A year ago, the Twins were on their way to a world championship. Now, all they can salvage is second place.
”It`s better than third or fourth,” Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said Monday night. ”Fifth. Sixth.
”I`ve been all over. I`ve been up and down. Nobody wants to finish last.”
Which his Twins did two years ago.
”We all want to win, but we can`t do that this year,” Kelly said. ”So we`ve got to finish in the next best spot-which is second. I`m sure they (the White Sox) want to finish second, too.”
He`s right, but: ”We definitely want to get second place,” said Sox manager Gene Lamont. ”But it`s more just winning as many games as we can.”
Lamont said he`ll stay with his regular rotation the rest of the way, including Charlie Hough on Friday at Seattle. Hough might split that game with Mike Dunne.
In the swing: Ozzie Guillen, who began taking regular infield drills Sunday, hit off live pitching (Walt Hriniak) Monday for the first time since his injury in April and said he felt fine.
”I hit against Walter (Hriniak, the hitting coach),” joked Guillen.
”Anybody can hit against Walter.”
His goal: ”I`d like to play a little winter ball before spring training, to see what happens. But it`s not in my hands. I don`t think they want me to go to Venezuela-because maybe I`d never come back.”
Him, too: Rehabbing Craig Grebeck said he expects to take live batting practice in a day or two. Meanwhile, flip drills will suffice. Venezuela is not in his plan.
That`s cool: It was 65 degrees, even inside the dome, at game time. Of the 156 games this season, only 64 have begun with the temperature at 70 or above.
Milestones: Kirby Puckett logged his 301st total base, the fourth time he has reached that plateau. Puckett also picked up his ninth assist in the fifth inning, tying him with Shane Mack for the Twins` team lead. He also scored his 100th run, the third major-leaguer-with Frank Thomas and Barry Bonds-to score and drive in 100 runs this year.
Good call: Lamont and Oakland manager Tony LaRussa are co-chairing a Dec. 5 fundraiser at the Palmer House in Chicago on behalf of umpire John Hirschbeck and his family. Hirschbeck`s two sons, Johnny, 7, and Michael, 5, have been diagnosed with a rare condition affecting the central nervous system. Both are undergoing extensive tests and treatments, and costs continue to mount. Several Chicago players, along with the Twins` Kirby Puckett and the A`s Mark McGwire, are expected to be there.
