Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

2016 Twins Game Logs

2016 Game 37(!?) – Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers

71 Comments

Halfway through a six game road trip, the Twins take their first trip of the year to Motown. Finally stringing together 2 road wins for the first time this year (hell, two wins in a row anywhere this is relatively impressive), they look to keep the momentum going against a Tigers team that's also no great shakes. Of course, they swept the Twins in Minnesota a couple weeks back, so I should probably stop flapping my gums.

Making it 3 in a row will be no easy task as the Twins will have to go through Jordan Zimmerman to do it. Other than some tough assignments against Hamels and Scherzer, Zimmerman has been outstanding this year. Twins will send out Berrios, who can hopefully put together a few more pieces at the major league level.

Continue reading 2016 Game 37(!?) – Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers →

Keeping Track

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)
Brian Dozier (1987)

Yukata Enatsu was one of the first closers in Japan, recording 193 saves.

A. J. Hinch was drafted by Minnesota in the third round in 1995, but did not sign.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 15 →

2016 Twins Game Logs

Game 34. What is baseball?

58 Comments

The Twins are 1-11 in their last 12 games. Yuck. The Twins are on a 7 game losing streak and thats not even their longest losing streak of the season. Yuck. The Twins are 5 wins behind the second worst team in the American League. yuck. Why am I still watching? Well I'd rather be golfing but its 40 degrees outside and the river has flooded wiping out some holes. So Its brutal baseball. Yuck.

 

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 11

Charlie Gehringer (1903)
Rip Sewell (1907)
Eddie Chiles (1910)
Jack Lang (1921)
Nestor Chylak (1922)
Milt Pappas (1939)
Frank Quilici (1939)
Jerry Martin (1949)
Dane Iorg (1950)
Mark Huismann (1958)
Walt Terrell (1958)
Trent Hubbard (1964)
Bobby Witt (1964)
Kerry Ligtenberg (1971)
Francisco Cordero (1975)
Miguel Sano (1993)

Eddie Chiles was the owner of the Texas Rangers from 1980-1989.

Jack Lang was a long-time sportswriter in New York and was the secretary-treasurer of the Baseball Writers Association of America from 1966-1988.

Nestor Chylak was an American League umpire from 1954-1978.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 11 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 9

1 Comment

Frank Bancroft (1846)
Tommy Clarke (1888)
Billy Jurges (1908)
Tony Bartirome (1932)
Ron Jackson (1953)
Tom Chism (1954)
Tony Gwynn (1960)
Aaron Harang (1978)
Prince Fielder (1984)
Chase Headley (1984)
Buddy Boshers (1988)
Oswaldo Arcia (1991)

Frank Bancroft managed seven teams in nine different seasons over the period of 1880-1902.

Infielder Tony Bartirome is better known as an athletic trainer, working for Pittsburgh from 1967-1985 and for Atlanta from 1986-1988.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to UncleWalt’s youngest child.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 9 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–May 8

Dan Brouthers (1858)
Edd Roush (1893)
Turkey Stearnes (1901)
Mike Cuellar (1937)
Steve Braun (1948)
Orestes Destrade (1962)
Todd Greene (1971)
John Maine (1981)
Adrian Gonzalez (1982)
Sean Gilmartin (1990)

Outfielder Turkey Stearns was a star in the Negro Leagues from 1923-1940, posting a slugging percentage of .619.

Mike Cuellar pitched in AAA in the Twins’ organization in 1961.  He does not seem to have belonged to the Twins, however.  It may be that he was temporarily loaned to them, a practice which was not uncommon in the 1960s.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 8 →

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)

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 →

2016 Twins Game Logs

Game 23. Detroit at Minnesota. 7:10pm.

57 Comments

The NFL started its THREE DAY draft yesterday. 3 days to go through 8 rounds. The over coverage of every slightest bit of smoke GMs send out (99% of it is false info) gets blasted on ESPN. One tries to tune out the sports nets, but it gets filtered trough social media. Its all very annoying. Am I'm saying this as a person who still likes to watch football (although my fandom is waning the older I get). I do dislike everything else that surrounds the game.

Why am I bringing this up? I am very happy that baseball's draft hasnt become this huge spectacle of banality. I get heavy coverage of the first round, and to an extent the second (its where the bigger contracts are offered) but after that, its just a bunch of names and the hope that a few of them sign to fill out minor league rosters and hope you hit a gem.

This is all a half formed idea, but it comes down to this : I really dislike draft coverage of all sports.

 

On to the game.  If you take out the 0-9 start to the season, the Twins are 7-6. Thats not bad! Most games have been watchable (although heart pounding and clenched teeth when the Twins have a lead late and the bullpen starts to come in). Maybe the Twins can claw their way to .500 by the 4th of July.

I am also very happy Joe Mauer is back to Joe Mauer Super Baseball Player . Coming into the game he is leading the American League in OnBasePercentage (.459) and is just off the leaderboard in OPS (.907).