Greatest Twins Teams of All Time: Honorable Mentions

[Matt Braun]

Join us in argument as we count down the greatest Twins teams in history, as voted on by the Twinsdaily writers. 

Image courtesy of Thiéres Rabelo

Starting today and going until the weekend before pitchers and catchers report, you’ll find a weekly post highlighting a team we considered among the best in Twins history, Senators not included. (Sorry, Walter Johnson .) 

The methodology was simple: I asked our writers to rank the ten greatest teams in Twins history, with potential notes or comments on their selections as they saw fit. From there, points were awarded in reverse order (e.g., 1st place was worth 10 points, 10th place was worth 1 point). I double, triple, then, finally, quadruple-checked to ensure my elementary arithmetic was still intact before the final list—and accompanying honorable mentions—took shape.

What defines “greatest?” I let our voters decide; no boundary or guideline came from me. Perhaps some writers valued regular season performance, playoff success, individual accomplishments, run differential, or just how much fun it was to watch said team in their consideration. Individual ballots reflected their personality to a degree, but I think the consensus represents a solid, well-rounded group touching on numerous critical eras for the team. 

No more yapping. Let’s get on to the honorable mentions:

2004 Twins
Our first list-misser was a top-heavy team in transition. A kid named Joe Mauer made an outstanding first impression- and suffered his first injury - with the squad, slashing .308/.369/.570 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts, providing a glimpse as to why the Twins selected the hometown prospect first overall in 2001. Johan Santana won his first Cy Young award with a dominant campaign; he led the league in ERA, strikeouts, ERA+, FIP, WHIP, H/9, and K/9. Throw in the usual excellence from Brad Radke and Torii Hunter, mix in surprise breakouts in Lew Ford and Joe Nathan (only one would stick, take a guess), and it’s not shocking that this team won 92 games, enough to claim the AL Central crown.

This was a 21st-century Twins team, though, which meant their ultimate fate was falling to the New York Yankees in the playoffs.

2009 Twins
It’s rare for one image to symbolize an entire team, but the one for Twins this year is clear and defined: Carlos Gomez streaking around 3rd, dashing home in a hopeful sprint as his teammates explode with exuberance and cheers. He would be safe, they knew, and his successful score capped off one of the greatest games of Twins history, the final regular season game Minnesota would play in the Metrodome. The AL Central was now the Twins’ to own. 

The rest of the season went pretty well, too. Nathan, Matt Guerrier, and Jose Mijares headlined a top 10 bullpen by ERA, while an ensemble lineup plated the 5th-most runs of any team in MLB. Orchestrating that offense was a 26-year-old Mauer, who led the league in all three triple-slash categories—as a catcher, mind you—carrying him to an easy MVP despite “only” playing in 138 games.

But, hey, wouldn’t you know it, the Yankees were pretty good this year, too, and they romped the Twins on their way to winning the World Series. So it goes.

1962 Twins
This one may be a surprise even for those well-versed in Twins history: the 1960s teams are usually considered monolithically good, with 1965 as the crowning club. What, then, is there to make of the other teams? 

Considering 1962 was only the second season the team played in Minneapolis, the importance of this team may actually be understated. “[F]or them to be really good already in 1962 was huge,” wrote Seth Stohs when voting for them. Indeed, a familiar cast of Camilo Pascual, Jim Kaat, Earl Battey, Bob Allison, Zoilo Versalles, and Harmon Killebrew led Minnesota’s first foray into winning baseball in 1962. Mickey Mantle’s Yankees halted them from going to the World Series—they were pretty good, also, if you didn’t know—but 1962 remained a solid stepping stone for the franchise, one that would lead them into a profoundly successful decade of dominance.

1967 Twins
Hey, it’s the 60s again! This team featured some new stars—mainly a young Rod Carew, a reborn Dean Chance, and arguably the best years of Jim Merrit and Dave Boswell’s careers—but this was still the Killebrew/Allison/Tony Oliva show; Oliva claimed the worst OPS+ of the trio with a 130 mark. 

This was also the final season for manager Sam Mele. The Queens native was Minnesota’s skipper since Cookie Lavagetto received the boot partway through the team’s inaugural season. What went around came back to Mele; owner Calvin Griffith pulled the plug on him after the team stood at .500 50 games into the season. Cal Ermer took over, and the team won 20 more games than they lost the rest of the way. 

Entering a critical final two-game set against the Red Sox—whom they tussled with in the standings—Minnesota stood at the edge of the playoffs. They blew it, losing both games to send Carl Yastrzemski and the “Impossible Dream” Boston squad to the World Series in their place. Two more measly wins may have reversed history and raised this team’s placement on the rankings, but those excruciating losses knocked them down to honorable mention status. 

1963 Twins
This is the final mention of the 60s in this article, I swear. It may seem strange to consider a team that only finished in 3rd place, but—as Tom Froemming wrote—“[t]he 1963 Twins only won 91 games, but had the fourth-best run differential in Twins history (+165). They had a Pythagorean record of 98-63. A lot of franchise icons were on this roster, they went on to do bigger and better things, but this was still a really strong Twins squad.”

Indeed, Allison, Pascual, and rookie sensation Jimmie Hall spearheaded a team that led MLB in runs scored and pitched to the 3rd-best ERA in the AL. Future nerds might call this team “unlucky,” but there’s no reward for poor fortune; all this team could do was watch the Yankees win the World Series again. 

2017 Twins
This was a fun Twins team. They weren’t a great one, but they were certainly fun. Fresh off a disastrous 103-loss season, the team cleaned house—but kept manager Paul Molitor—and rebounded to win 85 games, just enough to nab a playoff spot for the first time in seven seasons. 

A personal favorite of writer Cody Schoenmann, he writes that having “young players in Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, Eddie Rosario, and Miguel Sano emerge” amongst veteran leaders in Ervin Santana and Brian Dozier was fun to watch. 

It may reveal a lot about the actual quality of this squad that “fun” is the consistent adjective used by those who remember the team. Santana, Dozier, and Buxton were excellent players—and Mauer had his best post-injuries season—but depth was thin, and the team couldn’t escape themselves in the postseason, blowing a 4-0 lead in their matchup against… the Yankees. Good lord, 2023 couldn’t happen soon enough.

1988 Twins
Our final team of the day is the often-forgotten follow-up to the famous 1987 squad. The same heroes of before were here—Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, Kent Hrbek, and more—but their fortune was left in the past; a 104-win Oakland team boasting some bashing brothers flew by the Twins in the division. This was still a formidable group of players: Puckett finished 3rd in MVP voting, while Viola took home the Cy Young, and an otherwise non-descript lefty named Allan Anderson shocked the league by winning the ERA title, becoming the first Twins pitcher to accomplish the feat (how about that for bar trivia!)

But, still, there’s no ring to show for this team, which stuffs them into the “honorable mentions” compartment. 

That concludes our honorable mentions. Join us next week to learn who ranked 10th in our Greatest Twins Teams list.

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[Blyleven2011]

Honorable mention ...

2011 , 

Why ??? , because of one game , 7-15-11  ....

Ben revere had the highlight of the season  as he stumbles and somersaults rounding second base and ends up being safe with a triple ...

Benny was a fun player to watch before traded to Phillies for Trevor May ...

Why is it that the smaller players are fun to watch and do some incredible  things ??? 

 

[Doctor Gast]

Very interesting article Mat, something to entertain us until the off season transactions starts. IMO the !988 Twins should be ranked higher, the steroids that were taken by OAK should not negate what the "88 Twins did.

[NishiokaStan]

2017 really was such a fun season. As a younger Twins fan, it was the first season I really followed where the Twins were relevant. I will always remember the baby-faced versions of Buxton, Kepler, Polanco, and Sano who really ignited my love for this team!

[mikelink45]

Thank you - I do not care if they were honorable mention - I am just glad they are mentioned and their memories carried forward. 

[Seth Stohs]

And Tom Kelly hasn't forgiven Allan Anderson since he asked not to pitch on the final day of the season, knowing Teddy Higuera of the Brewers was percentage points behind him. 

[jkcarew]

The ‘67 team probably should be in the top 10…even if it would knock out one of the division-winning clubs.

No divisions in 1967. 2nd place in the American League. And actually won the season series against Boston 11-7. But, 2 of those 7 losses were the difference in the season-ending series at Fenway.

4 Hall-of Famers…5 guys in the top 20 for MVP. Cesar Tovar credited with appearing in 163 games…at least 6 games played at 6 different positions.

Oh…and the first year I attended a Twins game. (Not that that factors into my ranking whatsoever 😉)

[Doctor Gast]

8 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

And Tom Kelly hasn't forgiven Allan Anderson since he asked not to pitch on the final day of the season, knowing Teddy Higuera of the Brewers was percentage points behind him. 

Do you agree with Tom Kelly? Did he hold it against him there after? Kelly seemed to be bias although he was a very successful manager.

[saviking]

I cut my teeth on the 1962 Twins. Fond memories of sitting with my Uncle looking out over lake Minnewaska and listening to the Twins on the radio as a little league aged kid. 

[Scott51104]

jkcarew  5,786

The ‘67 team probably should be in the top 10…even if it would knock out one of the division-winning clubs.

No divisions in 1967. 2nd place in the American League. And actually won the season series against Boston 11-7. But, 2 of those 7 losses were the difference in the season-ending series at Fenway.

4 Hall-of Famers…5 guys in the top 20 for MVP. Cesar Tovar credited with appearing in 163 games…at least 6 games played at 6 different positions.

Oh…and the first year I attended a Twins game. (Not that that factors into my ranking whatsoever 😉)

 

I seem to recall Killebrew saying that he thought the 1967 team was the best he played on.

[TopGunn#22]

Both 1967 and 1963 should have probably made it into the top 10.  Good hitting. POWER.  And good pitching.  1969 was probably Boswell's best season as a Twin but 1967 sure was for Merritt as well as Dean Chance.  I wonder how much the Twins could have benefitted by having Tony Oliva up in 1962 but certainly 1963. 

The Yankees were still the class of the A.L. in 1960-1964 but Oliva would have hit no matter what year the Twins called him up.  Add his 1964 season to the 1963 lineup and WOW !  He might have still been a little rough in RF, but Tony-O would have HIT.  Allison, Hall and Killebrew formed the OF.  Vic Power and Rollins held down 1B & 3B.  (Rollins hit .307)  (Power hit .270 with Gold Glove defense).  More than anything, the Twins could have used a DH back in those 60's years.  The Yanks won by 13 games and the White Sox had tremendous pitching, but add Oliva to that lineup and I wonder...

[Greglw3]

I nominate the 1977 Twins for honorable mention. They had a subpar starting staff except for Dave Goltz and possibly Geoff Zahn but for my money, as a Twins fan since the mid 60s, they were the most entertaining team of all because I believe them to be the greatest offensive team in Twins history.

Rod Carew at .388 w 38 doubles 16 triples and 14 HR, 239 hits, league MVP and 100 RBIs.

How’s Lyman Bostock for second fiddle? .336 36 doubles 12 triples and 14 HRs. Larry Hisle had 82 RBIs at the Allstar break, hit .300 with 119 RBIs. Glenn Adams hit .338 and set the all time single game RBI record with 8 in the historic 19-12 win over the White Sox about June 26, which I listened to on WMAQ Chicago from my parents basement in Toledo, OH and scoring the game. 

Danny Ford had a 108 OPS+ at 25 yo and Mike Cubbage was a solid hitter as was Butch Wynegar. Plus they were managed by, for me, head and shoulders the best Twins manager ever, Gene Mauch, a brilliant tactician. Closest recent example would be Terry Francona.

[tony&rodney]

Always interesting to me to see how others view past Twins teams. Some of us have religiously listened to or watched the games since the Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961, but it is really good to see younger fans perspectives as well. All opinions have their own orientation.

The 1977 team was the most exciting team for me, yet I would say that the 1969 season was probably the best in Twins history despite not playing in the World Series.

[GNXman]

The ‘67 team should be in the top ten. They had it all. 5 hall of famers, pitching. If the team hadn’t forced Kaat to pitch his arm off in September, he would have won the crucial game in Boston to win the pennant. A heartbreaking end to a stellar season.