Great writing yet again, BG! That was quite a tense game... Can I ask why Gardy chose to put in Jesse Crain in such a close game in the 9th inning? Is he suddenly our close-games reliever??

Also, how beautiful was it when Santana and the gang got out of that scary bases loaded 7th inning after Bartlett made the horrifying bobble on the easy DP groundout? It was great seeing Johan (and later Morneau) pat Bartlett on the back, as if to say, "we've all been there." What a great team.

Anyhow, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFF!!!!

Thanks for the pep talk BG! Should I call in sick tomorrow?

I only got to watch the first half hour of the game (thanks to classes). But I did get to hear either Beavis or Butthead (I don't remember which) say that the Rally Towels were out. Their stupidity made it almost ok not to be in class and not able to watch the game.

But tomorrow we have Boof. (I can't imagine what they'll say about him.) And I'll at least get to listen to some of the game while driving to a school I tutor at for one of my classes.

I'm not going to lie, I was not ultra amped about JoJo today-pregame. I was just thinking about that road trip and how we came out okay even though we lost both his starts. Because I am SO-EX-CITED for BOOF that I danced a little with my baseball lovin' Twins hatin' very sexy friend Mike and he didn't even think it was crazy. I'm over JoJo. Well, not over him, he has a very special place in my heart reserved only for Venezuelan pitchers with perfect goatees and gorgeous smiles. But now that my Boyfriend is married I think I need a back up-and Boof is perfect.

I was pretty sure the mound was about to catch fire with all that heat today: Johan, Zito AND Huston. Ay dios mio-en fuego, indeed.

Go Boof. And thanks, BG -- you always help put perspective on those moments that we all want to put knitting needles through our eyes.

And you know what? Forget walking Thomas every time. Let's just plunk him in the ass whenever he comes up to bat. It'll be a lot more fun.

Mark my words, Frank Thomas will be thrown out at first base from the outfield during this series. I'm convinced he was out today when Cuddy gunned him out on what would be a first-base-rounding single for anyone who can run a sub-4 minute 100 meters. His home runs may sting a little, but I'd say "Big Slow" fits better than "Big Hurt"

At the very least, we ought to be brushing Thomas back. The only problem is, I get the feeling that Frank won't even bother to get out of the way. Kind of like he doesn't even bother to break a sweat getting to first.

BG- Thanks for putting this game into perspective. Having attended 30 games this season and watched the rest on t.v., we know what our boys can do. We've seen them save the best for last the whole season!! I was saddened momentarily by the thought that our boys had grabbed the bag of ass-bats rather than their usual (of-late) super-boyfriend bats. Our boys are playing October baseball! (As we all know, the off-season sucks!)

Can't wait to get back to the Dome tomorrow for a good old-fashioned Boof barbecue! Smoke 'em Boof.

p.s. Rondell is my BoD!

Yes to lots of hotness on the mound. Yes to the Big Slow taking one in the buttcheek every time he comes to the plate (just because he was SO OUT AT FIRST and I have yet to get over it). And yes, Joe Morgan is the giantest of boobs. He's very ripe for a smiting, if you ask me.

And I hope we've learned the lesson...if there's a fire you need put out, PAT NESHEK is the fireman you want. (Of course, it would be great to avoid fires in the first place. Ahem. Mr. Crain.)

Come now. I like Frank Thomas. He may be slow and dumb and remind you a little of Andre the Giant, but he's a good guy. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Beginning with his start in Cleveland and including today,the team is 1-3 in games he starts, and 9-4 in games he does not start. He sucks; we need Perkins to start the 5th game. By the way, what is the 1st round roster? Actually, I think they should stick with Joann for game 5,for those of you who are sarcasm challenged.

Bat-Girl and all the Batlings...

Just wanted to say that was a hell of a game and we got a bit lucky. I'm a lifelong A's fan but over the course of the last few years have fallen hard for the Bat-Girl and all her friends and have more than once found myself rooting for the Twins just to know it would put a smile on her face. While I hope the A's can handle the Boof, I would not be upset to see you guys go all the way to the WS if we don't.

- Ray in Virginia

You know, I think I've seen more gracious fans from other teams on this site than anywhere else. It's quite lovely.

And since I'm keeping an eye on The Tigers/Yanks (sorry, I can't help it, but I don't have the sound on, that's too unbearable for me), I just have to say: Magglio Ordonez = Home Perm Victim. Such volume! Such curl!

I've been away from the computer and TV coverage of the Twins since the weekend--so I was, most unfortunately, NOT able to see the magnificent game last Sunday. And then today, between flights, my cellphone was my only link to the happenings at the 'Dome. I got the news about the final score from the helpful Air Traffic Controller I queried at 35,000 ft, en route to New York. Dammit.

Finally, back at my computer, I knew I would find solace and comfort for today's game--and that our fearless Batgirl would find the right thing to say to rally us for tomorrow! Thanks Batgirl!

My friends and I were sitting way up in that part of the Dome that's normally behind the curtain, and we found ourselves wishing that the curtain would come down to protect our disbelieving eyes. A painful afternoon.

To channel my nervous energy, I practiced folding my Homer Hanky into a triangular dinner-party-napkin-type format -- which, if you turn it the right way, makes a pretty good puppet that resembles a mouth. If everyone did the same, a sea of chomping piranha mouths might provide a better way to intimidate our opponents than merely waving fabric around. I plan to try it again tomorrow....

(And no, I don't get a deal on Homer Hankies. I even had to buy the one I have.)

thanks, BG. you are a voice of reason amidst a sea of jon miller / joe morgan - style idiocy. there is a tomorrow, and it is boof's.

Its remarkable to go to the Twins MLB board and see the usual pessimists come out and just trash the Twins and say its over already-and to come here and see optimism.

Sure, the assbats really stunk and we all saw the Drain today. But the Twins find a way to win and should bounce back tomorrow. Of course, scoring first would make it a lot easier! And maybe just walking Darth Thomas too!

"to say her tension is evident on the final product would be like saying Picasso seemed a little blue when he painted Guernica."

you funny.

bfLNP's defense was hott.

Whoa....I seriously needed that. I tend to be pretty manic when it comes to the Twins anyway, but throughout that whole game that we were wasting a perfectly good pitching performance on that bad offensive performance. I mean when Rondell (who I picked to be MVP of the World Series back in May when the World Series seemed like crazy dream) has 2 of your 5 hits, you probably need to work on that offense.

But you reminded me that there is another game. We still only have to win 3.

And no matter what, we still have the amazing regular season. I just need to keep repeating that to myself!

I saw one of the funniest commercials for the postseason today. You know the one where the boston fan is crying in a sorority bathroom because the red sox are not in the postseason, and the guy is trying to console her by saying "october is the time to cheer agaisnt the yankees" and then she comes out of the bathroom. Funny.

Do you remember this past offseason when I posted here? Of course you don't, that was a long time ago. I barely remember it. Anyhow, I suggested that the Twins should sign Frank Thomas, as he'd be motivated to put up a great season, especially in the same division as the White Sox.

Terry Ryan instead signed Rondell White--without consulting me--which was a mistake, in my opinion. Both the signing of Rondell White and not consulting me. Both were mistakes.

I'm glad Thomas is happy in Oakland. But man, man, man, man, man. If I knew how to search the archives, I'd dig up my variety of posts on this subject on Batgirl. They'll make for nice reading while Thomas evicerates the Twins. And hey, I like the Twins. If my team's not in the playoffs--and they're not, they won 90 games in the central, you might know 'em--then I'd root for you. But man, Thomas is going to use that big piece of iron he uses in the on-deck circle to pulverize the entire state of minnesota, beat Paul Bunyan and steal his Blue Ox. No amount praying fansmanship or Boofmanpitching is going to stop Frank Thomas.

That's just a fact. Sorry, better luck next year.

"Come now. I like Frank Thomas. He may be slow and dumb and remind you a little of Andre the Giant, but he's a good guy."

Whoa now. Thomas is probably the most intelligent man in baseball, and has been over the course of his career. He's thought his way to nearly 500 home runs as much as muscled his way. You want to see dumb? Go look at Kyle Farnsworth. Frank could take the Putnam exam and score well.

I'll be there, can't wait.. I'll be the guy yelling, "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFF" Ha, anyway, go Twins!

STEVE HOLT!, it may just be the Yankee fan in me, but I felt that that commercial was about as unfunny as it could get. I can't remember a time when I rolled my eyes larger than I did when I saw that. It's just as bad as convincing a B-Sox fan to watch the playoffs so they can root against the Twins and Tigers. Why need to remind Red Sox fans that they're not in the playoffs Yankees are? I'd really want to see either the Yanks or Twins win the World Series, but I'm sure Red Sox fans wouldn't.

Speaking of the Yankees and Twins, I sure hope that they meet up in the ALCS. I really don't know who I would root for there because I like both teams very much, but needless to say, such a series would be really fantastic. In a way, it would be like the World Series (no offense, National League, but you really do suck very much).

"but listening to these guys is like listening to the two drunk guys who sit behind you who've seen two games all season and are trying to impress each other with how much they know."

Hey I've sat next to people like that - most annoying - not you Infield =)

Well I thought the Jaws of Life was going to be called upon to remove Little Nicky Punto after that catch he made - dear Nicky - I love you please be careful - but that was one kick ass catch.

Yeah I say again Jesse Crain - no comment

Hey Doc - I think you needed another bowl of Easy Mac you came soooooooo close twice!

While quite lovely - some of the Oakland A's wives/significant others could use a cheeseburger or two.

Oh - that's Magglio's own hair - no perm =)

Let's get 'em Boof!!!!!!!

Much Love
Wonder Woman

Steve, "the guy" is Tommy Lasorda. He has been involved in the game for 55 years or so.

Considering the disdain Joe Morgan shows so continually for the A's (and that silly Moneyball book *Billy Beane* wrote), if your theory is true, the baseball gods are going to have a tough choice: will JM look like more of an assweed if the A's or Twins win the ALDS? (and then go on to beat the Yankees in the ALCS?)

Dearest MikeQ -

:-P

Seems like the A's aren't feeling any love -head over to the Strib.com or read it in the morning -
Welcome to our world =)

Much Love
Wonder Woman

Stupid Frank Stupid Thomas. I never did like him, you know.

"There was this pop-up that landed in between Brad Radke and the rest of the infield with them all staring at each other like, 'Oh, I thought you were going to get that'..."

A moment that I, too, will never forget. The look on AJ Pierzynski's face when that happened... ouch.

The thing I think we ALL have learned about post-season play is that, just when you think you know how things are going to go, that's when Eddie Guardado decides to go ahead and load the bases in the bottom of the ninth, just to keep things interesting.

Tomorrow will be better. I have a good feelin'.

Are you sure you weren't at the dome? You summed up my feelings exactly. The only highlight was Cuddy's triple, but that was even tarnished by his error (which ended up costing nothing). Too many people in my section (by the milk jug today, out field tomorrow) were getting up and down, and while at first I was annoyed, I began to be jealous that they were relaxed enough to move. I hope the boys felt my love, because I do love them, and apparently I even believed more today than they did, but tomorrow we have Boof and that says enough (insert your own version of Annie singing about the sun.
Sandee with a mustard stain on her #5 jersey--darn you Chicago dogs.

Thanks for the words BG. One step at a time: Stop the Dome losing streak. By my guess, the twins are 2-7 at the dome in the playoffs since 91, 0-5 since 2002.

jjc, that's why it's so funny.

I was thinking i need to start knitting my annual winter scarf...but maybe i'll wait a few weeks, for the sake of my eyes, and those around me.

I kind of saw the series going this way--Lose the first game, win the second b/c it's BOOF, win the third because we don't want Radke to feel sad and we want him to come back next year, possibly lose the forth (since Silva's 50/50 at his best), and then come back to the Dome for Santana to redeem himself on Sunday. That's right, i'm making a call. Speaking of calls, i'm almost grateful these are day games because I as well can't stand those ESPN commentators! seriously, "Rally Towels"?!? I recorded and am not going to bother to watch. I miss you, Dick 'n Bert!

All of my friends and coworkers today were like "aren't you so excited?!?" No. not yet. I don't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed. I have faith, but not blind faith. I want to see a solid performance before I start cheering my head off, which is weird since I watch the game at work... Although today I got game updates from the people on the other side of the "wall" announcing Rondell's homer!

Besides the fact that I have a 4 page paper to write for tomorrow, I am not reading/watching any ESPN related media.

I heard the Rally Towels comment at the beginning of the game. I'm glad they corrected that. Cripe.

Ok. Back to my essay. Blessing in disguise the games aren't on at night to distract me even more from my homework?

So where do you guys think Zito will end up next year? I personally think he'll look great in a Twins uni. Hmmm... Santana, Liriano, Bonser, Zito, Garza/Silva/Baker... wouldn't it be nice if the twins spent some money once in a while.

Tough loss today but hey, it wouldn't be Twins baseball unless it was dramatic and last minute. Twins like to wait till the very last minute to celebrate eh? It was never going to be a sweep with our boys, it's going to come down to the 5th game in extra innings with a dramatic walk off homerun by one of the piranas.

I *still* think Ozzie and Captain Cheeseburger were trying to net LNP on that play, WW.

GOOD one inviting them, Tommy. :p

I was a little worried that ESPN was all behind us in the pregame "baseball tonight." when Kruk and Vern Wells are picking you to win hands down, you better watch out. Maybe we will be the underdogs again now!

I'm glad Jon Miller was there to tell us all about the Metrodome "rally towels"

Ok, I'm gonna go to class tomorrow... at least until noon. BOOOOOOF!

Ah, okay, Steve, I misunderstood what you meant. =) In that case, I can see why you think it's funny. It's so incredibly ridiculous that it's quite funny.

I'd like to see the Twins reach or win the World Series. I'll admit that I'm a bigger Yankees fan than Twins fan, but at the same time, I feel the Twins are overdue for a championship. They are a great organization and they have been consistently winning for several years now.

Anyway, Jeter went 5/5 and the Yankees beat Detroit in Game 1.

Win Twins!

...

And Yankees!

Thanks BG I needed that.
GO BOOF!
I am not sorry we didn't sign the "big (slow) Hurt" I like our canadian more. And he can run!

You're kidding, BG. ESPN's STILL calling him "Josh" Bartlett?

"I am not sorry we didn't sign the "big (slow) Hurt" I like our canadian more. And he can run!"

Rondell's Canadian? And you like him more than Frank Thomas?

Well, in the end it doesn't matter. Frank Thomas is not tinkerbell. It doesn't matter whether you like / believe in him or not. He's going to maul the state of Minnesota and the Twins and it's Terry Ryan's fault for not signing him.

'I'm glad Jon Miller was there to tell us all about the Metrodome "rally towels"'

That doesn't sound as bad as what I saw in the Yanks/Tigers game. Twice....TWICE...they ran a bit where Joe Buck tells us Americans just where Taiwan is.

Followed up by him explaining that the "Wang is right" fan sign is funny because Wang prononuces his name similar to the word "wrong."

...I almost threw up at that one.

On the subject of clueless on-air "talent:" The afternoon crew of K-FAN was talking about The Chairman Monday afternoon "He went to to Hill Murray" one bozo says to the other. I was at Majors Sports Cafe in Bloomington-berg a few weeks ago (Sept. 13) and the embedded K-FAN afternoon crew (probably the same two bozos) were going on and on about the Twins not having a chance to get back in the race. Someone with better knowledge of how to use this Internet thingy can let us know just how far out we were that day. I don't remember. I thought about staying around to harass them, but had to get to choir practice.

These K-FAN guys should stick to the Vikings. They don't know anything about football either, but I don't care about the purple people, so it's less irritating.

yeah, right on BG! We didn't start out this series as well as I would have liked - but we didn't start this SEASON that well either and look how that turned out?

oh! and I am SO irritated by the lack of respect to professional baseball players in the PLAYOFFS for god's sake in regard to calling them by the wrong name. We ALL know it's not the first and won't be the last but is it really too much to ask that they take 5 minutes before air time to peruse an ACTUAL ROSTER?!?!?!?!!?!?!?

I have no idea if it will do any good but since I actually have a membership in some fan forum thing on ESPN that I got sucked into awhile back, that I felt it necessary to email ESPN and say precisely that.

If anyone else wants to do so, there is a "contact us" link at the bottom of the ESPN homepage. You can follow the prompts to write an email that will actually be specifically pointed to baseball commentators.

Let's make sure they know that some fans are definitely not impressed.

I feel bad. Here in NY, I was a total ass to my Yankees friends at the bar tonight. I was distraught, I was torn up...I feel like I misrepresented our wonderful, wonderful Twins. As much as I hate the Yanks, the things I said were crude.

I will buy them a drink next week when we're playing each other.

Hey, visiting A's fan, and also a huge fan of BG's writing. I don't think you could have described Morgan and Miller any more perfectly.

I also really like the name BOOF.

Wow, finally sat down tonight to watch my recording of the A's/Twins. Dumbfounded to hear Miller saying that Santana had not only won the Cy Young award last year, but that he was likely to win it again this year. Wow! I SO thought it was Bartolo Colon, but I guess since the Angels did not make the postseason in 2006, their accomplishments from previous years are all erased! Or, do you think he meant 2004? Gosh, I wonder.

Miller also mentioned that Zito had won the Cy Young "just a few years ago". That would be 2002, you ignorant tub of lard. Couldn't be bothered to do even basic research on the postseason teams to whom you are assigned, eh?

I'm never gonna make it through this broadcast, especially since I know how it ends. I hate ESPN with a white-hot hate. I also hate Fox, but with more of a glowing-red lava hate.

I'm gonna record the radio broadcasts and replay those at my convenience - perhaps in synch with the TV broadcasts! I have the technology, I can make this work.

DER-EK JE-TER! DER-EK JE-TER! DER-EK JE-TER!

I'm in the mood to sing and dance....

....AAnnnnndddddddd If I can make it there... I'm gonna make it anywhere ! It's up to you!!!..... New! York!!! Newwwwwwwwww Yooorkkkkkkkkk................ New York!!!!!!!!!!!

p.e.m.

The only downside of having tickets to the game is that I know they can't win them all at home, and eventually I'm going to have to listen to Morgan/Miller or McCarver/Buck anyway. They are all idiots.

Go Josh Bartlett! Go 2005 Cy Young Winner! You do this team proud. And go the Real Twins, too!

of course we don't the commercial over hear but october is totally the time to cheer against the yankees

Q: You like baseball? Who do you root for?

A: Who are the Yankees playing?

D

About halfway thorugh the game I turned to one of my companions and said, " I curse the day I became a baseball fan." Yesterday was one of those games where I wished I didn't care about this team or winning so much. It was way too tense to be fun. But as the mystic Julian of Norwich said, "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." So go get'em Boof and spray some of that lovely cologne, Eau de RBI, on your teammates before the game starts.

OK - before yesterday's game I posted that I was afraid of Frank Thomas hitting the ball a long, way, LNP needing to resharpen his pirahna teeth and of Zito pitching really well.

I'm going to try a little reverse mojo here.

This time I'm afraid that
Boof will feel like he let the team down by only pitching a multihit shutout and not a no-hitter.
LNP will get tired after running around the bases three times.
The team will mess up everyone's scorecards by batting around twice.

(Twins T-shirt worn yesterday has already been washed and I will likely throw it in a second time just for good measure to wash off any residual assbattswingingatballswayoutofthestrikezone cooties.)

For those not able to pick up a Strib and peruse it over their morning java, here is a piece on the fire one Boof Bonser has in his belly: http://www.startribune.com/509/story/719835.html

Thanks BG, you some how made me feel better about the loss. Chin up today is a new day and another chance to win.

Everything that everyone has written here is the reason why baseball is the best game in the world, except for the stuff about the announcers. I guess one of the dividends of investing in postseason tickets -- one of many, of course -- is that I don't have to be driven crazy by Joe Morgan, who clearly wishes he was someplace else, and makes Jon Miller sound like a ninny in the process.

OK, enough about announcers. Time to start looking for a parking space near the Dome.

Have a BOOFY day

Mr. B

New strategy: eff moneyball, put Thomas on every time, since he single-handedly turns a five-lane freeway into a one lane roadblock. Make someone else hit the damn dinger.

Yeah, and boys: lay off some pitches, already. Remember fouling off two-strike pitches and getting an opposite field hit? That was cool.

Thanks BG for your comments regarding Jason Morgan and Josh Miller, the two worst announcers in baseball. I actually put my tv on mute and turned the radio on, but the radio announcers were too far ahead of the tv.

Thanks, BG, your words certainly made me feel better this morning,

Okay, and it's partially my fault, I had a meeting yesterday and couldn't wear my Twins regalia, and forgot my secret Twins pin to wear under the lapel of the jacket..... I have rectified it by wearing everything today. :-) And I'm going to out to lunch at one of our local establishments with a television. Certainly no one will be caring about the Twins in Kentucky -- after all, we are playing a hated rival this Saturday in football!

After reading all the Strib stuff in the morning as to why we would win (Santana pitching, winning in the Dome, etc. etc.) I thought, heck, the law of averages will come back to smite us. And it (as in Darth Thomas) did.

The law of averages says that playoff rookie Boof will be trembling in his cleats so bad that he'll barely get his ball to Mauer. So he should have a good game.

And SteveH, I'd rather spend Carlson's money locking up some of our other players [Torii!!] ahead of buying another DH.

Go Twins!

>On the subject of clueless on-air "talent:" The afternoon crew of K-FAN was talking about The Chairman Monday afternoon "He went to to Hill Murray" one bozo says to the other.<

Brooklyn, I'm pretty sure that was an example of KFAN's scattershot sense of "humor." An offshoot of when Dan "Common Man" Cole will talk about the Baseball Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, or Bob Dylan being from Brainerd, etc., as a means of seeing how many people will call in or e-mail with corrections.

Like most of Common's shtick (which is often parroted by the rest of the talent, it's kind of funny the first million times or so, and then not so much.

And on a different tangent: Go Boof!

Knights 22, thanks for the "Josh Miller" bit - that gave me a hearty chuckle on this somewhat bleak morning. Jon Miller is good at what he does (including making up for his ninny of a partner), but he seems stuck on calling Bartlett "Josh"; he's been doing it for months now.

And to those who come to this site and complain about us picking on poor Frank Thomas, or railing against the Yankees - it's a TWINS site, for Heaven's sake! What do you expect? "Oh, we're so glad to see Frank happy in Oakland and stroking the ball so well - yes, he beat us, but what a story of courage and determination he is! And the Yankees? They surely are the best team ever in the history of organized sport; we can only dream of such glory." Yeah, right. Those comments always amaze me.

In any case, good points made by all - and BG, kudos for the "Guernica" reference. (Maybe today you can discuss your opinion of the influence of Rene Magritte on modern iconography.) And now, as John Lennon once said, "I'm sick and tired of hearing things/'Bout big-headed, slow-running, green-wearing Frank N. Furters/Just gimme some Boof, now/Just gimme some Boof".

that heartache i felt yesterday...i could scarcely finish my lunch. why do i care about this ragtag team of misfits so much?? it's devastating, really. but today is a new, boofier day.

i tried watching the yankees game, but it was too obnoxious, both on the field and in the stands. people congratulating themselves on how awesome they are wherever you look. ugh.

"New strategy: eff moneyball, put Thomas on every time, since he single-handedly turns a five-lane freeway into a one lane roadblock. Make someone else hit the damn dinger."

yes, yes, and YES. no one can get by the guy! he IS a roadblock! chugging around the bases, huffing and puffing, stopping to look at the giant milk jug, tie his shoe, and ask nicky punto about the latest episode of 'project runway.' go ahead...put him on every time! works for me!

and adidasman, i agree. this IS a twins' site. we're allowed to pick on frank thomas, the yankees, and whoever we want.

Just how the Twins like it... come from behind underdog. We're just settin' 'em up. It's just the intriguee of the continuing saga to have Santana lose at the Dome for the first time in 24 games... Think how good this story will be to tell the grandkids when they win it all!!!
Although, I'm all for removing the Nevin chapter of the story... Can we not give Redmond the chance to contribute ON the field as well as OFF. He's batting OVER 300 versus both left and right handed pitching. A sub-200 DH (Nevin) is NOT going to get it done in the post-season. Why does this feel like another Boone/Batista experiment??
Go Twins and BOOOOF (or Buff as the ESPN radio announcer calls him...)

"i tried watching the yankees game, but it was too obnoxious, both on the field and in the stands. people congratulating themselves on how awesome they are wherever you look. ugh."

Same here last night. It was funny watching dopey looking Yanks fans get all butt-hurt whenever a reliever put someone on base.

I should also mention that the WCCO broadcast, as much as love those guys, was hard to listen to. Dudes would get so excited/talkative that they'd forget to tell us what's going on. I could hear a faint crack of the bat and Gordo going on and I'm like "what? WHAT? Foul?" Oh, fly out to short right. Doubly un-nerving.

Watch for me in the center field lower deck. I'll be the one with the sign that says:

BOOF!

adidas guy--Nice Lennon reference. May I add (sing), to the entire Twins team: "Don't let me down! Don't let me down!" *Ringo's cymbal crashing and a nice Billy Preston organ fill, here*

As for the announcers, I've always liked Miller. Quick wit, great voice, (does a spot-on Vin Scully impersonation) and relatively knowledgable--Josh Bartlett gaffs, aside. (His producer is as much to blame for those slips.) He's far superior to the excrable Joe Buck. As for Joe Morgan: no comment. If only he'd follow suit.

We were leaving the stands yesterday, and the PA announcer said, "Tomorrow's pitcher will be Boof Bonser." Like cattle, 50,000 people walking into the concourse droned, "Boooof."

Yo, E-6 - Billy played Rhodes piano on "Don't Let Me Down". Come on, man, get your keyboards right, wouldja?

*throws old brown shoe at adidas guy*

Please get your son to the Dome, stat!

I'm surprised no one in the Commonwealth said the Chairman went to Anne Murray.

(Actually, It was Dr Neau, but, ::eh::.)

if the twins hitters are as grumpy as i was after that game they should come out with the fire we've seen so many times this year. on to other angry topics... who the hell was the "bartman" wannabe in the cowboy hat trying to get in the way of LNP's great catch into the netting?? whoever is near that guy needs to tie him to his seat or saddle or whatever he's sitting on in the first row!! thanks for letting me vent. have a BOOFY day...
:)

Yeah, E-6, I know - Cameron and I may need to fly out to Oakland if this keeps up. He's all decked out in his Twins gear today, right down to his socks, so if we need to jump on a plane, we'll be ready...

Moe, it is like we are on the same page... I also washed all of my team garments to be rid of yesterday's loss.

Outstanding piece, as usual BG. A good upper after a downer of a game yesterday. Well, in truth it was a pretty fine display of baseball by two fine teams. We just happened to think that Johann woulalwasy win, and that was our mistake. Mistakes made the difference, and the Twins made more than they did and so we lost. But losing is as much as part of the game as winning. What counts is how you deal with it, and our fellows have done a good job on that score. Thus, I think they'll show up today with their heads in the game, play a little smarter and make fewer mistakes.

It is useful to consult with Satchel Paige at times like this. He observed:

"You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for all of them." and

"Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.".

TwinsNation:

It seems to me, after witnessing the 2006 season, that you have them right where you want them.

Best of luck,
YankeeFan

Josh Bartlett and Nick PUNT-o, huh? Jerks. At least have the respect to get their names right.

LNP's catch was so very exciting. I was very proud to be wearing my Punto shirt just then. Well, I'm always proud to be wearing it, but you know what I mean.

Here's to a more desirable outcome today, boys! I'll be there again, cheering you on.

Also, let's go Tigers and Padres! I was a bit disappointed that ALL my teams lost yesterday... let's rectify that!

I keep thinking that there were plenty of people picking the Twins to win this series but to win it in five, so I guess they had to lose a game (if those talking heads are so smart)

My office is screaming GO Twins! with color print outs, and rally towels (wink wink), and I got my Twins pullover on and of course being in the Bay area, A's fans are circling me like sharks waiting for the first sign of blood.

But they are A's fans so they know that the A's have a history of folding in the first round. I'm not afraid of them.

GO get them Boof! I'll be there on Fri. in full Twins gear waiting to watch you guys take a 2 games to 1 lead in the series.

Anyone have suggestions for what my sign should read?

GO TWINS!
WIN TWINS!

re: "Josh" Miller: "Quick wit, great voice, (does a spot-on Vin Scully impersonation) and relatively knowledgable--Josh Bartlett gaffs, aside. (His producer is as much to blame for those slips." Must be referring to someone else ;-) - the guy I've been suffering through for years knows less baseball than Scully has forgotten, although he IS capable of seizing upon some trivial point (whether accurate or not) and verbally thrashing it for a half-inning or more!

How about a Twins vigilante contingent to go after dough-heads in the crowd (like the idiot in the cowboy hat - and Twins shirt - who nearly kept LNP from making that foul ball catch) and conduct a little on-site, remedial-baseball-fan-101 course?

Finally, cheers to you BG - exactly my thoughts yesterday: we haven't done anything the easy way all year, so why would we start now!! Go BOOOOOF!

hey cal... personally i like "radke is the manke" but check sep 28th post for other ideas... :) win twins and thanks again b.g.

A coworker (who hates the ESPN announcers as much as anyone here) and I went out to lunch at a local sports bar to catch the first hour of the game. As we were taking our seats we heard the "rally towel" comment. That's all it took to set me off...

"Great, it's starting already! Rally towel? It's homer hanky you freakin' moron! It's been homer hanky since 19-freakin'-87! How many Twins players names are going to get butchered today?"

The guys in the booth next to us got a good laugh.

Forgive this post if everyone except me already knows about this: I just logged onto MLB Gameday to find the "new and improved" enhanced (Beta) version. Looks interesting. Looking forward to seeing how it actually works during a game in, oh, about 45 minutes.

They can't handle the Boof...

Cal, I remember vividly one of the best games I've ever seen - Radke throwing a complete game and the boys downing the Athletics (I refuse to use the punctuationally-challenged "A's") 1-0 there at the whatever-it's-called-now Coliseum in 1996 (I think). I have no idea what Brad's lifetime record is in Oakland, but he should throw a beauty on Friday if I know my boy Brad. If it were my sign, it would say, "Brad Radke Is A Superior Human Being To Anyone On This Pathetic, Green-Clad Team, And He Will Defeat You Soundly - After Which We Shall Return To Minnesota And Take What Is Rightfully Ours". Or something like that.

GO BOOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I respect the hell out of the A's ballteam, but ESPN is now agaisnt the Twins, so we're gonna win this game, no? Thank you ESPN!

byrnsie's hair is outta control.

oh and Tyner is in the lineup today. Piranha power should be in full force.

Dearest Mr. Man,

Everything you say is spot on, except I believe there is nothing punctuationally challenged about "A's." The apostrophe indictates something that has been removed, in the same way it does with "I'm" or even the possessive, "Radke's," which is actually short for "Radke his," the way things were in Days of Yore.

Sincerely,
Batgirl

p.s. now get your son to these games.

jetchick--i watched the game yesterday with the mlb gameday ENHANCED VERSION, and it was pretty okay. it's kind of cute, actually. like a little video game of electric baseball, or like the maurader's map on harry potter with all the little players labeled with little tags. and really informative. it's nowhere near as great as actually being there, but since i have a 9-5, i'll take what i can get.

and i'll be using it again today.

what???? wha? Cmon! ESPN how can you do this to us again????????? we don't want your stupid predictions! keep saying that the white sox will triumph over the twins...
then again krukky and molester phillips isn't there so maybe we won't be jinxed.

Boof seems to lke the navy blue unis. They are my fav as well... Good choice Boof, good choice.
GO BOOF!!!!!!!!!!

BG:

Great recap--cant believe the volume of postings.

Morgan and Miller...UGH. Its good they are doing this series--I was thinking of not renewing my MLB Extra Innings cause of Comcast issues--but then these two imbeciles call the game and I remember that I will have to watch games on the Eastern Seabord Propaganda Network if I want to see the Twins. So I will renew next year.

DAM

Dear Batgirl

What did you think of the way the 2006 AL MVP Derek Jeter played last night ? 5 for 5 with 2 doubles, a homerun, 3 runs scored and a wonderful, 3rd consecitive gold glove at shortstop, type play to turn a dp.

We are all so lucky that we get to see a player as great as Jeter work his craft.

p.e.m.

pem, didn't jeter's ass look great in those pinstripes??? MVP indeed if he can make pinstripes look that good!

can these jokers on espn quit harping on the twins?

Let's not forget about my little Nicky! What about that awesome catch he had? My heart goes pitter patter just thinking about it!

ok, but nicky needs to stop the head first slides into first. It makes me cringe. Great way to get yourself injured and it's just faster to run it out anyway.

I believe LNP's superspeed doesn't kick in until his feet leave the ground hence the constant head first dives.

BG and all Twins fans - relax, breathe deeply, do not fear. It is NOT the Twins' destiny to lose to Oakland - it is their destiny to lose to the Yankees in the ALCS, ahh...and what a noble destiny that is.

O's fan here trolling for the funnest place to chat about Twinkies in the playoffs.

BTW, I just *love* Legovis...WHOA!

Back-to-back jacks for Cuddyer and Morneau! And Loaiza is KO'ed!

Yea back to back

Inside the park? Man, I need to get to a TV, Gameday sucks. Must have been a perfect hit...GD reports no fielding error.

No fielding error... Hunter tried to make a diving catch and it got by him all the way to the wall in deep center.

:(

Wow. So Kotsay must have had the afterburner on right out of the box. Didn't think he still had such speed.

As an aside, considering all the hype about A-Rod batting sixth, isn't it at least a *little* significant that Hunter is batting sixth himself?

Triple Wow! Check out Rincon mowing down that green grass! All swinging, too...

Hunter- He gone!

Did anybody see those last two line outs by Cuddyer and Morneau? Wondering if they were on the screws or not...those two are doing their job today...unlike Baby Elvis.

Re: "last two line outs"

Uhm, in the bottom of the 8th, I meant...

2:48pm: "aaaaaaaarghagghgh."

I blame this on Anthony John. Everything that went wrong in the game I blame on AJ. He keeps baiting the Twins with a game of golf.

Yahoo! Sports shows Rincon still out there with 1 out and Ellis on third in the 9th.

This is the very definition of "high-leverage inning."

GOTTA GO GET NATHAN.

Oh, there he is...should have typed that out faster.

Oh maaaaaaan. When was the last time *that* happened!

Al, if you're gonna quote bloody Harrelson right now, I think you're being a bit heartless. This is painful enough without that, thank you.

These bats? They appear to be made of ass. Switch them out for the final inning, please!

Yeah, Nathan is clutch. Getting him on the mound was a great idea, wasn't it?

I would blame Mauer. He hasn't hit for squat. The middle of that order is the 2nd-best among all AL playoff teams, in my view. Mauer hasn't performed.

Lay it on Bartlett, the guy's screwed up a lot of plays up the middle in this series so far.

Bottom-9, back to the top of the order...this would be one of the most amazing comebacks ever.

Ahem. Remember that Oakland, in recent years, has led in the LDS several times, only to choke each and every one of them away. Regardless of today, you're not dead.

Yet.

Castillo working the walk! He has been a nice pickup for you guys...only one bad month, pretty good OBP.

GO METS!

Ahem! Would anyone care to speak on behalf of picking up Torii's option today?

Simple fact: we're beating ourselves with physical and mental errors, and no clutch hitting.

Mark Kotsay the player of the game? Give me a break - he hit a meaningless 2-out single that we turned into the decisive 2 runs.

We need the day off. Beating these guys 3 in a row is not out of the realm of possibility, but we have to stop beating ourselves first.

LNP pops up to end it...I was really hoping that Mauer would have a chance at redemption with the bases loaded.

LWC, I like your politics, but you are wrong about the A's this time. Worst-case scenario has them throwing Haren, Harden, and Zito in the max amount of possible games. You don't think they can get one win from those guys?

Torii.... nooooooooo!....I feel sick....

*urf!*

Well, probably. Haren used to pitch here in Memphis for the Cards AAA affiliate, and he is top notch.

You may not be dead, but I'd have the priest on speed-dial, just in case....

ah-ha! i see what they're doing! it's all psychology, isn't it? losing two in a row so the A's think we're a wash! you guys had me pretty nervous there! but now i see what's going on. you're only PRETENDING to be swinging ass-bats, right?

...right?

I'll speak on behalf of picking up torii's option for next year. Did he not get a bunch of **CLUTCH** homeruns this year esp in sept when we needed him to the most? Yes he shouldn't have tried to make that catch, it was a big mental mistake, but his mistake isn't the reason we lost the game. If he played behind the ball then kendall would've scored from second anyway and it would've been a 3-2 game. add the wild pitch to that and we would have lost 4-2 instead of 5-2. Get off torii's back. I understand its the playoffs and everyone is tense, but I was ashamed of the fans that started BOOing torii. We're not NY. we don't BOO guys who have made outstanding spectacular catches of us in the past and who has been one of our key offensive producers before the M&M boys.

How much is Torii's option for? $10M?

I think it should be the M&M&M boys, actually. In 2006, Cuddyer probably would have been the O's 2nd-best hitter, and would have solved our RF problem. Just sayin...

I forgot to finish my post...
... just because he made a mental mistake on the field. and if you're getting on him for hitting into all those outs, well he wasn't the only one who wasn't hitting. Singling him out is not fair when the team as a whole couldn't hit.
Hate on Torii all you want, but the Twins might not have made the post season this year without him, and they most certainly would not have won the division.

BG - To engage your grammatical point, would you then say that "CD's" is correct (instead of "CDs")? I know the New York Times seems to share your view, but I see no reason for the apostrophe in that instance. However, I understand your reasoning regarding the apostophe indicating the absence of letters (isn't, can't, etc.); my thought has always been that the apostrophe in "A's" is more about the plural of "Athletics" and less about the missing letters. But, in the wake of your compelling argument, I may have to reconsider. After all, I want to be spot on about all things, not just some.

(You know it was a thoroughly depressing game when I'm waxing philosophical about punctuation instead of talking about what just transpired in the Metrodome. Torii, that one hurts. A lot.)

oh and Jeff Kent is now batting so...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Holt!, singling out a guy whose option is for $12 MILLION next year is entirely justified, in my opinion.

Ok man, then I hope you're happy with Kubel playing center field next year.

but OMG anyone watching the Met/dodger game... that was an AWESOME FREAKING PLAY!

Ugh. So now the A's decide to suddenly beat the Twins as much as they can?

Ah well, they've won the first two games and then dropped three straight plenty of times before. Let's just hope it happens again. The Twins can rebound from tough starts; they did so this very season. But heading into Oakland, down 0-2? Of course I'm worried, but I feel that they have the talent to get back in this series.

"i tried watching the yankees game, but it was too obnoxious, both on the field and in the stands. people congratulating themselves on how awesome they are wherever you look. ugh."

There's only one thing that angers me as a Yankee fan. It's not that everyone roots against us. It's not that we haven't won the World Series in six years. Heck, it isn't even A-Rod's errors.

It's when people generalize that all Yankee fans are the same way. Funny, I am a Yankee fan and I don't congratulate myself on how awesome I am. Like all fans, we have the right to root for our team. Every team has obnoxious fans. I just don't think it's quite fair to say that all Yankee fans are obnoxious.

Sorry to come off a bit peeved, I don't mean this the wrong way. But there are actually Yankee fans out there who don't spend every minute of their lives obsessing over how awesome they are.

Re: Hunter's Option

According to mlb4u.com, Torii's '07 option is worth at least $10.75M, and "could rise to up to 13M if he reaches various performance thresholds."
It's going to cost $2M to buy him out.

Hmm. He's 31. The famous speed has slipped a bit, but the power showed up, albeit a little late, but it did show up.

Hunter is the youngest of all FA CF's, save Juan Pierre. Unless you want to run Lew Ford out there or somebody out there and spend the dough on Radke's replacement, I'd suggest picking up the option. It's only one year.

Ok, realistically, how often do teams rebound from an 0-2 start in a five game series? I know it's sports, and anything is possible, but this isn't looking good. I want the Twins to win for their own sakes of course, but from a purely selfish perspective, I've invested a lot of time and emotion in this season. What will I do with myself if it's over with the first round of playoffs?

JJC, It's the price of success, deal with it.

That said, I must admit that when you people come down to Baltimore and fill up our stadium, you generally carry yourselves with much more class than those criminally insane Red Sox fans. They are absolutely the worst.

Umm, this is a Twins' board, better say something about the Twins...well, unless the TC's think they have a shot a Zito, I think the money is better spent on picking up Hunter's option.

"If he played behind the ball then kendall would've scored from second anyway and it would've been a 3-2 game. add the wild pitch to that and we would have lost 4-2 instead of 5-2." This line of thinking baffles me. There's no guarantee that Kendall would have scored; if he tried, Torii might have thrown him out. And, if the circumstances change due to either thing happening, Nathan probably isn't even in the game to throw the wild pitch - and, even if he was, the situation is different, so his pitch selection is different, so he probably doesn't throw it into the ground. The idea that, if one thing changes, nothing else will change is one you hear all the time in baseball - and it just isn't logical. Everything is based on cause and effect; if one thing doesn't take place, the things that follow will change as well.

As for Hunter, I didn't say he should be let go. What I said is that a guy making that kind of money should be singled out (and should EXPECT to be booed) when he blows a play in a situation like that - it comes with the territory.

SH!, Yahoo reports that the Mets got both Kent and Drew out at home! How?

I'll tell you what you do Tricia. You root for the A's and hope they can knock out the yankees. I mean, if we're gonna get knocked out of the playoffs this year, aren't you glad its not because of the yankees again?? JJC, this is not a knock on what you said. I agree with you that every team has their obnoxious fans but we get some great yankee fans that post on this blog all the time so we know decent yankee fans exist. Its just that because I have a lot of obnoxious yankee fan friends and parents, I just didn't want to lost to them in the post season again.

"I just don't think it's quite fair to say that all Yankee fans are obnoxious."

which is why i never said they were.

BAD BAD baserunning on kent's part, and a perfect relay throw from green to valentine to loduca. loduca tagged out kent at the plate, then turned around to tag out drew who was about 3 seconds behind kent running around the bases. AWESOME!

Uh, Valentine? Ohh, you mean Valentin. Man, that was weird for a second.

I really don't remember a bunch of fanfare around Green moving to the Mets, but that could be a really nice pickup for them. Dude can still play a little.

Since you only need two good pitchers in the playoffs, the shouldn't the Twins be OK without going to get a FA pitcher. The lineup is nice with Hunter batting fifth or sixth. I think it might have been better to move everyone up a slot for the playoffs and bumping Punto down.

Ermmm, I meant:

"...then shouldn't the Twins be OK...?"

I can't escape the feeling that, though it looks pretty bleak at this point, it's not as bad as it might be. The A's had a chance in the first game to really authoritatively grab the momentum. An ace pitcher throwing well, a key slugger hitting well...but it was still just 3-2. Today, a break here, a clutch hit there, perhaps a different bit of decision-making from Hunter...and this game could easily have gone the Twins' way.

So no one seems to have really *grabbed* this series and made it their own, and the A's seem to have the advantage at the moment by default. Admittedly it's a very long shot, but if the bats wake up there's still time to grab the role of the dominating team.

Someone asked how often a team comes back from down 2-0 in the ALDS?

--Milwaukee Brewers over California Angels in 1982 ALCS (back when it was 3-of-5)
--Yankees over Athletics in 2001 ALDS
--Red Sox over Athletics in 2003 ALDS
--And of course Red Sox over Yankees in 2004 ALCS (which was a trailing 0-3 and winning 4-3 situation)

Somehow I think there was a Houston Astros deal, too...I think in the strike year of 1981. But other than that, that's it.

I'm with missingmagic here. i know everyone is welcome here on bat-girl.com but this is a Twins website. what did you expect? LOVe for the yankees? It's not like we're going into yankee blogs and telling everyone there that they are obnoxious. I mean that would be like me going over to AN and telling everyone there to pipe down after kotsay hit the inside the park homer. No, that is their place, so I will do it here... PIPE DOWN.

valentin? not valentine?

LKA, this is best-of-five...the A's starting pitching have grabbed the series with one hand, and Frank Thomas has seized it with the other.

The A's don't *seem* to have anything, they simply *do* have the upper-hand, here.

ellis? no? am I going crazy. Yea I meant valentin. handsome fella who plays second base for the mets.

Unless there's someone in the Twins' system ready to take on center field, I think the best move is to exercise the option on Hunter. Unless they can at least put someone reasonable there and use the money instead to upgrade another potential power position, like third base.

The 2006 Twins remind me a lot of the 2002 Angels: good hitters up and down the lineup, but that potentially benefitted from some career years. I wouldn't bank on Punto/Bartlett/Castillo all having similarly high batting averages next year. Perhaps they will (Bartlett was a good prospect, yes? And Castillo is more or less a proven commodity). But it's likely that one of the three will have a dropoff.

What about Shannon Stewart? Is he slated to return next year, and would Stewart over White allow the Twins to put someone adequate like Lew Ford in center, and spend that money on a third baseman?

Oh, I don't disagree, MM. Backs are against the wall, and the back carrying most of the load right now is Radke. Pitch carefully to Thomas...has anyone else on the A's offensively taken hold? It's definitely not going to be easy. But it would seem more hopeless to me if there were someone else tag-teaming with Thomas. If Swisher or Chavez or someone had gone yard or been hitting the ball hard.

I see the key as Radke. I thought Bonser looked very good today. Gardenhire said he'd pitch Santana in Game 4 if he were down 2-1, and I guess Bonser could pitch Game 5 (he'd have four days' rest) instead of Silva.

STEVE!,

Jon Valentin is the 2B for the 2006 Mets. Bobby Valentine was the Mets' manager from 1996 to 2002.

Bobby actually played 2B for the '69 Mets, so it would really have been something to see if he had been part of play at the plate today. :)

I miss JJones!

I was thinking you meant ellis valentine, outfielder who played for the mets in the early 80's but mostly the expos.

Ooops, I meant that Bobby Valentine played 2B for the '78 Mets.

If he had been on the '69 squad, then it would really, REALLY have been something to see him gun down a runner at home today.

Jose

Bobby Valentine didn't play for the 1969 Mets, he broke in with the Dodgers in 1969. He did play with the Mets for part of 1977 and 1978.

Ken Boswell played second for the Amazin' Mets.

D'oh! I retract my correction, MM.

I was actually at the park as a young lad when Bobby Valentine hit his only homer for the Mets in '77, against the Phillies.

Ellis Valentine. I remember the Expos had a fine young outfield together at the same time: Ellis Valentine, Andre Dawson, and Warren Cromartie.

I love you guys. I really do. No matter what happens on friday, this has been an amazing season and I want to thank the Twins, BG, and fellow posters for every minute of this season.

Right, it is Jose. My fault. LKA, see my Valentine correction posted above.

LKA, four Oakland batsmen had two hits today, and they were scattered all over the lineup. For the series, Nick Swisher is 3-of-7 (.429) with two doubles and 3 runs scored. Jay Payton is 3-of-8 (.375) with a run scored. It's not just Frank.

In the words of all dodger fans regarding Mauer... "JUST WALK HIM! DON'T PITCH TO HIM!"
haha no, I know it's not all Thomas, but I've just always wanted to say that.

Gina raises an interesting quesion...would Jacques have helped this team win in the playoffs?

I guess Cuddyer could have played third. I would have liked to have seen Cuddyer or Hunter batting 2nd today, but...I wonder. I really think the current lineup is good enough to compete in 2007.

The rotation may be a diffeent story, especially if Liriano isn't going to be around.

Wow...my typo rates are skyrocketing. I'm sure this is unacceptable on a pro writer's board. Sorry.

MM, see my retraction above as well. ;)

I guess I'm still not that impressed with the A's in these two games, beyond Zito and Thomas. The Twins haven't had a hit with RISP all series, but that was also true for the A's through a game and a half. WITH such clutch hitting, the Twins win...or, with such clutch hitting by the A's, these games aren't as close as they were.

There's just not much separating the two teams right now but some placement: Hunter by a few feet, a couple of Morneau drives falling in or going over. The Piranhas have to be heard from, though, and so does Mauer. The Twins have had a little table-setting over the two days, and a little table-clearing, but not in the same inning. But the A's haven't done THAT much more, and needed some Twins mistakes to accomplish much of what they have.

Agreed that the Twins have been bend-but-not-break until they actually broke in the late innings today, and the A's have been more solid. I just think this series could have been 1-1 or 2-0 Minnesota with just a little bit of change of luck.

I must take my leave for today. Batgirl, great site. I've enjoyed the articles for a while now (thanks to a reference from USSM), but this is my first time enjoying the company of your readers. Hopefully, I can make it back here for the Friday game.

With much Twin-envy, this Orioles fan bids all a good evening.

What does the rotation look like for 2007? Santana of course, and Bonser, and I suppose Silva. Can we assume Garza? Baker? If Liriano is healthy that helps. But Bonser has impressed the heck out of me down the stretch. The Twins could do worse for a No. 2 starter. They could do a lot BETTER (Liriano) but they could do worse.

Does anyone want to do some Gold glove predictions with me?
do you think Justin got enough recognition this year w/ the glove? if not then teix will probably get it at first, @ 2nd i think castillo should get the glove, but loretta will probably get it, ss i think it has to be MY, and at 3rd it's probably going to be chavez. Punto is amazing but chavy has been getting the glove love for years now and it's pretty well deserved. I have no idea for the outfield. besides GMJ nobody really sticks out to me. maybe torii, maybe ichiro. I don't know.

Radke wins on Fri. b/c the Twins refuse to get swept.

Santana pitches the game of the year for him to steal, yes steal one from the A's on Sat.

Boof sets the roof on fire with a gutsy start in Gm 5 and the Twins win the game 4 to 3.

Twins win the series in 5

Or I at least get to see Radke's last career start in person and I get to say goodbye to a great team that has provided me so much fun and stress but mostly fun this summer.

Either way bring on Game 3 in Oakland!

WIN TWINS!

Look for 34's on your BART ride, cal.

Ikalliance,

Will do.
I was going to wear my Viola road grey but maybe I should wear my powder blue 34 and see if I can't help bring some 'Puckett Power!' for my boys.

What do the batlings think?

Lol, I suppose you're all right. I'll just pretend I'm a Twins fan while I'm here and then be a Yankee fan everywhere else. =)

If the Twins are going to get back in this series, they'll have to rely a bit more on their offense. Their pitching hasn't been too bad these first two games (and no, believe it or not, Johan and Boof weren't meant to no-hit everyone day after day), but getting that big hit late in the ballgame has been eluding them. I have no doubt that they can get back in this series, but heading into Oakland down 0-2 is not the way to get started.

If Twins lose this series it was no different of an outcome than 03 or 04. Until they make it back to the ALCS with a fighting chance to get to the WS, this was nothing more than a very good turnaround year for the Twins. It wasn't magic. It wasn't a miracle. It was a division championship and one-and-done to the A's.

Where's my free-agent power hitter?

I'm sorry, I was at the last two games need to draw out some angst before I can go on.

My soul feels like it has been sucked out through my eyes. What has happened? This is not the team I know. It's all so wrong. This is not the way the story goes. I no longer read Patrick Reusse, because I know he's giggling in a wheezy sort of way and telling us all in his smug, reedy voice that not everything in life has a happy ending.

Well you know what, Reusse? This isn't life. It's baseball. And the thing about baseball is, the momentum can shift so quickly, so improbably, so inexplicably that it cannot be anything but the work of forces beyond our comprehension. And what's going on here is so deeply wrong that there has to be something sinister and wicked behind it. It doesn't feel like normal assbattery. It's some voodoo from some dark quarter, and it must be rootled out and destroyed, preferably by the Chairman, the Doctor, and the Jason Triune.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and as BG once said, we cannot fix it until we name it.

Hunter made a completely useless attempt at a ball he did not come close to, knowing that no one was backing him up. It was a horrible backbreaking gaffe. The Twins, with their huge homefield advantage, are 0-7 at home in post season games in recent years.They can take 2 in Oakland if they remember how to conduct themselves with bats in their hands, but, how are they going to win the 5th game with all you people yelling at them?

what do you mean by YOU PEOPLe?????

I'm just kidding al, I just always wanted to say that...
NO NOMAR!

He means *him* and *him* and *that guy there* and that guy waaaaaaay in the back with the lazy eye. The rest of you are OK.

Well, seeing as how the A's are 0 for their last 9 in elimination games (per ESPN), you have to think the Twins have the A's right where they want them....

Aaron (Somewhat Friendly ChiSox fan)

Hey!
All of the JJC-style Yankee fans (and I'm sure I can speak for all) have a message for the Twins.

A few short days ago you took *the* toughest division in MLB. Oakland does not suck, but we're talking about a Western team here. Hit the ball. Catch the ball. Blow fast balls by those silly green whiffers. (Please throw the slider *away* to avoid a Big Hurt.)

Baseball is hard, and yes, playoff series are a crap shoot. But it's time to flex those muscles and kick your way back into this thing. Win game three and things will look verrrry different, with a Santana start on the horizon and a little swagger. And I promise you that in Oakland the entire fan base is holding their breath, waiting for their team to collapse yet again on the brink of winning a series.

We were promised some piranhas. Bring on the piranhas!

Yes! Go, Piranhas! Skeletonize that cow!

speaking of JJC style yankee fans,
my brother, who is a diehard yankee fan, and about 600 miles away at college, took time out of his yankee celebrating partying ways to text me "Don't GIVE UP!"
and you know what??? He's right! Don't give up guys! it ain't over till it's over!

I had a dream in which a one-armed lean cow reared up and swallowed whole two fat cows. And another dream the next night in which a very skillful ear of corn reared up and strangled two greener ears of corn. And another dream the next night in which a Boof reared up and spanked a Zito.

Surely these dreams mean something, as if they were a sign from Jeter Himself!

All right. I have had my moment of despair, and I can now move on from it. I love this team, they belong here, and I believe in them.

All you Twins faithful everywhere, hear the words of Tom Paine (who, as it has been said before, would TOTALLY have been a Twins fan.)

"I turn with the warm ardor of a friend to those who have nobly stood, and are yet determined to stand the matter out: I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake."

Now who's with me?

What I meant by "you people" was more quantitative than qualitative: apparently they can't play with all that yelling going on. By the way, and I am shocked that no one mentioned this, when Hunter made his historically hideous play, Kendell was on 1st not 2nd. If Hunter bluffed the catch {decoyed the runner}and played it on a hop as a major leaguer would have, there would have been runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 out; hardly an untenable situation.

Ya gotta believe...

Aye!

today has made me sad...... I'll be better by friday, hopefully our boys will too, go get 'em Bradke.... win twins!

What a great line up tonight!
8pm ~ Top Model
9pm ~ Lost
10pm ~ Project Runway

I'm tired, spent, and disappointed...but I'm still a diehard Twins fan, and I still believe we belong here. The road might be long and hard, but this team will hang in there till the bitter end. I can do no less. Bring on Friday and a victory for our warrior Bradke! WIN TWINS!

Newton - the Twins absolutely deserve to be here. They won the toughest division in baseball since the advent of divison play. Unfortunately, not winning in the playoffs doesn't get you anywhere.
STEVE HOLT! - I think Crede gets the nod over Chavez this year, and the (silly) reason I believe that is because of the relatively poor offensive season Chavez had this year. Of course, I always thought the Gold Glove was for defense, but the voters never seem to see it that way. Definitely think Ichiro gets one and you are right on with GMJr.

Yankee fans remember October, 2001.

The A's had beaten our aces in the Bronx: 5-3 over Roger Clemens, 2-0 over Andy Pettite. Our home field squandered, we were headed for Oakland under a grey cloud.

But the heavens cleared; Moose and Mo combined to shut down the A bats (they included Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi), and though Barry Zito held our guys to two hits, one of them was a bomb by our catcher for the win.

Then in game 4 the NY timber came alive; our maligned but beloved and heroic center fielder knocked the bejeezus out of the entire Oakland pitching staff, 5 RBI, and our aching stalwart El Duque pitched out of half a dozen jams for the W. And we brought them back to our house, and Rocket and Jeter handed the A's their golf shoes and bid them a happy Autumn on the links, and Oakland has won no post-season series since then.

Mmmmm. I can still smell it.

What about it? Your guys got it in 'em?