Bill Smith of the Minnesota Twins Has Some Work To Do

But that’s a lot of “what-ifs”. What's important is the attitude this year, but a lesson can be learned from the past. I think the attitude from 2006 is pretty similar to that of this year, and if the Twins continue this run and manage to somehow make it into the playoffs without any changes to the lineup or pitching staff, there will still be a little something missing come the postseason.

What this team needs, in order to take the next step and get into the playoffs, and beyond, is an infusion of, not only confidence, but killer instinct, the utmost belief that when you go out on that field, you’re not just looking for a chance to win. You’re looking to beat the other team.

You’re taking this game from them and they will have to fight tooth and nail to take it from you. This is what great teams do.

How do you accomplish this?

For one thing, listen to your manager a little: bolster the bullpen. You acquire a set-up man who can help shorten the game to get the ball to Joe Nathan with the lead in the ninth. This need is even more acute since you have a manager who refuses to use Nathan in any other situation that might stretch him beyond the obvious “save” situation.

Giving Gardy someone else to call upon in the eighth who can shut opponents down will take care of this problem.

Knowing that opponents only really have through the sixth or seventh inning to get ahead of you is a gigantic mental boost, and certainly can affect this team’s confidence level.

Plus, having one more shutdown guy along with Nathan could really boost the killer-instinct level in this pitching corps, something particularly lacking in that bullpen.

As a fan sitting either at home on the couch or in the stands, I feel a large amount of uneasiness whenever Gardy goes to the mound to call upon the bullpen. If I do not have confidence as a fan, how do the players feel?

I think it is also time to start punishing your young players for not playing up to major-league standards. This is not necessarily your province, but you might want to suggest it to your manager, after you listen to him a little.

When Alexi Casilla blows play after play at second, sit him for a day. Let him think about how important defense really is to this ballclub. The same should be true for Young. Make him work harder on his defense. Make sure he shows improvement in the field and at the plate, or else send him down and keep Denard Span in the majors.

In fact, perhaps this should be done with Gomez. He’s flailing at the plate. The patient approach Casilla shows at the plate clearly has not rubbed off on his best buddy on the team, and yet there has been no effort to minimize the negative impact his recklessness has on the rest of the lineup, and thus, this team’s chances of winning.

Move him to the ninth spot until he figures it out, or demote him to the minors when Cuddyer returns.

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