It’s a wonderful night/You gotta take it from me/It’s a wonderful night/Come on and break it down

Here is my Top 10 Things That Happened Regarding Baseball (Top 10 TTHRB)

10. I got autographs from six rookies/minor league players that I will probably lose in the next day or so. (Sorry Curveball, that must make you shudder.) Maybe I’ll be a responsible autograph collector and put it somewhere safe.
9. Met up with Jolene (which doesn’t seem baseball-like) who was working at the booth next to where Mike Redmond was sitting. Jolene, thanks for prodding me to take his pic and not just stand there.
8. Told Those Girls where to drink in Minneapolis (hope they found a few good places)
7. TBL took me through the Rookie/Minor League/Down on the Farm (free) line twice and patiently explained the routine so I wouldn’t look too stupid. (Shout out to Denard Span for being super charming to everyone.)
6. Came to the realization that Kevin Slowey is cute! Amy has been telling me this since the beginning but I had just brushed her off.
5. Was shocked by the lack of pink Mrs. Joe Mauer t-shirts in the crowd (and a little saddened not to have them to mock.)
4. Ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the new stadium display (see you in 2010)
3. Listened to my co-worker (who doesn’t know shit about baseball, mind you) audition for the National Anthem contest thingy.
2. Bought Minnesota Twins (baseball) home opener tickets (see you at the dome on March 31, behind home plate, upper level, 30 breath-taking – literally – rows up.)
1. Had my first Dome Dog and Beer at the Metrodome for the 2008 season!

MOD
I made a mix to use for when I have to run tons of errands (and usually dread it.) Now before you start doubting my sanity, I know that a lot of these are the top songs I have been talking about the last week or so but…they are just that damn good!
Run the Damn Errands Mix
Carry On Up the Morning – Babyshambles
Delivery – Babyshambles
You Talk – Babyshambles
Intervention – Arcade Fire
Rootless Tree – Damien Rice (you all know I only like this song because of its use of the word “fuck”
Wonderful Night – Fatboy Slim
Walk Away – Franz Ferdinand
Baby Fratelli (acoustic from Budhill Singles) – Fratellis
Cigarello (acoustic from Budhill Singles) – Fratellis
You Held the World in Your Arms – Idlewild
She’s Crazy – The Kelly Family
My Doorbell – White Stripes
Dry Your Eyes – The Streets

Whoops, looks like I need a swear count: 4

Bad boys, bad boys/Watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do/when they come for you

Baseballness
Well, it is sure quiet around the World of the Minnesota Twins. The big talk is the new stadium and gossip over what will happen with trades.

There is some positive news about two minor league players that we saw in the big leagues in 2007:
Our Minor Leaguers
Buscher (third base) named 2007 Sherry Robertson Award as the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Year.
Kevin Slowey selected as 2007 Jim Rantz Award as Twins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Everywhere I look this is what I have to read:
Joe Girardi formally announced as the new Yankees manager.
Torre finally announced as the Dodgers new manager.

Non-baseball
I went to this play the other night that was very intense and really interesting, Cherry Docs (http://www.mnjewishtheatre.org/shows.html). Yes, the play was great but the best part of the evening was riding around in the mock-undercover cop car. I felt like Starsky, Hutch, Cagney, Lacey, Kojak or T.J. Hooker. There was the glass partition that divided the front and back seats with the sliding window thing, a computer system and a C.B. radio. It was sweet!!! I don’t think I have ever felt as badass as I did riding shotgun. The only down side was when my safety-nerd popped up saying that if we were in a collision the airbag would jam the computer system into my chest. Hey, it was a risk I was willing to take. I only wish I would have thought about sitting in the back for effect.

‘Tis the season
Have you ordered your holiday cards yet? Well, you should! I am pimping my girl, Pumpkingirl’s http://www.pumpkin-girl.blogspot.com/ new holiday cards she had for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=2023
Pirate Christmas cards? Hell ya!

You take the good, you take the bad / You take them both and there you have

Here is the new deck at the house. This is where I sat drinking a beer and listening to the games.

Before you all panic and start threatening me (uh, Curlz?) I have not gone over to the dark side, to football. Not even in baseball’s off season. (I don’t like my sports to overlap.) I will enjoy hockey and curling during the snowy months.

And on to the point of this blog…baseball.
To quote the lyrics to a well known television series that struck home with many viewers “You take the good, you take the bad / you take them both and there you have / The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life."
The same can be said about baseball, specifically the MN Twins.

Here we are into our last month of baseball. Last year at this time there was an air of nervous energy. We were fighting for our spot in postseason, toiling for the Wildcard race. In the end, due to some very erratic circumstances we secured our spot as American League Central Champs. (I get goose bumps thinking about that game, you know “that” one.) In the present moment I find myself just wanting to enjoy the remaining games that we have in September.

The results are in…
Friday, Aug 31 - L 4-9, W 5-0
Saturday, Sept 1 - W 6-4
Sunday, Sept 2 - L 1-8
Monday, Sept 3 - L 0-5
Tuesday, Sept 4 - L 5-7 (in painful extra innings)

Last night's game was a heartbreaker, an old fashioned up and down game of baseball. I think Dick & Bert cursed it when in the 6th Inning they were talking about Guerrier and how tonight Slowey would get the Win and/or Nathan would get the Save (that Guerrier knows his role and it isn’t to get Wins or Saves.) Then it goes in to the 9th with Nathan at the mound. A homerun tied the game. I tried but I couldn’t watch past the 10th. This morning I woke up to catch the 11th being replayed on FSN. I watched as DePaula had the bases loaded and the inning ended with Cleveland pulling ahead with 7 runs. Ouch. I guess it is time to shake off the dust and go in to the day game today and play again. (By the way, I was offered suite tickets again but due to Amy not having PTO to use for a half day and me not wanting to go with anyone else we aren’t going.)

Aren’t you impressed that I can write a lot and really not “say” anything?

Turning Back Time - not really relevant to this blog topic except in a random way

Okay, the All-Star voting is over. I need to just move on and quit stewing over the picks. Unlike Cher, I can’t turn back time. If I could I would totally go back to the final regular season game last year when the Twins sealed the first place spot while watching the Royals beat the Tigers. I watched the game and all the trappings afterwards from the comfort of my sofa (and drinking my free beer.)
Anyways, now we need to focus on the actual All-Star game. It is time to pick your AL/NL sides and do a little cheering. I am mostly in it for the celebrity sightings and any drama.

And, you all may have heard that Kevin Slowey was sent back down after a brief stint in the majors. Garza will get his shot this evening against the White Sox. You can bet that Baker and Garza are feeling a little anxious about their performances.

Here I sit (again) in my own personal hell (fondly called a cubicle) following the game on Gameday whilst reading a hard copy of a manual. I feel I have channeled a 14-year old girl since I am mostly doodling on my “home” work instead of doing it. I sure hope the teacher likes me so I get a B at least.
Right this minute we are at the bottom of the second with Baker pitching a 1-2-3 in the first and our offense rocking. Castillo, Barty, Baby Jesus and Hunter have all gotten hits. Now we are ahead 5-0 in the bottom of the 2nd. Of course, at this time the game can go either way. I am on my way to a meeting/tour of Solera Restaurant. My office is hosting our summer party there so I get to sample food and schmooze with the manager. Yeah, my job rocks!

Much like people holding giant signs in front of me whilst at a game are a big pet peeve of mine. I have also come to the conclusion that people that require me to work whilst I am watching the game on Gameday are evil scum suckers. EVIL!

If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that hurt you
And you'd stay
If I could reach the stars
I'd give them all to you
Then you'd love me, love me
Like you used to do
-Cher

*Waving at the Jumbo-Screen* Hi!

Last night my schmoozing skills reaped the benefit of trying to be friend with everyone. I scored the Mighty Corporations season ticket seats for last night’s game. Actually, they came to me third-handed. Whilst seating in the second row above our dugout in the middle of the section Amy and I found ourselves on the Jumbo-Screen not once but twice (much to Amy’s thrill.) We also saw Punto’s great dugout catch right in front of us (I mean, right smack in front of us.)

Due to the fact that sitting that close to the action I had a hard time noting stats and other specifics. I spent most of the time watching for foul balls from lefties and other random happenings around third base.

Here are a few things I did notice:
Slowey did not do horrible but he gave up four earned runs. Guerrier did not do well and gave up a BIG two-run homerun. Our offense was sporadic and our defense was mediocre. Castillo was hurt, Red (Redmond) got smacked around and the home-plate Ump got smacked by a pitch.

Random Recaps:
* Lots of people like to “borrow” the open seats until they get kicked out which is fine except we have to stand up every time they shuffle back and forth.
* Gate F has the best food and beer choices – Corona, Summit and Heineken plus carved meat.
* The dirt looks like velvet (random, I know.)
* I feel like I know Scotty Ullger now, since I spent the whole night two rows from him.
* I want a ball but I don’t want to have to catch it. Players and coaches would throw foul or last out balls into our section, however, I didn’t want to catch it. I wanted Amy to get one and give it to me but she kept saying she would give it to a little kid and that made me mad. I totally didn’t talk to her for half an inning.
* This last one is going to sound totally girly and baseball-wimpy but I “heart” Barty (Bartlett). This is 100% on a shallow – he is super cute and has a great smile – level. I know, I am shaking my head at myself.

Let’s move on to fellow game attendees from last night:
Dear fans of section 132, rows 4-6
To the lady behind me: Please stop talking…forever.
To the male half of the Yellow Couple: The nicknames you made up were cute but no one likes a random yelling fan. It is distracting and…well, random.
To the 17-year old girls who kept getting kicked out of seats but kept coming back: You are too young to be drinking beer and you are too old to be drinking the beer that was left behind.
To the ticket holders of the seats around us: When you have such great seats why would you come during the third inning and leave during the fifth. Call my cell if you ever want someone to keep the seats warm.
To Amy: I am still hurt that you wouldn’t give the hypothetical ball to me.

Warming up and random newsman

In which I rant about the lack of female baseball fans...

Where have all the female baseball fans gone?

With Batgirl gone that only leaves me and one other baseball blog to read that is written with a female perspective…Third Base Line. Come on ladies! Step it up! I sit in a cubicle all day defending my baseballness to the men around me. It is like the glass ceiling of baseball. If I can do it, anyone can!

On that note
I heard through the grapevine (actually from Stacy who heard it from Risa) that there was a Baseball Blogging Luncheon event. *clears throat* And why wasn’t I invited? Anyways, it seems like there were very few ladies represented at that event. *shakes head sadly* That’s it! I am making it my personal mission to become more active in the baseball blogging community (hey, at least it isn’t World of Warcraft, or WoW as my nerdy co-workers call it.)

Back to baseball
Last nights game was fantastic! Was it because they won? Was it because I saw some bats connecting? Was it because our defense rocked the dingy grey roof? I believe it was all of the above. Slowey is starting to build a rep of being solid and deliverable. Red (Redmond) is reliable for some base hits. Castillo is probably our safest bet. Barty looks good at bat (that is the shallow or lipgloss part of the blog.) Baby Jesus (Mauer) is trying to find his groove. Hunter made another highlight reel worthy play and a great hit. Cuddy showed off his cannon. Morneausey was honored as a Canadian (there was a flag and an embassy thing.) The only people I don’t have a smartass comment about are Punto and Lewwwwww Ford. End result: Twins won!