Switching to the NL

What up world,

I love me some interleague play. After digging through the Sota Love laboratories of statistical research (it's very extensive), I've discovered that the Twins are 87 and 48 during interleague play since 2002. That's a .644 winning percentage y'all. And it seems to come at the exact right moment each season. After an April and May of mediocrity, the team starts to come together once the National League comes into town. Maybe it's because teams aren't used to playing under the baggie or on the artificial turf. Maybe it's due to Gardy's management style and our penchant for playing small-ball that causes us to match up well against NL teams. Or maybe it's the teams that we play against that allows the Twins to do so well. Lets examine this last point...

So far this season we have played against the Brewers, Cubs, and Pirates in interleague play, going 7 and 2. We will look at each series in separate parts:

Brewers: We swept the Brewers at home. At the time, the majority of Wisconites were devastated with the news of a possible Brett Favre transition to the Vikings. They were unable to fully support their baseball team, knowing that their childhood hero, God of their state, was about to betray them. Tears were being shed in the streets, Brett Favre statues were being torn down and destroyed, and every child that had been named after Brett was being exiled from the land of cheese. With all of this heartbreak and turmoil, the Brewers were unable to focus, especially while trying to catch fly balls against the baggie backdrop.

Additionally, the Twins love feasting on beer and sausages. Mike Redmond drank a keg of beer by himself. Brian Buscher ate an entire case of brats. Milwaukee really didn't stand a chance.

Cubs: The Twins won 2 out of 3 games at Wrigley Field over the weekend, with a large number of Minnesota fans in attendance. What I haven't revealed prior to this, is that the team contacted me before they made the trip. They knew that I had lived in Chicago for a number of years, and were wondering if I could provide a good itinerary for the team. Here was my Friday schedule.

Day: Win Game
Dinner: Vines on Clark St. Get a BBQ steak sandwich with the seasoned curly fries. Delectable.
Post Dinner: Visit Brent and Megan on Sheffield. Play a couple of games of blong ball on the back porch and enjoy a few drinks.
Bars: Start with a few drinks at Redmonds, the Badger/Vikings bar. They make especially good Jager bombs. When feeling particularly good, head to Matilda's/Baby Atlas down the street. Have a few landminds and dance with the mannequin for me.
Post Bars: Get a few slices from Ian's Pizza on Clark to end the evening. Avoid the T-Bell on Addison at all costs. Hit up Brent and Megan's place again for some late night Mario Kart or possibly some Big Bumping.
Saturday: Sleep it off. Win again.

With proper planning, the Twins were able to enjoy themselves, and were fully prepared for the games. On Saturday night, they decided to go to Big City Tap on Belmont, which I did not recommend, and ended up losing their game. I told them that nothing good happens at the Big City, but they refused to listen to me.

Pirates: I had every bit of confidence in the team as the Pirates came into town this week. Not only were the Pirates not used to playing in the Dome, but they are generally terrible. To add to this, every member of the Twins was allowed to do pirate impressions throughout the week.

For the pre-pubescent members of the team, this was glorious. Scottie Baker, Go Go Gomez, the Delmonic, Keiunta Span, Lexi, and Buscher all that this was fantastic. They took batting practice with triangle hats and eye patches. Redmond kept telling female fans that he was in search of their booty. Joe Mauer showed up in a full Jack Sparrow outfit and continued to be amazing.

So far, so good in the National League. We have the Houston Astros (Slowey like space stuff), the Brewers (more beer and brats), and the St. Louis Cardinals (they're kind of scary) left of the schedule. As of today, the Twins are at .500 and only a game and half back. By the end of June, we will be in first place and feeling good heading into the second half. It has been proclaimed!

-Sota