Is there a chance for the Minnesota Twins to come back and be a factor in the Central Division race? Las Vegas doesn’t think so. The odds are 500-1 against the Twins winning the World Series.

Comebacks are an interesting phenomenon. It doesn’t seem possible until it happens and then it seems quite logical. Is it possible for the Twins? Well yes, as the man said, "Anything is possible." Is it likely? No, it is very unlikely.

Comebacks come in many different shapes and forms as we know from our own lives whether athletes or not. I’m sure all of us have memories of a remarkable health comeback or being in an athletic contest with little hope of winning when a comeback occurs. "What a great putt!"

One of the remarkable comebacks in sports history occurred when the Boston Red Sox were down three games in the playoffs to their hated rival, the New York Yankees. They came back to win four games to three. They not only defeated the Yankees, they overcame the "Curse of the Bambino."

During my lifetime, perhaps the greatest comeback was "The Miracle on Ice" when the U.S. team won the 1980 hockey Olympics over Russia.

But a comeback that is closest to the Twins situation occurred when I was an eighth-grader listening to the New York Giant-Brooklyn Dodger playoff game in my school classroom. (There must have been a baseball fan in the school administration). We sat mesmerized as Bobby Thomson hit "The shot heard round the world" and the Giants won. Perhaps the Giants’ comeback comes closest to what confronts the Twins. The New Yorkers started their amazing run of 52 wins and 12 losses from a record of 44-46, caught and eventually defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers.

When comparing this amazing feat with what the Twins have to do to win the Division, it doesn’t give us much hope. As I write this, the Twins have to go 17-5 to reach .500 ball by midseason. And then, they will have to play winning baseball after that unlikely feat to contend for the Division title. If they could, it would rank as one the greatest comebacks of all time.

For the Twins to have even a very small chance of this happening, the starting pitching staff must improve. That has to occur for the team to not only contend, but to have a decent season. 

There have been some encouraging developments. The team appears to have gotten two capable starters in journeymen Scott Diamond and P.J. Walters. They have pitched well and each time out have given the Twins a chance to win. Both were a surprise and both were very welcome. Francisco Liriano had made two very successful starts and if the "good" Liriano shows up consistently, he would be the ace on almost any team that doesn’t have Justin Verlander. Nick Blackburn pitched a decent game recently and if Carl Pavano can overcome his injury, the Twins, all of a sudden, have a good pitching rotation. They already have good relief pitching. The season’s future and the won-loss record of the Minnesota Twins depends upon starting pitching.

One positive note regarding the possible chase after the Division leader, is that the Twins are not chasing the Brooklyn Dodgers with Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Carl Furillo, Roy Campanella with pitchers Don Newcomb, Preacher Roe and Ralph Branca. They would be after slightly better than average teams.

If the Twins do make the chase, it would be a great deal of fun to watch.