Friday/Saturday, October 6/7, 2006
That's That For That
Wow! At some point in the next couple of days, I will be writing something about how much I enjoyed watching the 2006 Minnesota Twins team. I will be sure to write plenty of very positive things. Since June, this team has been so much fun to watch play ball.
With their 8-3 loss this afternoon to the A's, the 2006 Twins season is complete. Next week, I will be asking you what the team should do next.
But, feel free to comment on how you feel at this point. I feel almost empty. I actually feel upset. This team that gave us so much joy watching after June played in the playoffs as they did in April and May. It was bad baseball. They didn't do much of anything right. Physical errors. Mental errors. Poor manager decisions. A horrible decision by 3B coach Scott Ullger to send Torii Hunter home, regardless of if he was safe or out. Joe Mauer's continuous ground outs to 2B. Pitchers missing spots. It was just bad, and it was so frustrating to watch. Who played well? Justin Morneau definitely did, but is that it? Bonser and Santana were good. Neshek was good.
I guess I'm probably most upset or bothered by the fact that they played nothing like they have the past four months. Not even close. And, that is what the nation got to see. It's just too bad!
The post season decisions now need to start being made. But, let's wait until Monday to start talking to some of those things. Discuss. The big picture was that it was just three games. That's it.
UPDATE - Friday - 9:15 p.m. - OK, it is now three-plus hours later, and I have a couple of more possibilities for what happened to the Twins in the ALDS. First, the Twins had been able to play relaxed. They were in a no-lose situation since they were so far behind in early June. They could play loose, have fun, and relax. They were such heavy underdogs the whole season, even until the last day. Then suddenly, instead of playing the New York Yankees in the first round, they were playing the A's. And they were favorites, and they played like it. They looked tight, and tense, and nervous, and afraid to make mistakes. I really don't think that they overlooked the A's. I would hope not. I would hope they realized how good they were. But it's not the Yankees. I think that the Twins would have put up a better showing had they played the Yankees instead of the A's.
Am I off-base?
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