10/2/06
Amazing Minnesota Twins represent a club of many unselfish individuals
The amazing Minnesota Twins baseball team has given us all something to think about during this time of division and strife amid some bitter election contests.
Over and over again during the victory celebration in the clubhouse, we heard the key to the Twinsí success is ìteamworkî, believing in one another and somehow knowing one of the 25 players would get a key hit or make a critical pitch.
Despite injury after injury and one challenge after another, this group of ballplayers reached down for something extra and came back from a disastrous start. Manager Ron Gardenhire understood his players and drew their respect as he communicated openly and honestly about the goals and the challenges.
Torii Hunter, the team leader, despite an ankle injury, walked the talk with a late-season surge of hitting and marvelous catches. He exemplifies the teamís personality.
Johan Santana, who will be a Cy Young award winner again, steadied his team during critical games with his masterful pitching.
Joe Mauer, a talented, graceful and appreciative young catcher, not only challenged for the batting title, but excelled as a catcher, handling veteran as well as rookie pitchers.
Justin Morneau, another talented hitter, picked up his team with his home runs and runs batted in just when others were thinking he was going to have an average year.
Michael Cuddyer, Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto, who were fighting for their jobs at the start of the season, forgot all that, became regulars and drove in many runs.
Weíll always remember Luis Castillo who came to this club with experience and timely hitting, to say nothing about his double-play work with Bartlett.
The bullpen pitchers are a unit that rescued game after game, particularly the chief saver, Joe Nathan. The pitchers called up from Rochester AAA, Matt Garza, Boof Bonser, Scott Baker and Dennys Reyes, became major leaguers.
And we could go on and on and name the contribution of all the players on the roster. Everyone at one time or another played a key role in this remarkable turnaround, which has the state on the edge of its seat wondering just how far the Twins can go.
What a welcome relief to the news of the day when there is understandable division over a war and domestic and foreign policies.
The country needs a game plan like these Twins have. Given a leader, like Gardenhire who is respected, who has vision and an attainable goal, Americans will come together as a team and win the prize.
In sports as in life, itís not the team that has the individual stars that wins; itís the club of unselfish individuals who battle hard with honor to win the trophy.
GO TWINS! -- Don Heinzman
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