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Eliminating the Twins keeps getting tougher

Sporting News, The, Sept 20, 2004 by Ken Rosenthal

Start with this: Twins lefthander Johan Santana and righthander Brad Radke are as good as any two starting pitchers in the American League. Now consider this: The Twins' bullpen is better than it was last season with Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins, and the staff began the week with a league-leading 3.95 ERA.

Are the Twins good enough to win the World Series? Probably not, because they lack a proven No. 3 starter and their offense ranks 10th in the A.L. in scoring. But can Santana, Radke and Co. pull off an upset in a best-of-five Division Series? Without question, particularly if they get a crack at the increasingly ripe Yankees.

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The Twins will face the Yankees or Red Sox as long as both of those teams reach the postseason. The Twins' opponent would be the wild-card qualifier if they finish second overall in the league, the A.L. East champion if they finish third. Santana was dominant in his lone starts against the Yankees and Red Sox this season. Radke twice pitched into the seventh inning against the Red Sox and excelled in his only start against the Yankees.

"I think they're for real in the playoffs," Royals general manager Allard Baird says of the Twins, and he's not alone in that sentiment. The Twins' defense, while not as suffocating as in the past, remains an asset. Minnesota's pitchers--who began the week with the league's lowest walk rate and third-lowest home run rate--rarely beat themselves.

There's a hunger, too, stemming from the Twins' four-game elimination by the Yankees in last year's Division Series. Right fielder Jacque Jones thinks the Twins weren't "greedy" enough after winning Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.

Center fielder Torii Hunter agrees, saying that before Game 2, "I saw a sign of fear. Everybody was quiet instead of being pumped up and ready to play."

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire dismisses such talk, citing the Yankees' Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens and David Wells as the biggest reasons his team lost the next three games. Well, the Twins wouldn't face any of those pitchers in a rematch with the Yankees. And the experience Minnesota has gained the past two post-seasons should only help.

Yet, this is a different Twins team. Guardado, catcher A.J. Pierzynski and first baseman Doug Mientldewicz are gone. Closer Joe Nathan, outfielder Lew Ford and first baseman Justin Morneau now play pivotal roles. The Twins' undisciplined offense--which is 10th in the A.L. in on-base percentage--is their weak link. Only two A.L. teams see fewer pitches per plate appearance.

A healthy Joe Mauer would make the lineup more potent; Mauer, a rookie catcher recovering from knee surgery, looked terrific in batting practice last week, but he hasn't played since July 15. If he doesn't return as a pinch hitter and DH, the Twins will need third baseman Corey Koskie (ankle) and second baseman Luis Rivas (toe) to make strong recoveries from injuries.

Even then, the Twins will lean heavily on Santana, whose 2.85 ERA leads the league by nearly a half-run per game, and Radke, whose sixth-ranked ERA of 3.51 is the best of his 10-year career. Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson is confident both could work successfully on short rest, making four starts combined in a five-game series. The team has limited Santana to 102.4 pitches per start, 13th-most among qualifying A.L. pitchers, and Radke to 99.2, 28th-most in the league.

The likely Game 3 pitcher will be righthander Carlos Silva, a low-strikeout, high-ground ball type. And if any starter flops, Gardenhire can turn to his deep, hard-throwing bullpen. Nathan and Juan Rincon successfully have replaced Guardado and Hawkins. Lefty J.C. Romero has made a stunning turnaround. Righthanders Kyle Lohse, Grant Balfour and Jesse Crain are additional 95-mph options.

It's easier to picture the Twins beating the Yankees than the Red Sox, who would counter Santana and Radke with Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez. But changeup specialists such as Santana and Radke can frustrate any lineup. And, as Santana says, "The playoffs are not about names. They're about how well you play the game."

Three years ago, Major League Baseball wanted to eliminate the Twins. Oh, to see commissioner Bud Selig's face if they beat the Yankees.

SPEED READS

* A second DUI arrest is one offense for which an apology is not enough. Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal needs to clean up his act, and the Braves need to take disciplinary action if he is convicted. It doesn't matter how good of a player Furcal is; a person who drives drunk is a menace to society.

* The Devil Rays, a team in need of pitching, sure could use lefthander Joe Kennedy, who has pitched well for the Rockies, and righthander Brandon Backe, a surprise for the Astros. The players the Rays received, lefthander Mark Hendrickson for Kennedy and infielder Geoff Blum for Backe, aren't making nearly as big an impact.

* The White Sox need to address three of four infield positions, catcher and right field in the offseason, but center fielder Aaron Rowand has emerged as a keeper. Rowand leads A.L. center fielders in on-base/slugging percentage. A scout says Rowand and the Indians' Travis Hafner are the most improved players in the league.

Eliminating the Twins keeps getting tougher

Sporting News, The, Sept 20, 2004 by Ken Rosenthal

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