August 7, 2008, at 6:52 am 
Name: Beth Miller
Hometown: Buffalo, Minnesota
Town I Currently Live In: St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Profession: Administrator
Bats: Neither
Throws: Like a girl
Positions: Scorekeeper. (In my brief career playing softball for my company team--about 25 games--they usually stuck me in right field. I had two games at catcher, and one game at 3B.)
Greatest Career Achievement in Baseball/Softball/T-ball: I got a hit once!
Hobbies: Sewing (quilts, crafts, and clothes), reading, writing, watching sports
What are you known for around the WGOM? Random appearances?
If you could have a nice, polite dinner with any 3 people - dead or alive - who and why? Ack! I hate these questions! I'm going to limit my answer to people alive, because I pretty much want to talk to anyone with historical significance, whether it be personal, scientific, political, or cultural. And I want to meet with Terry Ryan, Tom Kelly, and Jim Rantz, just to get their perspective on how the Twins organization is going.
If you could pick any 3 people - again, dead or alive - to go out and party (or if you're not the party type, go for martini's or whatever it is you do) who and why? There are so many people, I'm going to pick one group: I'd like to meet with some of the "stars" of baseball from the late 1800's. I'd like to show them what the game is like today, and have them explain differences from how the game was then. As the rules were evolving, I'd like to know how they decided to make the changes.
Sports Allegiances: Twins, Wild, Swarm
Favorite Books: Pride and Prejudice, Hitchhikers' Guide
Favorite Music: Generally pop, but my iPod holds a wide variety
Favorite Baseball Movie: 61* or For the Love of the Game
Favorite Non-baseball Movie: I don't watch a lot of movies, so of the limited ones I've seen, it depends on my mood.
Favorite Food & Drink: For simple pleasures, I really like a good hamburger. I don't drink alcohol. (Which means I watch all these games sober!)
Favorite TV Show(s): I never really watched TV, but I do enjoy The Simpsons.
Favorite Twins Player, historically: Tom Brunansky was my favorite player as a kid, but Kent Hrbek is the all-time favorite.
Favorite Twins Player, currently: Michael Cuddyer and Scott Baker
Best Twins Memory: Someone gave me good tickets to a Twins game for my 12th birthday, and Tom Brunansky hit a walk-off home run! That or Baker's near-perfect game.
Favorite Sport to Play: Tennis
Favorite Sport to Watch: Baseball
If I could live anywhere in the world, I'd live in: Somewhere near enough to attend lots of Twins games.
If I was commissioner for a day, I'd: I'd make Manny Ramirez cut his hair. It annoys me.
If I had Bill Smith's job I'd: I'd completely abuse my position to watch a lot of baseball from some really good seats. I'd like to go to Twins minor league games, but they're so far away (exception: Beloit). As for the work part of the job, I'd make sure all my assistants were giving me full reports from a scouting and statistical view.
Favorite Ballpark: Wrigley Field for the history, Kauffman Stadium for the ballpark
Favorite blogs: WGOM, Aaron Gleeman, Seth Speaks, the Strib/SPPP blogs
What is your take on Conan's discussion with old time baseball players? Absolutely hilarious. That's pretty much what someone with a time machine would look like if they went back in time (except the natives would probably not be so tolerant). I've seen the old-time baseball exhibition they do at the Dome every year, and while it's interesting, I'm really interested in knowing the thought process that went behind the changing of the rules. When did they decide that gloves were a good idea and allowed them (which would change the "catch on one bounce" rule), why did they decide on four balls for a walk, etc.
Why is your Buffalo better than FTLF's Buffalo, NY? I list it as my hometown! My parents property is oddly located with ties to four cities; the address is Buffalo and that's where I went to high school, so I usually go with that.
What kind of writing do you enjoy the most? Honestly, most of my writing these days are just e-mail messages to friends, blog entries, and stuff like that. I don't have the attention span to write anything longer.
Who do you credit with creating your interest in baseball? My parents. My mom loves the Twins because her father loved baseball, and listened to all the Twins games on the radio (he died in 1990), and before that followed the Minneapolis Millers. My dad loves all sports (his mother was a huge football fan; his dad didn't care about sports).
Map time!
Recent Letters to the Editor
In Response to Cup of Coffee: March 17, 2010,
sean wrote: she was in the middle of "a really intense deadline" for her new book, Hot X: Algebra Exposed, which hits shelves in August. That would have made math class a whole lot better.
cheaptoy wrote: We haven't gotten to the full state smoking ban yet, so for now its just in Madison. But there does seem to still be a rather large number of bars in the area that…
cheaptoy wrote: You're far more generous with the term you use for the commenters on an SBNation site that I would have been.
bjhess wrote: "I like the authors on Twinke Town, but find many of the commenters inane" Might be perfect, then. :) Thanks again, all!
brianS wrote: Winnie is preggers. Reportedly, Kevin had nothing to do with it.
brianS wrote: Several factors caused Summit’s growth to slow over the last five years from its healthy double-digit growth to under 10 percent: Minnesota lowered the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.1 percent to 0.08 percent in…
brianS wrote: Pinstripes ARE slimming.
brianS wrote: "I did make a mistake and I regret that I did it," Yah. Losing your composure in a game, that's "a mistake." Having Joe Mauer bunt a guy over in the third inning, that's "a mistake."…
frightwig wrote: I'm more appalled to learn that Jon Heyman has another byline and source of income for his reporting. For shame, SI. For shame! Also, I see that their March 15 cover features Orioles Catcher Matt Wieters…
brianS wrote: so, they are working on their rebounding??
In Response to Brought Along, Kicking and Screaming, Into the 21st Century,
E-6 wrote: Absolutely gorgeous films--nearly every frame could be a print hung in a gallery. You really should check out The Double Life of Veronique, next. It was the movie he made just prior to the trilogy.…
E-6 wrote: That was me. Totally dug that book, though the ending seemed rather abrupt. (Might have been because I was so engrossed with the characters that I didn't want it to end.) You'll note that the…
frightwig wrote: I haven't seen Avatar, and don't plan to see it.
frightwig wrote: Not a bad movie, but I don't get why the Academy loved it so much. Didn't think it was anything … war has to have its own … war movie(s). Iraq was just due!
DK wrote: It's been that way from the start. These characters have always been connected to each other; that's part of the basis of the show. You either buy into that or not. Honestly…
sean wrote: I really liked Ender's Shadow. It does get progressively crazier, but not nearly as much as the Ender storyline.
meat wrote: Synedoche, New York. I loved that movie. I haven't seen it in quite some time but as I recall phil Hoffman was excellent, as was his female co-star(I can't look it up from my phone). The…
Rhubarb_Runner wrote: probably, but no plans to for the time being
Milt on Tilt wrote: On my lunch break I saw two individuals dressed up like Na'vi. Their sign said 'Avatars for Peace' so I'm not sure they've seen the movie.
In Response to Jackie Wilson - Danny Boy,
Klawitter wrote: Glad you posted it - definitely worth watching. And I will check out the Orbison version -- he's got the voice that makes dramatic authentic.
E-6 wrote: I played this one as much for the WTF factor as anything. (I love Jackie, too, but this number ain't exactly in his wheelhouse, so to speak.) Roy Orbison does a pretty reading that you…
Klawitter wrote: I love soul music and Jackie Wilson is great. That said, Danny Boy is one of those songs that benefits from understated, simple arrangements to undercut the sentimentality (and I think it's a great…
E-6 wrote: Erin Go Braugh? More like Error Go Wow!
CarterHayes wrote: I'm also a fan of crockpotting the beef, though I have been known to use beer instead of apple juice. I might have to switch things up next year.
In Response to Happy Birthday--March 17,
CarterHayes wrote: A little late (TwinsCards was down for maintenance most of the day today), but better than never: