Game Thread: Twins @ Orioles, 8/30 @ 6:05pm CT

[Squirrel]

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature near 80.

 

TWINS:

SP, Gibson

 

Santana CF

Dozier 2B

Mauer DH

Vargas 1B

Arcia RF

Plouffe 3B

Suzuki C

Escobar SS

Schafer LF

 

ORIOLES:

SP, Tillman

 

Markakis RF

Young DH

Jones CF

Cruz LF

Davis 1B

Hardy SS

Paredes 3B

Hundley C

Schoop 2B

 

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

 

Next up?  Brian!  Be prepared, be very prepared ...

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

Here's what you need for your Preparation:  

A. Flashlight with Extra Batteries.

B. Cellphone fully charged.

C. Rotary Phone for when the Cellphone dies.

D. Sundial

E. Tow Rope

F. Jar of Butterflies

G. Road Maps of Vermont

H. Preperation H

I.  Change of Clothes

J. Toothpaste

K. Money for Bribes

L. Weapons... Lot of them because the Zombies are coming. 

 

Things to Think About:

 

1. Delmon Young -- I didn't have time to think about Ole' Delmon yesterday so today will have to suffice. I understand that this is my thing and it may not be other peoples thing... but... I've never liked Delmon as a ballplayer. I've never met him and he may be a fine human being... I just don't know... But... As a ballplayer... I didn't like him and I just didn't feel he deserved to have a major league job. He's a lolligagger and I don't lolligagger's. I truly believe that I am supportive of the players that play on my Twins team. Some players have frustrated me from time to time but I've pulled for them to pull it together. Delmon is the one guy that I can honestly say... that I gave up on him and I gave up on him very early and it got to the point where his presence on the Twins annoyed me. Even when he had that fantastic year in 2010... It wasn't working for me at all and I went to bed at night praying that Bill Smith would trade him since he just exhibited some value. It didn't happen and he continued to torture me with his presence until the Twins ended up trading him to the Tigers for basically nothing. He's playing with the Orioles now and he hit a home run last night... So Yeah... He's still bugging me.

 

2. Chris Tillman -- Chris Tillman is a 26 year old right-hander who grew up in Fountain Valley California. Fountain Valley is a valley in Orange County that is full statues of boys peeing. For this reason... Fountain Valley was chosen as the name because it sounds better then Pee Valley. Chris Tillman was a 2nd round selection of the Seattle Mariners in the 2006 draft. In February 2008... Baltimore Orioles officials broke into the Seattle Mariners locker rooms and stole Adam Jones and Chris Tillman and left Erik Bedard behind. For the Orioles... Chris Tillman was god awful for 3 years when all of sudden he became... not god awful in 2012. For all you Trevor May fans... don't despair... Take a look at Chris Tillman and feel better. Tillman was a highly thought of prospect who disappointed and then eventually stopped disappointing.  

 

3. Trevor May -- I don't want to be down on Trevor May... Patience is needed and I don't want others to be down on Trevor May and perhaps more importantly... I don't want Trevor May to be down on Trevor May... But with all that said... Something is clearly wrong and I don't want him to make a start when his turn in the rotation comes around again. I don't have a suggestion for who should start in his place but I think Trevor should be skipped over until he figures out how to keep the wheels from coming off. He was sharp for awhile and it was a pleasure to witness but then the wheels came off and when it happens... there is simply no way to put a smiley face on it. When Trevor ain't got it... He isn't close to major league capable... Not close by a mile... Nishioka or Bartlett in CF like. I don't know what to do with Trevor for the rest of this year... The rosters will expand in September... I guess the bullpen for now in light pressure situations. We should have a lot of those light pressure situations.  

 

4. Sam Deduno -- Goodbye to Sam... The Twins placed him on waivers and the Astro's claimed him. I've been a big supporter of Sam's and I make no apologies for that support. No... he hasn't been the Sam I think he could be in 2014 but he was the Sam I thought he could be in 2013 and that Sam is pretty good. As the year progressed it was clear that Sam was not going to make it in a Twins uniform and the news today is no surprise. In the end... his control issues did him in. I truly wish Sam well in Houston and I want to remind everybody... When Sam was pitching decently for us... We really needed him to pitch decently and he was about all we had pitching decently for us. For this reason... he deserves a pat on the back as he heads out the door.

 

5. 10,000 Home Runs -- Trevor Plouffe hit the 10,000th home run in the history of the Minnesota Twins last night. That's a lot of home runs and Chief has seen 9,764 of them. When this news broke... I realized that the Twins had more home runs then I have posts on Twins Daily. The odds are good that I will catch up before the year is out... However... not all of my posts will be home runs.    

[Bark's Lounge]

I'm hoping for a Deduno Eulogy.

[Craig Arko]

I'm hoping for Good Gibson.

[stringer bell]

Mauer the DH two days in a row, after a day off?  Hmmm, I smell injury and at this point maybe shutdown.

[stringer bell]

BTW, I just read the Twins website's account of Plouffe's historic homer.  The Twins are the sixteenth club to hit 10,000 home runs.  Now think about that.  How many clubs were there in each league before 1961?  That's right, eight in each league, so I guess the Twins are the last of the original 16 franchises to get to 10,000 long balls. 

[USAFChief]

BTW, I just read the Twins website's account of Plouffe's historic homer.  The Twins are the sixteenth club to hit 10,000 home runs.  Now think about that.  How many clubs were there in each league before 1961?  That's right, eight in each league, so I guess the Twins are the last of the original 16 franchises to get to 10,000 long balls.

 

The other 15 franchises got to hit against the Washington pitching staff.

[stringer bell]

The other 15 franchises got to hit against the Washington pitching staff.

Only seven of 'em. Seven got to face the Cubs.

[stringer bell]

The other 15 franchises got to hit against the Washington pitching staff.

I know you were making light of the woebegone Senators, but another factor IIRC was that their home park, Griffith Stadium, had deep dimensions, especially to left field. Harmon managed to win one HR championship despite a stadium where it was something like 350' feet to the fence down the left field line.

 

I found a site that talks about ballparks and Griffith Stadium had "unique" configurations in it's history. For most of it's existence it was over 400 feet down the line in left field. At one point, it was only 320' to the right field wall. When Killebrew led the league in homers, the fence was at 350' down the line.

[Bark's Lounge]

In response to Brian's take on Delmon:

 

From the get go as a Twin he was uninspiring and sloppy and it became apparent by June 2008 that the trade was a pretty big failure.

 

Me and a good friend of mine nicknamed him "Clunky". Watching him run is like taking a handful of nuts and bolts and throwing them across a carpeted living room floor... it's a mess, they don't go where you predict and it is a waste of time to watch.

[Halsey Hall]

Mauer really needed to move 'em over there. 

 

Which Gibson will show up tonight. 

 

And, of course there was one guy I didn't want to hit the 10,000th, so I turned the game off when he came up to bat.  And that's the last i want to hear and read about it. 

[JB_Iowa]

Someone mentioned marketing in the "What's wrong with baseball thread?"

 

Today I saw some of the worst marketing ever --

 

I was watching the Hawkeyes eke out their win on the Big Ten Network.  At least twice I saw an All-State commercial that said something about you may not always be a Razorback or a (can't remember the second one) or a Tiger (LSU) but you will always (something positive about All-State).

 

The 2nd team was also SEC , I think.

 

WHY in the world would All-State show a SEC-focused commercial on BTN?

 

They have to have a bigger ad budget than that.  I couldn't believe it.

[big dog]

I have a big deadline on a work project.  Last night I turned the game off as Davis' home run was landing.  I wonder how long I'll go tonight?

 

I have zero respect for Delmon Young.  No matter what he does in the majors I am glad the Twins got rid of him.  If Oliveros does well that's just a bonus.  The Tigers and Phillies both gave him away as well, even though he was decent for them.  And now he gets a hit against us.  I just don't care.

 

I am starting to think Trevor May should have been left in AAA until the end of their season...of course, we had to have someone.

 

Gibson- keep me engaged.   Please.

[ashbury]

I'm hoping for Good Gibson.

I'm hoping for good bratwurst on our grill, shortly.

[JB_Iowa]

A bad look in left field for the O's -- and it wasn't Delmon.

[big dog]

A bad look in left field for the O's -- and it wasn't Delmon.

Yeah, Schafer would have caught that ball (though Willi wouldn't have gotten there).

[jokin]

Gulp

 

RT @DanJGlickman: @MikeBerardino The trainer is out to check Alex Meyer and he's leaving game.

[stringer bell]

Gulp

 

RT @DanJGlickman: @MikeBerardino The trainer is out to check Alex Meyer and he's leaving game.

Just noticed that he got pulled when I checked the minor league scoreboard. A thread is started in Minor League Talk.

[JB_Iowa]

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino  · 4m 
RHP Alex Meyer wasn't even hitting 90 mph on the Rochester stadium radar gun, according to those on-site. #MNTwins

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino  · 1m 
I'm told Alex Meyer's velocity was down in his last start, too, though nothing as alarming as what happened tonight. Typically 95-99

[USAFChief]

Another great AB from Mauer.

[ashbury]

Gulp

 

RT @DanJGlickman: @MikeBerardino The trainer is out to check Alex Meyer and he's leaving game.

http://jasonrobertdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/nice-things.jpg

[Winston Smith]

Joe is just tying to hard tonight.

[ashbury]

Another great AB from Mauer.

I guess I'll have to fire up the MLB.tv feed so I can wait for a closeup and look into his soul and see if I can see whether everything's all right.  I remember the last time, he looked great and he was on a tear.  If he's winking and blinking about 10 times before every pitch, shut him down.

[ashbury]

Joe is just tying to hard tonight.

Probably that's it.  He's waited all his life to impress Baltimore fans with some magic with the bat.  That kind of pressure will get to anyone.  He's only human.

 

_{^{/ we're teasing Gardy, not Joe, in case anyone didn't see that thread}}

[USAFChief]

Probably that's it.  He's waited all his life to impress Chief's oldest son, who is in the stands tonight, with some magic with the bat.  That kind of pressure will get to anyone.  He's only human.

 

 

ftfy

[ashbury]

He's waited all his life to impress Chief's oldest son, who is in the stands tonight,

You better get him on his cellphone and tell him to stop with whatever he's doing there that's jinxing Joe.  Have him go buy crabcakes when Joe is up to bat, for instance.

[USAFChief]

Brats ready yet?

 

I'm trying to time my arrival at Casa Ash.

[USAFChief]

 

 

And, of course there was one guy I didn't want to hit the 10,000th, so I turned the game off when he came up to bat.  And that's the last i want to hear and read about it. 

I'll say this for ya, Halsey...when someone's on your $*&^ list, they stay there.

[Winston Smith]

Twins are on pace to lose 91 games it's clear the boys are just trying to hard. Lighten up guys!

[ashbury]

Brats ready yet?

 

I'm trying to time my arrival at Casa Ash.

This isn't the Denny's before-5:30 special, Gramps.  We'll eat at a civilized time, like 6:15.  Bring the cole slaw, we've got the potato salad and beers.

[JB_Iowa]

Jim Mandelaro @jmand1     ·   30m   

.@Meyer17A is still in the @RocRedWings dugout and does not appear to be in pain. Maybe shoulder tightness? Just speculatiing. #MNTwins