Minnesota Twins History

 

 The Minnesota Twins franchise can be traced back to their days as the Washington Senators. In 1901 when the American League declared itself as a major league, they placed a team in Washington. It was only fitting that they would be named Senators.

 The Senators started out as a losing team, the 1904 Senators lost 113 games, and the next season, the owners tried to change the name to Nationals, but fans were use to calling the team Senators, so the name stayed.

 The club continued losing, even after they acquired a talented 19-year- old pitcher by the name of Walter Johnson. Johnson’s breakout year was in 1910. Johnson struck out 313 batters, had an ERA of 1.36 and he won 25 games for his losing ballclub.

 In 1911, Washington’s wooden ballpark burned to the ground, and they replaced it with a modern park, which was renamed after their manager Clark Griffith, who became the skipper in 1912. With Griffith at the helm, Johnson won 33 games and the Senators posted their first winning record of 91-61.

 In 1921, Griffith resigned as manager and bought a controlling interest in the team and became team president.

 In 1924, Griffith hired Bucky Harris as manager. The club finished with a record of 92-62. The deciding factor in the club winning the AL was the pitching of Walter Johnson, who after 19 years finally played on a team that provided him decent offensive support. The 36-year-old veteran led the AL in strikeouts with 158, wins with 23, shutouts with six, and ERA at 2.72. He was voted AL MVP.

 The Senators and the Giants played in an exciting seven game series that was one of the closest in history. Four of the games were decided by one run, and two of the contest went into extra innings. Despite Johnson losing both of his two starts, Washington won game six and forced a game seven. The final game went into extra innings with Washington the winner. Washington’s Goose Goslin was the series hitting star, with a .344 batting average with seven RBI.

 In 1925, the Senators repeated as AL champs with a 96-55 record, finishing 8 1/2 games ahead of the Philadelphia A’s. The Senators were a running team. Sam Rice and Goose Goslin were tied for second in stolen bases with 26 apiece, and Goslin hit a league-leading 20 triples. Rice and Goslin also scored a combined 227 runs and drove in 200. Roger Peckinpaugh was voted the AL MVP, hitting .294.

 In the World Series, the Pirates beat the Senators in another exciting contest. Johnson won games one and four, only to lose the deciding game seven.

 In 1927, Johnson retired and the Senators endured losing seasons. In 1930, Griffith hired Johnson as manager. After finishing second in 1931 and 1932, Johnson was fired. Washington remained a losing ballclub for the next 25 years, contending for the pennant only during the World War II when talent was cut in half.

 In 1954, the Senators signed a talented 17-year-old named Harmon Killebrew. In 1959, Killebrew became the Senators regular third baseman, and hit 42 home runs, and earned a spot on the AL All-Star team.

 When Clark Griffith died in 1955, his son Calvin took over as team president. On of his first transactions was selling Griffith Stadium to the city of Washington, leading the speculation that the team was planning to move. After flirting with San Francisco, Griffith began looking at Minnesota as a possible site for his team. In 1960 a deal was reached and the Senators would become the Minnesota Twins.

 After just one season, the Twins jumped from a seventh place finish, to a strong second place in 1962. A couple of rookies made it big in 1961, Jim Kaat and Zolio Versalles, and they joined with Bernie Allen and Rich Rollins to spark the twins to a 91-71 record.

 In 1963, the Twins dropped back to third place. Additions to the 1963 roster included Jimmie Hall, who came fresh out of the Twins farm system to clobber 33 home runs in his rookie season.

 The 1964 club featured the rise of outfielder Tony Oliva. Oliva, who would become the only player to win the batting title in his first two seasons, hitting .323 in 1964, in addition to hitting 32 home runs and driving in 94 runs. Another bright spot for the dismal club was Killebrew, who paced the league with 49 round trippers, his fourth consecutive season with 45-or-more home runs.

 In 1965, the club clinched its first AL crown since their days in Washington. The team finished the season with a record of 102-60. Tony Oliva won his second batting title, and AL MVP Zoilo hit .273, with 19 home runs and 77 RBI. Pitcher Jim Grant won a league high 21 victories. However, the Twins lost in the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in in seven games.

 In 1966, the Twins finished the season with an 89-73 record, missing the postseason .Southpaw Jim Kaat had excellent control, his fielding was great and he was a decent hitter. He topped the AL in several departments in 1966, including complete games (19) and fewest walks per game (1.62). His league leading 25 victories that season are still a record for the Twins.

 Harmon Killebrew tied Carl Yastrzemski for the AL home rum crown in 1967 with 44 and came in third in the circuit with a .413 on base percentage, and Tony Oliva led the AL in doubles with 34. 1967 also marked the rookie season for Rod Carew. The Twins led the American League by one game with two to play, but they lost their last two games to Boston at Fenway.

 After a disappointing 1968 season, the Twins hired fiery Billy Martin to become their manager.

 In 1969, the AL and NL both expanded to twelve teams and divided them into two divisions, with the division winners to play a best-of-five playoffs. The Twins won the first AL West title in 1969, while posting a 97-65 record. Their leader Harmon Killebrew led the majors with 49 home runs and 140 RBI and won the AL MVP. Martin’s lineup featured batting champion Rod Carew. Carew’s .332 average in 1969 was the highest mark that decade and Tony Oliva led the Al in hits (197) and doubles (39). The 1969 season also bought along controversy. During the season, manager Billy Martin beat up pitcher Dave Boswell. In the first ALCS, the twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles.

 1970 turned out to be a reflection of the 1969 season. The Twins won their first four games, and never let go of first place. With manager Bill Rigney in his first year as manager, the team wound up with a better record than the previous year, finishing the season 98-64, winning the AL West title for the second straight year. Pitcher Jim Perry won the AL Cy Young Award, as he tied two others for the AL lead in wins with 24. Cesar Tovar led the AL in triples (13) and doubles (36). Tony Oliva led the AL in hits (204) and tied in doubles (36). However, it was the Orioles who swept the Twins in the ALCS.

 The lack of reliable pitching took its toll on the team in 1971. Jim Perry, a 20-game winner in 1970, fell to a 17-17 record, while effective relief duo of Ron Perranoski and Bob Miller slipped to a combined record of 5-9 with nine saves. There were some bright spots during the season, Tony Oliva won his third AL batting crown hitting .337, Harmon Killebrew led the AL in RBI (119) and walks (114) and Cesar Tovar led the AL with 204 hits. However, the team would suffer through its worst season since the club moved to Minnesota.

 A major change took place in 1972 when the Twins replaced Bill Rigney with coach Frank Quilici as manager. Under Quilici, the Twins managed to climb into contention during the middle of the season, thanks to Rod Carew who became the first player in ML history to win the batting crown, without hitting a single home run. Along with his .318 average in 1972, he added 21 doubles, six triples, 51 RBI, and 61 runs scored. However, the Twins inability to score runs caught up with the Twins as they slipped back to a third place finish.

 In 1973, the teams hitting rebounded, as they produced the highest team batting mark in the Major Leagues with a .270 average. Rod Carew took his second straight batting title, finishing with a .350 average. The pitching was led by Bert Blyleven who won 20 games and led the AL in shutouts with nine. A mid-season slump ended the Twins season as they finished in third place.

 The 1974 season produced fine individual efforts, among them was Rod Carew, who won his third straight batting crown, hitting .364. 1974 marked the final year for Harmon Killebrew as a Twins player. Killebrew, who ended his career with Kansas City, hit 559 of his 573 home runs with the Twins organization and was recognized as “Mr. Baseball” by many Minnesota fans during his years with the Twins. Killebrew retired as the Twins all-time leader in home runs with 559 and RBI with 1540. The Twins retired Killebrew’s uniform and in 1984 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

 Disturbed by the clubs standings and low attendance, the club felt it was time for a managerial change. The Twins hired former NL manager Gene Mauch to run the club. Mauch led the Twins to an 85-77 record in his first year as manager, the team’s best year since 1970.

 The end of the 1976 season marked the retirement of Oliva as an active player. “Tony O” spent his entire career in the Twins organization. He won three AL batting crowns in 11 years and is third behind Killebrew on the Twins career home run list with 220. He was honored for his service to the Twins when his number six was retired in 1991.

 In 1977, the hitter everyone was talking about was six-time batting champion Rod Carew. The first baseman with a sweet swing threatened to become the first player since Ted Williams to hit over .400. Carew finished at .388 on 239 hits, drove in 100 runs, and was voted AL’s MVP. Meanwhile, the Twins were in a tough pennant race with Kansas City, Chicago and Texas. The four teams battled it out for first place until after Labor Day, when the Royals ran away from the pack. The Twins finished the season with an 84-77 record.

 In 1978, the Twins traded Carew to the Angels. The traded signaled the end of a brilliant career in Minnesota for Rod, who was on the American League All-Star team each year since 1967 and compiled a .334 life-time batting average with the Twins. Carew retired as the Twins all-time leader in batting average hitting .334.

 In 1980, Gene Mauch resigned as manager and was succeeded by coach Johnny Goryl. The team, plagued by inconsistency to that time, rebounded and produced a 23-13 record, which included a 12-game winning streak. The season ended for the Twins who had a 77-84 record.

 After a poor start in 1981, Billy Gardner, the Twins original second baseman took over for Goryl. The Metropolitan Stadium era came to a close on September 30, with the Royals taking the contest 5-2. Almost 16,000 fans turned out for the finale, played in chilly, rainy conditions, the same type of afternoon experienced by the Twins on Opening Day in 1961.

 The 1982 season marked a new era for Twin fans as The Metrodome opened. Standouts of the ’82 season included Kent Hrbek, with his .301 average, 23 home runs, 92 RBI and stellar defensive play. Gary Gaetti, the solid third baseman hit 25 home runs. Gary Ward slugged a club leading 28 home runs, driving in 91 runs as well. Bobby Castillo, an off-season acquisition from the Dodgers, won a club leading 13 games.

 The same team was intact for the 1983 season, and the added experience helped the team improve a full 10 games. Tom Brunansky led the Twins with 28 home runs, while Hrbek drove in 84 runs and hit .297. On the pitching end, Ken Schrom delivered with a 15-8 record. Dominating the bullpen was Ron Davis, who had the third highest save totals in the Major Leagues with 30.

 In 1984, the Twins reached the .500 mark, 81-81, for the first time since 1979. The trio of Frank Viola, John Butcher and Mike Smithson combined to produce 46 of the clubs 81 wins. Hrbek hit 27 home runs and knocking in 107 runs while batting .311. The 1984 season also marked the emergence of center fielder Kirby Puckett. He joined the team on May 8, and recorded his first four hits in his first ML game in California.

 For the first time in 20 years, the Twins played host to the 56th All-Star Game in 1985 as 54,960 fans packed the Metrodome to see a 6-1 win by the National League. The Twins only represented was Tom Brunansky, who went 0-1, but was the winner of the All-Star Game Home Run contest the day before. In a mid-season deal, the Twins acquired Bert Blyleven from the Indians for four players. It wasn’t enough to keep the Twins from a fourth place finish. On June 21, the Twins hired Ray Miller to become their manager, replacing Gardner.

 In 1986, Kirby Puckett went on a power surge, hitting 31 home runs with 96 RBI, while hitting .328. Hrbek and Brunansky added 29 and 23 home runs, but the lack of pitching dropped the club to a 71-91 record and led to the firing of Ray Miller, who was replaced by Tom Kelly.

 In 1987, baseball’s biggest surprise was the AL West champion Twins. Nearly unbeatable at home, they won just nine road contest after the All-Star Game to finish with 85 victories. Kirby Puckett posted a .332 average, 28 home runs, and 99 RBI while southpaw Frank Viola anchored the staff with a 17-10 season. Kent Hrbek enjoyed a solid season, batting .285 with 34 home runs and 90 RBI for the season.

 In the 1987 ALCS, Tom Brunansky destroyed the Tigers, hitting two home runs and four doubles, giving the Twins their first AL pennant since 1965. The World Series spoke volumes for the home teams. In the loud Metrodome, Minnesota routed the Cardinals to take a lead of two games to none. However, at Busch Stadium, St. Louis won three games. Back home, the Twins feasted on John Tudor in game six, winning 11-5. Viola started game seven and Jeff Reardon finished it, giving Minnesota the franchise’s first World Series triumph since the Washington Senators won in 1924. Frank Viola was the series MVP with two wins for the Twins.

 The 1988 season was one of accomplishment and frustration. The Twins became the first American League team since the 1954 Yankees to improve its record the season after they won the World Series and not repeat as division champs. Even though they posted a 91-71 record, the still finished second in the AL West because of Oakland’s powerful A’s, who won 104 games. During the season, the Twins set Major League records by only committing 84 errors and by posting a .986 fielding percentage. The Twins also became the first AL club to draw 3 million fans in one season.

 The 1989 season will be remembered as the year the Twins traded away their best pitcher Frank Viola to the New York Mets. With the lack of pitching, the Twins finished the season with an 80-82 record, finishing fifth in the AL West. Offensively, the season will be remembered as the year Kirby Puckett won his first batting crown as he hit .339. The Puck also had 200+ hits for the fourth straight season, which included 45 doubles.

 In 1990, the Twins finished the season in last place for just the third time since divisional play began in 1969. However, there were some bright spots. Rick Aguilera was moved from starter to stopper and responded with recording 32 saves. Brian Harper became one of baseball’s best catchers in 1990 as he hit .294 and had the Major’s longest hitting streak of 25 games.

 After a slow start in 1991, the Twins put together a 15-game winning streak that put them in first place. Scott Erickson won 20 games, including 12 in a row, and Minnesota native Jack Morris, in his only season with the Twins, added 19 wins. Chuck Knoblauch played a steady second base and was named AL Rookie of the Year.

 The Twins won the AL West title in 1991 by eight games and defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS to advance to the World Series against the Atlanta Braves, a team that also finished last the year before. It was one of the most memorable World Series ever.

 The Twins were down three games to two, as they played game six at the Metrodome. Kirby Puckett provided the heroics for this one. In the third inning, Puckett leaped high against the fence in left-center field to rob Ron Gant of an extra base-hit to snuff an Atlanta rally. Then in the bottom of the 11th inning, Puckett led off with a home run to left-center to win it for the Twins.

 The final game was just as exciting. Jack Morris was outstanding, but Atlanta’s John Smoltz was just as great. Neither team could score, going into extra innings with the game scoreless, with Morris still on the mound for the Twins. Morris retired the Braves in the top of the 10th inning. Gene Larkin’s one-out single bought home Dan Gladden with the winning run that gave the Twins their second World Series title in five years.

 The 1992 season saw the continuation of success of the previous year. The Twins went 90-72, their third 90-win campaign in five seasons. However, the Twins finished in second place behind the Oakland A’s. Kirby Puckett reached 200 hits for the fifth time in his career and again reached 100 runs and 100 RBI while hitting over .300 for the seventh time in nine seasons. On September 27, Tom Kelly won his 523rd game as a Twin manager, more than any skipper in team history.

 The Twins finished the 1993 season with a 71-91 record. Kent Hrbek became the second player in Twins history to reach 1,000 RBI. Brian Harper became just the fourth catcher in the last 40 years to hit over .300 in three consecutive seasons. Kirby Puckett became the first Twin to win the All-Star Game MVP honors.

 In 1994, Kirby Puckett collected his 2,000 career hit off Bobby Witt. On August 4, Kent Hrbek announced his retirement. Fans remembered him as a member of their two World Series victories.

 In 1995, Kirby Puckett scored his 1,000 career run on May 17 versus California, and on May 26 collected 1,000 career RBI and hit his 200th career home run.

 In 1996, hopes of a future pennant were lost when the Twins lost their biggest star. On the morning of March 22, Kirby Puckett awoke with blurred vision. He was diagnosed with incurable glaucoma, and announced his retirement on July 12. Second baseman Chuck Knoblauch was the Twins All-Star representative and he put together the finest season of his career by batting .341 with 35 doubles, 13 home runs, 72 RBI and 45 stolen bases.

 In 1997, the Twins endured a long disappointing season. The highlight of the year came when Kirby Puckett’s number 34 was retired on May 25. The brightest star on the field was pitcher Ed Radke, who put together a 20-win season and finished third in the Cy Young voting.

 The 1998 season consisted of promising young talent. The club struggled with the bat and on the mound, compiling a 70-92 record, the sixth consecutive losing season. The Twins did have solid performances as outfielder Matt Lawton had a breakout year. In September, the Twins called up a nucleus of young, talented players, such as first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, third baseman Cory Koskie, pitcher Benj Sampson and outfielder Torii Hunter.

 1999 was the year of the rookie. Tom Kelly and the coaching staff took 17 rookies out on the field with the idea of seeing which players would be standouts. Eric Milton started to emerge as a dominant pitcher, topping the 200 inning mark, his best game was a no-hitter on September 11, against Anaheim. Cristian Guzman proved that he was a top fielding shortstop, Cory Koskie led the team with a .310 batting average. Jacque Jones, Torii Hunter, and Chad Allen all had their far numbers in their rookie year and each showed flashes of brilliance.

 Despite finishing 69-93, their fourth straight 90- loss season, the new core continued to gel. At the plate, Matt Lawton hit .305 and made his first All-Star team, Cory Koskie hit .300, and Jacque Jones showed glimpses of all-around stardom, hitting .285 with 19 home runs, while playing sterling defense in the outfield.

 In 2001, the promising pieces finally came together to give Minnesota its first winning season since 1992. The Twins surprised many people by getting off to a 14-3 start and led the AL Central for most of the season. They were locked up in a tight battle with the Cleveland Indians for a playoff berth before finishing in second place with an 85-77 record, six games out of first place. But their young stars showed what they were made of. Centerfielder Torii Hunter hit a team leading 27 home runs and earned his first AL Gold Glove Award. First baseman Doug Mientkiewics also earned a Gold Glove while batting .306. Pitcher Joe Mays was a 17-game winner and earned a spot on the All-Star team along with pitcher Eric Milton and shortstop Christian Guzman. The end of the 2001 season marked the end of an era. After 15+ seasons in the dugout and two World Championships as a manager, Tom Kelly retired from the Twins on October 12, 2001. Kelly managed 2,385 games, winning 1,140 while being ejected only five times.

 In 2002, the Twins, led by new manager Ron Gardenhire, had to endure several injuries, but their never-say-die attitude propelled Minnesota to a 94-67 record. The Twins ran away with the AL Central title by 13 1/2 games over the second place White Sox, giving the Twins their first postseason appearance since 1991.

 For the second straight season, Torii Hunter led the team in home runs with 29 and had 94 RBI. He also took home his second consecutive Gold Glove Award for his tremendous defensive play. Gardenhire moved Jacque Jones to the leadoff spot and he responded by belting 27 home runs, including 11 to lead off a game, and 85 RBI.

 The Twins made plenty of noise in the postseason, defeating the heavily favored Oakland A’s in the deciding fifth game of the ALDS. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski hit .438 in the series and provided a two-run home run in the game five victory.

 In the ALCS, the Twins faced off against the red-hot Angels club. After winning game one of the series at home with the help of a nearly flawless eight-inning performance by Mays, the Twins dropped the next four games to give Anaheim its first AL title.

 Repeating as AL Central champs was the main mission for the Twins in 2003, and it was accomplished. After dominating their division during a 94-win 2002 season, the 2003 campaign was filled with several high and low moments, but the Twins remained persistent and won a respectable 90 games. Torii Hunter’s spectacular defensive play was again rewarded when the centerfielder earned his third consecutive AL Gold Glove Award. Closer Eddie Guardado was selected to his second consecutive All-Star Game.

 The Twins met the Yankees in the ALDS and posted a game one victory at Yankee Stadium. New York won the next three games and won the series in four.

 In 2004, the Twins made it three in a row by taking the AL Central again with a 92-70 record, nine games ahead of the White Sox. During the season, many new faces arrived making their presence felt. First-year closer Joe Nathan owned the ninth inning with 44 saves. Fans also got to know Justin Morneau, Harry Blanco and Juan Ricon.

 Pitcher Johan Santana went 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA to bring a Cy Young Award to Minnesota for the first time since 1988. Torii Hunter continued his defensive brilliance, earning his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.

 A successful season came to a quick ending when the Yankees eliminated the Twins in the ALDS in four games for the second consecutive years.

 Coming off three straight AL Central titles, the 2005 Twins were highly favored to make it four straight. But injuries and a struggling offense resulted in a third-place finish. The pitching, highlighted by Santana (16-7, 2.78 ERA, 238 K’s) and Joe Nathan (43 saves in 47 chances), kept the Twins in games, but no other starter won 10 games.

 Offensively, Joe Mauer led the team with a .294 batting average, while Jacque Jones hit a team-leading 24 home runs. The biggest injury to the club was to Torii Hunter, who went down with a fractured foot. Despite being limited to just 98 games, Hunter took home his fifth AL Gold Glove for his brilliant defensive play.

 In 2006, the Twins overcame a rough first two months of the season where they trailed by as many as 12.5 games, to capture their fourth AL Central title in the past five seasons. Joe Mauer hit .347 to become the first AL catcher to win a batting title. Johan Santana earned his second Cy Young Award in the past three seasons as he led the majors with a 2.77 ERA, 19 wins and 245 strikeouts. And Justin Morneau became the first Twin to hit 30 home runs since 1987 on his way to earning AL MVP honors.

 In the 2006 ALDS, the Twins lost to the Oakland A’s in three games.

 On March 5, 2006, Kirby Puckett suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke at his home in Scottsdale Arizona. He underwent surgery that day to relieve pressure on his brain. He died on March 6 in Phoenix due to complications from the stroke. Puckett died at the second-youngest age (behind Lou Gehrig) of any Hall of Famer inducted while living, and the youngest to die after being inducted in the modern era of the five-season waiting period.

 The 2007 season was certainly a disappointment for the Twins. After coming off its fourth division title in five years, the club watched as its offensive production disappeared and delivered its first losing season since 2000. The Twins finished the season with a 79-83 record, third in the AL Central. Hunter had one of his bets offensive seasons, establishing career highs in hits (172), doubles (45), and RBI (107). Justin Morneau led the team with 31 home runs and 111 RBI.