Are the Twins in the Tigers' Heads?

by Ian Casselberry on Sep 1, 2009 4:25 PM EDT in Detroit Tigers News

Lynn Henning marked some "I told you so" territory in today's Detroit News. If the Minnesota Twins end up overtaking the Detroit Tigers to win the AL Central (and going into tonight's play, they're 3.5 games behind), he wants you to know where you read it first.

And Henning lists 10 pretty compelling reasons why the Twins could snatch a division title away from the Tigers for the second time in four years. (Henning actually notes 11 reasons, but will Joe Crede - undoubtedly a king Tigers Killer - be a factor in the race after undergoing two epidural procedures in a week? Meanwhile, Crede insists retirement isn't part of the equation right now.)

Here's one of his more interesting thoughts:

2. Mind games: This is strictly my view, but the Tigers often play the Twins as if they're going to lose. It's on a par with the way Ohio State used to confront Michigan when John Cooper coached the Buckeyes. OSU was psychologically beaten before kickoff. I don't see Leyland having contributed anything negative to the Tigers' perceived inferiority complex. Rather, the Twins simply seem to delight in treating the Tigers like personal pin cushions.

Are the Twins in the Tigers' heads? Jim Leyland seems to fear Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau more than any other opposing hitters his team faces, even making sure the pitching staff has enough left-handers to throw against them when needed. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Mauer looks well on his way to winning a MVP award, while Morneau - himself a MVP in 2006 - is on track for another 30+ homer, 100+ RBI season.

I wonder if Minnesota really has the starting pitching to see this thing through. (Henning, in fairness, acknowledges this is a weak spot on their roster.) And unless Carl Pavano can start every one of the games the Tigers and Twins have remaining against each other, Detroit has shown they can handle the other starters in that rotation. Scott Baker has a 9.58 ERA in two starts versus the Tigers this year. Nick Blackburn? 5.11.

Of course, I might be feeling differently if the Twins had gotten either Brad Penny or Rich Harden yesterday. Okay, I'd really be nervous if they got Harden. But they didn't, so...

For another viewpoint, Mack Avenue Tigers looks at the schedules for both the Tigers and Twins in the 30 or so games left on their respective schedules. It's going to be quite a race to the finish.

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The end of the 2006 regular season has to weigh on all fans' minds

At least in that year, the Tigers could fall back to the wild card position, and probably got a break in playing the Yankees first, in that there was no pressure, most people expected the Evil Empire to roll over us.

Now? There is no second chance, either the Tigers win the division, or it’s over. Hopefully it won’t come down to a replay of last year, where we face off with the White Sox in the last game of the season, with one team having a chance to move on, the other in the role of a spoiler, with the Twins watching the outcome from a comfortable perch.

Then again, I recall the Tigers rolling over for Chicago.

Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!

by ahtrap on Sep 1, 2009 4:30 PM EDT reply actions

this aint 2006....

Miggy wasn’t here. He’s a world champ. Laird wasn’t here. One tough guy. Grandy and jv have grown up. Jackson has been through a race. Henning should be smarter than comparing football to baseball. The mindset, buildup, and gameplanning are totally different. I think it was a lazy article written to get page hits. The biggest difference? Johan is not walking through that door.

by rook34 on Sep 1, 2009 4:49 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Or Liriano

Or Slowey. Or Boof Bonser (what ever happened to him anyways?).

The Twins are beat up and have more holes than the Tigers do. How bad is that?

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Sep 1, 2009 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions

if we've learned one

history doesn’t have to repeat itself. The best August results since the year 2000 tell us that much.

What goes on in fans’ heads and what goes on in players’ heads may be totally different creatures.

What else people fail to account for is the change in roster of the course of the season. Kevin Slowey started a game for the Twins against the Tigers and won. He’s done for the year. Tiger killer Joe Crede’s status is up in the air, he may not even face Detroit again.

Dontrelle Willis started a game for the Tigers. He’s gone. Armando Galarraga started two games for the Tigers, he may or may not be available, depending how his start with Toledo goes.

Basically, what happened in May isn’t always a good indicator of what you can expect.

Mack Avenue Tigers

by Kurt Mensching on Sep 1, 2009 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

+1

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Sep 1, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

*sigh

To paraphrase Jim Leyland: I don’t want to hear any weak shit from Lynn Henning.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by David Tokarz on Sep 1, 2009 5:17 PM EDT reply actions

we clinched a playoff spot in 2006

that was good enough for the team and it seemed like they stopped playing. we finished losing the last 5 giving up 43 runs. verlander didn’t pitch, nor did bonderman.

I’m frustrated that we can’t put together big winning streaks, but I’m happy that they team never seems to go on long losing streaks either. 4 games is the most we’ve lost in a row. we’ve had 7 and 8 game winning streaks.

the schedules are very familiar. luckily we have our last 6 at home.

there’s reason to be afraid, but reason to be confident. with any luck that we find a clicking offense, we could break the lead wide open

by actioncuse on Sep 1, 2009 5:19 PM EDT reply actions

Just Kiss 'Em Already!

Does anyone else find the sexual tension between Lynn Henning and the entire Detroit Tigers franchise to be as electric as I do?

Lynn, we all see through your “I hate those lousy Tigers” routine.

by freetz on Sep 1, 2009 5:47 PM EDT reply actions

ewwwwwww

"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill

by Baroque on Sep 1, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn't have put it like that, but...

Henning is always a downer and someone who seems to get little enjoyment from covering and writing about the Tigers. I’m all for pessimism, but LH is a bit too much. Stop raining on the parade, Lynn.

by BarbaroGarbeyc1984 on Sep 1, 2009 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

The Twins....

Get very liberal umpiring…..
HMMMMM
Maybe because the league thought it was wise to make Andy McPhail the head of umpires
The Twins get the most called off check swing, borderline strikes called for their pitchers, borderline balls for their hitters.
Look at the statistics that back it up. The Twins pitcher throw for more walks once they leave Minnesota and for less when they are Twins. The Twins batters bat for higher average in Minnesota and lower ones once they leave.
It is not by chance that this has occured it is by design, Andy McPhail’s design.
Am I a conspiracy theorist…MMM Maybe, but do other organization put independent officials in-charge of their decisions that are supposed to be without bias?
Clearly the Twins have been given an edge and so have the Brewers.
Bud Selig has no business running the league from Milwaukee.

IT IS CALLED CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!!

by Marcmargolis on Sep 1, 2009 11:05 PM EDT reply actions

TIgers Magic Number 28

If the Tigers go 16-15…with 16 home and 15 road game remaining.
The Twins will have to go 19-11 .633
Something they have failed to do all season!
The Twins have 13 home games and 17 road games.
The Twins have a 28-36 road record this season.

by Marcmargolis on Sep 1, 2009 11:13 PM EDT reply actions

rest of season

if the tigers play at least .500 ball they should be fine but they need to win some games in minnesota to gain confidence because they just play like they r supposed to lose every game their. twins have been playing well because they r playing r their home games against bad teams so dont get worried about them going on a hot streak because they dont have the pitching to sustain long winning streaks. lucky for the tigers they have lots of division games left so they can start to expand their lead slowly. if they have a 5 or 6 game lead with two weeks left in the season they should be fine