Jones and Stewart all have been willing to help him.

He said Jones came out earlier in the week when White was working with him on his bunting and gave him some tips. And the fact that all of those guys once were in Kubel's shoes gives him hope.

"Everybody comes up through the minor leagues so it's good for all of us," Kubel, who entered Saturday's game in the bottom of the eighth, said. "They like to promote within the system so it gives us all a good shot. I'm very excited to be here. This is the most fun I've ever had playing baseball."

Just like he was back home.

NOTES: Former Twin David Ortiz launched the first pitch he saw from Brad Radke deep over the right-field wall in the top of the second inning for his first homer of the spring. "I wanted to see how far Dave could hit it," Radke said of the fastball he threw down the middle. "He hit it pretty far." The ball landed in the lake beyond the trees. Ortiz finished 2-for-3 on the day, also stroking a double off of Durbin in the fourth.

Red Sox starter Byung-Hun Kim walked Twins leadoff hitter Lew Ford, then retired the next six batters he faced before leaving the game at the end of the second inning. Kim is one of only eight natives of South Korea to play in the majors.

Durbin put together a 1-2-3 inning in the third and in the top of the fourth he went right after Boston slugger Manny Ramirez, striking him out looking on a curveball. He got Ortiz to whiff at two change-ups before giving up the double to left.

Twins right fielder Michael Restovich went 2-for-4 with a solo home run to left, a two-run double and three RBIs, Mauer went 2-for-3 with an RBI and designated hitter Matt LeCroy went l-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Kapler went 2-for-2 with a run and RBI for Boston.

Left-hander Johan Santana will start today in Sarasota against Cincinnati and righty Jose Acevedo at 1:05 p.m. Right-hander Sean Douglass starts Monday in a splitsquad game in Tampa against the New York Yankees and righty Kyle Lohse gets the start at City of Palms Park in the other split-squad game against the Red Sox.