These are the memories that grandparents pass on to their grand children

If you love sports and drama, you had to love last night’s Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins "Play-In game." We see and hear every day what is wrong with sports today, but that that game shows what is good about sports. 

And how can you not root for the Twins (unless you are from Detroit). The Twins came from 7 games back in the final month winning 17 of their last 21 games, extending the game to a 163rd game to win the division.

It took 12 innings to crown a champion. Game 163, the "play-in game,” was filled with back-and-forth scoring, pitching showdowns and critical at-bats. The dramatic 4 1/2-hour affair came to an end when Alexi Casilla singled to right field, allowing Carlos Gomez to score from second base and capping off a 6-5 victory for the Twins over the Tigers, giving Minnesota its fifth division title in the past eight seasons.

"That is as good a baseball game as I've ever been involved as far as courage from both teams. We came through at the end. But after 10 innings I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've never seen anything like this.' It was just back and forth, neither team giving up."  - Manager Ron Gardenhire

If you were one of the 54,088 fans (the largest regular-season crowd in Metrodome history) you have a memory that will last you a life time. These are the memories that grandparents pass on to their grand children.

Listening to the Tigers comments reminded me of listening to Peter Rose after the Carlton Fisk HR game in game 6 of the 1975 World Series. He was on the losing end of the game, but he said that it was the greatest game he had ever played in and was privileged to be a part of it.

The game had everything, clutch pitching, clutch hitting, defensive blunders, defensive stellar plays, blown calls by the umpire with the game on the line (the ball did in fact hit the shirt of Brandon Inge) and all with the season on the line. I didn’t have a dog in the fight, but that was definitely the most interest I had watching a game this year, including ones that involved the team I root for.

The Twins now move on to play the Yankees in the 1st round Division Series AL playoffs. To say that they are an underdog is an understatement. After playing a 163rd game yesterday (moved back 1 day because the “Brett Favre” Monday night football game was in the Metrodome) they now have to play a 6:07 pm game at Yankee Stadium in NY. After going 12 innings in a tension filled extravaganza their bull pen is now depleted and they are mmentally and physically exhausted. Oh, and they are without their All-Star 1st basemen Justin Morneau .

Under manager Ron Gardenhire’s tenure they are 3-21 against the Yankees. But there is hope. In the playoffs they are 2-2 against them. And they now have karma on their side.

You would have to be a fool to predict that the Twins will win the series, but unless you are a devout Yankee fan, it’s going to be hard not to root for the Cinderella team of 2009. - Josh Bolan

Josh Bolan is a retired AP baseball reporter and now works as a freelance writer in Fresno California. Josh has been contributing to baseball publications as a writer since 1996.

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