Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–August 9

John Grim (1867)
John Galbreath (1897)
Jack Tighe (1913)
Ralph Houk (1919)
Julian Javier (1936)
Claude Osteen (1939)
Paul Lindblad (1941)
Tommie Agee (1942)
Chris Wheeler (1945)
Bill Campbell (1948)
Ted Simmons (1949)
John Moses (1957)
Matt Young (1958)
Deion Sanders (1967)
Troy Percival (1969)
Pat Mahomes (1970)
Ryan Radmanovich (1971)
Matt Morris (1974)
Mike Lamb (1975)
Brian Fuentes (1975)
Drew Butera (1983)

Ralph Houk was a special assistant to the general manager for the Twins from 1987-1989.

Better known for his Hall of Fame NFL career, Deion Sanders was a major league outfielder for nine seasons, leading the league in triples in 1992.  He hit .263/.319/.392 in 2,123 at-bats.

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2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 109: Twins at Indians

190 Comments

First Pitch - 6:05 pm CDT
Television - FSN
Lineups - TBD

I don't have a lot of time for today's game log since I spent most of the day yesterday walking (3.25 miles on the Coon Rapids dam trails), shopping (Trader Joe's) and eating (chicken, black bean and corn quesadillas with guacamole) instead of working on the work work I probably should have been working on. What can I say, the doctors told me I have to be a little more selfish about taking time for my health from now on.

The Twins have been playing pretty good baseball lately. They've won seven of their last ten games and sit in fourth place, 12.5 games off the division lead and 3 games behind the third-place Indians. Cleveland, on the other hand, is in total collapse mode, riding a nine-game losing streak that started with a series sweep by the Twins at the end of July. We'd all like to see the Twins continue Cleveland's losing streak by sweeping this series, too. After all, now that the Cuyahoga Rivers doesn't start on fire when you toss a cigarette butt into it, we have to give the Indians something else to cry about. Extending their losing streak to an even dozen games and moving into a tie for third place ought to do it.

The Twins made an unexpected move over the weekend, trading Danny Valencia to the Red Sox for minor league outfielder Jeremias Pineda after a waiver claim. This looks like a move that will improve the Minnesota team immediately by subtraction and could pay off several years down the road by addition or ancillary transaction. Some four-cylinder import named Nishioka has been called up from Rochester to fill Juicy's roster spot, which was temporary anyway, but I expect Nishi will take a turn at shortstop and/or second as a September audition. Or maybe he'll just ride the pine for a week. It's not like the team is concerned about getting him regular at-bats like they are with Parmelee. Jamey Carroll will likely get all the duty at the hot corner until Babe Plouffe! returns from the 15-day disabled list, possibly by Friday.

On The Hill:
Tonight the Twins send ace-apparent Diamond out to face something called a McAllister. Diamond has a record of 9 wins and 3 losses, while McAllister has notched 4 wins and 3 losses. Diamond has an equal rights amendment of 2.93 and McAllister has an equal rights amendment of 3.42. All other pitching stats are made up and/or meaningless.

Play ball!

Keeping Track

Where They Stand

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Minnesota is 45-60, fourth in the AL Central, 12.5 games behind Chicago.  The Twins have won one consecutive game and are 5-5 in their last ten games.

Rochester is 56-56, fourth in the IL North, 5.5 games behind Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Pawtucket.  The Red Wings have won four consecutive games and are 5-5 in their last ten games.

New Britain is 59-52, second in the EL East, eight games behind Trenton.  The Rock Cats have lost two consecutive games and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

Fort Myers is 47-62 overall, 19-23 in the second half.  The Miracle is fourth in the FSL South, 1.5 games behind Palm Beach and Bradenton.  Fort Myers has lost four consecutive games and is 4-6 in its last ten games.

Beloit is 57-52 overall, 18-21 in the second half.  The Snappers are tied for fifth in the ML Western, six games behind Clinton.  Beloit has lost one consecutive game and is 6-4 in its last ten games.

Elizabethton is 29-13, first in the AL West, six games ahead of Greeneville.  The Twins have lost one consecutive game and are 7-3 in their last ten games.

The GCL Twins are 24-16, first in the GCL South, two games ahead of the Red Sox.  The Twins have lost two consecutive games and are 7-3 in their last ten games.

The DSL Twins are 24-27, fifth in the B. C. B. C., 6.5 games behind the Rockies.  The Twins have won one consecutive game and are 5-5 in their last ten games.

2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 102: Chicago Quintanas at Minnesota Dudes

285 Comments

First Pitch - 7:10 p.m. CDT
Television - FSN
Lineups

So the Pale Hosers are leading the AL Central and the Twins are, mercifully, out of the cellar at last (thank you very much Kansas City, Cleveland with the assist). We'd all like that situation to be reversed, of course. After all, the White Sox are to the Twins as Jesus Quintana is to The Dude -- a perverse, repugnant arch-nemesis with nary a redeeming quality who nevertheless demands a miniscule measure of grudging respect. I'd like nothing better than to have the kind of starting pitching that the Sox have enjoyed this year. But sometimes you just have to roll the balls that life gives you and hope it's enough to give the pins a good stir.

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2012 Twins Game Recaps

Game 100 recap: Twins 12 Cleveland 5

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For the most part, the offense has been good the season. Sure there was that no hitter, and the team has been shutout several times. But all and all, good. But, the Twins are throwing out pitchers you would only recognize if you read the JeffA's minor league recaps on a regular basis: Samuel Deduno, Tyler Robertson, Luis Perdomo, the list goes on.

Tonight, Deduno was effectively wild: giving up 2 hits, walking 5, striking out 6 in 7 innings. Is he a long term solution to the pitching staff? Probably not. But it sure if fun to watch batters flail at his nasty curveball.

After hitting (what seemed like) a million groundballs to Jason Kipnis, Josh Willingham mashed a homer in the 4th to get the Twins on the board and take a 2-1 lead. Willingham is having quite a season: that was HR number 27 and 2 RBI gives him 78 and its not even August. Dick Bremer said he going to hit right around 35 HRs'. More like 40-45 and 120ish RBI. And surprisingly, is only 1 walk behind Mauer for the team lead.

Alex Casilla pulled a rabbit out of his hat and had a double and a triple and knocked in 4 (first 4 RBI game since Oct 2 2010) and the Twins breezed to a 12-5 win. Luis Perdomo made his Twins debut and looked shaky and the Tribe scored some run to make the box score look better.

The Twins are now in FORTH PLACE in the AL Central and only 8.5 games back of Cleveland for 3rd. The Twins will try to go for a sweep Sunday 1:10pm. Join the game log, because they have been rocking lately.

2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 100: Pre-Columbian Americans @ Twins

235 Comments

First Pitch - 6:10 p.m. CDT
Television: FSN
Lineups

Gentlemen, tonight we hit the century mark for the 2012 season. If you adhere to the aged adage that every team wins 50 games and loses 50 games (a truism that is paradoxically a fallacy) and it's what you do with the other 62 games that matters, the Twins have 63 games left to start mattering and they're several games in the hole. I for one am not optimistic of much more than a fourth place finish, but teams as far back as the Twins at this point have gone on to contend in the closing days (this may or may not be a true statement, but it feels comforting to say it). Continue reading 2012 Game 100: Pre-Columbian Americans @ Twins →