All posts by CarterHayes

Cup of Coffee

16 August 2017: That’s All Right

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Forty years ago today, Elvis left the building for good. Seems like the rampant conspiracy theories about his whereabouts have mostly fallen out of popular circulation. My Memphis friends tell me he's still larger than life downriver.

I've felt ambivalent about Elvis' music most of my life, though in recent years I've come to appreciate his gospel recordings. The early stuff is hit-and-miss; the closer to country, the more I like it, the closer to rock & roll, the more I'd rather listen to Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly. I can't abide the movie soundtrack stuff, but find the over-the-top Seventies productions with the TCB Band and J.D. Sumner & the Stamps to be pretty listenable in small-ish doses:

Share your favorite Elvis tune below.

Cup of Coffee

14 August 2017: Buy? Sell?

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Thad Levine told a Twins beat writer the club is pursuing players on the waiver wire with an eye toward adding talent for this season and beyond:

We've already pivoted once in this process, and I think we demonstrated a willingness to respond to the way the team's performing," Levine said. "The team's obviously performing extremely well right now...

That's fine and all, but I hope the front office isn't deluded by a 9-4 start to August, particularly when only one opponent in four had a record above .500. This week's series against Cleveland might force the issue.

Cup of Coffee

08 August 2017: Goin Fishin’

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This weekend I learned Derek Falvey & Thad Levine fired Jack Goin, the director of baseball research they inherited from Terry Ryan. The two of them will run the department until a new director is hired. I might've missed it being mentioned, but thought it was noteworthy enough to include here.

My first thought on reading the news surprised me a bit: would they hire Craig Breslow?

Cup of Coffee

07 August 2017: 263 Years

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On Saturday I drove out to attend a firemen's dance at Pops Hayes' former department. The department was honoring its retired firefighters, Pops among them. One of my uncles (Pops' brother-in-law) was also in the retired group; he was on the department for 36 years. Toward the end, the emcee gave the total service time for the firefighters honored – 263 years. It was pretty neat to celebrate that level of commitment to a community.

2017 Twins Game Logs

Game 109: T @ TC

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Prior to Adrián Beltré, my favorite Ranger was probably Rusty Greer, who received a non-roster invitation to spring training from the Twins in 2005. Greer, whose career had been derailed by numerous injuries, elected to retire instead.

Numerous players have worn uniforms of both the Twins and Rangers in their careers, including Twins broadcasters Bert Blyleven and Roy Smalley, plus bullpen coach Eddie Guardado. Chris Gimenez, now a Twin in large part due relationships he developed elsewhere with the Twins' new front office brain trust, played for Thad Levine in Texas. Heck, Dillon Gee has played for both teams this season.

Only a small handful of these shared alumni – less than ten percent – played for only those two teams. The most notable of these was a starter for a Twins team that won more than 90 games. He finished his seven year career with 1.8 rWAR. Who is he?

2017 Twins Game Logs

Game 107: Old New Senators @ Old Senators

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Two franchises bound by a common former home. Frank Howard was easily the star of the old new Washington Senators. Howard totaled 26.6 rWAR during his time in the District of Columbia; only Ken McMullen, a third baseman imported from the Dodgers along with Howard in December 1964, joined Hondo above 20 rWAR (21.3). Meanwhile, six Twins posted at least that much during the same period: Killebrew (50.4), Oliva (42.7), Allison (30.4), Kaat (29.3), Perry (25.8), and one other player.

Who was the sixth Twin to top 20 rWAR between 1961-1971, when those old new Senators left nine-year-old RFK Stadium for a minor league ballpark in Texas with no covered seating?