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D@mn that Fat Lady .....

Sports teams hate to see her coming - - - - a "female" - measurements 5'1" by 5'1" by 5'1" - wearing what looks like a hot air balloon that got the weekend off, topped off by a Viking helmet (horns & all) ...

The first sign they get is a news bulletin that three concession stands on the third base line have had to close because they've been bought out.  Then comes the sound of a kazoo orchestra "warming up", followed by something you later learn was "throat clearing" (though it sounded like a bucket of bolts in a dryer at the time).

She doesn't just burst into song, though - there's always a prelude, an "introduction" before her Fattitude begins her bellowing.  With each team it's different - for some, it's the gale force winds created by bats hitting nothing but air; with others, it's the sound of Homer Simpson's "D'Oh!!!!" ringing through the park as their gloves turn to iron.

With our Twins, it's been the relief corps adopting "Flight of the Bumblebees" as their theme song for opposing batter/runners in the late innings.

While there's still time, and she can still be shut up, it's not going to happen with the pitching we're getting from the 7th inning on.

Obviously, we miss Pat Neshek.  Just as obviously, Matt Guerrier has underachieved this year (which happens).  It has, however, been a bullpen-wide failure this month - - - who expects Joe Nathan to get beat twice in a month?

Who'd have thought the 7th & 8th innings would be our big problem?