Are Bryce and Manny eligible for unemployment? Is that what’s holding things up? Here’s your update. Go ahead and play it. You won’t be surprised and you’ll be sorry you did.
Twins Update
The Twins signed a couple of guys whose names I don’t remember. One of them appears to have been a so so player in the bigs a few years ago, who’s spent the last few years playing in the Korean and Japanese leagues and will now be back home on one of the Twins minor league clubs. Maybe he likes lutefisk more than sushi.
The other one is a pitcher who the Twins decided to give three and one half million dollars to because three and one half million dollars is next to nothing for a starting pitcher. The guys been injury prone the last couple of years and looking at his stats prior to and during those years I kind of hope that he stays injury prone.
You Did Know That I Just Love Arlo Guthrie
I saw him in concert with Ry Cooder in the early 70’s. They were simply sitting next to each other on stage – no strobe lights, no smoke show – just a couple of guys playing music. It was obvious that Ry was a way better musician than Arlo and I’m sure that Arlo knew it and that was exactly why he was appearing with him. He was letting Ry look good while making him look bad, and using his son of Woody / Alice’s Restaurant fame to let a bunch of people know how good Ry was.
Towards the end of the concert when the audience became audibly upset that they weren’t going to play any of Arlo’s previous hits, Arlo, in his always friendly – folksy but articulate way reminded the crowd that it was rude to refuse to listen to a musician’s latest work. To not treat that person like a person.
Here’s Something That’s Nothing
Over at MLB.com an attempt to fill the void was made by a writer whose name I don’t remember by suggesting that the Twins could and should get in on the Craig Kimbrel sweepstakes. He argued that the Twins might have a one or two year window to get into the playoffs as the Indians fade and before the likely ascension of the White Sox by becoming the top team in the weakest division. The ancient thirty something is said to be seeking and not finding something like a five year – eighty mil deal. Why not splurge short term on an elite bullpen arm that might get you to 85 – 90 wins with say a three year sixty mil deal?
Supposing that he would give you 70 innings / per year, needing 15 pitches per inning that works out to $285,714.28 per inning and $19,047.62 per pitch. Think about that the next time you’re at the grocery store deciding if you’re going to have hamburger or steak for dinner.
Of course I’m all for it.
Fan Interference 
Sweet—black noise. Related to The Void, no doubt. I’m going to take your word for it being 10 “full” minutes though, so as to not take the chance of seeing “this webpage may be slowing down your computer.”
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It’s supposed to be ten hours, but I’m afraid I can’t confirm that.
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Big news announced in the 313 on Friday, the Tiggers are reducing the size of the Olde English D on their hats to make it similar to what it had been prior to last seaon. The news was released just as the polar vortex left town, proving once again that extreme cold does make your D shrink.
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Does it also make your budget shrink? That would explain where they’ve been for a few Polar Vortex years now.
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Your mention of the D gives me an excuse to ask one of those ‘always wondered’ questions. Why is the font used for the Olde English D on the cap different to the one on the jersey? Was it just too hard to pick one and stick with it? Is one easier to embroider on the cap/jersey? Is one a ‘cap tip’ to a nostalgic era when the Tigers were winning?
Or was it the result of a (non-compulsory) fan vote with a 51.8-to-48.2% split, and management said we’ll have both? For what it’s worth, to my eyes at least, the cap logo looks significantly more Olde Worlde while the jersey logo barely resembles a D at all.
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Actually, they switched the logo on the jersey last year so the hat & jersey did match.
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The Astros just cornered the market on Wade Miley for a year. That will be marketed as their Dallas Keuchel replacement for 1/3 the price. It looks like in isolation it might be a good move, but I think they should build on that and offer Keuchel a deal, too.
But who asked me?
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Get out! There’s not really been a “market” on Miley….right? Right? Tell me I’m right……
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Well, technically, since he picked up about five big ones, there is a market for him. Just not much competition.
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Catchers and pitchers report in 9 days,
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And about half of them won’t have a place to report TO!
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(About half of the unsigned ones, I mean.)
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Incidentally, momentum continues to build in the negotiations for a Realmuto trade. If it seems like things are going slowly, that may be because the talks have achieved so much momentum that, as they approach the speed of light, we seem to be standing still by comparison.
Or something like that.
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I’d still like the ‘Stro’s to re-enter that competition. They have all kinds of prospects of the marginal character that the Marlins seem to love. Robinson Chirinos? Meh.
And I have a quote here that I mistakenly attributed to Einstein. It turns out to belong to Max Planck. Think of climate change.
“A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.”
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How’s this for a successor to Sesame Street: “Hey boys and girls, it’s Planck Time!”
And we remain standing still in relation to Realmuto. I suspect at least one of the dilithium crystals will burn out before a deal gets done.
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I guess they are thinking he will move better at the trade deadline. Could definitely be overplaying their hands.
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JT escapes! More at 11.
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So in other words, the Feesh franchise is no longer just “mostly dead”, as Miracle Max would put it.
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I’ve had two hellishly busy days but as soon as I get some time to take a closer look at what the Feesh got back I’ll have more to say about it.
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I like Ry Cooder’s drummer. That open mouthed vacant gaze! Did he even know that other musicians were present? Perfect drummer! I hope he never played with Spinal Tap, ‘cuz that would mean he’s dead.
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