Archived Game Threads

Happy Earth Day! As Google so often does, its banner ties in with the current goings on of the world. In lieu of cute illustrations of Earth hugging itself or wearing a lampshade on its head after a few too many shots of ozone, today’s banner shows the effects of climate change over 20 years. That got me to thinking. What else has changed over the past 20 years? Hairstyles. Fashion. Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl Championships. Oh wait . . . We’re here to talk about baseball. Forget I said anything. Here is what our beloved baseball team’s roster looked like 20 years ago back in 2002. Recognize any of these names? Those were simpler times. 20…

Good morning Twins fans and welcome to another Game Thread installment filled with fun, laughter and exciting banter! I like day games and listening to the game while at work. I also like posting on the Game Thread whilst fielding phone calls from customers and vendors. When people enter my office I tell them to leave as I am busy typing up an important email (in truth its just posting on the Game Thread). Speaking of fun at work, it got me thinking about some of the funny practical jokes I've played on my co-workers over the years. Once when I was in college and working for Pepsi as a driver I had a stop where one of my fellow Pepsi drivers was parked. He was in th…

This the Ruddigore game thread intro. Everyone is encouraged to be melodtramatic about everything that happens. The slightest misplay send you into horrendous depression, or make routine plays lift you into exuberant over confidence. Or if you'd like to emphasize the mellow part of melodrama... That's good too. For those not familiar with it, Ruddigore (the Witches Curse) is Gilbert and Sullivan's parody of melodrama. If you have nothing better to do in the 4 hours before the game starts, go and watch a youtube version of it. It has a bad baronet, a haunting picture galory, and the epitomy of patter songs with the final line "this particularly rapid unintellig…

We're ten games into the season and haven't really learned a damned thing about the hometown team. The good lineup is underperforming, the bad pitching staff is overperforming, dogs and cats are living together, it's mass hysteria. And it's approximately 14 degrees in the Twin Cities. Thankfully, the Twins are back on the road because baseball is not meant to be played in this weather. Anyway, the Twins started the season against three teams that should be in the playoff mix: the Mariners, the Red Sox, and the Dodgers. The team held their own against the Mariners and Red Sox - despite some of the most god-awful games of baseball I've seen in awhile - and la…

The Pitchers RHP Dylan Bundy (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 K's, 5 IP) vs LHP Rich Hill (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 4 K's, 4.1 IP) Both starters will be making their 2nd start of the season this morning, with Bundy coming off of an impressive performance against Seattle. While Bundy wasn't missing bats or blowing pitches past hitters, he was varying speed and had command of his pitches. Of course, Bundy is going to need to get swings and misses to have sustainable success, but that will hopefully come in time. Old friend Rich Hill did not enjoy the same success in his first start of the season. Hill went just 4.1 innings against the Tigers, allowing 5 hits and a walk while allowing 3 ru…

O Buxton Where Art Thou? "Muse! Sing in me, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in the ways of contending, a wanderer, harried for years on end …" My Hair! Er, i mean... I'm awake. I got to get dressed but it is just as important to empty my pockets of random cruft so as not to get in trouble with security. I got to drop by an ATM for ticket funds, as friends got a 9 person group, then wend my way through the complexity of the Boston area subway system to the stop known as Kenmore where we are to meet by 1pm for said tickets, brave crowds and the Fenway security, and finally land in our seats (high up along the first base line, spot known as s…

Good afternoon Twins fans and welcome back to more Game Thread fun! Yesterday's game was fun to watch and almost got out of hand but in the end the Twins prevailed. As I posted on yesterdays game recap, Ryan and Duran are going to be exciting to watch. Unfortunately, Buxton had to leave early due to a right knee strain. According to the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Buxton isn't believed to have suffered any structural damage but may be off for a week or so. Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reported that the Twins do not intend to make a roster move which hopefully means the injury is minor. What excitement will be in store for today's game? Not really sure but Sonny Gray…

Well, here I am doing my second intro on the seventh game of the season. I didn't plan for it to go this way, but one never knows. It is supposedly baseball season, but looking outside, I'm not so sure. I got up this morning and it was snowing. Yeah, I know, it sometimes snows in April in Minnesota and it can be cold and gloomy on any given day BUT not every freaking day! It's the 15th of the month and there has been snow in the air at least nine of those days. It was 66 degrees almost exactly a month ago and it hasn't been close to that in over four weeks and the weather is supposed to get better as we head through spring. And the wind! Okay, end of rant. Better to compl…

Roster Moves: OF Alex Kirilloff heads to the 10-day IL with recurring right wrist issues that caused him to miss time last season. The move is not official yet, but OF Trevor Larnach is expected to be recalled to the Twins. Larnach is currently slashing .105/.182/.105 at AAA in 5 games. Larnach OPS'd over 1.000 in 20 ST plate apperances. Jharel Cotton, who pitched in last nights ballgame, has been DFA'd. The Twins have added Dereck Rodríguez to the 40 man, and called him up. The Pitchers LHP Clayton Kershaw (10-8, 3.55 ERA, 144 K's, 121.2 IP) vs RHP Chris Paddack (7-7, 5.07 ERA, 99 K's, 108.1 IP) The Twins get to see one of the best pitchers in…

I never, ever, never, ever thought the game would be played tonight. It is raining where I live and raining in Minneapolis according to weather.com. This is the Dodgers only visit to MN, so they apparently are going to extraordinary lengths to get the game in. I hope no one gets hurt. Archer makes his debut for the Twins. Author Posted 4 minutes ago · IP LA Dodgers (1-2) Season …

The Pitchers: RHP Chris Flexen (14-6, 3.61 ERA, 179.2 IP, 125 K's, 3.89 FIP, 3.5 bWAR) vs RHP Dylan Bundy (2-9, 6.06 ERA, 90.2 IP, 84 K's, 5.51 FIP, -0.3 bWAR) I'm back. Good or bad, but I am back. Hopefully Dylan Bundy joins me on the "I'm back" path. Flexen is coming off the best year of his career for the Mariners, and is looking to repeat in 2022. Flexen relies on a 4-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, and changeup. He throws the 4S 40% of the time, at an average velocity of 92.8 MPH. This is very similar to Sonny Gray, although his velo was down in his first start of the year. The fastball was hit hard last year for a batting average against of .273, inclu…

Unrealized hopes game thread intro. I meant to write Twins version of But i have been too lazy, and rehearsal is starting... Without further ado: Mariners: 0. Marco Gonzales (L) P 1. Adam Frazier (L) 2B 2. Ty France (R) 1B 3. Jesse Winker (L) LF 4. Mitch Haniger (R) DH 5. Jarred Kelenic (L) RF 6. Eugenio Suarez (R) 3B 7. Julio Rodriguez (R) CF 8. J.P. Crawford (L) SS 9. Luis Torrens (R) C Twins: 0. Bailey Ober (R) P 1. Byron Buxton (R) CF 2. Carlos Correa (R) SS 3. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B 4. Gio Urshela (R) 3B 5. Miguel …

Good morning Twins fans and welcome back to more Game Thread fun! It was so nice seeing the Twins play again yesterday! I hate that we lost but one game in the scheme of things doesn't really matter this time of year. However, I really believe we have a strong foundation and a group of players that will compete well this year. I'm still standing by my prediction that the Twins will win the AL Central this year. By the way, I love this time of year in Minnesota. We have the Masters on TV, the weather is warming, the ice is melting off the lakes, the grass is beginning to green, MLB is starting up and hope "springs" eternal for my favorite team the Minnesota Twins. …

Tradition – the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on this way. I find it very fitting that Opening Day 2022 falls on Masters week. The week that has the reputation for being the greatest week in sports with the conclusion of March Madness coupled with the beautiful images of Magnolia Lane at August National in preparation for the pinnacle of PGA golf tournaments. When you think of Masters week you think of the perfectly manicured grass and groomed sand (actually it’s quartz) traps, Tiger Woods’ Sunday red, and of course the trophies of all trophies…the coveted Green jacket. In short, you think of it as a tra…

There is no stream today, sadly. No radio that I could find. Nothing, except gameday. Why post a game thread then? Because it's Correa's first game as a Twin. Ryan is pitching. And the lineup looks suspiciously like it could be an opening day lineup with a possible tweak here or there. (I'm sure there will be a few iterations of this before it's actually opening day.) It's a pity that we can't watch or listen, truly. And yes, it's an indictment on MLB for not just opening up ALL of spring training games for everyone everywhere. And the weather in Fort Myers today looks perfect, according to my weather app ... sunny, low humidity, breezy, 80 degrees. Oh, and on top of that…

Time: 12:05 PM CDT TV: MLB.TV or Bally Sports North Radio: MLB Audio Today is the last day of the MLB.TV "free preview," where all of the broadcasts are listed as "free games of the day." After today, you may need to have a subscription to watch the Twins via MLB.TV, although blackouts should remain unenforced for the rest of spring training. Rays lineup 1. Brandon Lowe (L) 2B 2. Wander Franco (S) SS 3. Yandy Diaz (R) 3B 4. Luke Raley (L) LF 5. Manuel Margot (R) RF 6. Ryon Healy (R) DH 7. K. Kiermaier (L) CF 8. Rene Pinto (R) C 9. J. Aranda (L) 1B SP: Drew Rasmussen (RHP) Twins lineup 1. Byron Buxton (R) CF 2. Jorge Polanco (S…

Time: 12:05 PM CDT TV: MLB.TV or Bally Sports North Radio: MLB Audio No introduction, other than to say it's another free MLB.TV game with no blackouts because it's spring training. Also Dylan Bundy makes his spring Twins debut. Twins lineup 1. Arráez 2B 2. Urshela 3B 3. Sanó DH 4. Kirilloff 1B 5. Jeffers C 6. Gordon LF 7. Lewis SS 8. Cave CF 9. Celestino RF SP: Bundy RHP Rays lineup 1. Brett Phillips (L) CF 2. Taylor Walls (S) 3B 3. Josh Lowe (L) RF 4. Rene Pinto (R) C 5. J. Aranda (L) 2B 6. Greg Jones (S) SS 7. Tristan Gray (L) 1B 8. Ryan Boldt (L) LF 9. Grant Witherspoon (L) DH SP: Colby White RHP

Well, the game's on TV. 0-0 in the bottom of the third. Twins worked around an errant throw by Polanco to keep the game 0-0.

Thursday March 17 Twins at Red Sox - Spring Training Opener 12:05 PM CDT It's that time of year again! Well, not quite THAT time of year -- this game won't count in any standings that matter. But it's still a game, featuring real players (albeit ones who may never make a real Twins roster) playing on a real field (even if it is encircled by golf carts and alligators). One benefit of not being a "real" game is that MLB.TV blackouts are not enforced in spring training -- and this one is also labeled a "Free Game of the Day" so no MLB.TV subscription is required to watch. Just log in with a free MLB.com account (or create one, if you haven't already) at the lin…

Turn the Page It was the best of seasons, it was the worst of seasons… Okay, maybe 2021 wasn’t the best of seasons, but it’s over. That’s good. At least for those of us who have suffered through a summer of buffoonery baseball after being promised a team supposedly built for contention. Simply put, our glass of disappointment has overflowed across the table, down to the floor and right out the patio door. Copious amounts of alcohol have been consumed, rough language normally hidden from use has been brought forth and multiplied, electronic devices have been cursed, turned down and/or cast aside and the Great Outdoors has been rediscovered. …

Good afternoon Twins fans and welcome back to the second to last Game Thread for 2021. Apologies for the early post but I had to boat over to a nearby lodge on Elbow Lake (just north of Lake Vermillion) in order to get internet access to post the game thread today. I'm staying with some old high school buddies at their cabin and to say we are remote is an understatement...Gotta throw out a special thank you to the resort owner who let me tap into their wifi to post this...thanks again Elbow Lake Lodge! Well, here we are at the end of the season. This year didn't go as well as any of us thought but we still had a lot of fun on the game threads. I would like to thank a…

We've reached the final series of the regular season, and the Twins will fight to avoid a 90 loss season. Today, it's time to run an old favorite of mine that I've done on several past Game Threads - it's time for a game of Strat-O-Matic Baseball! For those who don't know, Strat-O-Matic is a simulation board game that, well, simulates a game of baseball. Normally you'd need a deck of cards for each team, but I've come up with ways to develop my own player cards. As you can see below, here is what I have for the Twins and Royals rosters: The numbers range from 1 to 8 or 1 to 5 based on their 2021 stats ( and recent years). I took the defensive values from …

The Future is Now. (started yesterday's intro off with a Coen Bro's movie quote regarding the past, figured today would be the future) And strangely i want more from the movie, but this as good as i got... So what are y'all looking forward to in the Twins world? We got a collective bargaining agreement coming up (eventually) We got a playoffs with no team from Minnesota involved, though perhaps a former Twin or two. We go Mr. Ryan on the mound for tonight. That's pretty exciting. And we got some good players in our minors, not to mention the rest of the current roster. Does Buxton sign long term? Do…

"3,000 years of beautiful tradition, you're right, i'm living in the passed" -Walter Sobchek, toned down because this is a family restaurant, despite basic freedoms that effect everybody... Not to get lost in popular quote, the past is kinda important. What are your favorite Twins moments, over the years, or over this season? Or if not favorite, stand out as memorable? I still think that game in Oakland where Byron homered in extras, then consecutive throwing errors lost the game for us was pretty crazy. And i know i harped on it in a previous game thread intro, but so many former (or shoulda been) Twins are playing for Detroit, it is l…

Well, we're officially in the last week of the season now. A mercy killing, to be sure, but it's always sad to see baseball wind down, as we Minnesotans know what that means... disappointment from the Vikings instead of the Twins. And sometimes the Wild. Sorry, Timberwolves, you're just pathetic and no one expects anything of you, ever. With only six left to play, the Twins have a chance to pull out of the cellar (2.0 GB Kansas City). And if they sweep all three from Detroit, they have a remote chance at erasing the 6.0 GB they currently sit behind the Tigers, provided you're truly terrible at math. The upside is that the Twins have been kinda exciting the …

The Twins will face off against the Blue Jays one more time today, as they will try to avoid losing 90 games, which will require a 4-3 finish or better. But instead of talking Twins, let's go over a few things that are more interesting than the Twins! -- The AL Wildcard Race -- With 7 games remaining, the Blue Jays find themselves 2 games back behind both the Red Sox and Yankees. The Mariners are also 3 games back (somehow), but let's have a look at who's left on the schedule for those three teams: Blue Jays At Twins Vs Yankees - 3 games Vs Orioles - 3 games Yankees At Red Sox At Blue Jays - 3 games Vs Rays - 3 games …

Good afternoon Twins fans and welcome back to more game thread banter. Tonight the Minnesota Twins try to make it 5 wins in a row! Last night was a great game to watch and it was nice to get a win against former Minnesota Twin Jose Berrios. The Twins starter tonight is John Gant (5-9, 3.76 ERA) against Toronto's leftie Robbie Ray (12-6, 2.72 ERA). The Twins will want to score some runs early tonight as Ray has been a good thrower for the Blue Jays this year. Tonight's ballgame has some added excitement, the Minnesota Twins will be honoring Justin Morneau with a Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight. There will be plenty of his old team mates and coaches on hand to …

Good evening Twins fans and welcome back to more Game Thread fun! The mighty Minnesota Twins take on the tepid Toronto Blue Jays tonight. Can the Twins continue their 3 game winning steak and turn it into 4? I think so! Big Ober takes on the former Minnesota Twin Jose Berrios tonight. Truth be told I miss Berrios on the mound but I think we got a great deal out of that trade. I'm not cheering against Berrios tonight but I still think we got the better side of that trade. Nick Gordon is gonna try to keep the momentum up after last night's game. He's batting in the 6 spot tonight. Hopefully he can plate a few more runs and keep us guessing whether or not he can make th…

It’s like De Ja Vu all over again. In the second series the Twins have played against the Blue Jays in a week and my second game thread introduction in a week (and this season), the Blue Jays are still in a must win situation as they are still in a dead heat with the Yankees (Yankees have +.5 game lead) for the second AL Wild Card. With the NL Wild Card race pretty much decided and the Yankees having an off day today, there is only one consequential game being played this evening. Were this the NFL, this game would be bumped to national coverage in prime time. Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth would be in the broadcast booth, and there might be the alternate broadc…

Happy First Day of Fall! Well, this season didn’t turn out like anybody expected or wanted. When the 2021 season started, we had hoped our beloved Minnesota Twins would be playing deep within the autumnal glory. For a myriad of reasons that have been hashed out on Twins Daily alone, the hometown nine will not be making a play-off run this season. It’s going to be a long offseason. Maybe now is a good time to pick up a hobby to occupy our lonely, baseball-loving hearts. Macramé? Decoupage? Day trading? Apparently, some of the Twins players have side interests to keep their minds off their apparent 2021 baseball playing ineptitudes. We all remember Trevor May…