Damn, RD's glad you're back! :)

And it's "T-Phat!" now and 4ever, especially because he made a couple of defensive plays that were pretty Phat for a Fat dude.

*Sigh*

Dougie...

way to go Lew and Nicky and T-phat... and all the boys!!

but... Dougie!!! *blush*

This is the funniest thing I've read in a very, VERY long time.

Welcome back, BG.

- Freez
P.S. - Does the BatPrius have a rocket engine in the back? An environmentally-conscious rocket engine - to be sure.

P.P.S. - Sorry. I'm just curious by nature.

P.P.P.S. - You see, I'm just not convinced that a Prius - under its normal propulsion - could actually catch (much less overtake and Randy Moss) a man on foot.

=0]

T-fat handling a wet ball? Children read this site!

Let's hope T-Fat doesn't get hungry some night in the dugout and longs for the taste of a good Reuben.

Oh, and speaking of Dougie Manischewitz:

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Now that the ball he caught for the final out in Boston's World Series sweep of St. Louis is headed for the Hall of Fame, Doug Mientkiewicz says he can find some peace of mind.

"Me, my family, went through hell and back. It should have been handled differently," he said Tuesday. "I'm glad it's over. I can put my (World Series) ring back on with pride now."

Mientkiewicz loaned the ball to the Red Sox for a year, but the team took him to court last November to get permanent ownership. The sides then agreed to arbitration and settled the matter.

"As important as that ball was, it was not worth what my family had to go through," said Mientkiewicz, who signed with Kansas City during the offseason. "The worst for me was being sandwiched on the CNN ticker between the tsunami victims and the Laci Peterson murder trial. I thought that was kind of ridiculous, over a baseball."

Mientkiewicz was playing first base on Oct. 27, 2004, when pitcher Keith Foulke fielded the ball off the bat of Edgar Renteria and tossed it to him for the final out in Boston's first World Series title since 1918. Mientkiewicz claimed the ball as his own and secured it in a safe deposit box. He joked at one time that it was his "retirement fund."

Mientkiewicz said he was not bitter toward Red Sox fans.

"Sure, I wanted to keep it. I was going to have the ball in the glove in a case," he said. "But once I knew I wasn't able to do that, my family and I, my dad and I sat down and he thought it would be cool if it went to the Hall of Fame. We agreed on that. It took some time prying away from them, but I'm glad it ended up where it belonged in the first place."

Mientkiewicz was grateful to Red Sox fans for their support and to owner John Henry and general manager Theo Epstein. He did not mention Lucchino, who had headed the team's fight for the ball.

"I enjoyed my time in Boston. I enjoyed playing for the Red Sox. I enjoyed every moment I had in Fenway Park," he said. "Red Sox fans waited a long time for that ball and I'm glad now every baseball fan gets a chance to see it."

I want a BatPrius. I don't even know what that means, but goldangit I want one.

I think the red sox were mean to doug over the ball, and I say that as a sox fan. He caught the final out, no one else, him, and he should have been able to keep the ball if he wanted. If balls actually belong to the team, which is what they said, then how come players get to keep the ball from their first hit, 3000th hit etc?
but making the final play of a world series at 1st isn't that big a deal, just ask Bill Buckner (ok I know the score was tied by then but why let the stats get in the way of the sass)

Welcome back BG, dentists hurt, even my very lovely South African dentist who isn't at like British Dentists at all.

D

Glad to have you back. I felt like I had an opportunity to question the BOD while you were gone. Now I can get back to worrying about more important things A thought before I go all the way back to sanity: Lew deserves some borderline BODs to make up for being robbed a few times.

Welcome back BG. I hope you found the peace you needed. Believe it or not the Twins winning or losing can give one peace. Life is good.

I thought Kyle did a good job out there. He needed this game.

Good to see Ruben come through here.

Lew was great tonight. I gotta say that his sophmore slump is a thing of the past. He has played very well .

Juanie got out of a jam.

Thank God for Joe Nathan. He might be the MVP of this team right now.

A win is a win.

well put leslie, a win is a win. [edited by Jeb...Karl's very angry] i dont know how the editors of the star trib can con't to let him write negative stories about a new twins ballpark.

http://www.startribune.com/357/story/393035.html

http://www.startribune.com/357/story/386485.html

http://www.startribune.com/357/story/379004.html

i've hated nick coleman for a long time, and this is just increasing my hate towards the man. i hope that the ballpark bill passes for many reasons, my hate for nick coleman may be one of them.

Karl: I am tired of Nick Coleman and Sid Hartman going on and on and on about the stadium thing. It seems Nick is on a mission to get the Twins out of town and Sid goes on and on and on about the stadium to the point it's getting embarassing for him. I don't want to hear about them. I think the Twins are in good shape to get the stadium. The politicans are getting the message and the people in Minnesota have spoken based on the turnout at the State Capitol and the auditorium at the middle school in Bloomington.

The proponents of the stadium has outnumbered the opponents either.

I suggest to email Nick or the editor of the paper and all. Me? I am not offended or whatever. Nick Coleman is about trying to elicit responses here more than anything. Half the stuff that he claims to believe does not make sense.

Leslie, I've called and emailed both Coleman and the editor of the newspaper, yet nothing. Coleman's mission against the ballpark is not a new thing either, which shouldnt surprise any of us. For some reason people in this state thing that young babies will roll over and die, schools will soon burn, and roads will become even more dangerous if this Twins ballpark is passed. I guess this is why its taken 11 years to get this far, and I still won't believe it until the gov signs the bill into law. Yet, if that day does come, I'll be crying tears of joy and dreaming of hot dogs, Twin wins, beer and blue skies.

I think it's time to start with the yearly ritual. That's right, it's time to start calls for a culling of the coaching staff. I'm getting a little tired of the pathetic, gutless baseball that this team seems to be fond of playing. Seriously, can we find a hitting coach that isn't one of Gardenhires cronies? Someone who can actually, I don't know, teach? Somewhere? Please? Anybody? Hello? Echo.....echo.....

I'm a little concerned that at my tender age, these early season games are becoming far to nerve-wracking. (Look, I'm probably spelling words wrong now)

I don't know if I can make it through a whole year without having a breakdown myself...or at least running out of hair to pull out during a Huner of Morneau at bat.

Just glad to see Lohse pitch around a (self-made) jam, and shutout innings by Rincon (however precarious it had been) and a Nathan save are welcome additions.

....

Also, it just plain kicked ass to see Douggie again. 19 times a year just isn't the same as 162 though...

Welcome back, Batgirl!

I'm a little disconcerted that our only starters to have one-run games are the fourth (Lohse, last night against the Landed Gentry) and fifth (Baker against the Evil Empire) starters. But, hey, I'll take 'em however they come!

Lohse, Sweeney, Nathan, and John Gordon all should be paying for high blood pressure medication after last night.

(sings in a trembling voice, cracked with emotion): Doug Mientkiewicz... his size and speed are due to genetics. Doug Mientkiewicz... he's a tribute to the joy of phonetics, spelled M I E N T K I W I C Z... I know it sounds crazy, but that's how you spell Mientkiewics.

Dan in London, the difference between a player being GIVEN the ball by the team after he gets his first big league homer and Dougie TAKING the ball that made the last out of the World Series should be apparent. I loved Doug, but that whole fiasco made me rethink my affection for him - stealing that ball (and that's what he did) was just stupid.

As for Nick Coleman, what do you expect from a guy who writes editorials for the Star and Sickle Tribune?

Yep, Nick Coleman loves democracy. So long as it works only for what he wants. The second article there mentions people's failure to listen at the meeting in Bloomington. Or in other words, if you don't agree with me, then you aren't listening. He's right, we're wrong, and we won't listen. Shame on us! And am I wrong or wasn't it Hennepin County that came up with this plan in the first place? After listening to Saint Nick, you'd think this is some State Legislature plan to bend the fine citizens of that county over at the waist.

Sorry, I should know better than to get going on this topic (Nick Coleman).

Darling Batlings,

This is not the place for this conversation. Please keep the comments to Priuses, dentists, novacain, twelve step programs, anger issues, Dougie Baseball, and Lew Ford.

Sincerely,
Batgirl

So, if Nick Coleman were driving a Prius (not a BatPrius, of course) while on the way home from the dentist with his mouth pumped full of Novocaine, and decided he needed to enter a 12-step program to work through his anger issues regarding allowing elected officials to actually do what they were elected to do without them having to hold a vote to get permission to do what they were elected to do, and got to the meeting just in time to hear Lew Ford give a stirring speech about how he's recently reached Level 17 in Dungeons and Dragons and that his accomplishment should give hope to everyone who has struggled in life, we could talk about him?

Not that I want to talk about him, of course.

*folding arms*

Dear Batgirl,

Welcome back. It's nice to read your words again. While I thoroughly enjoyed RD's entries, there's just something very comforting in your work. Perhaps the Twins feel the same way and will now purge themselves of their ass-arms and ass-bats.

Hoping your TMJ improves,
k-bro

And boy, aren't those blue KC jerseys ugly? And doesn't Doug look odd wearing number 11? Strange indeed. At least his comments in the Strib today were pretty complimentary toward the Twins; it does seem like he's grown up a bit since he left. I have to admit, I do miss him, despite his occasional foolishness. *whimper* It'll be a long time before we have a group like that 2001-03 team again - I think we have to accept that. Wahhh.

omg... M-I-E-N-T-K-I-E-W-I-C-Z...my love !! :) It was SO nice to see my boy again. I miss him too much... liking the flippy hair by the way !! ahhh. sexy

Could Justinept make an appointment with the honorable Shaden Freude to disern why he is such a helpless dunce in clutch situations? He is not very good in non-clutch situations either. Maybe just avoiding contact with Torii would do the trick. Has anyone else noticed that Mr. Hunter has learned nothing about how to put together a decent at bat in 7 years?

M-I-E-N-T-K-I-E-W-I-C-Z
I know it sounds crazy...but that's how you spell Mientkiewicz.

welcome back BatGirl

It would have been real nice to have seen Dougie but unfortunately I couldn't since MLB Extra Innings in their infinite wisdom decided not to show the game. Tonites game is on though and I will be watching.

DAM

Huge BatProps for anyone who can come up with more lyrics to the Schoolhouse Rock songs from the Twins ads from...um, 2002?

As nice as it was to see little nicky wee wee slide into home, it is so much nicer to have BG back!

Oh and Ruben? He's doing a heck of a job at trying to become my favorite NEW Twin. And that's no small task considering how fond I've become of Castillo - not to mention the amazing T-Phat! Ruben might soon become Ruben "Cecil's Deli Reuben" Sierra because he's better than you're average reuben.

Welcome back BG. Welcome back Twins wins!

DAM - I live here in DC, too, and we had the game last night on MLB Extra Innings (via DirecTV). I have no clue why you didn't get to see it.

Dear Batgirl,

Welcome back. I sure missed your literary flair, and I'm glad it's not tied up like Hemmingway's fishing hat in the Happy Happy Fun Drink, which, when you pull the thread of sobriety, unravels the whole thing until there's nothing left but a leather band and a plastic brim. Then, without the hat, no thoughts can take form in the written word. (I know a metaphor Hemmingway would not approve of, and, come to think of it, is a little trite. But I'm too lazy to erase and type something else. So there you have it.)

What I'm trying to say is, I'm glad you still have it even though you no longer have Happy Happy Fun Drink. It gives me hope that what little writing talent I have might not go away entirely when I decide that my liver and my life can't take it any more.

And nothing against RD, but I'm glad I don't have to read about Marny Gelner's lack of fashion sense.

Jeb -

Not everyone got a song from the "get to know 'em" campaign. Guzman had the bionic man bit with the announcer doing the "nununununun" thing from the 6 Million Dollar man to explain how fast he was, and Denny Hocking had a bit about how he loved the Twins so much he even had twins and that was taking one for the team. The only other one with a song was Corey Koskie, I think. And I don't remember how it goes. And I'd probably tear up if I did.

welcome back, BG! soon all will again be right in the world (I hear a series with the Royals can have that effect...) and there will again be frolicking and other forms of festivity in the land of the Twins . soon. soon.

WELCOME HOME BATGIRL!!!

Dear Adidasman,

Doug did not "steal" the ball...precedent has proven that with other final out balls from other World Series games.

Please see the following article:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2005-10-25-final-out-ball_x.htm

But if, after reading this, you choose to continue believing that he stole it, I guess there is nothing I or anyone else can say that will change your opinion.

That said, I am glad that the ball will be in the HOF, and Doug can get on with his life.

bubblemint

That's an interesting piece, Bubblemint - it surprises me. But I'm sure that the circumstances surrounding the Red Sox' victory were a bit more...shall we say...heightened than in other Series wins. I suppose, based on historical precedent, Doug wasn't doing anything intrinsically wrong - but it still seems to me that, if the team wants it, they should ultimately get it. And, as has often been proved to be the case, maybe ol' Dougie should have kept his mouth closed.

In any case, I stand semi-corrected.

Post # 2. I was so excited about your return BG I forgot about gushing over my BOD. Yea Lew! That cute little smile you give to the opposing pitcher is the best! Love ya!

From St. Paul:

Sales tax referendum amendment to the twin ballpark deal was defeated 66-64 (whew). Roof paid for by state-wide sales tax amendmentment was defeated 80's-40's.

Looks like final vote by supper time.

Wow, I'm impressed, Kurtis. Way to go.

"Come home, Corey, please come home. Too long in baseball's land you've roamed.
(You're violating hockey's sanctity!)"

Welcome back, BG.

Welcome back, Batgirl! Team Batgirl and RD (is he, like, an affiliate member or something?) did a marvelous job, but it's always good to see you come back.

FYI, folks, there's great stadium discussion right now in the Batcave.

I think my super secret decoder key-ring to the batcave has expired. I'd be interested if someone would post a link (or email it to me by clicking my name).

Jim, check out the last link under "Twins Links."

Adidasman:

I can explain--I get friggin COMCAST of Montgomery County--they show fewer games...

DAM

Nick,

RD is kind of the caretaker of the Batgrounds, stepping in to do whatever it takes by any means necessary to keep things running in Batgirl's absence.

Tonight's game should be interesting. Runelvys Hernandez is, like, 2-T-Phat's! fat. Click on my name and scroll a bit for a look.

Nick/RD - I posted a couple of photos of Runy Hz as well. Click my name and scroll down.

by the way...if they made peanut butter flavored big league chew would that solve one of BG's problems?

Lohse piching well is what I like to see. It's good for my sanity after his last outing. To make a long story short people should go to the game to enjoy it and NOT to critcize every little thing that goes on in the game. No offense to all you guys out there on batgirl, but if you're going to go to a baseball game, leave your ego @ home. I do believe ego (b/c it was four guys sitting behind me) and drinking was part of the problem. From a very loyal Kyle Lohse fan thank you.

BG:

As a W. Sox fan (gasp) and former substance abuse counselor for 10 years I am familiar with pain approximating tooth extraction sans Novocaine, but it's still funnier than hell, ain't it? )If it isn't right now, remember Alan Alda's quote - humor = pain plus time elapsed. So you have that going for you.

Good luck with the spiritual journey, and remember, unfortunately for you, it's like being a Sox fan - one day at a time, and 88 years later it gets better...

Welcome back - you have been missed.

With serious apologies to Bill W...

1. Admitted we were powerless over Kyle, and that our Twins had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that Johann could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our Twins over to the care of Johann, as we understood him.

4. Made a searching and occasionally fearful inventory of our pitching staff.

5. Shared with Gardy, our friends, and anyone else who would listen the exact nature of the Jackal’s wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have Johann remove these defects of pitching

7. Frantically pleaded with Andy to remove all these shortcomings

8. Made a list of all the bleachers Brad has harmed, and became willing to repair them all.

9. Repaired those bleachers whenever possible, except at the ballpark formerly known as “New Comiskey”.

10. Continued to take inventory of the pitching staff, and when they were wrong, promptly notified Rick Anderson.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Johann, praying only for knowledge of his will, and the power to get the rest of the staff to follow suit.

12. Having had a sprirtual retreat as a result of an unfortunate encounter at Grandstand Grill, we tried to carry the message to other members of the Twins, and to stop badgering the hitters about run support.

Dearest adidasman,

I am glad I was able to persuade to re-think your position.
Even a semi re-thinking is better than none at all. ;-)

Yours in batling togetherness,

bubblemint