The only team that has a recent hold on the AL Central is the Royals, and its for last place.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Back to back division titles means nothing.

Take a look at 2007 and 2008 NL Central for further clarification whitey

And nothing has been decided for 2010.

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Thats really dumb. Back to back titles mean that a team has put together a squad that was good enough to get to the playoffs in consecutive years. To have a chance at winning a WS, you need to qualify for post-season play. Winning your division is about the only way a team in the A.L Central is going to accomplish that, with the wild card more likely to come from whatever team finishes 2nd in the East. Plus, a team that wins a division crown gets more money, both from winning their division, from the fact that they likely drew more fans as a result of having a successful season and from added revenue from playoff games (both ticket and broadcast revenue). That extra money can help with payroll the following year.
It means nothing...WRONG!

The one thing that has been decided about the 2010 season, is you are too stupid to realize when to hang it up.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Thank you Elmhurst Steve! I am loving your new posting style.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yeah, that is probably a pretty good comparison. Now that the Twins have their new ballpark, they are spending more money than they had in the past. It looks like they are going to be more like the Cardinals in terms of actually signing the occassional star free agent, rather than just going with guys they scout and develop. But with the way their farm system has been producing, they may not need to go after too many free agents. Better to grow their own and keep the payroll reasonable.

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Go Cubs!!!!

You gotta be in it, to win it. Frank opined that winning back to back divisional titles meant "nothing". It meant that the team that won those divisional titles at least gave themselves a chance to win the World Series. When the Twins beat the Cardinals in 87, the Cardinals were probably the better team, as were the Braves in 91 who the Twins defeated. The Dodgers in 1988 were not as good as the Oakland A's, but they won it all. Once a team gets in the playoffs a couple hot hitters and a dominant pitcher or two, can carry them to a title. But they need to get there first.

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Go Cubs!!!!

What does not winning a playoff game with either team signify?

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That a team did well enough to qualify for post season play and therefore give themselves an opportunity to compete for a World Series title, but fell short of that ultimate goal. There are 30 teams in Major League baseball, 29 of them fall short of the goal of winning the Championship that season. Just 8 of the 30 qualify to compete in the post-season for that prize. This year, the Twins will be one of those teams. Having that chance by winning the A.L. central is therefore significant and worthy of a tip of the cap.

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Go Cubs!!!!

That's amazingly insightful stuff right there, Steve! You oughta call one of the shows with that material-it's sure to get you some free beers next time you're at the bar

Back to back division titles means nothing in comparing the Twins to the 14 consecutive titles that the Braves rolled off.

YOU compared the Twins to the Braves, I did not. Two things have become more obvious as this baseball season has gone on. #1, its increasingly unlikely that the White Sox make the playoffs and #2, you either have a learning disability or you are literally one of the absolute stupidest baseball fans in the Chicago area.

Regardless, well done.

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Do not be too hard on Elmhurst Steve. He roots for a franchise that prints up t-shirts and hats when it qualifies for the playoffs as a Wild Card.

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SR28

There are two kinds of baseball teams:

1) Those with 27 World Series titles

2) Those without 27 World Series Titles

Thats pretty funny. BUT....

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The Twins have a couple of things going for them. One, they've been able to adjust this season without Joe Nathan from the getgo and since the All-Star break without 1B Justin Morneau. Two, even though they now have more revenue from Target Field, the Twins seem to have developed quite a farm system. They not only seem to develop their players, but whenever they're called up from the minors, they appear to be Major League ready and can help their team immediately.

Yes, and because they don't NEED to go signing many free agents, when they do have a need due to injury (Nathan) they have the resources available to go out and get the help (Capps and Fuentes) they need. In addition, they can afford to keep the exceptional players they have, rather than losing them to free agency. The fact that they have so many good young players also means they have great pieces available to use in a trade, should they desire to make one. The future looks very bright for the Twins.

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Go Cubs!!!!

My father, who has been a White Sox fan for decades, thinks what the Twins are doing could be a dynasty in the A.L. Central. Think how good and dominating the Indians were for many years in the mid to late '90s when MLB went to a three-division format.

That team with Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Sandy Alomar Jr., Albert Belle and Omar Visquel...amazing they never won a WS.

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Go Cubs!!!!

exactly

the Twins are the type of organization I like...they cultivate their own talent, and they take care of their own...and they are good

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Steve, the Indians dominated the A.L. Central back in the mid to late '90s. I didn't say anything about the World Series, even though they lost to the Marlins in '97 in dramatic fashion...

Great.

Now we have a conversation between one guy who states the obvious, and one guy who explains the obvious.

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Yeah, they did dominate the division. I just find it amazing they never won a WS title with the team they had. Kinda like the Braves just winning 1 WS with the teams they had back in the 90's.

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Go Cubs!!!!

And here we have 2 dopes that add nothing to the conversation....as is usually the case.

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Go Cubs!!!!

But on the last page of this THREAD...

Back to back division titles is meaningless. Hell, even the Cubs were able to do that and two short years later they have resumed their rightful spot as the laughingstock of professional sports.

Again...winning a division is never meaningless, it means you get into the playoffs, where sometimes a team that nobody thought could win the WS, ends up doing so. You gotta be in it, to win it. Winning your division puts you in it.

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Go Cubs!!!!

You don't need to win a division to have that happen.

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If the Twins win the division, this will mean they have wont he divsion 6 times inthe last decade v the 3 times the Sox have won it, with about half the payroll $$$ during that time.

And thats pretty impressive.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Look at the Indians last 10-12 #1 draft picks. I think they bombed on all but 1 of them. I believe, for all you wrigley field faithful, brad snyder is one of them.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!