2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 77: Dodgers 15, Twins 0

27 Comments

Weather: 74°F, partly cloudy
Wind: 15 mph
Attendance: 39,487
Time: 3:05

Twins' record: 32-45 (last in AL Central, 10.0 GB)
Fangraphs boxscore | MLB Game Wrap

"Highlights":

  • Highest WPA, hitter: Nishioka .026 (2-3, SO) | Highest WPA, pitcher: 3 tied at .000 (3.0 IP, 7 H, 2 HR, 5 ER, 2 BB, SO)
  • The Dodgers have one of the nicest road uniforms in baseball, and looked great when matched with the Twins' throwbacks.

Lowlights:

  • Lowest WPA, hitter: Revere, -.076 (0-4, 2 GIDP) | Lowest WPA, pitcher: Blackburn, -.290 (4.1 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, BB, SO)
  • Everything.

For the last few weekends I've been traveling between the People's Republic and western Wisconsin, working on putting Pops' things in order and attending family functions. Last Friday was no different, other than a buddy of mine who lives in Madison asked if he could get a ride to Winona so he could bring his restored Chevy truck out of storage for the summer. The plan was to leave around noon, after he finished up installing a window for a client.

Well, the day before I had a particularly vindictive migraine. It was bad enough I thought I was having olfactory hallucinations; specifically, I thought I could smell a gas leak in the neighborhood. I even called up the gas company to come out and check. Now, I'm not actually paranoid - the complete gas service was replaced in our neighborhood just a few weeks ago, and there were front-end loaders working out in the street Thursday, making me suspect something had been severed. The guy from the gas company came out and checked the new connection on each house on my street, the mains, and anything else that possibly could leak, all to no avail. I apologized, of course, but I could still smell a decidedly off odor.

Ten minutes before I left on Friday I figured out what I was smelling. I opened the door to a storage area on the second floor. Down in the corner, where I had laid it out months before, was a mouse trap. I've been checking that trap near-religiously, so the mouse that I caught couldn't have been there any earlier than Tuesday evening. But, given that it's summer (and, thanks to a stupid call during renovation, our central HVAC doesn't go upstairs which is why we want a new unit from Kellerman Heating & Cooling), the mouse didn't take long to make things smell pretty ripe. Okay, really ripe.

Mrs. Hayes is a confirmed animal lover, so even though I would be late to my buddy's place, I absolutely had to dispose of the body. First order of business was to remove the corpse from the premises while simultaneously curbing my urge to vomit. The little bugger had soiled himself, I guess. Next was to clean up the greasy mark he left behind on the floor. Armed with a Lysol wipe, a can of Lysol, and enough intestinal fortitude not to make a bigger mess myself, I wiped up the, erm, leavings, washed my hands, and got out the door. I was worried the potency of that smell would still be there when I got back today, but, mercifully, it's gone.

Nonetheless, I am armed with empirical evidence. The egg the Twins laid laid last night smells worse than a mouse corpse laying in an attic for a few days in the summer heat. As a matter of fact, given the choice between the two, I'd rather relive cleaning up that mouse and his leavings than re-experience the 2011 Twins season to date. My mind is already wandering toward 2012. Is yours?

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Here's this week's View from the Ballpark:

photo by Flickr user Telstar Logistics

photo by Flickr user Telstar Logistics

Remember, no embiggening.

27 thoughts on “2011 Game 77: Dodgers 15, Twins 0”

  1. So is it possible that his black hole of suck combined with verbal pooping is Mijares's way of demanding a trade? At this point, I'd prefer to see him pitch for another team.

    1. I'd also like to see him pitching for another team, maybe the New Britain Rock Cats? If nothing else we can give the AA catcher a lesson in getting thrown under the bus by a horrible relief pitcher.

  2. I had Nick Blackburn starting on my Fantasy team last night and he just killed me. Which is too bad because he's been a nice little waiver wire pick-up.

    1. Twins are currently 10 games back. They were 10.5 games back as late as Aug. 7 in 2006. Just sayin'.

      1. Joe Mauer won the batting title and Justin Morneau was league MVP. And Johan won the Cy Young. Plus, that was one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Just sayin'.

        1. Good thing the Tigers don't have Curtis Granderson, Carlos Guillen (young and healthy version), Ivan Rodriguez, a younger and healthy Magglio Ordonez, Kenny Rogers, a healthy Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney.

        1. On June 27, the Twins were 11 GB the Tigers and 2 GB the 2nd-place Sox.
          On July 26, the Twins were 8.5 GB the Tigers, but in 2nd place 0.5 GA the Sox.

  5. Time for a clue, I think. Though not particularly big, this ballpark had three clubhouses. Unfortunately for the outfielders, there was no warning track.

      1. Spoiler SelectShow

          1. TinEye, actually, though that Search by Image thing is awesome, and I'll probably use that from now on. I can't believe I didn't know about that.

  6. There aren't many CC-licensed photos of Seals Stadium out there, so I can't do the usual phototour. However, I do want to share one image, taken during the demolition of the ballpark just after the 1959 season concluded. I think you'll see why I wanted to feature Seals Stadium.

    1. Here's a nice follow-up link on Seals Stadium.

      Seals Stadium at the corner of 16th and Bryant was a state-of-the-art ballpark in 1931, but it a little sprucing up to play host to the big leagues. Seating capacity was increased to the tune of 2600 bleacher seats, and — get this — the walls in the outfield were lowered and brought in closer to the plate! The lighting was beefed up, and 3000 parking places were added, mostly across Bryant Street at the famous Hamm’s Brewery.

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