Twins-Yankees: Baseball’s One Shot At David v. Goliath
By Howard Megdal ~ October 7th, 2009. Filed under: Howard Megdal.
Not only did the Metrodome and the good people of Minnesota get an October gift last night, anyone looking for a true underdog to root for in the 2009 playoffs did as well.
The Minnesota and New York series is the one place where those who root for the unlikely heroes can go for sustenance this October.
After all, who is a less likely playoff team than a team that just a week ago was three games out of first place?
Minnesota also already pitched their nominal ace, Scott Baker just to get here. The pitching matchups seem like something out of the early rounds of the World Baseball Classic.
Even Justin Morneau, one of the few recognizable Minnesota stars, is out of the lineup. And poor Carlos Gomez spends so much time honing his craft of playing baseball, it’s been months since he managed to get a proper haircut.
But for those who love underdogs, what better payoff could there be than a Minnesota victory over New York? Not only are the Yankees favored, with a massive payroll, there is a heightened expectation for this team even relative to previous Yankee editions. Their ability to dominate in the best division in baseball leaves ample reason to believe they are 2009′s team to beat.
Ah, but to beat them, especially with Carl Pavano on the mound… would there be anything sweeter than Pavano throwing strike three past Alex Rodriguez, then walking over to the Yankee bench and doing a Fake Hamstring Injury Celebration Dance?
Not for fans of the underdog.
And if the Yankees take care of Minnesota, as one can reasonably expect they will, what is left for the fan of the underdog? Rooting for the Red Sox to finally shake off the Yankee hex… yet again? Hoping for once-in-a-lifetime miracle from the… defending champion Phillies? Pulling for Joe Torre, Manny Ramirez, and the Los Angeles Dodgers?
No, if a story is to properly warm hearts, it will have to be the Minnesota Twins. And in a five-game series, with two of them played in a soon-to-be-extinct unique venue like the Metrodome, all the stars are aligned for a nation of Twins fans.
Just don’t tell the Yankees. Because they don’t seem particularly inclined to cooperate this year.
