#julien is a lefty ^_^

[l1veleak]

porsche drivers while porsche is falling apart

[butchboyvi]

song lyrics that remind me of vi and her story 🥊

i wanted to include song that i think could depict her emotions, especially her pitfighter arc in s2. most of these are indie rock/alt rock/post rock songs + some ambient folk, all with very gritty and emotional lyrics. i tried to think of songs that could encapsulate the feeling of despair and loneliness shown in the “nothing to lose” clip with my own personal twist i guess. also i had in mind the latest christian linke interview, where he said that we're going to see a very different version of caitlynn, stripped down of her optimism and hopefulness, and that vi is not going to recognize her anymore, and everything that this is going to entail in their relationship.

shadowboxing - julien baker

i know you were trying to help / but you're only making it worse / tell me that i shouldn't blame myself / but you can't even imagine how badly it hurts / just to think sometimes / how i think almost all the time

so break me down / fold it over your arms / like an unloaded shotgun / dismantled and harmless / even you couldn't manage to pull / the fuse from the back of my head

work out - rainbow kitten surprise

well, there's two sides to a fair fight / and you're the third man out / i was hopeful with a slow hand / and i got gunned down / well you asked me if i could grow up / but i don't know why / for i don't know much, i'm a palm frond / dying on a front porch

sour breath - julien baker

but i shouldn't have built a house in the middle of your chest / plywood boards joined at your breast / splinter in my arm where you rest your head / checking my watch till you come to bed

kiss me goodnight with your sour breath / breaks on my face like a wave of emptiness / and when i talk just taste regret / you're everything i want and i'm all you dread

ringside - julien baker

beat myself until i'm bloody / and i’ll give you a ringside seat / you say that it's embarrassing / i’m sorry that you had to see me like that

so you could either watch me drown / or try to save me while i drag you down / want to fix it but i don't know how

bloodshot - julien baker

middle of the night, all i can see are stars / pulled 'em from my eyes and your ex-lover's arms / throw hook after hook, and if i were you / after all that i did, i'd have done it to me, too

isn't like i did it on purpose / i just forget the second i learned it / everything i get, i deserve / you whisper to me, "don't you like it when it hurts?"

lefty - title fight

bad luck never leaves / your jinx just floats around / like the taste inside your mouth / or the sound when your skull cracks / feel the growing pains / it means you're growing up too fast

sleeping with the lights on - searows

we've been watching different movies / and i've been talking to myself / i’d like to think that you knew me / better than anybody else

i know you're probably standing there / wishing that i wasn't here / you know i'd follow you anywhere / so, do you honestly believe that i would let you disappear?

appointments - julien baker

i think if i ruin this / that i know i can live with it / nothing turns out like i pictured it / maybe the emptiness is just a lesson in canvases / i think if i fail again / that i know you're still listening / maybe it's all gonna turn out alright

good news - julien baker

in the thin air, my ribs creak / like wooden dining chairs when you see me / always scared that every situation ends the same / with a blank stare / me and the tap water circling the sink drain

callous - sasami

i know it's not your fault / you were born with a spoon in your throat / and a gun in your hand and a plan for yourself / i'm not grieving / it's just a matter of time and a matter of what / and you've known since birth what you like / and i'm happy for you until my face is blue

perfecto miserable - king krule

i guess i have to go / and in my silence / it's so menacing / and when i'm left alone / it's so damaging / and in this violence / the walls cave-in / i'm not able to escape it all

cold love - rainbow kitten surprise

chained to a lie, we're the same you and i, we're the same / not the same we hurt differently, but consistent in our pain / equal and equidistant in the way we laugh / to lay bear the weight of our cold love affair / recalling the days where we were, we weren't, we were

putting the dog to sleep - the antlers

unstitch that shit i've sewn / to close up the hole that tore through my skin / well, my trust in you is a dog with a broken leg / tendons too torn to beg for you to let me back in

black dog - arlo parks

i'd lick the grief right off your lips / sometimes it seems like you won't survive this / and honestly it's terrifying

famous last words - ethel cain

my lips are still burnt from kissing your face / and feverish forehead, the blood that you waste / i'm tired of this, watching it wash out of you

cementality - king krule

enter my bed through that window / i hit zero / as guiltless loveless sins flow / through me, you threw me / i descend smoothly / my concrete bed beckons / can you hear me?

out getting ribs - king krule

and lay me out across the grey / hours i should have kept at bay / well i had no chance to get away / i can't escape my own escape / even more when it's sweet to the taste / red stairs lead sense astray / i look up and seek for faith

is it really you? - loathe

face away / deal with the pain / your own way / how could they deal with the pain? / i knew / that it was mine too / and you? / is it really you?

baldpate driver - fleshwater

and a year goes by / just as silent as a tear on a face you hide / keep chasing heaven / i'm begging for the ending

nightmares - newdad

i wish you were everything i hate in the world / not the best person in it / don't want to love 'cause then i'll misbehave / don't want to think of you and feel safe / don't want to drown if there's another way / so at the end of the day / i hope you're in my nightmares / 'cause to dream of you is unfair

to rage - daughter

i left the room destroyed / oh, you know me in more ways than that / i split the walls for warmth, i shook your town / i smashed the floors / to rage, my love, back then / well, someone had to

i'd never loved a living thing so much / i was not equipped to just / sit and watch you quit on us

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 11.26

Beer Birthdays

Georg Schneider (1817)

Simon E. Bernheimer (1849)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Johannes Bach; German organist and composer (1604)

Dave Hughes; Australian comedian (1970)

Eugene Ionesco; Romanian-French writer (1912)

Rich Little; comedian (1938)

Charles M. Schulz; cartoonist (1922)

Famous Birthdays

Bob Babbitt; bass player (1937)

Garcelle Beauvais; model, actor (1966)

Natasha Bedingfield; English singer-songwriter (1981)

Elizabeth Blackburn; Australian-American biologist (1948)

Margaret Boden; English computer scientist (1936)

Willis Carrier; air-conditioning inventor (1876)

Roz Chast,; cartoonist (1954)

William Cowper; English poet (1731)

Cyril Cusack; South African-born Irish actor (1910)

Frances Dee; actress and singer (1909)

DJ Khaled; rapper (1975)

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; Argentinian painter (1931)

Lefty Gomez; New York Yankees P (1908)

Robert Goulet; American-Canadian singer (1933)

Davey Graham; English guitarist and songwriter (1945)

Sarah Moore Grimké; author (1792)

Blake Harnage; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1988)

John Harvard; college founder (1607)

Line Horntveth; Norwegian tuba player, composer (1974)

Raymond Louis Kennedy; singer-songwriter, saxophonist (1946)

Yumi Kobayashi; Japanese model, actress (1988)

Martin Lee; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1949)

Bat Masterson; police officer and journalist (1853)

Anna Maurizio; Swiss biologist (1900)

Maurice McDonald; businessman, co-founder of McDonald's (1902)

John McVie; English-American bass player (1945)

Marian Mercer; actress and singer (1935)

Jim Mullen; Scottish guitarist (1945)

Marianne Muellerleile; actress (1948)

Michael Omartian; singer-songwriter, keyboard player (1945)

Ruth Patrick; botanist (1907)

Vicki Pettersson; author (1971)

Velupillai Prabhakaran; Sri Lankan rebel leader (1954)

Marilynne Robinson; writer (1943)

George Segal; artist, sculptor (1924)

Eric Sevareid; television journalist (1912)

Ilona "Cicciolona" Staller; Hungarian-Italian porn actor, politician (1951)

Jan Stenerud; Kansas City Chiefs K (1942)

Betta St. John; actress, singer and dancer (1929)

Julien Temple; English film director (1952)

Lysa Thatcher; adult film actress (1959)

Art Themen; English saxophonist and surgeon (1939)

Tina Turner; American-Swiss rock singer (1938)

Tony Verna; director and inventor of instant replay (1933)

Mary Edwards Walker; surgeon and activist (1832)

Ellen G. White; co-founder of 7th-day Adventist Church (1827)

Norbert Wiener; mathematician (1894)

Earl Wild; pianist and composer (1915)

Bill Wilson; AA founder (1895)

Karl Ziegler; German chemist (1898)

[zoeology31]

Belated recap because I was eepy this afternoon

Y'know, I'll take a series split. Would've been nice to win Tuesday, but I kinda had Wednesday pre-marked as a loss (sorry Varland, but. yeah). This stretch of running out the triple A roster with predictable results would feel a lot worse if every other team in the top half of the AL wasn't also tripping over themselves at the moment.

Pablo and the back end of the pen pitched great, as we've come to expect. It truly can't be overstated how big Pablo's season turnaround has been for us, with our Jenga tower of a rotation, having a stopper like him every five days is so important. Festa looked good too, just got let down by the offense not for the first time. And shoutout to the bullpen Monday, covering Sim's short start and getting out of a ton of jams in a classic Twins/Rays one-run game.

Man I wish we were able to snag someone like Odorizzi in minor league free agency, or that DeSclafani's arm hadn't fallen off in spring training, that way I wouldn't have to watch an obviously non-starter-caliber Varland or a very very rushed Matthews every five days. But, y'know. Just make it to the playoffs and pitching depth matters a lot less. And our potential 2025 rotation is shaping up to be pretty exciting.

Julien finally remembered how to hit home runs 🎉 It was a good series for our lefties overall with the homers from Larnach and Wallner too, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr's way overdue debut (the trials of being a lefty OF in the Twins org lmao). Overall the offense continues to struggle, but they scraped enough across to take two wins.

We're not gonna talk about the defense on Wednesday. This team needs Correa and Buxton so badly, and the likelihood/imminence of either continues to be not great. On the moral victory side, if any other AL playoff team was missing its two best hitters, they would probably not be hanging on as well as we are. With the exception of Kyle Tucker, Giancarlo Stanton, and very recently Vinnie Pasquantino, every other AL contender has had all its top hitters healthy all season, but here we are in the thick of it anyway.

This Royals series is gonna be tough. We haven't played well at the K late in the season (as in getting swept by much worse Royals teams the last two years), and as demonstrated tonight the pitching matchups aren't great for our already struggling offense. But we're still in a good spot, just need to stay afloat and have that haterism on tap when scoreboard watching.

[twins2994]

Minnesota Twins-Los Angeles Angels Series Preview

5.19.23-Joe Ryan RHP (6-1) 2.16 ERA Vs. Reid Detmers LHP (0-3) 4.89 ERA

5.20.23-Louie Varland RHP (1-0) 4.30 ERA Vs. Patrick Sandoval LHP (3-2) 3.22 ERA

5.21.23-Pablo Lopez RHP (2-2) 4.00 ERA Vs. Shohei Ohtani RHP (5-1) 3.23 ERA

The Twins At A Glance- The Twins competed with the Dodgers for three games and lost two of them. They come out of the Dodgers series a little bit banged up. Nick Gordon fractured his shin when fouling a ball off his leg, Jorge Polanco has a hamstring issue, and Joey Gallo left Wednesday’s game when he fouled a ball off his foot as well. Kyle Garlick is likely headed to Anaheim for this series when the Twins face two left-handed starters. More help could come in the form of Jose Miranda or Eddie Julien with the Saints. Alex Kirilloff has been hot since his return to the Majors. He is hitting .333 with two homers and three knocked in. Donovan Solano should get plenty of time this weekend with two lefty starters in Anaheim. The Twins bullpen took a hit when Jorge Alcala was put on the injured list with a forearm injury. Kenta Maeda hopefully can throw off a mound by the end of the week with a triceps injury. Brock Stewart hasn’t allowed a run in 9 2/3 innings this year. Cole Sands has only given up a run in seven innings of work. 

The Angels At A Glance- The Angels have been playing .500 baseball seemingly all season. They are (23-22) after splitting four games with the Orioles this week and head back home for a nine-game homestand. Gio Urshela has been a welcome additiong and is hitting .298 with eighteen RBI on the year. Anthony Rendon has been healthy and is hitting .301, but only has one home run. Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Hunter Renfroe each lead the team with ten home runs. The Angels starting pitching has been mediocre with a 5.00 ERA. Shohei Ohtani iand Patrick Sandoval have been good. Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson have just been okay. The Halos have the eighth-best bullpen is baseball with a 3.56 ERA. Matt Moore has allowed just three runs in twenty-two innings. Carlos Estevez has locked down ten saves, and Jaime Barria has a 1.96 ERA over twenty-three innings. Andrew Wantz and Chris Devenski have been good from the right side. 

What To Watch For- The Angels were (4-2) against the Twins last year. The Twins did the same week-long trip in Los Angeles and Anaheim last season. Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez have never faced the Angels. Louie Varland went 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs in his lone start against the Halos. Reid Detmers has a 6.00 ERA in two starts against the Twins. Patrick Sandoval has a 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3 innings versus the Twins. He took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in 2021 before Brent Rooker broke it up with a double. Shohei Ohtani has a 2.38 ERA in two starts against the Twins. The Twins will likely make some roster moves before this series. It should be fun to see Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani this weekend in Anaheim. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[lex-again]

About the Writer

BASICS:

name: Casey birthday: March 5 zodiac: Pisces single or taken: Taken (*insert me gushing*) height: 5’4 eye color: Blue-grey favorite color: I actually really think it’s a pastel pink, idk lucky number: 4! 

SPECIFICS/DETAILS:

Hogwarts house: Slytherin

favorite fictional characters: Tramp, Scamp, Patch Cipriano, Tony Stark, Fire Lord Zuko, Ryusaki Hayate, Mei Kihara, Cameron Malkin, Will Herondale, strong personalities tbh.

favorite television shows: Letter Kenny, South Park, The Office, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Vampire Diaries, Gilmore Girls, Queer Eye, Archer (to a point)

—and this isn’t TV but: I watch a lot of Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita and I won’t apologize.

favorite season: Autumn**

**= I literally adore every season, but I just don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than falling leaves and crisp morning air. 

describe yourself in a few words: allergic to bullshit, outspoken, blunt, sensitive, fiercely loyal, loud, easily distracted, hotheaded, warm hearted but cold blooded. Wannabe prolific writer, actually just fine. 

future children’s names: Nonexistent and Never.

meaning of your name: If we’re going with the Irish meaning, my appearently name means vigilant or watchful. Thanks, Google!

what do you plan to/do for a living:  I desire to be a professional dog mom, but I know that’s impractical as all hell. I describe myself as the girly journalist. Picture the Kate Hudson’s character, Andi, from How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days but without all the political shit. I’d happily write about fashion, makeup and lifestyle hacks all day. I’d like to be the journalist that cuts through all the political BS right now, we have more than enough people covering the topic.  

Starbucks order: This goes back to be being a seasonal little shit.

Fall: Pumpkin Spice Latte

Winter: White Chocolate Mocha / Peppermint Hot Chocolate 

Spring and Summer: Iced Caramel Macchiato 

THIS OR THAT: introvert or extrovert: introvert (I’m just so good at pretending to be an extrovert, it’s my job) dawn or dusk: Dusk righty or lefty: righty coffee or tea: coffee rain or shine: Rain...on a weekend! reading or writing: Both both both!

[highbuttonsports]

Teoscar Hernandez(timeincapp.com)

The Cavalry’s Coming

The injury bug that has hit the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 is well documented. It’s a rash of injuries that has infected the team since Spring Training and been a major contributor to their underwhelming start. Frankly, I am getting tired of writing about it myself. Hope is on the horizon though, over the next week the long list in the infirmary should be cut in half. At one point a week ago, there were 11 regulars on the shelf that had immediately tested the depth of the roster in all areas. Out of the lineup was George Springer (yet to play) and Teoscar Hernandez (out since April 9th with COVID). Out of the starting rotation was Nate Pearson (yet to play), T.J. Zeuch (IL on April 20th), and Ross Stripling (IL on April 15th). And out of the bullpen was Kirby Yates (will miss all of 2021), Jordan Romano (IL on April 15th, but returned on April 25th), Julian Merryweather (IL on April 14th), David Phelps (IL on April 14th, but returned April 21st), Tyler Chatwood (IL on April 9th, but returned April 23rd), and Thomas Hatch (yet to play). That’s quite the formidable list and a good chunk of impact players to have out at the same time. Injures and how they are managed are a big part of every team’s success level. Every team is going to go through them at one point or another during the season. For the Jays though, this amount of injures so early in the year seems to have been a little extra. It really makes how they have fared record wise (11-12) pretty remarkable. To be a game below .500, tied for 2nd in the division, and in a 3-way tie for 8th in the American League, with all the injures they have had bodes very well for what’s to come.

The mass exodus off the injured list started a week ago with the return of middle reliever David Phelps. He has been extremely valuable so far sporting an ERA of 1.08 in 8.1 innings with 10 K’s while providing a veteran presence in a bullpen that is laden with younger, inexperienced arms. Another of the experienced arms returned a couple days later in Tyler Chatwood. Even though he has been a starter for the most part of his career, he has been great out of the pen. He has yet to allow a run this season in 6.1 innings with 9 K’s. Through attrition he may see a start or 2 down the road, but his transition to full time reliever has been seamless. It’s good to have that fall back option should the rotation really get decimated down the road. The last of the key relievers to return was Jordan Romano. Although he has had a rough season so far (4.91 ERA and 2.25 WHIP), he is viewed as a critical late inning arm. He was given the chance to take the closer’s job when Yates was ruled our for the year, but with an ailing elbow and inconsistent control he was passed first by Julien Merryweather then Rafael Dolis. With both he and Julien on the IL, Dolis has taken hold of the closer’s job and as long as he keeps nailing them down, he is likely to hold it for the foreseeable future. Getting those 3 back has been much needed for a bullpen that has seen more work than hoped in the early going, though they have performed better than expected as the best pen in the MLB. They have pitched the 6th most innings at 92.1, but have a miniscule 2.24 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, while holding the opposition to a .205 BAA. Unfortunately, with Merryweather and Hatch, they are both not expected to return soon. Especially tough is being without early season revelation Merryweather. He had looked every part a closer, but with an oblique injury chances are he wont return to late May/early June. Aside from his, hopefully this number 1 group can stay healthy and this effective as the season moves forward because there is no doubt their greatness has been the biggest factor the team being able to hold up like they have.

As much relief that has been given to the bullpen, the starting rotation will have to persevere that much more. Not only are Pearson, Zeuch, and Stripling expected to miss more time, but now ace, Hyun Jin Ryu, left his last start with a glute strain. The hope was he wouldn’t miss a start, but yesterday he was placed on the 10-day IL which guarantees he will miss at least 1 start. The hopes are he will be good to go for the series in Oakland starting on Monday. That is a big ol’ pain in the butt to an already banged up staff. There is no way to replace an elite starter like Ryu. With neither Pearson, Zeuch, or Stripling ready to take Hyun Jin’s turn it will be interesting to see how the Jays manage their pitchers. Maybe they will be forced into more opener scenarios or maybe they give one of their young prospects like Alek Manoah an early season look. The minor league season is still a week away from starting so it could be a good opportunity to get his feet wet. Neither of those is a long-term solution this season. That comes in the closest of the 3 arms that is expected to return in Pearson. He has been throwing simulated games at the training facility as he tries to build up the arm strength to throw 5 plus innings. Optimistically, he will return in a week or so and can hold up from here on out. That would be a massive boost as Nate possesses top of the rotation potential and stuff. The only thing holding him back to this point in his young career is health. His hasn’t pitched much the past couple seasons so his workload and performance will be monitored closely. Adding his right arm to an all-lefty trio of Ryu, Matz, and Ray will make those 3 even tougher as it will give opposing teams a much different look in a series. Then the further those 4 can push the Blue Jays into contention the more likely GM Ross Atkins will be compelled to add another big arm through trade (Max Scherzer anyone?).

The most exciting and impactful returns definitely come in the starting lineup. As in Toronto’s big off season free agent signing George Springer. He finally made his long-awaited debut atop the Jays batting order last night. This was extremely surprising considering it was reported he was feeling a bit sore after playing back-to-back 9 inning games for the first time Sunday and Monday. He is going to start out as DH and most likely get some rest days along the way as he gets eased into full time duty. Having Springer in the lead off spot gives the order a whole new dynamic. We are talking about a career .270 BAA hitter who as recent as the last full season in 2019 put up monster numbers. Springer crushed 39 homeruns with 96 RBI’s and Runs respectively. Last night he went 0 for 4, but looked comfortable and showed no ill effects from his previous injuries. With Teoscar, his return should be right around the corner. With an off day today, before beginning a 3-game series against Atlanta, it would not be shocking to see him return on Friday. At this point, it’s simply a matter of Hernandez saying he feels recovered energy wise and ready to go. It cannot be overstated how important those 2 are to the ability of Toronto to take that next step into serious contender. They will add dangerous depth to the batting order while playing solid (Teoscar), if not great (George,) defence to the outfield. Between those 2, Lourdes Gurriel, and Randal Grichuk the Jays have a group of outfielders rival anyone’s when it comes to depth. In Springer’s absence all Grichuk has done is provide great defence and a productive bat in the middle of the order. Randal is hitting .289 with 4 homeruns, and 16 RBI’s in 22 games. It’s hard to say what the exact plan will be for the outfield when Springer returns, but no doubt Manager Charlie Montoyo will be finding ways to get Grich in the lineup as much as possible. Perhaps given how Lourdes has struggled to begin the season, Teoscar will see time in left with Randall sliding over to right. Regardless of how it shakes out, the batting order will finally be complete and for the first time we will get a look at the formidable lineup that was envisioned the day George Springer’s name was put to paper.

Having added the bullpen arms back that they have, and with the pending returns to their rotation and lineup, the Toronto Blue Jays will finally have as close to the Opening Day roster that was projected back in the Spring. It’s a roster that has the ability to compete with any team in baseball. Whether that comes to fruition or not depends on how long they can all stay together on the field. To this point they have proven their resilience, now it’s time to show everyone how serious they are. Time to show the league just how good they really are!

*stats courtesy of MLB.com and Sportsnet.ca

By: Jaymee Kitchenham

[laundryandtaxes]

julien baker 2016/17 releases + all the best lefties on here are lesbians ÷ reddit atheist assholes = tumblr left figures god is not so bad maybe

I hsve no idea who this Julien Baker is but I'm assuming she's hot and religious?

[marinbel]

So I saw @regaltempo post about this and I decided to post my own. Here are my headcanons (low-key based off of the show) for each ninja's dominant hand. (this is just my opinion and I just would like to share and see if anyone else has similar thoughts. Pls enjoy :3) [Disclaimer too: I am not going to be using ALL of the show considering I got attached to my headcanons before some new content like Wu's Teas came out so oh well. :3] Kai is left handed. Kai always liked it as being left handed gave him an advantage in battle when his enemies were expecting his sword in his right, etc. He still learned with his right hand for double battle too. Jay was born a lefty but when he was younger he broke his hand and taught himself how to write with his right hand. Now he's ambidextrous but favors his left hand still. Zane is ambidextrous as Dr. Julien built him to be able to help others to the highest capacity. Still, Zane usually ends up using his right hand more, such as when he's cooking. Cole is right handed but learned how to be skilled with his left as well. You never know what kind of trouble you could get into when rock climbing, as well as being a ninja. Nya is also right handed. She doesn't think too much about it though as she'd rather focus on more important matters (her inventions, other projects, etc.) but don't think she can't weild a sword with both hands. Lloyd too is right handed. Sort of like Nya, he also doesn't think about it much. Being the green ninja keeps BOTH hands full most of the time anyways. In the end I believe all of them trained with both hands in the weapons category as being a ninja you never know the circumstances you'll be put in. But when it comes to simpler tasks like writing, drawing, cooking, etc. they all have a dominant choice. ((Fun fact: I myself am a lefty. :3))

[auburnfamilynews]

UAB @ #21 Auburn

Tuesday: 6 – 4 L

This was a gut punch. Yeah, it was a midweek loss so it didn’t count against the SEC record but it did hurt Auburn’s above average RPI. Just from that one loss, the Tigers fell 3 spots from 14 to 17 which doesn’t sound that, however UAB entered the contest at 159 in the RPI and that alone makes it the Tigers worst loss of the season (Jacksonville St entered the midweek near the 150s but improved their rankings greatly with a midweek win as we will find out below). There were some positives to gleam from this one though. Will Holland again went 3 for 4 with another double and a run scored while Matt Scheffler and Conor Davis continued to get reliable hits and Edouard Julien showed flashes that he might be feeling it again getting two base hits including a great hit against the shift, going the opposite way. On the mound Ryan Watson, Garrett Wade, Kyle Gray and Will Morrison combined to hold the Blazers hitless, giving up 6 walks with 4 strike outs in 4.1 innings of work. Auburn can bounce back from this and hit its goals that were set at the beginning of the season, which is pretty remarkable to think about with the injuries to the pitching staff and lack of offensive production, but Auburn will need to figure things out in a hurry with Georgia this weekend.

Around the League

#2 Vanderbilt

@ #5 Louisville, TUE: 6-2 W

Just Vandy being Vandy and knocking off a sure fire regional host going away. Now the Dores return to Hawkins field for (hopefully with the weather) a major series with Mizzou. I am interested to see if this will be another sweep for Vandy because if it is, we may see them run 12 straight conference wins to close the SEC regular season, and that would be an accomplishment.

MID 3 » Let's go Cinco! https://t.co/2lmoYpVP7S#VandyBoys 2, Louisville 0 pic.twitter.com/Cfx0bDOgeS

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 7, 2019

#4 Mississippi State

vs Memphis, WED: 10-9 W

WOO Boy this was a close one, State entered the bottom of the 8th down 9-8 and that’s when Elijah MacNamee slapped a double to center to score 2 and lock up the win. Now State hits the road to take on all the sudden hot Ole Miss in the Egg Series. I wish this was the Thursday Night game so I could enjoy this tonight but I guess LSU and Arky will have to do, but the good news is that it is the only conference game going Saturday night so settle in for that one.

He gets the big hits!#HailState | @Elijahm_2 pic.twitter.com/4N2pZjUuJC

— Mississippi State Baseball ⚾️ (@HailStateBB) May 9, 2019

#8 Georgia

@ Jacksonville State, WED: 9-8 L/11

This was about all Auburn could have hoped for to be honest. Georgia had to use 6 different arms and while they were sparingly used, they still had to go and throw live so there’s that. The Dawgs suffer a tough extra innings loss that I personally wish would have gone about 5 more innings but we can’t have everything. Georgia is still the favorite this weekend but there a lot of unknowns that we will get to in a bit.

#14 LSU

vs Louisiana Tech, TUE: 12-1 L

This was over from the word go and good for La Tech, who had been really struggling since a tornado ripped through their baseball stadium a few weeks back. LSU didn’t crack the score board until the 7th and by that time it was 7-1. Now, LSU must regroup and play maybe the toughest homestanding team in the conference in LSU and on a short rest week.

#18 Tennessee

vs Austin Peay, TUE: 9-4 W

Nice bounce back win for the Vols after the dropped Mizzou series and now we get to see a human interest study in Gainesville. Tennessee seems to be a lock to end the SEC’s longest drought in the NCAA tournament (and with Mizzou seemingly a lock as well, that mantle would fall to Alabama, having last made it in 2014). Can Tennessee go and inch closer to .500 in the conference which would also give them a shot at hosting with their strong RPI ranking. Meanwhile, in Gainesville…

Florida

vs South Florida, TUE: 7-3 W

Good win for the Gators as every win is big for their resume. Florida has a real shot to make a case for their Tournament lives as there is an argument and a way that Florida misses even Hoover (it’s an outside shot but it can still happen, which is amazing). Florida needs this series more than Tennessee does for sure, but needing it doesn’t mean it will be given to you. This is a major test for the Gators this weekend.

Bye bye baseball! Wil Dalton's 6th homer of the year makes it 6-2 #Gators after seven. Watch Now: https://t.co/664xSJdOn3 pic.twitter.com/uoK2sqvEut

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 8, 2019

Kentucky

vs Indiana, TUE: 5-2 W

Very nice win for the Wildcats as Indiana is battling for their postseason lives (if it isn’t over already). This is great momentum for the Bat Cats as they head down to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks for the inside track for that last spot in Hoover. I will have my money on Kentucky taking 2 of 3 but it will be tough.

Alabama

@ Troy, WED: 7-3 W

Speaking of that last spot in Hoover, Alabama gets a solid momentum builder before they head home to take on the Aggies. It would be massive for Alabama to get the series win and match either Carolina or Kentucky on the weekend, but it will be an uphill battle with 2 of the better starting pitchers in the conference.

South Carolina

vs Furman, WED: 7-4 L

Ouch. The Auburn and LSU losses this week were worse than this because of post season standings but for a team this one hurts. Carolina has to get their heads right for Kentucky now and a chance at any games in Hoover. That will be tough but if they can scratch out 2, the Gamecocks might extend their streak of getting to the Tournament.

On Deck (with SEC Schedule and this week’s C&M Top 25 Rankings)

#20 LSU @ #3 Arkansas (THU-SAT)

#23 Missouri @ #2 Vanderbilt (FRI-SUN)

#4 Mississippi State @ #13 Ole Miss (FRI-SUN)

#7 Georgia @ #24 Auburn (FRI-SUN)

#17 Texas A&M @ Alabama (FRI-SUN)

#18 Tennessee @ Florida (FRI-SUN)

Kentucky @ South Carolina (FRI-SUN)

Now this is more like it! 4 Top 25 matchups and a postseason play in series to boot! For Auburn, it’s just another series it really needs to have against a Top 10 ball club. In this week’s installment, it’s the 7th ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia is fighting to catch up to Vandy in the SEC East and is also playing for a bye on Tuesday in Hoover. The Dawgs, like Auburn, are also looking to get back their ace this weekend, Auburn with Tanner Burns and Georgia with Emerson Hancock. Hancock has sat out the last 2 weekends to mixed results (a blowout loss to State and a win against Florida), and has SEC Pitcher of the Year numbers with a 1.04 ERA in 69 innings with a 77 to 15 K to BB ratio. He also has a sterling .143 BA/against. Look for Georgia to also throw Tim Elliott (2.56 ERA) and Tony Locey (2.63 ERA) on the weekend. If Auburn can somehow work pitch counts and get them out of the game in the 4th or 5th innings, they are ahead of the game as the Georgia pen is pretty good, but not exceptional. At the plate, there are 3 to 4 names to remember. LJ Talley leads the Bulldogs with a .341 BA and is second on the team with 8 bombs. He is followed closely but A-a-ron Schunk and his .337 BA while Riley King is also above .300 with a .307. Tucker Maxwell is the Mark Reynolds of the team as he paces the Bulldogs in Home Runs and Strikeouts with 10 and 50 respectively. He is also a lefty so handle him with care against the Monster.

As I mentioned, Auburn looks to get back Tanner Burns and if they do, this would be the first time since the Tennessee series that Auburn had the Burns and Owen matchup on Friday and Saturday. It was also the tail end of Auburn’s winnings streak. So the question is, can the renaissance in pitching depth equate to better production with the bats. Perhaps the offense won’t press feeling it NEEDS to score runs and just play the game? It’s amazing to think that we still have questions with 7 games left on the schedule, but this hasn’t been a normal season to say the least. If Auburn can get back to the form we saw in early March, this will get very interesting.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/5/9/18538213/midweek-round-up-uab

[starlingsrps]

manon williams development

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

Name: marie suzanne williams (nee belanger)

Nickname: manon

Birthday: april 4

Age: thirty

Gender: female

Place of birth: saint-malo, france

Places lived since: [passing car]

Parents’ names, backgrounds, occupations: blaise (63) and anna (60). blaise and anna have been a couple since the dawn of time and do everything together from running the family tour boat business to visiting the same bar every single saturday night where they sit at the same barstools every single time (next to each other, of course).

Number of siblings: two - an older brother, julien (38), and an older sister - lili (35)

Relationship with family: they're close but there's a bit of transatlantic distance that's a problem. she tries to talk to her parents at least once a week and talks to lili more frequently than julien but she’s okay with that.

Children of her own?: a son, sebastian. he's five and her absolute favorite person in the world (sry elijah).

PHYSICAL

Height: 5'7

Build: average and she swears she's hippier than she used to be ever since having sebastian.

Disabilities: n/a

Complexion: tanned all the time - manon is the worst about sunscreen.

Face shape: roundish

Distinguishing facial features: manon has a pretty animated face - she's expressive but she can also go cold real fast and has a stare that can kill a man when she's pissed.

Hair color: blonde

Usual hair style: long and wavy/messy.

Eye color: blue

Glasses? Contacts?: both

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): pretty casual mom gear but she likes to knock elijah on his ass when they manage to go out.

Typical style of shoes: anything she can chase after sebastian in.

Grooming: clean and showered always but she's not much for makeup or primping but again: she likes to knock elijah on his ass now and then.

Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: her wedding ring every day but not much otherwise. she has pierced ears and briefly had a pierced nose in her early twenties but that's long gone.

Accent?: french af

Athletic?: she goes for a run whenever sebastian is at school or a playdate.

INTELLECT

Level of education: secondary school but she skipped university - no one in her family ever went and she always had the boat business to work in. so she went until she was eighteen and started working and she's just fine with it.

Level of self esteem: pretty good but she can be sensitive about weird things

Gifts/talents: manon is a hell of a mom and she's proud of that. she works to make people feel wanted and welcome - warm. she's a warm person and tries to be generous. she's also got a million and one stories from traveling and working the boats and loves to tell them.

Shortcomings: manon is stubborn as an old goddamn mule.

Style of speech: english is absolutely her second language and while her accent isn't as thick as it used to be, she absolutely still has one and it's apparent. she can be a little tricky to understand at first but once you get the hang of it, it's not too hard to figure out what she's saying. and then there are the times she pretends to not understand english to avoid unwanted conversations.

Artistic?: she tries to be crafty with sebastian but it's hit or miss.

Mathematical?: not especially

Makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: emotions

Neuroses: she's a little anxious about getting pregnant again and it's leading to her being a little more sensitive than usual about stuff and things.

Life philosophy: like just be good and do good okay?

Religious stance: catholic and a little superstitious about it - sebastian was baptized and even if she doesn't go every sunday, she'll still haul the whole gang in if there's something that needs praying over.

Cautious or daring?: daring.

Most sensitive about/vulnerable to: ohhhh it's a list. parenting and motherhood in general (she once mentioned that she had a glass of wine while pregnant and nearly got kicked out of mommy and me class), sebastian, elijah, the status of her tomatoes - manon is sensitive about a lot of random shit and gets emotional easily.

Optimist or pessimist?: optimist

Extrovert or introvert?: extrovert

Level of comfort with technology: comfortable enough

RELATIONSHIPS

Current marital/relationship status: hella married

Sexual orientation: heterosexual

Past relationships: a few when she was in school and while bopping around but she's been with elijah for a good long time.

Primary reason for being broken up with: not taking it seriously enough.

Primary reasons for breaking up with people: taking it too seriously.

A social person?: very.

Most comfortable around: elijah

Oldest friend: her sister lili

How does she think others perceive her?: manon doesn't particularly care as long as people like her and treat her nicely.

How do others actually perceive her?: generally pretty nice if a little air headed

VOCATION

Profession: stay at home mom

Past occupations: secretary for the family tour boat business

Attitude towards current job: it's the dream

Attitude towards current coworkers, bosses, employees: he's okay but she could do without the sass.

Salary: nah.

SECRETS

Phobias: the day sebastian wakes up and doesn't want to hang out with her anymore.

Life goals: as long as she lives a good life with elijah and raises sebastian right, she'll be happy.

Dreams: she'd really love to have more children.

Greatest fears: something happening to elijah or sebastian

Most ashamed of: sometimes the other moms make her feel like she should be more educated or brighter and she knows that it doesn't matter and /yet/.

Hobbies: mom stuff and gardening. she's also real good at swimming and sailing but those aren't really daily activities.

Secret skills: manon insists upon having a boating license wherever she lives, even if she doesn't have access to a boat. never know when you'll need it.

Past sexual transgressions: nah.

Crimes committed: nah

What she most wants to change about her current life: she'd really like to pregnant but that does not seem to be in the current cards.

What she most wants to change about her physical appearance: nah.

DETAILS/QUIRKS

Daily routine: up when sebastian is up, make breakfast (manon really likes cooking but especially breakfast), hang out with sebastian and do errands while he's at preschool, various stuff and things, family time, bedtime, hanging out with elijah after bedtime.

Night owl or early bird?: early bird

Light or heavy sleeper?: light

Favorite food: breakfast. manon loves american breakfast so damn much.

Favorite book: le petit prince - sebastian isn't quite old enough for it yet and she can't wait until he is.

Favorite movie: manon thinks stepbrothers is the single greatest film of our time. she likes comedies - anything too serious makes her antsy.

Favorite song: "landslide" by fleetwood mac

Coffee or tea?: coffee

Type of car she drives: a small suv - very momly.

Lefty or righty?: lefty

Favorite color: blue

Cusser?: yes but only in french - she figures it's better if sebastian repeats it and no one understands him than if she does it in english.

Smoker? Drinker? Drug user?: #winemom

Pets?: a doG!

[golfsport-news]

Matchplay-Premiere der Pro Golf Tour

Der Pole Mateusz Gradecki ist der strahlende Sieger des ersten Matchplay-Turniers in der Geschichte der Pro Golf Tour. Nachdem der 24-Jährige die Konkurrenz der NEW GOLF CLUB Matchplay Championship 2018 bereits in der Zählspiel-Qualifikation über 36 Löcher dominiert hatte, zeigte der Professional aus Wrocław auch in den folgenden fünf Mann-gegen-Mann-Duellen seine Klasse und triumphierte schließlich auf dem Platz des NEW GOLF CLUB Neu-Ulm souverän. Im Halbfinale räumte er den Tschechen Ondřej Lieser mit 3&2 aus dem Weg, im Finale setzte er sich am 9. Loch gegen den Franzosen Baptiste Achard durch. Platz 3 ging schließlich an Lieser, der im kleinen Finale den deutschen Lokalmatador Maximilian Walz am zweiten Extra-Loch besiegte.

Zählspiel oder Matchplay

Das spielte für Mateusz Gradecki in dieser Woche keine Rolle: Bei der NEW GOLF CLUB Matchplay Championship 2018 im NEW GOLF Club Neu-Ulm stellte er eindrucksvoll unter Beweis, dass er beide Wettspielformen exzellent beherrscht. Nachdem er bereits nach den beiden Zählspiel-Runden des Turniers mit gesamt 14 unter Par und vier Schlägen Vorsprung die Führung übernommen hatte, gewann der Tour-Rookie, der im Januar 2018 ins Profilager gewechselt hatte, auch alle seine insgesamt fünf Matchplay-Partien und holte sich souverän seinen ersten Sieg auf der Pro Golf Tour. Neben 5400 Euro Preisgeld erhielt er ebenso viele Punkte für die Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit, womit er sich nach 19 von 20 Turnieren auf Platz 4 des Gesamtklassements nach vorne schiebt. Die Top 5 erhalten nach dem Saisonfinale in Adendorf (24. – 26. September) das Startrecht für die European Challenge Tour 2019.

Ich hatte ein sehr gutes Gefühl, als ich hierher nach Neu-UIm gefahren bin. Meine wirklich guten Zählspiel-Runden an den ersten beiden Tagen haben mir dann zusätzlich sehr viel Selbstvertrauen für die Matchplays gegeben.... ... so Mateusz Gradecki. Nach 36 Löchern der Qualifikation mit 63 und 67 Schlägen lag er vier Zähler vor den Verfolgern und hatte bis dahin nur an einem einzigen Loch, an Bahn 9, noch kein Birdie erzielt. In den ersten drei Runden der direkten Vergleiche schaltete er dann nacheinander die Deutschen Daniel Wünsche, Jonas Kölbing und Martin Keskari aus. Auf der anderen Seite des Tableaus schickte der überraschend starke Franzose Baptiste Achard zunächst den Schotten Chris Robb und anschließend zwei weitere Deutsche, den Amateur Michael Hirmer sowie Professional Dominic Zrenner aus München, als Verlierer ins Clubhaus. Im Halbfinale traf Achard damit auf Lokalmatador Maximilian Walz, der sich in Neu-Ulm in exzellenter Form präsentierte. Im Viertelfinale hatte Walz mit dem Franzosen Mathieu Decottignies Lafon einen der absoluten Topfavoriten mit 2&1 aus dem Turnier geworfen, und auch in der Vorschlussrunde gegen dessen Landsmann Achard durfte er sich auf dem 9. Grün schon fast als Sieger fühlen: An Bahn 8 war Walz mit 1 AUF in Führung gegangen, an Loch 9., einem 171 Meter langen Par 3, lag sein Ball schließlich zum Birdie, der des Franzosen war im Semirough gelandet. Doch während sein Kontrahent aus 15 Metern einchippte, verschob Walz seinen Putt und unterlag wenig später am zweiten Extra-Loch. Damit traf Achard im Finale auf Mateusz Gradecki, der den Tschechen Ondrej Lieser mit Lochgewinnen an den Bahnen 5, 6 und 7 ins kleine Finale geschickt hatte.

Matchplay Spielbaum Das große Endspiel um den Turniersieg entschied Mateusz Gradecki schließlich an der 9. Spielbahn für sich, als ihm endlich auch dort ein Birdie gelang und er die Partie 1 AUF gewann. „Jedes Match war ein hartes Stück Arbeit, denn meine Gegner waren in der Rangliste fast durch die Bank vor mir platziert. Aber ich habe mich in jeder Partie sehr gut konzentriert, meine Drives getroffen und auch gut geputtet“, so der Sieger. „Der Platz hat mir sehr gut gefallen – gerade für das Matchplay ist es ein idealer Austragungsort!“

Bis zum 09.09.2018 teilnehmen! Bestnoten für die erstmals im Rahmen der Pro Golf Tour gewählte Wettspielform gab es von den Spielern durch die Bank – das Matchplay bereitete den Protagonisten großes Vergnügen und war eine höchst willkommene Abwechslung vom Zählspiel-Format. „Es macht einfach sehr viel Spaß, und auch auf der Challenge Tour und der European Tour wird es ja inzwischen gespielt – deshalb sollten wir es auch auf der Pro Golf Tour beibehalten“, so etwa der Franzose Julien de Poyen. Ondřej Lieser war insbesondere vom 9-Löcher-Modus begeistert, „weil es von Anfang an zur Sache geht – da legt keiner vor“.

Finale der Pro Golf Tour 2018

19 von 20 Turnieren der Saison 2018 sind damit gespielt, und nur das große Finale im Golfresort Adendorf trennt die am Ende fünf besten Spieler des Jahres noch vom Aufstieg auf die European Challenge Tour 2019. Die Castanea Resort Championship (24. – 26. September) ist mit 50.000 Euro Preisgeld dotiert, ebenso viele Ranglistenpunkte gibt es zu gewinnen, entsprechend haben noch zahlreiche Spieler die Chance, das Ticket für die nächsthöhere Liga zu lösen. Alle Ergebnisse der NEW GOLF CLUB Matchplay Championship, zahlreiche Fotos aus Neu-Ulm und die vollständige Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit stehen auf der Tour-Website unter www.progolftour.de zur Verfügung. Euer Lefty Stephan Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 11.26

Beer Birthdays

Georg Schneider (1817)

Simon E. Bernheimer (1849)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Johannes Bach; German organist and composer (1604)

Eugene Ionesco; Romanian-French writer (1912)

Rich Little; comedian (1938)

Charles M. Schulz; cartoonist (1922)

Ilona "Cicciolona" Staller; Hungarian-Italian porn actor, politician (1951)

Famous Birthdays

Bob Babbitt; bass player (1937)

Garcelle Beauvais; model, actor (1966)

Natasha Bedingfield; English singer-songwriter (1981)

Elizabeth Blackburn; Australian-American biologist (1948)

Margaret Boden; English computer scientist (1936)

Willis Carrier; air-conditioning inventor (1876)

Roz Chast,; cartoonist (1954)

William Cowper; English poet (1731)

Cyril Cusack; South African-born Irish actor (1910)

Frances Dee; actress and singer (1909)

DJ Khaled; rapper (1975)

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; Argentinian painter (1931)

Lefty Gomez; New York Yankees P (1908)

Robert Goulet; American-Canadian singer (1933)

Davey Graham; English guitarist and songwriter (1945)

Sarah Moore Grimké; author (1792)

Blake Harnage; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1988)

John Harvard; college founder (1607)

Line Horntveth; Norwegian tuba player, composer (1974)

Dave Hughes; Australian comedian (1970)

Raymond Louis Kennedy; singer-songwriter, saxophonist (1946)

Yumi Kobayashi; Japanese model, actress (1988)

Martin Lee; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1949)

Bat Masterson; police officer and journalist (1853)

Anna Maurizio; Swiss biologist (1900)

Maurice McDonald; businessman, co-founder of McDonald's (1902)

John McVie; English-American bass player (1945)

Marian Mercer; actress and singer (1935)

Jim Mullen; Scottish guitarist (1945)

Marianne Muellerleile; actress (1948)

Michael Omartian; singer-songwriter, keyboard player (1945)

Ruth Patrick; botanist (1907)

Vicki Pettersson; author (1971)

Velupillai Prabhakaran; Sri Lankan rebel leader (1954)

Marilynne Robinson; writer (1943)

George Segal; artist, sculptor (1924)

Eric Sevareid; television journalist (1912)

Jan Stenerud; Kansas City Chiefs K (1942)

Betta St. John; actress, singer and dancer (1929)

Julien Temple; English film director (1952)

Art Themen; English saxophonist and surgeon (1939)

Tina Turner; American-Swiss rock singer (1938)

Tony Verna; director and inventor of instant replay (1933)

Mary Edwards Walker; surgeon and activist (1832)

Ellen G. White; co-founder of 7th-day Adventist Church (1827)

Norbert Wiener; mathematician (1894)

Earl Wild; pianist and composer (1915)

Bill Wilson; AA founder (1895)

Karl Ziegler; German chemist (1898)

[twins2994]

What We Learned This Spring

As Spring Training wraps up, it’s time to look back on what we learned about the Twins organization as a whole. Here’s a look back at the Twins in March:

1.) The Twins have a ton of depth in the minor league system. 

Eddie Julien, Brooks Lee, and Ka’lai Rosario looked very good hitting in camp for the team. Julien hit .348 with three homers, Lee looked good in the field and the coaches were amazed with him, and Rosario hit three homers. Julien should make his Major League debut this year and even Freddie Freeman mentioned him in an interview when talking about Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Lee is a year or so away and Rosario might get to the upper minor league levels this season. Of course, the pitching side of things isn’t going as smoothly. Jordan Balazovic broke his jaw at a bar early in camp and was optioned to the minor leage side. Simeon Woods Richardson did okay in Major League games. Austin Martin didn’t play much and is heading down the top prospect list fast. Connor Preilipp is a name to remember. He is a solid lefty and should skyrocket through the Twins system this season. 

2.) Is the team healthy?

The healthy of the team will be an indicator in how they perform. We still have a bunch of question marks heading out of camp. Byron Buxton will be the everyday DH, but for how long? Jose Miranda hit well, but didn’t play the field much due to a shoulder injury. Jorge Polanco is still dealing with a leg injury and Alex Kiriloff still has elbow problems. Both guys are going on the injured list to start the season. The team’s depth will get tested early, but Michael Taylor can man center field and a platoon of Nick Gordon/Donovan Solano at second should shore up the injury to Polanco. Kyle Farmer will also see time at second base. Joey Gallo should see most of the time at first base as Kirilloff works his way back. 

3.) The starting rotation is loaded

This is one of the better rotations that the Twins have put together. Pablo Lopez is always very good and gets the Opening Day nod. Sonny Gray was hurt at times last year and performed when healthy, Joe Ryan had a very good rookie year and is working on adding more pitches, and Kenta Maeda is back after missing last year. Tyler Mahle should be fully healthy. Bailey Ober would be the fourth or fifth guy in most rotations and didn’t even make the team. The team even has depth pieces like Simeon Woods Richardson, Josh Winder, Louie Varland, Randy Dobnak, and Jose De Leon if they stay in the organization. 

4.) The bullpen should be pretty good

Jhoan Duran is a very good closer with tremendous velocity and control. Jorge Lopez should be better now with a full season with the team. Caleb Thielbar is the main lefty reliever. Griffin Jax emerged as a late inning option. Emilio Pagan needs to be better or he’ll be designate for assignment early this year. The team kept him around because he had another year on his contractc. Jovani Moran is very good when throwing strikes. Jorge Alcala has closer-like stuff and maybe a year off adds life to his arm. Cole Sands appears to be the long man after edging out Trevor Megill, among others for the last bullpen spot. 

Overall, this team looks good on paper, but we have learned that health is a huge indicator on success. You just need to look at the last two seasons for the Twins and see that. They weren’t healthy the past two seasons and a good start came crashing down last year after treading water until August. I like this team, but a lot of things need to happen right in the health department to help them contend in the American League Central. 

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 11.26

Beer Birthdays

Georg Schneider (1817)

Simon E. Bernheimer (1849)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Eugene Ionesco; Romanian-French writer (1912)

Rich Little; comedian (1938)

Charles M. Schulz; cartoonist (1922)

Ilona "Cicciolona" Staller; Hungarian-Italian porn actor, politician (1951)

Tina Turner; American-Swiss rock singer (1938)

Famous Birthdays

Bob Babbitt; bass player (1937)

Johannes Bach; German organist and composer (1604)

Garcelle Beauvais; model, actor (1966)

Natasha Bedingfield; English singer-songwriter (1981)

Elizabeth Blackburn; Australian-American biologist (1948)

Margaret Boden; English computer scientist (1936)

Willis Carrier; air-conditioning inventor (1876)

Roz Chast,; cartoonist (1954)

William Cowper; English poet (1731)

Cyril Cusack; South African-born Irish actor (1910)

Frances Dee; actress and singer (1909)

DJ Khaled; rapper (1975)

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; Argentinian painter (1931)

Lefty Gomez; New York Yankees P (1908)

Robert Goulet; American-Canadian singer (1933)

Davey Graham; English guitarist and songwriter (1945)

Sarah Moore Grimké; author (1792)

Blake Harnage; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1988)

John Harvard; college founder (1607)

Line Horntveth; Norwegian tuba player, composer (1974)

Dave Hughes; Australian comedian (1970)

Raymond Louis Kennedy; singer-songwriter, saxophonist (1946)

Yumi Kobayashi; Japanese model, actress (1988)

Martin Lee; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1949)

Bat Masterson; police officer and journalist (1853)

Anna Maurizio; Swiss biologist (1900)

Maurice McDonald; businessman, co-founder of McDonald's (1902)

John McVie; English-American bass player (1945)

Marian Mercer; actress and singer (1935)

Jim Mullen; Scottish guitarist (1945)

Marianne Muellerleile; actress (1948)

Michael Omartian; singer-songwriter, keyboard player (1945)

Ruth Patrick; botanist (1907)

Vicki Pettersson; author (1971)

Velupillai Prabhakaran; Sri Lankan rebel leader (1954)

Marilynne Robinson; writer (1943)

George Segal; artist, sculptor (1924)

Eric Sevareid; television journalist (1912)

Jan Stenerud; Kansas City Chiefs K (1942)

Betta St. John; actress, singer and dancer (1929)

Julien Temple; English film director (1952)

Art Themen; English saxophonist and surgeon (1939)

Tony Verna; director and inventor of instant replay (1933)

Mary Edwards Walker; surgeon and activist (1832)

Ellen G. White; co-founder of 7th-day Adventist Church (1827)

Norbert Wiener; mathematician (1894)

Earl Wild; pianist and composer (1915)

Bill Wilson; AA founder (1895)

Karl Ziegler; German chemist (1898)

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 11.26

Beer Birthdays

Georg Schneider (1817)

Simon E. Bernheimer (1849)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Eugene Ionesco; Romanian-French writer (1912)

Rich Little; comedian (1938)

Charles M. Schulz; cartoonist (1922)

Ilona "Cicciolona" Staller; Hungarian-Italian porn actor, politician (1951)

Tina Turner; American-Swiss rock singer (1938)

Famous Birthdays

Bob Babbitt; bass player (1937)

Johannes Bach; German organist and composer (1604)

Garcelle Beauvais; model, actor (1966)

Natasha Bedingfield; English singer-songwriter (1981)

Elizabeth Blackburn; Australian-American biologist (1948)

Margaret Boden; English computer scientist (1936)

Willis Carrier; air-conditioning inventor (1876)

Roz Chast,; cartoonist (1954)

William Cowper; English poet (1731)

Cyril Cusack; South African-born Irish actor (1910)

Frances Dee; actress and singer (1909)

DJ Khaled; rapper (1975)

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; Argentinian painter (1931)

Lefty Gomez; New York Yankees P (1908)

Robert Goulet; American-Canadian singer (1933)

Davey Graham; English guitarist and songwriter (1945)

Sarah Moore Grimké; author (1792)

Blake Harnage; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1988)

John Harvard; college founder (1607)

Line Horntveth; Norwegian tuba player, composer (1974)

Dave Hughes; Australian comedian (1970)

Raymond Louis Kennedy; singer-songwriter, saxophonist (1946)

Yumi Kobayashi; Japanese model, actress (1988)

Martin Lee; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1949)

Bat Masterson; police officer and journalist (1853)

Anna Maurizio; Swiss biologist (1900)

Maurice McDonald; businessman, co-founder of McDonald's (1902)

John McVie; English-American bass player (1945)

Marian Mercer; actress and singer (1935)

Jim Mullen; Scottish guitarist (1945)

Marianne Muellerleile; actress (1948)

Michael Omartian; singer-songwriter, keyboard player (1945)

Ruth Patrick; botanist (1907)

Vicki Pettersson; author (1971)

Velupillai Prabhakaran; Sri Lankan rebel leader (1954)

Marilynne Robinson; writer (1943)

George Segal; artist, sculptor (1924)

Eric Sevareid; television journalist (1912)

Jan Stenerud; Kansas City Chiefs K (1942)

Betta St. John; actress, singer and dancer (1929)

Julien Temple; English film director (1952)

Art Themen; English saxophonist and surgeon (1939)

Tony Verna; director and inventor of instant replay (1933)

Mary Edwards Walker; surgeon and activist (1832)

Ellen G. White; co-founder of 7th-day Adventist Church (1827)

Norbert Wiener; mathematician (1894)

Earl Wild; pianist and composer (1915)

Bill Wilson; AA founder (1895)

Karl Ziegler; German chemist (1898)