Don't blame Punto

I often go out of my way to berate Nick Punto because he is bad at baseball, but somehow he always ends up on the roster with a prominent role on the team. As much as I want to rain scorn on him and point and say that this is why the Twins lost, I am not going to go down that path. In the postseason, as always seems to be the case, Punto was one of the hardest working players on the field, and in a short series, that can often be the difference between a win and a loss. In fact, he was one of the best hitters the Twins had for the series. He wouldn't have had his third base gaffe if he hadn't hit a lead off double.
That should go more to the point of where blame should fall. Just as Punto contributed little to the success of the team over the course of the season, he contributed little to their downfall. If the Twins were to succeed, it should have come from the same sources the success came from during the season: Solid hitting from the middle of the order, servicable starting pitching and a revitalized bullpen. They were outpitched and outhit and outcoached in the post season. It's time to look ahead to the offseason, and enjoy the fact that the regular season was as thrilling as it was.
(By the way, for the first time since he's been here, I noticed Delmon Young's body language, demonstrating that he was upset by what was going on the field. Among the complaints surrounding him has been his dispassionate attitude towards the game, so that's nice)