Article: Game Thread: Twins @ Rays, 4/20@6:10pm CT

[Riverbrian]

Things will get back to normal tonight when the Twins open up a 3-game series in Tampa. By normal, I mean just a normal series in a normal location with no chance of abnormal weather changing plans.

Don’t get me wrong… I had zero complaints about the 2-game series in San Juan. I was just implying it wasn’t normal because it wasn’t normal. Not normal is perfectly OK. In fact… I believe that MLB should choose a few more alternative sites to play some not normal regular season games. It may be shocking that I have some location suggestions but I actually do.

Honolulu – It’s really hard for Hawaiians to see a professional baseball game. The closest major league city is San Francisco and that is 2,397 miles away. That’s a 5 hour non-stop flight and 48 years by car. Let the ball players come to them for a change.

London – Baseball is making plans for a series in London in 2019. The NFL has a regular season game at Wembley Stadium every year but the dimensions of Wembley wouldn’t fit for baseball. The solution is to move the games back to America to find a stadium. Make no mistake… MLB is serious about playing some games in London… even if they have to be played in America.

Here are some things to think about:

 

1. Top Non-Trump News Story (Or Stories):

A former 911 operator in Houston was found guilty of hanging up on people seeking emergency assistance. Records show thousands of calls that lasted less than 20 seconds were attributed to 44 year old Crenshanda Williams over a span of 18 months. Suspicions were finally raised after an audit detected the high volume of short phone calls. When questioned why, she replied that “she didn’t feel like talking to anyone at those times.” After a jury trial, she was sentenced to a misdemeanor and ordered to serve 10 days in jail with 18 months probation. I have some questions because there isn’t a single part of this story that I can get my arms around. What did she think her job was? How did she get away with it over 1,000 times over a span of 18 months? How is this only a misdemeanor? And why was a jury of peers required to take time off of work to decide a misdemeanor conviction? And… perhaps the biggest question of all… what are the best restaurants in Houston?

2. Our Twins:

Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day DL while Max Kepler is reported to be OK. The Twins were very close to having to offering a contract to Delmon Young to play against the Rays. Here’s another thought… the Twins have played very little baseball in seven days while playing a lot of baseball in two days.

3. The Rays:

We will get to watch old traded friends Denard Span, Carlos Gomez and Wilson Ramos this weekend. I won’t bring up Chih-Wei Hu who was traded for Kevin Jepsen because I know that trade is still a sore spot. Looking at this closer… it occurs to me that there are more ex-Twins on the Rays roster than ex-Twins on the Twins roster.

4. Today’s Joe M Conversation:

Morgan: What are ya doin'?

Montana: I’m writing a letter to Preparation H.

Mauer: Why?

Montana: Because it isn’t working and I want my money back.

McCarthy: What does it say?

Montana: Dear Preparation H, Your product does not work! I ate the whole tube and it has provided me no relief. I have enclosed pictures that show that it isn’t working.

Maddon: Don’t put those pictures in there!

5. Secret of Success:

I have been successful at almost everything I’ve done. I will give everyone the secret free of charge:
If at first you don’t succeed… redefine what success is.

You’re welcome.
____________________

Lineups:

TWINS
Brian Dozier(R ) 2B
Joe Mauer(L) 1B
Miguel Sano(R ) 3B
Eddie Rosario(L) LF
Logan Morrison(L) DH
Eduardo Escobar(S) SS
Max Kepler(L) CF
Robbie Grossman(S) RF
Jason Castro(L) C

Lance Lynn (R )

RAYS
Denard Span(L) LF
C.J. Cron(R ) DH
Carlos Gomez(R ) RF
Brad Miller(L) 1B
Daniel Robertson(R ) 3B
Joey Wendle(L) 2B
Wilson Ramos(R ) C
Mallex Smith(L) CF
Adeiny Hechavarria(R ) SS

Chris Archer (R )

Game-time forecast: Outside it will be lovely. I don't know the indoor specs of the Trop, but it will be playable.

Click here to view the article

[big dog]

Span's OPS is .738 right now, with Ramos at .564 and Gomez at .524.

Hu has a WHIP of 1.5 and an ERA of Yikes!

 

I wish them all the best and hope they have successful seasons, beginning next week.

[FunnyPenguin]

Great game thread for what is going to be a great Friday!

[Vanimal46]

Shameless plug... I'm making my regular season GT debut after signing late and extended spring training!

 

Buckle up buckaroos!

[Blake]

 

5. Secret of Success:

I have been successful at almost everything I’ve done. I will give everyone the secret free of charge.
If at first you don’t succeed… redefine what success is.

You’re welcome.

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

 

Or, one can always not try so as to avoid failure.

 

[Blake]

 

Shameless plug... I'm making my regular season GT debut after signing late and extended spring training!

Buckle up buckaroos!

Hummph. Sounds like another aging vet looking for a bit more time in the sun.

[Vanimal46]

Hummph. Sounds like another aging vet looking for a bit more time in the sun.

I can only hope to start the year as well as old friend Bartolo Colon!

[Dave The Dastardly]

I knew a shameless plug once. It was back during my horse-training days, a half dozen lifetimes ago.

 

This young twenty-something chick came to my stable with this gray mare for breeding. The mare, not the young chick. And the “breeder” was my quarter-horse stallion, not me. Anyway, given the TD game thread clientele I thought I’d better clear that stuff up right away.

 

Back to the story.

 

In order to prevent injuries to my stallion, some mares don’t take kindly to getting bred, I used a breeding harness on mares. Nothing scientific or cruel, just a series of leather straps with pulleys and ropes that prevent mares from kicking when a stud horse is in flagrante delicto and various key elements of the breeding process are greatly exposed.

 

Again back to the story.

 

Anyway the young chick watched the entire process and went away mad as hell. She called me several weeks later and told me she would never come for breeding again; talking about the mare again, not the young chick.

 

Being a charming sort, I managed to settle her down and wrest her objection from her. She replied, “My mare never had a chance!”

 

Fifty years later I sometimes still lay awake nights wondering what it was she thought that shameless old plug of hers needed a chance to do.

 

Interesting side note: the average riding horse generates 47 pounds of manure per day. Not sure how much the above average horse generates. Anyway, I haven’t shoveled any manure for the last forty years or so. At least not until I discovered TD Game Threads.

 

Talk about heavy lifting...

[Vanimal46]

How much does the average riding horse eat to generate 47 lbs of manure a day?

[Winston Smith]

"Not normal is perfectly OK."...

 

Brian I'm sure you have been telling yourself that most of your life. By the way it's why we like your stuff so much!

[Puckett34]

 

Shameless plug... I'm making my regular season GT debut after signing late and extended spring training!

Buckle up buckaroos!

I'm not sensing any shame here.    In fact, it seems like a promotion.

[Vanimal46]

I'm not sensing any shame here. In fact, it seems like a promotion.

I paid Chief $20 for the promotion... Plus, game threads are better with a crowd!

Edited April 20, 2018 by Vanimal46

[USAFChief]

 

Shameless plug... I'm making my regular season GT debut after signing late and extended spring training!

Buckle up buckaroos!

Van found the FA market verrrrry depressed this winter, and we got him signed cheaply a week or so before opening day.

 

Of course, one gets what one pays for.

[Puckett34]

 

I paid Chief $20 for the promotion... Plus, game threads are better with a crowd!

[Vanimal46]

Van found the FA market verrrrry depressed this winter, and we got him signed cheaply a week or so before opening day.

 

Of course, one gets what one pays for.

It was so depressed I offered to do it for free!

[Puckett34]

 

Van found the FA market verrrrry depressed this winter, and we got him signed cheaply a week or so before opening day.

 

Of course, one gets what one pays for.

$20.     What a steal.    You know what they say, no such thing as a bad 1 GDT signing.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I suppose they could play in London , Kentucky.

[USAFChief]

 

It was so depressed I offered to do it for free!

Your negotiating skills are to be envied.

[Squirrel]

 

I paid Chief $20 for the promotion... Plus, game threads are better with a crowd!

And I'm waiting for my $20 before you can go on.

[USAFChief]

 

And I'm waiting for my $20 before you can go on.

pro tip: don't take personal checks

[Nine of twelve]

pro tip: don't take personal checks

How about personal chicks, like DtheD talked about?

[Squirrel]

 

How about personal chicks, like DtheD talked about?

No.

[gocgo]

 

I knew a shameless plug once. It was back during my horse-training days, a half dozen lifetimes ago.

 

This young twenty-something chick came to my stable with this gray mare for breeding. The mare, not the young chick. And the “breeder” was my quarter-horse stallion, not me. Anyway, given the TD game thread clientele I thought I’d better clear that stuff up right away.

 

Back to the story.

 

In order to prevent injuries to my stallion, some mares don’t take kindly to getting bred, I used a breeding harness on mares. Nothing scientific or cruel, just a series of leather straps with pulleys and ropes that prevent mares from kicking when a stud horse is in flagrante delicto and various key elements of the breeding process are greatly exposed.

 

Again back to the story.

 

Anyway the young chick watched the entire process and went away mad as hell. She called me several weeks later and told me she would never come for breeding again; talking about the mare again, not the young chick.

 

Being a charming sort, I managed to settle her down and wrest her objection from her. She replied, “My mare never had a chance!”

 

Fifty years later I sometimes still lay awake nights wondering what it was she thought that shameless old plug of hers needed a chance to do.

 

Interesting side note: the average riding horse generates 47 pounds of manure per day. Not sure how much the above average horse generates. Anyway, I haven’t shoveled any manure for the last forty years or so. At least not until I discovered TD Game Threads.

 

Talk about heavy lifting...

There are so many different directions I could go on this...and all of them would get me banned from TD.

[woolywoolhouse]

There's gotta be a Cricket field in London MLB could use. Maybe it would even help if they found a couple of teams to just play a Cricket match?

[Dave The Dastardly]

 

There are so many different directions I could go on this...and all of them would get me banned from TD.

I call it being inciteful. That makes me an inciter. I was an exciter in my younger days. The difference is I used to make trouble whereas now I just cause trouble.

 

So go ahead, ride one of them horses! We've got a few hours before game time.

[gocgo]

 

I call it being inciteful. That makes me an inciter. I was an exciter in my younger days. The difference is I used to make trouble whereas now I just cause trouble.

 

So go ahead, ride one of them horses! We've got a few hours before game time.

Well, you said she went away mad...perhaps she had some expectations that you were oblivious to...and then she called back...perhaps she wanted a second chance (for the mare of course).  Just saying that an opportunity missed is an opportunity lost.

[SwainZag]

Sweet, Max is in the lineup.

 

B Dozier 2B
J Mauer 1B
M Sano 3B
E Rosario LF
L Morrison DH
E Escobar SS
M Kepler CF
R Grossman RF
J Castro C

[Danchat]

Full Lineups:

 

Twins
Lance Lynn ®

1. Brian Dozier ® 2B
2. Joe Mauer (L) 1B
3. Miguel Sano ® 3B
4. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
5. Logan Morrison (L) DH
6. Eduardo Escobar (S) SS
7. Max Kepler (L) CF
8. Robbie Grossman (S) RF
9. Jason Castro (L) C

 

Rays
Chris Archer ®

1. Denard Span (L) LF
2. C.J. Cron ® DH
3. Carlos Gomez ® RF
4. Brad Miller (L) 1B
5. Daniel Robertson ® 3B
6. Joey Wendle (L) 2B
7. Wilson Ramos ® C
8. Mallex Smith (L) CF
9. Adeiny Hechavarria ® SS

 

As SwainZag said, it's great to see Kepler back, though can we please see some more LaMarre? He's a better offensive and defensive option than Grossman right now...

 

Wow, the Rays have 3 former Twins in the lineup. And there's so Chris Archer... we might be in for a low scoring game again...

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Danchat

[USAFChief]

Y'know, I get enough grief around here about my age, I really don't need it from anywhere else, but such is life. 

 

I called the incontinence hotline just now, and they asked me if I could please hold.

[SwainZag]

 

Full Lineups:

 

Twins
Lance Lynn ®

1. Brian Dozier ® 2B
2. Joe Mauer (L) 1B
3. Miguel Sano ® 3B
4. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
5. Logan Morrison (L) DH
6. Eduardo Escobar (S) SS
7. Max Kepler (L) CF
8. Robbie Grossman (S) RF
9. Jason Castro (L) C

 

Rays
Chris Archer ®

1. Denard Span (L) LF
2. C.J. Cron ® DH
3. Carlos Gomez ® RF
4. Brad Miller (L) 1B
5. Daniel Robertson ® 3B
6. Joey Wendle (L) 2B
7. Wilson Ramos ® C
8. Mallex Smith (L) CF
9. Adeiny Hechavarria ® SS

 

As SwainZag said, it's great to see Kepler back, though can we please see some more LaMarre? He's a better offensive and defensive option than Grossman right now...

 

Wow, the Rays have 3 former Twins in the lineup. And there's so Chris Archer... we might be in for a low scoring game again...

 

Didn't Lamarre have to go back to AAA for a couple days?