This probably is not the most apporiate time to wax poetic about the Minnesota Twins, as they have just been swept by my Yankees in somewhat painful fashion, but I don't think enough is said about how good this team and has been for a long time. Indeed, while Billy Beene and the Oakland A's have gotten all the credit for being the small market wonder, but its the Twins who have being doing it for years in quiet obsurity in Minnesota. While other teams were allowed to make big signings and splashy trades, the Twins have been eternally hampered by their famously cheap owner Carl Pohlad, who has since passed, but they have not let it get in the way of their winning. Two wold series in the last twenty years, four division titles this decade while never finishing below third place, an MVP, two batting titles and two cy youngs, all this decade. Damn, I don't even think I realized how impressive that is until I typed it, I wouldn't feel too bad about that as a yankee fan, and they do it with a payroll a fraction the size of ours! For certain, despite their seemingly perpetual success the genius of the Twins seems to forever be in obsurity, taken for granted and its easy to see why, they're boring! There's no big headlines, no superstars in the tabolids (cough cough A-Rod cough) no clubhouse controversies, they're just a bunch of guys who play baseball and win. Well this writer has noticed, having picked them to win the division, and after seeing their vast depth of talent and consistency I maintain the Twins will be the last man standing in the AL Central.
I'm sure it seems strange to be showering a team that was just swept in a four game series with praise, but in truth they played much better than the results indiciate this weekend. Indeed, top to bottom this is a solid and dangerous team, most notably in their lineup. For sure none of these guys scream all world talent but as they showed this weekend they are talented and can put up runs, and it all begins with their 3 and 4 hitters, the M&M Boys Mauer and Morneau. Mauer, only back for a handful of games and 56ABs thus far is already crushing pitching hitting at a .417/.521/.767 clip with 6 home runs and 17 RBIs and Morneau is no slouch either hitting a brisk .340/.414/.653, both in the top ten in the majors for OPS+, just ridiclous. But its the rest of the lineup that really makes this lineup so dangerous starting with Denard Span getting on base at very rspectable .383 clip as the leadoff man, or the little known Jason Kubel whos mashing at a .326/.366/.538 level just to name a few. Indeed they've been grooving pitching all season, and thats without Mauer for most of the season, without Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer getting into a groove yet either. Not too shabby for a small market team.
But more than the lineup its the stability of the rotation that really makes this Twins team. For sure, since Johan Santana has left they haven't had anyone yet reached his level of dominance, but they are remarkable for their ability to find reliable and consisent starters time and time again. Whether that be Scott Baker who's first full season gave the Twins a respectable ERA+ 118 for 172 innings, Nick Blackburn with his 193 innings and 4.05ERA or the ace in waiting Francisco Liriano who has stumbled early this year while recovering tommy john surgery his still quite young and has shown an ability to embarass hitters to the tune of striking out 144 in 121 innings with a 2.16 ERA and an ERA+ of 207. Combine this with a superb bullpen headed by arguably the best closer in baseball Joe Nathan who since taking the closer job has only had an ERA over 2 once and had at least 35 saves every year, its a very balanced and deep team.
To use a baseball cliche this team won't win many style points but what they will do is win, just as they always do. I'm probably coming off like a Roman historian who praised the likes of Hannibal and Carthage up and down to make their victory all the more glorious, but to be perfectly honest, the yankees got very very lucky all four game and this series could have easily gone the exact opposite way if it were not for a few good breaks going the Bombers way. This is a team that should not be taken lightly, a team that may not get a lot of highlights on Baseball Tonight, but they will win, early and often, and that's how the Twins do it, no flash, no pomp and circumstance just good, smart baseball, regardless whether the baseball world cares or not.
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