Game Thread: Twins v Indians, 7/16 @ 6:10pm CT

[NoCryingInBaseball]

 

Second game with the Indians in this home stand, hope it goes better than the first! Here are some thoughts about the game.

 

 

 

1.Hall of Fame Day

Two notables will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame today…that seems more interesting talk about than last night’s game…

2.Torii Hunter
Hunter was selected by the Minnesota Twins with the 20th overall pick in the 1993 MLB draft. He made it to the Twins Major League club in 1997 and did the Rochester shuttle through that season and ’98 (much like this year with many of the young prospects) before becoming the starting center fielder in 1999. Hunter continued to improve and by 2001 he began to be a league leader in many categories. Hunter left via free agency in 2008 and played five years with the Angles and then two years with the Detroit Tigers. He returned back to Minnesota his final year and finished his career a .277/.331/.461 hitter with 2,272 hits, 353 homers, 195 stolen bases and 1,391 RBIs in 2,372 games, nine Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger Awards.

 

3.Favorite Torii Memories
While he often took ill-advised positions and made public statements that were strange, I will remember the 2002 MLB All-Star Game when he robbed Barry Bonds of a home run in the first inning, running over catcher Jamie Burke in a late-season matchup with the rival Chicago White Sox, taking a swing at a struggling Justin Morneau in 2005 and, of course, creating dance parties after every home win at Target Field.
 

4.John Gordon
Gordo began as a baseball broadcaster with a Class A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, in 1965. From there, Gordon worked for the Baltimore Orioles, did a three-year stint broadcasting football and basketball at the University of Virginia and then returned to baseball. Gordon spent 1977-81 working for a Triple-A affiliate first with the Pirates and then with the Yankees. That led, in 1982, to a job with the big-league Yankees under the ownership of George Steinbrenner. Gordon joined the Twins in 1987, just in time for a World Series title run. Gordon called Twins games for 25 seasons running through 2011. Of course, my favorite memories of Gordo was listening to KQRS back in the late 80’s when they would regularly poke fun at him as being a little clueless using a fake Gordo voice in regular skits.
 

5.Rock & Roll HOF
The Indians and Twins sent an autographed lineup card and the purple wrist bans worn by Michael Brantley and Joe Mauer from April 25th's game to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The game was played on Prince Tribute Night in honor of the rock icon who had recently died. The Twins ended the game in style with a walk-off victory on Oswaldo Arcia's ninth-inning homer!
_____________________________________________________________________
Lineups:

INDIANS
Carlos Santana (S) 1B
Jason Kipnis (L) 2B
Francisco Lindor (S) SS
Mike Napoli [R) DH
Jose Ramirez (S) LF
Lonnie Chisenhall (L) RF
Juan Uribe [R) 3B
Tyler Naquin (L) CF
Chris Gimenez [R) C

Trevor Bauer (R] P

 

TWINS
Eduardo Nunez [R) SS
Joe Mauer (L) 1B
Miguel Sano [R) 3B
Brian Dozier [R) 2B
Max Kepler (L) RF
Kennys Vargas (S) DH
Eddie Rosario (L) LF
Juan Centeno (L) C
Byron Buxton ® CF

Tyler Duffey (R] P

Game-time forecast: 78 deg F, mostly cloudy, 0% chance of rain, winds at 12 mph from the S.

 

Go Twins!

 

 

[stringer bell]

Great job No Crying! IIRC you are undefeated as a thread starter. Let's hope the streak continues.

[Halsey Hall]

Mauer made the Hall!

[Winston Smith]

For those that think Terry is going anywhere after the season, he has plans to add more old Twins to the front office.

 

Per Berardino:

Open invitation remains for Hunter to join #MNTwins front office in some capacity, Ryan said. "When he's ready, he'll let me know."

 

Odds of Terry being the Twins GM next year now stand at 99.5%.

[Riverbrian]

 

Great job No Crying! IIRC you are undefeated as a thread starter. Let's hope the streak continues.

 

String

 

Don't Jinx him!!!

[ashbury]

String

 

Don't Jinx him!!!

Your anti-jinx technique has been perfect in the month of July. Keep up the good work!

[Halsey Hall]

That was a nice induction for Torii.  Would of been a good game to be at. 

[Aggies7]

You know it's gonna be a good game when marney leads us off

[ashbury]

The shift against CSan doesn't do the job.

[Riverbrian]

 

Your anti-jinx technique has been perfect in the month of July. Keep up the good work!

 

 

 

[Riverbrian]

 

You know it's gonna be a good game when marney leads us off

 

I'd prefer someone that you could at least reach 2nd base with. 

[ashbury]

Kepler scurries over and saves a couple of runs (for the time being) versus what a lumbering RFer might have done.

[ashbury]

I'd prefer someone that you could at least reach 2nd base with. 

You're saying that this major league broadcaster is out of your league.

[stringer bell]

Well, that could have been worse.

[ashbury]

Mauer facing Bauer. Too bad Hank Sauer and Rich Dauer retaured.

[Don Walcott]

Mauer v Bauer. Sounds like an interview for Matt . . .?

[ashbury]

Mauer v Bauer. Sounds like an interview for Matt . . .?

Sounds like the title for a RomCom involving two litigants eventually falling in love.

[jimmer]

nice play Sano (Bremer would call it extraordinary)  Took three steps to his right on a slow two hopper.  Took a bit to slow his body down, planted and rifled the ball to get the guy.

[ashbury]

Sano really picks it, on that play!

[Riverbrian]

All this time as Sano was coming up. We heard about suspect defense. Mostly from the people who write about such things... but we all heard it. 

 

He spent last year DH'ing while Plouffe was the chosen 3B.

 

He is moved into RF where he struggled. (I'm still OK with the Sano experiment in RF BTW). 

 

And all I've seen from Sano at 3B... is pretty capable and sometimes above average with the occasional gaff. 

 

I again... can't help but question the assessments being made by our front office. 

 

Let me add this so this post doesn't seem so serious.

 

I don't like negative numbers and I'll stop at nothing to avoid them. 

[Dr. Evil]

Ok so tell me again why this "Sano" guy was put in right field?

[stringer bell]

Kennys still looking for that first single.

[Riverbrian]

Vargas 

 

He hits the ball hard. 

 

I'd hate to be the pitcher getting that come backer off his bat.  

[USAFChief]

Well, back in Arizona.

 

It's hot.

 

I was working while in Minnesota.  Can't say much for the manager...he assigned me this special project, and I worked all day on it.

 

Next morning, he calls me in his office and asks, "Do you want my opinion on your work?"

 

"Sure," I says.

 

"It's worthless," he says.

 

"i know," I said, "but let me hear it anyway."

[Dr. Evil]

Kennys still looking for that first single.

And sadly, Mauer still in search of an extra base hit.

[ashbury]

Vargas 

 

He hits the ball hard. 

 

I'd hate to be the pitcher getting that come backer off his bat.  

I'd even hate to be the center fielder getting that come backer.

[King]

Kennys can hit. 

[ashbury]

Well, back in Arizona.

 

It's hot.

 

I was working while in Minnesota.  Can't say much for the manager...he assigned me this special project, and I worked all day on it.

 

Next morning, he calls me in his office and asks, "Do you want my opinion on your work?"

 

"Sure," I says.

 

"It's worthless," he says.

 

"i know," I said, "but let me hear it anyway."

So? What did he finally tell you?

[USAFChief]

 

So? What did he finally tell you?

off.

[USAFChief]

Good start to this inning.