Jim Leyland Don't Care

Jim Leyland don't give a shit.

 Ciao.
-cr.

St. Paul Pride. 4 Eva.

Yup, I'm already tired of the Mauer bashing and will not be doing it here. Plenty of others are (quite predictably and derivatively) all over the clearly the problem is Mauer bandwagon. So, if that's what you are looking for, feel free to disembark. You're on the wrong ride, folks.

I'll be honest: I am a fan. A big, fat Joe Mauer fan. You know how you have a very few certain players in your life as a sports fan, maybe just one ever, whom you choose to get behind and from whose allegiance you do not waiver?

Joe is that guy for me. Mauer means something to me; he stands for more than numbers, be it dollars in his contract or his batting average. I am willing to give Joe-- MVP, twice batting champ as a catcher-- the benefit of the doubt and trust him to work it out. I believe he has earned that.

And I don't think he's perfect-- of course not. I see the faults, especially related to the injuries and the recovery time (but this is a larger, Twins-wide problem, in my opinion-- it's like they just don't work out hard enough and have weak cores. And ankles. And wrists. And knees), but the idea that the Twins' major malfunction this season is Mauer is pretty ridiculous and not one I will entertaining here at So It Goes Baseball.

OK, I'm getting redundant, I know. But it's my blog, so there.

Ciao.
-christine

P.S., Readers, I'd love to hear about those players you love no matter, be it Twins or not. Please comment.

 

Terrifying + Adorable

> Another laugh out loud worthy Twins commercial

Ciao, buddies.
-cr.

Relievers Relieve and Closers Close

Allow me: Where on earth have I been? I know. I'm sorry. I've been a bad blogger. It's not like I don't have a lot to say because, well... that's just never true. So let's just get to it.

I could seriously french kiss every single Twin for making this whole thing fun again. I know breaking .400 isn't something typically to get all slobbery over, but come on-- the last time we talked we were hovering at 17 games back and now we're 9. This is a big deal. The Twins are putting together a lot of wins and reminding us all just how fast the standings can change in a very long season that is not yet at the halfway point.

It's been particularly fantastic -- and reminiscent of the old "piranha" baseball that so nicely described Twins baseball (ah, the accidental eloquence of Ozzie Guillen) -- to watch it getting done by a bunch of young scrappers, all of whom I truly believe when they say they are just happy to be here.

For awhile, my only answer to the WTF, Twins? question was something about the Twins being Murphy's Law in cleats: everything that could go wrong was indeed going very wrong. No need to rehash it all, but it seems, at least right now, that many of the issues on that long list of wrongs are on their way to being righted.

Most notably, we seem to have remembered that this is major league baseball and execution matters. Pitchers throw strikes, infielders turn double plays, hitters get their asses to first somehow and then the next guy moves him over to second or they steal their way there themselves, relievers relieve, and closers close. And some other stuff, too.

No, it looks good. I mean, I prefer the 'stach but this is cool, too.

In all honesty, it might be the superb starting pitching that is the biggest part of this turn around-- the effects of these consistent, in-command, efficient, winning performances are evident all over the field, the bullpen, behind the plate and in the stands.

Seriously, what is sexier than back-to-back complete games?

Nothing, Carl, nothing is sexier.

This week we see Nishioka and MAUER return, which, even though we have been on this streak without them, can only be a good thing. I think. I am curious about when Span and some the rest of the big boys start returning... I mean, I kind of feel that maybe Ben Revere is here to stay.



Play on, playas. This is fun.

Ciao.
-christine

p.s., "Fucking sardines" now, Ozzie?

p. p. s., I would pay cash money for a spontaneous Ozzie Guillen breakdown of every MLB team and the fish they correspond to and why. Somebody please ask him that question.

Not Much to See Here, Twins Fans

So how about we take a look at some other teams doing awesome things...

SF Giants release an "It Gets Better" video

The first of these great videos from a professional sports team, this is a big deal. Really great work, Giants.

Wilson Valdez shifts from second to... excuse me?

This kid not only gets Votto to pop out, but he doesn't give up a hit. And he gets the win. I love that he shook off the catcher.

I know-- he looked better than most of the Twins relievers, didn't he? I would suggest moving our second baseman to the mound for a shot, why not, but we don't even really have a second baseman. So, whatever.

Zack Greinke hit a pretty sweet homerun.

Well, that is just fun.



And back to the Giants being awesome again. Show offs.

Brian Wilson --  honoring his father with a big fat donation to the Air Force, establishing the Michael Wilson scholarship.

The largest single donation in Air Force history, as a matter of fact.

It's fun to see B Weezy break character for a minute and show that his heart is as big as his beard.

> Want to play with Brian Wilson's beard ?





Ciao, buddies.
-cr.

p.s., Hang in there, kittens; it's June now and the Twins have been known to have a hot June before. And, Alexi Casilla seems to have figured out that he plays major league baseball. Thome is back. Morneau's hitting the ball harder and farther. Blackburn's looking pretty. Swarzak pitched like a badass. Mauer hasn't gotten any worse.

Breaking News: Busted Buster Causes (me to) Panic

I know I am not alone in baseball nation when I say that I am a sad panda over the Buster Posey collision and broken leg from Wednesday. 

> watch video here (but be prepared to clench various body parts)

I have to say, this was really, really rough to watch. Not just because of the incredible pain you see poor Buster in as that leg goes a direction it is not meant to go before going full rag doll. And not just because you feel for Cousins as he immediately knows what just happened (he probably heard it break). And not just because it's Buster Posey and you have to love Buster Posey. Also because... as a Twins fan, doesn't this just strike fear straight into your soul?

You know where I'm going with this. Don't make me say it.


See, I've not before all that seriously entertained the chatter about moving Mauer from catcher, at least not in the immediate future. I know it's inevitable down the road, uh huh yeah yeah, but... I don't know, watching this, and hearing guttural wails of true pain coming from Giants fans, something has shifted in my thinking.

It was a clean hit, true; it's part of the game, absolutely. That is why I'm freaked out. Hits like that, in that position in particular, can and have been career-enders. There I said it.

I know I'm being dramatic and letting sentiment trump the game itself, but my god man, can you imagine? Joe Mauer is the pride of our state, one of its greatest treasures. And for good reason. I'm not sure we could handle it as a team, as a state. Okay, maybe I couldn't handle it and the rest of you guys would be fine, but I doubt that. I mean, we don't let people pollute our 10,000 lakes. We don't let Garrison Keilor do any national media. We don't send Sven out to chase tornadoes. I don't think we even let Prince leave his house.

OK, I kid. Kind of.

Ciao.
-cr.

Find The Fun (and you don't have to look far).

Jim Crikket @ Knuckleballs Blog has a great post called "Being a Fan: It's Not Always Easy." It's a great post and everyone should read it right now. Go.

Welcome back.

Good, eh?

"I’ve always said, and still believe today, that the worst day at a ballgame is better than the best day just about anywhere else," Jim says.

I love that. And want everyone to remember it. Not that I think any of the real Twins fans I know would just give up on the Twins or lose interest all together, but Jim's point about finding ways to enjoy watching the Twins right now is a very good one.

Remember that baseball is fun.

For me, baseball isn't a sport that's only fun when you win. Sure, you find yourself nonplussed and frustrated when things go as terribly poor as they have been for the Twins lately (and it has been bad-- I am not intending to leave that unacknowledged. It's been a turd fest.), but ... hey, it's still a fun game.

It's baseball. It's still 9 innings in which each at-bat means anything can happen. It's still full of great sports moments -- some epic, Friday Night Lights-worthy, and some tiny, blink and you miss it -- drama, humor and interesting personal narratives. All of this you pick up and enjoy when you are a fan and you follow your team.

It's still a great show. And better than Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior.


So, find the fun. Maybe don't follow just the Twins right now-- check in on some other teams, winning ones if that's what you need, watch Baseball Tonight from time to time (or at least the last 5 minutes for web gems.)


And do these things:

• Go to Target Field. It's still awesome. The food is just as good, the beer just as cold. The view is as lovely as ever. Twins fans are awesome and keep it fun. Trevor Plouffe has a Kings of Leon song for his walk-up music. Just go.
  

• Speaking of great views, don't forget to enjoy it, if you know what I mean. Even Mauer-less, the Twins still have a pretty hot lineup. Not sure where to start? Begin with Danny "Hide Your Daughters" Valencia at third and work your way around the horn. Huh, that sounded dirtier than I meant. Maybe.
  
  
• Watch/listen to every game and notice all the gaytastic sounding terms. Imagine your gay male friends' cheeky grins when you hear Jason got some good wood on it, Thome goes deep, Carl got in there with a backdoor slider, Span stroked one up the middle...
  
  
• Go ahead and yell at your TV. It really does make you feel better. Especially if you yell old timey profanities like MY STARS AND GARTERS, DELMON, RUN!
  
  
  
• Drink heavily.

Ciao, buddies.
-cr.

Welcome Back, Thome.

We Really Missed You.

You are more awesome than pockets.

Any chance you pitch?

Ciao.
-cr.

The Twins finally start winning and now it's the rapture? Not fair.

At least judgment day comes pretty early in the season so we'll have plenty of time to rebuild.

Where did Joe go? Up there?

I imagine we'll still have Morneau (I think God is probably still angry at Canada for Avril Lavigne and Brendan Fraser) so we can build our team around him. Pavano has obviously sold his soul to his mustache, since without it he has kind of sucked. So he'll be around.Valencia, too. Something about that wicked grin... you just know he's a heathen and half.

You know, we might have to combine the Twins players left behind with those few from other teams and create a new (super badass) team. Baseball will take a big hit post-rapture, not just because it's hard to field grounders on brimstone and locusts, but just think how few players will remain-- I mean, all those Latin players are probably Catholic, right? There's a lot of pointing to the sky and kissing crosses out there.
  
So, who else gets a spot on the Left Behinders?

Josh Hamilton, of course. Duh. I think Ian Kinsler and Ryan Braun are both Jewish; and there's something distinctly devil-worshipy about Chipper Jones-- we'll take 'em all. Brandon Inge, definitely. Just because of those terrible forearm tattoos. And I'm fine with Ozzie Guillen as our manager.

We'll have to build a really strong team to take on the Yankees, who certainly will be entirely intact. 

Ciao, buddies. Good luck out there.
-cr.

At Least It's Sunny. Today.

Hi, Twinsfans.

I'm sorry about the lack of posts lately. I'm not fond of bitching about the team I love, it just depresses me too much, so... yeah, I guess that just doesn't leave a lot else to say right now. I do believe it will get better, but we really need to catch some breaks and string together a few wins. And we really need to figure out the pitching situation. And we really need to see Joe Mauer. And we really need to go deeper into at-bats. And we really need to at least win at home once in a while.

Anyway. I promise to write more, albeit probably not Twins related. In the meantime, check out this wacky wild fan getaway in Houston. This just might end up being the highlight of the Astros season.



Maybe I'll pull something like this next time I'm at Target Field, just to get people laughing again. I'll wear a cape though.

Ciao, buddies.
-cr.