JB_Iowa

Calceterra did a pretty good job exploring a couple of different views of the deal: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/03/at-least-one-major-leaguer-is-not-pleased-with-the-jon-singleton-deal/

mattkummer, good takeway. I have also wondered about the lingering effects of Mauer's concussion. Hopefully he is still healing and able to make adjustments (maybe last night is some evidence that is coming about). With both Morneau (hockey) and Mauer (football and catching for a longtime), it is hard to know about undiagnosed concussions in their younger years.

Thanks, JC. And it looks like you get a little excitement with a couple of adds --- will be interested to read your impressions of Thorpe and Romero. Christensen - I get the added pressure of playing in front of the home town crowd but that has to be offset somewhat by the comfort of living somewhere familiar. Nice to see an Iowan having some success.

Good article. I, too, hope that he returns to Minnesota for the ASG. But I also believe that he wouldn't be doing as well had Minnesota re-signed him -- as though the recovery from concussion also needed a new setting away from the struggles of the last few years.

Lots of thought provoking assertions from Posnanski, as always. A few things that caught my eye: ..[P]erhaps the most significant point of Moneyball II -- the A's do not take anything for .granted. They do not go into the season believing that ANYBODY will get 600 plate appearances or make 35 starts or will have as good a year as last year. Billy Beane makes it clear: They will not make decisions based on what they hope will happen. Optimism is not a strategy. Over the last few years, it seems as though this has been one of the Twins' biggest flaws, e.g. going into the last 2 seasons without true plans for CF. Yes, there were injuries and yes, we all hoped Aaron Hicks would thrive but it really does seem like it was based on optimism. Same thing with the rotation before this off-season .... really seemed to be built on a wing and a prayer. Everybody around baseball knows that players peak from ages 25 to 31 or so. The A's live by the rule. The A's are giving 86 percent of their plate appearances to players in that age group Contrast that with what the Twins did this off-season in adding Kubel, Suzuki and Bartlett. Admittedly, it worked with Suzuki but it is also a position of more scarcity (and we really don't know what would happen with Pinto getting a larger percentage of PT). It makes the Kubel and Bartlett decisions seem even more bizarre. I have much less problem with the Twins giving chances to players who haven't yet reached 25 because it means that they may be better able to take advantage of their peak seasons in a year or two. Zaidi talks about how manager Bob Melvin is the best in the business at using the entire roster while managing to keep the team together mentally and emotionally. That is trickier than it sounds. When we talk about Josmil Pinto languishing on the bench, I wonder about Gardenhire's roster use but I do think that in the past keeping the team running on all cylinders was one of Gardenhire's strengths. I'm just not sure he's as willing/able to do that when he has a number of relative unknowns on the team. The stadium crumbles in real time, attendance is bottom five as usual, and there's little to no money to spend on salaries. Status quo. I also wonder if Oakland gets a new stadium and bigger budget (a la Target Field) if they will lose their way temporarily. (Same question I have about Tampa). I have always felt that part of the Twins' problem was that they took their eye of the ball as they approached the opening of TF. Their corporate focus seemed to be much more on the fan experience than on the product on the field. Part of that was probably Bill Smith but a bigger part of it was probably group think.

The actual title of the article is "We've Been Friends Long Enough You'll Understand" by Cee Angi but for me, the heart of what makes Scully great is the idea of letting the "moment breathe" just as you and your friends would do at the game or in a bar. http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/6/2/5764256/vin-scully-career-retrospective-dodgers-broadcaster-profile A fascinating and eloquent piece about a fascinating and eloquent man. It's a fairly long read but well worth your time. Some of my favorite nuggets are Red Barber's advice: "It isn't how much, but what you say." and this passage: Ken Korach once asked Scully, "What's broadcasting's essence?" Scully replied without hesitation: "That you are believable. If you always say everything is great for your team it won't mean anything when something great happens." Vin Scully has been believable for fans in Dodgerland and elsewhere for more than half a century.

Like American League Rules would have made a big difference in this game..... sigh.

I do want to thank you Minnesotans for letting us keep 2" of rain yesterday ..... didn't send all of it north! How was your gig, Gibby?

They are just white noise to me unless I decide to listen actively. But ugh, this one is not looking good.

I just tune out Bremer. Figuratively by just not hearing him. Or literally by muting him. Works for me.

Like this: Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 3m Latest in a string of diving stops for Joe Mauer at first in past week to 10 days. Really starting to get the hang of 1st base. #MNTwins

Nothing like a good woman to lead the way.

Well, Gibby .... Brewers decided you shouldn't be bored.

Gibson!!!!!

Health Regulations.

Okay, I looked him up. Sam was Allan Melvin. He predeceased Alice. Died in 2008.

Well, 88 isn't bad. Doubt Sam is still alive is he? I remember him as an army recruiter on the Andy Griffith show and as a buddy of Rob Petrey's from Camp Crowder on The Dick Van Dyke show but I can't remember his real name.

Jo-jo found his doubles mojo.

Our local Butcher makes great brats. Not so salty. Mmmm.... that may be a tomorrow purchase.

Sounds like you're having a good day.

That takes me back to too much high school marching band.

Lordy, I really did mean adapt not adopt on the book. Good grief.

Apologies to any other Jeopardy afficianados who may not have watched yet. Oops. Sorry.

Last Oscar-winning screenplay author to adopt his own book.

Julia, the Jeopardy champion for 20 straight games, lost. Wow. $420-some thousand later, I think. She'll never forget John Irving.