Wednesday, October 6, 2010

My Post Season Predictions, Yankees vs. the Twins

Let me first start this post by saying that this is the least interesting series of the playoffs for me. I really want both teams to lose.

I am most certain that like most Americans, the Yankees are the team every one wants to get beat. Yes, except Yankees fans,  I know.

However, I'm also a Detroit Tiger fan, and that makes it simply impossible to root for the Twinkies, er, the Twins.

Now, all that baseball fan stuff aside, I have to pick a winner, and so I will, and as much as it pains me, I think the, uh, I think, oh, what the heck, I think the Twins will beat the Yanks in a rematch from last years American League Division Series.

The one reason that makes me favor the Twins is that I simply think they're a better team.

Yes, the Twins are better.

Now, they don't have Derek Jeter, or Alex Rodriguez, or Mark Texiera, or Nick Swisher, or Curtis Granderson...yes, the ex-Tiger...or, well, C.C. Sabathia, or Andy Pettite, or the Sandman, Mariano Rivera.

But, what the Twins do have is a system. A system that goes out each and every year and wins baseball games.

The Twins play baseball like most old school National League teams used to do. 

They hit in key situations, they run the bases well,  they play great defense, have fast outfielders, sure handed infielders, and they have pitchers who might not be well known, but make pitches when they have to.

Now, the Twins, they win baseball games with guys like ex-batting title winner and MVP Joe Mauer, there great catcher, and with guys like first baseman Justin Morneau, who, by the way, is not playing for the entire playoffs.

The win games with a great pitcher like Francisco Liriano, and with their speedy outfielder Denard Spahn.

They also win games with guys named Cuddyer, Punto, Blackburn,Hardy, Hudson, Duensing, Slowey, and Capps.

The Yankees pitching staff heads into the playoffs a mess. 
I know, possible Cy Young winner Sabathia is pitching, and then there's the great playoff performer Andy Petite, and the great Rivera.

I just see to many problems after the first two starts for the Yanks. The rest of the staff is a big mess, especially A.J. Burnett, who was hit hard, and then harder, all season long. 

Rivera can't pitch when the Yanks are behind, and with the exception of Sabathia, I don't see that happening.

Pettite is up their in age, and was hurt this year, and New York missed him.

The Twins also didn't have to get on a plane in the wee hours of the morning and fly to play after winning a one game playoff, like they did last year.

New York goes to Minneapolis to start the series, and when you give the Twins time to prepare, they are very hard to beat.

Everyone watching will see the Twins players that every Tigers, White Sox, Royals, and Indians fan has over the past half a dozen years or so.

Players that just find a way to win baseball games.

It's the Twins in 4.


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