Not to get too nostalgic, but remember the good ol' days?
Remember when the Twins would travel to Yankee Stadium, get whipped three consecutive games, then slink home to Minnesota like hicks whose $5 Times Square Rolexes stopped working as soon as their flight left the ground?
Remember when Corey Koskie's double bounced into the Yankee Stadium stands, costing the Twins a run and maybe a playoff victory? Remember when Phil Cuzzi watched Joe Mauer's drive land 5 feet fair and still called it foul? Remember when the Twins' misadventures against the Yankees damaged the self- esteem of every Minnesotan still scarred by Super Bowl losses and a fear of the East Coast sports elite?
Make no mistake, those were the good ol' days, when every Twins-Yankees game stirred the blood.
There is no more underappreciated commodity in sports than persistent competence. The Timberwolves proved this, getting ridiculed for failing to escape the first round of the playoffs, then becoming a team that would trade Glen Taylor's entire ugly sweater collection for a whiff of contention.
A horrid 2011 season doesn't diminish what the Twins accomplished from 2001 through 2010, but it does raise questions about their ability to re-establish themselves as a team worthy of again becoming the Yankees' October appetizer.
The Twins can use injuries as an excuse for this abomination of a season. In reality, even if their health is restored, they will enter this winter feeling unsettled about just about every key spot in the organization, from General Manager Bill Smith to all 25 roster spots to the lowest levels of the minor leagues.
Smith and his staff deserve another shot. Everyone who works in baseball operations played a part in 10 years of competitiveness that saved the franchise and built Target Field. "Obviously, those decisions are ultimately left to ownership," team President Dave St. Peter said. "But to answer your question, no, we don't plan any changes there. We have a tremendous amount of confidence in our baseball operations group, as well as our manager and coaches. They are the people who have been greatly responsible for what has taken place in the last 10 years.