This week Brian Dozier gave further evidence confirming my postulate from last week: He is replacing Joe Mauer as The Face Of The Franchise. I don't think a person can have a better nine days than he just had. After ending Monday's game with a Home Run, he ended Friday's victory over the Tigers with a three-run Homer. In that game the Twinks were dead in the water, trailing 6-0 after seven innings and 6-1 after eight. But if the Tigers don't reach the playoffs this year, their bullpen will be the death of them (again). Minnesota rallied for seven runs with one out in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Dozier's career-defining dong.
And for good measure, on Saturday Dozier was named an All-Star after Toronto's Jose Bautista couldn't play due to an injury, and he finished the scoring in the All-Star Game Tuesday by smacking yet another Home Run (a solo shot) in Cincinnati in the AL's 6-3 victory over the National League, giving the winner of the AL pennant the home-field advantage in the World Series. Meanwhile, Joe Mauer spent his All-Star break with his family in Florida. By the way, Glen Perkins, the Twins' other representative in the ASG, was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth to finish out the game, the second straight year he was tapped to close the game (and the win) for the American League. He gave up a run, but was otherwise none the worse for wear. Yeah, I guess you probably wouldn't want to trade him at the deadline.
In 2008, their promising first half devolved into a scuffling, just-over-.500 second half, which ended with a 1-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Game 163. I'm still afraid they're due for a nosedive, but really, with the call-ups of Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano (who, in a fortunate sign, is having no trouble with the speed and power of major league pitching so far) and the continuing maturation of Dozier and Kyle Gibson, the future looks bright regardless. Minnesota (and the rest of Major League Baseball) resume play with a West Coast swing: Three in Oakland beginning Friday, and a big three-game series in Orange County against the Angels starting on Tuesday.
#-2: Lynx (Last Week: -1). You know, it's getting abundantly clear that the Lynx's biggest obstacle to their third WNBA championship in five years won't come from the Western Conference anymore. Take a gander at the standings: While the Western Conference still has the teams with the best records up to this point, they are not dominating the Eastern Conference like the mens' NBA is right now. There is a huge, yawning, almost frightening gap between third- and fourth-place in the West (which, by the way, means that if the Lynx manage to outlast Tulsa and Phoenix, they'll have a virtual walkover in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs), but only three games (at least as of press time) separate first place from last.
And it is the team currently on top of the East, the Chicago Sky, that took it to the Jynx in Chicago Friday, outlasting Minnesota 90-83. What was most disheartening was that a team that prides itself on defense was rolled to a season-worst amount of points allowed. They at least still have the ability to make up for a poor defensive effort; they routed San Antonio on Sunday at Target Center, holding the Silver Stars to 49 points even though they scored a season-low 66. Tuesday's 85-79 victory at Connecticut is, in my opinion, too close for comfort.
Connecticut is the site for this year's WNBA All-Star Game, held Saturday the 25th. Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus were voted on; if there is a just and honorable God, Lindsay Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson will join them as reserves. But they have to finish up their first half of the year first. They host the Sky Friday (I want to go, but I don't want to deal with my parents saying I go out too much when I plan on going out tonight [Thursday night], and besides it's going to be hot and humid, and I don't want to walk around in that weather), go to Tulsa Sunday, then host the Connecticut Sun before the ASG Break begins in their annual weekday afternoon/summer camp game.
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