Monthly Archives: June 2011

Miscellaneous

AMR’s Graphs: 6/29/2011

I don't think I'll make a regular series out of these, but I wanted to see how hard it would be to show games behind second place. Might as well share.

It appeared for most of 2006 that the Tigers and ChiSox were both going to the playoffs, the race was just for HFA. No teams from the other two divisions made a decent run at the Wild Card, so I'm basically thinking as second place in the ALC as a proxy for the WC-leading team.

The chart of games above second place shows that once the Twins started making their run, the Tigers held them off for a long time, but the ChiSox did not.
AL Central 2006: Games Behind Second Place
Continue reading AMR’s Graphs: 6/29/2011 →

WGOM Videos

By Divine Right – Cupid In Oilskins

Video 7 Comments

I have wanted to play this band for a long time, as they are a favorite of mine, but there is a real lack of live video from them. Furthermore the quality of live footage from them is kind of, well, bad. This video is no different.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b588Jiw5e8g

I strongly suggest looking these guys up for studio clips, they rule.

4 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 104 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10 (4 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)
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2011 Twins Game Recaps, View from the Ballpark

2011 Game 77: Dodgers 15, Twins 0

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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.

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of 6/23 – 6/27

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ROCHESTER

Thursday—Rochester 7, Charlotte 2 in Rochester.  Dustin Martin singled and homered.  Eric Hacker struck out six in six innings.

Friday—Syracuse 10, Rochester 3 in Syracuse.  Trevor Plouffe had two singles, a double, and a homer, driving in three.  Jake Stevens pitched two shutout innings.

Saturday—Rochester 6, Syracuse 2 in Syracuse.  Dustin Martin had three hits and scored three times.  Kyle Gibson gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings.

Sunday—Syracuse 9, Rochester 2 in Rochester. Toby Gardenhire singled and doubled. Carlos Gutierrez struck out three in two shutout innings.

Monday--Syracuse 11, Rochester 2 in Rochester.  Aaron Bates singled and doubled to raise his average to .321. Anthony Slama struck out four in 1.2 scoreless innings.

NEW BRITAIN

Thursday—Bowie at New Britain.  Postponed.

Friday—New Britain 3, Trenton 2 in New Britain.  Deibinson Romero had two hits.  Bobby Lanigan struck out nine in eight innings, giving up a run on five hits.

Saturday—Trenton 12, New Britain 5 in New Britain.  Mark Dolenc had three hits. Chris Parmelee singled and tripled.

Sunday—Trenton 6, New Britain 2 in New Britain.  Yangervis Solarte singled and doubled, raising his average to .322.  Tony Davis pitched two shutout innings.

Monday--New Britain 15, Portland 5 in Portland. Brian Dozier had two singles, a double, and a triple.  Evan Bigley had two singles and a double.  Deibinson Romero had three hits.

FT. MYERS

Thursday—Bradenton 6, Ft. Myers 5 in Ft. Myers (14 innings).  Nick Romero had two hits.  Matthew Tone struck out three in two shutout innings.

Friday—Bradenton 16, Ft. Myers 5 in Bradenton.  Aaron Hicks had two doubles. Steve Liddle finished the game on the mound and went 1.1 scoreless innings.

Saturday--Bradenton 7, Ft. Myers 5 in Bradenton. Jamaal Hawkins singled and doubled, driving in two.  Kevin Slowey gave up two runs on three hits in two innings, striking out four.

Sunday--Charlotte 3, Ft. Myers 1 in Charlotte. The Miracle had just two hits.  Matt Schuld allowed a run on three hits in four innings.

Monday--Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 0 in Ft. Myers.  Tom Stuifbergen allowed six hits and no walks in seven innings.  Aaron Hicks and Jamaal Hawkins each singled and doubled.

BELOIT

Thursday--No games scheduled.

Friday--Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 2 in Beloit. Nate Roberts singled and homered.  Ryan O’Rourke struck out nine in five innings, giving up a run on four hits.

Saturday--Beloit 8, Cedar Rapids 7 in Beloit (10 innings). Adam Bryant doubled twice, driving in four.  Michael Gonzales homered.  Michael Tonkin pitched two shutout innings.

Sunday--Beloit 8, Cedar Rapids 5 in Beloit.  Lance Ray had three hits.  Pat Dean gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in six innings.  Ben Tootle pitched two shutout innings.

Monday--Beloit 9, Clinton 2 in Clinton. Jairo Perez doubled and homered to raise his average to .364. Tobias Streich had two doubles. Andrei Lobanov pitched two shutout innings.

ELIZABETHTON

Thursday--Elizabethton 6, Bluefield 5 in Elizabethton.  Jhonatan Arias singled and homered.  Sam Spangler pitched 2.1 shutout innings.

Friday--Elizabethton 8, Burlington 7 in Elizabethton (10 innings). Matej Hejma had three hits.  Steven Evans gave up an unearned run on no hits and two walks.

Saturday--Elizabethton 3, Burlington 1 in Elizabethton.  Rory Rhodes singled and doubled.  Sam Spangler struck out four in two shutout innings.  Madison Boer struck out the side in the ninth.

Sunday--Elizabethton 12, Burlington 7 in Elizabethton.  Eddie Rosario had two doubles and a home run, scoring three times and driving in five.  Nick Lockwood had three hits.

Monday--Johnson City 10, Elizabethton 5 in Johnson City. Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano each singled and homered. Pedro Guerra gave up a run and struck out four in 4.1 innings.

GCL TWINS

Thursday--Rays 9, Twins 2 at Twins. Brandon Roberts and Aderlin Mejia had two hits each.  Shay Crawford struck out three in one inning.

Friday--Twins 10, Red Sox 1 at Twins. Oswaldo Arcia had two singles and a triple. Hung Yi Chen struck out six in four shutout innings.

Saturday--Red Sox 5, Twins 4 at Red Sox.  Wander Guillen had two hits. Tim Atherton struck out six in 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on a hit and two walks.

Sunday--No game scheduled.

Monday--Twins 4, Orioles 1 at Orioles.  Jacob Younis was 4-for-4.  Wander Guillen singled and tripled.  Jeff Manship gave up one hit and struck out two in three shutout innings.

DSL TWINS

Thursday--Orioles 7, Twins 4 at Twins.  Dubal Baez had two hits.  Carlos Martinez drove in three runs. Carlos Suarez pitched two scoreless innings.

Friday--Twins 8, Cubs1 3 at Twins (Game 1--Scheduled 7 innings). Ronald Jimenez singled and doubled.  Ezequiel Zarzuela struck out four in two shutout innings.

Cubs1 3, Twins 1 at Cubs1 (Game 2--Scheduled 7 innings). Jose Ramirez had two hits.  Javier Vargas allowed an unearned run on four hits and three walks in four innings.

Saturday--Rockies 11, Twins 5 at Twins. Adonis Pacheco had three hits. Javier Pimentel singled and tripled. Joel Polanco singled and doubled.

Sunday--No game scheduled.

Monday--Twins 13, Reds 2 at Reds.  Javier Pimentel had two doubles and a single, scoring three times and driving in five.  Junior Subero struck out four and gave up two hits in four shutout innings.

Games

Pixel Perfect Memories: 3 Cards to Midnight

46 Comments

Release Date:  May 7, 2009
Platforms:  Windows

While I conceded the fall of sprawling adventure games to first-person shooters and the more economically sound casual game market, one concept I've had difficulty wrapping my head around is the hidden-object game.   The whole concept (here's some objects, click on them) is on par with word-finds for intellectual and emotional stimulation.   My first experience with such games was Escape the Museum.  It was so nauseatingly boring that I quit after ten minutes and went outside to watch boxelder bugs procreate.   Then I discovered there are hundreds upon hundreds of games much like this, with no challenge, a threadbare plot, and selling like hotcakes.

In 2009, I came across a good one, all by accident.  Chris Jones and Aaron Conners are relatively big names in the industry, for they were responsible for the immensely popular Tex Murphy series.  Jones starred as Tex Murphy in one of the few positive uses of full-motion video, blending film noir and adult themes with solid adventuring.   So when I found out they had started their own company, Big Finish Games, I knew I would buy whatever game they produced.  It wasn't until after I ordered their first game, 3 Cards to Midnight, that I realized it was a hidden-object game.  [redacted!]

But I was pleasantly surprised.  Rather than simply finding lists of objects on screen, the games requires you to think.  For example, the game might give you a word like "Shark."  Instead of looking for Jaws, you may need to look for the ace of clubs.  Ergo, card shark.   Or click on a tiger.  Tiger shark.  Or an aquarium.  Shark tank.

Not only does the game require thinking, there is actually a fleshed out plot, cut scenes, and voice acting.  It's nothing to write home about, but at least it tries.  There is also a sequel, 3 Cards to Dead Time, that is even stronger in the puzzle department if weaker in the story and acting.

I still prefer just about any other genre to hidden object.  But Stefanie loves such games, and if we're going to play them together, I need to find some that don't immediately make me catatonic.  If anyone has recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

Whatcha playin?

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 28

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Spider Baum (1882)
Ken Williams (1890)
Haruyasu Nakajima (1910)
A. Ray Smith (1915)
Fred Gladding (1936)
Ron Luciano (1937)
Fred Talbot (1941)
Al Downing (1941)
Don Baylor (1949)
Chris Speier (1950)
Joe Sambito (1952)
John Elway (1960)
Jay Schroeder (1961)
Mark Grace (1964)
Ron Mahay (1971)
Corey Koskie (1973)
Richard Hidalgo (1975)

NFL quarterbacks John Elway and Jay Schroeder each played minor league baseball.  Elway hit .318 in 151 at-bats as an outfielder for Class A Oneonta in 1982.  Schroeder was primarily an outfielder for four years in the Toronto system, never getting higher than Class A.  He hit .213 with 36 homers in 1,304 minor league at-bats.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 28 →

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 77: McCourtsMLBs at Pohlads

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Finally, we get to go home and take on somebody our own size. The Dodgers (35-44) are the epitome of a small-market club, struggling to make payroll, playing their games in an old, rundown stadium with trough urinals.

They do have some Midwestern charm, however:

The Dodgers owe everybody and their mother money:

The team owes a total of $74,121,433 to their players, food and travel vendors, and even the city of Los Angeles.

The team owes Los Angeles $240,563 in taxes. It also owes Levy Restaurants $588,322 for running the concession stands at the stadium, as well as $339,403 to Continental Airlines for team travel.

Some of the Dodgers' major payroll creditors include former players Manny Ramirez ($20.9 million), Andruw Jones ($11.1 million, currently with the NY Yankees), and Juan Pierre ($3.05 million, currently with the Chicago White Sox, who is also owed $3.5 million for his trade). Other players on the list include the current roster, and the LA Times points out that two of the players owed money (Zach Lee and Alexander Santana) haven't even begun playing yet. Also on the list: longtime sportscaster Vin Scully ($152,778).

That would be the best-PBP-voice-in-baseball Vin Scully. Unfortunately, Scully, 82, rarely does away games east of Denver these days. So scratch that from the list of attributes for this series.

Instead, let's just hope Our Boys can get some Mojo back in order to make a run at respectability. They still have a shot at the International League playoffs!!!11one111!!!!

Pitching matchup:
Chad Billingsley (Righty, 4.48 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 3.56 xFIP, 86:40 K:BB in 94 1/3)
Nick Blackburn (3.15 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 3.89 xFIP, 51:27 K:BB in 97 innings)

Billingsley is right at league averages for GB%, FB% and LD%. His 5 1/3 innings against Detroit last Tuesday (6 hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks, one run) was his longest outing in a month. He has given up four or more runs in four of his last six starts. Even better, the Dodgers' bullpen has been awful -- minus 20.7 pRAA on the season (the Twins' pen is only -12.5 pRAA).

Offensively, the Dodgers have been mediocre, with the glaring exceptions of Matt Kemp (327/416/619) and Andre Ethier (317/389/461). If we can avoid Neck Fat giving those guys hanging sliders, we might actually win this series.