NY Yankees Had the Minnesota Twins at "Hello"

For the fourth time in the last eight years, the New York Yankees eliminated the Minnesota Twins from the playoffs in the American League Divisional Series. And with Saturday evening’s completion of a series sweep for the second consecutive year, the Yankees have bested Minnesota in 12 of 14 games in the postseason since 2003.

But when the series began last week, the Twins had every reason to believe this would be the year they would dispel the notion New York had their number. Minnesota finished the regular season with an American League-best 53-28 record at Target Field, where the series commenced, while the Yankees won only 9 of their last 26 games to conclude the season amidst a myriad of concerns about the strength of their starting rotation.

In Game 1, Twins left-handed ace Francisco Liriano held New York scoreless for five innings as his offense staked him to a 3-0 lead entering the top of the sixth. However, given their playoff history, the ugly truth for Minnesota was that no lead is safe against the Yankees.

So when Mark Teixeira doubled down the left-field line, Alex Rodriguez drew a walk, and Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada followed with RBI singles to make it a 3-2 ball game, it was simply a matter of time before New York captured the lead to set the stage for another record-breaking save from Mariano Rivera.

Only one batter later, Curtis Granderson, who had been 4-22 against Liriano, tripled off the scoreboard in right-center field to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead to steal the hearts of the Twins for the umpteenth time.

Even a bases loaded walk surrendered by Yankees 21-game winner CC Sabathia, who clearly didn’t have his best stuff, in the bottom of the inning to tie the game couldn’t repair a Minnesota psyche that was completely crushed by Mark Teixeira’s two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.

The icing on the cake was the Twins’ failure to capitalize on a blown call in the bottom of the ninth that gave them an extra out against the best closer in the history of Major League Baseball. In what should have been the last out of the game, replays clearly showed that Yankees right outfielder Greg Golson, a defensive substitute, caught Delmon Young’s sinking line drive.

However, Golson’s catch was ruled a trap after the umpires huddled for a discussion, which subsequently brought Jim Thome to the plate as the potential tying run. But Thome, a member of the 500-home run club, was retired on a popup to third baseman Alex Rodriguez to end the contest. Game over, series over.

Minnesota would proceed to bow out of the playoffs with a whimper, losing the final two games by a combined score of 11-3. But, make no mistake about it, Game 1 of the series set the stage for what immediately followed.

So a series that had the potential to be as competitive and compelling as any of the remaining three turned into what has essentially become the Yankees’ biennial first-round bye.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation.

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Yankees' Andy Pettitte Is This Generation's Mr. October

With concerns about how his back would hold up and whether he fully recuperated from a groin injury that sidelined him for two months, Andy Pettitte entered this postseason as one of the question marks in the New York Yankees starting rotation. But what makes Pettitte special is there’s only one thing he does when the calendar flips to October: win.

In seven innings of work against the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the American League Divisional Series, Pettitte surrendered only two runs on five hits to add to his record total of victories in the postseason (19). More importantly though, Pettitte’s solid outing propelled the Yankees to a commanding 2-0 lead over the Twins with the series heading back to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 Saturday evening.

So, in New York’s last five postseason appearances (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010), all Pettitte has done is go 9-2 with an ERA of 2.99 and 84 strikeouts in 102.5 innings pitched. This includes three series-clinching wins in last year’s postseason, to bring his record total to six, in the Yankees’ run to their 27th World Series Championship.

Detractors will certainly point to Pettitte’s playoff record totals in victories (19), series-clinching wins (6), starts (41) and innings pitched (256.0) resulting from his good fortune of being a member of the New York Yankees. However, this doesn’t change the fact that Pettitte consistently produces, when the stakes are the highest, without the velocity of an Aroldis Chapman or the dynamic stuff of a Stephen Strasburg.

What Pettitte has managed to do over the course of his postseason career is become a master of the ‘game within the game’; utilizing a combination of his brain, his heart and his will to continually confound lineup after lineup in spite of his advancing age and declination in athletic prowess.

For these reasons, whether it was in his prime or in his current twilight, Pettitte should be considered as vital to the Yankees’ recent championship runs (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009) as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera; arguably justifying Pettitte’s claim to the mantle of this generation’s Mr. October.

In addition, when his regular season and postseason numbers are laid out on the table, there should be little question that Pettitte is worthy of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. After all, Hall of Fame hurlers such as Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Ford amassed fewer victories than Pettitte has in the regular season (240) and their respective postseason resumés aren’t nearly as impressive. But Pettitte’s Hall of Fame worthiness is and will be a subject for another discussion.

For the time being, his quiet brilliance should be applauded and appreciated each time the venerable 38-year-old takes the mound because this could very well be the final go-around for Pettitte in pinstripes or any other baseball uniform for that matter.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation.

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Game 1 of ALDS Presents Must-Win Situation for NY Yankees

When it comes to the MLB postseason, the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees are certainly no strangers to one another as they will be locking horns in the American League Divisional Series (ALDS) for the fourth time in the past eight years. Unfortunately for the team from the ‘Twin Cities’ not much of a rivalry has resulted from their frequent pairing with the Bronx Bombers.

In the previous three series, including last year’s best-of-five contest, the Yankees have owned the Twins, winning nine of eleven games on their way to unceremoniously ending Minnesota’s playoff run in three out of the last seven years.

However, when the first pitch is thrown at Target Field Wednesday evening this series will have an entirely different feel than those of 2003, 2004 and 2009 because, believe it or not, the Twins have a legitimate shot at dethroning the defending World Series Champions.

Since July 8, which is when Minnesota lost All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau for the season, the Twins won 48 of their remaining 74 games to run away with the American League Central while the bullpen continued to function efficiently without the services of All-Star closer Joe Nathan, who missed the entire 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

During that same period, the Yankees barely finished above .500, going 41-36, and came up on the short end of the stick in the season-long struggle with the Tampa Bay Rays for American League East supremacy.

The bigger concern for New York, and the main reason the Twins have their best chance to advance past the ALDS for the first time since 1991, is a shaky Yankees’ starting rotation that boasts 21-game winner CC Sabathia and little worth writing home about beyond their ace.

With A.J. Burnett on the outside looking in due to a miserable season in which he went 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has decided to go with an untested Phil Hughes, who has appeared in 11 postseason games in his career while posting an ERA of 5.25; including an 8.53 ERA in 6.1 innings of work last year.

Girardi’s three-man rotation also consists of grizzled veteran Andy Pettitte, whose postseason resumé is unequivocally beyond reproach in light of his MLB record 18 victories. However, the 38-year-old Pettitte was sidelined for two months this season with a groin injury and went 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his only two starts since mid-July.

So, realistically speaking, the Yankees are banking on Sabathia to be every bit as dominating as he was in last year’s postseason where he went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA and 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Twins in the ALDS.

Simultaneously, New York is hoping Andy Pettitte is fully recovered from his recent injury to continue his postseason brilliance and Phil Hughes quickly finds his legs in the first postseason starts of his young career.

Therefore, in this short series, it’s absolutely crucial the Yankees come away with a victory in Game 1, with their starting ace on the mound, to take the wind out of the sails of a Minnesota Twin team brimming with confidence and guarantee that Sabathia will start at least one more game in the series if Hughes and Pettitte don’t hold up their end of the bargain, which is a strong possibility given the preponderance of evidence.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation.

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How The MLB Playoffs Can Get More Bang For Its Buck

Ah, it’s that great time in baseball again.

The 22 teams who were only delaying the inevitable end to their season have all cleared out their lockers and headed home to watch the final eight teams square off and hope they can be the team of destiny in 2010.

This MLB postseason is different from many others. While the usual signature teams are on-board for most of the divisional series (Yankees and Phillies), newcomers are stepping up to prime time after years of absence (Rangers, Reds, Giants).

With such a variety of mixes among teams and what they feature, this postseason has the makings of being a memorable year that will forever be etched in baseball history.

Here are some dreamy, intriguing scenarios that may possibly come up in the playoffs:


- Texas Rangers vs Cincinnati Reds For The World Series Title

Many playoff underdogs are always fan favorites and what better way to have a battle for a title than two teams who no one thought would make the post season.

Seeing the Rangers in the World Series would be interesting, given the team has never made it past the first round of a playoff series. Having them take their first series in the playoffs would be tasty, but seeing them get all the way to the end of the road would be the icing on the cake.

The Cincinnati Reds would make a great foe for the Rangers, as they have not been in the playoffs since the 90s. Although they have won titles in the past, they have become a distant memory as a post season usual since the new century was ushered in ten years ago.

Aside from being insignificant in recent playoff memories, the offensive onslaught both squads would provide would make baseball officials drool. The World Series would be long balls galore in this match up with Josh Hamilton, Joey Votto, Vladimir Guerrero and Brandon Phillips.

- New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies For World Series Title

Let’s face it, Americans are suckers for an encore.

What better than an encore of last year’s World Series match up and arguably the two most complete squads from both leagues in 2010.

Last season, the Yankees bested the Phillies in the 2009 championship winning the series four games to two. If both teams were to face off against one another again, the assumption would be that the series would go the distance.

New faces are a feature to the Phillies in comparison to last year’s team. Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt are improvements over last year’s Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez as potential game one and two starters. The offense remains intact similar to last season.

The Yankees are essentially the same team that stepped onto the diamond for the 2009 World Series. Aside from losing Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera, New York brings the same strengths as last season and would be equally as difficult to topple.

- Joe Mauer vs Buster Posey

In all of sports, catcher ranks highly with running back as the position that takes the most punishment and has the shortest shelf life line. The task of catching is an arduous one as they are asked to be in a crouching position for nearly three hours and holding onto nearly 100 mile-per-hour fastballs hurled in their direction, all while outsmarting the opponent’s offense.

Joe Mauer is the poster boy and at the top-of-the-line when it comes to catcher position in baseball. Not only can he do it all defensively, but he also just as important to the Twins offense with his bat.

Buster Posey is a rising star in baseball who is a top candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old played out a great first season in the MLB and appears ready to do more damage in the playoffs.

Having the current top player behind the plate going up against the up-and-coming young catcher face off against one another would be great baseball for fans to enjoy.

- If The Tampa Bay Rays Make It To The World Series, Will Anyone Be There?

Imagine a World Series with nearly no one in attendance.

That could be a possibility if the Rays can reach that pinnacle.

During the final few weeks of the season, Rays 3B Evan Longoria explained to the media how frustrated he was that the fans of the team would not come out to the stadium to support the team. The team even dispersed free tickets to its last game of the season hoping to revive fans’ interest in coming out and filling the stadium as best as possible.

The thought of the Rays possibly getting to the World Series with very little fan support is a comical premonition. Major League officials will be blowing steam off the top of their heads when considering the fact that the low attendance would mean less interest by those watching with no crowd getting loud and going nuts.

Maybe MLB officials may have to do what the team did and give out tickets, but that would be doubtful as it would be a huge blow financially for the league.

- Can Bobby Cox Go Out On Top?

Fourteen straight division titles and numerous playoff moments have been a signature for the Atlanta Braves through the 1990s and early 2000s. The reason for their success: manager Bobby Cox.

In what will be his final season with the Braves, Cox has managed his team successfully to a wild card berth in the last game of the regular season. Now the team has the opportunity to give their manager one last shot at a title, an achievement he has reached only once in all the years he took his team to the playoffs.

Going out on top would be a magical way for the manager to leave; although no matter the outcome, he will most assuredly be in the discussion as one of the greatest coach to ever lead a baseball team out on the field.

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Minnesota Twins "Christmas Story" Commercial

For those of you that do not know, the Minnesota Twins are opening a new outdoor stadium this season.

They have been on a recent advertising campaign for Target Field and this is the latest commercial spot which features an homage to a scene from "A Christmas Story".

Hey look, Bud Grant made a cameo!



(Courtesy of Big League Stew)

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Denard Span Hits His Own Mother With A Foul Ball During Spring Training Game

TAMPA, Fla. -- Minnesota Twins outfielder Denard Span hit a foul ball that struck his mother in the chest in the first inning of Wednesday's spring training game against the New York Yankees.

Wanda Wilson was wearing a Span jersey and sitting with about 20 family members and friends near the third-base dugout. Span, batting leadoff, took a defensive swing against Yankees starter Phil Hughes in the first inning and hit a liner right at her in the box seats.

A stunned Span sprinted from the batters' box to the stands and stayed with his mother while paramedics treated her. The split-squad game was delayed for a few minutes as she was taken to first aid, and the Twins said she was sore but OK.

Span returned to the plate with the count 3-2 and struck out looking on the next pitch. The Twins originally said Span would leave the game, but his mother was sitting in a different seat by the bottom of the first inning and he went to center field.

She was treated by paramedics and back in the stands minutes later, but eventually went to a hospital after being convinced by medical personnel at the stadium.

Span flied out in the second inning, then left in the bottom of the third, telling a team official he wasn't mentally into the game. Span and his mother spent time together after he departed.

The AL co-leader in triples last season was born and raised in Tampa. Span regularly volunteers to make the long trip from the Twins' spring training home in Fort Myers when Minnesota visits the Yankees so he can see his family.

-ESPN.com

What are the odds of this? 1 in 6,000,000,000,000,000??? Out of all the people to hit in the stands, you bop your own mother. Insane. I wouldn't have believed this story if I didn't witness it unfolding on live TV. WATCH VIDEO HERE

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Minnesota Twins "Handshake" Commercial

The Minnesota Twins are going to be opening their new outdoor stadium, Target Field for the upcoming 2010 season.

In the above commercial, they make light of a pretty cool feature of Target Field.

The new stadium has two animatronic figures that shakes hands everytime the Twins hit a home run and well in this clip, they're preparing for the new season.

(Courtesy of Big League Stew)

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You Can Unpack Orlando Cabrera Later

Just when you thought it was safe to get away from Major League Baseball it reared it's head again with this latest commercial with the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins are set to move into a new ballpark and well, let's just say the moving company decided to move everyone and everything.

(Courtesy of Not Qualified to Comment)

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Did the Twins win or the Tigers choke?

In one of the most astounding comebacks in baseball history, the Minnesota Twins won the AL Central after taking out the Detroit Tigers in stunning fashion after beating them in a AL Central tiebreaker by the score of 6-5.

To make this comeback more astounding, the Twins came back from a three game deficit in the AL Central with only four games to play. This is the first time that it has happened in baseball history.

Fans of both teams are probably trying to ask the question, "What Really Happened Here, Did the Twins deserve to win or did the Tigers choke?"

Here are argument for both schools of thought:

Twins win: The Minnesota Twins were pretty much left for dead a couple months ago as the Tigers appeared to be in full control of the AL Central.

The Twins were behind as many as 6 1/2 games in September as the Tigers magic number continued to dwindle.

The Twins reeled off 16 wins out of their last twenty games to pull within striking distance and still needed to win the AL Central tiebreaker to make the playoffs. With the victory, the Twins clinched the AL Central for the fifth time in the past ten years.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire deserves a fair share of the credit for keeping this team alive even with a season ending injury to Justin Morneau and Twins catcher Joe Mauer should have wrapped up the MVP award with eye-popping numbers during this run.

The Twins combined solid pitching, timely hitting (the team is 5th overall in runs scored), and a solid defense to steal the AL Central crown away from the Tigers. It was pure baseball at it's finest.

Tigers Choke: Let's be honest, when you have a three game lead with four games left, you probably should close the deal. Hell, you can even split those four games and still win by two.

The Tigers have only themselves to blame since they also had numerous opportunities to seal the AL Central crown before the tiebreaker and during the tiebreak game.

In their final five games (which includes the tiebreaker), the Tigers gave up a total of 30 runs. No matter how good your offense is, your still not going to win many games giving up an average of six runs.

The offense during that final five game stretch only mustered a paltry total of 14 runs. When you are getting only decent pitching and an average offense output, you can fail to win a certain amount of games and give a team the opportunity to comeback.

The Tigers really were in control of their own destiny and failed to capitalize when they were in the cat-bird seat and only have themselves to blame for watching ALDS on television.

Conclusion: To be honest, many writers have piled on the city of Detroit for their lack of success recently in the world of baseball but this can be seen as a pure choke on their part.

There is no discounting that the Twins were the better team and should be commended for it but when you were leading the AL Central for most of the year and had a three game lead with four games left, you have only yourself to blame if you miss the playoffs.

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I Love the Internet: From Covelli Crisp to Harry Pelotas

So I was looking up Coco Crisp to start a new Great Sports Name Hall of Fame Wannabee post, mostly because every time I tell people I have this Hall of Fame they recommend Crisp as a nominee. And thank you for the suggestion, but only birth names are allowed, and therefore Covelli Loyce Crisp is not eligible (not that his name isn't sweet without the nickname).

So anyways, Crisp's Wikipedia mentions that he supplanted Matt Lawton while he was with the Indians. Lawton used to be a favorite player of mine as a lesser, outfield playing version of Fred McGriff (my all time favorite player by the way). That is to say, like McGriff, Lawton was consistently pretty good and appeared in a few All Star Games but saw his playing ability tail off very quickly late in his career. Reading Lawton's Wikipedia page, however, I came up with two interesting tidbits. One explained why Lawton's career may have tailed off, while the other explains the length of this post.

Tidbit one is that Lawton tested positive for steroids late in his career. Since he kind of sucked from then on out, one assumes that steroids and Lawton's All Star Games may have been connected. I died a little bit inside, as that sucks to know.

For two, Lawton used the fake name "Eleven Fifty" when checking into hotels.

This of course made me curious, as I wondered what that meant. Some claim it is a reference to the fact that he wore mostly 11 and 50 as jersey numbers during his career. Others claim it has to do with the slang term "Fifty-Eleven." I really don't know which it is, but then THIS got me interested in finding the aliases of other current or former sports stars. And I found a few (mostly former), with highlights including:
Harris Smith - Plaxico Burress
Ricky Ricardo - Jorge Posada
Harry Pelotas - Luis Sojo
Turd Ferguson - Jaret Wright
Austin Powers - Ruben Sierra
Lt. Frank Drebin - Brian Anderson
Bugs Bunny - Michael Jordan
And my personal favorite, George Jetson - CC Sabathia

Pretty funny stuff, though obviously it's hard to find the aliases of current players because then people would know how to find the players attached to them. But it was still cool to find some of these names, and Lt. Frank Drebin and George Jetson both come from the same article and have good stories attached to them.

Regardless, that's about the end of my trip through the internet. But the trip truly ended when I remembered why I loved Lawton so much. My first MLB game was a Twins-Tigers game as an eleven year old. Thanks to the internet, I now have the box score from that game. Tigers 7, Twins 6, with former Rookie of the Year Bob Hamelin hitting 2 doubles, Brent Brede hitting one of his 5 career homeruns, and Chuck Knoblauch hitting a foul ball caught by a guy one row behind me. Good times, and I have the internet to thank for bringing that memory back.

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