Twins Sisters

Hooray for Spring Training!  It gives us real baseball to think about while Mother Nature taunts us with a fierce snowstorm.
 
Our baseball boyfriends are serious.  They want to win. They’ve started Spring Training on the right foot, winning against the Sox of a Red variety yesterday, and kicking some ass against the Cincinnati Reds today.  Here’s the box score to prove it.  Yeah, I know a team’s spring training record carries no importance once the actual season starts.  Blah blah blah.  It’s still more fun to start out winning.   

–Tricia–

I don’t know much about Joe Crede.  Here’s what I do know:

*He plays 3rd base. 
*He’s hoping to stay healthy all season long.
*He’s pretty good at knocking the ball out of the park.  My clearest memory of him is when he hit that grand slam off Sideshow Pat last April at U.S. Cellular.  Ugh!  I was so annoyed. 
*He looks better in a Twins uniform that a Sox uniform. 

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

But then, doesn’t ANYONE look better in a Twins uni?  That’s a rhetorical question.  Of course a Twins uni improves anyone’s attractiveness.  Duh. 

I’ll leave it up to the statty blogs to analyze his batting average, fielding percentage, etc.  I’ll just give him a clean slate to start over with the good guys.  I hope he hits lots of bombs, starts lots of double plays, and generally just kicks ass while he’s playing for the Twins.

–Tricia–

Yesterday at work a co-worker came downstairs and told me that the Twins traded away Delmon Young and Joe Nathan and got a new third baseman.  Who?  A Rod!  Oh, please!!  He was just trying to stir up trouble.  I have my moments, I admit, but I’m not that gullible.  There are just so many problems with that scenario.  The Twins wouldn’t take on that big of a contract.  A Rod probably wouldn’t be caught dead in a Twins uniform.  The Yankees don’t need a closer.  So, no. 

That little “let’s mess with Tricia” scenario was a funny and entertaining way to end the day on Friday, for sure.  Co-worker got the incredulous reaction I’m sure he was hoping for.  He sounded pretty serious, and he kept a straight face when he was telling me that nonsense.  Seriously though.  Think of a plausible fib if you’re going to try to pull my leg.  Like I already said, I’m not that gullible. 

–Tricia–

I sort out the mail at work and today we got the new issue of Sports Illustrated with A-Rod on the cover. I’m not in the mood to bother with him. Anyone that reads this blog knows how I feel about him in general and the Yankees in particular.

There is a new book coming out next week called, Odd Man Out: A Year On The Mound with a Minor League Misfit. The author is named Matt McCarthy. He spent a year pitching for one of the Angels minor league teams and SI had a short excerpt from it. In a word: Fasinating. He writes about the struggles of being in the minor league to  hoping that somehow, someday you will get to play at the Major League level.   Go to Walgreens or Barnes & Noble over your lunch break and page through SI till you find it.

I don’t buy books very often, but I plan on picking this one up.  I think it comes out a week from tomorrow.

**Becca**

There’s nothing too exciting going on in the baseball world, really.  I read in Sid Hartman’s column on Friday that Jason Tyner signed a contract to play with Houston’s AAA team.  I’m glad he found a job playing baseball somewhere.  That’s about all I can come up with.  Sure, there’s other miscellaneous baseball news out there, but that’s all I really care about.
 
I’m contemplating buying a t-shirt from Babes Love Baseball that says, “The Harder You Swing The Deeper it Goes.”  It has a very “that’s what she said” vibe to it, but it’s a cool shirt.  I wonder if I’d get weird looks if I wore that to a game.  I wonder if I’d care if I got weird looks.  Nope. 

I’m going to troll a little bit for some new Facebook friends.  I’d be honored of any of you wanted to join me in the time-wasting adventure that is Facebook. 

Pitchers and catchers report in two weeks!  Thank goodness.  I am so, so ready for the offseason to be over.  I’m so ready for there to be real baseball news.

February starts tomorrow, and I’m glad it’s a short month.  I hate it.  February is my least favorite month of the year.  Were it not for the beginning of spring training, it would be a totally useless month.  It’s still the dead of winter, with no end in sight, and it’s already been winter for three months.  Blech!

Here’s one of my favorite songs ever.  It helps me counteract the winter blues.

–Tricia–

Becca,Twins Kid and I all had a good time at Twins Fest.  Dad/Grandpa came along too, but he wandered around by himself a fair bit.  We felt a little bad about that, inviting him along and then abandoning him, but he had fun wandering around at will.  He doesn’t really have the same goals as we do…

We had a great time getting our pictures taken with LNB, (Little Nicky Blackburn) Boof! and LNP.  My husband accuses me & Becca of going to Twins Fest to ogle baseball players’ booties.  No, honey.  That’s what we do during the season when they’re wearing their uniforms.  Twins Fest is all about going and seeing their cute faces up close.  I can see why Those Girls love Boof! so much.  He has a cute face and really nice teeth. (Weird observation, maybe, but totally true.) I just didn’t realize it until I saw him up close.  

Random Twins Fest thoughts:

*There were about a million people at the Dome when we got there Saturday morning. 
*Twins Kid got a grab bag, and it actually had some pretty good stuff in it. A red hat, some school supplies, and a bobblehed of Torii holding a Gold Glove. 
*I saw Tony Oliva out walking around when we were deciding what to do.
*Nick Blackburn has just the slightest trace of a southern accent.  We here at Twins Sisters are suckers for men with southern or British accents.  He was talking to Dan Gladden about wanting to beat Ozzie Guillen and the  White Sox.  Gladden asked him, “Is there anyone you want to beat more?” He said, “Not right now!”
*Becca was saving a place in line for pictures with LNP while Twins Kid and I were getting our pic with Boof! She said Bert walked by and said, “Who are you all waiting for?”  All the women in line said Nick, and Bert said, “Punto??” as if to say, “Really????” 
*We went to stand in the line for GoGo’s autograph, but of the one million people in the Dome, at least half of them were standing in that line, and we decided not to wait it out.
*We sat and watched part of the movie about the players from the 80s, like Hrbek, Gaetti and Brunansky.  It was fun to see those old clips set to songs like “Eye of the Tiger.”  I have to say, those early 80s uniforms were UGLY. 

Ok, so Twins Fest is over now.  Now we’re ready for Spring Training and the 2009 season.  Geez…the offseason seems interminable.

–Tricia–

I’m sitting around my apartment on this Saturday night in January with several things on my mind. Here they are, in no particular order:

**I’m very much looking forward to Barack Obama’s inauguration this Tuesday.
**I’m probably going to the movies with one of my best friends after work on Monday.
**American Idol is still very entertaining.
**How good 14 degrees feels today after Thursday morning, when it was 20 below.
**Why I’m watching Independence Day on TNT tonight even though I’ve seen it at least 6 times already.
**Twins Fest is next weekend and Nick Punto is doing pictures on Saturday afternoon.

Real deep. NOT!

I found an article about #7, Joey Mauer & his importance to the Minnesota Twins and how the team should never, ever lose him to trade or free agency. Click here to read it. I found it on the Star Tribune’s website today.

Gotta love Joe!

**Becca**

FSN will be rebroadcasting some old Twins games in the next few days. Here is the info:

Monday, 1/12/09 From: Noon-2:00pm. I’m not sure what game it is, but I’m pretty sure the Twins win.

Wednesday, 1/14/09 From: 7:00pm-9:00pm. The description of the game: The Twins rout the White Sox. That’s always funny!

Also–Twins Fest is just 2 short weeks away. After the great time Tricia, Twins Kid and I had last year we are sure to go again!

**Becca**

Last night was kind of a boring Friday night for me. After a busy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day it was kind of nice just to sit on the couch and flip through the channels. I was wrapped up in my Twins fleece blanket, looking for something good to watch. As I approached FSN I thought, “It would be cool if they were airing an old Twins game.”  Wouldn’t you know it, they were!

It was a game from June 2006 when Francisco was pitching against the Brewers in Milwaukee. It is amazing to see how much the team has changed since then. This game we had Cuddy playing at 1st, Shannon Stewart in left field, Torii in center, Lew Ford in right field, Joey behind the plate, and then Luis Castillo, Tony Batista and Juan Castro rounding out the infield.  LNP and Barty were there, but they were in the dugout somewhere. I can’t figure out why they didn’t have Justin at 1st base, but whatever.

The highlights of this game for me was Cuddy’s solo home run and Batista’s grand slam.  They won the game 7-1. Sweet!

Watching this, I realize that while we are in the middle of a long Minnesota winter, in will be spring again someday. The grass will be green, the pavement will be dry and the birds will be singing.

The next time FSN will air a old Twins game will be on Tuesday, January 6, from 7:00-9:00. It is the game where Johan makes the bet with Bert and winds up getting to shave his head. I actually think I missed this game the fist time it was on so I will be sure to tune in this time around. 

**Becca**