The first game against the White Red Sox went well. Okay, maybe not well, but it wound up in the "Win" column due to late inning heroics by Joe Mauer.

 

Then, game II rolled around. And, as expected, the game was over early.

 

And here we go: game three with Ervin Santana on the mound against Chris Sale.

 

Should be a good one!

 

Deep Thoughts

 

1. Why is a baseball diamond, which is actually a square, called a diamond? If you do the geometry, the bases are arranged in a square, with each base 90 feet apart. And the pitching rubber is 60' 6" from home plate. Which is just over halfway to 2nd base. I'm not sure if it was due to bad math or if the Pythagorean Theorem had yet to be invented. Anyway, the actual half way distance is √ ((90x2)*2)/2, 63.639 inches. Although, if the distance is measured to the front of the pitching rubber, then, since the rubber is 6 inches wide, the math works, almost. Though for us purists,(I say purist, you say " Obsessive Compulsive) for it to be exactly right, the pitching rubber would need to be moved three inches plus a smidgen closer. (I may or may not have actually done the math)

 

1A. I suppose if one takes into account the outfield, then, yes, the total field resembles a diamond. Although, to me, it's more like the shape of giant snow cone. Which probably explains why some catches in the outfield are called "snowcones."

 

2. Baseball has expanded to become a world wide sport since its humble beginnings when Abner Doublday laid out the first baseball diamond. Since baseball is expanding, and with new worlds yet to be explored, who knows, maybe some day there will be a Universe Series in which all of the World Series winners will compete for the "Universe Series" title.

 

3. Park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? Ah, the vagaries of the English language.

 

4. People complain about the length of baseball games. Yet, has anyone ever looked at the length of time it takes to play a football game? There are 4 quarters of 15 minutes each with half time being another 15 minutes. That totals up to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Yet, somehow, a football game takes 3 hours or more. Which is about the same amount of time for the greatest sport in the world, baseball.

 

5. Cheerleaders. For some reason, football sees a need for scantily clad attractive ladies on the sidelines to "cheer" the team on. Baseball, being a much more sober and thoughtful sport, doesn't resort to such frippery.

 

 

Lineups to follow.

 

Play ball!

Lineups to follow.

 

MIN

Grossman RH

Polanco SS

Sano 3b

Vargas 1b

Escobar DH

Gimenez C

Rosario LF

Buxton CF

Adrianza 2b

 

Ervin Santana

 

BOS

Betts RF

Pedroia 2b

Bogaerts SS

Benintendi CF

Ramirez DH

Moreland 1b

Young LF

Leon C

Marrero 3b

 

Chris Sale

I'd like Santana to keep his ERA under 1.0 today.  This could be a quick game, low scoring, or.........

 

1. Why is a baseball diamond, which is actually a square, called a diamond?

Since we're doing math here, I'll point out that the 4 bases do not quite form a perfect 90-foot square. Home plate is located in fair territory inside the first base line and the third base line, with the point marking the corner of a 90-foot square. First base and third base are positioned such that the corner of the base toward the outfield along each foul line is 90 feet from the corner of home plate. Second base, however, is positioned with the center of the base located at the corner of the square. So home plate, first base and third base are positioned entirely inside the 90-foot square, but only the quarter of second base closest to home plate is within the square. Why should second base be different? Only the writer(s) of the rule knew, and he/she/they are no longer with us to answer.

Looking forward to this one.

When a pitcher paints the inside corner, is he painting the inside front corner, or the inside back corner? Or is he really just painting the inside edge? Can an edge be painted? Does home plate need a new coat of white paint, or should we paint the black?

 

When a pitcher paints the inside corner, is he painting the inside front corner, or the inside back corner? Or is he really just painting the inside edge? Can an edge be painted? Does home plate need a new coat of white paint, or should we paint the black?

He's painting the side of the zone. The strike zone is a seven-sided prism. There are 15 edges and 10 corners.

Edited May 7, 20179 yr by spinowner

He's painting the side of the zone. The strike zone is a seven-sided prism. There are 15 edges and 10 corners.

Some pitchers paint like Pollock and Dali, for better or worse. Usually worse.

 

Since we're doing math here, I'll point out that the 4 bases do not quite form a perfect 90-foot square. Home plate is located in fair territory inside the first base line and the third base line, with the point marking the corner of a 90-foot square. First base and third base are positioned such that the corner of the base toward the outfield along each foul line is 90 feet from the corner of home plate. Second base, however, is positioned with the center of the base located at the corner of the square. So home plate, first base and third base are positioned entirely inside the 90-foot square, but only the quarter of second base closest to home plate is within the square. Why should second base be different? Only the writer(s) of the rule knew, and he/she/they are no longer with us to answer.

 

 

He's painting the side of the zone. The strike zone is a seven-sided prism. There are 15 edges and 10 corners.

Oh great, what have I done? 

 

I think I've "let loose the dogs of baseball minutiae."

 

Anyway, very cool!

 

Oh great, what have I done? 

 

I think I've "let loose the dogs of baseball minutiae."

 

Anyway, very cool!

From statistics to the rules of play, there's way more math in baseball than most other sports. Which is good.

I literally have no idea what to expect today. Two great pitchers, two lineups that can score a bunch of runs or get shut down. Super dynamic/volatile game. Would want to bet this one.

 

$100 on Twins.

Some pitchers paint like Pollock and Dali, for better or worse. Usually worse.

The ones that paint like MC Escher are the real masters. The ump just calls them all strikes since they probably are strikes in one dimension or another.

He's painting the side of the zone. The strike zone is a seven-sided prism. There are 15 edges and 10 corners.

10 corners?

 

You'd think Gibson could've hit one once in a while, by accident if nothing else.

Not so fun fact: Aaron hicks has more hR then our OF combined.

 

We need Buxton to step up asap.

Edited May 7, 20179 yr by DaveW

Nice to see Buxton back in the lineup.

Deep Thoughts

1. Why is a baseball diamond, which is actually a square, called a diamond? If you do the geometry, the bases are arranged in a square, with each base 90 feet apart. And the pitching rubber is 60' 6" from home plate. Which is just over halfway to 2nd base. I'm not sure if it was due to bad math or if the Pythagorean Theorem had yet to be invented. Anyway, the actual half way distance is((90x2)*2)/2, 9 i63.63 √ nches. Although, if the distance is measured to the front of the pitching rubber, then, since the rubber is 6 inches wide, the math works, almost. Though for us purists,(I say purist, you say " Obsessive Compulsive) for it to be exactly right, the pitching rubber would need to be moved three inches plus a smidgen closer. (I may or may not have actually done the math)

 

 

GREAT INTRO!!!!!!

I think I made some improvements by striking out the math, as we had a Game Thread that focused on it before. I'm sure some will appreciate that..."Chief"??????

I'm doing marinated chicken on the grill, as I EXPECT a Twins' win TODAY!!!!!!

 

 

Edit: I can see I was late as more Math, cubes, diamonds and squares quickly followed    

Edited May 7, 20179 yr by Jerr

Have I missed it...who is taking Tonkin's place?

 

//ill supply Ash's response for him: "dunno, but not Who. Who's on first."

Welcome to the AL, Adrianza! Here's Chris Sale.

 

Have I missed it...who is taking Tonkin's place?

//ill supply Ash's response for him: "dunno, but not Who. Who's on first."

Justin Haley

 

Not so fun fact: Aaron hicks has more hR then our OF combined.

We need Buxton to step up asap.

Ahhh... The art of persistence.

 

I think I have fallen prey to it.

Someone recommended a book to me this weekend...

 

Ballparking it i think was the name...

 

I should read it eventually.

 

Some pitchers paint like Pollock and Dali, for better or worse. Usually worse.

The only reason Rollie Fingers is in the HOF is because he ripped off Dali's facial hair stylings.

Oh great, what have I done? 

 

I think I've "let loose the dogs of baseball minutiae."

 

Anyway, very cool!

Awright, WHO CRIED HAVOC? I want names.

The only reason Rollie Fingers is in the HOF is because he ripped off Dali's facial hair stylings.

Sounds painful.

Oh great, what have I done? 

 

I think I've "let loose the dogs of baseball minutiae."

 

Anyway, very cool!

You didn't let loose anything. This is the way he's always been.

I literally have no idea what to expect today. Two great pitchers, two lineups that can score a bunch of runs or get shut down. Super dynamic/volatile game. Would want to bet this one.

$100 on Twins.

Boston is -170, so you're getting some good odds.

You didn't let loose anything.

He might've. You can't always hear in time.

He might've. You can't always hear in time.

He who smelt it dealt it.

Not so fun fact: Aaron hicks has more hR then our OF combined.

We need Buxton to step up asap.

Dave, at Cornel University they have an incredible piece of scientific equipment known as the Tunneling Electron Microscope (TEM). Now this Microscope is so powerful that by firing electrons you can actually see images of the atom, the infitesimally small building block of all life. Dave, if I were using this Microscope right now, I still couldn't locate my interest in Aaron Hicks' stats.

All the dang math in this thread so far.   $@*%!

 

I just wanna see the boys jump all over Sale's a$$.  Show him it doesn't matter what color Sox he has on, we're gonna eat him alive just the same.  I wanna see him cry Gibson-esque tears out on that mound today.  

 

Get 'im, boys.