February 2, 2025
The early part of the season is a minefield for the Twins
A new season of baseball is almost upon us, and for the Twins it doesn’t get off to the easiest of starts. In late March and through the month of April, they play perennial good teams in the National League, face off against divisional foes on the rise (see the Tigers and Royals), get a... Continue Reading »
November 7, 2022
Of course Twins-beating Framber Valdez won Game 6 of the World Series
Growing up one of my favorite movies was an early 1970s Western called, “Valdez is Coming,” starring Burt Lancaster as Bob Valdez. His character is badly mistreated by a rancher in the film, which finally prompts Valdez to seek revenge. As he sets out on his vengeful path, he delivers a message that is forwarded... Continue Reading »
May 11, 2022
What is it about the Houston Astros?
Ever since Houston pitcher Framber Valdez pitched five innings of scoreless relief to beat the Twins in Game 1 of the 2020 American League Wild Card Series, the Twins seem to wilt in the presence of the Astros. And the wilting continued Tuesday night after Justin Verlander and a reliever three-hit the Twins to win... Continue Reading »
September 28, 2020
Twins win Central, face Houston on Tuesday
Despite losing 5-3 to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, the Twins still won the AL Central title because the Chicago White Sox lost again to the Chicago Cubs, 10-8. The Twins will now host the Houston Astros on Tuesday. I guess the Twins could be criticized for not winning the division outright on Sunday, but... Continue Reading »
May 2, 2019
Confirmed: Good pitching matters
The Twins and Houston Astros have two of the best offenses in the American League. The Astros have scored the fifth-most runs in the league and the Twins are right behind them at No. 6, according to Baseball-Reference.com. But look what good pitching can do to two teams that can hit, hit with power and... Continue Reading »
October 18, 2018
Let’s remember a time when the Twins crushed the Red Sox, Part 3
The Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros again Wednesday night and now have a commanding 3-1 lead in the seven-game series. If you’re rooting against the Red Sox, keep reading. That’s because this is another installment of a time when the Red Sox had no answer for the Twins. It happened in 1977, it... Continue Reading »
September 4, 2018
‘Opener’ strategy rolls on for Twins
The Twins aren’t done exploring whether the bullpen can actually help a starting pitcher pitch deeper (more effectively?) into games after it was announced that reliever Trevor May will get the ball for Tuesday’s game at Houston. And once May has worked his way through the top and middle of the order, starting pitcher Kohl... Continue Reading »
November 15, 2017
Your 2017 AL Manager of the Year: Paul Molitor
Twins manager Paul Molitor is the 2017 AL Manager of the Year, an award I thought the third-year skipper would win. Molitor beat out the Houston Astros’ A.J. Hinch and the Cleveland Indians’ Terry Francona for one reason: Neither of those teams lost 100 games in 2016. But the Twins did. They lost a franchise-worst... Continue Reading »