Thanks for the memories....
Goodbye Dome. While I hated to watch baseball inside of you, you nonetheless, have given us some great memories over the last 27 years. '87 and '91 were very, very special, so for that, I thank you and bid you well. Honestly, I think you're going to need it. Please enjoy these next couple of years as fully as you can, because you're days are clearly numbered. You've got until the end of the 2011 football season, and that's it.... then kablooeeey, you are history.
While not the ending we wanted, I wanted to take a minute and thank the 2009 twins for a good season. While you frustrated the hell out of me for most of the season with your drive to stay at .500, you certainly played hard all year, and to finish strongly as you did, without your 2nd best player, well that made it even sweeter to get into the playoffs. No. 163 was epic, and to be on the right side of one of the best games of the year, made all that season-long frustration more palatable. No. 165 wasn't too shabby either (though I was ready to ring your neck Go-Go), and would have felt even sweeter had the outcome been different. All in all, you gave me, the fan, all that I ask for as a fan of a middle-market team: you tried to add in the offseason (I know, I know, you certainly could have done more, but still...), you competed, you didn't give up, in an effort to make the playoffs you made moves that improved the team ( I certainly like punto better as a 2nd baseman than I do a shortstop), you made the playoffs and you competed with a 103-win juggernaut....
All in all, I leave the 2009 season hopeful for 2010, and I ask that do a little more this offseason than you feel comfortable doing. It's a big year, you're going into a new stadium, you have some young talent at their prime of their careers, and you have a a lot of great components to making a championship caliber team. Here's what I think you need to do: Sign Mauer up, don't let it go until next season, add a third baseman- not one currently playing in Japan, or that is going through therapy to repair a major injury- preferably a right-hitting third baseman, add a pitcher, the rotation is still a legitimate starter short, keep Cabrera- I like what he brings to the team- he feels like a good fit for the Twins, and try to fix Delmon, he showed a few glimmers of what he could be, but is still too inconsistent.
4 Comments:
In the classic chistmas movie a Christmas Story, the bully scott Farkas terrorizes Ralphie and his buddies throughout. Finally, Ralphie snaps and beats Scott Farkas face into a bloody pulp ending the Farkas' reign. I am hoping that eventually this is what happens with the Twins and the Yanks. That at some point the Twins will erupt for 20 runs in a game and the monkey will be off their back. Until then it is more arm twisting, uncles, blown saves, dingers, bad ground rule doubles* and heartache.
I agree that the Twins need to sign Cabrera. He is fiesty and I think a good fit.I would not mind seeing Pavano back. Obviously there are a lot of decisions to be made about the starting pitching staff. IMO I think Liriano is the next Boof Bonser.
*Seriously how do we screwed coming and going on ground rule doubles against the Yanks in the playoffs? A couple of years ago we got screwed when we had a man on first that would score easily except the ball hops the wall and we end up stranding him on third. I am sure I do not need to recap this years events.
October 13, 2009 at 7:32 AM
i am pretty angry still about the series. The blown opportunities, the blown calls, the total departure at key moments from twins baseball. but, still, it was an amazing run and it's hard not to be a little philosophical about a good group of scrappy guys who played largely above their pay and ability to make for an unbelievable story.
That said, they also played very much below their ability when it mattered most. But, i'm convincing myself to just let that go. we got worked over by a better team. probably much better. that lineup is top to bottom one of the best i have ever seen. i don't rememnber a lot of teams where there is not a single easy out in their order. And with all that, the twins were in the drivers seat to beat them consistently throughout the series and the season. I see that as the challenge for next year. They are good enough to play with the very best in baseball. But we can and should expect more than just playing with the best. We can BE the best. Next year, just getting there won't be good enough. Now they have to make that next step and be the team that beats those teams. So strap it on.
Until then, to the 2009 Minnesota Twins, i say thank you. You made my life better, albeit for a few short months. i look forward to seeing you in your new house.
PS: To the Pohlads: A beautiful new house always looks better with nice furniture, so don't go stocking up at IKEA in the off season.
October 13, 2009 at 9:02 AM
** RTS - Koskie, 2004. Twins up a run, don't score the next, Yankees get one to tie it up in the 9th and win in extra innings. I think.
I'm still having trouble getting my anger level down over this one. It's already at close to meltdown over the "Yankee Problem" generally, but having fundamental mistakes and bad umping contribute in these playoffs just put me over the top. I'm just bummed that the heart and grit that we all saw toward the end of the season, which got us to the playoffs, was so absent against the Yankees. Everyone who didn't follow this team all year, who didn't understand the depth of our lack of depth, and the relative depth of our injury list compared to the usual nicks and cuts, and how great a season Mauer had, came away with the following impression after watching us implode against Les Yanquis: Why are these guys in the playoffs? That team sucks. They claim fundamental soundness and hustle but they can't even run the bases correctly.
And, god, the 8th inning was hard to suffer through on Sunday. I was to the point of saying just lob it in there and let someone hit it out so we can get this over with, already. I wanted to go to bed. I had no interest in watching the last inning of professional ball to ever be played in the Dome. That's kind of sad.
I'll start thinking about '10 sometime in December or so.
October 13, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Gents, excellent summary. I think I feel a bit of everything mentioned. I went from not caring about the Twins in August to caring deeply. That says a lot. I guess I'm glad I missed the playoff games...though I am so disappointed to have missed the one-gamer against Detroit.
MCA - great point about the outside perception of the Twins after our usual roll-over-and-die act in NY. The whole world thinks we stunk, but in reality, we got screwed in game 2 and at least hung tough in Game 3 (despite stupid errors)...all minus our 2nd best player and former MVP.
October 17, 2009 at 2:01 AM
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