Nine of twelve

Dick mentioning the picture I was just (unsuccessfully) looking for on the Strib web site. Mientkiewicz fielding a popup near the mound with Hawkins preventing Koskie from colliding.

I would worry about taking Fabian early. Not only is there concern about high K rate but he bats right, throws left. Disregarding switch hitters that is the least common permutation of the four, but it's also the most disadvantageous. In 120 years of professional baseball only one R/L position player, Rickey Henderson, has ever made the HOF. So maybe in the second round or later if he's still on the board.

The catcher mishandled the ball and it wound up in the dugout. Arraez, who had gone to third on the WP, did not score on the WP but rather on the E-2.

The powder blues should go even if we had won every game in which they were worn.

Should that play at second be scored E-4? Too bad Stew Thornley isn't online at the moment.

While those numbers aren't great keep in mind that the AL is hitting .2435. In that context Simmons hitting .231 is actually pretty good for a fielding-first shortstop. Provided he performs as a fielder, of course.

I do not have the desire to invest the time to look up where I read this. It may have been here, it may have been elsewhere. I do not recall for certain who told this story. I am pretty sure it was either LaTroy Hawkins, or Torii Hunter, or both, who related this. Moreover, I'm paraphrasing so don't ascribe what I'm saying directly to either man. One of those two told about a Twins organization leader, I believe it was a minor league manager. One of the minor league teams often played what can be referred to as "black music" in the clubhouse, and apparently this was overwhelmingly approved or accepted by the players. ***Note: When I use that description of the music, it's simply to try to describe what is often referred to as rap, hip-hop, and similar styles. There is no judgmental intention and none should be inferred.*** Apparently this leader stated that this type of music would not be allowed in the clubhouse, and seemingly made this statement with some race-oriented overtones. This was relayed to Falvey, who said this was not acceptable, and very shortly afterward that person's employment with the team ended. I am pretty sure that this incident occurred at about the same time Mientkiewicz's contract was not renewed. I have absolutely no evidence that he was the person implicated in the above story and nobody should take this as me implicating him. However, the timing was consistent and I am not aware of any other high-profile or even medium-profile leader being dismissed from the organization around that time. I am making an unsubstantiated guess that this person was Mientkiewicz. But no matter who it was, if this story is true I would want no part of that individual in an organization I was running. I repeat for emphasis: I have no evidence that points to any particular person as the one Hawkins and/or Hunter referred to. I am simply guessing and nobody should take this as documented fact.

Why does there have to be a "blood-letting"? IMHO that is not necessary.

By the way, the official rules explicitly prohibit white and gray gloves.

I wonder what would be done if a pitcher has his pitching hand and forearm tattooed baseball color or some other significantly distracting color or pattern. I'm pretty sure there's no rule governing that.

Alcala's skin is nowhere close to pink.

I agree with him. That's why it's funny.

Jim Kaat is so smart and so quick-witted. It just points out how far the other BSN color guys have to go to achieve excellence.

Jim Kaat: "Why don't they just have the pitcher go put the ball on a tee?" LOL

This Ford commercial has my vote for worst of 2021.

Cripes, I almost forgot. Here's the opening post of today's game thread. I hope everyone enjoys the holiday today. By the way, they do have the 4th of July in other countries too. They also have the 5th, 6th 7th and so on. Even in the throes of a lost season there is reason for players to have hope and joy. Veterans hope they can wind up on a contending team, rookies and prospects hope they can become part of a winning team in the future, and everyone gets the joy of playing baseball. Here are the lineups: Pitchers: Kenta Maeda (R) 3-3, 5.56 Brad Keller (R) 6-8, 6.67 Twins: 1. Luis Arraez (L) 3B 2. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B 3. Trevor Larnach (L) LF 4. Alex Kirilloff (L) 1B 5. Ryan Jeffers (R) C 6. Max Kepler (L) RF 7. Miguel Sano (R) DH 8. Nick Gordon (L) CF 9. Andrelton Simmons (R) SS Royals: 1. Whit Merrifield (R) 2B 2. Andrew Benintendi (L) LF 3. Carlos Santana (S) 1B 4. Salvador Perez (R) DH 5. Ryan O'Hearn (L) RF 6. Hunter Dozier (R) 3B 7. Jarrod Dyson (L) CF 8. Sebastian Rivero (R) C 9. Nicky Lopez (L) SS

If you can recoup the investment or at least come very close the boss will still approve. However, given today's events I think it's unlikely that will happen.

Too late. The team announced that he was removed from the game today as a precaution, but that sounds fishy to me. My guess is that the injury has him bound for the IL and that nobody will want to trade for him. Merde.

As long as we don't trade for Hamilton I'll deal with whatever outcome that transpires. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamilbi02.shtml

I didn't take the time to read through all the posts so I apologize if what I have to say has already been said. The use of the 2017 season as a benchmark is a major flaw in any analysis. That season was an outlier, significantly so, for the American League. Cleveland and Houston were head and shoulders above everyone else. Boston and New York were solid. Detroit and Chicago were crummy. The remaining nine teams finished with 75-85 wins. The Twins were just slightly less mediocre than the other eight, qualifying for the postseason with 85 wins, the fewest by a postseason qualifier in either league since the inception of the ten-team postseason. That is almost certainly not going to be the case in 2021. This year's team is currently 13th in the AL, meaning our team has to pass eight other teams including one that is currently 12 games over .500. I don't think there's any question that the Twins should sell. However, I think they should be careful whom they sell. Veterans with short-term contracts should be heavily marketed to other teams. Younger potential core players (e.g. Berrios) should be traded only if the other team is willing to overpay. That said, no player is untouchable if the trade improves the organization.

According to BR he was used as a pinch hitter 24 times and a pinch runner 85 times.

Kaat was also a good baserunner, enough so that he was used as a pinch runner on occasion.

Wow, what a perfect throw!

JA Happ should change his name to BP Happ.

Oh. Never mind.