So this year's 9-16 Minnesota Twins team has been a dismal disappointment? Well, let me tell you about some other dismal disappointments.
In 2003 the Twins played a miserable stretch of ballgames from July 1 through July 30 where their record was 9-16. They went on to win the AL Central with a record of 90-72...only to lose to the Yankees in the ALDS 3 games to 1.
In 2006 the Twins played another miserable stretch of ballgames from Opening Day through May 1 where their record was, yeah, you got it, 9-16. They went on to win the AL Central with an impressive record of 96-66...only to lose to the Athletics in the ALDS 3 games to 0.
So, you're asking yourself, does that mean that this year's 9-16 Minnesota Twins team has a chance to overcome their early ineptitude and win the AL Central Championship only to lose in the ALDS? I'm gonna shout a very emphatic "Hell no!" to that question. No team with Alexi Casilla as the everyday shortstop will win, or even deserves to win, one stinking game let alone an entire division.
Add Casilla's complete incompetence at every single skill that is required to play the game of baseball to the mystery injury that will sideline MVP Joe Mauer for another month, the endless cases of the flu that have ravaged the Twins clubhouse, Delmon Young's inability to decide if he wants to play or not and a training staff that can't seem to keep this ballclub healthy and I predict a season win total that is south of 70.
70 wins might be enough to finish ahead of the White Sox but it sure as hell won't bring us another crushing defeat in the ALDS this year. The fork hasn't met the Twins yet, but it is certainly out of the drawer.
