IdahoPilgrim

I think this about says it all. We are agreed that if the Twins can get a better deal elsewhere they should take it. I'm okay with that.

Right, if they throw you 4 straight balls or even one strike you don't like that's one thing. But to be a franchise player and pass up even swinging at one of the two strikes, the second strike right in the happy zone--only to work a walk... that's way too passive, to be polite, and down right cowardly to be accurate. He was sitting on a fast ball on the 3-1 count, there is no reason for him to swing at a breaking ball there considering all he would have managed to do would be to get crappy contact/foul ball on it. It was a hell of a pitch. The team's MVP who has 31 HR was on deck and had the bases loaded, Mauer had a nice at bat and extended the inning. Him taking a hack on the 3-1 breaking ball isn't the correct play. I should be clear, I was not implying that Mauer did something wrong (I'm not schooled enough in the game to be able to judge that) - I was just expressing my frustration at how the at-bat turned out. Mauer is a better hitter than Willingham (and he's certainly more reliable right now), and a solid hit from him puts the Twins up. If the Seattle pitcher did a good job not giving Mauer something to hit, kudos to him. It still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

OK, is anybody else a little disappointed with this? I know a walk is usually a good thing, but given the situation wouldn't you rather have Mauer hit as opposed to Willingham? Having him load the bases doesn't do anything if Josh can't get a hit, and he's slumping a bit right now.

Now try picturing that play in your mind with Nishioka playing short - it isn't a pretty picture!

And ruin our chance to moan and b#tch and groan about how bad this team is? Don't be ridiculous.

OK, maybe it's time to think about getting him out of there...

Ugh! That's one of the few bad pitches Diamond has thrown.

That's why I like the english language - it is always growing and evolving, with new words being created every day!

OK, bases loaded, one out, Mauer coming up - if they get nothing out of this, it is the ultimate tease.

Can't dispute that one - he needs to be moving on that.

I can't fault the umpire too much for that one. It was barely perceptible on slow-mo that Diamond got there a fraction sooner. At real speed, it would have looked like a tie, and that goes to the runner. I agree 100% -- I don't fault the ump. But it made me feel better to complain. It's good to unload that stuff - repressing it only makes it worse.

Carson singles - Florimon singles - I'm having flashbacks - where am I? Rochester?

I can't fault the umpire too much for that one. It was barely perceptible on slow-mo that Diamond got there a fraction sooner. At real speed, it would have looked like a tie, and that goes to the runner.

I would love to see a retractable roof, but I think getting an MLS team is out of the picture even with it. Other than a couple of local self-serving articles (based in part on Zygi's statements), there's been no indication that Minnesota is even on the radar screen for MLS expansion.

Given the current concern in the NFL about safety and concussions, how about the UnitedHealth Group Field? As a part of the sponsorship agreement the Vikings can negotiate free CAT scans for their players:)

Also, Eric Hurley was released by the Twins. He had been at Rochester. It never got reported on MiLB.com, but it was in BaseballAmerica's weekly list.

Clubs moving their spring training facilities is not that uncommon. If there hasn't been any speculation on where the Twins would go, it's only because up until now nobody really believed the relationship with Lee County was in jeopardy. My guess is that if the Twins made it known, either overtly or covertly, that they were looking for a new solution, options would become available. There has been more than one community that lost a ST team recently; perhaps one of them is ready to pony up for a better facility. If not, maybe the Twins are stuck. But I see no reason not to test the waters and see what's out there. That's not blackmail. That's what a responsible business does - look for the solution that best fits their needs. If the environment in Lee County is really that anti-baseball, that should be considered.

They matter very much to the people who own those teams and who are trying to put people in the seats so they can earn a living. Personally, it matters little to me what teams we end up affiliated with, but I've talked with a minor league club owner and they really are at the mercy of the parent club as to what quality product they put on the field. It's hard to run a business that way.

Sounds to me like it's the other way around - the Twins don't need Lee County and should go somewhere else. That way you can feel good about standing on your principles and the Twins can go somewhere where they are more appreciated. Isn't that how business works, going where the demand is and who will pay the most? And I've been to a couple of Miracle games this year. Tickets are not $7. Gameday sales (which are usually the bulk of the sales at this level) are $7.50 and $9.50 (and $1 extra on fireworks nights). And don't forget parking at $3/vehicle. That may or may not change your overall numbers that much (I'm not going to bother to do the math) but your argument would be more cogent if your facts were straight.

I hear what you're saying. When I was perusing the Red Wings souvenir program, I was struck by how much was devoted to their link with the Yankees this season and celebrating their ties to the Yankees in the past. I had to double check the front of the program to make sure this was actually a Twins affiliate.

I'm not enough of an expert to be able to assess that, but my guess would be the same as yours. It did seem like the quality of the pitching jumped considerably from High-A to Double-A, but that could just have been who I happened to catch on any given day.

At one of the games I attended, some young men were sitting a few seats over, and during their conversation the topic of the Twins requests came up. Basically, they didn't think Lee County should give the Twins anything, and they seemed to mock the Twins even asking, as if they were on the same level as the Red Sox. It was an isolated conversation and may not be representative of the populace as a whole, but it did get my attention.

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?926-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Sixteen-–-Rochester-(Game-Ten)

Note: This is the last in a series of blog entries detailing my game experiences on a road trip to see all the Twins minor league affiliates in their home parks. For those interested, links to previous entries are listed at the end in chronological order. After a quiet day visiting one of the local state parks and catching a matinee I head out to Frontier Field again. This time it is a beautiful night for baseball and while I am sad that this is the last game of the trip I can’t think of a better way to go out. The parking lot is actually fairly full tonight, and walking up to the ticket windows I see six are in operation, with a line at each (yesterday there was one, with no waiting). Looking around the stadium during the game, it is a nice contrast with yesterday, and when they announce the attendance of 6,700 it seems about right. I get my promised “double pig” macaroni & cheese (with bacon and ham mixed in) and head to my seat. Today I’m back behind home plate (slightly to the third base side), three rows up. From here I can see the rest of the Rochester skyline that eluded me yesterday. This is obviously season-ticket territory; most of the patrons sitting around me are on a first-name basis with their neighbors. I am next to a family with two small kids, and I make a mental bet with myself that they won’t last through five innings. I am proven right when, in the middle of the fourth, the mother takes the two kids to a grass berm area to play while the father stays behind to watch the game. As I get settled, the club president is presenting awards on the field for the largest groups of the year. After he is done and a couple of ceremonial pitches are thrown a local boy scout troop presents the colors and a trumpet duet does a nicely arranged version of the national anthem. It is probably the best anthem I’ve heard on this trip. The starting lineups are announced, and leading off the order for Rochester will be two players just optioned from the parent club, Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Brian Dozier, playing second and short respectively. You can tell that Dozier has just gotten in, as they haven’t even had time to put his name on his uniform yet – he is wearing an unadorned #11. The preliminaries are finally done and it is time for the final game on this trip to start. Rochester gets on the board first in the bottom half of the opening frame, with Nishioka hitting a solid single to right center and Parmelee walking. Then, with two out, Clete Thomas hits a double down the left field line into the corner and the Red Wings stake themselves to a 2-0 lead. After that, the game settles into a groove, with each side getting the occasional baserunner but not being able to seal the deal. It almost feels like two fighters probing, gradually feeling each other out looking for a weakness. On the Rochester side there is none, as Esmerling Vazquez pitches a beautiful seven innings and never lets Indianapolis string anything together. They manage four hits and two walks, but that is more than outweighed by Vazquez’s ten strikeouts (the last of which, to end the seventh, sends the crowd into a frenzy as it is the game’s “K-Man,” meaning everybody gets a free taco at Taco Bell). Even though the game is tight, I never get the sense that the crowd is worried. The game notes in my program say that the Red Wings have the best record in the league since July 1st (26-16), and I get the impression that they are confident that a two-run lead can hold. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to, as Rochester breaks the game open in the bottom of the seventh. With a new Indianapolis pitcher, Wilkin Ramirez takes first after being hit by a pitch. Then Escobar, of Liriano trade fame, hits a beautiful sacrifice bunt down the third base line; the fielder has to hustle to make the play and ends up bouncing the ball to first and everybody is safe on the error. The stage is set for Evan Bigley, who wallops one over the left field fence, scoring three more and giving everybody the sense that the game is effectively over. The Red Wings add one more in the eighth as Ramirez doubles home Thomas. Deolis Guerra takes over from Vazquez to start the eighth and he promptly strikes out the side on nine pitches. In the ninth he starts to get hit hard, including giving up two on a long homer, but he has just enough to cross the finish line, and Rochester wins 6-2. It is the perfect end to a perfect night of baseball. And so the road trip ends on a satisfying note, with a final record of 7-2-1. Tomorrow I head my car west for Minneapolis and home. *** AWARDS Best Stadium Setting: Elizabethton, TN, for the scenic beauty (Honorable Mention for Rochester, NY, for its urban setting and skyline) Best Game Day Experience: New Britain Rock Cats Most Exciting Home Runs: All of them, but special mentions to Miguel Sano, Oswaldo Arcia, & Evan Bigley. Best Performance by a Starting Pitcher: Esmerling Vazquez, Rochester Red Wings (Runner-up: Trevor May, Reading Phillies) Best Hot Dog: Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers, FL Links to previous entries http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1594-Minor-League-Odyssey-Day-One-Beloit http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1610-Minor-League-Odyssey-Day-Two-Beloit http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1618-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Five-(Game-Three)-Elizabethton http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1620-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Six-(Game-Four)-Elizabethton http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1645-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Bonus-Coverage-–-GCL-Twins http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1653-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Eight-–-Game-Five-(Fort-Myers) http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1662-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Nine-–-Game-Six-(Fort-Myers) http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1671-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Eleven-–-Interlude http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1681-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Twelve-–-New-Britain-(Game-Seven) http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1696-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Thirteen-–-New-Britain-(Game-Eight) http://www.twinsdaily.com/entry.php?1707-Minor-League-Odyssey-–-Day-Fifteen-–-Rochester-(Game-Nine)