Rule of 10

I have a certain rule in life that I follow (one of two rules) whereby I try not to judge anything until I have absorbed it 10 times. This rule stands for most anything (except books, no one can read a book 10 times unless it’s a children’s book) CD’s, movies, friends, family members, co-workers, women, sports teams, etc. It’s a way of getting past the initial excitement you get out of something and finding out if there is a long-term possibility for true compatibility.

For instance: you take a date out to dinner once and you can basically be anybody. You can create and maintain any lie, and luckily so can she. The two of you sitting at dinner talking about your successes and your confidence and your dreams and hopes - it’s the beauty of one meeting. You can show off the best sides of you, stretch the possibilities, speak metaphorically, be vague, and you can do all of these things because it’s the first meeting…she has no idea who you are, you have no idea who she is. And, of course, you want her to be perfect and she wants you to be perfect so we all can apply the blinders and give it a whirl.

Once I was sitting with a friend of mine at a bar on a Sunday night and he brings these two girls over to the table and one of them asks me what I do for a living:

“Well, I would say that my main passion in life is writing…just trying to find sort of the metaphysical nature of the inner-soul of man and really harness that pure energy into something substantial…something that speaks to the human condition of our time, you know? It’s not just about me, and it’s not just about you, it’s about you and me and all of us, everyone here, and how close we are, and how important it is that we are sitting here, right now, in this room, in this booth, together…I’m trying to find that love that transcends the physical.”

Just complete bullshit. But, she didn’t know me. So, she thought I was the next John Donne.

But if you actually find a woman you like and you find yourself on date five some of that shine on the veneer comes off and all of a sudden some of those early indicators of composure and confidence are falling by the wayside, and by the time date 10 rolls around and your spending more time together some of those nasty habits (which we all have), that were so easy to conceal on date one, are starting to surface:

He: “So, yeah, I mean, sure I drink a bit…”

She: “Oh, I wouldn’t say that I’ve slept with a ton of guys, but, yeah, I had a stretch there in grad school…”

He: “This here, oh, no, I mean, yeah I have some porn DVD’s…what do you mean it’s a big box?”

She: “Well, so sure if we’re getting into the details of why he broke up with me you could say I was caught in a sort of sexual celebration…but it was NOT an orgy.”

I guess I’m just saying that I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find out how I want to spend my time. So I grind out the days and find my points of interest and develop my tastes. So, I wait 10, and then I think I can start making a true decision about whether or not I want to continue on seeing the woman or listening to the album or whether or not I want to kill the guy sitting next to me at work. I simply think that nothing can be judged adequately without a certain waiting period.

And for the Minnesota Twins, the waiting period is over.

At 4-6 through 10 games and with absolutely nothing in the form of consistency to show during their first three series the Twins are just kind of lying there like some monstrous carbuncle that needs to be drained.

I am not saying that there is any need for pressing concern…we’ll leave that to Bryant who has already started his Chicken Little routine…I’m simply saying that the Twins haven’t done anything to get you excited about their season and they have certainly done some things to make you worry.

Going 4-6 and getting outscored 59-37 is not the best way to start a season but at the same time consider the fact that the Twins are currently posting a team ERA of 5.70 (11th in the American League) a team batting average of .240 (13th in the American League in front of only Kansas City) and that they have scored a measly 37 runs in 10 games and there are plenty of reasons to say that being 4-6 while playing so abhorrently isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That is, of course, if they can eventually get their offense going and bring their bullpen around and get some decent efforts from any starting pitcher besides Glen Perkins.

Still, it’s the Glen Perkins of the game that should keep Twins fans feeling okay.

The prevailing hope would have to be that the Twins should feel good about the players that are over-achieving (basically Span and Perkins, and Morneau is doing his thing, but that’s expected) and that eventually some of the Twins that were expected to have solid years but are struggling - Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Liriano, the whole bullpen, Joe Crede, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, Alexi Casilla - will get into a rhythm that will coincide perfectly with the arrival of Mauer and there will be lakes of stew and whiskey too and everything will shine sunny and bright.

We’ll have to wait to see if that happens, but at the same time things could be worse. It’s only 10 games in and there are 152 left to play and surely everything that is meant to be will be and we can decide down the road if we want to bring this team to meet our parents.

——————————-

On one last note that we here at Twinscast have no right to speak to I thought I would mention that Bryant was a huge California Angels fan when he was growing up in California and anyway it’s a sad time in L.A. or Anaheim and this was the most beautiful thing I read regarding how little baseball really means (while still perfectly speaking to why so many people find solace in the game) and I thought some of our five readers might enjoy it:

“If I may speak for every member of the Dodger organization, our heartfelt and deepest sympathies to the mother and family of Nick Adenhart, and to every member in the Angels organization, for the untimely accident and death of young Nick last night at the tender age of twenty-two. Nick, from Maryland, had pitched six scoreless innings and was in a car with three friends, and a driver apparently went through a red light and T-boned the car, killing three of the four, including Nick, and one other member is in critical condition. And if there is one thing I’ve learned in all my years — and I haven’t learned much — but the one thing I’ve learned: Don’t even waste your time trying to figure out life.

Ground ball through for Andre Ethier, and life continues for those who still have it. And with a leadoff single, Russell Martin will be coming up.

But I would say, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a moment and say a prayer in memory for Nick, especially for his parents. What a shock to lose a twenty-two-year-old.

Andre Ethier at first base, Russell Martin the batter, James Loney on deck, and the Dodgers try to strike in the second inning against Kevin Correia.”

- transcription of Vin Scully’s broadcast following the death of Nick Adenhart.