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Minnesota Twins
From BR Bullpen
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Previously known as Washington Senators (1901-1960) Franchise Record: (through 2012) 8,361-9,011-109-3 (including seasons in Washington) Post Season Record: 33-51 World Series Titles: 2 (1987, 1991) American League Pennants: 3 (1965, 1987, 1991) Playoffs: 11 (1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010) Ballparks: Metropolitan Stadium (Apr. 21, 1961-Sept. 30, 1981) (45, 919), Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr. Metrodome (Apr. 6, 1982-Oct. 6, 2009) (55,883), Target Field (Apr. 2, 2010-) (42, 035) Franchise Players: Bob Allison, Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Gary Gaetti, Jim Kaat, Harmon Killebrew, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Tony Oliva, Kirby Puckett, Johan Santana, Zoilo Versalles Retired Numbers: 3 (Harmon Killebrew), 6 (Tony Oliva), 10 (Tom Kelly), 14 (Kent Hrbek), 28 (Bert Blyleven), 29 (Rod Carew), 34 (Kirby Puckett) and 42 (Jackie Robinson; retired throughout baseball) |
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[edit] Team History
The Minnesota Twins moved to Minnesota for the 1961 season, after leaving Washington, DC, and abandoning their previous nickname, the Senators. The name Twins, and the intertwined TC of some team logos, refers to the "Twin Cities" of Minneapolis, MN and Saint Paul, MN. Originally intended to be called the Twin Cities Twins, a meeting between Calvin Griffith and state officials prior to the move persuaded him to change the team's locational designator to Minnesota, being the first baseball team and one of the first professional sports teams ever to be named for an entire state. In baseball, the Texas Rangers, California Angels, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks would follow the Twins' lead, all subsequent major-level Minnesota sports teams would also use "Minnesota" in their name rather than "Minneapolis" or "St. Paul". The team's home park was first Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981, then the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, from 1982 to 2009. The Twins moved to Target Field, an outdoor ballpark, in 2010.
The Twins appeared in the World Series in 1965 losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games and won the World Series in 1987 and 1991 against the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves respectively. The Twins' 1991 Series against the Braves is considered by many fans and baseball historians to be one of the greatest World Series of all time. The two series were won under manager Tom Kelly, who stayed at the helm until 2001, but saw the Twins fall out of contention after their early run of success under his direction. The club was spared from contraction along with the Montréal Expos in 2002, when local authorities threatened to sue Major League Baseball over breaking the lease at the Metrodome. MLB backed down, saving the two franchises as a result.
The Twins immediately went on a fruitful run under new manager Ron Gardenhire, winning the AL Central division title for three straight years from 2002 to 2004, and again in 2006. They lost a one-game playoff to the Chicago White Sox in 2008, but made a great late-season run in 2009 to force a one-game playoff with the Detroit Tigers, which they won. However, all of these division titles were not followed by postseason success: only in 2002 did the Twins win a Division Series, all their other appearances resulting in quick exits. In 2010, the Twins won another division title, and once again fell to the New York Yankees in the first round of the postseason.
[edit] Further Reading
- Charlie Beattie: "The Legacy of Twins Legends: Killebrew, Carew, Puckett, and Mauer", in Daniel R. Leavitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, SABR, Number 42, 2012, pp. 88-92.
- John Bonnes: "The Minnesota Twins Story", in Daniel R. Leavitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, SABR, Number 42, 2012, pp. 56-62.
- Dennis Brackin and Patrick Reusse: Minnesota Twins: The Complete Illustrated History, MVP Books, Osceola, WI, 2010.
- Aaron Gleeman: "Top 50 Player in Minnesota Twins History", in Daniel R. Leavitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, SABR, Number 42, 2012, pp. 81-87.
- Doug Grow: We're Gonna Win, Twins!, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2010.
- Kent Hrbek and Dennis Brackin: Kent Hrbek's Tales from the Twins Dugout, Sports Publishing LLC, Champaign, IL, 2007.
- Daniel R. Levitt: "A Surprising Disappointment: The Minnesota Twins of the Late 1960s", in Daniel R. Leavitt, ed.: Short but Wondrous Summers: Baseball in the North Star State, The National Pastime, SABR, Number 42, 2012, pp. 71-75.
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