Our Minnesota Twins have started to create some buzz with their recent heroics. As I write this, they have won their last four series. Granted, they are playing against some weak sisters including two last place teams and, ESPN is not featuring them yet. To give you an idea of how low they had sunk, the team is still in last place in the weakest division in the American League.
On the other hand, they have gone from 11 games back to 8 back and only trail the pre-season favorite Detroit Tigers by three games. They dug themselves a huge hole and all this winning may not mean much as the season wears on. However, it is a lot better than losing.
Before the days of free agency teams were stable. The best example were the New York Yankee teams with Babe Ruth, then Joe DiMaggio and finally Mickey Mantle. You knew before the season started that the stars weren’t going anywhere and the Yankees were the team to beat.
There were exceptions to the rule. A team that got unexpected talented players could put it all together and win the pennant. The New York Giants come to mind with the addition of "Rookie of the Year" Willie Mays in mid-May and the transfer of Bobby Thomson to third base during the season.
Closer to home, the ‘91 Twins got some unexpected help from pitcher Scott Erickson who couldn’t lose during the season. Erickson was almost unhittable during the summer and finished second in the Cy Young balloting.
Stable doesn’t always work as witnessed in the Twins’ debacle last year. This year the Twins, given no choice, added Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit and Jamey Carroll to the team. The additions were a plus, but the Twins need a lot more than these players to be a winning team.
A glimmer of hope shone through the horrible dark when Scott Diamond and P.J. Walters were called up from the minors and pitched well, particularly Diamond. He has given the Twins a reliable starting pitcher.
The biggest surprise other than Diamond has come from Trevor Plouff, who has given the Twins another power bat in the lineup and played adequately at third base. He’s gone on a hot streak and won a couple of games for the team.
Brian Dozier has come up from Rochester and may provide the Twins with their shortstop for the next ten years. If he does, I hope the Twins keep him rather than shipping him off as they have past shortstops Jason Bartlett and J.J. Hardy.
Ben Revere has come back from the minors and given the Twins hitting and range in right field and perhaps more importantly, added a spark to the team. They will have three new starting pitchers when Liam Hendriks is recalled. Newcomer Jared Burton has pitched well in relief and gives the team another effective late inning reliever.
If we count the unexpected players that are on the team and playing well, the total comes to seven. If we include the free agents, it’s 10 That’s 40 percent of the team.
If adding new players helps you win the pennant, the Twins should be in great shape. It may be too much to expect the good starting pitching to continue at the same pace, because of the lack of dominating arms, but you never know. Look at the success Brad Radke had.
In any case, let’s ride the resurgent Twins down the road as far as we can.
