There's nothing revolutionary about what we do. Our area scouts go from the amateur draft to minor league coverage and they know they'll be rewarded. We rely on them, and they have made a huge impact on our club.
- Terry Ryan, Minnesota GM
No, the Twins don't have a $180 million payroll. Hey, they are leading their division, though- which, come to think of it, is more than you can say for the Yankees. Hopefully, Twins fans will be laughing all the way to the bank come October.
They lost their two best relievers, Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins, to free agency. To meet their budget they had to trade A.J. Pierzynski and Eric Milton. Then Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie and Joe Mauer all got hurt when the season started.
And midway through May, the Twins still had the second-best record in the American League.
No matter what obstacles they've faced in their first 37 games, the recreation of the Twins for a third-straight run at the playoffs is a testament to their ability to find talent.
Actually, as of the beginning of play last night, Minnesota had the second-best record in Major League Baseball. Not bad for a team of "no-names" that consistently flies under radar, eh? Two years ago, one would invariably hear the word "contraction" used in conjuction with "Minnesota Twins". It's been awhile since we've heard that, and thankfully so. Say what you will, but Minnesota does things the right way. They may not be flashy, and they may not attract much attention, but it's difficult to argue with the success they've had over the past few years.
I find it an endless source of amusement that a team with a payroll of perhaps one-third that of the Yankees is in first place in their division. Meanwhile, the team that DOES have the $180 million payroll (the Yankees) are still struggling to get there.
