VivaBomboRivera!

Nice show. John, your microphone was a little muffled. Nick's and Seth's voices came over fine on the podcast. Cross-posting immediate post-game thoughts from the Game Thread.

No Baines No Fisk No Guillén No McDowell No Thomas No worries

One off day in August, four in September?!?!

"Shut up and eat what's put in front o'ye!"

Try coming at this from another perspective - should any statue of Calvin Griffith have gone up in the first place? Consider: Keeping in mind that every soul can have at least a few redemptive moments (as Carew witnessed), on the whole Calvin appears to have been a pretty miserable human being, certainly not a role model for the youth that followed the ball club he ownedGriffith's faux pas were not limited to a single 1978 engagement in Waseca; a scan of press clippings over the long years of his career will yield numerous quotes that reflect poorly on his characterBy the time the '80s rolled around, poor management of both his public persona as well the ball club had eroded community goodwill toward Griffith; "Sell, Calvin, sell!" was the frequent mantra of the day (does anybody remember the ticket buyout campaign?) When his life accomplishments are totaled, did Calvin Griffith contribute enough to the sport, the state and his contemporaries to merit the esteem that comes with a bronze memorial in a prominent place? Probably not (YMMV). He certainly made Carl Pohlad look like a savior for many years after the '84 sale. We probably ought to have a talk about whether Carl really deserves a life-size hunk of metal, as well. There is no symbolism here, no history being lost - this is a right-sizing of how we memorialize a man whose shortcomings made him smaller than he could have been. More importantly, it should be a clear message to all of us that everyone is welcome at the ball park.

Hope springs eternal

Except for the portion borne by Sean Do Much.

Pulling back for a look around the Majors, the Times offers some food for thought.

Nice to see the U's 1979 Student Body President Runner Up getting mention. Let's throw Ron Washington into the mix.

Boo!

The man loves the game. First professional appearance in 1978 to 36 games in Mexican AAA in 2008, and then at 55yo another cup of coffee at Ft. Worth in 2014. Apparently Mitchell could not give up the game, either. After 20 years, his last 4 PAs were for Lincoln in the Northern League in 2001: 2 for 3 with a walk, 3 runs.

Some nice catches there. At your service, Sir.

A quick search in Japanese ("シェーンマック 巨人") reveals that there is a Wiki page for him, and turns up a 1:15 highlight reel on YouTube. He played center for my least favorite NPB team, one that plays in a Metrodome replica. This page ranks him second behind Kevin Mitchell ( the '89 NL MVP who had a 37G, 149PA cup of coffee with Daiei in '95) in a list of five foreign players that also includes Julio Franco (Lotte '98), Reggie Smith (Yomiuri '84 & '85) and Dave Nilsson (Chunichi '00), of all people. His coverage is generally favorable and he is well-remembered. The most recent article turned up is dated July 2018 and looks into the reasons that brought him to the Giants. While some ballpayers with limited MLB exposure go on to long NPB careers, a la Wladimir Balentien, it is rare for a career Major Leaguer to stay in Japan more than a couple years.

Somebody has his number. Hard to believe a guy that good is just a private citizen now. If they haven't, the Twins should reach out.

The silence here thus far speaks volumes...

Cross-posting from an article with a different view on the same topic: Sitting here in the middle of week seven of work-from-home, I really, really want to see what the 2020 Twins can do. But think on Poe's "Masque of the Red Death." Every effort to seal away a healthy population from an epidemic inevitably fails. Contagion is hard to contain. Bottom line: If one player, one umpire, one coach or trainer, one member of the grounds crew, one camera operator, one driver, caterer, janitor or anybody else associated with such an effort were to get sick and die - IT WOULD NOT BE WORTH IT. Corollary: If an effort like this were to take resources away from treating the sick, or keeping ordinary people healthy wherever they are it would be hard to justify morally.

Sitting here in the middle of week seven of work-from-home, I really, really want to see what the 2020 Twins can do. But think on Poe's "Masque of the Red Death." Every effort to seal away a healthy population from an epidemic inevitably fails. Contagion is hard to contain. Bottom line: If one player, one umpire, one coach or trainer, one member of the grounds crew, one camera operator, one driver, caterer, janitor or anybody else associated with such an effort were to get sick and die - IT WOULD NOT BE WORTH IT. Corollary: If an effort like this were to take resources away from treating the sick, or keeping ordinary people healthy wherever they are it would be hard to justify morally.

Up side: At least everybody will be in top shape by the time somebody shouts, "Play ball!" again. Unless 'Mason' falls off his horse...?

Taking measures to prevent contagion now means we get to the end of the epidemic sooner, which means we get a faster, stronger recovery for business and our pastimes. Follow CDC and local health agency guidelines, everybody, and be well. See you at the ball yard soon! Cheers!

Apologies, of course that was Mark Twain. It was Fields who said, "Always carry thirteen pitchers on your roster in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."

Too much of anything isn't good for you, except pitching, and then too much is barely enough! - W.C. Fields

This from the team that gave us Herbie & The Rat.

Miguel Sano, picking machine!

He's a pickin' machine!

Was the game called due to weather or a skunk?