Now that Kevin Garnett has gotten his ring, we can turn our attention back to the Minnesota Twins. Have you ever seen a professional athlete happier than Garnett after the Celtics won? The Celtics had the championship! They had it and no one was going to take it away. Much like getting your diploma, You got it, it’s yours and no matter what, it will remain yours.

Our Minnesota Twins are on a winning streak as I write this and are overtaking the front-running Chicago White Sox.

This year’s team has proven difficult to write about. They are continually up or down and the team’s character changes day to day. I’d write about them winning and immediately they would start losing. A negative article and they’d go on a winning streak.

I began to think that the infamous Sports Illustrated jinx had filtered down. No, that wasn’t it, because sometimes the Twins would do well. More like Newton’s axiom that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” That would fit my articles and the Twins.

They are in the midst of a winning streak and I hesitate to write about them, but thought that much like stepping on a chalk baseline, it probably will do no harm. It looks like the Twins may well be a contending team and in so doing confound the experts.

We are closing in on the halfway mark of the schedule and the Central Division seems up for grabs. If the Twins are truly contenders it’s time for them to “fish or cut bait” as my Norwegian cousin would say.

It’s time for Gardy to quit horsing around and play his best nine. Not to give a player a few more bats to see what he can do or play someone because he has a contract for $3 1/2 million.

There is a management philosophy statement: K. I. S. S. “Keep it simple, stupid.” That the simple answer is the best answer.

Keep Mike Lamb on the bench and Brian Buscher on third. Lamb is hitting .224 and Buscher .353. It doesn’t take a nuclear scientist to figure out which one to play.

I don’t care if Nick Punto is a favorite and is back from the disabled list, keep Brandon Harris at shortstop. The team is winning. Harris plays a steady shortstop, has a strong arm, has started hitting well and he and second baseman Casilla work well together.

Why have the Twins turned it around? There is the pitching and the M and M boys but beyond that, look no further than the contributions from Harris, Casilla and Buscher.

Play Kubel every day. He is really your only other power hitter than Morneau and sometimes Cuddyer. If you include Delmon Young that completes your starting nine. Don’t mess with Adam Everett, Mike Lanb and Craig Monroe.

Another fetish Gardenhire has to overcome is not playing play your nine best hitters. That includes Mauer when he doesn’t catch.

I know if Mauer DHs and Redmond gets hurt, Mauer will have to catch and the pitcher will bat in his DH spot. That’s not so terrible, Gardy. If you’re substantially ahead-no problem. If a pitcher does have to bat, they are not hitting much worse than Lamb and Monroe anyway. Not only that, on the rare occasion Redmond can’t finish the game, you can pinch hit for the pitcher. The relievers seldom pitch more than one inning.

Play your nine best. And you know, our new General Manager Bill Smith might get a pinch hitter to help a contending team.