Blake

Bring back Andy MacPhail and Tom Kelly!!

The Twins DFA all these players and keep Mastroianni. Could just as easily have brought up Kepler or Buxtun and been done with it.

Sox got a hit, time to pull Duffey and turn the game over to the bullpen.

I now feel like the teacher who thought they caught a student napping.

Well, at least Molitor only had Mastroianni leading off for one game. Seriously, I have to ask what Molitor was thinking. Might as well as lead off with Rosario.

Considering the Twins are incredibly slow when it comes to getting lineups out... Anyway, yesterday, I posted the game thread from Phoenix and did the lineups from Bakersfield. Just a bit more than an hour.

Lineups go here: (hopefully, this works out today) Twins 1. Eduardo Nunez SS 2. Jorge Polanco 2B 3. Miguel Sano DH 4. Trevor Plouffe 3B 5. Byung-ho Park 1B 6. Oswaldo Arcia RF 7. Darin Mastroianni CF 8. Juan Centeno C 9. Eddie Rosario LF Pitching: Tyler Duffey White Sox 1. Adam Eaton RF 2. Jimmy Rollins SS 3. Jose Abreu 1B 4. Todd Frazier 3B 5. Melky Cabrera LF 6. Brett Lawrie 2B 7. Avisail Garcia DH 8. Dioner Navarro C 9. Austin Jackson CF Pitching: Jose Quintana

I'm sitting here, wait for the muse to strike and, managed to strike out. For some reason, getting to first base was rather troublesome as I worked on getting this thread ready for publication. Even when I got a few things lined up to score for my writing, in the end, I had trouble making enough solid contact to bring things home. Then, when my writing started to look promising, it again let me down, to the point I wondered why I even continued. Luckily, I stuck with it, (pipe down, over there, yes, I mean you, Mr Twinsnorth...no comments about whether I should have continued my efforts and should have retired my word processor years ago. So what if I'll never make the big leagues. I have a dream, baby!) even with a disastrous start to my writing this year. Sometimes, one has to keep plugging along, one word at a time, and eventually the sentences will come. Hmm, there seems to be a allusion buried somewhere within that writing. Interesting. I'll have to call for a ruling on that. Chief? What say you? The Twins, much like my writing, have struggled this year. The Twins have obviously not played up to their potential. But, like the masochists, I mean, fans we are, we're here for the long haul. The Twins may not win this year, but, this year looks to be a rookiepalooza! So, win? Go Twins! Oh, yeah, things to think about: 1. Mom. 2. Apple Pie. 3. Baseball. 4. Hot Dogs. 5. Peanuts and Crackerjacks. That's all, folks!!

Single hole or two hole? Standard crescent moon cutout on the door?

People don't live in ND, they exist.

By the way, I was in the Cities this last week. I caught the local sports cast and just about had a stroke. The idiots went on and on about what these moves "meant" and didn't take the time to inform exactly what moves were made. This was yesterday, I believe. It was like the Twins front office had invaded the newsroom.

But the changes are all fringe changes. No core (read:expensive) pitcher DFA'd. I'd take the changes seriously if there were some big dollars involved. And that Darin Mastroianni is leading off just astounds me. I honestly expected someone to question me about the lineups when Mastroianni was shown as leading off.

Sky Dock? Seems a suitable name for the all weather ramps used for boarding.

Drat, too much time, cannot edit. Lineups: Twins Darin Mastroianni RF Eduardo Nunez SS Miguel Sano DH Trevor Plouffe 3B Byung-ho Park 1B Oswaldo Arcia LF Jorge Polanco 2B Kurt Suzuki C Danny Santana CF Pitcher: Ervin Santana White Sox: 7 Adam Eaton RF Austin Jackson CF Jose Abreu 1B Todd Frazier 3B Melky Cabrera LF Brett Lawrie 2B Avisail Garcia DH Dioner Navarro C Tyler Saladino SS Pitcher: Cris Sale

It doesn't have the presence of "Sky Harbor." Try saying "Sunport" with a majestic ring to it. Now try "Sky Harbor." Sunport just doesn't cut it.

Thank you. I had fun writing it.

Lineups go here:

strikezoid: noun pronounced strike ĕh(tip of the cap to our northern neighbors) zoid antecedent: strike zone Definition: a curious shape that defies normal geometric definitions. This shape, which changes from minute to minute, is designed to drive both batters and fans crazy. In fact, this shape, while correctly known as a "strikezoid" is often confused with the "strike zone." However, since strike zones are rectangular in shape, the distinction quickly becomes obvious. Back to the subject at hand: strikezoid. It has become apparent the umpires have designed a new shape for the strike zone. Henceforth known as the "strikezoid." Curiously, the strikezoid seems to be somewhat of a shape shifter, favoring first one team, then the other. I'm not sure why this is, however, I'm just your humble observer and offer no explanations. Huh? What's that, RB? Twins? I'm supposed to talk about the Twins? Why? So what if the home town nine lost nine straight to start the season. I thought the issue of the strikezoid was far more pressing. Okay, fine, be that way. Yeesh, go off on a tangent, and the voices in your head start complaining. Anyway, as our inimitable stat gurus have pointed out, the Twins record in no way reflected the underlying stats and there was no way things would not turn around. However, for those of us who are realists (some call us "pessimists") it seemed like some were blowing smoke. Unfortunately, the tokers, I mean, people blowing smoke, were wrong. However, as fans, we're getting to see players we've heard a lot about. I think the future looks good; it's the here and now that is somewhat painful. Since RB also likes to have some things to think about, here goes: 1. Joe Mauer: Too early to ponder batting title plus Comeback Player of the Year? 2. Flying First Class: Not as plush as I remember. No more leather seats. 3. Brian Dozier: I don't know what to think. 4. In Flight TV: Evidently, airlines have sold commercial time to networks. I was treated <sarcasm to a montage of NBC shows. 5. Berrios: We're pretty sure he can pitch, but, can he play right field? 6. Weather: The warmest place in America was Frostbite Falls, MN? (okay, okay, yes, it was in MN, but hey, every baseball thread needs a moose and squirrel reference. 7. Flying: Phoenix Sky Harbor - Is there a cooler name for an airport? In closing, I would like to thank the fabulous discgolfer for the thread idea. (sorry Brian, this material just spoke to me) By the way, discgolfer? Really? You play "frolf?" Why not own up to it, be proud, loud and proclaim that you "don't play frolf to feel bad, you play bad frolf but feel good." Lineups to follow. Posted from, you guessed it, Sky Harbor.

"Highly evolved" is a somewhat subjective term. For instance, we all know you date back a ways. Perhaps you evolved from a single celled protozoa? It would explain the simplicity of your jokes.

Only fancy people do that. Us regular people go for Costco Dogs.

Not only am I late to the thread, I'm in MN this next week and the Twins are on the road. Story of my life, not just a day late and a dollar short, but a week late and many dollars short.

NoCryinginBaseball..how about weeping and gnashing of teeth?

Or, how about a hard throwing lefty from the farm system? (I believe there is one, if I'm not mistaken)

I saw somewhere earlier this year that the Twins had completely mishandled Tonkin. Which makes me wonder about the Tonkin's ceiling and just what the Twins have done to screw him up. It was one of those things you just think okay, sure, whatever you say..but with the way this season is unfolding..yikes!! One more thing: It also makes me wonder just how much difference Torii Hunter made in the clubhouse last year.

I'll settle for mediocre with flashes of eptness.