Squirrel

That's neither an ick nor an ish. It's an eye-stabbing moment.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these moderators from the swift completion of their appointed threads.

I'm just gonna get this out of the way right here and now ... Ish. Yes, with a capital 'I.'

Winning also changes things. They are winning some and it feels good. Let's hope they can keep that going. It goes hand in hand. And I work in a library, too ... we still have fun even if it is more subtle and not so loud.

Game-time forecast: Mostly sunny. Winds blowing from right to left field at 10-15 m.p.h. Temperature around 65. Mariners: SP, Hernandez James Jones CF Michael Saunders RF Robinson Cano 2B Corey Hart DH Justin Smoak 1B Kyle Seager 3B Dustin Ackley LF Mike Zunino C Brad Miller SS Twins: SP, Nolasco Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer 1B Trevor Plouffe DH Chris Parmelee RF Kurt Suzuki C Jason Kubel LF Eduardo Escobar 3B Aaron Hicks CF Daniel Santana SS ------------------------------ And Brian's on deck. Check back to see him knock another out of the park. -------------------------------- Warning track and I thought I got it all. Things to think about: 1. Sid Hartman -- His own bobble head... A well deserved honor for a true Minnesota icon. When people ask me what Minnesota is all about... I tell them "Sid Hartman". When people ask me what there is to do in Minnesota... I tell them "Go to the Lake and read "Sid Hartman" When people ask me what is Minnesota Cuisine... I tell them Sid Hartman. Sid was asked about his own bobble head and he replied: "I thi its gray... Shoods bah da la tie go... My Close Personal Friend Bobby Knight hz ha Fi bobbles all red" 2. King Felix -- Felix Hernandez is quality and durable arm. A native of Venezuela which is just South of Vermont... King Felix has thrown over 190 innings every year since since hitting the majors as a 20 year old in 2006. It may seem like he's been around forever but he's only 28 years old... So he is actually younger than Sid Hartman. 3. Danny Santana -- Welcome back to the lineup Danny. I understand that there has been a hamstring issue but I also read that he was good to go possibly Thursday... Yet he didn't see the playing field. He's been on the bench too long... It's good to get him back in the lineup. Hey Danny... That's King Felix you are facing... Try not to look like you should be sent down to AAA against him after not playing for 5 games. 4. The Rubberband... It does have the ability to stretch toward the positive. The Twins are one game over... And it's April!!! I mean May!!! The weather this winter had got my timing off. 5. Chit Chat -- I had many conversations with many people during a wedding reception yesterday. The conversations were always partial... Because of the pausing for glass clinking or speeches from the best man and maid of honor... Hired DJ and the limo driver. I figure I talked with 15 different people and discussed maybe 25 subjects and had zero completed sentences.

Safe from what, or whom?

Okay, just got a screen shot of that. Yes, the blackmail begins. Mwahahahaha …

Okay, well, don't abuse it or he'll take it away again.

Brock, thank you! Why didn't you tell me we could do this?

WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO* ​*This is a test

Hey, how'd you do that!

My guy!

Wooohoooo!

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 60. Mariners: SP, Elias Jones CF Saunders RF Cano 2B Hart DH Seager 3B Smoak 1B Ackley LF Zunino C Miller SS Twins: SP, Deduno Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Plouffe 3B Suzuki DH Pinto C Colabello RF Nunez LF Hicks CF Escobar SS --------------------------- More to come ... stay tuned ... ---------------------------------------------------- Ok... Things to Think About: 1. Roenis Elias -- He's lefthanded... 25 years old and he defected from Cuba on a boat to Mexico. He's also been OK for the DL riddled Seattle rotation. There isn't a lot of statistical information on him. A couple of years of data in the low minors. He spent 2013 in AA and posted OK numbers. I got a chance to watch him pitch this year and I was pretty impressed... The thing I noticed about him was this huge sweeping curveball. I'd count on seeing it today. 2. Sam Deduno -- 29.2 IP 25 K's and a 3.64 ERA. Since taking over a spot in the rotation for Pelfrey he hasn't been shut down good but he's been a whole lot better then Pelfrey. I stand by my belief that Deduno should not only be in the rotation but if left in the rotation he will perform well enough to earn and stay in the rotation. 3. Colabello -- He's back in the lineup today and I think it's the right call. We are facing a lefthander and tomorrow we face King Felix. If you are going to bust out of a slump... You don't want to try against King Felix and he has to play sometime. So... with a lefthander... Today is the day. Cola is 0 for 15 in the past 7 games. 6 for 47 in the past 15 games... His slump is bone rattling. Compared with April... He's Jeckyl and Hyde... Or Solange in Public and Solange in an Elevator. 4. Santana -- He's not in the lineup today and I don't think that's the right call. He sat yesterday... He shouldn't be sitting two days in a row. Don't get me wrong... Escobar should be in the lineup as well because Escobar is absolutely raking. I just think today is the day to put them both in the lineup... Somehow... Someway... 5. Weddings -- I have another Wedding to attend today... That's two in the past two weeks. I'm happy for the couple... But.. if this keeps up... I'm going to stop acquainting myself with single people just to slow this train down.

Geez, c'mon Perk

Ack! It is very dangerous to say such things aloud. You are asking for fate to step in and make it so. Then where would we be?

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature near 50. Mariners: SP, Young James Jones CF Michael Saunders RF Robinson Cano 2B Corey Hart DH Justin Smoak 1B Kyle Seager 3B Dustin Ackley LF Mike Zunino C Brad Miller SS Twins: SP, Gibson Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer 1B Trevor Plouffe 3B Chris Parmelee RF Kurt Suzuki C Jason Kubel LF Josmil Pinto DH Aaron Hicks CF Eduardo Escobar SS ------------------------- And after much pencil chewing and head scratching, Brian will let us know what he's thinking when he figures out what he's thinking! -------------------------------------------------------------------- I was never much of pencil chewer. I was never much of a pencil writer either. My favorite things about pencils was throwing them in the air when the teacher had his or her back turned to the blackboard and getting them stuck into the ceiling. It was great fun but a poorly thought out plan. Since they were always stuck directly over my desk... I could never say it was Kristie who did it. Things to Think About: 1. The Mariners -- A new revamped lineup and some stellar starting pitching coming to town. The Mariners are currently 20-20 and the Twins are 19-20. The Mariners have been my pick to click in the future. I just think they have a lot of things ready to pop. King Felix and Iwakuma make up a pretty effective tandem at the top of the rotation and soon to join them... Taijuan Walker and James Paxton. This Elias is looking pretty good and they have more young arms in the minors getting closer. That rotation can lead to something important while they tinker to find the right hitters. They've got some guys who can gobble up a pitchers mistake right now and they might find some more. Not Yet but Soon... The Mariners will be a force. 2. Robinson Cano -- Seattle shocked everyone by securing the services of Robinson Cano with a 10 year 240 Million Dollar deal. Cano is 31 years old so when his contract is up he will be 82 Years old. The Mariners probably don't figure he will be worth 24 million a year in the final years of his deal when he is in his 60's and 70's but they are thinking that he should be solid for a few years when the young talent finally joins and brings it all together. So what has 240 million gotten them so far... Umm... 1 Home Run. Hit in Texas... so the Mariner Fans still haven't seen him go yard yet at home. Cano's agent is Jay Z and Cano's GM is Jack Z... Beyoncé's Sister has punched them both in the face in elevators. 3. Chris Young -- He has made 6 starts for the Mariners because every starter above him on the depth chart is resting comfortably at Seattle's Virginia Mason Hospital. Despite being older... Chris Young of the Mariners has been much more effective then his twin Brother Chris Young who is playing OF for the Mets. I know what you are wondering... The Answer is yes... They are identical Twins. There are a few difference that makes it easier to tell them apart. For example Chris Young of the Mariners is 6-10 while Chris Young of the Mets is 6-2. When you are pitcher standing 6-10 everybody assumes that you can't pitch in dome stadiums without banging your head and that you are a power pitcher. It's true that he can't pitch in dome stadiums but Chris is not a power pitcher by any stretch of the imagination. He relies on location on a variety of pitches that top out at 40 MPH. 4. Jason Kubel -- I wonder if Kubel saw Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs lay down two bunts for base hits against the shift yesterday. Koobs has been slumping and I'd like to see him try it just to show that he has that club in his bag. Jason has been swinging and missing a bit lately... If he continues to swing and miss against Chris Young. He might be batting with his eyes closed. We may need a slow motion close up from FSN to make that determination. 5. Difficult Tasks -- According to research... When people look at a long to-do list. The Majority of Americans tend to assess and tackle the most difficult task first. I must be in the minority... When doing these Game Thread introductions... I find that thought #5 is the most difficult to come up with. So I tried to switch it up and do thought #5 first and it didn't work... It just made thought #9 even harder.

Obviously little

Yeah. And he also seems to have a nice mane! Not glorious but very nice!

I thought this was a thread on Worley ...

Maybe Hughes has enough of the 'I hate the Red Sox' Yankee left in him to pitch to him ... and get him. (Okay, yeah, the 'get him' is optimistic, but a girl can dream!)

heh ... mostly they are about missing lineups, or lineups to come, so once lineups are there, they lose their meaning and purpose. But this was just funny.

Omg. The world must be ending. Pinto and Suzuki starting in the same lineup.

Game-time forecast: Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Temperature around 50. Red Sox: SP, Doubront Dustin Pedroia 2B Shane Victorino RF David Ortiz DH Mike Napoli 1B Grady Sizemore LF A.J. Pierzynski C Xander Bogaerts SS Will Middlebrooks 3B Jackie Bradley Jr. CF Twins: SP, Correia Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer 1B Trevor Plouffe 3B Chris Parmelee RF Kurt Suzuki DH Josmil Pinto C Eduardo Nunez LF Eduardo Escobar SS Aaron Hicks CF ----------------------------- Okay Brian ... it's on you, now. Yes, you! -------------------------------------------------- You wouldn't believe the stuff that is on me!!! Ick or Ish would be appropriate but I'm not sure which one. Things to Think About: 1. Nice Win -- It was a nice win last night... It was good to see the bats make Jake Peavy (or Peavey according to Gibby) feel bad. It was fun to see the camera pan over to Peavy and see him cussing and looking basically disgusted. 2. Chris Parmelee -- Let's get something straight... I like Parmelee as a ball player. I don't know if he's going to forge a long career in this sport or not... But... My impression of Parmelee has always been... The guy leaves it all on the field. I don't think he's an amazing defensive player but I think he squeezes every once of defensive ability out of himself and gives it to you. Because he does that... to my eyes... he comes across as one of the better defensive players that we have. I will always pull for a guy who is pulling for himself. That home run he hit last night was wonderful and I hope it gives him the confidence to play this game. 3. Pitching -- Today Kevin Correia matches up with Felix Doubront... None of these guys have pitched like King Felix vs Kershaw. It doesn't mean a pitching duel can't break out... because sometimes it does. I think they will both give up some hits so it'll come down to who gives up less free passes and who has the better support on defense and at the plate in key moments. 4. The Rubberband -- Is a little tattered... But technically it can snap back to .500 with a win tonight. No reason to think that band can't keep things in place for a little while. If it can survive all the injuries and strange creatures roaming the outfield. It can survive like Gloria Gaynor sings about. 5. South Dakota -- Viewers were upset when the News cut into the season finale of the show "Once Upon A Time" to cover a tornado that touched down and was heading toward homes. South Dakota may be the only state that doesn't like reality TV.

Mostly I find it okay using my iPhone and iPad although I find navigating between threads and forums a little more ... cumbersome. I wish on the mobile there were navigation buttons to jump me around