Where Were the Twins Daily Writers for the Last Twins Playoff Win (Before Yesterday)?

[Nate Palmer]

Since the Minnesota Twins last playoff win - before yesterday - was many years ago and in a baseball stadium far, far away, we decided to take a look at where some of the Twins Daily writers were in their lives in 2004. 

Image courtesy of Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, the Twins topped the Blue Jays 3-1 in Game 1 of the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

In case you hadn’t heard, the Minnesota Twins were on an 0-18 streak in postseason games. We must travel back to 2004 to remember what that a postseason win was like. It's a win that we, as fans, hope can be replicated many times this October.

Since their previous playoff win was so long ago, it could be fun, maybe slightly painful, to look back to see where many of the Twins Daily writers were in life for that last playoff win. 

Theodore Tollefson
“I was in my second month of Kindergarten. The only Twin I knew of at the time was Torii Hunter. I was more worried about figuring out which Star Wars character I’d be for Halloween than baseball. I ended up being Darth Vader.” 

Steve Trefz
“I was 24. Newly married and living in a studio apartment at school in Chicago. My final year of seminary just started. It was a Tuesday with a 7:21 p.m. first pitch. I watched from the comfort of my couch. I had no idea it would be the last.” 

Seth Stohs
“I was 29. I had just bought my first (and only) house a couple of months earlier. I’m sure I thought of it as the first of many because even though Mauer didn’t play (Oh Henry(!) Blanco), they had so many young players (Morneau, Cuddyer, Santana, etc.). I was sure they would become a juggernaut, similar to what the Atlanta Braves had become.  I had been blogging for like 15 months, so I’m sure someone could probably find what I wrote…but probably not.” 

If someone can find what Seth wrote, I think we would all enjoy seeing that. Don’t scroll through the WordPress version of Seth Speaks. It won’t get you far enough back. I also don’t care to share how I obtained this knowledge either!  (Editor Note - But I do, so I linked to that old site and you can enjoy my thoughts, ramblings, rankings and more from the olden days. -Seth) 

Cody Schoenmann
“I was four years old. I am now 23. I got my tonsils taken out when I was four, but the last playoff win may have happened before or after. I don’t remember. I didn’t know baseball existed, and my parents weren’t big baseball people. So, I was still multiple years away from being introduced to baseball and the Twins. I would love to experience a Twins playoff win and have a recollection of it as well.” 

Cody Christie
“I was in my sophomore year of college. My RA rented out a projector, and my whole wing sat out in the common area and watched the game projected on the wall. I remember hanging on every moment, especially some of the tremendous defensive plays made by the Twins to preserve the shutout. We erupted when Jacque Jones hit the home run. For one night, it seemed like the Twins were going to be able to slay the mighty Yankees.” 

Matthew Lenz simply remembers Phil Cuzzi blowing the foul ball call. 

Melissa Berman
“I was in 4th grade, and I remember my teacher rolled in a TV on a cart so we could watch the game during class! I was lucky to have teachers who were big Twins fans growing up who would always show the games in class–if my parents didn’t bring me down to the Metrodome to see in person!” 

John Bonnes
“I had started TwinsGeek.com two years earlier, seen one playoff run, seen the Twins go down 3-1 versus the Yankees the year before, and was looking forward to defeating the evil empire and writing about it. But here’s the thing: I don’t remember that game. I remember the game after vividly, watching Gardy stay with Joe Nathan one inning too long. I remember the next two games just as vividly, because I was at them. I remember where I was sitting when Ruben Sierra went deep on Juan Rincon. And I remember the weather change that happened right after the game, when the north wind hit, and we walked to our car. But I don’t remember that win. It drives me crazy.” 

Even though John cannot find in his memories the game, he thankfully wrote something down. Here is the conclusion to his game coverage: 

“The Twins did not win last night’s game because of a Cy Young pitcher that was dominant. They won last night’s game because they kept making big plays when they were put in a position to make big plays. Because of that they’ll now get the opportunity to enlist their own ghosts–let’s call them Clamor and Din–this weekend in Minneapolis.”   

Nate Palmer
“I was a few months into my senior year of high school, fully into a cross country season where I was trying to beat personal bests and be a catalyst to lead our team to wins. I also would put plastic bags around my socks early every morning before they hit my shoes as I grabbed my trumpet for early morning marching band practice. This was about the time I really started to enjoy watching the Twins. One of my cross-country teammates and I would go back and forth, talking about the team. I don’t remember what it was like watching the game. With my schedule, who knows if I watched it or if I also had to snag a shift making Blizzards at the local Dairy Queen. This one I will be able to listen to or watch and hopefully will remember more fully the details.” 

Do you remember where you were in 2004? Were you a Baby Twins fan just getting started on this rollercoaster journey? Were you someone who vividly remembers 1987 and 1991 and thought this was the start of another run like those years? Whatever or wherever you were, we would love to read about it below! 

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[D.C Twins]

Didn't see an inning of 2004 while in nephrology fellowship working unspeakable hours.

But no sympathy required.... was taking care of Wounded Warriors at the time and was in attendance at Game 2 in 1987 and Game 1 in 1991!

[darwin22]

As an "older" Twins fan---finished my college undergrad in the Spring of 1987---I fully remember the W in game 1 of the 2004 ALDS.  

Little did I know the excruciating extra inning loss in game 2 the following night would be the first of 18 defeats until yesterday.

I've tried blocking out this memory, but was it in 2004 that Phil Cuzzi totally blew the call on Mauer's obvious double?   Was this the same series the Twins had a late lead until Ruben Sierra hit Juan Rincon's "slider of death" almost to White Bear Lake?  I just remember, literally drop kicking a flower pot off my front porch after Sierra's HR.

[MN_ExPat]

I was in Baghdad, Iraq, knee deep pulling escort duty for the US ambassador and his Blackwater security detail (in addition to some other typically boring Army duties) so I honestly don’t think I saw a moment of that season.  Really missed out on that one. 

[PatPfund]

I was 45, Tony Oliva was my childhood idol, and I definitely remember the WS years vividly. I liked where the Twins were going (well, where I thought they were going) in '04. In all honesty, though, the Twins in this loss streak era were a good not great team. Their rotation was filled with a bunch of #3 pitchers once Santana was gone, and that plays fine over a season overmatching some 3s, and all the 4s and 5s, but come playoffs the focus is on 1s and 2s, and the Twins just didn't match up. It was freaky they lost all the games, but not so freaky they lost all the series.

This team is different with some really strong starters (including the yet-to-toss Ober), and if we can wake up the sticks, the Twins can compete with anyone.

[DocBauer]

You know, time and memory are both strange and cruel. I can discuss Twins rosters from the 70's and 80's onward. I can recall top prospects who never made it. Pretty sure I can even remember sitting in my car listening to Puckett's and Hrbek's first games. I can remember the Twins beating the Tigers in '87 and Randy Bush stealing bases and helping to win that series.

Of course, I can also recite the original Star Wars move almost line by line to this day and almost every from the original Star Trek series because at the end of the day, I'm a nerd. LOL. A highly intelligent, still "got it going" nerd as I approach 58yo later this month, LOL, but still a nerd.

But in the '00's, I remember players and moments. But I'll be damned if I can remember series results in any detail. I wish I could. And I envy those who can. Or, maybe, I don't as there was so much frustration. 

What I recall is seasons and expectations and series losses where we could have won, and maybe should have won. Maybe I'm fortunate to remember the big picture and not the details? 

I'm going to remember this year and this series win for sure. And nothing will rob me of '87 or '91 memories, or tears shed when we won in '87. 

 

[Vanimal46]

I was just starting freshman year of high school, or grade 9 for Canadians, in 2004. Fresh off my Pee Wee hockey team making the state tournament and winning a couple of games! I moved right to the high school varsity hockey team in this era. 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

[Karbo]

I had been transferred from AZ to Iowa. I was sitting on the couch in our living room with a couple of friends and a couple of co-workers. We thought at the time the Twins had a real good chance to advance but we know how that worked out.

[Streif Lightning]

I remember reading Twins Geek and Seth Speaks back then, at the time it was really hard to find Twins content online and living outside of Minnesota none of my friends were Twins fans. Such a different world now when you think about it

[Streif Lightning]

2 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Years ago in college I found a 1987 Twins western division championship shirt at a resale shop in Houston of all places. I still have it (although I don't wear it much, has some holes in it). I think my parents still have this sweat shirt, might be 91 though

[Doctor Wu]

Great idea for an article! Ah, 2004 seems like such a long time ago, and I guess it was. But I also remember those 1987 and 1991 World Series wins, so 2004 almost seems like "just" a few years ago to me. But where was I? I had just moved back to Thailand, after spending 2 years in Cambodia (talk about being "out of the loop", that was the case in those years for me), but I was still following the Twins online as much as possible. So sweet to see them back to their winning ways again!

[Melissa Berman]

This is such a fun piece, thanks for including me 😄

[Squirrel]

7 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Somewhere is a photo of me in a 1965 AL champs sweatshirt … I’ll have to find that now

 

[Krogher]

It was my junior year of college. I lived in a house with 6 other dudes. My identical twin lived in the same house (we went to school in Michigan) so we sat in the living room, and we watched it together. My girlfriend had dumped me a few weeks prior so I really needed the Twins to pick me up. My girlfriend and I got back together in November of 2004, and she has been my wife for almost 17  years, together for almost 19, and the parents of two daughters (8 and ^). She knew of the losing streak but didn't put it together that it predated our relationship. Crazy. 

[D.C Twins]

9 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

I have the same sweatshirt (though it doesn't fit the exactly the way it did when I was 13 ;)

[Logi_Clevs]

I'm with Cody - was just 4 years old at the time. My first vivid Twins memory was my first game at the Dome in 2009 against the Royals - all I remember is some guy named Carl Pavano was pitching for the Twins (it was his second start for the team at the time). They lost that game but the highlight of it was being able to witness a home run from my hero at the time - Joe Mauer. 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

11 hours ago, Squirrel said:

Somewhere is a photo of me in a 1965 AL champs sweatshirt … I’ll have to find that now

Damn, Squirrel, you old!

[VivaBomboRivera!]

More memorabilia...

[Twinsrtheworst]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:45 PM, MN_ExPat said:

I was in Baghdad, Iraq, knee deep pulling escort duty for the US ambassador and his Blackwater security detail (in addition to some other typically boring Army duties) so I honestly don’t think I saw a moment of that season.  Really missed out on that one. 

Big thankyou for your service.

[Cody Schoenmann]

23 hours ago, Logi_Clevs said:

I'm with Cody - was just 4 years old at the time. My first vivid Twins memory was my first game at the Dome in 2009 against the Royals - all I remember is some guy named Carl Pavano was pitching for the Twins (it was his second start for the team at the time). They lost that game but the highlight of it was being able to witness a home run from my hero at the time - Joe Mauer. 

The first Twins game i went to was at the Metrodome in 2008 i believe. They were playing the Nationals, and I think Wily Mo Peña hit a home run if i’m remembering it right. Either way, going to games at the Metrodome are my first Twins memories as well. I remember the inaugural season at Target Field in 2010 being a huge deal. The first time I went to Target Field was the game where Denard Span hit three triples against the Tigers. Crazy that all of this and much more could happen without a playoff win occurring. What a season 2023 has been!

[Logi_Clevs]

18 minutes ago, Cody Schoenmann said:

I remember the inaugural season at Target Field in 2010 being a huge deal.

I remember when my brother and I got MLB the Show 2010 for the PS2 the very first thing we did was boot it up and load into a game at Target Field just to see the new stadium. Simple times back then 😂