2013 Twins Game Log

Game 7: First Place Twins at Last Place Royals

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httpv://youtu.be/vE0T-EA1294

For some reason Kansas City has received more than its fair share of musical tributes. Rodgers and Hammerstein gave the city the Broadway treatment with Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City back in 1943. Over the years the town has been lauded in Leadbelly’s Kansas City Papa, Jelly Roll Morton’s Kansas City Stomp, Buck Owens’ The Kansas City Song, Count Basie’s Kansas City Shout, and Van Morrison’s The Eternal Kansas City, not to mention Kansas City Milkman, Kansas City King, Kansas City 90210, Kansas City Shuffle, Kansas City Funk, Kansas City Blues, Kansas City Man Blues, Train from Kansas City, 18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare), and Kansas City Southern by various artists.

But it was in 1952 that Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, a pair of 19-year old songwriters who had never been to Kansas City, penned what’s become the most recognized song associated with the place, and the one that’s the subject of today’s story. That song was originally recorded by R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield under the title KC Lovin’. Seven years later, Wilbert Harrison recorded the definitive version of Kansas City (Leiber and Stoller's original title) for Fury Records. While no less than half a dozen versions of Kansas City were recorded in 1959, it was Harrison's version that topped the charts and made it a nationwide sensation. Over the years dozens of artists have recorded the song, including Muddy Waters, Albert King, James Brown, Wanda Jackson, Brenda Lee, Willie Nelson, Bill Haley and the Comets, Sammy Davis Jr., Pinetop Perkins, Trini Lopez, Peggy Lee, Jimmie Witherspoon, Carl Mann and Count Basie.

The same year that Wilbert Harrison put the song to wax, Little Richard recorded and made a lyrically altered version of Kansas City a staple of his concerts, played as a medley with his song Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! A little band from Liverpool happened to see Little Richard perform his version and by 1962 were playing it in their own gigs around England and Germany. The Beatles performed with Little Richard twice in October of that year, and befriended him during a two-week engagement together that November at the Star Club in Hamburg.

By late 1963 the Beatles had mostly dropped Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! from their live sets as they mixed in more of their original music. But in 1964, as they took America by storm with the initial landing of the British Invasion, the Beatles were coaxed into playing the song again by none other than Kansas City Athletics owner Charlie Finley. Legend has it that during an off-day of their famous American tour, Finley paid the Fab Four $150,000 to add a concert in Kansas City with the specific request that they play the municipality’s eponymous tune. While only 20,000 people attended the concert in a 35,000 seat stadium (mostly in protest of how Finley was handling his team, according to reports) the performance was so well received by the crowd that the Beatles decided to record it for their fourth album, Beatles for Sale, later that year. Many more years later, it’s become a longstanding tradition for the Beatles’ recording of Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! to be played following every Kansas City Royals win at Kauffman Stadium. Which brings us to today’s game in Kansas City.

One week into the season, the Twins surprisingly find themselves in a tie for first place in the AL Central with series wins over Detroit and Baltimore under their belts, a full game ahead of the cellar-dwelling Royals, Tigers and Indians. While it’s only natural to feel a bit skeptical after the last two seasons of futility, there are some things to like about this Twins team. Starting pitching was a focus for Terry Ryan over the winter, and while there’s not a 20-game or maybe even a 15-game winner in the rotation, so far we’ve at least seen competence from the starters who have managed to keep us in games and give our offense a chance to outscore opponents. Likewise, the bullpen has performed well, with just one meltdown by Fien and Robertson in Baltimore on Friday to sully an otherwise sterling record of achievement. So this is the time to sit back and enjoy the wonderful vagaries that small sample size can bestow upon long-suffering baseball fans.

Today the Twins continue their inaugural road trip of 2013, sending Kevin Correia to the mound against Ervin Santana, who makes his first home start for the Royals as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of Kauffman Stadium. Santana took a 5-2 loss against the White Sox in his season debut, giving up four runs on five hits, including three homers, in six innings of work. Correia went seven innings in his first season start, holding the Tigers to just two runs.

That’s enough words for today. Play ball!

110 thoughts on “Game 7: First Place Twins at Last Place Royals”

  5. I've found a fairly reliable place to find visual access to the games. If anyone is interested, email me or I can post something cryptic here.

  6. T Plouffe singled to left, J Morneau to third, R Doumit thrown out at second attempting to advance on play.

    Explain, please.

    1. Yeah, that one needs somethin. I'm really hoping it was a "forgot the number of outs" type of situaish.

      1. Sounds like he didn't see the stop sign or Morneau holding up at 3rd and took a big turn around second. Perez fired the ball back to second and he was a dead duck.

    2. Doumit assumed Morneau was going to score on the hit, started to run to third and was a dead duck.

      1. Ok, that's better than forgetting the outs and way, way better than a force out at second because of being slow.

      2. The throw was over the cutoff man, so I think Doumit got caught watching the throw instead of Morneau.

  8. Runner was held at third. Doumit rounded second and was halfway to third before recognizing - easily thrown out Catcher to Second.

      2. Well, the opportunity was there, but not a sharply hit ball and Dozier sort of bobbled the ball on the turn.

    1. Well if you're going to give the team extra outs, Kevin Correia is definitely the guy you want on the mound to get those outs.

  14. Gladden just said about Correia that "I like that he's got one walk, no strikeouts." Right? I'm not the only one who heard that?

    2. One of the (many, unfortunately) occasions that I'm glad I am not listening to the game.

  15. Is the fact Santana has retired 6 batters in 17 pitches really that impressive? And if so is it really more about Santana's pitching or the usual hack fest that is Twins hitting?

  17. I'm pretty happy that the Twins went out and signed the best pitcher available in free agency.

  19. The Twins are horrible at 'small ball'. How about doing that other thing that doesn't result in outs?

  20. And Florimon draws a walk, giving him 4 for the season in 12 at-bats. Last year he drew 10 walks in 137 major-league at-bats.

    Where's this plate discipline coming from?

    2. If I was up there, I'd be looking for a walk every single time. And Florimon is only a slightly better hitter than me.

      1. Well, I hope the opposing pitchers don't figure that out and start throwing him strikes. I like the new OBPedro.

    1. I was hoping going against KC he'd get the chance to see some AAA pitching which he clearly needs to do.

    2. I think it's a pretty easy argument to make at this point that Hicks should either be dropped way down in the order or go down to AAA for a few weeks.

  22. Alright so Correia has made it through 7 and has a one run lead. At this point Gardy cashes out while he's ahead, right?

  24. Oy, I fell asleep on the couch around the third inning. Looks like I didn't miss any scoring, though.

  27. Giving up a lead off double in the 8th inn after refusing to go to the bull pen? NO ONE saw that one coming. LOL.

    1. You coax seven solid innings out of Kevin freakin' Correa, you thank your lucky stars, and you get your bullpen in the game.

      1. I would bet at least one dollar that either Dazzle or Bert said something about "moving the runner into scoring position", too.

        1. Best part is that they always end up saying "if someone's going to give you the out, you gotta take it" if the pitcher is pitching it out of the zone during bunt attempts.

  36. I got home and flipped on the game at the right time. Has an opponent ever scored against the Twins on a pitch that wasn't "left up"?

    1. No. Every ball that an opponent hits hard was left up. Even if the batter hit it off his shoetops.

        1. I saw Vlad with the Expos in Milwaukee golf one from mid-shin over the centerfield wall. It's either the Aug 9, 10, or 11 game from 2002. He hit a HR in 3 straight games there and I can't remember other details besides that.

  40. This game is going to sting in September when we don't have the tiebreaker vs KC for 4th place in the division race.

  42. Could someone with a longer attention span please put together a Dyson/vacuum cleaner joke for me based on that failed stolen base?

  46. In 1993, a rare double-sided acetate recording of The Beatles playing Kansas City and Some Other Guy at Liverpool's Cavern Club in 1962 was auctioned for about $32,000 by Christie's auction house in London.

  47. Okay guys no hacking - make this guy sweat out the closer situation KC has got itself into.

  50. Yuck. Frigging Gardy. What's so hard about Fien in the eighth and Perkins in the ninth?

  51. Dammit you guys, why do I keep leaving work with the Twins up only to find them not up when I get home.

    Ah well, another series opener lost should mean another series won, right?

    1. My conclusion is there's been too many 'day games'.

      Seriously, I want some 7 and 8 PM start times. Is that too much to ask?

      1. no kidding. I started working again and have only caught 2 full games (weekend)
        but the schedule points more towards 'night games' for a while.

  53. The Twins have traditionally had a poor record in games where they score one run. Gardy would be well-advised to tell the boys to score more than one from now on. Once this slight adjustment is made, I have no doubt we'll stay on track for 159-3!

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