Monday, August 26, 2019

Box Score of the Week

Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia Phillies - June 27, 2007.

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Ryan Howard of the Phillies hit his 100th career home run this game. Having accomplished that feat in 325 career games meant he was the fastest to reach that milestone in MLB history. 

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Sunday, August 25, 2019

The radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools.......

It's the first Sunday of the Minnesota State Fair, which usually means an on-site broadcast from there.....but not this year. No, I'll be in the Patriot bunker from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time for today's edition of The Closer. 

I'll look back on the life of businessman/philanthropist David Koch, who passed away this past week. As expected, secular progressives danced around like poo-flinging monkeys when reacting to the news. Also, did Planned Parenthood de-fund itself? Would appear so.

On the local front, former U.S. House member and Twin Cities radio titan Jason Lewis announced he will run for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Tina Smith,

At 2:00 PM I will be joined by Chris Kelley, who is seeking to become the Republican Independence Party of MN nominee in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District and thus oppose Rep. Ilhan Omar in 2020.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis")If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Thursday, August 22, 2019

Ready to contribute, ready to fight for what's best for this country

Minnesota's Mr. Right is taking another stab at elected office.

Former U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis embraced President Donald Trump’s policies as he announced plans to challenge Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in the 2020 election.

“Let the battle begin,” the Republican said at the GOP’s State Fair booth Thursday.

He called the Senate “the last firewall for freedom” in the face of liberals like U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and the other three members of the progressive “Squad” of congressional Democrats.

Pressed by journalists about his support for Trump, Lewis suggested that Smith should be asked, “Here’s what the Squad said today. What do you think about that?”

Lewis said he won’t distance himself from Trump’s positions on the economy, immigrants and other issues. “I have a hard time disagreeing with much of it,” he said.

As has been pointed out ad nauseam in this space, a Minnesota Republican has not won a statewide race since 2006. I have to admit I'm a tad skeptical that an incumbent U.S. House member who lost in a swing district in 2018 is the one to turn the tide. However, the Trump re-election campaign  (along with the Republican National Committee) has put a heavy emphasis on Minnesota in the 2020 election after falling short by a mere 1.5% in 2016.

The national party has been pouring resources into the state. The Republican National Committee has nearly a dozen full-time staffers in Minnesota. By comparison, the party had just one full-time staffer in the state in 2016, and that aide was diverted to another battleground before Election Day.

Representatives from the Trump campaign recently traveled to Minnesota to convene a meeting with Lewis and Minnesota GOP officials, who said they need as much help as possible.

“We haven’t seen this level of impact and involvement or focus on our state in perhaps decades, maybe even longer than that,” said Minnesota GOP Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan.

Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin said his party needs to take the threat seriously.

“While we’re engaged in an internecine battle figuring out who our nominee is going to be, they’re already out there talking to general election voters and organizing,” Martin said.

“Could Trump win Minnesota?” Martin asked. “Absolutely.”

Interesting admission from Martin, though I suspect it's guarding against overconfidence more than anything.

While I appreciate that the national GOP is pouring so much into Minnesota, this strategy of appealing to outstate and rural voters at the expense of outer ring suburban areas didn't exactly serve the MNGOP well in 2018 (hello, AG Keith Ellison). Then again, Trump wasn't on the ballot last November, so I have a feeling that his most staunch supporters weren't as motivated as Dems to turn out 9+ months ago.

Regardless of what happens in the final outcome of Minnesota's Senate race, the debates between the two candidates will be epic. With Lewis's depth of knowledge in Constitutional government, you can bet he'll run circles around the feeble Smith. And when it becomes very apparent that she's in over her head in such a matchup, the ad hominem attacks citing Lewis as a "bully" and "misogynist" will hit a fever pitch.

Game on!

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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Quick Hits: Volume CXCVI

- So communist sympathizer Bernie Sanders lauds the people of Hong Kong for their vehement protests of....er.....communism.




Who wants to break it to gramps that their idea of a "better future" is likely polar opposite to his vision for America?


- Old and busted: My god, 72-years old and running for President of the United States?!?!?! Outrageous!

New hotness: Meh. Age 77 is the new 47.


- Trump administration to Planned Parenthood: Go de-fund yourself .

Planned Parenthood said Monday it will withdraw from the federal Title X program that helps low-income people access contraception rather than comply with what it calls a new Trump administration “gag rule” that prohibits it from providing abortion referrals to those patients.

The announcement comes amid a protracted legal battle with the White House over changes to the nearly 50-year-old Title X program, which annually provides $286 million to healthcare providers to fund family planning services such as birth control. The administration required grantees to explain by Monday how they would comply with the new rule.

All seven Planned Parenthood facilities that are direct grantees in the program and hundreds of “sub” grantees that received funding through a third party will withdraw from Title X, said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Nationwide, Planned Parenthood currently serves 1.5 million low-income people under the program.

Wait, what?!?!? You're hanging all those low-income people out to dry over something that, in y'all's words, is only 3% of the total services you provide? Huh. Why it's almost as if you're placing a bigger emphasis on abortion than what you've been conveying all these years. Color me shocked.

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Monday, August 19, 2019

Box Score of the Week

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres - October 4, 2001.

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The Padres' Rickey Henderson surpassed Ty Cobb in career runs scored, crossing the plate for the 2,246th time. And in true Rickey fashion, he did it with a little flair.






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Sunday, August 18, 2019

They see me mowin' my front lawn....

It's shaping up to be another power packed broadcast on today's edition of my radio program The Closer. The 2-hour bonanza gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time.

Right at 1:00 I will be joined by Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka). This past week, Sen. Abeler was part of a committee conducting a hearing into the stunning failures within the Minnesota Dept. of Human Services.

At 2:00 we'll hear from Liz Wheeler, who is the host of the show Tipping Point on OANN. Liz will appear to promote her book Tipping Points: How to Topple the Left's House of Cards.

In non-guest segments we'll discuss the shooting incident in Philadelphia this past week which left six police officers wounded. As usual, the left's politicization of a high profile shooting was woefully misguided.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis")If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Thursday, August 15, 2019

Philly shooting

Praise be to God that the six Philadelphia police officers who were shot on Wednesday survived the onslaught. And we should also be grateful that the gunman is now in custody after a long standoff.

Given the gunman (who will not be named here) has a lengthy criminal record containing firearm offenses, it's a safe bet that there are already laws in place which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. Ah but as is the leftist modus operandi, it's politicize first and then never apologize when the politicization rhetoric turns out to irrelevant to the incident in question.

You're up, Kamala Harris.




Speaking of Sen. Harris, she and fellow Dem presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth "Fauxcahontas" Warren have some 'splainin to do. If rhetoric fuels violence (that's a lefty standard remember), then do Sens. Harris and Warren bear responsibility for a citizen shooting at police officers given the two  perpetuated the downright falsehood that Ferguson, MO police officer Darren Wilson murdered Michael Brown five years ago? After all, stoking the idea that white police officers indiscriminately shoot black men could well have been the tipping point for the Philly shooter, right?

Yes, I'm being facetious here. I do not hold Harris and Warren responsible for this horrible incident any more than I deem President Trump at fault for the El Paso shooter or Sen. Bernie Sanders for the "Bernie bro" shooting at GOP members of Congress. However, this is yet another classic example of how progs can't come close to living up to the standards they set for their political opponents.

Mass shootings are depressing enough without resorting to using the victims as political pawns. That said, we can legitimately rejoice today in that all six police officers appear to be fine and the gunman is in jail, likely to never see the light of day again. That's the type of news that should result in bipartisan glee.

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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Sh*t show indeed

Upon arriving in Plymouth on Tuesday evening for my monthly co-hosting gig with Up And At 'Em, I received a text message from the podcast's host Ben Kruse about 15 minutes before we normally begin recording. It said that the audio editing for the show had put him "way behind" but that he was on his way. Said audio editing continued even after we settled into the studio, so we didn't begin the show until 8:00 pm, which is about an hour later than normal.

The lion's share of the broadcast was devoted to Tuesday's hearing conducted by the MN Senate Health and Human Services Committee where they looked into irregularities in the Dept. of Human Services. Let's just say that a conservative parody of bloated, inefficient government wouldn't be nearly as comical as what was on full display in St Paul on Tuesday.

Kudos to my pal Ben for putting together a top notch podcast which put the MN mainstream media coverage to shame (I realize that's probably a low bar, but still.....).

Check it out here =====>  https://upandatemshow.com/podcasts/upandatem/742/


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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Quick Hits: Volume CXCV

- I have often expressed dismay over conservative titan Rush Limbaugh validating what goes on in President Trump's administration when he would never accept (and rightly so) such occurrences when Barack Obama was President.

However, Rush had a refreshing moment of clarity regarding Trump's signaling that he'd be open to Democrat proposals for "red flag" laws.

Mr. Limbaugh told listeners on Friday that “swamp-dwelling Republicans” are urging the president to compromise with Democrats who will demonize him no matter what he does.

“You cannot satisfy them,” he said. “You cannot make them happy. You cannot compromise with them. Like they’re talking about gun control. Don’t give them a thing! It’s not going to buy us anything!”

“I know that there are people in the West Wing, in the Trump administration, urging him to do it, swamp-dwelling Republicans,” he continued. “Just like there were people in the George H. W. Bush West Wing, ‘You’ve gotta compromise on that tax cut promise you made. You gotta do it! You gotta raise taxes, you gotta give the left something.’ George H. W. Bush who had said ‘Read my lips: No new taxes’ raised taxes. And any kind of a deal with the Democrats on guns is going to risk the same fate happening to Trump.”

Let's face it. Trump didn't so much as win in 2016 as Hillary Clinton lost. As such, Trump can ill afford to alienate perhaps the strongest, most mobilized portion of the Republican base, which is the shooters. He has done little in his 3-1/2 years as POTUS to draw in new constituencies, never mind being able to make up ground if reliable support peels away. It would hardly seem worth it for legislation which will have little to no impact on the issue it's addressing.


- Honestly, I have a difficult time caring that CNN guy Chris Cuomo went on a foul-mouthed tirade toward some guy who referred to him as Fredo at Staten Island establishment last Sunday. However, I found Cuomo's hyperbole quite hilarious.

“Punk-ass bitches from the right call me Fredo,” Cuomo told the man, who claimed he thought the CNN anchor was named Fredo. “My name is Chris Cuomo. I’m an anchor on CNN. Fredo is from The Godfather.”

“They use it as an Italian aspersion. Any of you Italian?” Cuomo continued. “It’s an insult to your f---ing people. It’s like the N-word for us.”


Really? Then why did Cuomo refer to himself with that nickname way back when? Or allow a guest on his CNN program to use such a "slur" with no pushback?

Sounds more like Cuomo has daddy issues than anything else.


- In the aftermath of the mass shootings which took place in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (who just in the past few years renounced his strong support for the 2nd Amendment) is demanding hearings on gun bills the DFL majority in the MN House proposed last session.




What surprises me more than anything about Walz's frustration is not so much the lack of movement on legislation which will do nothing to curb gun violence. No, it's that he finally found a schedule he deems worthy of releasing. I guess not all calendars are created equal in his mind.

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Monday, August 12, 2019

Box Score of the Week

San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies - April 10, 2016.

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Cincinnati Reds rookie Aristides Aquino made his MLB debut on August 1. Over his first 10 games, he hit seven home runs. That tied a record set by Trevor Story for most homers in an MLB player's first ten games. 

The game referenced this week features the 7th home run hit by the Rockies' Story within his first ten games as a big leaguer. 

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Sunday, August 11, 2019

We are young but getting old before our time.....

Another Sunday, yet another venture into the Patriot bunker for this week's edition of my radio show The Closer. The two hour blitz begins at 1:00 PM Central Time.

In the 1:00 hour, we'll take a deeper dive into the aftermath of the spree killings which took place in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH last weekend. Unfortunately it's been much of the same unproductive finger pointing as opposed to substantive discussion on how to deter these tragedies. 

In the second hour I'll weigh in on a leftist Congressman doxxing Trump supporters in his district and how the left shrugged it off. I will also look into Dem presidential candidate Joe Biden's blunders on the campaign trail recently (hint: he's the same as he ever was). 


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis")If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Friday, August 09, 2019

When decades of buffonery becomes a strength

You've likely heard about Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden's verbal faux pas in Iowa Thursday evening.

Here's a clip:



In fairness, Biden has a history of "slips of the tongue," so he can legitimately use that as an excuse here. It's only when he speaks eloquently that one might assume something is amiss.

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Tuesday, August 06, 2019

You're on your own, NYT (UPDATE: Other outlets earning "Enemy of the People" label?)

I feel as though I say on a weekly basis that President Trump labeling certain media outlets as the "enemy of the people" is at best counterproductive and at worst flat out wrong.

However, I think I'm finally to the point where I no longer carry any sympathy for (as Trump calls it) "the failing New York Times."




Some of these outlets are little more than transcript services these days.


UPDATE: Closed circuit to the media members approving of Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) doxxing Trump donors? You've earned the "Enemy of the People" label. Choke it down.


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Monday, August 05, 2019

Just a few more things

Regarding the horrific mass shootings which occurred in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH over the weekend:



  • During his Monday morning presser addressing the shootings, President Trump unequivocally denounced the sinister ideology (i.e. white supremacy) conveyed by the shooters. It won't be enough to placate critics who chide Trump himself as a white supremacist, but it was the right thing to do nonetheless. The President even indicated he'd be open to utilizing the death penalty for those who commit these types of mass murders. He's gonna turn progs into pro-lifers yet, isn't he?

  • What happened in Dayton and El Paso over the weekend is, sadly, standard fare for the city of Chicago (particularly this past weekend) on a weekly basis. Why aren't these incidents touted more often by large media outlets? Well, because elitist media is typically headed up by lily white progressives, so they typically don't like to tout when at least two of their favorite narratives are busted. One is the victims don't look like their kids. And secondly, Chicago has in place much of the gun control provisions which proggies shriek for in the aftermath of shootings they do deem fit to cover. 

  • You ever notice that the elected officials/political candidates who most loudly decry calls for "thoughts and prayers" after a spree killing are often the same folks who send out fundraising emails exploiting the tragedy?

  • Speakings of thoughts and prayers, I don't care one iota if they're considered passe in such a time as this. James 5:16 says "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." I shall remain fervent!

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Box Score of the Week

California Angels at Seattle Mariners - August 8, 1982.

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Within the past couple of weeks, Minnesota Twins DH Nelson Cruz hit 3 home runs in one game twice within a 10-day span. Such a feat had not occurred since 1982 when the Angels' Doug DeCinces did so on August 3 and August 8 (the game referenced above). 

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Sunday, August 04, 2019

And the award for most stunning lack of self-awareness goes to....

.....America's favorite septuagenarian commie.




Flashback to the 2017 when Bernie declared that the proposed Republican healthcare plan would kill millions of Americans. A few months later, a crazed "Bernie bro" shot at several Congressional Republicans on a baseball field

Ummm.....say, Bernie? Unless you too are willing to admit your own rhetoric incited the nut bag who nearly killed Rep. Steve Scalise, I say you sit this one out, gramps. 

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I knew right from the beginning that you would end up winning....

It's a guest-a-palooza on today's edition of my radio program The Closer. The 2-hour festivities get kicked off at 1:00 PM Central Time.

Today's guest lineup:

- Andrew Richter of Community Solutions Minnesota is of the opinion that the MNGOP won nothing in their battle with the St. Louis Park City Council. He'll join the broadcast right at 1:00.

- Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart, Jr., who is the subject of the book Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman's Firsthand Account of World War II, will be on at 2:00.

 - Peter Johnson, founder of Archway Defense, is tentatively scheduled to join us at 2:15. He spoke with law enforcement officials on the ground in the aftermath of yesterday's spree killing in El Paso, TX.

- Cyber security expert D. Greg Scott will stop by at 2:30 to weigh in on the Capital One data breach.


So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis")If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Friday, August 02, 2019

Soaring to Glory

I cherish any opportunity to be in the presence of World War II veterans, so I feel extremely privileged to chat with one such individual on my radio show this Sunday.



Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart, Jr. is one of only a handful of surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen, a unit of African American pilots segregated from the rest of the Air Force. Despite the 1940s being a time where segregation was normal in America, Lt. Col. Stewart served his country with pride having been raised by his parents to be extremely patriotic. 

Given he just turned 95 years old, Lt. Col. Stewart felt it was important for his story to be documented. With the help of author Philip Handleman, Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman's Firsthand Account of World War II is a story which needs to be shared with all Americans.

Lt. Col. Stewart will join the broadcast right at 2:00 PM Central Time this Sunday.

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Thursday, August 01, 2019

Relieved

Anyone who has watched the Minnesota Twins this 2019 season has known full well they needed to bolster their bullpen. Sure, another starting pitcher would be nice but their relief corps (which was largely ignored among their off-season acquisitions last winter) was in dire need of improvement.

With the trade deadline occurring at 3:00 PM Central Time on Wednesday, I believe it was mission accomplished.

After trading for Sergio Romo on Saturday, they added Giants righthander Sam Dyson minutes before the 3 p.m. trade deadline Wednesday. The Twins sent San Francisco three prospects — outfielder Jaylin Davis, righthander Prelander Berroa and righthander Kai-Wei Teng — for Dyson, who saved 38 games for the Rangers in 2016.

The deal was agreed upon about five minutes before the deadline, giving the Twins a reliever who was 4-1 with 2.47 ERA and two saves for the Giants. Now, pairing Tyson with Romo, the Twins say they believe there’s a stronger bridge to the ninth inning.

“[Dyson has] pitched really well for them toward the back end of games,” Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey said. “He’s a guy who has had a lot of late-game experience. So we put him on a list. As we got a little bit closer to the deadline, having conversations with the Giants ultimately led us down the path where we were talking about a few of their guys. Ultimately Sam was the one we were able to access and bring to the team, and I’m excited about that.”


While Romo is far from the clutch performer he was with the Giants' three World Series champions in 2010, 2012 and 2014, he is still very effective against right handed hitters with that funky slider. He is also an amusing, gregarious chap who will be a positive addition to the clubhouse atmosphere.





Dyson is a guy that I was in on since early June. When the Giants made it known that they were willing to listen to offers for any member of their bullpen, I figured it would be a coup if the Twins could wind up with both Dyson and lefty closer Will Smith.





Not sure if there were ever any serious inquiries for Smith but I'm grateful for the acquisition of Dyson, who has good control and allows less than one base runner per inning (0.902 WHIP). Another appealing aspect of Dyson is he's under team control through 2020, so there shouldn't be as many holes to fill among next year's bullpen staff.

Alas, many Twins "fans" shrieked a variation of "CHEAP ASS POHLADS" or "ZOMG, I'M SO DONE WITH THIS TEAM" when the club failed to acquire a front line starting pitcher. But of the high profile starters available, only Zack Greinke of Arizona, Trevor Bauer of Cleveland and Marcus Stroman of Toronto ended up being traded. The Twins had no realistic shot at Greinke since they were one of 15 teams on his "no-trade" list. And the Indians (who are still well within striking distance of the Twins in the AL Central) would've rather taken Bauer out back and shot him as opposed to trading him within the division.

I will say I'm a little disappointed that more of an effort wasn't made to acquire Stroman since the price the New York Mets paid were merely their #6 and #7 prospects. Despite the Twins strongly indicating a reluctance to trade their top two prospects (Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff), I can't imagine they wouldn't have been willing to at least meet if not exceed what the Mets surrendered. However, I've also read reports where the Blue Jays seemed locked in on what the Mets were offering, so perhaps there wasn't even an opportunity for the Twins to make a counter offer.

Bottom line is the Twins not trading for a stud starting pitcher was more a function of not wanting to sacrifice potential future all stars and less about hesitance to add salary. Heck, owner Jim Pohlad supported the possibility of augmenting payroll if the right move was within reach. So for those who declare they're jumping off the Twins bandwagon because of a perceived lack of deadline activity? You're either a) lying or b) have never been that invested in the team from the get-go.

To summarize, this Twins team is markedly better as a result of its deadline moves.

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