I'll Be Missing You

Sometimes a player makes so many great defensive plays that you forget that he doesn't know how to hit a ball. Sometimes you sort of fall in love with that player, anyway. Allow me to introduce Nick Punto.

For many years, I watched Nick Punto play for the Twins as a great utility infielder. For many years, I watched Nick Punto strike out. The thing about Nick Punto is that as much as I should have hated him, I couldn't help but love him. This little Italian guy going out there, slappin' butts, trying to put down a good bunt, but struggling all the time. 

Lovin' him

The good news today is that Jason Kubel's option was exercised by the Twins. The bad news is that Nick Punto's was not. Read about it here.

To you, Nick, I bid a fond adieu. I will miss you dearly, but I suspect you will let more people down in another city, probably in Japan.

In the meantime: It's true.

Torn

Now that the baseball season is over for the Twins, blogging becomes a bit more difficult. I've been trying to think up new ideas for how to make things interesting in the off-season. The good news is that I've been to 2,946* baseball games in my life and I remember a lot of emotional situations that I think everyone would love to hear about. The bad news is that probably I'm the only one who really cares about these moments & I'm delusional. 

Moving on... 

Thanksgiving morning, 2007 was when I heard the news. I was at my grandmother's house, helping get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. My cousin came over around 11am. I was sitting on my grandma's couch. My cousin sat down on a sofa chair and said, "So, did you hear that your boy signed with the Angels?" Torii. He was talking about my secret-husband. 

"Excuse me," I said, and walked into the bathroom. My eyes welled up with tears, but I don't think I actually started crying. While there had been speculation about Torii signing with other teams, and even though I had a feeling he wasn't coming back to Minnesota, the sting still stung. My sweet, sweet #48 was going to be playing in Anaheim. 

Naturally, the 2008 season started at home, with the Twins playing the Angels. I scored tickets for the first 2 games of the series, and during Game 2, I got to watch Torii receive his 4,942nd* Gold Glove Award. I have to be honest - I cried.

Torii was there, just as I remembered, but he was wearing the wrong uniform. I don't think a single fan booed him during that game. The memory I want to share, however, is not about Torii receiving his Gold Glove, but about what happened the day before, during the *Official* home opener. It was March 31st, 2008. At the top of the 9th inning, the Twins were winning 2-0. Joe Nathan takes the mound, and gets Garret Anderson to fly out to center field. 

The next player up to bat was Torii Hunter. I cannot remember a moment in my life where I was so torn. In fact, I remember thinking, "It's okay if he gets a base hit. The next guy can ground into a double play." I also remember thinking, "I wonder what Torii is thinking. For all those years, he backed Joe Nathan up in this very ballpark/football stadium."

Torii ended up striking out. The Twins win the game soon thereafter. Everyone went home happy, except Torii. Obviously, all he could think about was how much he preferred to play behind Joe Nathan and how much he hated to face him in an at-bat. How do I know this? Secret wife intuition, of course. 

Anyway, one might believe that nearly 3 years later, someone would be over a situation like this, but not I. Why is that? Well, my friends, it's because sometimes you fall so deeply in fake love with a baseball player that it's hard to forget. It's hard to forgive and it's hard to move on. 

Why is Torii important? I'll tell you why. What do you think the Twins were missing during the 2010 season? Obviously we know what they were lacking during the post-season - offense. But, I'm talking about throughout the entire season. The pitching? Meh - it was up and down, but it was decent; good even. Our offense was hot and cold, but able to win the division. What we were missing was the guy in the clubhouse who held the team together. The guy with the cutest freaking smile who went out there and played baseball no matter what (unless he caught a spike in the wall at Fenway).

I should be over this. I know. I know! That doesn't mean I ever will be. Don't misunderstand me, because I do love me some Denard Span. The fact of the matter, though, is that Span doesn't have the same presence Torii had. And I think it's important to note how much happier Torii was in Minnesota:

VS.

When Torii left, he kept talking about how he'd love to end his career playing in Minnesota. Now at age 35, I suspect Torii will not end his career back in Minnesota - unless he becomes some sort of crazy power hitter and he returns in a Jim Thome, DH kind of role. It's pretty safe to say that Torii's not coming back to play here. There, I said it. Happy? 

Is it Spring Training yet?

* = Slight Exaggeration

Painfully Predictable

I've been avoiding this post for a while now. There are some things in life that, when they happen, you just need some time to process what's going on - in your brain in and in your heart. Now that I'm a Rangers fan*, it's a little bit easier to write about the ultimate demise of the Minnesota Twins. A brief recap of what happened during the American League Divisional Series between the Twins and the Fucking Yankees:


Game #1. Home Field Advantage?


Through 5 innings, the Twins were leading 3-0 over the Yankees. The fans were feeling great. Maybe we've got it in us this year, we thought. Maybe things will be different this time. These Yankees aren't looking so hot. We've got 'em right where we want them. The thing about playing the Yankees is that I'll never be comfortable with a 3 run lead in the 9th inning with 2 outs. And for good reason, mind you. The Yankees came back in the 6th inning and scored 4 runs. The Twins put in some good effort in the bottom of the 6th and tied it up 4-4. Okay, we're still in this. We've just got to hold them.


Don't get me started about Jim Thome being hit by a pitch by Sabathia in the 2nd inning. Should there have been retaliation? I don't know. Maybe. Do I think there should have been retaliation? Absolutely. I don't even care if Sabathia didn't do it on purpose. Send those jackholes a message. "No one hits J.T. and gets away with it." 


Moving on, the Yankees put two more runs on the board in the top of the 7th when my *favorite* reliever, Jesse Crain took the mound. This guy pitched .1 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs. How are you not playing in Japan by now? And not just Jesse, but the good 'ol boy, J. Mauer - a pathetic 1 for 5 night. Am I being punk'd? It certainly felt like I was.


Needless to say, the final score was 6-4 Yankees. F that.


Game #2. Crap


We came out with an early one run lead this time, but the truth is that an early lead never matters against a team that cheats*. Pavano pitched his face off, but allowed 4 runs. What was the hardest part of this game? Knowing that the series was over when the Twins lost this game. While it was a nice fantasy, I think most Twins fans pretty much knew that, even though it was possible, the Twins wouldn't go in and win two games in New York. Home field advantage aside, we were outplayed. You know what would've been nice? A bases clearing double. 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position? Gimme a break. 


Dear Hunter Wendelstedt,


You are my least favorite Hunter. Shut up.


Love,
me


P.S. See below

You really enjoyed this a little too much, Hunter

Game #3. D-Day


Remember when the Twins clinched the AL Central? That was a beautiful day/night. Everyone was excited. All that was left to find out was who the Twins would take on in the post season. Would it be the Yankees or the Rays? People were worried about playing the Yankees because of our pathetic, horrible, agonizing history of failure when playing them in the post season. These fears were not without merit, and I hate to write that. Baseball is an intricate game, where anything can happen. Calls go either way at crucial times and everyone has an opinion. Is there a serious mental block that happens to the Twins when they play the Yankees? Maybe. Is there a serious block of some sort when the Twins play in the post season? Absolutely. Sure, we get to the playoffs a lot, but we haven't gotten past the ALDS since 2002. That's painful for everyone who cheers for these guys. That's probably painful for the players, too. The difference is that they get paid even when they lose. All I get is a shit load of text messages from Yankee fans that make me want to either a). push them off a bridge; or b). throw myself off a bridge. 


You may have noticed my recap of game three hasn't at all recapped the game. That's because it's still too painful. We lost, okay? That's all there really is to say. A few other things are things I can only show:

The Thome Shift continues in game 161 against Toronto

These guys are weird and I hate them

The good thing about the 2010 season is that the pain is over. The Rangers and Yankees are tied 1-1 in the ALCS, which goes to show - the Yankess can be beat. All you need is Cliff Lee and Josh Hamilton. You know- a Cy Young Award winning pitcher and a hard-hitting outfielder. I remember when we had those kinds of players... 

What do we need to remember about this season? There are a handful of things:

1. Target Field really is stunning. It's amazing that we don't have to play in a football stadium anymore. Anyone who was able to visit Target Field this year knows how incredible it feels. Each time I went, I had to remind myself to dress for the weather since I wasn't going to be watching climate controlled baseball. 

Wally's still in action

Watching fireworks at Target Field

The most beautiful sight of the summer

2. We did, after all, win the American League Central Division. We went from 1st to 3rd, to 2nd and back to 1st. It was a long battle to end in 1st place this year. Obviously, not nearly as nerve wracking as the last 2 seasons. Maybe it's just me, but being in first place (alone) after game 162 felt a little weird. Good, but weird. 

3. Although I inaccurately predicted that Justin Morneau was busy knocking up his wife while out with his concussion, I was right that he knocked her up. When I wrote about him knocking her up, I had no idea that she was nearly 9 months pregnant at the time. The good news is that baby Evelyn was born on Sept. 23, 2010 - coincidentally 9 days after I accused him of spending too much time horizontally. 

4. We are for sure going to win the World Series in 2011. We just needed to break in Target Field before really going on a tear. 

* = Sort of true/Not true