The Yankees are wearing red caps today, which is a nicely patriotic holiday touch -- but looks awfully jarring on such a tradition-bound uniform. But that's modern baseball, where every occasion is a chance for a little extra marketing. In this case, all proceeds from the caps -- and yes, you can buy your Twins version at mlb.com -- will be donated to an organization that helps veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
And that's not the only medical condition that baseball is raising awareness of today. The Twins and Yankees will take part in a pregame ceremony to honor Lou Gehrig on the 75th anniversary of his farewell speech, an occasion that will include the first pitch being thrown out by the sons of a Twins fan and ALS victim who died in January.
On the field, the Twins are still trying to shake out of an offensive slump, and today have dropped Josh Willingham from the batting order. After going 11-for-32 with eight walks in his first 10 games back from a wrist injury, Willingham has batted .184 since June 4, and he's 2-for-21 in his last seven games. Willingham still walks more frequently than any other Twin, and he gets hit with pitches, too, so his on-base percentage remains strong at .377. But the Twins are clearly concerned about his slump.
Chris Colabello will fill his spot today, acting as the designated hitter with Chris Parmelee moving to left field and Kendrys Morales playing first base. It's Colabello's first appearance since replacing Joe Mauer on the roster earlier this week.
Here are today's lineups for the unusual 2:10 start:
YANKEES
Gardner LF
Roberts 2B
