Cup of Coffee

September 19, 2016: I’ll Regret This

37 Comments

I haven't watched a full baseball game in well over a month. I know they're terrible and I'm not missing much, but I'll probably regret it when the offseason starts.

37 thoughts on “September 19, 2016: I’ll Regret This”

  1. I said yesterday that this may be the first time I'm not going to be sorry to see a Twins season come to an end. It's partly the losing, but it's also that the way the team is being run right now gives me no reason to think things will get better. I'm hoping when a new GM/director of baseball operations/whatever they decide to call him is hired, I'll start to have some hope again.

    1. Hope? Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. It's got no use on the inside. You'd better get used to that idea.

      1. Are you saying the only way out is through the sewage pipe? 'Cause if we're not in it yet, I'm not sure I want to go.

        1. I think we're immersed in it. With the 95th loss, this season is in sole possession of sixth worst season for the Twins. By winning percentage though, the only seasons in front are by the Senators. 2016 has a narrow lead on 1982, .367 vs .370.

          Related to that, the 49 batters used by the Twins this year is a franchise record; 2014 is now second at 48 players. This year also holds the record for most pitchers used at 29. The previous record was 25 in 2012.

  2. On the last of things of prefer to never have to do myself again goes inaudible a new front door and frame. My hands are all cut up, I stepped on something that I can't get out of my heel, and the frickin hardware prep on the door didn't like up with the frame that it was prehung in.

    1. "goes inaudible"

      Such a great, perfectly-fitting typo- I started laughing because I pictured you muttering swearwords under your breath.

      1. ...goes inaudible a new front door and frame. My hands are all cut up...

        Finally something too metal for even cheaptoy?

        1. Indeed. Although it's probably pretty metal to attempt to dig the metal out with a finger nail clipper while at work.

      2. Heh, that would probably have been the best way to do it. Instead, my swearing was quite audible. My wife bought a new door handle that's one of those longer push button jobs, so I had to drill another hole in the door (the source of the shrapnel). When I saw that, I exclaimed how I was gonna have to drill another f***in hole in the door. So of course my three year old starts telling us he also needs another f***in hole. (although it sounded waaaay more cheerful when he said it).

        1. HA! Are you me?
          Kernel was trying to climb on a rocking footstool last night to listen to the story I was reading Niblet, and she couldn't get it to hold steady long enough to get on. She mutters, "...can't get this f***in chair to hold still..."
          .
          .
          .
          my bad.

  3. RACE TO THE BOTTOM
    102. 1982
    99. 2011
    97. 1999
    96. 2013
    96. 2012
    95. 2016

    It seems to have slipped my mind how historically bad this stretch has been. I've been numbed, apparently.

    1. Combined list--most losses for a team, 2001-2007 Devil Rays and 2011-2016 Twins:

      106 -- 2002 Devil Rays
      101 -- 2006 Devil Rays
      100 -- 2001 Devil Rays
      99 -- 2011 Twins
      99 -- 2003 Devil Rays
      96 -- 2013 Twins
      96 -- 2012 Twins
      96 -- 2007 Devil Rays
      95 -- 2016 Twins, in progress

      The Devil Rays' stretch was worse, but if the Twins can lose another 7 games--totally within their capabilities--they'd move up (down?) to second on that list. 106 losses is technically within their grasp, but even for a team this bad, losing 11 of 12 is pretty tough.

        1. Especially if they keep losing when they allow just 3 runs. Not that I'm expecting them to allow just 3 runs in a game very much the rest of the season, if at all.

    3. After not going to a game all season, I've somehow managed to line up attendance at both Wednesday and Saturday's coming games. I'm... not sure what to root for. A head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest prospect in 2017, I guess?

  5. Made Kansas City Burnt Ends yesterday for family+friends (21 souls).

    I picked up the 10lb+ brisket at Festival Foods in Hugo on the way home from the airport to Scandia. Great groc store - highly recommend. Did all the rub and sauce pre-work on Saturday night, then got up at 2:30AM to get the ball rolling.

    Got the smoker to behave around 220F with cherry wood chips, then set the alarm on the hour to wake up, check the brisket and temps, and then back to bed.

    At around 9:30AM, I started shaving the edges of the brisket, which I put into a covered pan with the sauce in the oven. I repeated this approx. every hour, each time re-applying the rub to the shaved edge of the brisket.

    My propane ran out at 10:30AM. Quick trip to Scandia, and $17 later we are back at 150F. Not enuf. Cleaned out the detritus in the burning pan of the grill and I was back at 220F.

    I filled up one of those large tin serving platters half with burnt-ends-with-sauce, and half-without. Watching the crowd, they were going for the sauce. So I kept the brisket working on the grill whilst the meal commenced, and ended up with just a little left. Awesome 11 hours on the grill.

    NBBW asked for something other than brisket tonight. We had chicken breasts and salad.

    1. Was the wind outta the northeast? I thought I smelled something divine while mowing the lawn yesterday. 18 miles as the crow flies, give or take.

    2. Dr. Chop and I are going to do a brisket for festivus again, and I'll be sure to post. I'm drooling over the burn ends as I type.

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