JB_Iowa

I remember intense September baseball as well -- except for 2010 -- which was the beginning of the current debacle. What I don't remember is particularly intense October baseball. You can argue all you want about pitching and meeting better teams but I still believe that Gardenhire's teams have underperformed in the post-season. Ironically I believe that it is probably because of his regular season mentality. Gardenhire is all about the long view -- never get too high or low, there will be another game tomorrow. But the playoffs aren't like that. There WON'T always be another game tomorrow -- there is a premium on winning early (and now a premium on winning a 1-game playoff if you are a wild card team). I believe that Gardenhire's philosophy has served the Twins very well during regular seasons -- and I do believe that his teams have won a Central Division championship or two that they probably wouldn't have won under another manager. But I believe that same mind set has been pretty much a disaster in the post season. I don't hate Ron Gardenhire but the time has come for him to step down. It is time for an injection of new energy and ideas. It may be a disaster -- and it may be necessary to make more than one change -- but I'd rather see that than the stagnation we are currently witnessing (and that goes for the front office, too).

And don't forget you get discounts on food and merchandise.

Brief moments of interest ... it's about all we can hope for anymore. Sigh.

White Sox line-up Frankie pitching [TABLE] [/TD][TD=class: yspscores]A. De Aza CF [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TD=class: yspscores]K. Youkilis 3B[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TD=class: yspscores]A. Dunn 1B[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TD=class: yspscores]P. Konerko DH[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TD=class: yspscores]A. Rios RF[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TD=class: yspscores]A.J. Pierzynski C[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TD=class: yspscores]D. Viciedo LF[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [TR=class: ysptblclbg6] [TD=class: yspscores]A. Ramirez SS[/TD] [TD=class: yspscores][/TD] [/TR] [TD=class: yspscores]G. Beckham 2B[/TD]  [/TABLE]

I think this is theTwins line-up: Deduno pitching Revere, B, CF .299 Escobar, E, 2B .213 Willingham, J, LF .259 Morneau, J, 1B .280 Plouffe, T, 3B .234 Parmelee, C, DH .250 Mastroianni, D, RF .253 Butera, D, C .208 Florimon, P, SS .241 Have to go find the White Sox - but I did see them score already.

Good summary, JC. Please post it in the next regular thread that starts going crazy over locating a Twins affiliate (at any level) in Minnesota/Fargo/Sioux Falls, etc. etc. etc.

I think for most people in the Midwest, hating the Yankees comes naturally. Hating the White Sox is an acquired skill. And I must say that in all my long years, I haven't really acquired it. I tend to root for any Central Divison team against the rest of mlb. (But I don't know if you're midwestern or not -- the BC thing has me confused -- initials or British Columbia?)

What do you know? Plouffeeeeee!

Sale. Frankie's in the BP.

White Sox - Tigers cancelled. Was hoping the Sox would just have a late game tonight.

Starting to look like the Twins might have been smart to spend a little $$$ on a few more September call-ups.

Well, I live in northwest Iowa and Iowa State is bigger here than in the eastern part of the State. But there are also a lot of Cornhusker fans. LOl on maid rites. They are more of a central-eastern Iowa thing as well. My part of Iowa seemingly has more in common with the Dakotas than with a lot of the state of Iowa.

Actually it looks like Propranolol may not be banned in baseball. I could find stuff on precision sports like golf and shooting but nothing on baseball specifically.

I couldn't find anything on baseball specifically (although I could just be overlooking it in this article). But this: http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002037 has Propranolol (I think that's what Inderal is) banned. (And the Hawkeye/Clone split is somewhat but not entirely geographical. Since they are both state institutions and UNI as well, a lot of allegience is just due to where people went to school).

Iowa is good - nice and cool today and we actually had a 1/2 inch of rain yesterday. Although my Hawkeyes look like (seomething I won's mention here). The boys need to get Hendriks some runs here.

Maybe that's why DPJ has seemingly disappeared today.

The site has seemed "wonky" today. I've had to sign in about 4 times.

Congrats to Willinghammer. Could he have trotted more slowly, though?

As far as I'm concerned, Diamond is the only starting pitcher who has earned a roster spot for next season. The other 4 spots are open to competition and they need to bring in some outside help. (I'm still only expecting Ryan to bring in one innings eater type in the $8-10 million range and 1 "flier" like Baker as F.A. There's nothing I'd like more than for the Twins to have 6 or 7 starting pitchers ready for the rotation at the end of ST. I don't think that's going to happen but I'd love to see it.

Thanks for the peeks at your life this season. Have a great off-season and congrats and best wishes on your marriage.

Just wanted to tell you all how much I enjoy reading this thread (almost daily now). Have nothing to add about who will end up where but it's fun anticipating the shuffling.

Thanks for making me smile. At least you can take comfort in being surrounded by other addicts when you are here at TD. This probably isn't the place to go for an intervention. Part of it is that hope springs eternal. As pessimistic as I am about next season, there is still that kernal of hope inside that the Twins can turn it around.

Oh, and there was plenty of negativity around Michael Cuddyer (despite his smiling countenance). But since he was never "deified" the way Mauer was, he wasn't "villified" quite as much eitehr.

I don't have a lot of feelings about Mauer -- one way or another. As I've said several times before, I didn't understand the deification and I don't really understand the viliification. Mauer has just always left me pretty cold. I can admire his professionalism and his accomplishments -- but I don't (and never have) felt any particular emotional connection to him. But I really think that a lot of the "backlash" as you characterize it, is due to the "deification" that he enjoyed during his first 8-9 years with the organization. And no, he didn't ask for that either. But honestly, people were treating him as though he was God. There is no human being who could continually live up to the image that a lot of people (mostly Minnesotans) ascribed to him. When he was going through his troubles last summer, I remember posting elsewhere that all Mauer could do this year to "rehab" his image was to come out and play almost every day this year and put up numbers that are in keeping with his career averages. He hasn't quite done that in the sense that he is catching in only about 1/2 the games (I think and maybe not even that). But at least this season saw a return to productivity (although he will probably never approach the stats of 2009). But even as I posted that, I added that I didn't think he could EVER regain the elevated status he once had. If he continues to be productive -- and if he can get back to catching 100 games or more a year as Terry Ryan envisions -- I think a lot of the "backlash" will fade. But I don't think he'll ever be "Saint Joe" again. And I don't think that's all bad. Overall, I think people will end up with a more realistic picture of him and a more realistic perception and appreciation for his accomplishments. And, to me, that's a good thing.

Well, the Whities have confused me. I hate their red pinstripes. But they've been wearing the black ones against the Tigers and have lost so maybe they were on to something with the red stripes. Just totally odd -- I just can't get used to those red stripes. I'm hoping the Yankees nose-dive before they play the Twins cuz if the Orioles and Rays have to count on the Twins, they'd better figure out a way to loan the Twins some starting pitching. Twins do have a lot of opportunities to impact the outcome in the Central, though.