Twins target Selig's team
If Bud Selig thinks the Montreal Expos enjoyed seeing his Brewers the first time they played this season, wait until he gets a load of the Twins and the thousands of fans who plan to follow baseball's most lovable contraction targets into Milwaukee.
Already powerless to prevent most teams from beating on them, the Brewers have become major league baseball's symbolic whipping boys since their founder, Commissioner Bud Selig, announced plans in November to eliminate franchises. The whipping-boy status only grew as Selig embarked down a path of contentious negotiations with the players union that appears destined to result in the second postseason labor stoppage under his watch.
Fueled by the lame-duck Expos' April sweep of the Brewers, anti-Milwaukee sentiment ? at least from the public ? seems to have increased as Milwaukee has descended deeper into last place in the National League Central.
The Twins?
Determined this season to prove they are worthy of the 2002 playoffs ? not to mention a place in the major leagues ? the Twins go to Milwaukee for a three-game interleague series this weekend with a four-game lead over Chicago in the American League Central.
And, just maybe, a score to settle with the man who stood in front of a national television audience seven months ago and vowed to be their executioner.
"It'll be nice to shove it up his (rear),'' Twins center fielder Torii Hunter said, "but our main concern is to go out there and win every day.
"It'd be nice to go in and sweep those guys in Bud Selig's place. For the fans, it'd be great. The fans would eat it up. That's what they want to see. They tried to contract our team. If we beat those guys, they'll love it.''
And they'll be there. Already a regional rivalry, this series last July in Milwaukee drew a very large, vocal throng of Minnesota faithful. Many expect that Twins support to increase this weekend.
"It should be a pretty good Minnesota contingent, much like last year,'' Brewers spokesman Jon Greenberg said after checking in with the ticket sales department. A more precise attendance estimate wasn't available.
"We expect good crowds, but by no means are we sold out," Greenberg said. "If anybody wants to come over from Minnesota, they're more than welcome.''
Despite the expected change in attitude from those fans, Greenberg said he anticipates no reason for any added staff or other measures to compensate.
"I'm looking forward to it just for the sole purpose that I think we're going to have a lot of people there,'' said utility player Denny Hocking, who as the Twins' player representative to the union has been at the center of the contraction storm.
Hocking and many teammates downplay the emotional impact the opponent will have on the players this series.
"For me, it's more of an opportunity for our fans to go out there and voice their opinions than an opportunity for us,'' he said.
"And I think it's a good opportunity for Mr. Selig to come out and see the product.''
Hocking spoke with Selig in April after making comments the first week of the season questioning the commissioner's credibility. He said Selig's call was cordial and ended with talk about meeting for lunch sometime, possibly when the Twins go to Milwaukee.
Hocking said they haven't talked since, and he has no lunch plans this weekend, especially with his family in town for the series.
Until then, it may be the Brewers the Twins have for lunch.
Brewers manager Jerry Royster said he has heard talk about the targets on the Brewers' backs only from media, never from players, coaches or managers ? or even from the Expos.
"But it may be different with the Twins,'' he acknowledged. "We have not played them since all the contraction talk came up. We haven't even seen the Twins. We don't play them in spring training. If it comes up, we'll have to deal with it. But there's no preparation for it.''
Besides, the Brewers, who have lost seven consecutive games, have other things than the Twins on their minds. They're a scant one victory better than the worst team in the majors, Tampa Bay.
"We've got to worry about winning games,'' Royster said.
