terrydactyls

Last Thursday was my first day back playing hockey and after my first shift, my knee hurt just as bad as when I hurt it 21 months ago. But I'm going to give it another go on Tuesday. It can't get any worse, can it?

Donaldson has a history of calf problems. This was a hamstring. Different body part and no correlation between the two. Injuries happen no matter how well conditioned you are. Two summers ago, in my first at bat of the season, I hit a slow roller towards third, took two steps and tore my miniscus in two places. Never had knee problems before. Stuff happens.

DirecTV is offering a free look at it's MLB package so I watched the game. Bremer and Morneau did the broadcast from Target Field.

While watching this game yesterday, after Maeda was taken out in the 5th, my senile, old mind thought "How about bringing in Dobnak to pitch the next two or three innings and save the bullpen?". It would have been similar to starting a game and Dobnak has been pretty good all spring. Oh well, 161-1 should get the Twins to post season.

A record of 161-1 will probably still get the Twins into the playoffs????

The Twins should have a very exciting season this year. But the one thing that I am really looking forward to is reading the daily minor league reports. Not having those in 2020 left a big hole in my daily routine. I think I'm looking forward to May 1st more than April 1st. And that's no joke!

What in the world are you attempting to say? I can't figure this out!

Who would want him?

I have a question for those who are actually at spring training. Given that there is a game nearly every day, how much actual time does Kirilloff get to work on his mechanics? If he doesn't get too much time to practice, maybe a month at the alternate site would be far more beneficial than sitting on the end of the bench at Target Field?????

No wonder I fell asleep watching the game.

The Rule 5 draft is like going to Las Vegas. You take some gambles with your own players and with whom you draft. Once in a long while, the slot machine gives you cherries, but most often, you just lose. Se la vie!

Does the rule change say that infielders must touch the infield or touch the dirt? There is a difference. If it says touch the dirt, then infielders can't play on the grass when anticipating a bunt. That is a different outcome than the rule intends (I think).

I can relate to this. I cracked a tooth eating mussels and they are even softer than a steak. Weird things can happen!

If nothing else, he will make Sano's job easier. Every throw seemed to be a chest-high bullet. No bending, no stretching for Sano.

I hope the Twins avoid the free agent shortstop stampede and sign Simmons for another year or two (dependent on how well Lewis comes back from his injury). I can see the free agent frenzy turning into a situation similar to when my wife and I were at an antique auction. When a particular piece we were eyeing came up for auction (let's call it a Lindor), we happened to be on opposite sides of the auction and ended up bidding against each other and driving up the price. We ended up with the piece but didn't have enough money left for anything else. I hope the Twins avoid this bidding war and use their money on front-line pitching instead.

I HATE INFIELD SHIFTS!!!!! But, not for the same reasons most of you do. I hate the shift because current-day major league players have no ability to bunt or hit the opposite way. It's not rocket science; it's just practice. Does anyone really think teams would continue to shift if opponents kept dribbling the ball into the wide open spaces left by the shift? Luis Arraez would have a batting average over .500 if opponents tried a shift on him. The shift only works because hitters still try to muscle the ball through or over the shift.

After looking at these three plays numerous times, my perception is that, although the throws weren't perfect, a lot of the blame should be placed on the first baseman. Let me clarify before you bring out the pitchforks and torches. I played first base for many years, in an era most of you think of as prehistoric. We were taught a completely different method of preparing for throws from our infielders that is used today. And I'm still convinced it is a far more versatile method. Today's first basemen are taught to plant an anchor foot on the infield side of the bag, squarely in the middle, and take a step towards the person about to make the throw. That works great when the throw is good. However, if the throw is off-line, the opportunity to adjust is compromised. You can see in the video that Sano has trouble adjusting on all three throws. The new style of play is not compatible with rapid adjustment. On the first play, because Sano has already made his stretch before seeing where the throw is going, he winds up catching the ball too far away from the baseline to tag the runner. On the second play, having again already done his stretch before the throw is made, he has to cross over his body to try to backhand the throw in the dirt and fails to do it. On the last play, he does the same awkward move but does manage to catch this throw. Back in prehistoric times, we were taught to straddle first base with the heels of our feet in contact with the outer edges of the infield side of the bag. When the fielder catches the ball, we held our arms up and yelled to the fielder (what you yelled was a personal option - I usually just yelled their name) to give them a reference point. After the throw had been made, we would then adjust our feet with a simple slide step to the side of first base to which the throw was heading. For example, on the first throw in the video, I would have shuffled my feet so that my right heel was now in contact with the home plate side of the bag but still on the infield edge. I would have then stretched parallel to the baseline to see if I could catch the throw without losing touch with the bag. If not, I would step off to make the catch and still be close enough to the baseline to possibly tag the runner. On the next two video examples, I would have shuffled my feet the other way, placing my left heel on the outfield side of the base and stretching towards Polanco. On the throw Sano did not catch, this would have put my whole body behind my glove (and in Sano's case, that's a lot of body). That provides a way to block the ball in case I fail to make the clean pickup. The same is true for the last throw. I would like to see any coaching staff perform the following simple experiment comparing the way I was taught and the "modern" method. Have a first baseman assume the position currently being used of one foot planted on the bag and the other in a minimal stretch towards second base (any base will suffice). Next, assume the throw is up the home plate side. Have the player make the furthest stretch he can towards home plate and mark the spot to which the end of his glove reaches. Repeat this experiment for a wide throw to the outfield side of first base. Next, do the same two experiments using the mystical methods of our ancestors. I am willing to bet that the ground covered is far greater using ancient folk lore. Try it. I double dog dare you.

Great news. Now what's the next topic which can be irrationally argued to death?

Wasn't Hansel Robles one of the male supermodels in Zoolander?

I prefer Arraez over Kepler for several reasons. But the primary reason is I would rather have the first batter make the pitcher throw a bunch of pitches right out of the gate than a one-swing lead-off appearance even if it sometimes results in a 1-0 lead. Let the rest of the team see what the pitcher has.

This could turn out to be much better than spending millions in free agency on a "maybe he can help us" lefty.

Maybe capital letters will help some people understand. YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR A WORK VISA IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN EMPLOYER!!! Does everyone understand?

I see no reason why the starting lineup listed below can't remain in contention for a long time. 2023 1B Roller 2B Arraez SS Camaro 3B Miranda LF Kirilloff CF Celestial RF Larnach DH Santo SP Duran SP Balazovich SP Winder SP Sands SP Canterino RP Duffy RP Rogers RP I ran out of thoughts. Good night.

The New York Giants kept Willie Mays in AAA until May in 1951. He was hitting well over .400 by the t,one they brought him up. I doubt that service time was an issue back then. I just think they wanted him to get his legs under him before he started his MLB career.