If you want to have some fun, go poke around the newspapers from the home cities of other teams.  They range from the eternally optimistic to the world is ending because our season is over.  A case in point, read the article from the Boston Herald after yesterday's loss to the Twins:

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/steve_buckley/2015/06/buckley_nothing_has_changed_red_sox_still_terrible

 

or perhaps a sampling from the Chicago Tribune on the White Sox post season aspirations:

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-playoff-hopes-report-white-sox-spt-0603-20150602-story.html

 

or how about the Detroit Free Press after the Tigers dropped their 7th straight and were swept by the A's at home:

 

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2015/06/04/detroit-tigers-losing-streak/28511877/

 

 

It's really easy to get caught up in our Twins and the weak spots that need addressing, but there are a lot of teams that would love to be us right now.

Best thing the Twins might have going for them is just how mediocre the AL is.

 

Best thing the Twins might have going for them is just how mediocre the AL is.

Which brings up a really interesting trade deadline.  Who will make a big move to set themselves apart?

Poor Boston. They just can't get anything right, can they?

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/2015/06/04/060415soxms24.jpg?itok=OxSYTVL3&c=1c197867b690baabe7e93c01043a2a4a

Photo by: Matt Stone

 

CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM IT: Hanley Ramirez finds himself caught in a rundown as the Twins’ Brian Dozier closes in, one of several mistakes made by the Red Sox in their sloppy 8-4 loss yesterday at Fenway.

The preseason prognosticators all lumped the Twins into a bottom four group that included the Phillies, Rockies, and Diamondbacks as the only clear "no chance for the playoffs" teams.  Most identified a couple obvious locks like the Nats and Dodgers, and then a huge blob in the middle.  Looking at the blob, I just couldn't help but ask myself how those teams were all that much better than the Twins.  For instance, I (luckily?) questioned the Red Sox because of A)rotation issues, B)HanRam's ability to play defense, anywhere, let alone in front of the monster.  And also his ability to stay healthy.  And C)How good their prospects really are.  Is Mookie Betts playing that much better than Aaron Hicks?

 

At any rate, seems kind of unfair to say the Twins are winning only because other teams suck.  I'd rather say, that in the parity blob of MLB, they are taking advantage of other teams mistakes, and other teams aren't doing as good a job reciprocating.

 

The preseason prognosticators all lumped the Twins into a bottom four group that included the Phillies, Rockies, and Diamondbacks as the only clear "no chance for the playoffs" teams.  Most identified a couple obvious locks like the Nats and Dodgers, and then a huge blob in the middle.  Looking at the blob, I just couldn't help but ask myself how those teams were all that much better than the Twins.  For instance, I (luckily?) questioned the Red Sox because of A)rotation issues, B)HanRam's ability to play defense, anywhere, let alone in front of the monster.  And also his ability to stay healthy.  And C)How good their prospects really are.  Is Mookie Betts playing that much better than Aaron Hicks?

 

At any rate, seems kind of unfair to say the Twins are winning only because other teams suck.  I'd rather say, that in the parity blob of MLB, they are taking advantage of other teams mistakes, and other teams aren't doing as good a job reciprocating.

 

I think that "suck" is too harsh, but mediocre is more accurate. In that situation games can be stolen through taking care of and cleaning up little things and pushing games at the margins. Probably the biggest flip from last year to this year, along with better starting pitching.

 

Is Mookie Betts playing that much better than Aaron Hicks?

Not to take away from your larger points, but yes to this question.  In 2015 so far, Betts has shown a LOT more power than Hicks, a notably lower K rate, and even a slightly better BB rate.  Largely the same recipe from his excellent rookie season, just with a .258 BABIP.  (He's also got positive scores on defensive metrics so far.)  Betts may have been over-hyped, but he's not bad.  Not that Hicks hasn't been useful and encouraging this season too.

 

But yeah, no team is really bulletproof in the AL right now, and it's been fun to see the Twins and Astros and even the Rays take advantage.  (Unfortunately, so have the Yankees...)

 

 

But yeah, no team is really bulletproof in the AL right now, and it's been fun to see the Twins and Astros and even the Rays take advantage.  (Unfortunately, so have the Yankees...)

Aaaah yes, the Yankees....

 

http://nypost.com/2015/06/04/for-any-title-hopes-yankees-need-more-from-their-458m/

 

We need more for our 458 million!

Edited June 5, 201511 yr by gocgo

 

Poor Boston. They just can't get anything right, can they?

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/2015/06/04/060415soxms24.jpg?itok=OxSYTVL3&c=1c197867b690baabe7e93c01043a2a4a

Photo by: Matt Stone

Yeah, Dozier grew a beard and got big.

 

Poor Boston. They just can't get anything right, can they?

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/2015/06/04/060415soxms24.jpg?itok=OxSYTVL3&c=1c197867b690baabe7e93c01043a2a4a

Photo by: Matt Stone

Finally, an unflattering photo of Brian Dozier. Pretty boy, my ass.

We were in Boston all week and we listened to sports radio there a decent amount and there's no doubt there that their pessimism is high. It kind of put things into perspective a bit, listening to the radio guys go on and on about what was wrong and why they are playing so badly and we are sitting over here like.. Whe was the last time we lost 2 in a row? Now we are threatening to lose our reign of having the best record in the AL!

 

Poor Boston. They just can't get anything right, can they?

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/2015/06/04/060415soxms24.jpg?itok=OxSYTVL3&c=1c197867b690baabe7e93c01043a2a4a

Photo by: Matt Stone

I was thinking , Hanley is really slower than Plouffeee!!!??????

 

I was thinking , Hanley is really slower than Plouffeee!!!??????

And I was thinking, Plouffe can really outrun somebody? Anybody?!