Thrown Away

Twins 4 - Tigers 5

Well, crappola.

It's waaaay more fun to come from behind and win than to go from ahead and lose. And I was planning on writing some cute and clever stuff, but now I just don't feel like it. I was going to say something about how adorable it was that after Go-Go stole third, he had to shake the dirt out of his hair. I was going to mention something about how bad Galarranga's control must be if he tries to hit Joe Mauer and misses -- twice (it's not like Joey's little or anything). I wanted to rip on the Tiger defense because they kinda looked like monkeys chucking the ball around. I planned on giving Denard a "welcome back" pat on the back for that nice defensive play and for hitting that double. Heck, I was even going to defend Gardy for arguing being warned because Glen didn't do anything wrong.

But alas, all my creativity and good will is gone. Jesse, Dennys, and Matty combined to throw it all away. I'm simply much too grumpy now. Is it possible for the bullpen to be too rested?

**Sigh**

Let's get 'em tomorrow, shall we? Please? I'd appreciate it.

Finishing Interleague

Saturday: Twins 1 - Brewers 5
Sunday: Twins 5 - Brewers ZIP

Twins win series 2 - 1


"Can't Win Them All":
Yeah, that's what hubby told me a number of times Saturday night. In fact, he said it every time I yelled or swore at the TV. Turns out he said it a lot. Oh well, he's right. I don't know why I was so upset as I was watching it; I knew we were going lose even before the game started. I don't know what it was -- because Livan was starting, because Alexi and Cuddy were injured, because winning the 11th (a prime number) in a row on the last Saturday in June when the moon is waning is generally bad carma -- but I felt the loss before it happened. I don't know why I even bothered to watch, but I didn't really have anything better to do. Fortunately, I didn't have that same feeling prior to Sunday's game.

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Cuddyer on DL with Another Injured Finger:
What? When did that happen? How did that happen? I want answers!

me: Cuddy honey, how did you hurt your finger?
Cuddy: I'm not sure.
me: Really? You really don't know? How do you not know?
Cuddy: Really. I don't know how I don't know. I just don't know.
me: Surely, you can't be serious.
Cuddy: I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

(Ok, sorry. That was lame. I couldn't resist.)

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Who Da Man?

Kevin Slowey, You Da Man!! Stellar pitching is sexy. Complete game shutouts are very sexy. Hee hee. Thanks for the thrill.

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Maybe the Twins Should Always Play the National League:

So the Twins finished interleague play with a 14 - 4 record. According to Dick-n-Bert, that's the best interleauge record. At least I think that's what they said. I just spent the last half-hour trying to find a source, but I couldn't find one (for the "best" part, I did find the "14-4" part). I'm sure by morning, someone will mention it.

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Early and Often:

Ok, I don't usually participate in All Star Game voting. It usually seems like only Yankees and Red Sox players get voted in, regardless of how good they actually are. It's all very tiresome. However, this year, it looks like Joey and Justin actually have a chance to be voted in. That would be cool. In fact, Joey is leading catchers, but Justin needs a little help to pull into the lead. So vote.

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Someone Make Up a Caption for This Picture:

Friday with Brewers

Twins 7 - Brewers 6

Now that was an exciting game. It's great that the boys didn't get down and they kept scratching back into it. You can tell that they're really having fun lately, cheering each other on and picking each other up. The bullpen did a nice job, as Bert says, "putting zeros on the board" and the bats did the heavy lifting. Even though we've been winning without hitting homers lately, it was fun to see some (well the ones by our boys were fun -- the other ones, not so much).

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Joey, that was a nice jack to straightaway center. It's adorable that in your post game interview, you said it was because he threw so hard and it went farther when you hit it. Aw shucks. But in reality, Mota said that the pitch was up and in. So it was all you -- you didn't miss it and you hit it hard. It's OK to take credit when you do something well. Really.

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Dear Nick B,
I knew it. I knew that the moment I professed love for you, the Baseball Gods would be sure to punish us for it. Your disappointing performance on Friday is totally my fault. I even asked for mercy, but to no avail. So, in the interest of your future and the team's success, I think we should break it off before it starts. It's not you; it's me. You're a great guy and all, but I just don't think it'll work out. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to find another girl who loves you and doesn't jinx you. We can still be friends.
k-bro

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So mini-bro and his buddy (who happens to be a Brewers fan, but is otherwise a great kid) went to the game and they had a blast. What a great rivalry game to be at.

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It's a Sweep Hat Trick!

Tuesday: Twins 3 - Padres 1
Wednesday: Twins 9 - Padres 3
Thursday: Twins 4 - Padres 3

Twins sweep another series in 3
(I'm curious, have they ever swept three series in a row before? I'm too lazy to look it up.)

Well, aren't we just having fun! The pitchers are pitching super. Batters are hitting great. Our defense is solid. Guys are picking each other up. We're beating good pitchers. I can't stop beaming. Yay!

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The big talking point about this series before it started was how Petco Park is hard to hit homers in (I know that was a poorly formed sentence, but I don't care because I'm still beaming). So it was a blast (no pun intended, or maybe it is) to see Harris, Buscher, Monroe, and Morneau hitting some. Especially Brendan -- where did he get all that power all of a sudden?

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Who knew?: The Twins are leading the American League in batting with runners in scoring position and in batting with runners in scoring position with two outs. Seriously. And here I thought they were still leaving men on base all over the place. But it's true -- you can look it up here and here.

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Did you see the "Go Sit In The Corner" corner? Usually, I'm a pretty optimistic person, and I rarely criticize. However, once in a while, I feel a little snarky and want to give someone a time-out for bad behavior. I got the idea in my last post when I scolded Delmon Young. Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is.

Rattling the Snakes

Friday: Twins 7 - D-backs 2
Saturday: Twins 6 - D-backs 1
Sunday: Twins 5 - D-backs 3


Twins sweep series in 3


Wow. Now that was impressive. Apparently the theme of the series was "The Big Inning", and it's swell that the good guys were the ones producing them. It was nice to see the starting pitchers holding things together and giving their team a chance to win. Kudos to our young hitters for not being intimidated and stringing some hits together to score some runs (Brian Buscher is sure swinging a hot bat). And a lucky break didn't hurt, either. [Dang. This paragraph is suffering from a nasty case of "cliché-itis". I'd better quit gushing before it gets any worse.]

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After watching Saturday's game, I think I may be developing a crush on Mr. Nick Blackburn. I truly enjoy watching him pitch. And he rarely disappoints. I was reading the stats in the paper this morning and I saw that he's got a nice 3.68 ERA (second only to Baker among the starters), but has pitched way more innings than the rest of the starters except Livan. And two of his four losses can be attributed more to lack of run support than bad pitching. All the while, he looks mighty fine. Definitely worth consideration for future boyfriend status.

A note to the Baseball Gods: I respectfully request that you do not consider the above endorsement as grounds for hexing, jinxing, cursing, or otherwise poisoning Mr. Blackburn's future performances or health. After all, I am merely considering listing him among my favorites. He's still only a rookie, and deserves every opportunity to perform to his true abilities before bad luck on account of me needs to set in. Thank you.

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***Harshness Alert -- Scolding to Follow***

Delmon! Would it be possible to start fielding your position like you actually care about getting outs? It's bad enough that you don't run over to fly balls like you should, but that error today was practically unforgivable. I'm sure Jason Kubel would love to show you how it's done -- while you're sitting on the bench.

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When Augie Ojeda came up to bat on Sunday, I noticed how little he is. I wondered if he's littler than Little Nicky Punto. Turns out he is; they're both listed at 5'9", but Augie is 20 lbs lighter at 175.

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When ESPN's score scroll shows "CWS", am I the only one who briefly thinks they're talking about the Chicago White Sox instead of the College World Series?

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Speaking of the Chicago White Sox: Hugs and Kisses to the most adorable Chicago Cubs for nicely sweeping the White Sox.

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And finally, the "I Think I'd Rather Get Hit With the Ball Than Touch That" moment of the game: During Sunday's game, one of the Twins batters fouled a ball into the Twins dugout, forcing someone (one of the coaches, but I don't remember who) to dive to the floor to take cover. The camera caught him as he was getting up and brushing sunflower seed shells off himself with a look of disgust on his face. As the camera shot lingered on the scene for a bit, I looked at that floor and wondered, with all the seed shells, spit, used bubblegum, and tobacco juice, is there anything more disgusting than the floor of a baseball dugout? Ick.

Catching Up

Twins sweep Nationals in 3



Hi. How's it going? I've been super busy, so my blogging has been kind of lame lately. The only reason I'm blogging now is that the internal network at my work is down, and all my documents live there, so I'm stuck waiting for it to come back.


I hardly caught any of the Nationals series. I'm glad it turned out the right way. Sounds like our pitching is back on track, but then again (not to be a Debbie Downer or anything), it was the Nationals. But wins are wins. And, from what I read, Harris (finally) and Cuddy had a nice series.
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I'm looking forward to the Arizona series. I wish I was going to the games. I have a "thing" for pitchers, and I like to go see good pitchers whenever they come to town. I've seen Randy Johnson before, but it was only a Spring Training game back when he was a Yankee. I'd like to see him and Brandon Webb pitch (but not too well). I know Johnson's not like he used to be, but I'd still like to see him in a real game before he retires. I would like to see Micah Owings as well, but not necessarily here. I'd rather watch him where he can bat. I love him for that.
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I saw that the Yankees signed Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract. How does this guy keep getting jobs? The Yankees must be desperate. Oh well. We'll have to see how that turns out.
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Well, that's all I've got. No network yet. I guess I'll clean my desk. No one else will.

Fired Up!

Twins 2 - Nationals 1

I need to make this quick this evening. It's late, I'm exhausted, and I need to get some sleep.

But I wanted to fire off a couple things that are on my mind...

I'm fired up (in the happy way) that Livan had a great performance tonight and the Twins won. He must have meant it when he said that he wanted to do better.

I'm fired up (in the annoyed way) that MLB fined Gardy for "failing to comply with pace of game regulations" last weekend. What? O.M.G. So the umpire makes a questionable call that he has to know will bring the manager out to argue, and the league fines the manager for slowing down the game? I have an idea -- how about the umpires refrain from baiting the players and managers, and that would help a lot. Ridiculous.

I'm fired up (also in the annoyed way) at ESPN's BBTN. They were going over the best web gems of the first half of the season, and our own Nicky Punto was number 1. To be honest, I don't really remember that particular game, but he was playing third base and we were facing the Angels (I think). Anyways, he did one of his patented super-hero, horizontal, diving, simultaneous catch-throw things. It was awesome. But I got fired up when one of the bone-headed former-athlete announcers said something like "What ever happened to him? If he's still in the majors, he's got to be doing that all the time." To which I screamed at the TV "He's on the DL you moron! And when he does play, he DOES do that all the time! Way to know your stuff, dip-[bleep]!!!"

I'm fired up (in an amused way) at our favorite MLB owner, Hank Steinbrenner. He blasted the National League rules after Chien-Ming Wang hurt his foot running the bases. How big of an ego do you have to have to: 1) honestly believe that a freak accident is really a conspiracy against his team, and 2) the rest of the MLB needs to change the rules just for the benefit of his team? What a piece of work.

Five Guys Outta My League (and One In)

It’s pretty clear that I love the Twins. But to be precise, I should phrase it as, “I love baseball and the Twins are my team.” And as much as I love our guys, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have crushes on other guys too. Now, I’m not suggesting that anyone replaces any of our guys; there are just other guys I would like to see more often.

Here are six guys who have captured my imagination for one reason or another.

Johan Santana - SP, Mets: Ok, yes. I miss him. Fortunately, I’m over being bitter about losing him (I think). He still has that devastating changeup. He still makes very good batters swing funny. I miss his butt wiggle. I miss his confident strut when he strikes someone out. You’ve got to admit that no one else looks as good as he does when he pitches. And even though he’s off to a bit of a slow start this year (which is typical for him), he’s still very good at what he does.

Micah Owings - SP/PH, D-backs: This guy totally embodies everything that’s cool about the National League. He’s a starting pitcher with solid numbers. But he’s also a good hitter. In fact, he’s a good enough hitter that they confidently ask him to pinch-hit, with good results. Last month, he hit a pinch-hit walk-off three-run blast to the opposite field. He’s tied for second behind Livan Hernandez for three-hit games among active pitchers. Livan’s been pitching 12 years; Micah has been less than two. How cool is that? And he’s not so bad to look at either.

Matt Holliday - LF, Rockies: I developed a crush on him during the playoffs and World Series last year. First of all, he’s pretty darned good-looking, especially when he smiles. But he’s also a great player. He was second in voting for the National League MVP last year, and won the Silver Slugger last year and the year before.

Chipper Jones – 3B, Braves: He’s 36 years old, and it’s fun to see him doing so well. He recently hit his 400th homerun, and he’s batting above .400. I don’t know if he’ll be able to finish the season above .400, but it’s sure fun to see if he will. And he’s handling all the attention like a class act. But the great thing is that he’s always been good. Braves fans are very lucky to have him around. He’s been banged up lately; everyone hopes he’ll be ok again soon. And, yes, I think he’s good looking, in a regular-guy kind of way (except for this year’s official MLB photo – I wonder what he had on his mind at that exact moment to take such an awful picture).

Geovany Soto – C, Cubs: Probably one of the top defensive catchers in the National League, he’s really making a name for himself this season. It seems like he hits a homerun every day, but he says that catching is his main priority. And he’s young – only 25 – so he’s got a great future in front of hime. I don’t know if he’ll win the Rookie of the Year, but I wouldn’t count him out. Oh, and Sports Illustrated recently had an article on him with a picture of him looking very good. Mmmm.

Jonathan Papelbon – RP, Red Sox: As a closer, he’s almost as good as Joe Nathan – very good and very reliable. He really shined in the playoffs last year. However, if the Red Sox wanted him to be a starter, he’d do it, which shows how versatile he is. But I really like him because I think it’s absolutely adorable when, as he’s looking into the catcher for the sign, he purses his lips like he’s blowing bubbles. Cute.

Weekend in Milwaukee

Saturday: Twins 9 - Brewers 4 (12)
Sunday: Twins 2 - Brewers 4

Well, to be honest, I didn't really watch a whole lot of either of these games. I was at the lake again, so I was hanging with the family and sending the kids on snipe hunts. Good times.

Since I caught the games in bits and pieces, it seems fitting to break out the bullet points.

• Thumbs up to Cuddy for the triple-with-an-error that looked a whole lot like an inside-the-park-homerun. That was a ton of fun.
• Another thumbs up for Brian Buscher for the timely hit that won the game on Saturday.
• A consoling pat on the back for Joe Nathan for blowing the save on Saturday. It's ok honey, you'll get 'em next time.
• A high-five for Scotty Baker for striking out FOUR in the third inning on Sunday. According to John and Dazzle, he's the first Twin to do that and only the 20th in the American League. (In case you didn't catch it, the second batter he faced, Prince Fielder, struck out but reached first because the pitch was wild).
• Speaking of Prince Fielder, watching him run makes me laugh. Like a bowl full of jelly.
• A little scolding for Brendan Harris to remind him that just because you ask for time while you're in the batter's box, doesn't mean you actually get time so you can step out of the batter's box. Although, it seemed a little like the umpire may have been kinda bratty about the whole thing.

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And finally, this is pretty cool: ESPN is sponsoring a "Battle of the Bands" performing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to celebrate the song's 100th anniversary. They have a nice mix of musical styles scheduled to perform, and viewers will vote for the best. Info here.

I'd Rather Be Coasting Than Rollercoasting

Twins 10 - The Brew Crew 2

Lose by a whole bunch, then win by a whole bunch. Wow. It's stressfull going through such lows and highs.

I've got an idea. Let's just win and forget about the losing part.
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The Most Adorable Twin Award goes to:
Kevin Slowey

Not only did he pitch marvelously, but he got two timely base hits too. And with such an ugly swing. And I mean ugly in a cute way -- like bulldog puppies.
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Dear Cuddy,

I hope your hand is ok. Perhaps you should start wearing the Sock'Em Boppers I recommended for you a while back when you're batting. Although they may make it a little hard to hold the bat. But you're a smart guy, you'll figure it out.
Love,
k-bro
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I really liked this article about Nick Punto and his dad. I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day.
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Doesn't That Feel Better?

Twins 8 - Cleveland 5

See guys, isn't winning much more fun than losing? When you do things well, good things happen. Let's review:

Starting Pitching: Solid. Way to go Nick. You kept the batters from getting too comfortable at the plate (whatever that means). You got strikeouts and ground balls when you needed them.

Relief Pitching: Very nice, with one little exception. Jesse. you were brilliant getting those strikeouts. However, Dennys, you need to work on not giving up three-run homers (I'll cut you some slack, since it's the first homer you've given up this season).

Offense: Now THAT'S what I've been talking about. When there were men in scoring postion, you actually drove them in. Justin and Cuddy did a very nice job at the plate. Jason's homer was yummy. And Go-Go and Alexi are hot with their cute little hitting streaks -- keep it up.

Baserunning: Again, nicely done. Getting on, getting over, etc. Go-Go and Alexi stealing bases was also adorable.

Defense: Wow. Double-plays are hot. Cuddy making that catch was smokin' hot.

See how easy it is? Now keep it up.
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And finally the "I Almost Have That Sinking Feeling Again" moment of the game: So do you think that when Dennys gave up that homer and Cleveland got within one, Nick put his head in his hands and wept softly, thinking that his bad luck was going surface again and he wouldn't get the win?

Alright. No More Ms. Nice-Gal

Saturday: Twins 2 – Yuck Sox 11
Sunday: Twins 2 – Puke Sox 12

Somebody. Please. Stop. The. Bleeding.

You guys...you lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Lollygaggers! ~Skip. Bull Durham.

This is getting really bad. Really ugly, awfully, disgustingly bad. It’s been well documented that the White Sox have been playing very well since Ozzie Guillen’s profanity-laced hissy fit (by the way ESPN, you can stop talking about it now – we’ve heard it enough). Obviously, it’s time for Gardy to start yelling. LOUD! In case he needs help with what he should say, I offer some suggestions (edited to comply with a PG-13 rating). If nothing else, it gets some stuff off my chest.

To the starting pitchers: Can someone PLEASE stay in the game for longer than, I don’t know, 4 1/3 innings for crissakes? We beg you to go deep into the game. You know the relievers are tired and sore. And yet you insist on serving cookies and getting hit around. I swear, I’m gonna put in Monroe or Macri to pitch. It can’t get any more embarrassing - unless you start pitching without pants. And another thing, why the [bleep] are to pitching to Crede? Apparently the ball looks like a volleyball to him. Pitch around the [bleep]er.

To the batters: Either you swing and miss like [bleep]ing lunatics or you ground out to third. Where’s the power? Where’s the situational hitting? In fact, where’s any kind of hitting at all? You’re batting like you’re blindfolded up there. And you’re leaving men on base all over the place. Are your bats made out of Swiss cheese? Quit being afraid of the ball.

To the defense: Could you start actually reading the ball off the bats? You break in when you should be running out. You dive like [bleep]ing ballerinas. You’re out there running around like you’re herding cats. That is if you’re running after it at all. Start getting some outs, will’ya for crissakes?

To Bill Smith: Remind me again why losing Juan Rincon off waivers is a bad thing.

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Aaaah. I feel better now. Do you? Why don’t you give it a try?

Well, That's Interesting...I Guess

Twins 6 - Bleh Sox 10

I guess I don't have too much to say about the game last night. At least I don't have anything original to say about it. I watched until Juanie gave up that homer, then decided that I wasn't in the mood to watch any more. And that rarely happens. So blah. I am a bit bummed that I missed Cuddy's and Alexi's homers, though. Good job guys. You'd think that scoring six runs would win a game....

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Last night when I was watching ESPN, I saw this on the bottom scroll: "Ranger P Sidney Ponson designated for assignment because he 'disrespected teammates and coaching staff'...." Seriously? I thought he was doing pretty good for them. He must've been really naughty. The Rangers official site doesn't go into too much detail but it sounds like he's generally being pugnacious. I guess the whole "Sir" thing went to his already very large head.

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Another one of our boys is featured in Sports Illustrated Pop-Culture Grid -- this time Brendan Harris. His isn't quite as adorable as Joe Nathan's, but it's still cute.

Q: Please make __________ stop talking.
A: Hillary Clinton

Q: Weirdest thing a fan ever said to you.
A: Can you write a letter of recommendation for me?

Q: Favorite shoes.
A: G Unit sneakers.

Q: Concert you're dying to see this summer?
A: Bon Jovi {k-bro says: Um, Brendan honey, Bon Jovi is cool -- I like them too. In fact, "It's My Life" is my ringtone. So why do you have Warrant's Cherry Pie as your walk up music?}

Q: I never leave home without my. . .
A: Flask [laughs]

Day at the Dome

Twins 2 – Orioles 3
Orioles take series 2 – 1

What a great day! The only downer was that the Twins lost. But we still had fun.
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When we first got to the Plaza, the first thing I noticed was that fabulous aroma of the Cinnamon Roasted Almonds was missing. What?!?!? Where are my Almonds? I must have those wonderful Almonds! It’s tradition. This could very well be the reason the Twins lost – they have a perfect winning percentage when I go to games AND have Almonds. **pout**
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We reached our seats in the Homerun Porch, way down in row 9. Very nice. As we were settling in, the pitchers were warming up. When Juan Rincon was finished, he chucked his ball waaaaaay up into the upper deck. Everyone there let it drop, and it bounced down past bunches of people and settled two steps above where I was standing. “Well, lookie here,” I said as I snapped it up. My kids were happy.

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Scotty Baker seemed a little shaky, even though he didn’t pitch too badly. He did throw a lot of pitches, and he seemed to take forever. The Twins hitters got a lot of hits, but didn’t drive very many of them in. So it was fun and disappointing at the same time.

Joe Nathan and Dennys Reyes running sprints



Scotty Baker warming up


Delmon Young playing outfield
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Dear Alexi,
I sincerely apologize for all the awful, rotten, confidence-bursting things I said to or about you last season. This season, you’re playing like a real major leaguer. Keep it up.
Love, k-bro
(Alexi went 3 for 5 with a run and an RBI)
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I see that the Twins drafted a kid named Shooter Hunt. How cool is that? If he makes it to the majors, he’s so totally making my Cool Name Roster.
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Nicky’s on the DL again? No! He had a great game today (2 for 3 with a walk and a run). How frustrating for him. Hope you get well soon, honey.
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And finally, the “Go to the Ballgame Because You’ll See Something You’ve Never Seen Before” moment of the game: In the eighth inning, Redmond hit a lead-off single. It’s not surprising that they would put in a pinch-runner for him. However, it is surprising who they put in to pinch run – Kevin Slowey. I don’t remember ever seeing a pitcher used as a pinch-runner. And yeah, he did look completely out of his element when he dove back to first on pickoff attempts.

Moving In...

Twins 7 - Orioles 5

Welcome to my new location. I'm still "unpacking", so things are changing. Because I'm the type who keeps everything, I'm in the process of copying over all my archived posts. It'll take some time because it's a manual process.
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Today's game was almost my favorite kind, except the giving up the runs in the first. Great defense -- especially Cuddy (that jumping catch and throw to first for the double play was very sexy), another homer by Joey (where's he getting all the power now?), strong bullpen performances (thanks Boof!), and an easy save (good work Nathanator). Very enjoyable.
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A big thumbs-up to whoever poured canola oil on the warning track in centerfield. This is the second time that an opposing outfielder slipped and fell out there. As long as it doesn't get our guys, I'm all for it.
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I'm excited that I finally get to go to a game tomorrow! It's crazy, the season's a third over, and I still haven't made to a game. It's kinda sad that I have to take a vacation day from work just to make it to a Twins game, but such is a busy life. And I'm thrilled that I get to see Scotty Baker's return from the DL.

I Know They Can Hear Me

I’m alone in the house, so it’s a perfect time to talk to the TV as the game goes. I’ll keep track – that is until someone comes home and I have to stop talking (the other members of the household just don’t get it).

Top 1: (First pitch, ball) That doesn’t bode well.
I see Livan really likes the pixie vests.
(A-Rod homers) Crappola!
(Matsui gets a base hit) Stop with the giving up of the hits already!

Top 2: (Moeller strikes out on the slow curve) Ni-iiice! I love that pitch!
What’s going on with the pitchers growing beards? I noticed that Blackburn was scruffy (we saw enough close-ups of his face), and now Livan is scruffy. Are they growing homer-less beards too?
(Wild pitch) Who the hell are you throwing that to? The guy on deck?
I wonder if that new Get Smart movie will be good? It kinda sounds like fun.

Bottom 2: (Cuddy gets a base hit) Yay Cuddy! So maybe the beard is lucky after all.
Hmmm. Delmon’s hitting pretty good lately.

Top 3: (Harris makes a nice play to get Giambi out) Ooh. Nice play.
Doesn’t it seem like Morneau’s getting to be better defensively all the time? He’s really a very good first baseman.

Bottom 3: (Macri at the plate) Oh, it’s pronounced ma-CREE? All the times I’ve read his name, I didn’t pronounce it that way in my head.
(Pettitte throws wildly to first allowing Go-Go to go-go to third) Go-Go runs so fast, his helmet can’t even keep up.
(Alexi bunts Go-Go home and is safe at first) Yes! When did Alexi get good at baseball?

Top 6: (Delmon misses two fly balls this gal thinks he should have caught and Yankees take the lead) Oh, for crying out loud Delmon!

Top 7: (Umpire blows yet another call in the Yankees’ favor allowing them to go ahead again) How much are the Yankee’s paying you Mr. Umpire? (among other profanity-laced rants I shouldn’t post because my mother reads this

Bottom 7: Hey, Joey is clean-shaven. Whoa! JOEY HIT A HOMERUN!!! And he had a look of “whew” on his face as he went back to the dugout. Cute.

Now everyone is home again, so I have to act like a real human being again. But I can still converse in my head.

Top 8: (Cuddy throws out Jeter at second) I **heart** Cuddy’s arm! What were you thinking running on Cuddy’s arm you fool?

Bottom 8: (Cuddy hits a nice double) Cuddy! I swoon for you.
(Delmon doubles driving in Cuddy and going ahead) Delmon, I love you again.
(Delmon gets caught stealing third) Ok Delmon, I take it back.
(Go-Go strikes out swinging, again) Go-Go honey, you need to learn some patience.

Top 9: (Nathan takes the mound) Joe, no interesting! (said out loud, because I always say that out loud when Joe takes the mound)
(Nathan gives up a hit) Joe, No. More. Interesting.
(Casilla to Harris to Morneau) YES!
**clapping wildly** Joe. No. Interesting!
YES!!!!!


Twins 6 – Yankees 5
Series split 2 games each

Long Weekend with the Yankees

Friday: Twins 5 - Evil Empire 6
Saturday: Twins 6 - E. E. 7 (12)
Sunday: Twins 5 - E. E. 1

First of all, I'm very glad to see that Nick Blackburn is going to be ok. That was scary for a minute there. Fortunately, he'll only have a fat lip, and probably a headache, for a couple days. Which is good, because he's a pretty good-looking guy, and I'd hate to see his face messed up. I guess health-wise, he's very lucky. But, when it comes to actually getting a win in a game, he just can't catch a break. Because of a really stupid rule, he didn't get the win, even though, in my opinion, he totally deserved it. Apparently, a starter has to complete five innings to qualify for a win. If he can't, but his team is leading when he comes out, it's up to the official scorer to determine who gets it. In this case, Bass gets it, even though he didn't even pitch two full innings.
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Back to Friday's and Saturday's games, which pretty much seemed like the same game, only Saturday's lasted longer, I'll try to focus on the positives. So I won't mention how our guys left like a million men on base in scoring position, or how leaving a certain reliever in for a second inning in a tie game isn't my idea of a good plan. I'm not upset at Nicky's error, but I do think Boof could've done a much better job getting that third out in Saturday's third inning. However, I was very happy to see Cuddy hit a homer, and I was really impressed with Breslow's, the new guy, pitching. All in all, only mildly disappointing, but still entertaining. Here's hoping for a game more like Sunday's for Monday.
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As I write this, I'm watching the Mets - Dodgers game, and every time they talk about the Dodgers' right fielder, Delwyn Young, I keep thinking they say "Delmon Young". And it doesn't even seem odd to me. I wonder what that means.