Introduction of the series here
Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here
Hello friends! Putting a slight pause on the series to ask a question in the comments below. In the meantime, enjoy another WS title winning run in 1967! Below are my notes since the last time I checked in...
1964-65 Offseason:
CF Jackie Brandt wins a Gold Glove, and 4 Twins win Silver Slugger Awards - Mincher, Rollins, Killebrew, and Allison.
Introduction of the series here
Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
In the 1962 regular season, the Minnesota Twins showcased their talent with players like Harmon Killebrew, Jack Kralick, and Don Lee earning All-Star nods. With a 45-40 record, they stood in 4th place at the All-Star break. A notable trade saw Lenny Green moved to the St. Louis Cardinals, paving the way for the rising star Tony Oliva. However, their playoff hopes dimmed by September 20, finishing tied for 3r
Introduction of the series here
The 1961 season was a bit of a rollercoaster for the team, finishing with a record of 79-83 and landing in 8th place in the AL. The World Series saw the Los Angeles Dodgers triumph over the Chicago White Sox in a thrilling 4-3 series victory.
In terms of transactions over the course of the 1961 season, there were none worth noting. Despite the temptation to sign young free agents like 17-year-old Sandy Alomar, the decision was made to stick with the exis
As the crack of the bat fades away and the echo of cheering crowds subsides, the hallowed fields of baseball fall silent, marking the end of another thrilling season. As the final out is recorded and the last pitch is thrown, a hush descends over the diamond, signaling the inevitable transition from the sun-soaked days of summer to the crisp embrace of winter.* Since winter is upon us, and I still have the itch for baseball, I decided to try something new... Out of the Park Baseball has a mode i
There was a time in baseball history where throwing in the towel and using a position player to pitch was a rare sight to see. Heck, I’m sure people tuned in to witness the comedy and see a position player actually try on the mound.
For example, Jeff Francour pitching 2 innings in 2015, topping out at 88 MPH and mixing in 4 different pitches to boot.
Or Ichiro Suzuki taking the craft seriously, throwing 87 MPH and mixing in 3 different pitches during his outing in 2015.
It's Friday afternoon, and I'm counting the minutes until the weekend. Let's make a plan. For this exercise, I started with Matthew Taylor's spreadsheet on Twinspayroll.com, and used $125 million as the top spending level. My goal is to fall $5-10 million under that to reflect closer to a 15% payroll discount. When I started the exercise, I wondered how we could best allocate the budget if we elected not to re-sign Nelson Cruz. Let's get started... The spreadsheet shows these roster slot
Over the off-season there will be PLENTY of chatter about the Twins. They're primed to be BOLD and make a YUGE splash in free agency. As a seasoned Twins fan I'm here to save you a bunch of time! The off-season is already predetermined, and your friend Vanimal found the transcript for the most DRAMATIC off-season yet... 10/9: Twins exercise Nelson Cruz' option 10/14: Jim Pohlad quoted in a Sid Hartman column "there will be no restrictions on payroll" 11/1: Ken Rosenthal tweets the Twins
Let me preface this post by acknowledging that the odds are low Machado signs with the Twins in real life. With low odds, we need to be BOLD and aggressive right upfront to schedule a meeting with him. Mr. Machado, I want you to remember 3 numbers. 60, 40, and 3. We'll go into more detail what those numbers represent. Let's start with the first number, 60. That's the number (in millions) I'm willing to offer you to play for the Twins in 2019. The organization is in a great spot financially
http://gentlemint-media.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2012/04/18/6745f59b.jpg.505x650_q85.jpg ANND Welcome! To Minnesota Twins Whine Line: Detective Edition! I'm your LEAD Investigator, Vanimal, along with my trusty sidekick, the intern. Since we last checked in, both of us set down the PS4 controllers, put MLB The Show back in the case, and studied for our Private Investigator license! In the real world, we noticed that it's January 30th, and 8 out of the top 10 free agents have still yet to sig
Got a theory that the Twins trade Duran 1/1 for an OK starter they think they can optimize. He's the Luis Arraez of this offseason. A buzzy fan-favorite at peak value with an amazing skillset that the Twins FO doesn't value too much. They've always treated relievers as fungible. I think they seriously consider flipping him.
Hello Jerr.
It was funny when I logged in today. I saw I had "reactions" from both you and Mike Sixel. I knew very well that Mike would dislike whatever it was I said because he does that.. I have had virtually no interaction with him and yet he keeps disliking my posts. He never bothers to explain where my logic is flawed, he just dislikes my posts. I think it is kind of childish. I have used dislike only a couple of times and when I have I try explain why I do not agree and I did it in a cordial way. I guess this thumbs up/thumbs down thing is the norm on "social media" but I do not have a Twitter, Facebook or any other kind of page. I do not even have LinkedIn, since I have been a teacher for nearly 30 years and am heading toward retirement soon.
I think the problem with Buxton here is that so many doubled down over and over again about how much of a superstar he was and they just can't admit they are wrong. I do not like hyping up young guys. We all wanted Buxton to be great but he is not. If I say that sentence stand alone by itself, I bet a number of people would dislike it. I am sorry, but I just do not understand how that is. I appreciate the likes, though lol
Take care,
Ralph