Monthly Archives: January 2021

Keeping Track

2003 Rewind: Game Ninety-seven

MINNESOTA 6, OAKLAND 4 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Sunday, July 20.

Batting stars:  Shannon Stewart was 4-for-4 with a double.  Doug Mientkiewicz was 1-for-2 with a three-run homer (his ninth), two walks, and two runs.  Torii Hunter was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his sixteenth.

Pitching stars:  Joe Mays struck out two in two perfect innings.  Eddie Guardado pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Erubiel Durazo was 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, and two RBIs.  David McCarty was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Chad Bradford pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

The game:  With two out in the first Miguel Tejada singled, Durazo walked, and McCarty singled in the game's first run.  The Twins came right back in the bottom of the first.  Stewart singled, Luis Rivas had a bunt single, and Mientkiewicz hit a three-run homer to put the Twins up 3-1.  In the second Cristian Guzman walked and scored from first on Stewart's double to make it 4-1.

The Athletics loaded the bases in the third on two walks and a hit batsman, but did not score.  They had a man on second with none out in the fourth, but did not score.  They had men on first and second with two out in the fifth, but did not score.  The Twins took advantage, adding to their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Mientkiewicz drew a two-out walk and Hunter followed with a home run, giving the Twins a 6-1 advantage.

Oakland finally broke through in the sixth.  Adam Piatt led off with a double.  He was still on second with two out, and it appeared the Athletics might be stymied again.  But this time Terrence Long delivered an RBI single, Tejada walked, and Durazo hit a two-run double, cutting the Twins' margin to 6-4.

Oakland threatened in the ninth.  With one out Durazo and McCarty singled, bringing the lead run to the plate.  But Eric Chavez flied to right and Eric Brynes grounded out to end the game.

WP:  Kenny Rogers (8-5).  LP:  Ted Lilly (5-8).  S:  Guardado (22).

Notes:  Matthew LeCroy was again behind the plate in place of A. J. Pierzynski.  Chris Gomez remained at third in the continued absence of Corey Koskie.  Stewart was the DH.

Jones was 1-for-4 and was batting .305.

Rogers struck out seven in 5.2 innings.  He gave up just three runs despite allowing six hits and five walks.

By throwing two shutout innings, Mays lowered his ERA to 6.37.

Lilly was at the end of a terrible stretch which saw his ERA go from 3.93 to 5.22 in seven starts.  He would turn things around after this, getting his ERA as low as 4.18 before ending at 4.34.

The streakiness of this team continues.  As you may recall, they opened the season by winning three, then lost their next six, then won their next six, then lost their next six.  In May they had two four-game winning streaks and a five-game winning streak.  They hit the all-star break on an eight-game losing streak.  Now, they've come out of the all-star break winning four in a row.  If they could make it five in a row, they'd get back to .500.

Record:  The Twins were 48-49, in second place in the American League Central, 6.5 games behind Kansas City.  They were a half game ahead of third-place Chicago.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–January 6

George Shoch (1859)
Phil Masi (1916)
Jiro Noguchi (1920)
Early Wynn (1920)
Ralph Branca (1926)
Lenny Green (1933)
Lee Walls (1933)
Ruben Amaro (1936)
Don Gullett (1951)
Norm Charlton (1963)
Dan Naulty (1970)
Marlon Anderson (1974)
Brian Bass (1982)
Anthony Slama (1984)

Early Wynn was the Twins' pitching coach from 1967-1968.

Jiro Noguchi was one of the greatest pitchers in the early days of Japanese professional baseball, winning 237 games with an ERA of 1.96.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–January 6 →

WGOM Videos

AJR – Bummerland

Video 1 Comment

Is this supposed to be new songs in 2020? Well, AJR was new to me this last year. I really like both their sound and their "not sure what I'm doing here" approach to lyrics and message. I played a bunch of their stuff as pandemic fatigue really started to hit in the fall. Great for quick car trips with the bass up a little when you have to get out of the house. And the kids like them.

They're three brothers who seem to be into the joyful production of their own music, so that's cool. They've been around a few years with a number of recognizable songs getting airtime, but are all over the place now with Bang!  (But haven't been featured in WGOM Videos!) They don't have a ton of video choices, so the pick  here is a little arbitrary. Some of my favorites include Weak, Netflix Trip, No Grass Today, Bud Like You, Three-Thirty, Burn the House Down, Call My Dad, Don't Throw Out My Legos, and Birthday Party. Enjoy!

4 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 104 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10 (4 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)
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Keeping Track

Winter Wonderland: Games of January 4

MAZATLAN

Did not play.  They host Hermosillo tonight.  They trail their best-of-seven playoff series 0-2.

GIGANTES

GIGANTES 3, ESTRELLAS 2 AT GIGANTES (GAME 3--10 INNINGS)

Jose Siri homered in the eighth to tie it 2-2.  In the tenth, Abiatal Avelino walked, stole second, and scored on a Siri single to win it for the Gigantes.  Siri was 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs.  Oneil Cruz also homered for the Gigantes.  Cesar Valdez pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits and a walk and striking out three.  Ex-Twin Ervin Santana started for the Estrellas, striking out six in five innings and giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Record:  The Gigantes lead the best-of-seven series 3-0.

Next game:  The Gigantes are at the Estrellas Wednesday night.

LARA, GAME 33

LARA 22, CARACAS 10 IN LARA

Lara scored five in the first, six in the second, two in the third, and five in the fourth to build an 18-0 lead.  Caracas never got closer than eleven runs.  It's quite a deal to score ten runs and not even be in the game.  Yordanys Linares was 4-for-5 with a double and four runs.  Carlos Rivero was 3-for-4 with three runs and five RBIs.  Cesar Puello was 3-for-5 with a walk and four RBIs.  Jose Tabata was 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two runs, and three RBIs.  Jecksson Flores was 2-for-5 with two walks and three runs.  Osman Marval was 2-for-5 with three runs.  Ex-Twin Jermaine Palacios was 1-for-1 with a three-run homer.  Ex-Twin Williams Perez started and pitched 4.2 innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on ten hits and a walk and striking out three.

Stats:  Palacios is batting 1.000.  Puello is batting .600.  Brhayan Campos is batting .500.  Rivero is batting .349.  Ildemaro Vargas was 2-for-4 and is batting .330.  Gorkys Hernandez was 0-for-1 and is batting .330.  Linares is batting .315.  Josmar Cordero was 0-for-1 and is batting .313.  Tabata is batting .306.

Record:  Lara is 20-13, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, 1.5 games ahead of Magallanes.

Next game:  Lara is at Margarita tonight.

MAYAGUEZ

Did not play.  They host Manati tonight.  They lead their best-of-seven series 1-0.

MELBOURNE

Did not play.  Their next game is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Canberra.  They are in second place in the Australian League, but are actually a half game ahead of first-place Adelaide.  As we've said before COVID concerns have played havoc with the league schedule.  Melbourne is 5-3, while Adelaide is 1-0.

Keeping Track

2003 Rewind: Game Ninety-six

MINNESOTA 9, OAKLAND 4 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Saturday, July 19.

Batting stars:  Doug Mientkiewicz was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer (his eighth), a walk, and three runs.  Matthew LeCroy was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, two runs, and three RBIs.  Dustan Mohr was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Pitching star:  Juan Rincon struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Terrence Long was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his eleventh), a walk, a stolen base (his second) and two runs.  Ramon Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a home run, his twelfth.  Scott Hatteberg was 2-for-4 with a walk.

The game:  The Twins put runners on second and third with one out in the second but did not score.  The Athletics took advantage of that, taking the lead in the top of the third.  Mark Ellis drew a one-out walk and Long homered, making it 2-0 Oakland.  It went to 3-0 in the fourth when Hernandez homered.

The Twins came back in the bottom of the fourth.  Mientkiewicz led off with a single and LeCroy drew a one-out walk.  With two down, Chris Gomez and Mohr hit back-to-back doubles that plated three runs, tying the score.  The Athletics got the lead back in the fifth when Long walked, stole second, and scored on a Miguel Tejada single.  But the Twins took their first lead in the bottom of the fifth when Shannon Stewart led off with a walk and Mientkiewicz hit a two-run homer, making it 5-4 Minnesota.

The Twins took control of the game in the seventh.  Cristian Guzman singled and Stewart walked.  A bunt moved the runners up and Mientkiewicz was intentionally walked to load the bases.  It looked like the strategy might work, as Torii Hunter hit into a force out at the plate for the second out.  But LeCroy foiled the strategy with a bases-clearing double, putting the Twins up 8-4.  An error brought home one more run and the Twins were in command.  Oakland put two on in the eighth and one in the ninth, but did not come close to getting the tying run up to bat.

WP:  Brad Radke (6-9).  LP:  Mark Mulder (12-7).  S:  None.

Notes:  LeCroy was behind the plate in place of A. J. Pierzynski.  Denny Hocking was at second in place of Luis Rivas.  Chris Gomez was at third in the continuing absence of Corey Koskie.  Stewart was the DH.

Rivas replaced Hocking for defense in the eighth inning.

Jones was 1-for-4 and was batting .305.  LeCroy raised his average back to .300.

Radke pitched 6.2 innings, but allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks and struck out five.  His ERA was 5.49.  J. C. Romero did not give up a run, despite allowing two hits and a walk in a third of an inning.  His ERA was 5.02.  Rincon had an ERA of 3.00.

Mulder pitched six innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks and striking out five.  Mulder had a fine year in 2003, going 15-9, 3.13, leading the league in complete games with nine and in shutouts with two, and making his first all-star team.  This was the first time he had a game score below fifty in about six weeks.

Stewart got his first hit as a Twin, going 1-for-3 with two walks.

This was the Twins' third consecutive win.  It was the first time they had won three in a row since June 11-13.

Record:  The Twins were 47-49, in second place in the American League Central, 6.5 games behind Kansas City.  They were a half game ahead of third place Chicago.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–January 5

Ban Johnson (1864)
Bob Carruthers (1864)
Bill Dahlen (1870)
Jack Norworth (1879)
Art Fletcher (1885)
Rube Foster (1888)
Riggs Stephenson (1898)
Luke Sewell (1901)
Jack Kramer (1918)
Earl Battey (1935)
Bud Bloomfield (1936)
Charlie Hough (1948)
Jim Gantner (1953)
Bob Dernier (1957)
Ron Kittle (1958)
Milt Thompson (1959)
Henry Cotto (1961)
John Russell (1961)
Danny Jackson (1962)
Jeff Fassero (1963)
Brian Runge (1970)
Fred Rath (1973)
Mark Redman (1974)
Eduardo Escobar (1989)
C. J. Cron (1990)
Danny Ortiz (1990)

Ban Johnson was one of the founders of and the first president of the American League.

Jack Norworth wrote the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

Rube Foster was a player, manager, and owner in the Negro Leagues, eventually becoming president of the Negro National League.

Brian Runge was a major league umpire from 1999-2012.  He is the son of major league umpire Paul Runge and the grandson of major league umpire Ed Runge.

Oddly, there are three players born on this day who go by their initials:  J. P. Arencibia, C. J. Cron, and A. J. Cole.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to freealonzo.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–January 5 →

Keeping Track

Winter Wonderland: Games of January 2 and 3

MAZATLAN

We are in the first round of the playoffs.  Mazatlan plays Hermosillo.  It appears to be a best-of-seven series.

Saturday

HERMOSILLO 2, MAZATLAN 1 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 1--12 INNINGS)

Hermosillo scored in the fifth on a walk, an error, and a Norberto Obeso single.  Anthony Giansanti homered in the seventh to tie it 1-1.  It stayed 1-1 until the twelfth (no "start with a man on second" rule here).  Alex Robles singled, stole second, and scored on a Yadiel Hernandez single for the deciding run.  For Mazatlan, Isaac Paredes was 2-for-4.  Edgar Torres pitched six innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and three walks and striking out three.

Sunday

HERMOSILLO 3, MAZATLAN 1 IN HERMOSILLO (GAME 2)

Hermosillo scored single runs in the first, second, and eighth.  The lone Mazatlan run came in the first.  Mazatlan had just four hits.  Francisco Rios pitched 6.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks and striking out four.  One run per game in the playoffs is not likely to get it done.

Record:  Mazatlan is 0-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Next game:  Mazatlan comes home for game three tomorrow night.

GIGANTES

The Gigantes are also in the playoffs.  They are playing the Estrellas.  This appears to be a best-of-seven series.

Saturday

GIGANTES 1, ESTRELLAS 0 AT GIGANTES (GAME 1)

The game's lone run scored in the seventh.  Abiatal Avelino walked, went to third on a Jose Siri double, and scored on a foul sacrifice fly.  Moises Sierra was 2-for-3 and had the RBI.  Richelson Pena pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks and striking out three.

Sunday

GIGANTES 4, ESTRELLAS 3 AT ESTRELLAS (GAME 2)

Jose Siri homered in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and a sacrifice fly  brought in an insurance run.  The Gigantes needed it, because the Estrellas scored in the ninth and had the tying run on third when the game ended.  Ronald Guzman was 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, and a walk.  Moises Sierra was 2-for-4 with a double.  Siri was 2-for-5 with two home runs.  Chris Ellis pitched 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks and striking out four.

Record:  The Gigantes are 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Next game:  The Gigantes host the Estrellas this evening.

LARA, GAMES 31 AND 32

Saturday

LARA 6, MARGARITA 4 IN LARA

Lara led 5-0 through five, then held on.  Gorkys Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Nestor Molina pitched 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and no walks and striking out four.

Sunday

LARA 5, CARACAS 3 IN CARACAS

Yojhan Quevedo's pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 victory.  Carlos Rivero was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Gorkys Hernandez was 2-for-5 with a double.  Ex-Twin Logan Darnell pitched six innings, giving up two runs on six his and a walk and striking out one.

Stats:  Hernandez is batting .333.  Rivero is batting .329.  Ildemaro Vargas was 1-for-5 and is batting .323.  Josmar Cordero was 0-for-2 and is batting .318.  Pedro Rodriguez pitched a perfect inning and has an ERA of 2.25.

Record:  Lara is 19-13, in first place in the Venezuelan League West, one game ahead of Magallanes.

Next game:  Lara hosts Caracas this evening.

MAYAGUEZ

All four Puerto Rican League teams are in the playoffs.  Mayaguez is playing Manati.  It appears to be a best-of-seven series.

Saturday

MAYAGUEZ 12, MANATI 2 IN MAYAGUEZ (GAME 1)

Mayaguez led 5-0 after two and 10-2 after five.  Emmanuel Rivera was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Christian Colon was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, and three RBIs.  Jeremy Rivera was 2-for-4 with a double.  Luis Medina pitched five innings, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks and striking out four.

Sunday

Sunday's game was postponed.  It does not appear that it will be made up today.  The next game is scheduled for Tuesday evening in Mayaguez.  Mayaguez leads the series 1-0.

MELBOURNE, GAMES 6, 7, AND 8

Saturday

MELBOURNE 5, CANBERRA 3 IN MELBOURNE (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Ex-Twin Delmon Young's two-run double in the fifth gave Melbourne a 4-3 lead.  A sacrifice fly provided an insurance run.  Darryl George was 3-for-3 with a home run and two runs.  Brian Flynn pitched four innings, giving up three unearned runs on two hits and two walks and striking out three.

CANBERRA 7, MELBOURNE 0 IN MELBOURNE (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Canberra scored two in the first and led all the way.  Blake Gailen was 2-for-3 for Melbourne.  Tyler Beardsley pitched four innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks and striking out four.

Sunday

MELBOURNE 11, CANBERRA 4 IN MELBOURNE (7 1/2 INNINGS--RAIN)

Melbourne scored four in the first and three in the third to build a 7-0 lead.  Damek Tomscha was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs.  Ex-Twin Delmon Young was 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs.  Kyle Perkins was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Darryl George was 2-for-5 with a double.  Gunnar Kines struck out seven in five innings, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk.

Stats:  Young is batting .440.  George is batting .406.  Gailen is batting .321.  Tomscha is batting .321.  Perkins is batting .304.  Mitch Ellis and Scott Mitchinson each have an ERA of zero.  Cameron Gibbens has an ERA of 2.70.

Record:  Melbourne is 5-3, in first place in the Australian League, one game ahead of Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane.  COVID concerns have played havoc with the Australian League schedule.  Melbourne has played the most games, with eight.  Canberra is second with five.  Sydney has played two games, Perth one, and Adelaide and Brisbane have not played at all.

Next game:  Melbourne is scheduled to play at Canberra Wednesday afternoon.