Santana

Trading Torii?

I am horrified at the talk of trading Torii Hunter.

YES we need a couple more offensive producers (okay, so we need a couple offensive producers. Drop the "more"). But do we need them at the expense of our shining center fielder, or is there another way? Please say there's another way!

I've read why Batgirl thinks they shouldn't trade him. I've read why Jim Souhan thinks they shouldn't trade him. Now I ask you, my knowledgeable brothers - should they trade him?

Web Gems etc.

How about Lewwww's defensive display last night? I didn't watch Baseball Tonight, but I'd be shocked if he didn't have a web gem. . .

How about 16 hits last night?

How about 12 runs last night?

How about 5 doubles last night?

How about 1 triple last night? (Lewww!)

How about a two-run homer last night?

How about 7 shut-out innings and 8 Ks from Mr. Radke last night?

It just goes to show - you may be out for the season, but you can still have a grand old time. GO TWINS!

Congratulations, Albert!

Pujols set another Major league record last night. He hit his 30th home run of the season - a two-run shot off the first pitch John Smoltz offered him. He's the first player to ever hit 30+ home runs in all of his first five seasons. wow.

I guess opponents must consider him pretty dangerous. The 6th inning: Atlanta trailing by two, a man on second and one out, and righty Smoltz intentionally walked righty Pujols to face lefty Edmonds (no slouch in the batter's box). Hmm...

"Offensive Futility"

How fun to see my team on TV tonight!

You really know things are bad for the offense when a pitcher throws 115 pitches in 5 innings, walks 5 batters, hits one, and has the bases loaded twice. . . and gives up only one run.

Thankfully, said offense had their ace on the mound tonight - and he was pitching like he was their ace, for once. Johan Santana blanked the Yanks for 7 innings tonight. Wasn't it beautiful? The TV announcers drove me crazy most of the time, but I have to say I liked it when they said, "Santana looks like he's throwing to his son in the backyard, and these are the New York Yankees, for cryin' out loud!" Well, they didn't exactly say, "for cryin' out loud," but if they had been from North Dakota they would have!

But right before Santana left the game, our guys decided that, for cryin' out loud, after shutting out the Evil Empire for 7 innings in Yankee Stadium, he should get the win. They started hitting! Extra base hits! Home runs! And, to quote Batgirl,

The crazy thing about this game was the players who were supposed to be our offense actually were. Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Shannon Stewart, Jacque Jones. They hit the ball. With runners in scoring position. They scored runs and got RBIs and—oh, it was so beautiful.

And then Juan Rincon came in and decided things were going a little too smoothly and we needed back some of our normal angst. But then Mr. Nathan came in and sewed it up.

'Til tomorrow, then, my friends, and remember sometimes when things are at their very darkest Joe Nathan strikes out A-Rod to end the game, and we can look off into the horizon and see just the faintest glimmer of light.

Mustangs' Home Opener

Last night we joined 4,000 other fans to welcome the Ponies to Cobb Field for another season. It was a great game against the Great Falls White Sox. (I told Mom that I needed to see a team called the "White Sox" get whipped...) We carried a shut-out into the top of the ninth, but of course the Sox had to get a run in the top of the ninth.

The shutout wasn't "tame," though... the Sox had runners in scoring position 6 out of 9 innings. They stranded a lot of runners! There were four exciting double plays, two perfectly executed bunts, a home run, a triple, a successful pickoff, a stolen base. . . it was great baseball.

The nachos weren't too bad either. :)

Alternate Service Option

Have you guys heard of this? Apparently our friendly neighborhood Army decided that if a guy is good at a sport, he shouldn't have to fulfill his military commitment. . . If he can get a sports contract after two years, he can opt out of his payback time and just go reserves/recruiting. The Mustangs center fielder is a 2003 West Point grad who is now playing pro-ball "for the Army." I understand this is probably a PR thing to up enlistment, but do you really want guys joining the Army so they can play sports? We are in a time of war here, aren't we?

2 outa 3

Well, we took two out of three from the Yankees. Today's game had to hurt (them, I mean!) I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin Brown smashed both his hands against the clubhouse wall after his. . . uh. . .interesting. . .6th inning. It's just a bad day for a pitcher when he "hits" a run in!

Silva, on the other hand, had yet another quality start. The guy has gone at least 7 innings in all 10 of his starts this year - you have to love the consistency!

And how about Jesse Crain? He has 5 wins on the year, and a miniscule .76 ERA.

We won today with good starting pitching, great bullpen work, and, that Twinkie sweet surprise -- more "who's that?" callups from Triple A. Three cheers for the FARM!

Memorial Day

Remember what we were doing last Memorial Day, brothers? Sitting in those wonderful seats at Citizen's Bank Park soaked to the skin waiting and waiting and waiting for the game to start?
In spite of all the disappointment, it was a fun outing - hearing the gunshot of the bullpen warm up all the way across the park, watching Chase Utley warm up through the binoculars, eating good food, shivering. . . Ah, memories.

And just in case anyone from CBP is reading. . . ;) When you have a rain delay, put the televized game on the smaller screens too. The people sitting in front of the big screen can't see it. (duh.)