Category: Dailies
Supporting Joe Nathan
With a two-run lead the Minnesota Twins were three outs away from leaving New York tied up at one game apiece. A single off closer Joe Nathan and a two-run homerun later, and the game was all tied. The Twins would go on to lose, and instead of having a great chance heading home, they’ll instead be looking to avoid a sweep when they take the field at the Metrodome for their first home game.
Now is not the time to turn on Joe Nathan. It’s not the time to say he doesn’t deserve what he makes. It’s not the time to say he shouldn’t be put right back in the game if the situation faces the team again. And it’s not the time to trash his ability.
Joe Nathan is one of the best closers in all of baseball, many would argue that he and Mariano Rivera are right up there at the top. This season, Joe Nathan helped the team cap off 47 games, and without his incredible performance in game 163, he might not have been on the mound in that situation in the first place.
Next season, barring an injury or major setback, Joe Nathan will become the team’s all-time saves leader. He already set the single-season saves record this season, and next year he’ll more than likely become the best in franchise history.
No he was not the best this season against the New York Yankees, and no he couldn’t send the Twins home with a game two victory. But Joe Nathan is one of the best closers in all of baseball, he is the closer for the team you support, and one poor game shouldn’t make fans turn their back.
There isn’t a much worse thing a fan can do than turn on a player, and Nathan doesn’t deserve it. Sure it’s the playoffs, and sure it was a huge game, but Nathan has been instrumental in the success of the team since his arrival in 2004. He has been a leader, a winner, and an All-Star, and one game shouldn’t change that.
And We’ll See You, Tomorrow Night!
One season after missing the playoffs by one run and one game, the Minnesota Twins came out on the other end with a 6-5, 12th inning victory in a one-game playoff with the Detroit Tigers. After more than four and a half hours, the Twins became the American League Central Division champions for the first time since the 2006 season.
The emotional roller coaster began in the third inning when the Tigers took a three-run lead, and continued the rest of the way with miraculous escapes from jams and big hits. Fans screamed louder than they have in some time, waved their “Championship Drive” Homer Hankys, and hoped that someway, somehow, the Twins could avoid a second straight tiebreaker loss and win another division behind manager Ron Gardenhire.
They did.
With no Justin Morneau, no Kevin Slowey, no Glen Perkins, and little Francisco Liriano, the Minnesota Twins completed a historic comeback. Down seven games almost four weeks ago to the date, without one of the best hitters in baseball, and different starting pitchers, the Twins rallied back. For the first time in baseball history, a team came back from a three-game deficit in four games to win the division.
As unlikely as it seemed last Thursday night, is how real it has become. Overcoming odds is nothing new for the Minnesota Twins, but even this latest effort is hard to fathom.
There was the huge double-play behind Joe Nathan, the huge strikeouts from Jon Rauch, Ron Mahay, and Bobby Keppel, and the strong effort from the once demoted Jesse Crain. There was the homerun by Jason Kubel, the unbelievable homerun by Orlando Cabrera, and the game-winning single by Alexi Casilla and run by Carlos Gomez. And finally, there was the celebration for the team’s fifth Central Division title.
Where would the Twins be without Carl Pavano, Rauch, Mahay and Cabrera? Where would they be if they hadn’t been in front of a regular season Metrodome record, 54,088 fans? That question thankfully needs no answer, with one of the greatest baseball games in recent memory, The Minnesota Twins are going to the playoffs.
One Day. One Game. One Season.
For the second time in as many seasons, the Twins’ playoff hopes will come down to one game. One game will decide if the Minnesota Twins end their season as one of twenty-two non-playoff teams or continue it as the American League Central champions. The record can be thrown out, it is now insignificant. The one game that the Twins currently stare in the face will determine the season’s path, and the implications are clear: win and go to New York, lose and go home.
One year ago, almost to the very date, the Twins threw the records out and took the field in Chicago to decide their fate. One run in one game ended the season, and a moment of opportunity became a moment of heartbreak. If there is one team that knows what it is like to have a tiebreaker determine the purpose of the previous six months, it’s the Twins. When they take the field against Detroit, they’ll do so in historic fashion – as the first team to ever play in a one-game playoff in back-to-back seasons.
What seemed impossible on Thursday night, became reality on Sunday. Trailing by two games with three remaining entering the weekend, the Twins faced an uphill battle to win or tie for the division. The likelihood of such things happening were small, but as the team took the field Sunday, they did so tied atop the American League Central.
A Twins win coupled with a Detroit loss would have guaranteed the playoffs for Minnesota and been the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. After the Tigers avoided a late comeback attempt by Chicago however, the Twins’ victory meant only a guaranteed tiebreaker game to be played at the Metrodome, and a first in baseball history – until this past weekend, no team had ever blown a three-game lead in four days.
Four weeks ago when the Twins trailed Detroit by seven games, things looked bleak, and the chances looked even more bleak when Morneau’s season ended three weeks ago. Behind heart-filled performances from the likes of Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young and others, the Twins now have a chance of a lifetime.
One game, on one day, will decide the fate of the entire season. The Twins have been in the situation before and know the disappointment. They now have a chance, in front of more than 50,000 fans, to change last season’s outcome, make one more memory and win one more division under the roof.
Glimmer of Hope
Never before in the history of Major League Baseball has it happened. No team has ever made the playoffs down two games in the playoff race with just three games remaining. The Twins face that exact scenario as they begin their final regular season series at the Metrodome this weekend, but don’t tell the team it isn’t possible.
Before team leader Joe Mauer won his first batting title a few years ago, no American League catcher had ever accomplished such a thing. It wasn’t possible by history’s standards, but it happened, and now Mauer is three games away from a third silver bat.
It’s highly unlikely maybe that the Twins can make the improbable comeback and face New York next Wednesday in the first game of the ALDS, but for at least another day the Minnesota Twins’ season continues as more than just a countdown to the end.
When the Twins take the field against the Kansas City Royals for the last first-game of a home series under the roof, they’ll do so as contenders in the one remaining undecided division in baseball. Sure many things may need to fall into place for the improbable comeback to occur, but the chance is there.
The first thing the Twins must do to maintain their chance is win; they must win at least two games to have any hope, and there’s a good chance they’ll need to complete one final sweep at the Metrodome. The other thing? Cheer for Chicago.
There are three situations in which the Twins could have a chance, but it’ll take a strong effort against the Royals and a lot of help from the White Sox:
- To win the division with no one-game playoff, the Twins would need to sweep Kansas City and the White Sox would need to sweep Detroit at Comerica.
- To tie for the division and force a one-game playoff, the Twins would need to sweep Kansas City and the White Sox would need to win two out of three against Detroit.
- To tie for the division and force a one-game playoff, the Twins would need to win two out of three against Kansas City and the White Sox would need to sweep Detroit.
Any of the three possibilities are farfetched, but some magic in front of expected crowds of well over 40,000 fans Friday and well over 50,000 fans on Saturday and Sunday could provide a boost.
The Twins have played all season for a chance, and with three days they now have one. The team controls only part of their fate, but maybe, just maybe, there will be one more Metrodome memory worth holding on to.
A Roller Coaster Day
It was an early morning for the Twins and Tigers as the two teams met up at Comerica Park for a morning matchup. After some good pitching by both starters and some late scoring, the Minnesota Twins moved within a game of Detroit with a 3-2 victory in ten innings.
Game one of the day-night doubleheader went in the Twins’ favor, but a two-game sweep was not meant to be. Behind one of the league’s best starters, Justin Verlander, the Tigers knocked off the Twins in the night game to extend their divisional lead to two games with two remaining in the four-game series.
Leaving Detroit tied atop the American League Central will not be an easy task for the Twins, but it is possible. Should the Twins split the next two games with the Tigers, many things will need to fall into place over the weekend for them to see a playoff berth become a reality. If they can win the next two games behind Carl Pavano and Scott Baker however, they’ll enter the final regular season series with a strong chance.
Winning two games in a row in Detroit with so much on the line will take a strong effort from the starters and the offense, but the Twins will have a chance and there are reasons to be optimistic.
- The Twins were able to split the doubleheader while facing the two best pitchers they will face this series. Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander are the best the Twins will face this series, and the Twins managed to score four runs against Verlander, a top-five pitcher in the league.
- The next two games will feature the team’s best two pitchers: Scott Baker and Carl Pavano. Baker has been a solid pitcher since June, and Pavano is 4-0 against Detroit this season.
- Eddie Bonnie and Nate Robertson aren’t pushovers, but they aren’t nearly what Verlander and Procello are. Bonine is coming off a solid outing against the White Sox and Robertson handled the Twins last weekend, but it’s better than Verlander, Porcello or Jackson in such huge games.
The ideal situation after winning the first game of the series would have been to win the second one too. Doing so would have assured the Twins of playing meaningful baseball this weekend, and more so, it would have taken a lot of pressure off the team for the final two games.
That didn’t happen however, and now the Twins are forced to win the next two games to have a great chance heading into the final series with Kansas City. Splitting in Detroit will be more of a victory for the Tigers than the Twins and the Twins would need many things to fall into place to gain two games in three days.
Anything is possible, and the Twins are still alive. It’s been a long time since two games meant so much, but now more than ever before the Twins must put together a two-game winning streak behind their top pitchers.
There’s a Chance
For nearly six months now and a total of 155 games, the Minnesota Twins have managed to keep themselves in the thick of the American League Central. A recent hot streak in the past week or two has propelled the club to an 81-74 record with one week remaining in the regular season.
From the time the season starts in late February with spring training to the time the real season kicks off in the first days of April and then finally until all 162 games are completed, each team plays almost every day for a chance.
Teams play for a chance, a chance to be in the type of situation that the Twins find themselves in on their trip to Detroit. Some teams lock up a playoff berth well before the final week, many others lock up a look ahead to the next season well before that. Some others aren’t lucky enough to have their playoff ticket stamped, but they are lucky to be playing for more of a reason than just counting down the days until off-season golf.
The Twins are one of those few teams.
While the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees rest and align themselves for their first playoff series, the Minnesota Twins find themselves entering Detroit trailing by two games with a chance to leave on Thursday night leading the division, tied for the division lead, or in a worst case scenario, eliminated from the division.
There is no doubt that the Twins would much rather be setting up their rotation for the first games of the American League Divisional Series, but they are lucky nonetheless. They’re lucky to be playing for something and to have a chance; no matter how difficult the outlook may seem.
Come Friday when the Twins kick off their final regular season series at the Metrodome, they could be playing for their season or playing to finish up a long, 162 game year before heading to the warm weather down south. Whatever may happen, the Twins have made it to the final week still alive. For the next four days, the team will have what many others would love to have at this point: a chance.
Chasing 254
When the Minnesota Twins acquired Joe Nathan prior to the 2004 season, he was simply one of the three guys that the team received in exchange for A.J. Pierzynski. Six seasons later, Nathan is now the guy that is well on track to break the team’s all-time saves record.
Thus far in 2009, Nathan has taken the mound and closed out 42 games for the Twins. The total places him second in all of baseball behind only Brian Fuentes (43) and in front of future Hall of Fame closer, Mariano Rivera.
Since Nathan joined the club in 2004, he has collected at least 36 saves each year, and saved a career high 44 games in his first season with the club. With 13 games remaining, Nathan had collected 42 saves over the course of the 2009 season, his third best season of his career.
With six solid seasons under his belt, Nathan has quickly moved up the franchise’s all-time saves board and currently stands in second place behind only Rick Aguilera with 241 saves as a Minnesota Twin.
With a 4-year, $47 million deal signed last March, Nathan is under the team’s control through the 2012 season, three more years. The team’s all-time saves leader, Aguilera, ended his Twins career with 254 saves in 11 seasons. While he played for the team for 11 seasons, Aguilera was the full time closer for only 8 of those years.
Nathan is now only 13 saves away from tying the record, and he should tie and then pass the mark early next season. If the All-Star closer averages 36 saves over his next three seasons with Minnesota, his lowest total to date in Minneapolis, he’ll be right near 350 saves when his extension runs out.
Not many knew what the Twins were receiving when they traded their starting catcher six season ago, but now they have one of the best closers in baseball, one who has made three All-Star Game appearances, and one who should soon be the best closer in team history.
No More Morneau
After putting up impressive numbers in the first portion of the season, former MVP award winner Justin Morneau set himself up for a career year. Poor performances in the months of August and September saw his average drop and his projections go with. Now however, there might be an explanation.
A test has revealed that Morneau has a stress fracture in his back, and while no surgery is required for such an injury, his season is over. While the team stands at 72-72 on the season and 5.5 games back of Detroit with seven games remaining against them and 18 remaining overall, any run at the playoffs will need to be completed without one of the league’s best players.
Morneau’s loss however could lead to another player’s gain. The Twins in no way will be better off without Morneau, but his absence will ensure consistent playing time for both Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young over the final stretch of the season.
Through much of the season, the outfield has consisted of both Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer day in and day out with Gomez and Young rotating in the final spot. Cuddyer will move up in the order and up down the right field line to first base while both Gomez and Young will receive opportunities to prove their worth not only for the remainder of this season, but possibly for the next one too.
Through 81 games, Morneau was on pace for a .311 average to go along with 38 homeruns and 131 RBI. Now his season is over after just 135 games. Morneau’s average dropped 28 points in the past month, leading to questions about his health. How long Morneau played through the pain is uncertain, but the team and fans finally have a good answer for his drop in production.
The season has been cut short for Morneau, but the left-handed slugger still reached key milestones with 30 homeruns and 100 RBI during the 2009 season. With rest and rehab he should be fully healthy by the end of the year and ready for the inaugural season at Target Field next spring.
09 – 09 – 09
Today marks a unique day in history as the date, September 9, 2009 transforms to 09/09/09. It’ll happen again next October, again two years from now in November, and then again three years from now in December. After that moment, it’ll be many years before the day, month and year match up again.
To commemorate the unique day in history, we take a look at the list of all players to ever where number nine for the Minnesota Twins.
Billy Gardner (1961)
Rich Rollins (1961-68)
Charlie Manuel (1969-72)
Larry Hisle (1973-77)
Bombo Rivera (1978-80)
Mickey Hatcher (1981-86)
Gene Larkin (1987-93)
Matt Walbeck (1995-96)
Orlando Merced (1998)
A.J. Pierzynski (1998-99)
Jason Maxwell (2000-01)
Steve Liddle (2002-09)
Two people, A.J. Pierzynski and Steve Liddle, stand out to the general fan, and Liddle has held the uniform for the longest time, followed closely by Gene Larkin who wore it for six seasons.
Charlie Manuel too is a familiar name; he has since become the manager for the Philadelphia Phillies and led them to a World Series title last season.
That’s Baseball
For more than a week, the Minnesota Twins worked at cutting down Detroit’s division lead. With series victories and key losses by Detroit, the Twins managed to work themselves into second place and within 3.5 games of the Tigers with one month remaining.
A blown save on Wednesday followed by a Tigers victory on Thursday and another Twins loss on Friday, and what looked like a team on the rise turned into a team moving in reverse. A few difficult losses coupled with a Tiger’s winning streak, and over the span of three days the Twins went from a reasonable window to a six game deficit with under 30 games remaining.
That’s baseball.
The Twins found out firsthand last season that one game does make a difference. A streak of poor baseball in the final weeks of August kept the team from making a move, and a one-game playoff loss to the Chicago White Sox left players and fans wondering what went wrong.
This season the Twins have learned about inconsistency. While Joe Mauer has put forth a historic season and Jason Kubel has made a breakthrough, inconsistency has kept the Twins around the .500 mark through five months.
The Twins find themselves scratching to stay alive with just under four weeks and 30 games remaining on the 2009 schedule. Until the playoff vision is gone however, you can bet the team won’t give up. But any sort of surge will need to begin immediately. The Twins have seven remaining meetings with the Tigers, and those meetings are what provide life.
Back in ’06 the Twins found out what a late surge can do, last season they learned what one game can do, and this season they’ve learned all about inconsistency. Baseball is a crazy game, and the Twins have seen it all first hand. As Kirby Puckett once said, anything is possible.
A Voice From Twins Territory 