All-Time Ultimate Twins' Twin Team

[strumdatjaguar]

The ultimate Twins' Twin team is:

 

Catcher : Joe Mauer (local guy)

1B:   Doug Mientkiewizc   (tough choice between Dougie B-Ball and the local guy Herbie - but Dougie bleeded Twins more and is a current minor league coach)

2B:  Rod Carew  (married a local girl and returns regularly to assist at Spring Training etc.)

SS:  Roy Smalley (despite the pompadour)

3B:  Corey Koskie (Heck, he took out a full-page farewell ad in the Strib when he left!)

OF:  Tony Oliva (By now he is the all-time Mr. Twin, if only for longevity with the organization), 

        Harmon Killebrew (obvious choice)

        Kirby Puckett - - (legendarily obvious) 

Some will insist that Torii Hunter must be part of this outfield.  Yet Torii played for two other teams and I expect Torii would not even disagree with the choices above.

Utility IF:  Frank Quilici (gotta put "The Q" somewhere on this team!)

RHP:  Bert Blyleven (even though he bounced around, he returned to be a broadcaster)

LHP:  Jim Kaat (same as Bert, even though he later left to do color for the Yankees)

Reliever:  Eddie Guardado (I'd pick him every day)

Manager: Tom Kelly (won two World Championships - still helps out annually at Spring Training, etc)

 

Play By Play:  Dick Bremer (You might somehow think Carneal, but Bremer is a native Minnesotan and is more emotional about the team)

Color Commentator: Halsey Hall (for those too young to remember, just trust me on this one - the hacking up phlegm added to the color!)

[ashbury]

No one is likely to surpass Carneal in my mind, as a steady presence you could just listen to during a long season and never find yourself thinking more about the announcer than the game.

[big dog]

Herb Carneal was an incredible announcer.  Just incredible.  You could see the game in your mind.  He talked in color.

 

And Kent Hrbek over Dougie.  He could see Met Stadium from his house.  Second in ROY voting.  Incredible presence, all-time fan favorite.  And what a ballplayer.  Great charisma, too.

[spinowner]

 

Herb Carneal was an incredible announcer.  Just incredible.  You could see the game in your mind.  He talked in color.

 

And Kent Hrbek over Dougie.  He could see Met Stadium from his house.  Second in ROY voting.  Incredible presence, all-time fan favorite.  And what a ballplayer.  Great charisma, too.

Very strongly agree with both of these points.

[jimmer]

Bremer is a horrible announcer. Sorry if some of you like him, but man he's really hard to listen to (so is Bert).  

 

I'll take Carneal.  Simply awesome.

[Platoon]

Bert is a colorful guy, not a color guy. He is at his best, when the game is at its worst! I think I would give Morneau some consideration at first. The injury really was the difference. He was just coming into his own. I know it's sacrilegious to say in MN, but Herbie, for all his success and popularity, did not exactly overwork himself playing the game. I always thought he left quite a bit laying on the table.

[jimmer]

 

Bert is a colorful guy, not a color guy. He is at his best, when the game is at its worst! I think I would give Morneau some consideration at first. The injury really was the difference. He was just coming into his own. I know it's sacrilegious to say in MN, but Herbie, for all his success and popularity, did not exactly overwork himself playing the game. I always thought he left quite a bit laying on the table.

yeah, Morneau for sure.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Zoilo Versailes at short.

I would put Harmon at 3rd base and put Torii in the outfield.

Hrbek over Dougie.

Johan Santana over Jim Kaat, even though I loved Kitty Kaat.

 

And Sandy Valdespino on the bench just because his name sounded so cool to me when I was a youngster.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

Zoilo Versailes at short.

I would put Harmon at 3rd base and put Torii in the outfield.

Hrbek over Dougie.

Johan Santana over Jim Kaat, even though I loved Kitty Kaat.

 

And Sandy Valdespino on the bench just because his name sounded so cool to me when I was a youngster.

Sandy Vadespino! Yes, we could make a list of great-SOUNDING Twins who more often than not sucked. Bombo Rivera! Willie Norwood!

[dcTC61]

You have got to put Greg Gagne at short. Nobody worked harder with less. The scrappy guy always made the great play. He would have multiple Gold Gloves if it were not a popularity contest and Ripken wasn't around.

[ashbury]

Herb Carneal was an incredible announcer.  Just incredible.  You could see the game in your mind.  He talked in color.

I undersold the man considerably, in my post defending him.

[EddieMatthews]

My line-up would have Harmon at first.  He played more games there than any other position.  That opens up third where I would platoon Gaetti with Koskie (not sure if that is allowed...) but the tie is due to their fan popularity in addition to the field.  That opens up an outfield position where Bob Allison has to be named.

 

I was at a game, sitting on the third base side where the last out of the inning was made on a foul pop to Koskie.  After catching the ball, he turned to the stands and flipped the ball to a kid.  An adult stepped in front of the kid and grabbed the ball.  Koskie pointed to the guy, and yelled "Give the ball to the kid!" and stared him down until he coughed up the ball.  Class act from a class guy.

 

I also agree with Platoon's comment on Hrbek.  He left a lot on on the table, but the "Tag" almost makes up for it.  That is my all-time favorite Twins memory.

[USAFChief]

If we're naming broadcasters, we need a station.

 

The Twins belong on 'CCO.

[Thrylos]

Twins years only:

 

C Mauer
1B Killebrew
2B Carew
3B Gaetti
SS Versalles
OF Oliva
OF Puckett
OF Allison
DH C. Davis
RHP Blyleven
LHP Santana
CL Nathan
Manager Kelly
GM MacPhail
Owner Griffith
Announcer Carneal
Ballpark Metrodome

[big dog]

 

yeah, Morneau for sure.

I thought, given the spirit of the post, the local and fan connection pushed Herbie ahead.  I'm definitely a huge Morny fan too.

 

But looking at the statistics, I think Herbie's way ahead.  He is ahead in all the counting stats, partly based on having more years in a Twins' jersey (and more Dome years), but in most cases even when you include Morneau's seasons on other teams.  His OPS+ for his career was 128, with 12 years in a row of at least 112 (all but his initial 24-game call-up and his last year).  Six years of 130 or more.

 

Morneau had 7 Twins years of 112 or more, with an OPS+ of 121.  He had his incredible year of 2010 with an OPS+ of 187, but of course he only played a half-season that year.

 

I still think it's a shame that Herbie basically ate his way out of the league, but as someone said in the Sano thread, perhaps he would have played the game less joyfully and less effectively if he had taken really good care of himself.  At the very least, he wouldn't have been the same player.

 

For those of you that don't remember, when Dome announcer Bob Casey would do his famous NOOOO SMOKING IN THE METRODOME announcement, Herbie would stand at first base and vigorously shake his head No, then mime drinking a beer, nod his head, and give a thumb's up to the cheering crowd.  It was as big a dome ritual as pop flies bouncing into the left field stands and players losing pop-ups in the roof.

 

 

[Squirrel]

Twins years only:

 

C Mauer

1B Killebrew

2B Carew

3B Gaetti

SS Versalles

OF Oliva

OF Puckett

OF Allison

DH C. Davis

RHP Blyleven

LHP Santana

CL Nathan

Manager Kelly

GM MacPhail

Owner Griffith

Announcer Carneal

Ballpark Metrodome

You had me all the way until Metrodome. I was yep, yep, yep ... NO!

[spinowner]

You had me all the way until Metrodome. I was yep, yep, yep ... NO!

[Doubles]

 

You have got to put Greg Gagne at short. Nobody worked harder with less. The scrappy guy always made the great play. He would have multiple Gold Gloves if it were not a popularity contest and Ripken wasn't around.

Agree with Gagne at shortstop here.    Eight seasons with the Twins, infield anchor on both World Series champs, extremely durable, and ultra-dependable.    Gags had his flaws and was far from perfect, but I can't think of a shortstop in the history of this team that accomplished what he did.

[mikecgrimes]

I think I overrate every member of both 87 and 91 to the point I can't be rational.  At least I wasn't considering Gene Larkin and Al Newman.  As soon as I realized I was trying to get Dan Gladden on my team I just stopped.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

 

You had me all the way until Metrodome. I was yep, yep, yep ... NO!

 

Maybe if someone was a kid during the Metrodome era they will prefer the Metrodome, but for those of us older persons who remember the Met and the grass and the sunshine and rain we thought that felt a lot like our own backyards multiplied by millions ... ah, so great (and rinky-dink in retrospect, but oh well).

[strumdatjaguar]

Again - This isn't a vote for the best players, but the ones that bleeded (bled?) Twins - a Twins' Twin.  Yes, Carneal was a better announcer but too taciturn.  Dick is the local Minnesota boy who bleeds Twins more.  Gagne was too laid to make this list, so Smalley gets the nod (I thought about putting Newman or Quilici at SS and putting the other at utility IF).  Fentary, Halsey Hall was the crusty old sports writer who was thrilled to see the Twin Towns become a major league town.

[Thrylos]

 

You had me all the way until Metrodome. I was yep, yep, yep ... NO!

 

2 World Series with huge crowd support vs "the Target Field Experience"...

[Squirrel]

 

2 World Series with huge crowd support vs "the Target Field Experience"...

Meh ... I would've chosen the old Met Stadium.

[jimmer]

Never went to the Met.

 

Metrodome was a physically painful experience.  The one and a half stride steps and the seats turned ever so slightly in the wrong directions depending on where you sat. Game followed by chiropractor.

[Thrylos]

 

Meh ... I would've chosen the old Met Stadium.

 

Never been there.  Was alive, but on the other side of the bathtub when the Twins played then. '65 was a good year, but not as good as '87 and '91 and I was there then...

[longstrangetrip]

 

Zoilo Versailes at short.

I would put Harmon at 3rd base and put Torii in the outfield.

Hrbek over Dougie.

Johan Santana over Jim Kaat, even though I loved Kitty Kaat.

 

And Sandy Valdespino on the bench just because his name sounded so cool to me when I was a youngster.

 

 

I like the idea of putting Harmon at 3rd to open up another OF spot, because none of the mentioned third basemen reach legendary status in my opinioin.   And I agree with Torii over Bob Allison in the OF (Hunter was a better hitter and fielder, and more of a fan favorite), and Zoilo over Smalley (I don't know how you can leave off a SS who was AL MVP in our first World Series year).  And Hrbek has to be the first baseman, even if he underachieved.  He was so much more productive at the plate than Dougie, and almost as good with the glove.   I struggle with the lefty pitcher, but I think I have to go with Kaat over Santana  (he almost beat Koufax in game 7 in 1965). 

 

In terms of a field choice, I'm surprised that anyone wouldn't choose Target Field.  I get the nostalgia for the Met and the World Series memories at the Dome, but TC is so superior to those dumps that it is no contest.