Magic In Minny
It's looking more and more like the Minnesota Twins are a team of destiny. They got off to a horrible start (29-34 on June 13), got hot and stayed hot despite a starting rotation decimated by injury (Brad Radke, Francisco Liriano) and disappointment (Carlos Silva, Kyle Lohse). Justin Morneau has come of age, ranking in the top ten in the Triple Crown categories, Joe Mauer is poised to become the first catcher in AL history to win a batting title and Johan Santana is the best pitcher in the game -- period.

The thing that separates the Twins from the pack is their energy and attitude. A squad filled with young guys having the time of their lives, they play with contagious enthusiasm and a naively oblivious attitude to the pressure around them. Manager Ron Gardenhire has the experience, temperament and the horses to win in October. A third victory parade in 20 years could be a month away in Minneapolis.

Oriole Owner Needs PR Lesson
After nearly 1,000 fans walked out of Camden Yards in an organized protest of team policies on Sept. 21, Baltimore owner Peter Angelos did his best to reinforce all of the negative stereotypes that motivated the walkout.

"Whoever joins that protest has no comprehension of what it costs to run a baseball team," Angelos told the Associated Press. Angelos saved his real venom for the organizer of the protest, local AM radio station owner Nestor Aparicio, "He is a very unimportant person who has delusions of grandeur," he vented.

Kudos to Mr. Angelos for doing an outstanding C. Montgomery Burns impersonation, or was it Ebeneezer Scrooge?

I’m Sorry I Can’t Charge More
Now you can get the baseball collectible everyone’s talking about -- Pete Rose’s personal apology for betting on baseball newly inscribed on an actual baseball -- at a fantastic price! – Description of the "I'm sorry" baseball on www.peterose.com.

Why does anyone like Pete Rose? If there weren't enough reasons to dislike the Sleaze King, the example above is the clincher. It seems Mr. Rose is so sorry that he lied to fans for over a decade about betting on baseball, that he's ready to apologize personally to anyone willing to fork over $300. The all-time leader in hits recently added an autographed baseball with the inscription "I am sorry I bet on baseball" to his on-line inventory of memorabilia. I'd like to think that nobody would be stupid enough to purchase such a travesty, but I know better.