Ben Again! Revere Evokes Images of Kirby Puckett & Bo Jackson, August 22, 2010

Sometimes I think Ben is just a cartoon character like Bugs Bunny,
who can defy the law of physics with otherworldly prowess. And that
one day I'll wake up only to discover I dreamed the whole she-bang.

Ben Revere is fast becoming a household name. His catch off Vladimir Guerrero (MLB Video) of the Baltimore Orioles is his latest of several remarkable highlights in his rookie year.  It was hit off of Carl Pavano (as usual), and is evoking memories of Bo Jackson, what with his famous "wall walk" catch in old Yankee Stadium.  Not to downgrade Kirby Puckett's excellent catch in the 1991 World Series (game 6), but this one by Ben is definitely a notch ahead on the difficulty scale.

The minions at MLB video preface clip with a 15-second commercial. Those creeps.

 Of course, for sheer drama, no one will ever replace Puckett. His homerun to end

Game 6 in 1991 is  encoded in the majority of Minnesota sports fans' DNA:

Perhaps someday, like the Kennedy assassination video, MLB will agree

to release this clip to the general bloggin public. When they determine we're ready for it.

As our old friend at the mic, Herb Carneal, used to say: "...And the count rides along." - TT

Everlasting Impressions in Gif, July 2011

Today's post is a Twins smorgasbord of gif images, one of my newest photographic fixations. Each of the scenes below easily rank among the most famous in the short history of Target Field. They were moments of incredible joy in this season of angst, poor play, and suspect front office / on-field managerial decisions.

That aside, witness Ben Revere's stumbling, bumbling, but ultimately successful jaunt to third during the Friday, July 15th game against the Royals. He would eventually score the Twins only run in that game.  We sat in perfect view of Ben rounding second from our perch in the Legends Club section. See the smiling visage of third base coach Steve Liddle as the modern day Dick Van Dyke pulls in to station. See the full video at MLB.com, with Kris Attebury's play-by-play.

Goofiness aside, this is a perfect illustration of Revere's penchant to
overslide the base; you'd swear he never heard of a popup slide.

That same weekend, in the Sunday, July 17th contest Jim Thome gave us his own take on "The Natural." His mammoth shot (career number 596) into the upper deck in right field produced this gaping reaction from Delmon Young...Jim's resolute, Bunyan-esque expression...the fans' reaction behind the Twins dugout...this is just an all-time Twins classic moment! See Dick Bremer's call at MLB.Com.

I count myself fortunate to have witnessed the above two plays in person, with old friends!
They were originally presented at Twinkietown, by Jesse Lund

Now, flash back nearly one calendar year...

One of the more humorous sights for me is the spectacle of grown, macho men whole-heartedly laying hands on one another in moments of sheer joy. It is summer, the season has moved into its middle portion, and the moon is high. Inhibitions have disappeared, and the need to punch your friend in the ass reigns unchecked. A bottle of red wine, a soft jazz cd playing in the...er, I digress...this spectacle features Carl Pavano unleashing his famous right sucker punch (pitch?) on Orlando Hudson's derriere. The You Tube video gives some idea of the hysteria, if not much visual of the errant throw from Alex Rios from rightfield that allowed O-Dawg  to score the the winning run.

No word on whether the Stash Man had recently rented the Malcolm McDowell classic, "Caligula."

 

This transpired immediately following the Twins first Target Field walk-off hit (by Delmon Young), on July 18, 2010. Denard Span (#2) appears oblivious to the mayhem, while Nick Punto's (#8) expression seems to turn from exhilaration to "NO...STOP IT!!!"

It is in the revisiting of happy, inventoried memories that feelings of depression are conquered.

As good, old Herb Carneal would say "...and the count rides along." - TT