2019 Minnesota Twins: It's already been a fun ride

Target Field, 2010.

I don't remember where I was when the 2010 Minnesota Twins clinched their division title. The year before offered up a thrilling Game-163 victory at the Metrodome, and I definitely have vivid memories of watching that game with my friend Cassie at Joe Senser's. Maybe after a decade full of division titles, it was more meaningful for me to remember where I was when the Twins were, once again, swept out of the ALDS in 2010.

After the dust settled on the game-3 loss to the New York Yankees, I remember being in the basement listening to the local sports radio hosts as they broke things down. Based on what they said, and my own feelings after the game, I remember feeling really down about their chances to get past the feared Yankees in a playoff round. The Twins had a bunch of chances throughout the decade, and they had one ALCS appearance to show for it, back in 2002. Either way, 2010 just seemed like the end of an era, whether we knew it at the time or not.

That certainly turned out to be the case. It took nine years, until this past Wednesday night, for the Twins to clinch another division title. Sure, the 2017 team made the postseason, but it's still hard to qualify that as the same thing, especially when they're the wild-card team that lost and didn't advance to a playoff series.

After 2010, the Target-Field era has been filled with struggling teams (remember those 103 losses in 2016?) and teams that seemed to go the opposite direction of pre-season expectations.

But 2019 has brought all the Twins optimism back. What a freakin' summer. As of Friday night's rain-shortened victory in Kansas City, the Twins have 100 wins in a season for the second time in franchise history.

New manager, new players for a fresh start in 2019
The Twins came into the spring with a new manager in Rocco Baldelli. After saying a fond farewell to Joe Mauer at the end of 2018, the front office went out and signed guys like Nelson Cruz, Marwin Gonzalez, Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron. Fast forward to the night the Twins clinched their division in late September, and those four players alone combined for 102 home runs.

This season has almost too many moments to recount or choose as favorites. That's the kind of year it's been for a group dubbed, in late May by Eddie Rosario, the Bomba Squad.

First, the Twins broke the Major League Baseball record for home runs by a team in a single season with No. 268 on Aug. 31, part of a six-homer game for the Twins, bookended by "back-up" catcher Mitch Garver. Talk about juiced baseballs all you want, but home runs will never stop being entertaining. To see the Twins put up these kinds of numbers this year in the home-run column is astonishing.

Beyond that, the team/franchise/MLB records fell all over the place. It was 226 homers to break the franchise record (Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins), then 268 to break the record set by the New York Yankees just last season. The day after the Twins clinched the division, Schoop hit No. 300 for the squad.

The home runs became such a regular occurrence that I started adding more stat columns to my personal Twins spreadsheet. I turned it into a color-coded column to mark the homers each game; it was rare that they didn't homer at all (only 30 homeless games with two left), especially in the first two months of the season. They've never gone more than two games without a homer. Funny enough though, the Twins had a slow start with the long ball. They hit just one in the first five games, but that could be attributed to some cold weather, too.

Everybody hits on the Bomba Squad 
A few things stick out when it comes to the Bombas. Max Kepler hit three in the same game off Shane Bieber in Cleveland. Cruz added a pair of 3-homer games of his own. More recently, Cruz put an exclamation mark on the regular-season, home finale at Target Field by hitting his 400th career home run and 40th of the season. Not bad for a guy who turned 39 this season and shows no signs of slowing down, despite two stints on the injured list this year.

Seeing Cruz crush that home run against the Royals, then get the curtain call from the fans, was one of those great, milestone moments. It was a fitting way to end the home schedule, just like the 2018 finale when Joe Mauer came out in catcher's gear for the 9th inning.

Sanó has the power 
Miguel Sanó started out the season missing 41 games with a nagging injury, but he's certainly left his mark once again. In June, he went through a very rough stretch at the plate, piling up the strikeouts. Some adjustments were made, and the Bombas starting flying. He's had a few of the memorable ones.

On July 23, during a home game against the Yankees, the Twins ended up losing 14-12 in 10 innings (nearly missing a walk-off win after a diving catch from Aaron Hicks). This was a back-and-forth game that still goes down as probably the most exciting of the year for me - even though the Twins lost. That was really the only thing that was a bummer.

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Epic ballgames this season? Just add this one to the list! . . . . . . #MNTwins #IGClife #baseball #mlb #walkoff #ballpark #TargetField #minnstagram #mpls #TwinsWin #SanoDoubt #LetItSano #BombaSquad #socialmedia #sports #bombas #summernights #majorleagues #homeruns #interleagueplay #sportsmedia #atlantabraves #squad #ThisTeam

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The Twins hosted the NL East Champion Atlanta Braves in early August. Though the Twins lost that series, the lone victory for the Twins was a thrilling walk-off victory, their third of the season and first via the home run. Sanó stepped to the plate in the 9th inning in a tie game with two outs and a runner on.

He's had a few home runs this season with a loud crack-of-the-bat. This was no exception as he blasted it deep to center field. The best part of the play was watching as the ball sailed high above Atlanta center fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.'s head, and then seeing the outfielder simply put his head down and start trotting in when it was obvious to him that the game was over.

Sanó's other big Bomba this season is what some started calling a "division dagger." Every series since the All-Star Break between the Twins and the Indians was labeled by many as "the biggest series of the year." The Twins lost 3-of-4 at Target Field in early August as Cleveland continued to dwindle the Twins' division lead. The Twins got back in control and could really put a stamp on the division during their final series in Cleveland in mid-September.

Division dagger
They were scheduled for a weekend series, but after starting a couple innings of the Friday night game, with Jake Odorizzi on the mound, the tarp came on the field as the forecasted heavy rain and thunderstorms invaded the area. The game was postponed, setting up a doubleheader the next day. On paper, this seemed less than ideal for the Twins, who would now have to go with two bullpen games instead of just one.

But there's just something about this team, right? Jorge Polanco's early two-run homer against Indians ace Mike Clevinger held up for a 2-0 win in game one. Clevinger hadn't lost a game in months. The Twins decided to go for it in game two, going with a solid lineup that included both Kepler and Sanó, each back for both games that day after missing some time with injuries.

The Twins first tied the game 5-5 in the 8th inning off an RBI double from Polanco. After an intentional walk to Cruz, then a non-intentional walk to Rosario to fill the bases, Sanó stepped up and destroyed another baseball, hitting his first career grand slam off Nick Goody to put the Twins in front for good, for a 9-5 victory. All those home runs, and it was only the second grand slam of the season for the Twins.

What a time for it. The Twins completed the doubleheader sweep to take the series and effectively end the division race with 13 games to play against the division bottom feeders to end the season.

Oh, goody - a grand salami! #BombaSquad | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/y7yVxej9W1

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 15, 2019

A division clinch at home didn't end up happening, and like has been the case a few times, the Twins took care of business and then waited for the outcome of the Chicago White Sox game to determine their fate. They popped the bubbly late in Detroit after the Indians lost on Thursday.

Divisional foes play each other 19 times a season, and Comerica Park in Detroit has a special place as part of 2019 Minnesota Twins history. Garver hit the MLB-record-breaking home run there on Aug. 31. The Twins won the first two games against the Tigers (a team guaranteed to finish as the worst in baseball this year with old-friend Ron Gardenhire leading the way) in late September to clinch their first division title since 2010.

And then, the next day when everyone expected the "hangover lineup" to take a loss, Schoop hit the team's 300th home run of the season, making them the first team in MLB history to reach that milestone in a single season. For good measure, fan-favorite Willians Astudillo finished that game with a career-high 4 hits and homer No. 301 for the team (his fourth of the season).

I could go on and on about the memorable moments from this season, in no particular order...

• The rise of rookie Luis Arraez
• Joe Mauer's No. 7 retirement ceremony 
• Rosario's throw to the plate to win the game at Fenway 
• Twins sweeping a 4-game series in Texas for the first time
• All the records this team shattered, which seems to happen on a daily basis
• The 18- and 17-inning games at Target Field, with Kepler driving in the tying and game-winning runs in the 17-inning win over the Red Sox at Target Field in June 
• Pretty much anything Astudillo does on the field, or his reactions in the dugout 
• The dominance of Taylor Rogers as a closer, and the way guys like Trevor May and Tyler Duffey have rebounded to shut teams down 
• Six winning months
• 54 (and counting) road victories, the best in baseball and a team record 
• 5 players with 30+ home runs, a new MLB record 
• A pair of 8-homer games
• Sweeping the Orioles 6-0 this season with 23 homers in the process 
• Twins turned two triple plays at home this season with Martín Pérez on the mound
• The Arraez at-bat in the 9th on July 16, when he entered for the injured Schoop with an 0-2 and worked a walk
• Avoiding a 3-game losing streak until mid-July
• Consecutive team shutouts in Toronto in early May 
• 56 #Bombas in the month of May 
• All the Garver home runs, including his 2-run shot in the 8th inning to break a scoreless tie v. the Royals on June 14 
• 100 wins

All along, I've said how much I've enjoyed the ride this season. And with 162 games, you have to look at it that way. It's a grind, but this year has been so much fun. Do Twins fans want more? Of course, they do. Do they get nauseous when they hear the Twins will match up against the Yankees in the ALDS once again? Sure. 

Despite whatever might happen in the postseason, I will look back at this season and remember what a great run they had getting back to first place in the division, winning 100 games for the first time since 1965 and hitting all the home runs. 

I just hope they're not done yet. Bring on October baseball.

Editor's note: Did I miss your favorite moment from the 2019 season? Want to share your top moment? Let me know in the comments, or Tweet me @hlrule. Thanks for reading! 

Homers and pitching the name of this World Series

Some people have compared this year's World Series to the 1991 seven-game classic between the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins. It's hard for me to make a true comparison, since I don't recall the '91 Series, but the Minnesotan in me says that is still better than this contest between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. It's all about loyalty.

Anyway, this year's series has just about everything - including a Game 7 on tap for Nov. 1. It doesn't get much better in sports than a winner-take-all game 7. The Dodgers won Game 6 at home by a 3-1 margin Tuesday night. Two teams that won 104 (Dodgers) and 101 (Astros) games during the regular season will play for one shot at the championship.

I'd like to go through and write about all the clutch home runs in this series, but that seems impossible. There have been a record number of homers hit in this postseason, with one game to go.

Take Game 5 the other night in Houston in a 2-2 tied series. It ended in 10 innings and five hours, 17 minutes after the first pitch. The Dodgers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead off Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, and it looked like the pitcher's duel with Clayton Kershaw wasn't meant to be.

Except that was far from the whole story of the game. The Astros tied the game 4-4 with a three-run homer from Yuli Gurriel in the fourth. Then, Cody Bellinger put the Dodgers back in front with a three-run homer in the next half inning. 7-4 Dodgers lead. Jose Altuve answered back in the bottom of that inning - the fifth - with a three-run homer of his own. 7-7 game.

George Springer made a poor decision in center field in the seventh, diving for a ball that should have been a straight-up single. Instead, the ball got by him allowing the go-ahead run to score and the hitter to end up at third base. So naturally in a game like this, Springer came up the next inning and hit a home run to tie the game on the very first pitch he saw. 8-8 game.

To keep it short here, Alex Bregman hit a walk-off single. The final score was 13-12 in 10 innings, with the Astros winning. Eleven total runs were scored from the seventh inning on.

This game, and the series, must be tough to watch for fans of either team. Fingernails are probably bitten off by now. But for the average baseball fan like me, this series has been so fun to watch. With Game 5, I was all in - for most of the night. Once the game hit the later innings and double-digit runs, I grew weary of the constant run scoring and therefore lack of pitching.

Pitching is a different animal in the postseason
The completely different way pitching is managed in the postseason is catching up with baseball. During the 162-game season, the rotation is typically five starters with plenty of rest in between. The bullpen is managed in a way to give guys rest when they need, like not pitching in four straight games, for example. Closers pitch the ninth inning and look to get three outs; this also varies slightly with extra innings and the occasional four- or five-out saves.

That seems to go out the window in the postseason. Staff aces pitch on three days rest. Other starters come out of the bullpen in the mid-to-late innings to help out. Six-out saves are routine for closers.

I can see the benefits here. Managers want their best pitchers in key situations to get outs. That makes sense. But at the same time, they're asking guys to do more than they have all season, so it shouldn't be shocking when home runs are given up, saves are blown and pitchers given in to the pressure.

It's happened with Ken Giles for Houston, who is throwing batting practice. Kenley Jansen for the Dodgers is a dominant closer, but even he's faltered this postseason.

However the pitching is managed, it hasn't necessarily taken away from some great baseball throughout this postseason.

It was all about that 1st inning in Wild Card loss for the Twins

"The Twins just can't beat the Yankees" is a tired narrative. Sure, it might be correct considering the Twins are 2-13 against the New York Yankees in recent postseason memory. I just think to leave it at that doesn't tell the whole story of the 8-4 Twins loss in the AL Wild Card game Tuesday night.

It's one ball game, and the Yankees were the better team, so they won. Pretty hot take right there, I know. But this wasn't like the Twins v. Yankees games of old where it ended with a late-inning homer or extra-inning heroics from the Pinstripes. Even if it's still a loss.

The analysis of why the Twins lost can go many directions. I think it comes down to the first inning (yes, which lasted 45 minutes). The big concern for the Twins coming in (OK, at least for their fans) was hoping the offense could do something, especially early, against the Yankees pitching which started with their ace Luis Severino and includes a dominant bullpen.

Twins needed early scoring. They got it. 
I felt confident all the way that the Twins could make some noise with their bats. After all, they got to Severino a couple weeks ago for three early runs. Never mind that the Twins went on to lose that game 11-3. The Twins did what they needed to with the bats right away Tuesday night. Brian Dozier hit another leadoff home run, his 35th of the season and apparently the first postseason leadoff homer in Twins history. Dozier's energetic trip around the bases immediately sent a burst of energy through the dugout and undoubtedly fans all over Twins territory.

Eddie Rosario followed up with a two-run homer to make it a quick 3-0 lead. That's a pair of homers for two guys in their first career postseason plate appearances.

List of @Twins to HR in 1st career postseason at-bat:
Brian Dozier (2017)
Eddie Rosario (2017)
Gary Gaetti (1987)
Don Mincher (1965)#Elias

— Dustin Morse (@morsecode) October 4, 2017

Eduardo Escobar singled and Max Kepler doubled to put runners at second and third with just one out in the inning. Advantage, Twins. That's when Yankees manager Joe Girardi lifted his ace and turned to his solid bunch of arms in the bullpen. Girardi was highly praised for this move after the game, though I thought it was a little over hyped. I understand why this was an unconventional move, but it's also a winner-take-all game, so the rulebook gets a bit skewed here.

Byron Buxton and Jason Castro each struckout to end the inning and leave two valuable runs in scoring position. It felt very much like a wasted opportunity, but it still wasn't so bad because the Twins still had that 3-0 lead.

A tale of two half innings
Then Ervin Santana came to the mound in the bottom of the inning. He walked leadoff batter Brett Gardner, and that unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the script. Rookie superstar Aaron Judge singled putting two runners on for Didi Gregorius. With a full count, a pitch from Erv got too much of the plate. The Derek Jeter replacement didn't miss, sending the ball to the right-field seats to tie the game with one swing. 3-3.

It seemed like a backbreaker at the time, and even morseo after the game. The Twins batters did everything right to get an early lead, and it was erased just like that in the bottom of the inning.

Santana, a pitcher who started the season with a near non-existent ERA and five complete games on the year, didn't have his best stuff. He last two innings, giving up a solo homer to pesky Gardner for a 4-3 Yankees lead in the 2nd. The Twins turned to Jose Berrios who went three innings and struckout four. He pitched alright considering the stage and situation. Unfortunately, he was tagged with the loss after a Judge two-run homer was the ultimate dagger for a 7-4 lead. The final run scored on a bases-loaded walk off the arm of Alan Busenitz.

An uphill climb versus the 'pen
The Twins couldn't solve the Yankees bullpen, which wasn't a huge surprise considering the success those arms had in September. As each inning passed, the task was tougher and tougher for the Twins to surge to a comeback.

Fans were treated to a Buxton highlight catch though, as he jumped up to snag a flyball against the center field wall. Unfortunately, he came out of the game a couple innings later with a back injury. There's always a moment of breath-holding when Buxton dives, leaps and crashes for his catches. They're great to see, but it's also potential for injury. Just be careful, Buck!

Just another game with a great @OfficialBuck103 catch. Standard stuff.#WereGonna pic.twitter.com/2Ku3IjHdlD

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 4, 2017

Buxton's replacement was Zack Granite, a native of Staten Island. His big moment of the game was forgettable. He hit a grounder and ran through - and over - the first-base bag. The fielder dropped the ball at the base, so Granite was alertly tagged out as he tried to scamper back to first base. Yes, this was not a proud moment. Though I would not agree that this was a major reason for the outcome of the game.

Tough ending to a great year 
It was disappointing that the Twins weren't able to move on to face the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. It was disappointing to see this team lose to the Yankees in the postseason, yet again. It was also disappointing because so many didn't seem to even give the Twins a chance at all.

Still. You have to enjoy and applaud the 2017 Minnesota Twins season. They are the most improved Twins team in history, going from 59-103 to 85-77 for a 26-win improvement. It can't be said enough: They're the first team in MLB history to make the postseason a year after losing 100 games.

The Twins hit more than 200 homers this season, good enough for the third-best in Twins history. Guys like Buxton, Jorge Polanco, Dozier, Rosario and Escobar all had great seasons at the plate. Joe Mauer finished with a batting average over .300 and is a solid candidate for a Gold Glove at first base. Guys like Taylor Rogers, Trevor Hildenberger and Busentiz out of the 'pen turned into solid options for manager Paul Molitor.

There were walk-off wins, games with six and seven Twins homers, grand slams and overall just a winning atmosphere for a team that just wouldn't die. It was a great run in 2017. Remember that.

A trip down memory lane: Twins v. Yankees

The old saying in sports never gets old for me: That's why they play the games.

It's used in the context of upsets and underdogs. Just because a team is Goliath when it comes to odds, stats and analytics, doesn't mean Goliath will win. They play the game to find out.

I bring this up in reference to the AL Wild Card game set for Tuesday night in the Bronx between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. Just based on a few random buzzings I've heard about this game, there's an attitude out there that suggests they shouldn't even play. I mean, the Yankees are just going to the American League Division Series. The Wild Card game is just a formality. (I write that with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Please re-read accordingly.)

The numbers and the history between these two teams in the postseason, and regular season as well, point toward an obvious David and Goliath situation. Or a curse, if you believe in that kind of thing. Or, as Minnesotans like to harp on, there's the standby: "Minnesota sports. We can't have nice things."

Looking at the past
Ok, so let's look at some of the history. The Twins were an AL Central powerhouse in the 2000s with six division titles but just one postseason series win. They've been swept out of their last three ALDS appearances (2006, 2009, 2010). The Twins are 2-15 in the postseason since 2003, 2-12 against the Yankees (Oakland swept the Twins 3-0 in 2006.). The Twins last postseason victory came in game 1 of the 2004 ALDS to the Yankees - 13 years ago, so maybe that's lucky. Their other postseason victory was also game 1, in 2003.

The Twins beat the A's in 2002 in five games before losing in the AL Championship Series to the eventual World Champion Los Angeles Angels (or were they just Anaheim back then?). It was a great showing for a team that would win back-to-back-to-back division titles. But the success really stopped there.

The playoff format was slightly different, so the Twins kept facing the Yankees because Boston was also in the postseason. I believe the rule was the wild card winner could not face their division winner in that first round. The Twins didn't end up with homefield advantage much either (2006, 2010).

Good starts turn into late losses
In 2003, the Twins beat the Yankees 3-1 to take a 1-0 series lead. They couldn't get the offense going and were outscored 16-6 in the 3-1 series loss. The next year brought some late/extra inning heartbreak. Johan Santana pitched seven innings for a 2-0 Twins shutout in New York in game 1, with Shannon Stewart hitting an RBI single and Jacque Jones hitting a home run.

The Twins had leads in the series. Justin Morneau and Corey Koskie tied game 2 in the 8th with RBI knocks. Torii Hunter homered in the 12th inning as fans got excited about heading to the Metrodome up 2-0 in the best-of-five series. Instead, Alex Rodriguez doubled in the bottom of the inning off Joe Nathan to tie the game, then Hideki Matsui provided the game-winning sac fly. The Twins lost 7-6 in 12 innings, making a 1-1 series feel like a deficit.

In game 4, the Twins were up 5-1 through seven innings before the Yankees tied it with a three-run homer from Ruben Sierra in the 8th. The winning run scored on a wild pitch from Kyle Lohse in the 11th inning for a 6-5 loss and another series loss to the pinstripes.

More heartbreak in the later years, too 
I've written about 2006 before and how heartbreaking that was for fans. Used to the routine, the two teams met up again in 2009. It was another sweep, with game 2 being the big disappointment. The Twins had a 3-1 lead in the 9th after RBI singles from Nick Punto and Denard Span in the 8th. But Nathan couldn't close it out, giving up a single to Mark Teixeria and homer to ARod to tie the game. The Twins lost in 11 innings, 4-3, with a walk-off homer from Teixeria.

2006.

The last time the Twins were in the postseason was 2010. They hosted the Yankees this time, so everyone hoped it would be a different outcome. Unfortunately it left a bigger feeling of emptiness with another 3-and-out. The Twins were outscored 17-7 and couldn't solve legendary closer Mariano Rivera as he notched two saves. Phil Hughes (that's right) earned the win in game 3 for the Yankees.

Familiar foes, new setting
So now here we are. The Twins and Yankees meet again. The Twins went 2-4 v. the Yankees during the 2017 regular season, including two wins at home and then getting swept in New York a couple weeks ago. Yes, rookie superstar Aaron Judge homered off Twins pitching. It will be Twins ace and veteran pitcher Ervin Santana, a 16-game winner, versus the Yankees ace Luis Severino. The Twins got to him early on in New York, before the Yankees won that game 11-3.

Santana started out in perhaps the best way possible this season, hardly allowing runs and recording more complete games than the rest of baseball. His ERA came back to earth a bit the rest of the year, but his veteran presence on the mound makes him the go-to guy. Jose Berrios is also available out of the bullpen; he got the victory in relief the other night against Detroit as the Twins skipped his start in the rotation.

Miguel Sano returned to the team over the weekend, getting some at-bats after missing more than a month with a shin injury. Put a bat in his hand, and he's still a threat to knock one out of the park. Guys like Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton (with his defense, especially), Jorge Polanco and Brian Dozier have all stepped up in the second half to provide an offensive spark.

This isn't the same team
The encouraging thing about this Wild Card game is it's just one game, and this is a completely new Twins team. The Twins don't have to win a series against the big, bad pinstripes; they just need one win. Anything can happen in one game, so that's reason enough to not count the Twins out.

Again, this Twins team is not the same one that got knocked around in the last decade. Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins are the only two players still on the roster from the 2010 squad. Paul Molitor is the new manager. One would think that should help with the mental side of things when it comes to this matchup, although maybe that's really more in the heads of fans at this point.

This 2017 Twins team has already accomplished something no other team in baseball has ever done: Make the postseason a year after losing 100 games. This season, the Twins have never fallen off the cliff, even during tough stretches. They grabbed one of two AL Wild Card slots and celebrated their postseason berth after such an improbable feat.

To me, it isn't a lock to choose one team or the other to win this game. You can analyze it all you want, but just because there's all this bad history going against the Twins doesn't mean it will continue. It's a new decade, a new group of guys in the clubhouse.

We'll just have to watch them play the game.

Twins clinch AL Wild Card spot, completing improbable comeback season

What a difference a year makes. 

Yeah right. I definitely have a more creative lede than some cliche. The story really writes itself: The Minnesota Twins clinched a spot in the postseason late Wednesday night. They did it with many of the same players on the roster from 2016, the team that lost 103 ball games.

The most impressive thing about this? The Twins are the first baseball team to ever lose 100 games and then make the postseason the next year.

The Twins are headed back to the postseason for the first time since 2010, Target Field's inaugural season. Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins are the only players still on the squad from that season. This 2017 Twins team earned the second AL Wild Card spot. Not that this matters too much, but it's the first Wild Card berth for the Twins.

Talkin' magic numbers once again
It seemed like a near certainty for a while now, but there's just something about officially clinching that gives you all the sports warm and fuzzies. Plenty of suds soaked the visiting clubhouse in Cleveland during the late-night celebration. It brings back memories of the 2000s when the Twins won their string of AL Central Division titles.

The Twins had a magic number of 1 headed into play Wednesday night, needing a win or an Angels loss. Unfortunately, the Twins and their bats was no match for Danny Salazar on the mound for the rolling Indians (a team that's lost just three games in the past month or so). The Twins finally managed a couple hits in the 9th, with a two-run homer off the right-field pole from Jorge Polanco, but the Indians won 4-2.

So, the Twins didn't get to celebrate on the field. They probably didn't care a couple hours later though. Instead, they went back to the clubhouse to watch the end of the Angels game v. the White Sox in Chicago. Naturally, the Angels tied up the game 4-4 and it went to extra innings. Nicky Delmonico hit a two-run homer in the 10th, and it was time to pop the champagne.

The little team that could
Fox Sports North stayed on with their coverage after the game and through the celebration. They talked with Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. Falvey mentioned the word "resiliency" for this team, because he said he couldn't think of another word for this group of guys.

It really is true. Fans could have written off this team (and maybe they did) more than once this season. The awful series against Houston in May. The dreadful road trip out west just before the trade deadline. There was some frustration from players when the front office dealt closer Brandon Kintzler at the deadline in a throwing-in-the-towel move.

They went on some modest losing streaks but always came back with a solid series or by beating a team with a better record.

One of the fun things to watch with this team is their home-run power. The Twins have hit 83 home runs since August 8, the most in baseball. They have 202 homers for the season, which ranks in the top five all-time for the Twins. They have four players with 20-homer seasons; Max Kepler needs one more homer to reach 20 to make it five players for the first time in team history.

So many great storylines this year 
Sometimes, you point to a moment or a player that is the biggest reason for a turnaround. The list is pretty lengthy with this club. The front office didn't end up trading Brian Dozier in the offseason like some thought might happen. He's not on the home-run tear of late in 2016, but he's still come on strong in the second half and leads the team with 33 homers. His biggest one came late in Tuesday's game with the Twins down by a pair of runs. He went opposite field for a three-run homer to right to give the Twins the win.

There's Ervin Santana, a veteran pitcher who also wasn't traded away. He has complete games, shutouts and plenty of solid outings to his name this season. He was nearly unbeatable early in the year with a nonexistent ERA.

Youngster Jose Berrios has come around on the mound, too, settling his nerves after last season and turning into a go-to starter in the rotation tagged as a future ace. Kyle Gibson has made a complete turnaround this year after being sent to AAA; all he does is lower his ERA lately. The bullpen has come through in key moments, with some rookie faces, too. Matt Belisle has found a home as a closer. Guys like Taylor Rogers and Alan Busentiz are reliable arms.

Joe Mauer is having one of his best years yet, hitting .300+ and playing Gold-Glove defense at first base. He's probably saved his infielders some errors on the scoresheet. Polanco came back from a dreadful start at the plate to hit homers and drive in runs. Eduardo Escobar has filled in well at third base in the absence of slugger Miguel Sano (he's been out since mid-August with an injury).

The outfield is pretty well set with Eddie Rosario-Byron Buxton-Kepler. Rosario has a great arm and also had his best season at the plate, whacking away at homers. Buxton's offense was slow early on but has really come alive. To me, it doesn't matter anyway because his defense outweighs everything. His speed allows him to cover practically the entire field by himself, resulting in highlight-reel catch after catch.

Enjoy the journey 
This year has been so much better than the last. The Twins starting winning games. They held the division lead for a while before settling in to the wild card race. If they took a lead in a ball game, their pitchers held the lead and the offense went to work adding runs. Just this month alone the Twins have hit double-digits in runs seven times, including 17-0 and 16-0 shutouts. They've hit six homers in a game more than once, plus a seven-homer game at Target Field, setting a park record.

No matter how the Twins clinched, or who they play (not going there right now), or the debate about whether the wild-card game is considered the postseason, the jump from 2016 to 2017 for these Twins is one to enjoy. It's hard to believe too many people expected this at the start of the season.

What a fun ride.

Baseball ends, no hockey to turn to

The 2012 baseball season is over. The postseason ended with a bit of a boring thud as the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers for a World Series victory.

The biggest bats for the Tigers really didn't come through as the team struggled to score runs during the series. Ace Justin Verlander also got his team off to a bad start in game one. They hit a slump at just the worst moment of the season, while the Giants battled back from series deficits all postseason long and peaked at the right times.

Oh, and maybe the biggest head-scratcher? Former Twins bullpen guy Jose Mijares is now with the Giants, so he's going to be getting a ring. Crazy.

The end and no beginning
Anyway, the end of baseball has meant two things for me. First, the end of baseball until next year, obviously. Secondly, it's been a harsh reminder that I now don't have hockey to turn to. I'm the most devoted sports fan to these two sports, which works out well because then I have sports year-round with just a little overlap.

Not this time.

The National Hockey League usually starts up its regular season in October, but nothing has been happening since the players are locked out. Games were canceled through the end of October, and more recently, through the end of November.

Not too long ago, there seemed to be some optimism that an agreement would happen between the owners and the NHL Players' Association, only to find out that it pretty much went from bad to worse. I thought we could at least count on the league starting up again by the first of the year for the annual, outdoor Winter Classic. It's an event which could be a big money maker lost.

Get it done
I just want hockey back. I can tend to shy away from the business side of sports. It can just make me crazy as a fan if I were to think about all the money involved. Plus, I'm not all that good with numbers, words are more my style. Bottom line? Get a deal done so the NHL can stop this tailspin it's in. On a national level, the NHL is arguably not in the top six for major sports interest.

The last NHL lockout was in 2004-05 and it wiped out the entire season. I fear that might be what we're in for again. It's disappointing and frustrating for the niche of hockey fans out there. And it certainly kills the NHL's reputation, one locked-out day at a time.

So much promise this season
What's particularly frustrating this time around for fans in Minnesota, is that this could have been the season where the Wild make a strong run for the playoffs. The team made a blockbluster deal July 4 when they signed not one, but two, superstar players in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. It was awesome. It got people talking about hockey and the Wild - in the summer - in a state where the Vikings and Twins are usually the focus.

Now, all that momentum is gone. Who knows when (if?) fans will get to see those two in Wild sweaters this season, along with the rest of the team.

I'm no business gal, but the two sides better get a deal worked out. This girl needs her hockey fix.

Opening day for baseball isn't until April.

A classic World Series

We're into November now, which means yet another World Series is behind us and the baseball offseason has begun. But before we move on, let's remember that the 2011 World Series has been one of the best in years.

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers in seven games. The Cards, as a Wild Card team, had homefield advantage and were down 3-2 after the three straight games in Texas. But just like the Twins did in 1987 and 1991, St. Louis won games six and seven in dramatic fashion.

Game 6 of this series will probably be talked about and shown again as a "classic" game. I wouldn't say it's one of the best game 6 contests, but it was certainly exciting, dramatic and a constant swing of emotions. When it was all said and done, just before midnight, the Cards came away victorious with a 10-9 win in 11 innings.

Before the last couple of innings and the extras, game 6 really wasn't that great of a game. There were multiple errors by both sides, and it just wasn't that clean of a game. The hometown kid who turned out to be the man of the hour and the Series MVP couldn't catch a pop-up above his head. But he did own up to it in post-game interviews, which was nice to hear.

Then, things got interesting. Texas was one strike away from becoming the champs. Twice. But they were denied, just like last year when they were on the losing end of the World Series. The bottom of the ninth and extra innings turned into a slug fest.

David Freese hit a triple, which homerun-machine and right fielder Nelson Cruz could have caught to end the season. I think Cruz had a case of nerves. He didn't position himself to get to that fly ball like he might have been able to, and then on a later single he bobbled the ball a bit in between his legs.

After trading leads, homers and nervous-wreck emotions, Freese sent the series to a seventh game with one swing of the bat. It was a smash to center that sealed the deal for the Cards from a momentum standpoint.

Play-by-play announce Joe Buck used his father's, "We'll see ya, tomorrow night" call for the game-winning homer, 20 years and a day after his dad said it for Kirby Puckett's game 6 home run. Some people thought it was a great tribute when son Joe said it, others didn't like it. I was in the latter category; get your own line, Joe. I liked color analyst Tim McCarver's, "How did this happen?" line better, because it was fitting after the game that had just taken place.

You'll notice in my "We'll see ya, tomorrow night" quote from Joe Buck, that I did not use an exclamation point. That was most definitely on purpose because his excitement level didn't deserve one.

Game 7 wasn't as exciting, of course, a 6-2 win for the Cards. Texas was fighting an uphill battle of being on the road and being defeated mentally. It's too bad; I was pulling for them. But in the former Twins category, scrappy infield Nicky Punto has a ring, and so does pitcher Kyle Lohse. Good for them.

Pondering the Twins

I have a few more thoughts on the Twins and their ALDS series loss. Plus, what repercussions this may cause for the future.

Find another excuse
Besides the fact the Ron Gardenhire's post-game comments after Game Three were bordering on Brewster-like, I was also not happy with the same old excuses from the players as to why they lost, again, to the Yankees.

"It's the Yankees... Damn Yankees... We got matched up against the Yankees." Enough. That excuse is no longer valid. During the other lost series of this decade? OK. But not this time. This year was supposed to be different, and the Twins had so much going for them. Yes, New York has a dominant team, but you can't keep hanging your hat on that one element.

And they say the Yankees aren't in their heads? Yeah, right. This just proves to me that they are. The New York starting pitching was not so unhittable in this series as the Twins made it seem. The Yankees aren't up there whiffing at pitches, hitting into double plays or failing to get the ball out of the infield. That's all on the Twins lack of production at the plate.

They have to find a way to beat the Yankees, and getting behind the eight ball mentally because of who your opponent happens to be is just not going to fly.

This was "the year"
Was the 2010 season a failure for the Twins? It's hard to group the whole season on three games, but at the very least it was a huge disappointment. The Twins opened up their new, beautiful ballpark which seemed to be invincible to bad weather this year. They went out and got some free agents during the off season and have spent more money than in years past.

The expectation, proclaimed by the Twins themselves, was to get beyond the first round of the playoffs, and possibly to the World Series. They overcame huge adversity early with the loss of All-Star closer Joe Nathan to Tommy John surgery, and then losing Justin Morneau for the second half to a concussion.

They won 94 games on their way to a sixth division title since 2002. They had all the cards in their favor for the heading into the postseason. So what happened?

It wasn't just the fact that they again were bounced out in the first round. It was more the way they lost. Giving the Yankees a run for their (big) money in four or five games would have been an improvement from years past. It would have broken the losing streaks while being marked as less of a failure than a sweep.

Weak division and a crossroads
I've said it before: The Twins play in a weak division. Kansas City has been a great team to beat up on this decade, and now Cleveland is also on the down swing. It's great you can dominate your own division, Twins, but if you can't beat the AL East teams and show up to play postseason baseball, what's the point?

I think this series is a big crossroads for Twins fans. My friend John wrote something interesting as a Facebook comment:

This is a give-take relationship. I am still a hardcore fan, but I need to see some effort in return. That was pathetic.

I never thought of it that way, but it's something to think about. Why get all excited, spend the time and money, all season long when you pretty much know what will happen once October hits? Until the Twins prove they are capable of winning even one game in the postseason, it should be assumed that they are not up to the task.

Fire Gardy? Not yet.
Many were asking for Gardy to get the axe after the sweep. I'm not ready to go there yet. I don't think you can point the finger at him for the Twins not getting it done at the plate. He has led the team to six (weak) division titles. It's just getting that next step that's hard.

Also, look at how well new management has worked for the Wolves and Wild right now. The Wolves are a joke, and the Wild are headed in a downward spiral. If they don't get off to a good start, second-year coach Todd Richards could get canned.

If anything, I think the Twins need something to light a fire under 'em. Something so they'll have that extra kick to make it to the next level.

Long winter
While there is still baseball to be played in 2010, the Twins' role is done. It should be an interesting off season as far as the business side goes. Plus, we'll still be keeping an eye on the health and progress of both Nathan and Morneau.

I'm not sure how next season will shake out. And if they reach another division championship, I'm really not sure how I will feel in the postseason.

Twins get swept, time to reflect

Well, another Twins season came to an abrupt and disappointing end at the hands (or rather, bats and fastballs) of the much-hated New York Yankees. This 2010 postseason exit for the Twins hurts more than the other first-round blanks from the past decade because many thought this was "the year."

Disappointment, frustration, anger, bitterness, sadness. Those are all some emotions I'm sure Twins fans were feeling during the three-game embarrassment that the hometown boys tried to pass off as Twins baseball.

I have given myself a few days to digest the losses and the aftermath, trying to figure out what needed to be said - and there is a lot. Some of it will be blunt. Of course, unless you are a true optimist, you might also agree with some of these not-so-flattering thoughts.

It's a bad trend
Now it's time to reflect. The Twins were swept out of the ALDS yet again. We've all heard the numbers. An 0-11 postseason-losing streak. Three ALDS sweeps in a row. The horrible 18-57 under Ron Gardenhire record against the New York Yankees. Jason Kubel's embarrassingly-abysmal .069 career postseason batting average. The list goes on.

The bottom line for me in this series was the lack of offensive production. Hitting .216 as a team and going 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position won't help you win many ball games.

You can't score a couple of runs a night against the Bronx Bombers and think you'll have a shot at winning. It just won't happen. You can look at the lineup and pick any one of the Twins hitters for not getting it done, although some stick out more than others.

Danny Valencia is the only guy I'm willing to give a free pass to because he's a rookie. I have been impressed with him stepping up this season, in what will hopefully be the everyday third baseman the team has been looking for since the Corey Koskie era.

Two below-average performances
The two guys I was more disappointed with were Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel. Mauer knocked a couple of singles to the outfield, but didn't do much more than that. He was highly scrutinized for needing to step up to carry the team as a postseason leader, either with his bat or by breaking out of his introverted shell.

Then there's Kubel. He went 0-for-8 this series, and is hitting .069 for his career in the postseason (2-for-29). That's pathetic. Not that anyone else was lighting things up, but I mean, come on. At least Michael Cuddyer and Orlando Hudson hit a couple long balls. Denard Span led off with a couple hits, and even Valencia coaxed a walk that resulted in a tying run.

But Kubel? Zero production. It's just ridiculous. I just can't get past .069. That's bad.

What did you say?
Another thing that worried me during the series was the stuff I was reading in the newspaper. Players like Mauer and Kubel were asked about stepping up; somebody needs to be that postseason hero.

Instead of a player owning up and taking responsibility for the comatose offense, they seemed to pass the buck. Players were getting quoted making generalizations, saying there's a lot of talent in their clubhouse, and any one of the guys could be the one to step up and be the hero/leader.

That didn't sit well with me. Guys should have enough fire and will to win to say, "Yeah, I need to step up my game. I want to be that guy who gets the bats going for my team." I get they're a team with talented guys, but where's the passion? Take it upon yourself to get the big hit.

ALDS Twins versus Yankees recap - Game Three

Game Three - Yankees 6, Twins 1 - Series is officially over

Well, I'd say Game Three was the worst for the the Twins. Just one run (coming in the eighth inning) and seven total hits for the night in their last game of the 2010 season. Just an abysmal effort. Fortunately for me, at this point of the series I was already a bit past the bitter station, and I had moved on to the "over it" station on the postseason train.

Hitting was once again the biggest problem. The regular lineup for the Twins made Yankees starter Phil Hughes look like a Cy Young candidate. He threw perfectly the first time through the lineup, and faced the minimum through four (after Denard Span's lead-off single was quickly negated by Orlando Hudson's double-play ball).

It was just depressing. The Twins were consistently swinging and missing on 91, 92 mph pitches. I'm not a huge expert when it comes to pitching, but I didn't feel like those pitches and their speeds were insurmountable. I mean, it wasn't like the guy was throwing 99-mph heat up there.

You're major league hitters, make some contact with the baseball, preferably something that makes it out of the infield.

Total Twins hit count: 7. LOB (left on base) count: 7.

On the pitching side for the Twins, young Brian Duensing failed to make it through the fourth inning. But you know, the hitting for the Twins was so bad, I really don't hold him responsible. It's ironic though because he seemed to take the loss pretty hard, as did Carl Pavano in Game Two.

When the Twins finally got their one run in the eighth, with a couple of hits, it was very much too little, too late. You can't wait until the end of the game to start putting runs on the board, especially in New York. There was something one of the TBS announcers said that stuck with me, saying Twins hitters were "due."

Yeah, they're all "due," but they're not "dueing" anything.

At one point of frustration with the Twins lineup, I suggested mixing it up. Why not swap out players for the three utility infielders on the postseason roster, Alexi Casilla, Nick Punto, Matt Tolbert, and outfielder Jason Repko.

None of the regulars were getting it done at the plate, so why not try something different? They might surprise you. What have you got to lose? (except the game, series and pride)

Twitter is good therapy
Shifting gears a bit, I'll once again plug how great Twitter and sports fit together. During Game Three I probably Tweeted about 35 times. I even started a hashtag - #postseasondepression as the game got deeper. It's just nice to share your thoughts with Twins fans and the media who cover them.

The loss didn't seem to hurt as bad because half of my attention was really focused on Twitter, rather than hanging on every at-bat during the game. It really is a great outlet to vent, plus get some insider information during the game - like learning that the classy New York faithful were chanting and taunting Span while he was in center field.

Same old story
By game's end, the result was the same. The Twins losing to the Yankees in three straight games, and not really showing up to play their best baseball in any of them. I won't get in to all the statistics, but the numbers in most categories for the Twins when facing the Yanks are not good.

Watching the Yankee celebration was quite telling - because there was no celebration. They shook hands on the field like it was a normal game, because their competition had failed to make the series competitive.

Handshakes said it all.

ALDS Twins versus Yankees recap - Game Two

Game Two - Yankees 5, Twins 2

So if I thought Game One was a must-win, it goes without saying that Game Two at Target Field was a must-win-otherwise-it's-over game.

If there is someone out there confident enough to think the Twins could win three straight against New York, with two games in the Bronx, then they have to be lying. While it's true that anything can happen in sports, and it's not over until it's over, holding that optimism just seems unrealistic.

Gardy sent veteran and rotation-stabilizer Carl Pavano to the hill, a former Yankee. Just like Liriano, he really didn't have that poor of a showing. It also wasn't a huge Yankee blow-out, just a handful runs.

The call that wasn't
Probably the turning point (or at least the most-talked-about moment) of the game came in the seventh inning when veteran Lance Berkman was at the plate for the visitors with two strikes in the count.

Then there was a pitch that caught a very large portion of the plate, according to booing fans, the TBS pitching graphic and Orlando Hudson, who apparently was jumping up and down in the infield after home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt failed to ring up the Yankee.

The very next pitch, Berkman hit an RBI double to center to break a tie game. The Yanks never looked back. Gardy made a trip to the mound, not to change pitchers, but to calm Carl down (according to the skipper). When Wendelstedt made the "break it up" walk out to the mound, Gardy was vocal about the non-call.

As has happened many times, Gardy got tossed as he tried to plead his case in true Gardy fashion. These two guys have a history together, and it's not good at all. Plus, managers Bobby Cox (Atlanta) and Joe Maddon (Tampa Bay) got tossed last week as well. This coming after five years of no postseason managerial ejections.

It hasn't been a banner year for the umpires in the postseason, just like in 2009. But that's another topic for another time.

Bad luck, but still...
Now, I am in no way saying that the Twins lost Game Two because of a very, very questionable call from behind the plate. Their bats were very silent for the entire series, so there's one of the biggest reasons for their fate.

But when I'm on Twitter seeing many media personnel and fans express their complete disagreement with the call, you know it's a bad one. Still, it's not enough to blame the loss on. You've got to support your pitching staff with more than two runs and six hits.

Total Twins hit count: 6. LOB (left on base) count: 3.

Then it was off to the Big Apple for some really must-win games. Going down 0-2 to the Yanks - it's familiar, and yet, another way to say "series over."

ALDS Twins versus Yankees recap - Game One

Game 1 - Yankees 6, Twins 4

The anticipation for Game One of the ALDS at Target Field last Wednesday was high. I was pretty pumped for the Twins to kick things off in the postseason; so many things just felt different about it this time. My friend Cassie and I even went to Billy's in St. Paul so we could take in the game in a fun atmosphere.

I was still a little nervous for Francisco Liriano, who was making his first career postseason start. As it turned out, good news on that front. He did not struggle early, which was the concern. He did well until he hit a wall in the sixth inning. He saw the 3-0 Minnesota lead shrink down to a 4-3 deficit.

The biggest blow came off the bat of former Detroit Tiger Curtis Granderson, who struggled at the plate this season until about mid-August. He hit what first appeared to be a catchable fly ball to right center, but instead it hit off the wall for a triple.

Cuddy starts the scoring
It looked to be a good start for the hometown boys when Michael Cuddyer (the only current Twin to have played on all the postseason teams of this decade) smashed a two-run homer to the pine trees in center field. Jim Thome was on base after getting plunked on the hands by the big ace CC Sabathia.

Even when they went down 4-3, they came right back the next inning to tie the score (by resisting the swinging temptation) with a bases-loaded walk. But that score was once again short lived. Jesse Crain came on in relief and watched as Mark Teixeira hit a two-run shot down the right-field line, just barely staying fair.

That was the game's difference.

Need to cash in on opportunities
Of course, that's not to say that the Twins didn't have their chances. The most notable one sticking out in my mind was J.J. Hardy striking out with the bases juiced in the sixth inning. He helped Sabathia get out of a jam by swinging and missing when the big man was having trouble finding the strike zone.

Total Twins hit count: 8. LOB (left on base) count: 10.

Must-win? Yes, it was.
Looking back, I would say that Game One was the best one for the Twins. They got progressively worse as the series went on. At least the first game had that familiar feel of a close game, with the Yankees always managing to get that extra boost to come out victorious.

Game One was a must-win game for the Twins. Not technically, but it still felt that way, especially being at Target Field. The loss meant that no matter what happened in Game Two, the Twins still needed to find a way to win in New York.

I got most of my frustrations and anger-filled emotions out after the first game. Even though hope wasn't all lost (it was just the first game, after all), it still felt like the Twins were backed into a huge corner. The Yanks do have something to do with that.

If it had been any other opponent for the Twins, I wouldn't have been as worried. But the Yankees are always a dangerous team to try and prevail over, especially for Ron Gardenhire and his team.

Previewing the postseason: Twins versus Yanks... again

Alright kids, here we go. The 162-game (yes, not 163 this year) regular season is complete, and it's time for October baseball. In case you're not aware, here are the Major League Baseball playoff teams.

American League

Minnesota Twins - Central Division champion (and the most important team of interest to this blogger and fan)
New York Yankees - Wild Card
Tampa Bay Rays - East Division champion
Texas Rangers - West Division champion

National League

Atlanta Braves - Wild Card
Cincinnati Reds - Central Division champion
Philadelphia Phillies - East Division champion
San Francisco - West Division champion

While the Twins were the first team in baseball to clinch a division and playoff spot, the other clubs waited a bit longer to decide their fates. The Rays and Yanks both knew they would be in the postseason, but their division and wild card positions weren't decided until the last day of the season.

These two AL East squads played below-average ball in the final stretch of September, very much like the Twins did as they went 3-8 after clinching their title. I think because no team got on a hot streak to end the regular season, this makes it easier to digest Minnesota's recent skid.

It's often not who you play but when you play them. So the fact that the Rays, Yanks and Twins all sort of limped to the No. 162-finish line, that puts them on a more even playing field.

The experts have told the Twins Territory fanatics not to panic with the way the Twins have been playing. I'm hoping they're right. It's a clean slate beginning with the first pitch of postseason play Wednesday, so the boys from Minnie better bring their 'A' games.

Facing an all-too-familiar foe
That's right, the Twins get the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs yet again. This brings back so many bad memories from the past decade that I'm really not going to get into it. We all know the history, the mystique, the winning ways of the defending World Series champion Yankees.

They took out Minnesota in the first round last year in a convincing three-game sweep. The second-half/September miracle run to the Central Division title (capped with that amazing Game 163) had the air taken out of it by the Bronx Bombers. With the big homers they hit against the Twins last year, there's a reason that's their nickname.

The Twins still struggled against the men in pinstripes earlier this spring. Much was made of their series, but one could also be quick to point out that a lot happens over the course of a season, so just because they didn't beat New York earlier, doesn't mean there's no hope now.

Things are different
With history strongly stacked against Minnesota when it comes to the playoffs and the Yankees, it would be easy to give the edge to New York. But there are some differences that might be working in the Twins' favor.

For instance, since the Yanks are the wild card team rather than the division champion, the Twins are the ones with home field advantage for the best-of-five series. This is huge. Playing in Yankee Stadium for games one and two is quite an intimidating and obnoxious (due to Yankee fans) atmosphere. The Target Field faithful will be out in full force to support the Twins in hopes of bringing a 1-1 or, dare I say it, 2-0 lead back to the Bronx.

The Twins also have a very different lineup than last year. Delmon Young has had a huge turnaround this season, producing clutch hits and more than 100 RBI. Danny Valencia has brought his explosive bat up from the minors, and looks to be the team's new consistent third baseman. Jim Thome has added some power, and Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy also weren't with the team last year.

When it comes to bullpens, the Twins have been one of the best in baseball. But they will have to be careful not to throw any cookies to the Yankee lineup. They've proven they don't miss. The Bombers still have a strong team, but it isn't the same team from a year ago either, and age may soon start to play a factor with their top players.

Game on
Because playoff television coverage caters to the big-market Yankees, the Twins are looking at prime-time games for the first round. The game-one first pitch is scheduled for 7:37 p.m. central time on Wednesday for the first playoff game in Target Field history. Game two will be at 5:07 p.m. Thursday.

The pitching match up for game one will be 21-game winner CC Sabathia versus Francisco Liriano (14-10), making his first-ever postseason start. Sabathia has nasty stuff, but Liriano has emerged this year as the dominant pitcher we all thought he was before Tommy John surgery. The only problem will be if Liriano gets a case of nerves; his pitching is strong.

A key to success for the Twins will be keeping their cool on the defensive side, and then getting the bats going. I think it'll be tough to win a game with one or two runs. I'd like to see the Twins put up a few rallies, get some run support for their pitchers (and insurance) so they can stay away from the nail-biters in the late innings.

As far as a prediction goes, I'm not sure I want to offer one. First off because sports are so hard to predict, that's why the games aren't played on paper. But also because I am still a bit superstitious. It's a no-brainer that I want the Twins to finally prove all the critics out there wrong and be able to advance past the Yankees to the AL Championship Series.

If Minnesota fails to make it past the first round, especially if they get swept again, it will be a disappointment. They need to get the New York monkey off their backs and prove they belong deep in the postseason.

Oh, and if Phil Cuzzi is part of the umpiring crew, heaven help the Twins hitters who try to hit a double down the line.

Goliath won; close calls need a change

The Twins were swept out of a best-of-five series against the mighty New York Yankees. After what the Twins did to win the AL Central title, I think you have to believe anything's possible. That's why the games aren't played on paper.

Obviously I wanted the Twins to win, but it just wasn't in the cards. Too many things were stacked against them. The biggest factor about their opponent? They're the Yankees. That's it.

Game 2 was one of the most heartbreaking losses in quite awhile for the Twins. It's hard to even rehash all the things that contributed to the Yanks coming away with yet another walk-off win, 4-3 in 12 innings.

What went wrong
Among the contributors: The Twins left 17 men on base, Carlos Gomez cost the Twins an early run with sloppy base running, Jason Kubel made Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan look bad (he had nine strikeouts for the series and went 1-for-14), September-Delmon Young still didn't appear and Joe Nathan threw a cookie to Alex Rodriguez (who has the Twins to thank for ending his postseason slump) for a blown save.

And one of the biggest factors was when the left-field line umpire Phil Cuzzi blatantly made the wrong call on a ball hit by Joe Mauer.

Officiating played a role, whether big or small, in the outcome of a game. Judging from many reactions after the game, everyone seemed to agree that it was a horrible call that cost the Twins a run. (Umpiring crew chief Tim Tschida did admit after the game that upon further video review, the call was made incorrectly.)

But the common consensus is also that the Twins beat themselves with the above-mentioned reasons, and you can't put the loss solely on the umpire. While I can see all the valid points of these arguments, I still have a lot of trouble with the missed call. I don't care what else happened in the course of the game; that call needs to be made. It just needs to.

He's right there
What makes it even harder to swallow is the fact that Major League Baseball employs a six-man umpiring crew for the postseason, adding an extra pair of eyes down each of the foul lines. So Cuzzi's sole purpose in that game was to be close enough to the baseball to make the correct call.

And he was close enough. The replay shows him in a good position to see the ball, which hit the ground about a foot or so in fair territory. Not to mention that the left fielder touched the bouncing ball with his glove, also in fair territory.

After Mark Teixeira ended the game with a homer off of struggling reliever Jose Mijares, I got the same sickening feel I had after the Tommie/Johnnie football game at St. Thomas last season. The Tommies appeared to have a touchdown in the final minutes of play, which would have given them the win, but the call was blown, admittedly so by the MIAC officials the next day.

It's a tough feeling, especially when the officiating gets in the way. I'm glad that at least the officials in both instances admitted the mistake, but so what? The game is over. They couldn't give the "W" to the Tommies, just as they couldn't make the series 1-1 instead of the actual 0-2.

I know, I know, there are so many other factors and what-if's? within the game that you can't solely blame the officiating. I'm not suggesting that that is the only reason for the loss in either case. You could call out just about any small detail in the game to have gone differently in order for the outcomes to change. But when you do something right to try and get a win for your team and it gets taken away from you, that hurts.

Time for a change
Sports will always have controversy with officiating and the use of video replays. It's the nature of the process because the officials are human. They do make mistakes and their calls can sometimes be subjective. But should teams and players have to suffer?

Major League Baseball instituted the instant replay review for the ruling of home runs in 2008. There has been talk from fans and sports critics of expanding the replay system, but nothing is in place. One of the biggest negatives is that baseball is such a slow/long game already, and cluttering it up with reviews would only make the games longer. Fair enough.

My solution? Go with some sort of challenge system like what is done in football and tennis at the professional levels. If a manager disagrees with a call, then they should have the opportunity to challenge it (there would be a challenge limit) and ask the umpires to look at the video review. I don't have all the little details worked out, but if it works in other sports, there's no reason they can't try a similar system in the Major Leagues.

Officials are generally good at what they do, and they do take a lot of criticism for doing their job, but bad calls that do get made should not be costing teams plays, hits or victories.

Achieving the improbable

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 American League Central Division Champions, the Minnesota Twins. Wait… huh? That's right. The Twins had front-row seats to the worst baseball collapse since 1901, courtesy of the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers coughed up a seven-game lead that they held at the start of September, and they also choked so much that they couldn't clinch the division while holding a three game lead with four to play. The Twins capitalized in game 163.

In one of the most exciting games ever to be played under the Teflon sky, the Twins had some more Metrodome Magic up their sleeves as they pulled off a 6-5 win in 12 innings. It should go down as an instant classic, ranking right up there with the World Series games of 1987 and 1991.

Big game
In light of this game being of such a huge magnitude, I decided to take in the game at Joe Senser's in Bloomington with my friend Cassie. Let me tell you, I did not regret that decision. The energy was just electric all night long.

The game got off to a rough start once Detroit jumped out to a 3-0 lead. I'll be honest: I didn't have a good feeling. In the Twins' at-bats, I saw the Delmon Young prior to his September surge, I saw Michael Cuddyer with a swinging strikeout reminiscent of April and I didn't see the fire and passion from the Twin as in recent weeks.

They narrowed the score to 3-2 with a run resulting from an error and a Jason Kubel upper-deck blast. Then Orlando Cabrera continued his hitting streak with a two-run shot in the seventh inning to lead 4-3. That got a big outburst of cheers. It felt good to finally have the lead and the momentum.

Nerves set in
Of course, Matt Guerrier took them away almost as quickly as they came with a homer to Magglio Ordonez to start the eighth inning. Tie game. From this point on, my nerves were going crazy, and they didn’t stop until the end.

It became a managing duel between Ron Gardenhire and Jim Leyland during the late and extra innings with a slew of pitching changes. There were sticky spots for both sides, but they got out of jams when needed.

Great plays were abundant throughout the game. Nick Punto threw home to save a run instead of trying to turn a difficult double play. Then there was Curtis Granderson getting too excited and then doubled off first base. And Michael Cuddyer's triple when the ball got past a diving Ryan Raburn in left field.

An unlikely winning pair
Everyone will remember the bottom of the 12th inning with two of the most unlikely Twins heroes. With speedy Carlos Gomez on second, Alexi Casilla (yes, the same Casilla who was sent to Rochester this season to deal with his hitting and mental mistakes) singled through the right infield hole for the division-clinching RBI.

Chaos ensued. Everyone at Senser's went absolutely nuts, and I'm sure we weren't the only ones. I started jumping up and down, screamed a little and high-fived Cassie.

After we calmed down a little, we sat there in awe. We had looked at each other in disappointment after the Tigers scored in the 10th and said "it's over." Now we were saying, "I can't believe what is happening." It was amazing to see what the Twins just pulled off. Absolutely unreal.

We were approached by a gentleman who had been sitting at a table near us. "Well girls, now you can relax." He said he had been watching us all night with our heads in our hands and looking nervous. "It's good to see some true fans," he said.

One to remember
This game No. 163 is certainly one for the ages. It is what sports are all about. This is why fans spend so much time devoted to their favorite teams; for games like this.

No matter what happens after this clinching game, (and by now we all know what has happened at Yankee Stadium) this is still a major victory for the Twins. To come back as they did (yes, even in baseball's worst division and with one of the worst collapses of all time) made for some outstanding and exciting baseball down the stretch. That's all you can ask for.

Who would have thought the Homer Hankies would once again be flying in the Dome one last time for playoff baseball? Not many, I'm sure. But this is why they play the games on the field and not on paper, because look what can happen. You can achieve the improbable.