The role of Major T.J. "King'' Kong in Dr. Strangelove was the zenith of Slim Pickens' magnificent acting career, although only by a small margin over "Taggart'' in Blazing Saddles.
And whenever truly puzzled by a sports happening, I can't help but recall Taggart riding up on the crew of nitwits working for him and shouting: "What in the wide, wide world of sports is a' goin' on here?''
I've been recalling Taggart a great deal this month while following the Twins, as they have combined surprising pitching with shocking power for the best record in the major leagues and the best 52-game start in franchise history: 36-16, 20 games over .500, and 10 games ahead of the gasping pack of followers in the AL Central.
The weakness of the Central could be offered as an explanation for the flying start of the Juniper Jolters, except the three-game weekend sweep of the White Sox left the Twins with 14 of their 52 games played vs. the division, and with 62 left among the 110 games that remain.
This is a bit premature, obviously, but at this point it's remindful in competitiveness of 1995 when the AL Central was played to a conclusion for the first time (with a schedule shortened to 144 games by the work stoppage lingering from 1994):
Cleveland, 100-44, __; Kansas City, 70-74, 30 GB; White Sox, 68-96, 32 GB; Milwaukee, 65-79, 35 GB; Twins, 56-88, 44 GB.
Detroit was in the East then, although the Tigers would have fit right in with the hapless pursuit of the Indians, since they were 60-84 that season.
On Sunday, on the one beautiful weather day per week permitted in 2019 in the Twin Cities, several sports writers were trying to solve the Taggart question – what's going on?