Yes, boys and girls, I realize it's difficult to dredge up the sad past of the playoff futility for the Minnesota Twins vs. the New York Yankees in the decade of the 2000's (or, if you will, the "aughts"?). But as a point of illustration and contrast - oh, hell...I'm posting this to slake the visceral, vindictive satisfaction we Minnesotan's thirst for against the Bronx Bombers - here is Joe Nathan pitching to Alex Rodriguez in the 9th inning of Game 2 of the ALDS* at "new" Yankee Stadium on Oct. 9, 2009:
*American League Division Series
(Sorry, gotta wait out the commercials the boys in the suits put in)
Let's face it: our little train couldn't, not against this collection of ringers with their deep pocket book.
My God. It's as if we've been living in some spooky poem by Poe, "The Raven," driven mad with frustration and mourning.
So, here's the good stuff...
In your classic "that-was-then-this-is-now", here is the same narcissistic, self-absorbed slugger getting his oats against wacky Detroit Tiger closer Jose Valverde, from Thursday night of last week, at the end of their ALDS. And like the previous post alluding to the 1980's Twins humiliations at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, this is at least gives hope to the idea that one day Minnesota's fortunes will turn. The Twins beat them in '87...so why not believe a modern edition can't prevail against the latest bully? We can only hope, right?
I must have sat through this video at least 25 times by now,
drumming my fingers like Mr. Burns ("The Simpsons"),
muttering "Excellent, mmm-bu-HA-HA-HA, simply Excellent."
drumming my fingers like Mr. Burns ("The Simpsons"),
muttering "Excellent, mmm-bu-HA-HA-HA, simply Excellent."
| "Yes, Ex-cellent!" |
Is it just me, or do the sad-ass faces of Yankee fans just make you happier than hell? Or as Minnesotans do, smile very privately?
As our old friend at the mic, Mr. Herb Carneal said it: "...And the count rides along." - TT
Smile privately??? NO! I listened to a good chunk of the game on the way home from a Thursday evening visit to NP (sorry...would have stopped but it was getting late) and enjoyed the Yankees inability to score runs. Made it home to catch the last few innings and CHEER LOUDLY when A-Rod struck out to end the run for the Boys Who Have Everything.
ReplyDeleteThanks to you and others, I have been able to get past my Yankee hatred to fully appreciate Jeter. I now have the wisdom to cheer the man when he's up to bat. Not so for A-Rod. He's everything that is wrong with baseball - from the smugness to the 'roid use, to the question dodging about the 'roid use, to his persistent dating of blond movie stars (Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz...I'm fuzzy, but is Madonna on this list too?)
The Series will be fun because the Yankees didn't make it.