Something to Make You Feel Better

Sometimes as a Twins fan in New York, it can be a little tough. I remember living in Minnesota and finding the stray Yankee fans out there and being immediately turned off by their obnoxious arrogance -- out here it's really no different except YOU are suddenly the stray.

The one thing to take solace in is that the majority of people around the world are on our side, even if I can't see them. And when you do find a couple other like-minded, sane, rational, down-to-earth people out here in New York who ALSO happen to despise the Yankees, there's an immediate bonding. Regardless of if it's a Red Sox fan, Mets fan, or anyone else.

I found a few of those at the bar last night, and I also thankfully had a cadre of Twins fans with me, although they all seemed to wander home after the 7th inning.

Anyway, I don't know about you, but I need a pick-me up this morning. And there's no better way to accomplish that than to make fun of the Yankees a little:

Jeter -- this is just completely inappropriate behavior on the field.

Focus on the game A-Rod! The game!

Dammit, I said focus on THE GAME!

I see vanity doesn't plague A-Rod alone. This picture makes me throw up a little.

I should be rocking one of these shirts more often...

Glad to know I'm on the Lord's side!

Lack of taste doesn't only extend to their choice in sports teams...

My wishes for their franchise. In pictoral form.

Twins vs. Yankees: Lineup Comparisons

I'm psyched -- the Twins finally have a chance to redeem themselves against the Yankees and the postseason jinx they've put on us. My last experience at Yankee Stadium was the Kubel walkoff, and I'm hoping that I have a few more of those instead of what I had to deal with last year.

While I'm always nervous during the postseason, I'm not quite as edgy as I've been before. While last year I was talking trash with Yankee fans but secretly wringing my hands and hoping, hoping, hoping that we wouldn't screw things up, this year is a different story. The Twins can match up with any team in baseball this year.

To put that to the test, let's examine the two opposing lineups today:

Catcher:

Joe Mauer: .327/.402/.467, 9 HR, 75 RBI, 42 2B, 65 BB, 52 K

vs.

Jorge Posada: .250/.358/.458, 18 HR, 57 RBI, 23 2B, 58 BB, 98 K

Francisco Cervelli: .271/.359/.335, 0 HR, 38 RBI, 11 2B, 33 BB, 42 K

- I think this one is pretty clear cut and it's a nice way to start out. Joe Mauer is obviously the better catcher between the two teams. While Jorge still has the jolt in his bat, Joe Mauer is a hitting machine. He's also got the best plate discipline of anyone in the two starting lineups, being the only person to actually draw more walks than strikeouts. Advantage: Twins. And by a long shot.

First Base:

Michael Cuddyer: .271/.336/.418, 14 HR, 81 RBI, 37 2B, 57 BB, 93 K

vs.

Mark Texeira: .258/.366/.484, 33 HR, 108 RBI, 36 2B, 92 BB, 121 K

- Texeira has better power, plate discipline, and probably fielding skills as well. Although this isn't a knock on Cuddyer, who still shows solid numbers. Cuddyer doesn't have awful plate discipline, he's been serviceable in the field, and he has decent power and average. The advatage goes to the Yankees, but not by as much as you'd think.

Second Base:

Orlando Hudson: .267/.337/.372, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 24 2B, 50 BB, 87 K

vs.

Robinson Cano: .320/.382/.535, 29 HR, 108 RBI, 41 2B, 57 BB, 77 K

- Just like it was clear that Mauer was the better catcher, it's pretty clear that Cano is the better second baseman. Cano is probably the most complete player on the Yankee roster. Hudson's overall numbers have shown a drop in September, and he's clearly an upgrade over anyone the Twins have seen at second in a longtime, but they have a long way to go to match Cano's production. Advantage: Yankees. By a longshot.

Shortstop:

JJ Hardy: .269/.320/.396, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 19 2B, 27 BB, 53 K

vs.

Derek Jeter: .269/.340/.369, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 30 2B, 63 BB, 104 K

- This is a pretty tough call. Hardy's overall numbers are down by the lack of games due to injury, but he actually stacks up pretty evenly with Jeter. Clutch and leadership are not a factor in this decision, this isn't the MVP race... Hardy is a much, much, superior defender, and I think it comes down to that. They are about even at the plate and Hardy has the edge on defense. Advantage is going to the Twins, although not by a whole lot.

Third Base:

Danny Valencia: .314/.354/.453, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 18 2B, 20 BB, 45 K

vs.

Alex Rodriguez: .270/.341/.508, 30 HR, 124 RBI, 29 2B, 58 BB, 96 K

- Valencia is having a monster year. It's too bad he's only played a half season because you have to take his numbers with a grain of salt. Alex Rodriguez is typical Alex Rodriguez. There's no doubt that the edge is going to the Yankees, although the question is which A-Rod will show up this post season? The '09 version or the choke artist we've seen every year before. Advantage is to the Yankees, but the Twins don't have a slouch at third for the first time in a long time.

Right Field:

Jason Kubel: .250/.324/.427, 21 HR, 92 RBI, 23 2B, 56 BB, 116 K

vs.

Nick Swisher: .288/.358/.506, 28 HR, 88 RBI, 33 2B, 57 BB, 137 K

- Kubel is having a down year, and Swisher is going to be as annoying as ever. They are about equal in all facets. Kubel probably has more potential and he's shown he can be dangerous against the Yankees. Swisher is better in the field, and so he gets the nod. Advantage: Yankees, although slight.

Center Field:

Denard Span: .266/.333/.350, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 24 2B, 60 BB, 73 K

vs.

Curtis Granderson: .247/.325/.469, 24 HR, 67 RBI, 17 2B, 53 BB, 115 K

- It really depends on what you're looking for here. Granderson has the power and Span has the average. Granderson strikes out a lot, Span has better plate discipline. Granderson probably has a slight edge in the field. I think the edge actually goes to the Twins, Span isn't meant to hit for power but he can sure as hell get on base and that's what he's there for. This is a pretty tough one for me but it's hard to ignore that power disparity. Advantage: Yankees. I think...

Left Field:

Delmon Young: .299/.334/.495, 21 HR, 112 RBI, 46 2B, 28 BB, 81 K

vs.

Brett Gardner: .275/.383/.377, 5 HR, 47 RBI, 19 2B, 79 BB, 100 K

- No comparison. As pesky as Gardner is, Delmon is a beast and there's no denying the year that he's having. He might not be the best fielder, and Gardner has more of a penchant for walks, but Delmon will likely get MVP votes (even if unwarranted), Gardner will not. Advantage: Twins. Not close.

Designated Hitter:

Jim Thome: .280/.410/.625, 25 HR, 59 RBI, 16 2B, 60 BB, 82 K

vs.

Lance Berkman: .248/.368/.413, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 23 2B, 77 BB, 85 K

Marcus Thames: .288/.352/.495, 12 HR, 33 RBI, 7 2B, 19 BB, 61 K

- Thome is putting up a monster year. He's got the best slugging % of anyone on this list and also a killer slugging percentage. The job of the DH is to hit the ball, and Thome does that perhaps better than anyone on either roster. Hopefully the lefty duo of Sabathia and Pettite don't neutralize this advantage, but it is an advantage. Berkman and Thames are solid players, but they are no Thome. Advantage: Twins. Not really close.

Summary:

The Yankees are better at 5 positions. The biggest disparity is obviously the Cano/Hudson, followed by Rodriguez/Valencia. The margins between Texeira/Cuddyer, Swisher/Kubel, and Granderson/Span are not that big though, and the Twins are right there with the Yankees at those spots.

The Twins have the advantage at 4 positions, and 3 of them aren't even close. Mauer/Posada/Cervelli is a huge gap, likewise Young/Gardner and Thome/Berkman/Thames. The only place it's really even close is Hardy/Jeter.

Basically these are going to be some very competitive matchups, the likes of which we have never had before in the postseason against the Yankees. The Twins have 3 vastly superior matchups at positions, and the Yankees have 2. The other four matchups are going to be pretty close. It will be interesting to see...

Next up: rotation comparisons.

I Saw The Lights Go Out on Broadway

I've lived in New York for 7 years now -- and despite attending at least one Twins game in the Bronx every year, I had never seen a win. We might be playing well or leading into the 9th inning, but the results were always the same: Frank Sinatra blasting over the speakers about how amazing New York is and the smug looks on Yankee fan faces as I trudge back to the subway.

This year, I had the opportunity to go to all three games in the Bronx. I figured with one of the strongest teams we've ever fielded and with how well we've been playing of late, I was guaranteed to reverse my trend.

Friday I ditched out of work with a co-worker as soon as we could (he's a Yankee fan and thus acted as my bodyguard during my time in enemy territory). We missed the first inning as we hung out in line for our first beers and hot dogs of the season and by the time we made it to our seats I realized I hadn't faced one insult yet. I think it was either the fact that I had my Yankee "bodyguard" with me, or maybe they just realized how sad Twins fans must be....

View from our seats Friday night

This game actually started off great. We were playing competitively and I was able to forget about our complete ineptitude in the Bronx and actually imagined that we might, might stand a chance.

Then came the at-bat that still sends shivers down my spine. Guerrier vs. A-Rod. The place was in uproar. From the time A-Rod stepped out of the on-deck circle the cheering was so loud I wanted to shove forks in my ears. If we had actually shown any reasonable amount of success in the past, I might have been a little more confident (I didn't have the Guerrier/A-Rod career numbers in front of me...) but I knew this was the beginning of our decline.

Twins fans in front of me feel my malaise as well...

Let's just say it was a long walk home to the subway again...

One thing about coming back from Yankee Stadium is that it's always a surging mass of humanity on the way back to public transportation. You actually get home fairly quickly as they stack trains for you and fill each one up, but you still inevitably stand around on the platform surrounded by gloating Yankee fans whose eyes you can feel burning into your back as you try to remain as discreet as possible...

SATURDAY:

This time I was accompanied by both a fellow-Twins fan and a new Yankee fan "bodyguard" to protect both of us. We grabbed some brunch and cabbed it up to the stadium to make it in time. This was the day I was most excited about: I've been talking up Liriano's return to dominance to every Yankee fan I know.

My long march to disappointment...

I had my company seats today (which are awesome, and my work is quite generous to always remember when my home team is in town).

Sheltered from the sun slightly too so I don't get sunburned or rained on...

This game unfortunately just spiraled out of hand from the get-go. Liriano sure didn't look the part of the ace that I had been bragging about. While he actually didn't pitch that bad and ended up stranding plenty of runners, he still let those runners on and that was the tough part to watch.

As soon as the wave broke out for the second straight day I knew this game was over and began trying to distract myself...

...thankfully I couldn't see much of the field at that point because of some Yankee douche having fun on free hat day...

I could easily look into the press box so I spied on La Velle, Kelsie Smith, Kelly Thesier, and #StupidSouhan a little ... and I also got to watch Nick Swisher on some sort of cooking show? Because I guess the game wasn't interesting enough at that point?

My blackberry zoom isn't good, he's in the red hat. Don't know if the chef or the food would make me vomit first.

(Also I need to point out somewhere that I totally predicted Lookin' At Lucky to win the Preakness but I never made it to the OTB! He was #7, which is Mauer's number, and I was hoping we'd get lucky on Sunday.. in the bar pool though I drew Yahwanna Twist and kept trying to trade with the person who drew Lookin' At Lucky. But this is all besides the point...)

SUNDAY (GLORIOUS DAY)

I was a little worried about today. I was sitting up in the cheaper seats towards the top (which is the same area I sat in the playoffs last year). My buddy Tim took me to the game, one of the nicer Yankee fans I know, but I am of the firm belief that the rowdier and douchier fans tend to congregate towards the top of the stadium and thin out the further down you get. So perhaps my lack of verbal abuse was about to finally even out...

For being up high we had an awesome view!

I wasn't too encouraged about our chances going into this game. Despite the fact that the law of averages said we should win a game sometime, and despite the fact that we were going up against Sergio Mitre (my second favorite Yankees pitcher after Javier Vasquez), I knew we could find a way to lose if we really wanted to.

That being said, I tend to remain horribly optimistic. Even on Saturday I had hung around until the last pitch just in case we mounted a miraculous comeback. In the 8th inning as Joba began to struggle with control and our bats started to wake up a little bit, Yankee fans had completely forgotten to take us seriously. Half the stadium was back into the wave for the third straight day and was finally starting to get it traveling by the time Texeira made an Adrian-Peterson-like fumble to load the bases.

This seemed to wake everyone up a little bit. My pulse was racing as I saw Girardi come out to the mound and heard the first few chords of Enter Sandman start playing over the loudspeakers. It was like a maelstrom of activity between Yankee fans going crazy cheering, my phone vibrating with new text messages every 10 seconds, and my heart racing at the thought that maybe we might actually stand a chance.

That Kubel grand slam was the closest feeling to euphoria that I can remember.

It was like the air was sucked out of the stadium around me as Yankee fans everywhere collapsed into their seats cursing and groaning. It was beautiful. Not only did we end our drought against the Yankees and our drought of bases-loaded hitting, but we paid them back for all the times they slaughtered Joe Nathan and sent us home with heartbreak.

The tides have turned. That was the only way to come out of the Bronx that day with any sort of momentum or sense of success.

Now I can't wait to go back in October...

(leaving you with a ghost of old Yankee Stadium...)

Rooting for the Yankees...

...is like rooting for the hunter that shot Bambi's mother.

And who could want to hurt this, it's adorable...

I'm really torn -- I have a lot of friends out here in New York that are obviously cheering for the Yankees. And, honestly, I want to see them all cry. But I really could care less about the Angels, and rooting against the Yankees out of spite just seems petulant. Usually, if I don't have any strong feelings about a team I'll cheer for the one that I have the most connection to through my friends -- and to be fair, that would be the Yankees.

But I can't cheer for them. They don't need any more encouragement.

A-Rod especially. Calm down.

Jeter is a class-act but he's just so overrated at this point in his career. (Don't flip out, he's still good.) Mariano Rivera has been the definition of consistency and dominance as a closer and I don't think anyone could honestly admit they wouldn't want him locking down their 'pen. But looking up and down the rest of their roster is stomach-churning. It's like looking at the worst tools on the cast of "I Love New York."

Waiting for their pinstripes...

That being said, I should stop wishing ill and hardship on the friends of mine that are unfortunate enough to be Yankee fans. I'm going to actually try to be happy for them. I'm going to try. But I'm not going to like it.

-----

On to happier topics! Tonight at 11PM EST, 10PM Central, I will be joining Jack Steal from Fanatic Jack Talks Twins as the co-host for his inaugural podcast. It should be a great time and there will be plenty to discuss.

Click here for the link to the podcast page on Blog Talk Radio, and if you're free around that time definitely call in with comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you!

What is it About New York?

What an awful night. Now I know how Tigers fans felt earlier this week. Squandering numerous chances, not being able to close out, and then watching the home team celebrate a ridiculously ecstatic walk-off win.

I wish that was a rock instead of shaving cream being shoved in his face...

I've lived in New York for seven years now and I haven't been to one game at Yankee Stadium where the Twins actually won. I apologize to everyone in Minnesota if in fact I'm the jinx. If by some miracle we get to game 5 I think I would turn down field level seats at this point just to test my theory.

On a positive note, I made it out of Yankee Stadium alive. I had to take the Subway up by myself since my friend was already there waiting for me, and crossing Babe Ruth Plaza in my Aguilera jersey with a bright red Twins cap was one of the scarier moments of my life with several already drunk Yankee fans walking steps behind me yelling "Hey Aguilera! You suck! Go home you f*ggot!" (Those are some of the nicer things they said to me... it's a real self-esteem boost going to the Bronx FYI.)

Thankfully my friend was waiting for me on the other side of Babe Ruth Plaza because he's a nice Yankees fan and I thought I'd be safe. Unfortunately he wasn't wearing any team apparel so he just got lumped in with me.

Our seats were in the upper section past first base. Sadly, that's where a lot of raucous fans usually make their home. Including the Marlboro Man:

This video he apparently is still sober... The guy on his immediate left was there too and he was even more vocal. He was directly across the aisle from us and I had to lean tot he side when the camera would catch him so I didn't make it on the Jumbotron at the stadium. One poor Twins fan made the mistake of jumping in front of the Marlboro Man when he was rocking out on the Jumbotron and waving his Twins cap in Marlboro's face. That was not a good idea. A chorus of boos, chants of "Asshole! Asshole!" and people throwing their drinks ensued. Somebody tried to knock his hat off his head down into the lower levels. Security had to usher him out for his own safety. It kind of helped divert some of the focus from me at least.

My friend Tim and I found a somewhat safe haven in the bar behind homeplate for the 5th inning. We went to meet my boss there (he was at the game on our company seats with his family), and he bought us all a drink. It's a weird thought to realize you're paying over a hundred dollars for a seat to the game and you're standing in a bar at the stadium watching the game on TV and drinking a $15 dollar vodka tonic. So we didn't stay in the bar too long...

I don't want to paint a horrible picture of all the Yankees fans there. We sat immediately next to an old man and his two daughters in their late 20's who were season ticket holding Yankee fans and had grown up in the Bronx. They were the some of the nicest people I ever met. They loved my Homer Hanky and chatted with me about the Twins and were awesome people.

There were some extremely drunk fans right behind us who found my Aguilera jersey funny and kept chanting "Christina Aguilera" as their fight song to me. After the Yankees tied it up off Nathan they hit the back of my head  and spilled some of their drink on me and I still don't know if it was intentional or not. One of them did pat me on the shoulder the next inning and said that he didn't want to give me too much of a ribbing, he thought having an classic Aguilera jersey was actually pretty cool, and he shook my hand after the game. So despite finding them obnoxious I can't dislike them too much.

I hate to say it but as obnoxious as those Yankees fans can be, most of them there did know their team really well and were completely passionate about it. I actually have to respect them a little bit. I still don't particularly like them, but I do respect them.

I made it home on the train OK although I did get a chorus of boos on the way back across Babe Ruth plaza, and one fan in my subway car kept harassing me about Brett Favre, because, apparently, he assumes I actually like Favre. (Hint: I still don't.)

Anyway, hopefully the Twins can mount a miraculous comeback. But even if they don't, we at least get one more baseball game, and one more postseason game nonetheless!

Also, I called in after the game on Seth Stohs' nightly podcast. He and John Bonnes were hosting and I got to give my report from being at Yankee Stadium. Check it out! And if you aren't already listening to their podcasts you should start! Seth has been hosting every night during the Twins' amazing run and the discussion and analysis is great -- we're extremely blessed as fans to have such amazing writers and bloggers covering so many aspects of our team so utilize them!

I'm off to Cape Cod for the weekend with Boston Dan. We're going to a Bruins/Islanders game tomorrow night and watching some baseball out at his place on the Cape for Columbus Day weekend. I'll post if I can, but if not I'll be back next week! Go Twins!