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I am a fan. Not a player. Or a coach. Or a manager. Or a GM. Or an owner. I am a fan. I played my last organized (non-pick up/wiffle ball) game of baseball in 2003. It was in a 'I-can't-play-for-my-high-school-team' league and I remember that we needed one more win to get into the playoffs. I was playing 3rd that day so me and a teammate were on the field so I could take some throws to first when our last teammate finally showed up. In basketball shorts. Without a glove. We lost the game.
The calendar has flipped to August, the Minnesota Twins are now 51-51 just three games above .500, and the problems are mounting. Every indication suggests that the Twins did absolutely the right thing at the trade deadline. As they slip out of sole possession of a wild card spot, Terry Ryan has a new period of evaluation coming. For much of the season, the Twins were a team playing well above water. With an extremely impressive home record, while staving off regression, Minnesota distanced them
I know we have a playoff spot to chase and we should worry about what is happening on the field right now, but I think that it's never a bad idea to look ahead a little bit, especially since the Twins are fading fast and the teams competing with us are probably a little bit better, Toronto for example. With that being said, here is a look at some ideas I have for this offseason. Likely to leave via Free Agency: SP Mike Pelfrey: Pelfrey has been a pleasant surprise in the Twins starting rotat
Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ------- After the trading deadline passed and with the Twins' having the league's worst record in the last couple of months and their lead for the first and then the second wild-card position was getting smaller and smaller, there was hope that Terry Ryan will do something to improve the team in the 3 biggest positions of need, shortstop, catcher and the bullpen. But he did nothing, other than trading the teams' 18th and 25th prospects (and th
David Price and the Blue Jays carved up the Twins on Monday afternoon, and to make matters worse, every affiliate in action on Monday night lost. All of the games were close, with only the Red Wings losing by more than one run, but outside of Elizabethton, there was not a lot of run scoring. Let's get to it. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester Red Wings @ Gwinnett Braves Box Score The Red Wings struck first, a solo home run in the second inning off the bat of Xavier Avery, to put the Red Wings up 1
I suppose this is what we asked for, Twins fans. Our team is playing “meaningful games” in August. Technically, they even continue to possess the second American League wild card spot (for a few more hours anyway). Entering the season, if someone had told us that our Twins would be right in the thick of the hunt for even a wild card postseason spot, I think most of us would have smiled and said, “thank you.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/TRyan2014d.jpg Some of
Mike Pelfrey battled with Hisashi Iwakuma Sunday afternoon at Target Field, and Brian Dozier’s ninth inning home run to tie the game at one was the Minnesota Twins first earned run against Iwakuma in his career, a streak lasting 42.0 innings (they did have two unearned). But the bullpen wasn’t able to hold off the Mariners in extra innings and they fell 4-1 to split the series. In the minors on Sunday, there was little offense except for one guy in a Florida State League double-header, a lefty
For the most part, Target Field is like a spacecraft from a hopeful, utopian science-fiction universe. There, fans saluting any pennant can wear clothing honoring their sporting allegiance without harassment. Your experience might be different, but I've always enjoyed sharing the game with other fans and enjoying nothing worse than mild ribbing. There are cracks in the facade, of course. The worst cracks open a gateway to hell, from which sprouts an unholy creature born to create utter misery
Everybody loves a good Yogiism. Accumulatively, I'm pretty sure I've spent hours surfing the internet for new Yogi Berra quotes during fits of boredom, and I never tire of seeing the same ones over and over again. The best thing about it is that just when you think you've seen his magnum opus, you run into another that somehow surpasses the last. One of my favorites, though I'd never call it his best or even necessarily close to holding that status (which speaks a lot for Yogiisms in general), i
The one big off-season move that I think will happen is that Trevor Plouffe gets traded. As much as I love him, and many twins fans do, I do not think he fits long-term, or is in their long-term plans. I'd love to see him stick around, but our corner infield spots are just too crowded. I think eventually they move Sano over to first, but I doubt they do that before 2019 due to one Joe Mauer locked in financially through the 2018 season. So here is what I would like to see done with Plouffe who i
n 2016, barring a trade, the Twins will have five players under the age of 26 who profile to be good or better outfielders. Five of these players will have played for the Twins, and the sixth (Max Kepler) might make his debut this September. Here's a look at all six, with my view of strengths and weaknesses: Oswaldo Arcia--Strengths: Big Time left handed power. In 853 Twins' plate appearances, he has 36 homers and a .437 slugging average. Pedigree of hitting. Going into this year, Arcia domina
For the first time in 5 years the Twins are buyers at the deadline, and with the Mariners in town and the Twitter fanbase on fire, I thought it would be fun to to look back at the last big Twins trade that never happened and imagine what it would be like if the Twins had acquired Cliff Lee from the Mariners 5 years ago. Note: this is a work of fiction, not a genuine attempt at analyzing impacts...I'm not that smart, I'm just a weird guy who likes Alternate History 7/9/2010 When the Rang
July comes to a close, the Major League Baseball trade deadline passes, and the dust settles. In the wake of it all, the Minnesota Twins are left with a slim lead in the Wild Card race, and a very small margin for error. Hope has to be waning right? But what if that hope is placed in the wrong things, and it doesn't really matter if the Twins fade? Coming into the season the Twins weren't a realistic postseason contender, they weren't supposed to be here, and this wasn't supposed to be their tim
Ever wondered how the jockstrap was invented? Or how about the evolution of catching balls with bare hands to the gloves of today? In it was said that shaking hands with a catcher without any protection was like “shaking hands with walnuts.” Sports Illustrated writer and Bloomington, Minnesota native Steve Rushin wrote about the jock strap, how Americans were more skilled throwing grenades compared to their European allies because of baseball and more historical oddities. The book is called 34-T
As the summer draws on and the fall draws near, lots of changes shape the Major League baseball landscape. There's the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and then the August waiver period. There's divisional races, and then there' s September call ups. Despite the Twins strong start, the most exciting period of 2015 may be that call up window, and in part, because of a Twins prospect demanding your attention. Sure, Jose Berrios is having a good year, Nick Gordon is trending up, and Byron Buxton
http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Kelly2015c.jpg Pat Kelly (Photo: SD Buhr) The first, last and most important job any minor league baseball player has is to work hard at improving his skills to move on up the organizational ladder to the next level. That said, when Cedar Rapids Kernels infielder Pat Kelly gets his next promotion, it may be bittersweet news for Pat and, more specifically, his family members that have been making frequent trips from Red Wing, Minnesot
It's the second edition of The Breakdown. Brandon and Cole are breaking down trade deadline and getting insights from a former major league player on spring training, trades, and preparation for big league pitchers. Check us out. http://www.spreaker.com/user/sbarnard4/the-breakdown
The Twins are in somewhat of a downward spiral of late having won just two out of their last 10 contests. Now the owners of just a slim lead in the wild card standings, Minnesota is looking for bright spots. Luckily enough, the one I've been suggesting for well over a year, is shining brighter than ever. Aaron Hicks has stepped up and he's looking every bit what I've been suggesting he will become. Ok so I'm a bit thrilled my belief in and backing of Hicks gas come to fruition. I put some of my
It was a quiet Wednesday night at the downtown Cowboy Jack's. Dispersed throughout the bar were a few groups of regulars, and the low hum of country music was only occasionally disrupted by roars from the Twins game occurring down the street. In one particular dim-lit corner sat Seth Stohs and Nick Nelson. Seth plunged a straw into his vodka cranberry as Nick leaned back, nursing his frosted pint of Miller Lite. The two had now sat there for three hours, but neither had spoken a word. "Well, w
Nick Nelson brooded in his cold, windowless basement as he stared at a picture framed high on the concrete wall. The picture embodied a far happier era in Nick's life, and three figures adorned the cheerful image. On one side stood former Fox Sports North reporter Robby Incmikoski. In the middle, postured majestically with his hands in his pockets, was renowned Minnesota Twins blogger Aaron Gleeman. And there on the left sat Nick himself, calm and collected, with a fresh Miller Lite nestled in h
The July weather in Cedar Rapids was hot and sticky, but Seth Stohs was used to it by now. Ever since the Minnesota Twins moved their low Single-A minor league affiliate to the affably named City of Five Seasons, Seth would make about three trips per year down I-35, 218, and 380 until he reached Veterans Memorial Stadium. The drive generally lasted around eight hours, but seeing the Kernels play live baseball and eating mountains of local Iowa-bred pork was always worth it. However, there was
I spent my Tuesday night at Target Field because of a coupon and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are the team I root for in that other league, and the ticket cost next to nothing after I applied the coupon. Since this coupon paid for one single ticket, I went without a spouse or a sidekick. Once I knew my novel Orphans (with Roy C; Booth} would be published on July 21st, this lonesome visit to Target Field took on added importance for me. The book takes three lonely, crumbling men and haun
Here we are on the week of the Major League Baseball trade deadline, and the Minnesota Twins control their own destiny. Three games in front of the Toronto Blue Jays for the second and final wild card spot, the AL East competition just made their splash. In acquiring Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies, it's apparent the Blue Jays are going for it. Despite the big move, the Twins absolutely need to disregard their competition. Coming into this season, the home nine was expected to have an
Houston reached base 3 times on Thursday. He's hitting .308/.398/.440 (.838) since joining the Surge and stole his 14th AA base. His 38 total SB is tied with Yasser Mercedes for organizational lead.
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Winning the Cedar Rapids Kernel prize from TD is far better than winning the FIFA World Peace Prize. Thanks.· 0 replies
