Cautiously Pessimistic

While I realize that I've pretty much shot all my Twins cred after I declared them as good as buried back in May, I will nevertheless venture forth and throw in my two cents on their playoff prospects. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but something about this series with the A's makes me very nervous. Maybe it's the inherent Minnesota mentality to believe that your team's failure is inevitable and the sooner you accept it the easier it will be to deal with (better to lose now and get it over with than to build up false hopes).

The way the Twins came back and won the division was just too good, too perfect a story and now we've been set up for another dispiriting disappointment. In some respects, I feel that it might have been better to have faced the Yankees (who have been demons for the Twins in the playoffs) straight away and either cast them off or gone down fighting. Losing to the A's would be a bitter final chapter to a storybook season. I would hope that such negativity would be limited to the Vikings, but after their recent playoff woes, I wonder if this malaise has infected other Twins fans as well.

There's only one thing for the Twins to do now. Prove me wrong. Please, prove me wrong. Again.

UPDATE: The Big Hurt just put a little hurt on the Twins by knocking one out of the park in the top of the second. A's 1 Twins 0

UPDATE II: Still in the second and a run scoring double puts the A's up 2-0. At this point, I'd say that Atomizer, who is attending the ball game, has spewed at least seventeen profanities. The over/under on a nine inning game was 150.

UPDATE III: Reports from the Metrodome claim that Atomizer was spotted buying a Rondell White jersey after White home run cut the lead in half. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived as ANOTHER Frank Thomas homer in the top of the ninth has restored the A's two run lead. Going to the bottom of the 9th, it's 3-1 A's.

UPDATE IV: One of the A's just lost a ball in the roof giving the Twins a gift triple. But Morneau lined out to short right. Hunter brought the run home with a groundout. Two outs. White flies out. Twins lose. Twins lose.

I would advise society at large to remain at least one-hundred feet away from Atomizer for the remainder of the day.