Well I'm excited by it.
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Heroes of the Wins
We've missed a few wins here, so we'll throw out H.O.W.'s for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We're going for brevity, since who wants to read a recap of games from several days ago, right? So, here goes:
The cycle gives Cuddyer Friday's Hero Of the Win.
General awesomeness gives Mauer Saturday's Hero Of the Win.
And even though only players can get H.O.W.'s, we're bending the rules for Sunday's game, where winning an argument with an ump gives Gardy the Hero Of the Win.
Season total: Mauer 5, Crede 3, Blackburn 2, Cuddy 2, Morneau 2, Slowey 2, , Casilla 1, Harris 1, Kubel 1, Nathan 1, Perkins 1, Gardy 1
The cycle gives Cuddyer Friday's Hero Of the Win.
General awesomeness gives Mauer Saturday's Hero Of the Win.
And even though only players can get H.O.W.'s, we're bending the rules for Sunday's game, where winning an argument with an ump gives Gardy the Hero Of the Win.
Season total: Mauer 5, Crede 3, Blackburn 2, Cuddy 2, Morneau 2, Slowey 2, , Casilla 1, Harris 1, Kubel 1, Nathan 1, Perkins 1, Gardy 1
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Memorial Break
Due to some significant computer problems and a nice long weekend trip with Mrs. DCTF, the site will be silent over the next few days. For all of the Twins' victories I'll determine an H.O.W. and post the results when we return.
And when we come back hopefully we'll be ready to make a nifty little announcement!
And when we come back hopefully we'll be ready to make a nifty little announcement!
Hero Of the Win 5/21/09
Offense is great, but we were in dire need of some amazing pitching. Rule 2 comes into play, and today's Hero Of the Win is Nick Blackburn.
Season total: Mauer 4, Crede 3, Blackburn 2, Morneau 2, Slowey 2, , Casilla 1, Cuddy 1, Harris 1, Kubel 1, Nathan 1, Perkins 1
Season total: Mauer 4, Crede 3, Blackburn 2, Morneau 2, Slowey 2, , Casilla 1, Cuddy 1, Harris 1, Kubel 1, Nathan 1, Perkins 1
Monday, May 18, 2009
Ten Things:
It would be easy to focus on the negative after four painful losses to the hatable Yankees, but here at DCTF we pride ourselves on our ability to take the long-view, to highlight the positive, and to appreciate the inherent worth in good baseball the way a philatelist might appreciate the new Simpsons stamps.
So what we're going to do today is a list of the 10 things we liked to see in this series. It's time to focus our energy on what makes Twins baseball lovable, even in such dark moments.
1. I liked seeing the Twins. I almost always listen to the games, but since a whopping 50% of the games were on national T.V. (that's like Mauer OBP rates!) I actually got to see them play.
2. Morneau hitting 2 homers on his birthday. Why is it that players always seem to do better on their birthday? I remember the same effect going all the way back to little league. Anyone?
3. I liked Gomez drawing a walk in the 9th tonight, after being down to his last strike. That's growth.
4. The fact that our bullpen pitched 7+ innings of 1 run ball today is a good sign. Even Ayala looked pretty sharp.
5. Mauer's amazing play in Sunday's game. What sheer brilliance! What amazing baseball IQ! What a stud!
6. Damon getting tossed in the first game delighted me, as did Jeter's dumbfounded look when he was called out looking on Monday. I know those aren't Twins highlights, so much as they are Yankee lowlights, but man that's fun stuff. Along the same lines, I took some glee in seeing open seats. That'll teach you to be unaffordable, Yankees. (We have the same issue here in D.C. Dern Nats...).
6b. (A Twins related good thing). Only 1 error. Despite the frustrating outcomes and batting the Twins weren't bringing their struggles into the field.
7. Hearing the TBS crew rave about the Twins, particularly Slowey. Even if they're not winning games, people seem to be noticing the players on our team. And they seem to think that these are character-building games, which might pay off for us in the future.
8. How about that slide play from Punto behind third base? That was pretty awesome, right?
9. Speedy Gomez stealing second even when he was picked off was pretty fun. Take that, Mr. Best-pick-off-move-in-baseball.
10. I really like R.A.'s beard. That's a nice look for him, right? Maybe it's the fact that I can't manage to grow a beard, but in a totally non-sexual way I appreciate his facial hair. On the other hand, Joe Crede needs to remove that hairball from his chin. It does not work.
Alright, there you have it. 10 things it was great to see this weekend. Let's hope the great things we see in Chicago are wins.
So what we're going to do today is a list of the 10 things we liked to see in this series. It's time to focus our energy on what makes Twins baseball lovable, even in such dark moments.
1. I liked seeing the Twins. I almost always listen to the games, but since a whopping 50% of the games were on national T.V. (that's like Mauer OBP rates!) I actually got to see them play.
2. Morneau hitting 2 homers on his birthday. Why is it that players always seem to do better on their birthday? I remember the same effect going all the way back to little league. Anyone?
3. I liked Gomez drawing a walk in the 9th tonight, after being down to his last strike. That's growth.
4. The fact that our bullpen pitched 7+ innings of 1 run ball today is a good sign. Even Ayala looked pretty sharp.
5. Mauer's amazing play in Sunday's game. What sheer brilliance! What amazing baseball IQ! What a stud!
6. Damon getting tossed in the first game delighted me, as did Jeter's dumbfounded look when he was called out looking on Monday. I know those aren't Twins highlights, so much as they are Yankee lowlights, but man that's fun stuff. Along the same lines, I took some glee in seeing open seats. That'll teach you to be unaffordable, Yankees. (We have the same issue here in D.C. Dern Nats...).
6b. (A Twins related good thing). Only 1 error. Despite the frustrating outcomes and batting the Twins weren't bringing their struggles into the field.
7. Hearing the TBS crew rave about the Twins, particularly Slowey. Even if they're not winning games, people seem to be noticing the players on our team. And they seem to think that these are character-building games, which might pay off for us in the future.
8. How about that slide play from Punto behind third base? That was pretty awesome, right?
9. Speedy Gomez stealing second even when he was picked off was pretty fun. Take that, Mr. Best-pick-off-move-in-baseball.
10. I really like R.A.'s beard. That's a nice look for him, right? Maybe it's the fact that I can't manage to grow a beard, but in a totally non-sexual way I appreciate his facial hair. On the other hand, Joe Crede needs to remove that hairball from his chin. It does not work.
Alright, there you have it. 10 things it was great to see this weekend. Let's hope the great things we see in Chicago are wins.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
May 17th, Twins vs. Yankees
A great date overall (it is, after all, my birthday), but not a great date for the Twins to play the Yankees.
- 1998 David Wells throws a perfect game against the Twins.
- 2002 Jason Giambi walk-off grand slam with the Yankees down by 3 in the 14th.
- 2009 Walk-off homer by Johnny Damon makes the third straight walk-off win for the Yankees against the Twins.
Dear DCTwinsFan,
I hope you had a wonderful birthday experiencing yet another gut-wrenching, yet altogether predictable Twins loss to the Yankees.
Sincerely,
The baseball gods
Friday, May 15, 2009
Eternal Recurrence
A long time ago, in a galaxy identical to our own, I went to see Star Wars: Attack of the Clones on my twenty-first birthday. (This probably says something about me, that rather than go to a bar I opted for a sci-fi flick (there was some drinking at midnight the eve before, but still...)). It was May 17, 2002, and I will forever remember the Twins game from that day.
They were playing the Yankees in New York that night, and my friends and I had caught a good portion of the game prior to the screening of the film. It was the end of the 6th inning when we went into the film, and the Twins had just pulled ahead 9-8, with a 6 run outburst. We were feeling pretty good when we walked into the theater. Walking back out we were still feeling good, though slightly numbed from George Lucas' awful dialogue. We decided we'd find a restaurant where we could catch a bite to eat and a last birthday brew.
Getting back into the car we were shocked to hear that the game was still on. The Yankees had tied it up in the bottom of the 9th on a home run by Bernie Williams. We came in at the end of the 13th, where a perfect relay from Denny Hocking caught Jason Giambi at the plate as he tried to score the winning run. Giambi was in his first season as a Yankee, and really hadn't done anything noteworthy yet. It felt pretty good to hear our defense keep that frustration going.
They moved quickly into the 14th inning, and things were going well. As we drove to the bar the Twins strung together a bunch of hits and pulled ahead, 12 to 9. The inning ended and the Yankees were coming to bat as we pulled into the restaurant. The Twins were up by three and we felt like celebrating. We got out of the car. Some other friends had rethought staying out, as we'd caravaned to the restaurant, and so they were going to head back home. We said our goodbyes and they pulled away.
This all took a while, and by the time we actually made it into the restaurant the Yankees had the bases loaded. Jason Giambi stepped to the plate. We walked through the door, looked up at the TV screen above the bar, watched the ball sail out of the park for a game-winning walk-off grand slam. Ouch.
I honestly don't remember if we stayed at the restaurant or just turned around and walked out. All I know is that we had been on a high. A Twins win had seemed almost certain. They were up by 3 in the 14th. What are the odds? But that's the way it goes with the Yankees: they're a team that causes an utter obliteration of joy.
I still feel the pain of that game to this day. Everyone has those painful baseball memories. For me, that game is number one on the list of worst baseball moments.
It seems too that ever since that game the Twins play the Yankees every year around my birthday. Maybe not exactly, but sometime in mid-May. And it always seems like they're some of the most painful losses we could ever suffer.
This year again the Yankees took a birthday - Morneau's - and crushed his otherwise beautiful day (2 HR!). I felt good throughout the game, but I've learned my lesson, and wasn't too surprised when things ended the way they did. I'm expecting much the same when my birthday rolls around on Sunday.
I know better than to trust a lead in Yankee stadium in mid-May. It's just a prelude to the pain.
They were playing the Yankees in New York that night, and my friends and I had caught a good portion of the game prior to the screening of the film. It was the end of the 6th inning when we went into the film, and the Twins had just pulled ahead 9-8, with a 6 run outburst. We were feeling pretty good when we walked into the theater. Walking back out we were still feeling good, though slightly numbed from George Lucas' awful dialogue. We decided we'd find a restaurant where we could catch a bite to eat and a last birthday brew.
Getting back into the car we were shocked to hear that the game was still on. The Yankees had tied it up in the bottom of the 9th on a home run by Bernie Williams. We came in at the end of the 13th, where a perfect relay from Denny Hocking caught Jason Giambi at the plate as he tried to score the winning run. Giambi was in his first season as a Yankee, and really hadn't done anything noteworthy yet. It felt pretty good to hear our defense keep that frustration going.
They moved quickly into the 14th inning, and things were going well. As we drove to the bar the Twins strung together a bunch of hits and pulled ahead, 12 to 9. The inning ended and the Yankees were coming to bat as we pulled into the restaurant. The Twins were up by three and we felt like celebrating. We got out of the car. Some other friends had rethought staying out, as we'd caravaned to the restaurant, and so they were going to head back home. We said our goodbyes and they pulled away.
This all took a while, and by the time we actually made it into the restaurant the Yankees had the bases loaded. Jason Giambi stepped to the plate. We walked through the door, looked up at the TV screen above the bar, watched the ball sail out of the park for a game-winning walk-off grand slam. Ouch.
I honestly don't remember if we stayed at the restaurant or just turned around and walked out. All I know is that we had been on a high. A Twins win had seemed almost certain. They were up by 3 in the 14th. What are the odds? But that's the way it goes with the Yankees: they're a team that causes an utter obliteration of joy.
I still feel the pain of that game to this day. Everyone has those painful baseball memories. For me, that game is number one on the list of worst baseball moments.
It seems too that ever since that game the Twins play the Yankees every year around my birthday. Maybe not exactly, but sometime in mid-May. And it always seems like they're some of the most painful losses we could ever suffer.
This year again the Yankees took a birthday - Morneau's - and crushed his otherwise beautiful day (2 HR!). I felt good throughout the game, but I've learned my lesson, and wasn't too surprised when things ended the way they did. I'm expecting much the same when my birthday rolls around on Sunday.
I know better than to trust a lead in Yankee stadium in mid-May. It's just a prelude to the pain.
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