The Twins managed to avoid embarrassment by taking one game each in the Yankees and Tigers series. That’s about where the optimism ends as they fell to nine games back of the last wild card spot. Fangraphs currently gives the team a 0.6% chance to make the playoffs, so maybe there is hope after all. The record now stands at 58-66.
Of course, the actual baseball being played was not the headline for the Twins this past week, as more importantly, the Pohlads decided to take the team off the market after
a nearly year-long saga of exploring a sale. Here’s to hoping that the team actually makes good on its promise to “[build] a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for.” I’m doubtful, but maybe you have more hope.
The Past Week on Twinkie Town:
- Need to vent about the Twins? Or provide some reasons to calm down? Check out our Game Threads and join the conversation!
- In case you forgot what happened this past weekend, our Game Recaps are back as well!
- With the new site change, we also now have The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
- Zach Koenig returns us to the 1965 World Series and the final game of the season in a pivotal matchup between Jim Kaat and Sandy Koufax.
- Ben Jones provides his thoughts after the Pohlad announcement.
Elsewhere in Twins Territory:
- Phil Miller at the Star Tribune introduces us to the newest Twins outfielder, James Outman. ($)
- Aaron Gleeman at The Athletic looks back at the last 365 days for the Twins – and how one loss to the Rangers has triggered a miserable year of baseball. ($)
- With payroll levels falling to record lows, Chris Schad at Zone Coverage looks at whether the Twins can replicate the success of their penny-pinching neighbors to the east, the Milwaukee Brewers.
- Eric Blonigen at Twins Daily checks in on old friends in new places to see how the players traded in the Twins fire sale are doing.
In the World of Baseball:
- The top six teams in the American League remained unchanged, although the order and gaps between the teams have shifted a bit. The Toronto Blue Jays remain atop, followed by the Tigers 0.5 games back, and the Astros 3.5 games back. The Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox are tied, with the New York Yankees 0.5 games back of both teams.
- The same can be said of the National League, where the top six teams have not changed either. The Milwaukee Brewers lead the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers by 7.5 games, and the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets are the current wild-card teams.
- It was Players’ Weekend last weekend, which of course meant fun bat designs were seen all over the majors. Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo used a bat with his son’s handprint in honor of him and other kids undergoing treatment at Mercy Children’s Hospital, whom he visited last week. He ended up hitting a homer with that bat.
- Harry Lyles Jr. at ESPN digs into a “feud” between “A League of Their Own” star, Madonna, and the small town of Evansville, Indiana, where the movie was filmed.
