JB_Iowa

.... or not.

Random Question: If Suzuki ever starts a day game after a night game, will the board riot?

Hallelujah!

Is every game going to be an adventure???

But their gals will dance by the light of the moon.

Nice to miss a 1/2 inning and have the Twins up by 3. Maybe I should just miss the whole game and see if they can stay up by 3.

I was confused about that, too, Zephrin. I know he could have partaken in regular Spring Training even though he was supposed to start his suspension when the season started. But would he be allowed to participate in extended Spring Training? Wouldn't the Twins have had to assign him to a minor league team and then have him be suspended for their first 50 games (or be suspended from the first 50 games of the Rock Cats since that was his last team)?? And yet it seemed curious that Berardino would phrase it the way he did.

They didn't have either pitcher warm up. This is kind of like having a 5:30 p.m. Eastern game time, I think. Could be really cold by the time it's over. (And the 5:30/4:30 estimate is mine not anyone else's -- hopefully it will be earlier but even once the tarp is off, they have to do warm-ups, etc.).

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger 13m And now we're seeing why the game was delayed. It's really coming down here at Progressive Field. Hopefully, it doesn't last too long.

We'd prefer it from the sky rather than in the rivers.

We're so desperate for mositure, we need it to melt slow. Gotta preserve every drop. But it is melting pretty quickly here as well.

Was the snow in the TC the really heavy stuff? We only had about 5" but every shovel felt like it weighed 40#. Can't imagine moving 12" of that stuff.

Showers around Cleveland look pretty spotty and it looks like the strongest storms have already passed through there. So just a matter of time, probably.

Typed too soon: Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger 3m Today's #MNTwins-#Indians game will not start on time. The tarp is still on the field. It's not raining now but is expected to shortly.

Actually sounds like they are pretty much on time .... but it isn't 2:00 CT yet.

Ottumwa, Iowa? Always reason to look concerned.

A couple of quick tweets from Berardino: Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 19m Also, Eddie Rosario has yet to report to #mntwins extended spring training as he continues to tend to "personal issues." Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 22m Byron Buxton has yet to resume swinging the bat, per #mntwins farm director Brad Steil. "Nothing new" on that sprained left wrist.

Also, if you switch to satellite, remember they almost always offer a deal. And, at least in the case of Dish Network, if your deal expires and you call and whine that they are only giving deals to new customers (and threaten to switch providers), they will almost always give you some new deal. The last time this happened to me, they gave me about $20/mo off and I didn't even have to sign up again for a certain time period. It is all such a racquet but it is one area where I've found price haggling to be effective.

I like that he didn't want to sit Cola after the 6 rbi day. And Willingham is starting to get it going too. So I guess that leaves Kubel as the odd man out (for today).

JC, do you think there is a better chance of the CR area cable companies picking up FSN as some of the prospects who've played with the Kernels arrive in the TC?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ I find it a bit amusing that an article mostly relevant to $$$$ is "sponsored" by a law firm. (But thank you, TD, for maximizing revenue sources and keeping the site free of charge.) To address the Iowa situation, I think that the inclusion of the entire state in six home markets is short-sighted by these teams. The idea of inclusion in regional sports networks is to increase the amounts paid by cable companies -- but if those cable companies aren't including them, what good is inclusion doing???? From a team's standpoint, shouldn't it also be about building your market base in those areas so that fans who live there will, on occasion, travel to your city and spend $$$$$. Somewhat distant fans might not buy season tickets but in any given trip, they are likely to go to multiple games plus drop quite a bit of cash on food, lodging and shopping. How do you encourage that if they rarely see you on TV??? It would make logical sense to me that the Twins' home market only extend to about the northern quarter of the state (and even then, perhaps not all the way to the eastern border). In northwest Iowa we've always considered ourselves "Twins Territory" but that may be because we watch Sioux Falls television as much as Sioux City for network & local programming. And in general, our local cable companies carry FSN. JC and I have exchanged posts in the past about the cable situation. For those Iowa residents who are fortunate enough to opt for satellite TV instead, the situation is better. You can go with something like extra innings on Direct TV. But I still stay with Dish Network instead. Without opting for any programming other than what I would purchase anyway, I get the games for all 6 "home" teams plus MLB network and MLB alternate (when not blacked out) plus the ESPN games, etc. etc. I don't get to see everything I would see with an mlbTV subscription but there's enough variety that I don't feel deprived. The situation is a mess, though. I'd like to see demographics (by age) on cable subscribers. I would guess that it is a population that is "aging out" somewhat as younger viewers opt for internet options rather than cable. And in the end, it is the changes in viewing habits that are likely to bring change.

But, THEY OVERCAME!!

Where is Judy Collins with the theme music when you need her?

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 23m Emilio Bonifacio is 3rd player since 1900 with 11 hits in 1st 3 games. Others: Cecil Cooper (1982), Ira Flagstead (1926)