2004’s ALDS rematch—or remix? - Minnesota Sports Today

ALDS Game 3 - Yankees v Twins — Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Round 2

When the Minnesota Twins began their 2024 campaign with a bang, weathered a Joe Mauer injury, and battled the Timberwolves for market share I was finishing high school.

When Lew(wwwwww) Ford caught fire, Terry Mulholland muffed one in Milwaukee, and Doug Mientkiewicz swapped Dome dugouts, I was teaching summer swimming lessons, lifeguarding, and coaching Little League.

Through it all, I remained steadfast on this point: the ‘04 Twins were the best of the back-to-back-to-back AL Central title squads. A 92-70 record actually belied a solid SP duo of Johan Santana & Brad Radke, an absolutely dominant bullpen, and a mix of speed, power, and defense. This was a team built for a deep postseason run.

9/20/04- Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox in Chicago and U.S> Celuular Field. - Twins center fielder Tori Hunter, wearing goggles, was the Twins player best prepared for the spray of champagne in the clubhouse following the team’s 8-2 victory over t — 3 straight bubble baths!

The biggest obstacle towards that goal: a repeat matchup of the ‘03 ALDS in which the New York Yankees put an amen to in four games. By this time I resided in my freshman dorm at the University of Minnesota-Morris, watching on my 20” CRT propped up on the mini-fridge (different times, to be sure).

Game 1

Facing old nemesis Mike Mussina at Yankee Stadium, the Twins managed just two runs—a Shannon Stewart RBI single & a Jacque Jones solo home run. That didn’t matter in the slightest—because Santana was peak-ace form: 7 IP, 9 H, 0 ER, 5 K.

Juan Rincon & Joe Nathan were similarly stingy to close it out—quieting the Bronx Zoo with a series-opening shutout!

Game 2

Old Reliable Brad Radke climbed the NY bump for Game 2 and was shaky—6.1 IP & 5 ER including gopher balls to Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, & Alex Rodriguez.

Fortunately the Twins’ offense was up to the task and through regulation the score was 5-5.

After Joe Nathan held the Yankees from walk-offs in the 10^th or 11^th, Hunter bat-flipped a no-doubter off Tanyon Sturtze for the 6-5 lead…

College Freshman Zach started to believe—exactly when MN sports disaster usually strikes.

For the first time in his Twins tenure, manager Ron Gardenhire sent Nathan out for a third inning. The Nathanator K’d John Olerud—but then walked Miguel Cairo & Jeter. This brought A-Rod to the plate…

6-6.

Gardy tapped his left arm to swap in J.C. Romero for a clearly tapped-out Nathan. The chiseled southpaw did his job, getting Hideki Matsui to fly out. The issue? Jeter sprinted home as the winning run.

Minnesota Twins v New York Yankees — The game-winner

The Twins had squandered a golden opportunity to inflict a near-fatal series blow.

Game 3

The less said about this one the better. In front of a raucous Metrodome crowd, Carlos Silva (5 IP, 10 H, 6 ER) never gave the Dome denizens a chance—8-4 Evil Empire.

Game 4

Now a loss away from packing the clubhouse for good, Santana shoved again: 5 IP, 1 ER, 7 K. NYY bats were again stymied by Johan’s sizzling fastball & filthy changeup, while Hunter, Corey Koskie, & Ford produced RBIs off Javier Vazquez.

Considering the bullpen’s lockdown status all season—and now fully rested after the Game 2 fiasco—a return to Manhattan for a winner-take-all-contest was certainly in sight.

Yankees v Twins - Game Four — Cy Santana

Up 5-1 in the bottom of the 8^th, Rincon entered and gave up a single—no big deal. Then uncorked a wild pitch—hmmm. A walk and another base knock followed—now 5-2 and the mood had shifted.

After a stabilizing strikeout, Rincon readied for New York DH Ruben Sierra…

5-5—unbelievable. Whether in blue plastic seats, living rooms, or dorm rooms, Twins Territory optimism was exsanguinated.

Nathan doused further damage—and moved the contest to extra innings—but MN lumber had gone silent.

In the top of the 11^th, Rodriguez absolutely took over the ballgame…

My personal Twins nemesis—Kyle Lohse—had materialized at quite literally the worst moment.

In the bottom of the 11^th the Twins sent Jose Offerman, Matthew LeCroy, & Stewart to the dish—no match for Mariano Rivera. For the second consecutive ALDS, New York bounced at the Dome…

My most distinct memory immediately following the G4 defeat: trudging to the UMM computer lab (I did not possess a processor of my own yet) and reading comments on the Star Tribune write-up—always the healthiest of activities in a pre-blogosphere digital landscape.

Should Nathan have been allowed to go out for a third inning? What the heck happened to Rincon? Would this club ever get past the Yankees? Why must Lohse personally torment my soul?! Such were the quandaries I raged upon as I simultaneously mourned the end of a team I thought could have won it all.