The Baseball Gods appear to have something against the Minnesota Twins. Perhaps one of the Baseball Gods is a Braves fan, still irked from when Kent Hrbek pulled Ron Gant off of first base during the 1991 World Series. Perhaps the nature lover, Henry David Thoreau, is a Baseball God, unhappy that the Twins built the sterile Metrodome and that hefty bag in right field. Minnesota is still searching for a way to appease these Gods. The state of Minnesota gave the world Prince! Apparently the Gods do not like Purple Rain.
The Baseball Gods have once again dealt the Twins a tough hand in the ALDS, but 2019 is their time to overcome it.
Defense Wins Championships
The Twins face their own personal Goliath – the New York Yankees The Yankees have dominated the Twins for the past 19 years, specifically in the playoffs. It has been embarrassing. Since 2003, the Twins are 2-13 in the playoffs against the Yankees, with zero wins in games not started by Johan Santana.
That being said, this is, after all, a new postseason. The Yankees, while a potent ball club, are not the Yankees of old just as this is not the same Twins team. This is a new Minnesota ball club; a team that no longer plays ‘the Twins way,’ i.e., small ball. Both teams can hit the cover off of the ball, so Minnesota needs to do everything it can in order to slay their Goliath. What they need to do might be expected, which is probably hit a lot of “bombas.” This series may just be won, not with lumber, but with leather.
On paper, both teams are evenly matched. Only small percentage points separate the Twins and Yankees in areas such as OBP and ERA among others. Where Minnesota does hold a significant advantage is in home runs allowed – 198 as compared to New York’s 248. Also, only nine errors separate these two clubs – and that is where the Minnesota Twins have to outperform New York. Jorge Polanco (22 errors), Miguel Sano (19 errors), and Jonathan Schoop (14 errors) have to play clean.
With Luis Arraez’s availability still in question, even more pressure could be on Schoop. Byron Buxton‘s absence due to injury does not help defensively, either.
“Don’t Think – Just Throw”
Minnesota needs to win the game on the field, but the one played in the head is just as important. If the Twins fall behind early, the odds of thoughts like, ‘here we go again …,’ are pretty high. The pressure will be on both teams, but with history on New York’s side, it is very important Minnesota plays loosely. The Twins must also forget the Yankees are 42 and 19 against them in the regular season since 2010 and hold a 13 to 2 in post season play.
From Mike Vaccaro of the NY Post: “The Twins are due to beat the Yankees. Actually, the Twins are due to beat anyone in the postseason because they’ve dropped 13 consecutive postseason games dating back to Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS — and 10 of them have come against the Yankees.”
Experience Matters
Another factor which should aid the Twins is experience. The front office added more than just big bats over the off-season, Thad Levine and crew also brought in winning playoff experience. Schoop, Nelson Cruz, Sergio Romo, and Marwin Gonzalez, all know what it takes to win in October. In order for the Twins to finally lay Goliath to rest, they must share the past experiences they hold with the rest of the roster. Cruz’s work this season with Sano has been critical to Sano turning his season around offensively. That has been huge in keeping the Twins at the top of the American League Central.
The Minnesota Twins must be fearless in this series. The Yankees, though a vaunted franchise, have weaknesses. To win, the Twins have to remember they are playing this New York Yankee team. They are not playing the teams with a .688 winning percentage against them since 2010. These are certainly not the Twins from years past. Maybe, just maybe, they can overcome the hand the Baseball Gods have dealt them.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
