70charger

I think it's a reasonably interesting thing to track, especially if the streak lengthens from seven. What's probably more interesting is the question of whether batting order could offer more multi-run opportunities to the sluggers, although that's going to be a hard thing to nail down with any precision.

I lived in Cyprus for a time too, tracking down the Byzantine remnant in the Troodos. Marvelous country. I don’t currently have plans to go back, but I will.

I don’t see where I would have done that. And of course he would approach those at bats differently, just like the pitchers would. Yet another reason I find it a bit ridiculous that some late inning walks are being used to justify anything about Mauer’s approach generally.

Sounds like you’re assuming that pitchers are approaching him exactly the same way when it’s close and late as at any other time in the game. And that...strains credulity. Charitably speaking.

Your points are good and shouldn't be discounted, but there's another curveball in there, so to speak. Joe Mauer, as a catcher, in his prime averaged something like 135 games played a season, which is actually quite high for a catcher, especially since most catchers would never be able DH too. Kirby Puckett, as an outfielder, in his prime averaged somewhere in the high 150s for games played in a season. Very impressive, and not to take anything away from his iron man abilities, but that's much more common for an outfielder. In fact, it's pretty much impossible to play all the games as a catcher. If you average out hits per game, it becomes a much more even comparison. Let's take their respective age 27 seasons. They're relatively representative. Neither was a career season for either player, but both seasons were very close to (actually a bit above, because I'm focusing on their peaks) their career norms. In 1987, where as I recall the Twins accomplished something or other, Puckett led the league in hits with 207, and played 157 games. That averages to 1.32 hits per game. In 2010, Joe Mauer racked up 167 hits in 137 games (112 as a catcher). That averages to 1.22 hits per game. That's like 10 to 15 hits a season difference if we're talking about the same amount of games. It would take more than a decade to even see a season's worth of difference between the two players. The point about injuries and about playing fewer games as a catcher stands up to scrutiny. The point about it "not being Joe's game" isn't wrong per se, but I think it's probably a lot closer than you're giving him credit for.

Ask chief. He'd know.

Also, I'm not sure how to feel about that, given how many warning track shots our team had...

That hasn't worked at all, has it?

Congrats to LaMarre on his first hit as a Twin. Or ever. Or whatever.

I'm going to go ahead and ask you not to do that. This is a family site.

Yep, short to home to first.

Or, you know... something.

No harm, no foul?

Give him a couple high fastballs now.

That was super ugly.

Rosario in center and not Kepler? Am I wrong in assuming it'd be the other way around?

Managin'

Doesn't look like he will.

That actually makes way more sense. I stand corrected.

But then he'd have to be in Portland.

The olé olé olé chant is a soccer thing, and it's even played out there.

Managin'

Managin'

If they do, it'll apparently be on a passed ball or wild pitch.