Carl Pavano

Minnesota Twins fans have an unusual luxury that they have not enjoyed in quite some time.  Instead of sweating it out until the final week or final day of the season as to whether the Twins would get into the playoffs, Twins fans can sit back and enjoy some quiet time of reflection on the season.

In looking back at the season, one question that fans are going to argue and debate over their favorite beverage in the next few days is who was the most valuable player for the Minnesota Twins this year.

The Minnesota Twins were the first MLB team to punch their postseason ticket on Tuesday night after defeating the Cleveland Indians 6-4 at Target Field.

The Twins are currently a game back of the Yankees for the best record in baseball after their division clinching victory improved them to 91-60 on the year.

Minnesota clinched their second straight AL Central title, and they will be one of the top World Series contenders when the playoff get underway in October. 

The dog days of summer are waning, and the cooler drier air of fall is not far away.

With fewer than 26 games remaining for the playoff contending teams of the American League, there are still a couple of questions that need to be answered.

Who will win the American League East?

Can the Chicago White Sox catch the Minnesota Twins?

With MVP candidate Josh Hamilton out of the line up and Cliff Lee missing a start, are the Texas Rangers in a free fall?

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report's Cleveland Indians fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the club each week throughout the season.

With our Tribe deeply buried in the AL Central cellar, this week we start looking ahead to next year.

For the Minnesota Twins, 2010 has been a roller coaster ride for the starting pitching staff.

It's been almost a different pitcher stepping up to lead the club every month. 

Of late, Carl Pavano appears to be ready to settle into the ace of the staff. 

In the winter before the 2005 season, Carl Pavano met with at least a half-dozen teams as he shopped his services in a Pavano Derby of sorts. As we all know, the Yankees were the unfortunate winners of that derby and the fans proceeded to suffer through four years of his “services.”

If I had more title space, I would have called this the "Twins Edition."

With the Twins turning the tide at the beginning of the second half, it's time to look at some of Minnesota's big guns and the effect they may have on the American League.

Awards, playoffs, whatever works. I've got enough odd/frightening/bewildering/upsetting predictions to last us until next season.

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I think of all the words that New York Yankee fans could use to describe Carl Pavano, workhorse would not be one of them.

While Pavano clearly wasn’t a workhorse in New York, he has been one in Minnesota, and in 2010, he has become one of the best pitchers in the American League.

Pavano tossed his second complete game in a row last night as he and the Minnesota Twins blanked the Baltimore Orioles 5-0. Pavano allowed just five hits, walked one, and whiffed four in the 102-pitch effort.

Heading into the All-Star Break, Twins fans split into two camps.

The “oh God, it’s all over” camp reacted to the hometown nine’s recent run of form—a poor one, dropping them into third place in the decent AL Central.

The Twins closed out the unofficial first half of the season salvaging the third game against Detroit with a 46-42 record.

Good enough for third place in the AL Central.

One definition for 'frustration' is when expectations exceed reality.  For Twins' fans the first half of 2010 has been a lesson in dealing with frustration.

Even before the first pitch was thrown in 2010 the expectations were high.