After 162 games, the AL Central Division title is still up in the air. The White Sox beat Detroit yesterday to pull even with the Twins and force a one game playoff tonight in Chicago. The odds are against the Twins as playing away from the Metrodome has been difficult. The Twins went 2-7 against the Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. All of those games occurred during the first half of the season when the Twins were a different baseball team. Livan Hernandez was still in the rotation giving up seven hits an inning. Our designated hitter was Craig Monroe. He compiled a robust .202 average and .274 OBP before being cut. Mike Lamb was playing third base. He will be best remembered for the great lumberjack beard he grew while riding the pine. Carlos Gomez was the leadoff hitter while Denard Span and Alexi Casilla were down in the minors. It's a new team walking into The Cell that walked out in June after a four game sweep. Those games are a distant memory and the Twins only need to think about the sweep they just pulled off last week against the Sox. Expect a dramatic, wild night in the Windy City. Hopefully Ozzie Guillen will have some new expletive filled quotes in the paper tomorrow. Good things happen when Ozzie's drops some f-bombs.
CC Sabathia is the best pitcher in baseball. 26 years of agony are over because of his left arm. For the first time in my life I get to watch the Brewers in the playoffs. 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, Game 1 vs. the Phillies in Philadelphia. Sit in front of a TV, grab a beer, a sausage, and enjoy the ride. It might not happen for another quarter of a century.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Inner City Pressure
Getting away from the Twin Cities for a weekend is glorious. Between the constant noise, stifling traffic, and shear number of narcissistic, self-centered people roaming the streets, its nice to get a break from it all. It's even better when that break involves golfing at one of the premier courses in Wisconsin. Just outside of Hayward, a quaint little city with only two thousand residents, lies a superb course nestled in the beautiful Wisconsin countryside. Designed by Pete Dye, one of the best course designers in golf history, Big Fish Golf Club is the best golfing experience to be found in Northern Wisconsin and one of the best bargains in the Midwest. Golf is horribly expensive. There are numerous items one has to pony up some money for. Clubs, balls, tees, gloves, green fees, cart rentals, beer, novelty club covers, goofy hats that come with a free bowl of soup, etc. Playing a decent course can easily cost someone near a hundred dollars for eighteen holes. Big Fish is of the quality that it could charge that much. If Big Fish was in a suburb of the Cities, it could easily cost near a hundred dollars. Thankfully it is instead situated near Hayward where things move a little slower and cost a little less. Eighteen holes and a cart costs a man only fifty nine dollars. If I was in better shape, wasn't lazy, and didn't want to drink, I could have paid forty two dollars and hoofed it all afternoon. Getting to play one of the top new golf courses in America for that rate seems almost criminal. That's why after our round on Friday we went back for seconds the next day instead of playing nearby Hayward National. We could have saved some money and played a lesser course, but when high quality golf is available at a cheap price you have to take the opportunity. I surprisingly didn't embarrass myself on the course with nine hole scores of 49, 51, 51, and 50. For the first and probably only time playing a serious round of golf in 2008, I was pretty satisfied. Big Fish, I hope to be seeing you again next year. I'll be ready to get the hell out of this concrete jungle and relax myself on the fairways, watching the colors of the Wisconsin wilderness slowly changing.
-Baseball Update: Twins stand 1.5 games back of the White Sox with five remaining. Tonight and tomorrow will make or break the season as the two teams square off in the Dome. Laura and I will be there tonight for our last Twins game of the season. Lets end on a high note.
The Brewers stand one game back of the Wild Card leading Mets with five games to play. After a dramatic win against the Pirates last night, the momentum should be with the Brewers. All they can do is win out and hope for the Mets to falter. It's been a tough September for the Brewers but they can erase the bad memories with a solid final week. It's hard to do but we all have to be Cubs fans tonight and tomorrow. And then never again.
-I'm a sucker for cheesy horror movies. Some people like romantic comedies. Others like slapstick comedies. I like horror movies. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed Prom Night, the recent remake of the 1980's slasher movie. It has cheesy dialogue, bad acting, and the characters do everything a smart person wouldn't do. Yet it is entertaining as hell. If you like horror movies, check it out. If you like Made of Honor, you have awful taste in movies. I am a movie snob and elitist. I make no apologies for it.
-Take that Europe! We are better than you at golf! A southern boy named Boo who did the Happy Gilmore dance shellacked some of your top players. He can't even speak proper English. Beating the British, a great American past time.
-Arsenal top of the Premier League by one point over Chelsea and Liverpool. That was specifically for you Karl.
-Baseball Update: Twins stand 1.5 games back of the White Sox with five remaining. Tonight and tomorrow will make or break the season as the two teams square off in the Dome. Laura and I will be there tonight for our last Twins game of the season. Lets end on a high note.
The Brewers stand one game back of the Wild Card leading Mets with five games to play. After a dramatic win against the Pirates last night, the momentum should be with the Brewers. All they can do is win out and hope for the Mets to falter. It's been a tough September for the Brewers but they can erase the bad memories with a solid final week. It's hard to do but we all have to be Cubs fans tonight and tomorrow. And then never again.
-I'm a sucker for cheesy horror movies. Some people like romantic comedies. Others like slapstick comedies. I like horror movies. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed Prom Night, the recent remake of the 1980's slasher movie. It has cheesy dialogue, bad acting, and the characters do everything a smart person wouldn't do. Yet it is entertaining as hell. If you like horror movies, check it out. If you like Made of Honor, you have awful taste in movies. I am a movie snob and elitist. I make no apologies for it.
-Take that Europe! We are better than you at golf! A southern boy named Boo who did the Happy Gilmore dance shellacked some of your top players. He can't even speak proper English. Beating the British, a great American past time.
-Arsenal top of the Premier League by one point over Chelsea and Liverpool. That was specifically for you Karl.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Optimism Waning, Pessimism Rising
Who fires their manager with only twelve games remaining in the season? Only the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers in the history of baseball. After starting September by losing eleven of fourteen games and falling into a tie for the Wild Card with the Phillies, the Brewers decided to relieve Ned Yost of his managing duties. After managing the Brewers through 150 games to a 83-67 record, the Brewers didn't trust him to lead the team for twelve more games. Once again, Yost managed 150 games! ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY. With so little left in the season, Yost should have gotten the opportunity to motivate his team, finish the season strong, and hopefully take the Wild Card. It will be interesting to see how the players react to the firing. Perhaps Yost was well liked by his players and his firing will motivate the players to go on and make the postseason for their fallen manager. Or the firing will completely demoralize the players and the team will crumble with out their beloved manager. I'm hoping that the team did not have a strong liking for Yost and his sacking will enable the team to finish strong. If the Brewers fail to make the playoffs, the firing of Yost will be questioned for a long time. It will not be easy for the Brew Crew as they play the Cubs six more times. CC steps onto the mound tonight and needs to have the best outing of his short Brewers career. The Brewers have never made the playoffs during my life. End the collective misery of Brewers fans everywhere and finish the job that Ned Yost won't be allowed to do.
That other baseball team I like is still hanging around the AL playoff race but also find themselves in a precarious position. The Twins trail the White Sox by a game and a half having played an extra game. If we give the Sox a win in that extra game, the Twins stand two games back with twelve remaining for both teams. As I've written before, the Twins can't be farther back than two games when the Sox come to town on September 23rd. Therefore we all need to be Yankees and Royals fans this week as the Sox visit both teams. The Sox are ripe for a losing streak. After having games postponed on Friday and Saturday due to rain, the Sox played a doubleheader on Sunday. They immediately had to fly out to New York to play last night and lost. The Yankees are in the midst of their final homestand at Yankee Stadium. They will play their hearts out to close out the stadium on a positive note. They do not have a day game on Thursday so they will not leave New York until late Thursday night, hopefully making them tired for their opener in Kansas City on Friday. The White Sox also have the headache of figuring out when to makeup a game against the Tigers. All of these issues could compound and cause the White Sox to crumble and be ripe for a sweep when they visit the Metrodome. Optimism, it's a wonderful thing. I can delude myself into thinking crazy things.
One of these teams has to make the playoffs. It has been the best baseball season of my life and it would be heartbreaking and bad for my mental health if neither team makes it to October. If you don't want to see me in pain throughout October, you will cheer for the Brewers and Twins. The joyfulness I will feel if both teams make the playoffs will be so powerful that it will radiate out in waves and make all the people within a mile radius happier. Cheering for my teams won't just help me. It will help all mankind.
That other baseball team I like is still hanging around the AL playoff race but also find themselves in a precarious position. The Twins trail the White Sox by a game and a half having played an extra game. If we give the Sox a win in that extra game, the Twins stand two games back with twelve remaining for both teams. As I've written before, the Twins can't be farther back than two games when the Sox come to town on September 23rd. Therefore we all need to be Yankees and Royals fans this week as the Sox visit both teams. The Sox are ripe for a losing streak. After having games postponed on Friday and Saturday due to rain, the Sox played a doubleheader on Sunday. They immediately had to fly out to New York to play last night and lost. The Yankees are in the midst of their final homestand at Yankee Stadium. They will play their hearts out to close out the stadium on a positive note. They do not have a day game on Thursday so they will not leave New York until late Thursday night, hopefully making them tired for their opener in Kansas City on Friday. The White Sox also have the headache of figuring out when to makeup a game against the Tigers. All of these issues could compound and cause the White Sox to crumble and be ripe for a sweep when they visit the Metrodome. Optimism, it's a wonderful thing. I can delude myself into thinking crazy things.
One of these teams has to make the playoffs. It has been the best baseball season of my life and it would be heartbreaking and bad for my mental health if neither team makes it to October. If you don't want to see me in pain throughout October, you will cheer for the Brewers and Twins. The joyfulness I will feel if both teams make the playoffs will be so powerful that it will radiate out in waves and make all the people within a mile radius happier. Cheering for my teams won't just help me. It will help all mankind.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Slowly Slipping Away
Over the past week, the Twins finished their arduous fourteen game roadtrip with a shellacking in Toronto. The Twins needed to win two of three in Toronto to finish five hundred on the road trip. They were swept and finished 5-9 on their travels. Somehow the Twins found themselves only a game and a half out of first after the roadtrip. Coming home to play the underachieving Tigers and the always awful Royals, the Twins were primed for a good homestand and a chance to regain first in the central. The homestand started well with a win on Friday night. It turned out to be the highpoint of a painful weekend for Twins fans.
Saturday afternoon was going splendidly. Laura and I found a new couch for our living room, we rented a U-haul for Sunday to pick it up, and our rearranging of the apartment was going smoothly. We took a break to watch The Wire (Best. Show. Ever.) and the last couple innings of the Twins game. When we switched the Twins game on, Scott Baker was throwing a gem, allowing only two runs through seven innings with a low pitch count. Going into the eighth inning, the Twins held a 4-2 lead. Not an insurmountable lead, but one I felt confident in handing over to the bullpen. Baker came out for the beginning of the eighth and left after recording one out and putting a man on first. Dennys Reyes, the lefty specialist, came in to face Curtis Granderson. His only job was to get Granderson out and his day would be done. His third pitch to Granderson was hit over the baggy in right field for a two run homerun. With the game tied 4-4, Matt Guerrier came in and preceded to give up another two run homerun. By the time Jessie Crain finished off the Tigers in the eighth, the Twins were losing 6-4. The game ended that way as the Twins couldn't muster any runs in the eighth or ninth. The weak bullpen was on display again wasting a quality outing by a starting pitcher. It was a bad loss, but the Twins had a Sunday matinee date with the Tigers to win the series.
Sunday afternoon was stressful. The new furniture we bought wouldn't fit through our doorway. We took the door off it's hinges and pushed with all our might until the couch slid into our apartment. It was quite the battle and there are scars on the walls to commemorate the struggle. After dropping off the U-Haul we needed to sit down, relax, and crack open a beer. We made it back home at the beginning of the sixth inning. The Twins were leading 4-2 and Glen Perkins was still pitching. As soon as we sat down and got comfortable, things went to hell. Perkins was knocked around and the Tigers scored three runs to take the lead 5-4. Organizing the apartment seemed like a better idea than watching more of the game. I'm still a terrible jinx and I figured not watching the rest of the game would work in the Twins favor. My optimism was soon crushed as the Tigers added on two more runs in the top of the seventh. My optimism was finally put out of its misery in the bottom of the seventh when Morneau and Kubel drove in only one run with men on base. I knew not to expect a comeback with the feeble bats of Punto and Gomez coming up. The Twins lost the game 7-5 and lost the series, a poor homecoming after such an ugly roadtrip.
The Twins stand two and a half games behind the White Sox for the division title going into tonights game with the Royals. The Wild Card is out of the question as the Red Sox have been white hot lately and hold a sizable cushion over the Twins. After the three game set versus the Royals the Twins hit the road once again for a ten game road trip. They play winnable games against the Orioles and Indians, but face a tough test with four games against the Rays. After the roadtrip the Twins return home to face the White Sox and Royals for three games each to end the season. When the White Sox come to town, the Twins can not be more than two games back in the standings. It is hard to demand a sweep of the White Sox, but that will be necessary if the Twins are more than two games back. I have faith in the Twins and will continue to be optimistic. It has been a great season that has gone above and beyond my expectations for this team. If they make the playoffs, it will be a great achievement for a young team and a great sign for the future. If they don't, we'll run Jessie Crain and Matt Guerrier out of town with pitchforks and torches. We'll run Crain all the way back to Canada.
Saturday afternoon was going splendidly. Laura and I found a new couch for our living room, we rented a U-haul for Sunday to pick it up, and our rearranging of the apartment was going smoothly. We took a break to watch The Wire (Best. Show. Ever.) and the last couple innings of the Twins game. When we switched the Twins game on, Scott Baker was throwing a gem, allowing only two runs through seven innings with a low pitch count. Going into the eighth inning, the Twins held a 4-2 lead. Not an insurmountable lead, but one I felt confident in handing over to the bullpen. Baker came out for the beginning of the eighth and left after recording one out and putting a man on first. Dennys Reyes, the lefty specialist, came in to face Curtis Granderson. His only job was to get Granderson out and his day would be done. His third pitch to Granderson was hit over the baggy in right field for a two run homerun. With the game tied 4-4, Matt Guerrier came in and preceded to give up another two run homerun. By the time Jessie Crain finished off the Tigers in the eighth, the Twins were losing 6-4. The game ended that way as the Twins couldn't muster any runs in the eighth or ninth. The weak bullpen was on display again wasting a quality outing by a starting pitcher. It was a bad loss, but the Twins had a Sunday matinee date with the Tigers to win the series.
Sunday afternoon was stressful. The new furniture we bought wouldn't fit through our doorway. We took the door off it's hinges and pushed with all our might until the couch slid into our apartment. It was quite the battle and there are scars on the walls to commemorate the struggle. After dropping off the U-Haul we needed to sit down, relax, and crack open a beer. We made it back home at the beginning of the sixth inning. The Twins were leading 4-2 and Glen Perkins was still pitching. As soon as we sat down and got comfortable, things went to hell. Perkins was knocked around and the Tigers scored three runs to take the lead 5-4. Organizing the apartment seemed like a better idea than watching more of the game. I'm still a terrible jinx and I figured not watching the rest of the game would work in the Twins favor. My optimism was soon crushed as the Tigers added on two more runs in the top of the seventh. My optimism was finally put out of its misery in the bottom of the seventh when Morneau and Kubel drove in only one run with men on base. I knew not to expect a comeback with the feeble bats of Punto and Gomez coming up. The Twins lost the game 7-5 and lost the series, a poor homecoming after such an ugly roadtrip.
The Twins stand two and a half games behind the White Sox for the division title going into tonights game with the Royals. The Wild Card is out of the question as the Red Sox have been white hot lately and hold a sizable cushion over the Twins. After the three game set versus the Royals the Twins hit the road once again for a ten game road trip. They play winnable games against the Orioles and Indians, but face a tough test with four games against the Rays. After the roadtrip the Twins return home to face the White Sox and Royals for three games each to end the season. When the White Sox come to town, the Twins can not be more than two games back in the standings. It is hard to demand a sweep of the White Sox, but that will be necessary if the Twins are more than two games back. I have faith in the Twins and will continue to be optimistic. It has been a great season that has gone above and beyond my expectations for this team. If they make the playoffs, it will be a great achievement for a young team and a great sign for the future. If they don't, we'll run Jessie Crain and Matt Guerrier out of town with pitchforks and torches. We'll run Crain all the way back to Canada.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
CC's Near No-No
Any chance I have of watching the Brewers on television is one I jump at. I love them as much as I love the Twins and wish I could have both teams every game at my disposal. Alas, I can't justify spending more money on sports television when I already pay extra for the Fox Soccer Channel. Being able to watch nearly 14o of the Twins games is pretty good. On Sunday, Laura and I went to Menomonie to do some preparing for our upcoming nuptials. If you didn't know, now you know. We are engaged. After checking out the church and possible reception areas, I stopped at a computer on the UW-Stout campus to check the Brewers game. It was in the bottom of the sixth and CC Sabathia was throwing a one hitter. Laura graciously let me check out of further wedding planning and return to her parents house to watch CC pitch against the Pirates. He ended up pitching a gem. A complete game shutout with eleven strikeouts and one measly hit. Or was it a hit?
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Andy LaRoche led off the inning with a little dribbler back to CC. What should have been a routine play for CC ended with him missing the ball as he went to barehand it. LaRoche made it to first and the decision was now up to the official scorer to call it a hit or an error. Not surprisingly, the play was called a hit and CC lost his no-hitter in the fifth inning. The home team almost always gets the benefit of the doubt on close plays. After extensive replays showed CC most likely would have been able to throw out LaRoche if he had fielded the ball cleanly, the announcers became increasingly agitated throughout the game as CC finished off his complete game without allowing another hit. The cameras even showed the official scorer in his booth while the announcers lambasted him. I felt a little bit bad for the scorer as everyone makes mistakes, especially in baseball scoring. Thankfully CC took it all in stride during his post game interview as he was just happy to win the game for his team.
In hindsight, yes, the play probably should have been ruled an error. The replays seem to show that LaRoche was a long ways away from first base when CC was attempting to pick up the ball. If the pick was made cleanly, CC would have thrown him out. The Brewers are attempting to have the ruling overturned and give CC a retroactive no-hitter. This would be the wrong decision. The problem with going back and giving him a no-hitter is when the play in question occurred. The bottom of the fifth is only half way through a ballgame. Who knows how the Pirates would have approached late inning at bats if they knew CC was on a no-hitter. By the final two innings, the Pirates were well out of the game. With a hit on the board, they didn't have much to play for. Everything would have been different in the last two innings if CC had a no-hitter going. No team wants to be no-hit. The Pirates could have easily put forth extra effort in those last two innings just to deny the Brewers having only their second no-hitter in their existence.
It would be the wrong decision for MLB to award CC with a no-hitter. CC was phenomenal on Sunday and it would have been a great exclamation point to add to this already wonderful Brewers season. A retroactive no-hitter would seem hollow and make the Brewers out to be whiners. Milwaukee should take the disappointment in stride and focus on making the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. That would be the ultimate exclamation point to finish the season.
Twins Update: 5-6 so far on 14 game road trip. Starting the final leg tonight in Toronto, the Twins need to win two of three to finish 7-7 on the trip, exactly what I hoped for. Currently tied with the Sox for first in the Central, the last month is going to be a nail biter. Every game is crucial.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Andy LaRoche led off the inning with a little dribbler back to CC. What should have been a routine play for CC ended with him missing the ball as he went to barehand it. LaRoche made it to first and the decision was now up to the official scorer to call it a hit or an error. Not surprisingly, the play was called a hit and CC lost his no-hitter in the fifth inning. The home team almost always gets the benefit of the doubt on close plays. After extensive replays showed CC most likely would have been able to throw out LaRoche if he had fielded the ball cleanly, the announcers became increasingly agitated throughout the game as CC finished off his complete game without allowing another hit. The cameras even showed the official scorer in his booth while the announcers lambasted him. I felt a little bit bad for the scorer as everyone makes mistakes, especially in baseball scoring. Thankfully CC took it all in stride during his post game interview as he was just happy to win the game for his team.
In hindsight, yes, the play probably should have been ruled an error. The replays seem to show that LaRoche was a long ways away from first base when CC was attempting to pick up the ball. If the pick was made cleanly, CC would have thrown him out. The Brewers are attempting to have the ruling overturned and give CC a retroactive no-hitter. This would be the wrong decision. The problem with going back and giving him a no-hitter is when the play in question occurred. The bottom of the fifth is only half way through a ballgame. Who knows how the Pirates would have approached late inning at bats if they knew CC was on a no-hitter. By the final two innings, the Pirates were well out of the game. With a hit on the board, they didn't have much to play for. Everything would have been different in the last two innings if CC had a no-hitter going. No team wants to be no-hit. The Pirates could have easily put forth extra effort in those last two innings just to deny the Brewers having only their second no-hitter in their existence.
It would be the wrong decision for MLB to award CC with a no-hitter. CC was phenomenal on Sunday and it would have been a great exclamation point to add to this already wonderful Brewers season. A retroactive no-hitter would seem hollow and make the Brewers out to be whiners. Milwaukee should take the disappointment in stride and focus on making the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. That would be the ultimate exclamation point to finish the season.
Twins Update: 5-6 so far on 14 game road trip. Starting the final leg tonight in Toronto, the Twins need to win two of three to finish 7-7 on the trip, exactly what I hoped for. Currently tied with the Sox for first in the Central, the last month is going to be a nail biter. Every game is crucial.
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