When the playoffs began, I did not feel "emotionally invested" in the success of my favorite team, the Twins. But I sure am now, after watching the Division Series Game 1 comeback and the Game 5 nail-biter against the A's. With the split in the first two games of the ALCS, it looks like I might be able to use my Game 6 tickets on Tuesday. I'd be happy if the Twins swept in Anaheim, of course, but these two teams are so well balanced against one another that I doubt either will run away with it.

I do like the Angels ... heck, I like the Giants and the Cardinals, too, so whoever wins it all, I won't be too upset. But, in the end, I must root for the team of my childhood, if only to see Bud Selig hand the trophy over. "Win Twins!"

OK, now to the mailbag.

Bob C. writes: The Diamondbacks are getting older, and Jerry Colangelo is going to re-tool next year to bring the overall age of the team and the payroll down.

Does he have much to rebuild with? It seems like the D-Backs have some nice young pitchers (John Patterson, Mike Gosling, Oscar Villareal), some nice relievers (Jeremy Ward and a healthy Matt Mantei), and a good third-base prospect in Chad Tracy (unfortunately Matt Williams has a guaranteed contract next year). They also have Lyle Overbay in the mix at first base, and Alex Cinton to backup at second base, shortstop and third base. They have three average to below average catchers (Damian Miller, Chad Moeller and Rod Barajas) with Ben Cresse stuck at Triple-A Tuscon. Jerry Hairston is probably a year away from helping. Are things looking OK or are things pretty bleak in the desert?

The Diamondbacks have built their franchise by relying on veteran players. At the start, they also talked a good game about building a strong farm system, and indeed, they took gambles on expensive amateurs like Travis Lee and Patterson. But, in general, the Diamondbacks have not had a strong farm system, thanks in part to some questionable draft decisions, especially in the first few years of the franchise.

But the D-Backs have made progress in the last couple of seasons, drafting better, thanks to some nice mid-round pickups like Overbay and Tracy. They still make some odd decisions in the first round; 2001 first-rounder Jason Bulger has a great arm, but doesn't show a lot of pitching finesse, for example. But there's a lot more here than there was a few years ago, and the D-Backs have enough to being a decent rebuilding effort. Of the players you mentioned, Patterson and Villareal are positioned to help the pitching staff next year. Gosling is a power lefty who throttled the Double-A Texas League; we should see him in the rotation sometime next year perhaps. In fact, the El Paso pitching staff as a whole looks very promising. Andrew Good and Brandon Webb are strong right-handed prospects to complement the southpaw Gosling.

Overbay is ready now for first base, although his name pops up in trade rumors. Cintron will have a 12-year career in the middle infield, although he's got the kind of skill set (flashy glove, speed, little power, erratic bat) that looks better to scouts than it does in the actual lineup. Hairston is a favorite of mine. He hit .332 with 35 doubles and 16 homers and good strike zone judgment in the Class A Midwest League. He needs to tighten up his infield defense, and may end up in the outfield eventually, but I think he'll hit. Overall, Arizona doesn't have one of the best farm systems, but it's in decent condition, and will provide a solid base for the rebuilding job.

Robert B. asks: I've been following the Angels' Triple-A team in Salt Lake closely over the last year, and I'm really impressed with several of the players. I, however, see a problem in that several of the best Angels prospects play positions that are going to be very difficult to get playing time at on the big-league level. What are your opinions of pitchers John Lackey and Mickey Callaway and outfielder Robb Quinlan?

Like the Diamondbacks, the Angels have done a solid job rebuilding their farm system over the last couple of years. Five years ago, the Angels had one of the worst farm systems in the game, but better drafting, combined with a renewed emphasis on Latin America, have borne fruit.

You've seen what Francisco Rodriguez has been able to do in the postseason, and it is no fluke: the guy is a genuine stud. He's got great stuff, improving control, and has taken well to bullpen work. I like Lackey a lot too, and no, he isn't a fluke, either. Another guy to watch at Salt Lake is Chris Bootcheck, who doesn't have quite the blistering stuff that Rodriguez and Lackey bring to the table, but who has a decent arm, throws strikes, and knows how to pitch. He could be in the rotation sometime next year.

Quinlan has a decent bat, but you're right, it will be hard for him to find a position. He hit .333 with 20 homers and 112 RBI for Salt Lake. His .333/.375/.555 mark is about .260/.330/.460 once you adjust for park and league effects, which is not awesome production from a corner outfielder. He can hit major-league pitching, but can he hit it enough to get a job? Maybe; he could make a good platoon partner in a Shane Spencer way, but he'll need a break and a run of luck.

Callaway has great control, and posted a 1.68 ERA this year, but he doesn't have a very good fastball, and his track record is inconsistent. He could be an average pitcher in a long relief or spot starter role in my view. I must admit that every time I've seen him pitch he gets hit hard, which may be clouding my view of his chances.

Anaheim's best prospects are still at the A-ball level, so you have lots to look forward to in Salt Lake over the next few years. Class A Cedar Rapids was especially loaded this season.

David A. writes: What has happened to Mario Ramos this year? His numbers and performance last year were awesome, earning him Oakland's Minor League Player of the Year award. This year in the Rangers system his ERA was over 7.00 with 162 hits allowed in 121 innings (not to mention only 75 Ks). Can he still be considered a prospect?

Ramos' collapse was stunning. He pitched well in Triple-A last year, going 8-3, 3.14, but he was worse than awful this year, as you point out. And it wasn't bad luck, either; he was genuinely terrible, with dramatic fall-offs in his numbers across the board. He lost his job in the starting rotation in July, and did pitch better in relief, posting a 4.61 ERA when used out of the bullpen. But overall his season must be considered one of the biggest disappointments of the year prospect-wise.

Often, when a pitcher has a catastrophic decline in performance, there is a hidden injury involved, but to my knowledge nothing like that has come to light yet for Ramos. All in all, his 2002 season is very puzzling. He did enough in 2000 and 2001 that you shouldn't give up on him, but you need to watch him closely next spring. Finesse pitchers like Ramos are more vulnerable to small problems ... mechanical difficulties, loss of confidence, a pitch that stops working, an "insignificant" injury ... since they have smaller margins for error.

Tom A. asks: Is Brad Hawpe at Class A Carolina in the Rockies' system a top prospect?

Hawpe sure looks great on paper. He hit .347 with 38 doubles, 22 homers, and 81 walks. He looks good in person, too; he has a very quick swing from the left side, and generates power to all fields. As I see it, he has two main problems: he's 23 and has yet to appear in Double-A, and he plays the wrong position.

The first problem isn't really his fault, of course. The Rockies could have promoted him to Double-A at any point last year; he clearly had nothing left to prove in Class A, and scouts like him enough that he's not an "organization" player designated as roster filler. I personally think he'll hit in Double-A and higher just fine, though maybe more .290 with 28 doubles and 17 homers than .347. But his other problem is position: he's a first baseman, and first basemen in the Rockies system have Mount Helton in their way. If I had to guess about his future, I'd say that Hawpe will hit enough in Double-A next year to get mentioned in a lot of trade rumors.

John Sickels is the author of the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He is currently writing a biography of Bob Feller. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at johnsickels.com.