When the Twins make it to the playoffs.....

[bobbymalone]

all the Young, Span, Morneau, Mauer, Gardenhire, Slowey, Punto, every single other player haters in this forum are banned from any form of celebrating.

When they go on to the big show all the haters are banned from even watching the games.

When they win the big show all the haters have to move to Chicago.

GO TWINS!!!

[PierBridge]

Lets talk starting rotation...if we have the luxury of rapping up the division before the last day of the season and setting it up accordingly unlike the last few seasons where we didn't have this option.

Right now even tho Pav is struggling a bit I think I'd start him 1st with Duensing 2nd and Liriano 3rd.

[pikestabber]

It's all gonna depend on health. Last year Slowey was brilliant right up until he got hurt. This year, more health struggles... But he seems to have come on strong this mid-season. So if he gets his elbow straightened out, I can see:

Pavano

Duensing

Slowey

Liriano

Baker

I just think Liriano does a bit better when the pressure is off, and as happy as I am to see him get some of his form back, I am not 100% convinced he is ready for a big stage. I hope I am wrong!

And I know Duensing is still young to be so revered, but if it were up to me, he would be my #1 guy. Look at his moxie in the playoff's last year considering how big the stakes were! And now he is 8-1 since joining the team! That is tremendous from such a young pitcher. I see big things in his future.

Go Twins!

[Getanet]

If Duensing keeps it up Gardy may go Duensing, Mustache, Liriano to go L-R-L and keep hitters off balance.

That's a lot of pressure on Duensing though. Maybe Liriano, Mustache Duensing.

[SledNeck]

Duensing is our best pitcher

[PierBridge]

If Duensing keeps it up Gardy may go Duensing, Mustache, Liriano to go L-R-L and keep hitters off balance.

That's a lot of pressure on Duensing though. Maybe Liriano, Mustache Duensing.

I was kind of thinking that also. But with all the innings Liriano has pitched including his full winter ball schedule I'm afraid he may be spent by the end of the season.

We'll probably have to see how the rest of the season goes before we have a better feel for the play-off rotation if we even make it.

Baker and Blackie have pitched some very good ball near the ends of past seasons so anything is possible.

It would be nice to make a Pavano type of move again this season but thats seems unreasonable at this point.

[Getanet]

We could always add Manny Ramirez

[zepman]

Kind of the cart before the horse here isn't guys...won't matter what the rotation will be if Morneau doesn't come back.

[Cicada]

I like the L_R_L idea, but maybe put the experience at the begininng of the rotation. Liriano, Pavano, Duensing. Right now Liriano has the stuff that can make a team look bad and create momentum.

[harvey lee]

I love the Twins and do not miss a game.

As far as the play-offs, they will not go anywhere.

That you can take to the bank.

[Canon Guy]

I love the Twins and do not miss a game.

As far as the play-offs, they will not go anywhere.

That you can take to the bank.

I tend to agree with you. The Twins starting pitching is just too weak to take them very far.

[B. Amish]

I love the Twins and do not miss a game.

As far as the play-offs, they will not go anywhere.

That you can take to the bank.

-1

[B. Amish]

I tend to agree with you. The Twins starting pitching is just too weak to take them very far.

-2

[Harmonica Bear]

-3

[mrklean]

they havent looked like a playoff team the past 2 games, they need to snap back to the team the beat the suxs down

[SledNeck]

well, if we do make the playoffs, we wont have to worry about puttin Nathan out there in the 9th and watching him mentally implode

[harvey lee]

The Twins just don't have the starting pitching for the top teams to win a series.

[pikestabber]

I disagree. Opinions are like...well, we all know what they are like, and we all have them. So instead of arguing with opinions we should use sabermetrics to quash arguments, right? That said, we have a team ERA under 4, the best bullpen in the big leagues, and we score 4.8 runs a game on average. That's a winning formula anywhere you go. If keep doing what we've been doing we CAN compete. Just because we haven't lately doesn't mean we won't this year.

No fair weather fan here... I will always think we can win it all or what point is there in watching? To jump on the wagon if we do defy the odds? No thanks.

[PierBridge]

I think it boils down to people not believing we can compete with the Yankee's starting staff which is a valid point.

That and its the easy way out saying we aren't going to win in the post season.

[bobbymalone]

Well we made it a few posts before negative nancy raised her ugly head.

fair weather fans are fine, love to hate 'em fans can go.

[Canon Guy]

If the Twins make the playoffs they most likely are going to face the Yankees or the Rays. In a five game series the first two games are obviously huge and I have to say both the Yanks and the Rays are in a better position as far as starters for those first two games.

[CodyDawg]

It all depends on who gets hot. Add a dash of luck in and we could beat anyone. Yep, the other front runners have better 1-2-3 starters, but ya know what? a little mojo on your side and all that is gone.

Mustache, Duensing, Liriano, is my opine. But I think it will be Mustache, Liriano, Duensing in Gardy's mind and that is all that matters.

[Canon Guy]

It all depends on who gets hot. Add a dash of luck in and we could beat anyone. Yep, the other front runners have better 1-2-3 starters, but ya know what? a little mojo on your side and all that is gone.

Mustache, Duensing, Liriano, is my opine. But I think it will be Mustache, Liriano, Duensing in Gardy's mind and that is all that matters.

Of course anything can happen. The Twins hardly were the best team in 87 but things went in their favor with some help from the dome. Just looking at the match ups and history against the two teams to come to the conclusion of who would be the favorites.

[harvey lee]

I guess time will tell if we get by Chicago.

[mr_jman]

I do think this is the most potent Twins offense the team has had in a long time! If Morneau would some how be able to get back and get a few weeks under his belt before the playoffs, we'd only be a better team for it! I know this division almost always ends close, but the Sox are just not as good as the Twins (head to head is proving that!) I think concerns about pitching are valid, and the Twins seem to run in streaks of really good outing followed by strings of bad ones. If we happen to hit our stride at the right time I don't see why we can't win a series at least. Of course we still have to get over the Yankee curse, or get lucky and not face them and hope another team can take care of them for us!

I'm as big of a Twins fan as anyone, but at least if we don't win a series many of us can switch gears to the Vikings... who will still be about 3 months away from dissapointing Minnesota like they like to do!