Squirrel

JB ... you and I have a similar baseball background ... a girl growing up in the 60s wasn't encouraged to play baseball. But I did play softball ... summer rec stuff, because other than swimming at the local Y, that was about it for organized sports for girls. The one time I played with the neighborhood boys ... I hit the ball over the neighbor's garage ... and that was it. Heh ... like beating the boys at euchre during study hall in high school ... played with them once, beat them soundly, and was the last time I was asked to play. Boys and their weak egos.

Hammer!!! Let's hope he has the feel of that and will take that north with him!

Damn! Wish I had TV of this ... sounded like a good catch by Hicks.

And it's a game ... rain must have abated.

This, times 100

Yeah ... I haven't decided if I'm going to the game or not ... couldn't talk any of my friends into going ... 'It'll be too cold' ... oh boo hoo ... sheeesh. Anyway ...

Gametime forecast: 75 deg, rain, 72%PoP (looks like we're headed for another cancellation) Twins: SP, Pelfrey Dozier ® 2B Suzuki ® C Mauer (L) 1B Willingham ® LF Kubel (L) DH Plouffe ® 3B Arcia (L) RF Hicks (S) CF Florimon (S) SS Red Sox: SP, Peavy Nava (S) LF Victorino ® RF Pedroia ® 2B Napoli ® 1B Sizemore (L) CF Bogaerts ® SS Carp (L) DH Middlebrooks ® 3B Ross ® C <Brian's 'Things to Think About' here; tba, check back later> Thank You ChiTown Things to think about: 1. Chance of Rain -- With the possibility of a washout... I wonder if there is any reason to go outside. Is there any reason to think about things to think about at all? Too late I'm already thinking. 2. The final game of Spring Training -- This is it... They are all trained... The Dolphin can jump through the hoops and slide out of the water on its belly and make little dolphin chirping sounds for a fish. The Technical parts of playing baseball have been ironed out. They now how to position for a cut in all situations. They've seen fastballs and breaking pitches. Timing has been timed and locations have been located. Starting Monday... Welcome to the Show!!! 3. Possums -- When a Possum is threatened. It will fake death and even mimic the smell of a death. It lays still, mouth open and saliva will foam while it secretes a death smelling odor. They are pretty good at it and predators become disinterested and leave it alone. This has been Josh Willingham strategy throughout spring training and 2013. Possums usually come out of it within 4 hours. Josh must have missed that part. 4. Boston -- We are playing Boston again... Getting in the car driving to Dunedin is hard on everyone involved. 5. Rain -- Water on the ground evaporates into the sky. After that... a bunch of stuff happens that the weather broadcasters on television have a hard time grasping. Eventually... The water returns to earth in the form of rain. Arizona doesn't have any water so they don't get any rain. Florida has a bunch of water so they get rain. Spring training Homes for the Major League Clubs have been trending toward Arizona because they have less rain cancelations. Once they realize that Chief is nearby... They will move back to Florida.

I don't think he'll be the only one deep thinking.

Heh ... he probably got busy at work ... which happens ... which is what I should be doing ... oy ....

Hey, Halsey ... if you're still reading ... you've mentioned in a couple different threads about Gardy being in the tower watching over the minor leaguers ... any idea what/who he's looking at? Is it 'curious' that he's down there, or just looking at the future?

I think Halsey is gonna have a long wait ... don't see it happening.

Oh, wait, strike that ... forgot that JetBlue is no longer inside the mayoral jurisdiction.

Isn't it the Mayor's Cup? And they have another game tomorrow, too, or is Boston that much ahead at this point?

Gametime forecast: 78 deg F, overcast, 10%PoP Red Sox: SP, Doubront (L) Victorino (S) RF Pedroia ® 2B Pierzynski (L) C Napoli ® DH Gomes ® LF Carp (L) 1B Bogaerts ® SS Middlebrooks ® 3B Bradley (L) CF Twins: SP, Hughes ® Bartlett ® RF Mauer (L) DH Plouffe ® 3B Willingham ® LF Colabello ® 1B Pinto ® C Hicks (S) CF Escobar (S) 2B Florimon (S) SS Check back to this spot for Brian's setup. I guess you could consider this spot as Twins Daily's version of 'Deep Thoughts.' Thank You ChiTown Here are my Deep Thoughts Things to Think About 1. It's a day game... And I'm just getting the chance to think about this game. So I'm late. 2. Boston again... As often as we play Boston in the preseason... You'd swear that we we were in the same city or something. 3. Bartlett in RF... Outfield training is probably gonna get ramped up before Monday. 4. Pinto Catching... He's coming North... It'll be interesting to see how the catching labor is divided up. 5. Think about Monday... Opening day... I've taken the day off from work because it should be a national holiday. Cue the Mama and the Papa's...ba da ba da da dah... Monday Monday... So good to me... Cue Jimmy Buffett... Come Monday... It'll be alright... Cue Fleetwood Mac... Monday Morning you look so fine... Cue the Boomtown Rats... Tell me why I don't like Mondays... I want to shoot the whole day down. Ok... Let's not cue up the Boomtown Rats with this crowd. Let's not cue up the Carpenters either. Let's go into Monday with optimism.

Parker, have you heard anything yet about Florimon not going north, and working more in extended ST?

I hope that Parker is able to change himself into a fly, or put on his invisibility cape, in order to listen into some of whatever is being discussed down in 'the Fort' right now.

Gameday forecast: 72 deg, mostly cloudy 1%PoP Twins: SP, Correia lineup to come Red Sox: SP, Lackey Daniel Nava (S) LF Dustin Pedroia ® 2B David Ortiz (L) DH Mike Napoli ® 1B Grady Sizemore (L) CF Xander Bogaerts ® SS A.J. Pierzynski (L) C Will Middlebrooks ® 3B Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF Thank You ChiTown for the lineups!!! ChiTown and I are gonna team up on these Game Thread starters and see how it works. Thinks to thing about (Intentional juxtaposition): 1. Preseason -- Keep telling yourself over and over... It's only Pre-season. Players are still trying to find themselves... It's only Pre-season... It doesn't matter if the Twins are averaging 0.4 Runs per game... It's only pre-season... It doesn't matter if Josh Willingham is hitting .015 with no home runs... Then Click Your Heels (Hold on to your Dog) and the shoes that you have on will take care of everything for you. 2. Shoes -- If that Clicking of your heels thing doesn't work. You may want to go look for another pair. 3. Jason Kubel -- He's made the roster... OK... Now he can relax and start playing like he made the roster. 4. Xander Bogaerts -- Seriously... Who named him that? I do hope he does well this year... I used one of my keeper spots in my fantasy league to keep him. Here's to eventual SS eligibility to go with his 3B eligibility!!! 5. The Preparation of Food -- My wife has been out of town for the past week. This means that I'm responsible for keeping my 16 year old alive. He's a great young man and I would never torture him but forcing him to eat something I've cooked for him so it's been pretty easy... I've been letting him choose the restaurant and we've had some quality time together. Yeah Yeah... That's a nice story and all... Here's the main issue. By going out to eat... I've run out of leftovers for lunch. My main job in our household is to finish off the leftovers. I got home for lunch today and there were no leftovers for me to enjoy. I had to step up to the plate and cook something for myself. I looked around and found a couple of cans of Tuna and we had miracle whip and my plan was born... I haven't had a tuna sandwich in awhile so that was what I decided to cook. Umm... Here's what I learned today... At some point... It becomes a Miracle Whip sandwich that is tuna flavored if you put too much miracle whip in. I'll do better next time... I've decided to try again tomorrow.

This was my hope ... that there was something else in the works. Which it still could be. I read earlier that Florimon is likely not heading north (trying to find that again) so thought Bartlett would be on the team as a backup there. Wow ... not sure what to think right now. More questions keep popping up.

oops ... cross-post to JB ... got my answers now. So freaking insane is right. Wow.

Wait ... Parms wasn't on waivers, was he? I hadn't heard that. Hadn't heard that Presley was either, for that matter. And with Florimon questionable to start the season and likely going to extended ST because of his appendectomy, I guess Bartlett makes the team as a super-utility player, both backup to infield and CF?

Welcome aboard!

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I'm still trying to decide whether or not to go to any of these ...

Getting this up EARLY today because my day later on is a mess! But I love my job! I just wish I could watch baseball while I'm working. Thanks to SampleSizeOfOne for posting a game thread yesterday ... it was great! Pirates: SP, Cumpton Josh Harrison ® LF Travis Snider (L) RF Andrew McCutchen ® CF Travis Ishikawa (L) 1B Neil Walker (S) 2B Gaby Sanchez ® DH Tony Sanchez ® C Jordy Mercer ® SS Clint Barmes ® 3B Twins: SP, Nolasco Brian Dozier ® 2B Joe Mauer (L) 1B Jason Kubel (L) LF Josh Willingham ® DH Oswaldo Arcia (L) RF Trevor Plouffe ® 3B Kurt Suzuki ® C Aaron Hicks (S) CF Pedro Florimon (S) SS Since I'm not Brian, I haven't quite as much to think about. I was at the game last Friday when Nolasco pitched, and the Mets scored 7 runs in the first. I just hope Nolasco does better. And this lineup ... I don't hate it; I think it's about as good as it can get with what we have. I'd swap Suzuki and Hicks, though, but at this point, whatever. Okay, chatter it up ... and play ball! (in a few hours)

Another one out of the park.