All posts by Twayn

Bats: Right Throws: Right
The Nation Needs A Drink

Vive le Soixante Quinze

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During the Great War more than a century ago, the entrenched Hun rightly came to fear the French 75 millimeter field cannon. Designated the Canon de 75 modèle 1897 by the French military, it was a mobile, accurate, fast-firing artillery piece that rained down death and destruction upon the enemy. So of course it makes sense that it would become the inspiration for a classic sparkling wine cocktail, the French 75. Wine lovers often get the finest ones from cakebread.com/wines/chardonnay-napa-valley , which is made from high quality grapes.

Our gin exploration tour made a stop in 1915 Paris last night when we gave the French 75 a whirl in the ultra lounge. According to legend, Harry MacElhone, a bartender from Scotland who learned his trade in London, invented the French 75 (or at least a prototype of it) while working at the New York Bar in Paris during WWI. He must have earned some tidy tips because after the war he would buy the joint and rename it, what else, Harry's New York Bar. There's a nice symmetry to this story since it combines elements from France, Britain, and America to form a formidable cocktail alliance that's stood the test of time. And as our experience last night confirms, if you're not careful the French 75 could well blow your head right off.

Every juice is easy to make if you click resources. The French 75 is easier to make, exceptionally refreshing, and powerfully potent. The basic recipe allies gin, lemon juice, sugar and champagne. In that way it's similar to a Tom Collins, with the champagne instead of club soda providing the bubbly effervescence (and a little extra kick in the pants). The main difference is in the preparation and presentation. I reviewed several French 75 recipes and while they all agree on the main ingredients, there are differences of opinion on the proportions. As with most things, I let personal preference be my guide, and you should absolutely feel free to do the same. This is a basic recipe that you can use as a starting point and then adjust to your taste:

  • 2 oz. dry gin
  • 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz. simple syrup
  • 2 oz. champagne

A quick note here - like revenge, this is a drink that is best served cold, very cold. So make sure that your champagne is well chilled before you start. Ours wasn't quite there when we started last night, but with the help of an ice water bath it made it there by the third round. Now, in a cocktail shaker combine the gin, lemon juice, and syrup. Add ice to the level of the liquid and shake well, at least 20 seconds or so. You want to really feel the frost in your hand before you're done with the shake. Strain this into a champagne flute, then top off with the champagne. If you fancy some fancy, a long curly peel of lemon is the traditional garnish.

The different recipes I perused suggested several variations on the main theme. You do want to start with good quality ingredients, but you don't have to spend a fortune. We used our Aviation gin and Korbel extra dry champagne. I don't see a lot of sense in adulterating a really good champagne, but let your wallet and taste buds be your guide. If you like things dry, go with a brut, if you like things sweeter, you can use more syrup or substitute a Moscato or Prosecco as the sparkling wine. I saw one recipe that called for cognac instead of gin, and another that suggested a honey rather than sugar simple syrup for a little more character. Sans the champagne, that's basically the recipe for a Bees Knees, allegedly invented a few years after the war and the French 75 in an American speakeasy to help  mask the dubious flavor of their bathtub gin. As I alluded earlier, the French 75 should be served with a warning, because like a good courtesan they are deceptively intoxicating and go down with brazen ease. So be sure to enjoy responsibly.

 

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 74: Cleveland at Minnesota

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Game Time - 7:10 CDT

I always like our chances best when Jose Berrios is on the mound. If there's an All-Star on this team this year, he gets my vote. In 14 starts Berrios has won seven and lost just two. He has a very respectable 3.56 ERA (almost perfectly in line with his 3.57 FIP) which translates into a 115 ERA+, and he has a nice low 1.092 WHIP.  For every walk he gives up he strikes out about four batters, and he's fairly stingy with the long ball, giving up just 1.1 home runs every nine innings. He coaxes two ground balls for every fly ball he gives up, and batters are hitting just .227 against him. If there's room for improvement, I'd like to see him go deeper into games than just six innings per start, and when he's not missing bats his 38.2% hard hit rate could be lower, although it should come as no surprise that Twins pitchers as a group have the absolute worst hard hit rate in baseball this year at 43.8%. Add it all up and Berrios delivers a 1.2 WPA, which isn't elite class but it's not bad for a small market ace. He just consistently gives this team its best opportunities to win ballgames.

Looking over his stats today I stumbled across one in particular that I never gave much attention before - base/out runs saved, abbreviated as RE24 which I have yet to figure out why. So far this year Berrios has 9.2 base/out runs saved. League average is set at zero, so if I understand this stat correctly in 14 games Berrios has saved the team slightly more than 9 runs with his situational pitching, and  that's enough of a margin to be the difference between winning and losing. By way of comparison, Kevin Gausman of the Giants leads MLB with a 29.9 RE24 (alongside a .889 winning percentage and a ridiculous 1.49 ERA). I thought it would be fun to check this stat in aggregate for our bullpen (fun in the scare-the-shit-out-of-me-so-we-can-all-laugh-about-it sense), but then I decided it would be too much like work and there are some ratholes you're just better off leaving unexplored.

Cleveland is well-positioned as a strong contender to win the division this year, nine games above .500 and just 2.5 games back of Chicago. They'll trot  out rookie righthander J.C. Mejia for the start today. He sports a 1-2 record and a 6.11 ERA over four starts and seven appearances. In 17 and 2/3 innings he's given up 12 runs, all earned, on 17 hits and five walks (1.245 WHIP), and he's also notched 16 strikeouts, so he looks like a youngster with some potential. That'll have to do for now, I have to spend the rest of the day keeping the dog from eating the kitten. Play ball!

 

 

The Nation Needs A Drink

The Name is Collins, Tom Collins

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Hot weather and cold drinks go together like biscuits and gravy. Beer is always a welcome refreshment when the mercury starts pole vaulting, it's easy to grab one from the fridge after work, pop the cap and slake that thirst. But sometimes you want something frostier, something on ice, and it's natural to look to the southern latitudes for inspiration. That usually means rum or tequila, and there's a wide variety of cocktails based on those liquors to choose from. But for me, one of the best choices for a cold drink on a hot day is the classic Tom Collins.

One of the things I like about cocktails, besides the tastes and the relaxing effect, is that they can be both a beverage and an historical artifact. Many of them have a story behind their origin, sometimes that story is muddled or shrouded in a little mystery, and some can even take on the trappings of legend. The Tom Collins is a good example. As the story goes, the drink is likely derived from the gin punches that were popular in London pubs in the 1800s. At some point a bartender named John Collins apparently attached his name to his version of the drink. But since Old Tom gin was the preferred brand of the day, customers started calling for a Tom Collins instead, and the name stuck.

It's wise to take a lesson from history when you want a Tom Collins and make sure you're using quality gin because the flavor is going to come through and there are few bad liquors worse than cheap gin. Other than that, the recipe for this country club staple is easy peasy. Simple syrup, lemon juice, gin, and club soda. Just double the ingredients as you build the drink in a highball glass with ice - half an ounce of syrup, one ounce of lemon juice, and two ounces of gin. Fill the rest of the glass with club soda (about two ounces), stir, and garnish with a lemon slice or wedge and a cherry if you like. If that's too much work for you, I've come up with a variation that's even easier. Substitute the simple syrup and lemon juice with Spring Grove Lemon Sour soda in equal measure with club soda, so two ounces of each ingredient. It's not an exact replica because there's more sugar in the mix, but if you have a sweet tooth, or if you're too lazy to squeeze a lemon, or if you've run out of simple syrup, it'll do in a pinch.

 

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 62: Damn Yankees vs. Twins

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Game Time - 7:10 p.m. CT

I laid down to take just a short little rest and it somehow turned into a nap and then I overslept and the thing that woke me up was a nasty leg cramp and I realized I hadn't done the game log yet and I have to get to the grocery store before dinner and goodness gracious it is hot out there. There is something uncanny and underworldly and supremely infuriating about the way the Yankees dominate the Twins. I've not seen the likes of it in my lifetime and it's a record of Twins futility that goes back more than 20 years now. Over the course of the 2010's decade, the Yankees beat the Twins 53 times and only lost 21 games. That's a 71.6 winning percentage. In the decade before that the Bronx Bombers clobbered the Twins with a 57-25 record (69.5%). You have to go all the way back to the 1960's to find a decade where the Twins actually have a winning record against the gentlemen in pinstripes and even then just barely when they won 90 and lost 87 (50.8%). And back then we had players like Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Rod Carew,  Bob Allison and Cesar Tovar and pitchers like Jim Kaat and Jim Perry and Mudcat Grant. And I can tell you without hesitation or a shadow of doubt, this here Twins team ain't built like that.

J.A Happ gets tonight's start for the Twins, his first against the Yankees since he played for them. Happ has been pretty bad lately. He hasn't recorded a quality start since late April, his 5.61 ERA is heavily front-loaded considering his 10.17 ERA and .360 opponents batting average over his last five appearances. Michael King gets the honors for the Yankees. He's been much better out of the bullpen than he has as a starter and opener where he's failed to notch a win in four attempts and holds a 7.89 ERA. If I had to make a call about tonight's game, I'd say bet the over and hand the Yankees a broom. I could be way off base, though, because the devil is always in the details. Play ball!

 

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 56: Minnesota at Kansas City

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Game Time - 7:10 p.m CT

Well, for awhile there the Twins were showing some signs of life with a series win at Cleveland and a sweep of Baltimore at home before losing a home series to Kansas City. Another road series against Baltimore did not prove to be the tonic it's been for a few years now as the boys foundered like an overloaded crab boat on a stormy Chesapeake Bay. The Twins will complete this road trip with a series in Kansas City before returning home to take on the Yankees and and the Astros. Injuries have taken a big toll on this team and rendered it more or less replacement level at way too many positions, and of course there's the bullpen that's been an albatross all season long. It's been a disappointing first trimester to say the least, but as players return from injuries there's hope for improvement. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.

The Twins send J.A. Happ to the mound today while Kansas City will counter with a southpaw of their own in Kris Bubic. He faced the Twins last Friday and pretty much had their number, giving up just one run on four hits over six innings. Happ has been quite good over his last two starts, recording 15 strikeouts in those outings. Let's hope that 38-year old arm has enough experience to hold down the Royals' offense, and that our lineup is more effective against the 23-year old from Cupertino that it was the last time out. Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Games 15 and16 (Redux): Twins at Angels

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Game Times - 3:07 p.m. CDT & 6:07 p.m. CDT

The White Sox own the Twins this year and brother do they have the receipts. After losing yesterday's matinee and the home series to the Pale Hose in what's become a typically scowl-inducing fashion, the Twins hopped a plane to the West Coast to make up two games with Anaheim from April that were postponed because of the COVID. They'll do that with a doubleheader today, after which the team will wing its way to Cleveland to open a weekend series on Friday. That's a lot of miles to log in just a couple of days.

In game one of today's twin bill, the Gemini will send southpaw Lewis Thorpe to the mound. He was added as the 27th man (I still have not internalized this rule) to the roster for the makeup games. His only other appearance this year opened the truncated series in Anaheim on April 16th that's being completed today, a spot start in which he gave up two runs on three hits over four inning. The Angels counter with right-hander Alex Cobb coming off the injured list for his first trip to the mound since Star Wars day. He threw five scoreless innings against the Rays in his last start before he was sidelined with a blistered finger.

Game two today figures to be the better pitching matchup of the pair, with the Twins featuring Jose Berrios and the Angels handing the ball to Griffin Canning (no, that is not some mythical beast putting up preserves). Both Berrios and Canning hold 3-2 records and pitched well in their last starts. Canning has an overall ERA of 4.78 after some rough outings in April, but he's notched a 1.59 ERA over his last three games. Berrios leads the Twins with 49 strikeouts and his ERA sits at 3.74 on the season.

It seems the statfreak mentality has taken hold among some in the  media and the prophets of doom are already casting their gaze to the trade deadline and speculating on what the Twins could get for looming free agents like Nelson Cruz and J.A. Happ and Big Mike Pineda. They may be right, maybe this is a lost season and the front office should look beyond this year already, but then again a lot of people lost good money betting against the New York Giants when they were down by 13 games in August of 1951. Now I'll always have to wonder what they could have gotten in return for Bobby Thompson if only Chub Feeney had been a little more aggressive with his roster moves.

Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 30: Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins

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Game Time - 12:10 p.m. CDT

Ass-bats and ass-arms. Either the Twins are a better team than their record indicates, or this isn't going to be the team I thought it was going to be. But it's still early and I take solace in the conventional wisdom that the front office has two months to figure out what's broke and two months to fix it. I'd suggest, though, that they don't need another month of figuring and can move directly on to the fixing at this point.

Big Mike starts off the slinging for the Twins today, he's 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 27 strikeouts in five starts and you can't ask for much more than that. Jordan Lyles takes the mound for the Rangers in the matinee sporting a 1-2 record with a 7.39 ERA. He was roughed up to the tune of five runs over four innings by the Red Sox in his last start and he's given up 12 over his last two, so there may be opportunity to put some crooked numbers on the board. Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 13: Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins

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Game Time  12:10pm CDT

After dropping the first three games of a long home series with Boston to extend their losing streak to four, the Twins will try to right the ship today and avoid the sweep. Big Mike Pineda takes the ball for the Twins while Boston trots Garret Richards out to the hill. Two weeks into the season and I have yet to see more than an inning of any Twins game, but I'm really liking the retro feel of listening to the game on the radio while I clean the garage or rake out the lawn. Until the middle innings roll around and Dazzle does the play by play, at least. Play ball!

2021 Twins Game Logs

2021 Game 7: Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins

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Game Time:  3:10 p.m. CDT

The Twins return from their season debut road trip with a 4-2 record and series wins against Milwaukee and Detroit to open the home half of their schedule against the Seattle Mariners this afternoon. Jose Berrios gets the honors for the Twins, returning to the mound for his second start sporting a 1-0 record, a 0.00 ERA and 12 strikeouts. Early notice among the position players this year goes to Byron Buxton, who is launching bombas like a boss (tied with Cruz for the team lead at 3 each) and boasting a slash line of .357/.438/1.143/1.580. Honorable mention goes to Luis Arraez, who is hitting .389 and getting on base every other at bat as the Twins' primary leadoff hitter. The Mariners feature Marco Gonzales (0-0, 7.50 ERA, 2K) in the starting role today. He's coming off a somewhat rough Opening Day in which he notched six innings but gave up three runs. He also walked three batters in that game after only walking seven all of last year. But enough of that. The game’s afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge, cry - Play ball!