Sorry.

If you missed it, a blog couldn’t capture the sheer awesomeness of the game.  There were multiple plays at the plate.  There was small ball.  There was long ball.  There was Orlando Cabrera actually SPEEDING UP when he realized his two run homer was out of the park, instead of slowing into a trot.  There were 60,000 crazy fans, and not a one of them left after the game.

Most of all, there was a…feeling.  We’re not quite prepared to call it Team of Destiny, yet. But there was never a point, regardless of our prediction yesterday, when it didn’t feel like the Twins not just could, but WOULD win this game.

We’ll be posting a lot about baseball, of course, and you’ll have to excuse us.   And we’re rooting for the Twins. (And the Sox, of course.)

Sure, they lost last year’s one game playoff, against the White Sox, and thus ended up finishing second in their division.  But this year, we think, they can do it.

It’s a confluence of circumstances, really.  First off, that ridiculous rain-caused doubleheader last week against the Tigers, when the team was only two games back.  They won one and lost one, so no big drama results-wise, but then they kicked the crap out of the Royals for a bit, while the Tigers were busy losing two out of three to the White Sox (whose 79 win season is good for a winning percentage of .488.  Stunningly mediocre at best.)

One game playoffs are historically played the day after the regular season, in the stadium of the team with the stronger record in the season series (the presumptive division winner, if you will.)  This year, though, things are a little odd.

First of all, MLB instituted a coin toss to determine where the game would be played…and the Twins won it.  Good karma? Well, just wait.  The Twins play in the Metrodome.

You know who else plays in the Metrodome? The Vikings.  You know when they did that? About the same time the playoff game should have been in the fourth inning or so.

So, an extra day off for both teams ensued, but the Twins have all the momentum going into this one.  They took their last series, won their last game versus Detroit, and get to play in a stadium full of what will undoubtedly be some residually-hyped fans.

Plus, the fact that football was played there last night might do some odd things to the game.  Sure, the technicians try hard, but divots, uneven spots, and other weirdness just can’t be avoided, even on AstroTurf (although the Metrodome website assures us that the field surface is actually state of the art Field-Turf.  ‘Scuse us, Metrodome Gods.)

Point is, the Twins are more used to the havoc that home football games wreak on their playing surface than the Tigers.  Even though all but two of their games the day after football in the ‘dome have been played away in the last couple years, they still deal with practices, scrimmages, and all the other business sharing a stadium comes with.

The Tigers don’t, and that could be a difference.  Not to mention that whole, you know, psychological Minnesotans-are-winners thing from last night.  And the Twins have taken 18 of their last 23.

Meanwhile, the Tigers have a scratch-happy Miggy Cabrera providing distraction.,  If the Twins win, their resulting one game lead will be the biggest of the season.

Favre’s handing the baton: round two is on.  We’ll take the Twins. (And we may be blogging the game, so stay tuned!)

For now, a bit of updated playoff analysis.

Clinched

The Yankees have clinched the division title, but playoff questions remain.  Specifically, after you start C.C. Sabathia, then what happens? A.J. Burnett has been good at times, but terribly inconsistent.  Pettite–despite the sore shoulder–is probably your best bet for a number two, because he at least eats some innings, even when he’s off.  Because of the extra days off in the first series, this won’t be an issue right away.

The Angels have also clinched. But they always get swept in the first round.  Will this year be different?  Well, last year they needed a bat, and got swept despite the addition of Mark Texeira.  This year they didn’t add that bat. So….you be the judge.  (They have, however, added Scott Kazmir, late of Tampa Bay, so their pitching is solider than in past years.)

St. Louis….looks like St. Louis. They clinched their division behind Pujols, and they’ll play in the playoffs behind Pujols.  They’re not especially exciting, but they’re getting the job done. Again.

Playoff Bound

The Dodgers have clinched their second playoff berth in a row under manager Joe Torre, and they look good going into the playoffs.  With Manny Ramirez’s famously torrid postseason play on their side, they could go far.

Questionmarks

The Red Sox had a magic number of 1 to clinch a playoff berth …three days ago.  They still have that 1.  They’re imploding, and if Texas weren’t quite so far back…well, actually this might still be a race.  The Sox just got swept by the Yankees and lost one to Toronto last night. Why? Who knows.

Texas is less than likely to make the playoffs–their collapse in the month of August was nothing short of spectacular.  They control their own destiny only minimally, but hey, miracles happen.

The Rockies, the little team that could, could also still make the playoffs.  We’ll see…

Detroit and Minnesota: playing a doubleheader today with the Twins two games back.  Update on that one later.

Alex Gonzalez to the Red Sox

The struggling Sox’ current best defensive lineup would feature Casey Kotchman (recently acquired from Atlanta after spending years with the Angels) at first, Kevin Youkilis at third.  But the Sox can’t hit lately, and as a result they need the resurgent Mike Lowell in their lineup daily as long as his body holds up.  THAT, in turn, means they need some compensatory defense at short, since Lowell–a gold glove third baseman–doesn’t have the range he once did, especially this year given his injury.  Gonzalez isn’t a heavy bat, but his range to his right is phenomenal, so acquiring him means you can slot Lowell back in at third and let Youk and Victor Martinez have the days off they want or need at first without sacrificing power entirely.  This is big.

Alex Rios to the White Sox

This one was the shocker: a longtime Blue Jay put on waivers–salary dump, clearly.  Four teams professed interest or put in claims, the White Sox won the war.  Rios can play all three outfield positions, giving the White Sox a way to rest the aging Jermaine Dye and Scott Podsednik.  He hits lefties and righties about equally well, too, so you can put him in the lineup every day.  And so far, his RBI numbers have made a difference.  To us, this could push the White Sox over the top.

Greg Zaun and Russ Springer to Tampa Bay Rays

Zaun has spent time with many clubs, mostly Baltimore.  He gives the Rays the kind of veteran bench presence they need if they’re going to pull it together and contend again in their “young guys reaching the playoffs for the first time” mode, as last year.  Springer, a bullpen pitcher claimed off waivers from the As, has bounced around like crazy, but is arguably a serviceable bullpen arm against a righty-heavy lineup (lefties bat .352 off him this year, which means he’ll be useless against the Yankees, but useful against the Sox, both of whom the Rays have to deal with if they want to make the playoffs.)  His ERA on the year is actually slightly lower than his career ERA, and in the last 30 days, his ERA’s under 3. 00.  Good acquisitions both, though under the radar.

Carl Pavano to the Minnesota Twins

…Actually, we’re kidding.  We think Pavano’s done.

Daniel Cabrera to the Diamondbacks

Cabrera is an enigma…he was supposed to be so good, but has struggled with command despite at times having overpowering stuff.  He’s still a couple years shy of thirty and can hit the high nineties on the gun, but Baltimore kept using him as a starter and finding they couldn’t depend on him.  In last year’s down market, he went unsigned in the off season.  The Diamondbacks can use his speed, assuming he can be consistent.  He’s not currently on the roster, so we don’t know how much of a difference he’ll make, but he’s worth noting.

These won’t be the last of them, as we’re still waiting for a lot of people–Ryan Freel et al–to clear waivers or be claimes, but in the meantime who else do you think made a difference? Sound off in the comments….

What the heck does the trade deadline even mean, anyway?  It just happened on July 31st, yet MLB players are seemingly frolicking about with impugnity.  We thought that “deadline” meant “this is when you can do this until, and afterwards, you get in trouble.”  We’re sure that’s what it meant for our third grade diorama project….

It turns out that the trade deadline is actually a slight misnomer: this is the deadline for free and easy trading, if you will, but trades can take place afterwards.  It’s just that those trades have to be completed with players who  either are taken off the roster and clear waivers (meaning their team gives a chance for other teams to pick them up, and nobody does), or are not on 40 man rosters to begin with.  That’s how it happened that last night the Yankees traded for Chad Gaudin, and today the Indians unloaded Carl Pavano to the Twins.  However, no player aquired after August 31st is allowed to be on the playoff roster.

Now we get it!