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