Article: Game Thread: Twins@Royals 4/20 7:10PM

[Riverbrian]

Things ain't so bad in the Twins camp right now. We just won a series against the Indians and before that we won a series against the Royals. Because of a scheduling Quirk... We are playing the AL Central again tonight. We apparently don't play teams outside of the AL Central until September.

It's those Royals again tonight and the Royals are still all hopped on adrenaline. Ventura is ready to get mad at everyone and needs to be walked around by his catcher to calm him down. This works because he calms down right before he hurts a fingernail and has to leave the game. The injuries are piling up on the Royals but they still win anyway... The Twins are going to have to play hard.

Here are some Things to Think About:

 

1. Bean Balls and Hard Slides -- Kansas City was all over the highlights this weekend because Brett Lawrie of the Oakland A's was playing baseball just like he's supposed to. With a hard slide into second... Brett Lawrie injured Royals starting SS Alcedes Escobar and the Royals fired back with a couple message pitches at Lawrie on Saturday AND SUNDAY. This led to ejections and a couple of moments where the benches and bullpens emptied and everybody tried to look tough as they exchanged recipes. We can certainly discuss if it was necessary for Brett Lawrie to slide that far off the bag... We can certainly discuss if it was even necessary to break up a double play at the time since Lawrie was safe at 2nd on the play. Here's how I see it... You play the game hard. It's really hard when you are busting ass to 2nd to determine with certainty if the DP is no longer an option. You go in hard and you break it up. I don't want to hear about unwritten rules... play the game hard. So... obviously... I've concluded that Kansas City was wrong to start throwing baseballs at Lawrie. Nope... I think that's OK as well because as stupid as it is... and it is stupid... and dangerous... It's why Kansas City is one of the best teams around despite not being one of the best teams on papers. You play hard against us... We will play hard right back at you. It's baseball and each game and play matters. If you take a play off because of unwritten rules or because it's only game 12 out of 162. You are ripping off the fans who pay money and your salaries.

2. Unwritten Rules -- Baseball has a bunch of unwritten rules... So does life... Here are some of those:

If you walk into a Men's bathroom with 10 urinals on the wall... And a guy is using urinal #3... Do not use Urinal #2 or #4... #1 and #5 are OK... But... #10 is the best choice.

If you have a staff meeting in the Afternoon... Do not eat a Fiber One Bar in the Morning.

If you are sharing Starbursts with someone... Only give the other person the colors you like least.

Never lick a strangers face without explaining why you are doing it first.

When you can't find paper to jot something down... do not write on the person next to you. They usually walk away and you will lose the information.

Keep in mind... these are unwritten rules and if you are going to play life hard... you may have to break a few of these along the way.

3. Edison Volquez -- He's a 31 year old right-hander from the Dominican Republic. He's the Guy the Texas Rangers traded to the Reds to acquire Josh Hamilton. So How did that trade work out? Both were fantastic for awhile and then terrible for awhile. Both have had drug issues. Edison took performance enhancing drugs while Josh took drugs that make you laugh at stuff you wouldn't normally laugh at. The type of drugs that I recommend that you take before participating in the game thread. The Volquez fastball is low to mid 90's and he mixes in a change and a curve. If he throws strikes he can be very difficult. If he doesn't... He can be torched.

4. OF Defense -- It's amazing how much better the OF D is when balls are hit near the outfielders.

5. Stock Market -- I recently bought stock in a company that I believed in as a long term play. I won't reveal it here because I don't want anyone following my recommendations... cuz... that would be like asking Stevie Wonder what color you should paint the walls. But... I told my wife I thought it would be a nice stock to own 10 years from now. And My Wife said... "You bought a stock that will pay off 10 years from now? With your diet?

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[Riverbrian]

The Lineups are coming... ChiTown the Lineup and Weather Condition Queen will post them in this space.

 

The LUAWC Queen... It's a new nickname option for us all to use.  

 

Game-time forecast: 58 deg F, partly cloudy (sun sets at 19:59 hrs), winds from the WNW at 12 mph (I never know how to interpret that; if they are coming from the WNW, does that mean they are blowing to the ESE?)

 

Lineups

 

TWINS:

Santana SS

Hunter RF

Mauer 1B

Dozier 2B

Plouffe 3B

(our) Escobar DH

Arcia LF

Suzuki C

Schafer CF

 

Gibson P

 

ROYALS:

(their) Escobar SS

Moustakas 3B

Hosmer 1B

Morales DH

Gordon CF

Perez C

Orlando RF

Colon 2B

Dyson LF

 

Volquez P

Edited April 20, 2015 by ChiTownTwinsFan
This has been a LUAWC Queen update

[Winston Smith]

Brian this is late but for your uncle!

 

 

[James]

 

2. Unwritten Rules -- Baseball has a bunch of unwritten rules... So does life... Here are some of those:

If you walk into a Men's bathroom with 10 urinals on the wall... And a guy is using urinal #3... Do not use Urinal #2 or #4... #1 and #5 are OK... But... #10 is the best choice.

#9 could also be the best choice if urinal #10 is the urinal that is low to the ground... you know, for the kids.

Edited April 20, 2015 by James

[COtwin]

Excited to see how Gibson adjusts to keep K.C. off balance tonight.  I have high hopes for him this year.  I do want to see him miss a few more bats though.  

Also, super excited to see the turn around start for Alex Meyer tonight.  

[Blake]

If Meyer can consistently hit that outside corner with his fastball and changeup he is going to be deadly. It was fun to watch yesterday.

 

Toss in a few "Nuke" LaLoosh "not quite sure where they're going" 95 mph fastballs and you've got a winner.

[Squirrel]

 

#9 could also be the best choice if urinal #10 is the urinal that is low to the ground... you know, for the kids.

Well, in my case, the best choice is no choice. I have accidentally walked into a men's room or two, but I left immediately. And even if I stayed for some unknown reason, I'd still take a stall over a urinal. That's just kind of ickish. 

[LimestoneBaggy]

 

#9 could also be the best choice if urinal #10 is the urinal that is low to the ground... you know, for the kids.

You still go with #10, but you make sure to make the awkward lean look intentional.

 

Go Twins.

[big dog]

 

Well, in my case, the best choice is no choice. I have accidentally walked into a men's room or two, but I left immediately. And even if I stayed for some unknown reason, I'd still take a stall over a urinal. That's just kind of ickish. 

...and you didn't even have the experience of being one of several dozen guys all using a long metal trough at the same time.  When you are 8 years old that is quite an experience.

 

It does get everybody out the door and back to the game in a timely manner, though, I'll say that.

[Hrbowski]

We should have called up Meyer tonight to send the Royals a quick message.

[Circus Boy]

 

...and you didn't even have the experience of being one of several dozen guys all using a long metal trough at the same time.  When you are 8 years old that is quite an experience.

 

It does get everybody out the door and back to the game in a timely manner, though, I'll say that.

 

And don't use the metal trough when anyone else is going for a distance record.

[ashbury]

If you walk into a Men's bathroom with 10 urinals on the wall... And a guy is using urinal #3... Do not use Urinal #2 or #4... #1 and #5 are OK... But... #10 is the best choice.

[blindeke]

Escobar at DH? This team needs Pinto on it STAT. 

[ashbury]

3. Edison Volquez -- He's a 31 year old right-hander from the Dominican Republic. He's the Guy the Texas Rangers traded to the Reds to acquire Josh Hamilton. So How did that trade work out? Both were fantastic for awhile and then terrible for awhile. Both have had drug issues. Edison took performance enhancing drugs while Josh took drugs that make you laugh at stuff you wouldn't normally laugh at. The type of drugs that I recommend that you take before participating in the game thread. The Volquez fastball is low to mid 90's and he mixes in a change and a curve. If he throws strikes he can be very difficult. If he doesn't... He can be torched.

BTW, its "Edinson", Eistein.

[ashbury]

Escobar at DH? This team needs Pinto on it STAT. 

You daren't DH a catcher on this roster. What if the other two catchers get hurt?

[JB_Iowa]

WAlks in to this thread...

Seems the main topic of conversation...

Quickly exits.

[Cap'n Piranha]

On the urinal subject, it's also important that if there are 3 of them, and all three are open, you must never choose the middle urinal.  It is only polite to give another person the option to stand next to you, or not.

[ashbury]

 

WAlks in to this thread...
Seems the main topic of conversation...
Quickly exits.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

The Lineups are coming... ChiTown the Lineup and Weather Condition Queen will post them in this space.

 

The LUAWC Queen... It's a new nickname option for us all to use.  

 

Game-time forecast: 58 deg F, partly cloudy (sun sets at 19:59 hrs), winds from the WNW at 12 mph (I never know how to interpret that; if they are coming from the WNW, does that mean they are blowing to the ESE?)

 

That should be correct, since if you're driving south from Minnesota, you end up in Louisiana, not Canada.  Unless you have some sort of fancy boat-car, and you're attempting a North/South circumnavigation, in which case observation time is the critical factor.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Cap'n Piranha

[Platoon]

You daren't DH a catcher on this roster. What if the other two catchers get hurt?

That's what the 4th catcher is for, silly!

[Craig Arko]

Now the IQ's are regressing to the mean. Hie thee to Rochester.

[Platoon]

Please tell me that is NOT Brian and Chi Town in that opening pic!! .

[nicksaviking]

My wife doesn't allow me to lick strange women nor pee next to strange men.

[ashbury]

My wife doesn't allow me to lick strange women nor pee next to strange men.

This is unusually specific and raises more questions than it answers.

[stringer bell]

Escobar DH?  Ugh.  Also, get Dozier out of the cleanup spot.  Can't stand to see that.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

That's what the 4th catcher is for, silly!

If i ever manage a team, everyone must be able to catch.

 

It'll teach them to respect the position, at the very least, and contribute to the renaissance athlete we all aspire to be.

[Halsey Hall]

Dozier showed lead off is not the spot for him.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

My wife doesn't allow me to lick strange women nor pee next to strange men.

 

Talk about the fun police.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

My wife doesn't allow me to lick strange women nor pee next to strange men.

This is unusually specific and raises more questions than it answers.

It probably falls under the heading of a short leash. I hear it is a good universal management (or moderation) technique, often employed for starters to keep them in line... for a win.

[Joe A. Preusser]

I also am discouraged from licking people who are not my spouse.

 

Where I pee is my business.