How many times have you given up on the Twins this year?

For me, it started with dropping 2 of 3 to Baltimore at home, followed by that lost weekend in Chicago where it was like every pitcher had their pants pulled down and force-marched from the mound as Chicagoans roared in delight. 

That was early June.  Luckily I was busy that weekend and wasn't  fully devestated.

But, then they go to Boston and New York and cough up leads and swing with open palms like they are in a bitch-slap competition and have stars in their eyes.  And, I will never forget Everett's bad throw in the 8th in Kansas City, leading to a loss when they could have had first place.

And, there were the Seattle series.  Both of them late on the Coast.   I clicked the radio off a couple times, put the wine back in its bottle and swore them off for the rest of the year.

There were the Gomez misplays on Vlad's drives in Anaheim, the Nathan blown saves on that same big trip, Punto's fumbles at short.  And, of course, the Pridie thing last week in Toronto.  That one still hurts.

And, of course, who can forgive the middle relievers?  Ever.  Didn't it start in Chicago with Neshek letting Crede go deep  on a grand slam in April?   Then there were consecutive games in Detroit where they rolled over us late in the game, using Crain and Guerrier like cloth napkins after a big meal.  Runs, runs, runs.  They even fed the Tigers just last weekend, well after the Motowners had shown themselves to be baseball frauds.

It's been a tough year.  I can't really understand how the Twins are 4th in the league in runs scored.  Or how the bullpen went from their main strength to their main weakness.  Or how the defense, from Buscher and Everett's erratic arms to Casilla's too-quickness has let them down time and again. 

Weren't pitching and defense the very Bibles of Gardy's orthodoxy?

Let me say this plain:

How the hell are they still in this thing?

Not only in it, but, looking at the schedule, realistically, they have a damn good shot at winning the division.  Especially now that Crede, Quentin and Konerko are DL'd  in Chicago.

The Twins are one Jermaine Dye hamstring pull away from being in the playoffs.

Even in 1987 you could at least imagine a scenario for why they might win it--how they were just dangerous enough to get it done.  You know, Puckett, Hrbek, Brunansky, Gaetti, Gagne, Viola, Blyleven, Reardon.  Guys who could beat you late, in a dark alley, whether with fists or broken bottles.  You just didn't want to go back there with that group.

And I still see poor Darrell Evans, wandering just a little too far off third in the 7th inning in Game 3 in Tiger Stadium--no one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd-- as Gaetti takes Laudner's throw and tags him out--Gaetti squeezing it and chicken hopping toward the mound.  The Twins were dangerous back then.

But, this year,.... this year has been the most unlikely climb out of failure and defeat that I can remember.   They don't look dangerous.  No one on their team really scares you.  But, they're hanging around.  A bunch of young kids that don't know when they've screwed up once too many, or didn't get the job done once too often.

They just don't get it.  Baseball is about failure.  And they've shown a propensity for being able to ignore that second to no one.

Are they setting us up for the ultimate disappointment?  Will my radio, one day soon, land in a heap on the floor after smashing into the wall?

Just what do they think they are doing here?