Game Thread: Twins@royals 7/30 7:10Pm

[Riverbrian]

The Weather will be hot and gusty... Temps in the 90's. People will leave the park smelling bad from all the sweat. 

 

Twins SP: Phil Hughes

 

CF Santana

LF Fuld

2B Dozier

DH Willinghammer

3B Plouffe

C  Suzuki

1B Colabello

RF Parmelee

SS Nunez

 

Royals SP: Danny Duffy

 

RF Aoki

2B Infante

1B Hosmer

C  Perez

LF Gordon

DH Butler

3B Moustakas

CF Cain

SS Escobar

 

Things to Think About:

 

1. Kyle Gibson -- He was magnificent last night. 7 Innings of work and not a run scored against him. We certainly hope to see more of that from Kyle Gibson in the future and we certainly hope it's a long future with the Twins. We need more pitching performances just like that. He has these flashes of brilliance that leads you to believe that he's gonna be quality. Kind of like those flashes of brilliance that I occasionally have on the golf course. Actually... It's nothing like that at all... Because my flashes of brilliance on the golf course are complete luck but those occasional lucky golf shots do keep me coming back to the golf course to see if I can do it again... OK... I apologize to Kyle Gibson... Comparing him to my golf game was cruel. Kyle is good... He isn't lucky. Sometimes I type myself into a corner. 

 

2. The Trade Deadline -- Things are pretty quiet with the Twins despite the declaration from Terry Ryan that the Twins are sellers. The Twins may be sellers but nobody is going nuts over the product. Rumors of the Mariners and Yankees having interest in Josh Willingham is the only chatter hitting the streets. Across the baseball... It's pretty quiet... All rumors seem to center around the Red Sox and Jon Lester and right now the Red Sox are asking for players that teams want to keep around for the future. Eventually something will shake loose and someone will get moved. There was a fairly big trade today... Justin Masterson was traded from the Indians to the Cardinals... The Cardinals are trying to rebuild their injured starting rotation and Justin Masterson was a top notch arm at one point in his career but he's been struggling this year with a 5.51 ERA. A bold move by the Indians who are still in this thing because Masterson is the type of guy who can be lights out when he gets it back together. The Indians get a pretty good AA Outfielder in the deal. His name is James Ramsey. Maybe he'll show up at Target Field some day to play against the Twins.

 

3. Danny Duffy -- I already did a thing on Danny Duffy... For this go around I'll just say this. James Shields is the supposed ace of the Royals staff. Therefore... He is the starter that gets circled. Fans and Teams are grateful when they miss Shields in the rotation and Shields is a quality starter... However... My eyes tell me that Danny Duffy may be the guy that I'd hate to face. Left Handed and Nasty is what I say about Duffy. He throws a mid 90's fastball that has a lotta hop to it and he mixes it up by sinking it at similar speed on occasion. And when the batter guesses fastball... he can cross you up with a slow breaking pitch. I think Duffy and Ventura are a couple of nasty arms that will anchor that Royals rotation for a few years. Duffy has an ERA of 2.47 ERA in 2014. 2.47 ERA... That is nasty.

 

4. Danny Santana -- Yesterday I was joking that I hoped that Danny Santana would carry the team since he was the only hitter in the lineup that would be considered hot. Yesterday's comment wasn't praise for Santana... It was sarcasm over the frigid bats being swung by the rest of the team. Well... I'll be a monkey's uncle... Danny Santana carried the team yesterday to victory. OK... Danny... You gotta do it again.

 

5. Have Mercy... Been Waiting for the Bus all Day -- I was downtown today and I walked past the bus stop. There were about 6 people waiting for the bus. They looked like they didn't have cars so I assume that's why they were standing there. Coming down the sidewalk was an old lady and she was trying to run... or at least walk fairly fast. She obviously thought she was late for the bus and she was hustling the best she could. She arrived at the line just as I was walking past and she said to the line "Has the Bus Come Yet"? From behind I heard someone respond... "Would I be standing here... If it has come by and picked me up"?  This made me laugh as I got in my car and I thought to myself... I have a thought #5.       

[stringer bell]

Masterson seems to either be covering an injury or his problems are above his neck.  He has great stuff and when he's right he gets a ton of ground balls.  He has been a disaster this year.  He will get a big contract next year, despite his off-year, if he shows he's healthy.

 

Roy Smalley probably needed a shower after watching Gibson.  But doggone it, he was really good again.  Randball has numbers from his wins and no-decisions  and his losses.  Unbelievable that the same pitcher can be Bob Gibson half the time and Scott Klingenbeck the rest. 

[jokin]

Masterson seems to either be covering an injury or his problems are above his neck.  He has great stuff and when he's right he gets a ton of ground balls.  He has been a disaster this year.  He will get a big contract next year, despite his off-year, if he shows he's healthy.

 

Roy Smalley probably needed a shower after watching Gibson.  But doggone it, he was really good again.  Randball has numbers from his wins and no-decisions  and his losses.  Unbelievable that the same pitcher can be Bob Gibson half the time and Scott Klingenbeck the rest.

 

Yep. I wish the Twins had the type of player the Cards coveted enough to garner James Ramsey in exchange. Tick-Tock, TR.

[Craig Arko]

Isn't Hughes the SP tonight?

[JB_Iowa]

Isn't Hughes the SP tonight?

 

Good catch!

 

Thought we were just stuck in Correia world.

[ScottyB]

Is Ozzie in house tonight or are we going with a 2-man bench - Fryer and Escobar.

[JB_Iowa]

Is Ozzie in house tonight or are we going with a 2-man bench - Fryer and Escobar.

 

I saw a tweet that Arcia is there.

[Gibby]

They showed him in the dugout with that stupid haircut.

[JeffReboulet]

Hmmm, I'd rather see Escobar there at SS over Nunez, but whatever. I think he deserves to start almost every day. Too many days off.

 

If Arcia is there, why isn't he in the starting lineup?

[Gibby]

I gotta say, this is one clumsy assed reboot of a website. All this stupid **** is supposed to be fixed in the first day or so.

[Tibs]

I was at the game last night in Kansas City since I only live about 2 hours from there. I would like to point out that the Twins are 2-0 in games I've attended this year, and I've worn the same shirt to both games. Who is buying tickets for me for the rest of the year so we can make a playoff run?

[Tibs]

HAMMER TIME!

[Richie the Rally Goat]

That helps the trade value

[Squirrel]

I gotta say, this is one clumsy assed reboot of a website. All this stupid **** is supposed to be fixed in the first day or so.

What's not fixed?  Let Brock know.

[Squirrel]

I was at the game last night in Kansas City since I only live about 2 hours from there. I would like to point out that the Twins are 2-0 in games I've attended this year, and I've worn the same shirt to both games. Who is buying tickets for me for the rest of the year so we can make a playoff run?

I'll chip in a buck.  

[JB_Iowa]

Anybody notice how many new members there are from Elizabethton?

 

Almost every time I click on the little new member button, the person lists Elizabethton --- although there was a Rochester this afternoon.

[Tibs]

I'll chip in a buck.  

Anyone else?

[JB_Iowa]

Isn't it kind of pitiful to be pitiful in a pitiful division where only one team has a winning record?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Isn't it kind of pitiful to be pitiful in a pitiful division where only one team has a winning record?

2 teams have a winning record KC and Detroit. But yeah, pathetic

[JB_Iowa]

2 teams have a winning record KC and Detroit. But yeah, pathetic

 

Oops wasn't listening close enough to Dick-Roy.

 

But KC isn't much over .500.

[Craig Arko]

Isn't it kind of pitiful to be pitiful in a pitiful division where only one team has a winning record?

To be honest I can think of a lot worse things in life.

[ScottyB]

Anyone else?

 

I'll go at least 50 cents

[Riverbrian]

So... The Hammer Hammers... Whatever it takes to cross the plate... Whatever it takes.

[Pitz]

Sell high, like before his next AB.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Oops wasn't listening close enough to Dick-Roy.

 

But KC isn't much over .500.

if our favorite team wins, the blues will be .500

[Riverbrian]

Was listening to Paper Lace "The Night Chicago Died"

 

The first line is "Daddy was a Cop... On the East Side of Chicago"

 

Is there an East Side of Chicago? Wouldn't that be Lake Michigan?

[ScottyB]

Here's a silly question - has there ever been a player traded around the deadline from a team who played a suspended game to the other team playing that game.  And the next day when finishing that suspended game plays against his former team thereby appearing for both teams in the box score.

 

I guess theoretically it could happen.

[Riverbrian]

Here's a silly question - has there ever been a player traded around the deadline from a team who played a suspended game to the other team playing that game.  And the next day when finishing that suspended game plays against his former team thereby appearing for both teams in the box score.

 

I guess theoretically it could happen.

Good Question... If possible it would be one of those quirks that make baseball wonderful.

[JB_Iowa]

I finally realized why I don't have the "ad problem" that some of you complain about ....

 

I always have my laptop set on mute.  

[Squirrel]

Was listening to Paper Lace "The Night Chicago Died"

 

The first line is "Daddy was a Cop... On the East Side of Chicago"

 

Is there an East Side of Chicago? Wouldn't that be Lake Michigan?

Lol ... yep.  Or ... could just be any area of town along the lake shore ... but that's a pretty ridiculous line as there isn't an 'East side' like there is a 'North Side,' a 'West Side' and a 'South Side.'