Can Animals beat Birds at Baseball?

It seems like only yesterday, but two months ago, I wrote my most memorable and important blog post.  In that post, I investigated the likelihood of success for a team filled with bird baseball players.  I believe that I changed the world that day.  However, a team full of birds does need a team to play against, in order to know whether or not birds can actually play baseball.

Thus, we need a team filled with animals.

As with birds, I kept this team filled with animals to former, current and future Twins.  If you already forgot who was on the bird team, you can go here and review.

Let's take a look at the All Animal Team:

Catcher - Lion Harper

Having a lion behind the plate is a major advantage.  Lions are notoriously lazy, but if you go after their turf, oh man, look out!  If Lonnie Smith brought that weak stuff to a Lion Harper, he'd be all messed up.  Claws are also a plus, as it would be easy to grip the bat.

First Base - Scott Stahoviyak

You're just going to have to trust that is Stahoviak.  Yaks are surprisingly quick.  The range the yak would display at first would really make up for the lack of stretch due to stubby legs.  Horns never hurt either.

Second Base - Brian Doezier

So nimble, so swift, so sweet, so fragile, so pretty.  Does scary easily.  It's how they survive.  The hardest part of having a doe at second base would be keeping it safe from predator teammates.  When the team sees how graceful and skillful Doezier is, they'd understand that it's better to wait until after the game to eat from the post-game spread.

Third Base - Mike Lamb

Too easy, but also too adorable to pass up.  However, this is probably the team's weakness, regardless of how cute he is.  Lambs are babies.  They are small.  Often, they are awkward.  In addition, sometimes they come from other areas with more hype than they should really have.  In all, this is an area on the team where we are looking for upgrade ideas.  We're kicking the tires on Mike Moosetakis.

Shortstop - Pedro Florimongoose

Lots of speed, lots of range, not much bat.  It's a trade-off.  Having Doezier and Florimongoose in the infield should really help gobble up ground balls.  Sometimes literally, unfortunately.  Florimongoose might just be a placeholder right now, but what he does well, he does well.

Left Field - Marty Cordovelociraptor

Terrifying.  A roided-up dinosaur would be a nightmare in the outfield.  For the other team!!!!!!  The range and speed would almost give the team a second centerfielder.  At the plate, Cordovelociraptor would really struggle with balls on the outer half of the plate due to extremely disproportionate arms.  Don't throw at him; you'll lose your head.

Center Field - Byron Buckston

The Franchise!  Bucks are strong leaders.  They have to keep all the silly does and fawns in order.  Plus, they are fast and powerful.  They have antlers.  I'm not sure I want anyone in center over Buckston.  As far as I am concerned, he'll be in this lineup for the next decade, or longer.

Right Field - Eddie Brosario

Controversial, I know.  Technically, Bros are humans and thus, animals.  There are both advantages and disadvantages to putting Bros in the outfield.

Advantages:

• Six arms, six legs - Range
• Actual arms with fingers and thumbs - Batting
• Pack mentality - Team Chemistry

Disadvantages:

• Susceptible to dancing if music is played - Concentration
• Axe Body Spray - Others' Concentration

Personally, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but I don't smell things very well either.

Bench - Gene Sharkin

Some may think that Sharkin should be the starter at first, and Stahoviyak should be on the bench.  Here's my rationale:  I want Sharkin on my bench in case the game is played on or near water.  Sharks are powerful beasts, but would die on land.  I don't want to kill Gene Sharkin.  So, he'll be on my bench until the games are played in water.  Just to be safe.

Starting Pitchers - Rick Jaguilera and Rick Aguibera

A couple of big, powerful righties.  I'm not sure you mess with either of these dudes.  The steely glare, the giant paws, the killer claws.  Imagine the curve balls!  The intimidation factor is off the charts too.  Although, we do need to careful that these pitchers do not kill and eat their teammates.

Closer - Eddie Boardado

Able to do damage in short bursts, Boardado is perfect for the ninth inning.  The lack of stamina is not as important when Boardado is just needed an inning at a time.  Plus, he packs surprising power.  As he gets older, he will develop huge tusks, which will probably help him in some way.

Rivals - Torii Hunter, Hunter Pence, Tommy Hunter

This team better watch out for these three hombres.

Now that we have a bird team and an animal team, we need a locale for the game.  My suggestion:

Glen Perkins looks great.  The grass is closely manicured and there is plenty of room to roam.

Finally, what game is complete without a broadcaster?

Anthony LaPanda will do just fine.

And there we are.  We have an all-animal team.  These animals were hand-picked to take on a powerful bird team.  Who would win?  If you have an opinion, please share in the comments below.

If you are curious about the real players used to field this all animal team, I will include their names below.  If you really don't know who these players are by getting 85% of their name and their picture, you might be reading the wrong blog.  Regardless, this all-animal team should garner some headlines.  If they can keep from killing each other for food and land, they will be a force.

C - Brian Harper
1B - Scott Stahoviak
2B - Brian Dozier
3B - Mike Lamb
SS - Pedro Florimon
LF - Marty Cordova
CF - Byron Buxton
RF - Eddie Rosario
Bench - Gene Larkin
SP - Rick Aguilera
CL - Eddie Guardado

Monday Morning Madness: September 9, 2013

The Twins revived a fun tradition and got swept by the Blue Jays late in the season.  It wasn't the traditional stomping we're used to, but the same basic idea.  The Twins have also lost a shocking 10 games in a row at home.  Where's the home field advantage, Target Field?  Maybe it's time to remove that Target dog from the batters' eye.  It's very distracting. 

Punto's back?

I got a random text from my mom earlier this week.  All it said was "punto is back?!?" and I was confused.  I then realized she meant "Pinto" and it all made sense.  After a few texts back and forth, I was able to show my mom that Pinto and Punto are two different players.  She was disappointed.  Nick Punto was her favorite player.  Josmil Pinto was my favorite player last week.  It was really fun to see him get a lot of hits and earn more playing time.  I'd start him every day until the end of the season and I'm at the point where I'd pencil him in to the everyday lineup in 2014.  One week may not be enough time to get an accurate read, but I enjoy watching him hit and with this team, that's enough to make him a starter for me.

Kevin Correia

The Blue Jays shelled Correia in the first inning on Saturday and the Twins weren't able to overcome the early deficit.  It was annoyed and it made me wish that I didn't have the knowledge that Correia would certainly be back in 2014.  However, is it possible that Correia has been everything the Twins had hoped for?  I made a chart that shows how his 2013 season compares with his 2009-2012 average season.  Take a look:

	2013	2009-2012 (Avg)
Wins	9	12
Innings	167.1	167
ERA	4.3	4.51
ERA+	96	83
WHIP	1.41	1.362
K/9	5.1	5.7
BB/9	2.1	2.9
K/BB	2.41	1.99
HR/9	1.3	1.1

He might be slightly better than he was the previous four seasons.  He gets fewer strikeouts, but he's also walking fewer batters.  His WHIP is higher, but his ERA is lower.  He's almost a league-average pitcher, if you believe in ERA+.  I'm not sure if the Correia signing was smart or not, but if the Twins wanted what Correia did from 2009-2012, they got it.    

Alex Presley

When I analyzed the Justin Morneau trade last weekend, I referred to Presley as a Clete Thomas type and a potential DFA candidate at the end of the season.  Clearly, the second part of that statement was borderline insane.  The Twins wouldn't DFA the guy they got for Morneau.  However, the first part seems incorrect too.  Presley certainly looks like a better overall hitter.  He makes more consistent contact and he appears to be more aggressive without racking up strikeouts.  But, can we tether him to first base when he gets there?  He's 19 for 34 in his career on stolen base attempts.  Hopefully, the Twins can work with him on that element of his game, because he does seem to have good speed. 

In summary, the Twins now have 4 4th outfielders.  See if you can name them all!  Madness.

Plug

Michael Sack at Two Men On took a crack at predicting the Twins' 2014 lineup.  Check it out!  His projected lineup might be a bit ambitious on the youngster level, but I love the idea of a lineup that consists of Joe Mauer, Byron Buxton, Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Sano and Josmil Pinto.  Those are six players who I would be genuinely excited to see at the plate a few times each game.  Heck, even Brian Dozier is fun to watch now.  I'm not sure about the likelihood of his lineup, but it would be a whole lot of fun to watch that team try to win 70-75 games. 

The Next Big Thing?

Speaking of Pinto:

Yep, I'm calling it.  It's the circle of life.

Fun Stat

Kevin Correia's 96 ERA+ is not very exciting.  However, only 20 Twins pitchers have surpassed that figure in the last 10 seasons, while throwing at least 167 innings.  It's shocking.  Here's the list:

Johan Santana and his Merry Band of Pitching Men

If Correia gets to 190 innings with that same ERA+, the list of guys to match his feat will be even smaller.  Scary stuff.  For comparison sake, the Red Sox have had just 26 pitchers pass this new Correia Threshold.  So, is Correia better than we think or is the Twins' pitching situation not as dire as we think?  Interesting question. 

Answer to a Hypothetical Facebook Question

Q:  Why would I waste my time on the Twins. The Vikings rule this town.

A:  I'm not going to bother to point out the lack of a question mark and the fact that you are posting on the Twins' Facebook page.  Also, which town are you referring to?  Bird Island?  Instead, I will earnestly answer your question with five legitimate reasons. 

1. Christian Ponder is not on the Twins, thus everyone's ankles are safe.
2. The Twins have a lot of talent coming through the pipeline and it's going to be exciting to watch them play over the years. 
3. Target Field is built.
4. Brian Dozier's face isn't covered by a football helmet.
5. Baseball > Football

What to watch for!

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder if a team of animals could beat a team of birds at baseball?"  If so, you're gonna get your answer.  I've put together a team of animals so powerful that those birds don't stand a chance.  Oh, and watch out, both teams, because Torii Hunter has brought a couple of friends. 

Parting Thought

The Twins play the A's and the Rays this week, and that rhymes.  It also showcases two teams who have built winning franchises despite financial and market problems.  In fact, these might be the two worst markets in all of MLB.  Even so, if the playoffs started today, both teams would be there and the Twins would not.  Worrying too much about the team's market and baseball economics will get you into the situation the Twins are in right now.  Figuring out a way to work around financial and market issues is a part of baseball.  Cities aren't going to randomly increase in size.  Fan bases won't shift.  Players aren't going to suddenly become cheaper.

The Twins will always have to deal with being a middle market (not small, that's a fallacy).  Hopefully, the wave of talent on the horizon will inspire management to be more creative in the other areas of the game.  If not, they'll waste the prime years of Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, like they did with Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.  Ugh, so sad, don't think about that.  Just stop right now.  Here's a guy in a silly hat:

Have a nice week, everyone!

September Minnesota Twins Mailbag!!!!

Everywhere I go these days, it seems that people have questions for me.  What's that stain on your shirt?  Did you do that to your hair on purpose?  Can you please move back a couple steps?  I figured, with so many questions to answer, the only reasonable response is to breakout the old mailbag and answer some of the more burning questions that ESPN, Fox Sports One and Telemundo refuse to answer.  Here's some mailbag:

On a recent TV broadcast, FS North asked Twitter who the Twins MVP was this year.  The choices were Justin Morneau, Brian Dozier and Glen Perkins.  I voted for Nader, but who would be your choice?  Thanks!

Brad S., St. Paul, MN

This list seems incomplete.  There's a specific guy who should really be included, but was omitted, likely due to an anti-Minnesota bias.  Joe Mauer is clearly the team MVP.  He leads the team in batting, OBP, slugging, WAR and babies born.  Brian Dozier has been great since June and Glen Perkins is tremendous in a role that is rarely used by a terrible team, but Mauer is the team MVP.  Dozier would be my choice from those three, because of the combo of his surprising power, excellent defense, and radiant hair [prior to his actual good play (balance)]. 

At the beginning of August, you said that you weren't surprised by the Twins and their lack of movement at the trade deadline.  Were you surprised with the moves the Twins made in August?  Thanks!

Brad S., St. Paul, MN

No, thank you!  I was surprised.  Since August 1, the Twins have optioned Aaron Hicks, Scott Diamond and Kyle Gibson to Rochester.  I thought that all three of those guys would be providing value for the Twins until the end of the season.  Diamond and Gibson seemed like solid pitchers who would be certainly better than the dregs that made up the rest of the staff.  I thought Hicks would struggle early, adjust, and then be good down the stretch.  I was wrong about the lot of them.  I think they all bounce back next year, but it is surprising to see them in Rochester in September.

The Morneau trade was surprising.  I already wrote/cried about it, so I won't rehash it here.  However, I didn't think the Twins had it in them to trade such a popular player for so little.  I guess that extra cash is pretty nice though.  I'd spend it on hard drugs, but that's just me.

Are you excited for September call-ups?????????????!?!?!?!!???

Brad S., St. Paul, MN

I am excited for Josmil Pinto, and he has delivered so far.  Michael Tonkin seems cool.  Otherwise, not really.  I don't really care about Minor League veterans and re-treads.  Seen 'em.  Sorry to be so curt, but that's how I feel.  But seriously, thank you for the question.

It looks like Clete Thomas is the 4th outfielder now.  At the very least, he doesn't seem like the full-time starter anymore.  Are you happy, sir?  You've ragged on this poor man for weeks and weeks and now he's out of the lineup.  I hope you're satisfied.

Brad S., St. Paul, MN

I'm not.  You'd think that after weeks of harping on his continued presence in the starting lineup, that I'd be elated when he was finally removed.  Instead, I have some form of complainers' buyer's remorse.  I was far too hard on Mr. Thomas.  He's a fine ballplayer.  If he and I engaged in some sort of one-on-one baseball match, he'd destroy me and probably freeze my dress clothes while I am in my baseball clothes, a la Mighty Ducks 3.  In fact, Thomas would probably beat me in just about any athletic competition.  If Thomas was back on the team in a bench role next year, I'd be fine with it.  He's versatile. 

I want to challenge him to a staring contest.

Did you see that article on ESPN.com regarding Max Scherzer and Jim Leyland's rant about pitching stats?

Brad S., St. Paul, MN

I did.  It doesn't surprise me.  What is Leyland supposed to say?  "I agree, Scherzer probably isn't that great, his FIP is worse than his ERA and he's gotten too much run support."  That would be surprising.  Leyland also doesn't have to care an iota about advanced stats.  He won a World Series without them. 

However, I don't really get the anger and hostility toward stats.  If you don't want to use them, don't use them.  If some dork chains Leyland to a wall and forces him to look through Excel spreadsheets, then I could see Leyland getting a bit agitated.  In the context of this article, it seemed like an innocent enough question, if maybe a bit loaded.  I don't get why anyone would refuse new stats altogether.  More information is better than less.  I can understand confusion or frustration, but hostility seems too extreme. 

That's just how I feel 95% of the time. 

Are you ready to give up give up on Aaron Hicks yet? 

A Hicks., Rochester, NY

Not at all.  I think Hicks is still destined for a productive career.  I still see an All-Star appearance or two as well.  He's so talented.  He has speed, power, arm, defense, etc.  He'll be 24 all next season and there isn't anyone blocking him from center field right now.  Of course, he'll probably get leapfrogged by superfreak Byron Buxton sometime next season.  To me, having to move Hicks to right is one of those "nice problems to have."  His arm will play extremely well in right and his range in the outfield will really compliment Buxton in center.  Those two humans in the same outfield is downright scary defensively.  So, no, I am not ready to give up on him (you).  Keep your head up, rook. 

Target Field has such exciting food options.  What is your favorite ballpark fare?

Brad S., St. Paul, MN

That's easy.  Empty a hot-water balloon.  Fill it with beef stew.  Cram it in your pant leg (shirt sleeve can work if you wear really tight t-shirts).  Wait for the sun to do its part.  Eat.

If said beef stew doesn't have peas in it, it's not going to be good.

Thanks for all the great questions, me.  Enjoy your weekend!

Get to Know 'em: New Minnesota Twin Alex Presley

Alex Presley, the newest Minnesota Twin, has certainly made a great impression so far.  He was 3-4 in his first game and has been on-base often through his first few games with the Twins.  He also made a great impression on me, as hundreds of people read my Justin Morneau/Alex Presley trade article, thanks to many redirects from his Baseball Reference page.  Many thanks, Alex, I'm sure all those readers will become lifers. 

Of course, first impressions can be deceptive.  We tend to overvalue them and they tend to stick in our memories a little longer than they should.  Who here remembers Clete Thomas' home run in his first game with the Twins last season?  Ron Gardenhire, you may put your hand down now.  With Presley, we only have that first impression to go off of.  Presley wasn't a well-known MLB player or a big-time prospect.  He wasn't famous in any way and he isn't from Minnesota, so we didn't care about him at all. 

Now, he's on our favorite team.  We need intel.  We need to understand who this guy is.  We need to look to those who watched him over the last years and who watched him as he developed into the player that he is today.  We need to solicit the help of Pirates fans everywhere.  And really, where better to look than Twitter for honest and reliable opinions. 

I just searched for "Alex Presley" on Twitter.  I'm not stacking the deck by looking for "Alex Presley sucks" or "Alex Presley rocks" or "Alex Presley lol" or anything like that.  I will cherry-pick the tweets though.  I'm just a man. 

So, here's what I have learned about Alex Presley:

Alex Presley must not walk much.  On Monday, Presley walked twice, which elicited a few surprised responses:

Alex Presley has walked TWICE today @cantpredictball
— Steve Richey (@BucFever422) September 2, 2013

why does Alex Presley all of a sudden know how to take walks with the Twins? ......
— Zachary Yonash (@zacharyyonash) September 2, 2013

Alex Presley was at least one person's favorite player:

Just found out that the Bucs trade for Morneau was Alex Presley. I'm so beyond ticked right now. Alex was my favorite. #heartbroken
— Danielle W (@Dani_Marie_15) September 1, 2013

Alex Presley had the 8-year-old vote:

My 8-yr-old daughter just said "awwwww" when I told her Alex Presley was traded. Officially the only person in Pgh who is disappointed
— John D (@JohnnyD92) September 1, 2013

One guy seems to have bad blood with Alex Presley for no apparent reason:

Not a pirates fan but I'm happy they got rid of Alex Presley.
— Brenden Baire5⃣⚾ (@DatDude_BB5) September 1, 2013

Alex Presley has good speed:

Kind of sucks that Alex Presley got traded because he had great speed but Justin Morneau bring a lot of power. #BucN
— Dave Young (@David12Young) August 31, 2013

Someone is watching me:

Have to imagine somewhere in Minnesota, people are photoshopping pictures of Elvis Presley and cropping Alex Presley on them.
— Daniel (@likeidk) August 31, 2013

Alex Presley fits a narrative:

Always been a fan of Alex Presley. Never the most gifted guy, but those are always the hardest workers.
— Nichael Poe (@NicholasTPoe) August 31, 2013

Some disliked Alex Presley vehemently:

Oh god you suck Alex Presley.
— Matt Shoemaker (@IsItTheShoes926) August 11, 2013

“@MLBRosterMoves: The @Pirates acquire 1B Justin Morneau from @Twins for OF Alex Presley and PTBN or cash.” @MartyWithBros "u suck Presley!"
— conor p. morrissey (@theconmantweets) August 31, 2013

Alex Presley is not a major league player. Stop it. Please.
— Chris Barron (@ChrisRBarron) August 11, 2013

More seemed to tolerate or even love Alex Presley:

NOOOOOO I LIKED ALEX PRESLEY
— Cole McKinney ™ (@Cole_Breeze02) August 31, 2013

My baby Alex Presley got traded!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔
— ⓐⓢⓗⓔⓛⓨ (@ashbanash7) August 31, 2013

actually super pissed alex presley got traded tho! im gonna miss him😭😩💔
— taylor (@taytabug_) August 31, 2013

ALEX PRESLEY, "Deep in your heart, you know i'll never let you goooo"
— Nicole Ciccarelli (@nicolelodeon29) August 31, 2013

Pirates traded my favorite player. ALEX PRESLEY. WHYY?!!!!
— Julia Korenoski (@juliakorn21) August 31, 2013

I'm so mad that they traded Alex Presley! Oh we'll I guess I hate the Pirates now. Now I like the Minnesota's team
— Belieber & a Mahomie (@rurda08) August 31, 2013

Excuse me as I cry for my babe being traded from the pirates 😭😪💔 #alexpresley #istillloveyou
— Lara Pasko (@lar_paskkk) September 1, 2013

The fact that Alex Presley is gone from Pittsburgh makes me want to cry
— Autumn Snowberger (@absnowberger44) September 1, 2013

We've learned a lot, but we'll give this guy the last word:

That's for the people who think Alex Presley sucks. You suck
— Lukas Mangery⚾ (@mangery4) June 13, 2013

So maybe we didn't learn that much about Alex Presley from the Pirates fans on Twitter.  Odds are, we will form our own opinions over the years (hopefully).  He may be a decent centerfielder who can hold down the fort until Aaron Hicks or Byron Buxton is ready to take over.  Or, he might be a frustrating 4th outfielder who can't hold off Clete Thomas.  Regardless, he is a Twin now and our fan base will be the one sending out the poorly constructed tweets going forward.  I look forward to the ride.

Monday Morning Madness: Labor Day Edition!

I'm just going to admit that it is getting harder and harder to watch Twins baseball.  First, the lineup and rotation are drab to say the least.  With Mauer hurt and now Morneau traded, there isn't a lot of star power.  Second, the season is so long and we don't even have the mirage of a possibly competitive team at this point.  That being said, I do watch the games and I do enjoy them.  There is plenty to look forward to in September, even if the team won't play a single meaningful game.

Chris Colabello

Trading Justin Morneau was sad, but probably necessary.  I wrote all about how sad I was on Saturday already, so I won't get emotional here.  Opening up a spot for Chris Colabello softens the blow for me.  Colabello might be nothing.  He could just be a AAAA guy who feasted on poor AAA pitching.  Or, he could be a late bloomer with power who can hold down first base for the next few years.  The only way to find out is to give him at bats.  He should get those at bats now that the Twins have no other real first base options.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do with consistent MLB playing time; I just hope he gets it. 

Josmil Pinto

I'm extremely excited to watch Pinto over the next few weeks.  You'll see why we shouldn't get too excited about Septembers a little later, but it will be very fun to see if Pinto can handle MLB pitching during this audition.  While Pinto is not a top prospect, he has been an excellent Minor League hitter over the past two seasons.  I'd love to see Pinto get some big hits, show some power and put himself in position to become the long-term answer at catcher/co-catcher with Joe Mauer.  He had a nice debut on Sunday; hopefully he hits higher than 8th in the order.

Darin Mastroianni

Mastro totally blew it on Friday when he forced Trevor Plouffe to not slide into home, costing the Twins an insurance run.  Sarcasm.  Actually, I'm happy to see Mastro back in the lineup.  He was a real pleasant surprise last year and I think he can be a good 4th outfielder on a good team.  I hope he eventually takes over in center, but I'm not going to go into the real reason why I feel that way (abject, mean, unnecessary Clete Thomas hate).  With Alex Presley now in the fold, Mastro might lose some playing time.  I hope not.  Mastro's hair is spectacular. 

AH, time for the Madness

Former Twin Update - Jason Kubel

Wow, Kubel really fell fast.  I thought the Twins should have kept him, but I was clearly wrong.  Last year, he was pretty great offensively.  He posted a SLG higher than .500 and hit 30 home runs.  He's been awful this year and he was DFAed by Arizona and then traded to Cleveland.  He's still just 31 and could thrive in the AL where he can DH and give all the grass in the outfield a break.  I always liked Kubel a lot and I hope he bounces back.

Baseball Card from the Past - Mauer/Morneau

Aw, look at those young lads!  Prospects was an understatement!  The M&M boys, as they would be called, became a powerful duo for the Twins and helped lead them to multiple playoff appearances.  They were humble, understated and talented.  They fit in really well here in the Midwest, where we like humble and understated, and tolerate talented so long as they are humble and understated.  They eventually roomed together, bought a lot of Jimmy Johns and each won an MVP.  Now, they have been split apart at the seams.  Sad.  We can always remember these days. 

Just so sad.

Random Photoshop/Twins Villain - Gary GaeYeti

That makes me feel a bit better/scared.

Random Top 5 - Best September OPS in Twins' history (min 40 PA)

1. Jim Thome - 2010 - 1.338
2. Gary Ward - 1980 - 1.269
3. Mike Ryan - 2003 - 1.245
4. Chip Hale - 1993 - 1.209
5. Matt LeCroy - 2001 - 1.204

Holy Tho-moly!  That list rocks.  For what it's worth, Harmon Killebrew doesn't make the list, but does have 5 of the 16 best Septembers in Twins' history.  Shane Mack has the 18th best and he did this:

So, he's the real number one.

Poll Results, New Poll

I haven't had an active poll in weeks.  It just hasn't felt right.  Here are the results from my most recent poll about broadcasters:

Which Broadcaster Adage Annoys You Most? -

• He plays the game the right way - 13 votes - the winner!
• Pitch Quickly; Pitch to Contact - 6 votes
• Keep the fielders engaged, no strikeouts! - 8 votes
• Anything related to showing up Umpires - 5 votes
• Bunt Constantly!  Bunts for all! - 1 vote
• These don't annoy me, you annoy me - 3 votes

For the record, I hate all the bunting, but I think the "plays the game the right way" adage is really annoying too.  I don't like it because it can't be quantified and I am a nerd.  Only about 10% of people find me annoying, which is far less than the percentage in real life.  I must be less obnoxious in print.  I posted a new poll, please take some time to vote. 

Link to Something I wrote - Morneau Trade, 20 Trades archive

I wrote about the Morneau trade, and you can read it here.  In fact, I've been writing about Twins trades for the past couple months.  I'm all done now.  If you missed any, I made a little archive here.  How nice!

Parting Thought - Favorite Morneau Memory

I have a terrible memory.  I remember certain things very well - names, dates, etc.  Basically, if it's easy, I can remember it.  Actual events are fuzzier.  So, when I think of my favorite Justin Morneau memory, you will have to excuse the lack of specifics. 

During the 2006 season, the Twins were playing the Tigers (I believe).  They were losing, runners were on base and Morneau was up.  Morneau was an MVP candidate at that point, but I wasn't sold just yet.  I said to myself, "ok Justin, if you really are the MVP, hit a home run right here."  On the very next pitch, Morneau hit a ball about as high as you can hit a ball.  It held in the air for what seemed like forever and eventually it dropped right in the opposing bullpen for a home run.  The Twins took the lead, they won the game and Morneau won me over. 

My second favorite memory was the time he broke the light in the scoreboard at Miller Park.  I remember that one clearly because I was there and I didn't stop talking about it for the next few days.  

Have a nice week, everyone!