Game 66: Twins at Cleveland
Posted by ubelmann on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
After game 59, the Twins were "on pace" for about 85 wins. Today they are "on pace" for about 77 wins. Ignoring for a moment that that's not a very good way to project forward a team's final record, this hasn't been a very fun stretch, has it?
But let's put all that aside--it's a special day today! In honor of this day, I have a comparison!
.236/.303/.388 -- Player A
.230/.269/.311 -- Player B
.602 RZR -- Player A
.596 RZR -- Player B
32 years old -- Player A
32 years old -- Player B
92 -- Player A, career OPS+
94 -- Player B, career OPS+
Today, of course, is the 2-year anniversary of Tony Batista's last appearance for the Twins. If Mike Lamb (Player B) was fat and played in Japan last year, he'd probably be getting the Tony Batista (Player A) treatment right about now. But he's not fat, and third base is still an organizational weakness for the Twins, so he'll probably stick around as a platoon player and continue to make outs and hit for no power like it's 1969 all over again, all while playing awful defense at third base.
Eyeballing between the 10th and 25th percentile PECOTA forecasts for Lamb, PECOTA estimated that there was about a 15% chance that this would happen to Lamb. And on a 25-man roster, you're probably going to have 3 or 4 guys do worse than their 15th percentile projection. It's not like he's been super unlucky with balls-in-play, either--his PrOPS of .647 still sucks. Waiting for Lamb to turn it around is probably a lost cause.
Lamb has an odd home/road split.
Home: .171/.207/.210
Road: .308/.353/.449
Minnesota
C. Gomez cf
A. Casilla 2b
J. Mauer c
J. Morneau 1b
M. Cuddyer rf
J. Kubel dh
D. Young lf
M. Lamb 3b
B. Harris ss
Cleveland
G. Sizemore cf
B. Francisco lf
V. Martinez c
R. Garko 1b
J. Peralta ss
D. Dellucci dh
C. Blake 3b
F. Gutierrez rf
J. Carroll 2b
Minnesota
N. Blackburn
Cleveland
P. Byrd
I was fine with Lamb as a lost cause until I remembered that he's signed for next year too. I predict he will be getting the Juan Rincon treatment by then.
Oh, thanks, ubes. Why don't you just give me a paper cut and rub some lemon juice in it now?
ubelmann, you don't comment on any of those Mariners blogs, do you? I would worry for your safety.
ubes is a USSMer. I know who he is there.
Nice throw Casey.
Still Mr. RISP through 39 AB w/RISP:
.410 .408 .513 .921
Time to see if he can keep that up.
My kingdom for an XBH!
bases loaded, no outs, Mike Lamb at the plate
awesome
I forgot about the first out. DOH
They exceeded my expectations! Although with all the pitches Byrd has been leaving up, that sure was a terrible pitch for Harris to be swinging at.
Mr. RISP!
evening folks
MEAT!
You're going to disappoint me if you show up at the convention in anything less than a giant steak costume.
like this?
Good God that is disturbing. What's the story behind that?
Zhang Huan, chinese performance artist, piece was titled My America #4, wore a suit made of meat and walked he streets of NYC handing out doves- I've met this dude and let me tell you he is a bit more than disturbing
Gomez intimidates Garko.
for those of you keeping score at home, I just opened the 1st of my carapils belgian- excellent brew indeed, but needs at least another week to round out (maybe longer...)
And that, sir, is the hardest part: exercising patience to let those beers age to a well rounded adult.
I sadly drained my keg of California Common two days ago. Man did that one turn out terrific.
how was the rye ipa?
I had one this week, and it's carbonated properly but still probably needs a couple more weeks for all the flavors to meld together. The rye definitely dryed it out, and the english hops I used gave off a nice, lightly spiced, somewhat fruity character. A couple more weeks, though, and I think a little more bitterness will come out and balance that dryness some.
do you call that a "Kelly RIPA"??
That is cheesily pun-erific. Now for the label....
Yeah, I've been tempted to do a Rye base brew but have been a bit intimidated by the 'dry' quality- I think that I may grab the bull by the horns here next week-
Well, whenever I brew something I don't like, I always say, "at least no one will ever brew it again."
I can't think of too terribly many good examples of a rye beer to try. I know Founder's makes a pretty good one, if it's available in your area.
I have the same attitude when it comes to my 'mistakes'. I've had some great rye homebrew, but not founders- I'm looking for something to brew a little on the warm side due to the temp heating up in the Southwest-
Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic. Here is a rep-i-ce: http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1168961
and I actually like the Red Hook Rye
thanks for the links-
whimper, whimper.
Again with the bunts!
Hello gang. I was in "CoC" wondering why nobody was posting on the game.
OK oK, so the pitcher is thinking "GOMEZ GOMEZ," now do we score more runs?
Yes, apparently.
I'll be damned, it worked! And i thought that kid was smoking the cr@ck
wooo Justin!
Alright, I'm gonna call it: Morneau with a ChiSox right here.
dang, as soon as I hit "mail" he doubles and makes me wrong.
w00t!
Justin gets my kingdom.
Oh Canada!
floodgates = open
where was this team last night?
Loserville
Where was this pitcher last night?
dubbel w00t!
+ 1 Tripple?
or maybe a quad...
I believe that was a quadruppel!
Mmmm, I enjoy the Belzebuth. I even got a four pack with two small glasses of that stuff.
KUBELLL!!!
KUUUUUBELLLLLL!!!!
MORE KUUUUUUUUUUBELLLLL!
KKKKKUUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBELLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Duderino. Runs are good.
and Delmonstrosity swings on the first pitch. Naturally.
Why not tonight? Byrd has been putting everything on a tee tonight.
C'mon Deluge, continue this onslaught.
Kubel wins someone a bucket of chicken
woo
You're like Jesus, with thighs and drumsticks instead of loaves and fishes.
Lamb with big-time warning track power - but nobody on base to get the sac fly.
Assuming this lead holds up, I'm guessing the story of the game is going to be how the relay to get the guy at the plate the previous inning inspired the offense. Never mind that Byrd was leaving his pitches up all game.
What are you talking about? It was obviously Casilla's sac bunt that jump started all the extra base hits.
Is this the most runs the Twins have ever scored against Paul Byrd? My selective memory says "probably."
Aug 24, 2002 we scored 6
a bunch of times since then (4 or 5, I wasnt counting) we scored 5
Different Paul Byrd, obviously. Chief Wahoo has mysterious powers.
and how often do you see a guy make a bad play in the field, then lead off with first-pitch swinging out the next inning?
Dazz: Twins aren't into all that style stuff.
Me: Case in point, eh, Dazz?
Wow. Byrd pulled after 3.
WHAAAT? No dubbel for Cuddy now? Anybody listening on TV to evaluate that scoring change?
They haven't mentioned it. How could that not be a double?
I believe the scoring change was on his infield "hit" in the second, when Blake threw a changeup to first.
Nice inning by Blackburn. After that game in Texas, I was hoping he would hold them to no more than one run. Plus, it's always good to keep the momentum in your favor after having a big inning.
d'oh
Did Dick just call Elarton a "tall drink of water"?
yeah, I thought that was what he said too.
Scott Elarton: Non-Sexual Man Crush Target #1?
I'm expecting Blackburn to come out with a broken nail or something before finishing the 5th, preserving the streak of starting pitching non-wins
He's got a roast in the oven, doesn't trust Scott Liddle to take it out of the oven for him.
Elarton tapping the Twins out.
take care of this lead, kids. I'm out.
Apparently, according to Rick Sutcliffe (I don't get to watch the Twins so I have to watch ESPN for my baseball fix), the Cubs only ever get Ramirez and Lee on first and second when they are at Wrigley.
no way fellas... C.Silva isn't doing that well with the M's?
much as I dislike penny-pinching and fill-in-the-hole veteran fliers, I'm d@mn glad Twins' ownership doesn't dive headlong into the free agent idiocy like many other clubs
Hot off the grill: Cheeseburgers, Wavy Lays chips, olives, diet Dr. Pepper (and a flaxseed oil capsule for desert). It's cheat meal night
cheat meal?
I'm doing a cardio sort of diet. Lot's of lean meats, fish/seafood, raw carbs, very low saturated fats, etc. I get 3-4 cheat meals a week where I can eat whatever I want. So far its actually been very easy to follow, I've been on it for about a month, and I feel better than I have in several years.
I get'cha- tonight is certainly not cheat meal night for us, I have the big salad, a cheesy bun and a g n' t
I eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies now, replace butter with olive oil when cooking, simple things, but the cumulative effect is pretty significant. I'm also exercising again after several years of being sedentary, mostly bike riding, but it's raining tonight so I don't think I'll get a ride in. We've got a Health Rider my wife's sister gave us last winter and I use that sometimes, too, since it gets more of the upper body involved.
I started a similar diet last year- we bought the volumetrics cook book- lots of little things add up to a big thing- I now find it hard to go even a couple of days without the big salad dinner (something that I would never have dreamed of in my youth).
I've got my family pretty much on the Michael Pollan diet, and have for 20 years before I'd heard of Pollan. Eat food, not too much. Mostly plants.
Nice. I did burgers and fries in the broiler. I call it the "no leftovers" meal.