The White Sox have picked an inopportune time to go into a slump. They've lost four in a row, which happens, but their two best pitchers, Loaiza and Colon just got hammered the last two games. They've missed a chance to gain ground on Kansas City, and have allowed the Twins to catch them.

Talk about Twins buzz, I just went over to Aaron's Baseball Blog and the Twins Geek, expecting to read about this team's great push toward first place. Nothing. You might think that this series was exciting enough for them to put up a rare weekend post. :-) But surely it's the big sports story in the Star Tribune? No! A Vikings exhibition loss is much more important than a baseball pennant race. The Pioneer Press isn't any better. Try to find the Twins headline on this page.

Okay, it hasn't been the greatest Twins season, but it's been a lot better than Detroit or Milwaukee. Tom Powers was ready to give up on them two days ago.

After a humiliating 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire cut short his postgame analysis. Angry at his team, his season and the world — in no particular order — Gardenhire announced he was "tired of *&%$ talking."

Good, because I'm tired of *&%$ listening.

I'm tired of hearing about the lack of leadership. I'm tired of hearing about the lack of enthusiasm. I'm tired of hearing about the dimwitted mistakes.

What I never hear are answers.

One of the few holdouts who still believed the Twins had a chance to turn around their season and win the American League Central Division, I am about to capitulate. This team apparently does not have the fortitude to be successful. It is too soft, too easily discouraged. It has no sense of urgency.

It's time for a mid-August reality check. These are not the lovable overachievers, the potential contraction victims, who stunned the baseball world in 2002. The 2003 Twins are underachievers, wallowing quietly in third place in a lousy division.

The AL Central may not have the best teams in the league, but it's division race has been a lot of fun, with more twists and turns than a steel roller coaster.