2011 Game 86: Twins at Hosers

Hey, the White Sox! This should be fun.

Carl Pavano 5-6, 4.19 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 4.13 xFIP, 1.5 WAR
Philip Humber 8-4, 2.69 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 4.02 xFIP, 2.1 WAR

Well, that looks like a personnel decision that hasn't worked out for the Twins, but I suppose we knew that when Santana was traded in the first place.

Humber strikes out a lot more guys than Pavano at this point, but he walks considerably more, too. It would appear that this very good year is thanks in part to a .222 BABIP, but his 103 innings aren't an insignificant sample, so it looks like Humber might just be a better than average starter.

Pavano, meanwhile, continues to look more like Blackburn, striking out nobody and being prone to the occasional shelling. The Twins have been owning the White Sox in recent years, but I'm not all that comfortable tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to see it - the internet at the place in Phoenix isn't great. Hopefully Dumatrait and Burnett won't get anywhere near it, either.

363 thoughts on “2011 Game 86: Twins at Hosers”

  1. Anytime you can make a move that gets Drew Butera or Rene Rivera's bat in the lineup more frequently, you've got to make that move.

  2. Through the miracle of the internet I am simultaneously able to watch Joe Mauer's first MLB game at first base and participate in a conference call.

        1. I'm not even giving him the chance to annoy me. I'm watching the game in total silence.

  3. I watched Humber pitch against the Cubs in his last start. He was not like the Humber that pitched for us.

        1. If we totally tank, let's do a St. Louis Browns-style promotion and play everyone out of position. Butera to Closer! Kubel to Starter! Jerry White to Catcher!

          1. Butera to Closer!

            This could actually be better than what we've got. We should actually try this.

            Jerry White to Catcher!

            I would absolutely pay to see this game.

  4. Given where they are in the standings anyway, is it wrong to half hope the Twins to fall far enough out in August that Gardy feels Mauer can pull a Cesar Tovar?

    1. baby jeebus is perfect, so, yea. He can.

      but he's so unassuming that he will let some other guys get putouts too.

  5. Humber is not looking as hard to make square contact against as Hawk stated prior to this game starting.

    1. I'm sure I'm going to really hate him (or hate the general perception of him) within a couple years, but right now I like him so much more than Delmon it's ridiculous.

      1. I like his enthusiasm, and the way his incredible speed makes infielders do stupid things. I love his range in the outfield.

        I still think the "Pierre upside" seems apt.

        1. and more than acceptable. Pierre is +13.6 rWAR in 12 seasons, with high seasons of 3.3, 2.8 and 2.4.

          1. He's also been making $7 mil or more for the past five years, which is a little more than I'd like to pay for a guy who gives a little over a win per season, so I hope Revere doesn't hang around here long enough to make that much.

            1. Noted, and concurred. But 1-3 rWAR per season through his serfdom is a winning combination.

          2. Hey, I totally agree. Pierre gets very little respect for what he has done. He's a great contact hitter who plays good defense (minus the arm, of course). If Revere can do what Pierre's done, it's no small accomplishment.

  6. That was quick. I ran off to take a leak and missed the bottom of the inning.

  7. FSN reports Baker will miss his next start and be reevaluated after the all-star break. I assume this means he'll be out until at least September.

    1. I'm maintaining hope because:

      a) I have high hopes for Baker's season...
      and b)..........yeah I don't really have any other reasons.

    2. Flexor strain, right? I know a guy who knows a guy whose uncle knows a trainer who says that's not a real injury...

  8. So, I'm rocking the last beer I'm probably going to be getting from overseas for quite some time (a nice Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen). What's in the glass for the rest of you?

      1. some of the reviews just slay me. Case in point:

        From bottle at Fountainhead Chicago

        Pours an amber yellow, clear, with great white head that leaves a nice ring around the glass.

        Smell is a bit too piney for me, a little too hoppy.

        Taste...I was expecting something more like a wit, but this was just too bitter and piney for me.

        Overall I'd pass on this one again. Not a drainpour, but not sometime I'd actively seek out.

        Oh noes! It has hops! Go back to your Budweiser, dude.

            1. Ah, I just asked what beer he was drinking, without paying any attention to that fact that he had just linked to it in the comment before.

              I have to check that out, btw. I bought a New Belgium sampler last week (mostly for the bottles, though I do enjoy their product), but I did not get the enjoyment of the Somersault.

        1. Huh, we're quaffing the same brew tonight. Well, I've got a New Belgium Folly Pack so I've got a few options (currently it's the Mothership Wit, which I adore) but I opened with a Somersault.

          The Somersault is surprisingly hoppy for the style, I'll give it that. From me that's not a criticism, of course.

                1. It almost didn't until I realized what I was saying. My mind resides in the gutter oftentimes as well.

                    1. It was because I realized my wife could probably be considered a hoppy blonde, so I have already tried one.

            1. Come to think of it, perhaps I should make a hoppy blonde ale, that would be fun.

                    1. Maybe I should have put some grains into my recipe calculator and not been a moron. I think I'm just tired, you're not mad.

                    2. Alright, here's what I'm thinking:

                      7 lbs 2-Row Pale Malt
                      2 lbs Wheat Malt
                      1 lbs Carapils Malt
                      1.5 oz Simcoe hops at 60 minutes
                      1.0 oz amarillo hops at 2 minutes
                      0.5 oz simcoe hops at 2 minutes
                      (maybe dry hop, haven't decided on that yet.)
                      American ale yeast from Wyeast

                      If you're interested in seeing the brewsheet, nibbish (or anyone for that matter), hit me up a peterson dot jessea at gmail dot com.

                    3. I'll be sending you an email shortly. I'll call it a "Cheaptoy Blonde Ale" and noone I know will have the slightest clue what I mean by that. I just know my dad will find it undrinkable.

                    4. Are you doing extract or all-grain? I can whip the recipe up in extract with grains format if that's what you're doing.

                    5. I suggest all-grain, I find it to be more satisfying. Most people start with extract, so I wasn't sure if you were doing that as a new brewer or not.

            1. Whilst waiting for Chinese takeout, we imbibed Mendocino Imperial BarleyWineAle. Not bad.

    1. Just finished a glass of some "pilsener" and trying to decide what to have next.

      1. Not 4, not 6...... 5. Nice round number.

        When at any fast food restaurant, I always mix it with my diet coke. Lemonoke is my favorite.

    2. I started the night with a Wisconsin Spring Porter that I made. Very dark, minimal hoppiness, super heavy on the alcohol without a heavy alcohol taste. I like, but I think one or two in a sitting would be the most that I'd be down for.

        1. I wanted to test my new creation. It's the first I've been able to have (while not totally buzzed... I had a couple over the fourth weekend, but it wasn't really the best time to be savoring anything). I regret nothing!

  9. no CSN, and blocked on mlb.tv, but i really like all this stealing on AJ.

  10. Good lord. It's like the Dread Pirate's boyfriend is behind the plate for the Sox.

  11. Is there really a rule for that? If so, I take back anything negative I said about TK's ability as a color guy, because he'll have informed me more than Bert ever has.

      1. In fairness, I'm enjoying him one metric tonne more than Bert. Bert usually gets turn down in favor of random music by the 4th inning. I doubt I'll be hushing TK.

    1. It doesn't seem fair that he hit that foul like that, then grounds out weekly to end the at-bat.

  12. /sticks his head down into the basement/
    I had decided to put the Twins on the backburner for a month while I buckle down for the bar exam...you can see how well that's going. TK in the booth and Joe owning the 3 spot is just too much for me to miss. F*ckin' bar exam.
    /grumbles his way back upstairs/

    1. I'm studying for my LGSW exam, but I passed both pre-tests before even studying, so I'm kind of half-assing it.

  13. I just completed etching my first litho plate at my home clubhouse. I'm excited that I still know what I'm doing. Now I have to clean up. boo.

  14. It's weird seeing Mauer at first. I suppose it is necessary though, considering the other options can't really catch the ball.

    1. I still think he could pitch. It would be like the King and His Court -- we could dispense with at least 2/3 of the defense.

  15. Did Dazz just diss Mauer?

    something about a catcher "folding up nicely behind the plate. He stays out of the training room..." something something.

    1. I'm starting to think that bunting isn't very old school at all. I was just reading Davey Johnson's comments on that suicide squeeze Washington attempted last night and he said he really doesn't like to bunt at all.

  16. Has Nishi always left his hands on his knees like that even when planning to steal? That might explain why he kind of sucks at it.

  17. Four pick-off attempts and then you let Butters get a hit. Sheesh, Sux baseball.

  18. I love playing the White Sox. Please cut to Ozzie pacing and muttering to himself in the dugout, camera guys!

    1. Has Hawk thrown a fit like the one Dazzl had tossing his glove after missing the popup yet?

      1. Not yet, but I think it's coming if the Twins keep getting those grounders through.

  19. I enjoy Nishioka getting on, moving to second, then scoring on a Revere single.

    1. That looks like a foreign language, but Google Translate can do nothing with it.

      1. Oliva'esque at bat by Laddie. Yet still got the K. But Sox still in peril.

  20. Poopzynski is going to get tossed if he does that much more.

    It's critical that he stays in the game.

  21. ahh, the "make-up call". Gotta love baseball culture.

    another pussy single. And Paulie shows how it is NOT done. All-star!

  22. You know, if the Twins don't stop getting hits and runs here, I'm not getting any work done for the rest of the night.

  23. Dazz: "Boy, the Chicago White Sox playin' Chicago White Sox brand of baseball tonight."

    Heh.

          1. I owe you some thanks, sir. I picked up a copy of Freedom yesterday and I'm halfway through and then some. Terrific, to this point.

        1. The joke would have been on Pierre if he'd tried as I think Nishi's shin would have stopped him dead in his tracks.

      1. The newly late Dick Williams would have sent 80 percent of this roster to the minors

        "Fundamentals are a crutch for the talentless" Kenny Powers

        by Duck99 on Jul 7, 2011 8:23 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

        I feel sorry for anyone paying to see this garbage

        what a piece of shit product, Fuck those insecure assholes Ozzie and KW and their fucking pissing match. I cannot believe I am saying this, but I am starting to open up to Ozzie being let go. KW needs to sack up and get Viciedo up here and tell Ozzie to play him. He is the fucking GM.

        by 815Sox on Jul 7, 2011 8:22 PM CDT reply actions

        1. oh, this one is rich.

          Let me tell you about Twins fans

          I used to live in the Twin Cities prior to their resurgence. These fans are so fair-weather it is sickening. We used to count the fans in the Metrodump because there were so few there. When contraction came up, all of the people I talked to said who cares. Now they start winning and everyone there is wearing Twins gear.

          These idiots couldn’t tell you who plays 1st base for the cardinals but they are trash-talking fans when they are winning. When they are losing, they run to the exits. It is shame they had the success that they had.

          by LVSoxFan on Jul 7, 2011 8:28 PM CDT reply actions

            1. Those type of comments are why I just ignore 90% of sports fans when they start talking about other teams.

            2. Yea, no good can come from actually posting anything there, as much as we like and respect Sox Machine.

            3. I'm more Chicagoan than Minnesotan and I can tell you this is pure projection.

              Imagine a fan base composed entirely of StatFreaks. You can get 670 WSCR up in the twin cities at night. Listen to that for awhile and see the nature of White Sox fans. It ain't pretty.

          1. I will confess to not knowing who plays 1B for the Cards when Pujols is on the DL.
            But other than that, it sounds like his reference is actually Vikings fans that follow the Twins until training camp.

            Bears fans could say similar things about Vikings fans if their reference was me.

          1. He must have gotten ESPN shaped stars in his eyes after they partnered up. (It was ESPN, right?) Its too bad them's some impossible odds.

  24. I jokingly sent in a quick guess to the us bank trivia from my ihatepunto email and then looked and found that I was right

    1. It got my sound turned off. His home run call makes me want to punch things.

        1. Some day I'm going to get to the bottom of why he could possibly be such a home for a team that he didn't grow up watching and never played for. Maybe its because its the only team in the league dumb enough to give him a steady paycheck?

        2. I consider "Don't stop now boys!" as part of his new material.

          Having Steve Stone there has tempered him a bit though.

  25. On the whole, if the Sox are going to go yard, I'd rather it be Konerko than Teahen.

  26. This is what I don't like about watching games live anymore. My fast forward button doesn't work for innings like this.

      1. Yeah, I probably wouldn't either. I didn't watch many live Wolves games last year.

      1. I was going to suggest it under the nibbish comment immediately following this one, actually...

        1. That would have been a better one. I thought the same thing after posting it here.

    1. If Rios had run instead of admiring it for a second, I think he'd have made it by a couple steps.

  27. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and say it. I want Mauer to play first base as long as Morneau's out. I know the consequences of that statement.

  28. This just in.... Mauer is better than Cuddyer at first. I'm sure his teammates hate him for it.

  29. Thome needs to mash a tater just for the post game entertainment on THE SCORE.

    1. Nothin' much. Beating the Sox. AJ can't throw baserunners out. Everything is as it should be.

      1. Big story so far is Anthony throwing Revere out- on a pitchout. And it was pretty darn close.

  30. TK saying that he wouldn't "sell his soul" to allow a pitcher to go out an extra inning.

    Hey Bert, take as much time as you need. We're cool.

  31. aww, i just realized i either get the TSN or hawk and the stone for the rest of the week. i was really digging on what i heard of TK yesterday.

    1. I was considering that pun for my LTE below- you did it better than I would have.

        1. He looks like he's getting ready to audition for the role of prisoner #3 in a WWII POW movie.

  32. You know. I don';t complain about umps, because it all evens out (other than Cuzzi/Mauer, frak Cuzzi)

    Da's coo'.

  33. I remember when I was a little worried about the Sox getting Dunn. That seems like a long, long time ago.

    1. I certainly don't regret dropping him from my fantasy team. I'm surprised Perkins gave him as good a pitch to hit as he did, but the dude is just totally off his game right now.

  34. The guy who was supposed to buy my gym has flaked out on me twice now. He's supposed to come back tomorrow, but if he doesn't show, I think I'm done dealing with him. I did manage to sell my bookshelf, though!

  35. Capps preparing for a non-save. He could still get the blown save, though.

        1. I assume Butters' suckitude is already enough to protect him from any possible contamination.

    1. I don't believe you can get a BS if it's not a save situation. You get something even worse, a BNS.
      (I need to remember to keep watching Fangraphs' Lockdown vs Meltdown stats.)

  36. Man, is Incmikowski an ignorant jerk...his interview of Nishioka was insulting

    1. He just asked Mauer if he expected to be indoctrinated that quickly at first base.

  37. It was talked about a couple times in the game thread, but I learned more about baseball listening to TK for 3 inning than I have listening to Bert for 15 years. Richard seemed more focused on the game than he is when Bert is in there

Comments are closed.