Game Thread: Twins@Indians 8/23 6:05PM

[Riverbrian]

Twins: SP Sam Deduno

 

2B Dozier

C Herrmann

1B Morneau

DH Willingham

RF Doumit

3B Plouffe

CF Thomas

LF Ramirez

SS Florimon

 

Indians: SP Ubaldo Jimenez

 

CF Bourn

1B Swisher

2B Kipnis

C Santana

LF Brantley

SS Cabrera

DH Giambi

3B Chisenhall

RF Stubbs

 

Things to Think About:

 

1. Think about Dead Arm... Dead Arm or Live Arm or just an arm... I really don't know what it is... Gardy has been suspicious that Deduno may be trying to deal with dead arm. I've heard the term dead arm before from following the majors but I can't recall personally ever running across a pitcher suffering from a bout of it away from the majors. Of Course... I was coaching and playing with players from 13 to 21 years old and nobody that had to log 100 plus innings in a year so dead arm isn't something expected to happen. These guys throw a lot and maybe the arms says... "C'mon now... Enough is Enough... I don't want to make this easy for you".

 

2. Think about the Playoffs... The Indians are just 2.5 back of the wild card spot. The Indians should be starting to ramp it up soon. The Fans should be starting to ramp it up soon. Each game is going to be crucial for them. Meaningful games means an atmosphere that goes with it. It'll be interesting to try and gauge intensity tonight. If the Gauge is on the low side. I'll predict that they fall.

 

3. Think about Ubaldo... Ubaldo... What a name... Have you ever thought of naming your son Ubaldo? Or your Dog? In 2010 Ubaldo performed to the tune of a 2.88 in Colorado. In 2010... Ubaldo was considered to be one of the top starters in baseball. In 2011 it fell apart... A 4.46 ERA in 2011 that led to a trade to Cleveland. The Indians traded two highly rated pitching prospects (at the time) Drew Pomeranz and Alex White. There were some who felt that Indians gave up a lot to get a pitcher who was once great but struggling pretty hard at the time of the trade. In 2012 Ubaldo was even worse with an ERA of 5.40. Ubaldo has been better this year with a 4.00 going into tonights game but he is still not the Ubaldo he once was.

 

4. Think about Pomeranz and White... So the Indians overpaid for a questionable production from Ubaldo... So what did the Rockies get with Pomerenz and White. Too soon to tell but Pomeranz hasn't been much... At the age of 24... Pomeranz has made 4 starts for the Rockies with an ERA of 8.10 and he isn't exactly hanging zero's with Colorado Springs either. Alex White is 23 years old and has made 30 major league starts with an ERA of with a 6.03. He was traded to the Houston Astros as part of package to acquire Wilton Lopez. Yeah That's Right... Thee Wilton Lopez!!! In other words... He was kinda given away. 2013 with the Astros is N/A because he is having a little Tommy John Surgery. So... after you think about Ubaldo, Pomeranz and White and the blockbuster deal that they were a part of... After you think about... Can you conclude that neither team is happy with the deal?

 

5. Think about Hide and Seek... My boys are older now so it's been awhile since I played a game of hide and seek. One of my co-workers brought their 5 year old by work and he was running around the building and he stopped by my office and asked if I wanted to play hide and seek. I almost said OK... But I stopped and thought better of it because at my age... I'm surely going through a mid-life crisis and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find myself.

[Squirrel]

5. Think about Hide and Seek... My boys are older now so it's been awhile since I played a game of hide and seek. One of my co-workers brought their 5 year old by work and he was running around the building and he stopped by my office and asked if I wanted to play hide and seek. I almost said OK... But I stopped and thought better of it because at my age... I'm surely going through a mid-life crisis and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find myself.

 

You could have said, "Sure! That sounds like fun! You hide now and I'll find you!" Then don't look for him for, oh, say, an hour?

[Bark's Lounge]

I'm surely going through a mid-life crisis and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find myself.

 

[Bark's Lounge]

One of my co-workers brought their 5 year old by work and he was running around the building

 

Your co-worker was fired... correct?

[Riverbrian]

Your co-worker was fired... correct?

 

Not at all... We fully support families. So I drank a couple of beers with the boy and taught him a bunch of cool pick up lines for girls that I can't use anymore.

[Squirrel]

ok ... good start

[Riverbrian]

ok ... good start

 

Real good start... But we gotta score. C'mon Hammer

 

Swing the bat... That's what it's there for

[Squirrel]

Well, at least he didn't GIDP

[Squirrel]

**** it! I'm going to Target

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not really, but I did forget a couple of things yesterday.

[Bark's Lounge]

Not at all... We fully support families. So I drank a couple of beers with the boy and taught him a bunch of cool pick up lines for girls that I can't use anymore.

RB, you should have been an elementary school teacher.

[Riverbrian]

Unbelievable... Hammer's at Bat... Was Horrible. Doumits at bat was at least tolerable and Plouffe was overmatched.

[IdahoPilgrim]

Well, this is just a peachy start. Somehow my enthusiasm level for this game just dropped substantially.

[big dog]

As I wrote in another thread, I vote that on Sept 1 we bench Willingham and Doumit and let the kids play. Unfortunately, I still consider Plouffe a kid, but I'd bench him too. I was on the bandwagon this spring, but I've seen enough to know that he might play a role on the team, but I hope it isn't a big one.

[big dog]

RB' date=' you should have been an elementary school teacher.[/quote']

 

He was...very briefly. Then he was invited to move on to new opportunities.

[ashbury]

taught him a bunch of cool pick up lines for girls that I can't use anymore.

 

You should have been more gentle with those girls, Bri.

[Riverbrian]

**** it! I'm going to Target

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not really, but I did forget a couple of things yesterday.

 

I'm beginning to think you go to Target and just hang around and relax on the patio furniture.

[IdahoPilgrim]

All of this reminds me of the age-old philosophical question: If a Minnesota Twin is alone in the woods and there is nobody to watch him, will he still strike out?

[Bark's Lounge]

You should have been more gentle with those girls, then.

Yowza! I better call my therapist.

[ashbury]

A variation that a female friend always liked: if a man says something in a forest and nobody is there to hear him, is he still wrong?

[ashbury]

Yowza! I better call my therapist.

 

Hey, he's the one making the sexist remarks.

[ashbury]

Looks as though Samwell better pitch a shutout tonight.

[ashbury]

Looks as though Samwell better pitch a shutout tonight.

 

Welp, so much for even that thin sliver of hope.

[Squirrel]

I'm beginning to think you go to Target and just hang around and relax on the patio furniture.

I do. I stop by the Starbucks counter first for an ice chai latte, then pick up a magazine I read but don't buy then come home

[Squirrel]

Oh geez

[ashbury]

M Bourn to second on wild pitch by S Deduno

C Santana to second on wild pitch by S Deduno

I am beginning to sense a trend.

[Riverbrian]

RB' date=' you should have been an elementary school teacher.[/quote']

 

No doubt... Set these youngsters on the right path.

 

Today we are gonna talk about Greece. Open your Book to Page 10... As you can see... looking at the map... Greece is surrounded by a lot of water with a lot of islands. If you look at the picture... You see that homes are often built on a hill side with beautiful water below. What the book doesn't tell you... If you visit Greece... They Feed you goat and smash the plates after you eat off of them.

[MichiganTwins]

three more strikeouts now?

[Bark's Lounge]

Hey, he's the one making the sexist remarks.

 

No worries. I always call my therapist at 6:24pm. I am high maintenance.

[IdahoPilgrim]

Remember when a lead-off double used to inspire hope and anticipation?

[Squirrel]

M Bourn to second on wild pitch by S Deduno

C Santana to second on wild pitch by S Deduno

I am beginning to sense a trend.

If you quit sensing it maybe it will go away