Squirrel

Yeah, they are trying to up their cred by hitching their wagon to the better place

Yes, fresh flowers are always nice ... I like yellow roses.

i was going to say this after arcia's hit ... but got distracted with the continuing colitas conversation ... but i really like the player that plouffe has been this year. all the criticism he got last year, and deservedly so, imo ... but maybe what he needed was that 'seasoning' ... i just think he's probably been most improved this year. (sorry Halsey, but that's what i think)

hbp in the 1st.

heh ... i thought they were saying eucalyptus but shortening it to 'calyptus ...

This thread is beginning to smell like a guy's room.

Gross. Poor chimp.

I think he meant he was getting back to watching a hockey game.

Well ... yay for the runs! NOOO! for the out.

dammit

Metra does.

Gary is because of what Gary was. It has nothing to do with Chicago.

Gary is not Chicago. It's not even in the same state.

It's one thing if you have to drive through Chicago ... although I usually recommend driving well around it, depending on your final destination ... but if you are coming TO Chicago ... take the train and forget about driving. You can get around the city well enough without a car; in fact, probably better than.

No, you don't gotta go through Chicago. It's a choice to go through Chicago. http://www.lake-express.com/

Oy ... don't get Brian started on Chicago traffic. It'll end up the theme of the game thread.

Go Blackhawks!

Heh ... no comment.

I'm a little surprised Escobar is back in the lineup after reading earlier today that he wouldn't be and was iffy for the rest of the year. Guess it goes to show you ... you can't trust anything you read nowadays.

Game-time forecast: Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 65. DIAMONDBACKS: SP, Chafin Inciarte LF Pollack CF Lamb 3B Trumbo 1B Montero DH Owings 2B Ross RF Gregorius SS Gosewisch C TWINS: SP, Gibson Schafer LF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Plouffe DH Arcia RF Pinto C Nuñez 3B Hicks CF Escobar SS ------------------------------------------------ Okay, Brian ... I was working so hard today I almost forgot to do this. Hopefully you didn't forget to think today. ----------------------------------------------- What? Um? Sorry... I found a switch in the back of my head... Underneath my hair so I didn't know it was there... It turns my brain on and off... It was off the whole time and I flipped it... Solved some things that I hadn't been able to solve in years... Now that's done... I turned it back off and I can't remember what I solved. With the Switch flipped to off... Here ya go!!! Things to Think About: 1. Games left to Play -- We have 6 games left to play. I know how this works... It'll be November and I'll be sad without baseball... I'll be waiting for Spring Training to start and baseball to begin again... However... Here it is September 23rd and I'm about ready for the season to conclude. 2. AL Playoff Race -- Seriously... The Twins are the Twins... It's the pennant races that have my attention right now. The Mariners are fading... 3-7 in their last 10 games.They are two games behind the Royals for the last playoff spot... The Angels and Orioles are in and the Royals are battling the A's and Mariners and the Tigers all at the same time. It looked like this race would be interesting but it's starting to not be interesting unless the Mariners can snap out of it. 3. NL Playoff Race -- This thing is over... The Brewers need a miracle to catch the Pirates. The Giants are in and they could catch the Dodgers in the AL West but they are in. The Pirates could catch the Cards but both teams are likely in. When all is said and done... This could be one of the most boring playoff races in quite some time. 4. Pinto -- He's playing today... Let the complaining begin!!! 5. Finishing Last -- The Twins are guaranteed to finish last in the AL Central. If they win the last 6 games and the White Sox lose the last 6 games. They will both have 90 losses and that means the Twins are guaranteed to at least tie for last at best. When you think about everything. All the work in the off season... Spring Training... The Careful instruction in the minor leagues... The Coaching in the Majors as well... Coaches are paid... Scouts are paid... Managers are paid... There is a whole organization of employees who have a job to do and that is win baseball games... Batting Practice... Fielding Practice... Bullpen Sessions... Film Study... Weight Room Training... Cardio... When you think of all the work that the organization has done this year to get ready to compete in 2014... When you think of all the work the players have put in... The Money Spent... When you think of everything... It Just occurred to me... The Twins could have done none of all this stuff and still finished last in the AL Central.

Sometimes ... I'll be all by myself and think of you tripping just to amuse myself.

Lol! Thinking of Brian as Sue Ann is priceless!

So do I. But it's never by design.

Thanks, Al. But I have to give full credit to Brian on the chuckles. He's the comedic talent. I'm just the ordinary citizen you see on the street who trips on the curb and you can't help but laugh at the awkwardness.

Game-time forecast: Clear. Winds blowing from right to left field at 1-5 m.p.h. Temperature around 65. DIAMONDBACKS: SP, Collmenter Inciarte LF Pollock CF Peralta RF Trumbo 1B Montero C Hill DH Lamb 3B Owings 2B Gregorius SS TWINS: SP, Nolasco Santana SS Herrmann LF Plouffe 3B Vargas DH Arcia RF Suzuki C Parmelee 1B Hicks CF Bernier 2B -------------------------------- At some point in this very spot, Brian will think of something really great. But give it some time and greatness will eventually appear. -------------------------------- Jeez... I wasn't planning on anything great today. Now I have to change my plans. 1. Arizona -- Normally I'd think about the location when the Twins roadtrip there but we won't be travelling to Arizona... will we. Arizona is a state in the southwestern United States with a population of 6 Million and Change. Of the 6 million citizens... Approximately 5.8 million of them are retired and originally from states like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The .2 million who are not retired have to run the hospitals and own the convenience stores. The Name of the state comes from a Mark Lindsay song and it means "Take off your Rainbow Shades". Actually... It's so hot... you might as well take off your hobo shoes and all of your clothes. Arizona has a unique special relationship with the people of Mexico. They are nice enough to allow people to cross the border on foot and die in the desert from lack of water. The average temp in Arizona is 144 Degrees but it's a dry heat so you catch fire much quicker without realizing that it's coming. In the Northern part of the state there is a giant hole called the Grand Canyon. At the Grand Canyon you can take a donkey ride down to the bottom... all the while hoping the Donkey isn't suicidal. It was named the Grand Canyon because it reminded them of Grand Forks. Grand Forks is almost exactly like the Grand Canyon with the exception of having no danger whatsoever of falling from anything. The greatest thing about Arizona is that Chief lives there... I'll let everyone decide just how great that makes it. 2. The D-Backs -- Yeah... We call them the D-Backs now... Why... Because we are just too lazy to say Diamondbacks. There was a time when I thought I knew what they were doing... but... I'm not so sure anymore and it's possible that I was wrong. When the D-Backs decided to make a bunch of big trades to revamp the roster... A lot of people were questioning it... How could you trade a talent like Justin Upton? I wasn't... Not me... I just assumed that they were removing players who didn't give it everything they had and they were trying to build a balls out team and I was intrigued by this. OK... If that's what they are doing... It's not working... And If it's not what they are doing... It' still not working. The D-Backs went quickly from contender to non-contender in the blink of an eye. 3. Drafting #1 in 2015... Right Now... As it stands... The D-backs are drafting #1 next year. However... If the Twins let the D-backs sweep us... We will be close... Very Close. With a D-Backs Sweep it will be: Twins 66-92 D-Backs 65-94 We're COMING!!! 4. Josmil Pinto -- He's not catching today... OK... I've announced it... Now I'm going to duck behind something (there's nothing to duck behind in Grand Forks) because I don't want to get hit with any Tomatoes. 5. Arm going to Sleep -- While sleeping last night... I woke up and my arm was asleep... It was totally numb. I rubbed it and I didn't feel a thing... I grabbed it with my other hand and moved it around and it was totally limp. I pinched it... and I didn't feel a thing. So I grabbed a pin from the nightstand and I jammed it into my arm and my wife screamed.