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Twins - A's

Frayed Knot Oct 03 2006 10:38 AM

The matchup of MLBs two best 2nd half teams; Minnesota: 96-66 (50-31 2nd half) Oakland: 93-69 (51-30) Game 1: Santana v Zito

Frayed Knot Oct 03 2006 02:08 PM

Quick 4 innings so far. A's lead 2-0 thanks to a Frank Thomas HR and ex-ers Payton & Scutaro (in for the injured Crosby) teaming up on a 1B-2B combo. Twins are hitless so far

SteveJRogers Oct 03 2006 04:52 PM

That guy pitching today for the A's. Think we can trade for him NOW?

HahnSolo Oct 03 2006 05:21 PM

go Big Hurt!

KC Oct 03 2006 06:55 PM

Hard to believe that he's the oldest player ever to hit two ding dongs in a post season game at age 38?

Willets Point Oct 04 2006 01:51 PM

Shouldn't we be sticking to the IST's for these divisional series?

Willets Point Oct 04 2006 02:55 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 04 2006 03:07 PM

Things are looking grim for Minnesota. Losing the first two games at home is no way to win a 5-game series.

Frayed Knot Oct 04 2006 02:58 PM

Back-to-back HRs from Cuddyer & Morneau in the home 6th tie up the game

Yancy Street Gang Oct 04 2006 02:59 PM

Back-to-back solo homers by the Twins and the game is tied at 2. This game won't be over in an hour. Set your TiVo's for ESPN2.

Edgy DC Oct 04 2006 02:59 PM

Willets Point wrote: Shouldn't we be sticking to the IST's for these divisional series? I think that makes for some good archiving. Mmm-mmm. Good archivin'.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 04 2006 03:22 PM

Inside the park homer puts the A's up 4-2. Everyone needs to start swinging at the first pitch now so the game is over by 4.

Hillbilly Oct 04 2006 03:27 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Inside the park homer puts the A's up 4-2. Everyone needs to start swinging at the first pitch now so the game is over by 4. Won't one game go to ESPN2 if this one's still going? BTW I have a funny feeling it will a rematch of the 1973 world series.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 04 2006 03:32 PM

Yes, it'll probably be on ESPN2. I'm glad I'm at home. If I had planned on watching on TiVo delay I'd be in trouble.

Willets Point Oct 04 2006 04:15 PM

The final in Minnesota is 5-2 A's.

Frayed Knot Oct 04 2006 08:18 PM

HORRIBLE decision by Torii on that I-t-P-HR Diving for a ball while you're tied and there are two outs w/a runner on is bad enough, but he never got close to that ball. That's an almost shocking play by the guy who's been the best CF in the business the last few years. And did you see Kotsay as he reached home? His shirt was pulled out in about 3 different directions and was flapping in the breeze as he ran. Looked more like he had been in a fight than someone who just ran around the bases.

vtmet Oct 04 2006 08:29 PM

I'm sorry but the Twins have no business being in the playoffs...they aren't getting beat, they are beating themselves...

Edgy DC Oct 04 2006 08:34 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: HORRIBLE decision by Torii on that I-t-P-HR Diving for a ball while you're tied and there are two outs w/a runner on is bad enough, but he never got close to that ball. That's an almost shocking play by the guy who's been the best CF in the business the last few years. He didn't get the rep as the best centerfielder by showing good judgment, he got it by making those catches. But you're right, of course. As Donn Clendenon was never shy about pointing out, Ron Swoboda had no business going for his most famous catch for similar reasons. Playoff fever does funny things to a man.

Zvon Oct 04 2006 08:38 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: HORRIBLE decision by Torii on that I-t-P-HR Diving for a ball while you're tied and there are two outs w/a runner on is bad enough, but he never got close to that ball. That's an almost shocking play by the guy who's been the best CF in the business the last few years. And did you see Kotsay as he reached home? His shirt was pulled out in about 3 different directions and was flapping in the breeze as he ran. Looked more like he had been in a fight than someone who just ran around the bases. Yea-Kotsay beat himself up rounding the bases. That was a very unfortunate play by Hunter. He wasnt even running to where the ball was coming down. Kotsay on the post game said he thought the ball knuckled away from him--drifting to the right. But, as you said, bottom line- Hunter was nowhere near that ball. I think I heard earlier today that the last time there was an inside the park homer in the post season, it was the A's vs. the Twins and it was a ball that, also, got by Hunter. I like the way the Twins fans gave Hunter an ovation (for the effort, I guess) when he batted after the play. Those are real team fans.

metirish Oct 04 2006 09:19 PM

Radke to pitch game three with a bum shoulder...

vtmet Oct 04 2006 09:28 PM

] I like the way the Twins fans gave Hunter an ovation (for the effort, I guess) when he batted after the play. Those are real team fans. Regardless of Hunter screwing up on that play...Hunter has done so much for the Twins fans over his career...classy move by the Twins fans...but Hunter has done a lot to deserve it...

smg58 Oct 05 2006 09:46 AM

Yes, Minnesota is not New York or Philly... but you were also right before, the Twins are killing themselves right now.

soupcan Oct 05 2006 09:55 AM

Last night on ESPN Hunter and Kotsay were interviewd. Hunter said after the game 'Every CF in baseball knows exactly what happened there, I had it lined up and it just cut away from me' Kotsay when told that said 'Yup, I can totally see that happening" Not exact quotes but words to that effect.

Rotblatt Oct 05 2006 09:57 AM

I'm bummed. Well, I'm a tiny bit bummed. It's hard to be too bummed after last night. Still, I wanted the Twins to do well. Three in a row, boys! Let's get it done!

ScarletKnight41 Oct 06 2006 04:55 PM

Game 3 is underway. Oakland scored twice off of Radke in the second inning on an Eric Chavez homer and a Marco Scutaro RBI double. 2-0 Oakland in the third.

Willets Point Oct 06 2006 05:04 PM

Looks like a sweep is in the works. Lets hope the Mets add another sweep tomorrow. For the Cardinals-Padres of course I want nothing less than three consecutive 18-inning games.

SteveJRogers Oct 06 2006 06:17 PM

If the Twins come back to win this game and the series, do you cut Billy Beane loose if you are Oakland?

MFS62 Oct 06 2006 06:30 PM

Jason Tyner as a DH? In a web sports column yesterday, writer Tom Verducci from SI.com wrote something like "Jason Tyner, who has as many major league home runs as I have....." Good line. And true. But, we all know how much stronger the American League teams are. Right? Later

ScarletKnight41 Oct 06 2006 06:42 PM

Marco Scutaro's 3-RBI double gives Oakland an 8-2 lead in the 7th inning!

SteveJRogers Oct 06 2006 07:02 PM

MFS62 wrote: Jason Tyner as a DH? In a web sports column yesterday, writer Tom Verducci from SI.com wrote something like "Jason Tyner, who has as many major league home runs as I have....." Good line. And true. But, we all know how much stronger the American League teams are. Right? Later "Jason Tyner is gonna be a special ballplayer..."-Suzyn Waldman on Met rookie Tyner, comparing him to Brett Butler. No wonder she wound up in the MFY booth!

Valadius Oct 06 2006 07:07 PM

And the A's sweep.

SteveJRogers Oct 06 2006 07:08 PM

They've been using Celebration since the 1981 season if I'm not mistaken A's win! Old Friend Jay Payton with the final out grab and Oakland is going to the ALCS. BTW, there's one strike against the "Team that earns spot last weekend of the year usually does better than Team that clinched earlier" idea

Edgy DC Oct 06 2006 07:08 PM

SteveJRogers wrote: If the Twins come back to win this game and the series, do you cut Billy Beane loose if you are Oakland? That's a pretty out-there question. Of course not.

Valadius Oct 06 2006 07:10 PM

Ok. Question: Is Frank Thomas a Hall-of-Famer? I say yes.

SteveJRogers Oct 06 2006 07:10 PM

Edgy DC wrote: ="SteveJRogers"]If the Twins come back to win this game and the series, do you cut Billy Beane loose if you are Oakland? That's a pretty out-there question. Of course not. Moot now, but not really. Would have been the 5th time not getting out of the first round, and not being able to close out the series. I'd be getting tired if I was Beane's bosses.

Edgy DC Oct 06 2006 07:14 PM

I'd be feeling as blessed as the day is long. But to each, his own.

Valadius Oct 06 2006 07:20 PM

Brad Radke is likely to retire now. I feel old - I think this is the first player with a relatively long career to retire that I remember their rookie season.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 06 2006 07:22 PM

Go A's!

OlerudOwned Oct 06 2006 07:23 PM

Valadius wrote: Brad Radke is likely to retire now. I feel old - I think this is the first player with a relatively long career to retire that I remember their rookie season. He still would've gone longer, but his arm is totally shot. Instead of shutting it down for the year, he pitched with a demolished shoulder to try and help the Twins get over the top.

Valadius Oct 06 2006 07:23 PM

Bobby Kielty looks like Carrot Top.

SteveJRogers Oct 06 2006 07:23 PM

Valadius wrote: Brad Radke is likely to retire now. I feel old - I think this is the first player with a relatively long career to retire that I remember their rookie season. OUCH! Thanks for making the rest of us feel like Old Timers. Wait till guys you saw their ENTIRE careers start making it into Halls of Fame. (Looking right at YOU BARRY SANDERS! STEVE YOUNG! DAN MARINO!, ECT!)

Frayed Knot Oct 06 2006 07:41 PM

Marco Scutaro - Superstar! OK, maybe not; but, subbing for the injured Bobby Crosby at SS, he's done a nice job down the stretch and just had 4 RBIs including a bases-clearing 2B in the 7th.

ScarletKnight41 Oct 06 2006 07:42 PM

Crosby's injured AGAIN?!?!?!?!?

Frayed Knot Oct 06 2006 07:44 PM

Crosby's always injured. Not sure what's up at the moment but he didn't play the entire series.

MFS62 Oct 06 2006 08:09 PM

The second baseman is out with a broken finger and Scuttaro played short for the injured Crosby. The ESPN announcer (Gary Thorne) said neither may return for the next round. If Marco's as good as he looked in this series, maybe he can play both positions at the same time. Incidentally, I liked him when he was a Met. Can't explain it. I just did. Later

Johnny Dickshot Oct 06 2006 10:55 PM

I remember 2 things about Scooter-o: Very early in his Met caeer, Valentine put him in the outfield in a game against St. Louis and he made an awful play leading to a loss. Afterward, Valentine took a backhanded shot at Phillips/the organization for giving him players without clearly indicating what they could or couldn't do. The other thing, a year or two later, was his hitting a bases-loaded triple that won the Mets a game. I don;t think they give out Div Series MVPs but would be hard to keep it from Scutaro.

SteveJRogers Oct 06 2006 11:01 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I remember 2 things about Scooter-o: Very early in his Met caeer, Valentine put him in the outfield in a game against St. Louis and he made an awful play leading to a loss. Afterward, Valentine took a backhanded shot at Phillips/the organization for giving him players without clearly indicating what they could or couldn't do. The other thing, a year or two later, was his hitting a bases-loaded triple that won the Mets a game. I don;t think they give out Div Series MVPs but would be hard to keep it from Scutaro. He was also a guy you heard WFAN callers complain about letting go while we suffered through Joe McEwing. I think this was during a brief period when Scutaro was leading the league in hitting. Surprised his name never came up this year, especially with the year Woodward had.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 07 2006 06:15 AM

SteveJRogers wrote: Surprised his name never came up this year, especially with the year Woodward had. The season went pretty well. There was little reason to be complaining about backup infielders.

Frayed Knot Oct 07 2006 08:15 AM

No there wasn't, plus it's not like Marco was ever anything great while he was a NYM nor - as his .297 & .310 [u:c4473de356]OBAs[/u:c4473de356] over the last two seasons show - would he have been the missing link since. (.350OBA this season after a slow start). It's just that letting him go while keeping the obviously-already-topped-out McEwing showed the "comfort zone" factor in decision making that the previous administration often used in sticking with the comfy old slipper rather than gamble on a young'un* with at least the possibility of an upside. * although he was nearly 28 when we let him go and turns 31 in a few weeks

Edgy DC Oct 07 2006 09:21 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: ="SteveJRogers"]Surprised his name never came up this year, especially with the year Woodward had. The season went pretty well. There was little reason to be complaining about backup infielders. Steve needs to hang out with cleonjones11

SteveJRogers Oct 07 2006 09:45 AM

True, but this is the same city with a MFY Fan mentaility that needs an All Star or HOFer at every starting position, a major league regular in all bench slots, 5 guys in the rotation who could be the # 1 or # 2 starter on 29 other teams, and a bullpen stocked with former All Star closers And if not its always some former player that they keep "hearing" the name in the updates and they think the guy must be having a decent year as opposed to the flosum and jetsoum on the bench for their Mets or their MFY

Edgy DC Oct 07 2006 12:04 PM

Don't speak for the city. The fact is, when you keep some players, others are going to get away. Including some good ones. If you pick the right one more often than not, you're doing your job. Another funny thing is when a guy has a good year in his third year since leaving a team, it's a tragedy for the team that moved him, as if there was no cost to weathering the first two years while burying another Johnnycake Futureboy at Norfolk. The Mets won 97 games this year. People want to open a vein over Scutaro, walk away, turn the radio off, roll your eyes for all to see. Just don't listen to sports call-in radio unless it's to augment an acid trip or something.

SteveJRogers Oct 07 2006 12:39 PM

]Don't speak for the city. I thought I made it clear that I was mocking that attitude from the show callers. Especially when a Chris Woodward is on our bench. I heard Yankee fans (hosts as well as callers) actually be giddy about adding a Craig Wilson to the bench in order to "add depth" to the bench. Essentially glutoney for glutoney sake. ]The Mets won 97 games this year. People want to open a vein over Scutaro, walk away, turn the radio off, roll your eyes for all to see. Just don't listen to sports call-in radio unless it's to augment an acid trip or something. I like mocking the attitude that suggests that since the team has an over 100 mil payroll that they should have an AS at every position, including bench and bullpen. It makes no sense, and the 2006 Yankees are the latest examples (when they end up losing to Detroit of course) I've heard the pining for Scutaro in the past, I was just surprised not to hear "Hey didn't we have that Scutaro guy? I tell ya Joe, if we had him instead of Woodward...We have a 100 million dollar payroll and our bench has a schulb like Woodward on it?..." calls, or posts on Internet message boards this season, thats the point I was making

Edgy DC Oct 07 2006 12:44 PM

They should be ignored, I think. And if it's not there to be ignored, all the better.

smg58 Oct 07 2006 12:44 PM

I'm happy for Scutaro. I never thought he got a fair chance to show what he could do here, and I thought he was worth more than the $25,000 waiver fee they got in return for him, but I don't think holding on to him would have made a significant difference at any point. He found a place that provided him with opportunities (mostly injury-related) that he most likely wouldn't have gotten here, and he's made the most of them given somewhat limited ability. It's easy to root for guys like that whether they're still here or not.

Frayed Knot Oct 07 2006 04:13 PM

Yeah that's been the thing with Scataro. Oakland merely picked him up to be a fill-in middle-infielder just like he briefly was here; but then as Ellis and Crosby have seemingly taken turns getting injured Marco's gotten hisself over 1,000 ABs in the last 3 seasons. So as much as he would have been a nice complement to Valentin this year, it's not like you'd have carried him for the last two just to get to that point and it's unlikely that he would have racked up nearly as many reps if he stayed here.

Valadius Oct 07 2006 04:21 PM

Beating ourselves up on Scutaro is silly.

SteveJRogers Oct 07 2006 04:39 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: Yeah that's been the thing with Scataro. Oakland merely picked him up to be a fill-in middle-infielder just like he briefly was here; but then as Ellis and Crosby have seemingly taken turns getting injured Marco's gotten hisself over 1,000 ABs in the last 3 seasons. So as much as he would have been a nice complement to Valentin this year, it's not like you'd have carried him for the last two just to get to that point and it's unlikely that he would have racked up nearly as many reps if he stayed here. Yuppers. Marco, Super Joe, Woodward, even a Craig Wilson and Miguel Cario are dime a dozen guys you can get off the scrap heap. About the only thing you could have said was that he would have been Reyes' "caddy" over Danny Garcia in 2004, and certaintly not a position that would have had staying power, except maybe filling out a Minor League roster