Noah's Birthday is the 15th? or 16th? because mine is the 15th, too! Anyway, for my birthday we went to the game today. What a wild, weird game. Just crazy.

I have to agree Rick! That is embarrassing! I am a musician as well, but luckily, I was watching the all-star game at a very loud bar, with music playing on the sound system, and no in-game audio - so I didn't have to hear that atrocity...or the atrocity of Joe Buck's play-by-play. Seriously, every time I see his stretched out face or hear his incredibly over-rated voice, I think about how great an announcer his dad actually was, and how it's the only reason any of us have ever even heard of Joe Buck. Sad, really.

I'm quite sure the "east" sign was from the Met Center days. As I remember it, the lot markers around Met Stadium were all signed with various baseball franchises. The "Twins" lot was closest to home plate.

Here is an interesting Met Center site that documents the signage you found:

http://www.vintagemnhockey.com/ArenaMetCenter.html

It is sort of funny that 20 years after the North Stars left, on that oh so valuable piece of property, we still have the same parking lot that was there in 1967.

I just sold a ticket on stubhub for Saturday's game but observing people's buying habits over the past few days has reaffirmed the fact that there are a lot of stupid people out there. I had 1 extra ticket to sell and I listed my price at the low end of the spectrum. In fact, yesterday, my ticket was $5-$10 less than many of the SRO tickets listed. Yet all day long the SRO tickets kept disappearing while mine remained. Some people were even buying single SRO tickets ahead of mine. Apparently, a lot of people don't realize that just because you buy a ticket to a seat, doesn't mean you have to use it. If you really want to, you can walk around and not use the seat. I found this rather hilarious. People are morons.

Nice piece Rick, you have a tv out on that new patio? LOL! Got the tickets in the mail and will look for you at the game! I had season tickets for this game already but now can take my other son and the outlaw to the game also! My oldest son will be doing the anthem before the game with 4 other trumphet players from UMD. Should be interesting! That sure does look like the old sign from the met parking lot!

Rick,
i have been driving by the sign in the paking lot ay MOA for 10 years wondering the same thing, i was assuming that it was from the met center.

Hey Rick, my degree happens to be in recording, and I'm a musician too, i agree about what you said! We should record something sometime haha! See you tonight!

Rick, I will be at the game tonight also. I will be sitting in Section 217, Row W/C, Seats 11-12.

I agree we need pitching,but maybe they should just let D Velencia play 3rd base. He seems to hit & field well, and the power hitting will come, (remember #34?. he didn't hit with much power when he first came up either but took off from there).

I agree we need pitching,but maybe they should just let D Velencia play 3rd base. He seems to hit & field well, and the power hitting will come, (remember #34?. he didn't hit with much power when he first came up either but took off from there).

I agree we need pitching,but maybe they should just let D Velencia play 3rd base. He seems to hit & field well, and the power hitting will come, (remember #34?. he didn't hit with much power when he first came up either but took off from there).

OOPS!! Hit the tab button 2-2 many times

1st time back after an absence. After last nights game, Twins are 8 & 9 in games I've attended including a loss in Milwaukee.

Five losses in a row for us now. A couple of those were utterly terrible "getaway day" games. Getting old. There is a quite obvious issue with the starting pitchers - stamina?

It looks like Mauer can't get any of the pitchers to listen to him. I think everyone, but Pavano...and MAYBE Liriano (poor execution, but I don't think he's shaking off) are actually listening to Joe. The other guys are shaking off so many pitches only to continue to throw them right down the middle.

It's the same problem Liriano had last year. They should just listen to him. That's likely not all of the problem, but I'm sure it would help.

AJ,
An English professor would shudder at your post. However, if I correctly understand what you meant, then I completely agree. Pavano and Liriano do seem to be following Joe's lead, and lo and behold, they are the better pitchers on the staff. Once you have the skill level--the technical ability that is--to pitch in the majors, pitching all comes down to confidence. (See: Jamie Moyer). And I get the feeling that Blackburn and Slowey especially, and sometimes Baker, are really lacking that confidence. It's like Chad Bradford was quoted as saying in Moneyball, "the key to a successful changeup is believing in it." Something tells me that Blackburn and Slowey don't really believe in any of their pitches lately, except that 4-seamer right down the middle. And we all know what happens when that is what is going on in your head.

Rick, the Twins beat you to it. Click my name for the link. Is there any hope of you doing something similar?

Haven't seen it but am still 100% certain Rick could have done a far better job. He would, of course, have been sued however ----- . Really too bad - you gotta figure the Twins' version to be absolutely dripping with self-lauding spin while Rick's would have been very well/intelligently written and illustrated. Is there anyone on the planet better equipped to have done this book?

Blue Jerseys vs. Black Jerseys. Am I watching slow-pitch softball?

I love our ballpark, especially for night games right around sunset. Such a great view of downtown Minneapolis.

I know many people wanted the park overlooking the river, but I think it worked out great just where it is.

And, Happy Birthday, Noah!!

ahhhhh......i just remembered why i can't stand watching twins games on tv. this stupidly annoying paid infomercial for one of more over-rated places in america (i.e. weeeeskonsin dells) along with the overt and pathetic shilling of it by fsn minnesota is quite possibly one of the dumbest promos i have ever seen fsn do. what is the point of it exactly and what exactly is the connection to the twins?!?

1.) been there once. weeeeeskonsin dells isn't all it is hyped to be.

2.) if they just insist on doing stupid ass promos like this then i am sure there are plenty of MINNESOTA BASED resorts, etc. that would love to pay for a weekend long commerical during a baseball game of all things. maybe try reaching out to them in the future if you are going to continue with this. stop giving air-time and shilling for tourism businesses that aren't even in the state of MINNESOTA. is fsn weeeeskonsin shilling over an entire weekend for minnesota based tourism businesses/resorts during brewers telecasts? ahhh.....no.

3.) or here is a novel idea. how about none of the above? really don't want to hear all game long lame shilling for water parks and/or resorts while trying to watch a BASEBALL GAME.

baaah humbug. that is all. good night.

Betamax-
Don't you suppose they already asked Minnesota resorts if they wanted to advertise on FSN during Twins games? One could easily guess that the cost of TV ads were too high for them (wee're in a recession, you know), and Wisconsin Dells, and their huge revenues, were probably the only place that could afford it.

So every product that's advertised during a Twins game has to have a connection to the team? If they advertise washing maachines during a commercial break, the machines have to have a connection to the team?

My guess is that once you start using your fingers on the keyboard, your brain shuts down.

Besides, didn't you announce to us all that you were done with the Twins? Give us all a break and keep your promises.

Haven't seen it but am still 100% certain Rick could have done a far better job. Is there anyone on the planet better equipped to have done this book? Couldn't agree more Ben. When I saw that book on the Twins website, I couldn't deny the feeling that I still wanted it, despite the fact that I'm sure one that Rick made would've been better.
By the way, Rick, is it still possible to get the construction book you had for sale during last Christmas? I'd still like that one too!

For all of you about to jump on Rauch for blowing up tonight, remember this: when he went in the game, it wasn't a save situation! The Twins were up by 5 runs in the top of the 9th. There's no pressure in that situation, and therefore, guys who are used to going out there in pressure situations when the game is roughly on the line, i.e. closers, tend to relax a bit too much when they're put out there in non-save situations. So Rauch went out there too loose, and let things get away from him a bit. And when they finally realize things are getting away from them, they overreact and start overthrowing, and ugly gets uglier.

My point? Lay off Rauch! He's only blown two saves that turned into losses. Until he starts looking like Brad Lidge in 2007, everyone just relax.

Lay off Raush and say hello to your new closer: Jesse Crain.

dr. douche bag - go and suck a fat one.....or whatever it is that you do down in your basement.

i love that you can't stand me. love it! the feeling is oh so mutual.

p.s. you are such a clueless putz that it is almost sad.

Are you still here? I thought you said you were done here.

nope. never said i was done posting HERE. sorry if that was far too confusing for your tiny little brain to comprehend.

lately been reading and posting a whole lot less though....considering you and a fellow "yawner" of yours (lets just say their first name rhymes with the name for a female chicken) seem to be posting a whole lot more often.

later gator.......

My kids love Wisconsin Dells and we've had quite a few great trips there over the years. Is it overrated? Yeah. Are some of the attractions not worth it? Of course. But you could say that about many travel destinations, including many right here in Minnesota.

As for Minnesota resorts, I think if there were any willing to pay for that kind of advertising, FSN would have no problem taking their money too. Get over it. I also think the network does tons of Minnesota travel stuff already since they are constantly highlighting new Minnesota tourism destinations during every game.

Betaband, if you don't like it, look away. It was a few seconds occasionally coming in and out of commercials. If you really are complaining about this, you have too much time on your hands, but then, we already knew that about you around here.

Hey Linc-
I enjoyed the hockey site immensely. Sure brought back memories of old teams and old buildings. Thanks!

Beta --

Everyone here has you figured for the mindless twit that you are - is there some reason you feel the need to constantly remind us anyway?

(Sorry Abe).

I see that Jeff included the link the new book, Target Field
The New Home of the Minnesota Twins.

About 2 months ago, I came across a pre-order for this book with the same title, same authors, but a different cover. Not sure if it was a temporary cover, which I think it was, but it is a heck of a lot cheaper than the $50 the Twins are charging.

Click name for link to the book for slightly higher than 1/2 price of the Twins site.

Or, just wait for Twinsfest '11 --- where they will be handing them out for free once they figure out that not so many people want a book that is full of spin and advertising (just guessing).

Spin is a sure bet.

Good win tonight! Hopefully the good starting pitching the last two nights will be contagious.

BPM night 2 was fun, cept didn't see really any of you. I was gonan say hey to you rick and say happy bday but you guys left! oh well Blacky tonight, how will he do?

Twins need to win this series and then rest this evening before playing the post break firing, Cleveland Indians.

Can you please elborate on your post break firing statement?

Ben, How do you know there is advertising in the book? Any pictures to prove it?

Parenthetically he said he was just guessing.

I know from experience that the longer you live, the harder it is to avoid being cynical.

Dr. X,

What I meant by firing, is that they have come out of the break fast and have seen good pitching and hitting, as displayed in their final game against the Tigers this afternoon in completing the 4 game sweep of the Tigers.

In 4 games, Indians had 21 runs on 36 hits, and only giving up 8 runs.

Note to any publishers "out there": When Rick says he has "a lot of materials ready to go", he means he has a LOT of materials ready to go.

Are the Twins now 3 for 3 with bases juiced since the break?

Excellent finish for the Twins, the difference between being 3.5 games back and 1.5 games back was an excellent Twins come back!!

First walk-off at TF!

I can't wait to read Ozzie's comments after that Twins' win.

I understand now, TK. Thanks for straightening that out for me. Yeah, the Indians are hot right now, but thankfully, according to Dick & Bert, they won't have to face the Cleveland ace.

Good win for the Twins today. hopefully, it will set the tone for the second half.

I'll second that. Great win for the boys today.
Let's keep it up/

We'll hopefully this will give the boys a spark and some energy going into the Cleveland series! Second half surge is on!!! (takes a big gulp of kool-ade)

Firedog? Are you there? knock knock. Firedog?? Helllloo? Firedog?

Hmmm. If he can't criticize and flame, must not have anything to say.

Firedog?? ...

yes yes great win! This is our 2nd half twins!

String together three wins against a division rival and everything looks a lot brighter. Keeep it up, boys!

Not that it matters to me, but I am hearing the talk about today's being the "first walk-off win" for the Twins, and I also heard this for the Wild Pitch win too. And this game the winning run was scored on an errant throw.

Yes, in both cases they walked off as the game ended, but it was not off an RBI, etc.

Is this classified as the first walk-off, was the Wild Pitch, or will it be potentially Monday night?

When was the Twins' last walk-off home run? Last one I remember was Crede's grand slam early last year.

Jared - that fireworks picture is badass. Did you smuggle in a tripod, or set the camera on a rail, or are your hands just that steady? :)

Its been mentioned a few times during and after the twins games that the twins might be very interested in picking up a few players sometime before the trading deadline. Wondering what some people here think on who the twins should go after and at what cost or should we just keep things as is and hope they work out for the best. And yea I think Ricks book would be better if he ever came out with one. Since it comes from a fans perspective of things.

TK-
It was, I believe, their third walk off win. This one wasn't a walk off hit though, which hasn't happened yet, because Rios was charged with an error. And he deserved it too, dumbest throw ever.

Expectorate,
I tend to be ridiculously shaky which for a young guy probably isn't a good sign, runs in the family. On occasion I can be still enough and I have some good fireworks pictures as a result. However in this scenario I brought in a Gorillapod and wrapped it around the railing. If you aren't familiar with Gorillapod, its a tripod with bendable/grippy legs that can basically stand up your camera almost anywhere. I didn't really have to smuggle it in. Its small enough to pack in a bag and when i went through security it was in plain sight when checking my bag and no questions were asked.

Did you all see our pal Phil Cuzzi butcher the 9th inning of yesterday's Mets/Giants game? Putrid!

"You've got a lot more goin' for you with Hank! Hardware Hank!" HA! I use to love that jingle on radio broadcasts! Are they still a sponsor?

RANDOM!

Oh yea Phil had both teams pissed off at him yesterday in San Francisco.

Pretty big swing over the weekend. The Tigers lost all 4 to Cleveland and the Twins took 3 of 4 from Chicago. Now the Twins have the Indians (last place), Orioles (last place), Royals, and Mariners (last place). No better time than now to step on the gas. Changes must be made however as that "start" from Blackburn again was poor. His blow up in the 5th should have cost the Twins the game. I expect Duensing to start Friday in Baltimore.

The crowd was in a frenzy yesterday. Can't wait for some big games in late September/October/November...

Nice comeback yesterday! I had em dead in the water after Sox jumped up 6-3! Man Delvon Young needs to be moved up in that batting order. Here is where we need to go on a nice 10-3 or 9-4 like run!!! Be interesting to see how Moon Shot does tonight or if the elbow flares up again!

I remember the old Sussel ads..."Just remember Sussel..."

Tires Plus..."Low warehouse prices, fast world-class service, Tires Plus!!"

"Champion auto stores..."

Snapper Mow-em down inning, MSC Have a ball giveway were a couple others I remember from those early to mid 90's

My Favorite twins ad! From the land of sky blue waters!!!!!!!!Hamms the beer refreshing Hamms!!!! LOL! Man they had some great old beer signs too with the waterfalls and streams and all!

Anybody at the game Saturday? How close was the storm and did the sirens go off downtown at all. God thing that game only lasted about 2 hours. Looks like it hit about 8:30!!!! Good thing none of the 3 stooges were pitching and we had the 6 o'clock start!

TwinkFan,

I was at Saturday's game.

The storm rolled in after about 20 minutes after the last pitch, with the strongest moving in about 30 minutes.

As soon as the game ended, I had not been paying attention, and I made a comment to my wife about the ground crew moving onto the field quiet quickly after the game ended, as they almost had the mound covered before the last player left the field.

We quickly found out why :)

The sirens did sound in Minneapolis for about 4 minutes. There were some very strong gusts of wind that hit the area near the stadium, but nothing appeared to have been damaged anywhere near the stadium where we were.

As my wife and I were running to our car, I suggested that it was a good idea to take cover, as I sense something strong was just upon us. She didn't take my joke too well, as we stood right outside Deja Vu when I made the comment.

*I had not been paying attention to the radar that is...

My favorite commercials of years past are the Puck Packs from McD's and the 2001 Christian Guzman Ads with him running the bases with the Bionic Sound (na-nuh-nah-na-nuh, na-nuh-nah-na-nuh)

Thanks for that report TK. I would imagine Minny and Paul may have been moving a bit with all that wind! Yes I hear they have some very strong tables to support those dancers at Deja Vu! Good thing that you would chose that sturdy brick building for safety prurposes!! I can see you and the wife running inside screaming tornado coming tornado coming! LOL!

Ysterdays comeback was an abberation! The Twins are showing there true colors tonight against the last place Indians. This team looks like it is sleep walking tonight, what a letdown after yesterday!

I've been wanting to say this for quite a while but I never seemed to get around to it. I have always thought that if you made it to the big leagues you supposed to be able to play pretty good defense whatever position you played. Delmon Young's defense in left field is horrible-
he just does not have what it takes playing defense out in the outfield.

Delmon can play however he wants in LF...he and Kubel are holding this team up right now. I remember looking up in the 2nd half of May and seeing Kubel hitting .210. He is on a tear since that point. I feel I am owed an explanation as to why Cliff Lee isn't on this team.

I would not get too excited about winning 3 of 4 from the White Sox at home. Winning 3 of 4 should have been the expectation from the start.

We all know the Twins have generally been a solid team at home, especially against their AL Central Division opponents. (That did not exactly happen tonight, however)

Fans should be and need to be concerned about the lack of starting pitching and the inconsistency.

It's been the same story all season long...they can't get on any winning streak what-so-ever with their inconsistent pitching.

They simply lack the quality starting pitching needed to win 7 in a row or 13 of 15, and so on. Blackburn, Baker and Slowey are all concerns. None of them are any better than a #3 starter.

Delmon isn't the best defensive option in the OF, but it's hard to blame him when the pitchers are getting rocked so badly. Delmon made several running catches tonight back to the warning track near the wall. Delmon's defense in left field should be the least of worries on this team right now, especially the way he is hitting at the plate.

How about getting some quality starting pitching because this team is going nowhere as long as Blackburn, Slowey and Baker continue to be inconsistent.

If it wasn't for Pavano, I am sure this team would be at least 7 games out in the division.

Went to TF tonight and bought 1st base from Game #2 (6th/7th inning) of the Opening Series. I was one day too late, as they sold one of the last Pro Shop issued Inaugural game bases yesterday. I will just have to hope they have some up for auction at TwinsFest, etc.

Oh well, in any case, it is pretty sweet, as it has the Inaugural Season logo on the top of the base, as I believe these have only been used during the first 3 games. I could be mistaken?

Since there is no real search function, I am not able to go back as easily to read about the talk about $1 Dog Night.

However, those $1 are horrible. Nothing like a cold chicken/pork dog, just like you had when you were three. Only then, I loved them...

I will have no problem the next Monday out sticking with my Kramarczuk!

I was at the local frame shop today (actually yesterday) getting a repair done. Leaning against the wall ready to go on display in the window was a framed up larger size of the same "Inaugural Day" photo print that was sent out to ST holders. So, and maybe this is not news, they are available somewhere. It was really a very nice looking piece for someone who has the room for it.

"I will have no problem the next Monday out sticking with my Kramarczuk!"

They still had $1 dogs available into the second inning --- what does that tell you?

Ben, about the print. They were also selling a larger print with a really nice Target Field matted print at the Twins Auction behind over the weekend for $300. A little on the pricey side for the print/frame/mat, but it did look really nice!

*behind (home plate)

Yes I hear the $1.00 dogs are horrible. I will stick with my 2 fer $2.00 Holiday station dogs and truck them into the game! LOL! What a clunker last night. Will be at the game to see the 3rd stooge aka Slowhand go tonight! I would call this a big game! They lose this series to the tribe and could set a bad vibe going into play the hapless O's! I see Slama on the way up and I'm sure Duenisng will get a start over one of the 3 stooges coming up. The stooges must learn to get the ball in the glove and pitch. These 3 stooges have to be the slowest pitchers in the leauge!!FCOL!!!!! 4 hour horror show last night compared to the 1 hour 51 minute game saturday night!!!!!!!

Last night very quickly killed the latest buzz - we need longer buzzes!

I think Jim Souhan killed my buzz yesterday or the day before when he spoke of the Twins turning the corner. That guy should stick to writing negative stuff, as it seems to work out better for the Twins...

good news for those in minneapolis/st. paul with comcast digital tv service and an HD box/HD access.

their new "xfinity" level of digital service has now launched in the minneapolis/st. paul market. the intial launch went to philly, boston, chicago, san fran.

on the digital tv side of things that means approximately 100 additional HD channels now available that were not available before through comcast service......even if you had an HD box and HD access.

perhaps most importantly from a baseball perspective those in the minneapolis/st. paul comcasdt market now receive MLB Network in HD. watched it this morning before work. looks great on the 1080p panasonic plasma.

Beta,

I've been waiting for these new channels for what seems like FOREVER. Now I'll go home only to learn that my TivoHD has melted and scared enough that he's peed in every corner in our place.

FINALLY.

To expand a bit on what Beta mentioned about Comcast, the digital conversion launched specifically in St. Paul today. Each system is being converted separately, so for example Burnsville was on a different schedule than Woodbury (they've both been converted already). If you received a letter from Comcast back in January announcing an analog cutoff date, add about a week to that date and you'll know when you're getting your new HD channels.

Minneapolis, being a former Time Warner area, is a whole different animal due to the underlying technology. It will be converted supposedly before the end of the year, but no date has been announced yet to my knowledge. This also goes for any suburban areas formerly served by Time Warner.

For more information, check out the last few pages of the thread linked in my name.

On a baseball-related note, for those of you that subscribe to MLB Extra Innings (I don't, but there's a free preview right now!), this digital upgrade also adds an HD channel for that package.

Antifire? Antifire? Where you at? How bout your Twins now losing 2 in a row to the last place garbage Indians at home. If sick and tired of these underachivers. The Twins of years past were more fun to watch then this collection of stiffs. Most talented team weve had for 20 years and there wasting this season away, and it looks like they dont even care.

And WHY is Joe Mauer BUNTING with two men on base???

What a joke this team has become...

Slowey's post-game interview with the media was pathetic. He was talking like he is an Ace and just had a tough game against a really good team.

Mauer is probably sick of hitting into GIDP and wanted to make something of it. If it worked, it would not be as scrutinized, but since it was a rally killer, it is the talk. I still would have been upset with move even had it worked...

Odd Job (Mijares) screwed it up again!!! He is the biggest POS ever!!! Eat another Burrito... Three time batting champ bunts... Really... No...Really...Only thing worse then that was the crowd at the game tonight...I felt like i was in church

A bigger POS than, say, Hitler? Come on!

Ahhh, there's my bud firedog! I knew Mr. Positive would be back. To you and others, I say calm down! Do you really understand how a baseball season works? 162 games people! The White Sox will NOT win this division, that pace is just not going to last, just like this Twins pace won't last. Once Morneau is back, the pitchers find their footing, and a deal is made before the deadline, things will be allllll rigghhhht! I have no predictions as to how the Twins will place (that would be pure guessing), but I WILL predict Ron Gardehnire will be this team's manager for a looooong time to come.

I stand corrected... Maybe biggest POS twin ever

Let's hope we sign 2 Starting Pitchers and then Duensing moving up to the rotation (which he is anyway), and we're set. Then we go slama as an additional guy in the BP

"Let's hope we sign 2 Starting Pitchers and then Duensing moving up to the rotation (which he is anyway), and we're set. Then we go slama as an additional guy in the BP"

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, you never change your socks
And little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
And you can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

The Twins are really showing their ability to play to the level of their opponents.

Take 3 of 4 from the first-place White Sox, lose two bad games to the last place Cleveland team.

I'm going to the game this afternoon (it's my birthday today!), first row seats in section 217 with three delightful young ladies. :-)

WOW FTK sounds like you will have your hands full so to speak! You get to open any presents after the game? LOL!

Man we are free falling right out of the race. Now 8-6 @TF after last nights loss. Nice comeback but then we implode in the top of the 8th. Mauer bunting? So much for the 10-3 or 9-4 strech with these last place clubs! I got a bad feeling we could be as much as 7.5 games back by the end of this road trip! Must say the people watching and these games is great. Got to love those short shorts and tiny tops on the ladies! LOL! Or as the Hawk would say Mercy Mercy Mercy!

Beta, how much is comcast goint to charge to go up to the Xfinity level? I currnetly have digital plus and the HD up in the NW suburbs. All I really want is MLB and NHL networks in HD! FCOL I'm getting the freaking NBA ch in HD now and well thats just sad!!!!

Any of you guys ever heard of satellite TV?

TwinkFan, there is no extra charge for the new HD channels. Which new HD channels you receive is dependent on what level of service you currently subscribe to. I know for sure that MLB Network HD is included in the Digital Preferred package, but I'm not certain about NHL.

nice article in the Strib today about the grounds crew...

Blackburn to Bullpen, Duensing to start Friday right after Pavano's start tomorrow.

Would like to see the grass patern changed to what they had opening series vs Boston. Rumor has it they changed the pattern to the current version because somebody on the visiting team was complaining about how the ball came off the grass! FCOL! It's our field! Who cares what the other team says anyways!!!!

Looks like someone on the field missed their responsibility and allowed the flag from the stormtrooper hit the ground today. Hopefully that is the only mistake made today at TF!

What are the Twins batting with the bases juiced since the break? It seems like every time the bases are loaded since the break, the Twins have gotten a hit or at Sac Fly

Not sure moving Blackburn to the pen is going to help him much. Sinkerballers like him usually need their arm to get tired to get the ball down. He's not going to get tired in the pen...unless the same crap continues. I think it would have been a better idea to send him to AAA.

What's with all the starting pitchers picking the alternate blue uniforms at home (at least that's what I thought I heard as to why we don't wear white all the time @ home)? The white pinstripes are far classier and I'm just surprised we wear the blue so often.

I don't think it's the pitching or lack of clutch hits that fans are most frustrated with. They say that, but what I think is really irking many is that they don't seem (italics) to care. If they would come out and say, "hey, we're not making it happen and we're pissed about it and we're going to make the Indians pay tomorrow" -- well, that would appease quite a few. But the image is that they aren't that way. Too low key? No real leader in the clubhouse? That's the perception.

B have to agree. The ble softball tops must go. I do like the cream one they wear also on Saturdays. Whats next a red top? LOL! They also are not wearing the new road grey tops on the road that much lately either! Would not mind seeing the solid white double knit ones they wore at times at home last year also.!

They had a red alternate jersey a few years ago.

Whama! Bama! Thank you Slama!

Do I dare say, nice game for the Twins in making a statement to a ball club that has seen success with scoring 50+ runs since the break.

In any case, Twins 17 of the next 20 are on the road.

They had a red alternate jersey a few years ago.

It was 1997, they were introduced as the home alternate, I think for Sundays only, with the blue jerseys as the road alternate. Unfortunately the Twins got hammered the few times they wore them resulting in the players deeming them cursed and having them banished once and for all. The unexpected early demise of the red jerseys led to the Twins wearing the blues both at home and away which hadn't been intended.

Could Slama be our next closer? Herman Munster has to be a little nervous me thinks! Man tough road trip ahead. I'm thinking we come back below 500 after the next 20 games! OUCH!

I do remember the red uni's, those were truly horrible! The sleeveless ones they had a few years back weren't much better. I also like the cream throwback alternate. White (or off-white) should be the color at home, period.

Click name for 1997 Alt Jersey article

The Big Rock Candy Mountain. Go to Twins game during the daytime whenever you feel like it. Happy Birthday FTK. I did the same thing on mine a few weeks ago. Got a SRO and wandered about. Also there today. Back to reality tomorrow. Win or lose, be happy BTM people. We are very fortunate now.

Okay, that should be BPM (ballparkmagic) people, not BTM. One too many beers in the hot 3rd base side sun.

I agree that the blue softball jersys must go, or at least don't wear them nearly as often as they have been. Perhaps on the road occasionally, as I'm afraid their new road unis are not doing that much for me either. However, I don't think they should ever wear the blue at home. The whites and cream alternates only at home.

I am surprised at how little Mauer bunt discussion from last night. Clearly a very bad decision, even if he gets on. Albert Pujols deciding to bunt in this situation? I think not. Mauer's comments after the game defending the bunt made me cringe. In addition, Mauer's defense looks subpar. Too much backhanded stabbing at pitches near the dirt. It seems like some of the pitchers are shaking him off more and going out of their way to praise Butera's pitch calling. Maybe I'm overreacting or piling on, but Mauer has been a bit disappointing this year...so far.

Attached is a link to a youtube video I took of wednesdays game of the Navy SEALs Jump Team parachuting into Target field

ALSO!!!!, Speaking of the Red Twins jersey talk, I coincidently took this pic wed. (linked) of the Red #34 Kirby Puckett jersey they had displayed in the Puckett atrium of the Legend's Club

G.D. All!

I have to get rid of my SRO tix to Sat. July 31 game. Anyone interested, shoot me an email and I'll be sure to snail mail ASAP...

I know their only SRO, but I'll sell for $50 (2 @ $25 apiece; I eat processing). I'd be happy just knowing they went to a BP Magic fan (tear).

Rick, no reason for me to join TC Traders to make transaction as this was my only chance to see the Twinks play this year.

@ TK, good pics you have of both those jerseys, I remember the "turn ahead the clock night". If memory serves me, we played the Mariners that game, who wore green jerseys..? lol was goofy...

That '97 pocket sked is one of the most popular with collectors just because of the red jersey (Knoblauch notwithstanding). Several versions were issued.

Nice video, JCM!

As I told my friend at the game, after watching those guys, there is no way the home crowd wasn't going to be fired up. And then having their plane buzz the stadium - wow!

The third guy seeming to drop off the canopy on the third base side was really wild.

It must have been those same three guys I saw skydiving into what looked like the DeLasalle football field, last night about 8pm. Complete with the American flag.

THANKS! Yeah, I can imagine they we're practicing at the football field so they made sure they were crisp for a crowd of 40,000.. haha What I didn't know, was this was their second time jumping into Target Field, seeing from other youtube videos they also did during the 4th of july weekend series vs Rays, a lil windier that day than was wednesday.. haha, but yes, the third guy in came right over us very steep and tight, scared a few people (including myself videotaping)

Saw the jump team at Arrowhead Stadium a few years back. The transport plane was just a speck in the sky when they jumped. The first jumpers came down a lot sooner, but the jumper with the flag just seemed to stay in the air forever while they played the anthem, finally landing just as they were finishing up.
Then the plane buzzed the stadium, seeming like they were dangerously close to knocking over the light standards.

Boy, that plane was loud!

Yes, they also came in during the July 3 game. I was sitting in the first row of the overlook, and one of the guys came VERY close to us as the wind blew him off course and he ended up hitting the wall near the out of town scoreboard. We could have reached out and grabbed him. You could see the "oh shit" look on his face as he went by. During the fifth inning or so, he and the rest of the crew came into our section and handed out baseball cards, and he made a comment to the effect of us having a great view as he came by. He said it was the closest he's ever come to having a serious mishap.

Yesterday was probably easier jumping weather, there wasn't much of a breeze (ask anyone who was sitting in the sun!).

The way the wind seems to swirl at our ballpark, I can only imagine how difficult a parachute jump could be.

And as a former Marine, salute to the Navy guys yesterday!!

I called Comcast today to ask when the World Of More program with the end of analog cable and resulting major increase in HD channels would hit Minneapolis and its Southwest suburbs, the part of town that was formerly Time Warner and operates with different equipment than the rest of the metro area. After getting no info after asking the question several times in the past, surprisingly the rep answered that it's happening very soon.

The switchover is nearly done elsewhere in the market, so residents of Minneapolis and the Southwest metro should begin receiving informational letters in early August with the switchover set to begin soon afterwards, she said early September. The process will likely not be done until late 2010, meaning that the extra HD channels now popping up elsewhere in the area won't reach Minneapolis and the Souhtwest metro until probably January of 2011. The rep said none of the time tables were set in stone, so it could take more or less time. I'm really impatient for this to get done.

I've been hearing about this happening in other markets since mid 2008, so it bugs me that it won't reach my part of town until probably January of 2011, but at least there's finally some concrete information even if it means having to wait even longer.

Jorge-

Go to Directv. You won't be sorry, and it's the same price. Cable is jerking you around. It is superior in nearly every way, but especially for sports coverage.

We are beyond the 20th century folks - there are satellites now.

Jorge picked up my 2 digital boxes at my service center yesterday. I have my 2 other sets with HD boxes already so these were for the kids tvs. I asked the guy at the desk when they will be going to the Xfinity will go into effect in NW suburbs and he said he thought next month. All I want is HD MLB network and NHL network in HD! I mean I'm already getting that crappy NBA network in HD. I would rather watch paint dry in HD than the NBA! LOL!

I would have to agree that Satellite is best, however, I have missed 2 large portions of away Twins games due to storms, etc.

Please vote 10 times a day for the Twins and Courage Center. CLICK MY NAME!!

It is a drag when there is a storm between you and the satellite - no question. It's much less of an now with two satellites to draw from however, and the good far outweighs the bad IMHO.

Insert "issue" between an and now. I like to leave the occasional word out to see if anyone is awake.

After catching up on my Ballparkmagic posts, going to a few games, and taking a tour of the ballpark I will comment on a few things:

-For those not wanting to wait in line for bathrooms/food the secret is to head out during the Joe Mauer intro music. I learned this from my wife and boy have I found the concourse barren when he is at the plate. Now if he would only take a few more pitches I can hit the bathroom first followed by a stand or two.

-When doing the Metropolitan Club 2nd seating for a good outside seat hop in line around 6:15 for a 7:10 game. One person per four people need to wait in line and wrist bands are handed out around 6:30. When inside I encourage gorging on the meats and cheeses through the 4th inning. Then when staff notifies you that the buffet is closing down head in for a plate of fruit to nibble on for the remainder of the game. Water and soft drinks are free. I recommend the mahi mahi, pork boats, chicken, and potatoes. The pork chops I had were very tasty but a bit dry. The carving board turkey and beef did not have much flavor in my opinion.

-The ballpark tour can be well worth it. It claims to be about an hour long. We ended up taking the two hour version and still did not see everything.

-During the tour the guide made these comments: the hops in the topiaries will take a couple years to reach the top (last I checked they were about 1/4 of the way up), when fully grown the black spruce are to come close to the top of the batter's eye, canopy lights behind home plate are for house-keeping only not because they are in the fielder's eyes, visitor's clubhouse shower area has enough gels, lotions, and powders to make the most sophisticated diva jealous, one of the large dents in the visitor's dugout came courtesy of the Milwaukee Brewers (probably Dave Busch).

-The guide's version of the flagpole is that after Metropolitan statium was torn down and laying in rubble a group of people went to the site in the middle of the night. They wanted to take the flagpole and the guard declined their request. When $75 was offered to the guard they took the flagpole via Cedar Avenue to the Richfield Legion. Due to the flagpole making a divot on Cedar the flagpole's whereabouts was discovered and the guard was fired. After many years the Twins then acquired the flagpole by contributing $10,000 for ballfields in Richfield.

-My final comment is on the free good sport (designated driver) drink as well as dollar dog night. Head to left field in the lower deck and the 3rd base side in the upper deck. There you will find the red & white carts where an idenification card and your ticket will give you a voucher for a free soft drink. I like the pink lemonade myself. But whatever you do stay away from dollar dogs until further notice. I had one and it was hot on the outside and cool on the inside. Not cool!

"Now if he would only take a few more pitches --- "

Well, you can count on at least one - that would be the first pitch meatball that he never swings at and every pitcher in MLB knows about.

Ben-
I am willing to stretch that to typically 2 meatballs, then 1 junkball out of the zone and then the third meatball that he fouls off, then either a junkball/bad pitch out of the zone or lesser meatball hit into double play. Add that to 2 foul balls in the middle of the morneau at bat and not only could he hit the bathroom, but a food stand AND souvenier stand as well.

Too bad AJ is so unpopular --- a guy could eat, drink, pee, and take a nap. :-)

All good comments Notmendoza. I really hate getting up during an inning, but also really hate missing any ball. My pee strategy is to take my time between innings and walk up behind my section. Then watch that half inning so I can bolt to the can and be first or near first in line.

You also get a shot at peeing in the front section and can avoid the pileup that STILL happens when everyone makes lines for the front six urinals while there are tons of empty ones in the back section.

They really need a TC picture on the wall pointing "thataway for more pee-stations!"

Listening to the organ at Camden. Holy cow is that way cooler than the Dome transfer Target Field sound.

I got after my favorite Twins VP in regard to the rubbish the tour guides are spewing about the flagpole. All the more reason for Rick to publish the long-promised facts.

i've heard the tour is well worth the money, from a co-worker who took it recently. they basically take u everywhere.

and our organ does suck. not the organist. the sound is tinny and cheap. i'm not sure why she wouldn't take the twins offer to install a new instrument for the new ballpark. probably the familiarity of the piece of crap from the dome. if you don't think it sounds second rate then you havn't visited other MLB parks. or even watch a televised game from Dodger stadium. it's a beautiful thing to hear a pre-game at that park.

Maybe all the Twins offered was another tinny and cheap - albeit new - organ? You gotta figure that Sue knows her way around organs pretty well (sorry about how that comes out).

seems pretty obvious to me that the Twins are selling their own tickets on stubhub. Look how many tickets in section 103 and 108 are listed for the A's and Angels series in August, it looks like most of the section is up there. Also for the Mariners weekend look at the 329-334 secs and the skyline deck. No way there's that many individuals listing on stubhub.

tom - I think what you're seeing is speculators listing blocks of tickets. If you compare Stubhub with TicketKing you'll see some overlap in Section 108 for example. I know row 13 and down was reserved during the STH seat selection process. I'd take a guess and say row 20 and up in Section 108 did not sell during STH and went early on when seats went for sale to the public.

I sit in 108, so am sort of familiar with the dynamics. I have a feeling the speculators are doing better in the lower priced sections than they are in Home Plate Box or Legends Club.

Crazy, Rick. I have "Share the Disguise!" Got it at Cheapo Records on Central back in high school because I had your brother as our band teacher for one year at Fridley. Small world!!!

Tom,

I am fairly certain those tickets listed are all purchased tickets. I was thinking the same thing about Opening Day tickets, until 5 hours before the game there were tickets that were being released rapidly and I could find several tickets available, while at the same time, tickets were flying off StubHub

clarification, I saw several tickets become available on the Twins site

Hello from Afghanistan everybody! I'll be checking in periodically when I get time. Just saw Pawlenty a couple days ago, and he gave us some "opening day" homer hankeys! I still think it's cheap of the Twins to give away "opening day" homer hankeys, and continue to sell them for the duration of the season.

What a lineup today...

1. Jason Repko, CF
2. Alexi Casilla, 2B
3. Delmon Young, LF
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
6. Jason Kubel, RF
7. Danny Valencia, 3B
8. Nick Punto, SS
9. Drew Butera, C

Pitching: Slowey, RHP

Wow, the JV team is looking good today!

And that lineup has scored seven runs today. It's unexpected from what's on paper, but I don't think anyone is still complaining are they?

Hudson is hurt. Span is sick and does need to sit a little more often anyway. He is playing way below what he's shown in the past. Hardy was going to sit more often according to Gardy anyway, after his injury. Mauer is hitting better, but needs rest with all this injury talk. Plus, Butera is doing great with the pitching staff and the staff is the Twins biggest problem.

This team (A lineup) can score enough runs with Butera catching more, if needed. And apparently they can score enough runs playing the C lineup out there. I doubt it would happen more often than not, but if the pitchers do better under Butera, I'd be happy with him starting more. Seven should be good enough against any team, though that's not always the case.

make that eight runs.

Hudson on the DL, Morales called up. We now have three catchers. It'd be smart to rest Mauer as much as possible since he supposedly needs it. Like I said, Butera is doing great with the staff and Morales can back him up. Mauer can DH and be a bat off the bench.

I said this a month ago and I'll say it again...Valencia should be an everyday 3rd baseman until he gives Gardy a reason not to be.

I'm trying to get past the 40 games it took Gardy to realize Delmon should start every day. We're 20 games into the Valencia period now...At least Slowey isn't going to give up his rotation spot without a fight.

Nice to see the getaway day lineup get a win today. Who would have thought with that lineup.

Kubel just crushed that grand slam. What a great sound off the bat!

Repko snotted one pretty good as well.

Let's not forget that they were playing baltimore this weekend so don't get all worked up when that backup lineup does well. It's not like those guys beat up on the yankees or white sox.

billymayshere, that's all fine and good, but if you're going to bash the B lineup when it plays poorly, you also need to recognize them when they play well. And it's not like they just barely squeezed out a win yesterday with that lineup, they won big.

Haren is now an Angel. We need another starter, but I wasn't convinced that Haren was the guy at the price he commanded. 12.75 million each of the next two seasons with a club option for the third at over 15 million. Hopefully, Billy will find us another Pavano. That move has turned out to be gold. Plus, we still need to sign Pavano at the end of this season.

The 29-year-old Haren has averaged 15 wins over the past five seasons and is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts this year. In his sixth season, the right-hander was tied for the NL lead with 141 strikeouts through Saturday's games.

Haren is pitching much better than his stats indicate, like Pavano was last year. Plus, the Angels got him for what looks like a crap package. This year, Pavano is pitching better than he should be. Hopefully, he can keep going against the grain like that.

The closer we are getting to July 31, makes me think that the Twins have not been able to find the deal they want to pull the trigger on. I will be pleasantly surprised if we get something done, but I am counting on this team winning with what they have. Seems to be the way it will always be...

AJ, Haren may be pitching better than his stats indicate, but he's not pitching nearly well enough to justify the money coming his way over the next couple seasons.

The stats suggest he's worth 10 million this year and he's only making 8 something, so yes...he actually is.

He's pitching a full run better than his ERA indicates. The guy should be in the three range. If he pitches better next year, he'll be worth the 12 that he's going to get too.

Nobody's worth $12M. Nobody. Sports salaries are so out of whack that it's getting downright offensive.

I think I saw these two flying around the ballpark at the Thursday, July 15th Twins/White Sox game. Way to go Kirby!

What a start to another B line-up!

This may not be our B lineup. If Casilla keeps playing well, Hardy may be out, and Punto is a towel boy. Valencia is a no-brainer now. I'm starting to like the way this is shaping up...if Morneau comes back and hits well. Thome will also get squeezed out. Hell, if Repko can get on a tear, Span may get himself into a timeshare as well. The first two weeks in August will tell a lot with that road stretch.

Two touchdowns and a field goal (so far!) tonight. And I bet the crowd is at least 40% Twins fans.

I lived in KC for two and a half years back in the early '80s. I feel bad for the town - they deserve a better team than this.

Wow, did the preseason start and this is Vikes-Chiefs?? I agree that Valenica needs to be the everyday third baseman and Punto should be back on the bench as the great utility guy he is. Not ready to give CF away though -- YET. Yes, this has been the Orioles and Royals we're beating up on, but that's where the White Sox and Tigers made their hay, and some were ready to crown them division champs before the all-star break. They are still major league teams.

Thank god that Delmon Young has a bat to back up his poor defense...

No hitter for Matt Garza against the Tigers tonight.

The offense seems to be rolling now. If we can continue to get good starting pitching I like our chances against anyone. Thats 5 quality starts out of the last 6 the only one withstanding was Duensing's start in Baltimore and they are still stretching him out. In the last six games we have outscored the opposition 49-10, keep it rolling boys!!!

Who are you, and what have you done with the real Firedog?

For sure! I might have to change my handle!

Hey I'll give credit where credit is due.

Valencia might be for real..I sure hope so...

Glad to see the Twins keep pace with the Sox, while separating themselves from 3rd!

2011 MLB Season to Begin on a Friday to Avoid November World Series...

Yeah, because that's the solution. Not compressing the playoffs into fewer days, the way it used to be. No, no, no! We're going to continue to have a best of 5 game series that takes 9 days to complete!

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Baseball does not run baseball - TV runs baseball.

Of course all of this could be solved by scheduling five double-headers throughout the year. One/month would do it.

JCTwins,
I love it! They definitely need to bring back scheduled double headers. And they need to fire Joe Buck. Oh wait, MLB doesn't employ Joe Buck. Or do they? How does this whole "parent" company thing work... ; )

what theloniousjoe said......in regards to 5 game playoff series taking 10 or more days to complete and 7 game series taking 2 weeks. stupid!

it was snowing in philadelphia a couple years ago during the world series. and snowing in new york last year. seriously mlb........seriously?

MLB owners might even go for the "doubleheader" idea - IF everyone paid for two games, there was no drop-off in attendance, they sold twice as many dogs, did not have to pay any overtime, dod not lose any money on parking, -----------------------------------------------------

According to the StarTrib, they painted the batters eye wall darker during the all star break. Anyone notice? I went to two games after the break, but I guess I didn't pay that close of attention.

So if the trees get cut down, how do they get replaced? I figured the trees were one of the characteristic "Minnesota" parts of the stadium. Also, wouldn't the pitchers have a bit of a say in not letting the hitters influence *every* decision?

And by replaced (not in the batter's eye, since that would presumably be left blank), I mean: would there be another place in the stadium to plant/re-plant trees so Target Field doesn't lose one of it's more apparent local characteristics to those watching on TV?

Did they say that the trees are definately going? If so, did they give any information as to why? Are the trees not surviving in that spot?

I think, amongst many other things, the hitters will just have to act like big league players and adjust. I remember once some time ago, over at 'the other place', batters had fits about having folded up blue shiny seats being the batters eye... tough hop, hit the ball! Appears our opponents have hardly had any trouble launching a few balls over the fence, time for our guys to figure it out too....

That's a beautiful pergola, Rick.

Whatever they have for the batters eye at Kauffman stadium needs to added to TF...Oh and if we could just face KC pitching all the time...That would work

MLB Network is reporting that "The Mad Capper" Matt Capps is on the way to the Twins for Wilson Ramos. Good move? My first gut reaction is not so much. Why trade away a great prospect for a one-year stopgap fix? Methinks Rauch was doing alright and we need more help in the starting rotation or a power hitting third baseman more than this. But, maybe it makes sense to put Rauch back as the setup man and Capps ths closer, since the AL hasn't seen him and that would benefit us. Time will tell as always, but I'm not sure this is the "power" move we're looking for from Billy Smith.

I should say power hitting "infielder" as I like Valencia for third for the foreseaable future.

Matt Capps is great for a couple reasons:

1. If Rausch struggles, he's a good solid closer. If Rausch doesn't struggle, Capps would be great in the 8th. Can always add bullpen depth.

2. Capps makes all of us slightly overweight middle aged guys feel a little better about ourselves.

Is he worth trading Ramos for? Not sure, but Ramos was not going to see solid playing time at Target Field anytime soon. Butera is not THAT bad as a backup catcher. He has proven to be pretty solid defensively and capable at the plate.

We all call for Smith to make the BIG move, but this move should help. I hope Capps make a solid contribution.

Sometimes, The Big Move isn't always the best move.

The following article was posted on MLBtraderumors.com

As soon as Joe Nathan announced that he would undergo Tommy John surgery, the back end of the Twins' bullpen became a lot less scary. Four months later, the Twins obtained one of the top relievers available, acquiring Matt Capps and $500K from the Nationals for left-hander Joe Testa and highly-touted catching prospect Wilson Ramos.

Capps, 26, has 25 saves and a 2.80 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. He earns a base salary of $3.5MM this year ($1.3MM remains) and can be retained as an arbitration-eligible player for 2011. Capps will close games for the Twins and Jon Rauch will move to a set-up role.

I think we overpaid. Even though Ramos wasn't going to be a Twin, he should have netted more than Capps. Plus, we added another player to the deal, making it worse. Capps will be an upgrade, though he's pitching over his head in the NL.

We can sit here and say we overpaid, but how do we really know? Ramos wasn't enough to get the Mariners interested in sending us Cliff Lee and there really isn't anything else out there. Oswalt wasn't coming here and Lilly has us on his no-trade list, making a deal very unlikely. So not sure that top-line starter is really out there.

People didn't like Pavano deal at this point last year and look how that one turned out. So let's just wait and see what happens.

I think its a good trade! I think the Twins typically overvalue their prospects. Whats a prospect, just that a prospect. He wasnt exactly tearing it up at AAA, he was hitting like .240. This makes our bullpen alot deeper now, it was starting to look pretty thin with the unproven Slama and Blackburn who should be sent down. Cappps should be with the Twins next year to as an insurance policy if Nathan isn't completely healthy and if he is our bullpen is that much deeper.

I'm thinking Nathan will struggle to come back if ever after the surgery. Herman Munster was shakey at times. To me this is good insurance. Ramos stock dropped like a rock after he went back to Rochester. Lets hope the mad capper can mom em down! Seattle comes into town struggling to be sure which has me a little nervous! Would be nice to sweep before heading on the road again. Will be there Sunday! Need a good performance by moonshot tonight!

The Twins have some very savvy and clever people in their employ, a few of whom are good horse traders. Bill Smith also works for the Minnesota Twins.

Is it too early to start the Delmon Young for MVP voting? LOL! I mean who would have thunk???

I dunno Rick maybe Duensing is that guy! He has pitched pretty well his 2 starts. I would send odd job down and maybe call up perkins or even park centers own Neshek who has pitched pretty well his last few times out also.

Man monster 10 game road trip coming up after this 3 game homes series. 6 games this month also with the white sox. Should be very very interesting indeed!

TwinkFan, FYI, we are still in July :)

"6 games this month also with the white sox"

Question: when I went on the Twins website looking for some SRO tickets for a game in September, how come they have section designations like SRO 1 and SRO 2?
I thought you could just stand wherever the hell you wanted.

Luke, I want to say they have 500 tix marked in each category: SRO, SRO1, and SRO2. No difference between any of the three distinctions...

Maybe they send the different SRO "sections" into different gates.

Saw Capps debut tonight. They had his name spelled wrong on the big screen...said "Capp". Does anyone know if Final Countdown was his song in Washington or if it was just a throw-in song for the new guy?

WOOHOO TWINS!@#$@!#

Capps entered to the same theme song the Washington Nationals had been playing for him this season, "The Final Countdown" by Europe. That tune has quite a different ring than Rauch's choice, Metallica's "Wherever I May Roam."

Quote:

***Which do you think is more important: the team's hitting or the trees?***

The trees, duh! :-)

In all seriousness, whatever helps the team is the most important, and if the trees are hurting the offense and causing the Twins to lose games, then they have to be modified/cut down. Aesthetically, it would be a minus -- again, kinda of a bigger one, only because that's one of the parts of the stadium that regularly gets on TV and creates an "image" for the rest of the nation. But aesthetics vs. the game? The game always wins (or should, anyway).

Now, the pitchers should have some say, since, as we all know, changing the batter's eye the make batting easier for the Twins' hitters will, necessarily, make hitting easier for the road team's hitters as well. I'd actually imagine the Twins hitters would get more used to any batter's eye oddities playing 81 games (plus practice) in the stadium vs. a road team playing a handful of games here each year. This could potentially become an advantage for the Twins.

If the trees ultimately do have to be cut down, any thoughts on something "Minnesotan" that could replace them that wouldn't interfere with the hitters' ability to see the pitches?

Hofflalu said it. If the Twins were having trouble picking the ball out of the trees, so would the opposing team. The advantage would eventually go to the Twins as they become accustomeed to the environment.
I don't know if anyone else picked this up during last night's game or not, but Dick Bremer said that Jason Giambi told him that he thinks home run production at Target Field will improve next year because the ballpark's concrete is still curing, and that increases the dampness in the air. I don't know if I buy that, since most of the concrete at Target Field was probably poured two years ago, and most of the curing would be accomplished by now.
But Bremer also said that Chipper Jonees told him that when the Braves moved into Turner Field, they suffered a steep drop in home run production, but that it returned the following year.
Whether any of that has to do with curing concrete seems dubious. I doubt there are too many solid blocks of concrete dozens of feet thick at the site. But then I don't make my living pouring concrete.

Does anyone know how the roots work under those trees? I've been thinking a tree can't like having roots that small. I guess they're basically protected from a windstorm there, but you'd think they might have a tough time surviving in that narrow area anyway. It'll get harder to replace them when they get bigger I'd think.

Do you guys think the Twins will make anymore moves before 3pm?

" --- since most of the concrete at Target Field was probably poured two years ago, and most of the curing would be accomplished by now."

The concrete in Hoover Dam is still curing. Hoover Dam "opened" in 1936.

Concrete will continue to cure and become harder as time goes by. But how long will it take for the moisture to evaporate into the atmosphere? My brother designs highways in Hennepin County, having extensive knowledge and experience in concrete construction, and this morning he e-mailed, saying he doubts there's anything to the theory.

As far as the trees are concerned, if they're expected to acheive significant height, would their root mass create undue pressure on the outfield wall?

how about concrete trees?

check stubhub for tonight's game! cheapest pair of reserved seats at $89 each, wow!

Tom,

Looks like I should have waited to sell the two we would not be using tonight...

Is anyone watching MLB on FOX right now?
I turned on today's game, and the score overlay up in the top left hand corner is partially cut off!
I've got Comcast cable...just wondering if anyone else has noticed that problem. I've noticed it for like two weeks now.
There's no problem when I see Twins games on FSN...just the national broadcasts.
So, all I can see of the screen overlay is the inning, number of outs and whos on base.

Are you watching on an HD TV? I have an old 27" set from back in the stone age, and the ESPN crawl gets cut off almost completely. This, of course, deprives me of critical Yankees and Red Sox updates.

Were the Rockies playing a AA affiliate last night?

I had my STH "gift" for this year framed up at the local shop. I think it turned out very nicely and I am quite pleased - the picture does not come close to doing it justice but here it is anyway.

No, Dr. X...I have what you've got, a 27-incher from the old days.
I agree a little with the ESPN crawl. On mine, it bounces around sometimes, but 98 percent of the time I can see it pretty well.
It's a perfectly good set, so I wont upgrade til I absolutely need one.

I know that I am late to the Jersey discussion of a week or so ago, but from what I am not understanding, in the Twins Clubhouse, the starting pitcher is in given the option of what jersey the team wears on said night.

Replace "not" with "Now"

Well, the 27" set is my 'other room' set. The main TV is a 47" flat screen with the HD feed. Why I'm spending money on HD is a mystery to me; my eyesight is so bad that it kinda cancels out any advantage the HD might deliver.

I wonder if the staff thinks that the new gray shirts are unlucky.

and this little ditty (especially the last sentence) from espn's trade deadline winners/losers breakdown says it all about semi-retarded, fat-ass, wunderkind twins GM bill smith. one of the worst GM's in baseball.....and he proved it yet again with the horrible matt capps trade.

this was written about the twins who were listed under the trade dealine "losers" section: We always have great faith in the decisions the Twins make. And we understand why they needed Matt Capps. But what other clubs couldn't understand was why Minnesota balked at giving up Wilson Ramos for Cliff Lee -- but then was willing to trade him for a reliever who will help but never be mistaken for Mariano Rivera. "I hate to say this about them, because they're so good at what they do," said one baseball man. "But on this one, they panicked."

yeppers......bill smith panicked.......once AGAIN. see the johan santana deal to see this guy is really clueless when it comes to the art of negotiating and leverage.

I do not think that not wanting to give Ramos up as reason the Lee deal did not go through. I think that is what people were lead to believe at the time. It all comes down to money...

I don't believe that. Ramos was the first name in rumored deals the entire time. He was our biggest and least needed piece. I think other teams didn't want him/need him or found something better. Smoak is much better than Ramos, even though Ramos plays a harder position.

Hicks was the one that the Twins wouldn't do, not Ramos. And I completely agree with them not using Hicks. And I don't agree with trading Ramos for Capps. Ramos' stock should have been higher than that, they sold low and bought high.

The Mariners' beat writer said that the M's liked Ramos, but as the #2 guy in any deal. In other words they also wanted a guy they thought was better than Ramos. Clearly, they were not as high on him as MN fans are. That's why we didn't get Lee.

I think we're letting a few at bats skew our judgment. How excited would we be if we got a .240 AAA catcher who keeps getting hurt?

K

Well put, Kramer. Ramos hasn't spent the better part of a season in the bigs yet. We can't see him play at the minor league level aas extensively as major league scouts do. I'm inclined to buy into the theaory that the Twins hyped this guy in an attempt to elevate his value.

Ben -- I love your panoramic and frame!

How much did that cost to frame? I want to get mine framed soon and am wondering what it will cost approximately?

FINALLY! A TF game I go to where the Twins win!
Yay!
Click my name for my pix.

Mike ---

As nice as it looks here it is 5x nicer in the flesh. There are two blue/black lines in the frame that perfectly pick up the mat, which in turn draws out the blues in the print. My wife is unable to locate the receipt (already), but I'm pretty sure it was between $150 and $200 with UV glass - quality framing is not inexpensive. The piece was done at the Eden Prairie Fast Frame and I am sure that "Carol" would be happy to help you out.

Anybody else get the DQ caps on Sat? Blah! Good design but they must have changed the vendor they bought caps from. They seem much smaller and a lesser quality than past cap giveaways. My brother, wife and I got three of them and they will be going to the kids because they didn't fit any of us at all. Past caps have been fine.

Twins promos are in the tank. Did anyone get a bobblehead that wasn't pretty much complete junk? And the water bottle in the guaranteed giveaway --- don't get me going.

That's what I thought. Either the guy ordering that junk will get fired or he will get a raise for saving the Twins so much $$$.

I sent a message to Patrick Klinger (VP Marketing) expressing my chagrin/disgust in regard to the guaranteed giveaway. I included a line that went something like "I'm pretty sure you had nothing to do with this because you are far too classy a guy to have stooped so low - but please pass my views along to whoever did, if they are still employed there." I almost immediately got a call from Steve Smith (VP ticket sales and apprentice weasel) full of spin that I discussed earlier here. Anyway, he took particular exception to what he viewed as my suggestion that someone should be fired.

MnDOT to spruce up the "dugout hole" around Target Field. Click my name

Rick the bats looked very tiny. Not sure how many they gave away. I,m sure Halsay Hall was glad there was no noice from the kids banging away on the decks of the old met!!!We rolled into the game about 2nd inning. Had to finsih my last beer at Sneaky Petes. Not sure if there were long lines for those bats or not! Near the end of the game found some seats in the rf overhang. Nice view from back there! Nice Sweep! Gonna be an interesting road trip!

Interesting reaction Ben.

There is an old saying: Treat people good on the way up as you'll be seeing the same people on the way down.

I think this should hang in all the offices at 1 Twins Way. The printing press is rolling out sheets of Benjamin Franklins right now, but it won't last forever. They will likely have a huge STH base through 2014 (hosting the All-Star Game). After that the team better be very competitive or the attendance will begin to drop off (see: other markets that got new stadiums, the honeymoon doesn't last forever).

I don't know if anyone over there remembers the lean years when they had to treat their fans like human beings. As Rick points out, once they have what they want their memories get VERY short.

I went to the game with the bats yesterday and I thought they were bigger than the ones they gave out at the Dome. Or maybe the kids are just smaller....

wow.....what a surprise. listening to geriatric ben and his fellow group of trinket whiners once again bitch about worthless and tacky giveaways until the cows come home.

hey, you guys have fun. sounds like a good time. later.....

Shouldn't you be off to your job at mcDonalds?

I believe that the give-a-way bats are the same 28" as previous years. My grandson will be excited!

As for the comments ripping the Twins for their customer service and attention to detail. I have found the entire organization very customer friendly, caring and responsive. Much better than back in the lean years that were referred to. Did they make some mistakes, primarily handling their group tickets this year? Yes. Can they improve? Definitely. Overall, the attitude and the service is much improved over what it was in the past.

Regarding a STH surge through 2014. You have to wonder in the advent of Stubhub and being able to get tickets for any game anyone wants to, how many people really want to spend $1,000-$8,000/yr for three more years just to get the right to have two seats they could buy for $1,000-2,000?

As things get more and more "here and now" it seems like the idea of luring STH into buying every year so they can be there in 2014 may not hold up.

ha! gardy's gimpy gang of predictable pretenders begins meandering back to the mean.

can only win against the garbage teams of the league. not too surprising there. sounds like just every other year he has mis-managed his team.

and two runs against a kid making his first mlb start?! not surprising. too many DL babys on this team just looking out for their next contract to make it through the dog days of baseball year after year.

dr. x - a job at mcdonalds? at least try to be a little creative in your smack talk. pretty weak, but that isn't surprising either coming from a self-proclaimed "wiz kid" like yourself.

have fun watching your team get swept by the hard playing rays and then stinking it up against the lowly indians. pretenders.....nothing more.

:-)

Well, we can't all have your wit, charm, and class.

The Twins need to get rid of those blue alternate tops when they play on the road...Do they even wear the gray tops anymore on the road? If they do, its very rare.

I know its the choice of the starting pitcher, but it sure seems they are in love with those blue alternate tops.

Well --- at least Liriano can no longer choose those damn "pixie" vests.

Hellickson wasn't just some kid making his first MLB start. He's a stud pitching prospect and would be starting for the Rays if they weren't already deep in stud pitching. Hellickson would be starting on most teams. They just did us the "pleasure" of showing how deep they are in SP, because I believe he is being sent back down.

Twins generally don't do well against guys making their debut, even if they are below average to average. This guy was going to be touch because he's a beast.

tough, not touch...it's too early.

AJ ---

Thanks, although those of us with half a brain, and no substance abuse issues, were already aware of those facts.

Ok I will settle for 5 or even 4 wins on this road trip. We can not get swept in any of these 3 series! Gotta hope that Detroit has not packed in also! Could use some help on this strech!

How long are we generally supposed to wait for a response on a TCTraders ticket offer? I made one more than 24 hours ago and am just about to give up and start looking elsewhere.