Article: Game Thread: Twins @ Royals, 5/28 @ 6:15pm CT

[Riverbrian]

The Twins are in Kansas City to start a 3-game series with the Royals. Hopefully it’ll be a night we remember as the moment the offense got turned around in the right direction. It is Memorial Day after all.

Memorial Day is what it says. It is a day to remember which admittedly is harder as we age. I don’t mean it’s harder to remember those who served and sacrificed for our freedom, I will always remember that; I have the freedom to say whatever I want, including “Thank You” to those who fought and died. That is something that I won’t forget. What I mean… it’s just harder to remember anything… period. I don’t know the exact age that we reach the peak of the curve but it is probably sometime in your 40s. It probably varies by each individual but there is a point in life when you run out of space in your brain and then the downward curve begins.

I’m clearly on the downward curve. When I learn something new, I forget something to make room. So I’ve decided to stop learning things so I can hang on to the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years; important stuff like knowing the names of each member of Grand Funk Railroad, or how to tie my shoes or where my shoes are located.

I’ve already forgotten what I was writing about and I’m still writing it.

Here are some things to think about:

 

1. Top (Non-Trump) News Story of the Day:

Tropical season has kind of snuck up on us with subtropical storm Alberto rolling through the Florida panhandle today. It seems early in the season so I wasn’t ready for it, however, the preparation required in North Dakota is minimal. The required prep for me is to pop some popcorn before I turn on The Weather Channel to watch Jim Cantore shouting into the wind and rain. Whoever is in charge of naming these tropical cyclones has once again dissed me. Despite being the 2nd letter of the alphabet there has never been a Hurricane named “Brian”. It has been announced that the next system to develop will be called “Beryl”. Are you kidding me??? It’s not like Brian is an unusual name… there are a lot of us out there. There are more Brians than Beryls, that's for sure. Granted, the name Brian is in clear usage decline from its peak of 8th most popular boy name in the 70s, but Beryl as a name is extinct. It hasn’t shown up on the top 1,000 list since 1957, hitting a peak of 372nd most popular in 1920. There was a Typhoon Brian in 1989 that struck Hainen Island in the South China Sea with 90mph winds. That is a little disappointing because you all know that I can blow harder than that.

2. Our Twins:

We are in the midst of a 4-game losing streak, during which we have scored a total of 6 runs while collecting 21 hits. Six runs in the last 4 games has been out-produced by Jesus Aguilar of the Milwaukee Brewers driving in 7 runs by himself in the past 2 games. We are wasting some pretty decent pitching performances. This kind of productivity belongs in corporate offices around the country, not on the baseball field.

3. The Royals:

If the season ended today, the Royals would have the 3rd overall pick in next year’s MLB Draft. This is an improvement for the Royals over last year when they hung onto pending free agents in order to make one last run. This year it looks like those decisions are much easier because contention is looking like a long shot; they just don’t have anybody to trade.

4. Today’s Joe M Conversation:

Morgan: I’ll tell ya… I can look back at my life and say I did it.

McCarthy: What do you mean?

Morgan: I always wanted to be a baseball player and I was. Those World Series titles can’t be taken away from me.

Maddon: (Fist Bump with Morgan) Yep… I got my ring… I can say I did it.

McCarthy: Public Service is what I always wanted to do… I was a United States Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Operations. I can say I did it.

Mauer: I was the first pick overall in the 2001 MLB Draft and I will get my ring this year… so I can then say I did it.

Montana: (Sigh)

Morgan: What’s wrong, Joe?

Montana: Growing up I wanted to be the Executive Vice President in charge of marketing for a plastics manufacturer.

5. Cats:

I never did participate in the dog vs cat debate but I will say this about cats - they will sleep on top of your car keys on purpose, and they won’t apologize just because you had to search the entire house for an hour.
____________________

Lineups:

TWINS
Brian Dozier(R ) 2B
Eddie Rosario(L) LF
Miguel Sano(R ) 3B
Logan Morrison(L) 1B
Eduardo Escobar(S) SS
Max Kepler(L) RF
Robbie Grossman(S) DH
Mitch Garver(R ) C
Byron Buxton(R ) CF

Lance Lynn(R ) P

ROYALS
Jon Jay(L) CF
Whit Merrifield(R ) 2B
Mike Moustakas(L) DH
Salvador Perez(R ) C
Jorge Soler(R ) RF
Hunter Dozier(R ) 1B
Alex Gordon(L) LF
Alcides Escobar(R ) SS
Ramon Torres(S) 3B

Jakob Junis(R ) P

Game-time forecast: partly cloudy, feeling like 94 deg F, very small chance of rain, winds at 9mph from the ESE.

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[sampleSizeOfOne]

"Nenni... I am the cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come."

 

I had record of Sterling Holloway reading that story growing up.

[Blake]

[Blake]

Another excellent job, RB!

[Don Walcott]

So your name is “Brian”? Without the “River”?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Wait...

 

If we just had a 4 game losing streak, and we have a 5 pitcher rotation, does that mean the last pitcher to win is starting? Things are looking up...

[sampleSizeOfOne]

So your name is “Brian”? Without the “River”?

I know someone whose name is "River" without the "Brian". That too is a possibility. He is not yet an old man though.

[joefish]

HAVE BAT

WILL TRAVEL

Reads the card of a man.

[Brandon]

The cat is just testing your memory.

Trying to help improve it is all.

[ashbury]

 important stuff like knowing the names of each member of Grand Funk Railroad

After Mark Farner, I have to turn to Wikipedia.

 

As for tropical storms, I guess I am glad there has been no Ashbury.

[USAFChief]

Typhoons spin backwards, no?

 

Perhaps therein lies an explanation.

[Jerr]

Hang in there until 2045 Brian, a storm is coming:

 

http://hypotheticalhurricanes.wikia.com/wiki/Hurricane_Brian_(2045)  

 

[mickeymental]

In Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks, Roninn Ro says that "Initially, [Prince's first] band was named Phoenix...after Grand Funk Railroad's 1972 album Phoenix"; in Prince: Purple Reign, Mick Wall notes that "Rock & Roll Soul," the single from Phoenix, "was a big favorite of Prince's."

[GCTF]

 

After Mark Farner, I have to turn to Wikipedia.

Rewatching the "Homerpalooza" episode of the Simpsons should fix this right up.

[Halsey Hall]

This no negativity got us swept. We need a sweep, so..........

[ashbury]

This no negativity got us swept. We need a sweep, so..........

I clicked Like for the amusing take, but.... no.

 

Read Brian's Seattle series starter again, and you'll see nobody's saying you can't call out bad plays when they happen. Just don't go into games defeated before we even start, and do recognize good plays when they happen too. If you mostly want to extrapolate to Twins issues larger than the one game, there are threads for that.

[Squirrel]

 

I know someone whose name is "River" without the "Brian". That too is a possibility. He is not yet an old man though.

River Phoenix died many years ago. Sorry to inform you.

[Squirrel]

This no negativity got us swept. We need a sweep, so..........

To clarify what 'no negativity' means in game threads, as it certainly doesn't mean be positive all the time, because, yuck ... I mean who wants to say, 'Yipppeeee!!!! Our pitcher gave up a grand slam! Yay! I'm so happy!' ...

 

Watch the game, comment on the game, shake your head about whatever, get excited about whater, say ****! ****! ****! about whatever, say 'YESSSS!' about whatever, be critical about manager choices as they happen (and not as a retrospective for all time), be depressed if we lose, give kudos when good things happen, and eat chicken when we win ... but stay away from pre-determination of awfulness before it happens, or turning the game thread into an ongoing discussion about why so and so is still on the team and how awful they are, or the FO should've done this or that, or over-exagerating when something bad happens as EVERYTHING is bad. We have many discussion threads on many topics ... if you want to go on and on about a particular topic, topic threads are the place for it. Game threads are for real time, real action, at-the-moment discussion, good or bad, not an unloading of should've, would've, could've about the existance and state of the current Twins, and not to vomit all over the place. We ALL know where the Twins are at, we all SHARE the frustration. Game threads are not here to foster the misery, but rather have one place where we don’t dwell in it.

 

And if you want to throw in stupid jokes along the way (Chief), or talk about Dick's ties (new member bashbury), or what you're grilling/grilled today (yes, we all know it's chicken but elaborate), or what you're baking while watching the game ... levity and side bars about nothing will either make the good better or the bad tolerable. That's what game threads are for.

[Pardon My Dinger]

After Mark Farner, I have to turn to Wikipedia.

 

.

You’ve forgotten the competent drum work of Don Brewer?

[ashbury]

You’ve forgotten the competent drum work of Don Brewer?

I would have forgotten the genre of music they played if it wasn't right there in their band's name.

 

Give me credit for remembering Farner's last name isn't spelled with an 'm'.

[Riverbrian]

 

Hang in there until 2045 Brian, a storm is coming:

 

http://hypotheticalhurricanes.wikia.com/wiki/Hurricane_Brian_(2045)  

 

That is awesome... Perfect Hurricane for me. Under estimated at first and eventually respected. Comes a shore north of Corpus Christi so I can destroy some of those over abundant Lone Star Flags and I probably cancelled some Astros home games. 

 

 

[Riverbrian]

 

In Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks, Roninn Ro says that "Initially, [Prince's first] band was named Phoenix...after Grand Funk Railroad's 1972 album Phoenix"; in Prince: Purple Reign, Mick Wall notes that "Rock & Roll Soul," the single from Phoenix, "was a big favorite of Prince's."

 

Grand Funk was a Great Band!!! And an American Band as well. 

[USAFChief]

Grand Funk was a Great Band!!! And an American Band as well.

Pfft. They never came to my town.

[Blake]

 

That is awesome... Perfect Hurricane for me. Under estimated at first and eventually respected. Comes a shore north of Corpus Christi so I can destroy some of those over abundant Lone Star Flags and I probably cancelled some Astros home games. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usDko3-aHfo

[Riverbrian]

 

After Mark Farner, I have to turn to Wikipedia.

 

As for tropical storms, I guess I am glad there has been no Ashbury.

 

Just remember Don Brewer on Drums and that is really all you need. 

 

Mel on Bass and that keyboardist they added sure but the show was Mark and Don.

 

These guys were a "Rock" Band. Watch these videos and you can see how talented Mark and Don were or are. . 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL4rXHt0_GI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blake]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWrlaEIcswU

 

[ashbury]

Pfft. They never came to my town.

Yeah, but they helped me party it down.

[Han Joelo]

Note to self--YouTube stops playing when you click to the next page.  Such a great version of Like a Hurricane, Blake.  I used to have that on cassette tape, speaking of age.  Also, I can't remember the name of that album/tour.  I guess I sacrificed space in my hard drive so I could learn what a Beyblade Metal Fusion is, and why it is absolutely necessary for my son to get one.

 

As for brain cells, there is always this explanation as well:

 

 

 

[Han Joelo]

Bad news, good news, or meh news?:

 

Jakob Junis once pitched for the "Storm Chasers."

[Riverbrian]

 

To clarify what 'no negativity' means in game threads, as it certainly doesn't mean be positive all the time, because, yuck ... I mean who wants to say, 'Yipppeeee!!!! Our pitcher gave up a grand slam! Yay! I'm so happy!' ...

 

Watch the game, comment on the game, shake your head about whatever, get excited about whater, say ****! ****! ****! about whatever, say 'YESSSS!' about whatever, be critical about manager choices as they happen (and not as a retrospective for all time), be depressed if we lose, give kudos when good things happen, and eat chicken when we win ... but stay away from pre-determination of awfulness before it happens, or turning the game thread into an ongoing discussion about why so and so is still on the team and how awful they are, or the FO should've done this or that. We have many discussion threads on many topics ... if you want to go on and on about a particular topic, topic threads are the place for it. Game threads are for real time, real action, at-the-moment discussion, good or bad, not an unloading of should've, would've, could've about the existance and state of the current Twins, and not to vomit all over the place.

 

And if you want to throw in stupid jokes along the way (Chief), or talk about Dick's ties (new member bashbury), or what you're grilling/grilled today (yes, we all know it's chicken but elaborate), or what you're baking while watching the game ... levity and side bars about nothing will either make the good better or the bad tolerable. That's what game threads are for.

 

And I'll add over embellishment of your disappointment. If Berrios gives up a two run homer. Don't claim that the entire pitching rotation is garbage.