Twins make embarrassing history

by Neil on Sep 8, 2007 1:24 AM EDT

The Twins became the only team in history to score six or more runs in the top of the ninth inning and still be tied by the end of the ninth.

Words fail me. This is unbelievable.

Apparently I am required to type at least 300 characters so my entry can be posted. In that case:

Dear Mr. Gardenhire,

You had Joe Nathan warm for the bottom of the ninth. Your tendency to worship the stat of the "save" has cost you one of the most embarrassing losses I have ever seen. Congratulations.

Sincerely,

Wearing Thin in MN.

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Bad, but....

This was pretty bad, but who cares? I mean, the season is over, Gardenhire is an idoit (keeps playing idiots like Punto) and things don't look like they're turning around.

Plus, these stupid stats and records are stupid. If someone is really getting paid to find out who the last team to score six runs in the last inning and lose, that's pretty sad.

Visit my blog at Twins Territory. http://www.twins-territory.blogspot.com/

by Twins Territory on Sep 8, 2007 10:15 AM EDT reply actions

82 Wins?

I just want to finish not being a losing team. Is that too much to ask at this point? 7th winning season in a row? 82 wins! C'mon!

-Flip

by Flip27 on Sep 8, 2007 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

Joe Nathan

was part of the problem last nite, not the solution. He walked the leadoff man and then threw 15 pitches 50 feet. He was not sharp.

by wcooley on Sep 8, 2007 1:29 PM EDT reply actions

Yet he was still able to get...

...three outs while giving up just one run, no? Seems like a pretty safe bet that he could have gotten three outs without giving up six runs?

by ubelmann on Sep 8, 2007 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions

27 outs

Nathan might be able to get 27 outs and only give up one run. Maybe Gardy should have brought him in in the 1st.

by wcooley on Sep 9, 2007 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions

In all seriousness, I think DePaula is the right move for the same reason Casilla should be playing everyday: the Twins are out of it, let's see what they got. We now know that DePaula and Cali are not legit pullpen options for next year, and that Buscher needs work at third. In the long run that means more than a win in September.

by wcooley on Sep 9, 2007 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

If that's what I thought the Twins...

...were actually doing, then maybe I'd buy that. But I've seen little-to-no indication that Gardy has stopped managing for the win.

Of all the moves Gardy has made this year, this hardly ranks as a problem, but since the playoffs are out of reach anyway, I think that if Joe Nathan is warmed up, he should come into the game. For me, it's not so much about managing for the win in that situation, but keeping the bullpen rested. If Nathan goes into that game, DePaula probably doesn't have to even warm up, and would be that much more rested to pitch the next day in case Garza has a really bad day. Test DePaula some other day when you didn't just get Joe Nathan warmed up.

But, whatever, it's not really a big deal.

by ubelmann on Sep 9, 2007 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm just gonna' say

I don't htink last night's ninth inning was gardy's fault. he had Nathan getting ready, but we scored 6 bloody runs. When you scory 6 runs, you get to rest your closer. Julio Depaul may be a mop-up guy, but you'd think e can get three outs with only giving up 3 or 4 runs at worst. Then, when Nathan got back up, he wasn't ready in time ot pitch to Thome and BOOM, new ball game.

Just my thought. While i was watching the game, i didn't think any mistakes were made, except Chris Heintz at catcher, but we didn't have an otehr choice. I know Nathan's pitches were short, but throughout that inning, and other parts of the game, he really demonstrated how spoiled we've become with defensive catchers, always having the likes of Mauer, Redmond, or Blanco back there.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on Sep 8, 2007 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

Call by the Ump

By the 13th inning I was so POed, I was flipping channels. I missed the disputed call. What exactly happened that caused Bert and Dick to talk about giving the player of the game to the ump?

by GACTwinFan on Sep 8, 2007 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

Ump said Bartlett didn't have the ball

when he left 2B to throw to 1B for a double play.

It was a BS call that almost never happens. The last time I remember it vividly was when it happened to Guzman in 02 playoffs vs the A's

by caluofmn on Sep 8, 2007 7:05 PM EDT reply actions

If you are

If you are amiddle infielder trying to turn two, hell, you can usually just straddle the bag and never really touch it and it's considered acceptable. That was a BS call at BS time.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on Sep 9, 2007 5:54 AM EDT reply actions

The replay showed....

...he still had his toe on the bag when he caught the ball. If there's two outs at that point, the Twins have the infieled playing back and Pierzinski's grounder is easily gobbled up by Bartlett for an out. In essence, he gave the game to the Pale Hosers.

Like I said in another thread, I think the ump needed to get to the buffet or something. Maybe he was suffering from low blood sugar. That was the worst call I've seen this year.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 9, 2007 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions