Hold on loosely, but don’t let go/If you cling too tightly babe/you’re gonna loose control

Baseball
Ah, baseball is addicting. Stacy called me yesterday morning to give me the scoop on Morneausey. You see, I was elbows deep in a dull-as-tombs spreadsheet (for work, of course) and hadn’t read the latest on MLB.com. So, Stacy knowing my addiction (and secretly loving it all as much as me) called to inform me that the Twins just signed a one-year deal with 2006 MVP Morneausey. Whew. The first thing out of my mouth was “One year? Only one year?” I guess beggars can’t be choosers. You see, I feel like I (well, the Twins organization) have given up enough for the start of 2008 season. What are two more years and 15 million dollars? Eh?

From John Heyman (CNN, Sports Illustrated)
The Twins have made it official on Kubel, Morneau…and Juan Rincon. The righthander has agreed to a one-year, $2.475 million deal to avoid arbitraton.
Rincon currently is closing for Lara during the winter league playoffs, and spent the early part of the offseason working out with Detroit masher Miguel Cabrera. He plans to work out with the same trainer right before heading to camp.
This may make you cringe but the Twins need Rincon. He should be motivated after posting a 5.13 ERA in 63 games last season. And they’ll need bullpen arms around in case Joe Nathan is dealt after Santana is dealt.
Yes, I think Santana will be dealt before camp opens. I have a trade thought involving the Mets that I’ll share with you over the weekend.

Non-Baseball
Used Music Store – You are what you listen to
I was cruising around the North East suburbs last night, in my old stomping grounds of Columbia Heights (Co-Ho) where I went to high school. I decided to stop off at Cheapo’s to peruse the Local and Modern Rock sections. I spent most of the time giggling and groaning over the selections and came to the conclusion that location does rule the used music market. In the Uptown Cheapo’s you find a wide variety of Modern Rock with a few “what the hell’s” throw in. Whereas in the CoHo you find two rows of Jessica Simpson, Backstreet Boys, Vitamin C, Nickelback, Staind, Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Poison and other similar artists. Where are the Arcade Fires, Kaiser Chiefs, The Shins?
When in Cheapo’s I sometimes find myself fucking around with their alphabetizing system. You see, I like to give props to my favorite bands and pull out a CD to put on the display. Now, before you go judging me, take in account I removed two Bow Wow, one Jessica Simpson, three (three!) James Blunts and one Marilyn Manson. I replaced them with Travis “Boy with No Name”, The Feeling “Twelve Stops and Home”, The Hives, The Frames and The Fratellis. So, I would like to say to the CoHo…You are welcome! Oh and stock up on some Romantica, 22-20’s and Sondre Lerche.
I did walk out with a Levellers album upon Nikii’s (Third Base Line) recommendation.

City Pages Concert Calendar
Maybe there is a lull in music news or concert announcements. After reading through 30+ pages of the City Pages paper I found the following concerts (new ones I haven’t already announced):
.38 Special with Zed Leppelin (cover band) – which I am contemplating
Lenny Kravitz
Hotel Café Tour 08 with Dan Wilson and Ingrid Michaelson
Jonas Brothers (their tour theme is “Your world is about to be rocked”)

Well, that’s not exciting at all (or a’tall)

Hey flathead don’t check me in / Well hers is a tonic and mine is a gin

And deep breath
The Winter Meetings have wrapped up. It appears that Santana was the belle of the Winter Meeting ball. And yet…nothing happened except for enough rumors to fill Lake Superior. What is going to happen next? Is it weird that I am a little disappointed that there was all this drama, via rumors only and nothing too big? Sheesh…even A-Rod is quiet.

Yes iPod, I have enough love for all my shiny gadgets!
I spent all yesterday evening geeking out over my new laptop. She is shiny, white and faster than Lew Ford’s pinwheel legs (inside baseball joke.) I “heart” her. The world is back on its axis and now I can internet anywhere! ANYWHERE! Also, now I can download the last four episodes of CSI: NY to catch up.

Video Advent Calendar – 20 Days
Ah, this reminds of last summer when I was driving around the fancy suburbs in my Jeep with the sunroof open and blasting this song. Ah, Edina…will you ever be the same again?

Fratelli’s - Flathead

I asked the Turkey Fairy to keep Santana and sign a 3rd baseman

*gag* A-Rod wins third AL MVP in a landslide *cough* Really? A landslide? Eh.

Trading Floor
First Twins trade of the season goes to….
Signing Craig Monroe from the Cubs - Okay, it appears the Front Office is taking this a little more seriously. Now, if we can only stop signing 13 year olds and get a few more “now” players. I know, I know…we pride ourselves on getting early talent but we need a few more players (Third Base, DH) to solidify our 2008 season.

Around the Leagues
Angels get Garland (mmm…he’s dishy) and send Cabrera to Bitch Sox.
Our little Castillo signs with Mets for four years.

What I am thankful for…2007
Yes, whilst most of you are thankful for your families, good health, steady income and love - I, on the other hand, am thankful for much more shallow things.

· The Ghetto #5 bus, it gets me to work everyday and makes me thankful for my lifestyle choices
· My Minnesota Twins birthday party
· Coffee
· Rossi’s 2-4-1 happy hour
· Seeing my first Travis concert with Liat
· Brit Rockers (The Feeling, Fratellis, the Kooks, Bowie, Queen, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Kinks, the Animals, the Who, Pink Floyd, Sex Pistols, the Clash, Travis)
· Monday Night Happy Hour(s)
· Dim Sum (Shoot ‘em up Jun Bo)
· Ogling the guys outside my office window (Smoking Smoker)
· 89.3 The Current radio station
· Red Dye#5 – the champagne of artificial flavors
· Chocolate cupcakes with white frosting
· Office gossip – or I like to say “networking”
· Minnesota Twins 2007 Baseball Season (We may have not made it to the playoffs but you still have my heart and time April through October.)
· Lucy’s great taste in music (Jimmy Buffet, Bon Jovi, Plain White Tees and classic rock)
· The final Harry Potter book
· Prince’s big concert trifecta in Minneapolis
· Amy (nerdy sci-fi shows, baseball and plasma television)
· My Minnesota Twins Baseball Blog: http://lipglossbaseball.blogspot.com/
· Classic Rock
· My time on the cruise ship
· Al Franken running for Senate
· Celebrating my second blogging anniversary on March 10, 2007
· Baseball
· Ace of Cakes on the Foodnetwork channel, especially Geoffrey)
· Soylent Green
· My AC/DC and Led Zeppelin t-shirts
· Road tripping through Elvis-land (Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama) with Foley
· The Shot Spotter (detects gunshots)
· This weird obsession with Scott Weiland of Velvet Revolver.
· BBC America television channel
· Consuming alcohol

Alas, I don't have a good lyric to insert here

Oh man, this blog may not be suitable for anyone. Especially if you are offended by swear words or would like to fight me on some issues. This entry was definitely not made to explain stats or facts. This is a 100% feeling and 99% of that is frustration.

Congratulations Pohlad, Ryan, and all the front staff. If you wanted to beat down your players and break the fans hearts…well, you succeeded. It is a sad mother fucking day in baseball when you end a season beat down. It is also a sad day when I read articles about Santana not knowing if he’ll be back because he will be expensive. That ya’ll might shop our ace out. I mean, after all it worked when we traded Knoblauch, why not do it again. Right? (Insert the sarcasm.) And then there is Hunter. No one can blame the guy for just wanting the trade to be done with. I mean, between the Powers That Be and the media he has been hounded with this since mid-season. I think the only people that really care are the fans and we all know we have no power to change the outcome.
Here is an interesting quote from Hunters interview:

"Somebody needs to slap a couple people around and say, 'You've got to play no matter what," Hunter said.
He then added, "If you don't play every day, and you're a good player, then how can you help the team win?"
Hunter was asked if he meant Joe Mauer, referring to speculation earlier this season that Mauer wasn't doing enough to play through leg injuries, and Hunter said he didn't. Rather he pointed to the fact he feels it's a different group of players on the Twins than when he first arrived.
"It's a different breed. I don't know what's going on in the Minor Leagues, but it's different," Hunter said.

Well, if you were expecting to see a noble, head-held high style from the Twins going out of 2007 you will be sadly disappointed. Like it is said, there is no crying in baseball, but there is a lot of bitching and moaning. Instead of a fitting tribute to most of the players and all of the fans, hoping to see a respectable ending, we have injured players leaving the season a few days early, we have veterans frustrated and we have respected players being treated like shit. Yeah, I know…I can sit in my cubicle and write about how wussy everyone is. Yeah, I know that if I was hurt I would be the first one lying on the bench whilst someone fanned me and brought me Gatorade. Yeah, I know that it is a long season and it is embarrassing and frustrating to keep playing under this disguise of mockery. However…I also know that this kind of shit wouldn’t fly in my Land O’Cubicles, there would be a pretty pink slip waiting for me the next morning. Alas, I don’t get paid in millions, I get paid in handfuls.

And so ends my cranky/bitter rant. Don’t worry…I won’t be ending my baseball blogging season on this note (ahem…) I will come back and write a witty memory-filled tribute to 2007 that hopefully will overshadow this disappointing week.

I look forward to seeing some good old fashioned competitive baseball in October (as long as it isn’t the Yankees all the way through.)

It is said…
A band-wagon fan jumps on and off with the highs and lows. A real fan stays on and cheers when winning and bitches when losing. What kind of fan are you?

What will my baseball muse do in the off season?

My baseball muse is gone. Where has she gone? Maybe I need to get to another game to find her. Mmm…beer and peanuts. I think I am all done with sitting in the cheap seats (GA) on Dollar Dog Night (also Half Price Student Night) because it is not fun. Don’t get me wrong; I “heart” the Dollar Dogs but I also “heart” not having to deal with sugar-hyped teenagers and cranky ushers.

Moooooving on
Baker rocked the free world yesterday! What a game. Now the other fans must realize how frustrating it is to lose by one run. How obnoxious it is when their offense can’t stay on base. We won on Saturday too even though Garza couldn’t hang in there. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay in there on Friday and get Santana a much needed win.

Let’s take an inventory
Castillo – Gone but to a good home with the Mets
Cirillo – Gone to AZ but not really going to do anything down there
Leeew Ford – Gone to minors
Did we get anything? Uh no, we did call up another minor league pitcher. Oh, good. I was worried we would try to get some big bats into our line-up. Whew, wouldn’t want to be mistaken with that. Note: today’s sarcasm is brought to you by the letter M, the number 7 and Pohlad’s stinginess.

In conclusion
To all you “They are out of it now.” “There is no way they can catch up.” “Guess they gave up on the season” fans (um, Geoff and company) I would like to say…4.5 games back. Do you still think we have cashed it in? (Yeah, to some of your points it doesn’t help that if we get to post-season and don’t have any necessary changes to our team it is going to be tough.)

Right, let’s clean up the Indians tonight and win the series. I will be on a barstool at Rossi’s pretending to listen to my friends chat whilst drinking wine and watching the game.

In which I rant (slightly irrationally) about The Trade.

I thought this picture was fitting for a few different reasons. Read on to see if you can figure them out.

Last evening I was completely out of communication from anyone who wasn’t at my friend Ryan’s “Congratulation on your new house closing” party. There was no television, no telephone and I had my cell turned off. I sure paid for that this morning when I awoke with a slight hangover headache (damn Tanqueray and orange juice) and extremely tired.

Now, let me set a scene for you…
I was sitting on my bus, shades on, coffee in hand, Yoko Ono playing in my ear (see below for an explanation) and dozing on and off. It was around 17th and Chicago Ave when I roused myself to look at the KSTP News Bulletin billboard to catch up on any breaking news. There it was, in big bright lights “Castillo Traded to Mets.” What the fuck? I didn’t even hear a hint of that news. I was flustered when I dug my cell phone out of my purse. I kept elbowing the guy next to me trying to balance my coffee, music player, purse and cell phone. I called Amy at home since it was only 7:00 a.m. and I didn’t know if she had left yet. No answer. I called Amy on her cell phone thinking she wouldn’t have it turn on. Eureka! She answered. I didn’t even attempt for a casual morning greeting “Did you know Castillo got traded to the Mets?” (At 7:00 a.m. I cease using good grammar.) I was saddened to hear that she had heard that already and she had called me last night to leave me a message about it. Damn drinking! It ruins everything! So, this morning whilst I peruse all the sports pages I get angrier and angrier. We traded him for what? Son of a… Of all the stupid… Jeez… Okay, so yes, I am mad. Yes, I may be a tinge irrational. Yes, I may have threatened to alter my giant foam finger so I can flip Pohlad off. Yes, I will calm down and look at this rationally. Oh and by the way, I am blaming Pohlad for this trade (and for smacking my elbow on the corner of my desk when I was in a heated debate with Geoff.)

What a crap way to start the day.

Random Yoko Ono-ness: A friend of mine has a sister that works for Astralwerks label out of New York. Every quarter she sends a music package to Eric and I. We just got a box yesterday and it included two Yoko Ono CDs. (We think the sister put them in there since Yoko thanks her in the liner notes.) Eric didn’t want a thing to do with them so I took them home with me. Now if only I can get his grubby hands off the Chemical Brothers and A Band of Bees.