...where have I been? Out of my brain on the five fifteen
Happy Birthday–May 15
Joe Evans (1895)
Jimmy Wasdell (1914)
Al McBean (1938)
Yukata Enatsu (1948)
Bill North (1948)
Rick Waits (1952)
George Brett (1953)
John Smoltz (1967)
Scott Watkins (1970)
A. J. Hinch (1974)
Josh Beckett (1980)
Justin Morneau (1981)
A. J. Hinch was drafted by Minnesota in the third round in 1995, but did not sign.
Today is also the birthday of Twins’ farmhand Brian Dozier (1987).
Ha Ha Tonka — Made Example of
Couldn't end my week without playing some Tonka! At SXSW, March 2011.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFDF1NSq4do
For those of you who found the other stuff I've played unlistenable, this music should appeal to broader audiences. I've said it before, but I think this is the best band in the world right now. Plenty more after the jump.
Continue reading Ha Ha Tonka — Made Example of
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Loading... Game 37: Jays 9, Twins 3 (11)
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins set a major league record Saturday by stranding 33 base runners in a 9-3, 11-inning loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
The Twins also continued their losing streak, which extended to 37 games, also a record to start a season. Reliever Glen Perkins dropped to 0-8 after allowing a leadoff single in the 11th. Perkins was pulled from the game and the Blue Jays proceeded to hit five consecutive home runs to put the game away.
With his bullpen overworked and ineffective, manager Ron Gardenhire was forced to bring in reliever Kevin Slowey, who normally is a right-hander but was forced to use his left arm to pitch. With his right arm in a sling, Slowey wore catcher's gear in hopes that if a ball came back to him, he could knock it down with his body and throw it with his healthy arm.
Fortunately, it never came to that as the Jays batters were laughing too hard at Slowey to swing the bat and Slowey struck out all three batters he faced on just nine pitches.
TV analyst Bert Blyleven was heard to remark about Slowey, "Not too bad, but he needs to work on keeping the ball down."
The heartbreaking loss was followed by even more bad news when six more players were put on the disabled list following the game, also a major league record. All six had broken wrists after slapping hands with Michael Cuddyer after he homered in the seventh, which was the first by a Twin other than Jason Kubel on the season. In fact, it was the first hit by a non-Kubel to leave the infield this season.
2011 Game 37: Blue Jays at Twins
"It's been tough to watch lately. Really tough."
Just about every game log, regardless of writer, has started with some permutation of that phrase. It's been horrifically true, though. When the pitching's good, the offense declines to score any runs. When the offense does click and puts up a gargantuan run total (maybe something like five runs or so), the pitching blows it.
The injuries have played a factor, obviously, but Delmon Young, Joe Mauer, and Jim Thome are not going to turn this team into a division winner. In fact, I'm becoming increasingly pessimistic about our chances of breaking even (we'd have to play 69-57 from here on out to make it to .500. That's .547 from now on, and I don't know if we've seen more than a couple of games all year where they looked like they could play that way for any length of time.)
So, that's that. The team needs to turn around, and they can't wait for the star catcher to come back. They can't wait for the MVP first baseman to get his head right. They can't wait for the "mvp" (lower case) to Just. Stop. Sucking. It needs to happen right now. It probably won't happen (Sean's historical searchings didn't exactly provide a silver lining), but come on... giving up before June is for Pirates fans, right?
We've got Blackburn on the mound today, they've got Jo-Jo Reyes. Both seem to be fairly allergic to striking people out (though Blackburn's 3.5 k/9 is just absurd*), so I guess we can expect lots of hits today. That'll be a nice change of pace, at least.
Blackburn's our "big game pitcher" right? Well, we need this one. Go get 'em, Blackie.
May 14, 2011: Comedy Central
It would have been nice if all these games against the East had taken place when the Twins were healthy. You know, assuming they eventually get healthy this year. Continue reading May 14, 2011: Comedy Central
Happy Birthday–May 14
J. L. Wilkinson (1878)
Ed Walsh (1881)
Alex Pompez (1890)
Earle Combs (1899)
Joe Lewis (1906)
Bob Thurman (1917)
Les Moss (1925)
Dick Howser (1936)
Tony Perez (1942)
Dick Tidrow (1947)
Dave LaRoche (1948)
Dennis Martinez (1955)
Hosken Powell (1955)
Pat Borders (1963)
Joey Cora (1965)
Larry Sutton (1970)
Roy Halladay (1977)
Today is also the birthday of Twins’ farmhand Romy Trinidad (1991).
We would also like to wish a very happy anniversary to SBG and Lucy.
2011 Game 36 Recap: Toronto Bautistas 2, Minnesota Replacement Levels 0
Weather: 54 degrees, overcast
Wind: 13 mph, L to R
Time: 2:58
Attendance: 38,809
Right now, the Minnesota Twins are the worst team in baseball, and it's not even that close. Twelve games under .500 and 11.5 games out of first place. A paltry .333 winning percentage and a losing streak that now runs to six games. Watching this team play baseball is about as much fun as growing up in a Dickensian orphanage. It's damp and drafty, it's cold, the beatings are frequent and severe, and there's never enough gruel in your bowl.
Continue reading 2011 Game 36 Recap: Toronto Bautistas 2, Minnesota Replacement Levels 0
Zola Jesus — Night
Live at Blast House Studios, two weeks ago in Madison.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi394sJ3tWI
Originally from Wisconsin, she recently moved to LA to get married. I regret that work responsibilities kept me from her concert two weekends ago at the Seventh Street Entry. I imagine she'll have bigger venues to play soon.
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Loading... 2011 Game 36: Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins
Number of teams to make the postseason since 1995 that started at 12-23: one. The previous team to do that was the Blue Jays in 1989. In 1981, the Royals made the postseason with a worse record after 35 games, but unless the players plan on striking for a third of the season, I don't think it's a good model. After that, just one more team* did it: the 1974 Pirates.
It doesn't look good my friends.
* Caveat: I only checked for the years since divisional play started.