Baseball

I don't like how the Twins are getting beat the last few nights, but I do realize that they are losing to some very good baseball teams. Last night, Kevin Koreia had one of better starts of the season. He had five strikeouts and gave up just one walk in 6 innings. The bullpen shutdown the Rays completely after that.

But when you go against playoff teams like the Rays, you manage to LOSE more often than you win. Tampa Bay has a very good team this year.

So do the A's. Oakland isn't just beating the Twins this season, they are beating everyone. They've won 7 of their last 10, and they beat their closet division rival, Texas, last night to take a 4 1/2 game lead over them with just a couple of weeks left in the season.

Good teams figure out ways to win. Bad teams lose. The Twins are one of the bad teams.

What bothers me is that Billy Bean manages to have winning teams at Oakland and that he always manages to do it with one of the lowest priced rosters in baseball. I mean I LOVE that he does that, but it bothers me that the Twins can't. There are only THREE teams in all of baseball that pay less money to their players than the Oakland A's and yet here they are AGAIN leading their division against teams spending so much more.

Did I mention that Tampa Bay, also holding the last wild card slot at the present time, is paying their players LESS than Oakland?

For your reference:

Rays: $57 million
A's: $60 million
Twins: $75 million

The Tigers are hovering around $150 million, so there is a reason that they are clubbing every team in the central this year.

But remember, the A's are beating teams like Texas and the Angels who spending way, way more than Oakland. And the Rays are trying to hold off the Yankees and their $200 million roster for that last play-off spot.

You don't need money to win in this league. You need to have GMs and managers who know how to acquire and use talent. I'm thinking the Twins are missing in those two areas more than anywhere else.

That an they have decided to hold onto some high-priced talent. Oakland and Tampa Bay would never be that foolish. That's why they are happily in the play-off hunt, while the Twins rest 20 games below .500.

I'm just glad we're not the Astros. I'm not sure how THAT team has any fans left at all.