A Winning Brand

The Twins lost four of six to the Yankees in the last two weeks. I don't even want to look up the exact numbers, but the Twins have been completely owned by the Bronx Bombers in recent memory. What's more, the Yankees have played in half of the last twelve World Series; the Twins haven't made an appearance since the magic of '91.

America loves its winners, and millions of people around the country forgo their home teams to root for the Yankees. Personally, I remain committed to the Twins' brand of ball. The organization as a whole has done an excellent job of producing fundamentally sound, homegrown teams that fight hard and make the most of what they have. I have been a huge Twins fan since I can remember, but it is only in the last decade that the club's new identity has emerged en force.

Revenue will be up thanks to the new ballpark, but I am still extremely pleased with the recent moves the club has made. The Mauer and Morneau resignings were to be expected. More important to me were the decisions to ink the likes of Nick Blackburn and Denard Span to multi-year deals, indicating that the Twins remain committed to their brand. Blackburn is a finesse pitcher that doesn't get many strikeouts, but he also doesn't walk people and generally induces a lot of ground balls. Span is a fantastic athlete that doesn't hit many home runs, but has a great on-base percentage, runs the bases well, and plays excellent defense.

Furthermore, offseason acquisitions J.J. Hardy, Orlando Hudson, and Jim Thome are all excellent fits for the club: Hardy and Hudson handle the bat well and play great defense, and Thome brings experience, power, and leadership. Most importantly, none of them command a huge contract, and they all are good clubhouse guys, particularly Thome and Hudson.

When (and I do mean when) the Twins ultimately win their 3rd World Series, I sincerely hope that the success derives from sticking to their brand of baseball. Even as the gorgeous new stadium brings the potential to spend more freely, I want the roster to be full of players who can compete with the best but remain humble teammates. Guys who take pride in their defense, are willing to give themselves up to advance runners, and forgo strikeouts for better control. That's the brand of baseball with which I identify and the team to whom I remain loyal.

The Yankees will continue to spend big money. That's their brand, and their fans expect them to go out and get Sabathia and Teixeira and re-sign Jeter and Rivera, no matter what the cost. But there will come a time, maybe even this year, when the Twins will beat the Yankees in the postseason, and the baseball world will have to tip its cap to a team that found success by staying true to the fundamentals of the game.