Monthly Archives: April 2024

2024 Twins Game Logs

2024 Game Log 29 – Twins at White Sox

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Eight game win streak, longest since 2011 (note to self: don't look up the Twins 2011 season record). The eight wins have come at the expense of some really lousy teams but the Twins had dug themselves such an early hole that they really needed to take advantage of this momentary lull in the schedule. Especially since the Red Sox, Mariners, Blue Jays, and Yankees are all up next.

Not only are the Twins winning but injured players are returning. Kepler last week, Correa last night, Duran tonight. Oh and the Twins have rallied around a magic sausage. Enjoy the innocence of it all now folks. I am sure the inevitable $30 T-shirts, and "that's another Cub Foods Jimmy Dean Summer Sausage HR by Max Kepler" announcements are right around the corner. Crappy teams, return of injured players, and a magic sausage may have contributed to the winning streak but don't sleep on the fact that the Twins are also not striking out as much as they were earlier in the season. Who knew that putting the ball in play is a good thing! Is it the fact they were facing middling pitchers or did Twins batters change their approach at the plate that has led to less strikeouts? We have 133 more games to find out.

Simeon Woods Richardson on for the Twins and he as been an upgrade over Louie Varland. Facing White Sox hitters should continue that trend. Michael Soroka up for the Whities. He's not really a strikeout pitcher so Twins trend of not striking out might just continue at least for another game.

Freealonzo's "Take it to the Credit Union" surefire winner: Birthday boy Edouard Julien gets two hits today.

First Pitch from "The Rate" at 6:40

WGOM Videos

Angélique Kidjo – Crosseyed and Painless

Video

Shows on the scale that Angélique Kidjo is routinely capable of pulling off would be exhausting for me to attend, but there’s no way I would willingly miss her. I don’t know who is in charge of parceling out megastardom, but somehow they managed to short shrift Mdme. Kidjo.

2 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 102 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10 (2 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)
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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–April 30

Dave Eggler (1849)
Charley Jones (1850)
Jack Sheridan (1862)
Jumbo Brown (1907)
Chet Laabs (1912)
Ernie Tyler (1924)
Ken Retzer (1934)
Ray Miller (1945)
Phil Garner (1949)
Tracy Ringolsby (1951)
Jeff Reboulet (1964)
Ryan O'Rourke (1988)
Edouard Julien (1999)

Jack Sheridan was the first home plate umpire to crouch behind the catcher in the style that umpires do today.

Ernie Tyler was the umpires’ assistant for Baltimore Orioles home games from 1960 through 2010.  He went from opening day of 1960 through July 27, 2007 without missing a game, a streak of 3,769 games.  He missed two games that weekend to go to Cooperstown for the induction of Cal Ripken, Jr. into the Hall of Fame.

Ray Miller was the manager of the Twins in 1985 and 1986, replacing Billy Gardner and being replaced by Tom Kelly.

Tracy Ringolsby has been a baseball writer since 1976 and was given the Spink Award in 2005.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to Rhubarb_Runner's brother.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–April 30 →

2024 Twins Game Logs

2024 Game Log 28: Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox

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Twins go for eight straight great games here in Chicago tonight. While you never want to get too confident, this is the kind of team you want be playing (though they did just sweep the Rays(!)).

Joe Ryan has been pitching pretty all right this year, though he's only faced AL Central teams which usually takes the edge off things. He gets another Central opponent tonight though, so we can hope the trend continues. Also, he's starting on my fantasy team, so let's bring it home for papa.

Crochet hasn't had as good a go of it lately. Perhaps he should take up knitting instead. Once again, let's hope the trend continues.

And the bats of fire trend is another welcome one. Trifecta tonight, please!

WGOM Videos

Orquesta Akokán – El Inflador

Video 4 Comments

This week I'll be featuring some of the artists on my 4-Hour Bucket List — essentially, those I'd happily drive up to four hours away to see perform (assuming no shows on the tour are closer to me). There are more names on the list than days in the week, so (spoiler alert) I'll drop my list on Friday and invite you to do the same.

Orquesta Akokán ("from the heart" in Yoruban) is made up of musicians from Cuba and New York. The band's arrangements are penned by a guy with a PhD from NYU who wrote his dissertation on Cuban piano improvisation in the 1930s–40s, and the band’s three founders recruited the rest of the lineup through the vocalist's connections with Irakere, the legendary Cuban band founded by Chucho Valdés.

3 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 103 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10 (3 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)
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Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of April 28

ROCHESTER RED WINGS AT ST. PAUL SAINTS

Postponed due to rain.

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS 3, WICHITA WIND SURGE 1 AT SAN ANTONIO

Brandon Valenzuela's RBI single in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie.  Ripken Reyes added an RBI single in the seventh.

Multi-hit games:  Ben Ross was 2-for-3 with a double.

Home runs:  None.

Multi-RBI games:  None.

Stolen bases:  None.

Pitching prowess:  Mike Paredes pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk.  Aaron Rozek pitched 3.2 innings of relief, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.  Scott Engler pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out one.

Opposition standout:  Nathan Martorella was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two runs.

Record:  Wichita is 7-14, in fifth (last) place, 7.5 games behind Springfield.

BELOIT SKY CARP AT CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS

Canceled due to rain.

PALM BEACH CARDINALS 4, FORT MYERS MIGHTY MUSSELS 0 IN FORT MYERS

Leading 1-0, Palm Beach scored three in the seventh on a solo homer by Luis Pino and a two-run homer by Lizandro Espinoza.

Multi-hit games:  Poncho Ruiz was 2-for-4.

Home runs:  None.

Multi-RBI games:  None.

Stolen bases:  None.

Pitching prowess:  Ty Langenberg struck out six in 5.1 innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk.  Nolan Santos struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition standout:  Chen-Wei Lin struck out seven in seven shutout innings, giving up three hits.

Record:  Fort Myers is 8-13, in fourth place, seven games behind Clearwater.

TUESDAY'S TILTS

11:07  Louisville at St. Paul
5:30  Fort Myers at Bradenton
6:35  Peoria at Cedar Rapids
7:05  Wichita at Northwest Arkansas

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–April 29

Frank Hankinson (1856)
Ernie Johnson (1888)
Mickey McDermott (1929)
Steve Ridzik (1929)
Ed Charles (1933)
Luis Aparicio (1934)
Akira Ohgi (1935)
Tom House (1947)
Rick Burleson (1951)
Bob McClure (1952)
Ron Washington (1952)
Steve Crawford (1958)
John Vander Wal (1966)
Sterling Hitchcock (1971)
Rafael Betancourt (1975)
Tony Armas (1978)

Akiri Ohgi was a long-time manager in Japan, winning nearly a thousand games.

Rick Burleson was drafted by Minnesota in the eighth round in 1969, but did not sign.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to Papa MagUidhir.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–April 29 →