[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] Whether the 2012 Twins can even be a .500 team largely rests on the ample shoulders of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Let yourself think -- just for a second -- about how fun things could be if our 3-4 hitters were healthy and productive all season long. Thus far -- yes, I know players just showed up a week or so ago -- the early reports are positive. Justin Morneau took Francisco Liriano deep in batting practice, and hasn't had to sit out of any pract
[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9G9zyxHb9rY/UAQIxjePMWI/AAAAAAAAAcY/OOmINSGxY6Q/s1600/MNTwins.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Who are "the 99 percent" when it comes to Twins Territory? [/TD] [/TABLE] If you made your way to this blog, you're not an average Twins fan. Did you find it from my Twitter account (where I tweet almost exclusively about the Twins and Rock Cats)? Do you subscribe to my blog and read or peruse most every post? Or are you reading this at TwinsD
[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] [TD=align: center]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E4vSyn5fI_E/T4YUuZseCvI/AAAAAAAAARA/SF1qSwePFd0/s1600/scott.jpg[/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Will this man-child ever throw for the Twins again?[/TD] [/TABLE] There's no good news report today, as it was just announced that our best righty, Scott Baker, will miss the entire season as a result of elbow surgery. This is bad news, make no mistake. When he's
[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1aH-zI-1tUI/T56Gq8dICjI/AAAAAAAAATo/R6RiPfJY1u0/s1600/Hermsen.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Newly promoted B.J. Hermsen will take the mound tonight in his AA debut [/TD] [/TABLE] The landscape for the New Britain Rock Cats is already starting to change only 23 games into the season. A couple days ago, reliever Deolis Guerra was promoted to AAA Rochester. Congratulations to him! He's
[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifeAwJ8PVqc/T4V9F9DdRaI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/gRSid00-1as/s320/NB2.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Thus far, good things are coming out of New Britain [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] A few unrelated items this morning. First, if you missed it, yesterday I wrote about Alex Wimmers' first AA Rock Cats start that took place Monday night, and Aaron Hicks' monster game that helped give the Rock Cats a big victory. Thi
[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yamyJ_LSBtg/T4bUbOz-62I/AAAAAAAAARI/IePkdnSf9Bo/s320/lineup.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]How lineups are posted in New Britain -- on a large posterboard when you walk in the stadium. Gotta love it! [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Yesterday morning, the Rock Cats played at 10:35 a.m., eastern time. That's right, as many of you in Minnesota were settling into your workday routine, so were the Rock Cats
I was at the Rock Cats game this evening. It wasn't a great game for New Britain -- not nearly enough offense, and our pitchers had some trouble keeping the ball down. Terry Ryan was in attendance. I spoke to him for a few minutes, and it sounds like he plans to follow the team through its upcoming weekend series in New Hampshire, as we get closer to the date when a few players on this team might get a call-up to Minnesota (or, if the Rock Cats make the playoffs, after their playoff stint ends).
[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vRS8ooS9pUw/T9CiAHhc3pI/AAAAAAAAAYw/TxobZRM71YA/s320/RC.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption] Thanks, Google Image search! [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Every Wednesday evening, I write a recap of all the Twins minor league action, which you can find at TwinsDaily. Take a look if you haven't already. Here's what I wrote about last night's Rock Cats game: NEW BRITAIN 4, AKRON 6 Starter Brett Jacobson a
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49w-eP93aWA/T7OkX-ftgpI/AAAAAAAAAVo/PoyyrOxcmPc/s1600/Dave.bmp [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] From the confines of his Target Field office this morning, Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter issued the following press release: "Twins Fans. It's been a rough start to 2012. We here at the Minnesota Twins are especially disappointed by the way this season has gone, especially after having sat through 2011. In 2011, when things were going bad, we to
[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins are in a sort of interesting position when it comes to Joel Zumaya. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the firethrowing righty didn't make it past one of his first batting practice sessions last week, and now needs decide whether, at age 27, to retire and become a professional fisherman (apparently he is enough of a realist to understand that becoming a professional on Guitar Hero was not going to happen), or to opt for Tommy John surgery and attempt
Per La Velle. http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/147047085.html This doesn't sound good. I'll hope for the best, but it's tough to imagine a press conference with Terry Ryan sitting next to Baker, and Baker saying "I'm 100% ready for action!"
[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4CgSEMDxhD0/T5fsk39GnxI/AAAAAAAAASw/ftjl8qrHDD0/s320/Herrmann.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Chris Herrmann celebrates his first inning home run. Mauer's 2013 backup??? [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Unlike their parent club, the New Britain Rock Cats put up a fight after the odds were stacked against them Tuesday night and, thanks to a 5-run 7th inning, came back to defeat the Portland Sea Dogs
[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] The New Britain Rock Cats lost a close game this afternoon, 2-1, to the Portland Sea Dogs. This was a pitcher's duel, to be sure. Starter Steve Hirschfeld pitched 7 strong innings for the Rock Cats, striking out 7 and walking none, to lower his ERA to 1.06. He surrendered just three hits. Blake Martin struck out 2 in a scoreless 8th. Luis Perdomo blew the save after allowing two walks and a double in the 9th, and then lost the game when, after inte
It feels like almost every Wednesday night when I write this, the Twins have lost, or are in the process of losing. I didn't watch or follow today's game. It looked from the highlights like Max Scherzer had a pretty good day. Oh well. Let's take a look at tonight's minor league action. ROCHESTER 6, INDIANAPOLIS 2 Esmerling Vasquez had a great game tonight, going 7 innings, allowing only 4 hits, striking out 10 and walking 2. Deolis Guerra pitched the remaining 2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3
[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ByzSY1D37Ow/T9cz_Ban5zI/AAAAAAAAAY8/e1XFQapmqd4/s200/Hermsen.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]B.J. Hermsen, perhaps the MVP for the Rock Cats this past month [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] After winning 2 of 3 on the road at Erie over the weekend, the Rock Cats earned a much needed day off, though much of it was probably spent on the team bus headed back to Connecticut. Beginning tonight, the team i
[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] I think 4 games in a row constitutes a winning streak. If that's not the case, well too bad! The final score today was 3-0 New Britain, and the Rock Cats, in the midst of their first road trip, are now 8-3. The Sunday Rock Cats-Fisher Cats matinee at New Hampshire was essentially a pitcher's duel for much of the game. New Britain starter Lucas French tossed 7 scoreless innings (92 pitches) for the Rock Cats, allowing only 2 hits, and walking 3 and
[Originally published with pictures at Twins Fan From Afar] [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c7XR2_fs7tU/T4LqeloN2nI/AAAAAAAAAPg/zLiE6ens-Qo/s320/Baltimore+2012+001.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Camden Yards from the hotel window. [/TD] [/TABLE] Well, the baseball side of things left a lot to be desired, but you're not much of a baseball fan if you can't have a great time at opening weekend at Camden Yards. Before Friday's game, I got to say h
I really hold back what I would like to say about then payroll arguments here. The fact that people don't accept the amount taken in dictates the amount going out requires one of two things. Extreme financial ignorance or fanatical bias that prevents the acceptance of something some basic. I did not change the argument. It's the same idiocy over and over. Do you really want to be on the side that suggests revenues does not determine spending capacity?
At this point in the pre-season, I’m just so happy to be seeing games again, I don’t care about the Twins record in 2023. I think they’ll win it all, unrealistically speaking 🙂
I really hold back what I would like to say about then payroll arguments here. The fact that people don't accept the amount taken in dictates the amount going out requires one of two things. Extreme financial ignorance or fanatical bias that prevents the acceptance of something some basic. I did not change the argument. It's the same idiocy over and over. Do you really want to be on the side that suggests revenues does not determine spending capacity?· 0 replies
