(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Last year, the perennial little team that could, the Minnesota Twins fell just one game short of the playoffs.
Actually, it was in their 163rd game, a play-in game with the division rival Chicago White Sox in a game played controversially at "The Cell" in Chicago's Southside.
Since the epic 1-0 finish, with a Jim Thome home run being the deciding factor, the rule, which awarded the game to Chicago via a coin flip has been changed to what it should have been all along, the better record amongst the teams involved, in head-to-head matchups host the deciding game.
Once again, the small-market Twins find themselves going up again a familiar foe, this time in the form of the Detroit Tigers. I previewed this possibility on July 6 when I wrote the following article: "Don't look now. Justin Morneau is carrying the Twins....again."
Only this time, due to a season-ending back injury they don't even have him, yet winners of 12 of their last 14, they continue to overcome the odds baseball stacks against them.
I've also discussed the very real possibility of home town hero, and likely MVP winner Joe Mauer playing his final days in a Twins uniform. How sad would it be to not only close out the Metrodome's 27-year history with three meaningless regular season games against the "we-don't-even-try-until September" Kansas City Royals, but also have a league MVP and batting champion sitting at home in October?
This could be Mauer's last chance to represent his town, his team, in the playoffs before he becomes just another bastard Red $ox. Now, I never really got too attached to cheering for Mauer since I never saw him staying with the team, but personal feelings aside, all the other Twins fans deserve to see this through until he really is out the door.
The Tigers, however, have baseball's fifth higest payroll entering this season at $115,085,145 with an average salary of $4,110,184—while the Twins check in 24th at $65,299,267 with the average player earning $2,251,699.
If they are lucky enough to survive a late season collapse that saw Detroit leading the American League Central by seven games as late as Sept. 6 (the day before Labor Day for those of you keeping track), we're going to have to hear all about "poor Detroit" and how a World Series win would do wonders for the fading city in this economy, and the health of legendary former Tigers broadcaster, Ernie Harwell, this year's version of Harry Kalas as in an endless rendition of "Win this one (as in the next game they play for as long as they play) for Ernie!"
Well I, for one, am sick of hearing about Detroit.
Not only is "poor Detroit" so 1945, as its population has been declining ever since then, much like the state as a whole, but more importantly there are other parts of the nation that have been hit just as hard or harder, yet don't receive half the coverage because they lack the long standing economic staples (i.e cars) that Detroit does.
You didn't see the Arizona Cardinals say "Look at us!" throughout their 2008 Super Bowl run despite the fact that the Phoenix area has been notoriously hard hit in home repossession in a most staggering housing market decline.
Thirdly, beyond the payroll and economics factor, the Tigers lack intriguing players since its basically been Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander carrying them pitching-wise and Miguel Cabrera offensively. How's that Aubrey Huff addition been working out for them? .194, 2 HR, 13 RBI since coming to town almost two months ago.
If just another big city market is what you are after, then by all means cheer for the lowly, boring Tigers, who don't even deserve to be where they are after practically blowing their late lead.
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