AND THATS A CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!&#33

[Kalapse]

[witesoxfan]

 

those Cubans really like their cigars

[Heads22]

those Cubans really like their cigars

 

Especially that white one in the middle.

[NorthSideSox72]

Say what you will about the trash on that Twins team that commonly talks garbage (Morneau, Cuddyer, Punto), but Gardenhire is a class act and a guy any team would be lucky to have.

Morneau? I think you meant Gomez. I've seen nothing but class from Morneau.

 

[ptatc]

 

Hey!!!! No smoking and drinking while that achilles tendon is healing!!!! He is 75 years old and doesn't heal like he used to!!!!!

 

[Brian]

Went to Sports Authority after the gym, just to see if they got anything in early. At 5pm, they were just putting out Sox t-shirts, so I got one for myself and my dad. Also wanted a hat but they didn't have any yet.

[witesoxfan]

Especially that white one in the middle.

 

that's actually my older uncle...we defected in 1992, but I don't remember much from it. I haven't talked to him much, and since that time, he's changed his last name.

 

[knightni]

that's actually my older uncle...we defected in 1992, but I don't remember much from it. I haven't talked to him much, and since that time, he's changed his last name.

You probably knew him as Donaldo Cooperez.

[WilliamTell]

I was listening to KFAN today, which is a Minnesota sports radio station and they were slamming Joe Mauer like no other because of bunting in his 3rd at bat. They were calling him afraid to hit against Danks since he had strucken out both previous times. Being the league leader in batting average, you shouldn't try for a bunt to get on base, according to them.

 

I kind of agree with them, you have to question bunting when he's the league leader in average.

[greg775]

Thought you guys would like to read this take on the Twins making excuses. Good stuff, especially considering we won the damn coin toss.

 

Twins had the advantages but didn’t capitalize

(PHOTOS)

By Patrick Reusse

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

(MCT)

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox of 1978 fielded two very powerful lineups. The Yankees chased down the Red Sox from fourth place and 14 games behind in mid-July, and the teams wound up tied at 99-63 at the top of the American League East.

These were seven victories more than Kansas City had posted to win the West, yet only one team could advance to play the Royals in the ALCS.

The Yankees had won six of seven from the Red Sox in September to finish with an 8-5 advantage in the season series. No matter. A coin flip in mid-September determined if there was need for a one-game playoff it would be in Fenway Park.

Did the Yankees and Bob Lemon, their third manager of the season, complain about this? Did Yankees fans make excuses beforehand because the Red Sox had a home park advantage?

Not that anyone can recall.

The Yankees knew for a couple of weeks what the result of a first-place tie would be. They went to Fenway and won 5-4, with Bucky Dent’s infamous three-run home run wiping out a 2-0 Boston lead.

Thirty years later, this attempt to make it seem as if the Twins were treated unfairly because they were required to play Tuesday night’s sudden-death game in Chicago is nauseating.

Roy Smalley and Ron Coomer, the brains and the brawn of FSN North’s postgame show, embraced this angle after Tuesday’s loss. Clearly, this pandering toward the Twins and the viewing public was suggested by a producer, because Smalley and Coomer played and they understand that any ballclub that needs its home field to win a single game doesn’t deserve a postseason chance.

This is especially true in the case of the 2008 Twins, a team that won 14 of its last 34 on the regular schedule. A team that plays at a .412 pace over the final five weeks should get on its knees and thank the baseball gods for the chance to play one game any time, any place that would allow it to continue into October.

The Twins got that opportunity, and how did they seize it? By getting two hits — two lousy hits — and allowing lefty John Danks and closer Bobby Jenks to face two hitters over the minimum.

The Twins and the White Sox were in close competition in the final weeks of the season, even with the Whities missing Carlos Quentin, a newly arrived slugger who would’ve led the league in home runs and probably locked up the MVP award.

The White Sox also played the closing weeks without third baseman Joe Crede, more of a loss to them than was Michael Cuddyer’s absence with the Twins.

The Twins had every advantage against the White Sox. They had better health and younger legs, and yet they played pathetic baseball against Seattle, Oakland, Toronto, Cleveland and finally Kansas City, and refused to take advantage of Chicago’s mediocrity.

The Twins were fortunate to back into a one-game playoff on the wings of .412 baseball, and they responded with two hits, and their TV partners and multitudes of fans want to hand them an excuse?

Excuse me while I wretch.

When you’re as overmatched as the Twins were by Danks on Tuesday, there’s not an artificial turf in the world with enough cheap hits to allow a lineup to get a run.

Danks was outstanding. The Twins were helpless. End of story.

To no one’s surprise, the players now have gone from muffled complaints about a coin flip to adopting the excuse. Joe Nathan said Wednesday that he was going to approach the players association about getting rid of coin flips.

Guess what? If Nathan, the $12 million closer, had thrown more fastballs rather than getting behind in the count trying to fool hitters, he wouldn’t have had four horrendous blown saves down the stretch and a mid-September coin flip would’ve been meaningless.

Playing .412 baseball for five weeks, and then needing two runs and settling for two hits — the Twins wound up with exactly what they deserved, which was a restful October.

Do yourselves a favor, media apologists, hardcore fans and now uniformed personnel? Grow up.

Stop whining about a coin flip. And don’t start up again next month, when Justin Morneau rightfully finishes behind Boston’s Dustin Pedroia — and maybe others — for the MVP award.

———

© 2008, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Visit the Star Tribune Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.startribune.com

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

[The Bones]

Just gotta say how satisfying this win was I'm still sort of feeling the effects of it. Before the game was the most pumped I've ever been for a game (even more than any of the '05 playoffs). Simply because it was a single game that determined our whole season, no second chances if we lost like in a playoff series. Plus it was the Twins and after seeing them celebrate last week it was so nice to see our guys return the favor.

 

Talk about a change in momentum/confidence/attitude after last week. I hope these guys can ride this wave for another 11 wins!

[greg775]

I agree; no matter what happens and the rays are damn good, at least we held off those f***heads, the Twins.

[TLAK]

One last comment on the game, wasn't it great to hear Nancy Faust again? I really miss her playing the night games. Even in such an intense game her word play (like Morneau has broken ...) brought a needed smile. And when they pulled Blackburn she really pumped up "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye", between the organ and the crowd singing, the place absolutely shook. Old time White Sox baseball, baby.

 

Funny, the impressions that stick with you. It was quite a night.

[southsider2k5]

I was listening to KFAN today, which is a Minnesota sports radio station and they were slamming Joe Mauer like no other because of bunting in his 3rd at bat. They were calling him afraid to hit against Danks since he had strucken out both previous times. Being the league leader in batting average, you shouldn't try for a bunt to get on base, according to them.

 

I kind of agree with them, you have to question bunting when he's the league leader in average.

 

Two things at work there.

 

He definately did us a favor by bunting in that exact situation. Secondly, that is a hit in the dome. He deadened that ball so much because he is used to the roll on the turf in the RollerDome. At a grass stadium the ball sticks. Mauer didn't adjust for the road.

[southsider2k5]

One last comment on the game, wasn't it great to hear Nancy Faust again? I really miss her playing the night games. Even in such an intense game her word play (like Morneau has broken ...) brought a needed smile. And when they pulled Blackburn she really pumped up "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye", between the organ and the crowd singing, the place absolutely shook. Old time White Sox baseball, baby.

 

Funny, the impressions that stick with you. It was quite a night.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that, because I said it early, and had forgotten about it in the midst of the rest of the game. Nothing is as great as Nancy playing some Steam, while 40,000 of her closest friends sing-a-long.