Welcome to part four of this series, in which we look at the all-decade teams comprised of only guys selected to an All-Star team in that decade. You can refer to part 1 for the full methodology. Without further ado, let’s dig into the 1990s. Can they overthrow the 1960s all-decade team?

The 1990s Twins Teams

The 1990s! The start of my baseball memories. As a child, I recall staying up late each night during the 1991 World Series, and I fervently collected every Twins baseball card I could find. There were some interesting feats throughout the decade. In 1990, the team turned two triple plays in the same game, which had never been done before. Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor both had their swan songs with the 1990s teams, both crossing 3000 hits for the Twins. 1994 was strike-shortened. Terry Ryan became GM. Kirby Puckett developed glaucoma and had to retire too soon. But, how were the teams? Largely terrible, with seven straight losing seasons to close out the decade. However, many guys then went on to become the core of the early 2000s teams debuted. Let’s look at the all-decade team.

Starting Pitchers

In the 90s, we are back to having a solid top-3 SP.

SP1 - Brad Radke - 1998 in his only All-Star nod. That’s a little shocking for a player who amassed over 45 career WAR and should have received more HOF attention than he got. Pitching in the steroid era was tough, as evidenced by his 5.2 WAR despite pitching to a 4.3 ERA. Even that was 11% better than league average. His FIP was a half-run lower, and his command was excellent, allowing just 1.8 BB/9. Radke served as the face of the franchise to close out the century, while most other veterans were traded away for prospects and spare parts. My favorite memory of Radke came several seasons later, when it was revealed that he had been pitching with a torn labrum, and could barely raise his arm between starts. Despite that, he gritted out a couple final, solid seasons.

SP2 - Scott Erickson - 1991. In his first full season, he was runner-up for Cy Young behind Roger Clemens, pitching to a 135 ERA+ and a 3.18 ERA. He won 20 games, finishing 5 of them with 3 shutouts. He was part of the ’91 WS team, pitching to two no-decisions in the series. He was the first player in almost 40 years to win 20 games in his first full season. After the season, he went on to struggle for a few years and was eventually traded to Baltimore. Later in life, he was charged with reckless driving, and hit and killed a couple kids. Not great.

SP3 - Blackjack Morris - 1991. In his only season with the Twins, he was worth 4.3 WAR, with a 3.4 ERA and similar FIP, good for 25% better than average. As the workhorse he was, he pitched three games in the ’91 World Series, going 2-0, allowing just 3 runs in 23 innings. His Game 7, 10-inning complete game shutout while pitching against another great in John Smoltz was a masterclass in pitching and winning through sheer determination. TK went to pull him after the 9th and Morris blew him off, demanding to finish the game. Morris was part of three different World Series winning teams. Interestingly, Morris was the recipient of the first Major League contract featuring a player option or opt-out, receiving a 3/$9M deal. Of course, he opted out after that one great season.

Relievers

CL - Rick Aguilera - 1991, as our bullpen ace, he accumulated 2.4 WAR as a reliever, which is slightly challenging to do. It helps when you can put up a 183 OPS+. He struck out 8/9IP which is somewhat monumental for the era. He put up 41 saves that season, and received MVP votes, finishing 18th in balloting. In the ALCS that year, he collected three saves while being almost perfect. He got saves in the first two games of the World Series, but lost game 3.

Lineup

The lineup is…pretty thin. Just three positions were filled with All-Star nods over an entire decade.

1B -  Rob Coomer - 1999. To be clear, Coom Dawg shouldn’t have been an All-Star. As a FIRST BASEMAN, he hit to an 82 OPS+. Ron Coomer is the downside to every team needing an All-Star, as he was barely above replacement level on the season. Hey, at least he was good on broadcasts in the 2000s and 2010s…

2B - Chuck Knoblach - 1996. To be clear, he SHOULD have been an All-Star, posting 8.7 WAR. On the season, his contributions trailed just Barry Bond, A-Rod, and The Kid. He led the league in triples (14), and finished the season with a .965 OPS while playing good defense at second. He walked MORE than he struck out, and also swiped 45 bags. He signed a new deal mid-season, becoming the highest-paid 2nd baseman in baseball - well-earned for the former Rookie of the Year. Before the anger-management issues, the trade, the yips, and the hot dog incident, Knoblach was a truly special player.

OF - Kirby Puckett - 1992. He was great. He did a little bit of everything, stealing 17 bases, hitting .329, hitting 19 homers while leading the league in hits, winning his 4th batting title while playing a solid CF. At the end of the season, he signed the second-largest contract extension in baseball history - a 5/$30M deal which solidified that he would be a member of the Twins for life.

The 90s team finished in a similar place to the 80s team, accumulating 32.9 WAR. With the 52 replacement wins, that puts them at 84.9 wins, once again just above .500. The 1960s all-decade team still reigns supreme.

Stay tuned til tomorrow, when we will look at the all-decade team of the 2000s. What do you think? Does it get better from here? Do they have a chance at taking the lead against the 60s team? Comment below!