Friday Music Day

Friday Music Day: June 10, 2011

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I think this is the best song I've heard all year: "Wicked Games" by Canadian R&B singer the Weeknd. (Warning! Foul language!)
I love that it nearly shares a title with the Chris Isaak song, which had a foreboding feel, but never went this dark. This is so dark it's evil. If any other R&B sounded like this, I'd actually give the genre a better chance.

I left my girl back home
I don't love her no more

I keep listening over and over and over, dreaming about CJ.

You can get the whole album for free direct from him. Nothing else this great on one inattentive listen through.

There's a video on vimeo, too, which is pretty awesome, but it's got nudity and drug use, so you'll have to put in the legwork.

What've you got?

[PS. Soundcloud embeds don't seem to work, or this would have been even cooler.]

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 10

Jack Graney (1886)
Garland Braxton (1900)
Danny McFayden (1905)
Vic Harris (1905)
Mike Kreevich (1908)
Frank Demaree (1910)
Chuck Thompson (1921)
Hank Foiles (1929)
Ed Palmquist (1933)
Johnny Edwards (1938)
Ken Singleton (1947)
Elias Sosa (1950)
Gerry Hunsicker (1950)
Francisco Barrios (1953)
Scott Ullger (1955)
Floyd Bannister (1955)
Pokey Reese (1973)
Freddy Garcia (1975)

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 10 →

2011 Twins Game Recaps

Game 62 Recap: Twins 5, Rangers 4

MINNESOTA 5, TEXAS 4
Record - 24-38 (2.5 games out of 4th place)
Highest WPA - Chuck James (0.2 IP, SO), Casilla (2 for 5, GWRBI) and Cuddyer (2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI)
Lowest WPA - Mijares (2 batters faced, 2 hits), Revere and Morneau (both 0-4)
Fangraphs
MLB Recap

-----------------

Alexi Casilla in the last month - .325/.400/.410

Will it continue?

Probably not.

Is it fun while it lasts?

It was tonight.

2011 Twins Game Logs

2011 Game 62: Rangers at Twins

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The Twins return from a road trip that turned out to be pretty respectable, particularly because of winning six of their last seven. The team isn't that good, but they weren't as bad as they played up to that point, either, so whatever.

Now the Twins host the West-leading Rangers in another chapter in the ongoing saga of Josh Hamilton vs. Jason Morneau. Who will they be jacking 28+ dongers against tonight?

Derek Holland 5-1, 74.1 IP, 4.36 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 3.72 xFIP, 1.1 WAR
Nick Blackburn 5-4, 75.2 IP, 3.57 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 3.85 xFIP, 0.5 WAR

Some similar numbers there, but Holland's value comes from his ability to strike some punks out (60 in 74.1 innings, while over the same workload, Blackburn has negative three strikeouts). Holland is a lefty who tends to wreck lefties, so it's all up to Cuddyer and pals tonight. Ahem.

I'm feeling a little better about the Twins after the last week, but the Rangers could easily bring that to a screeching halt if our team continues to lose at home. Let's avoid that, Nick "Big Game Ace Superstar" Blackburn.

Minnesota Twins, MLB

Is a return in sight?

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From Joe C:

Meanwhile, at Class A Fort Myers, Joe Mauer is back in the lineup at catcher tonight after catching eight innings last night, according to the Miracle's broadcaster, Alex Margulies (via Twitter).

Mauer isn't eligible to return from the 60-day disabled list until Sunday. The Twins are off Monday, but there is growing speculation that he'll be back at Target Field on Tuesday to face the White Sox.

Can you imagine the excitement if the Twins win the series with Texas and then Mauer returns Tuesday? And don't forget Kubel and Nishi should be back pretty soon. Glen Perkins and Joe Nathan have been starting to throw as well, although it sounds like Nathan is a lot further away. Haven't heard much on Jim Thome.

Anyways, the Twins play 30 of their next 40 at home and Interleague is coming up. Sounds like a good time to get healthy and make a run to get back in this thing. It would be a record comeback, but the schedule is in their favor, now they just need to get real major league bodies back in the lineup and bullpen.

Parentgood

Father Knows Best: Kids Books

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Either my wife or I have read childrenʼs books nearly every night for the past ten years. The last four or five years have been more interesting as weʼve gotten into the chapter books read over multiple nights and not just repeated readings of Dr. Seuss or Berenstein Bears.

We do not read to them because we are convinced it will make them smarter or anything like that. The kids just really enjoy it and it is a nice transition for them from the activity of everyday life to sleep.

This will focus primarily on books that are good for five-to-ten year old kids since that is what I have been reading the past few years. I am not saying this is great literature or worthy of any awards (although some of it is). They are just enjoyable childrenʼs books and some of them do have some things the kids can learn from them.

Anyway, here it goes. There will be spoilers in each review as you may want to know how they end to decide if it is appropriate for your child.

Continue reading Father Knows Best: Kids Books →

Keeping Track

Minor Details: Games of 6/8

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Columbus 3, Rochester 1 in Columbus.  The Clippers scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth.  Aaron Bates had two hits to raise his average to .351.  Kyle Gibson gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks in 5.1 innings.

Akron 10, New Britain 0 in New Britain (8 innings—rain).  A seven-run seventh boosted the Aeros.  The Rock Cats had only two hits, both singles.  Steve Hirschfeld gave up one run on six hits and five walks in six innings.  Blake Martin surrendered six runs on two hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning and Santos Arias allowed three runs on four hits and a walk in 1.1 innings.

Ft. Myers 5, Palm Beach 1 in Ft. Myers.  The Miracle scored four in the fourth to take the victory.  Nate Hanson singled and doubled, Tsuyoshi Nishioka doubled, and Joe Mauer was 1-for-4.  Logan Darnell worked seven innings, giving up a run on five hits and a walk.  Matt Hauser pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts to get the save.

Beloit 6, Ft. Wayne 5 in Beloit (4-plus innings, suspended).  The TinCaps are batting with a runner on first and one out in the top of the fifth.  So far, Lance Ray has two doubles and Michael Gonzales doubled and singled.  Manuel Soliman allowed five runs on ten hits and a walk in 4.1 innings.  The game will be completed this evening before the regularly scheduled game.

DSL Cubs1 4, Twins 2 at Twins (Game 1—Scheduled 7 innings).  A three-run fourth put Cubs1 in control.  Ernesto Ciprian had two hits.  Junior Subero allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks in 3.1 innings.

DSL Cubs1 4, Twins 3 at Cubs1 (Game 2—Scheduled 7 innings).  Cubs1 scored a run in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie.  No Twins player had more than one of their six hits.  Starter Reyson Zoquiel gave up a run on a hit and two walks in two innings, striking out three.  Ezequiel Zarzuela struck out six in two innings, but allowed two runs on a hit and a walk.  Francisco Nunez struck out three in two innings, but gave up an unearned run on two hits to take the loss.  Twins pitchers combined for five uses of the letter “z” in their names.  There has been no word from Elias regarding whether this is a record.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 9

Dude Esterbrook (1857)
Irish Meusel (1893)
Mike Ryba (1903)
Frank McCormick (1911)
Jimmy Newberry (1922)
Roy Smalley (1926)
Bill Virdon (1931)
Howie Gershberg (1936)
Jake Jacobs (1937)
Julio Gotay (1939)
Bruce Look (1943)
Tom Egan (1946)
Dave Parker (1951)
Tom Edens (1961)
Randy Winn (1974)

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to SBG’s uncle  and to his brother.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 9 →

Remodeled basement. Same half-baked taste.