Jon Marthaler (.com)

Everything From This Week

Oct 22, 2010

Well, it seems that I’ve forgotten to post some links here for the past week or so. For your Friday reading pleasure, then, here we go:

I was asked by the fellows at TheDugs.com to participate in their semi-weekly Hit & Run argument feature. I hadn’t heard of The Dugs, which upon exploration turns out to be very much my loss – they do baseball-related comics along with silly arguments, and the whole thing’s right up my alley. I’m a subscriber now, and also a participant, as my argument appeared on Thursday. We discuss such hard-hitting topics as energy drinks, Taco Bell, Oklahoma bowling-alley curses, the knuckler – it’s quite silly, which is always fun.

Last Saturday’s weekend links at RandBall were a little less eclectic than usual, given that they’re all about the Twins and Timberwolves. No cricket or Australian Rules Football links this week, I fear. But do check them out, if for nothing else than an awfully good column from Steve Rushin.

Monday at Twinkie Town, I took a look at the Twins’ 2011 bullpen, which has perhaps two guys that can be written in anything darker than a very light pencil. Joe Nathan will be back, though how effective is anyone’s guess, and so will Jose Mijares. Beyond those two, though – flux. I’ve got my guess, though, along with details about everyone involved.

And I’ve also posted a number of things at SB Nation Minnesota. A few links to those that aren’t just short news updates:

Five things about the Wolves [SB Nation Minnesota]

Oct 14, 2010

Over at SB Nation Minnesota, I put together a season preview-ish post about the Timberwolves. The upshot? This could be their year to be more exciting – if not that good.

I also participated in the Great Timberwolves Ticket Draft of 2010, with eight other people (splitting two tickets, at $4 per ticket per game). Line of the night, from local media personality Tom Linnemann, upon discovering that many of the tickets bore a buy-one, get-one free drink offer on their reverse: “These tickets are $4 per ticket? So basically, you’re buying beer, and you get a free pro basketball ticket thrown in.” The Minnesota Timberwolves, everybody!

The Twins season is over… but the discussion is just beginning [Twinkie Town]

Oct 13, 2010

Saturday, the Twins 2010 season ended with a whimper. Monday, I started my offseason efforts at Twinkie Town with a bang – or with some belligerence, at least. I didn’t agree with the people who were calling for Ron Gardenhire‘s head. I suppose I could have written it that way. Instead, I went with a sarcastic post I titled “Letters From An Idiot.”

On a more positive note, I also wrote about some of the things that we can be happy about, despite the poor way the season ended. Of course, such a post needed the only soundtrack it could reasonably have: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Follow the links over to Twinkie Town, your offseason home for yelling (at least, if you’re me.)