Starring in the Role of Justin Morneau's Cosmic Killjoy - Corey Koskie??

It has been many months since I last entered any thoughts in this blog. It's not for lack of things to write about; it's due to that pesky post-concussion stuff. When I choose to use the brain power to write in the blog, it tends to mean I'm not able to do other things I'd like to (or need to) do, so I dialed it back to rest the head, and now perhaps I can ease into it again, a little at a time. So I figured, what more appropriate subject to return with, than Justin Morneau's concussion!

Morneau has been working out again, trying to get back into shape after not playing in a game since suffering a concussion/mild traumatic brain injury (the definition of a concussion is to have an mTBI) on July 7 in Toronto, and is hoping to do a rehab stint soon. I haven't read an update in awhile, so I checked out Joe Christensen's column in the Star Tribune on Saturday. It all sounded very good, but I'm struggling with one particular comment from a quote. Christensen mentions that Morneau has received advice from former Twin Corey Koskie, whose career was ended by concussions, and Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell, who missed half of last season with a concussion. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire's comments about this are what bother me. "You talk to players that ended their careers with concussions -- I don't think you're going to get a lot of positives out of them, know what I mean? They have a lot of knowledge, but we go with what our doctors say. And our doctors say Justin Morneau will be the one to tell us [he's ready] and not anyone else."

Ok, so basically he thinks Koskie & Mitchell will tell Morneau that he's doomed, it won't heal, and don't play? I would be willing to bet my non-existent salary, that they are giving him advice to help ensure that he continues to have a long & successful career, rather than having his season or heaven forbid, his career, come to a close from the brain injury. Koskie & Mitchell both had multiple mismanaged concussions, which very likely contributed to their long-term issues. But I'm quite certain neither of them will be trying to keep Morneau from playing, or talk him into staying on the couch to watch soap operas, if he is feeling good and healed!

To clarify, it appears that both the Twins and Morneau have handled this concussion properly since it occured, so I have no complaint with the athletic training staff; my only issue is with the sentiment behind Gardy's comment. Since concussions don't show up on scans, blood tests, x-rays, etc. (the brain damage from concussions can be found in an autopsy, but that would seem to be a rather drastic step...), Gardy is correct that Justin is the only one who can truly tell the Twins when he's ready. Surveys recently have shown that in professional & college sports, however, players tend to be less than truthful about their symptoms, because they want to play, ignoring the potential long-term (and short-term) results. I'm guessing Koskie is telling him to be honest, and not to say he's fine if he's still having issues, but if he's doing well with the workouts, then keep going and get back on the field. What could be more encouraging to Justin, than to have someone who has seen the worst side of the concussion effects, tell him that based on him being symptom-free during his workouts, his brain is in a great place, and he won't need to worry about Koskie's situation happening to him?

With all the work Koskie has been doing with schools & organizations about concussions, his goal has been to help kids, parents & coaches get the young athletes back on the field in the right way, so once they return, they can stay active, and don't suffer further consequences. I'm quite certain Gardy doesn't want Morneau to come back simply because he is anxious to play, or "chomping at the bit" only to have a minor head hit on a play at 1st or whiplash while diving for a ball become a career-threatening injury. He wants him to come back at full strength, and to be able to stay back. However, just because Koskie's career ended due to concussions, doesn't mean he would tell Justin the same thing will happen to him, anymore than Gardy would tell players they'll never be able to become consistent .300 hitters, just because hitting is what he struggled with most in his pro career.

My life has been drastically changed because of my concussions, and I wish with everything in me that I had listened when my sister told me to stop working (& reading, writing, texting, analyzing etc.) until my symptoms were gone. Instead, I kept pushing through it for over a month, and got worse with each day. Had I listened right away, I may have only missed a few weeks of work and then been back to normal (though we'll never know for sure). That being said, if Morneau was asking me for advice (which seems about as likely as me winning the lottery), I wouldn't tell him to not play, or say that his life was going to be ruined now. I'd say to listen to what his body and brain are telling him. I'm guessing it's insulting to Koskie that Gardy seems to think he won't be positive about the situation. As someone who has dealt with that issue, I guarantee he would be thrilled to see a healthy Morneau back on the field, winning games for the Twins.

So if Justin Morneau still has headaches, or that "not right" feeling he described before, then he should wait until those are gone, no matter how boring it is. However, if he no longer has any of the concussion symptoms while working out, throwing, hitting in the cage & doing the regular stuff of life, then by all means, he should be on track to get to a rehab assignment soon, and join the team when he's in baseball shape & back up to speed!

Nick Punto Day - Why I love Nick Punto!

Today is Nick Punto Day for Twins bloggers, as created by Andrew Kneeland of the Twins Target blog. I have been looking forward to this day because Nick Punto is one of my favorite members of the Minnesota Twins. Seriously. No, I don’t think he’s one of the best players on the team, and I’m certainly not interested in debating his value with any Nick Punto haters. I know you’re out there, and I know you’d love to tell me why he shouldn’t ever play, but I don’t care, so feel free to write your own blog about why he doesn’t belong in the major leagues, but don’t rain on my parade. This is just me explaining why I love Nick Punto!

I wrote last year about why Punto played as often as he does if you want to look at statistics, but this blog is kind of like explaining why I love my big comfy soft Adidas sweatshirts or my perfect fitting Twins Enterprise Twins hats (Twins Enterprise has nothing to do with the Minnesota Twins, but it’s only “fitting” that they make my favorite hats). Punto is obviously not the best player on the team, and my favorite clothing items are not straight off the fashion runways. I just really enjoy Nick Punto, just like I enjoy my most comfortable clothes! Punto isn’t my first choice for who I’d want to bat with the game on the line in the 9^th inning, just as I wouldn’t wear my favorite sweatshirt/cap combo to meet with a publisher about getting my new book into print (not that I have written a book, started a book or thought about starting a book…). Nicky is just a player that I know will make my evening more comfortable overall!

-Just to clarify, earlier tonight, long after I started writing this blog, I saw that Kbrobaseball had her Punto blog title comparing him to a “good ol’ pair of shoes.” I swear I did not steal her idea, as I had been planning this line of thought since hearing about Nick Punto Blog Day. Apparently this merely means that Punto has this kind of effect on some of his fans!-

Nobody hustles and goes all out quite like Punto does on every play, both on offense and defense. I am not at all a fan of him diving into first base, except in those rare occasions where it is necessary to avoid a tag. Even though physics says that’s not the fastest way to reach the base, he believes that it is until someone can prove him wrong. While he knows he’s putting himself at risk of injury, he does it because he wants to do whatever he can to get on base. His logic may be faulty in this case, but I still can’t be mad about the effort. He only has one gear: going all out all the time.

The Twins are always known for solid consistency on routine grounders, and the ability to make the spectacular plays as well. Of all the fantastic defenders the Twins have had in the last handful of years, I would put Nick Punto’s collection of Web Gems (even if they weren’t all on Baseball Tonight) up against anyone else on the team, or almost any other team for that matter. Torii Hunter has obviously had some of the most amazing catches in Twins history, so he would have to be at the top of that list, but I would still argue that Nick would be right there with him.

There are two Twins plays of the last 5 years that stand out in my mind above all others, in terms of the quality of the play (and I know once I write these, I will think of 30 other ones that should be at the top as well, but such is life). One was Torii Hunter in the 5^th inning (I think) of a game in which Johan Santana had a no-hitter going at the time. The ball was hit to left-center field, and seemed to be at a trajectory that would be impossible to even reach in time to cut off on a bounce, let alone to snatch out of the air. The cameras didn’t even show anyone in the area as the baseball shot out toward the direction of the fence. All of the sudden, there was Torii Hunter flying across the field turf, channeling his inner Usain Bolt (even if we didn’t know who Bolt was yet), propelling off the ground horizontally toward the ball and somehow capturing it in the leather pocket of his glove, followed by a good 2-3 somersault/rolls toward the warning track. I can still hear Twins television play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer saying the following lines as his excitement and volume level increased with each word: “He didn’t catch that did he?!?! He didn’t catch that did he?!?! He sure did!!” The catch itself may have been routine for Torii, but actually getting to the ball way out of his range combined with making the catch; that is what made it amazing.

The other play that is at the top of my own personal web gem list is what I titled The Nick Punto Superman play at 2^nd base, for my own personal DVD highlights. It was in Yankee Stadium a few years ago. I don’t remember if it was a bunt, or just a roller slowing up in the grass, but I know there was no chance it was going to be anything other than an infield hit. Punto got up to the ball, but the angle at which it was rolling vs. the direction he was coming from = no chance in the world of physics to get the ball to 1^st base accurately, let alone before the runner reached safely. He grabbed the ball barehanded, and had his whole body off the ground, almost as if he was lying down and had started levitating in a perfect Superman type pose. The fact that he was in the air should’ve eliminated any ability to put some torque on the toss, since the arm is only one component in getting power behind a throw. Yet somehow, he was able to take the energy from pushing his legs off the ground for the dive, and move it along to his arm, which was hanging below his body between his torso & the grass, to get something on the throw to first. As for accuracy, I have no idea how it got where it was supposed to go. Throwing across your body very rarely works out well for even the strongest and most accurate of arms (ask Brett Favre or Peyton Manning about that…), especially when you are suspended in the air. Yet little Nicky Punto got that throw to 1^st base in time for the out. The play continues to amaze me just thinking about. Even more amazing to me is that he made almost the identical play in 2009, in the exact same borough of New York, albeit on the opposite side of the street. The pretty much cemented that fact that it wasn’t a lucky play!

I would need to write that book I mentioned previously in order to describe all my favorite defensive plays from Nick Punto over the years (and I would need a Lord of the Rings size series to cover all the plays by every Twin that I’ve enjoyed through time), but that play at Yankee Stadium just embodies who he is out on the field. He never believes that a play is impossible and he will always give it his all. I’ve often wondered what would happen if the effort and attitude of players like Nick Punto & Mike Redmond was combined with the talent of a Milton Bradley. That would be one unstoppable ball player.

I still can’t quite understand why Punto only seems to be able to swing the bat well in even numbered years, but that means we should be in for a good season for him, regardless of what different position he heads out to each game. I just know I can rely on him to play hard, and to care about what he is doing, no matter what the situation. No one can control their talent; sure, they can work hard on skills and practice consistently, but talent is a gift. Effort and dedication is what can be controlled, and I think that must be why Nick Punto is one of my favorite Twins of the past decade. My favorite sweatshirts & cap certainly have been there for me repeatedly, never failing to be comfortable, even when they felt perhaps they needed a break. So as sappy & sugary as this superfluous post may be, this is why I love Nick Punto!

(1st Photo taken by Liz Strand, 09/21/07. 2nd Photo taken by Kathy Willens, 07/04/07)

Carlos Gomez - Which Side of My Brain Wins?

Throughout my schooling & work life, I was frequently given the opportunity to take various personality tests, many of which would establish whether I was dominant in my left or right brain. All that was actually established is that I clearly have no idea. Sometimes I was barely left, sometimes barely right, and almost anytime the middle was an option, I seemed to fall right there (no pun intended). This makes sense for many reasons: I write & eat left handed, yet am right handed in any athletic activities, and text message right handed as well. I was a teaching assistant for a Logic class in college, yet I spent my younger years writing stories, telling myself stories when I was bored, thinking up imaginary worlds, etc. (no, I didn't think I was in those imaginary worlds, so I wasn't completely nuts). Just like all those personality tests, the trade of Minnesota Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy leaves me right in the middle.

Since Americans always lean toward the right first (when two paths appear, we veer right; in retail stores, we go right first...sometime go ahead and compare the right & left sides of a Best Buy store), I will start with the left. I like this trade. Carlos Gomez is a coveted "5 tool" player, but at times he seems to have left most of the tools in the box at home (for those who don't know, a 5 tool player is considered to be excellent in speed, hitting power, hitting average, fielding ability & throwing ability). We all know Gomez had speed & combined with his great glove, he could make some amazing plays. However, his strong arm had a tendency to throw about 15 feet to the side of his intended target, his power numbers are barely above little Nicky Punto, and his batting average is, well, average.

Then there is that small issue of a crowded outfield. Denard Span has shown that he needs to be an everyday player, and now he will be the Centerfielder, and not the utility outfielder. Michael Cuddyer had a phenomenal year, and with Justin Morneau taking back 1st base, Cuddy will return to right field. Delmon Young used late August & September to give us a glimpse of why he was drafted #1 overall by the Tampa Bay (then) Devil Rays. He is still the most awkward runner I have ever seen, but apparently has some speed if you can get past the complete lack of style. GM Billy Smith said Delmon had become a better teammate as well, which is important. Now if only Jose Mijares could get someone to hit him more often, since that really fired him up,so he could knock out 50 homers a year...and finally, Jason Kubel.

Kubel should be the everyday DH, but he likes to play in the field, so every so often Gardy will throw him out there in right or left. When he gets to the ball, he actually is a much better fielder than people give him credit for, but the key phrase is "when he gets to the ball." I'm not sure who would win a foot race between Kubel and nearly 40-yr old Mike Redmond. So the outfield is full, and Gomez was spending most games on the bench, until being inserted late as a defensive replacement. His tendency to swing out of his shoes at any count, in any game situation, which put him at a disadvantage against most pitchers in the league. Plus, speed on the bases is only good if you know how to use it. He seemed to think he could outrun the ball on throws to second, which led to way too many "caught stealing" box score entries.

Finally, the Twins need a shortstop. Smith had already talked to Orlando Cabrera's agent the morning before the trade, and he said OC was going to be looking in a different direction, so going after Hardy was a logical choice. He had the worst year of his career in 2009 (though the numbers overall looked better than Gomez's), but he was an All-Star in 2007, and he's still only 27 years old, with 2 years left on his contract. Usually it seems the Twins wait until late February to try to fill these holes, but this time they took advantage of the opportunity right away, and can now decide what they want to do with 2nd, 3rd & various pitching possibilities.

Well, that was the logical side, which usually takes up more space as it requires analyzing & supporting arguments. Now for the more passionate right side of the brain.

I love Carlos Gomez!! How can you not love a kid who is always smiling & having fun, who can fly around the bases and the outfield like a cheetah and who has really fun hair? Go-Go would always bring the energy. Even when he would swing out of his shoes, you always knew he was trying as hard as he could, even if he wasn't thinking enough. After losing perennial Gold Glove centerfielder Torii Hunter, it was a lift to have Gomez racing around the same territory as Torii & Kirby before him, chasing down everything in sight. He was the top outfielder in Baseball Tonight's Web Gems, even though he was rarely a starter this season.

If he could've slowed down a little bit, he would've had even more Web Gems, but when you're that fast, you're able to get to balls while still on your feet, that others could only dream of catching. Racing a ball down and staying on your feet will never make Web Gems. What Twins fan didn't feel secure with Gomez in CF & Span in RF late in a game? The Twins probably don't make the playoffs without this line-up, as Span chased down a sure run-scoring extra-base hit in right during the final game in Detroit, in which a Tigers win could've ended the season 5 days earlier than the eventual conclusion.

Speaking of making the playoffs, Carlos Gomez may have come off the bench, but how crucial was he in Game 163 in the last Twins win ever at the Metrodome? Getting that big 12th inning hit, and then that speed...as soon as Alexi Casilla singled the ball between 1st & 2nd, there was no question that Go-Go could race from 2nd to home with time to spare, to clinch the American League Central Division title. That old baggy roof stadium went nuts as he crossed the plate & then flew up in the air like a young Michael Jordan after the game winning shot over Craig Ehlo.

Who could forget that night on the southside of Chicago in 2008, when Gomez managed to become the first Twin to hit for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986. Hitting for the cycle requires many of those 5 tools - power for the homerun, average to get that single & double, and speed to get the triple (unless hell freezes over like it did this year, when Jason Kubel managed to get a cycle). Seeing the joy on his face as he crossed first base to complete the cycle just gave me the chills!

Sure, the kid made mistakes & played like he wasn't always sure what game he was in, but the key word there is "kid." He's only 23 years old. Justin Morneau was 24 in his first full season in the majors, and his .239 average did not exactly scream out "MVP" (he'd have to hit the ripe old age of 25 for that to happen). It seems awfully early to give up on the only member of the Johan Santana trade who had shown any real potential in the last 2 seasons. And most importantly, I just liked Go-Go. There's a reason his jersey was so popular with Twins fans and it had nothing to do with his stats on the field; he has charisma & excitement, which is contagious for anyone who is able to see him, in person or on TV. We will miss Gomez!

There, I clearly solved that issue. Obviously the right side of my brain won...wait, what? Oh, the left side is claiming victory now. Hmm...I guess only time will tell!

A few random thoughts about Space Shuttle Families, Minnesota Twins, Tennis & more, sponsored by Insomnia

• STS-128, Space Shuttle Discovery, was scheduled to arrive back at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday night. They were only 8 minutes from the de-orbit burn, meaning they'd been in those super comfy orange suits for quite awhile & were all strapped down for landing, when weather made it a "no-go" for the night. These crew members had a few experiences sitting out on the launch pad in these same comfy suits (plus being stuck on their backs with gravity) for many hours before being scrubbed for lift-off due to weather. I asked STS-127 Commander Mark Polanksy, via twitter (@Astro_127), if it was mentally draining to not know when you are going to be able to take off, and I'm assuming his answer would apply to not knowing when you will be able to land as well. " Mentally, it's not bad. You know that you'll go-just not sure which day. It's harder on families." Somehow, while watching all that in the past, it never occurred to me how the families feel, not knowing if their wives/husbands/fathers/mothers/daughters/sons/brothers/sisters are going to be heading to space that day or returning home when scheduled. At least the astronauts have the excitement of a launch to think about at one end, and the amazing view of earth to watch while orbiting at the other end. So for the sake of the families waiting at home (especially Tim Kopra's in this case, as he has been on the Space Station for nearly 2 months), I hope Commander CJ Sturckow is given the "go" to land Discovery at KSC or Edwards Air Force Base for Friday afternoon/evening!
• The Kansas City Royals continue to show that regardless of how bad their team is, they can always come up big in the "spoiler" role in September. After the Tampa Bay Rays, who were desperate for wins to stay in the race, were swept by Detroit, the Royals went ahead and swept the AL Central leading Tigers. This could've been a huge boost to the Twins, who were 7 games back as of last weekend, as the Twins were in Toronto playing the long ago eliminated (at least in their minds) Blue Jays, but all they could muster up was a split, so they are still 5 1/2 games back. They are 3-4 in their last 7 games, against two teams between a .430 & .450 winning percentage. So thank you again to the Royals for helping out against the Tigers, but the Twins seem to be determined to be a .500 team.
• Roger Federer. 22 straight Grand Slam Semifinals. Previous record was 10 straight by Ivan Lendl. 22 straight. Nothing else needs to be said other than "22 straight Grand Slam Semifinals." Can he make it 6 straight US Open Championships?
• ABC's "Defying Gravity" does not appear in the listings after this Sunday night's episode, which is unfortunate, because what it lacks in reality, it makes up for with stories fun enough (or at least fun enough to rip on) to make it enjoyable to watch each week, especially when communicating with other people who love Space. If you are on Twitter, and have watched the show, make sure to check out the hashtag search of #defyinggravity on Sunday night. It seems to have had no publicity, so I'm not surprised the ratings are low. I watch ESPN & ESPN2 very regularly (sometimes 'round the clock), and have seen ads for many shows from their sister station ABC, but have never once seen an ad for Defying Gravity. That means ABC is slacking almost as much as Ron Livingston's much-loved character in Office Space! (Plus if it goes off the air, how will we ever find out how "beta" is making all these decisions, and if Maddux Donner & Zoe will end up together?)

I think I will now (again) attempt to get some sleep!

Random Thoughts about Joe Mauer, a Space Travel TV Show & the guy whose name is spelled wrong a lot

I've always felt that the MVP in a sport, in this case Major League Baseball, should come from a contending team, because how can one be the most valuable player if their team has no value in September? Hence, I was never terribly happy about Alex Rodriguez winning it with the Rangers during a down year for the team. However, watching Joe Mauer this year, as his numbers are rising this month (which should not be possible for a catcher in August), I might have to change my opinion. The Twins are still technically "in it" but they need to get more than 1 good start every 7 days if they'd like to cut into Detroit's lead. What Mauer is doing now though, is enough to transcend wins & losses.

He's leading the world in hitting, up to .383 after Tuesday's win over the Rangers, a team he has historically struggled against until this week (Ichiro is at .365, and Hanley Ramirez leads the NL at .359). He's on top of the MLB on base percentage list at .448; yes, he is currently ahead of the machine, Albert Pujols (.441). His Slugging percentage (.653) is behind Pujols, but is nearly 80 points ahead of the next AL competitor. If you had told anyone in baseball back in April that he'd be leading in BA & OBP now, they wouldn't bat an eye, but slugging? Naturally, his On Base + Slugging (OPS) numbers lead the AL at 1.101, just behind Pujols for MLB lead.

His 25 homeruns are tied for 17th in baseball, ahead of traditional sluggers Miguel Cabrera, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome & Alex Rodriguez. He's also tied for 11th in the AL for number of hits for the season, even though he missed an entire month! He's 8th in the AL for total bases - did I mention he missed one of the 5 months played? 20% of the season to this point?

I could keep talking about him for hours, but I'll spare you the pain of that. I'm sure in his spare time he's also rescued a baby from a burning fire and stopped a runaway train, but the media is too busy looking at his stats to have time to check out his activities outside of baseball. I just might be convinced that an MVP can come from a non-contender, though I hope the Twins make another late season push to make that a moot argument!

Now for the random thoughts:

• NASA and the Space Program is essentially an obsession for me right now, which my family & friends know all too well. I adored it as a kid, then sort of forgot that these missions were going on in outer space, and now, thanks to Mike Massimino being on Twitter, and Apollo 11's 40th Anniversary, I am catching up on everything I'd missed, before & after I was born. However, as I have watched 3 of the first 4 episodes of ABC's "Defying Gravity" about missions through the solar system 40+ years in the future, I pray that our real astronauts aren't like the "Grey's Anatomy in space" characters on this show. There seems to be a lot of, um, extra-curricular activity among these fictional astronauts. It is fairly entertaining so far though, so I think I'll stick with it, even if it's just to support a show about space travel. Plus I need to start watching it as it's shown, so I can see some of the hilarious comments on Twitter that occur under the hashtag #defyinggravity on Sunday evenings.
• Because we have all been bombarded by him today (and for months prior to that) I'll keep my Brett Favre thoughts to a minimum. I am on the side that is happy to see him in purple, as I feel like the Minnesota Vikings would once again fall short at the quarterback position, allowing defenses to stack the box to stifle Adrian Peterson. I don't expect #4 to be a savior, just to complete some passes to help open up the running game, which in turn opens up the opportunity for some fun long bombs to Bernard Berrian & Sidney Rice that we'd all enjoy seeing. Plus, anyone who can get on Twitter's trending topics list twice at the same time, is pretty impressive, even if it's due to half the country spelling his name correctly & the other half phonetically sounding out "Farve."
• University of Minnesota Football & Baseball player, Eric Decker, continues to make decisions & behave in ways that impress those around him. Now it's the Minnesota Twins, appreciating his honesty during their efforts to sign him (he was a 27th round pick of the Twins): http://bit.ly/uWtee I'm curious to see which sport he'll be in 5 years down the road, but I think he'll be successful in whatever he does.

That's all for now. Nothing too deep - just some random thoughts!

Why is Nick Punto playing?

While I must disclose that I am personally am a fan of Twins SS/2B Nick Punto because of his fielding, hustle & tenacity, I can’t quite understand why he’s seen so much playing time when he’s batting a paltry .209. Being a fan of someone does not mean I’m blind to numbers like that, so I did about 8 minutes of research. I was somewhat surprised what I found.

Punto’s on base percentage is .326. Who is above him? Mauer (.432), Morneau (.399), Kubel (.385), Span (.370), Cuddyer (.354), & another .209 hitter, Brian Buscher (.347; no wonder he pinch hits so often). If the top two spots in the batting order should go to guys with some speed, who get on base, then considering Kubel, Morneau & Cuddy are middle of the line-up guys (and have no speed anyway), it actually makes numerical sense for Punto to be at the spot, as much as he is struggling with hitting this year, unless the Twins wanted to move everyone up again to have Mauer batting 2nd. The goal is to get on base for the guys that come next. He didn’t have a good showing there in game 1 in Oakland (his 0 for night is what led me to look into why Gardy plays him so much), but even with those numbers from tonight, in terms of getting on base, he may actually be a better option than the other choices currently on the roster.

Since these numbers are for the whole season, and I think more recent play is always important when looking at stats, I also looked at his June & July numbers. Turns out in the past month & a half, he is batting .250 with a .369 on base percentage (which is just below Span’s .370 OBP for the season). Walks (logically) seem to be the key. While he’s only had 17 hits in that span (no pun intended), he has 16 walks as well.

Then I thought I’d see how the Twins do when he plays in the games, as winning would be the top goal. Since he has often been a late inning replacement in games where the Twins are leading, I only looked at games in which he had 3 or more plate appearances. This season, the Twins are one game above .500 overall, barely sneaking in with a .505 winning percentage. However, when Punto plays the majority of the, the Twins are 4 games above .500, with a .534 winning percentage. Huh. That doesn’t seem like a big difference, but game 163 last year showed the importance of each and every win. Maybe this Ron Gardenhire guy actually does know what he is doing.

Even as a Punto fan though, I would like to see him start getting some extra base hits again, as he only has 6 of those, and 0 triples. But if he can keep increasing his batting average and on base percentage throughout the year, and is batting in front of Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, Cuddyer, and/or Crede, he should start scoring a lot more runs, which would make everybody in Twins Territory happy!

As for the pitching debacle & less than shining defense in Oakland, topped off with a pathetic call on the game tying run for the Twins by an out of position umpire, well, I just don’t want to think about that game anymore.

Nick Punto Photo taken by me, Liz Strand, 05/03/07 at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

Very Random Sports Thoughts: Manny playing early, Timberwolves trading & drafting, and my Twins

I have so many thoughts on my little iPod "Notes" app, of things I want to write about in the blog, but getting my healing brain to cooperate seems to be the issue. So I am going to put those notes aside, and just cover some current sports things on my mind, since they don't take a lot of deep & analytical thinking!

• I already complained about this on Twitter, but why does suspended Dodger Manny Ramirez get to have "rehab" games in the minor leagues before his 50 game suspension is up? He shouldn't be allowed to play anywhere higher than American Legion ball until the suspension is done. MLB says he can't talk to the media from the Dodgers clubhouse, but he's allowed to go get his swing back in the minors? If a player is tossed from a game, the player replacing him doesn't even get a warm-up throw, catch, etc (and it's not even the fault of the replacement player), but Manny can play AA ball? This is a suspension for failing a drug test, not a DL trip for a torn ligament. If he needs rehab games, it should happen after the suspension. Someone please explain to me how this makes sense.


• The Timberwolves are currently trying to make up for all their lost draft picks from the Joe Smith debacle in this one year (just to clarify, I liked & still like Joe Smith, but he is not the kind of player that one should risk a lengthy punishment to try to sign him early...), by picking up their 4th pick of the 1st round. The latest trade, sending Randy Foye & Mike Miller to the Washington Wizards for 3 players & the #5 pick, is ok with me, if that actually matters to anyone. I plan to write an expanded blog about Randy Foye's time with the Wolves, and the impossible situation he was in through no fault of his own, but I think it would help him to be somewhere where is not continually compared to Brandon Roy. Mike Miller just seemed to lose the shooting touch he'd always shown against the Wolves, once he was actually on his childhood favorite team. My personal opinion is that his "man bob" haircut was the reason he was struggling, since not many Minnesotan men wear headbands, but I have no scientific backing on that thought! Now the question is what the Wolves will do with these picks, which leads me to...


• Please don't package picks to get Hasheem Thabeet. I have nothing against Thabeet, and he seems like a nice enough kid. I just think the odds of him being a complete dud in the pros is larger than the odds of him being a star. This is based on watching him play against the Zags twice in the last 2 years, as well as watching a large number of Big East games during his tenure at UConn. He has some defensive presence, but I feel that in the NBA, that will be overshadowed by his lack of offensive skills. I think Stephen Curry, with his size issue, is a much better risk than Thabeet. Having said that, I'd be ok with the T-Wolves taking Thabeet at #5 or #6 if he is still there, as there is a shortage of big men in this draft, just not with them giving up picks to move up to #2 or #3 for him.


• Which draft picks would I love to see on the T-Wolves when it's all said and done? I'm not even going to include Oklahama stud Blake Griffin, as he will be gone, and I think the Wolves have a couple good building blocks at his position, in Kevin Love & Al Jefferson. I will be showing a bit of a bias here with a couple of them, but I'd love for them to get any of the following:
• Spain's PG Ricky Rubio - I think he is overrated, but should still be a solid player, with the potential to have some Steve Nash passing ability...though potential is not a guarantee. Ndude Ebi had potential too.
• Davidson's SG/PG Stephen Curry -small, but that shot is something that Wolves haven't had in...well...ever. Closest they came was the year Freddie Hoiberg was hitting 50% on 3's, but he wasn't as good at creating his shot.
• Syracuse PG Jonny Flynn - I rank him above Jrue Holiday & Tyreke Evans
• Duke SG Gerald Henderson which pains me to say, due to my anti-Duke stance, and memories of Christian Laettner, Cherokee Parks & Will Avery.
• Gonzaga SF Austin Daye - but this is primarily because of my Zags love. I think Daye needs a few more years & a whole lot more bulk due to his position.
• St. Mary's PG Patty Mills - I've seen him play in person 3 times, and even when he wasn't shooting well, his quickness blew me away. Plus, unlike every other college player in this draft, Mills has played against NBA All-Stars in the Olympics, when he played for Australia, and he more than held his own. How often do teams get a chance like that to see how a kid does when he is up against the best?
• Gonzaga PF Josh Heytvelt - No, this is not just because of my afore-mentioned bias...Heytvelt is more like Kevin Garnett than Al Jefferson (not in skill level, but style of play). He likes to play face-up to the basket. Plus he has a long range jump shot that becomes a match-up issue as a 6'11" player. Wolves could throw out an interesting Jefferson/Love/Heytvelt mix, and see if the opponent has enough big men to follow them all.
• Now for what wouldn't make me happy...Hasheem Thabeet before the #5 spot, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, Dejuan Blair or BJ Mullens.

• And now for my Twins...disappointing loss in Milwaukee, after a bad relay throw home allowed the game to be tied, and a bad decision by Pitcher Nick Blackburn allowing the go-ahead run to score. But the way Nick Blackburn has been pitching for most of this season, is something very fun to see! After surprising most of us in Game 163 at the Chicago White Sox (due to an absurd coin flip) with an almost perfect performance, he just seemed to pick up where he left off, trusting his stuff, and trusting his fielders. I love it!

• Everyone noticed that this was the first Milwaukee-Twins series to not be on a weekend, seemingly since Milwaukee was in the AL. Naturally the Milwaukee at Minnesota series was on the weekend, but I am convinced that Bud Selig was tired of seeing the Twins fans showing up at Miller Park, so he switched it to a mid-week series to make it a little tougher on the fans, so there wouldn't be so many Twins chants during the games. I think he's still bitter that he was unable to contract the Twins, and then they've "owned" his team ever since then. (Ok, perhaps I'm not really convinced of all this, but I like the theory anyway!)

• Finally, in what was a perfect birthday present for me, the Twins got rid of Luis Ayala on June 22. It's as if they granted me the wish when I blew out my candles! I just couldn't handle him as a pitcher (and admit that I did not have an open mind when he came to the Twins due to his play for the Mets last season), but to find out he was asking to be traded because he wanted to be the set-up guy and was mad he wasn't getting the 8th inning, and that wouldn't help for his contract for next year? Aside from the fact that Gardy wouldn't stand for that no matter what, why would the Twins give the 8th inning to a pitcher who let batters hit .353 with runners in scoring position (.306 overall), especially considering his 1st batter faced BA had to be over .500 (but I can't seem to find that stat anywhere) which increases the odds that a player will get into scoring position. Oh well. I no longer need to debate this, as it is all over now! Thank you Twins!

Bipolar Twins & other Random Thoughts

I have been absolutely pathetic about blogging lately, and even if I have good reasons/excuses, I don't like it. So, I am just going to put some random thoughts together here, to make myself feel better, even if no one reads them!


Is there any sort of bipolar medication available for baseball teams? The Twins are about to head out on the road for a 10 game road trip. They have a league leading 21 wins at home (with 12 losses), but also have the basement all to themselves for road games, winning only 6 & losing 16. Only the NL Washington Nationals are worse on the road, but they are just as bad when they play at home. For people who like numbers, the Twins have won 64% of their games at home, and just 27% on the road. I thought perhaps they are just scared of playing outside (which they'd need to get over by next year), but they only claimed 1 of the 3 indoor games at Tampa Bay last weekend, so that's not it either.

I dug a little deeper into the stats (but only about as deep as I could dig in my old sandbox...which wasn't too deep), and still remain confused. Twins pitchers have a 4.59 ERA at home and a 5.16 ERA on the road. That half a run or so is not a huge disparity considering the staggering difference in the final results. Twins pitchers do give up many more walks on the road than at home (3.3/gm on the road, 2.4/gm at the Dome), but that hasn't translated into more earned runs. Opponents hit .275 against Twins pitchers at the Dome, and .272 in their own parks. Huh? No issue there. As for the Twins hitters, they bat .278 under the white baggy roof, and .263 when exposed to the outdoor elements (or the St. Pete catwalks & sting rays in the outfield).

So how can the team essentially have the same overall hitting no matter where they play, but have seemingly no clutch hitting when away from the friendly confines of home? (No, I don't actually expect that anyone will have the answer, but if you think you do, feel free to share!)

And now for the random thoughts:

• First thought is something I shared on Twitter a few days back, but I wanted more than 140 characters to elaborate. When it comes to the actual flavor of the food, I have always preferred Burger King to McDonald's, for burgers or breakfast options (although not for the fries). However, I so deeply despise their last few years worth of ads, that I might just decide to never eat there again. Guys dressed up as a burger & a chicken sandwich going after McDonald's, Wendy's & Subway? And while Ronald McDonald inspires smiles & thoughts of "his" charity work and the Ronald McDonald Houses, the Burger King King is, well, creepy at best!

• How does Serena Williams keep matching up with "cheaters" on the red clay of Roland Garros (otherwise known as the French Open, but they want to be cool like Wimbledon, which is not known as the British or English Open). In most sports, players will try to get away with whatever they can. NBA players act as if they have never fouled anyone...ever, when they know it was their elbow in someone else's gut. NFL offensive lineman try to hold their defensive match without the refs noticing. MLB fielders are happy to act as if they caught the ball on the fly, when they know it has grass stains on it from the short-hop it took before finding their glove. Golf & Tennis are different. In golf, players keep their own scorecard and have to be honest. In tennis, if the ball hits your arm rather than your racquet, and ends up being a winner, and the ump doesn't notice, you admit it, you don't turn away, smirk, and claim the point. Sort of like what Serena ran into with Justine Henin a few back, when Justine asked for "time" and Serena saw this and held up on her serving motion hitting the ball out. The Ump did not see this, and ruled it as being out, and Justine never said a word, even though replay clearly showed her hand asking Serena to wait (which Serena did not need to do, as the game is supposed to move at the server's pace, but she was being the good sport that tennis players are supposed to be on the court). The worst example may have been in men's tennis though, in last year's Olympics, the event built on good sportsmanship, when James Blake hit a shot to Fernando Gonzalez, which nicked the top of his racquet before flying past the baseline, which should've made it Blake's point. Once again, the ump didn't see it, and Gonzo just kept his mouth shut, which disturbed Blake, one of the nicest guys in sports - it takes a lot to irritate him!
  

• Is it my imagination, or have the Minnesota Twins had an awful lot of great games on days they aren't televised? I am quite thankful for the FS North Squeeze Play, so I can at least see those hits & runs, and add them to my little highlight videos that I keep for myself (because I listen to Bert's announcement each game about what I can't disseminate), but in this day & age, I should be able to catch every game on TV. I have MLB Extra Innings. If the local station doesn't want to show it, then the Cleveland broadcast shouldn't be a blackout! I also technically live far away enough from the Dome that it shouldn't be a blackout anyway, but because parts of my city are close enough, I fall under that blanket. But I digress...my point was that they've had some great games not on TV! Kubel's two 3-run homers in the first 2 innings today, Twins big comeback after Scott Baker collapsed in the 6th vs. the Tigers, Game 1 of the absurdly high scoring doubleheader in Chicago 2 years ago (which didn't even have a Squeeze Play!!), and these are just the ones off the top of my head.
  

• On Wednesday (June 3), Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee yet again jawed at Carlos Gomez for bunting. I like what Jim Souhan said during the FS North broadcast; something along the lines of "Telling Carlos Gomez to not bunt is like telling Johan Santana not to throw a change-up." Why is there an appropriate & inappropriate time to bunt? Considering the Indians came back from a 10-run deficit earlier this season, they should know better than any team that no lead is safe, and when there is no clock, no team is ever out of a game. So why is there a time that bunting is not ok? (Well, other than with 2 strikes, when you haven't done it successfully ever, or almost ever). Then after the game, Lee says he doesn't want to discuss it with the media. If you don't want to talk about it after the game, how about not running your mouth about it during the game either? Just a thought...
  

• Last week, thanks to DirecTV, I could watch live French Open tennis matches from 6 different courts. As long as my favorite players were not relegated to an obscure court with no cameras, I could watch the match of my choice at any time. However, if I wanted to watch Rafael Nadal battling Robin Soderling in the 4th round, eventually losing for the first time ever on Paris' red clay, I had to wait until the match had been over a couple hours, before being allowed to watch it on NBC. Now, as I write this, it is just a few hours until the Men's semifinal matches begin, but they are not available to watch live either, because NBC couldn't possibly shorten or cancel the Today show for a day. If they don't think the tennis ratings will outweigh the Today show, then why don't they let the real tennis fans watch it live on the Tennis Channel, and then they can show the replay to people who don't care if they know the results before watching the match. In the age of the internet, text messages, twittering, etc., having the semifinal of one of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments available only on tape delay, is simply unacceptable. Imagine how football fans would revolt if the NFL did that with a Saturday playoff game. Don't buy the exclusive rights to the match if you don't intend to show it live. (Thank you to ESPN2 for pushing ESPN First Take back a few hours on Thursday, so the Women's semis could actually be seen live!) Of course, those of you on the Pacific Coast (and perhaps the Mountain time zone too) experienced this frustration last year with each and every Michael Phelps "live" race from China, as NBC couldn't be bothered with showing it before prime time...except that by the time his races started, it actually was prime time on the West Coast too. Also unacceptable...and also NBC...but I'm guessing they don't care about my opinion!
  

That's all for now. Hopefully I will not leave so much time between my random thought sharing in the future!

Life on Mars and Other Random Thoughts

I finally finished watching ABC's version of Life on Mars and I'm not quite sure what to think yet! But let me give it a try...

The ending, well...I appreciate that there was an ending. Too many shows to list have let down fans by just stopping & never tying up loose ends (first ones coming to my mind are Las Vegas, The Nine & The Agency, two of which were also on ABC, one also starring Jason O'Mara). So ABC does deserve credit for finishing it, but that was the ending? ...(stop reading this paragraph if you haven't finished the show yet & come back another time)...A space trip to Mars with neurostimulated brain scenarios? The idea of it is somewhat fascinating in and of itself, but its an "empty" end to what was a pretty good show.

Which leads me to why it was canceled - I thought the Pilot was fantastic, then week 2 or 3 seemed to be a little too far out there, and it continued along like that for a few months. I know a number of people who gave up on the show during this time, as it was harder to follow, and had twists that just didn't make sense. In my non-TV critic opinion though, the February & March episodes knocked it out of the park. They had crisp story lines with "plausible" twists, while still being quirky enough to stand apart from other cop shows. Unfortunately, too many people had already given up on the show by then, and its fate was already sealed.

If you were one of the people who gave up on it, but liked it to start the season, I suggest going to iTunes & picking up the Feb & March eps. to see how it all came together - http://tiny.cc/iTunesLifeonMarsABC. It could be interesting to go back and watch again now that I know the ending too...I'm just wondering if the writers had decided what the ending would be from the very beginning.

Now on to the random thoughts:

• The Minnesota Timberwolves finished the season tonight with a loss to the Sacramento Kings, making their final record 24-58. As bad as this record feels, it is only the 7th worst record the team has had, though I wouldn't start bragging about that! The Wolves were 8 point favorites at home tonight, but even with some extra crowd support, they couldn't hang with the worst team in the league, who only has 17 total wins, with this being their 6th win on the road. Uff da (which is Norwegian speak for "good grief," or the equivalent of a really big sighing noise/exhale). Maybe having Senior Night (starting the 5 oldest players) backfired, but then they seemed to do better than the young guys. At least former Gopher basketball star Bobby Jackson, who never played for the 1997 Final Four team that never existed, had a nice night in the Twin Cities (14 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast & 4 stls)! The Wolves also only finished as the 6th worst team in the league, so they'll need some lottery ball help, which has never happened before. That means they are due, right? I have more thoughts about this T-Wolves season, but I'll save those for another day.


• Along the same lines, I'm wondering what teams think when they get rid of coaches who just couldn't "win the big game" only to find out without that coach, that they no longer get anywhere near playing in the big game! The T-Wolves experienced this with the still regrettable firing of Flip Saunders in 2005. All those first round losses in the playoffs look really nice compared to being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs while people still have ornaments up on the Christmas trees! Phoenix Suns may be going through that same feeling now. They didn't actually fire Coach Mike D'Antoni, but there was a lot of grumbling from fans, the media, etc., and the team allowed him to talk to other teams about jobs, which is not exactly the same vote of confidence as say, a contract extension. D'Antoni made the Suns so much fun to watch, but they just couldn't get over the hump and win that big game. In the previous 4 years, they lost in the 1st round once, the Conference Semis once & the Conference Finals twice. This year, the NBA Live 2009 video game is the only way this roster will even be playing any first round games. D'Antoni's New York Knicks aren't going to be in the playoffs either, but considering the mess he inherited there, even the prickly New York fans are not bickering...too much! A first or second round loss would sound mighty good to Suns fans right about now!


• To update my short text blog yesterday about Minnesota Twins reliever Luis Ayala...well, it got worse. If you need a reminder, I wondered why the Twins signed Mets free agent relief pitcher Luis Ayala to fill the Neshek/Reyes void, when I had consistently watched Johan Santana leave Mets games with the team holding a lead, only to have every member of their bullpen collapse to send the team on their way to a loss. Yesterday I wasn't happy that Ayala's ERA was around 7. Silly me. After tonight's appearance vs. the Blue Jays, his ERA is a nice round 9.00 (for those of you who don't follow baseball stats, this means that if he were to pitch 9 innings, the length of a game, he'd average giving up 1 earned run per inning/9 runs for the game - which wouldn't include any unearned runs, generated with the help of things such as errors). His WHIP (Walks & Hits per innings pitched) is 2.17. The goal is to be around 1.00. Opponents are batting .429 against him. Even a healthy Joe Mauer can't hit .429...unless he got to bat against Ayala. The majority of Twins games are played at night, and on turf...his ERA on turf is 10.80 & at night is 11.25. The Twins won't be winning games when he appears. In fact, the Twins have only won 1 of the 6 games that he pitched in, a 6-5 win over Seattle in which he was the winning pitcher after they scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th. Of course, if he hadn't given up a run in the top of the 9th inning, the Twins would only have needed 2 runs to win. Yet the writers of the stats rules say he's the winning pitcher, because he was the last guy on the mound before they made their comback. I am rarely the critical fan about players, and usually give them the benefit of the doubt too much (I'm still sad that Juan Rincon is gone, even though I had gotten to the point that I no longer wanted to see him in games, but I still had a hard time saying anything bad about him!), but Ayala is not a long-term Twin that I'm pulling for out of loyalty. So far he just looks like a bad free agent signing!


• Finally, speaking of relievers, why did the Twins let Bobby Korecky get away on waivers? I thought he was back on the Triple A Rochester Red Wings, until I saw stats from him pitching for Arizona, suddenly appearing on my phone. During the time that he failed to clear waivers, I had a personal family issue going on, and wasn't paying much attention to those details, so I was surprised to learn that today. Korecky did much better than Ayala in his first attempts at pitching in the big leagues when he came up with the Twins a few times last year! I was really hoping that the multiple time Triple A All-Star closer could get a spot in the Twins bullpen for the long term, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. At least I was there at the Dome when he got his first major league hit last year, in what should stand as the one and only hit recorded by a pitcher in an MLB game at the Metrodome! That was pretty fun. He pitched pretty well too in that extra inning game, coming in to a very tight situation & shutting down the Rangers, picking up his first MLB win the same night he got that first hit, all of which allowed the Twins to have the celebration pictured below! I'll miss you Bobby! http://tiny.cc/BobbyKoreckyNight
  

My Top Priorities While I Have no Income

Like many others around me, I am currently unemployed. Mine is a result of post-concussion syndrome/Mild traumatic brain injury issues, not the economy (as my job is still being held and performed well by the person who replaced me!), but regardless, I am in that position that many are familiar with right now. I decided to think about what my top priorities are for the $ I do have. Thank heavens for that 201k...I mean 401k, that I could siphon some $ from now!

The obvious things are paying for health insurance, car insurance, family related things, etc., but that's boring. Yes, I will be doing all that, but my list of top priorities does not include those obvious things, just like your to-do list for the day likely doesn't include "Brush My Teeth," "Take out the dog before leaving for work" or "Visit the bathroom if the need arrives rather than investing in Depends." So that being said, here are my top priorities while I have no income (in no particular order):

• Keep my Minnesota Twins Season tickets. When I've mentioned this to people, some have said something about "keeping my priorities straight." Yep, I am. And as you can now see, this is a top priority! I decided to join the season ticket family, a dream I have had since I was a little kid wearing my Twins spring/fall weather jacket, on the same day that I punched myself to start this whole concussion adventure. It was when I tried to read the benefits of being a season ticket holder, that I noticed that all the words were fuzzy. But nonetheless, I joined up! I want to be in that new stadium, enjoying outdoor baseball (on opening day and then in May, June, July & early September...I might pass on cold April & hot August, but I hope October is part of the package!), no matter what it takes. Even if I need to walk out the door of my temporary home at Mary's Place across the street, I will be a season ticket holder next year (when I do have an income again though, I will be sending donations Mary's way, even if I never need to use her services!) Twins have proven to me the past few years how much they care about and appreciate their fans, and it is an honor to be a season ticket holder for my favorite team among all the sports teams that I love a lot!


• Continuing the annual tradition of going to Sarasota, FL every August (hence the word "annual") to the timeshare my parents bought back in 1979. The maintenance fees cost enough to make a down payment on a cabin in Northern Minnesota, but this is about memories and having a very special place that feels like home, except the Gulf of Mexico is right in front of me when I sit on the lanai & stare out the ceiling to floor windows. My sister hasn't been able to go there as much lately due to her job, which is very disappointing, but I'm hoping she can get there some this year, and I'm hoping when she gives me nieces & nephews down the road, that I can take them down to the beach if she has to stay home and work (with the full-time babysitter that she'll obviously be sending along with them, as I would just be there for the fun parts!) There is no other place that has been in my life for that long. My childhood house was sold when I was a senior in high school, grandparents moved from their house where we spent so many holidays, and even my high school/middle school is finishing up a long process of upgrading & improving to the point that I would not even recognize it if not for the "Minnehaha Academy" signs outside on the lawn. Sarasota Sands is that one constant, a place where I can completely relax as soon as I walk through the doors & throw down my bags. A place where I know the options of where to eat and shop, even better than I know those same things in most of the Minneapolis suburbs. The only place where I am fine with showing off my white Minnesotan legs by wearing shorts all the time.


• Dingo bones. If you have a dog, and haven't discovered these yet, please do your dog a favor and go to http://www.dingobrand.com/ and order some treats! They are rawhide bones that have real meat (with a rawhide like texture) mixed in them. They are like crack for my dog, Cookie. My sister's dog Keesha loves them too, so whenever I got money for whatever reason, I always place an order on their website to be shipped to my house & my sister's place. Taking care of the dogs is extremely important! My only suggestion might be to invest in a gas mask. Sometimes, well, as the dog is digesting it all, it doesn't smell so good, but that's a small price to pay for their extreme happiness!!


• DirecTV w/sports pack & Tivo service...I keep hearing that getting rid of cable or satellite will save money, and that sounds great, but its not happening. I'll go for the pity factor. I used to be an extremely avid reader. After reading an average of 10-12 hrs a day at work, I would read at least another 2-5 hours at home. Books, magazines, web sites, emails, etc. I love reading. Unfortunately, that aforementioned head trauma thing has affected that. I am up to being able to read an average of 2 hours a day, spread out at different times. On a really good day, I might hit 4 hours, but then I tend to pay for it with reduced cognitive function a few days after that. So if I can't read like I'd like to do something other than stare at the walls and slowly move toward complete insanity...TV is definitely a necessity! The Sports pack is required because Gonzaga's regular channel for their games is Fox Sports NW (Seattle), which is part of the Sports Pack. I believe I only missed one game all year on TV, only because it was shown on delay on FSNW. Every other game was on FSNW (or one I caught on FS Pittsburgh), or one of the three ESPN options. I would say Gonzaga games fall under the "need" rather than "want" category! : ) Then, without DirecTV (or crappy cable) I wouldn't get 90% of the Twins games, or any of the Gopher basketball games. Yeah, we're keeping the TV!


• Internet/Cell Phone - Gotta get on the web...I don't see people often away from the house anymore, but I get to stay connected with friends through Facebook, text messages, etc. Plus I get to post tons of photos for people to laugh at, which serves an important purpose of enriching people's lives and improving their mental health & inner balance! Oh, and how could I write this blog without my DSL or unlimited data plan on the cell phone?? Case closed.

I'm not sure what would go first if I got to a place where I had to start eliminating them, but there is no question that the #1 priority would always be to take care of the little 4-legged princesses in my life, so Dingo Bones top the list! Now I need to start googling to find that gas mask...