Don’t Mess with Texas!

Nolan Ryan built a career on intimidation and outright fire-ball pitching. On August 4, 1993 Roin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox found this out first-hand.

After Ryan hit Ventura with a fast ball, he charged the mound with intents on beating in Nolan’s face. More…

Last night, I was not able to watch the Twins beat the Yankees on my local cable TV provider. I am up in arms, frustrated, miffed, and oh, did I say upset?

For some reason Charter Communication, Cable TV, a hijacker of entertainment in a disgusting version of the game monopoly, is not allowing their viewers access to 45 Minnesota Twins games this season.

I am perturbed that these games, formerly carried by local TV station WFTC, are available to other cable and dish viewers in our area. For some reason, the Charter “suits” feel that sports networks are too expensive for their bottom line, and will not pay the asking price. Read more…

Originally published in the Mac Weekly (Macalester College), March, 1987 this is Part 2 of a series of articles that were written to chronicle a trip of three college buddies to Orlando, FL for Twins Sping Training games.
March 23, 1987: The next morning we drove to Vero Beach, alias Dodgertown. Los Angeles players were walking around and socializing with the fans before their exhibition game that afternoon. It was like a softball tournament!

Someone once told me that Dodgertown was the Disneyland of training camps. They were right. What a setup. It is a baseball country club. Read more…

Originally published in the Mac Weekly (Macalester College), March, 1987 this is Part 1 of a series of articles that were written to chronicle a trip of three college buddies to Orlando, FL for Twins Sping Training games.

I spent the week prior to Spring Break explaining to everyone that I wasn’t going to Florida to just watch baseball; rather I was going down to learn more about the game and its culture.

March 22, 1987: With that as my intent, my friends Matt and Bruce and I drove our Volkswagen Jetta rental car to West Palm Beach from Orlando on our first day in the sunshine state. Read more…

Congratulations to the newest member of the Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Rik Aalbert “Bert” Blyleven! FINALLY!!!!

The honor was way overdue! It’s finally time for his Uncle Charlie to join fellow Twins Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett in Cooperstown.

Now let’s get that jersey retired, and start taking bets on the number times Bert will circle it as it displays down the left field pole at Target Field!

Blyleven, who pitched 11 of his 22 seasons in Minnesota, was elected after garnering 79.7% of the vote, with 75% required for election. It was his 14th year on the ballot.

The right-hander notched 287 career wins, 27th on the all-time list, and is fifth in career strikeouts with 3,701. He is 11th in games started with 685 and his 60 shutouts are ninth all-time. Blyleven also ranks 13th all-time in innings pitched with 4,970. In his second stint with the Twins from 1985-1988, Blyleven led the Twins to the World Series title in 1987, going 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts that postseason.