Gone in a flash

So much fun, gone so soon. The Twins were barely in the playoffs long enough to get the license number of the green and gold bus that ran them over. It was quick, not especially merciful, and an odd coda to what had been a magical season. A few thoughts:

• As readers of this feature know, my boyhood baseball hero was Roberto Clemente. I think I have a new hero - Brad Radke. It's really astonishing what Radke did down the stretch; he was pitching with a broken shoulder. Two years ago, Curt Schilling of the Red Sox gained national fame for pitching with an ankle injury that left blood on his sock; that blood was the emblem, the red badge of courage, that will forever mark his career. Radke was trying to do something much more difficult. And despite his short outing on Friday, he was magnificent. He can sit on his fishing boat now secure in the knowledge that he was the most inspiring player of this and many other years.
• It will be an interesting off-season. Will the Twins keep Torii Hunter? Will the Twins pony up some big green to lock up Justin Morneau for the long term? Will the Twins be able to find another starting pitcher or two, and maybe another big bat, to make another run next year? They should be able to. Terry Ryan has been very resourceful with a lot fewer resources, but logic dictates that ol' Carl Pohlad should open the vaults a bit and give Ryan a chance to do something more substantive.

Thank you, Twins. It's been a fun year. And now, back to other matters.