Tails We Lose

A few thoughts after watching Danks, Thome, and the White Sox put an end to the Twins season.

* It seems a little silly to play one-hundred-sixty-two games and then decide who gets home field for the one playoff game to decide the division title by virtue of a coin flip. Yes, this sounds like sour grapes, but the even most diehard Sox fan would have to admit that had tonight's game been played at the Metrodome, the results would likely have been very different.

* If anybody on the Sox was going to do the Twins in, it's not surprising that it was Thome. He's killed the Twins over the years both with the White Sox and previously with the Indians.

* Tonight's game reminded me of many of the Twins past post-season failures against the Yankees. Both team get good pitching, but the Twins can't quite scratch out enough runs and eventually the other team wins the game with power. It's also why I wasn't optimistic about the Twins chances this year if had managed to win tonight. This team is not built for the playoffs. They've got five good starters, but no horses to ride in the post-season. And although they did a great job scoring runs in the regular season (especially considering their lack of power) in the post-season--where hits are at a premium--you can't rely on small ball (walks, stolen bases, moving the runner over, etc.) to produce runs. You need to have more than two legitimate power hitters in your lineup.

* No one expected the Twins to get this far this year and if they can hold it together, this team should have a bright future. It was great to see Blackburn step up and pitch tough in the clutch. Let's hope he and the other young arms can carry over their experiences this year into the next.

* As for the MLB playoffs, my hopes can now be simply broken down into ABC: Anybody But Chicago. And that includes the precious Cubs too. I'd love to see a Rays-Brewers Series.