Another year, another 90-loss season. Can you even remember what winning baseball smells like?
Brighter days are likely ahead but the recent history has been depressing. Still, even with all the losses there are moments that continue to remind you that baseball is beautiful -- even if the results are ugly.
Here are the Twins' Top 10 moments from the 2014 season:
Honorable Mention
On Sunday, August 3, the Twins decimated the Chicago White Sox 16-3. Within the offensive binge, Chris Parmelee, Oswaldo Arcia and Eric Fryer went back-to-back-to-back -- the first time the team had done so since July 12, 2001 when Doug Mintkiewicz, Corey Koskie and Torii Hunter took Brewers' pitcher Jimmy Haynes deep at Miller Park. It would be the first (and last apparently) time this would happen with Ron Gardenhire as the Twins' manager.
While the feat is impressive it was the reaction of the fan that receives this mention. During Parmelee's home runs, this guy -- who appears to have an onlooking lady companion with him -- hops the rail in the party porch in pursuit of the ball but fails to stick the landing.
(via Twins Daily)
Reminder: They're baseballs, people. Yarn, wrapped with dead horse and held together with red stitches. Just baseballs.
10. Kurt Suzuki With A Ghostrider-Like Slider Around Salvador Perez
Yeah, slides are not normally warrant a mention but after this throw beat Kurt Suzuki to the plate, the Twins' catcher performs some sleight-of-hand, somehow got around a diving Salvador Perez and slapped his hand on the dish for the run.
(via TwinsBaseball.Tumblr.com)
I mean, compare that technique to Kendrys Morales who apparently went to the school for kids who can't slide good and want to learn other things too:
9. The Rookies Arrive
Both Danny Santana and Kennys Vargas made their major league debuts with the Twins in 2014 and both contributed offensively right away. Here are their first Major League hits:
(via @cjzero)
8. Kennys Vargas Nearly Takes A Piece Off Josh Donaldson
Vargas has been very good since joining the Minnesota Twins, specifically at hitting baseballs hard. During the series in Oakland, Vargas hit a ball that was registered at 120 miles an hour off the bat. That, according to Trackman's 100,000 batted ball database, was the hardest hit ball ever. EVER.
Because of this ability, it must be quite worrisome to have to play third base when he smashes pitches down the line. Oakland's Josh Donaldson narrowly avoided getting cut in half by a Vargas one-hopper and, once the ball clears, he double-checks to make sure he's "all there".
"One, two...three...OK, good to go."
7. Oswaldo Arcia Destroys Lumber
The 23-year-old Arcia proved to be loaded with power -- as evidenced by his 20 home runs -- but he also had tendencies to be mired in slumps. He had been in the midst of a .173 stretch in July with a butt-load of strikeouts when he decided to take the frustration out on his bat.
Splinters ensue.
(via Deadspin.com)
But he can destroy baseballs too.
According to HitTrackerOnline.com, a site that measures "true distance" of a player's home run, said that he whalloped 10 No-Doubt bombs. No-Doubts are shots that clear the fence by 20 vertical feet and land at least 50 feet past the wall. Much like this one that ricochet off the flagpole at Target Field:
(via @cjzero)
In general, 27% of a player's home runs fall in that category. For Arcia, half of his home runs were No-Doubts. Big time power.
6. Glen Perkins Really Loves Red Bull
I don't know. Closers have to stay up really late, I guess.
(via @cjzero)
FOR THE TOP 5 TWINS MOMENT, GO TO TWINSDAILY.COM
Over at TwinsDaily.com, Nick Nelson discusses the merits of Mientkiewicz and Molitor as managers, Seth Stohs provides his Top 10 Twins Prospects and the forums as active as ever.
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