The fact that the Yankees were out-homered by the Twins will be an extra incentive for the Yankees -- giving them something to prove; motivating, energizing, focusing their hitters. It's the kind of thing managers sometimes use to fire up a team.
On the other hand, the Twins can look at their remarkable home run record and feel confident, secure, motivated to prove it wasn't a fluke. Indeed, more Twins players (5) hit thirty or more home runs this year than any team in history (the Yankees had just two 30+ HR hitters). The Twins power can come from anywhere in the lineup. Heck, the backup catcher is a home run threat!
On the other hand, the playoff series starts in Yankee Stadium, a place where the Twins have not done well historically and where the ballpark favors the home team's big left-handed sluggers.
On the other hand, the rookie manager and most of the Twins players are not part of that Yankee Stadium futility. They have no reason to fear the jinx. Moreover, the Twins have the best road record in the major leagues this year, so being away from home is no big deal.
It is a little tiring to listen to the baseball analysts on the TV and the radio and the bar stool (and this blog) because the hell of it is that nobody knows.
Let's play ball!
Craig Finn, from somewhere down near the Iowa border, founded The Hold Steady and moved to New York, but he's still a Twins fan and wrote this song as an homage. Enjoy!
And besides, the Twins have La Tortuga. Nobody hurdles La Tortuga...
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