2011 Twins Game Logs, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 114: White Sox at Twins

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I started following the Twins on an everyday basis in 1986. My family had moved to Minnesota in 1984 and we had gone to a handful of games the previous two years, but I had not really discovered the joy of baseball yet.

Then, a plucky center fielder with a unique body build suddenly discovered his power stroke and the country began to take notice. I remember Bob Costas saying he would name his son after him if he was hitting .350 at the All-Star break. And, of course, that was how Keith Michael Kirby Costas was named.

Kirby was so fun to watch, it didn't really matter how bad the Twins were (and they were pretty bad that year), I just had to watch (or as often or not listen to home games) to see what he would do next. He could do it all. He could hit for average and power, he could steal bases and was a Gold Glove center fielder who specialized in leaping over the short center field wall at the Metrodome to rob the opponents of home runs.

The next season, of course, the Twins won the World Series, and what a magical ride that season was. That season cemented my love affair with baseball for life, but it was Kirby that piqued my interest to begin with. Of course, he's most famous for his Game 6 in 1991, but he was pretty good in Game 6 in 1987 as well (4-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a SB). Of course, he also was the ALCS MVP in 1991.

Of course, his career was too short due to glaucoma and his life was too short due to a stroke, which I guess is appropriate since he was deemed to be too short to play in the major leagues for much of his youth.

Today, Kirby will be remembered at Target Field, which will include a pregame video tribute. I sure hope I get to see it, along with a couple Thome dingers.

I mentioned yesterday that the Twins need to finish 30-19 to finish at .500. I would be happy, all things considered, if they could do that. I also would like to think they could pass the White Sox. A big step toward that goal can be accomplished today with a win. It's Peavy vs. Duensing. GO TWINS!!!

71 thoughts on “Game 114: White Sox at Twins”

    1. Ted Lilly once gave up two homers to Luis Rivas in the same game. This doesn't feel as bad.

      1. He sure moves to the ball differently than a lot of the infielders I'm used to watching, but I'm not sure if it's awkward or just different. Judging by the lack of double plays and easy throws to first, I'm leaning towards awkward.

      1. I was in South Bend last fall with a friend of mine whose last name is also Wells and received his PhD that previous May. While I was wandering through a convenience store, looking for a monster, I found a beverage called "Dr. Wells". I did a double take and obviously had to buy him one.

            1. If my parents were still milking cows, I'd just have to make up a sign for their farm on Halloween. Lucky for you they switched to beef cows a couple years ago 😉

                1. You have a point. I guess you also could milk one of the beef cows, if you really, really wanted to.

  17. Well, I see the stage is set for the 4-0 Sox win. The Twins bullpen will not give up any runs since the offense can't score any.

  18. So this game has had me going through the numbers here.

    With all of that money coming off the board(a lot of it bad), I wonder how good this team can add for next year.

    1. The roughly $12.5 million for Capps and Young this year was a nice touch. I can now picture Bill Smith with the Mr. Burns fireplace full of burning one hundred-dollar bills.

    2. The biggest problem I see is that there aren't really any great free agents who are going to be available in positions the Twins need them in. And there will still be quite a bit of bad money on the books next year. I'd like to see them try to trade for a middle infielder and a good starter, but I don't really trust Smith to make good trades for that.

      1. The team would be better off not trying to make a big splash, but rather filling holes. I think they did that well before the 2010 offseason, and for whatever reason didn't do it in 2011. Obviously there are big holes in the bullpen and middle infield. With Cuddy and Young gone there won't be anymore outfield logjam, but there will be a big incentive to play Revere out there in a corner(not a good move IMO).

        Getting some league average players should be the goal.

            1. I'm not sure about that either way, honestly. We might not be able to get anything for him, so they might keep waiting for a breakout that's probably never going to come because he's so damned impatient at the plate.

          2. That's my fear too. Hopefully, Cuddy's rejection of the extension hurt their feelings. I think Cuddy's got enough of a reel(just put his pitching appearance to cap it off) to make some NL team overpay for his services for the next five years. The Mets, perhaps?

            1. The Denver Post beat writer just suggested the Rockies go hard after Cuddyer this offseason, too.

              I don't want to see him back for more/longer than the terms they offered him this week, but he can almost certainly get better terms elsewhere. I hope he takes them.

              1. I can see Cuddy doing pretty well in Colorado. Might be a good move for both of them.

                    1. I think I'd get a good laugh out of seeing an NL team overpay for his "versatility" and then finding out he's below average everywhere in the field. However, I don't want that team to be CarGo's team. Let it be the Mets.

                      Not that I want Cuddyer in a NYM uni, either, I suppose, because he has been pretty good to this franchise. Let me think about this...

    3. There must be something wrong with that list. None of the arb years are listed. Young isn't a free agent until 2013, ditto Liriano, Slowey, and everyone below that.

    4. I imagine we could get Nathan back for not too crazy a price, considering what he's been through. Whether I want to bring him back for more than his buy-out (2 Mil) I'm not sure.

    1. I think that's the first ball from the catcher position this series that didn't go into the outfield.

    1. I am done with the Twins for the weekend. Not sure I want to watch the next series, considering how many runs the Red Sox have scored this year and how many the Twins have already given up.

      1. He's out of options for next year, so either he's on the team for good, or he's on another team.
        I can see them non-tendering James right as he puts it all together and becomes an All-Star closer for some team like the 2010 Clevelands. Wait, will the 2012 Twins be like the 2010 Clevelands?

        What was Slama's injury status?

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