Minnesota Twins
Who are they?
The All-American Midwest Team. Led by homegrown super star Joe Mauer, the Twins are the kind of team that epitomizes what a lot of people believe baseball should stand for. Selfless players who play for the team and their city (or region/state in this case) and try to win one for the fans.
Player to watch.
Jim Thome. Mauer is the obvious star of this team, but everyone will be watching him anyway. Keep your eye on Thome who quietly batted .283 with 25 HR's on the season as a part-time DH. The 20 year veteran is eighth on the all time HR list, Thome is just 11 dingers from 600 and is first all time in walk off HR's. This may
Why you should want them to win?
Because if you don't then you hate America and everything it stands for. This is not an opinion; it's a fact. Also, this may be the aforementioned Thome's (one of the classiest players of the last two decades) to win a ring.
Why they might win.
A strong offense that can mash the ball all over the field and a starting rotation that is better than a lot of people think.
Why they'll lose.
The loss of former MVP Justin Morneau due to injury hurts their offense and their bullpen is a liability outside of Jon Rauch and Matt Capps.
Random fact.
The Twins' intertwined "TC" logo stands for the Twin Cities (hence, the Twins), which are Minneapolis and Duluth. I learned this by watching Fargo. The Twin Cities part, not the hat part. That I figured out on my own.
New York Yankees
Who are they?
The Evil Empire, but if you seriously needed to be told that then just stop reading this column and move along. Move along.
Player to watch.
AJ Burnett. Sitting awkwardly on the bench. Because Yankees Manger Joe Girardi doesn't trust him to pitch. That's $16.5 Million that can't be trusted to pitch in the playoffs. Gotta love New York.
Why you should want them to win?
Winning the WS after the death of owner George Steinbrenner, who brought the Yankees back to a dominating franchise after purchasing them in the 70s, earlier this year would be a fitting tribute to "The Boss". (But seriously, don't root for the Yankees. Don't be that guy. No one like that guy.)
Why they might win.
Hellloooooo highest payroll in baseball.
Why they'll lose.
Because if there is a God then he doesn't want me to suffer through obnoxious Yankees fans or seeing Jeter/A-Rod hoisting the trophy on the ESPN "Champions" clip every day for the next year.
Tampa Bay Rays
Who are they?
The Young Guns. A team that was irrelevant for its first 10 years (without one playoff appearance or even a winning season), the Rays came out of seemingly nowhere to win the very strong AL East in 2008 and made it all the way to the World Series. Stacked with young talent (from all the high draft picks from years and years and years of losing), the Rays may be one of the top future franchises in the league.
Player to watch.
David Price. He was a rookie making his first MLB appearance in the 2008 playoffs, but now he's a stud pitcher who has been mentioned in the AL Cy Young Award conversation. He pitched well all year and has some experience in the World Series as a relief pitcher against the Phillies in '08, so it'll be interesting if he can put everything together and be a rock for this rotation.
Why you should want them to win?
Worst to first? I'm in! Ok, so it would've been better if it had happened two years ago when the magical transformation began, but it's hard to root against a team that's turned around a really miserable franchise.
Why they might win.
Young. Talented. Well managed. Enough said.
Why they'll lose.
Despite being one of the best teams in baseball this season, their stadium is constantly empty. Karma may come around to bite the fairweather fans in the butt.
Random fact.
The turnaround of the franchise began the same year the team's name was changed from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the Tampa Bay Rays. Maybe other languishing franchises should try that out. I'm looking at you Pittsburgh.
Texas Rangers
Who are they?
Just one guy named Walker who plays every position on the field. Also, owned by the most ornery old man you've ever met.
Just one guy named Walker who plays every position on the field. Also, owned by the most ornery old man you've ever met.
Player to watch.
Why you should want them to win?
Why they might win.
Why they'll lose.
Random fact.
Despite the lack of serious content above, the Rangers are the team I'm most rooting for in this year's playoffs. This is a franchise that has had lots of ups and downs over the years, has only one postseason win, was recently sold to a Baseball/Pitching/Texas legend, and is led by an AL MVP candidate that only 5 years ago was out of baseball because of drug addiction. Everyone should be praying that Josh Hamilton can return and make a push to get his team to the World Series. There's a lot of likeable talent with none of the infighting or universal disgust that follows so many professional sports teams. Plus I can't wait to see how many newspapers/websites have the headline "Don't Mess with Texas" after they win it all.
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