| The Minnesota Twins are a Major league Baseball | | | | from the Metrodome, the Twins had an appalling |
| team that moved to Minnesota in 1961 from | | | | 29-52 mark. |
| Washington D.C where the were known as the | | | | The Twins only won nine road games after the |
| Washington Senators. The Twins have played | | | | All-Star break. The Twins won more games in |
| their home games at the Metrodome in | | | | 1988, but could not overcome the powerhouse |
| Minneapolis since 1982. | | | | division rival Oakland Athletics. 1989 saw a decline |
| They have been to the World Series in 1965, | | | | in the win column. |
| 1987, and 1991, winning in 1987 and 1991. In 2002, | | | | 1990s: From worst to first to worst again The |
| the Twins were threatened with contraction along | | | | Twins surprisingly did quite poorly, finishing last in |
| with the Montreal Expos. They made it to the | | | | their division with only 74 wins. 1991 brought |
| ALCS, and were allowed to stay in Minnesota. | | | | breakout years from newcomers Shane Mack, |
| Notable current and former Twins include Kirby | | | | Scott Leius, Chili Davis, and rookie of the year |
| Puckett, Bert Blyleven, Harmon Killebrew, Paul | | | | Chuck Knoblauch, along with consistently excellent |
| Molitor, Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, | | | | performances from stars Hrbek and Puckett. The |
| Eddie Guardado, David Ortiz, A.J. Pierzynski, Corey | | | | pitching staff excelled as well, with Scott Erickson, |
| Koskie, and Kent Hrbek. | | | | Rick Aguilera, and St. Paul native Jack Morris |
| The St. Paul Saints are a American Association | | | | having all-star years. The Twins defeated the |
| team. The team was formerly of the Northern | | | | Atlanta Braves to win the nail biting 1991 World |
| League. The team was founded in 1993 as an | | | | Series (which has been considered by some to be |
| Inaugural team in the league. They won the | | | | the greatest of all-time). Game 6 is widely |
| Northern League Championship in 1993, 1995, | | | | considered to be one of the greatest World |
| 1996, and in 2004. Notable current and former | | | | Series games ever played. With the scored tied |
| players include Kevin Millar, Darryl Strawberry, | | | | 3-3 in the bottom of the 11th inning, Kirby Puckett |
| Jack Morris, and Ila Borders. The Saints play their | | | | stepped up to the plate and drove the game |
| home games at Midway Stadium in St. Paul. | | | | winning home run into the left field seats to force |
| The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a Northern | | | | a decisive Game 7. |
| League team founded in in 1996. | | | | Enlarge All three of the Twins' Series were |
| They won the Northern League Title in 1998 and | | | | decided in seven games, with the latter series |
| in 2003. | | | | ending in a dramatic 10-inning, 1-0 shutout by |
| The "Minnesota" designation, instead of | | | | series MVP Morris. 1991 was also the first time |
| "Minneapolis", comes from the fact that the team | | | | any team finishing last in its division the previous |
| is intended to represent the twin cities of | | | | year advanced to the World Series, with both the |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul (and, presumably, the entire | | | | Twins and Braves accomplishing this |
| state). This fact is reinforced by the stylized TC | | | | unprecedented feat. In both this and the Twins' |
| logo worn on home caps, and by their mascot, | | | | previous World Series appearance, the home |
| TC Bear. The name "Twins" derives from the | | | | team won each game, which had never occurred |
| popular name of the region, the Twin Cities. | | | | before. |
| Owner Calvin Griffith originally wished to name the | | | | ESPN rated the 1991 World Series as the best |
| team the Twin Cities Twins, but was persuaded | | | | ever played in a 2003 centennial retrospective of |
| by the governor and other state officials to name | | | | the World Series. |
| the team for the whole state instead (unheard of | | | | 1992 saw another superb Oakland team that the |
| at the time, though later the Texas Rangers and | | | | Twins could not overcome, despite an excellent |
| the California Angels -- now the Los Angeles | | | | 90-win season. After 1992, the Twins again fell |
| Angels of Anaheim--, would follow their lead). | | | | into an extended slump, posting a losing record |
| However, the original "Twin Cities Twins" TC logo | | | | each year through 2000. From 1994 to 1997 a |
| was kept. | | | | long sequence of retirements and injuries (including |
| 1960s: The Twins arrive in Minnesota and rise in | | | | superstars Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett) hurt |
| the standings The Twins were eagerly greeted in | | | | the team badly, and Tom Kelly spent the |
| Minnesota when they arrived in 1961, and they | | | | remainder of his managerial career attempting to |
| advanced to the World Series in 1965, driven by | | | | rebuild the Twins. In 1998, management cleared |
| the exciting play of superstar first baseman | | | | out the team of all of its players earning over 1 |
| Harmon Killebrew. | | | | million dollars (except for pitcher Brad Radke) and |
| They were defeated in the World Series by the | | | | rebuilt from the ground up; the team barely |
| Los Angeles Dodgers, but the championship drive | | | | avoided finishing in the cellar that year, finishing |
| cemented the team's relationship with the people | | | | just five games ahead of perennial cellar dwellers |
| of Minnesota. | | | | Detroit Tigers and avoiding the humiliating mark of |
| 1970s: From first place to mediocrity The team | | | | 100 losses by just eight games. |
| continued to post winning records through 1971, | | | | In 1997, owner Carl Pohlad almost sold the Twins |
| winning the first two American League West | | | | to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver, who |
| division titles. | | | | would have moved the team to the Piedmont |
| However, they then entered a decade-long slump, | | | | Triad (Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point) |
| finishing around .500 for the next eight years. | | | | area of the state. The defeat of a referendum |
| Tony Oliva and Rod Carew continued to provide | | | | for a stadium in that area and a lack of interest in |
| offensive power, but Killebrew's batting average | | | | building a stadium for the Twins in Charlotte killed |
| suffered and the pitching staff languished. | | | | the deal. |
| 1980s: Building a new home, a World Champion In | | | | 2000s: A perennial contender Things turned |
| the early 1980s, The Twins fell further, winning | | | | around, and in 2001 to 2005, the Twins compiled |
| only 37% of its games in 1981 and 1982. Through | | | | the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons |
| 1981, the team played its games at Metropolitan | | | | since moving to Minnesota, going 85-77 in 2001, |
| Stadium in Bloomington, a suburb south of the | | | | 94-67 in 2002, 90-72 in 2003, 92-70 in 2004 and |
| Twin Cities. The Mall of America now occupies the | | | | 83-79 in 2005. From 2002 to 2004, the Twins |
| spot where the "Old Met" stood, complete with | | | | compiled their longest streak of consecutive |
| home plate and the seat where Harmon Killebrew | | | | league/ division championships ever (previous |
| hit a 520 foot home run. The 1982 season | | | | were the 1924 World Champion-1925 AL |
| brought the team indoors, into the Metrodome, | | | | Champion Senators and the 1969–70 |
| which is in downtown Minneapolis near the | | | | Twins). |
| Mississippi River. After several losing seasons in | | | | Threatened with closure by league contraction in |
| the Dome, the arrival of 1980s superstars Kent | | | | 2002, the team battled back to reach the |
| Hrbek and Kirby Puckett electrified the team and | | | | American League Championship Series before |
| sent the team back to the World Series. The | | | | being eliminated 4-1 by that year's eventual World |
| Twins defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win the | | | | Series champion Anaheim Angels. |
| 1987 World Series. The 1987 Twins were unique | | | | Their streak of three straight division titles, along |
| from the standpoint that with their regular season | | | | with some bitterly fought games, have helped to |
| record of 85-77, they became worst performing | | | | create an intense rivalry with the Chicago White |
| team (winning percentage wise) to win the World | | | | Sox in recent years, starting with 2000 when the |
| Series. While their 56-25 record at the Metrodome | | | | Sox clinched the division at the Metrodome, and |
| was the best overall home record for 1987, away | | | | heating up especially in 2003, 2004 and 2005. |