In March 2002 the Minnesota Twins were one of two teams that were picked to be contracted, eliminated from Major League Baseball. Since then Minnesota has won 5 out of 7 division titles, had 2 Cy Young award winners, 1 MVP, 3 Batting Titles, and another possible MVP this year. They’ve had 4 consecutive seasons of 2 million + in attendance including 2.3 million this year. In 2010 they open brand new Target Field.
Almost eliminated from baseball, almost left for dead, players scattered among other teams, stadium abandoned… A city with one of the richest traditions in baseball history almost had their hearts ripped out by the greedy owners of baseball. Don’t forget 1987, they weren’t the favorites. In 1991 they went from worst to first to stun the Braves with 2 straight extra inning games to steal the title in possibly the greatest world series EVER.
Down 7 games on September 6th, the twins made an improbabe run of 16-4 to tie the division. With 4 games left the twins were 3 games behind the tigers, yet fought to force a tie breaker and game 163. Down 3-0 in the 3rd did the Twins give up? No. First and third with no outs in the top of the 9th did they give up? No. Down 5-4 in the 10th did the twins give up? No… They fought, they scraped, and Alexi Casilla who hits below the mendoza line hit a bloop single scoring Carlos Gomez in the bottom of the 12th to advance.
The Yankees may be the overwhelming favorites, and they deserve to be. They might have 103 wins and be 7-0 against Minnesota this season. But a billion dollars in contracts and an allstar at every position doesn’t mean you win every game.
That doesn’t sound like a team afraid of anything, contraction, seemingly insurmountable leads, players leaving for more money in larger markets, or 103 win fantasy teams. Go ahead and count them out, it’s what they want and they just might surprise you.
Go Twins!
