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THROWING YOU A CURVE
SNOWING IN DETROIT? As I sit here in my hotel room here in Detroit, I am amazed at the weather we are getting here in the Northeastern part of the United States. The weather has been so good for everyone in baseball in early April and now it’s snowing? WOW! Today’s game was cancelled and it looks like tomorrow’s scheduled day game will be snowed out too. The Twins will stay here in Detroit and try and make-up the lost game on Monday and go to Kansas City for a three-game series against the Royals starting Tuesday night. Cancelled games are sometimes good for everyday players but it usually puts the starting rotation into chaos. Do you keep the starter who was scheduled to pitch today in the same rotation or do you push him back and he misses a turn? Joe Mays was scheduled to start today and was told he is pitching tomorrow. Brad Radke, who was scheduled to pitch tomorrow, is pushed up to Monday. Monday was a scheduled off day for the Detroit Tigers and the Twins but they are going to play a make-up game. What if tomorrow’s game is cancelled, which it looks like it might, who pitches Monday, Mays or Radke? Want some other information that might happen? What if tomorrow’s game and Monday’s game gets snowed out? Who starts the first game in Kansas City on Tuesday night, Mays, Radke or the scheduled starter, Johan Santana? See how rain-outs and cancelled games can mess up a starting rotation! These are questions that manager Ron Gardenhire will be asking Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson. What would you do if the remaining games are cancelled here in Detroit? I am believer that you need to keep your three main starters in their every fifth-day rotation throughout the season. The three main starters for the Twins right now are Radke, Santana and Carlos Silva. So, if the two remaining games are cancelled here in Detroit you go with Radke, Santana and Silva in the three game series in Kansas City. This means Mays will be put in the bullpen for the games in Kansas City along with Kyle Lohse, the other starter for the Twins. Also this way you only mess up one starter instead of messing up the other three. This system worked in 1987 when we won the World Series and I’m sure it was the same in 1991. The Twins are playing good baseball with a record of 10-7, but the Chicago White Sox are currently 13-4 and off to a great start. The Twins and the other teams in the division don’t want to fall too far behind the White Sox. I know there are 145 games left in the season but this game of baseball is played on momentum. Momentum is the good part of baseball and of life. Isn’t it nice to get into a good rhythm in your everyday life and isn’t it amazing how everything feels great and everything falls into place? Well, that’s what I want for all of my readers. Feel good about yourself and you will find that momentum. God bless all my readers and thank you for spending some time reading my columns. If you have any questions or comments you can always e-mail me at bert@bertblyleven.com. May it not snow on your parade!
Your baseball friend and you are hereby circled,
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