Building the Ultimate Twins Franchise Favorites Lineup

[arby58]

34 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

To be fair, Duran, Ryan, and Cruz are really on nobody’s list and, five years from now, nobody will be even remotely be thinking about them as all time Twins. Those players are real stretches.

The exercise includes all regimes - and this regime has zippo to-date and, possibly, zero on the horizon among current rostered players.

Here’s hoping, however, my grandkids and I have develop great memories watching all time great Twins Lewis and Keaschall.  Let’s throw in Jenkins, ERod, Culpepper and Tait.  That would be wonderful. 

Cruz was honorable mention, and both Ryan and Duran are still in their prime. In the article, honorable mentions went to 'current regime' Polanco, Correa, Buxton, and Kepler along with Cruz. Besides, as somebody else pointed out, 5 of the 10 positions are manned by Hall of Famers (you could make it 6 if Thome were the DH). 

[JBK]

2 hours ago, TJSweens said:

C Mauer

1B Hrbek

2B Carew

3B Killebrew

SS Smalley

LF Puckett 

CF Hunter 

RF Oliva

DH Morneau

Rotation

Santana

Blyleven

Perry

Kaat

Pascual

I'd love to say Walter Johnson, but I don't know if Senators are eligible.

Finally, a list I'll agree with

[Chris Hove]

4 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

well, if you were actually playing it as a team, Hrbek plays 1B and Harmon slides in at DH. But no real arguments here.

CF is very well stocked for the Twins.

If you wanted to add a bench, I'd go with Battey, Gagne, Knoblauch, and Buxton. (wouldn't mind having a LH bat on that bench, but this the team I'd want. Man, they'd crush.)

Corey Koskie maybe?

[Chris Hove]

I agree with this list. I would also look at LF and sneak Allison in there just because he had a more extended stint. Either Mack or Allison is a good pick for me. Brings back some memories for sure.

Edited January 16 by Chris Hove

[jmlease1]

9 minutes ago, Chris Hove said:

I agree with this list. I would also look at LF and sneak Allison in there just because he had a more extended stint. Either Mack or Allison is a good pick for me. Brings back some memories for sure.

Allison is a pretty fair pick. I just love Mack and don't hold the baseball strike/lockout/work stoppage against him; felt like he had a couple more big years in him as a Twin, but can't blame him for going overseas to get paid.

[Brett]

3 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

Disclaimer: my Twins memories begin with the 1991 World Series Highlights VHS (that baby should've won an Oscar and is available on Youtube).  And this is favorites, not best

C: Mauer

1B: Morneau

2B: Knoblauch (if you never heard anything about him after 1997, he was really fun to watch).  If he's disqualified for his post-Twins-career shenanigans, then Dozier

3B: For one season, Sano's all-star year.  For their Twins career, Koskie

SS: Correa (that throw home might be the best sporting moment I've ever witnessed in person.  And we at least got to pretend that we were a Big Boy Team for once when he signed)

LF: 2019 Rosario, I guess (can Hunter slide over to left?).  Maybe the chalk outline they put on the Metrodome wall for Butch Huskey

CF: Buxton (close call over Hunter).  Unlike Knoblauch, Puckett has more viable replacements behind him to make up for the post-career icky-ness of it all

RF: Cuddyer

DH: Cruz

DH2: Thome (I don't care, I'm inventing the position for him, simply for shutting Hawk Harrelson up for an entire trip around the bases)

DH (nice guy edition): I had a college football teammate get drafted by the Twins and spend a few years in their system (he's also now a surgeon and an incredibly nice guy.  Some people are just good at everything, the jerk.)  Anyway, he got a chance to meet major leaguers on rehab assignments every now and then.  When Rondell White joined his team for a spell, he took the entire team out to dinner and couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I felt that deserves a shout out here

Utility: La Tortuga (the clip of him scoring from first against the Yankees was a modern art masterpiece)

Backup C: Redmond (smell 'em)

SP: Johan, Radke, Pablo, Morris, The Summer Of Liriano (I thought we were watching a mutant pitch that year)

Closer: Guardado (Nathan was better, but Eddie was more fun to watch)

Bullpen (nice guys edition): once upon a time, a 9 year old Hambino and his family road tripped to KC for a series against the Royals.  For the first and only time, we tried to get autographs after the game.  Little brother dropped his baseball and it started rolling toward the team bus.  Out of nowhere, Rick Aguilera sprints after it, gets it before it disappears underneath, signs it, and hands it back to him.  Also, Mark Guthrie made every extra effort to sign my ball even though my crappy pen wasn't working.  Even wiped it off on his shirt.  They didn't have to do these things, so they get a shout out here

Bullpen (local guys edition): Neshek and his funky motion, Varland pitching like a wrestler, Perkins for reinventing himself so successfully as both an effective reliever and fun TV personality (my old college teammate also interacted with him when he was still a starter and on a rehab assignment, and let's just say the experience wasn't exactly the same as with Rondell White)

Manager: Kelly (Cigar + Zubaz + Titles = GOAT)

GM: McPhail (Ryan disqualified for not going for it at the 2006 deadline)

Owner: N/A

Owner: N/A made me laugh, then get sad and introspective.

[Clare]

Brian Harper at catcher should not be overlooked for an honorable mention.  Six seasons with the Twins, he did as much to win us the 1991 World Series as anyone.  Led all Twins with his WS .381 b.a. and we would not have won game 7 without that electrifying 3-2-3 double play in the 8th between him and the famous wrestler Kent Hrbek.

[The Great Hambino]

4 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

One of the great moments in broadcasting history, worthy of a display in Cooperstown alongside "We'll see you tomorrow night" and "The Giants win the pennant."

If I'm remembering correctly, I timed it at 52 seconds of total silence, followed by a deflated Hawk saying, "And we'll be back," as they went to a commercial for a pitching change.

Have you ever found the clip on YouTube? I've searched for it in vain. 

I swear I've seen it before but I can't find it either.

There's even a compilation of Hawk calling walk-off losses that doesn't include it.  I don't know how that's possible.

It does include a Mauer walk-off walk, so at least that's something

[gagu]

Thoughts:

I think some have strayed from the spirit of this exercise. "This is not just about production or accolades. It's about connection, moments, and the players who came to define generations of Twins baseball."

A starting pitcher should be included because we had one batting for a dozen years. Several franchises had one for over a century. In a lineup without a DH, I would drop Buxton, move Puckett to CF, and put Oliva in RF.

My personal favorite lineup:

C Mauer

1B Hrbek

2B Carew

3B Killebrew

SS Smalley

LF Allison

CF Buxton 

RF Puckett

DH Oliva

P Kaat

MGR Kelly

Honorable mentions to Torii Hunter, Carlos Correa, Justin Morneau, Greg Gagne, Willians Astudillo, Bombo Rivera, Larry Hisle, Dan Gladden, Jose Morales, Paul Molitor, and a long list of pitchers.

While I did watch the '65 World Series at home and in school, '67 was the season I really fell in love with the team. And I had to rely almost exclusively on written articles and box scores for Twins info during most of the first decade of this century. 

[Pat]

Allison in LF. Much more productive for a longer time than Mack.

 

[Hubie29]

1 hour ago, gagu said:

Thoughts:

I think some have strayed from the spirit of this exercise. "This is not just about production or accolades. It's about connection, moments, and the players who came to define generations of Twins baseball."

 

In that case, Cesar Pepe Tovar, Disco Dan Ford, Lyman Bostock, and who can forget the Carew trade for Kenny Landreaux. These are some of my favorite memories. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

7 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

Disclaimer: my Twins memories begin with the 1991 World Series Highlights VHS (that baby should've won an Oscar and is available on Youtube).  And this is favorites, not best

C: Mauer

1B: Morneau

2B: Knoblauch (if you never heard anything about him after 1997, he was really fun to watch).  If he's disqualified for his post-Twins-career shenanigans, then Dozier

3B: For one season, Sano's all-star year.  For their Twins career, Koskie

SS: Correa (that throw home might be the best sporting moment I've ever witnessed in person.  And we at least got to pretend that we were a Big Boy Team for once when he signed)

LF: 2019 Rosario, I guess (can Hunter slide over to left?).  Maybe the chalk outline they put on the Metrodome wall for Butch Huskey

CF: Buxton (close call over Hunter).  Unlike Knoblauch, Puckett has more viable replacements behind him to make up for the post-career icky-ness of it all

RF: Cuddyer

DH: Cruz

DH2: Thome (I don't care, I'm inventing the position for him, simply for shutting Hawk Harrelson up for an entire trip around the bases)

DH (nice guy edition): I had a college football teammate get drafted by the Twins and spend a few years in their system (he's also now a surgeon and an incredibly nice guy.  Some people are just good at everything, the jerk.)  Anyway, he got a chance to meet major leaguers on rehab assignments every now and then.  When Rondell White joined his team for a spell, he took the entire team out to dinner and couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I felt that deserves a shout out here

Utility: La Tortuga (the clip of him scoring from first against the Yankees was a modern art masterpiece)

Backup C: Redmond (smell 'em)

SP: Johan, Radke, Pablo, Morris, The Summer Of Liriano (I thought we were watching a mutant pitch that year)

Closer: Guardado (Nathan was better, but Eddie was more fun to watch)

Bullpen (nice guys edition): once upon a time, a 9 year old Hambino and his family road tripped to KC for a series against the Royals.  For the first and only time, we tried to get autographs after the game.  Little brother dropped his baseball and it started rolling toward the team bus.  Out of nowhere, Rick Aguilera sprints after it, gets it before it disappears underneath, signs it, and hands it back to him.  Also, Mark Guthrie made every extra effort to sign my ball even though my crappy pen wasn't working.  Even wiped it off on his shirt.  They didn't have to do these things, so they get a shout out here

Bullpen (local guys edition): Neshek and his funky motion, Varland pitching like a wrestler, Perkins for reinventing himself so successfully as both an effective reliever and fun TV personality (my old college teammate also interacted with him when he was still a starter and on a rehab assignment, and let's just say the experience wasn't exactly the same as with Rondell White)

Manager: Kelly (Cigar + Zubaz + Titles = GOAT)

GM: McPhail (Ryan disqualified for not going for it at the 2006 deadline)

Owner: N/A

Great post. Thanks Ham.

[Cody Christie]

Here was what MLB Network released tonight