Game Thread: Twins @ Rangers, 6/29 @ 2:05pm CT

[Squirrel]

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 15-20 m.p.h. Temperature near 90. (I had to double check that as that's pretty close to the forecast here in Chicago, except that it's raining now.)

 

TWINS:

SP, Gibson

 

Dozier 2B

Mauer 1B

Parmelee CF

Willingham LF

Morales DH

Arcia RF

Escobar 3B

Fryer C

Polanco SS

 

RANGERS:

SP, Lewis

 

Choo DH

Andrus SS

Pena 1B

Beltre 3B

Rios RF

Martin CF

Chirinos C

Choice LF

Odor 2B

 

-----------------------------

Things to think about ... in Brian's absence, we've had some 'guest' input ... feel free to add your own following this.

 

1. Kyle Gibson. Kyle went to high school in Greenfield, Indiana. Kyle had to sit out his sophomore season after Indiana high school officials learned the signing bonus he received from Greenfield Central to transfer from a small catholic school exceeded state HS guidelines. Kyle is tall...he stands six foot six, just like the famous

who saved all those miners from that worthless pit. You would think being tall and from Indiana, Kyle would have been a college basketball player, but he chose to play baseball instead at the University of Missouri, probably after watching the basketball team play a pickup game at lunch. Kyle later helped pitch the US to the gold medal at something called the World University Games, where the team received a bye into the final round and were then awarded the championship when offivcials were shocked to learn no universities from other nations feature intercollegiate baseball. He was then drafted in the first round of the 2009 major league rule 4 amateur draft, and, having learned his lesson about signing bonuses, took only the recommended $1.8m to sign. Kyle is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame according to a wiki entry by noted baseball historian "VodkaDave." (Chief)

 

2. Colby Lewis. Lewis is 34 years old and hales from Bakersfield, CA. Bakersfield is a small community in southern CA nestled between Buttonwillow and Caliente. It's said to have been founded by a bunch of bakers who realized that it was hot enough there to make their products without the use of ovens. Now it's more of a farming community and the worlds largest exporter of Colby Jack cheese, which is where Lewis gets his first name. Lewis is having one of his worst professional seasons sporting an ERA just south of 6 with a WHIP of 1.84. He's the type of pitcher the Twins tend to covet with a FB averaging 88.66 MPH. He compliments that with a slider that he can throw for 83. (diehard)

 

3. Hits: We need some. The offense has been in a slumber, even if the occasional ninth-inning rally has made the final scores look closer than the games really were. It's often said that hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest thing to do in sports. I don't know if that's really true; it's also kind of hard for a 190 lb quarterback to stand there when a 270 lb linebacker is in the vicinity and accelerating. But maybe the Twins can grab a hand plane from the groundskeepers' storeroom and flatten one side of their bats, or maybe TC Bear can hijack the bag of game-day balls and stomp on them a bit to flatten them (just the ones the other team will have to throw, of course). Anything, just get some more hits, guys. (Ash)

 

4. Arlington, little known fact, Arlington is the home if the international Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum. The Centre was previously located in St. Louis and was housed in the same building as the Cardinals up until 2008. It reopened in Arlington in 2010 and is considered the single biggest motivator for the Cards beating the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, providing closure for thousands of Missouri bowling aficionados. (north)

 

5. The community. Sharing the games with others. Whether you are at the game with a group of friends, or there by yourselves high-fiving the stranger sitting next to you over that homerun, or watching at the local watering spot with your neighbors discussing what move Gardy should have made, or here, online, spouting off here and there as if sitting out in the bleachers, beer in hand, with a thousand of your nearest and dearest online friends; no matter what your situation, it's a community we share. I come here online because I don't live close enough to Twins Territory to be there in person or to have a local watering spot to go to filled with other Twins fans. It's nice being around other Twins fans to celebrate or commiserate moments of the game. No matter if the Twins win or lose, I can always count on Brian and Ash to yuck it up some way; Chief to add some kind of 'curmudgeony' comment that sums it up or sets me straight in 10 words or less (when he's not napping); JB sharing the latest Berardino tweet; jokin summarizing the most logical outcome based on all the stats he can find, certain he's educating all of us on the right way of things; snepp flitting in and out with some post that lightens the mood; and everyone (feel free to add your own) contributing the little bits and pieces that create the community we share making it unique and unparalleled anywhere. I'm glad to have this place. But mostly I'm glad Willihammer changed his avatar to something other than Dozier's head on top of that Kool-Aid man, even if the new one is wearing pink lipstick. (chi)

 

With that said ... go Twins! Play ball!

[JB_Iowa]

He's finally starting Polanco!

 

Be still my heart!

[Squirrel]

It was only a matter of time. and yes, his time was short, but I didn't really think he wouldn't start at last once. I don't think a day or two or three was too much to let him acclimate just a bit.

[Squirrel]

Eeek ... but Parmelee in CF will be yet another 'interesting' experiment.

[Guest USAFChief]

Eeek ... but Parmelee in CF will be yet another 'interesting' experiment.

Pfft. Gibson is a ground ball type pitcher. Outfielders are there merely to back up throws by infielders.

[Squirrel]

Pfft. Gibson is a ground ball type pitcher. Outfielders are there merely to back up throws by infielders.

Okay, okay ... so I was being slightly reactionary.

[ashbury]

A couple of other "thoughts" that missed the publication deadline:

 

6. Chris Parmelee. If he plays the full game today, 90% of his major league career innings in center field will have been played... today. He's been steady in RF for us, but lacks range, and may not immediately know how to pick the best routes to the ball. Remember the (purported) Chinese curse, "May You Live In Interesting Times". Something new to watch, at least.

 

7. Jorge Polanco. He's starting today in place of the incumbent shortstop Pedro Florimon, who was starting in place of Danny Santana, who was starting in place of Eduardo Escobar, who was starting in place of, oh, who even remembers? Maybe Polanco will reel off a string of consecutive games to eclipse Gehrig and Ripken, thus putting Florimon in line to be remembered alongside both Mario Mendoza and Wally Pipp.

[Halsey Hall]

Some how, some way, we need to score runs. I've been so bad watching that today I'll go hit a round ball with a big club and go after an occasional par, and let the guys hit without my grumblings.

[ashbury]

today I'll go hit a round ball with a big club

 

That's cheating. One of the sides is flat. Too easy.

[Circus Boy]

He's finally starting Polanco!

 

Be still my heart!

 

Yes, and to borrow a cheer from the big bag of ESPN sportscaster cliches: "Hip! Hip!... Jorge!"

[Circus Boy]

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 15-20 m.p.h. Temperature near 90.

 

Hope they close the roof today.

[Guest USAFChief]

Hope they close the roof today.

Hope the Twins blow it off, then, today.

 

The roof, I mean.

[Squirrel]

Hope they close the roof today.

 

Arlington has a roof?

[Circus Boy]

Arlington has a roof?

 

Thousands of 'em.

[PseudoSABR]

CF depth!

[ashbury]

Mrs Ashbury informs me we are going to Sacramento for a fun-filled day of curtain shopping, so I won't be joining the online game-time festivities today. Pray for me.

[JB_Iowa]

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 13m
  Gardy on Parmelee in center: "Big outfield. Hopefully our sinkerballer (Gibson) will not give up flyballs."
   
   
   
   
  
  • Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 12m
    Asked about rookie Jorge Polanco at short, Gardy (without missing a beat): "We don’t want any groundballs either."
     
     
     
    Guess we're looking for a 27 strike-out perfect game from Gibson today.
     
     
    

   

   

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Mrs Ashbury informs me we are going to Sacramento for a fun-filled day of curtain shopping, so I won't be joining the online game-time festivities today. Pray for me.

 

Curtains for you!

[D. Hocking]

Mrs Ashbury informs me we are going to Sacramento for a fun-filled day of curtain shopping, so I won't be joining the online game-time festivities today. Pray for me.

 

Search over - she will love them:

 

http://www.familybedding.com/img/p/m/e/c/f/1/137032/Minnesota_Twins_MLB_Microsuede_Window_Valance.jpg

[Squirrel]

Mrs Ashbury informs me we are going to Sacramento for a fun-filled day of curtain shopping, so I won't be joining the online game-time festivities today. Pray for me.

Oh, suck it up, man! Curtains can really add just the right pop to a room! Go for a statement piece; insist on it even; then maybe she will be reluctant to 'invite' you along next time.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 12m
  Asked about rookie Jorge Polanco at short, Gardy (without missing a beat): "We don’t want any groundballs either."
   
   
   
  

 
Well that's a ringing endorsement.

[JB_Iowa]

Well that's a ringing endorsement.

 

He did have something nice to say -- just not about his defense:

 

 

• Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 19m
  Gardy on Polanco: "He’s a talented kid. He can run. He’s got a good arm. He’s a work in progress defensively. He's 20 years old."
   
   
  

[JB_Iowa]

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would want to take her husband along curtain shopping.

 

Just send money.

[Gibby]

Mrs Ashbury informs me we are going to Sacramento for a fun-filled day of curtain shopping, so I won't be joining the online game-time festivities today. Pray for me.

 

I get to spend the afternoon at the convention center for the JO National Championship. It is my last club volleyball tournament. I'm officially old.

[Gibby]

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would want to take her husband along curtain shopping.

 

Just send money.

 

I always have to go, or a decision will never get made, and I never have buyers remorse.

[Riverbrian]

Awesome Set Up!!! Love it... Wonderful pinch hitters knocking it out of the park.

[Gibby]

So Mauer started hitting while I was gone, and the rest of the team stopped?

[diehardtwinsfan]

So Mauer started hitting while I was gone, and the rest of the team stopped?

 

except Parmelee... but pretty much yes.

[Riverbrian]

So Mauer started hitting while I was gone, and the rest of the team stopped?

 

The Twins switching bats made by Louisville Slugger to Ramen may have been a mistake in hindsight.

[Gibby]

The Twins switching bats made by Louisville Slugger to Ramen may have been a mistake in hindsight.

 

I could never figure out the way the grain ran on the Ramen's