It may be foolish to point this out, but the Minnesota Twins are suddenly the hottest team in baseball. That’s right, the last place Minnesota Twins…them. Oh, for sure, any time a team goes 7-1 over any stretch, you have to stand up and take notice. It’s especially noteworthy when the team in question has been the worst team in the game for most of the season. With Houston and Oakland also struggling mightily, the Twins failings still stood out amidst lofty expectations to begin the season. It’s been a long hard road for Minnesota.
Okay people, before your noodles get all excited over the Twins recent run of success, do be aware that six of those wins came against Kansas City (26-36) and a rapidly retreating Cleveland team that’s gone 4-11 over their past 15 games. Oh, sure, the Indians are still 34-26 and are the creme de la crap that is the American League Central. Make no mistake, however, these is just not the same Indians team that was lengths in front of the pack to begin the year. As for the Royals, well, they’re the friggin’ Royals, okay? They have lots of young and exciting players making their way to the Major Leagues at this very moment, but their glory days still lie past the horizon.
Let’s not forget, too, that the Twins are still dead last in the whole American League, even after their recent success (.387). This is a team with the worst run differential in all of baseball (-70), meaning their win probability is as embarrassing as their actual won-lost record. And the hits just keep on coming. The Twins team OBP (.301) ranks next to last in baseball, with only the Mariners turning in a worse mark. Sadly, their team SLG (.349) isn’t much better, ranking 27th, the exact same ranking as their staff ERA. This should tell you that the Twins struggles aren’t simply a matter of hitting, or lack thereof. Their pitching staff ranks dead last in the game in total strikeouts (355). Sure, the Twins as an organization teach their hurlers to pitch to contact, but it’s working a little too well, for the opposition anyway.
Some will be quick to point out that a lot of the Twins struggles can be traced to their inability to field a healthy team. It’s a valid point; it really is. No, really. As if this team wasn’t already beset by injuries, with the likes of Joe Mauer, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Joe Nathan, Jim Thome, Glen Perkins, and Kevin Slowey all on the disabled list in some capacity, the Twins just placed Denard Span on the 7-day DL with a concussion. That’s not good news—not for Span and not for his team. Ask Morneau how impactful concussion symptoms can be, influencing balance, depth perception, and vision—all things that are pretty important when it comes to playing baseball. So, yah, it’s really that bad.
Three-time AL batting champion, Joe Mauer, is on the verge of returning as both he and Tsuyoshi Nishioka (fractured leg) are rehabbing in Class A Fort Myers. Somewhat sadly, the foolishly optimistic will look to their triumphant returns as a sign of future success. Alas, there is no future—not in 2011. The Twins need absolute certitude that Mauer is fully healthy before asking him to return, especially if that means assuming full-time catching duties. If that means sitting him out for the reas of this year, so be it. The least they should do is keep him engaged in a rehab program until they have a better grasp on the nature and severity of Mauer’s mysterious leg weakness. While they’re at it, go ahead (a head) and make sure Morneau and Span are free of their concussion issues before placing them at additional risk in hopes of finishing anywhere but last place.
You hear it all the time: one season does not a career make. It’s true of an organization too. One season cannot and should not define the Twins. They won’t be thrust back into the dark ages of the waning days off the 20th century when they were being discussed for contraction. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is team that has built its foundation upon cogent decisions aimed at long-term, sustainable success. The immediate gratification of grasping at a few wins in 2011 runs contrary to the very philosophies that have guided the team to almost a solid decade of championship caliber baseball. Change course now, and you run the risk of paddling against the current until either the boat or the boatmen can continue no longer. Right the ship…the right way.
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