Game CXLVI: Twins vs Blue Jays

First Pitch: 7:15 PM CTTV: FSNRadio: GO 96.3, TIBNKnow Your Enemy: Bluebird BanterWeather: Partly Cloudy, 83°F

Where: Rocket J. Squirrel Field

The Blue Jays playing at Target Field means there will be plenty of our well-mannered neighbours to the north coming down for a visit. Expect delays at concession stands as they politely explain that "that's not poutine, eh." and ask why the Kraft Dinner is so expensive, and where they can get a decent Labatt's around here while trying to pay with loonies and flaunting their fancy healthcare all over the place. Try to show them the usual Minnesota nice-ness without so much passive-aggressiveness. You never know when you'll need a country to seek asylum in.

The B-Jays just got done driving a dagger into the Orioles playoff hopes and are hoping to do the same to us. I'm afraid that's just a gosh darned "No," you guys. This looked fun though:

This play is legen…wait for it…DARY. pic.twitter.com/RoXsrgni5q

— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2017

Pitching for the Bird Feeder Raiders will be southpaw Brett Anderson (LHP, 3-3, 5.90 ERA). Here's Wiki's scouting report on him: "Anderson is considered an 'extreme ground ball pitcher' with a ground ball rate of 58.2% -- second highest of all starting pitchers, since his career began in 2009." Not sure how he avoided the longing gaze of Terry Ryan or the Falvine Bros. thus far.

Echazon for Los Gemelos will be Jose Berrios (RHP, 12-7, 3.94 ERA). La MaKina has had a roller coaster of a season, he's had some very short starts and some games where he's fanned 11 batters. In his last game, he pitched seven innings, giving up only two runs on eight hits and two walks, but just struck out one Royals batter.

September 14, 1994 - MLB officially shut down the season after a month of the baseball strike by the MLBPA over salary caps. For those of you who postulating "if the season ended today..." 1994 was the Montreal Expos best shot at a World Series pennant, they were 74-40 and had the best record in the MLB. After the strike they got to hang a banner in Olympic Stadium that read in French and English, "1994 BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL," but never got any other pennant or title. The Expos never really recovered economically from the strike. Bud Selig sent in Jeff Loria to dismantle and sell the team off.

Prior to the early end of the 1994 season, the struggling Twins traded St. Paul native, Dave Winfield to the Cleveland Indians for a PTBNL. The season ended with no player named, but they deal still needed to be completed. So the Twins and Indians executives met at a restaurant and the Indians picked up the tab. The Twins traded a future HOFer for a steak dinner.

Later that winter, Twins' out fielder Shane Mack, who was hitting .333 that year, decided to play in Japan instead of staying in MN for job security.

Song of the Day:

Which nicely ties this entire game thread together.