2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game Logs: Game 103 White Sox @ Twins

199 Comments

Francisco Liriano

v

Nick Blackburn

Francisco Liriano was probably my favorite post-Santana pitcher, Kevin Slowey excepted. If Johan brought me back to baseball after taking a couple of years off Frankie made me pretty nuts about baseball again. 2006, I think we can all agree, was just about the most magical season for the Twins since 91. No Twins team grabbed the attention of Minnesota fans and made them care like that team.

Report from Baseball-Reference.com.

Look at those numbers. Dude was incredible.

And now he plays for the White Sox.

Tonight's game is going to be probably one of the stranger games I will have watched in the past few years. Seeing Frankie dressed in those awful grey and black colors, hearing Stribbie's boo him like he was Joe Mauer, knowing that he is going to make Morneau look like Adam Everett at the plate. It is going to be weird.

Frankie, it was good to know you. If it wasn't for you in 2006 I probably wouldn't have been so nuts about this team that I would have started google-ing Twins blogs, lurking around some of them (Will Young and this new wpa stat, Seth and his access to minor league players, Gleeman doing Gleeman stuff, and Batgirl being super fun) until I found one that had all of that in one place that I just couldn't resist from posting on any longer.

Thanks again Frankie, because of you I am here. Now leave some sliders hanging for your old pals, will ya?

199 thoughts on “2012 Game Logs: Game 103 White Sox @ Twins”

  4. The Twins win streak is actually retroactive to a week ago Saturday, so they're actually on an 11 game win streak.

  7. If you think Bert is excited to root against Liriano can you imagine how pumped up he would be to see Baker pitch against the Twins?

    1. I got a feeling he's gonna see a fastball down the middle on every first pitch, and a disappearing slider with every two-strike count.

  11. It looks like Blackie is getting some nice lateral movement on his fastball tonight.

  13. love how our 'ace' sinkerballer doesnt get many double plays turned behind him

  15. I notice Frankie is wearing Scott Diamond's number. Must be trying to steal some of his good vibes.

  16. FTLT, thanks for the kind words. I definitely enjoyed making those WPA charts throughout the year and determining which picture I would use for each player if he was the MVP.

    1. No problem. Your site was probably the first Twins blog I read with any regularity. When I found you hung out here too it made all the more sense to finally start adding to the conversation.

  19. so the US Womens gymnastic team has been dubbed 'The Fab Five'. Dont people know that nickname has already been used? And the Michigan Fab Five never won a championship.

  24. I don't know that I have ever seen Joe Mauer argue balls and strikes.

  27. The home plate ump is named Mike Muchlinski. That name doesnt not ring a bell.

  28. Woah, I just settled in from my first day of work, after a brutal commute, to see frankie pitching at us. That's a bit unsettling.

      1. If only LSU was in New Orleans.... I'm not feeling like the commute is something I'll enjoy.

        BTW, don't let twayn and bS's facts get in the way of you moving down here.

        1. Hey, now. I didn't say anything at all about the political and police corruption.

        2. Seriously, though, I love the Big Easy. My first immigrant ancestor came to America from Germany through New Orleans in the 1830's, so I've got a historic connection to the city, and one of my uncles lived there for about 20 years. The wife and I have celebrated an anniversary there, and I've been there half a dozen times on business. The Garden District is as charming a place as I've ever been.

    2. If only the ump would squeeze him a little he'd get all frustrated and start overthrowing and lose control of his pitches.

  31. This game's going by too fast. Im still full from my steak sandwich, I don't yet want my free hot dog.

  35. it seems like every time Mastrioanni is on first base, he attempts a steal

    LOOKS AT HIM GO AGAIN!

  41. Mastroianni's favorite part of the game is getting on base.

    Heh.

  43. It is like the White Sox don't know that they can send the pitching coach to go and talk to Liriano.

      1. I'm going to make some serious money off of royalties until he inevitably gets demoted.

        1. I watch the Redwings play about half a dozen times per year. That is why it was perfect for me!

    2. That's consecutive games the Twins have hit a guy to put the tying run on base in the late innings and saw him eventually score the tying run. Let's hope it matters as much today as it did yesterday.

      1. There is still time for elm'n to pass through waivers and help the Twins with their playoff push.

      1. Diane had a brutal game against the Twins in the field in Chicago, but his numbers on the season are pretty good.

  81. Jesus, even the sawx color guy knows sending blackburn out again spells disaster for the twins.

    1. It worked the first seven innings. Sinkerballers are supposed to get more movement later in the game. The choices appear to be Blackburn, Gray or Robertson. At least this way we go deeper into the game before using our bullpen.

  84. Greetings from the Legends Club. This is awesome. It was a bit heartbreaking to see Frankie's mannerisms in a Sux uni, so I'm glad he's out of there. Now score a run here boys!

  90. I have more confidence in sending Blackburn out there for the 9th than in Gray pitching freash

        1. remember why the Twins tried to pass Breslow through waivers? because they called up Sean freakin Henn

    1. With all the bullpen specialization, you might as well have the "guy who f*cks up good starts" role.

      1. I'd make a bad new market inefficiency joke here, but the wind is pretty much out of my spinnaker now.

    2. "Some men see things as they are and ask why; I dream things that never were and ask what the hell was Gardy thinking sending Gray out there with the game on the line?"

      - RFK/GBS

      1. When you choose to send your sixth-best reliever to the mound in a tie game in the ninth, you pretty much deserve what you get.

          1. Duensing's a starter now. Capps and Squatchstalk on the DL. That leaves 8 other relievers:
            Perkins Burton Burnett Fien Manship Robertson Butera Perdomo
            Only Manship and Robertson and Perdomo have higher OPS against.
            Only Manship and Robertson have higher ERA, lower ERA+, lower or equal rWAR.
            Only Manship has lower or equal WPA.

            Throwing out Butera, that leaves Gray at about 5th-7th best in an 8-man bullpen.

            1. I had him ahead of Perdomo and Manship. You could argue that he's better than Robertson. My thinking (I don't know if the stats back this up) is that Robertson tends to be more hot or cold, so there's at least a chance you might catch him on a hot day, whereas Gray tends to be mediocre to bad pretty much all the time.

              1. I still think that Robertson could be something.* All those strikeouts! (But: all those Homers!)
                He definitely seems like a sorta-prospect worth testing. Whereas Gray is what we think he is and a vet.

                *Based solely on briefly looking at some stats plus seeing him strike out the first four batters he faced in the majors.

  99. Gray needs to give up one more run to set up Casilla's pinch-hit walkoff grand slam.

    1. Shabby tweed blazer with patches on the elbow patches, two-shilling haircut, bad dentition and breath that reeks of gin. I had that guy as a college professor.

  114. Well, if Blackburn continues to give up two runs per eight innings, we'll be fine. We'll just have to settle for 103-59!

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