Baseball on TV, Baked Goods, the Infield Fly Rule, and Bullet Points

What's better than watching the first televised Twins game of 2010? Watching it at a viewing party.
What's better than watching the first televised Twins game of 2010 at a viewing party? Watching it at two viewing parties.

On Saturday, I had an awesome opportunity to visit two viewing parties and meet up with some great fellow bloggers and Twins fan.

First was the Baseball and Baked Goods event in Richfield. A fun group of Twins fangirls watched the game, ate some fries with seasoned sour cream, visited, and exchanged baked goods. I brought chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate mint brownies. It was a resounding success!

Then, I headed over to the TwinsCentric party in Apple Valley. The game was over by the time I got there, but a lot of fun people were still there hanging out. I had an extra pan of those chocolate mint brownies (I made two pans), so I brought those in.

I had such a fun time meeting and visiting with so many folks and talking baseball. Really, it was a blast. So much so that I can't really put my thoughts together cohesively. So you know what that means -- bullet points! So, in no particular order, my impressions of Saturday's festivities.

• The Twins Spring Training hats are really dumb. There's this extra bit of piping that runs down the front of the bill on the side; it looks like they messed up the bill and had to add more.
• Betsy says I'm supposed to drink a shot every time I use the word "awesome" because she hates it when people say it too much. Great, I'm already 4 behind.
• I make pretty good chocolate mint brownies.
• Ok, I think the brownies are pretty good. Apparently every one else thinks they're rapturous. Life-changing, even.
• I knew Delmon Young had trimmed down, but ... damn!
• Matt "Tigger" Tolbert does not like catching a pop-up in the sunshine. He does, however, really appreciate the infield fly rule.
• I impress people with my ability to recite the infield fly rule. In fact, I'm thinking of having a shirt made up:

Infield fly rule: When there is a force at third base, and fewer than two outs, if a ball is popped up such that an infielder should reasonably be able to catch it, the umpire may, at his discretion, invoke the infield fly rule. The batter is automatically out; the runners may advance at their own risk.

• Seth Stohs politely reminded me that I forgot the "in fair territory" part. So there goes that. Thanks for bursting my bubble, Seth.
• The general consensus is that the Twins fans love Denard Span and are happy for him that he signed a 5 year deal, but that maybe as a business decision, it only makes sense if he turns out to be a super premiere centerfielder for the next 5 years.
• Eric claims that he'll kick my ass in fantasy baseball. Yeah, he probably will. But he's not so special -- everybody will.
• Apparently, because of those brownies, I've been nominated The Official Betty Freaking Crocker of Twins Territory.
• I learned that four people with a few beers in them sitting in a bar can hammer out Joe Mauer's contract no problem.
• We recommend that Joe Mauer, Ron Shapiro, Bill Smith, and Jim Pohland go to a bar, tip back a few brews, and GET. IT. DONE.
• If I have to bring rapturous brownies to the bar where the above meeting is taking place to facilitate things, I'll do it. Whatever it takes; I don't mind.
• Pat Neshek wants to be the closer, and he wants everyone to know it.
• Joes Mijares, apparently, does not.

So...those brownies. You want the recipe? I could just tell you that it's an old family secret, or that I invented it myself, but that's not how I roll. I like to give credit where credit's due. I got the recipe emailed to me from Betty Crocker herself (the real one, not the freaking one): chocolate mint brownies. 

Here's the k-bro twist: since I had neither mint extract nor green food coloring for the filling, I simply streamed Creme De Menthe liqueur -- the good stuff -- into the mixer as I blended the sugar, butter, cream, and cream cheese. I didn't really measure how much; I just kept going until it looked right and tasted good.

Yup, like Jen, I get people liquored up with my baked goods. That's probably why people like them so much.

In summary, it was an awesome (take a shot) good time. I hope there will be more events like this. I really enjoyed visiting with everyone I met. I would like to name everyone I talked to, but really, there were so many, I'll forget someone. Thanks to Sarah for setting up the Baseball and Baked Goods party; and to John, Nick, Parker, and Seth for setting up the TwinsCentric one.

Short Notes - Mar. 11

Catching up on some of the Twins news from the last week. I know some of this is kind of late, and I was going to write about this sooner, but then Joe Nathan ... well, you know. Moving on ....

Blackie Locked Up For 4 Years
This not only made me happy, but it also kind of amused me. The contract extension that he signed on Sunday covers his arbitration years with an option for his first year of potential free agency. I like this deal because it ensures that a decent pitcher will be around for awhile; he's better than league average in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), and wins. And with the inordinately large number of other guys in their arbitration years, it's a bit comforting that the Twins have one less of those processes to worry about.

The amusing part (yeah, I might be the only who thinks this is funny ... well not funny per se, but kind of humorous, but I digress) was that some radio personality announced with certainty that one hometown boy who's a pretty good catcher would be signing his contract on Sunday. And since Blackie and Joey kind of look alike, the joke with all my Twitter friends was that someone confused the two. Ok ... I guess you had to be there. Or not.

I Have To Catch Up on My Reading
I'm now in the middle of two great books.

I picked up my copy of Maple Street Press's Twin Annual from Cub a while ago, and I love it. It has a bunch of interesting articles by some familiar names: John Bonnes (TwinsGeek), Seth Stohs (SethSpeaks.net), Nick Nelson (Nick's Twins Blog), Parker Hageman (Over the Baggy), Andrew Kneeland (Twins Target), Howard Sinker (Star Tribune's A Fan's View), and a whole bunch of other great writers. Oh, and I love the player pages that have the stats all graphed out, in color and everything -- those are easy to understand for a person like me who has an aversion to stats.

And I received my copy of Seth Stohs' 2010 Prospect Handbook. I've glanced through some of it, but I really find it handy when listening to these Spring Training games. Thanks to it, I know who Juan Portes is. And if you get one, you will too.

And As If I Don't Already Have Enough To Read
This list of 63 Twins bloggers was published a few days ago. Wow. I had no idea there was that many. Way to represent Twins bloggers!

You'll see I'm rated #17. I think that's pretty high. I looked at their ranking system, and it seems that it's based solely on the number of visits the blogs get. My visit count is probably artificially high due to Nick Punto day. Clearly, it's not based on quality -- there are plenty of blogs better than this drivel and further down on the list. But it's great to have a comprehensive list. Be sure to check them all out ... you know, when you get time.

Well, Isn't THAT Just a Punch in the Gut

So, yeah, you've already heard by now that the most valuable right elbow in Twins Territory is damaged. And not just rub-some-dirt-on-it-and-walk-it-off sore, but torn-and-possibly-needing-surgery damaged. There's a "significant" tear to the ulnar collateral ligament, otherwise known as the ligament that gets replaced in Tommy John surgery. And that's just the route he might have to take. He'll decide in the next two weeks. I hate it that this thought entered my head: this may not only end his season, but he's 35, and chances are that it'll take two years to get back to awesome-closer form, this might end his ... nope, I don't want to think about it. Damn.

So now there is much hand-wringing throughout Twins fandom about who will fill those most excellent shoes. Who's going to notch 47 saves in 2010? I'm glad I'm not the one who has to decide.

Rauch? He's got major-league experience with closing, but his stuff's not terribly over-powering. And many fans don't seem to like him very much.

Neshek? Well, sure, if it was still 2007. But he hasn't thrown a pitch in a major league game for almost two years, I think he needs some time to ramp back up.

Liriano? Meh. He probably has the stuff, but I can't trust his head.

Guerrier? Well, he did close in the minors. I guess he'd be ok. But still ...

Trade for someone? Right...unless we could pry Joakim Soria from the Royals, which ain't gonna happen.

Aaaaaaaggggggghhhhh!!!!!

There are so many great points of view out there. Click on the various blogs; a lot of folks have some great input on the topic. I found this Twinkie Town interview with Will Carroll particularly informative.

Dad

This is my annual tribute to my dad who passed away on this date in 1995.

Fifteen years ago today, the man who taught me to love baseball, my dad, died of colon cancer.

My dad was a great guy. He was brilliant - he knew something about absolutely everything. He had a wry sense of humor, and he told the best stories. He loved reading the funnies and completing the crossword puzzle every day, but he always read the box scores first.

He taught me many useful things like cooking and driving. But he firmly believed that every kid needed two skills: playing cribbage and scoring baseball games. And I do those things pretty well. He took me to a few games at the old Met Stadium. His favorite player was Roy Smalley, while I had a mad crush on Butch Wynegar. He also took me to an exhibition game when the Dome first opened and the roof leaked - the poor left fielder got wet.

My favorite memories are of summer evenings when we would go down to the Dairy Queen - the kind where you had to walk up to the window to order- and sit in his beat-up old maroon truck in the glow of the yellow lights that were supposed to keep the mosquitoes away but didn't, and listen the Herb Carneal call the Twins game on the radio. He'd almost always get a chocolate - NOT hot fudge - sundae with Spanish peanuts. I'd mix it up and get whatever struck my fancy, but my favorite was a dipped cone with sprinkles. We would do this about two or three times a week. The radio in his truck got better reception than the radio in the house, so I think we did it more for the baseball than for the ice cream.

Baseball games weren't on TV very often, but I distinctly remember that he made me watch Hank Aaron's 715th homerun. I'm glad he did.

I regret that I didn't spend the two Twins' World Series wins with him - I was in college in '87 and at a family reunion with my husband's side of the family in '91.

I think he'd like the current corps of Twins players. He was a "do it the right way on a budget" kind of guy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I write this tribute because I want to do my part to reduce the occurrence of colon cancer so other folks don't have to write tributes for their loved ones. March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and is up to 90% survivable if treated in its earliest stages.

Please take care of your colons. Get screened regularly (it's not that bad -- really). And make sure your loved ones, especially those in high-risk groups, take care of theirs.

If you'd like to do more, consider participating in the "Get Your Rear in Gear" 5k run/walk. I plan to participate (walk) this year, and I'll also be working a booth for the Twin Cities race (my employer is a corporate sponsor). Visit the Colon Cancer Coalition for more information.

Unabashed Blind Optimism

I write this as the Olympics and February come to an end and as baseball activities in Spring Training begin in earnest. Not surprisingly, I'm feeling optimistic about 2010 and the Twins' upcoming season...very optimistic...overly optimistic. Probably delusionally optimistic.

But I don't care. I feel like this year is going to be awesome on so many levels and for so many reasons -- I can feel it in my gut. My gut is the only thing that tells me this, because, you know me, I don't "do" stats. But I do "do" instinct, and my instincts have nothing bad to say at all. Nope -- no negativity here; this post is nothing if not the kittens, bubbles, rainbows, and ice cream of Twins baseball.

Starting Pitching

1. Scott Baker - Named the ace before spring training started, Scotty should enjoy the extra confidence given to him. He's got another year of experience under his belt, and he'll be a 20 game winner for sure.
2. Nick Blackburn - There is no one I want on the mound in a big game more the Blackie. He's proven that he's got the stones to handle any pressure cooker, and that will carry over in spades this year. Plus, this year, he's going to work on consistency, and it'll come. He'll challenge Bake for that "ace" tag.
3. Francisco Liriano - Yup, he's going to make the rotation. Not only that, he's going to return to his 2006 form and be a stud.
4. Carl Pavano - He's going to continue his dominance over the Tigers and White Sox, and expand it with dominance over everyone. As a bonus, he'll stay healthy all year.
5. Kevin Slowey - Even though he's coming off an injury, he's going to kick it up a notch this year. The time on the disabled list really bummed him out and lit a fire in his belly to have a monster year this season.

Relief Pitching

1. Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, and Jon Rauch - They will all ably do everything we need them to do. There will be no need to roll our eyes at them the entire season.
2. Brian Duensing or Glen Perkins - Only one will make it to the Twins (can you guess which one I'm rooting for?), but he will have a lot to prove and will be on fire -- Duensing that he's the real deal, or Perkins that he's not so evil.
   
3. Jose Mijares - Amazingly, he's going to get his head screwed on straight and pitch out of his mind. He'll also drop like 20 pounds.
4. Joe Nathan - He's going to return to form as the best closer in baseball. And that disappointing series in the ALDS will just make him better.
5. Pat Neshek - See Kevin Slowey. Multiply that result by 10.

Infielders

1. Joe Mauer - Yup. His contract will be signed, sealed, and delivered in plenty of time before the season starts. And then he's going to back it up with another Batting Title, Gold Glove, MVP season.
2. Justin Morneau - He's dialing back his spring training work outs from crazy-too-much to just right so that he'll have plenty in the tank in the second half of the season. And he'll enjoy the extra energy by having a 40+ HR season.
3. Orlando Hudson - Reports are that he hasn't stopped smiling since he arrived to camp, and that outstanding attitude will infect the entire team and will continue throughout the season. And he'll reward Twins fans with outstanding play and fun times.
4. JJ Hardy - Since none other than Joe Mauer is showing him the ropes, he'll acquire some of the MVP glimmer from his tour guide. And with that, he'll shake his 2009 gremlins and have a career year.
5. Brendan Harris and/or Nick Punto - The fact that there are two men fighting for one position should be fun. They have to battle, and that will make them both better. 

Outfielders/DH

1. Michael Cuddyer - He's already awesome. He's gonna stay that way.
2. Denard Span - This is the first year knowing that he's the man in center. This will fill his heart with confidence and his baseball skills will shine because of it.
3. Delmon Young - He's got a new look, and a new attitude. And because of that, he's a brand new ballplayer...an awesome brand new ballplayer.
4. Jason Kubel - His passion for gummi bears will fuel him to a 40+ HR season.

Bench

1. Jim Thome - He's got a big stick and he knows how to use it. 'Nuf said.
2. Alexi Casilla / Matt Tolbert - Another year older, another year better.
3. Jose Morales - He's going to miraculously heal from his wrist injury and everything about him, including his defense, will be better than ever.
4. Jacque Jones - Yup, he's going to be our back-up centerfielder. And putting on a Twins uni again will bring youth into his legs.

And apparently MLB will allow the Twins to carry more than 25 guys on their roster, just because they're so darned attractive.

So, there you have it. If these aren't the best gut feelings ever, well I don't know what are.

Linkity Links

Here are some items from the last few days that made me smile, think, pout, or rant.

Twins and Hormel part ways on hotdog sales
Ok, I assumed that there would be no more Dome Dogs, because, well, that would be silly at Target Field. But I just figured they'd rename it. However, that's not to be. Not only will there be no more Dome Dogs, there will be no more Hormel Row of Fame. Now that's very sad news as being in the Hormel Row of Fame was a bucket-list item of mine. But, alas, I shall never be a wiener winner. ::sniff::


Goodbye old friend.

I sincerely hope they select a local company to be their new hot dog provider.


Mauer and Thome Stuck at Complex
Read this. Just do it. It's good stuff. Bryz, you're a genius.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Karleeee discusses which Olympic sports some Twins players should try. It's a fun idea.

The Show with Seth Stohs at SethSpeaks.net
In addition to his weekly podcast (which I've talked about before), he now has a weekly web-radio program. It sounds very spiffy with background music and everything. More info is on his website.

Sooze!
One of my favorite bloggers, Sooze from Babes Love Baseball, has hooked on with the StarTribune blog community. I admire her work, and it'll be great to read a female's perspective.

TwinsCentric
Speaking of the StarTrib blog community, Parker Hageman (Over the Baggy), Seth Stohs (SethSpeaks.net), Nick Nelson (Nick's Twins Blog), and John Bonnes (Twins Geek), who are collectively known as TwinsCentric, also hooked on. This is a return for John Bonnes, who back in 2004 was a fan-blogger for StarTrib. It was through him that I found out about blogs (I had to Google the word "blog" just to find out what he was doing) and became introduced to so many awesome blogs including the now-retired Bat-Girl. And the rest, they say, is history.

You Can Keep Your Stinkin' Filet-O-Fish
Ok, seriously, the person who came up with this horrible, horrible jingle needs to be stopped. I'm not a violent person in the least, but this makes me want to hunt him or her down and do some serious clawing. Too bad too; I don't mind McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. But I definitely need to find another establishment for my fast food fish needs.

Nickname Guide

Edited for 2010. Now that Spring Training has started and the team is pretty much set, it's time to update the Nickname guide. Some folks made some great suggestions in the comments section, so I'll bring those up to the body. If you have ones you like, let me know.

When we love certain people, we show our affection by giving them, or using other people's, nicknames. Here are the ones I like to use; the source is listed in parenthesis.

Players/Personnel:
Ron Gardenhire - "Gardy" (everyone calls him Gardy)
Nick Punto - "Little Nicky Punto"/"LNP" (Bat-Girl)
Joe Nathan - "Nathanator" (I'm not completely sure, most likely Bat-Girl), "Twitch-n-Pitch" (have you watched him pitch?)
Joe Mauer - "Joey" (Twins Sisters), "The Contract" (No one can talk to or about Joe without mentioning the contract. He and it are working to become one.)
Michael Cuddyer - "Cuddy" (like Gardy, this one's obvious -- he's probably been called Cuddy his whole life)
Justin Morneau - "Mornie" (Gardy calls him that), "Tasty Canadian" (see comments below)
Matt Tolbert - "Tigger" (I came up with it when I shopped for toys for the boys)
Pat Neshek - "Pat-Pat" (I don't know -- could be me, could be one of Bat-Girl's commenters)
Francisco Liriano - "Franchise" (the Twins players call him that), "F-Bomb" (I think this has roots in Bat-Girl's blog)
Jesse Crain -"The Crainadian" (He's from Canada. I think this came from Lipgloss & Baseball)
Denard Span - "D-Span" (Get it? Like C-Span.), "Let's Get Denarded" (a take on the Black Eyed Peas song Let's Get it Started), "Span the Man" (S.Rail in comments below)
Delmon Young - "D.Y." (Initials -- not terribly creative)
Scott Baker - "Bake" (everyone), "Rocketbats" (Pulling a Blyleven - see the comments below), "Timmy" (Timothy Scott Baker is his given name -- he kind of looks like a "Timmy," doesn't he?)
Kevin Slowey - "K-Slo" (the first initial - first three letters of last name scheme, like A-Rod...or k-bro. S.Rail likes this one -- see the comments below)
Jose Mijares - "O Visa" (Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics must apply for an O visa, which Mijares kind of messed up for both TwinsFest and Spring Training -- *sigh*)
Carl Pavano - "Hott Carl" (The folks over at Twinkie Town took a vote and came up with this. mmmkaaay.)
Orlando Hudson - "O-Dog" (He comes with the name. If you type O-Dog into Wikipedia, it says that you're probably referring Orlando Hudson. Who am I to argue with Wikipedia?)

Former Twins:Carlos Gomez - "Go-Go" (Gardy)
Mike Redmond - "Red-Dog"/"Red" (another obvious one)
Mike Lamb - "Lammers" (Gardy)
Adam Everett - Adam "Adam" Everett (Mike Lamb -- he was asked if Everett had a nickname while with the Astros, and he replied, "yeah, I think they called him 'Adam'.")
Dennys Reyes - "Marshmallow" (my kid), "The Big Sweat" (I guess he's had it for a long time, but learned about it from an MLB Video Game), "Dennys Sampler Platter" (Bat-Girl)

Announcers:
Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven - Because they talk so much during games, it's sometimes hard to remember which of them said what. So, together, they're the singular "Dick-n-Bert."
Dan Gladden - "Dazzle" (I think John Gordon gave it to him)
Jack Morris - "Blackjack" (John Gordon again)

Things:
The act of being swept by another team - "Dustbunny" (me)