Game Thread: Twins v Cleveland, 5/31 @ 7:10pm CT

[Squirrel]

The Twins are home for a 4-game series against Cleveland, followed by a 4-game series against the White Sox, including a double-header on June 5th, followed by a 3-game series against the Angels. A lot of home play there so I’m hoping we can get it going.

I know it’s been a rough season so far, and certainly not up to anyone’s expectations, but, **** happens. It really does. And when it happens when we least expect it or least want it, it makes it all that much worse. And we’re miserable and frustrated and angry and sad and all kinds of whatever. Yes, I’ve turned off the game early many a time so far this year because, I just can’t anymore; so dejected. When one of our best pitchers couldn’t get through 2 innings last night and left us in the hole by 9, I wasn’t happy. But … the team didn’t give up and that is good to see. Okay, we didn’t win, BUT … we got a great performance from Slegers and our bats came back little by little until we were in reach. It didn’t end with a win, but it was still good to see … the team didn’t give up. And neither should we. There is some perspective in that.

It’s not even June yet; okay, it’s almost June, one more day, but still … there is plenty of time to pull it out. This is not me going all kinds of Pollyanna on all of you … this is me, the realist, saying that even though our hopes are dashed so early on, and there are a hundred reasons to throw in the towel, there is still hope. All we have to do is win a weak division. Has a team ever won its division with a .500 record or less? Is that even possible? I don’t know, maybe it will happen. Yeah, okay, I agree … it’s truly not very likely given we have to get past Cleveland, but ... I still think we have the team that can. It ain’t over ’til it’s over. Just gotta keep saying that mantra. It ain’t over ’til it’s over. All we have to do is win a very weak division. There’s the perspective in all of this.

We can. Our pitching hasn’t been bad, it’s been pretty decent, actually. And our bats? Well … our bats have always had the potential. Maybe everyone is going through a bad patch all at the same time and the rest of the season will be gang busters! It ain’t over ’til it’s over and all we have to do is win a very weak division. Keep saying it. Don’t give up. Yet. Yeah, okay, I sound like a cheerleader, but I'm not. I'm just as irritated by the senseless losing as anyone ... but it ain't over 'til it's over.

Today the Twins have Odorizzi on the mound. He’s had a good May and I hope he can keep it going. Cleveland will put Shane Bieber on the mound … a rookie; his first call up to the bigs (I think). He'll be nervous. I know that Cleveland has been on a tear lately, but they are coming to our house with a rookie on the mound … I’m hoping our bats will take advantage. Pleeeease let our bats take advantage. I implore the baseball gods … pleeeeease. Okay … so maybe begging isn’t really a sign of hopefulness as much as shamelessness. But pleeeeeease! (Yes, I’m shameless.)

Oh, and for the game thread chatter … fair warning. I am going through my closet today for some spring cleaning. If you guys are going to pile it on deep with your over-exaggerated nonsense of the world ending after one inning when it's not so bad and the game isn't out of hand, I am going to post pictures of every single pair of shoes I own, one pair at a time. I have great shoes, and a LOT of shoes, so … fair warning. Keep some perspective. If perspective is lost because of the unthinkable, well, okay, you can curse and groan because I get it and I'll be right there with you, but keep your piles manageable and clean up after yourselves when you leave. But until then, shoes, fair warning. You can thank snepp for the idea. And to get us started? Fluevog is a genius:



Lineups:

CLEVELAND
1. Francisco Lindor (S) SS
2. Michael Brantley (L) LF
3. Jose Ramirez (S) 3B
4. Edwin Encarnacion ( R) DH
5. Yonder Alonso (L) 1B
6. Melky Cabrera (S) RF
7. Jason Kipnis (L) 2B
8. Yan Gomes ( R) C
9. Greg Allen (S) CF

TWINS
1. Brian Dozier ( R) 2B
2. Eddie Rosario (L) LF
3. Miguel Sano ( R) 3B
4. Logan Morrison (L) 1B
5. Eduardo Escobar (S) SS
6. Max Kepler (L) RF
7. Mitch Garver ( R) C
8. Robbie Grossman (S) DH
9. Ryan LaMarre ( R) CF

[Blake]

Okay, where did you get those shoes? My wife loves the color purple, her birthday is coming up and I actually know what size shoe she wears.

 

Great intro!

 

Never mind, I see you mentioned the shoe designer. Thanks!

[Platoon]

Shoes don't scare me. I have a wife and two daughters. . My youngest girl counted the shoes she had at the neighbor girls house one night. Seventeen pair! As for the GT's. Keep trying to encourage civility. What's causing a lot of the problems, in some eyes, is that the team is supposed to be better than this and isn't. and this is compounded by the idea by some that GT's are about baseball. Nothing could be further from the truth. A few years ago when the Twins really sucked, there was a gallows humor. It was acerbic, but was never mean spirited, or worse personal. I hope we get back to that and to the somewhat eclectic brand of complaints of those days. Anyone can just bitch

[Mike Sixel]

So, if I want to see your shoes, I should be a jerk?

 

challenge accepted*

 

*not

[Squirrel]

 

So, if I want to see your shoes, I should be a jerk?

 

challenge accepted*

 

*not

Lol ... well ... it really was an empty threat. I was going to threaten every pair would be modeled by Aggies, but then, how would I be able to fulfill that threat, and even if I could, I'd have been a jerk just to see that.

[Squirrel]

 

 

Shoes don't scare me. I have a wife and two daughters. . My youngest girl counted the shoes she had at the neighbor girls house one night. Seventeen pair! As for the GT's. Keep trying to encourage civility. What's causing a lot of the problems, in some eyes, is that the team is supposed to be better than this and isn't. and this is compounded by the idea by some that GT's are about baseball. Nothing could be further from the truth. A few years ago when the Twins really sucked, there was a gallows humor. It was acerbic, but was never mean spirited, or worse personal. I hope we get back to that and to the somewhat eclectic brand of complaints of those days. Anyone can just bitch

I think the issue is that back then, no one had the expectations they do now, so they weren't as invested in the games. I, personally, like the baseball talk and banter during GTs, but I like the other stuff, too. But I think we're seeing a lot of frustration due to higher expectations and a feeling like, well, maybe that we've been sort of been given promises that aren't living up to what was promised. I guess. People are frustrated, and it's okay to be frustrated, we all are and are in this together ... however ... balance that with a little perspective. It's not the end of the world. It might be tough to take, but **** happens and life goes on. Hopefully. It is, after all, just a game.

[Mike Sixel]

I think that some of the old guard is gone.....and some of them were funny.....reminds me of a Vikings' site I used to visit all the time. It got super serious on every thread, and lost it's way, imo. I only go at draft time now.

[Craig Arko]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

[Squirrel]

 

I think that some of the old guard is gone.....and some of them were funny.....reminds me of a Vikings' site I used to visit all the time. It got super serious on every thread, and lost it's way, imo. I only go at draft time now.

 

Yeah, but that's kind of the way of things. Nothing stays the same and it gets cyclical. Some of it just evolves ... not always in a good way, but then it comes around again.

[Mike Sixel]

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

 

really should be more info on that page about how similar this is to what the Chinese and Budhists have tried to tell us....

[wsnydes]

It's times like these, and like those for much of the last decade, where humor is the best medicine.  It makes watching bad baseball more tolerable.  Collectively, as GT posts and followers, it's therapeutic.  It is for me anyway.  I just wish that I were able to partake in more GT's.  I need an outlet for my sarcasm.

 

Also, shoes don't scare me either.  My wife has more shoes than even she knows what to do with.  Same with purses.  Yet, I inexplicably bought her another one for her birthday a couple of weeks ago.  She really liked it, but it's still sitting on the coffee table unused just like the vast majority of them in her closet.  Oh well, she's happy at least.

[Mike Sixel]

It's possible I have more shoes than my wife, since I needed dress shoes for work, and she didn't.....I also pretty much haven't tossed out hiking boots/shoes in some time....and I keep trying to find slip ons I like to actually wear.....

 

I did find some nike barefoot type shoes I really, really, really liked....but mand did they STINK whenever I wore them. I threw them away when we were in Hawaii, after having only worn them a handful of times. Very dissappointed....

[Squirrel]

Well ... if shoes don't scare y'all ... you have just opened the door to another dimension!

 

I'm so happy!

[wsnydes]

 

Well ... if shoes don't scare y'all ... you have just opened the door to another dimension!

 

I'm so happy!

MY GOD, WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!?!!?!?!?

[Squirrel]

 

MY GOD, WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!?!!?!?!?

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[yarnivek1972]

The subject line lists today’s date as 4/31.

 

 

Actually, today is 4/61.

 

 

[Squirrel]

 

The subject line lists today’s date as 4/31.


Actually, today is 4/61.

Ooops

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Well ... if shoes don't scare y'all ... you have just opened the door to another dimension!

 

I'm so happy!

I heard of this old woman who lived in a shoe.

 

For some reason i think it was a high top.

[wsnydes]

 

Ooops

Counted 431 pairs of shoes and not 531? 

[Craig Arko]

 

The subject line lists today’s date as 4/31.


Actually, today is 4/61.

2/31 is the one that should scare you.

[PDX Twin]

 

The subject line lists today’s date as 4/31.


Actually, today is 4/61.

 

By the same logic that I celebrated on November 30, 1999 because it was 0/0/00!

[USAFChief]

Today is the last day of May.

 

Which means tomorrow is June.

 

Which means we have the following dates open and in need of a game thread vol:

 

6/8 LAA

6/9 LAA
​6/10 LAA

6/12 @ DET

6/15 @ CLE
6/16 @ CLE
6/17 @ CLE

6/19 BOS

6/22 TEX

6/29 @ CUB
6/30 @ CUB

 

Do it! Do it NOW!

 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Today is the last day of May.

 

Which means tomorrow is June.

 

Which means we have the following dates open and in need of a game thread vol:

 

6/8 LAA

6/9 LAA

​6/10 LAA

6/12 @ DET

6/15 @ CLE

6/16 @ CLE

6/17 @ CLE

6/19 BOS

6/22 TEX

6/29 @ CUB

6/30 @ CUB

 

Do it! Do it NOW!

 

Do what now?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

Is that bust pictured of the paradoxical Zeno?

 

Cool!

[Platoon]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

Stoicism, pragmatism, optimism, pessimism. That's a lot of ism's. And most of them don't go well with fanaticism. (Fan). I consider myself a pragmatist to a degree. But pragmatism doesn't really fit in well with being a (fan)aticism when sports are involved. Frankly in many cases a pragmatist doesn't seem as invested in the team he follows. He may accept or suspect the warts they have more readily than a "fan". That doesn't make the pragmatist right all the time either. I didn't think the Twins SP would be this good this year, and while I thought their offense was somewhat of an illusion last year, I never thought it would be this bad. I wasn't surprised about Sano after I saw the first pics of him this year, but I have been disappointed in Buxton. He is the straw that has to stir the drink. At one time I thought we were gonna run with the big dogs, the Astros and Cubs. Now? I guess we will have to be satisfied with simply being competitive. And we don't seem to have reached that level yet. We should be thankful we have the GT to distract us.

[ashbury]

Shane Bieber turns 23 today. Let's hope he is sent home in tears for his birthday just as Jose Berrios was on his.

[ashbury]

By the same logic that I celebrated on November 30, 1999 because it was 0/0/00!

A C programmer, I c.

[Dave The Dastardly]

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

I just read that entire link. I didn't quite understand it all but I'm not letting that upset me.

[Dave The Dastardly]

 

Okay, where did you get those shoes? My wife loves the color purple, her birthday is coming up and I actually know what size shoe she wears.

 

Great intro!

 

Never mind, I see you mentioned the shoe designer. Thanks!

Last time I saw a pair of purple shoes like that the guy wearing them was also wearing a purple fedora with a large white feather in the head band; asked me if I was looking for a good time. I told him I already had my Twins tickets.

[Squirrel]

Since you seem to be fond of the purple shoes, purple ankle boots should sley you!