Game Thread Twins vs. Astros 5/30 @ 7:10 CT

[gocgo]

 

Astro – the term means “relating to the stars, celestial objects, or outer space”
For many years the Houston Astros were floating around in outer space caught in a baseball orbit that saw them flailing around hopelessly and unable to gain any traction.  Today’s Astros are no longer in orbit but have gently landed in first place in the AL West.  Thanks to years of #1 picks they have become the team to beat in the AL West.

 

A couple of notes to ponder:

Astroturf – It seems to be a contradicting term.  I mean, grass in outer space.  C’mon, it hardly grows in my yard and certainly won’t grow in space.  However, Astroturf is simply a brand name.  The original AstroTurf brand product was invented in 1965 by three nutty guys working for Monsanto. It was patented in 1965 and originally sold under the name "ChemGrass." It was re-branded as AstroTurf by a company employee named John A. Wortmann after its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome stadium in 1966.  The Astrodome was originally going to have clear glass panels covering the stadium. However, a problem arose when the fielders were unable to catch fly balls due to the intense glare.  The problem was solved by painting the panels, but another problem arose…the grass died without enough sunlight to keep it alive.  Enter ChemGrass/Astroturf.

 

Astro the dog – One of my favorite cartoon characters - “Rastro”.  Astro was found by Elroy in one of the Jetsons first episodes.  When Jane, Judy, and Elroy proposed keeping him to George, he was opposed to it and claimed that an apartment is no place for a dog.  In an effort to make his family happy, he got an electronic doc named Electronimo who was supposed to be the new hairless, non-eating “dog” that also protected the house.  When a burglar tried to rob the Jetsons, Electronimo attacked him (which he did to anyone wearing a mask).  Elroy tried to wake Astro to get him to stop the burglar, but Astro hides.  When the burglar puts the mask on George, Electronimo takes after George.  While the burglar is trying to escape, Astro accidentally runs into him and catches him.  George decides that Electronimo isn’t the way to go and Astro becomes part of the Jetson’s family.  And that is how Astro came to be…3 years before the Houston Astros were renamed from the Houston Colt 45’s.  Coincidentally, the Houston Colt 45’s were founded the same year that the Jetsons were created – 1962.  The show is set in the year 2062, one hundred years from the date of its creation. 

 

Astrology - the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial objects as a means for divining information about human affairs and terrestrial events.  I’ve never been one to believe in horoscopes.  How can everyone that’s a Taurus possibly have the same thing happen to them day after day?  It defies logic and logical is what I am…except when it comes to my skewed view of my favorite baseball team – our still first place Minnesota Twins!

 

Lineups - TBD

[bighat]

No pressure tonight, Berrios!  None at all.

 

Good intro and thanks for the thread.  I was thinking about our collective panic over the past 2 games.  The Twins are still in first place.  They're well above .500.  They could still win this series against Houston.  Let's hope the stars align tonight (sticking with the Astro theme).

 

Anyone know why the spaces after the periods are "running together" on posts, btw? 

[Don Walcott]

If this were last year, the last two games wouldn't be such a big deal.  But the Twins have our hopes up, and we're ready to be disappointed.  This is still a fun team to watch, and we're still in the playoff race.  Maybe some time this evening we can stop talking about the bullpen and start talking about how good the rest of the team is -- especially Berrios!  GO TWINS!

[Blake]

 

No pressure tonight, Berrios!  None at all.

 

Good intro and thanks for the thread.  I was thinking about our collective panic over the past 2 games.  The Twins are still in first place.  They're well above .500.  They could still win this series against Houston.  Let's hope the stars align tonight (sticking with the Astro theme).

 

Anyone know why the spaces after the periods are "running together" on posts, btw? 

I've noticed it also and it seems to happen when there are two spaces rather than just one between words. Not sure about after periods but that's what I'd look at.

[USAFChief]

Nice job gocgo!

[bighat]

 

I've noticed it also and it seems to happen when there are two spaces rather than just one between words. Not sure about after periods but that's what I'd look at.

 

Ahh. I get it. I'm a "2 space" guy, and that's the reason for it. I'll have to try and break the habit!

[Willihammer]

I was watching Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix and heard one of those numbers about the universe.

 

The number of stars in the cosmos is approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on planet earth. Times ten.

[Vanimal46]

 

I was watching Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix and heard one of those numbers about the universe.

 

The number of stars in the cosmos is approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on planet earth. Times ten.

 

Are we sure we're looking at stars, and not baseballs that were launched into space off the hand of Moon Shot Scott Baker? 

[Vanimal46]

Re: Astroturf... 

That stuff has come a long ways over the years. Our family installed it in the backyard for a zero maintenance, drought resistant look. It's nearly identical to the feel of grass on your bare feet... 

Compared to 15+ years ago where it felt like hard carpet, and the burns you'd get by diving on it.... Good god how did Torii Hunter survive so many diving catches on that old turf at the Metrodome? 

[Mike Sixel]

Great intro!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Thanks for the intro!

 

I hope we win!

 

I expect to play softball again tonight, and should perhaps look for my team shirt now. They let us pick our numbers, so i took Gladden's old number (and Hicks? although he has moved on to greener pastures... or at least greener pinstripes How's he doing these days?)

 

Anyway, some teammates gave me a hard time for not wearing it last week. Being the type of folk who dress up for revolutionary time reenactments, they tend to feel a bit more strongly than i about uniforms and such...

[twinsnorth49]

Great intro!

 

So Astro Turf is a generic, just like Kleenex and Ski-doo. I never thought of that one before.

 

Ok everyone, name a generic brand.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Great intro!

 

So Astro Turf is a generic, just like Kleenex and Ski-doo. I never thought of that one before.

 

Ok everyone, name a generic brand.

 

Foreigner....oh, wait, you said bRand.....

[Vanimal46]

 

Great intro!

 

So Astro Turf is a generic, just like Kleenex and Ski-doo. I never thought of that one before.

 

Ok everyone, name a generic brand.

 

Down south, Coke is a generic brand... An example when you go into a restaurant, "I'll take a Coke of Sprite."

[Squirrel]

Ahh. I get it. I'm a "2 space" guy, and that's the reason for it. I'll have to try and break the habit!

Brock can give you the whys and wherefores, but yes, use only one space after punctuation. While two spaces was the norm when typing, it is no longer the norm. Use only one space.

[diehardtwinsfan]

So... ummm... the bull pen. 

 

Watching it implode is like the stomach flu.  You've known for a while that it had gotten you, but you're holding out hope that the feeling you feel in your stomach is nothing...  and then it happens

[Loosey]

Tonight would be a good time for Berrios to instantly become the type of pitcher you expect to end a losing streak.  Johan Santana used to be the guy you could count on to do that.  Perhaps Berrios proves to be that guy tonight against the best team in baseball.  

 

If he can do that I expect he will get some more attention around the game.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Down south, Coke is a generic brand... An example when you go into a restaurant, "I'll take a Coke of Sprite."

 

that one is amazing to me.

 

"what kind of coke do you want?" took me a few times to get used to back in the day.

[wsnydes]

 

 

If he can do that I expect he will get some more attention around the game.

He already is.  John Smotlz was on MLB Network last week raving about the kid.

[Winston Smith]

I was cleaning out some boxes this weekend and found a batch of pictures of the Houston Colt 45's. When I was a kid I'd send a letter to teams and ask for free stuff. The Colt 45's sent me a batch of nice glossy pictures. Rusty Staub, Jim Wynn, Nellie Fox. Looked like mostly a lot of guys hanging on at the end of their careers they got in the expansion draft but Staub and Wynn were just kids. Staub ended up being a decent player for the Mets as I recall. I'm not sure why I'd remember that but not anything else, old age stinks but still better than the alternative.

[PDX Twin]

After two days of bullpen agony, I'm resorting to sarcasm. Apply it to your choice of several relievers.

 

Ode to the Twins' Bullpen

 

Take him out of the ball game.
Pull that pitcher right now.
Pay him in peanuts and Cracker Jack,
That way maybe he’ll never come back.

 

We must root, root, root for our starter,
If he comes out it’s a shame.
Then it’s one … two … three runs per out
As we lose the game.

[spinowner]

The square of the hypotenuse side of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

 

Gratuitous math for good luck.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

We have the 'A' team tonight. 

 

Get 'ir done, boys.

 

Twins
Jose Berrios ®
1. Brian Dozier ® 2B
2. Robbie Grossman (S) DH
3. Joe Mauer (L) 1B
4. Miguel Sano ® 3B
5. Max Kepler (L) RF
6. Jorge Polanco (S) SS
7. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
8. Byron Buxton ® CF
9. Jason Castro (L) C

[wsnydes]

 

We have the 'A' team tonight. 

 

Get 'ir done, boys.

 

Twins
Jose Berrios ®
1. Brian Dozier ® 2B
2. Robbie Grossman (S) DH
3. Joe Mauer (L) 1B
4. Miguel Sano ® 3B
5. Max Kepler (L) RF
6. Jorge Polanco (S) SS
7. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
8. Byron Buxton ® CF
9. Jason Castro (L) C

False.  I don't see BA Baracus anywhere in that lineup.  I pity da fool who left him out.

[ashbury]

 

After two days of bullpen agony, I'm resorting to sarcasm. Apply it to your choice of several relievers.

 

Ode to the Twins' Bullpen

 

Take him out of the ball game.
Pull that pitcher right now.
Pay him in peanuts and Cracker Jack,
That way maybe he’ll never come back.

 

We must root, root, root for our starter,
If he comes out it’s a shame.
Then it’s one … two … three runs per out
As we lose the game.

We have our early leader for Post Of The Day.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

False.  I don't see BA Baracus anywhere in that lineup.  I pity da fool who left him out.

[ashbury]

He already is.  John Smotlz was on MLB Network last week raving about the kid.

Another frontrunner. Anybody can look smart checking the ERA lists and seeing video of a Deadman's Curve.

 

Show me the "looking uncomfortable in jackets and ties years after retirement" crowd telling us that Berrios will be fine, back in 2016. That's the guys I want to listen to for insights.

[ashbury]

No pressure tonight, Berrios!  None at all.

All he needs to do is throw shutout ball for nine innings. Unless the Twins happen to not score any runs either, then he may need to put on his big-boy pants and go a few more frames.

[wsnydes]

 

Another frontrunner. Anybody can look smart checking the ERA lists and seeing video of a Deadman's Curve.

 

Show me the "looking uncomfortable in jackets and ties years after retirement" crowd telling us that Berrios will be fine, back in 2016. That's the guys I want to listen to for insights.

He did go more in depth than surface analysis, but I do get your point.  i'd be more impressed by that as well.

[James]

 

A couple of notes to ponder:

Astroturf – It seems to be a contradicting term.  I mean, grass in outer space.  C’mon, it hardly grows in my yard and certainly won’t grow in space.  However, Astroturf is simply a brand name.  The original AstroTurf brand product was invented in 1965 by three nutty guys working for Monsanto. It was patented in 1965 and originally sold under the name "ChemGrass." It was re-branded as AstroTurf by a company employee named John A. Wortmann after its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome stadium in 1966.  The Astrodome was originally going to have clear glass panels covering the stadium. However, a problem arose when the fielders were unable to catch fly balls due to the intense glare.  The problem was solved by painting the panels, but another problem arose…the grass died without enough sunlight to keep it alive.  Enter ChemGrass/Astroturf.

 

Couldn't have a comment about Astroturf without out a little mention to Flight of the Conchords homage to David Bowie:

 

http://t14.deviantart.net/2EHZgifyVO2m8xjyfK427hveGHo=/fit-in/700x350/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre15/fbb6/th/pre/i/2015/107/f/8/bowie_s_in_space__by_van1-d7cr2ck.jpg