Archived Game Threads

Children's game game thread: What all were yer favorite games as a kid? And how am i going to tie that in to introduce a game thread? I don't know, but i figured i'd try. Baseball, after all, primarily a childs game. Promotes sportsmanship and teamwork and all them good stuff. Develops loads of hand eye coordination. Encourages fitness. Brings out all the buzzwords, don't it? Anyway, the incipient kids game that gave rise to this line of thought was Simon says. Simon says, "Catch the ball." Now throw it over the 1st baseman's head. Simon says "round 3rd and head for home." But you don't have to slide. And what brought this up was imagining the inverse game …

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who grew up in Rochester, Minnesota. He sometimes did his homework, when there wasn't a Vikings or Twins game to listen to on the radio. He postulated that when he was responsible, and actually did his homework, the sports teams for which rooted would do well. And while he didn't do a comprehensive stastical analysis of that hypothesis, it seemed to make sense at the time. Probably a strongly affected childhood sampling bias in play. "It was the 80s. Reagan was president. These things happen." Now you must content yourself with just imagining what an odd 30 years does to a growing boy, all the strange adventures he must have gott…

Hello and welcome to today's game thread. I like using the 5-topic intro so here goes. 1. I don't feel like discussing the Twins. 2. I don't feel like discussing the Brewers. 3. July 4th is designated as Independence Day because on July 4, 1776 the final wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress. Most of the signatures on the best known version of the document, the one that is displayed at the National Archives, were made on August 2 of that year. 4."The Stars and Stripes Forever", composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896, was named the National March of the United States in 1987 by an act of Congress. 5. F…

One of the reasons I wanted to do the gameday thread TODAY was to play this song. This song has given me goosebumps since I was a child. Listen to this classic from the Moody Blues and please read my (I am hoping) non-controversial comments and impressions; along various quotes, ruminations and contemplations. Please remember no animals were harmed in the process ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would like to begin with historical (non-hysterical) happenings in Twins history on this date: July 3rd 2000- Topsy-turvy game at Fenway as the Twins come up on the short end in an…

Welcome baseball’s rivalry week. We get to travel to Packer’s territory, as our hometown heroes get to travel to Milwaukee. Football seasons is right around the corner, and given how well we are playing, we probably have a better shot at beating Green Bay at baseball than we do Milwaukee. So with that, let’s think about football… or just Milwaukee. The Vikings – like the Twins, the Vikings are riding some pretty high expectations going into the season. The obvious big difference is that the Vikings made it all the way to the NFCCG before being eliminated, whereas the Twins got to game 163. I’m hoping that there’s some sort of universal law preventing two Minnesota teams…

I got up this morning, wondering what, exactly I was going to write about. Finally, it came to me: We need a break from our regularly scheduled game thread. So, with that, here we go: *Don't judge. I was looking for an excuse to use this particular song! As a Twins fan, I believe I'm a relatively intelligent person, yet, this seems to be what happens when I follow the Twins this year. I mean, I have great expectations that this time it will be different, and, well...: *Sadly, I can relate. But, that's another story for another day. All joking aside, as Carole said so eloquently yesterday, baseball is always fun to watch, because something will always happe…

Oh, where to begin. Wish I could be cheery, upbeat and witty, but I'm not sure I know how anymore with how the Twins have been playing. This is truly NOT their year ... even if there is still a sliver of hope to beat out the Indians and make the playoffs ... this is just NOT their year. So many things wrong, so many things to think about. We can bemoan the roster, who's up, who isn't, who gets picked up, who gets let go; we can bemoan the manager and the decisions he makes; we can bemoan individual players and their production, or lack thereof; we can bemoan the coahces; we can bemoan the FO. There is lots there. That said and out of the way ... for this one game ... no…

I’ve been haunting these boards for quite some time now, and always enjoy the repartee- usually more than the games, these daze... But in over 2000 posts, I’ve shied away from doing an actual game thread—until now. I volunteered, because, hey, from ND, to the Cities, to Chicago, and points beyond, a natural migration for a Midwest boy, with fond memories in all those places. And- I was actually at the first interleague Twins/Cubs match-up in '97! I started to fill this one with reminiscences of Chicago daze, but it turned into something of a tribute to a long-lost great friend. Growing up on those ND plains, I smuggled my transistor under my pillow and into class with …

I blame all of the Twins current woes on the White Sox. That team just, arggh, there are no words! Those meddling Sox! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbXxgQLlF08 *Mmm, scooby snacks! Okay, snacks in general. Now that we have the pleasantries aside, it's time to move on. We have another baseball game today in which we hope our favorite 9 can figure this game out and get we, the fans, a W! *Yes, I like ABBA. And your point is? Yes, it's been a very puzzling year but, hey, we're still able to watch the best game every invented. Granted, our team may not be putting their best foot forward these days, but, still, they are our team. With that, I'll toss in a met…

It feels like the Twins are gradually losing control. So far haunted by a major-league worst 3-13 record in 1-run games, the Twins have fallen to 7 games under .500, and 7.5 games back of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. Cleveland helped their own cause last week, winning 7 games in a row against the Twins, White Sox, and Tigers. But, there’s still a glimmer of hope. After two tough road series coming up in Chicago (Cubs) and Milwaukee (Brewers), the Twins have 14 consecutive games against league-worst Baltimore Orioles, second-to-league-worst Kansas City Royals, and the weak (though improving) Tampa Bay Rays. This includes the all-star break (July 16-19) for so…

Because I like the classics, I thought I'd throw this out there: *Yeah, yeah, I know, I qualify as a "classic" myself. Maybe even "antique." What, exactly does this have to do with the Twins playing the White Sox? I have absolutely no idea. But, hey, baseball! Speaking of which, did you know the Twins are currently 6-3 against the White Sox? (I couldn't find an official source, so, I added it up myself. Fortunately, I had enough fingers.) *I may or may not have used this method of counting. Though the Twins have fared well against the Sox, I blame the Twins troubles on the Sox games that were postponed early in the season. *Trouble, I say you got…

ANNND Welcome back! To Minnesota Twins Whine Line: Breakup Edition! I am your host, and disappointed boyfriend, Vanimal. The Twins are doing their best to make us not care about their performance the rest of the year. Especially after optioning Romero to AAA, leaving the rotting corpse of Belisle on roster. Maybe it's them, not US! Before we dive into our feelings, let's talk about a game that will happen. It will still happen whether you watch them or not! Intermittent cloud cover in Minneapolis today! 77 degrees at first pitch and warming up during the day. REAL FEEL of 81 degrees. Blustery winds from the ESE at 10 MPH. Minnesota Twins (33-40): P - Jose Berrios …

ANNND Welcome! To Minnesota Twins Whine Line: Daycare Edition! I am your host and CEO of Minnesota Twins Daycare, Vanimal. Home of the best VETERAN to Rookie ratio in the industry! You're making the right decision coming to visit us with your precious little rookie... We'll get to frequently asked questions about our daycare in a second. First, let's talk about a game that's happening today. It's going to be a BEAUTIFUL day in Minneapolis! Partly cloudy skies, 79 degrees at first pitch. REAL FEEL of 84 degrees. Winds from the SSW at 5 MPH... And back to the intern with sports! Minnesota Twins (33-38): P - Jake Odorizzi (R ) - 78 overall on MLB the Show! Texas Ran…

The order o' tonight's service will be as follows... Would the congregation please rise for the singing hymn #25 "Nothing but Raindrops" The first sermon will be given on "the 3rd strike." There will be a moment of silence as the pitcher gets the sign. Rise for hymn #99 "Third base coach is waving you on" The second sermon is "hitting the cutoff" A collection plate will be passed about for those stranded in scoring position. And finally please rise for our national anthem. The bullpen will be called in to give the benediction. Can i have an Amen? Er, and feel free to incorporate yer own variations as appropriate. I usually sleep too late to make it to…

1. Summer! No kiddin'! It is the Solstice (well ÷/- a day as i'm too lazy to look it up) To celebrate it, you are expected to add things to this game thread. I look forward to seeing what it all adds up to in the end. 2. Top non--Trump news item: Joe Ms have been designated for game thread assignment. Montana says he is happy as he can finally work on his bucket list. Madden looks over his shoulder and says it pails bu comparison. McCarthy says they're over rated, as there's always a hole. Mauer guesses he will just have to find another way into broadcasting. 3. NESN (the cable channel what brings Boston folk their pro baseball games) listed todays game as noon et. I …

That game last night was something that I expected to see from the Twins lineup on most nights. Driving in guys when they have the chance, hitting for extra base hits, and being aggressive on the base paths, albeit did back fire one time. If the Twins continue to play like they did in game one of the Red Sox they should have no problem getting back to .500 and even challenge the Indians throughout the summer. GAME TIME WEATHER: 78 degrees Fahrenheit, mostly cloudy, 0% chance of rain, wind ENE at 12 MPH PITCHING MATCHUPS: David Price (8-4, 3.76 ERA) vs Lance Lynn (4-5, 4.98 ERA) - Price is pitching like an all-star once again, and is the 2nd cy-young winner the twins …

Welcome to tonight’s game thread where the three people that tune in to watch the game will be treated to what most certainly will be the battle of the aces. Our Twinkies will bring their young and up-in-coming ace Jose Berrios to the mound to face the established Red Sox ace of Chris Sale. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath, except that our offense of late has made most pitchers look like Chris Sale. I hate to think what they can make Chris Sale look like. Could the strike out record be in play here? Kerry Wood, Roger Clemens*, and Max Scherzer all hold the record at 20Ks in a game. Fortunately for the Twins, Sano and Buxton won’t be in the lineup, so Sale won’t be assured…

In honour of Father's day, i present: Stone Soup Game Thread Intro In my pop's declining years, the last grocery run he was willing to be part of was for sake of the joke of asking where they kept the stone soup. Which was in mind because we'd recently watched the episode off Jim Henson's the Storyteller that features it: A Story Short. This episode stems from coming to the best bit of a story and suddenly not remembering what comes next. Fortunately i don't have that problem... yet. Happy Father's day all! Stone Soup Line up: A large pot. Water. A nice stone. Prep: adlib to involve the audience in creating and enjoying it all. Serve generously. Twins Ja…

Hello, and welcome to today's game thread. I'm going to use the time-honored five-point format. 1.) Wednesday and Thursday in Detroit provided us with two very disheartening losses. But after last night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIZUS5rBtFE I think many of us have renewed hope. There is still plenty of time for us to catch and pass Cleveland. 2.) I'm not a stat-head, but in recent years I've come to look at WPA (Win Probability Added) as one of the most important ways to measure how good a player is because it places a higher importance on performance in key situations. However, I have come to think that this needs to be refined. Players who play for very good t…

Well, this is it. The final showdown. The biggest sporting event in the world! If not the “Thrillah in Manilla”, then “Our Offense May Be Bland, But Watch Out Cleve-land!” The entire season boils down to this one, three game slug(less)fest at the Jake. Sweep, and the ALC is ours! Get swept…Season. Over. Wait. It’s only June. Never mind. Still, a big series if you’re like me…still clinging to the ridiculous notion that this season isn’t over yet. Buxton will come back and dominate, Dozier will SLG .700 from here on out, the bullpen won’t cough up another lead all season, Rosario and Escobar will maintain .900 OPSs respectively, Mauer will pull a ball into the RF corn…

Has it gotten so bad? No game thread for me to lurk on, randomly comment in, and abandon? I'm like David Duchovny (or was it someone else) in that classic SNL skit, where he keeps coming up with these great, witty comebacks, but he's always five minutes late and they've lost their appropriateness. But then he invents a time machine, and uses it to go back and fix Paul Molitor's bullpen usage from earlier in the season, saving Reed's arm for the game last night. No, actually, he uses it to go back and deliver his now perfectly timed zingers. Anyhow, the game is already started, so get cracking, 007!

Emergency thread, short and sweet. I’m in Vermont tonight and the baseball fans here are to be avoided as they are either Yankee or Red Sox fans. That says enough. Berrios vs Boyd Lineups: TWINS 1. Brian Dozier ® 2B 2. Eddie Rosario (L) LF 3. Eduardo Escobar (S) 3B 4. Miguel Sano ® DH 5. Robbie Grossman (S) RF 6. Logan Morrison (L) 1B 7. Ehire Adrianza (S) SS 8. Ryan LaMarre ® CF 9. Bobby Wilson ® C TIGERS 1. Leonys Martin (L) CF 2. Nicholas Castellanos ® RF 3. Jeimer Candelario (S) 3B 4. Victor Martinez (S) DH 5. John Hicks ® 1B 6. Niko Goodrum (S) 2B 7. Grayson Greiner ® C 8. Jose Iglesias ® SS 9. Victor Reyes (S) LF Okay, Twins ... let’s go kick some ...

Topsy Turvy Game Thread intro: Detroit. Not too far from where you go South of the Boarder and wind up in Canada. I forget, do we expect them to pay for a wall? They might at that, if it is shown to improve health. They care. Gardenhire. Is in the other dug out. Maybe i'm a little behind the times... Should i be checking on other fixtures too? Dougie Baseball? Tom Kelly? Where will it all end? Patience. We got prospects learning their craft. Trains don't stop on a dime. And i've seen some of the pennies they've tried to stop on... Bunthorne's Bride. (It's the subtitle for Patience) It is a mildly literary reference. It's a a latter 19th century light opera about t…

Today's thread intro is brought to you by Brazil. To short circuit Chief's humor, yes there are a brazilian brazilians there. But i actually mean the movie, not the country. I bring it up as it succinctly illustrates contrasts between reality and hopes, dreams, expectations. As an example, there is a scene where dinner is ordered at restaurant by number from a menu with lavish pictures only be delivered as 2 scoops of coloured mush on a plate. The Twins are only a few key corners to turn before making a run. Which corner do you expect they'll turn first? Bon appetite! Angels Nick Tropeano (R ) 1. Ian Kinsler (R ) 2B 2. Mike Trout (R ) CF 3. Justin Upton ( R)…

In case of game, break glass. 1. The Surgeon General has noticed that caring too much about a baseball team can be hazardous to your equanimity. Proceed at your own risk. 2. Familiarize yourself with all safety proceedures including but not limited to emergency exits, safety restraints, and relevent contact information. 3. Turn all signed permission slips and insurance waivers. Does your family know you are watching a baseball game? Feel free to invite them along. 4. Please wash hands after using the fasilities. Share snacks and beverages responsibly. 5. And in the words of a certain Disney caterpiller, "Keep your temper." Angels Tyler Skaggs (L) 1. Ian Kin…

Figured i'd get back to basics today... 1. "Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the park." Location, location, location. First order of business is a chance to appreciate the action. Technology expands that horizon, but does not negate the need. You got that solved? 2. "Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack" It's not as quick a game as it used to be. Are your appetites addressed? Whatcha got on the menu? 3. "I don't care if i ever go back." I see we are all dedicated. It may not be so marked as swaring off the rest of the world, but it is important to care, at least a little. 4. "So lets root root root for the home team, if they don't win it's a shame…

I got up this morning wondering where I was going to go with this game thread. Avoiding excessive negativity is in the style sheet:* *Kelly's Heroes and baseball. What's not to like? I have to admit, it's been an interesting year, because the Twins have definitely been getting some decent starting pitching. The bats, though, seem to come and go, which is puzzling, to say the least. Maybe a bit of motivation is in order?* *I knew I could work this clip in some how! In the end,though, baseball is still the best game ever invented, and while the home town nine may disappoint, baseball, in and of itself, never disappoints. *I got distracted watching these…

As the game thread went along yesterday, there was a person, who shall remain nameless, though his name rhymes with "pixel," who took a bit of umbrage at the game time being changed in the title.* *I hasten to add, it was all in good fun. Don't hurt me, chi, I mean, Carole! To go along with the game time confusion, we had baseball press who had the first game starting at 3:33am Eastern Time! * *Glad chief didn't see that 'cause he might have given me the "chief look" and wanted to know why I was slacking off! The Twins did well in their first game but ran into some trouble bringing home the chicken dinner in the second game. Stuff to think about:* *You t…

Well, this year is my fourth year of doing game threads. It's been fun and I've truly enjoyed the amount of freedom allowed when writing intros. Admittedly, when it comes to game threads and the Twins, there have been some highs and lows:* *When in doubt, post video. Today, though, is a special day, because today is a double header Tuesday. Which means:* *Not that there's really any such thing as too much baseball. Especially when the Twins win. In watching the White Sox, it's obvious there's some talent and it will be interesting to see the talent develop over the next few years. Meanwhile, though, the Twins need to show this young Sox team who's the bo…

Game Thread: Indians @ Twins, 6/3 @ 1:10 CT Probable Starters: Mike Clevinger (4-2, 3.14 ERA) vs Kyle Gibson (1-3, 3.57 ERA) - 4 Thoughts - 1. Arbitrary Twins splits I love the excess amount of splits Baseball Reference has for each player. Let’s pull out some arbitrary splits for our starting hitters for the 2018 season. Mitch Garver Home- .734 OPS Away- .585 OPS - Miguel Sano In Wins- .970 OPS In Losses- .614 OPS - Brian Dozier 6th Inning- 1.402 OPS 9th Inning- .301 OPS - Ehire Adrianza (Career) July- .280 B.A. March-April- .216 B.A. - Eduardo Escobar In a 2-1 Count- 1.364 OPS In a 1-2 Count- .268 OPS - Logan Morrison 2 Outs, RISP- .931 OPS Within 1 Run- …