The Lynx' Dynastic Decade
The Minnesota Lynx are WNBA champions for the fourth time in seven years, having edged the Los Angeles Sparks in five games. The Sparks were the same team that denied the Lynx a title one year ago, and would have done that again had a furious rally late in the fourth quarter not fizzled out. In stead, the Lynx won 85-76.
Playing in their second temporary home of the season (Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota) while Target Center was being renovated, the Lynx and their coach Cheryl Reeve summoned whatever strength they had left from their core veterans--Maya Moore, Seimoine Augustus, Lindsay Whelan, Sylvia Fowles (the Finals MVP) and others--to overcome the 2-1 deficit against the league's other super team. They had to be firing on all cylinders, and that's what they did.
Since the Lynx won their titles in odd-numbered years (2011, '13, '15, '17), it's reasonable to expect another one from them in 2019. But as long as the current cast sticks around, they're favorites next year too.
Twins: Worst to Wild Card
The Minnesota Twins won 85 games this past season, which is a lot better than losing 103 last season. For that, they finished second in the American League Central division to the Cleveland Indians, which is good enough in today's baseball to win a wild card spot. Then they lost in a playoff to the New York Yankees because it's what they do in the post-season.
The pitching and hitting did just enough to rise above their mediocre competition this season, so the challenge for 2018 is for the Twins front office to find better talent that doesn't need to go to the minor league affiliate in Rochester, New York for seasoning. And a pitching staff that includes Bartolo Colon, who's been in baseball longer than some of these players have been alive, needs to improve. Or does that go without saying?
It looks like manager Paul Molitor will get to keep his job, despite reports that the front office wanted their own guy. That would not have been smart, given Molitor's accomplishment of turning a wretched team into playoff contenders.
All of which gives the patrons at Target Field something to look forward to besides sampling gourmet nachos.
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Here's our semi-bold World Series match-up: Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers.
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