Ugh.

Just when things were getting so good, they get frustrating again. The whole team just sucked. Lohse sucked. Hunter sucked. Stewart sucked. Blanco sucked. Cuddyer sucked. Morneau sucked. I could go on and on. Just two guys didn't suck. One was Joe Roa, who in my mind has replaced Juan Rincon for best bullpen guy who isn't a closer. And the other, surprisingly, was Mientkiewicz, who played like a man who had something to prove. Which is fine by me. Maybe that's why he could hit for .300+ early in his career. He had to prove to the organization that he was worth keeping. Now he had to prove it again, and I'd have to say that he did. I just hope that if he's still in a Twins uniform tomorrow, he'll continue to prove it.

In trade news, the Mets got Kris Benson. Just as well. I was starting to think he wouldn't fit in with the team very well. It's just too bad we couldn't trade for his wife. For now, I guess Jodi Mientkiewicz (a woman who has nothing to prove) will have to do.

Moving Mientkiewicz

One way or another, this situation is less than ideal. At the start of the week, when it looked like Dougie would be gone by Tuesday, I thought it would be the perfect trade. And then the days lingered on. And now, after all the reports I've read and all the different rumored trade offers, I'm not sure on anything anymore. On one hand, if we do end up with Benson, I'm starting to wonder just how good he will be for us. He's not that spectacular, especially in a playoff situation (assuming, of course, that the pressure will get to him). I just get bad vibes from it all, really. But on the other hand, now we HAVE to get rid of Mientkiewicz. I see no other way. Him and Gardenhire are reportedly at odds with each other, and that seems to be where all this trade talk sprouted from. While he may not have been a clubhouse cancer last week, if he doesn't find his way out of Minnesota, he will become one fast. So in one way, I don't really want Benson, but if that's what we can get for Mientkiewicz, I'll take him. But I hope Terry Ryan is working hard trying to come up with something else out of the blue. I'm thinking maybe Mientkiewicz plays for the Twins tomorrow night and switches over by Saturday's game as he gets traded to Boston. Perhaps that's what the hold up is; Carl Pohlad is too cheap to pay for a plane ticket, so some kind of trade with Boston has been on the table all week. God, I can only hope.

Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye!

Is there anything better than sweeping those damn White Sox? In Chicago? And all three games were really their own entities. Game one had Torii Hunter's tryout for the Vikings (my opinion: sign him up!). Game two had Corey Koskie getting more bases than all the Twins combined do somedays. And game three had Justin Morneau getting not one but two home run calls reversed, either one of which would have ended the game on time. But as it were, going into the 10th inning wasn't so bad, because it gave Torii Hunter a chance to make yet another phenomenal catch. One that I am sure burned in the hearts of White Sox fans everywhere. Really, I'm surprised after that catch that a fan didn't run onto the field and attack someone.

But I guarantee this sweep would be a whole lot nicer if every day of it we weren't more concerned about where Mientkiewicz would be going. It made it hard to focus on the game as a fan. As far as trading him goes, I'm indifferent for now. It really depends on who we get. But now that the cat's out of the bag, they need to get the deal done ASAP. The first thing I do each day is check to see if he's been traded yet. The wait is killing me. Especially since now I'm not so sure we'll be getting Kris Benson, so we could be getting anyone really. Terry Ryan has a knack for the surprise trade, so really, there's a whole grab bag of players we could be getting, and only time will tell which one he picks. I just hope it's not TOO much time...

Plunk!

Am I the only one who was rooting for Koskie to get hit again in the 9th? I'm sure Koskie was hating it, especially since he isn't exactly known for being free of aches and pains. But he could've taken one more for the team! It'd be his name in the record books, after all!

If it weren't for all the trade rumors swirling around, the Twins would have to be the hottest team in baseball right now. I mean, it feels like the last time they lost a series was in May. They're just playing excellent, excellent baseball right now. Hopefully, they can keep it up, because even if we sweep the White Sox tomorrow, then we face a tough Red Sox team, and the lead we have over Chicago could go just as fast as it came. But hey, if Oakland could win 20 games in a row a few years back, what's stopping the Twins from doing the same? I'm all for it, personally.

I'm Only Happy When It Rains

What a game! Little Nicky Punto slipping on the wet grass and injuring himself (though I must say, it was maybe the most graceful injury I have ever seen), Torii Hunter absolutely running right through the White Sox catcher, and of course, subsequently being booed by the annoying White Sox fans. Rad Bradke showed both sides of himself on the mound today, but luckily his better half prevailed. The only worrying point is Juan Rincon giving up yet another home run. He's really starting to worry me now.

And that's about all I saw. I was actually working too hard on finishing up the Former Players List (see below) to pay hard attention to the game. But I was overjoyed by the result. 1.5 games over the White Sox, this could be the start of something good.

Ryan Whitaker's Former Players List

Finally, I have done something significant! Something that will put me up in the ranks of Bill James and Rob Neyer and those types! It ate up my entire day, but it is finished! It's my list of former players!

This requires a bit of explanation: a "former player" is, simply, any active player who used to play for a team different from his current team. For example, Barry Bonds is a current player of the San Francisco Giants, but he is a former player of the Pittsburgh Pirates. What I have spent pretty much every waking hour of today doing was finding the team that has the most former players. A player could have more than one former team (and many did). My inspiration for this is all the times I've watched the Twins play the Boston Red Sox or some other team and when the likes of David Ortiz or Todd Walker or whoever come up to bat, I always think "former Twin, David Ortiz." It made me wonder just where the Twins stand in former players. I got my current roster info from each team's official roster page and former team info from BaseballReference.com. All roster info is current as of today, July 26th.

Now then, without further adieu, I bring you Ryan Whitaker's Former Players List:

Former Players By Team:

Anaheim: 22 (Mike Fetters, Steve Sparks, Jason Grimsley, Kent Mercker, Scott Schoeneweis, Jamie Burke, Todd Greene, Al Levine, Matt Perisho, Damion Easley, Orlando Palmeiro, Brian Anderson, Darrell May, Matt Wise, Mark McLemore, Ismael Valdes, Phil Nevin, J.T. Snow, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Scott Spiezio, Jim Edmonds, Brad Fullmer)

Arizona: 28 (Jose Guillen, Ken Huckaby, Karim Garcia, Alan Embree, Curt Schilling, Mike DiFelice, Lenny Harris, Brian Anderson, Dennys Reyes, Duaner Sanchez, Chris Capuano, Chad Moeller, Craig Counsell, Lyle Overbay, John Patterson, Tony Batista, Ricky Bottalico, Bret Prinz, Damian Miller, Erubiel Durazo, Felix Rodriguez, Mike Myers, Jeff Suppan, Tony Womack, Reggie Sanders, Rod Barajas, David Dellucci, Miguel Batista)

Atlanta: 38 (Danny Bautista, Javy Lopez, Alan Embree, Greg Maddux, Kent Mercker, Mike Remlinger, Paul Bako, Steve Reed, Vinny Castilla, Mike Mordecai, Darrell May, Rudy Seanez, Tony Graffanino, Odalis Perez, Jose Hernandez, Wes Helms, Terry Mulholland, Henry Blanco, Tom Glavine, Mike Stanton, Kenny Lofton, Gary Sheffield, Jermaine Dye, Roberto Hernandez, Kevin Millwood, Randall Simon, Ryan Klesko, Marquis Grissom, Michael Tucker, Bret Boone, Ray King, Jason Marquis, Reggie Sanders, Robert Fick, Rey Sanchez, Brian Jordan, Kerry Lightenberg, Justin Speier)

Baltimore: 33 (Mike Fetters, Roberto Alomar, Steve Finley, Curt Schilling, Mike Timlin, Kent Mercker, Willie Harris, Tim Laker, Casey Blake, Travis Driskill, Charles Johnson, Jason Johnson, Esteban Yan, Armando Benitez, Jeff Conine, Tony Batista, Scott Erickson, Todd Zeile, Mark McLemore, Tim Worrell, Jose Mesa, Willis Roberts, David Wells, Deivi Cruz, Jamie Moyer, Brook Fordyce, John Wasdin, David Dellucci, Gary Matthews, Sean Douglass, Kerry Lightenberg, Josh Towers, Gregg Zaun)

Boston: 38 (Aaron Sele, Casey Fossum, Carlos Baerga, Shea Hillenbrand, Kent Mercker, Todd Walker, Carl Everett, Todd Jones, Bob Howry, Lou Merloni, Jeff Fassero, Tim Harikkala, Ugueth Urbina, Josias Manzanillo, Kirk Bullinger, Roger Clemens, Darren Oliver, Rudy Seanez, Matt Stairs, Jose Offerman, Sunny Kim, Mike Stanton, Cliff Floyd, Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, John Flaherty, Tony Clark, Scott Hatteberg, Rheal Cormier, Chris Stynes, Rod Beck, Dustin Hermanson, Jamie Moyer, Jeff Suppan, Rey Sanchez, Ron Mahay, Brian Shouse, John Wasdin)

Cubs: 55 (Jose Molina, Josh Paul, Luis Gonzalez, Antonio Alfonseca, Juan Cruz, Robert Machado, Rafael Palmeiro, Terry Adams, Mark Bellhorn, Ricky Gutierrez, Bill Mueller, Ross Gload, Phil Norton, Todd Van Poppel, Shawn Estes, Jeff Fassero, Jason Smith, Rondell White, Hee Seop Choi, Lenny Harris, Dave Weathers, Jose Vizcaino, Matt Stairs, Jose Hernandez, Terry Mulholland, Steve Trachsel, Todd Zeile, Tom Gordon, Felix Heredia, Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze, Miguel Cairo, Kenny Lofton, Damian Miller, Eric Karros, Tim Worrell, Todd Pratt, Doug Glanville, Bobby Hill, Randall Simon, Chris Stynes, Rod Beck, Ismael Valdes, Michael Tucker, Jamie Moyer, Dave Hansen, Ray King, Julian Tavarez, Tony Womack, Rey Sanchez, Ron Mahay, Eric Young, Gary Matthews, Miguel Batista, Justin Speier)

White Sox: 37 (Bartolo Colon, Josh Paul, Roberto Alomar, Julio Franco, Robert Machado, Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, Sammy Sosa, D'Angelo Jimenez, Bob Howry, Rick White, Charles Johnson, Royce Clayton, Aaron Miles, Al Levine, Billy Koch, Scott Sullivan, Tony Graffanino, Wilson Alvarez, Olmedo Saenz, Robin Ventura, Rocky Biddle, Mike Cameron, Tom Gordon, Tanyon Sturtze, Kenny Lofton, Ruben Sierra, Chad Bradford, Roberto Hernandez, Josh Fogg, Kip Wells, David Wells, Scott Eyre, Ray Durham, Miguel Olivo, Cal Eldred, Brook Fordyce)

Cincinnati: 41 (Jose Guillen, Elmer Dessens, Chris Reitsma, B.J. Ryan, Todd Williams, Kent Mercker, Mike Remlinger, Todd Walker, Mike Jackson, Paul Konerko, Shawn Estes, Mark Sweeney, Dmitri Young, Josias Manzanillo, Lenny Harris, Dave Weathers, Dennys Reyes, Scott Sullivan, Ruben Mateo, Giovanni Carrara, Juan Encarnacion, Dave Burba, Brady Clark, John Franco, Mike Cameron, Eric Valent, Felix Heredia, Ruben Sierra, Chris Stynes, David Wells, Jim Brower, Felix Rodriguez, Brett Tomko, Michael Tucker, Ron Villone, Dan Wilson, Bret Boone, Reggie Sanders, Rob Bell, Brook Fordyce, Carlos Almanzar)

Cleveland: 55 (Bartolo Colon, Roberto Alomar, Carlos Baerga, Tim Drew, Jaret Wright, Eddie Perez, Julio Franco, Jason Grimsley, Karim Garcia, Alan Embree, Ricky Gutierrez, Manny Ramirez, Kent Mercker, Mike Jackson, Sandy Alomar, Danny Graves, Sean Casey, Jacob Cruz, Steve Reed, Jeromy Burnitz, Dan Miceli, Dave Weathers, Jeff Kent, Jose Vizcaino, Brian Anderson, Rudy Seanez, Tom Martin, Jose Hernandez, Milton Bradley, Dave Roberts, Dave Burba, Chris Magruder, Terry Mulholland, Joe Roa, Einar Diaz, Enrique Wilson, Kenny Lofton, Ricardo Rincon, Mark McLemore, Paul Abbott, Tim Worrell, David Bell, Jim Thome, Ricky Ledee, Jose Mesa, Brian Giles, Jim Brower, Marquis Grissom, Ron Villone, Jolbert Cabrera, Steve Kline, Julian Tavarez, Danys Baez, Ryan Drese, Justin Speier)

Colorado: 48 (Brent Mayne, Quinton McCracken, Mike Hampton, John Thomson, Mark Bellhorn, Gabe Kapler, Kent Mercker, Todd Walker, Tom Goodwin, Sandy Alomar, Ross Gload, Juan Uribe, Todd Jones, Gabe White, Jacob Cruz, Jason Romano, John Vander Wal, Scott Elarton, Matt Miller, Rick White, Ron Belliard, Lenny Harris, Juan Pierre, Dan Miceli, Darren Oliver, Dennys Reyes, Giovanni Carrara, Jose Hernandez, Victor Santos, Gary Bennett, Craig Counsell, Joe Roa, Henry Blanco, Mike DeJean, Todd Zeile, Adam Melhuse, Chris Stynes, Jeff Cirillo, Jay Payton, Neifi Perez, Mike Myers, Ron Villone, Julian Tavarez, Tony Womack, John Wasdin, Eric Young, Justin Speier, Gregg Zaun)

Detroit: 41 (Steve Sparks, Danny Bautista, Luis Gonzalez, Dave Borkowski, Buddy Groom, Karim Garcia, Gabe Kapler, Paul Bako, Jose Macias, Todd Jones, Todd Van Poppel, Jacob Cruz, Adam Benero, Matt Perisho, Damion Easley, Dan Miceli, Brad Ausmus, Joe Randa, Jose Lima, Jeff Weaver, Juan Encarnacion, Victor Santos, John Flaherty, Tony Clark, Ruben Sierra, Mark Redman, Brian Powell, Tim Worrell, Willis Roberts, Randall Simon, David Wells, Phil Nevin, Deivi Cruz, Mike Myers, Roger Cedeno, Trever Miller, Robert Fick, Doug Brocail, Francisco Cordero, Chris Gomez, Frank Catalanotto)

Florida: 42 (Danny Bautista, Antonio Alfonseca, Buddy Groom, Kevin Millar, Matt Clement, Paul Bako, Derrek Lee, Moises Alou, Carl Everett, Charles Johnson, Preston Wilson, Gary Knotts, Nate Robertson, Ugueth Urbina, Ivan Rodriguez, Dan Miceli, Dave Weathers, Juan Encarnacion, Craig Counsell, Livian Hernandez, Al Leiter, Braden Looper, Mike Piazza, Todd Zeile, Cliff Floyd, Felix Heredia, Gary Sheffield, Mark Redman, Ramon Castro, Mark Kotsay, Brian Meadows, Trevor Hoffman, Blaine Neal, Mike Myers, Julian Tavarez, Edgar Renteria, John Mabry, Ron Mahay, Miguel Batista, Justin Speier, Gregg Zaun, Dave Berg)

Houston: 38 (Randy Johnson, Steve Finley, Luis Gonzalez, Mike Hampton, Curt Schilling, Ricky Gutierrez, Paul Bako, Moises Alou, Mike Jackson, Carl Everett, Todd Jones, Scott Elarton, Rick White, Vinny Castilla, Jose Lima, Tom Martin, Keith Ginter, Richard Hidalgo, Tom Gordon, Kenny Lofton, Octavio Dotel, Kirk Saarloos, Mark McLemore, Brian Powell, Billy Wagner, Bobby Abreu, Scott Linebrink, Ricky Stone, Phil Nevin, Wayne Franklin, Ron Villone, Roger Cedeno, John Halama, Trever Miller, Geoff Blum, Julio Lugo, Doug Brocail, Gregg Zaun)

Kansas City: 37 (Juan Brito, Brent Mayne, Paul Byrd, Jason Grimsley, Johnny Damon, David McCarty, Glendon Rusch, Tom Goodwin, Chad Durbin, Jamey Wright, Kit Pellow, Al Levine, Jamie Walker, Mike DiFelice, Rondell White, Jeff Conine, Carlos Beltran, Jose Lima, Jose Offerman, Endy Chavez, Ricky Bottalico, Tom Gordon, Jermaine Dye, Paul Abbott, Roberto Hernandez, Brian Meadows, Chris Stynes, Jay Witasick, Neifi Perez, Michael Tucker, Raul Ibanez, Jeff Suppan, Lance Carter, Rey Sanchez, Brian Shouse, Miguel Batista, Gregg Zaun)

Los Angeles: 36 (Mike Fetters, Todd Williams, Karim Garcia, Terry Adams, Pedro Martinez, Mark Grudzielanek, Tom Goodwin, Paul Konerko, Juan Castro, Jason Romano, Charles Johnson, Jeromy Burnitz, Lenny Harris, Jose Vizcaino, Dennys Reyes, Rudy Seanez, Craig Counsell, Terry Mulholland, Henry Blanco, Jose Offerman, Mike Piazza, Todd Zeile, Paul Quantrill, Gary Sheffield, Adam Melhuse, Eric Karros, Ismael Valdes, Matt Herges, Felix Rodriguez, Marquis Grissom, Jolbert Cabrera, Dave Hansen, Roger Cedeno, Trever Miller, Eric Young, Brian Jordan)

Milwaukee: 34 (Mike Fetters, Steve Sparks, Eddie Perez, Julio Franco, Robert Machado, Luis Lopez, Glendon Rusch, Paul Bako, Jose Valentin, John Vander Wal, Bob Wickman, Ron Belliard, Jamey Wright, Royce Clayton, Jeromy Burnitz, Mark Sweeney, Josias Manzanillo, Lenny Harris, Dave Weathers, Matt Stairs, Jose Hernandez, Henry Blanco, Mike DeJean, Gary Sheffield, Jeff Cirillo, Mark Loretta, Wayne Franklin, Marquis Grissom, Mike Myers, Ron Villone, Cal Eldred, Ray King, Mike Matheny, Eric Young)

Minnesota: 26 (Mike Fetters, Quinton McCracken, David McCarty, David Ortiz, LaTroy Hawkins, Todd Walker, Mike Jackson, Todd Jones, Javier Valentin, Casey Blake, Matt Lawton, Matt Kinney, Chad Moeller, Scott Erickson, Mark Redman, Damian Miller, Bobby Kielty, Paul Abbott, Eric Milton, A.J. Pierzynski, Dustan Mohr, Eddie Guardado, Kenny Rogers, Kevin Frederick, Michael Nakamura, Chris Gomez)

Montreal: 39 (Bartolo Colon, Vladimir Guerrero, Randy Johnson, Tim Drew, Robert Machado, Pedro Martinez, Michael Barrett, Mark Grudzielanek, Jose Macias, Moises Alou, Gabe White, John Vander Wal, Tim Laker, Jeff Fassero, Larry Walker, Ugueth Urbina, Rondell White, Carl Pavano, Mike Mordecai, Kirk Bullinger, Raul Chavez, Matt Stairs, Guillermo Mota, Milton Bradley, Todd Zeile, Cliff Floyd, Javier Vazquez, Rheal Cormier, Salomon Torres, Jim Brower, Matt Herges, Dustin Hermanson, Kirk Reuter, Marquis Grissom, Steve Kline, Geoff Blum, Brad Fullmer, Miguel Batista, Ted Lilly)

Mets: 47 (Brent Mayne, Roberto Alomar, Carlos Baerga, Paul Byrd, Mike Hampton, John Thomson, Luis Lopez, Melvin Mora, Mike Remlinger, Glendon Rusch, Carl Everett, Timo Perez, Cory Lidle, Paul Wilson, Rick White, Matt Lawton, Shawn Estes, Steve Reed, Jeromy Burnitz, Preston Wilson, Armando Benitez, Josias Manzanillo, Lenny Harris, Dave Weathers, Jeff Kent, Jose Vizcaino, Jaime Cerda, Alberto Castillo, Desi Relaford, Tom Martin, Robin Ventura, Gary Bennett, Brady Clark, Tony Clark, Octavio Dotel, Marco Scutaro, Todd Pratt, Terrence Long, Jay Payton, Tyler Walker, Edgardo Alfonzo, Jason Isringhausen, Roger Cedeno, Brook Fordyce, Rey Sanchez, Kenny Rogers, Gary Matthews)

Yankees: 43 (Randy Choate, Jason Grimsely, Todd Williams, Karim Garcia, Ramiro Mendoza, Brandon Claussen, Gabe White, D'Angelo Jimenez, John Vander Wal, Jake Westbrook, Bob Wickman, Todd Greene, Marcus Thames, Rondell White, Armando Benitez, Josias Manzanillo, Mike Lowell, Roger Clemens, Dan Miceli, Andy Pettitte, Dave Weathers, Jose Vizcaino, Alberto Castillo, Jeff Weaver, Robin Ventura, Terry Mulholland, Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, Al Leiter, Mike Stanton, Todd Zeile, Jim Mecir, Ricky Ledee, David Wells, Jay Witasick, J.T. Snow, Tino Martinez, Rey Sanchez, Carlos Almanzar, Kenny Rogers, Alfonso Soriano, David Dellucci, Ted Lilly)

Oakland: 38 (Jose Guillen, Mike Fetters, Steve Sparks, Brent Mayne, Buddy Groom, Miguel Tejada, Keith Foulke, Mark Bellhorn, Johnny Damon, David McCarty, Aaron Harang, Cory Lidle, Todd Van Poppel, Carlos Pena, Billy Koch, Chad Harville, Mike Wood, Matt Stairs, Olmedo Saenz, Jason Grabowski, Luis Vizcaino, Ben Grieve, Tony Batista, Jason Giambi, Ruben Sierra, Tim Worrell, Jay Witasick, Terrence Long, Ray Durham, Scott Spiezio, Jason Isringhausen, John Mabry, John Halama, Ron Mahay, Kenny Rogers, John Wasdin, Ted Lilly, Frank Menechino)

Philadelphia: 26 (Paul Byrd, Johnny Estrada, Julio Franco, Jason Grimsley, David Newhan, Terry Adams, Curt Schilling, Mike Timlin, Mike Jackson, Cliff Politte, Kirk Bullinger, Desi Relaford, Gary Bennett, Terry Mulholland, Joe Roa, Carlos Silva, Nick Punto, Ricky Bottalico, Todd Zeile, Eric Valent, Paul Quantrill, Jose Mesa, Marlon Anderson, Scott Rolen, John Mabry, Trever Miller)

Pittsburgh: 38 (Jose Guillen, Elmer Dessens, Mike Fetters, Bronson Arroyo, Tim Wakefield, Aramis Ramirez, Moises Alou, Esteban Loaiza, Damaso Marte, Todd Van Poppel, John Vander Wal, Rick White, Tim Laker, Jason Johnson, Josias Manzanillo, Dan Miceli, Darrell May, Dennys Reyes, Joe Randa, Matt Stairs, Duaner Sanchez, Jose Hernandez, Terry Mulholland, Jon Lieber, Enrique Wilson, Kenny Lofton, Ricardo Rincon, Brian Giles, Jason Christianson, Barry Bonds, Ron Villone, Jeff Suppan, Julian Tavarez, Tony Womack, Reggie Sanders, Brian Shouse, Gary Matthews, Miguel Batista)

San Diego: 47 (Roberto Alomar, Carlos Baerga, Steve Finley, Jaret Wright, Rodrigo Lopez, Luis Lopez, David Newhan, Alan Embree, Ricky Gutierrez, Matt Clement, Derrek Lee, Sandy Alomar, Ben Davis, D'Angelo Jimenez, John Vander Wal, Lou Merloni, Steve Reed, Mark Sweeney, Rondell White, Ben Howard, Dan Miceli, Brad Ausmus, Rudy Seanez, Desi Relaford, Gary Bennett, Joe Roa, John Flaherty, Gary Sheffield, Mark Kotsay, Tim Worrell, Brian Meadows, Oliver Perez, Jason Bay, Matt Herges, Dustin Hermanson, Brett Tomko, Deivi Cruz, Ron Villone, Bret Boone, Dave Hansen, Woody Williams, John Mabry, Reggie Sanders, Carlos Almanzar, Doug Brocail, Gary Matthews, Chris Gomez)

San Francisco: 44 (Brent Mayne, Russ Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, Doug Mirabelli, Bill Mueller, David McCarty, Mike Remlinger, Ramon Martinez, Tom Goodwin, Mike Jackson, Jacob Cruz, John Vander Wal, Shawn Estes, Steve Reed, Royce Clayton, Jeff Kent, Jose Vizcaino, Alberto Castillo, Wilson Alvarez, Dave Burba, Aaron Fultz, Terry Mulholland, Joe Nathan, Joe Roa, Livian Hernandez, Kenny Lofton, Roberto Hernandez, Brian Powell, Tim Worrell, David Bell, Jose Mesa, Salomon Torres, Ryan Vogelsong, Rod Beck, Scott Linebrink, Jay Witasick, Rich Aurilia, Julian Tavarez, Reggie Sanders, Rey Sanchez, Jose Cruz, Eric Young)

Seattle: 42 (Aaron Sele, Randy Johnson, Mike Hampton, Todd Williams, Robert Machado, Derek Lowe, Mike Timlin, David McCarty, Freddy Garcia, Mike Jackson, Damaso Marte, Ben Davis, Omar Vizquel, Jeff Fassero, Tim Harikkala, Carlos Guillen, Armando Benitez, Josias Manzanillo, Raul Chavez, Desi Relaford, Giovanni Carrara, Dave Burba, Scott Podsednik, Terry Mulholland, Jose Offerman, Mike Cameron, Alex Rodriguez, Ruben Sierra, Jim Mecir, Mark McLemore, Paul Abbott, David Bell, Jose Mesa, Salomon Torres, Ismael Valdes, Jeff Cirillo, Brett Tomko, John Mabry, John Halama, Tino Martinez, Rey Sanchez, Jose Cruz)

St. Louis: 31 (Adam Kennedy, J.D. Drew, Eli Marrero, Mike Timlin, Kent Mercker, Cliff Politte, Rick White, Jeff Fassero, Jamey Wright, Royce Clayton, Mark Sweeney,
Esteban Yan, Mike DiFelice, Dmitri Young, Darren Oliver, Orlando Palmeiro, Alberto Castillo, Ricky Bottalico, Mike DeJean, Braden Looper, Todd Zeile, Joe McEwing, Miguel Cairo, Rheal Cormier, David Bell, Placido Polanco, Jason Christianson, Dustin Hermanson, Brett Tomko, Jamie Moyer, Brian Jordan)

Tampa Bay: 32 (Jose Guillen, Quinton McCracken, Julio Franco, Mark Malaska, David McCarty, Cory Lidle, Paul Wilson, Javier Valentin, Rick White, Tim Laker, Vinny Castilla, Jason Johnson, Al Levine, Esteban Yan, Mike DiFelice, Jason Smith, Damion Easley, Tony Graffanino, Wilson Alvarez, Tom Martin, Ben Grieve, Steve Trachsel, Dan Wheeler, Tanyon Sturtze, John Flaherty, Miguel Cairo, Jim Mecir, Roberto Hernandez, Randy Winn, Marlon Anderson, Chris Gomez)

Texas: 53 (Aaron Sele, John Thomson, Julio Franco, Rafael Palmeiro, Doug Mirabelli, Gabe Kapler, Tom Goodwin, Sammy Sosa, Esteban Loaiza, Carl Everett, Todd Van Poppel, Jason Romano, Travis Hafner, Jeff Fassero, Todd Greene, Royce Clayton, Al Levine, Danny Patterson, Ugueth Urbina, Esteban Yan, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Pena, Marcus Thames, Matt Perisho, Dan Miceli, Darren Oliver, Mike Lamb, Dennys Reyes, Rudy Seanez, Ruben Mateo, Wilson Alvarez, Jose Hernandez, Dave Burba, Doug Davis, Dan Kolb, Victor Santos, Chris Magruder, Aaron Fultz, Einar Diaz, Mike Stanton, Todd Zeile, Tanyon Sturtze, Alex Rodriguez, Ruben Sierra, Justin Duchscherer, Mark McLemore, Doug Glanville, Ricky Ledee, Ismael Valdes, Jamie Moyer, Rob Bell, Gregg Zaun, Frank Catalanotto)

Toronto: 43 (Kelvim Escobar, Roberto Alomar, Ken Huckaby, Mike Timlin, Alex Gonzalez, Esteban Loaiza, Cliff Politte, Cory Lidle, Ryan Freel, Casey Blake, Todd Greene, Billy Koch, Roger Clemens, Peter Munro, Dave Weathers, Jeff Kent, Alberto Castillo, Giovanni Carrara, Shawn Green, Cesar Izturis, Jayson Werth, Doug Davis, Shannon Stewart, Tony Batista, Al Leiter, Steve Trachsel, Felix Heredia, Paul Quantrill, Tanyon Sturtze, Miguel Cairo, Ruben Sierra, Bobby Kielty, David Wells, Scott Eyre, Chris Carpenter, Woody Williams, Mike Matheny, Mark Hendrickson, Trever Miller, Jose Cruz, Carlos Almanzar, John Wasdin, Brad Fullmer)

As you can see, the Twins actually were tied for the second fewest former players, which was extremely surprising to me. Maybe that's why I can come up with all the former players whenever I see them; we don't have as many as the Cubs or Cleveland. As for usage of this list, I'll let anyone that wants to use it use it in any way they want, provided they credit me for it by a simple little link. It's quick, it's easy, and it gives me some real readers! But it's not like I'll go after you if you don't. I'd probably just be glad that all my work has gone to a good use.

Enough With The Time Travel!

Just a few days ago, I discovered that the Twins woes were due to the '90s becoming hip and cool again. Luckily, Henry Blanco took the Twins out of that fad. But now I turn on the game today, and what do I see but the retro uniforms?! When will they learn?! If the Twins want to look back to years past, how about 2002 and 2003, the years when we won the division? Hey guys, remember people like Kenny Rogers and Rick Reed? Eddie Guardado? Remember him? Yeah, those were good times. Not the '70s. The '70s had disco. That's so not cool.

Now, according to the Twins website, the Twins used the blue uniforms from 1973 to 1986 (I had to look it up because that's before my time). 1973 was also the first year of Frank Quilici as manager. Despite having about the coolest name a manager could have, that did not translate onto the field, and he was gone after 1975. In the years of the blue uniforms, the Twins were better than .500 just four times, and the best they could do in the AL West was third. The rock bottom worst were the 60-102 1982 Twins, which, at a glance, appears to be the worst Twins team ever. Sure, the 1982 Twins had Kent Hrbek and Gary Gaetti and Tom Brunansky and, uh, Butch Wynegar.

Hell, they even had Randy Johnson! Granted, he wasn't the future hall of fame pitcher that today mows down batters well into his 40's, but rather just a light-hitting DH who played just two seasons. Actually, looking up Randy "Not The Pitcher" Johnson's info, I learned that the Twins got him as a PTBNL from the White Sox in a deal that sent the Twins Ivan Mesa, Ronnie Perry and cash for Jerry Koosman before the 1981 season. Then, years later in 1985, the Twins traded him back to the White Sox along with Ron Scheer in exchange for a one Roy Smalley.

Surely, the 1982 Twins are no one to imitate, Randy Johnson or not. Unfortunately, Joe Roa hadn't checked the Twins history, where the greatest highlight from that era was starting play in the Metrodome, and he did his best Terry Felton impression (loser of 13 games in 1982, in relief). Just as well. I was starting to wonder if maybe the Twins had avoided the late '90s and focused in on 1991 only, and that was the reason for their five game winning streak. One loss isn't so bad after five wins. But let's just see some regular uniforms tomorrow, guys.

Who Are These Guys?

Doug Mientkiewicz? Corey Koskie? Torii Hunter? Who the hell? Come on, Gardy! Where's the LeCroys and the Puntos we all know and love? Seriously, who is this man Mientkiewicz and what makes him a better first baseman than Morneau? Surely the bubble gum does not make the man. And Torii Hunter? Does the two I's make him better than Lew Ford, who has none? I think I remember hearing something of a one Cordel Koskie before, but I think maybe it was just someone who badly typoed on "Cuddyer." I don't think it's September yet, so they must not be the call-ups. I just don't get it.

Well, whoever these nobodys are, they managed to collaborate (was I watching the Red Wings instead? Was it FSN and not KSTC? Don't tell me it was a Saints game!) for the Twins fifth win in a row. Mighty impressive, I must say. Then again, it is Kansas City/Tampa Bay/Baltimore. Not exactly the dynasties of our time. But they all count in the records the same.

Screw Tennis

I actually attended this afternoon's game. Not that I was planning to. I actually went downtown to watch some tennis at One Financial Plaza, as they were having the Aquatennial Plaza Tennis tournament. But after watching one mildly entertaining match and no longer able to get free Edy's ice cream samples, I decided to ditch the scene and head over to the Dome. Because, as we all know, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all 365 days of the year, the Dome is the most entertaining spot in the Twin Cities. Or something like that. And low and behold, there was a game this afternoon! Oh my, how could I pass this up?!

And I'm very glad I didn't, for if I hadn't gone, I would have missed Nick Punto's first ever grand slam! Granted, I almost missed it anyway, as I had trouble finding little Punto in the batter's box. I turned to a fan sitting next to me and asked, "where's the batter?" He then passed me his binoculars, and there he was, so tiny that he was barely visible to the naked eye. So much power from someone so little.

And, of course, mad props to my man Michael Cuddyer, for hitting the go-ahead home run. Michael Cuddyer has been disappointing to me at times, but he really came through today, showing me why I should continue to have him be one of my top five favorite Twins.

Or maybe I'm just disappointed because he has about 300 career home runs in my MVP Baseball 2004 game.

Welcome Back

Clearly, Henry Blanco is not a man who enjoyed the '90s. For, unlike the rest of his teammates, "Oh Henry!" has resisted the Quantum Leap to the '90s, and seemingly has brought them all back to the present day. Which is good, because he did it just in time for Brad Radke to pitch. The Twins have been notorious for not giving Rad Brad enough run support, though they've been notorious for not giving anyone any run support as of late. But not today. Blanco spearheaded the Twins to 12 runs, which seems like some kind of record after watching so much futility. Now lets just beat the Devil out of the Rays tomorrow for the two game sweep.

Lets Win Two

This team worries me. Even in winning, they worry me. Grant Balfour comes in, and I basically start pounding my head on the desk. He's still pitching a couple innings later, and I continue to pound my head on the desk. It's just terrible to watch. Even when they win.

Except Lew Ford. And Justin Morneau. Now those two, they are good to watch. The rest of 'em, not so much.

Does Matthew LeCroy ever do anything other than strike out? I think I remember him once hitting a home run or two, but it's all so blurry now...

Hey!

They won!

What? You want more than three words? Try two wins in a row first. We'll see from there.

Bringing It Back Old School

There is just one explanation for the last few games that I can see. Clearly the Twins have been enthralled, as have I, in VH1's "I Love The '90s." However, unlike I, the Twins have taken the show to heart and have obviously decided to bring themselves back to the '90s. Not the good part of the '90s, like, say, 1991. No, we're talking 1997 or so. Remember when? LaTroy Hawkins was not only a Twin still, but a starter at that! "Everyday" Eddie was just a relief pitcher, not the closer that gave us all heart attacks nightly. Rick "Christina" Aguilera was the closer way back when. Yeah, they had Torii Hunter back then, but only for one game. And he didn't even have an at-bat in that game.

In fact, the one apperance by Torii Hunter and Brad Radke (who, admittedly, did win 20 games that season, so he must not have cable TV) are the only Twins still with the modern day Twins. Which might explain youngsters like Lew Ford and Grant Balfour's fascination with the Twins of old. They don't know what sucking is like. All they know is being in a two-time division champion organization. But let me tell you, Aaron Fultz and Nick Punto, it's no fun. You only get one All-Star! I mean, sure, we only had one this year too, but at least Lew Ford got consideration! You get one, and that's it. Some people even argue that you shouldn't even have the one (though when it's Chuck Knoblauch, even I would argue that we shouldn't have had one). And if you think the attendance is bad now, think of how bad it is when even the die-hards won't show up?

Hopefully, you kids will shape up and learn the mistakes of your ways and turn back towards the ballclub of great promise you once were. Or else one of you will earn the nickname "Mike Trombley" (I'm looking at you, Balfour!).

Cosmic

So I go to post about Thursday's game, and Blogger wouldn't put it up on the website right. There'd be the title, but then no text. It didn't work for Friday's game either. But now the Twins win, and it works fine. Clearly, there's a higher force at work here. Lets just hope that Blogger continues to work from here until November.

The game wasn't on TV today, nor is it tomorrow, so it's a fine time for Blogger to start working again, when I can't even really write about what I saw anyway. *Sigh* Perhaps this blog is doomed...

Back tomorrow (hopefully).

Piazza's Gay Ol' Time?

What can I say? I'm a conspiracy theorist. So how does the greatest pitcher of our time, Roger Clemens, give up six runs on a stage as big as the All-Star Game, one that may be his last, in his own back yard? In ONE INNING? Simple. Mike Piazza. Anyone see "Bull Durham?" I absolutely love that movie. And I couldn't help but think of the scene in the movie where the catcher tips off the hitter to what the pitch will be, just so that the hitter can whack it outta the park, just to spite Nuke Laloosh. Now Clemens certainly bears no resemblance to Tim Robbins, nor Piazza to Kevin Costner. But given the long-running feud, why wouldn't Piazza seek his revenge? Tipping off the AL batters to the pitches Clemens would throw is the perfect way to gain an edge on Clemens, because provided no one finds out about it, Piazza wouldn't have to deal with the media fallout. Imagine if Piazza did something wide out in the open to ruin the moment for Clemens. He'd never hear the end of it. His career may very well be ruined by that sort of thing, because it would be so underhanded. But tipping off the pitches? Who'd ever think of THAT? Certainly, Ichiro and Pudge and the like are no lightweights at the plate, but they just clobbered Clemens. There's gotta be something up there.

If only there were a bull for Soriano to hit. He could've won a free steak.

Break Time

Last year, the Twins needed a break badly. If the All-Star Break would have come any later, who knows what may have happened? This year, it's only a three game skid, but you get that same feeling of despair. Things were looking up with the three complete game shutouts, but these last three games have been real downers. Maybe it's just because Mientkiewicz has been out (who would have thought we'd ever use that as a reason this year?), but it's still rough. True, we get Stewart back after the All-Star Break, so there is hope. Hell, if we could win the division last year, it should be a piece of cake this time around. Nevertheless, things may get interesting.

I attended today's game, and I had fun even though there wasn't much to cheer about. I love watching Santana pitch, and aside from those first few innings, he was just as good as ever. Unfortunately, it was those first few innings that got him, but that's baseball. I waited outside the player's entrance after the game and had a great time yelling after all the players. Koskie was the only one who signed any autographs, but he skipped over me. Oh well. Like Charles Barkley says, "even if you sign autographs for half the people there, the other half will hate you." The mascot softball game was probably the highlight of the day though. Something about a shark and a bee in the most awkward play at the plate I've ever seen that was beautiful. I tried (emphasis on tried) to keep score of the mascot game, and I'll scan in my scorecard and post it sometime in the near future.

Also look for a few feature pieces over the All-Star Break, plus the typical thoughts on the game itself and the Home Run Derby. I love the All-Star festivities, almost more than playoff baseball. It's just so much fun to watch it all. I generally get pretty nerdy about baseball this time of year, which is always fun.

Jinxed!

No, Radke wasn't bad. But he wasn't good enough. Three home runs isn't exactly Cy Young material. Though he might have passed for a Bert Blyleven if the eight behind him could have ran around the bases a little bit. But as much as I'd like to blame Bradke and the rest of the Twins for this loss, I know the blame falls on me squarely. It was my fault for scaring Brad Radke into thinking he owed us a pitcher of the week award. To paraphrase Spiderman, there was something he felt he had to do, but he doesn't have to do it anymore. Had I just kept my mouth shut and waited to see what would happen, we wouldn't be in this mess. Who knows how proficient Brad could have been? It is not beyond thought that he could have pitched a perfect game were it not for me. I brought it on myself, because one day I'm saying I won't predict anything about the pitchers, and the next day I'm practically handing Radke pitching awards. But this is why they give out the awards at the end of the season, not the middle.

But tomorrow is another day. And I plan on attending the game, so I dare not say a word about Johan Santana. Whatever will be will be. I will be watching the 5th Annual TC The Bear Mascot Softball Game before the Twins take on the Tigers, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm actually going to attempt to keep score of the softball game, which should be an adventure. Even more of an adventure than that 15 inning game I went to that I tried to keep score of. I kept my scorecard in order until about the 11th inning, when I had to start filling stuff out on the backside of my scorecard. That can be difficult, I tell you. My sister will be along with me for the game tomorrow, which will make things interesting, since she is an avid hater of mascots, since they always taunt her for some reason. It's rather comical, really.

So-So Silva

What can be said about the game tonight? It was a textbook example of how baseball is a game of inches. Had Jason Smith's second home run, the one that hit the top of the wall, been just a few inches in closer toward home plate, that ball's a hit at the very least, if not an out. Had Mauer hit the ball less than an inch or so higher and not gotten so far under it, it wouldn't have fallen inches away from being a home run over the baggie. These few inches one way or another can sometimes amount to many runs, and sometimes that's the difference in the ballgame. That's not what makes baseball great, although you don't mind it when you're on the winning side of those few inches. But it's what makes the sport what it is. It adds a "what if" factor to the game. What if Mauer had hit that ball just a little bit better? What if Torii Hunter got a little bit of a quicker break on Smith's second home run ball and leaped up and caught it? What if Jacque Jones ever could figure out how to hit when we need him to the most? Sometimes, it's not the loss that's the most piercing, it's the what if questions that make you wonder if somewhere in an alternate universe, the Twins take this one.

Ultimately, this is one of those losses where it doesn't really change a whole lot. It was pretty inevitable that the Twins would have to come down someday after four dominant wins in a row. We're not the f'n Yankees! Sometimes a loss will bring the team down for the next game; this one will kinda get looked over. It falls under that "you can't win 'em all" category. And that's fine. The Twins will come out swinging tomorrow and maybe those inches will go our way.

Radke starts tomorrow for the Twins, and one would have to imagine that if he gets anywhere near his performance on Monday, he'd win the AL Pitcher of the Week Award. In general, I think things like that are largely meaningless, but for Radke and the entire team, it'd be a good sign. Given the work put up by all the Twins pitchers this week, it'd almost be like the whole team getting the honor. Heading into the All-Star Break, that's a good way to do it. This team could really pull ahead and come out of the gates fast after the All-Star Break, especially with Shannon Stewart returning. Last year he was that little spark that got the whole team going at full speed just after the All-Star Break, and this year he has the opportunity to do it again. Maybe the Twins should get creative next year and find a new way for him to rejoin the team at the All-Star Break. Maybe have him be "kidnapped" or something, when he's actually just hanging out at Terry Ryan's house watching 18 hours of C-SPAN a day. Think of the publicity!

Swami Sez

What can I say? My powers are beyond belief. Yesterday, at this very website, I predicted that Terry Mulholland would not pitch a complete game shutout, and now for the second game in a row, I have been completely right about the Twins pitchers. It's amazing beyond belief. I'm like the Ken Jennings of blogging!

Which is why I'm hanging up my hat. No more pitching predictions for me, no sir. I'm worried that if I continue my Swami ways, people will come to me wanting to know my prediction for other things. And it's not like I couldn't do that kind of thing; of course I could tell you who the father of your baby is or what Saturday's Powerball numbers are. It's just that I don't want to take money away from the fine folks who do the tests to see who the father is, and if everyone had the right Powerball numbers, the winnings wouldn't be very much, you know? Plus then I'd have to charge some kind of access fee to my website, because predictions like that don't come cheap. Even Miss Cleo's free readings only last, like, what? Three minutes? And doesn't she just tell you things you already knew? It's like watching a magician; you know they're not REALLY performing magic. I could give you David Blaine for free, but then again, he kinda sucks anyway and I'm pretty sure he smells like a hobo. I feel I'm making the right choice by leaving at the top of my game. You can't beat two for two. Unless you get three for three. But then you're cheating. Or Joe Mauer.

I do see a Twins win again tomorrow. That's not a prediction; that's a guarantee!

Royalty Checks

Like I mentioned, once again I was at driver's education again tonight, so I missed most of what I predicted would happen yesterday, Kyle Lohse getting a complete game shutout. So now, at the risk of becoming known as "The Swami," here's my pitching prediction for tomorrow's matchup against the Tigers: Terry Mulholland will not pitch a complete game shutout. I know, I know, people wonder how I can make such daring picks so young into my baseball blogging career. I like to look at it as blindly running into the baseball blogging community with full aggression. Or something to that effect. I've pulled out all the stops on this one, and there's no turning back!

Otherwise, I guess hooray for Joe Mauer, who had a new career high in hits today. Why John Gordon felt that was so important to mention it over and over again tonight is beyond me, seeing how it's only his 30th game. Sure, we're all happy for Little Boy QuickSwing, but 30 games isn't much of a career. Unless you're Ron Gardenhire.

And how could the Twins score 25 runs against the Royals in this series without Luis "Silent But Deadly" Rivas' help? Truly, this is a new era.

Driver's Education

Okay, I didn't exactly plan this out very well. I start this blog in the heat of the night, and then I realize the next day that tonight's the night I start driver's education. Which means I got home just in time to see the double play that ended the game. While I was learning how to drive down the road, Torii Hunter drove one to the cheap seats. As I watched a cheesy video tape from the early '90s featuring MC Hammer!, Johan Santana threw the hammer down on the Royals. You get the idea.

But really, watching the post-game show, I get the idea of the game. I get the feeling that it was basically last night's game once again. And while it was excellent to watch Brad Radke pitch amazingly well again, watching the same game twice? Sounds kinda boring. But I have Driver's Ed again tomorrow, so if the rest of you watching the games don't mind, lets have Kyle "K.Lo" Loshe pitch his own complete game shutout, eh?

Am I the only one who thinks Terry Steinbach looks like Mark Rosen? Should I just stop watching Minnesota Sports Tonight alltogether? Aren't the hosts the most annoying people ever? The answer is yes. To all three.

Welcome To Turning The Unassisted Double Play

Welcome to Turning The Unassisted Double Play, my own personal Minnesota Twins blog. I've been a long time reader of baseball blogs, especially about the Twins. I've fallen in love with Twins Geek and Aaron Gleeman and Batgirl and so many more over the years. I've always loved writing about the Twins whenever possible. Well, truthfully, I've always loved writing about anything, but when I can talk about baseball, that's the best.

Really, the only thing that's stopped me from making a Twins blog sooner was I've had no clue what to call it. I tossed around a few names in my head, but nothing sounded right. Eventually, I settled on "Turning The Unassisted Double Play." I like this name because it's unique and very personal to me. My greatest baseball moment on the field itself was a pick-up game in gym class. I was playing right field, but it was almost more like back-up first base, because we had about fifteen kids to a team (but yet the ball never seemed to find a fielder). I seemed to be the only one with any substantial baseball knowledge, so I was prepared. There was a runner on first when the ball was hit right at the first baseman. The first baseman was the only other kid in the class who seemed to have his role down in the field, but I decided I'd back him up anyway, just in case. It turned out to be a blessing that I did, because the ball hit off his head as he lost it in the midday sun. I was prepared for what I instinctively knew would be the defining moment in my high school gym career. As the ball took a short bounce off his head, I quickly grabbed it in the air, getting the fly out, then running quickly to tag the runner as he was trying to head back to first base.

I've never amounted to much in any sport, from my early days in a five year old tee-ball league to neighborhood softball games where I was the only boy playing on either team to the annual company volleyball game. I always knew a lot about the sports we would play, but applying that knowledge and using it toward some form of athletic endeavor was something I simply could not do. Okay, lets face it, I sucked at sports. But that one day under the warm, May sun, playing baseball on the South High football field, made me realize the beauty of the unassisted double play.

What I hope to do with this blog is bridge the gap between Twins Geek and Batgirl. I love to have irreverent fun with the Twins, but I'm not afraid of the occasional stat or two. I can't wait to see future Twins as they're coming up through the minors, but I also hold a place for remembering baseball's past.

I'd like to say that I love everything about baseball, but it wouldn't be true. I hate the Yankees.

Please join me each day for Twins talk and analysis. And if you're ever playing a game, keep your eye open for that unassisted double play.