Jesse Johnson – USA Today Sports
With a 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 13, the Minnesota Twins officially have no chance at making the playoffs (as if we didn’t already know this).
The Twins are the ninth team to fall completely out of playoff contention, joining the Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies.
While the Central division has historically been a generally competitive conference, the 2013 season proved different.
The Twins and the White Sox, who typically find themselves in a tight race to catch the Detroit Tigers, squandered their chances this year and existed as bottom feeders for the entire season.
Something is clearly wrong in the universe when the Twins are sitting 13.5 games behind the Kansas City Royals in the middle of September.
The Twins showed some promise early in the season (by early, I mean the first three weeks).
Seriously though, are we all just forgetting about when the Twins occupied first place in the Central Division? It may have only been for one day, but what a day it was!
The early August loss of Joe Mauer to the disabled list was the moment most fans knew it was over. Without being able to rally behind their golden hometown hero, the 2013 season began slipping from their fingers.
If Mauer’s injury wasn’t enough to convince you that the season was a lost cause, the trade of Justin Morneau made it undeniable. The sour icing on a sugar-free cake, Morneau took Minnesota’s postseason dreams with him to the Pittsburgh Pirates (where they actually stand a chance of being realized).
Hopefully the Twins will turn it around in the 2014 season. Minnesota should be excited for the young talent that is brewing in the minor leagues and will possibly spark the struggling Twinkies.
It’s been a tough season but, if it’s any consolation, at least the Twins finished ahead of the White Sox.
Caroline Ponessa is a Minnesota Twins writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @sweetCaro_____
