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July 20, 2008

Every Given Sunday

Beating Expectations

by John Perrotto

Money was not an issue for Joe Nathan. The contract offer that the Twins made to their closer during spring training was certainly fair in his mind, but Nathan also knew he could get a similar deal, and possibly a more lucrative one, by playing out the season and becoming a free agent. The organization that acquired him from the Giants and turned him into one of the game’s best closers—his 4.398 WXRL leads the American League—had traded left-hander Johan Santana to the Mets during the offseason and then lost Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter to the Angels as a free agent. As a result, while Nathan’s heart was with the Twins, he wanted to make sure they would still be competitive.

"Once we got to spring training and started playing games, I could see that we were going to be fine," Nathan said. "I knew coming into spring training that we were going to be able to pitch and play really good defense, because that’s always a given with the Twins. My biggest question was if we were going to score runs. I felt if we could score some runs, then we definitely would have a good club again. Once I saw everyone in action for a few weeks, I knew we would be in position to win. That gave me the confidence to sign back."

On March 24, Nathan agreed to a four-year, $47 million deal that keeps him in Minnesota through the 2011 season, and his faith has been rewarded, with the Twins now in the thick of an AL Central race that is not turning out the way many people expected. The Twins and White Sox were generally picked to finish third or fourth, while the Tigers and the defending champion Indians were supposed to be battling for the division title. Things have turned out much differently however, with the White Sox leading the Twins by a half game while the Tigers remain on the periphery at 7½ back. Meanwhile, the Indians are 13 games out and in a distant last place.

That may be a shock to many, but not to the Twins, who are 55-42 and also only one game behind the Red Sox in the AL wild-card standings. "We may not have the same kind of experience we’ve had in other years, but I don’t think anyone can deny that we have a talented club," catcher Joe Mauer said. "We’ve never been a club to make any excuses. There have been a lot of years when people haven’t expected much of us and we like that underdog role. If people want to underestimate us, that doesn’t bother us. We just go out and play the games."

The Twins had six straight winning seasons from 2001-06 until finishing 79-83 a year ago. Going to the playoffs four times in a five-year span from '02 through '05 has created an internal expectation of winning, regardless of last season’s disappointing finish, and it's that expectation that has helped the Twins remain competitive this season despite the losses of Santana and Hunter. "Winning in the past definitely helps," Nathan said. "We have guys who have been around winning for a number of years and expect to win. Even the guys who have not been around for very long can sense there has been a taste of winning here. Having that kind of attitude breeds confidence. We've gone through some tough stretches this season but have been able to bounce back. It shows character, and that we are a team that is mentally tough and able to survive the tough times."