2013 Game 122: White Sox at Twins

With under seven weeks left in the season, I find myself so apathetic about the Twins that I didn't even feel like referring to Chicago as the "Hosers" in my title. Still, there are interesting things going on. Pitcher Wins and Losses are dumb, but Max Scherzer goes today and he's 17-1. Team wins and losses are legitimately meaningful, and the Dodgers are one of just three teams in the past 71 years to win 42 games over a 50-game span. That team is eight and a half games up, and was at one point 30-42, well behind the Diamondbacks. Danny DeVito was spotted at a Dodgers game wearing a Nick Punto jersey, prompting the question of whether DeVito is an even bigger loser than the character he plays on TV. The Pirates seem to be heading to the playoffs for the first time in over twenty years, and early signs say there's going to be an interesting playoff chase in the AL.

Meanwhile, the local lottery team sends the enigmatic Sam Deduno to the hill to face Hector Santiago, whose numbers are better than Deduno's with much worse "results" (he's 3-7). The lefty can strike guys out and the Twins are ready and willing to strike out, so this could be painful at times.

The quest for 73-89 is also heating up, as the Twins need to go 19-22 from this point forward to reach my arbitrary magic number. If this doesn't motivate them, nothing will.

Happy Birthday–August 18

Sam Wise (1857)
Wally Gerber (1891)
Burleigh Grimes (1893)
Bernie Friberg (1899)
Max Lanier (1915)
Bob Kennedy (1920)
Roberto Clemente (1934)
Billy Consolo (1934)
Joe Azcue (1939)
Paul Popovich (1940)
Bucky Guth (1947)
Bruce Benedict (1955)
Mike LaValliere (1960)
Jack Howell (1961)
Marcus Lawton (1965)
Bobby Higginson (1970)
Albie Lopez (1971)

Marcus Lawton is the brother of Matt Lawton.  He played in ten games for the Yankees in 1989.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–August 18