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

All-Star Hudson Rumored Ready To Sign On With Twins!!

As if to rebuke the Minnsota Twins fans assertions that he is cheap, General Manager Billy Smith and his "braintrust" appear to be hot on the trail of former Dodger second baseman Orlando Hudson.

Taking a break from his Del Monte snackpack and cheese and cracker dipper, Smith angrily asserted "If these Monday morning general managers think they can push me around and call me a tightwad, they've think another got coming..." before pulling himself together with a deep, cleansing breath.

Continuing, he vented: "We just might have a few more suprises under our bonnet!! Secretary, if Christenson calls me back again, tell him he can take a hike! The nerve of that guy, implying the coffee boy pulled the trigger with Thome's agent while I was on the crapper!!"

Meanwhile, the Aaron gleeman types of the blog world have gone "en fuego" over the realization that a few choice arrows at Smith just might produce results. CMathewson over at TwinkieTown is readying a piece on how even the worst GM's in history were more bold than Billy on his best day AND that he'd never ever have the guts to sign Orlando AND demote Nick Punto to the minors AND pull off a trade to pick up NL Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants.

"It doesn't hurt to try," winked the veteran Twin Cities blogger.

Meanwhile, the Twins are making it extremely hard for All-Universe catcher Joe Mauer to still believe the Twins won't be aggressive in adding talent to the roster. It is widely believed by his fellow players that Mauer is predicating his signing with the Twins with tangible signs that they're doing more than just stockpiling draft picks.

Meanwhile, Twins fans are pinching themselves over the prospects of landing Hudson, who along with impressive on-base totals and defensive abilities also dabbles in movie star impressions, shown above breaking into his "I Am Christopher Lambert as the immortal 'Highlander'"spoof, a ploy he's used for years to distract pitchers and infielders to laughter, and then gunning basehits past the cowed opposition.

Stay tuned for a possible signing announcement!!

UPDATED, OCTOBER 26, 2010: ORLANDO SIGNED SHORTLY WITH THE TWINS, HERE'S AN INTERVIEW HE CONDUCTED AFTER THE FACT...]


Twinkler out!