So, let's say you're a Twins fan, and a lot of people here are Twins fans. If at 4:06 this afternoon, a minute before game time, I had told you that:
- Mop-up man Bobby Keppel would be the winning pitcher; and
- Loose Cannon 1, Carlos Gomez, would score the winning run; and
- Loose Cannon 2, Alexi Casilla, would drive in the winning run
would you have believed me? Would anyone have believed that? Of all the fascinating teams that the locals have put on the field in this decade, this may be the most astonishing team to win a division yet. I still don't know how it happened, but there it is.
Congratulations to your 2009 American League Central Champions, the Minnesota Twins.
3 comments:
The game was a microcosm of the season. Obviously you had the parallel of the team that been behind nearly all season coming from behind to tie on the last day to force an extra game, then coming from behind twice to take the extra game into extra innings. You also saw the best parts of the Twins in Mauer and Nathan doing their thing and the overall resilience of the club. You also saw the things that have plagued them all year - a suspect bullpen, few professional hitters at the back of the order, Alexi Casillas' lack of baseball sense that makes the manager afraid to play him, and you saw some of the defensive liability Delmon Young has been (when he threw to the wrong base in the 11th inning). You also saw some of the value of the much maligned (including by me) Little Nicky Punto who made the kind of head's up defensive play that wouldn't occur to Casillas until December and a couple of very professional at bats in crucial situations (really, fouling off a series of 97 mph fastballs from Rodney in the 9th and 11th innings had Rodney throwing in the 80s by the 12th).
I guess the best thing about the game - and about life - is that it can be so exciting and satisfying despite the flaws!
Congrats Guys. I was very glad to see the Twinkies pull that one out last night. I hope they do well going forward. They are certainly playing better baseball than Detroit going in to the playoffs.
I'll be pulling for ya's.
Rich
Excellent points all, NW.
And we appreciate your support, Rich. I owe you a note, by the way.
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