Baseball Card Haiku Project #14: 2007 Bowman Carlos Silva

In which I write Haiku-style poetry about a potpourri of baseball cards I found in a value pack. Because, well, it’s my blog.

2007 Bowman Carlos Silva

2007BowmanCarlosSilvaHe’s Carlos Silva!

Righty with a signature

That looks a bit weird

The last time the Twins won a series in the Bronx…

The Twins beat the Yankees today, winning their first series in the Bronx since they won this May 10, 2001 game. How long ago was that?

  • It was 4448 days, or 12 years, 2 months and 4 days, ago.
  • Tom Kelly was still the manager of the Twins, who were under threat of contraction at the time.
  • The Twin Towers were still standing, Ted Williams and George Harrison were still alive, Barack Obama was a Illinois State Senator, and the first Apple Stores had not yet opened (they opened later that month).
  • The curses of the Bambino, the Black Sox, Billy Penn and Coogan’s Bluff all were still active.
  • Joe Mauer had not yet been drafted and some thought he’d instead pursue a college football career.
  • Cal Ripken, Mark McGwire and Tony Gwynn were still active MLB players.
  • Heck, Deion Sanders was an active MLB player at the time.
  • The top movie that week was The Mummy Returns.
  • “All For You” by Janet Jackson and “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child were the hit songs at the time.
  • Bryce Harper was eight-and-a-half years old.
  • Star Trek: Voyager was still on the air, 24 had not yet begun to air.
  • There had not yet been a Spider-Man movie released. Nor had there been any Harry Potter movies released.
  • Gas was under $2 a gallon.
  • Of the players in that game, only Mariano Rivera, Torii Hunter, AJ Pierzynski, LaTroy Hawkins, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte are still active. That is actually a higher number than I expected.
  • All-Star Games did not give home-field advantage in the World Series.
  • The best-selling nonfiction book in America was Seabiscuit. The book, that is, not the movie. The movie wouldn’t be made for another two years.
  • The Nintendo 64 and the first Playstation were the most up-to-date video game systems.
  • Michael Jordan had not yet had his comeback with the Washington Wizards.
  • However, some thing have not changed: Vin Scully is still in the booth for the Dodgers, The Simpsons is still on the air, Bud Selig is still commissioner, nobody has approached Cy Young‘s win record, and, of course, the Cubs still haven’t won a World Series since 1908.

Link

I’ve posted a report to Twinkie Town on how some Twins minor leaguers looked in last night’s game between the Rochester Red Wings and Pawtucket Red Sox. Check it out.

Picture of the day: Kirby in Cooperstown

Today would have been Kirby Puckett‘s 53rd birthday. In honor of that, here’s what his plaque in the Hall of Fame reads:

This picture was taken by “Islespunkfan” and is used under a creative commons license.

Way-Too-Fitting Baseball News of the Undetermined Amount Of Time: Well Played, Mauer.

Welcome to Way-Too-Fitting Baseball News!

Today’s news….

Joe Mauer‘s wife is pregnant…..

with twins.

This has been Way-Too-Fitting Baseball News!

Winter Meetings Actions and Reactions: Part 4

Action:

Reaction: It is true. The Yankees apparently were in on Jeff Keppinger and Eric Chavez, looking to get them to fill the black hole that has now emerged at 3B now that Alex Rodriguez is hurt. Neither of them signed: Keppinger went to the White Sox, and Chavez went to the Diamondbacks. And, let’s face it, even if you are a true seamhead, you may have trouble remembered who Jeff Keppinger even is.

So, the third choice (assuming that they even went after Keppinger and Chavez, as some say they never even made an offer to them) is… Kevin Youkilis.

How the mighty have fallen. How the mighty have fallen.

Action:

Reaction: Jason Bay isn’t what he used to be back during his days as the Pirates’ designated All-Star, having been worn down by age and injury, but really, the Mariners need all the help they can get and it’s just a one-year deal. Maybe if he shows flashes of his old self the Mariners will be able to flip him at the deadline for some prospects.

Action:

 

Reaction: In other words, if you are breathing and can throw a baseball with anything resembling Major League ability, the Twins might offer you a contract. And can you blame them? The Twins had a 4.77 ERA last season, only two starters had winning records, and that was in a cavernous pitcher’s park. They need one or two starters to eat innings, protect the young arms, and possibly act as trade-bait if the Twins are out of it mid-year.

 

Twins. Red Wings. It’s a revolving door.

Quick, ignore the logos and team names, what team is this?:

Well, it’s the Rochester Red Wings. But it’s filled with players who have been a part of the Twins over the rather disastrous past season-and-a-half. Revere is now back up with the Twins (saving Rochestarians from having to hear him sing), but plenty of once-and-possibly-future Twins remain. So when, and who, is most likely to rejoin Revere in Minneapolis? Let’s take a look (more below the break):

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