Game Thread: Royals@Twins 7/31 7:10PM

[Riverbrian]

All I have time for is to start this thread and tell everyone that the thread is started.

[Willihammer]

1. Clete Thomas (L) LF

2. Jamey Carroll ® 2B

3. Joe Mauer (L) C

4. Justin Morneau (L) 1B

5. Ryan Doumit (S) DH

6. Trevor Plouffe ® 3B

7. Chris Herrmann (L) RF

8. Aaron Hicks (S) CF

9. Pedro Florimon (S) SS

 

1. Alex Gordon (L) LF

2. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B

3. Billy Butler ® DH

4. Salvador Perez ® C

5. David Lough (L) RF

6. Miguel Tejada ® 2B

7. Mike Moustakas (L) 3B

8. Alcides Escobar ® SS

9. Jarrod Dyson (L) CF

[snepp]

Remember when the 2nd spot in the order wasn't filled by a black hole every game?

 

 

Memories...

[big dog]

Remember when the 2nd spot in the order wasn't filled by a black hole every game?

 

 

Memories...

 

Remember when we didn't have four batters in the starting lineup below .230? Remember when we had more than one above .280? As much as I like some of the guys on this team, and acknowledging that there are probably some good future ballplayers there along with a Hall of Famer...yikes.

 

I try to be optimistic, I try to enjoy the wins when they come, and appreciate good moments in losses, but...

 

Hey- let's have a good game tonight. Go Twins.

[Top Gun]

The Twins are the joke of the league.

[Mr. Brooks]

Relax guys.

Remember at the beginning of the year Phil Mackey projected us to have a powerhouse lineup, 7th in baseball in runs scored. He projected us to have a much improved pitching staff, and win in the neighborhood of 80 games.

That means that this team is due for a breakout of historic proportions to finish the season, you guys are not going to want to miss it.

[Thegrin]

We play KC 9 times thru the end of August. We should win at least 4 of them. If Correia doesn't pitch a good game tonight, I hope they jerk him from the rotation. Guthrie's stats are very close to Correia, except that he has pitched more innings. Our July hitting (except for Joe) has been terrible. Maybe tonight, something will happen. I predict a win tonight.

[Willihammer]

Relax guys.

Remember at the beginning of the year Phil Mackey projected us to have a powerhouse lineup, 7th in baseball in runs scored. He projected us to have a much improved pitching staff, and win in the neighborhood of 80 games.

That means that this team is due for a breakout of historic proportions to finish the season, you guys are not going to want to miss it.

 

They were pretty much on pace until Hammer went down.

[Willihammer]

First pitch and Jamey's already choking up

[GCTF]

Remember when the 2nd spot in the order wasn't filled by a black hole every game?

 

 

Memories...

 

We all miss Even Year Punto.

[Mr. Brooks]

They were pretty much on pace until Hammer went down.

 

Willingham is literally the most valuable player to ever play the game of baseball if you believe that the loss of Willingham is the difference between 80 wins/powerhouse offense and 65 wins/awful offense.

[snepp]

Richard talking about Butera being "blocked" in the organization.

 

 

 

*groan*

[B Richard]

Yuck. Ugly AB Doumit

[big dog]

Willingham is literally the most valuable player to ever play the game of baseball if you believe that the loss of Willingham is the difference between 80 wins/powerhouse offense and 65 wins/awful offense.

 

A healthy Willingham did seem to have an effect, both by himself and on the batters around him. I don't blame Willingham for the bad pitching. 80 wins went out the door with the pitching staff (and did anyone other than Miller really expect 80 wins?). I did expect more offense.

 

I don't really get the "Twins are the joke of the league" comment. The Astros and White Sox are both dramatically worse.

[Beezer07]

After that half inning I believe TR should be fired more than ever. How could he not get three A-level prospects in exchange for Morneau and Doumit?

[big dog]

Yuck. Ugly AB Doumit

 

He is really up and down, isn't he? He just looks totally lost, and then he gets a hot streak. He's been frustrating this year.

[Willihammer]

Willingham is literally the most valuable player to ever play the game of baseball if you believe that the loss of Willingham is the difference between 80 wins/powerhouse offense and 65 wins/awful offense.

What do you attribute the month of July to, besides the improved pitching and defense?

[Chance]

Gross game thus far....

[big dog]

KC really is pitching up in the zone tonight. Gotta get it down...

[big dog]

Nice play there- Tejeda out at home. Let's get one more out.

 

Question: who do you think was the best groundball pitcher in Twins history? I do not have a definitive answer.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Nice play there- Tejeda out at home. Let's get one more out.

 

Question: who do you think was the best groundball pitcher in Twins history? I do not have a definitive answer.

 

Not sure all time, but Silva had a year where he was one of the best ground ballers in all of baseball. Not one of the best pitchers overall, but his sinker induced GBs all night and all day.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Guthrie 47 pitches in 2 innings. I like.

[snepp]

Herr-Mann!

[Willihammer]

Nice throw there no. 12... (looks up roster)... Chris Hermann.

[big dog]

Not sure all time, but Silva had a year where he was one of the best ground ballers in all of baseball. Not one of the best pitchers overall, but his sinker induced GBs all night and all day.

 

Silva certainly has to make the list, at least as a one-year wonder.

 

What a great throw by Hermann to get the runner at third.

[ThePuck]

'Pitching is the name of the game and catching the ball and we've been doin' that pretty good'--Tom Kelly about five minutes ago

[Willihammer]

David thought that ball was lougher than it was

[Willihammer]

"At 39 years old, he (Carroll)'s as dangerous as anyone else in a situation like this"

 

Rex Hudler about 30 seconds ago

[big dog]

Some of you can probably remember as well or better than I do, and might disagree, but I remember Jim Kaat as a good groundball pitcher. He had a lot of strikeouts but that was due more to innings pitched than anything else.

 

That ball by Thomas was a screamer- let's get something here.

[big dog]

"At 39 years old, he (Carroll)'s as dangerous as anyone else in a situation like this"

 

Rex Hudler about 30 seconds ago

 

Did he mean a situation where Carroll was trying to kill an inning by striking out?