The Minnesota Twins may have gotten an unlucky draw when it comes to the postseason yet again. The Twins will host the New York Yankees in the American League Divisional Series which begins Wednesday night. However, it seems like the Twins are going to face more than the Yankees.
They'll be facing 18-54. That's the Twins record against the Yankees since Ron Gardenhire became manager in 2002.
They'll be facing nine straight playoff losses dating back to 2006.
They'll be facing a playoff series drought dating back to 2002, when the Twins defeated the Oakland Athletics in five games.
They'll be facing the ghosts of Yankee Stadium, which are obviously not Twins fans.
It seems like the Twins have many reasons to fear the Yankees, but think about it. This is what we dreamed about in February when the days were getting warmer, and the anticipation of Target Field was building.
It's become put up or shut up time for the Twins, and you just had the feeling that the Twins were going to have to go through New York to achieve their goals of not only winning a series, but winning THE series.
Of all the crazy things that I see and hear in wrestling, one always seems to make sense.
"To be the man, WHOO!!! You gotta beat the man!" - Ric Flair
If the Twins can exorcise some demons, the road to the World Series may be less daunting, and now might be a perfect time to do just that.
Think about it. In previous years, the Twins were regarded as a sleeper team. They had talent, but nobody expected them to do anything. They were the little team that could. They were American League Central Champions of the world and OK with that.
This year seems different. The Twins are not only team upside, they've acquired battle tested talent.
The core of the Twins has been to the playoffs several times. Yeah, they've looked starstruck in those series, but they have experience in these situations. They also have veterans such as Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson that have boatloads of experience as well.
The Yankees also aren't the Yankees from last year. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixiera have all had sub-par seasons. Aside from CC Sabbathia, their rotation is in shambles. Even Mariano Rivera has looked human this season.
Plus the Twins are getting the Yankees in a short series. If the Twins can win three times in the next five games, they'll be rid of the Yankees.
So get your voodoo dolls or drip some chicken blood on a Yankee cap. The Twins are going to need all of Twins Territory's support in the next week. I would be stunned if the Twins win the series in less than 5 games. This series has the potential to be a great one if the Twins can play like they're capable of playing. Until then, get ready folks. It's time to go to war.
Twins Playoff Schedule and Probable Pitchers
Game 1: Yankees at Twins (Sabathia vs. Liriano) Wednesday 7:37 pm
Game 2: Yankees at Twins (Pettitte vs. Pavano) Thursday 5:07 pm
Game 3: Twins at Yankees (Duensing vs. Hughes) Saturday 7:37 pm
Game 4: Twins at Yankees (Blackburn vs. Burnett) October 10th TBA*
Game 5: Yankees at Twins (Sabathia vs. Liriano) October 12th TBA*
* If Necessary
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