Twins duplicate winning style

MINNEAPOLIS – The legacy Torii Hunter and Johan Santana left behind in Minnesota has been buried beneath a mound of bunt singles, hustle doubles and sacrifice flies.

“I don’t think the ‘Twins way’ ever goes away,” closer Joe Nathan said. “They try and preach it to whoever comes in here.”

With a lineup lacking home run punch, an infield searching for stability, a rotation with nobody older than 27 and a bullpen in need of a sturdy bridge to Nathan, the Twins have overcome the departures of a pair of superstars and clubhouse cornerstones.

The team’s path of survival has also kept it in the thick of the A.L. Central race.

“You don’t play if you don’t think you’re going to win,” left-hander Glen Perkins said. “We think we’re going to win every time out, no matter who we face, no matter who we’re playing – individually and as a team. So I don’t think any of us are surprised that we’re here, because we’re playing how we expect to play. Obviously, it doesn’t work out like that every year, but if we actually play up to our own expectations you should be successful. Right now we’re playing well as a team, and different guys are stepping up every night to get us wins.”

When they let center fielder Hunter and rotation stalwart Carlos Silva sign for big bucks elsewhere and traded ace Santana for four prospects, the Twins quickly became a younger, cheaper, less-polished team.

They never acknowledged this would be a rebuilding year because of the All-Stars – Nathan, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau – they still had, but they clearly braced for the growing pains.

What has transpired in 2008, however, is the definition of that old best-of-both-worlds cliche. Not only have they been able to develop about a dozen players in their mid-20s and younger, many of them regulars for the first time, but they’re simultaneously in serious contention for the playoffs.

“That’s only going to help them for the future regardless of how the season plays out,” assistant general manager Rob Antony said.

Some flaws are apparent as Minnesota begins the five-week chase of the Chicago White Sox for the Central crown.

Delmon Young, the 22-year-old prize acquisition of the winter, has displayed a perplexing approach at the plate and despite a summer surge in his batting average has only seven homers in 448 at-bats. Though Alexi Casilla had stabilized second base before he hurt his thumb last month, shortstop and third base have been unsettled for several years. Brian Buscher has emerged as a productive player at the hot corner, but he remains unproven.

The starting pitchers have been remarkably reliable given their youth, but as they’ve exited games earlier, the middle relief has recently shown wear and weakness. Nathan, signed to a new long-term contract in March, is arguably more dominant in the ninth, but the loss of sidearming setup man Pat Neshek to a shoulder injury has made the transition from starter to closer much more stressful.

Still, the Twins have thrived.

They’ve made up for missing power by leading the majors in batting with runners in scoring position. They’ve minimized youthful impatience and mistakes on offense by using speed to beat out bunts in front of the savvy Mauer and Morneau. They’ve maximized the teaching ability of pitching coach Rick Anderson and watched the young starters progress behind his instruction.

“They play the game the right way over here,” Oakland second baseman Mark Ellis said. “They always have, as long as I can remember.”