(I am Game Thread)
 
Game: Twins @ Cardinals, 6/16 @ 12:45pm CT

9. Byron Buxton [R] CF
8. Kyle Gibson [R] P
7. Shane Robinson [R] LF
6. Kurt Suzuki [R] C
5. Eduardo Nunez [R] SS
4. Trevor Plouffe [R] 3B
3. Joe Mauer [L] 1B
2. Torii Hunter [R] RF
1. Brian Dozier [R] 2B

Minnesota Twins

Symmetrical Lineups (or downs?)

Saint Louis Cardinals

1. Kolten Wong [L] 2B
2. Matt Carpenter [L] 3B
3. Jhonny Peralta [R] SS
4. Mark Reynolds [R] 1B
5. Yadier Molina [R] C
6. Jason Heyward [L] RF
7. Randal Grichuk [R] LF
8. Peter Bourjos [R] CF
9. Michael Wacha [R] P

Weather: Currently Partly Cloudy and 78F = 26C (within some rounding error, i'm sure)
Forecast: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a high near 82. Light northeast wind. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thoughts, such as they are...

1. Byron Buxton. By which i mean Kyle Gibson. In theory, the person who has the greatest potential effect on the outcome of the game is the fellow tagged by the manager as the starting pitcher. By which i mean, if he doesn't get tagged by anyone else, we aught to do pretty well. Of course that's in theory. In practice, it still remains a team game, and there's only so much that can be done if things don't work too well around him.
 

2. Byron Buxton Michael Wacha -- He's just 23 years old and he has been pretty dang good. Pretty dang dominant actually and the future looks bright. Michael was born in Iowa City, Iowa and he was lucky enough to escape. He moved to Texarkana, Texas when he was 3 years old. Texarkana was named that because no one really knows where it's located. Texas... Arkansas... Louisiana... It just doesn't matter when you drink that heavily. I've been to Texarkana and I ran back to Iowa right away.

Er, 2b. Byron Buxton John Lackey. Lackey's gonna get some good defence behind him, and pitch pretty good for a whole 8 innings, allowing only 2 runs, the second being the first triple by Byron Buxton followed by Dozier Sacrifice Fly. Very noble of Dozier, and well done by Buxton. Oh i found an article on Lackey that i found interesting. Finest news and all, even if it pertained to him in his Angelic days:

http://www.theonion.com/article/superstitious-john-lackey-has-to-build-destroy-a-l-6885

3. Byron Buxton A Dozier walked into the batter's box, and deposited the ball in the bank beyond the left field wall. (#2 batter) walks into the batter's box and says "i'll have what he's having." But of course what i mean to say is batting is important. So let's do it.

4. Byron Buxton If someone is really good at catching, throwing, and picking the ball, might they be known as a prince among fielders? Oh, sorry, that's a series late, isn't that. I mean to say, how important is fielding? Discuss.

25. (That's 5, 5 times. Not to be square or nothin'... Numbers are sometimes important. Fielding position 2 cubed, and batting 3 squared. And i forget, what's 2+3?)
 
Byron Buxton
 
I'm still looking forward to him being tested more significantly, but at least i can stop thinking of him, 'cause i can watch him instead. If i had someone else new to watch, well, i wouldn't say no...

Anyway, enjoy!

We can handle this guy.

 

Best game thread!

How important is fielding? Ask KC as they rode their outfield all the way to the Series.

 

How important is fielding? Ask KC as they rode their outfield all the way to the Series.

The only thing more important than fielding is Madison Bumgarner, apparently!

Molitor wants righties in today against Wacha (RHP):

http://www.startribune.com/robinson-in-the-lineup-but-it-s-not-a-favor-to-cardinals-fans/307622751/

 

Never realized he had such splits.

Not sure if playing Nunez at SS is a good match for the ground ball prone Gibson. His fielding might be important today.

Woo! Early game!

 

Seems like I haven't been on a game thread in forever.

A long foul, then a single for Dozier. Nice start...

I don't understand how Dozier is only batting .266, it feels like I see him get hits so much more often.

Batting third....

 

http://www.sikstiks.com/NEW-IMAGES/fork188.jpg

Was Mauer ahead of that changeup? I'm not exactly getting HD resolution here.

The announcers no longer call it a "rare strikeout" for Joe Mauer. Used to be you'd hear them say "You don't see Joe Mauer strikeout more than once in a game..."

Plouffe brings Dozier in!

 

Good to get an early lead, now and then...

 

 

  Like hitting  it off a tee.

Solid hit on a good pitch for Plouffe, that slump maybe coming to a head.

Looks weird to see Heyward in a Cardinals uni...

Woo! Early game!

 

Seems like I haven't been on a game thread in forever.

And it says it's the free game on mlb, if that helps.

 

Welcome back! Hope it don't disappoint... (neither game nor thread)

Well, I do subscribe to mlb.tv, but I'm on Central European Standard Time, so when I do watch, it's hardly ever live. Which means I miss out on the game threads.

 

And no, nothing's disappointing so far!

noooooo

Rain delay.

 

I really hope my early game doesn't turn into a late game. That would suck.

Anyone having any luck with mlb.tv free game of the day?  All I"m getting is the radio, no tv.

... I'm on Central European Standard Time...

Does put a damper on the temporal relationship...

 

Looks like the rain is kicking in now. Oh well.

Anyone having any luck with mlb.tv free game of the day?  All I"m getting is the radio, no tv.

Success on my end.

 

But i'm east coastish, so outside these strange blackout zones...

 

They also have a fancy new interface it seems, but i've not played around with it.

Hard to guestimate the length of the rain delay based upon radar...

 

It's a drizzle, which doesn't show up to strongly as anything on the radars i'm looking at.

 

Anyone got a better insight in the expectation of the length of that there delay?

 

Anyone having any luck with mlb.tv free game of the day?  All I"m getting is the radio, no tv.

 

prob cause of the delay

Anyone got anything to do while we're waiting?

I'm thinking it has to be quick. I think this little cell popped up over them and surprised them, otherwise I can't see them starting the game with the thought that it might get delayed in the first inning. That's pretty unfair to the teams and pitchers.

 

There is spotty rain behind it, but if they're getting this game in today, it has to be relatively soon. They know this.

Suzuki is now the 30th "best" hitting catcher this year (100 plus ABs).......when will Herrmann or Fryer or anyone else get a shot? How bad does it have to get?

 

Anyone got anything to do while we're waiting?

 

Let's play charades. I'll go first.