gil4

That's a great line, both for being very funny and for illustrating the biggest weakness of the system that as yet to be ironed out (or maybe they have attempted it.) The umpire effect can be cancelled out with a larger sample size, but the pitcher effect is just amplified. For a pitch to be convincingly frames, it must be close to the strike zone and close to the target - it's hard to get the outside corner if the catcher is set up inside. Different speeds and different types of movement will cause variations, and if a catcher is catching 60% of his innings for 5 starters (or maybe 40% for 3 and a revolving door for the other two spots) it's going to be hard to cancel out results created by a certain type, experience level, or skill level of pitcher.

Mine wasn't working either. I pictured a trophy head hanging on the other side of the wall, but who has a horse as a hunting trophy. I guess maybe the guy who would hang the rest of the horse in the hall. Nobody is going to top Riverbrian's "No Horsing around in the House!!!" so I guess it doesn't matter.

That's probably how it went. The deal was done before either side checked on the mascot part.

I think that's what I heard. Maybe he gets 3 days per kid.

It's too bad the Twins' AAA team isn't still in Portland - it would be close enough to save them the price of a plane ticket after the game tonight.

The only tennis I can play these days is on the Wii. I can't say I ever lose that badly, though.

He sure hid it well.

Isn't that how Perkins became a closer? (Other than the average part - that's far too generous.) Which reminds me - Perkins hit 97 (possibly 98) on the gun during Saturday's game. Wasn't he topping out in the low 90's as a starter?

I had a similar "college is paying off" experience recently: Oldest, age 21: "Studies show the first-born of the family is most likely to have the highest IQ" #4, age 14: "What's IQ?"

For your hand or the cat?

That will probably hurt your computer monitor, possibly hurt your hand, and leave him unscathed. So punch away and let us know how it comes out.

Compter access has been hit and miss over my vacation. We went to the Rock Cats game. I had a feeling that the fact I couldn't find a starter listed as of early afternoon on game day was bad news, and I was right - Nick Blackburn. It was only his 2nd start of the year - the first was in the GCL - and he did not look good. He didn't give up any runs in the first three innings, but then got pounded pretty well in the 4th and 5th. His final line: 4.2 IP, 7H, 5R 5ER, 2BB 2K. He left trailing 5-1 and that's the way things stayed. ( One more note - Blackburn looked like conditioning might be a problem. Maybe it was just the fit of the uniform, but he looked quite a bit heavier than I remember. It was my first time seeing him pitch in person, but on TV he always looked trim. Sano was out - probably a travel day for the futures game. Rosario was 1-4 with a double, but he also had two misplayed routine ground balls. The first he recovered to make the play, but the second went for an error. The game wasn't the performance I had hoped to see, but it was a beautiful night for baseball and we had a great time. Note to Rock Cats: Free programs are great, but they are much more useful if they have team rosters in them. Also, competitive eaters might interest a few fans, but many find them disgusting. I'm glad he failed in his attempt to break a record by eating 12 lb of BBQ in 10 minutes. The Dancing Christopher performance was hilarious, however. It was a one-man Village People dance team - he had 4 life-sized puppets attached to him - two in front and two behind. The arms and legs were connected to his so that when he moved they moved. It was very well done. (He just came out about four times between innings.)

I was planning to go see the Rock Cats tonight, but didn't realize I had a choice. NB and Pawtucket are both about an hour away - recommendations?

Adding Brooklyn could also push Baltimore south and Colorado west, but I still don't like the 4-team divisions. I like it better on second thought than I did initially, but I can still see a sub-.500 team in the playoffs, which would be OK only if it's the Twins. I don't see talent dilution as an issue. The talent pool is bigger than it has ever been and the system is better at identifying talent. Sports medicine is better at keeping that talent performing at a high level longer. They already have the D-Backs in the area - They aren't right in Phoenix, but they are as close as the Jets and Giants are to New York.

I would expect a manager to say that in public and something else in private. My concern would be that maybe Gardy actually meant it.

The O's and Jays would hate this. How about an expansion team in Brooklyn? I like the idea, but I think the 4-team divisions give playoff spots to undeserving teams. I'd rather see 2x8 or 5-5-6 for the divisions and have a bit more balanced schedule. I also wouldn't mind seeing a return to 154 games to keep the WS out of November, but that would be a hard sell for ownership

And I'm sure Darth Vader was just a nice young jedi who worked his way up through the ranks until he was hanging around with the emperor. We boo the evil empire because they're evil. (Side note - those stormtroopers really should have had pinstripes to generate the proper amount of revulsion.)

As the Twins GM I would make all three of those trades. As the KC GM, I would tell my secretary "If TR calls, tell him I'm out doing something that isn't a waste of my time."

From that article: " and there are still plenty of scouts who think disappointing elite-level picks Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer have plenty of upside." That was written in the 2010 preseason, so it sounds like they were ranked fairly high because of draft position/perceived talent rather than performance. Then they put together big seasons in 2010 and became elite prospects. Since then the struggles have returned. Is it possible that 2010 was just an aberration for those two?

#3 among the starters

I think we found the answer to this question: Twins Daily - Who Is The Odd Arm Out? Not that there has to be just one answer.

Proven closer has tended to mean overvalued asset. Unfortunately, the Twins have been as guilty as anyone could be in overvaluing that asset - overpaying for even a very marginal one - so it would be hard to find a team that would overvalue Perkins even more than the Twins would.

As the adopt-a-prospect guy for him it's my job to know and I don't. I haven't seen any transactions or any reports of an injury, but he has been out of the line-up the past two games. Seth - have you heard anything?

Then we just throw a ball at the mascot and chant something about getting their talent back - it worked in Thunderstruck.

I was sorry to see him go, but at the time I agreed with the trade. (I was 24 at the time, not 7, so I probably wasn't as emotionally attached to individual players.) In hindsight, I would make that trade again in a heartbeat. 1991 seals the deal for me. Pitchers are temporary. Championships are forever.