Spent the majority of the weekend at Target Field giving the home fans mostly what they seem to expect: The New York Yankees coming to town and acting like they own it. It's a little sad because the Twins fans tend to be rather well spirited despite an clear inferiority complex; even the guy selling the "Yankees Suck" t-shirts out front as a little smirk on his face.

For our side, we really don't taunt the Twins and their fans as we would many other teams. I almost felt like it was overkill to employ mojos against the Twinkies, but old superstitions die hard and I wouldn't any loss other than the expected one to be my fault.

And mostly I had great conversations with the 612 fans. They know their team but it pains me to hear them so down on Mauer and Morneau and to boo them. They lustily boo Derek Jeter too, but I think that's because they really want to dip his pigtails in the inkwell.

Friday night was a nice, yet game-delaying tribute to Jim Thome in honor of recently hitting his 600th home-run on the road. The lone boos during the ceremony was when A-Rod came out to congratulate and hug Thome for joining the club. Outside of a reversal call on a HR that almost evens the score for getting ripped off in Kansas City, the game was in CC and the Yanks hands: 8-4 F

Saturday night Phil Hughes was lights out, gave up a solo shot in the 1st and then didn't allow another hit until the 7th, the Yankees hit and rolled to an 8-1F. Sunday was the game I told the crestfallen ushers and concession workers that they would win. AJ Burnett is the freaking kiss of death and acted the part, giving up 7 runs in an inning and 2/3rds toward an eventual 9-4 F.

Ivan Nova proved yet again why he must stay in the starting rotation. He was nothing short of phenomenal. When the Yankee outfield put him a 2nd and 3rd situation he notched it up further, stuck out the next two and then closed out the inning with a weak grounder to 1st. Granderson hits an inside-the-park homerun (which sent the 1 obnoxious Twins fan in my vicinity home; my withering look maybe helped him out of his seat) and Tex follows with a blast and the Yanks take the series 3 outta 4 with a 3 zip W.

It was great to overload my baseball before taking my 2-week hiatus from such things...

Cheers,
Brian