Links of the Day for 6/21/06

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You’ll have to excuse the brevity today. My paid non-intern job had me at work till an unmauerly hour last night. I’m confident you’ll get over it.

Eight is Great: Is it me or are the Twins getting comfortable with this winning thing? Justin Morneau slammed his 17th HR at the opportune time, leading off the 10th inning to give the visitors their 8th straight victory, a sweet come-from-behind thriller against one of the top NL pitchers in Roy Oswalt. The Twins haven’t strung 8 W’s together since September, 2004, when a sweep of the White Sox extended that hot streak to 9 wins. It’s eerie how the first line of that recap resonates to this day. Unfortunately, the Twins aren’t the only AL Central streakers as the Tigers currently ride a 6-game streak and the White Sox have a 4-game streak of their own.

Central Forces: This winning virus appears to be contagious, infecting the rest of the division. The AL Central bullied its way to a 5-0 record last night against their NL Central counterparts. The White Sox and Tigers combined to obliterate the Cardinals and Brewers by a combined 30-7. Mercy, that’s some punishment. The Tribe got the best of Greg Maddux and the Cubs 4-2, while the Royals took Round 1 from the Pirates in the battle for cellar dweller supremacy. Unbalanced leagues has been a topic of discussion all season. So far, the proof is in the pudding, or should I say pounding?

This Day in Twins History: Just for giggles, take a look back 11 years ago today, June 21, 1995. Rookie Brad Radke, not even 2 months into his fledgling career, took the mound and put up a prototypical Bradke line. Flashing his uncanny control with his penchant for the long ball, Radke missed out on a win despite a quality start. How many times has that played out? Kirby knocked two doubles and the Twins found a way to pull it out in the top of the 9th. Little did anyone know that Puckett was 3 months away from his last game in uniform.

Happy Trails: Good riddance, Tony. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out. Every fan should get one shot at you in a dunk tank.