Topperanton

This is the 8th story in "Those Damn Yankees" series, stories about Twins-Yankees rivalry by some of our favorite Twins Daily writers, leading up to the Bombers visit July 1st to the 4th. I used to be the worst kind of person in the world: a Yankees fan that didn't live in New York. As lewd and annoying as they might be, you can't blame a New Yorker for being a Yankees fan -- let's face it, their other option is the Mets. But if you don't live in New York, and your family isn't from there, it's a serious character flaw that makes a person cheer for that team. But I did. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It all started because the Twins broke my heart by trading Rick Aguilera -- twice --and fell into self-inflicted mediocrity for my entire teenage years. I swore off them about the same time I decided I was going to move to New York and attend NYU. Down came the Twins paraphernalia and up went a DJ Turns 2 poster (Derek Jeter turning a double-play, in layman's terms). I rocked a navy Mariano Rivera shirsey and Yankees cap with pride and buried my head in my hands with shame when some stupid expansion team from Arizona knocked my new boys out in the World Series. Download attachment: jeter00nike-1.jpg ----- This Article originally published on Curve For a Strike ----- Right before I went to college, in 2003, I got a dream gig: working freelance for the YES Network on a visit to the Metrodome. I got to be a production assistant/runner for their videographers, hanging out on the field during batting practice, standing there for pregame interviews, running tapes up to the truck, hanging out in the concourse during the game, and going into the visitor's clubhouse for the postgame interviews. I hung out with my heroes: Alfonso Soriano, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Roger Clemens. I distinctly remember telling Soriano that I wanted to see him a hit a home-run and then he blasted a grand slam the next inning. It was amazing; the Yankees swept the series. Then came my salvation -- high school graduation and my predestined move to the heart of Yankeeland. I packed away my #42 shirsey and hopped a plane to New York, never looking back. Surrounded by own kind. I've been here 10 years and things should never have been better. Except I can't stand the Yankees anymore. It's nothing about the team. I still admire Derek Jeter and I think Mo is the only person I'll consider a better closer than my beloved Rick Aguilera. It's all about living in New York and being surrounded by Yankees fans. Download attachment: yankeestadium.jpg The first time my family came to visit me in college, we went to Yankee Stadium for a Twins and Yankees game, sitting in the upper right field deck. My brother, a naive 11 years old at the time, bravely wore a Johan Santana jersey into the middle of enemy territory. By the 6th inning they were slinging curses and slurs at my 11-year old brother: "Santana you f****t" -- "Turn around kid, can't you f*****g hear us?" -- "What's a'matter, busy crying you f*****g p***y?". That was probably the end of my love of the Yankees. I couldn't be part of that. Later that year I remember the floor of my freshman dorm shaking from everyone jumping up and down when the Yankees beat the Red Sox on Aaron Boone's historic shot. My Rivera shirsey is collecting dust in my closet. I started a Twins blog (which has since become somewhat defunct), subscribed to MLB extra-innings to catch my favorite team out of market, and taken every opportunity to see the Twins when they make it out east (this time sporting a custom-made Rick Aguilera Twins jersey). Now it's my turn to take abuse. It becomes tough to watch your team constantly and heartbreakingly lose whenever they come to town. I've grown so accustomed to hearing Sinatra's "New York, New York" blaring over the loudspeakers while I lower my head and take the long walk back to the 6 train. The toughest were Joe Nathan's 2009 game-tying homer to A-Rod in the 9th leading to our loss in extras -- and the 2010 team in Game 3 when I got beer poured on my head and got a "Christina Aguilera" chant started against me simply for sitting there and trying to ignore them. Let's face it -- the Yankees don't consider this a rivalry. Not even close. I've seen headlines in the Post where their wonderful scribes describe the Twins as a warm cleansing bath to dispel their previous losing streak -- a break in the season where they didn't need to worry about playing quality baseball to win. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Yankees fan in New York who knows anything about the team other than that Joe Mauer missed his opportunity to join a contender, and Justin Morneau robbed Derek Jeter of his rightful MVP award. I remember one game where a Yankees fan asked me why Wisconsin needed two teams. He was genuinely under the impression that Minnesota was the capitol of Wisconsin and shocked when I gave him a quick geography lesson. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU EXIST. And we haven't really given them reason to notice. But, in stark contrast to the disappointment, the heartache, and the wondering why we seem to choke whenever we see pinstripes, are the few times when we win. And I've seen them. And it's not as unlikely these days as it once seemed. Last year we took two of four in New York. A series split. But the best moment came three years ago. We sat in the upper deck behind home plate and we were losing as always. But somehow, in the 8th, we loaded the bases and threatened to take the lead. The Yankees were scared enough the Twins might win, they brought in Rivera, #42, the greatest closer in baseball history, in the 8th inning to try to shut us down. Download attachment: marlboroman.jpg Enter Sandman blared over the speakers -- the super fan lovingly known as the "Marlboro Man" started head banging and air-guitaring in time to the music; the excitement of all the Yankees fans trusting in their beloved closer was enough to slightly dampen my excitement that Jim Thome was due up. It wasn't Thome that was the hero though. He walked in a run with the bases loaded, fans everywhere groaning and complaining about awful umpiring. And then Kubel stepped into the batter's box and launched what would be a game-winning grand slam off of the greatest closer in the world. Every fan I could see in Navy or pinstripes was shocked. Silence. More silence than I've ever heard from Yankee fans. Mo never blows a save. The Yankees never lose to the Twins. Download attachment: jason-kubel-twins-grand-slam-mariano-rivera-yankees-21fde044850ae2ff_large.jpg But it happened. And I was there. And it will happen again. I walked out of there in my favorite closer's jersey -- Aguilera -- with my head held high and knowing there's no reason we can't beat Those Damn Yankees. ~~~ For more of Those Damn Yankees, check out.... The Cuzzi Call by Nick NelsonThe Twins and Yankees Go Way Back by ThrylosConfessions Of A Twins Fan by Brad SwansonChuck Knoblauch by Cody ChristieDealing with Yankee Fans by PeanutsFromHeavenDerek Jeter Gift Baskets by Twins Fan From AfarDon't Blame Those Damn Yankees by E Rolf Pleiss Click here to view the article

Download attachment: los-angeles-angels.jpg Buyers or Sellers It’s somewhat unusual these days to see the trade deadline looming and the Angels not making any moves, but in all likelihood that’s what’s going to happen this season. Los Angeles is mired in mediocrity while Texas and Oakland appear to be running away with the division. Of course Arte Moreno (a more likeable imitation of a George Steinbrenner) could continue to spend money in an attempt to right the ship immediately, but this year seems like a lost cause, and he has to keep something in the bank to hand over to Mike Trout in the next few years.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] What They Need The biggest problem on the Angels right now is their pitching. Their pitching staff, especially the starters, ranks near the bottom of the league in ERA and BA – right alongside the Twins. So there’s not much help we could provide there. In all likelihood they’ll just wait for Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas to come off the DL instead of looking for outside rotation help. The Angels have a strong bullpen anchored by 2nd year closer Ernesto Frieri, who has converted 24 of 26 save opportunities this year. They also have Kevin Jepsen and Scott Downs as righty and lefty set-up guys and another lefty – Sean Burnett – set to come off the DL soon. In terms of offense the Angels are doing OK and mostly have well established position players. Catcher has been a bit of an offensive void for them though, and Alberto Callaspo doesn’t appear to be a long term fixture at 3B. They recently DFA’d the infamous Brendan Harris (!!!) and called up prospect Tommy Field to back-up around the infield. What Might Work Joe Mauer? Probably not. But Ryan Doumit could be of interest to them behind the plate. Perhaps Trevor Plouffe could draw some interest for 3B, but that could be a long-shot as the Angel’s consensus #1 prospect is Kaleb Cowart, a third baseman currently at AA. It’s doubtful that they’d have any significant interest in bullpen arms, as their bigger problem has been anyone in the rotation not named CJ Wilson or Jered Weaver. In terms of starting pitchers, the Angels would likely want a long-term rotation option and not just another stop-gap (they have one already in Joe Blanton) – which probably takes Pelfrey and Correia out of the mix. Maybe Diamond or Deduno? Maybe Jamey Carroll would make a better utility infielder/spot starter for them but that seems like a bit of a reach. Sleeper Targets Alex Yarbrough – 2B – A+ – 21 years old Yarbrough was drafted by the Angels in the 4th round in 2011. He played for them last year at Cedar Rapids and put up a .287/.320/.410 line, and after graduating to High A for them this year has produced to a .315/.339/.480 clip. Eric Stamets – SS – A+ – 21 years old Stamets was taken in the 6th round of the 2012 draft. Paired up with Yarbrough last year at Cedar Rapids, Stamets put up .274/.323/.347 and while, also in High A this year, he’s posting a similar .286/.344/.369. He’s got a bit of speed and hardly any power, but Baseball America tabbed him as the best infield arm in the Angels system this year. A.J. Schugel – RHP – AAA – 24 years old Schugel is currently having a horrible season in the Pacific Coast League, his first year in AAA, but in 2011 he had a good year for Cedar Rapids before a late-season promotion to High A, and last year he held his own in AA. Perhaps this year is an aberration or the Twins might see something they could fix in him. Dream Target C.J. Cron – 1B/DH – AA –23 years old Cron is a power-hitting 1B prospect who recently played in the Futures game with two of our own top prospects. He’s not particularly dazzling with his glove and in that case he could eventually end up filling the DH role. But the power potential is tantalizing, and currently he’s blocked by Pujols and Trumbo at 1B, so the Angels would probably love to get something for him. Cron should be a part of any big deals that the Angels make this year, and with 1B as a big question mark for the Twins right now he could be an appealing target. Click here to view the article

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2105-Trade-Talk-Los-Angeles-Angels-(-of-Anaheim)

Buyers or Sellers It’s somewhat unusual these days to see the trade deadline looming and the Angels not making any moves, but in all likelihood that’s what’s going to happen this season. Los Angeles is mired in mediocrity while Texas and Oakland appear to be running away with the division. Of course Arte Moreno (a more likeable imitation of a Steinbrenner) could continue to funnel money in an attempt to right the ship immediately, but not only does that seem like a lost cause this year, but he has to keep something in the bank to hand over a huge contract to Mike Trout in the next few years. What They Need The biggest problem on the Angels right now is their pitching. They rank near the bottom of the league in ERA and BAA (especially among starters) – alongside the Twins. So there’s probably not much help we could provide there. In all likelihood they’ll probably just wait for Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas to come off the DL instead of looking for outside rotation help. The Angels have a pretty strong bullpen anchored by 2nd year closer Ernesto Frieri, who has converted 24 of 26 save opportunities this year. They also have Kevin Jepsen and Scott Downs as righty and lefty set-up guys and another lefty – Sean Burnett – set to come off the DL soon. In terms of offense the Angels are doing ok and have pretty established players at most positions. Catcher has been a bit of an offensive void for them though, and Alberto Callaspo doesn’t appear to be a long term fixture at 3B. They recently DFA’d the infamous Brendan Harris (!!!) and called up prospect Tommy Field to back-up around the infield. What Might Work Joe Mauer? Probably not. But Ryan Doumit could be of interest to them behind the plate. Perhaps Trevor Plouffe could draw some interest for 3B, but that could be a long-shot as the Angel’s consensus #1 prospect is Kaleb Cowart, a third baseman currently at AA. It’s doubtful that they’d have any real significant interest in bullpen arms, as their bigger problem has been anyone in the rotation not named CJ Wilson or Jered Weaver. In terms of starting pitchers, the Angels would more likely want a long-term rotation option and not just another stop-gap (they have one already in Joe Blanton) – which probably takes Pelfrey and Correia out of the mix. Maybe Diamond or Deduno? Maybe Jamey Carroll would make a better utility infielder/spot starter for them but that seems like a bit of a reach. Sleeper Targets Alex Yarbrough – 2B – A+ – 21 years old Yarbrough was drafted by the Angels in the 4th round in 2011. He played for them last year at Cedar Rapids and put up a .287/.320/.410 line, and after graduating to High A for them this year has produced to a .315/.339/.480 clip. Eric Stamets – SS – A+ – 21 years old Stamets was taken in the 6th round of the 2012 draft. Paired up with Yarbrough last year at Cedar Rapids, Stamets put up .274/.323/.347 and while in High A with him this year he’s posting a similar .286/.344/.369. He’s got a bit of speed and hardly any power, but Baseball America tabbed him as the best infield arm in the Angels system this year. A.J. Schugel – RHP – AAA – 24 years old Schugel is currently having a horrible season in the Pacific Coast League, his first year in AAA, but in 2011 he had a good year for Cedar Rapids before a late-season promotion to High A, and last year he held his own in AA. Perhaps this year is an aberration or the Twins see something they could fix in him. Dream Target C.J. Cron – 1B/DH – AA –23 years old Cron is a power-hitting 1B prospect who recently played in the Futures game with two of our own top prospects. He’s not particularly dazzling with his glove and in that case he could eventually end up filling a DH role. But the power potential is tantalizing, and currently he’s blocked by Pujols and Trumbo at 1B, so the Angels would probably love to get something for him. Cron should be a part of any big deals that the Angels make this year, and with 1B as a big question mark for the Twins right now he could be a surefire target.

Buyers or Sellers It’s somewhat unusual these days to see the trade deadline looming and the Angels not making any moves, but in all likelihood that’s what’s going to happen this season. Los Angeles is mired in mediocrity while Texas and Oakland appear to be running away with the division. Of course Arte Moreno (a more likeable imitation of a Steinbrenner) could continue to funnel money in an attempt to right the ship immediately, but not only does that seem like a lost cause this year, but he has to keep something in the bank to hand over a huge contract to Mike Trout in the next few years. What They Need The biggest problem on the Angels right now is their pitching. They rank near the bottom of the league in ERA and BAA (especially among starters) – alongside the Twins. So there’s probably not much help we could provide there. In all likelihood they’ll probably just wait for Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas to come off the DL instead of looking for outside rotation help. The Angels have a pretty strong bullpen anchored by 2nd year closer Ernesto Frieri, who has converted 24 of 26 save opportunities this year. They also have Kevin Jepsen and Scott Downs as righty and lefty set-up guys and another lefty – Sean Burnett – set to come off the DL soon. In terms of offense the Angels are doing ok and have pretty established players at most positions. Catcher has been a bit of an offensive void for them though, and Alberto Callaspo doesn’t appear to be a long term fixture at 3B. They recently DFA’d the infamous Brendan Harris (!!!) and called up prospect Tommy Field to back-up around the infield. What Might Work Joe Mauer? Probably not. But Ryan Doumit could be of interest to them behind the plate. Perhaps Trevor Plouffe could draw some interest for 3B, but that could be a long-shot as the Angel’s consensus #1 prospect is Kaleb Cowart, a third baseman currently at AA. It’s doubtful that they’d have any real significant interest in bullpen arms, as their bigger problem has been anyone in the rotation not named CJ Wilson or Jered Weaver. In terms of starting pitchers, the Angels would more likely want a long-term rotation option and not just another stop-gap (they have one already in Joe Blanton) – which probably takes Pelfrey and Correia out of the mix. Maybe Diamond or Deduno? Maybe Jamey Carroll would make a better utility infielder/spot starter for them but that seems like a bit of a reach. Sleeper Targets Alex Yarbrough – 2B – A+ – 21 years old Yarbrough was drafted by the Angels in the 4th round in 2011. He played for them last year at Cedar Rapids and put up a .287/.320/.410 line, and after graduating to High A for them this year has produced to a .315/.339/.480 clip. Eric Stamets – SS – A+ – 21 years old Stamets was taken in the 6th round of the 2012 draft. Paired up with Yarbrough last year at Cedar Rapids, Stamets put up .274/.323/.347 and while in High A with him this year he’s posting a similar .286/.344/.369. He’s got a bit of speed and hardly any power, but Baseball America tabbed him as the best infield arm in the Angels system this year. A.J. Schugel – RHP – AAA – 24 years old Schugel is currently having a horrible season in the Pacific Coast League, his first year in AAA, but in 2011 he had a good year for Cedar Rapids before a late-season promotion to High A, and last year he held his own in AA. Perhaps this year is an aberration or the Twins see something they could fix in him. Dream Target C.J. Cron – 1B/DH – AA –23 years old Cron is a power-hitting 1B prospect who recently played in the Futures game with two of our own top prospects. He’s not particularly dazzling with his glove and in that case he could eventually end up filling a DH role. But the power potential is tantalizing, and currently he’s blocked by Pujols and Trumbo at 1B, so the Angels would probably love to get something for him. Cron should be a part of any big deals that the Angels make this year, and with 1B as a big question mark for the Twins right now he could be a surefire target.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1972-Those-Damn-Yankees-A-Minnesota-Twinkie-in-King-Rivera-s-Court

I used to be the worst kind of person in the world. A Yankees fan that didn't live in New York. As lewd and annoying as they might be, you can't blame a New Yorker for being a Yankees fan -- let's face it, their other option is the Mets. But if you don't live in New York, and your family isn't from there, it's simple douchebaggery that makes a person cheer for that team. But I did. It all started because the Twins broke my heart by trading Rick Aguilera -- twice -- and fell into self-inflicted mediocrity for my entire teenage years. I swore them off about the same time I decided that I was going to move to New York and attend NYU. Down went the Twins paraphernalia and up went a DJ Turn 2 poster (Derek Jeter turning a double-play, in layman's terms). I rocked a navy Mariano Rivera shirsey and Yankees cap with pride and buried my head in my hands with shame when some stupid expansion team from Arizona knocked my new boys out in the World Series. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4583[/ATTACH] ----- This Article originally published on Curve For a Strike ----- Right before I went to college, in 2003, I got a dream gig: working freelance for the YES Network on a visit to the Metrodome. I got to be a production assistant/runner for their videographers, hanging out on the field during batting practice, standing there for pregame interviews and running tapes up to the truck; hanging out in the concourse during the game; and going into the visitor's clubhouse for the postgame interviews. I hung out with my heroes: Alfonso Soriano, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Roger Clemens. I distinctly remember telling Soriano that I wanted to see him a hit a home-run and then he blasted a grand slam the next inning. It was amazing; the Yankees swept the series. Then came my salvation -- high school graduation and my predestined move to the heart of Yankeeland. I packed away my #42 shirsey and hopped a plane to New York, never looking back. Surrounded by own kind. I've been here 10 years and things never should have been better. Except I can't stand the Yankees anymore. It's nothing about the team. I still admire Derek Jeter and I think Mo is the only person I'll consider a better closer than my beloved Rick Aguilera. It's all about living in New York and being surrounded by Yankees fans. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4584[/ATTACH] The first time my family came to visit me in college, we went to Yankee Stadium for a Twins and Yankees game, sitting in the upper right field deck. My brother, a naive 11 years old at the time, wore a Johan Santana jersey bravely into the middle of enemy territory. By the 6th inning they were slinging curses and slurs at my 11-year old brother: "Santana you f****t" -- "Turn around kid, can't you f*****g hear us?" -- "What's a'matter, busy crying you f*****g p***y?". That was probably the end of my love of the Yankees. I couldn't be part of that. Later that year I remember the floor of my freshman dorm shaking from everyone jumping up and down when the Yankees beat the Red Sox on Aaron Boone's historic shot. My Rivera shirsey is collecting dust in my closet. I started a Twins blog (which has since become somewhat defunct), subscribed to MLB extra-innings to catch my favorite team out of market, and taken every opportunity to see the Twins when they make it out east (this time sporting a custom-made Rick Aguilera Twins jersey). Now it's my turn to take abuse. It becomes tough to watch your team constantly and heartbreakingly lose whenever they come to town. I've grown so accustomed to hearing Sinatra's "New York, New York" blaring over the loudspeakers while I lower my head and take the long walk back to the 6 train. The toughest were Joe Nathan's 2009 game-tying homer to A-Rod in the 9th leading to our loss in extras -- and the 2010 team in Game 3 when I got beer poured on my head and got a "Christina Aguilera" chant started against me simply for sitting there and trying to ignore them. Let's face it -- the Yankees don't consider this a rivalry. Not even close. I've seen headlines in the post where their wonderful scribes describe the Twins as a warm cleansing bath to dispel their previous losing streak -- a break in the season where they didn't need to worry about playing quality baseball to win. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Yankees fan in New York who knows anything about the team other than that Joe Mauer missed his opportunity to join a contender, and Justin Morneau robbed Derek Jeter of his rightful MVP award. I remember one game where a Yankees fan asked me why Wisconsin needed two teams. He was genuinely under the impression that Minnesota was the capitol of Wisconsin and shocked when I gave him a quick geography lesson. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU EXIST. And we haven't really given them reason to notice. But in stark contrast to the disappointment, and the heartache, and the wondering why we seem to choke whenever we see pinstripes, are the few times when we win. And I've seen them. And it's not as far-fetched these days as it once seemed. Last year we took two of four in New York. A series split. But the best moment came three years ago. We sat in the upper deck behind home plate and we were losing as always. But somehow, in the 8th, we loaded the bases and threatened to take the lead. The Yankees were scared enough that the Twins might win, that they brought in Rivera, #42, the greatest closer in baseball history, in the 8th inning to try to shut us down. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4585[/ATTACH] Enter Sandman blared over the speakers -- the super fan lovingly know as the "Marlboro Man" started head banging and air guitaring in time to the music and the excitement of all the Yankees fans trusting in their beloved closer was enough to slightly dampen my excitement that Jim Thome was due up. It wasn't Thome that was the hero though. He walked in a run with the bases loaded, fans everywhere groaning and complaining about awful umpiring. And then Kubel stepped into the batter's box and launched what would be a game-winning grand slam off of the greatest closer in the world. Every fan I could see in Navy or pinstripes was shocked. Silence. More silent than I've ever heard Yankee fans could be. Mo never blows a save. The Yankees never lose to the Twins. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4586[/ATTACH] But it happened. And I was there. And it will happen again. I walked out of there in my favorite closer's jersey -- Aguilera -- with my head held high and knowing that there's no reason we can't beat those Damn Yankees.

I used to be the worst kind of person in the world. A Yankees fan that didn't live in New York. As lewd and annoying as they might be, you can't blame a New Yorker for being a Yankees fan -- let's face it, their other option is the Mets. But if you don't live in New York, and your family isn't from there, it's simple douchebaggery that makes a person cheer for that team. But I did. It all started because the Twins broke my heart by trading Rick Aguilera -- twice -- and fell into self-inflicted mediocrity for my entire teenage years. I swore them off about the same time I decided that I was going to move to New York and attend NYU. Down went the Twins paraphernalia and up went a DJ Turn 2 poster (Derek Jeter turning a double-play, in layman's terms). I rocked a navy Mariano Rivera shirsey and Yankees cap with pride and buried my head in my hands with shame when some stupid expansion team from Arizona knocked my new boys out in the World Series. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4583[/ATTACH] ----- This Article originally published on Curve For a Strike ----- Right before I went to college, in 2003, I got a dream gig: working freelance for the YES Network on a visit to the Metrodome. I got to be a production assistant/runner for their videographers, hanging out on the field during batting practice, standing there for pregame interviews and running tapes up to the truck; hanging out in the concourse during the game; and going into the visitor's clubhouse for the postgame interviews. I hung out with my heroes: Alfonso Soriano, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Roger Clemens. I distinctly remember telling Soriano that I wanted to see him a hit a home-run and then he blasted a grand slam the next inning. It was amazing; the Yankees swept the series. Then came my salvation -- high school graduation and my predestined move to the heart of Yankeeland. I packed away my #42 shirsey and hopped a plane to New York, never looking back. Surrounded by own kind. I've been here 10 years and things never should have been better. Except I can't stand the Yankees anymore. It's nothing about the team. I still admire Derek Jeter and I think Mo is the only person I'll consider a better closer than my beloved Rick Aguilera. It's all about living in New York and being surrounded by Yankees fans. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4584[/ATTACH] The first time my family came to visit me in college, we went to Yankee Stadium for a Twins and Yankees game, sitting in the upper right field deck. My brother, a naive 11 years old at the time, wore a Johan Santana jersey bravely into the middle of enemy territory. By the 6th inning they were slinging curses and slurs at my 11-year old brother: "Santana you f****t" -- "Turn around kid, can't you f*****g hear us?" -- "What's a'matter, busy crying you f*****g p***y?". That was probably the end of my love of the Yankees. I couldn't be part of that. Later that year I remember the floor of my freshman dorm shaking from everyone jumping up and down when the Yankees beat the Red Sox on Aaron Boone's historic shot. My Rivera shirsey is collecting dust in my closet. I started a Twins blog (which has since become somewhat defunct), subscribed to MLB extra-innings to catch my favorite team out of market, and taken every opportunity to see the Twins when they make it out east (this time sporting a custom-made Rick Aguilera Twins jersey). Now it's my turn to take abuse. It becomes tough to watch your team constantly and heartbreakingly lose whenever they come to town. I've grown so accustomed to hearing Sinatra's "New York, New York" blaring over the loudspeakers while I lower my head and take the long walk back to the 6 train. The toughest were Joe Nathan's 2009 game-tying homer to A-Rod in the 9th leading to our loss in extras -- and the 2010 team in Game 3 when I got beer poured on my head and got a "Christina Aguilera" chant started against me simply for sitting there and trying to ignore them. Let's face it -- the Yankees don't consider this a rivalry. Not even close. I've seen headlines in the post where their wonderful scribes describe the Twins as a warm cleansing bath to dispel their previous losing streak -- a break in the season where they didn't need to worry about playing quality baseball to win. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Yankees fan in New York who knows anything about the team other than that Joe Mauer missed his opportunity to join a contender, and Justin Morneau robbed Derek Jeter of his rightful MVP award. I remember one game where a Yankees fan asked me why Wisconsin needed two teams. He was genuinely under the impression that Minnesota was the capitol of Wisconsin and shocked when I gave him a quick geography lesson. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU EXIST. And we haven't really given them reason to notice. But in stark contrast to the disappointment, and the heartache, and the wondering why we seem to choke whenever we see pinstripes, are the few times when we win. And I've seen them. And it's not as far-fetched these days as it once seemed. Last year we took two of four in New York. A series split. But the best moment came three years ago. We sat in the upper deck behind home plate and we were losing as always. But somehow, in the 8th, we loaded the bases and threatened to take the lead. The Yankees were scared enough that the Twins might win, that they brought in Rivera, #42, the greatest closer in baseball history, in the 8th inning to try to shut us down. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4585[/ATTACH] Enter Sandman blared over the speakers -- the super fan lovingly know as the "Marlboro Man" started head banging and air guitaring in time to the music and the excitement of all the Yankees fans trusting in their beloved closer was enough to slightly dampen my excitement that Jim Thome was due up. It wasn't Thome that was the hero though. He walked in a run with the bases loaded, fans everywhere groaning and complaining about awful umpiring. And then Kubel stepped into the batter's box and launched what would be a game-winning grand slam off of the greatest closer in the world. Every fan I could see in Navy or pinstripes was shocked. Silence. More silent than I've ever heard Yankee fans could be. Mo never blows a save. The Yankees never lose to the Twins. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4586[/ATTACH] But it happened. And I was there. And it will happen again. I walked out of there in my favorite closer's jersey -- Aguilera -- with my head held high and knowing that there's no reason we can't beat those Damn Yankees.

I used to be the worst kind of person in the world. A Yankees fan that didn't live in New York. As lewd and annoying as they might be, you can't blame a New Yorker for being a Yankees fan -- let's face it, their other option is the Mets. But if you don't live in New York, and your family isn't from there, it's simple douchebaggery that makes a person cheer for that team. But I did. It all started because the Twins broke my heart by trading Rick Aguilera -- twice -- and fell into self-inflicted mediocrity for my entire teenage years. I swore them off about the same time I decided that I was going to move to New York and attend NYU. Down went the Twins paraphernalia and up went a DJ Turn 2 poster (Derek Jeter turning a double-play, in layman's terms). I rocked a navy Mariano Rivera shirsey and Yankees cap with pride and buried my head in my hands with shame when some stupid expansion team from Arizona knocked my new boys out in the World Series. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4583[/ATTACH] ----- This Article originally published on Curve For a Strike ----- Right before I went to college, in 2003, I got a dream gig: working freelance for the YES Network on a visit to the Metrodome. I got to be a production assistant/runner for their videographers, hanging out on the field during batting practice, standing there for pregame interviews and running tapes up to the truck; hanging out in the concourse during the game; and going into the visitor's clubhouse for the postgame interviews. I hung out with my heroes: Alfonso Soriano, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Roger Clemens. I distinctly remember telling Soriano that I wanted to see him a hit a home-run and then he blasted a grand slam the next inning. It was amazing; the Yankees swept the series. Then came my salvation -- high school graduation and my predestined move to the heart of Yankeeland. I packed away my #42 shirsey and hopped a plane to New York, never looking back. Surrounded by own kind. I've been here 10 years and things never should have been better. Except I can't stand the Yankees anymore. It's nothing about the team. I still admire Derek Jeter and I think Mo is the only person I'll consider a better closer than my beloved Rick Aguilera. It's all about living in New York and being surrounded by Yankees fans. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4584[/ATTACH] The first time my family came to visit me in college, we went to Yankee Stadium for a Twins and Yankees game, sitting in the upper right field deck. My brother, a naive 11 years old at the time, wore a Johan Santana jersey bravely into the middle of enemy territory. By the 6th inning they were slinging curses and slurs at my 11-year old brother: "Santana you f****t" -- "Turn around kid, can't you f*****g hear us?" -- "What's a'matter, busy crying you f*****g p***y?". That was probably the end of my love of the Yankees. I couldn't be part of that. Later that year I remember the floor of my freshman dorm shaking from everyone jumping up and down when the Yankees beat the Red Sox on Aaron Boone's historic shot. My Rivera shirsey is collecting dust in my closet. I started a Twins blog (which has since become somewhat defunct), subscribed to MLB extra-innings to catch my favorite team out of market, and taken every opportunity to see the Twins when they make it out east (this time sporting a custom-made Rick Aguilera Twins jersey). Now it's my turn to take abuse. It becomes tough to watch your team constantly and heartbreakingly lose whenever they come to town. I've grown so accustomed to hearing Sinatra's "New York, New York" blaring over the loudspeakers while I lower my head and take the long walk back to the 6 train. The toughest were Joe Nathan's 2009 game-tying homer to A-Rod in the 9th leading to our loss in extras -- and the 2010 team in Game 3 when I got beer poured on my head and got a "Christina Aguilera" chant started against me simply for sitting there and trying to ignore them. Let's face it -- the Yankees don't consider this a rivalry. Not even close. I've seen headlines in the post where their wonderful scribes describe the Twins as a warm cleansing bath to dispel their previous losing streak -- a break in the season where they didn't need to worry about playing quality baseball to win. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Yankees fan in New York who knows anything about the team other than that Joe Mauer missed his opportunity to join a contender, and Justin Morneau robbed Derek Jeter of his rightful MVP award. I remember one game where a Yankees fan asked me why Wisconsin needed two teams. He was genuinely under the impression that Minnesota was the capitol of Wisconsin and shocked when I gave him a quick geography lesson. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU EXIST. And we haven't really given them reason to notice. But in stark contrast to the disappointment, and the heartache, and the wondering why we seem to choke whenever we see pinstripes, are the few times when we win. And I've seen them. And it's not as far-fetched these days as it once seemed. Last year we took two of four in New York. A series split. But the best moment came three years ago. We sat in the upper deck behind home plate and we were losing as always. But somehow, in the 8th, we loaded the bases and threatened to take the lead. The Yankees were scared enough that the Twins might win, that they brought in Rivera, #42, the greatest closer in baseball history, in the 8th inning to try to shut us down. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4585[/ATTACH] Enter Sandman blared over the speakers -- the super fan lovingly know as the "Marlboro Man" started head banging and air guitaring in time to the music and the excitement of all the Yankees fans trusting in their beloved closer was enough to slightly dampen my excitement that Jim Thome was due up. It wasn't Thome that was the hero though. He walked in a run with the bases loaded, fans everywhere groaning and complaining about awful umpiring. And then Kubel stepped into the batter's box and launched what would be a game-winning grand slam off of the greatest closer in the world. Every fan I could see in Navy or pinstripes was shocked. Silence. More silent than I've ever heard Yankee fans could be. Mo never blows a save. The Yankees never lose to the Twins. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4586[/ATTACH] But it happened. And I was there. And it will happen again. I walked out of there in my favorite closer's jersey -- Aguilera -- with my head held high and knowing that there's no reason we can't beat those Damn Yankees.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKtuV2B9hr8/T3Yn1MWTiUI/AAAAAAAAA0o/3fD4mX7yvXM/s400/20111107_terry-ryan_33.jpg Twitter and the Blogosphere broke with the news today that the Twins had acquired Matt Rizzotti from the Phillies for "cash considerations". This move is in lieu of the minor leagues being one first baseman short now that Chris Parmelee is likely to break camp with the Twins due to his inspired play that's carried over since late last year. The bigger news however, is what's to come. At a press conference after the acquisition of Rizzotti, with reporters peppering Terry Ryan with questions about their latest acquisition, Ryan made a bold assertion: "When a team has holes, we will do anything in our power to help fill them. This isn't only true when it comes to minor league depth." This statement has been leading to wild speculation that the Twins might look to acquire middle infield help, bench depth, one or two starting pitchers, and some veteran arms for the bullpen. While this is a major breakthrough for the Twins front office -- that a player who can fill a needed position can be acquired for cash considerations -- some sources are criticizing the Twins for not coming to this realization earlier. Other players such as Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle, Todd Coffey and even Nick Punto could have been acquired for "cash considerations" (sometimes known as free agency) earlier in the offseason. When questioned about their tendency to not seek out players for cash in recent history, Ryan countered: "We've been exploring all the normal channels for acquiring players. All options such as waivers, the Rule 5 Draft, etc. have been utilized. Now that we see the simplicity of a cash acquisition, perhaps that could change our stance going forward, but let's take one step at a time." While the front office won't readily admit to being amendable to opening up the checkbook, word out of the other side of Fort Myers is that Twins scouts and personnel have been loitering around the Red Sox minor league fields with calculators and wads of one dollar bills, but that most of their players won't go near them without their agents present. The Twins front office has declined to comment on this.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKtuV2B9hr8/T3Yn1MWTiUI/AAAAAAAAA0o/3fD4mX7yvXM/s400/20111107_terry-ryan_33.jpg Twitter and the Blogosphere broke with the news today that the Twins had acquired Matt Rizzotti from the Phillies for "cash considerations". This move is in lieu of the minor leagues being one first baseman short now that Chris Parmelee is likely to break camp with the Twins due to his inspired play that's carried over since late last year. The bigger news however, is what's to come. At a press conference after the acquisition of Rizzotti, with reporters peppering Terry Ryan with questions about their latest acquisition, Ryan made a bold assertion: "When a team has holes, we will do anything in our power to help fill them. This isn't only true when it comes to minor league depth." This statement has been leading to wild speculation that the Twins might look to acquire middle infield help, bench depth, one or two starting pitchers, and some veteran arms for the bullpen. While this is a major breakthrough for the Twins front office -- that a player who can fill a needed position can be acquired for cash considerations -- some sources are criticizing the Twins for not coming to this realization earlier. Other players such as Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle, Todd Coffey and even Nick Punto could have been acquired for "cash considerations" (sometimes known as free agency) earlier in the offseason. When questioned about their tendency to not seek out players for cash in recent history, Ryan countered: "We've been exploring all the normal channels for acquiring players. All options such as waivers, the Rule 5 Draft, etc. have been utilized. Now that we see the simplicity of a cash acquisition, perhaps that could change our stance going forward, but let's take one step at a time." While the front office won't readily admit to being amendable to opening up the checkbook, word out of the other side of Fort Myers is that Twins scouts and personnel have been loitering around the Red Sox minor league fields with calculators and wads of one dollar bills, but that most of their players won't go near them without their agents present. The Twins front office has declined to comment on this.