ANAHEIM, Calif. –- While the Minnesota Twins were putting a hurt on the White Sox to run away with the division, manager Ozzie Guillen said that Minnesota had what it took to win a World Series.
Now he seems to be moving his American League allegiance to the East Coast.
“I always pick the team that has the better pitching staff, always, because pitching always beats good hitting and right now I don’t see anyone,” Guillen said. “The only one I can tell is the Yankees, and Tampa Bay has a good pitching staff. But it’s kind of hard for anyone to pick up who is going to win in the American League. It’s not easy pick because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Having the best pitching staff always sets teams apart as championship material come playoff time. But Guillen added another necessary trait.
“ It’s very important in the playoffs and a short series [to have] clutch hitting,” Guillen said. “You have the base hit with two outs, that’s the guy that has a good chance because it will be good pitching for both sides no matter who is in. I think clutch hitting and good pitching, that’s the one that is going to do the best.”