It doesn't get any easier for our Twins: the Astros and now the Royals. The schedule maker won't allow us to play the A's and Tigers and Red Sox every day. No doubt about it... the Journey to the playoffs is long and hard. So now... the Royals... a team that can beat you in many different ways. We got no time to mess around. The Twins must best the Royals and do it after eating tons of barbecue ribs. Here are some things to think About:1. Kansas City -- Driven by Manifest Destiny and the lack of decent internet service, one billion pioneers congregated at St. Louis to travel the trails westward. It was a 6-month journey on a wagon pulled by horses and the horses were not very happy about it. They loaded up the wagon with supplies and plunged forward with dreams of starting a new life in California and spending warm nights on the beach listening to Mötley Crüe. After crossing the state of Missouri... the enormity of the task started to become apparent. The women and children started complaining that it was too hot. They were tired of looking at and smelling the back end of the horses and the supplies were already running low after it was discovered that Uncle Bob had eaten all of the Doritos. The complaints from the wagon became louder and louder, and, after the numerous threats to turn around the wagon and go back home didn't work... some of the pioneers just quit. These are the people who settled Kansas City. The name Kansas City was chosen... Kansas is Spanish for "I refuse to go any further"... City is French for city. 2. The Royals -- Starting Pitching... check. Bullpen... check. Speed... check. Defense... check. Offense... yeah they got a little of that, too. The Royals have the best record in the American League and they've had the best record in baseball since Opening Day. They have been remarkably consistent all year. The Royals currently lead the Twins by 12 games in the AL Central and they have been leading the AL Central by 12 Games since Opening Day. 3. Labor Day -- Today is Labor Day... Most Americans have the day off and nobody is supposed to go to work unless you work in retail. If you work in retail you work twice as hard because nobody else is at work and they can't figure out what to do with themselves... so they go shopping. This means that all of the people who work in retail miss out on the great Labor Day deals and have to pay full price on mattresses later. 4. The Wildcard Race -- Our Twins are still in it... 1.5 back behind the Rangers for the final wild card spot. The Twins were exactly 1.5 games behind the Rangers when they flew into Texas to take on the Astros. This kind of progress is similar to the progress being made in offices around the country today and the same kind of progress made by the pioneers who abandoned ship in Kansas City. Dear Twins... Get back on the wagon... Show some Pioneer Spirit... Forge ahead to new lands. If you don't, this how you get stuck in Kansas City for generations to come. 5. Cars -- If you take a look around, there are a lot of cars. As a matter of fact, if you placed all cars end to end, it would be Labor Day Weekend. -------------------- Game-time forecast: Currently it's misting in KC, with possible thunder showers this afternoon, but by evening, breaking to partly cloudy with only a 15% chance of precipitation. Temp at 83 deg F (but will feel like 90 due to humidity). Winds from the S at 9mph. Lineups: TWINS Hicks CF Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Sano DH Plouffe 3B Rosario LF Hunter RF Suzuki C Escobar SS Milone P ROYALS Zobrist 2B Cain CF Hosmer 1B Morales DH Gomes RF Moustakas 3B Perez C Orlando LF Escobar SS Ventura P Go Twins! Let's get turnt! Yaaaaassssss!!! Click here to view the article