29 thoughts on “August 15, 2022: Pleasant”

  1. For all the complaining I heard about the heat, it really has not been a particularly hot summer where I live. Yes, we've had some hot days, but that happens every summer. We certainly have not had the prolonged stretches of heat that we often get.

      1. "September temperatures."

        It was 102 here yesterday. Headed toward 104 today. And a predicted 108 tomorrow.

        I saw a piece yesterday that predicted that swathes of the US would regularly get to 125 in a couple decades.

    1. Honestly, I’m more annoyed that this team has a worse record than the Orioles. That is truly pathetic.

      But beyond that, I’m bothered by the predictable results of an over-extended pitching staff assembled from rookies, dumpster-dive reclamation projects, and crossed fingers for guys with significant injury histories or returning from injury. (I don’t blame them for minor leaguers’ injuries or COVID-derailed development.) If Wes Johnson’s presence on the coaching staff was part of what enabled that kind of thinking, then good riddance.

      I don’t know what to say about the position player attrition from cascading injury issues, because I don’t follow injuries across the league well enough to evaluate the relative outcomes for the Twins’ athletic trainers. That said, I’m struggling to remember a time when they have had more key players on the 10- and 60-man ILs. For a team lauded for its depth, the Twins seem to have a recent knack for finding rock bottom.

    2. For me it's mostly: they just aren't entertaining. Every time I turn the game on the team fails in some way. No game is unloseable. They started 2 games out of the All-Star breaking humming and from there it has just been sad series after sad series. Even winning the next Tigers series didn't include one of those beat downs you expect from a great team playing a bad team. (In other words, this isn't a great team.)

      I always hold out hope that sparks will suddenly ignite something and the team goes on one of those "invincible" runs that makes things fun again, but right now there are just better things for me to do with my entertainment time.

      1. I think this is a fair summary of where they are right now for me too.

        That said, earlier in the year they were a lot of fun, and I have the sense they could get there again.

      2. this nails it for me, too. I watched the game Saturday night until the end. On Sunday I had time to watch the game and I didn't even bother. The only person I'm enjoying watching right now is Luis. Buxton made that tremendous play on Saturday, but he's barely in the field and he is swinging and missing so much these days.

      3. It seems to me that often used and often misused term "leadership" comes into play here. I have no idea who would be considered the leader of this team. It seems like Correa is the obvious choice, with all his post-season experience, but he doesn't seem to actually be the leader, and he's probably leaving after this season anyway. Who are the other candidates? Buxton? Polanco? Sonny Gray? Clearly it's hard for an outsider to know, but none of them seems to be the leader, either. It seems like someone needs to step up and take that leadership role, but it does not appear that anyone is.

          1. I'd say there was more than one. Puckett and Hrbek. Bert in '87. Morris in '91. Maybe some others in a smaller way.

              1. I don't hear anyone on this team saying, "Jump on my back, boys." Of course, it's one thing to say it, and another thing to actually be able to back it up.

  2. Not sure how far Stick got on his presidential quest, but with McCullough's death, I thought I would get some of his works.

    I read John Adams , and Path Through the Seas and really enjoyed that, having 3 years of my youth in the Panama Canal. I also saw him speak at the Bushnell in H'istan a couple of years ago. Dude never used a computer - har.

    Today I checked out Truman from the WeHa library, a substantial work of 992 pages (1116 total with acknowledgments/bibliography which I won't bother with). After that, I plan to get The Great Bridge about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.

  3. No shutout tonight, at least. Nice to see the boys trying to go the opposite way and get singles for a change.

  4. This Erin Andrews Infiniti advert is annoying

    "What's important to me, is it sexy, is it sporty?
    ...
    This car is HAWT."

    Blech.

  5. Anyone know if the Bally app is blocking people out of their home wifi now? I’m unable to watch from my brother’s house tonight for some reason.

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