Season ending e-mail from the Tribe

[Steve_424]

If the Twins were that good they would have advanced in the postseason more than once in the six years they've made it. The only time they've gotten to the ALCS in this span was 2002 and that was when they beat the Athletics, who were a notorious playoff choke-dog.

They're division-series fodder and not much more. Their postseason record speaks for itself.

The '05 White Sox, '06 Tigers and '07 Indians were better than any of these Minnesota teams.

Again, you don't win 94 games if you're not a very good team. In 2009, 2004, and 2003 they were eliminated by the Yankees. In 2006 a very good A's team took them out, and in 2002 they were liminated by the Angels, who ended up winning it all.

They have certainly not had success in the postseason, but they also haven't been too lucky, drawing the Yankees in the 1st Round in four of their 6 playoff bids, a team that more than doubles your payroll.

Of course, that's the funny thing here...you're discrediting the Twins because they play in a weak division (ignoring that, aside from the Rays' two good years, 3 of the 5 AL East teams have sucked for the past 15 years, but respond to the incredible payroll advantage the Yankees have as just making excuses.

Ah well...if you want to think the Twins aren't very good, that's fine. I think the Yankees are the most overrated franchise in professional sports and would be a middle-of-the-pack team if baseball had a salary cap (which is why MLB won't install one), so we're all entitled to our opinions.

 

[GreasySpread36]

Again, you don't win 94 games if you're not a very good team.

You don't lose 11 consecutive postseason games- not series, games- if you're a very good team. The Twins got to 94 wins by beating up on a weak division. They're a straw dog and their perennial sorry postseason showings are proof of that.

They have certainly not had success in the postseason, but they also haven't been too lucky, drawing the Yankees in the 1st Round in four of their 6 playoff bids, a team that more than doubles your payroll.

More excuses. Just win. The Tigers and Indians didn't have any problems beating New York in 2006 and '07. The White Sox didn't have any problems beating Boston in 2005. The Devil Rays didn't have any problems beating Boston in 2008. If you're better you'll win regardless of payroll. If you aren't better you'll lose. Simple.

"Luck?" Guess what- if you're in the postseason you're going to play a good club. Sorry, you don't get to play the Royals in October.

 

[Steve_424]

You don't lose 11 consecutive postseason games- not series, games- if you're a very good team. The Twins got to 94 wins by beating up on a weak division. They're a straw dog and their perennial sorry postseason showings are proof of that.



More excuses. Just win. The Tigers and Indians didn't have any problems beating New York in 2006 and '07. The White Sox didn't have any problems beating Boston in 2005. The Devil Rays didn't have any problems beating Boston in 2008. If you're better you'll win regardless of payroll. If you aren't better you'll lose. Simple.

"Luck?" Guess what- if you're in the postseason you're going to play a good club. Sorry, you don't get to play the Royals in October.

Maybe the AL Central has been an overall better division in recent years. Maybe the Yankees haven't won more World Series' because they don't get to play the Orioles and Blue Jays in October.

The Twins are a good baseball team, and the Yankees have just as many weak opponents in their division.

 

[PIP]

After today we can put the The Little Twins Engine That Could discussion away....

 

[The Oi]

Why would you even waste time defending the Twins? There's no evidence suggesting they're anything better than, well...better than the rest of their weak division.

They're TERRIBLE in the post-season. They haven't been able to beat good teams since the Kirby Puckett days. You're up against the wall defending that team, because they give you no ammo to work with. Awful.

 

[Chris]

The Yankees can be called plenty of vile names but not overrated. That is ludicrous. They play within the rules of baseball and have 27 world championships. Period. Nobody can take that away.

 

[Steve_424]

Why would you even waste time defending the Twins? There's no evidence suggesting they're anything better than, well...better than the rest of their weak division.

They're TERRIBLE in the post-season. They haven't been able to beat good teams since the Kirby Puckett days. You're up against the wall defending that team, because they give you no ammo to work with. Awful.

Because being a playoff team means you're a good team. That's what we're debating here - are the Twins a good team. I didn't say they were the best, or that they were better than the Yankees...just said they're a good team.

 

[Steve_424]

The Yankees can be called plenty of vile names but not overrated. That is ludicrous. They play within the rules of baseball and have 27 world championships. Period. Nobody can take that away.

I'm talking about the recent Yankees. The last 10 years they've had at least double the payroll of all teams, and triple and quadruple the payroll of most others...and they've won one World Series.

I know it sounds ludicrous, but is it? Take a step back...if there was a salary cap, and every team had the same money, would they be as good as they are now? How many studs have they developed from within in the last 10 years?

 

[GreasySpread36]

More three-and-out action from the pathetic Twins.

Please, someone else in the Central step up and replace these pretenders next season so they can stop embarrassing themselves.

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

If you're better you'll win regardless of payroll. If you aren't better you'll lose. Simple.

The problem is that the difference in payroll makes it extremely hard to be better.

Incompetent moves by the Yankees might result in 95 wins instead of 105 and a wild card spot instead of the division win. Incompetent moves by anyone else means 5 years of bad baseball. If everyone had 200 million dollars to cover for their dumb moves, things would be a lot different. If the Yankees didn't have that ability to go grab a shopping cart and start loading it up with ace pitchers and elite hitters every off-season, things would be a lot different.

 

[PIP]

But this is what I don't understand-- the Yankees went out and signed Tex... However, they traded Soriano for AROD, they traded Jackson for Granderson-- guys like Kearns, Thames and Gardner are getting big hits or making quality plays-- surrounded by guys like Posada, Jeter and Cano, who are homegrown...

Some make it seem as if the Yankees are fielding 100 million dollar all stars at every position... Furthermore, if you look at the first 4 titles for Jeter and company, it was guys like Knoblauch, Brousius, O'Neill, Bernie Williams, Curtis, Tino Martinez etc with a bullpen of Mendoza, Nelson, Lloyd, Stanton and starters of Wells, Cone, Pettite, Hernandez etc..

 

[The Oi]

But this is what I don't understand-- the Yankees went out and signed Tex... However, they traded Soriano for AROD, they traded Jackson for Granderson-- guys like Kearns, Thames and Gardner are getting big hits or making quality plays-- surrounded by guys like Posada, Jeter and Cano, who are homegrown...

Some make it seem as if the Yankees are fielding 100 million dollar all stars at every position... Furthermore, if you look at the first 4 titles for Jeter and company, it was guys like Knoblauch, Brousius, O'Neill, Bernie Williams, Curtis, Tino Martinez etc with a bullpen of Mendoza, Nelson, Lloyd, Stanton and starters of Wells, Cone, Pettite, Hernandez etc..

You "not understanding" why people say the Yankees have an absurd payroll makes as much sense as this other guy claiming he doesn't understand why the Twins aren't really a good team.

 

[PIP]

Payroll invested to keep the talent.... Every now and again the good guys splurge...

Now back off, stud...

 

[The Oi]

Payroll invested to keep the talent.... Every now and again the good guys splurge...

Now back off, stud...

Don't know why...but I get the sense that you're nude right now...

 

[PIP]

Yankee playoff game is on... Of course I'm nude...