Thursday Thunder Dump

Go Right, Young Man!

Bert Blyleven gave Tyler Duffy some pitching advice to help him against right-handed batters - stand on the third base side of the pitching rubber. I would’ve guessed “downward plane” or something about foul territory. Goes to show you, Bert’s always got another card up his sleeve. More of the story by Mike Berardino at the Pioneer Press.

Want to Chat With Players? There’s an App for That!

CNBC has a story about baseball players who want to connect with their fans on social media besides Twitter and Facebook. So the MLBPA came up with Infield Chatter, a social network for players and fans. At least one Twins player is on it.

"We asked for a better way to communicate directly with fans and learn more about them, and make it easy for them to learn more about us," Minnesota Twins pitcher Hector Santiago said via email. "We believe this is the way to go, a true baseball community so that we can just be ourselves."

“Via email?” Why didn’t they use the app? I just downloaded it on my phone so I don’t know how to search for players yet or much else. Kind of looks like a video-oriented Instagram thingy.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Jordan Ison over at Puckett’s Left Pond ponders what it would take for the Twins to be a “playoff team.” Quick summary: Pitching, pitching, pitching and hitting.

A lot of pieces have to click for a baseball team to be successful for a full season. From pitching to fielding to hitting...

We here at Twinkie Town wonder why he’s aiming so low instead of going for a World Series sweep? I guess we’re more of a “glass half full” Twins blog.

WARNING! Auto-start video ad in link!

Where Have You Gone, Amaurys Minier?

E-town turns it’s lonely eyes to you! Woo woo woo. Baseball Digest is reporting that Elizabethton, TN mayor, Curt Alexander, is concerned about the future of the Twins minor league team there. Despite the town agreeing to make $3.2 million in improvements to the stadium, the Twins aren’t saying whether they will stay in Joe O’Brien Field or not after 2017.

“I’m sure they’re looking at other locations so what we’re probably really close to focusing on if we want minor-league baseball in Elizabethton it’ll probably be somebody other than the [T]wins”, Alexander said.

C’mon Twins, don’t be jerks.

Life is Like a Box of Puzzles...

Turns out Brian Dozier is more complicated than you thought. ESPN has an awesome story on Brian. (WARNING! Auto-start video in link!) In college he got bored so he taught himself to play the piano and guitar from scratch, he was in a band by his senior year. He and his wife were going to Nicaragua for some charity work so he learned Spanish. This is apparently his approach to life.

"He's got a good way about him,'' says Derek Falvey, the Twins' chief baseball officer. "Guys like being around him. Just from the way he goes about it, you can tell that he loves the game and being around it. What you see on the field is what you get.''

A few years ago, he saw some YouTube video of an Australian teen who could solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than 10 seconds. so he set out to conquer it himself. Here he is in 2014 with Josh Willingham on Cut4 trying his hand at solving it.

Inflatable Pokeball Sumo Match?