The Minnesota Twins are in the pennant race again. What fun it has been to have them in the race late each year for the better part of a decade.

Some of these years have seen them get to the playoffs while some haven't. So what will happen this year?

Ithink I know.

The Twins are going to the playoffs. You read it here first, at this point in the season anyway.

Ireally believe that.

I wouldn't do justice to all my Twins hats, clothing, and collectibles if Ididn't.

I wouldn't be one of the biggest Twins fan in the land if I didn't believe it.

You know that Twins logo with the guys shaking hands?

I'm the one on the right.

If the Twins are down by three runs in the ninth, they're going to get four. If they're eight games out with nine to play, they've got a shot.

I usually speak from my heart when it comes to the Twins, but I have to speak from my head now and then.

Here it goes.

The Twins have struggled this year to be sure, and taking the division pennant will not be easy. But when a team has the talent the Twins have, and they are in a division where teams to this point are dancing around the .500 mark, it's open season for the crown.

And with so many games remaining within the division, it's going to be a slugfest.

The Twins have good hitters who are not hitting, and they have good pitchers who are not pitching. That's a great recipe for baseball disaster - unless you remedy the problem. I would like to help with that.

I have a couple ideas that my family, my friends, and my television have heard me say over and over this year.

First, I have an idea for improving the hitting: swing at strikes.

How many times have we had to watch a Twins hitter take a strike right over the plate, take another strike right over the plate, and then swing at a garbage pitch?

The answer: way too many.

The leaders of that pack are Michael Cuddyer and Nick Punto.

The pitcher wants to get ahead of the hitter, and the best way to do that is to throw strikes. Professional hitters should know that and be ready for them.

And be ready for them right away.

Arguably the greatest hitter ever, Ted Williams, said that the secret of hitting is to get the one good pitch in an at-bat and do something with it. It might be the first pitch - be ready.

We hear over and over that hitters should work the count and get the pitch count up to get the pitcher out of the game. If the pitcher's not throwing strikes, that plan is genius. But if he is throwing strikes, the best way to get him out of the game is to hit those strikes, pile up hits, and score some runs.

And at the very least, if you're not going to swing at that first strike right down Broadway, at least make it look like you're ready for it and considering it.

My second idea is for the pitchers: bend over.

If you throw a pitch and stay upright, the ball is going to stay up too, and the opposing team gets batting practice. If you've ever noticed, batting practice pitchers don't bend over. And neither do the Twins pitchers. Not enough anyway.

I should not be able to read (Scott) Baker, (Glen) Perkins or (Nick) Blackburn on the back of their jerseys when they release the ball.

Unfortunately those names have been clear as a bell.

You're coming downward off a mound with the pitch, pushing forward off the pitcher's rubber - please keep going.

If you bend over, follow through, and let your mechanics do their thing, your chances for success are what will be up - not the pitcher, the pitches, and the other team's score.

I realize Iam not the first to suggest that swinging at strikes and using proper pitching mechanics is going to lead to success in baseball. But for some reason, I feel like I see that better right now than even the Twins coaches. That's not the way this should work.

They do their job, the players do theirs, and I'll do mine - cheering them into the playoffs.

(Tim Leer is a member of the Tribune sports staff and a diehard Minnesota sports fan.)