The Twins will conclude another disappointing season Sunday, and any attempts to create an optimistic view in Minnesota feel forced.
So I called someone for perspective on the Twins' plight and future. I called old friend Ryan Lefebvre.
Lefebvre is the son of former big-league player and manager Jim Lefebvre. He grew up in California but chose to play college baseball at Minnesota, where he was the most valuable player of the 1993 Gophers. He worked as a Twins broadcaster before leaving for Kansas City's booth in 1999.
Lefebvre knows the game, the division and droughts. He watched Kansas City General Manager Dayton Moore take a team that hadn't made the playoffs since 1985 to a World Series in 2014 and a World Series title in 2015.
Without the benefit of a new stadium or large payroll, the Royals came within a few pitches of winning two straight titles.
"I know my friends who are Twins fans are panicking,'' Lefebvre said. "Denny Matthews has been broadcasting Royals games for 50 years. He has a theory, and it comes true more times than not.
"When a young team makes a big, unexpected leap forward, like the Twins did in 2017, it's easy for people to fall into the trap of believing that team will be even better the next year. History will tell you there's usually a year of regression, but then the year after that, look out.''
Lefebvre believes patience and organizational leadership brought the Royals back from the dead. He made these points: