It’s been awhile since the last time my favorite team, the Minnesota Twins have won a World Series. The last one was in 1991. Interestingly enough, the two years that the Twins won baseball’s Holy Grail, 1987 and 1991, were also years that my two kids, Ian and Rachel were born. Even though I am a Twins fan, it has not been enough to get my vasectomy reversed in an attempt to add to my family and the Twins’ trophy case.
Going into this 2008 season, it was not looking too promising that the Twins would even be competitive-I thought they were a candidate to lose 90 games. They lost their multi-talented Gold Glove Center Fielder, Torii Hunter to free agency-he signed with the Anaheim Angels. (I refuse to call them that bullshit name “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim”) To add insult to injury, they were forced into trading their stud starting pitcher, former Cy Young winner Johann Santana to the New York Mets for some young prospects. It did not look very promising with a young starting pitching staff, untried talent at third base, second base and centerfield.
An amazing thing happened. Twins Manager Ron Gardnehire may have pulled off his best job of managing yet with the Twins. Carlos Gomez, Denard Span brought speed and excitement to the outfield and basepaths. Alexi Casilla became a very good number two hitter and a very reliable glove at second base. The young kids like Perkins, Blackburn and Baker showed flashes of briliance as starting pitchers. Not only were the Twins competitive, but they actually had a shot at winning the American League Central Division after a very emotional three game sweep of the arch-rival Chicago White Sox.
162 games were not enough to seperate the two rivals. A one game playoff to decide the Central Division champtionship was played last night in Chicago, at US Cellular Field. John Danks, the White Sox pitcher, threw the game of his young career, handcuffing the Twins almost all night and shutting the Twins out, 1-0-while allowing only two hits. A tight game came down to a key play, and not suprisingly, it involved former Twins catcher-and the White Sox player that Twins fans LOVE to hate- A.J Pierzynski. In the 5th inning, oft-injured Michael Cuddyer stroked a double into left field. He advanced to third. On a medium fly ball to centefielder Ken Griffey, Jr. the Twins third base coach sent the slow-footed Cuddyer. The 38 year old Griffey made an accurate, two hop throw to home where Pierzynski made a nice dig of the ball out of the dirt, and was drilled by the oncoming Cuddyer in an attemt to knock the ball loose…it failed. A.J held the ball aloft for black-clad throng in Chicago to see that he had held onto the ball. The Twins only chance to score fell by the wayside…then Danks and Bobby Jenks shut the Twins down the rest of the way-including American League batting champ Joe Mauer and former A.L MVP Justin Morneau.
It was a disappointing end to what had been a plucky season by Ron Gardenhire’s men. The Twins have a good base for 2009, what will be their last year at the Metrodome, maybe the worst baseball stadium in the Major Leagues, along with Tropicana Field in Tampa. The Twins have a big need for a third baseman with some pop to his bat and some middle relief. Still…there is a pretty good nucleus of a team for 2009.
Wait until next year.
Going into this 2008 season, it was not looking too promising that the Twins would even be competitive-I thought they were a candidate to lose 90 games. They lost their multi-talented Gold Glove Center Fielder, Torii Hunter to free agency-he signed with the Anaheim Angels. (I refuse to call them that bullshit name “The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim”) To add insult to injury, they were forced into trading their stud starting pitcher, former Cy Young winner Johann Santana to the New York Mets for some young prospects. It did not look very promising with a young starting pitching staff, untried talent at third base, second base and centerfield.
An amazing thing happened. Twins Manager Ron Gardnehire may have pulled off his best job of managing yet with the Twins. Carlos Gomez, Denard Span brought speed and excitement to the outfield and basepaths. Alexi Casilla became a very good number two hitter and a very reliable glove at second base. The young kids like Perkins, Blackburn and Baker showed flashes of briliance as starting pitchers. Not only were the Twins competitive, but they actually had a shot at winning the American League Central Division after a very emotional three game sweep of the arch-rival Chicago White Sox.
162 games were not enough to seperate the two rivals. A one game playoff to decide the Central Division champtionship was played last night in Chicago, at US Cellular Field. John Danks, the White Sox pitcher, threw the game of his young career, handcuffing the Twins almost all night and shutting the Twins out, 1-0-while allowing only two hits. A tight game came down to a key play, and not suprisingly, it involved former Twins catcher-and the White Sox player that Twins fans LOVE to hate- A.J Pierzynski. In the 5th inning, oft-injured Michael Cuddyer stroked a double into left field. He advanced to third. On a medium fly ball to centefielder Ken Griffey, Jr. the Twins third base coach sent the slow-footed Cuddyer. The 38 year old Griffey made an accurate, two hop throw to home where Pierzynski made a nice dig of the ball out of the dirt, and was drilled by the oncoming Cuddyer in an attemt to knock the ball loose…it failed. A.J held the ball aloft for black-clad throng in Chicago to see that he had held onto the ball. The Twins only chance to score fell by the wayside…then Danks and Bobby Jenks shut the Twins down the rest of the way-including American League batting champ Joe Mauer and former A.L MVP Justin Morneau.
It was a disappointing end to what had been a plucky season by Ron Gardenhire’s men. The Twins have a good base for 2009, what will be their last year at the Metrodome, maybe the worst baseball stadium in the Major Leagues, along with Tropicana Field in Tampa. The Twins have a big need for a third baseman with some pop to his bat and some middle relief. Still…there is a pretty good nucleus of a team for 2009.
Wait until next year.
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