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Why, Don?! Why Can't the Twins Hit? And Who are the Minnesota Vikings' UDFAs and Amateur Sports Stars of the Week?
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Why, Don?! Why Can't the Twins Hit? And Who are the Minnesota Vikings' UDFAs and Amateur Sports Stars of the Week?

Another dynamite AEW Dynamite, why the Twins can't hit, the Minnesota Amateur Sports Stars and Foul Players and Play-by-players of the Week, and the Vikings' undrafted free agent steals.

We recap another dynamite AEW Dynamite, talk about the Twins’ inability to hit, give you the Minnesota Amateur Sports Stars of the Week and our Foul Players and Play-by-players of the Week, and discuss the Vikings’ UDFA steals.

AEW Dynamite Sets Up “All In” at Wembley Stadium—SPOILER ALERT

  • If anyone forgot how great Rey Fenix is, they got a helluva reminder tonight

    • Hurricanrana off the barricade?

    • But Claudio is just too strong

    • Yuta and Claudio vs. the Lucha Bros. should be good

  • Mark Briscoe is the special referee for the AEW Tag Team Championship match between FTR and Jarrett and Lethal?!

  • Thunder is back!

    • Hmm, I wonder what that’ll build to…

  • Miro is back, too…

    • Not nearly as interesting

  • AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy pushed beyond his limits to defeat Daniel Garcia

    • Garcia actually performed better, technically, but nobody does a better interview than Orange

    • Is the Reign of the Orange Punch coming to an end?

      • Aussie, Aussie, Aussie…Kyle Fletcher vs. Orange Cassidy at Wembley?

  • Witches were banned from ringside for the AEW Trios Championship after Julia Hart defeats Anna Jay A.S.

    • Best Amigos take on House of Black under Open House Rules, and it goes as you’d expect

      • Bandido was amazing as usual, but the House always wins, which is exactly why you can’t let people bet on pro wrestling

  • Omega/Mox in a Steel Cage!

    • Sounds like a damn monster movie, because it is!

    • Four years ago the roles were reversed: Omega was the heel, Mox the face

    • Why, Don?? WHY?!

    • In the quiet words of Orange Cassidy, “I’m so tired, Renee.”

Why Can’t the Twins Can’t Hit?

  • Fourth in strikeouts (336; 9.6 Ks per game is third-most), last in hits (256), second-worst OBP (.300)

    • Everyone except Alex Kiriloff is swinging at too many pitches out of the zone

  • It was past time to send Jose Miranda down

    • He’s got more at-bats than Buxton and Correa despite a .588 OPS and .313 slugging percentage

    • Trevor Larnach was out-hitting him and got sent down

    • Kyle Farmer has been crushing the ball for St. Paul and was called up Wednesday

      • Three of his four hits are extra-base hits (.308/.400/.692)

      • Came off the IL, Wednesday

  • Where is the Carlos Correa we celebrated before the season?

    • I showered my computer keyboard with champagne for this?!

    • Twins fans showered him with boos after an 0-for-5 with six baserunners stranded in a 6-1 loss to the Padres on Tuesday night

      • It’s not like it’s been against great pitching, either

      • Said the right thing: “I’d boo myself too with the amount of money I’m making” 

  • Has Donovan Solano failed already?  (Got a key hit in the bottom of 10th against Josh Hader)

  • This team needs a professional hitter

    • Trading Brent Rooker is looking worse every day (Mike disagrees)

      • Emilo Pagan and Chris Paddack have contributed negative WAR over two seasons, and Rooker has already contributed 1.5 wins above replacement this season

      • Paddack is eyeing a late-season return

      • Brayan Medina better pan out

        • At 19, he’s two years younger than his competition in rookie ball

        • 1.648 WHIP in 23.2 innings pitched with 20 walks and 24 strikeouts

Amateur Sports Stars of the Week

View SBLive Minnesota Baseball and Softball Athletes of the Week

Vote here.

  • Silver medalist: Sophomore William Haas of Rockford struck out 18 batters in a complete game shutout at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, May 4. He allowed just one hit and three walks. He also went a combined 7-for-11 with three walks, two RBI, and two runs scored over four games played.

  • Gold medalist: Over five games (all victories), junior Lydia Simmons went 15-for-17 with two homers, six doubles, two walks, 16 RBI, 15 runs scored and had eight steals in nine attempts. Her 27 runs scored are the most in Minnesota high school softball.

Marney Gellner Cancer-free After Surgery

Foul Player of the Week Nominations

  • Foul Player of the Week

    • Per The Athletic, hours before Alabama’s April 28 baseball game against LSU, Crimson Tide coach Brad Bohannon scratched starting pitcher Luke Holman due to “back tightness.” The Tide lost 8-6, and it got Bohannon fired after Ohio gambling regulators flagged two irregular bets on the game, both on LSU to win. One of the bets was reportedly large enough to trigger regulatory checks, and ESPN reported that the person placing the bets was in direct communication with Bohannon when the wagers were placed. Two days later, Bohannon was out.

  • Minnesota Foul Player of the Week

    • Drake Siens (Signs), a junior at Gustavus Adolphus, was thrown out of the second game of a doubleheader between the Gusties and the St. Olaf Olies on Monday after he crushed a no-doubter over the left-field wall and flipped his bat. We are nominating the home plate umpire, who tossed the Gusties’ coach as well.

  • Foul Play-by-player of the Week

    • John Anderson made a joke about Las Vegas Golden Knights’ defensman Zach Whitecloud’s name, saying it would be a “great name if you’re a toilet paper.” Whitecloud is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and one of 10 Indigenous hockey players in the NHL. Do better, John.

Vikings Get UDFA Steals in Ivan Pace, Jr. and Andre Carter II

Discussion about this podcast

Anthony Varriano’s Substack
Minnesota Foul Play-by-play
Colorful commentary on Minnesota sports and play-by-play on foul play in sports with our attorney on retainer.