Dortmunder

I have tried to survive this lost year by focusing my attention on the few bright spots that might mean good things in the season(s) to come. When I learned about Ryan getting hit on the wrist, I thought once again about how snakebitten this team is. Yesterday the Yankees felt so bad about playing the Twins, they spotted us five runs to start the game and the Twins still couldn't win. I'm glad Ryan's x-rays were negative, but I don't know how much more of this I can take.

I'm getting kind of tired of this particular dead horse too. I'm content at this point to let the season play out and see what happens. What happened in the playoffs last year, or any other year, is in the past. A lot of things could happen in the next seven months, and I think the people running the Twins have proven they deserve a little trust.

Somehow this loss bothered me more than any other this season. I don't understand putting Dyson in when he only arrived a few innings before and they had reasonable options in the bullpen. This was a game the Twins should not have lost. I know there are always games like this in any season, but this one continues to bother me. I hope the team is better able to shake this off than I seem to be.

How long had it been since Rodney last pitched? It seems like it's been several days, which may have led to an excessive amount of rust for the already shaky Rodney. Managing a bullpen through a long losing streak is a skill that Molitor may not have.

I love baseball. It is an escape, a hobby and has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I wish reality didn't need to step in and muddy up the pleasure baseball brings. But situations like this are more important than the game. Any discipline from the team or the league will hopefully remind other professional athletes that this behavior is absolutely unacceptable.