[Speed Gibson,
Tuesday October 4, 2005 at 12:44am]
Department of Redundancy Dept
Here is John Gordon's call of the Twins first inning Sunday, close to 150 words per minute, almost 200 per batter.
Jason Tyner will lead off for the Twins in the bottom half of the first inning. First pitch from Nate Robertson, the left-hander, is in for a strike, 0 and 1. Robertson making his 32nd start of the year and he delivers. Tyner swings and laces a base hit down the left field line. Over quickly to play it is left fielder Granderson. He’ll relay it back in and Tyner is on with an early single. The Twins have a runner at first and nobody out and here’s Luis Rodriguez to bat. Rodriguez stepping in with a .257 batting average. Tyner hitting at .308 coming in, no homers, 4 RBI’s.
Well, there are three games of particular interest in Major League Baseball, other than this one here of course. The Philadelphia – Washington game, the Phillies have to win and hope that Houston loses to qualify for a tie and the wild card in the National League. Philadelphia is leading Washington 1-0 with the Nationals batting in the bottom of the first. And the Houston – Cubs game is now underway, and Houston has a run in the bottom of the first and leads Chicago 1-0. Those are the two games in the National League.
And the particular game of importance in the American League, the Chicago White Sox at Cleveland. Cleveland has to win and they have to hope than Boston loses their game to the New York Yankees at Fenway. And the Indians would tie the Red Sox for the wild card and they’d have to have a playoff game tomorrow. Chicago presently leading Cleveland 3-0 in the top half of the fourth inning. The Yankees and the Red Sox are just now underway. Curt Schilling now pitching for Boston.
Here’s the pitch to Rodriguez. It’s in for a strike and no balls and one strike. A couple of pick-off moves by Robertson to first trying to get Tyner. At one time he had Tyner moving the other way towards second, but Robertson didn’t get the throw over in time and Tyner got back. Jason has a good lead, he has one foot on the carpet. Here’s the set now by Robertson and the pitch. And a ground ball base hit to center field. And the Twins start the first with back to back hits. A single by Tyner to left and a single by Rodriguez to center. Two on, and the batter’s going to be Joe Mauer.
Mauer will step in with a .297 batting average, 9 home runs, and 55 RBI’s. Mauer’s going to have to go some to hit .300. He’d have to have a big day here today. Here’s the set now by Robertson and the pitch. Fast ball is inside, one ball. If the Phillies and the Astros end up in a tie for the wild card, they’ll play off tomorrow at Philadelphia. If the Indians and the Red Sox end up in a tie for the wild card, they’ll play tomorrow at Fenway. Ball 2 and a fast ball, two balls and no strikes. Robertson is making his fourth start against the Twins this year, and he is 1 and 2, 2 and 4 lifetime against Minnesota. Last year, Robertson was 12 and 10 with the Tigers. Certainly Detroit was expecting Robertson to have a much better year this year than last and he has not, comes into the game today 7 and 15. Mauer swings and hits a big two-hopper to second. They’re going to get one out at second, relay back to first not in time. Mauer beats the relay throw. It was a big two-hop ground ball to second baseman McDonald. By the time he got the ball over to Infante, Mauer had time to beat the relay throw from second base back to first. [John Madden would be proud. -- SG]
Tyner gained third, the Twins have runners at first and third and here’s Matthew LeCroy to bat. Now Matthew’s had quite a bit of success against Nate Robertson, 12 for 21. Three of his twelve hits have been homers. First and third and the pitch. Strike on the inside corner, no balls and one strike. LeCroy, 16 homers, 47 RBI’s. And the pitch. Inside, almost hit him. One ball and one strike. Two on, one out, the Twins are batting in the bottom of the first inning. Here’s Robertson’s pitch, and a breaking pitch is low, inside, two balls and one strike. If the Red Sox get in today, and Houston gets in today, the Red Sox will open Tuesday against the White Sox at US Cellular. And the Yankees and the Angels, they could possibly end up in a tie. Here’s a drive to left and it’s well-hit, it is … gone! Touch’em all Matthew LeCroy! A line drive home run that makes it to the seats in left field. Tyner and Mauer score in front, and the Twins are off and running with a 3-0 lead on Matthew LeCroy’s 17th home run of the year.
Well, the Twins have hit their 134th home run of the year. The Detroit Tigers have given up a bunch of home runs this year, they lead the American League in home runs allowed. They’ve just given up their 193rd and the 28th given up by Robinson. Three to nothing, Minnesota leading, LeCroy gets RBI number 48, 49 and 50, and his 17th home run.
Cuddyer bats and the pitch is outside, a ball, 1 and 0. Michael hitting at .266, swings through a change up, and 1 ball and 1 strike. No home runs, 42 RBI’s for Michael Cuddyer, bathing in the number five slot in Ron Gardenhire’s batting order. Here is Robertson’s pitch. A ground ball hammered out to third, infield, throws across to his first basemen Pena for the out and there are two away as they bat in the bottom of the first. They have an early 3-0 lead and now Justin Morneau to bat.
Mathey LeCroy with a line drive home run and the three run homer puts the Twins ahead by a 3-0 score. Morneau takes a strike at the letters, no balls and one strke. Robertson ready and here’s the pitch. Swing at a miss at an off-speed delivery and quickly Robertson works ahead of Morneau at no balls and two strikes. Justin hitting at .239, 22 home runs and 79 RBI’s, that’s club leading. And a swing and a foul, still the count at two strikes. Here’s the 0-2 delivery and the pitch, a swing and a miss, the ball gets away from Vance Wilson the catcher, but he quickly retrieves it, fires down to Pena at first. The strikeout the first of the game for Robertson, but the Twins have a big first on a three run homer by Matthey LeCroy and take a 3-0 lead.
You’re listening to Twins Baseball.
Jason Tyner will lead off for the Twins in the bottom half of the first inning. First pitch from Nate Robertson, the left-hander, is in for a strike, 0 and 1. Robertson making his 32nd start of the year and he delivers. Tyner swings and laces a base hit down the left field line. Over quickly to play it is left fielder Granderson. He’ll relay it back in and Tyner is on with an early single. The Twins have a runner at first and nobody out and here’s Luis Rodriguez to bat. Rodriguez stepping in with a .257 batting average. Tyner hitting at .308 coming in, no homers, 4 RBI’s.
Well, there are three games of particular interest in Major League Baseball, other than this one here of course. The Philadelphia – Washington game, the Phillies have to win and hope that Houston loses to qualify for a tie and the wild card in the National League. Philadelphia is leading Washington 1-0 with the Nationals batting in the bottom of the first. And the Houston – Cubs game is now underway, and Houston has a run in the bottom of the first and leads Chicago 1-0. Those are the two games in the National League.
And the particular game of importance in the American League, the Chicago White Sox at Cleveland. Cleveland has to win and they have to hope than Boston loses their game to the New York Yankees at Fenway. And the Indians would tie the Red Sox for the wild card and they’d have to have a playoff game tomorrow. Chicago presently leading Cleveland 3-0 in the top half of the fourth inning. The Yankees and the Red Sox are just now underway. Curt Schilling now pitching for Boston.
Here’s the pitch to Rodriguez. It’s in for a strike and no balls and one strike. A couple of pick-off moves by Robertson to first trying to get Tyner. At one time he had Tyner moving the other way towards second, but Robertson didn’t get the throw over in time and Tyner got back. Jason has a good lead, he has one foot on the carpet. Here’s the set now by Robertson and the pitch. And a ground ball base hit to center field. And the Twins start the first with back to back hits. A single by Tyner to left and a single by Rodriguez to center. Two on, and the batter’s going to be Joe Mauer.
Mauer will step in with a .297 batting average, 9 home runs, and 55 RBI’s. Mauer’s going to have to go some to hit .300. He’d have to have a big day here today. Here’s the set now by Robertson and the pitch. Fast ball is inside, one ball. If the Phillies and the Astros end up in a tie for the wild card, they’ll play off tomorrow at Philadelphia. If the Indians and the Red Sox end up in a tie for the wild card, they’ll play tomorrow at Fenway. Ball 2 and a fast ball, two balls and no strikes. Robertson is making his fourth start against the Twins this year, and he is 1 and 2, 2 and 4 lifetime against Minnesota. Last year, Robertson was 12 and 10 with the Tigers. Certainly Detroit was expecting Robertson to have a much better year this year than last and he has not, comes into the game today 7 and 15. Mauer swings and hits a big two-hopper to second. They’re going to get one out at second, relay back to first not in time. Mauer beats the relay throw. It was a big two-hop ground ball to second baseman McDonald. By the time he got the ball over to Infante, Mauer had time to beat the relay throw from second base back to first. [John Madden would be proud. -- SG]
Tyner gained third, the Twins have runners at first and third and here’s Matthew LeCroy to bat. Now Matthew’s had quite a bit of success against Nate Robertson, 12 for 21. Three of his twelve hits have been homers. First and third and the pitch. Strike on the inside corner, no balls and one strike. LeCroy, 16 homers, 47 RBI’s. And the pitch. Inside, almost hit him. One ball and one strike. Two on, one out, the Twins are batting in the bottom of the first inning. Here’s Robertson’s pitch, and a breaking pitch is low, inside, two balls and one strike. If the Red Sox get in today, and Houston gets in today, the Red Sox will open Tuesday against the White Sox at US Cellular. And the Yankees and the Angels, they could possibly end up in a tie. Here’s a drive to left and it’s well-hit, it is … gone! Touch’em all Matthew LeCroy! A line drive home run that makes it to the seats in left field. Tyner and Mauer score in front, and the Twins are off and running with a 3-0 lead on Matthew LeCroy’s 17th home run of the year.
Well, the Twins have hit their 134th home run of the year. The Detroit Tigers have given up a bunch of home runs this year, they lead the American League in home runs allowed. They’ve just given up their 193rd and the 28th given up by Robinson. Three to nothing, Minnesota leading, LeCroy gets RBI number 48, 49 and 50, and his 17th home run.
Cuddyer bats and the pitch is outside, a ball, 1 and 0. Michael hitting at .266, swings through a change up, and 1 ball and 1 strike. No home runs, 42 RBI’s for Michael Cuddyer, bathing in the number five slot in Ron Gardenhire’s batting order. Here is Robertson’s pitch. A ground ball hammered out to third, infield, throws across to his first basemen Pena for the out and there are two away as they bat in the bottom of the first. They have an early 3-0 lead and now Justin Morneau to bat.
Mathey LeCroy with a line drive home run and the three run homer puts the Twins ahead by a 3-0 score. Morneau takes a strike at the letters, no balls and one strke. Robertson ready and here’s the pitch. Swing at a miss at an off-speed delivery and quickly Robertson works ahead of Morneau at no balls and two strikes. Justin hitting at .239, 22 home runs and 79 RBI’s, that’s club leading. And a swing and a foul, still the count at two strikes. Here’s the 0-2 delivery and the pitch, a swing and a miss, the ball gets away from Vance Wilson the catcher, but he quickly retrieves it, fires down to Pena at first. The strikeout the first of the game for Robertson, but the Twins have a big first on a three run homer by Matthey LeCroy and take a 3-0 lead.
You’re listening to Twins Baseball.