Tuesday, September 30, 2008

SPORTS: Feeling Good About My Twinkies

Well, I could have done without Alexi Ramirez's record-setting grand slam for the White Sox Monday as they bested the Detroit Tigers to earn a playoff rematch with my Minnesota Twins today. The game's going to be a bear to play. Cold, windy and an unneeded distraction on the way to Tampa Bay.

Nick Blackburn's going to prove he has ice water in his veins in more ways than one today. It's going to be cold and blustery in Chicago, regardless of whether ChiSox manager Ozzie Guillen blows up or not. The guy was warming up Bobbie Jenks with a four-run lead Monday night, KNOWING he had another tilt today with the home-and-resting Twins. Whatever magic Guillen once had, it's gone. Now, it will be a case of the old Chicago fogies against the kids from Minny.

Normally, I'd take age, experience and treachery over youthful exuberance. But the Twins aren't all wet behind the ears. Justin Mourneau, my fellow countryman, will get an extra shot at overtaking Josh Hamilton for the A.L. RBI crown. He enters the game one ribbie behind. A.L. batting champ, Joe Maurer, has proven the previous hitting title wasn't a fluke, which I honestly though it was. My PARENTS weren't born when the last catcher before Maurer won a batting title. But when you do something twice, you can remove fluke from the conversation.

The Twins were left for dead two weeks ago, and now they detour to Chicago to prove the dead can rise again. And again. And again.

Say, is Thursday's tilt between the Twins and Tampa Bay on against the vice-presidential skewering?

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