Game Thread: Twins @ White Sox, 4/2/14@1:10pm CT

[Mr. Brooks]

Ok, it's 2 games and many of us expect a losing season, so I'm not going to get worked up.

 

That said, can we please stop using the weather as an excuse?

I see the weather being used as an excuse for Perkins and now Deduno.

Are the White Sox playing in the same weather as we are? Or is it only cold every half inning?

[notoriousgod71]

Ok, it's 2 games and many of us expect a losing season, so I'm not going to get worked up.

 

That said, can we please stop using the weather as an excuse?

I see the weather being used as an excuse for Perkins and now Deduno.

Are the White Sox playing in the same weather as we are? Or is it only cold every half inning?

 

Well they did give up six runs to the Twins lineup, so yeah, it's probably a valid excuse.

[ashbury]

Or is it only cold every half inning?

 

On alternating sides of the diamond. Going uphill. Both ways.

[Craig Arko]

We play the White Sox, what, 67 more times this season? I'm not sure I can take 67 more of this.

 

Maybe the Twins will acquire him.

[LaBombo]

Hicksie on pace to equal his 2013 walk total and fall just six shy of his 2013 hit total... by the end of April.

[JB_Iowa]

Not everything was bad in this game .... it just doesn't change the final result.

[Riverbrian]

I wonder if Riverbrian will have any post-game thoughts to offer about Plouffe's defensive prowess?

 

I might surprise you here. I've stated many times about my dissatisfaction over Plouffe's play. Mainly the issue was his feet. He doesn't move them like an infielder should.

 

On the play in question... He moved his feet... Charged the ball. So... Hats off to Plouffe... I consider that progress.

 

Of course... He one hopped the catcher from with the play right in front of him. How do you do that?

 

Plouffe... Has to hit homers or his existence in the majors is questionable.

 

Deduno... They couldn't hit him... He's hard to hit and apparently hard for Suzuki to catch as well.

 

Terrible baseball... Not MLB quality on the 2nd day of April.

 

But I'm liking Hicks Right Now... He's looking confident. I might pick him up for fantasy baseball team. He might be here to stay.

[Dr. Evil]

Think what it is going to look like when they play somebody better than the White Sox .... which is just about everybody.

 

Sigh. But hey using that post somewhere WAY up above, the Twins really won this game.

Twins win by two runs and move to 2-0!!!

[ashbury]

Maybe the Twins will acquire him.

 

There's probably some followup line to be made about in vitro fertilization resulting in Twins, but at the moment I'm shooting blanks.

[Dr. Evil]

I bet we lose 100 games this year. These guys suck! There, I feel better now.

[longstrangetrip]

In more positive news, I found a 20 dollar bill in my pants pocket today.

[Guest USAFChief]

How about two wild pitches?

And a balk.

[Riverbrian]

In more positive news, I found a 20 dollar bill in my pants pocket today.

 

Me To!!! I found a 20 dollar bill in my pants pocket today. I was pretty excited but then I remembered... It used to be a $50.

[Winston Smith]

Me To!!! I found a 20 dollar bill in my pants pocket today. I was pretty excited but then I remembered... It used to be a $50.

 

Close to a WC Fields line!

[longstrangetrip]

Me To!!! I found a 20 dollar bill in my pants pocket today. I was pretty excited but then I remembered... It used to be a $50.

 

Ouch! That's kinda like thinking you have a game won in the 9th only to...never mind.

[LaBombo]

And a balk.

Thanks, forgot about that one. It's only one game and nobody is ready to get out either the tar or the feathers, let alone both.

 

That said, Deduno's misadventures today were basically a lowlight real of pretty much every concern about using him in high-leverage situations.

[jokin]

We play the White Sox, what, 67 more times this season? I'm not sure I can take 67 more of this.

 

C'mon, if we can just get through tomorrow, the Twins don't play the Whities again until June 19. Semien is bound to be at least viscous by then.

[jokin]

Hicksie on pace to equal his 2013 walk total and fall just six shy of his 2013 hit total... by the end of April.

 

And in the Nick Nelson-esque search for positive trends....this is 2 days now where Hicksie's hit total exceeded his K total.....and the hits just keep on coming....he gets to face lefty Quintana tomorrow....then 2 rainouts out of 3 games in Cleveland.....followed by lefty Kazimir on Monday. At his current pace Hicksie will easily eclipse his April 2013 hit total (8) by April 7.

 

Oh, and continuing to seek the early positives, Kurt Suzuki is playing so well both at the plate and behind it, we likely won't see Pinto but once a week for at least the entire month of April, and perhaps even longer....Back-up Catchers being used as pinch hitters or DHing? Bah! Who needs em? Pedro Florimon was 0 for 3 with RISP today- Pinto couldn't have PH for Bartlett at the DH spot (WTH???) in the 8th or how about w/ RISP in the 6th, 7th or 9th for P-Flo? Really? Hey, I'm trying to keep the positive vibe flowing....upon reflection and a pummeling around his hairy head and shoulders, it just might occur to Gardy that he's got no choice but to use his other viable RH bench bat besides Colabello at the appropriate time for the likes of Barty and P-Flo.

[Chief_Roberts]

Am I crazy or did Plouffe look impressive in his at bats yesterday?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Am I crazy or did Plouffe look impressive in his at bats yesterday?

 

Plouffe has always had the ability to look impressive over short periods of time. It'd be nice to see him put together longer and more frequent strings of impressive play.