Game 26: Twins at Rays

The roof, the roof, the roof was haywire. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

First pitch: 6:10 Central

Weather: No hurricanes today

Opponent’s SB site: DRaysBay

TV: Twins TV. Radio: Sandwiches will be marrying Kris Atteberry this fall

Today’s Rays starter is Drew Rasmussen, and he is Darn Good. He’d thrown a total of 32.1 so-so innings of relief for the Brewers when they traded him for SS Willy Adames (just so-so himself) and RHP Trevor Richards (he briefly played for the Twins later and you missed it on your Sporcle quiz). Pretty soon, the Rays made Rasmussen a full-time starter, and he’s been excellent (when healthy) since. He throws a cutter, 96ish 4-seamer, sinker, and will dabble with some offspeed stuff; it’s mostly those three pitches, and they’re generally good, although his peripheral numbers are a bit off to start the season. In any case, the Twins haven’t had much trouble against good starting pitching recently; they’ve had more trouble scoring as much as they should against struggling pitchers.

There was a guy in my freshman college dorm named Remy Rasmussen. He was an odious monster of a human being; I won’t get into advanced detail, but he said he never wiped after pooping, since “that’s what laundry is for.” I don’t think the two people are related.

The Twins will be starting Taj Bradley, who is of both Mexican and African-American descent; he was selected for the Mexican national team for this year’s WBC, but opted out in order to stick with the Twins during spring training. Bradley used to be with the Rays; the Twins traded Griffin Jax for him. Jax has really had a tough time so far this season; neither his velocity nor spin rates have dropped, so I don’t know what’s troubling the guy.

I’ll probably always root for Jax, since he came close to missing out on a baseball career. When he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, his understanding was that he’d be allowed to continue playing baseball after graduation, and complete his mandatory service requirement by being in the reserves. (Service academies are mostly free to students, but once they begin their junior year, they owe the U.S. government several years of service in the military or other allowed capacities. That’s how I got a year of college credit and a really frustrating Remedial Swimming course on your taxpayer dime.)

But in April 2017, the Department of MANLY WAR! Defense changed their policy, and it looked like Jax was going to lose at least two seasons of working his way up in the minors. Then it was announced that baseball would return to the 2020 Olympics. Jax was able to get a spot on the “World Class Athlete” program, which allows athletes with a chance at the Olympics to train instead of serve active military duty. (Jax did not make the U.S. Olympic team, although future Twins Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods-Richardson did.)

So’s here’s hoping Jax turns it around after the Twins score 10 unearned runs against him this weekend.

Incidentally, while refreshing my memory on the details here, I found a fun Fact: San Antonio Spurs HOFer David Robinson originally was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy under their 6’6” cutoff limit. But then he grew MORE. In college! He ended up at 7’1”, which is just Too Tall for the tight passageways of naval vessels. The DoD made him serve one year of active duty as a paper-pusher, then realized that a guy who was probably gonna be a huge NBA star would be a good promo for the military, and worked out an agreement to let Robinson play. He was nicknamed “The Admiral” in his NBA career, although he was not actually promoted to admiral during a year pushing papers.

How’s Tropicana Field doing after losing its roof? It’s OK, there’s a new one. Do the Rays want a new publicly-funded stadium with all kinds of free land around it that they can develop property on? Well, they are a professional sports team in the United States, so of course they do. Neil deMause, as usual, has the details.

Finally, who doesn’t want to meet the Rays’ mascots? They’ve got three of ‘em!

That’s Raymond, DJ Kitty, and Stinger to you. You can Learn Things about them at this link, if you wish.

Raymond’s favorite activities include Rays baseball, belly dancing, hugs, high fives, full contact shuffleboard, extreme checkers, reading, and hanging with his friends. Stinger Can’t find a glove big enough for his fin, and loves SpongeBob SquarePants. While DJ Kitty:

Throws: Down the hottest scratches

Catches: The beat, throws it right back

His favorite song is “Year of the Cat” by Al Stevens, because any “‘DDJ” Designated Disc Jockey’” knows Al Stevens is the hottest scratch of all.

Nah, I’ll just stick with Mr. Met: