Ms. Thony may have had a point. According to recent Minnesota sports history, she may have been right. After all, the Vikings have 0 Super Bowl rings compared to the Packers 3. The Twins had four division titles since 2002, but in the same situation last season, the Twins fell 1-0 to the Chicago White Sox. So could the Minnesota teams prove their worth over the past two days?
Well, Brett Favre helped one team fufill their potential, as the Vikings stomped the Packers 30-22. Let's not just give Mr. Favre credit here though, with his three touchdown passes against Ted Thomp...I mean the Packers. There was The Mullet as well. Jared Allen put Aaron Rodgers on his back more than a Las Vegas prostitute on Monday night with his 4.5 sacks. A very exciting game, but nothing compared to round 2.
Game 163: A steel cage match at the Metrodome. Joe Mauer tries to bust out the Mauernator on Drunky...I mean Miguel Cabrera. At first, it appeared like Drunky was going to put his team on his back and lead the Tigers into the playoffs. Then came Orlando Cabrera. The same guy who I cursed uncontrollably when the Twins acquired him, may have put the Twins into the playoffs. Then came a bomb from Magglio Ordonez, and Ms. Thony started appearing on my shoulder again.
From this point on, the Twins and Tigers proceeded in their attempt to give me a massive heart attack. The top of the 10th inning produced an RBI double by my 2nd most hated Tiger, Brandon Inge (his name should seriously be pronounced ING). It seemed like my Twins were done for once again. Then came Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer launched a lazy fly ball into left center. Ryan Raburn went to dive for the baseball and the ball bounced over his glove and went all the way to the wall. Cuddyer chugged his way around the bases and suddenly the tying run was at third. After a chopper by Delmon Young got the the first out of the inning, Matt Tolbert found himself up after an intentional walk. Tolbert "battled his tail off" and bounced one through the middle of the field. Honestly, I went from rock bottom to sky high in the course of three seconds!
The game continued to bounce back and forth. We survived Joe time. We survived Jesse Crain. We survived Bobby Keppel. Finally, Carlos Gomez lead off the 12th with a single. Michael Cuddyer would get Gomez to second and Delmon Young was intentionally walked. Then came Alexi Casilla, who was gunned down from left in the 10th. A year ago, Casilla provided the trademark moment of the 2008 season when he beat the White Sox in the 11th inning. This time around, Casilla, who has struggled all season long, planted a single to right and the speedy Carlos Gomez would score the winning run.
With that, the Twins erased the stigma that they can't win the big game. The win cements the Twins as one of the teams of the decade, as they win their 5th division title in the 2000's. Sometimes, these things can be taken for granted. The Twins continue to be fun to watch (unlike some asshole on a blog once said) and competitive. Now they'll face "goliath" as in the New York Yankees. The Twins will try and take them down starting Wednesday night, but if they're unable to do so. It was one hell of a ride.
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