Opinion

One of the best sidelines to the upcoming New York Yankee vs. Los Angeles Angels American League Championship is that each team will go against one of their former players. Mark Teixeira was traded for by the Angels last season, hoping that his acquisition will lead them to the World Series.

Andrew Miller a first round draft pick is headed down to the Arizona Fall League to get some work.

Andrew Miller one of the Marlins top prospects, came from the blockbuster deal of Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, and Burke Badenhop.

Miller, regarded as one of the top prospects in the franchise is not living up to the hype, and he has had a difficult time with his mechanics. 

At the start of the '09 season he was offered the five-spot in the rotation behind Sanchez. 

I waited a few days before writing this piece so I could read most of the reports on the great Friday night comeback for the Yankees. Most of the talk in the papers, on the sports talk radio stations and on television was about the missed call on the ball hit by Joe Mauer and how it cost the Twins the game.

It goes without saying that the better team won this series.

The Yankees hit better with runners in scoring position over the three-game set; their three starters combined for 19 innings, a paltry four runs and fourteen hits allowed with  and twenty-one strikeouts. The defense saved three crucial runs in close games—including Teixeira's two outstanding defensive plays with the bases loaded in the 11th inning of Game Two.

But among all the missed opportunities that caused the Minnesota Twins' ouster, I'd like to take a moment to mention some of the things they did well.

With a slow grounder to to short, it was all over. The joy of game 163, the September magic, the 2009 season, baseball in the H.H.H. Metrodome, all of it.

It was a good run for the Minnesota Twins and in any evaluation of the season, that needs to be the foundation. The Twins beat their expected wins by six games and won a division in which they were projected to finish no better than third.

But, to borrow a line from the Bard, we come to bury the Twins, not to praise them.

The Minnesota Twins magical run is over.

After falling to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, the players can now head home for the winter and the front-office—lead by General Manager Bill Smith—can begin the work of ensuring the Twins are a contender again in 2010.

The pieces are already in place for a very good ballclub next season.

Perennial All-Stars Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan should all be healthy and ready to contribute.

It turns out we didn’t have to worry about the 25-year old rookie who started the game. Or the untested rook who first relieved him.

The real culprit was the strongest member of the strongest bullpen in baseball. He was there to shut one door Sunday and open another for Monday. Instead New England blinked and it was over.

The following is part of a weekly series called "Through the Eyes of..."  In each segment, I share interviews with or stories about those who I view to be the "Good Guys." The men and women who participate in and are the very fiber that make up the great game of baseball.

"Through the Eyes of..." is a part of my personal crusade to present baseball in all its beauty, splendor, and goodness, instead of through hashing and rehashing all that is broken with our national treasure. TC

To some, this photo shows you all you need to know about the Yankees-Twins playoff series.

You've got Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees' superstar third baseman and his $33,000,000 salary standing over Nick Punto, the Twins' utility infielder and his $4,000,000 salary.

Punto had just been tagged out after over-running third base in the eighth inning of the Yankees' series-clinching 4-1 victory in Game 3 last night. The combined 2009 salaries of of the three Yankees who combined to throw out Punto is $68,700,000.

Jonathan Papelbon allowed two inherited runs to score in the top of the eighth inning in Game Three of the Best of Five series against the Angels. He allowed three of his own in the ninth inning.