The RoundHouse | 1/7/2021 2:09:00 PM

 
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Sean Johnson played catcher at Wichita State from 1996-98 and worked as director of operations before embarking on a career in professional baseball. Johnson, who attended South High School, became scouting director for the Minnesota Twins in 2016. He talks about the Double A team that will play in Wichita this summer, top prospects such as shortstop Royce Lewis and the differences between AA and AAA baseball.

Johnson also discusses how his time as a Shocker influenced his career, what he learned from coach Gene Stephenson and cooking during the pandemic.
 
Johnson on his time at Wichita State:
 
"The culture we had in those days, it was just a lot of fun, because we knew we put a lot of hard work in and we had talent to match that. It took us a long way."
 
Johnson on throwing out Randy Young (who stole 170 bases as a Shocker from 1994-96 and ranks third on the career list):
 
"I threw him out once. It was like the greatest day of my life. He must have fell down and got back up. He is still, to this day, one of the fastest people I've ever seen."
 
Johnson on how the Twins rebuilt their team:
 
"We've added so many more people and resources. There's been such a huge push in player development and there's so many tools now with the technology to enhance players performance. We're probably in the top five analytically in the league. We've got a huge research and development department, so we're trying to make better decisions."
 
Johnson on Double A baseball in Wichita:
 
"If you see a minor-league player at a Double A park, they are extremely talented and they've got skill to match that. They're on the doorstep to the major leagues. I always love going to Double A games, because all the players there are good and they're skilled. They've got a chance to get to the big leagues. You can't just get to Double A by accident."