Brad Zellar Four runs is the magic number in baseball. If you look at the way things break down year in and year out, the team that scores four runs or more wins the vast majority of its games. The Twins have now scored three or fewer runs in four straight games (all losses), and are on … Read more
What the hell is up with these ridiculous two-game series? And what the hell happened to that team that swept three from Seattle on the road? Beats me. After stumbling in Kansas City over the weekend the Twins came home and, facing 23-year-old Cleveland pitchers on back-to-back nights, looked anxious and undisciplined at the plate. … Read more
Ok, that was brutal. And long. Jesse Crain may have taken the loss –and he was awful– but you can pin this one on the offense. Here’s the ugliest fine print from the boxscore, and the best indication of the difference between the the two teams in terms of hitting approach: Minnesota pitchers threw 236 … Read more
Am I too old to see the fairies dance? I cannot find them anymore. –Langston Hughes, from “After Many Springs” That the light would last forever. That a silent abracadabra was the appropriate blessing to be conferred on even the grayest new morning. That a dog was both a lantern and a life preserver. That … Read more
The Twins thus far vs. right handers: .304 BA, .375 OBP, .451 SLG. And vs. southpaws: .240, .274, .343. That last number isn’t much helped by the fact that two of the Twins’ right-handed power guys, Michael Cuddyer and Torii Hunter, are hitting .207 and .208, respectively, against lefties. The real problem for Minnesota at … Read more
…until the bullpen (Version ’06) stepped in and put an end to the mess. Torii Hunter, who had 21 doubles in all of 2006, already has eleven. The Go-Go Twins: though they’ve been out-homered 23-9, Minnesota now has 46 doubles to opponents’ 25 (and 19 stolen bases to opposing teams’ four). Boof is going to … Read more
One hand, feebly –or perhaps enthusiastically– waving goodbye. Have we seen enough of Siddhartha? Yes, I believe we have seen enough.
Wow. Three straight bunts in the seventh –a couple for base hits, and a sacrifice. That’s winning ugly, but I guess it’s still winning. I hate small ball, though. And I hate bunts. I really do. I particularly despise the sacrifice bunt. That sort of stuff is rinky-dink baseball. Or piranha baseball, if you’re buying … Read more
The King deputized for the Queen at many sacred functions, dressed in her robes, wore false breasts, borrowed her lunar axe as a symbol of power, and even took over from her the magical act of rain-making. His ritual death varied greatly in circumstance; he might be torn in pieces by wild women, transfixed with … Read more
I guess this is one of those occasions where you could label a victory a bit of a disappointment. The whole game after the first inning certainly qualified as anti-climactic, but given the match-up going in, the win qualifies as a gift. You could already tell that Felix Hernandez was off as he was throwing … Read more