R.I.P. For The Minnesota Twins

In the past, I've been a little too quick to write off the Minnesota Twins. In 2006, I thought there was no way they would catch the Detroit Tigers AND Chicago White Sox. The Twins won the AL Central on the last day.

In 2009, when Justin Morneau went down with a stress fracture in his back, I thought the Twins were done. The Twins would catch the Tigers again and beat them in game 163 at the Metrodome to become AL Central Champions of the World once again.

So, it's easy to say that my predictions about the end of the season are as valid as one...oh Harold Camping? (Yeah, I'm probably going to Hell.)

However, it's done. The Minnesota Twins are not coming back this year and why is that?

Because Bill Smith and Ron Gardenhire have put the team on a destructive path. Go back to the past offseason and look at the decisions he made.

- Smith entrusted the starting shortstop job to an inconsistent utility infielder named Alexei Casilla who had already had a chance to lock down a starting job and failed miserably in 2009. In case Casilla struggled again, Smith did...nothing.

- Smith also let bullpen cogs Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier walk in free agency. Believing that he could fill the holes from within his farm system, Smith dipped into the system that had the worst cumulative winning percentage in baseball. But, go ahead, call up those 5.43 ERA-relievers! The team was actually blessed that Smith was pro-active on getting insurance in case Joe Nathan wasn't himself coming off of Tommy John surgery. Too bad he gave up the best possible backup for the team's injury prone catcher...

Those are just two of the reasons to point the finger at Smith, but you can point it at Gardenhire too.

A lot of people will say "Oh, there's so many injuries." Well, it's not just the injuries. It's a web of excuses and kisses on the forehead that have doomed this team.

Players have learned that they can walk all over Gardenhire to get their way. Don't feel like playing today? Ask for a day off! Don't want to DH? Tell Gardy and he'll accomodate you.

Things have gotten way too comfortable, and while I think Kevin Slowey has become a selfish, egotistical, malcontent, I think that Gardy contributed to the situation. Gardy accomodates guys all the time, so why WOULDN'T Slowey demand to become a starter? It works for everybody else!

Even Mauer, who is now resorting to the excuse that you "Can play hurt, but not injured and I'm injured." got regular days off, and then suddenly found out he was "sore". Even as we speak, Mauer is feeling pain in his shoulder. The longer Mauer sits out, the more I'm convinced that he went up to the brass and said, "I don't feel like playing until June 1st, so let's think of a really good injury and send me down to Fort Meyers so I can chill on the beach. They won't miss me."

Drew Butera...hitting around .100 (Now known as the "Butera Line")

Rene Rivera...You know...he does have more bombs than Mauer.

It's pathetic that a team that has a decent amount of talent has turned into a bunch of whiny, sniveling, "battle-your-tails off robots". Consider what they've been saying.

- Well, we can't hit bombs cause of the trees in center.

- Well, we don't have that guy to get us fired up in a game and in the clubhouse.

- We have so many injuries

- The concrete at Target Field hasn't settled yet.

- I'm on medication and can't get over my bump on my head...

It's bad. Really bad. So simply put, the Twins for this year are dead. The lone highlight of the season might be Jim Thome hitting his 600th home run. Hopefully we see another big moment too...when the Twins blow up this team and restock their pathetic farm system.