Game Thread: Twins vs Yankees 7/23/19 7:10 CDT

[Dave The Dastardly]

Yankees: The Twins Nemesis?

 

 

I may have mentioned in past writings on this site how much I despise the Yankees. Then again, maybe not. I tend to hold things in… like my gut while trying to slip into an old pair of jeans, or my honest opinion of my blonde sister-in-law’s cooking, or the gas from politely eating my blonde sister-in-law’s cooking.

 

My Yankee despisement (is that a word?) goes back to those thrilling days of yesteryear when every kid in Little League had a favorite team. Mine was the Dodgers (the Twins hadn’t been invented yet). My nemesis at the time was another kid who was a self-proclaimed Yankees fan. His old man was the high school principal, who, as I grew older and developed a knack for torking off semi-irresponsible adults, also found his way onto my List of Nemesises (Nemesi?). He was also a man who spoiled rotten his Yankee-loving kid.

 

While the rest of our Little League team (appropriately enough we were called the Dodgers) dreamed of someday owning a “real” baseball cap with a major league team’s logo emblazoned on it, my Nemesis proudly wore an official Yankees cap to all our games. And in the dugout between innings he’d regale us with how to properly don a “real” baseball cap. Even going so far as to demonstrate the proper technique for lifting and resetting an “official” cap before stepping into the batter’s box. Apparently the thing came with instructions.

 

The kid was insufferable. And he struck out a lot. Which was why he spent most of the game in the dugout. Until the coach sent him in to pinch hit for somebody in the last innings, most often me. That’s how he got to be my nemesis, I couldn’t understand why our coach would bench me, arguably our team’s best hitter, and send in this obnoxious kid who, after making a big show of lifting and resetting his Yankees cap, would promptly strike out, flailing at pitches out of the zone like a blind man. It wasn’t until I became a coach myself and learned to not run up scores on hapless opponents and to give every kid a chance to play that I appreciated my old coach’s wisdom.

 

Regardless of my failings as a youth, what brought things to a head was the kid’s old man bought my Nemesis a real Yankee jersey. The rest of us were happy if we could wear T-shirts without holes in them to games, which was tougher than it sounds back in the days when kids actually played outside, climbed, and fell out of, trees, fought king-of-the-hill battles on mountains of jagged rock piles, raced bikes down gravel roads and endured the ensuing crashes without a trip to the doctor to remove small rocks imbedded in the palm of our hands and bloodied knees and on a weekly basis battled neighborhood bullies who tended to be older, tougher and meaner.

 

Ah! Those were the good ol’ days!

 

Anyway, the Nemesis was soon torturing my teammates and myself with instructions on how to properly wear a “real” major league jersey; something to do with the buttons. The team diplomatically pointed out to the Yankee Nemesis that wearing a Yankees cap and jersey while playing on a Little League team named the Dodgers was a baseball, if not an ethical, faux pas. Or words to that affect. The punk laughed in our faces and said we were all jealous and really wanted to be Yankee fans like him, but couldn’t because our dads were either too poor, or we were too dumb. So, as often happens when diplomacy has been exhausted, the Nemesis got bum-rushed and pummeled by his teammates. And his Yankee jersey somehow got torn. And his official Yankee cap was, uh, mislaid. Which brought the punk’s old man out to the ballpark where he insisted the Little League Dodgers, currently leading the division, be forced to forfeit a game as punishment, even though we’d roughed up one of our own teammates, not one of our opponents.

 

Fortunately our “coach” at the time was a WWII Marine vet and had already endured all the BS he was willing to endure in life and told the principal where he could stick his forfeited game demand. Which impressed us kids as up until that point in time we had no idea unreasonable demands could be stuck up there. Truly a valuable life’s lesson.

 

Unfortunately the League Powers-That-Be, several of whom were teachers under the principal’s command, capitulated to the irate principal, over-ruled our coach, and moved one of our wins to the loss column, which placed the Division-leading Dodgers in a tie with the dreaded Cardinals and therefore forcing a one-game playoff to determine the Division winner. And with another “brilliant” decision, the Powers-That-Be also transferred the Yankee Nemesis from the Dodgers and reassigned him to… the Cardinals, setting up the obnoxious kid for a chance to “play” on the, hopeful, championship team and exact revenge.

 

You can imagine how our game with the Cardinals went. Our coach pulled out all the stops and we massacred them. 10-Run Rule by the 4th inning. Which prompted the Cardinals to beat up their new Yankee-equipped teammate before they slunk from the dugout in shameful defeat. The Cardinals, however, were not punished for beating up their new teammate. Apparently RedBirds aren’t held to the same moral standard as mere Dodgers.

 

And that, boys and girls, is how I came to be a Yankee Despiser, an avocation that has only grown stronger over the years as the Yanks have repeatedly proven that they are the Twins Nemesis. But the belief that the Yanks have become unbeatable for the Twins is one of those ideas that, as I learned many years ago, should be stuck right up there where the sun doesn’t shine.

 

So let’s go Twins, keep playing like you’re capable and pummel the damn Yankees! I will be in the backyard listening to the game, chanting voodoo curses and burning the Yankee stuff I picked up at a garage sale for just that purpose over an open fire. Oh, and if you get a chance to "mislay" a Yankees cap... go for it.

 

Tonight’s Hurlers

 

For the Twinks

 

Gibbler the Nibbler    9-4      4.02   ERA

 

For the Despicable Yankees

 

Domingo German    12-2    3.38    ERA

[diehardtwinsfan]

loved the intro... that kid is a true Yankees fan... that's for sure. He could probably pass or a Red Sox or Patriots fan too..

 

 

 

[John Kelsey]

If the Twins win tonight I'm bringing a broom to the ballpark tomorrow. 

[Nine of twelve]

 

If the Twins win tonight I'm bringing a broom to the ballpark tomorrow. 

I don't understand the first word of this sentence.

[MVP Nick Punto]

I don't understand the first word of this sentence.

It's kind of like when, but with less confidence.

[HawksNest]

Still no Buxton

[MMMordabito]

 

The Cardinals, however, were not punished for beating up their new teammate. Apparently RedBirds aren’t held to the same moral standard as mere Dodgers.

 

They must have kicked the s*** out of him the "right way".

[Brock Beauchamp]

Here’s hoping we get to see the good Gibson tonight. This Yankee team will walk him to death if he tries to get cute instead of putting the ball over the plate.

[SwainZag]

1. Max Kepler CF
2. Jorge Polanco SS
3. Nelson Cruz DH
4. Eddie Rosario LF
5. Miguel Sano 3B
6. Marwin Gonzalez RF
7. Luis Arraez 2B
8. Ehire Adrianza 1B
9. Jason Castro C

Starting Pitcher : Kyle Gibson

[howeda7]

 

1. Max Kepler CF
2. Jorge Polanco SS
3. Nelson Cruz DH
4. Eddie Rosario LF
5. Miguel Sano 3B
6. Marwin Gonzalez RF
7. Luis Arraez 2B
8. Ehire Adrianza 1B
9. Jason Castro C

Starting Pitcher : Kyle Gibson

Why Sano at 3B and Ehire at 1B instead of the reverse? I don't get it. I don't think Sano turns that triple play last night. I'm not sure if he even fields it at all.

[PDX Twin]

Word Police (powered by Google):

 

"Despisement" is indeed a word, though an awkward one. "Hatred" and "loathing" seem simpler.

 

The plural of "nemesis" is "nemeses."

[SwainZag]

 

Why Sano at 3B and Ehire at 1B instead of the reverse? I don't get it. I don't think Sano turns that triple play last night. I'm not sure if he even fields it at all.

 

He might not turn the triple play (that was a damn find heads up play) but let's give him some credit, he certainly fields that ball.  The guy isn't that bad with the glove.

[SpicyGarvSauce]

No Schoop, which I am totally fine with.

 

Goodness, hopefully Buxton is back soon.

[stringer bell]

I don't understand the alignment with Adrianza and Sanó either. I'm not being totally critical, but I wonder about the thought process. Arraez is getting playing time and Schoop is the one guy getting squeezed the most (as it should be).

[Diesel]

At some point during the game, I will be up in a plane to look at a field drainage project I helped put in. I guess we will find out what is luckier: Land, Air, or Sea

[oldguywithanitch]

WOW, was that a fun and entertaining intro. Thank you!!!

[notoriousgod71]

 

Still no Buxton

 

RIP

[Jham]

RIP

See, this is why I didn't get the angst over his option last season. The caution is consistent. If we deemed he rushed back and he went back on the DL anyway, a decent likelihood, we lose a year of control for nothing. It may have also been a bit of a message that I'd he can't take care of himself, we'll have to. BTW,I have no problem work his latest done and catch. But did I hear his wrist is bothering him?

[Danchat]

I remember someone saying last year in a game thread that we needed to keep Gibson because he pitches well against the Yanks. Time to prove it, Gibby. (Last year he went 6 scoreless innings with 10 Ks vs NYY)

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

I don't understand the first word of this sentence.

 

Homer:
What does "deadlocked" mean?

 

Principal Skinner:
It's when the jury cant agree on a verdict.

 

Homer:
And "if"?

 

Principal Skinner:
A conjunction meaning "in the event that" or "on condition of".

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

Why Sano at 3B and Ehire at 1B instead of the reverse? I don't get it. I don't think Sano turns that triple play last night. I'm not sure if he even fields it at all.

 

I was thinking the plan for next year would be to move Sano to first, and look for a Defense/OBP guy at third.  Things like this opine against that notion.

[Mr. Brooks]

I was thinking the plan for next year would be to move Sano to first, and look for a Defense/OBP guy at third. Things like this opine against that notion.

Where does CJ Cron play if Sano moves to 1B next year?

[tvagle]

 

Where does CJ Cron play if Sano moves to 1B next year?

Arizona

[USAFChief]

 

Still no Buxton

http://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/aTiZ1PZU92lyM/giphy.gif

[scottz]

I hope our baseball team wins tonight.

[Circus Boy]

Couldn't bear to watch last night after the Yanks closed to 7-5. Checked back and... pleased to see Duffey, Thorpe, Harper, and Rogers shut down those big city boys. Let's do it again.

[Blake]

 

Here’s hoping we get to see the good Gibson tonight. This Yankee team will walk him to death if he tries to get cute instead of putting the ball over the plate.

Yah, but the Yankees also seem to know how to put balls in the seats when strikes are thrown.

 

That said, I hope Gibson goes right at those Yankees.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I hope our baseball team wins tonight.

Me too.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I don't understand the first word of this sentence.

I am a pronoun refering to the speaker or writer or... the Roman numeral for the number one, largerly considered the loneliest number.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited July 23, 2019 by sampleSizeOfOne

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Neme says...

 

1. Aaron Hicks ( S ) CF

2. Aaron Judge (R ) RF

3. E. Encarnacion (R ) DH

4. Luke Voit (R ) 1B

5. Didi Gregorius ( L) SS

6. Gary Sanchez (R ) C

7. Gleyber Torres (R ) 2B

8. Gio Urshela (R ) 3B

9. Mike Tauchman ( L) LF

 

1. Max Kepler CF

2. Jorge Polanco SS

3. Nelson Cruz DH

4. Eddie Rosario LF

5. Miguel Sano 3B

6. Marwin Gonzalez RF

7. Luis Arraez 2B

8. Ehire Adrianza 1B

9. Jason Castro C

Starting Pitcher : Kyle Gibson