For the record, baseball is no longer America's pastime. Ever since the strike of 1994 cancelled nearly an entire season, shattering the Montreal Expos' one shot at glory, football has taken its rightful throne at the top of the sports kingdom. With fantasy football now a booming industry and college football as popular as most pro sports, baseball can't compete.
However, a lonely seven months between January and September remain without real football. So in mid-May I found myself depressed, as the Timberwolves were long gone from contention, the Red Wings (a hockey team, yes, there is professional hockey in the United States, check it out) folded in the first round of the playoffs and steroids along with other scandals had soured me on most of baseball. But little did I know that the next three months would rekindle my love for ""America's pastime.""
I always enjoy watching the Twins play, but as of June 9, they were 25-33, a pitiful 10-24 on the road and were 10 games out of the wild card. With the White Sox and Tigers tearing it up, most fans had nearly given up on the season. But after that night's loss, manager Ron Gardenhire sat down a struggling Justin Morneau to help get his bat back in order. Morneau and the Twins have not looked back since.
In the next 69 games, the Twins went 50-19 to completely erase the wild card deficit. They are now a half game ahead of the hated White Sox, and they have done it with a makeshift lineup and rotation containing several players not even on the roster at the beginning of the season.
There's really nothing like watching a scrappy lineup squeak out wins every night. The White Sox rely on their four players with at least 30 home runs, while most nights the Twins rely on the speedy bottom of their lineup to get things done. Jason Tyner and Jason Bartlett, the No. 8 and 9 hitters in the lineup, who began the season in AAA, are batting .306 and .342 respectively. Take MVP candidate Justin Morneau out of Minnesota's lineup and the Twins would not even have 100 home runs on the season. It's no wonder why White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen dubbed the Twins ""piranhas,"" because they take quick, little bites out of opponents.
The season looks like something straight out of Hollywood. All the characters are there: the wacky backup catcher Mike Redmond, who can be seen jumping up and down celebrating at least five times a game; Rondell White, the old-timer who is looking for one last shot; and a manager who gets in umpires' faces nearly every game (and has been tossed out of eight). Not to mention they have a pitcher whose legal name is Boof in the starting rotation. Who could resist rooting for the Twins? Well, besides White Sox and Yankee fans, we could do without them.
So it's currently September, and the NFL and college football have started. Three fantasy football leagues may keep my focus on the pigskin, but if I have to choose between watching early season football and a pennant race, the pennant race may now prevail.
And with that, my first column is done. From here on out, I promise there will be no more ""homer"" columns.
OK, there might be a few more.
Nevermind, I promise nothing.
White Sox and Yankee fans can send Zach hate mail at kooksmart@hotmail.com.
