If you’re a Twins fan of faith, you probably picked up the Good Book, then put it down, or perhaps even put it away. You probably also removed the cross on the wall behind the bed, and before you knelt bedside to say a few words to the almighty, you probably just sat there, head in hands, wondering what it all means.
You’re not alone.
A higher power is likely being reconsidered in the minds of many after the Twins were swept by the Houston Astros on Wednesday, a two-game sweep that produced the 17th and now 18th consecutive postseason losses in team history. It is now, according to everybody, the longest postseason losing streak in North American sports history.
The Twins lost 3-1 on Wednesday, not that it really matters.
After the game, I got a text from my father: “Somebody’s head needs to roll.”
He’s right, except those in the front office and the manager are so new, and have had so much success to date, that it’s hard to say anyone needs to lose their job.
After former general manager, Terry Ryan, and manager, Ron Gardenhire, were let go, the Whiz Kids, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, were hired after the 2016 season to turn things around. And turn things around they did. The Twins were a playoff team in 2017, they won 101 games in 2019 and they won the division again this season. Manager Rocco Baldelli, last season’s AL Manager of the Year, is 137-85 over two seasons. What’s not to like?
It’s just that regular season success hasn’t turned into postseason success. It used to be that you could blame the New York Yankees for the Twins’ futility, and now it’s just one short, perplexed question: Why?
Extra innings…
-Don’t blame Eddie Rosario for getting tossed out of Wednesday’s game. It was a terrible strike call — the ball was thrown so high it reminded me of Sergio Romo’s bases-loaded walk on Tuesday — and he had every right to get angry. And I think Baldelli should have joined him.
-A nice quote from Baldelli, as told to ESPN.com.
“This is a great organization, I love being here. I see no reason, and nothing stopping us, from having a ton of success the next time we get an opportunity to go and do this,” he said. “We have all of the pieces, we have the right people, and I’ll tell you what, this organization, from top to bottom, is a group of people that, if you know them, you would believe in them. Believe me.”
The Minnesota Twins have lost 18 consecutive postseason games.
The streak started in 2004, continued in 2006, grew into kinda messed up in 2009, was like WTF in 2010, got super painful in 2017, stopped making any sense in 2019 and in 2020 is sadly amazing and amazingly sad.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 30, 2020