Game Thread, Twins vs. Red Sox, 5/26 @ 7:10pm CT

There is a division beyond that which is known to the midwest. It is a division as vast as money and as timeless as headlines. There is no middle ground between pennants and curses, between a pesky homer and a foul ball, and a 9 inning game can last more than 4 hours. This is the division of publicity. It is an area which we call...

 

The Eastern Time Zone.

 

And thence hail our opponents of this evening: The Boston Redsox.

(Apologies to the Twilight Zone writers while i'm thinking of it...)

While Twins have been losing 90 games a season, Boston has alternated winning and losing 90 games a season, and has thrown a world series victory in there, which pays for all. High payroll, high expectations, and at least perceived heavy competition all probably contribute to great fluctuation. Kudos to all who ride that roller coaster. Playing in an historic ballpark with the few seats and high prices, everything counts.

Minnesota's is on the rise, and playing some good ball as a team. Boston, like much of the east, is hovering round 500 ball, presently a shade under. Clay Buchholz is pretty good, but like Hughes in NY, i don't think he's always kept up with the hype. Recently, he's had 3 quality starts. Pelfrey is doin' pretty good too. He got dinged by Detroit in that blow out, but did fine 'gainst Pittsburgh, so we'll see.

Yeah, it should be a fun game if'n that there weather will only cooperate!

Game time Forecast: 65°F • Overcast • 17% PoP
Courtesy of baseballpress.com which got it from Forecast.io, which marks the bulk of the rain between 2pm and 6pm.

And the players...

Boston Red Sox send Clay Buchholz {R} to the Mound,

and offer a line up of...

1. Dustin Pedroia {R} 2B
2. Mookie Betts {R} CF
3. Pablo Sandoval {S} 3B
4. Hanley Ramirez {R} LF
5. David Ortiz {L} DH
6. Mike Napoli {R} 1B
7. Xander Bogaerts {R} SS
8. Rusney Castillo {R} RF
9. Sandy Leon {S} C

While Minnesota Twins counter with Mike Pelfrey {R} on the Mound,

and a Wreckless* Endangerment line up (someday, maybe they'll be a murder's row, but not yet) of...

1. Brian Dozier {R} 2B
2. Torii Hunter {R} DH
3. Joe Mauer {L} 1B
4. Trevor Plouffe {R} 3B
5. Kurt Suzuki {R} C
6. Eduardo Escobar {S} LF
7. Eddie Rosario {L} RF
8. Aaron Hicks {S} CF
9. Danny Santana {S} SS

Personal points (in honor of always33)

I've spent more time in the Greater Boston Area than in Minnesota at this point, and as the turning point was around the time the Patriots started winning Super Bowls, i feel i owe the state of Minnesota an apology. If my family hadn't left, those would be multiple Vikings and Twins Championships instead, to accompany a Timberwolves and Wild Championship apiece, over the Decade plus... My heartfelt apologies. Glad that is off my shoulders.

It still has been fun in a tongue in cheek way... Randy Moss went 18-1. Watching David Ortiz dismantle the Yankees every time he came up with the series on the line in the '04 ALCS, and then Mientkiewicz and the final out ball. I got college level friends who went out to see the post game celebrations because they'd never seen a riot before. Alas, i didn't follow, even out of mere academic curiosity.

All that aside, it's not bad. I occasionally would get a bunch o' friends together to see the Twins play over the years, but not that often. Fenway ain't cheap. More accurately, i am. And the traffic is rather heavy. And these days, i'm not there as much as i'd like to be anyway.

 

Anyway, have at it! Enjoy this here game o' ball!
 

^{_{*-left that spelling in as artistic.}}

Edited May 26, 201511 yr by sampleSizeOfOne

The rain seems to be letting up a bit; I'd still expect at least a delay.

Rain is supposed to subside between 8:00 and 9:00.  Expect an hour long rain delay at best, although it wouldn't surprise me if they just postponed it to tomorrow since there's no rain in the forecast tomorrow. 

Great opening!

 

Strike early and often, boys!

Rain is supposed to subside between 8:00 and 9:00.  Expect an hour long rain delay at best, although it wouldn't surprise me if they just postponed it to tomorrow since there's no rain in the forecast tomorrow.

It's probably an evenin' trip to Texas tomorrow for Boston, so a double header probably won't happen, but one can hope. I don't believe they return, so that may be the only real option should it get rained out.

 

Yeah, pourin' over radar stuff, the 8-9 estimate looks reasonable. A SW-NE line marking the edge of rain seems to be mianderin' it's way down from St. Cloud toward the cities. And a quarter of the distance the last hour seems about the rate.

 

Anyway, i hope baseball happens. In the meantime, we can think of a road trippin' Riverbrian, and tell traveling salesman jokes? Er, nevermind. That could go south really quickly. Not that there's anything wrong with the south.

 

Anyway, i hope baseball happens. In the meantime, we can think of a road trippin' Riverbrian,

 

In perusing MSN today (I'm a sucker for those click on things), I see that Michigan has the highest base auto rates in the country.

 

Wonder if Brian got a bonus to offset the cost of car insurance.  (I mean, it was really high compared to North Dakota).

Any word from them as know?

 

The radar looks like it may have sped up a bit, and there is a chance they'll start on time.

 

While i ain't looked hard, i don't see any mention of delay yet...

Side note on Aaron Hicks:  I'm glad to see that he has accepted the fact that he's going bald and is just shaving the whole thing off now.  It's much better that way and actually looks like he's 25 instead of 35 without a hat.

Looks to me like about an hour delay.  Depends on whether they will start in light rain.  If they will, it looks like it could be almost on time.

 

Meanwhile, I'm watching the bald eagles in Decorah wait for their parents to bring home supper.

Rhett Bollinger ‏@RhettBollinger  · 6m6 minutes ago 
Terry Ryan said tonight's Twins-Red Sox game will be delayed but they plan to play

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 201511 yr by JB_Iowa

Looks to me like about an hour delay.  Depends on whether they will start in light rain.  If they will, it looks like it could be almost on time.

 

Meanwhile, I'm watching the bald eagles in Decorah wait for their parents to bring home supper.

Good to hear only an hour, and light rain might be acceptable?

 

And i hesitate to ask what is for dinner...

It's been raining so hard here in Tampa that I have a tough time believing that it could not be raining somewhere else. 

 

It's been raining so hard here in Tampa that I have a tough time believing that it could not be raining somewhere else. 

 

Actually, it is quite nice here right now.  A little cool and breezy but the sun is shining.  Tomorrow should be a beautiful day.  Hopefully that will carry through to the TC.

 

I keep checking on people I know in TX.  Know one couple whose (very nice) home was almost completely destroyed by hail.

 

Stay safe.

The rain is pretty light now; might even be less than an hour. Pretty sure I won't last until the end.

Anyone know any good riddles?

 

And i hesitate to ask what is for dinner...

 

Mom (I think) came back with a fish.  Good eatin'.

They keep moving the time back:

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino  · 3m3 minutes ago 
#MNTwins are hoping for 8:30 p.m. start.

It's MAYBE drizzling. All we ever hear about is how well the field handles water. Let's play some baseball.

Anyone know any good riddles?

I wear a red robe,

With staff in hand,

And a stone in my throat.

What am I?

They keep moving the time back:

 

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino · 3m3 minutes ago

#MNTwins are hoping for 8:30 p.m. start.

Eastern?

Mom (I think) came back with a fish.  Good eatin'.

There's a crow's nest (or raven or other medium sized black bird) in a tree behind our backyard.

 

I didn't watch closely enough to figure out anything more about it, and now with the leaves having come in for the spring, they pretty much have their privacy intact.

 

I do hear 'em on occasion.

 

Good to hear only an hour, and light rain might be acceptable?

And i hesitate to ask what is for dinner...

 

I wear a red robe,

With staff in hand,

And a stone in my throat.

What am I?

Wait...

wait...

 

don't tell me...

 

i'm gonna figure it out eventually...

 

Eastern?

 

I wish.  I'm reduced to watching "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" because I don't want to work on anything or watch anything that requires thought.

 

I wear a red robe,
With staff in hand,
And a stone in my throat.
What am I?

I'd like to say "the Emporers Royal Guard" (Star Wars).

 

But I believe the answer is "Cherry".

Can't be raining too hard:

 

JAKE REED ‏@JakeyReed5  · 12m12 minutes ago  Chattanooga, TN  
Kona running balls down in the outfield like @OfficialBuck103. Couldnt be happier to have my dad and pup out here

I know that Clay Buchholz wasn't too hot last year - or should I say he was quite the opposite - but I wouldn't have guessed in my wildest dreams that Mike Pelfrey would be the better player by far in a match between the two at the beginning of this season.

 

On a slightly different note, it's almost done raining where I live. Hope it lets up at Target Field soon, too. Here is a picture of the Round Rock Express' field the other day; hopefully this doesn't happen to us.

 

 

And Bark, you beat me to it. I knew that one without Googling, thanks to my childhood friend Beatrix Potter and her sassy character Squirrel Nutkin.

Had a rain day in HK yesterday-  Cancelled school for those who were not already there, which I was.   :lol:Just like the white-outs back home, couldn't see across the street.  Except this was a wet-out, I guess.  

I'd like to say "the Emporers Royal Guard" (Star Wars).

 

But I believe the answer is "Cherry".

You are correct, sir.

I'd like to say "the Emporers Royal Guard" (Star Wars).

 

But I believe the answer is "Cherry".

Man, i thought i said not to tell me...

 

Oh well. Ya gave me plenty o' time, so i can't complain.

 

It also sounded like it might be some Game of Thrones Character too.

 

Any more riddles?