IowaTwin346

Reminds me of some of Wally Hollands great facts: On Jerry Johnson: Last year though, he was sixth in the American League in hitting right-handers he was facing for the first time...after the seventh inning...at home! An interesting side note: that's the 14th one-run game for the Tigers already this season, tops for any team north of the Mason-Dixon Line, whose home games are not played in a dome. Lou, by the way, has hit .416 lifetime versus Hanley in the month of September in even years, so that certainly bodes well for this at-bat

Doesnt Vargas have 3-4 infield singles now? Maybe I am exaggerating but that seems like a lot for a man his size in this few of at bats. Anyways, good to see Plouffe drive in a couple big runs. While i'd like to see him hit home runs like he did a couple years ago, I'll take 35-40 doubles from him.

I wish the Twins had more guys that attempted to lay down a bunt now and then. But, just because a player is fast does not make it a must for them to bunt. For instance the kind of hitter that Carlos Gomez has turned into I dont want him laying down a lot of bunts. However, when he was a Twin I would have loved to see him utilize it more. He was still developing as a hitter and could have helped him get on base a little more. I know Carew tried to get him to, but it wasn't something he often did. Punto was a good example of someone who needs that part of their game. He isnt a high average guy, but can use it to get on basea few more times a year. Guys like Schafer need to be able to get a bunt down. stealing bases is his biggest asset and as a career .224 hitter with a low OBP he needs to do that to get on base more. Being able to get a bunt down changes how infielders play you slightly. Bringing a third basemen a few steps opens that 6 hole just a couple extra feet.

Living in Eastern Iowa I do not get most Twins games on TV or radio and the last few years the black outs have gotten worse. Everytime I think I am going to get to watch a game on ESPN or Fox it is blacked out. The only ones I get to see usually are the games against the White Sox on Comcast and then you get to listen to Hawk... Even with bad baseball being played I would love to be able to watch more. Blackouts in baseball are the worst.

Sorry if this was already posted, but this is some pretty cool footage of the 1965 All Star game at The Met. Being way too young to have ever seen any of these guys play it is cool to see that many Hall of Famers on one field http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/awesome_archival_footage_of_the_1965_all_star_game/16846732?linksrc=story_home_module_image_16846732

Why Baseball? I've loved baseball since I can remember. Although I played other sports and may have been better at those, there is nothing better than being on a baseball field in the summer. I played D3 baseball and while it may not be glamorous, it is still good, competitive baseball. Now that I am a few years removed from playing I really realize how much baseball means to me. I spent countless hours working on my game for years and then it is gone. I think about little league and how much fun it was to play a game then stick around to watch your friends play the night game. I have built so many life long relationships through baseball and without it I would not have them. I love that baseball is about the little things, moving runners, taking an extra base, hitting a cut off man and missing something little could be the difference between winning and losing I grew up in Eastern Iowa with a lot of Cubs, Cardinals and Sox fans. My dad was a Twins fan and I grew up knowing nothing but the Twins. I was named after Tony Oliva, my favorite player was Kirby and I still have my bat from Kirby Puckett bat day when I was about 2 years old. In fact, I have Kirby's bobblehead in my office. I was too young to remember the 91 world series live, but I have watched vhs recordings so many times it might as well been live to me. There was no cooler feeling for me than when my college team played in the Metrodome and I got to run out onto the field and look up at the banners of the retired Twins. I probably follow the Twins too much for my own good, and while the last few years have been disappointing I look forward to the future team they are building. Baseball and the Twins will always be important parts of my life and now that I am going to be a father, I get to look forward to teaching my son about the game I love so much.