Hello, SBG fans, and welcome to the post-trade deadline edition of SBG, The Mag.
Well, the Twins didn't pull the trigger on anything before the trade deadline and with their dismal 4-8 road trip, the Twins come limping home (literally) with a four game deficit in the Wild Card standings. They come home to a seven [...]

I thought I'd post my charts. There's absolutely no good news here. Let's be clear. This was lost in the first half of the season. What we are experiencing and will continue to experience is a very long denouement.
It's time to cut this guy and play someone else. Anybody else. Hopefully [...]

I was going to take Boston today, but with a rookie pitching and Manny Ramirez out of the lineup again, I'm going with Brad Radke today. I think he'll give the Twins a good effort, enough to win. Minnesota is the pick today.

Minnesota +120 Boston -130.
The Twins once again couldn't solve David Wells. Wells, who weighs more and is older than SBG (and I'm taller), baffled Twins hitters for six innings, throwing up six doughnuts (surprisingly, he didn't eat them). In the seventh, Wells ran out of gas and the Twins got three straight hits [...]

I'm going with the Red Sox. I'm not exactly impressed with David Wells at this point. This pick is an offensive pick. I think the pitching matchup is a little weak (unless Lohse has one of those "if only he'd do that all the time games"). They have some mashers.
Boston's the [...]

The mainstream press, and the Twins themselves, will tell you that Torii Hunter's injury will be a terrible blow to the Twins. I'm not buying it.
Yes, Hunter is a gold glove outfielder. Losing his defense will hurt a little. In his place will be Lew Ford. Lew's not a terrible outfielder, in fact he's a [...]

Hello, cat lovers, it's SBG writing the weekly cat posting here at The Mag.
Lucy and I took Eleanor Rigby to the vet this morning. Jags and Theo tagged along.
Elly had BAD BREATH! Terrible! I should have looked in her mouth, but I didn't. Seems she has a very serious case of Gingivitis, which the vet [...]

Boston -200, Minnesota +180. This is the biggest spread we've seen. I think it's also interesting that there is a 20 point house cut here when there is usually 10, meaning that they are not sure how this is going to bet out.
Last night, I correctly picked the BoSox and am now in [...]

The Twins are sending out their best pitcher (at least this year) tonight against the Red Sox. The Red Sox are sending out Bronson Arroyo. Both pitchers have been up and down a little recently, however, Silva has been better. I think that Silva gives the Twins a definitive pitching edge.
Then, there's [...]

Boston -154, Minnesota 144.
This is correct!!!!! I will make a selection.
I will also post standings this weekend.

Something I haven't done for a while is Shout Out!
I don't have a lot to talk about tonight (the Twins game was pffft). So, it's time to get to it.
First of all, a Shout Out! to Seth Stohs from Seth Speaks. Seth is a good friend of SBG, the Online Magazine. Thanks for the link [...]

Because I inadvertently messed up the odds for today's game, I have decided not to participate.
SBG

Minnesota -160, New York +140.
Note: I screwed this up. If no one had made a prediction, I would have changed these. But, people have predicted, so I have to leave it as is.

Friends, SBG needed a night off. No posting last night. I was pretty tired and I went to bed at about 9:30, and I don't know the outcome of the game. I'm assuming the Twins won, it was 7-3 in the ninth. Regardless, there were some positive things to take away [...]

Heck, the guy is younger than your best buddy, SBG. And, he's a lefty, which means he should be able to pitch in long relief or as a LOOGY for another decade.
But, he's facing another lefty tonight who's just a little better. I think Johan will do okay (Radke did fine last night) against the [...]

First things first. Odds for Wednesday's game: New York +125, Minnesota -135. If you haven't yet entered the contest, what are you waiting for?
Back on July 6th, I took a poll about the Twins chances. I had written how the Twins had a very tough second half schedule. At that time, the average record of [...]

With the odds so great in favor of the Yanks, it's tempting to take the underdog here, if only because a win could really net me some serious points.
If were actually betting money, I'd stay away from this game because of the big spread. But, because I have no money riding on this one, I'll [...]

Who's the Biggest Has-Been When He Debuted with the Twins of them all?
First Things First: The line for tomorrow: New York -200, Minnesota +180.

With the J.C. Twin situation playing out even worse than I anticipated, I had a thought today for a column that requires a little research. But first some background.
Pretty much everyone in [...]

What a busy weekend here at the World's Greatest Online Magazine.
Well, maybe this isn't the world's greatest online magazine, but it's the best one that I write, and that counts for something.
Well, maybe that doesn't count for much either, but I will say that there has been a lot of activity here. First of all, [...]

Hi everyone! This is Lucy.
After a long hiatus, I'm back to talk about our cats. Actually, I'm going to talk about Eleanor Rigby, our newest cat, who we call Elly.
After a little bit of a rough start, Elly has totally assimilated with our other cats, Jags and Theo. She has turned out to be a [...]

Friends, let me assure that I've got no particular talent at picking individual games. Here are the results after one week of the contest.

Player
Picks
Record
Points

W
L

BEM
5
4
1
295

DEP
6
4
2
200

TWJ
1
1
0
100

GEB
2
1
1
0

FRW
2
1
1
-5

AAC
4
2
2
-15

CHC
5
2
3
-105

TEB
3
1
2
-110

ANM
7
3
4
-115

AMR
6
2
4
-215

SBG
8
3
5
-220

RED
3
0
3
-300

Early in the contest, your best buddy SBG is hovering near the bottom. Never fear! There's a lot of contest left, and I'm gonna make a run. If you haven't entered yet, [...]

I see the Twins getting to Bonderman today.

Minnesota +122 Detroit -132
I have made a selection.
The second game was pretty darned good. Not only did Baker pitch quite well, but Li'l Harmon broke out with a booming double to the opposite field and a long homerun. Of course, the pitcher was pretty young, but number 27 has been looking a lot better the [...]

I'm taking Detroit in the nightcap.

I like Silva, but I'm going with Detroit in Game 1.
Chart time on a Saturday Morning:
Things are going a little bit better here (not much), but a little power would be nice.

J.C. Twin

AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
OBP
SLG
OPS

34
2
7
0
0
0
3
.229
.206
.435

Stumbling a little out of the gate with heavy part of schedule coming. Hopefully today will be a good day, with two wins.

Twins [...]

First of all, odds are posted below.
Second, I read this doozy in the Strib Saturday Morning:
Scratch Justin Morneau from the list of candidates to get sent down today, when pitcher Scott Baker joins the roster. "We're not going to mess with Morneau," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He looked like he had some good at-bats [Thursday]."
Too [...]

Today's Odds:
Game one: Minnesota -105 Detroit -105
Game two: Minnesota -105 Detroit -105
When you see both teams at -105, that's a toss up by the odds makers. Of course, the "05" allows them to get their cut.
I am really hard pressed here, but in the spirit of the contest, I'll make a selection [...]

UPDATE: No ODDS posted yet. I'll post in the morning.

So, I'm perusing ESPN.COM and I read an article by Rob Neyer. The article started as follows:
Ron Gardenhire has been quoted recently suggesting the Twins miss catcher Henry Blanco. If only Blanco were still behind the plate -- or so the argument supposedly goes [...]

This one was a tough one for me. Do I continue to go with the era of good feelings or do I get hard-nosed and pick against the hometown nine with a lefty on the mound?
Maybe J.C. Twin is going to feast on Mr. Maroth. Maybe Joe Mays is going to keep the good pitching [...]

Ok, enough of that sunshine and light.
First of all, here is tomorrow's line. Minnesota +115 Detroit -125. That's right, the Twins are the underdog. I have made a selection.
Second, how damn good is Joe Mauer? He is getting on base, he is hitting the ball. True, he's had a couple of passed balls lately, but [...]

I am, first and foremost, a Twins fan. When I write this site, I try to be objective. I really have a problem with the manager. I'm pretty disappointed that the Twins didn't try to upgrade their infield in the offseason. My rear end gets chapped when the 'tool criticizes Mauer [...]

I'm posting this a little early because I won't be available to post at 6:05. I'm taking Johan Santana and the Twins tonight over Detroit, despite the huge underdog status of the Tigers (+134!).
Johan hasn't won consecutive starts since April 10-15. But, he won on Saturday, and I'm going to go with him here again. [...]

Update: Don't forget the line for today and the poll in the post below.
This is perhaps the most unbelievable column I have ever read.
Patrick Reusse is blaming the whole Morneau/Ullger situation on... the media? What?
Says Mr. Reusse:
The Star Tribune and its easterly competitor both kicked off the 2005 season by giving large play to [...]

Hey! Welcome to another episode of "SBG Discusses the Twins Problems"! Tonight, I discuss a vexing problem, what to do with Justin Morneau.
First things first.
Here is the line on tomorrow's game... Minnesota -144, Detroit +134. I have made a selection. If you haven't yet entered, e-mail me your choice for tomorrow's game and get involved! [...]

Well, three games into the contest, we have a leader. It is new comer to SBG contests, DEP. So far, the participation has been pretty good, considering that this contest is a little different from some of the others. I encourage you to enter and have some fun!
After three games, I have a record of [...]

I'm taking Brad and the Twins today. This means that the Twins would win the series against the Orioles. Optimism reigns today in the SBG camp.
The contest is off to a nice start. I'm getting some contestants every day. I will post results within the next few days. There is [...]

Tomorrow's game: Minnesota -115 Baltimore 105 This is a noon start. I have made a prediction.
I was watching the game tonight and was writing down my thoughts in sort of a stream of consciousness mode. Some of the thoughts were pretty negative, so I thought I'd delete that mess and start over. It's getting late, [...]

I'm taking Baltimore tonight.
The Orioles starting pitcher, Daniel Cabrera, has gone 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in July, allowing just nine hits while striking out 19 in 20 innings.
The Twins are sending out Kyle Lohse, who has pitched a whole hell of a lot better this year than he did last year, even if he [...]

Friends, a friendly reminder to enter the Next SBG contest. It's really simple. Pick the winner of at least ten of the remaining Twins games for the rest of the year and you are qualified. The top two people with the most points at the end of the season will win gift [...]

I was tapping away at my keyboard last night when I lost my Internet connection for some reason. So, instead of watching the game and blogging, Lucy and I watched a movie.
Here is the line for tonight's game. Baltimore -105, Minnesota -105. I have made a selection.
The bad news is that I picked Minnesota and [...]

It's game time. My pick tonight is Minnesota -110. Thanks to all who entered tonight.
A word about "the line." I will publish the line as soon as it becomes available. I have a site that publishes a daily line. I will follow those odds. However, the odds for this [...]

It's easy. E-mail me your prediction on the Twins game tonight and start yourself on the way to a possible gift certificate for $20 or $10 at the Twins Pro Shop. For more details, check out the rules of the new contest.

Seriously! Listen to me ramble endlessly on Cheer or Die's weekly podcast! Shane, CC, COD, and I sit down and discuss various topics! Other than my ramblings, it's quite interesting. I am quite jealous that COD is doing podcasting!

One year ago today I started this website. I was studying for the bar exam -- I was completely stressed out and tired of going over all that material. I had been thinking about writing a blog for some time and played around with it a couple of years earlier. But it was July 17, [...]

I was born a Twins fan. In 1965, the year I was born, the Twins went to the World Series. I have suffered with this team and enjoyed the highest highs of two World Championships.
Lately, I have been negative about the Twins, and some may interpret that negativity as delight that the Twins aren't going [...]

I'm back home from the blogger summit this evening. Wow, what a nice event. Cheer or Die, the great Viking blogger graciously invited Shane from the Greet Machine, Cheesehead Craig from Oracle of Cheese and myself over for a blogger's evening. All of our wives and kids were also invited. COD supplied the food and [...]

Today, Jim Souhan writes about the Twins and his article is generally interesting. I think there could be some healthy debate about his perceptions. But, I must take issue with one statement that he makes.
Whenever fans urge a team to trade its best prospects, I envision Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz, the trade [...]

On Thursday night, a couple of my blogging friends and I are getting together to plot a strategy to take over the world! Watch out, all of you unwitting peoples, for you will soon be subject to the great blogging quad-umverate!
Cheer or Die will host the event. COD, North Dakota native, is a [...]

Yes, SBG fans, the final results of the Next Big SBG contest are in! Here are the final results of the contest.
For those of you who aren't aware of this contest, back in the first week of the season, I offered two tickets to a Twins game of their choice to the winner of this [...]

From the LA Times:
Torii Hunter couldn't resist playing a joke on teammate Brad Radke. According to the Indianapolis Star, Hunter put in Radke's locker what looked to be an official note from the Dodgers' Hee-Seop Choi, requesting that Radke come to the All-Star game and pitch for Choi in the home run derby. Choi hit [...]

Hello, SBG fans, and welcome to research by the seat of my pants.
Last week, I wrote a column about the Twins' second half schedule and how it was unfavorable, not only for the Twins' chances to win the AL Central, but also to maintain their Wild Card lead. I got a couple of comments about [...]

At least Bret Boone expressed a desire to come and play in Minnesota. I'm not sure that he's going to make much of an impact here, and I hope that the Twins aren't done trying to shore up their infield.
Boone's comments made me think back many years to when the Twins last brought in [...]

Hello, SBG fans and welcome to a special edition of SBG, the Online Magazine.
Today, the Twins acquired Bret Boone from the Seattle Mariners for a Player to be Named Later.
First of all, let's just say that the 2005 Luis Rivas experiment was an absolute total bust. The Twins should have paid me his salary. At [...]

I will tabulate the results before the end of the all-star break and reveal the winner! I will also review my own picks and comment on how well (or poorly) I did. Thanks for all who entered!
SBG

Check this out from today's Daily Quickie at ESPN.COM. He's got a couple of nuggets that he must have pulled right from the SBG files...
Then [Red Sox manager Terry] Francona lost all cred with this: "Derek Jeter, if he's not an All-Star, there's not an All-Star." See: This is why fans excluded Jeter.
Precisely. [...]

Welcome SBG fans to Controversy Friday! The day of the week where SBG rips all of his fellow bloggers to shreds! This week's target -- Aaron Gleeman.
[Note: the following is a joke. SBG loves Aaron and Seth and reads them every day.]
Aaron's Twins hat is really dirty! He's obsessed with Johan Santana! He [...]

Guess who this is. He's hitting .250/.364/.736/1.100 in 72 at bats. He's got 11 HRs and 2 2Bs in 18 hits. Any ideas?
Yes, friends, it's the Big Hurt. The White Sox are an obscene 20-5 in games he's played. Some people thought that he would be a distraction in the clubhouse. The Twins could use [...]

Guess what player I am talking about?
Over the last seven days, he's hitting .400/.550/1.133/1.683. For the season, he's hitting .268/.420/.433/.863. Any ideas????
???
??
?
The guy in question needs to hit to be an impact player... and his numbers suggest that maybe he's hitting just a little. The answer? Jason Giambi.
After a very slow start, Mr. Giambi hit [...]

I got an e-mail from the Geek today. He discussed my column about his comments and he stuck to his guns. I plan to respond to what he said later... I worked quite late tonight and don't really have time to post much tonight, but let's just say that the Geek made some very astute [...]

Recently, my blogging friends Shane and COD have been talking quite a bit about music. I will admit to having lost touch with popular music over the last 10 or so years. I just don't listen to music much anymore, but their postings have reawakened what was once a passion in my life. I used [...]

Hello everyone, I'm back! This is the first time that I have written here in such a long time. I haven't done much lately. Since I last posted all I've done is get married, go on a honeymoon, take a different job, move twice and now... we HAVE ANOTHER CAT!!!! That may not be the [...]