The 2008 Twins have defied plenty of doubts

[September 27, 2008]  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --

This Minnesota Twins team has scored more runs than any other during manager Ron Gardenhire's seven years, a tenure that already includes four division titles.

He's watched five starting pitchers post 10 or more victories in 2008, too, just the second time that feat has been pulled off in the club's 48 seasons.

Oh, and remember that these Twins were supposed to simply be rebuilding and developing this year, not pursuing another trip to the playoffs deep into September.

So why has Gardenhire had such a hard time sleeping?

"This is probably as mentally worn out as I've been at the end of a season," he said, the day before Minnesota beat the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night to take a half-game lead in the AL Central race.

Yes, the high-strung skipper has stressed out more than usual this summer, staying up worrying about what to do with the guys he's got and how to replace the players he lost.

He's found a way to have fun while doing it, though, thanks to this speedy, confident, fundamentally sound group that has defied widespread predictions of a fourth-place finish following the trade of ace Johan Santana and the departure of fixture Torii Hunter.

"Coming out of spring training we knew we had a lot of talent," said right-hander Nick Blackburn, one-fifth of a rotation of pitchers who are all 27 or younger. "In our mind we thought we were going to make a run at it, and here we are right now. We're pretty much as close as we could possibly want to be. Obviously we'd like to be up on them a couple games, but we're in good position right now."

Don't get Gardenhire wrong. He's had a lot of fun guiding this team, despite the hair-pulling caused by flashy center fielder Carlos Gomez and his youthful overexuberance, a bullpen that's blown dozens of games, and a slew of injuries around the diamond forcing shuffle after shuffle to the alignment and the lineup.

Perhaps the greatest joy for Gardenhire has, quietly, been the way he's watched these rookies and not-quite-veterans buy into his managing style and heed his advice of playing hard, smart and poised every game - quickly forgetting any bad stuff that might have happened the day before.

This year's team is the epitome of the entire organization's philosophy of refusing to spend big bucks on free agents, instead cultivating future major leaguers in a farm system that preaches to pitchers always throw strikes and harps on patience and situational skill for hitters.

The preseason payroll was slightly more than $62 million, the 24th most in the majors and ahead of only Tampa Bay's among teams still alive for October.

The Twins are next-to-last in baseball with 111 home runs, yet - thanks to an incredible .310 batting average with men in scoring position - have crossed the plate more times than all but three other clubs.

"That's a lot of running around the bases and not jogging," Gardenhire said. "I've always said speed can be a big factor."

Fast feet are certainly what fuels the Twins, whether it's coverage in the outfield, hustling for a double or beating out a bunt with a headfirst dive into the bag.

It's a style that can drive an opponent crazy, as the White Sox reminded reporters after their 3-2 loss on Wednesday.

"It just seems like they can't do anything wrong," left-hander Mark Buehrle said.

Manager Ozzie Guillen dubbed them "The Piranhas" two years ago for their relentless, aggressive approach to offense. Buehrle said Wednesday he'd like to call them, well, a not-so-flattering name that can't be printed in mainstream publications.

"Whenever they get on base, they hit and run and run around and do all kinds of things," he said. "They're a pain."

Which is just what Gardenhire and the gang want to hear.

Santana? He's not surprised. Though focused on the Mets and their fight to avoid another September collapse, Santana spoke highly of his old team before Thursday's game in New York and acknowledged he's rooting for the Twins to win the AL Central.

"They have been a great team, a great organization for everything that they have done throughout the years," Santana said. "They do a pretty good job of keeping everybody there and doing the little details and their philosophy that they have. I wish them the best. And I hope we can see them down the road and maybe, who knows, play a World Series. You never know."

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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report.

[Associated Press; By DAVE CAMPBELL]

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