Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cooking with Ryan: Breaded pork loin chops

Whenever I try to bread things, it doesn't get as breaded as I would like, and it's just generally a dry cut of of meat. This time it wasn't so bad. I don't generally like pork chops if they are too buried, because I just really like pork. But this time, the breading was light, there was some crisp to it, and it was actually a seasoned breading, with cumin and sage, and cornmeal which added some depth. The recipe I used suggested serving with baked beans and tomato, which I did. The beans acted almost as a sauce, which was certainly necessary, as pork is rarely juicy on its own.
As a side note, as I mentioned, I added cumin to the breading. If you have never used cumin, just know that it smells like BO. I would elaborate further, but you might never eat ethnic food again. At least there was sage in the dish, so there was one pleasant smelling spice.
Also, I have decided that I wanted to work on plating, so it looks better than what I usually throw up here. I still need some work.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/31/11

End of August... definitely looks like the end of the summer, doesn't it?

Here is a top 10 list of funny sports media moments.

Once again, let's take a bit of perspective on the potential Vikings stadium. (The Vikings are trying to screw us)

Look, it's the new Big Ten Championship trophy!

SCOREBOARD
I have nothing.

Labels:

Today in southern Minnesota crime


You all know I love animals. It's my go to "I forgot to post something today" post topic. Every time I go to the zoo, I try to hatch a plan to steal an animal. (I'm sure everyone tries to grab some sort of lizard or mouse that they can easily remove it from the zoo. I want a camel). Stealing an animal from the zoo is one of the things on my list of life goals.
Naturally, I was jealous when I heard about an animal being stolen from a zoo in Mankato. Of course, the surprise was the perpetrators. They were 6 and 7 years old.
These master criminals were busted while taking a contraband goat (THEY STOLE A FREAKING GOAT!) for a walk. It was 1130 at night, and it was dark and they were wearing pajamas. Sure, you might say, it's dangerous for little girls to be out that late, but my goodness, they hatched a plan earlier in the day and executed said plan in the abduction of a GOAT. From a ZOO.
I am in awe. I would like to meet these two. And also I would like to go to this zoo where the animals can be smuggled out by first graders.

Labels: , ,

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Links of the Day 8/30/11

Hello! Yes, I know. Late posts again. But I'm back on track to have regularly scheduled posts tomorrow.

The Wild signed Jordan Henry to a contract, notable, if only because he wasn't acquired from the Sharks.

The people of Winnipeg are pleading for no Nickleback at their NHL kickoff.

This is the boringest of MLB seasons in a while. So says science.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 8, Minnesota 6 - I should point out my error... in last night's scoreboard, I said that the Twins lost 2-0. They lost 3-0. OOPS

Labels:

It is so, so late

Time got away from me again, but here is a sneezing baby elephant.

What say you, sarcastically surprised baby elephant?

Labels:

Monday, August 29, 2011

Links of the Day 8/29/11

Well hello. I guess I'm slow again.

The College football season begins in just a few days. Herre is a preview of Purdue's first opponent, Middle Tennessee State. Hey, I've been there!

Danny Valencia, taking up space in Ron Gardenhire's doghouse.

Really, the 2nd one of these is the best.

SCOREBOARD
Tippeligaen
Rosenborg 7, Odd Grenland 0 - Holy crap. A touchdown!
MLB
Chicago 2, Minnesota 0 - Mark Buehrle is always a killer. Funny, a lefty against an all lefty lineup

Labels:

Conflicts in the Twins clubhouse?

If you don't follow Denard Span and Danny Valencia on the Twitter, you might be unaware of their tete-a-tete this evening. It started with Span wondering what anyone thought of The Carter 4, Lil Wayne's new album.
Watch the Throne is a joint album from Kanye West and Jay-Z. It is also apparently soft shell taco mild sauce, which, if Danny Valencia is anything like me, well, soft shell tacos just aren't good. The battle rages on:
 I don't mean to be catty, but I suspect neither Span nor Valencia were ever a member of their school debate team. (Also, YMCMB is "Young Money Cash Money Billionaires" Wayne's company, "the roc" is Roc-a-fella, Jay-z's.) Also, I feel as though Danny may have misinterpreted Denard's meaning of the word "nice". I suspect he wasn't implying that Jay-Z was a swell guy to hang out with. But alas, at the end of this debate, just when things seem to be on the precipice of disaster, Denard recognizes the shear absurdity of it all. And then:

AWWWWWWW
(Also, an anonymous lady tweeted this at Span: "I enjoyed seeing you on the field today, even though you're not a Twinkie any more. Best to you in your career! " Denard, Delmon, whatevs)

Labels: ,

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Links of the Day 8/28/11

Good evening, I hope these late Sunday links will keep you happy on Monday morning.

Here's a link that's 5 days old and I meant to link to but failed to do so. It's a poll among Purdue fans asking who was the most annoying Big Ten fan base.

Hey some kids played baseball.

The Star Tribune previewed the Big Ten. (Minnesota doesn't look so good)

SCOREBOARD
MLB
(Saturday) Detroit 6, Minnesota 4 - 4 runs? Must be a typo
(Sunday) Minnesota 11, Detroit 3 - This is DEFINITELY a typo
(Saturday) Chicago 3, Seattle 0 - Oooh, shutting out Seattle. Who pitched? Someone with a pulse?
(Sunday) Chicago 9, Seattle 3 - The Sox are in 2nd place after this win.

Labels:

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Twins are batting Rene Tosoni 6th today

I feel like the Twins season is best analogized and summarized by the following image.
Awww, it's a heart broken doggie.

(apologies for the lack of involved posts lately. I have some stress, what with dealing with a hurricane.)

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/27/11

As a meteorologist who doesn't live on the east coast, I am sick of Irene. Sorry.

All this baseball... postponed.

Reassuring commentary on Delone Carter, Colts' rookie running back.

There is a lot of labor strife overseas, where it involves the the major soccer associations. Spain is striking, Italy is next.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Detroit 8, Minnesota 1 - The Twins set a record for longest consecutive streak without scoring 2 runs. Six games at 1 or less! (Delmon Young drove in three by himself)
Chicago 4, Seattle 2 - We are getting outscored by Seattle here in Minnesota. Come on.
EPL
Everton 1, Blackburn 0 - Everton is in desperate straits, financially. They may have to go into a desperate sell off of their players just to survive. Blackburn lost at home to Everton.

Labels:

Friday, August 26, 2011

Blackburn


The name "Blackburn" is of or related to a black stream, and as such may be attributed to something that sits near the stream, or a person or family from such a location.
In athletics, the name "Blackburn" means "uninspiring" or "talentless" and often times "mediocre".
See also: Rovers FC
See also: Nick (SP, Minnesota Twins)

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/26/11

Good morning, and I hope you don't have property in eastern North Carolina.

"No". I'm surprised the Twins are asking for anything.

This broke a couple days ago, but Tennessee Women's coach Pat Summitt has dementia. With a grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's I know how tough this is going to be for the Summitt and Tennessee family. Best of wishes to them both.

Now, here's a little leaguer dancing in the Little League World Series.

SCOREBOARD
Europa League
AEK Larnaca 2, Rosenborg 1 - And RBK is done in Europe, probably for the next 2 years. (Larnaca was drawn into a group with Schalke 04 (Germany), Steaua Bucharest (Romania), and Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
MLB
Baltimore 6, Minnesota 1 - The Twins were swept at home by Baltimore. That's hilarious.

Labels:

So Long, Big Jim

The Twins have let Jim Thome move on, back to Cleveland, his original club. He was fun to have around, and letting him go to a club that is contending a little bit more than the Twins is certainly the right thing to do. Still, it's just another sad thing about the Twins, that we had to get rid of him because the Twins aren't competing, and that the best we could do is send him back to Cleveland. Good luck Jim. Hope you stick around one more year, if only for that ring.

Labels:

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Links of the Day 8/25/11

Good afternoon. I hope you aren't reading this from the path of an imminent hurricane.

Wondering who Thome and Kubel were claimed by? Indians and White Sox.

The draw for the Champions League Group Stage was today.

The Colts have signed Kerry Collins juuuuuuuuuuuuust in case.

SCOREBOARD
Norwegian Royal Cup
Aalesund 3, Rosenborg 1 - Missed this one a while back, but now to get back into European comps next year, RBK has to finish in the top 3 of the domestic league. Seems unlikely.
Carling Cup
Blackburn 3, Sheffield Wednesday 1 - But Blackburn advances in one of their two association tournaments! And Sheffield Wednesday.... what a delightful name!
MLB
Baltimore 6, Minnesota 1 - Those Orioles pitchers man... TOUGH
California 8, Chicago 0 - Again, the Sox claimed Kubel. Could be a BOON for them the rest of this season.

Labels:

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

How bad is Tim Tebow?



You all remember Adam Weber, right? The one that was beset with a terrible coach, a terrible roster and never won any games? Apparently, he's better than Tim Tebow, Denver (and Florida's former) Chosen One. This according to a Broncos official. 
“If everything was totally equal, and this were a competition based only on performance at this camp, Tebow would probably be the fourth-string guy. Kyle [Orton] is far and away the best, and Tebow’s way behind [Brady] Quinn, too. And I’m telling you, Adam Weber is flat-out better right now.”
Awesome. I always thought that Weber was better than given credit for, and now someone else thinks so too.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/24/11

Happy Wednesday! I'll be working today. You?

An interesting point about the Raiders and journalistic laziness. I will point out, however, that Terrelle Pryor simply isn't any good.

Both Jim Thome and Jason Kubel were claimed. This, of course, means NOTHING.

This is sort of a creepy story. Is Jimmy Fallon psychic?

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Baltimore 8, Minnesota 1 - If you look at metrics like 2nd and 3rd order wins, you would see that the Orioles actually are a better team than Minnesota. It's true!
California 5, Chicago 4 - The Angels are making a hard run at the AL West.

Labels:

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Cooking with Ryan: Chicken Noodle Casserole

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE BELL PEPPERS?! Seriously, the last couple of times I have been to the grocery store, the bell pepper selection has looked downright ill. As in, unsafe for human consumption. I have had fellow bell pepper aficionados mention the same thing. Is it a bad time for bell peppers? I don't know?
I went to Cub, a reputable dealer of bell peppers. The green were terrible looking, so I just got red, vowing to go green later. Which I did, at Kowalski's a few days later. By the time I cooked last night, the red pepper looked like hell. I only used green pepper. Seriously, this bell pepper shortage is going to cripple America.
Also, I made chicken noodle casserole. It had mayonnaise and cheese.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/23/11

Last week of August. This is horrible. I want summer to stay forever.

Bleacher Report is actually trying to be.... good?

Oh Jim Irsay, you jokester.

Jose Bautista, the latest baseball guy to be a successful Twitterer.Dude's good at everything, baseball, tweeting, looking like Drake.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Baltimore 4, Minnesota 1 - Its funny because the Twins can't beat anyone in the east.

Labels:

Monday, August 22, 2011

Executed to perfection

So the Twins decided to get rid of JJ Hardy for next to nothing (which is great, because they were going to non-tender him, apparently) in order to sign Tsuyoshi Nishioka.
They didn't use any other money to shore up any other positions, letting all of the bullpen go, as well as 2nd baseman Orlando Hudson. But Joe Mauer re-signed! So obviously this is a rebuilding year, right? Plenty of time for prospects to develop.
The deadline came and went without the Twins doing a thing, because they were contending in a rebuilding year (6 games out!)! Great job! Instead, they went on a losing streak, gosh darnit and are now putting players on waivers. They will likely not get anything in return for Jim Thome or Jason Kubel, because there isn't any real competition for their services if any player is claimed.
I find it difficult figuring out where things went wrong in Bill Smith's plan. Sounds like everything went exactly as expected. Handshakes and raises all around!

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/22/11

I spent the morning at Real Job Inc. So, you know, sorry this is the first post of the day.

Funny names get me every time.

Terrelle Pryor was supplementally drafted by the Raiders, which is sort of hilarious.

TV Chef fight!

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 10, Texas 0 - Hey, the AL Central is pretty good!
New York 3, Minnesota 0 - Oh wait...

Labels:

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I didn't know Randy Bush was still involved in baseball

And now he is the Cubs interim GM. I suspect his regime will be marked by fielding a bullpen full of lefties, since they are the most difficult, elite brand of pitchers that has ever been crafted.
Also, yes, now that I am in my 20s, the name "Randy Bush" is quite amusing.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/21/11

Hello, and happy Sunday. Back to the grind tomorrow.

This... this is an impressive grab.

Nick Blackburn hurt his elbow in today's game.

Watching sports in California is extraordinarily dangerous, it sounds.

SCOREBOARD
EPL
Aston Villa 3, Blackburn 1 - The Rovers have already allowed 5 goals in this two game season, and they still haven't played anybody really good. Yikes.
MLB
Chicago 3, Texas 2 - The Sox are watching the Tigers/Indians series with delight. They should be focusing on the Rangers though. They got lucky this time.
Minnesota 9, New York 4 - True story, I had tickets for this game. Every game I have had tickets for, the Twins have won this year.
Tippeligaen
Rosenborg 2, Haugesund 2 - At this point, I am just hoping the squad can qualify for Europe next year.

Labels:

Saturday, August 20, 2011

An update on my trip to Wyoming

I got something in the mail today. What could it be? It's from the University of Wyoming and/or Pepsi.

A Fan guide? And ride the brand? Both of these things don't make sense to me. Let's open 'er up.

Awesome! A user's guide for tailgating! And, you know, some other stuff, like don't get in fights, don't be a jackass, stuff like that.

On the back are seating diagrams for the various arenas and stadiums in Laramie. Also, just outside of this picture is a blurb on NCAA Compliance. Basically, all it says is "boosters, comply with NCAA Rules" If only Miami had thought to do the same.


Oh, hey. There they are. My ticket! I am going to Laramie! Woohoo!

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/20/11

Good morning! It's the weekend! 2 more weeks until Saturday will be filled with football!

The AP college football poll is out. Purdue, Minnesota not ranked.

Yes, I could see how going to this game with this person might not be all that enjoyable

This is exactly what Twitter was designed for.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Texas 7, Chicago 4 - This knocks the White Sox to 5 games back, behind 2 teams. It's going to be a tough go for the last 6 weeks of the season.
New York 8, Minnesota 1 - I think at this point, we are all just saying hte same thing: Free Brian Dinkelman.

Labels:

Scandal comes to Purdue

By now, the word of Miami's impending program implosion has reached your ears. Pretty much every player you have heard of in the past 10 years was implicated in what may end up being the biggest scandal in college sports in the past 30 years. TV bans or even the college sports death penalty are on the table.
As Boiled Sports noted, this could be bad for Purdue's quarterback Robert Marve, who transferred from Miami, was one of the many players named in the report. Still, Purdue didn't do anything to warrant our program getting dragged into it, nor did the school reap benefits from any wrongdoings. To my knowledge, Purdue hasn't seen the benefits of an in house scandal since me and some friends paid Brandon Hance to transfer to USC. Er.. wait. I guess that one isn't out htere yet. Anyways, I just want to put it out there that I am willing to do what it takes for Purdue to put a winner on the field. As an alumnus of Purdue, (though one that lives in Minnesota and one that doesn't make that much money), here are some things I can offer.
- Ten bucks per healthy ACL at seasons end
- A pat on the back to anyone the national media recognizes as a Purdue Athlete that isn't Marve or Robbie Hummel.
- Speaking of Hummel, I'll buy him a haircut.
- When in Minneapolis, I will take anyone who wants to go to Lake Calhoun to the walking trails. It's really pretty, and a good way to relieve stress and relax, even with temperatures cooling off. Limit 3. The 2 door Accord was not built for carpools
- A sympathetic ear, if you want to chat about the stress of college, sports, girls or whatever.
So, come on Purdue, you have one booster: me. Let's get it done.

Labels: ,

Friday, August 19, 2011

Links of the Day 8/19/11

Good afternoon, once again. It's Friday!

Georgetown went to China to play some basketball, and an international incident occurred. 

If you are into Madden, here are the players you want on your team.

Fellow alum of Benilde St. Margaret's Judd Zulgad is leaving the Star Tribune for the radio.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Cleveland 4, Chicago 2 - This is actually an important game for both teams. Imagine hearing that at the beginning of the season.
New York 8, Minnesota 4 - Joe Mauer had to play right field, there was nobody on the bench and Gardenhire was ejected in the first inning. Twins!

Labels:

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Ron Gardenhire needs to find better sources for advice


Hey, have you wondered what Ron Gardenhire thought of new acquisition Lester Olivares? From Rhett Bollinger:
"He's pretty good," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I talked to Jim Leyland, and he likes him. He has a good, live arm -- 'electric stuff' -- as he put it. He has a chance to be a good pitcher here. He's a young guy, but has a great arm. Jim said he's still making some mistakes in the strike zone and will misfire a little bit, but he's a good-looking pitcher."
And then Jim Leyland laughed and laughed. This is almost as bad as the time that Bill Smith asked Dayton Moore for the best reliever in their bullpen, and they passed along Dusty Hughes.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/18/11

Good afternoon. I slept until 2 today!

This story about Minnesota twins crafting a plan then getting burned is actually not at all about baseball.

Joe Mauer is playing right field today, because the team is short outfielders. I withhold comment.

As you may have heard, the University of Miami is in a lot of trouble. But how much trouble is current Purdue and former Miami QB Robert Marve in?

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Minnesota 6, Detroit 5 - The Twins were able to come back thanks to newcomer Justin Morneau
Cleveland 4, Chicago 1 - Well, White Sox, the Twins tried to help.
EUROPA LEAGUE
Rosenborg 0, AEK Larnaca 0 - RBK dominated this game, but just couldn't put one in the ol' onion bag. But a 0-0 score may be good as they head to Cyprus next week.

Labels:

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

So now what's the plan?


The Twins have traded Delmon Young and intend on offering extensions to both Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. Word on the street is that the Twins intend on fielding an outfield of Ben Revere, Denard Span and Cuddyer, probably with Kubel as a DH. Here are my two primary issues with this plan.
1) The Twins since moving to Target Field should have learned that it is a death trap for left handed hitters. So what do they do? Bring back Kubel and insert Revere, a lefthanded hitter who can't freaking hit anyways.
2) They are throwing a ton of money at Kubel and Cuddyer. It hasn't come out yet how much since the contracts aren't actually in place yet, but they will be throwing a ton of money at them. The problem has been the pitching, and it's been depth, and it's been the lack of right handed bats. Signing Kubel and Cuddyer implies that they think the offensive woes can be immediately solved if Justin Morneau comes back healthy. Everyone else has been more or less healthy that will be back next year. They couldn't win, even with Mauer, Casilla, Nishioka, Valencia, Span, Kubel and Revere healthy. I may be a little brash when I say this, but Nishioka, Valencia and Revere are terrible at the plate, more specifically when they are compared to other players at their position, particularly Valencia and Revere, if he is a corner outfielder.
So what do they think? Suddenly a lineup that features 5 lefties and 2 switch hitters will suddenly be able to hit in a left handed hitter's nightmare? Of course, it's not all bad. I have stated frequently that the emphasis on speed was a mistake, but only when the emphasis was on the infield. Target Field is a pitchers park, and a spacious outfield meant the team would benefit from speedy outfielders. Flyball pitchers are going to love this outfield. Scott Baker is having a great year, and with Revere and Span out there, he will be even better next year. Kevin Slowey will love it to -- oh, wait. They wasted money on Nick Blackburn, so even though Slowey is the superior pitcher, he won't get the chance.
As for the rest of the pitchers, Brian Duensing has actually shown the most promise, as his strike out rate has gone up and his ground ball rate has gone down. He might yet be of service! Nick Blackburn, however, has never been good. Maybe as a back of the rotation starter, but he shouldn't EVER block someone like Slowey. If Liriano can reign in his control, he may be redeemed. Carl Pavano doesn't strike anyone out but has prevented opponents from hitting home runs. I don't trust him.
So by my count, if the Twins want to win next year, they need to add 2 or 3 arms to the rotation. They also need to reconstruct a bullpen, especially since Joe Nathan and Matt Capps are free agents.
So what does this leave the Twins to work with? They will have a lot of big contracts for players that haven't worked together this season. They have a shaky rotation. They still won't have a bullpen. They don't have much by way of infield prospects. They have hopes pinned to a guy who hasn't been able to perform in a year and a half. They have next to nothing.
Jason Kubel should have been traded at the deadline. A lot more money could have been saved and more holes patched if Kubel and Cuddyer aren't brought back. The farm system would have more and better prospects as a return on Kubel. Whatever the plan is, it's either beyond my comprehension or simply isn't very good.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/17/11

Day two of the UEFA Champions League Playoffs, you guys! Odense v Villarreal on FSN!

If you watch a lot of baseball and catch a lot of highlight shows, you know that this is brilliant.

Minnesota high school football is going to undergo a pretty impressive change next year.

This is absolutely disgusting, and the most unsettling thing is that someone actually took the time to plan this out.

SCOREBOARD
Detroit 7, Minnesota 1 - Delmon Young, man.
Chicago 8, Cleveland 7 - This game went a whopping 14 innings. Good day overall for Detroit.

Labels:

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Reflections on the Delmon Young trade

I planned to post a well thought out, analytical post on the trade. I succeeded. The second half of this post, a reflection Young's tenure and treatment in Minnesota was not as successful. Prepare yourself for some extremely foul language.
First and foremost, it is obvious (and may have been stated already) that the Tigers claimed Young on waivers. This is the only reason Young was sent to Detroit, of all teams. Secondly, despite some claims, it seems as though the Twins may have had some interest in keeping Young next year. If not, if they had intended on non-tendering him, why not just let the Tigers make the claim? Instead, they nabbed two players for him, albeit mediocre minor league relievers. For the Twins, this makes next season's outfield situation a bit clearer. Span and Revere will likely play left and center, while, if the Twins are able to sign Kubel and Cuddyer, I suspect a rotation of Kubel, Cuddyer, and Justin Morneau will rotate through right field, first base and the DH spot. The Twins will probably finish 5th in the AL Central next year.
On an even more depressing level, the Twins have no turned Matt Garza AND Jason Bartlett into Jim Hoey and Lester Olivares, (as well as 2 other minor leaguers (Brendan Harris was moved to the Orioles with JJ Hardy, so that's why Hoey is included)). Fun fact: Lester Olivares is Spanish for Jim Hoey. I was a staunch supporter for the past few years, but I now have to say that Bill Smith is nothing if not terrible as a GM. Bad manager, bad management. Thank goodness for Terry Ryan leading up to this disastrous season. And next disastrous season.Which I have no doubt but that it will be unless there is a drastic, dramatic change within the organization.
Now for the part that children should probably refrain from reading.
I am extraordinarily troubled by the Delmon Young era in Minnesota. There are reasons from A) the inability for Ron Gardenhire to develop a right handed hitter, even one with immense potential (Michael Cuddyer is the ONLY exception) to B) how Young was completely and unabashedly hated in the Twin Cities, from bloggers like Nick Nelson to dumbfuck columnists like Jim Souhan. Even the Star Tribune decided to editorialize a little bit on his departure.
Through his career, Young had two really bleak stretches. When the Twins acquired him, he only had one year of Major League experience. 2008 could have easily been written off as a sophomore slump, were it anyone else, like, say Danny Valencia (this year, OPS+ 86, Young in '08 100), but in fact, Young had IMPROVED from his time in Tampa, and besides, Young is a big, scary, unsmiling black man with tattoos on his forearms.
In 2009, Young had his toughest stretch to date. Not in baseball, but in life. His mother passed away, and between visiting her during her dying days and then the certain emotional torment of a young man losing his mother, he struggled through the first two months of the season. Of course, instead of attributing his struggles to the psychological torment, he was branded a failure already. Despite limited playing time in June and July, he managed to rack up a batting average of .300 with 11 HR to finish the season.
2010 was really his only uninterrupted season. He was traded before '08, his mother passed away in the middle of '09 and this year, he was saddled for the first time with injuries. Young showed that he was improving in 2010. Without being disturbed in his seasonal arc, he overcame his typical slow start and ended up playing his way into a top 10 finish in MVP voting.
This year, he had another slow start, but this time he pulled an oblique, and was sent to the DL early. Still, despite what people might say, he came back extremely strong. Since that first injury, he has hit .306 with 13 doubles and 4 home runs. Hell, his OPS this month is .986.
But I am the only person you will here give Young the benefit of the doubt on anything. No, you have Souhan talking about how lazy he is. You have Nelson complaining about that one time he misplayed a ball in the field. You have Dave Schwartz suggesting that there has never been a good part of the Delmon Young experience. Why the fuck am I the only one who will ever stand up for him?
I never heard any problems with Young in the clubhouse. I never heard anyone from the Twins organization speak ill of his work ethic. And the Twins team is one, to their credit that will suss out lazy players. Why would the Twins put up with him for 4 goddamned years if he was lazy, or a bad presence in the clubhouse? I mean, they traded Garza for that reason. Kevin Slowey has been in Rochester for that reason. There is no tangible evidence that he has wrought problems in the Twins clubhouse. The only real evidence of his attitude is that he through a fucking bat one fucking time when he was a fucking teenager. If I was held accountable for everything I did when I was a teenager all the way through my 20s, I would be in rough fucking shape.
Why did Delmon NEVER get a pass? He was a better player than Cuddyer at the same age. He's a better player now than Danny Valencia. He's a much better overall player (right now) than Ben Revere. Is it all about his salary? Or is it something more sinister? I suspect something of a blend of the two, but I will leave it to your own interpretation.
Part of the reason I have always been on Young's bandwagon is the vitriol he received from others (the opposite reason -- undeserved praise -- is why I was so hard on guys like Nick Punto). But you won, you unrelenting shitbags. Your complete lack of patience and understanding won out. If there is any solace for me, it's that now, when Delmon Young strings together healthy, uninterrupted seasons and becomes the player he can be, you dumbasses will only hate him more. If anyone beats the Twins, I hope it's him. I hope it's the guy that everyone doubted.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/16/11

Congratulations to Jim Thome, who hit his 600th career home run last night against Delmon Young and the Tigers!

Here is a nice write up on Thome's accomplishment, and his hall of fame prospects.

I find every part of this particular story to just be strange.

Always have to link to a triple play

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Minnesota 9, Detroit 6 - Lost in the Jim Thome's 2 home run outing was the fact that Delmon Young hit a homer in his first AB.... oh... .right..

Labels:

Monday, August 15, 2011

Twins announce Delmon Young traded to Detroit

More on this tomorrow.

A modest proposal for Minnesotans

It's been a long 20 years in Minnesota. The state hasn't put a major sports franchise in a Championship series or game since the Twins won the World Series in 1991. The Twins have been very bad this year, the Vikings have crashed and burned since Brett Favre's brief renaissance 2 seasons ago in Minnesota, the Wild have some hope, but aren't really a regular in the post season at all (and the North Stars moved away) while the Timberwolves have been a catastrophe since Kevin Garnett left.The less said about the Gophers the better.
But wait! There is a team in Minnesota that actually looks competitive this year! WNBA's Lynx are allegedly on the verge of the post season and a conference title! For your psyche, Minnesota, throw your weight behind a winner! They even have players I have heard of! 4 of them! That's almost an entire starting lineup (assuming women's basketball is played the same way); Lindsey Whalen (local hero!) Maya Moore (brash rookie!) Seimone Augustus (resident badass!) and Candice Wiggins (also there!).
So there you have it, that's my proposal. Start cheering for the Lynx, because it will be nice to have a team win something for once.

Labels: , ,

Links of the Day 8/15/11

Good afternoon! I hope you find this blogs accommodations satisfactory.

The Brewers have personality, and thus Ron Gardenhire would never be able to reign them in.

The English Premier League kicked off over the weekend. One match had to be postponed because of the riots.

Carlos Zambrano retired, or something.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 6, Kansas City 2 - This was one of the few games to actually be played last night. Lots of rain, everywhere.

Labels:

Sunday, August 14, 2011

An update on Perceived Value

As I am sure you all remember, I have been keeping track of something I call "Perceived Value" of hitters on the Twins roster through the season, basically based on a "clutch" statistic based on RBI and runners left on base (two things that the batter doesn't have a LOT of control over, but people seem to think they do) as well as their OPS+, which is certainly more reflective of a players skill through a year where it compares to the rest of the league.
That said, here are a few notes:
- Brian Dinkelman is still on top, because he hasn't been back on the roster all season.
- There are only 4 players who have been above average this year. Just 4. Dinkelman, Jim Thome, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer. They are the top 4 on the list.
- At the bottom are the two backup catchers, Rene Rivera and Drew Butera, with Matt Tolbert third from the bottom. Sounds about right.
-Two players have more RBI than LOB: Brian Dinkelman and Trevor Plouffe.
- Alexi Casilla might be the greatest aberration. His clutch rating is .2 lower than average, but his OPS+ is 6th, behind the 4 mentioned and Joe Mauer.

I can only wonder what this would have looked like with a good team.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/14/11

Your property taxes are due tomorrow! Hurry!

So, what the heck IS going on in the SEC?

Another With Leather Link. Obviously, this one is a "Dugout"

Yeah, Jason Replo must really be hurting....

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 5, Kansas City 4 - I think that the White Sox are going to finish second in the AL Central before all is said and done. That's what you call going out on a limb!
Cleveland 3, Minnesota 1 - Yay, Minnesota is bad at getting runs.

Labels:

Saturday, August 13, 2011

If Relegation worked.... College football

With the news that the SEC may be expanding to 16 teams, it is becoming very clear that money is the sole motivating factor in college football; namely, big schools want to make sure there can never be another Boise State coming up and snatching a piece of their pie. The Victoria Times solution of a 12 conference, winners meet in the playoffs style change is never going to happen. What if there was a way to make it possible for small schools to make their way back into the discussion and keep the 4 super conference structure? I am of course proposing a relegation system in college football.
First, we need to construct the divisions in their 16 team alignments. The SEC is apparently taken care of: South Carolina, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, LSU, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
Next, we can move on to the Pac 10, which has been the subject of a 16 team expansion rumor as well. Let's finish them off at 16: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, California, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech.
Next, we will fill the Big 10 out, since they have 12 in place, as well as a desire to move into the eastern time zone. They do need 4 teams, so this is all speculative. The 16 included here include the last 4 are guesses: Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse.
This makes the final conference a bit more patchwork. Teams have been stolen from the ACC and Big East, which will mean a merger between the two will have to be executed. As luck has it, there are 16 teams left between the two. Here are the 16 that make the cut: Boston College, Maryland, NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, South Florida, West Virginia and TCU. That's a messed up conference
And that's the 64 teams in the "top division" of college football. Kansas and Kansas State don't make the cut, nor does Baylor or Boise State.  By my count, there are now 60 teams left in Division 1 football, including new teams Texas State, Texas-San Antonio, UMASS and South Alabama.
My proposal is to divide those 60 into 15 team conferences functioning as a "second division" for the 4 major conferences. Relegation, of which process I will suggest later, will only occur between these 4 conferences. First, the 4 conferences.
Pac 12 second level: Hawaii, San Jose State, Fresno State, UNLV, Utah State, Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Idaho, San Diego State, Colorado State, BYU, UTEP, Air Force. Obviously, Boise State looks like the top team in this particular conference, yes?
Big 10 second level: Kansas, Kansas State, Wyoming, Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami (OH) and Ohio. The leftovers from the Big 12 should dominate this conference.
SEC second level: Baylor, Rice, Houston, SMU, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas State, Texas San-Antonio, Tulsa, UAB, Troy, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, North Texas.I like Houston as the top team in this conference, but advancement is going to be tough.
ACC/Big East second level: Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Western Kentucky, Buffalo, Temple, Army, Navy, UCF, East Carolina, Marshall, UMASS, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas State, and South Alabama. USA gets added to this conference so the SEC second level doesn't have three newbies. This conference is just as messed up as it's first level. I don't know who is good, though. East Carolina?
All right, so the greatest problem, obviously, is getting the schools to sign on for this. Obviously, none of the schools will want this to happen. Well, none of the top league schools, anyways. The solution, of course, would be to ensure that there is no direct relegation. Instead, make it a playoff for a spot in the top division. The bottom two teams from the top division (I envision those conferences, both the top and bottom also being divided into two sub-divisions) playing each other, while the top two teams from the lower division playing each other, with the lose of the first game and winner of the second playing with their stake in the top level up for grabs.
That was tough to understand, I'm sure. Let's look at the Pac 10. Obviously, one might expect Washington State to finish last in a "Western" conference of the Pac 10, and Colorado to do the same in the "Eastern" conference. At the second Level, Boise State might win the "west" and BYU might win the "East". As a result, Washington State would play Colorado, with Colorado being the winner. Boise State would play BYU, with Boise State winning that battle. Then, Boise State would play Washington State, with the winner moving to the top division. Make sense? I think so.
So, what do you think?

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/13/11

Just looking outside, it appears that summer is over.

The SEC looks like it might be the first team headed towards 16 teams.Interesting.

CJ Wilson feels there is not much to like about Oakland.

This trip sounds like one that I might enjoy... the Small States games!

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Cleveland 3, Minnesota 2 - Ron Gardenhire blew up after the game at Danny Valencia despite the fact hat he is no worse than [insert middle infielder here]
Kansas City 5, Chicago 1 - I sort of forgot the Royals were still playing.
EPL
Wolverhampton 2, Blackburn 1 - The Rovers dropped their first game of the new season to the Wolves at home. I suspect this will be a loooong season.

Labels:

Friday, August 12, 2011

Cooking with Ryan: Baked Pasta Romano

It seemed like this should have been cheesier, and I suppose it could have been, had I added more cheese, or used more of a shredded cheese, rather than a ground up version of the namesake Romano cheese. The sauce was thin, but that wasn't a problem, because it all baked into the noodles, making them very flavorful.
The sauce included some beans which were really the underrated star of the dish. There was no meat, so a bit of protein from the beans really helped. This is the second week in a row there was baked spinach, which was another pleasant surprise, because it was nice to have the products on hand.
Anyways, here is a picture of it. It wasn't, as I said, a typical baked pasta dish, but I think it was pretty good for anyone that would ever want to try it.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/12/11

Hi! Normal posts today, so that's nice.

This is just a disgusting image from a baseall game.

This simulation actually has Purdue... BOWL ELIGIBLE

Former Minnesota Wild has a Harry Potter tattoo. Incredible.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 6, Baltimore 3 - Chicago is only 4 games out. I'm surprised too.

Labels:

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Oh good, preseason football

I like to call this picture "Sea-Jack". Because it's T-Jack. Playing for Seattle. This is the first NFL action joke I have had since February. I'm rusty.But you know what? I won't be honing my craft in the preseason.
It's just a scrimmage. I don't get worked up about Spring Training, or preseason NHL, and I am not going to really make note of the NFL Preseason. What bothers me is that everyone else absolutely adores it. I will be working Saturday, listening to my coworkers at Real Job Inc's favorite team, the Vikings, participating in a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans.
I don't know what the thrill is. Sure, it's football, but winning and losing are irrelevant to anything. At all. So who cares? Not me. Just don't get hurt. Basically, it's the Pro Bowl with less talent.
So I guess what I'm saying is, don't expect preseason analysis or scores in the scoreboard, because I don't care, and this is my blog.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/11/11

Hey! Round 2 of today's posts!

This helmet seems more appropriate for Anaheim, or perhaps.... no, just Anaheim.

Hey, America, sports strikes aren't just your thing.

Outdoor hockey! In... Cleveland.

SCOREBOARD
(Games from 8/10)
MLB
Baltimore 6, Chicago 4 - It's sort of weird that Chicago AND Minnesota are fading out of the race.
Minnesota 5, Boston 2 - It's nice that the Twins can win one every once in a while still. 8 months until the season begins!

Labels:

Delmon Young and Danny Valencia ARE THE SAME PLAYER!!!!


To wit: OPS+ in the mid 80s, bad defense, a middling season a year after a break out. Both of these descriptors could be used to describe either Valencia or Young. There are subtle differences, of course. Valencia is a year older (!) and Young has 5 years of Major League experience (!). Valencia's struggles this year can be attributed to the enigmatic sophomore slump, while Young's can be attributed to the much more tangible trips to the DL for the first time in his career.
I bring this up for one reason, the perceived tone when dealing with both players. When Valencia and his problems are brought up, people worry about his development, and what will eventually come from the youngster. When Young and his problems this season are mentioned, the tone is that Young is a washed up has been that the Twins should divest themselves of immediately. Again: Young and Valencia are the same player in almost every way this year.
I don't understand. Is it simply the money? It has to be right? The two players are the same this year, but Young has a longer history of success. His lowest career batting average is .284, his lowest HR total is 10. He has 5 career seasons. His career average is .289, with an OPS of .748. Danny Valencia has onle one other year of experience, so this season should serve as a greater bit of evidence that he isn't quite cut out for the Majors (and if we apply the same standards to Valencia as we do to Young, Valencia should be replaced immediately). Valencia's career stats over the course of what amounts to about a season and a third, he is hitting .272 with an OPS of .724.
Young, this season, has been approximately the same player as Valencia, and the past 5 years should have shown us that he is the better overall player. Why doesn't anyone treat him that way.

I mean, besides me, of course.

Labels: , ,

Links of the Day 8/10/11

Many apologies for yesterday's lack of posts. I will make up for it today. Note yesterday's date on today's links post!

I did a Q&A with the Anaheim Ducks. They weren't asking ME the questions but I still answered

Why doesn't America build original stadiums?

Justin Morneau is coming back.... TOMORROW. WOOHOO! WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME!

SCOREBOARD
(games from 8/9)
Chicago 4, Baltimore 3 - Pshaw. Anyone can beat the Orioles. I mean, besides the Twins. But, yeah.
Boston 4, Minnesota 3 - The Twins offense is becoming.... offensive.

Labels:

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I hate to say it....

The Twins suck This version of the Twins is very bad, They are 1-9 in their past 10 while being unable to score runs score runs or keep their opponents from putting runners across the plate. The manager fails to inspire the team to greater heights. The General Manager remains inactive when they should be active, and trades for Jim Hoey when they should be inactive.
But hey, Michael Cuddyer, right?
I don't have the energy to get into this further, but you can believe I will soon.

Labels:

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Links of the Day 8/9/11

These links are getting interrupted by a trip to the dentist. The dentist is awful for someone who hates having people's hands in their mouth. (UPDATE: No cavities!)

Deadspin excepts a new book by Bill James. It isn't about sports, but it sounds absolutely fascinating.

I am contractually obligated to link the Dugouts whenever possible.

Awww, it's a group of terrible soccer playing kids. It's just like they are American!

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 7, Baltimore 6 - Were you aware that Baltimore had a baseball team?
Boston 8, Minnesota 6 - The Twins are depressingly bad at baseball now. Sad face :(

Labels:

Monday, August 08, 2011

Dolphins make Russians angry



I really don;t know what else to say, beyond the fact that I don't think anyone wants another angry Delmon Young rant right now, so watch what is likely the worst brawl you have ever seen. I like the part when they fall in the pool.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/8/11

I think somehting has to give with the Twins, right? Soon? Ugh.

Dick Vitale met the pope. Catholicism is saved.

Delmon Young is getting pretty awesome with his reactions to things. (Via Twinkie Town)

Oh, well this is good. Peyton Manning is still a good QB.

SCOREBOARD
Tippeligaen
Rosenborg 3, Molde 1 - Molde was sitting at the top of the table... Best win of the season?
MLB
Chicago 7, Minnesota 0 - The Twins make me sad.

Labels:

Law enforcement news

I think these are the funniest posts that I do, these explorations into the seedy underbelly of crime in America and across the planet. Of course, this is generally how I make my nearest and dearest friends, like Ben Repinski.
This one takes place in St. Louis Park. This is about young Steven Mansfield, whom I have decided goes by Stevie. Let's see where the police encountered Stevie... "driving a golf cart heading south on the northbound shoulder of Hwy. 100 near Hwy. 7".
Let's see you talk your way out of THAT one, Steve-o (He's Steve-o now).
Mansfield, a bit unsteady on his feet, told the troopers that he worked for a golf course and was returning the cart, but he could not name his employer.
I love two parts of this. "A bit unsteady on his feet" is such a gentle way to describe it. Was he a nervous nellie? Yeah, that's probably it! Also, I like that Stevie (Stevie again) couldn't come up with a golf course. He could come up with a golf cart, but not a golf course. Don't they usually have that on like, the key, or the cart or somewhere prominently written SOMEWHERE? Stevie is a bit unsteady thinking on his feet. 
He then told them he took the cart from nearby Westside Volkswagen so he could get gasoline for a friend who ran out of gas.
A) They have a golf cart at the Volkswagen dealer? Sweet gig, if you work there
B) What a champ, getting gas for a friend, even if it is via reckless golf cart
C) So, is he going to get charged with stealing the golf cart? I mean, he was going to bring it back
The troopers declined to have him perform standard roadside balance tests for fear he might hurt himself.
Yeah... Stevie was a little bit more than "a bit unsteady on his feet." I am trying to figure out how drunk you have to be to hurt yourself while trying to touch your nose.


Also, this is totally a sports post, since it involved a golf cart.

Labels: ,

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Links of the Day 8/7/11

Good morning, happy Sunday. Only lik5, 4 more Sundays left until football. I don't know, I didn't check for sure.

ESPN finds the perfect sponsor.

James Sheppard was sent to San Jose in the third Minnesota-San Jose trade of the summer.

How about an ode to the umpires?

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 6, Minnesota 1 - The Twins have stopped scoring runs.

Labels:

Saturday, August 06, 2011

Let's get excited for Purdue football!

The problem with last season's football team was injuries, no doubt about it. There were a lot of guys that got banged up or had devastating injuries that came from key spots on the roster, most notably the QB position. That said, there really wasn't anything about last year that made me excited for 2011. Sure, some guys that wouldn't have otherwise had experience that now do, but I can't really think of one player that is coming back that I am really excited to watch. This might have something to do with the face that I usually have to work during the game, so if this seems overly pessimistic, please keep that in mind
Still, it's college football This will be a simple outlook, just a game by game who I think will
Week 1: vs Middle Tennessee State: The Blue Raiders are likely not as good as the iteration I saw two years ago. WIN
Week 2 at Rice: Rice is a very bad football team: WIN
Week 3: Southeast Missouri State. Really? WIN
Week 4 vs Notre Dame: I really hope that we can win this one, but it's the first game against a quality opponent... yipe: LOSS
Week 5 vs Minnesota: Jerry Kill's first foray into the Big Ten? I bet he has the Gophers focused and fired up. LOSS
Week 6 at Penn State: Haha... Joe Paterno is oldL LOSS
Week 7 vs Illinois: I actually, truly believe Purdue will win this game. WIN
Week 8 at Michigan: Denarded: LOSS
Week 9 at Wisconsin: Wisconsin might be the best team in the Big Ten. LOSS
Week 10 vs Ohio State: Ugh LOSS
Week 11 vs Iowa: I bet the team who features black and gold and is from a state that begins with I will win this one: LOSS
Week 12 at Indiana: What the hell WIN

5-7! Enough to provide stupid, stupid hope for next year!

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/6/11

One last day of humidity, and then.... more summer.

Jalen Rose was really, really excited for jail. (Bonus for the geriatric field reporter)

Hey the Colts signed someone (underwhelming!)

Jokes are funniest when they have an element of truth.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
Chicago 5, Minnesota 3 - Benefit? I only have to put one game in the scoreboard! Other than that....

Labels:

Friday, August 05, 2011

Bad news, Vikings fans

Charlie Johnson sucks. The Colts made it a point to draft a left tackle to protect Peyton Manning's blindside this offseason (Anthony Castonzo), with the express intent of dumping Johnson.Sure, he was better than Tony Ugoh, but my geriatric dog is better than Tony Ugoh. He will not be an improvement over Bryant McKinnie. Well, last year's version of McKinnie, I mean. You have a hole at left tackle.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/5/11

Hey, two more months until I make my picks for the 2012 Random Road Trips. And 2 months and 10 days until I watch Wyoming host UNLV in Laramie.

The Champions League and Europa League Playoff draws were held today. Rosenborg, now in the Europa League, will square off with AEK Larnaca from Cyprus. I like RBK's odds.

Hunter Pence, not paying attention.

As I noted yesterday, Rex Ryan is just really annoying.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
New York 7, Chicago 2 - The White Sox were very, very bad in New York.
California 7, Minnesota 1 - So much for the offense.

Labels:

Thursday, August 04, 2011

What now for Rosenborg?

As I stated in the links, Rosenborg was knocked out of the Champions League by Viktoria Plzen yesterday. They will now be moved to the Europa League Playoffs, and they will find their opponent tomorrow.
It hasn't been a good season for RBK, since going undefeated last year in the Tippeligaen, making it to the Champions League Playoffs and the Europa League group stage. The biggest problem for a team like Rosenborg is their youth. In order to get the greatest talents to join the squad, they need to find them young. There are only a few that are over 24 years old on this squad. When young players hone their skills and are prepared to become the best player they could possibly be, larger squads with deeper pockets come calling. RBK was devastated by attrition this year. Even today, Midfielder Per Ciljan Skjellbred is going to move on to Hamburg. Another hole.
RBK sits 8th on the Tippeligaen table now. The only way to compete in European competitions next year are to A) win the Europa League (not likely) or B) Win the Norwegian Royal cup, which is substantially more likely, but certainly not a certainty.
Rosenborg is the most storied club in Norway. They will almost certainly be back. This has been a disappointing season, and next year will likely be excruciatingly dull, but no doubt about it, RBK will be back soon.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/4/11

I guess all you locals are excited about Donovan McNabb starting practice today with the Vikings.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Joey Harrington was hit by a car while on his bike.

I haven't mentioned it, but I am sure you heard... Randy Moss is hanging it up. His smarts and work ethic will surely land him a successful post playing career

I do not care for the New York Jets. Tattoos are fine, douchey tattoos are not.

SCOREBOARD
Champions League
Viktoria Plzen 3, Rosenborg 2 - Is it ironic that RBK were eliminated by a team called "Viktoria"?
MLB
New York 18, Chicago 7 - Kind of nice to see this happen to someone else for a change.
Minnesota 11, California 5 - 5 homers! They won't hit another for a week.

Labels:

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Hey, look at what the Reds did.

The Cincinnati Reds played the Houston Astros today. Not all that noteworthy to anyone, outside of maybe the Reds and Astros. The Reds, however, wanted to do some interesting stuff. Take a look at the play log from their game. I have highlighted a couple of the plats below.
D Willis homered to right.
(Dontrelle Willis? He's alive? And hitting homeruns? For the Reds?)
B Arroyo ran for Y Alonso.
(Not to be outdone, Bronson Arroyom another pitcher, is introduced to the basepaths. How do you think Yonder Alonso feels about this turn of events?)


The Reds may not be playing very well this year, but at least the team is sort of interesting. Dusty Baker, man.

Labels:

Links of the Day 8/3/11

Good afternoon! Staying out of trouble, are we?

Which name on this list surprises you the most? I say FP Santangelo.

In Europe, they call this "Gamesmanship"

The Twins and the Nationals probably had the weirdest deadline dealings this year.

SCOREBOARD
MLB
New York 6, Chicago 0 - This game was called early, which is too bad because the Whiteys were definitely coming back.
California 5, Minnesota 1 - I usually put the team's location instead of the nickname on these things. The Angels are kind of a fly in the ointment.

Labels:

Cooking with Ryan: Spanish rice frittata

Frittata. Say it. I like saying it like I'm Doctor Evil. Fir-tta-ta. Excellent.
Basically it's a fancy omelet, but really, it's not. It has egg, milk and cheese, sure, but it also had bell peppers, onions, spinach, parsley, tomato, salsa and, of course, rice. It wasn't really a challenge to put together. Saute the peppers and onions and mix it all together before baking it. That's reallyall there was to it. I had it with ketchup.
So there was milk and cheese in the frittata, and I had it with a glass of milk. If you don't mind, I am going to go process some dairy.

Labels:

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Links of the Day 8/2/11

I did some home maintenance today, patching a spot on my ceiling. It looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy exploded in my living room.

Who should have done more at the deadline?

 Flippin' Philadelphia.

The Cardinals have been insane (via Deadspin)

SCOREBOARD
MLB
New York 3, Chicago 2 - wouldn't it be funny if, just once, the AL Central did something against the Yankees?

Labels:

Monday, August 01, 2011

Jim Bowden in unconscionably stupid


Jim Bowden was once a MLB GM. He took over Steve Phillips' job as dumbass former GM providing insight at ESPN. In his career as GM, he worked for the Reds and Nationals, acquiring players like Ken Griffey Jr. and Alfonso Soriano. The teams he helmed were generally not so good. He has taken teams to the post season only twice despite having GM'd a team for well over a decade, It should be noted that the Reds swept the World Series before he got there.
One of his issues was always that he was brash and a little cocky. He made a lot of moves and believed he was right no matter what evidence there was proving him wrong. No greater measure of his hubris came than this weekend, when he was the sole media figure who kept filling up the rumor mill with Span-Storen rumors. Please, review his tweets
As I said earlier this week Denard Span -Drew Storen deal will go down it's a matter of time:secondary players have to be agreed to
Nats saved 1.1 to 1.3 m on Hairston deal, 2.47m on Marquis deals and got two decent prospects in both deals...Span next
Twins insisting on STOREN without substitution.. along with Bernadina and Lombardozzi in package for SPAN...both sides grinding
Breaking down the Nationals two deals and the one they're about to make
And then finally, today...
Nats-Twins Span-Storen deal failed not because of the Nationals refusal to include Storen... but instead the 2nd player Lombardozzi

He has an Insider blog, and he had TWO posts breaking down the Span-Storen trade, as thought it were inevitable. Instead of saying that it didn't look like it was going to happen, he chose to become silent on the matter almost all day yesterday. Actually, on his restricted insider blog, he did say this
The Minnesota Twins are expected to acquire Drew Storen, the young closer from the Washington Nationals, in a multiplayer deal in which the Nationals will acquire center fielder Denard Span. The deal might be expanded so that Stephen Lombardozzi and Roger Bernadina go to the Twins, while Tom Stuifbergen goes back to the Nationals. The Twins can then make Ben Revere their everyday center fielder and Storen can be their inexpensive closer for 2012 and beyond. The Nationals would finally have an answer to their long-term need in center field by acquiring Span."
Awesome work.
Of course, as someone said, if the Twins and nationals were haggling over Stephen Lombardozzi, it's a discredit to both teams. The fact that Jim Bowden believes that the teams really were bickering over a future utility man discredits him.

Labels: ,

Links of the Day 8/1/11

It's the 30th anniversary of MTV. It's also the 4th anniversary of the 35W bridge collapse. Seems like yesterday...

In a lighter note, this just seems sort of funny to me.

Free agency grades, including the Colts resigning Joseph Addai. Apparently, Peyton Manning likes Addai, making one of us.

Good luck finding Versus on your dial EVER AGAIN.

SCOREBOARD
Nothing since last night, chums.

Labels: