strumdatjag

Blindfolds, or maybe hemlock. Yesterday’s Rogers to Donaldson debacle is just the latest painful moment

The masks at Target Field are being replaced by paper bags. I’ll still go to the ballpark - but much of the games I watch at home on TV are being watched on fast forward.

The correct attitude for this year’s beer-drinking Twins fan is SURLY. No need for any other word on the label of their Twins beer.

Look at the LOB (including a bases loaded situation) and try to feel that good about this.

Free beer or helmet sundae. That may get more of the 12-18year old crowd to show up. The Twins need more younger fans. The Twins would have a flood of 18-20 year olds show up, if the Governor could issue a one-beer reprieve on the 21 year old drinking law to them - and Twins offer one free beer per vax to them.

Twins should be moving towards becoming a younger team. Barring a massive winning streak that puts them in contention, The Twins should look to trading Maeda, Cruz, and Donaldson. They should see what they can get for players they could lose after 2022 (Buxton, Berrios). They can look to make a change of scenery trade for players who are underproducing here (Sano, Kepler ...). and with the other club in the trade.

Doug Mientkiewicz would also be entertaining and maybe I'd finally learn how to spell his name.

Another idea: Move the Twins AAA affiliate to Fargo-Moorhead, which has a similar population in its metro area to Rochester. It's general geographic area has fewer people, but the local fans are Twins fans already and would probably have more interest in a Twins affiliate than those who live in Upstate New York. Moreover, a few of those fans of the Fargo affiliate would then be encouraged to see the players they followed at Target Field both on TV (better ratings) and on a few extra trips to the big league park. Maybe a few Twin Cities fans would go to Fargo to catch a game. The Team would play in the Pacific Coast League with teams from Des Moines, Omaha . . . Leave the low A team in Cedar Rapids.

Matt Wieters leads on the ballotsx and is injured which increases Suzuki's chances. Kurt is having a career year and is likely to be rewarded. Dozier plays a position with too many great players. Houston will have one all-star and it has to be 2nd Baseman Jose Altuve. Robinson Cano will be voted in. If an additional 2nd Baseman is added it could be Ian Kinsler or Dustin Pedroia (or they may overtake Cano).

I remember going to the Old Met in the 1960s as a kid with my friends (one friend's dad had seats for his business and we went once a year to a weekday day game). We'd always order a beer from the old African-American beer vendor who later always wore the "umbrella hat". We knew we wouldn't get served but his response was always the classic "Milk for you son!". Wally and his baseball Card may have been fun for later generations, but not as good as that!

Yeah, I'd rather have Schaub too. Ironic since he used to back up Vick.

So, no QBs after the top three go fast. If it goes like that, the Vikings should be able to take a decent QB in the 2nd Round to be groomed behind next year's starter Free Agent Signee Michael Vick (just predicting!)

Tale of Two Lineups - Early and Late Season: Early (April, May and June): LF Pressley 2B Dozier 1B Mauer DH Willingham and Kubel Platoon RF Arcia 3B Plouffe CF Hicks C Suzuki SS Florimon or Bartlett (if Drew or SS by trade, may bat higher in line-up) Later Season July and Beyond 1. LF Hicks 2. 1B Mauer 3. (September Call-up Buxton in CF Bumps everyone, starting with Sano one spot lower) 3 (4 in Sept) 3b Sano 4 (5 in Sept) DH Plouffe and Kubel Platoon (Willingham released or traded) 5 (6 in Sept) RF Arcia 6 (7 in Sept) 2B Dozier 7 (8 in Sept) C Pinto 8 (gone or reserve in Sept) CF Pressley 9. Florimon or Bartlett (or other SS obtained by trade maybe batting higher in lineup)

Looks like no QBs after Carr. Vikings Reaching Again?????

More entertaining too.

If the Twins have to lose, it would be more interesting with Ozzie Guillen

The answer: Because sports are Soap Operas for guys. Many women don't understand why we follow sports just like most of us don't understand why any of them were glued to the news of William, Kate and the Royal Baby in the UK or why any of them would give a rip about any of the Kardashians, except to the extent it may distract Chris Humphries and derail his NBA career.

Ozzie Guillen is available to take over as Manager - He's always been very complimentary of the Twins. Just Kidding

This season is shot. The Twins should be building for the future and specifically building a team to play in Target Field. Unfortunately, they do not have many players with trade value. Josh Willingham, however, does have trade value. He is a very good player but he doesn't have the speed to cover the real estate in Left Field. The Twins, need to build an outfield based on speed - Span in Right, Revere in Center, and another speedy guy in Left. Joe Benson and Aaron Hicks are not panning out; they need to trade for another outfield speedster. If the Twins like Pitch To Contact Pitchers (look for pitching to be a big priority in the next two drafts), they need to design their defense (2B, SS, and OF) with the speed to chase down the balls that are hit. Power Hitting needs to be supplied by First Base, Third Base and DH; preferably pull hitters (illustrated by the success of Willingham at the plate at TF). I think Dozier will provide a little power, too (10 hr a year). Mauer, hopefully, can spray doubles to the gap and provide another 10-15 dingers a year. Then we may haved something 3-4 years from now.

Last night, Detroit scored ten runs. Maybe ruining the batter's eye will slow them down. Bring back the Pine Trees. LIFT THE CURSE!

Last night, the Tigers score ten on the Twins. Maybe, we need the trees to slow down the opposing team. Certainly, our players would be more accustomed to the "disadvantage" of seeing the ball thru those trees - so the "disdvantage" to the "batters eye" should saffect the other batters more than the Twins batters. Nevertheless, it isn't a matter of natural logic, it is all about the supernatural. Since the curse of the trees started, the Twins have been in a tailspin. Bring back the trees and the the curse will be lifted!!!!

The curse of the Pine Trees strikes again. Five- Zipperoo today against the blue meanies. We were told that removing them would help the Twins hit better. Joe Mauer himself made this claim. It's done the exact opposite. BRING BACK THE TREES IN CENTER FIELD PRONTO - - Or the Twins will suffer losing season after losing season and heartbreak after heartbreak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The curse of the Pine Trees strikes again. Five- Zipperoo today against the blue meanies. We were told that removing them would help the Twins hit better. Joe Mauer himself made this claim. It's done the exact opposite. BRING BACK THE TREES IN CENTER FIELD PRONTO - - Or the Twins will suffer losing season after losing season and heartbreak after heartbreak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think fans at Target Field can also bring a sign saying "X Me Out Bert".

Simple baseball ineptitude can be explained by a lack of good pitching, fielding and hitting (and maybe even a little bad managing). However, the Twins' current level of ineptitude and misery cannot be explained through tradition baseball analysis. Tom Kelly used to say that a team is certain to win a third of its games and certain to lose a third, but it's how they play in that other third that determines the success of the team. The Twins have not even won that guaranteed one-third. The reason: THE CURSE OF THE PINE TREES. The hitters said they would hit better once the trees were removed from the "batter's eye" at Target Field - they're hitting worse. Look what the curse has done to Daanny Valencia - Did removing the trees improve his "batter's eye"? By chopping down those pine trees, he Twins have insulted Mother Nature herself, and she's ticked off bigtime (notice how even the weather at Target Field has been considerably worse in 2011 and 2012 seasons, since the trees were felled). Replant the pine trees NOW, or Twins Fans will suffer the longterm fate of other cursed clubs like the Cubs (cursed by the Billy Goat) and the Red Sox (the Bambino has returned after a brief heavenly vacation from decades of cursing them). Maybe some local Native American tribes can send in a spiritual specialist to help appease the angry forces of nature, too. Remember, how angry those trees were in the Wizard of Oz? That's nothing compared to the Curse of the Pine Trees on the Twins. Replant those trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!