Front Page: The Only Twins-Yankees History That Might Actually Matter

[Tom Froemming]

Despite how much the laziest members of the national baseball media want to cling to how the Yankees have dominated the Twins in previous postseasons, it doesn’t really matter. The only Twins-Yankees history that might be worth revisiting is how the teams fared against each other this season.We’ll do a lot of looking ahead to this Twins-Yankees ALDS here at Twins Daily over the coming days, but I thought it was also worthwhile to take a quick look back at how these teams have played against each other so far in 2019.

 

There’s no denying the Yankees dominance over the Twins in postseason play, but it’s also completely irrelevant. Rocco Baldelli’s response to whether he was aware of the recent postseason history between the Twins and Yankees was the exact message the entire organization and its fans needed to hear.

 

 

So how about 2019? The Twins went 2-4 against the Yankees this season, though New York only held the advantage in run differential by five (43-38). Here’s how things went at Yankee Stadium, with links to the Twins Daily game recap for each contest:

 

May 3 | NYY 6, MIN 3

May 4 | MIN 7, NYY 3

May 5 | NYY 4, MIN 1 (8 innings)

 

The Bomba Squad was uncharacteristically quiet in that series, and a few untimely errors crippled the pitching staff. There were three unearned runs allowed the first game and one more in the finale. The teams met again nearly two months later in Minneapolis.

 

July 22 | MIN 8, NYY 6

July 23 | NYY 14, MIN 12 (10 innings)

July 24 | NYY 10, MIN 7

 

The Twins evened up the season series at two games a piece, then had New York against the ropes in the second game at Target Field. The Twins led 8-2 through the first four innings, but suffered a crushing extra-inning loss in what was among the most thrilling games of the season.

 

 

Over the entire season series, the Twins combined to hit a solid .254/.343/.512 (.855 OPS), but the Yankees had a much more impressive .327/.402/.588 line (.989 OPS). Poor starting pitching was a common theme throughout for both teams. Here’s a look at the numbers:

 

NYY SPs: 8.54 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, 1.045 OPS against in 26 1/3 innings.

MIN SPs: 7.45 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 5.6 BB/9, 1.047 OPS against in 29 innings.

 

Ick. The biggest separator was bullpen performance. Twins relievers combined for a 5.87 ERA in 23 frames while the Yankees pen posted a 3.38 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. Blake Parker managed to give up five runs while recording just five outs against the Yankees, so I guess take that with a grain of salt. Parker’s dreadful appearance in that July 23 madhouse of a game was his last in a Twins uniform.

 

Considering the changes both these teams have gone through since late July, even this season’s previous matchups might not matter. That alone illustrates how completely ridiculous it is to drag any prior years into the conversation.

 

Click here to view the article

[MN_ExPat]

Well said Tom. Even MLB.com has been very bullish on the Pinstripes. The one exception I saw was Billy Ripken picking the Heroes over the Villains (Go Billy!).

 

 

But seriously, like you said, even this season’s games are a poor barometer for what to expect as both teams have evolved a lot even during the season.

[bustedstuff88]

Puke all over the national media "Experts"...the homerism coming off their lips stinks something awful.

 

Sweep these rich bastards and end that washed out and tired narrative once and for all.

[nicksaviking]

 

May 3 | NYY 6, MIN 3

May 4 | MIN 7, NYY 3
May 5 | NYY 4, MIN 1 (8 innings)


July 22 | MIN 8, NYY 6
July 23 | NYY 14, MIN 12 (10 innings)

 

If the regular season was the ALDS, the Twins take the Yankees to the fifth game with game 5 being one of the most dramatic playoff games of all time.

 

Except this time the Yankees don't have Aaron Hicks to win it for them! (don't think too hard about who the Twins may or may not have)

[jkcarew]

 

Except this time the Yankees don't have Aaron Hicks to win it for them! (don't think too hard about who the Twins may or may not have)

Nope. Instead, they'll have to hope for something useful out of the likes of Giancarlo Stanton.

[jkcarew]

I think the primary factor in this narrative is not the 'biased' or 'unfair' media...it's the psychotic fan base. In this history, there is absolutely nothing at play other than the quality of the teams. If the team records were reversed this year...especially their records against winning teams...you'd see it reflected in the opinions of the national media and the Vegas odds.

 

Truth is, the Yankees beat the Twins in past post-seasons because they were always the better team. Always. If they beat the Twins again this year, it'll be for the same reason. The good news is the gap may not be as large as it's been in the past...and the better team doesn't ALWAYS win a 5-game series.

[DocBauer]

There is no such things as a curse. Sometimes a team is just better, or matches up better. Let's be honest, once in a while luck of a bounce makes a difference. Past history means nothing to this post season, as stated

 

Personally, despite the Yanks winning the season, I thought both teams looked pretty evenly matched. But even still, both teams are different now than they were earlier in the season. Our bullpen alone, for example.

 

Just be excited and see what happens!

[ScrapTheNickname]

I wonder if the Big Stage (prime time, NYC, do-or-die) will affect the nerves of our younger players.

[notoriousgod71]

So the Yankees beat the Twins at a .667 winning percentage, way lower than their normal rate.

[gocgo]

A couple of things.  I want the Yankees knocked out as much as anybody, but let's face it.  When the Yankees our knocked out, the viewing audience goes down.  As much as I want the Yankees out, MLB doesn't and that counts for something....just sayin!

 

Second, I'm glad the Twins are the highest home run hitting team in the history of the game.  I think the Yankees HR numbers are inflated by the ball park just like an Oakland pitchers can be skewed by a ton of foul territory.  All those foul balls that just make it into the seats are in play at Oakland and plenty of routine outs make it into the seats at Yankee stadium.  We earned out dingers!

[twinssporto]

The Yankees home run totals should be followed by an asterisk.  Half their games are played in a softball field type of park. That will benefit us probably more than the Yankees while we are there. 

 

Right now I think our bullpen has the advantage over the Yankees pen. It's gonna be a fun series to watch though. Common sense says there will be a lot of high scoring games, the reality is it will probably be scores like 1-2, 2-1, 3-2...dramatic home runs sprinkled in here and there...Something like that. 

 

I might start self medicating Thursday evening to make sure I'm ready for Friday night.

[nicksaviking]

 

Nope. Instead, they'll have to hope for something useful out of the likes of Giancarlo Stanton.

 

I dare the Yankees to stick Stanton out in CF.

[ScrapTheNickname]

I would like to see a Twins (or Rays) vs. Brewers World Series ... Just to F with the powers that be and the expectations of the hordes and masses. After all the PTB created a 10-team playoff fiasco, so let's have it.

Edited September 30, 2019 by ScrapTheNickname

[glunn]

Here is an article on a national media site that talks about the history yet seems hopeful for the Twins:

 

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-yankees-always-have-the-twins-number-will-this-postseason-be-different/

 

[denarded]

 

I wonder if the Big Stage (prime time, NYC, do-or-die) will affect the nerves of our younger players.

 

My fear is a Rosario, Sano, and especially Autudillo trying to do to much and getting out of their game. Oh and Berrios giving up a couple of runs in the second inning and stop throwing strikes

 

[yarnivek1972]

I wonder if the Big Stage (prime time, NYC, do-or-die) will affect the nerves of our younger players.

Kepler, Rosario and Polanco (and Castro) all played the WC game in New York in 2017. Cruz, Cron and Schoop also have postseason experience (Cruz and Schoop quite a bit). I’m not too worried about Garver (other than physically) because he has exceptionally strong strikezone judgement.

 

Pitchers kinda lack big game experience. Berrios pitched in relief in 2017, and Rogers pitched to one guy. Romo of course.

Edited September 30, 2019 by yarnivek1972

[jkcarew]

I dare the Yankees to stick Stanton out in CF.

Yeah...he won’t be there.

[insagt1]

If any city shouldn;t have a bias towards the Yankees, its Rochester...home of the Twins AAA farm team for over 15 years now. But I doubt any person in our media could name 5 players on the Twins (let alone the Red Wings...who never get any coverage here) In today's paper all the articles were about the Yankees., I think the Twins got mentioned by name once, as their opponent.

The national media of course, especially TV want the Yankees to win, for the best ratings. Twins have little footprint outside of Minnesota. In fact everyone is screaming for a Yankee-Dodger WS.

 

If you look at all the stats, you will find, surprisingly, I think, how similar both teams are. I think what may scare me the most is Chapman to close and Britton to set up. Chapman is a shutdown guy when he's on. Rogers can be too, but Chapman scares me. I think Judge=Sano. Both can hit the ball a mile and both also k a lot.

Their starters are as tenuous as ours.

 

Its hard NOT to look at past history. I get that everyone in TwinsLand is downplaying it as irrelevant. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Fact is historically there have been plenty of sports team matchups in all sports that always seemed to be tilted in one direction...for years sometimes.Make of it what you will. Twins CAN win this series. If their 'A' team is ready to go they will have a great chance to win. I guarantee you the Yankees are NOT taking these guys for granted.

[Melissa]

Man, that's a shame insagt1 that the Rochester NY media ignore the MN Twins. At least you get to see a lot of our players coming up and going down.

[Old Twins Cap]

In baseball, you make history, you don't fall in line behind it.

 

So, every AB, every pitch, every struck ball, you hope for something great.

 

And sometimes it works out.

 

God bless.

[jimbo92107]

I look forward to the Twins/Yankees series. Two good teams, pretty evenly matched, and both setting records for home runs in a season. The series will depend quite literally on which players get hot at the right time. Berrios could pitch a shutout, or Sano could hit ten home runs. Or it could go the other way. 

[the_brute_squad]

There's going to be a lot of home runs and there's going to be some atrocious pitching. What's going to win the series will be defense. A costly error toward the end of a game or two will be the deciding factor.

[insagt1]

 

Man, that's a shame insagt1 that the Rochester NY media ignore the MN Twins. At least you get to see a lot of our players coming up and going down.

yes--we definitely enjoy seeing our players do well and then continue the run with the Twins. The Twins have been a very good parent...replacing a team (Orioles) that everyone loved here....until their whole farm system fell apart under very inept leadership. Its irresponsible for our local media to ignore our teams, but they do now. Not much we can do about it.

[Number3]

The unknown is why the games are actually played. No one can deny that there is a stigma and aura attached to the Yankees that has accumulated over the decades starting with Ruth and the House that Ruth built and continuing to the current stadium being the only one named after the team that plays in it. Maybe Orioles Park at Camden Yards counts; not sure. There is always that feeling that, even with a lead, things can fall apart in an instant. Ironic thing about baseball is that you don't directly compete against the other players like other sports other than the "game within the game" pitcher/batter competition. Even that is more like golf in that the pitcher is really competing against himself trying to execute pitches  The rest of the 8 defensive players are really just playing the ball. The batter is trying to hit the ball, not the opposing pitcher.

Point of all of this is that the Twins are not playing the Yankees, they are playing themselves and the baseball. That is the beauty of the game. Whoever executes that the best usually wins.

[Trov]

The series will be interesting, as both teams have made a few changes since last meeting.  I hope the new bullpen for the Twins can get it done, else there will be a lot of late game blow ups that piss me off.  At least with instant replay the umps can only give the Yankees so much of an advantage, no calling a ball that is fair by 3 feet foul, or at least it will not stand up to a challenge.  

 

I think Rocco will not make the mistakes Gardy always did.  There were too many to list, but at least from what I have seen from Rocco he will let his players do what they do.  

 

I agree that what happened years ago has no impact on this series.  I know national people are big on Yankees, but many are big on Twins too.  ESPN have us ranked forth in power rankings for the season.  I believe the series will come down to 2 main areas, fielding and hitting with runners in scoring position.  If either team gives the other too many extra outs the long ball will catch up to them.  Also, if one team leaves runners on base when they have chances, again the other team long ball will catch up to them.  

[Einheri]

Twins got hurt at the wrong time of the year, and the Yankees have gotten healthy at the right time of the year.  Twins' bullpen, though, is looking good.  Strange as it may sound with these two homer-hitting teams, the series will come down to who has the the best pitching and defense.

[yarnivek1972]

If any city shouldn;t have a bias towards the Yankees, its Rochester...home of the Twins AAA farm team for over 15 years now. But I doubt any person in our media could name 5 players on the Twins (let alone the Red Wings...who never get any coverage here) In today's paper all the articles were about the Yankees., I think the Twins got mentioned by name once, as their opponent.

The national media of course, especially TV want the Yankees to win, for the best ratings. Twins have little footprint outside of Minnesota. In fact everyone is screaming for a Yankee-Dodger WS.

 

If you look at all the stats, you will find, surprisingly, I think, how similar both teams are. I think what may scare me the most is Chapman to close and Britton to set up. Chapman is a shutdown guy when he's on. Rogers can be too, but Chapman scares me. I think Judge=Sano. Both can hit the ball a mile and both also k a lot.

Their starters are as tenuous as ours.

 

Its hard NOT to look at past history. I get that everyone in TwinsLand is downplaying it as irrelevant. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Fact is historically there have been plenty of sports team matchups in all sports that always seemed to be tilted in one direction...for years sometimes.Make of it what you will. Twins CAN win this series. If their 'A' team is ready to go they will have a great chance to win. I guarantee you the Yankees are NOT taking these guys for granted.

Two of the three most watched World Series in history are still 1987 and 1991. Which featured 0 teams from the north east, California, Texas or Chicago. Ratings for the World Series now are so bad it’s embarrassing. Fewer people watched the last TWO combined than watched in 1991.

[FlauerPauer]

 

Two of the three most watched World Series in history are still 1987 and 1991. Which featured 0 teams from the north east, California, Texas or Chicago. Ratings for the World Series now are so bad it’s embarrassing. Fewer people watched the last TWO combined than watched in 1991.

 

Once the Twins are done, I'm out. I don't doubt that ratings are down. When there is so much else going on, there is so much else to do. I don't think people follow sports as much as they follow their team.

[Aerodeliria]

There are always unsung heroes who emerge in these kinds of series. My pick for an unsung hero is Jake Cave. He's been swinging the bat fairly well as of late and he has power to all fields.

[Han Joelo]

The Ringer tackled this, detailing the Twins 21st century ineptitude against the Yankees.

 

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2019/10/2/20894822/minnesota-twins-playoff-curse-alds-new-york-yankees

 

It is kind of painful to read, but depending on where you fall in the Science vs. Magic debate, I'd say the Twins are due for some serious regression to the mean here.