Doubleheader Game Thread, Twins @ Red Sox, 6/3 @ 12:35pm CT / 6:10pm CT

[sampleSizeOfOne]

A green monster with two heads!
 
or Two for the price of... two.

Dedicated to USAFChief (and Chief Jr.) who are reputably at at least one of the games, and who unequivocally and infallibly will tell you if the Twins will win or lose... "yes".

and to River "Old Hoss" Brian, being inducted into the Game Thread Hall of Fame (if he can find it) as we speak. Or type. Hard to say, really.

Oh, I'd heard the story of Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn, and as it is a story which sticks in the mind, i couldn't recall the name. So i looked it up, and the caption under the boston beaters photo in wikipedia is priceless. A 59+ win season as pitcher, and the first photograph of a Trudeau solute.

(I thought a double header game thread should be more epic than normal... But really what that ends up meaning is i get distracted more from baseball, leading perhaps to the sad situation where a dedication is better than the dedicated.)
 
1. Poetry

"Now look my friends, and you shall read
how such gallant acts follow a cowards deed.
a looping liner over Ben Revere,
the dashing mad and the diving spear
and a glove's reward for the daring speed."

-Hank Shortfella

(alas, the rest of the poem didn't make it due to the internet's short attention span, and the prevalence of multimedia. The following link is all that remains: )

http://nesn.com/2013/04/phillies-outfielder-ben-revere-writes-pray-for-boston-on-glove-makes-incredible-catch-video/
 
2. Yesterday

Fantastic game last night, even though it went against us. Hicks made a good throw to get the 3rd out at 3rd as the go ahead run scored, then almost tied it leading off the next inning, if not for the right fielder. I look for more of the same from Phil Hughes (our Ace, last i checked?) and a new up and comer for the (Red) Sox: Eduardo Rodgrigues, who shut down the Rangers last week in his major league debut.

 

3. The Pros...e

I got ahead of myself. Which is much easier figuratively than literally. But my small taste of literature is my thread intro's distraction of choice.

Amongst the Boston area's contribution to the world is quite a depth of literature. Stephen King i think is a big Red Sox fan, the fella parodied above: Longfellow, Emerson, Thoreau, um... I suppose i should cheat now and look at Wikipedia.

But i've been too lazy to expose myself to everything. I figured i'd write about an author better known in other climes, but he wrote significantly while living in Vermont, so in my book (get it?) he qualifies as New England, be it ever so slightly.

On discussion:

"The two men seemed to agree about everything, but when grown-ups agree they interrupt each other almost as much as if they were quarrelling."

On managing/mentoring

"... a hectoring, hard-mouthed, long-sworded Italian builder, as vain as a peacock and as strong as a bull, but, mark you, a master workman. More than that-he could get his best work out of the worst men.

...

If he misliked any work that a man had done, with his own great hands he'd rive it out, and tear it down before us all.... But when his passion had blown out, he'd slip his arm round the man's neck, and impart knowledge worth gold."

I'll let them stand by themselves, and you make of 'em what you will. Oh, these quotes all are from The Wrong Thing, in the collection of short stories: Rewards and Fairies (sequel to Puck of Pook's Hill) perhaps better known as the source of the poem 'If', all by Rudyard Kipling.
 

4. Today

 

Er, right. What i'm really supposed to be doing.

Finally the twins line up is out. Mauer off, Plouffe at first, Escobar at 3rd, Torii cleaning up. Everyone batting from the right side. What strikes you about the line up? (As long as it isn't "out", i'm happy. No K is okay.)

Weather forecast:

Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 60. East wind 6 to 9 mph. (from weather.gov)

Line ups:

Pitching for the Minnesota Twins: Phil Hughes {R}

1. Brian Dozier {R} 2B
2. Shane Robinson {R} LF
3. Trevor Plouffe {R} 1B
4. Torii Hunter {R} RF
5. Kurt Suzuki {R} C
6. Eduardo Escobar {S} 3B
7. Eduardo Nunez {R} DH
8. Aaron Hicks {S} CF
9. Danny Santana {S} SS

Pitching for the Boston Red Sox: Eduardo Rodriguez {L}

Batting for the Boston Red Sox in the following order:

1. Dustin Pedroia {R} 2B
2. Mookie Betts {R} CF
3. David Ortiz {L} DH
4. Hanley Ramirez {R} LF
5. Mike Napoli {R} 1B
6. Brock Holt {L} 3B
7. Xander Bogaerts {R} SS
8. Sandy Leon {S} C
9. Rusney Castillo {R} RF

 

5. More Today - Game Thread #2 (click here)

 

Up next (before the second games, assuming i'm able to finish it during the game, more on mentoring ('cause it's mentorific!) and perhaps something on the fine art of trash talking.

[Blake]

Wow, I barely have time to get the coffee iv going and the game thread is up.

[JB_Iowa]

Appropos of nothing:

 

"Here's to dear old Boston,

The home of the bean and the cod,

Where Lowells speak only to Cabots,

And Cabots speak only to God."

 

Since I don't know any Lowells or Cabots, I guess I'll just have to speak to God myself.

[zenser]

For more poetry today, I heard that Casey At Bat was first published on this date in 1888 or something like that.

[JB_Iowa]

 

For more poetry today, I heard that Casey At Bat was first published on this date in 1888 or something like that.

 

Thanks.  My father could recite it from memory but I can't do the same.  That generation (born 1927) had to do a lot of memorizing and recitations.  My father couldn't spell worth a darn but he could recite hundreds of poems.  Knew tons of song lyrics, too. 

 

Thanks for the memory.

[amjgt]

Worst Lineup of the year, without a doubt.

 

We've been told for years, that if Mauer played for Boston, he'd have 100 doubles. 

 

Why no Mauer?

[SwainZag]

I hope they play well this afternoon.  Most threads on TD are getting a bit.....chippy.  

[sampleSizeOfOne]

For more poetry today, I heard that Casey At Bat was first published on this date in 1888 or something like that.

Sounds about right. Not that i pay attention to dates as often as i should.

 

Good ol' Ernest Thayer, a Harvard grad, wrote it for a San Francisco newspaper, if i recall. To the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka John Brown's Body, or something like that...)

 

Somewhere on the shelves is the annotated Casey at the Bat, which has some 40 odd versions/parodies of it.

 

Good stuff.

[Buford_T_Justice]

Apropos of less than nothing:

 

There was a game thread from Nantucket

uhhh...something something Puckett...

 

You know what, never mind. Have a great thread y'all!

[gocgo]

OK, so here we are 10 games over .500.  Feeling all good about ourselves, etc.  So, I thought I would take a walk on the other side of the street today and went to the Chicago Tribune site to read about our favorite team to hate.  I snickered a bit as the headline read - White Sox still patiently awaiting signs that could point to postseason.

 

I realize that it's only June 3, but if the experts are predicting that the Twins will fall back to earth and miss the playoffs, ya gotta love the optimism in Chicago after a 15-2 loss, last in the AL in runs scored, mediocre (I'm being kind) ERA, but still talking postseason!

 

Whoooooooo!  I want that Koolaid.

[gocgo]

 

I hope they play well this afternoon.  Most threads on TD are getting a bit.....chippy.  

Chippy.  Chippy?  CHIPPY!   I take offense to that!   Put up your dukes!  Those are fightin' words!

[stringer bell]

All RH lineup. The Boston starter is supposed to be quite a prospect. Might even be in the Twins Top Ten. Everybody plays today. I'm sure Mauer, Rosario, and Herrmann will be in the lineup for the nitecap.

[GCTF]

 

Worst Lineup of the year, without a doubt.

 

We've been told for years, that if Mauer played for Boston, he'd have 100 doubles. 

 

Why no Mauer?

You see the pitcher is a left hander, if I put a right hand hitter in his place it's called playing the percentages. It's what smart managers do to win ball games.

[DaveW]

Hope the Twins 1-4 can get it done, because that 5-9 portion of the lineup is downright ugly.

 

Mauer should be in both games, DH him both games if need be.

Rosario should be in the lineup every day taking his lumps, yes he is leftie, but he is actually hitting LHP in the majors (yeah I know SSS) but an OPS of .863 is solid.

Besides, I think we all hope that Rosario is an every day major leaguer eventually, which means he should be getting at bats against LHP quite often, even more so when the other "options" for his spot in the lineup/LF include Robinson, Nunez and Escobar.

 

Ugh.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Lets get 11 games over .500.... then 12.

[Gibby]

 

  I really miss going to Fenway. I'd kill for a sausage and peppers.

[David HK]

So, ovah heah on the otha side of the world, I'm fulla chowdah and headin for the rack.  I hope the Twinkies can rawk some shawts off the Monstah, cuz that last game was a wicked pissa--  

 

I'll catch some Zz's, and come back for the nightcap.  

 

Let's go, Twinks- Show dem bums from Assachusetts how ta play some bawl--

 

 

[James]

Game Time!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Play ball!

 

(CBUish)

[Joe A. Preusser]

You see the pitcher is a left hander, if I put a right hand hitter in his place it's called playing the percentages. It's what smart managers do to win ball games.

Burnsie!

[DaveW]

I really miss going to Fenway. I'd kill for a sausage and peppers.

I know I'm in the minority but I think Fenway is a dump and should be torn to the ground.

[diehardtwinsfan]

not good

[mickeymental]

season's over.

[twinsnorth49]

 

I hope they play well this afternoon.  Most threads on TD are getting a bit.....chippy.  

If they lose both today I'm dressing up in one of those inflatable sumo suits before I hit the forums.

 

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4662/1692/1600/sumo2.jpg

[kydoty]

Umm...couldn't Hicks have caught that?  I swear it hit around the base of the wall.

[Gibby]

 

I know I'm in the minority but I think Fenway is a dump and should be torn to the ground.

 

  It is a dump, so was the Garden, but I loved going there. I like dive bars too.

[Gibby]

 

If they lose both today I'm dressing up in one of those inflatable sumo suits before I hit the forums.

 

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4662/1692/1600/sumo2.jpg

 

  You wearin the Crocs too?

[DaveW]

It is a dump, so was the Garden, but I loved going there. I like dive bars too.

i like dive bars too, I just don't like paying $12 a beer and $30 cover to get in

[Gibby]

 

Umm...couldn't Hicks have caught that?  I swear it hit around the base of the wall.

 

  I thought it hit the ground. He must have lost it.

[Danchat]

Hicks probably should have made that catch. I betcha Hughes will pitch out of his mind and we'll still lose this game 1-0. It's too bad he just doesn't get the run support like Nolasco does. 

 

 

(now watch the Twins win 10-1)