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Vanimal46

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  1. Vanimal46
    Introduction of the series here
    Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
    Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here
    Part 4: 1967 World Champs! here
    Part 5: Modern Day Free About to Begin! here
    Part 6: 1975-1980! here
    1981 Season:

    1981 Draft:   1. SEA - RF Kal Daniels 2. SEA - 3B Kevin Mitchell 3. BAL - 3B Mike Greenwell 4. SD - RF Jose Canseco 5. HOU - LF Lenny Dykstra   Kirby Puckett goes to the Toronto Blue Jays 8th overall. I think we need to do something about that... Doc Gooden went 9th overall to the Dodgers.    With the 28th overall pick, the Twins select SP Jim Deshaies.    1981 All Star Selections - SP Bert Blyleven (9x), SP Mario Soto (1x), C Butch Wynegar (5x), CF Timothy Clemmons (5x), RF Lonnie Smith (1x)   After a successful run, the Twins are now at serious risk of losing long time players to free agency. 30 year old Bert Blyleven is asking for an 8 year $22.4 million contract, and if we signed him, it would mean we can't afford players like Jack Morris and Butch Wynegar.  In the end, Hartman decided to keep the depth and let Blyleven test free agency. The FA class is loaded once again - highlighted by the 2 best pitchers in the last decade. Blyleven and 34 year old Nolan Ryan. In order for the Twins to afford either pitcher, it would require trading away 25 year old LF Timothy Clemmons. And that is simply not an option after winning 3 MVPs already.
    It saddens me to say that Bert Blyleven has agreed to a 6 year $2.8 M AAV contract with the New York Mets.  C Gene Tenace signs a 3 year $2 M AAV contract with the Montreal Expos. Detroit Tigers LF Mike Compton remains with the team after signing a 7 year $3 million AAV contract. Old friend Reggie Smith signs a 2 year $1.7 M AAV contract with Pittsburgh. 3B Buddy Bell signed a 4 year $1.9 M AAV contract with Boston. 
    @ashburymade a huge splash in FA signing Nolan Ryan to a 4 year $3 M AAV contract!
    The 1982 HOF class has 3 first ballot inductees - RF Roberto Clemente, RF Frank Robinson, and 1B Willie McCovey. 
    1982 Season:     1982 Draft:
    1. CAL - 3B Edgar Martinez
    2. SD - LF Ellis Burks
    3. STL - SP Roger "Rocket" Clemens
    4. CWS - 3B Kevin Seitzer 
    5. PHI - SS Mariano Duncan 
    1982 All Stars - SP Robert Bodden (1x), C Butch Wynegar (6x), LF Lonnie Smith (2x), CF Timothy Clemmons (6x), RF Randy Ready (1x), DH Dave Winfield (4x). 
    Twins CF Timothy Clemmons with a 4th MVP trophy, and is on his way to being one of the best players in MLB history. 
    2 old friends won Manager of the Year Awards - Harmon Killebrew for the Cubs, and former manager Curt Simmons who is now with the Red Sox. 
    Old friend Lonnie Smith signed with the Montreal Expos for 6 years $14.8 million. 23 year old LF Rickey Henderson signed with the New York Yankees for 3 years. $10.68 million. 38 year old Steve Carlton signed a 3 year $8.75 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. After 4 years with the Twins, SP Dick Ruthven signed a 2 year $2.5 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. 37 year old DH/LF Hal McRae is playing the twilight of his career in Toronto, signing right before Opening Day. RP Goose Gossage signed with the Oakland A's during spring training. 
    The Twins made some minor moves for pitching depth - signing SP Mike Angione to a 1 year $550k contract. SP Doug Bird signed a minor league contract, and RP Willie Hernandez signed for 1 year $440k.
    1983 Season:

    1983 Draft:   1. TOR - 3B/1B Mark McGwire 2. PIT - RF Dante Bichette 3. SD - SP Greg Maddux 4. BAL - SP Melido Perez 5. HOU - SS Jeff Blauser 6. CWS - LF Jay Buhner   SP Al Leiter went to the Braves 16th overall. SP Tom Glavine went 18th to Seattle. SP Terry Mulholland went to Philadelphia 20th overall. With the 24th overall pick, the Minnesota Twins select SS Kurt Stillwell.    In July, Sid Hartman righted a wrong and traded for RF Kirby Puckett, who was drafted 8th overall by the Blue Jays the previous year. RF Preston Cash and SP Orel Hershiser were sent to Toronto to complete the deal.    1983 All Stars: SP Mario Soto (2x), CL Willie Hernandez (1x), C Butch Wynegar (7x), 3B Richard West (1x), LF Dave Winfield (5x), CF Timothy Clemmons (7x)   This is the first offseason after Calvin Griffith sold the team to Carl Pohlad, and so far not much has changed from Griffith's penny pinching ways. We have the 16th largest budget to work with in MLB, and our star players are starting to become very expensive. Timothy Clemmons is the highest paid player in baseball making $3.4 million and he's worth every penny as a 5 time MVP through age 27.  After 12 years with the Twins, 32 year old SS Kenneth Bruno is moving on to free agency. He eventually signs a 5 year contract with the New York Yankees.
    Notable FA signings: 
    1B Rod Carew will play his age 38 season in Houston. C Gary Carter signed a 4 year $12 million contract with the New York Yankees. 2B Bobby Grich returns to San Francisco after being sold at the trade deadline in 1983. SP Bryn Smith leaves the Chicago Cubs and agrees to join the Yankees for 4 years. NYY also picks up SP Jerry Reuss for 1 year. The Twins trade deadline acquisition 1B Darrell Evans signed a 1 year deal with the Cubs. Houston signed the prize FA 25 YO 3B Wade Boggs to a 3 year $9 million contract. 
    The 1984 HOF class has 2 inductees - 1st ballot SP Gaylord Perry and C Bill Freehan. 
    1984 Season: 

    1984 Draft:   1. SEA - CF Barry Bonds 2. CWS - CF Larry Walker 3. PIT - LF Rafael Palmeiro  4. SD - 3B John Jaha 5. ATL - SS Roberto Alomar  6. SD - RF David Justice 7. SF - SP Randy "Big Unit" Johnson 8. TOR - 3B Ken Caminitti 9. CIN - SP Greg Maddux 10. OAK - RF Shane Mack   With the 27th overall pick, the Twins select 17 year old CF Al Martin.    For the first time in the series, the Twins are genuinely bad. We are 32-46 on July 1st and preparing to sell for the first time in many years.    1984 All Stars - C Butch Wynegar (8x), 3B Randy Ready (2x), LF Timothy Clemmons (8x), RF Dave Winfield (6x)   The 1985 HOF class was 4 players - 3B Pete Rose (1st ballot), LF Billy Williams (5YE), 1B Orlando Cepeda (6YE), RF Tony Oliva (5YE)   1985 Season:     Phillies back to back! 1985 Draft:
    1. PIT - CF Larry Walker 
    2. HOU - CF Moises Alou
    3. CWS - SS Gary Sheffield
    4. SEA - RF Juan Gonzalez
    5. ATL - CF Bernie Williams
    6. ATL - CF Sammy Sosa
    With the 16th overall pick, the Twins select 17 year old HS LF Greg Vaughn. 
    1985 All Stars: SP Bob Welch (2x), 1B Dave Winfield (7x), LF Timothy Clemmons (9x)
    @ashburynow has back to back WS appearances as GM for the Brewers! But he has not been able to lift a trophy above his head yet...
    RF Dave Winfield opts out of the last year of his deal and will test free agency at 34 years old. Carl Pohlad has given Hartman a generous budget for the first time in his tenure as owner. We have $25 million to work with which ranks 8th in MLB.    LF Aquiles Bautista signs a 7 year $3.25 M AAV contract with the Yankees. 38 year old legend Nolan Ryan goes back home to Houston for 2 years $3.4 M AAV after spending the last 4 seasons in Milwaukee. Nolan is 4 wins away from 300 in his career! 29 year SP Moose Haas signed a 5 year $2.7 M AAV contract with Seattle.    The best use of the extra budget for the Twins is the trade market... 29 year old 3B Paul Molitor was available as a salary dump from the Blue Jays and we took full advantage. He joins the team in exchange for 21 year old LF Darryel Walters who was playing in A ball.    The Twins also acquired CP Goose Gossage in exchange for 1B/LF Jesse Vann.    Old friend 3B Randy Ready signed a 3 year $1.3 M AAV contract with the Tigers. We will see if that's a regrettable decision to let a 25 year player walk. Old friend Jack Morris returns to the Twins on a 4 year $1 M AAV contract after spending the previous 2 seasons with Texas. Old friend Dave Winfield refused to negotiate with the Twins any further and ended up signing a 3 year $2.1 M AAV contract with the LA Dodgers.    Kansas City will be spending $3 million per year for the next 7 years for 28 year old LF Kirk Gibson. 38 year old C Carlton Fisk re-ups with the Mets for 2 more years after spending the previous 7 years with them.    The 1986 HOF is a lone entrant - first ballot SP Phil Niekro.    1986 Season:     1986 Draft:
    1. ATL - LF Albert Belle
    2. CAL - SS Gary Sheffield
    3. CLE - CF Ken Griffey Jr.
    4. CWS - C Dave Nilsson
    5. DET - SP Jack McDowell
    6. TOR - C Craig Biggio
    SP John Smoltz went 10th overall to the Dodgers. With the 28th overall pick, the Twins selected 21 year old SP Jack Armstrong. 
    Detroit Tigers LF Mike Compton and (now) Seattle Mariners 3B Mike Schmidt are the newest members of the 500 HR club! 
    1986 All Stars: SP Bob Welch (3x), 2B Tony Bernazard (1x), LF Timothy Clemmons (10x), RF Kirby Puckett (1x)
    St. Paul legend Paul Molitor signed a 6 year $15.2 million extension with the Twins.
    The Twins won the AL West divison on the final game of the season. The Twins won 7 games in a row and ended up winning the division with 98 wins. 
    Timothy Clemmons has declined his player option and will elect free agency. He will be by far the most coveted FA of all time. The 6 time MVP is expected to make $4.6 M AAV. 
    Timothy Clemmons signs with the San Fransisco Giants for 6 years at a record $4.7 M AAV. The Giants will be the big players in this FA class as they've also signed 3B Wade Boggs to an 8 year $4 M AAV contract. 35 YO Old friend SP Bert Blyleven signed a 3 year $2.2 M AAV contract with the Houston Astros. 35 YO old friend CP Goose Gossage signed a 2 year $575K AAV deal with the Detroit Tigers. 26 YO RF Chili Davis was a player we were in on per Pat Reusse but he signed with the NYM for 3 years $2.75 M AAV. 
    The Twins had a solid offseason in free agency - signing SP Dennis Eckersley, RP Dave Righetti, and SP Gary Malinowski to major league contracts. RF Dan Gladden, 2B Vance Law, 2B Wally Backman, and SS David Bertulli signed minor league with ST invites. 
    The 1987 HOF Class is 2 first ballot HOFs - SP Fergie Jenkins and LF Willie Stargell.
    1987 Season:

    Two huge things happened this season... Roger Clemens won a triple crown, and LF Eric Davis is the new single season HR king with 64 HRs. 

     

     
    1987 Draft:
    1. ATL - CF Ken "The Kid" Griffey Jr. 
    2. CLE - 1B Luis "Gonzo" Gonzalez
    3. MON - C Dave Nilsson
    4. CLE - RF Jim Edmonds
    5. CWS - LF Kenny Lofton
    6. DET - RF Reggie Sanders
    With the 28th overall pick, the Twins selects 3B Ron "Coom Dog" Coooooooooooomer! 
    1987 All Stars: SP Floyd Youmans (1x), RP Jim Desaies (1x), RP Dave Righetti (4x), 3B Paul Molitor (3x), RF Kirby Puckett (2x)
    Prior to the trade deadline, the Twins acquired 1B Kent Hrbek at a steep price. 1B Pat Tabler, RF Kevin Bass, and RP Bob Knepper who have all contributed to the MLB team successfully have been sent to Cincinatti. 
    The HOF class had 2 inductees. SP Tom Seaver and LF Lou Brock who got in after 7 years of voting. 
    1988 Season:

    1988 Draft:
    1. NYY - 1B Frank "Big Hurt" Thomas
    2. CLE - RF Brian Giles
    3. DET - 3B Jeff Bagwell
    4. TEX - C Mike Piazza 
    5. KC - 1B John Olerud
    6. BAL - 3B Jim Thome
    2B Chuck Knoblauch heads to San Francisco 8th overall. Mo Vaughn went 10th to the Dodgers, and Pudge Rodriguez went 15th to the Royals. With the 28th overall pick, the Twins select 2B Mickey Morandini. 
    1988 All Stars: SP Bob Welch (4x), RP Dave Smith (1x), SS Tony Fernandez (3x), LF Greg Vaughn (1x), CF Kirby Puckett (3x)
    The Twins and Mariners were fighting it out all season long for the AL West title, and the Mariners won it on the final game of the regular season with 95 wins. 
    Rickey Henderson goes to the bay area and signs with the Giants for 7 years $3 million AAV. 3B Gary Gaetti signed a 2 year agreement with Pittsburgh. 1B Jack Clark signed a 4 year $3 million AAV contract with the Pirates after spending the last 7 years with the Cardinals. RF Tony Gwynn signs a 6 year $3.6 million AAV contract with the Mets. Old friend Dave Winfield signed a 3 year $3.4 million AAV contract with the Tigers. Dennis Eckersley signs a 1 year $650K contract with Boston after a disappointing season in Minnesota the previous season.
    Kirby Puckett signs an MLB record 8 year $5.75 million AAV extension with the Twins! 
    The class of 1989 is a lone entrant. C Johnny Bench. 
    1989 Season: 

    1989 Draft:
    1. DET - SS Chipper Jones
    2. BAL - 1B Carlos Delgado
    3. CHC - SP Pedro Martinez
    4. MIL - RF Rusty Greer
    5. ATL - CF Carl Everett
    With the 26th overall pick, the Twins select RF David Hulse.
    36 year old George Brett playing for the reigning champion San Diego Padres accomplished 3,000 hits!
    1989 All Stars: SP Floyd Youmans (2x), C Matt Nokes (1x), 2B Paul Molitor (4x), SS Tony Fernandez (4x), LF Howard Elwess (1x), and CF Kirby Puckett (4x)
    42 year old Nolan Ryan achieved win #350 in September 1989!
    Just wanted to point out the ROY in 1989... 26 year old OF Bo Jackson for Atlanta, and 21 year old NYY 1B Frank Thomas.
    The Twins were highlighted in Awards season... Tom Kelly won manager of the year for the 8th time, Floyd Youmans won the AL Cy Young for the 2nd time, and Paul Molitor won the AL MVP for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, old friend Timothy Clemmons won the NL MVP for the 2nd time, making it 7 MVPs he's won. 
    33 year old Timothy Clemmons signs a 5 year $5.75 million contract with the Yankees. Old friend SP Bob Welch who has been a part of the rotation the last 5 years signs a 2 year $2 million AAV contract with the Rangers. Lou Whitaker signed a 5 year $3.3 M AAV contract with Texas Rangers. 
    The 1990 HOF has 3 inductees! C Ted Simmons is a 1st ballot HOF, SP Sam McDowell was in his 10th year of eligibility, and RF Reggie Jackson made it in his 4th year of eligibility. 
  2. Vanimal46
    Introduction of the series here
    Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
    Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here
    Part 4: 1967 World Champs! here
    Part 5: Modern Day Free About to Begin! here
    I've been GRINDING THE TAPE as they say and this will be my last long form season recaps. I am currently through the 1990 season and my next blog series will highlight just the champs and milestone highlights... With that said, let's talk about modern day free agency! 
    1975-76 Offseason:   With rumors of free agency about to begin, the Twins negotiated a historic contract extension for 24 year old ace SP Bert Blyleven. Bert agreed to a 6 year extension for an MLB record $4.8 million. As long as he remains healthy, he will be a bargain at $800,000 AAV.    2 weeks later, 24 year old SS Kenneth Bruno will be known as the first millionaire in Twins history. He inked an 8 year, $11 million contract extension.    @stringer bellmoved on after 8 years from the Twins and took on the task of making the Yankees great again. They have not made the playoffs since 1963. He got off to a strong start trading for Reggie Jackson.    After 21 years with the Pirates, Roberto Clemente will be playing his age 41 season in Boston.    Richie Ashburn and Nellie Fox were the 2 selections into the 1976 HOF.   1976 Season:   Tony Oliva retires shortly into April after a 14 year career. He finishes his career with a .296 career average, 2.226 hits, 222 HR, 1,006 RBI, and 56.7 WAR. He will likely be a HOF player once he's eligible.    1976 Draft:   1. NYY - SP Mike Scott 2. BAL - 2B Tim Raines 3. STL - SS Paul Molitor 4. SF - CF Harold Baines 5. KC - 1B Greg Walker   With the 28th overall pick, the Minnesota Twins select C Mike Scioscia.    The Texas Rangers loaded up on talent and they are the AL West Champs after winning 102 games. The Twins finished with 87 wins and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1970.    1976-77 Offseason:   Long time manager Curt Simmons leaves the Twins after a conflict with ownership. 38 year old Tony Oliva is named manager after a partial year managing the single A Wisconsin Rapids team.    Jim Kaat retires at 38 years old after an 18 year run with the Minnesota Twins. He finishes his career with 229 wins, a 3.21 ERA, pitching 3,503 innings over 485 starts.    The Twins first casualty to free agency was long-time OF Reggie Smith. The 31 year old signed a 5 year, $5.7 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds.   The first ever free agent class is absolutely loaded. FA SP: Steve Carlton, Catfish Hunter, Tommy John, and Jerry Koosman in their early 30's. Old veterans Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry who are 37 and 38.  FA C: Thurman Munson, Gene Tenace, Milt May
    FA OF: Bobby Bonds, Reggie Smith, Hal McRae, Al Oliver, Rusty Staub, Dusty Baker, Don Baylor, Lou Brock, and Carl Yastrzemski plus many others.
    The Twins locked in SP Catfish Hunter to join the rotation for $250,000, 32 year old 6 time gold glove CF Paul Blair for $110,000, along with other minor league signings to fill out our new single A team Visalia Oaks.    The 1977 HOF class has 3 first ballot players. Willie Mays, Don Drysdale, and Jim Bunning.   1977 Season:   1977 Draft:   1. MIL - 2B Tim Raines 2. OAK - SS Ryne Sandberg 3. BAL - SS Julio Franco 4. SF - 3B Bob Horner 5. CIN - SS Tony Phillips   Cal Ripken Jr. was taken 8th overall by the Cleveland Guardians. Old friend Chili Davis was taken 9th by San Diego. With the 19th overall pick, the MN Twins selected C Terry Kennedy.    1977 All Stars: SP Bert Blylevin (6x), C Butch Wynegar (1x), 1B Phillip Zahn (2x), SS Kenneth Bruno (4x).   The Twins won another AL West title with 103 wins, and 1974 28th round pick LF Timothy Clemmons had a crazy boost in player development. He finishes as the first .400 hitter since Ted Williams!   Sid Hartman faced off against close, personal friend @stringer bell in the ALCS, and @stringer bell ended up winning the series 4-1. He will face off against Cyborg @USAFChief's Astros in the World Series.    Houston wins their first WS in game 7! It's their first WS title in franchise history.    1977-78 Offseason:   LF Timothy Clemmons swept both the ROY and MVP of 1977.    SP Warren Spahn is the lone entry to the 1978 HOF Class.    1978 Season:   The Twins are off to a hot start at 25-15, and the Astros are off to a poor start after winning the World Series last season. Houston was seeking MLB talent, and the result was a blockbuster trade... 23 year old St. Paul, MN native Jack Morris and 22 year old 2B/3B Guy Sularz were traded to Minnesota for a trio of 26 year old players - SP Eric Rasmussen, 2B Leonard Bonk, and 3B Robert Pierce.    Milestone watch: Rod Carew eclipses 2,000 hits as a 32 year old. 34 year old Rusty Staub achieved the 2,500 hit milestone.    1978 Draft:   1. SEA - 1B Andres "Big Cat" Galarraga  2. PHI - RF Donnie Baseball Mattingly 3. BAL - SP Fernando Valenzuela 4. CIN - 1B Kent Hrbek 5. NYM - RF Brett Butler   RF Chili Davis was selected 7th overall by the Red Sox. 3B Gary Gaetti was selected 9th by Montreal.    With the 30th overall selection, the Twins selected 18 year old SP Orel "Bulldog" Herscheiser.    1978 All Stars: 22 year old SP Scott Budner (1976 R15 1x), 26 year old RP Bill Castro (1976 trade with PHI 1x), C Butch Wynegar (2x), 1B/DH Phillip Zahn (3x), and LF Timothy Clemmons (2x)    It was a tight race in September, but the Twins ended up 2 games back of the 93 win AL West champion California Angels.    The World Series featured the California Angels vs. Atlanta Braves. The Braves won the series 4-1.   1978-79 Offseason:   The Twins hired an unorthodox manager once Tony Oliva decided to leave for greener pastures. Recently retired 28 year old Tom Kelly will be taking over after signing a 5 year contract.   Timothy Clemmons was once a 28th round pick in 1974, but he has become the league's best player. At 22, he won his 2nd MVP award, and signed a historic 12 year, $29 million extension with the Twins.    Minnesota had an opportunity to bring back a St. Paul legend, and did exactly so. Signing 27 year old RF Dave Winfield to an 8 year contract for $950,000 AAV.    The 1979 HOF Class includes 2 first ballots in DET RF Al Kaline, and MIN 1B Harmon Killebrew. As well as SF Giants SP Juan Marichal in his 2nd year of eligibility,   1979 Season:   1979 Draft: 1. SEA - LF Eric Davis 2. TOR - RF Darryl Strawberry 3. CHC - CF Ivan Calderon 4. BOS - 3B Von Hayes 5. MON - 3B Danny Tartabull    With the 26th overall pick, the Twins select 3B Randy Ready    Twins All Stars: SP Bert Blyleven (7x), CL Bill Castro (2x), C Butch Wynegar (3x), 1B Phillip Zahn (4x), LF Timothy Clemmons (3x), RF Dave Winfield (2x)   Timothy Clemmons wins his 3rd batting title, and NYM 1B Rod Carew wins his 2nd batting title.   The Twins and Yankees face off in the ALCS. San Francisco and New York Mets face off in the NLCS. MIN and SF sweep the Championship Series and face each other in the World Series. The Giants held off the Twins 4 games to 2 and win their 4th WS title in the series!   1979-1980 Offseason:   The LA Dodgers poached Assistant GM Adam Thompson, who was Sid Hartman's close personal friend the last 4 seasons. As well as long time bench coach Gus Bell to be their manager.   World Series titles since 1961: MIN 5, SF 4, and the following teams with 1 title... LAD, NYY, BOS, OAK, PIT, PHI, ATL, CLE, HOU, TEX   Jim Kaat decides to forgo a coaching career and agrees to move up to the Front Office. He will be Sid's new close, personal friend. AAA Manager Wade Blasingame was promoted to Bench Coach.    Nolan Ryan after 14 years and 190 wins with the Mets, is heading home to the Houston Astros in a blockbuster 6 player trade. @USAFChief wants to get back to the playoffs after a disappointing 90 loss season.    The Twins traded 27 year old CP Bill Castro, an all star the previous 2 seasons, to Cincinnati for 24 year old CP Ron Davis and 27 year old AAAA reliever Al Holland.   Jim Rice, the top FA, signs an 8 year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Willie Stargell returns to Pittsburgh for his age 40 season after spending a number of years with the Dodgers.   The 1980 HOF class is a lone entrant, Hammer Hank Aaron who finished with 635 career HRs.    1980 Season:   Draft time!   1. SEA - 3B Kevin Mitchell 2. SEA - LF Eric Davis 3. CLE - 1B Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff 4. TOR - RF Paul O'Niell 5. SD - LF Lenny Dykstra 6. HOU - LF John Kruk 7. CHC - RF Tony Gwynn   With the 29th overall selection, the Twins select RF Devon White.    1980 All Stars: SP Bert Blyleven (8x), C Butch Wynegar (4x), 1B Phillip Zahn (5x), SS Kenneth Bruno (5x), CF Timothy Clemmons (4x), RF Dave Winfield (3x).   Willie Stargell hits HR #500 at the trade deadline!   The Twins win the AL West title with 98 wins and face off against @ashbury's Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers prevail 3 games to 2 and face off against the Montreal Expos in the WS. Montreal is the 1980 Champ winning 4 games to 1!
  3. Vanimal46
    Twins Video
      Introduction of the series here
    Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
    Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here
    Part 4: 1967 World Champs! here
    Hello everyone! It's been a minute since we last checked in on this series. Let's catch you up since we've all been in a coma for 7 years. 
    1967-68 Offseason:   Tony Oliva wins his 2nd Gold Glove in RF, and Lou Brock wins his first Silver Slugger in CF.   Twins SP Bob Veale wins his first Cy Young after a career best 18-1 record, 2.25 ERA in 240 innings.    We have back to back MVPs in both leagues with Al Kaline and Dick Allen earning the award again.    SP Early Wynn and C Yogi Berra are 1st ballot Hall of Famers for the 1968 class.    The Twins could upgrade at SS since Versalles plummeted with his bat, hitting .184 with a .527 OPS.    Jose Cardenal and Phil Niekro were traded for SS Larry Brown.    Zoilo Versalles was traded to Oakland Athletics for 3B Graig Nettles (9th overall pick in 1965)   1968 Season:   32 year old RP Ron Perranowski tore his UCL in spring training, and it was career ending for him.   33 year old OF Al Kaline accomplishes his 2,500th hit this season for the Detroit Tigers.    5 Twins were named to the All Star team - Bob Veale (3x), James Kubes (1st for 23 year old), Harmon Killebrew (9x), Rod Carew (first for 22 year old), and Lou Brock (3x).    A trade was made with Ashbury to acquire minor league depth at C and a AAAA pitcher for 2 underperforming Twins players.    The Twins enter September tied with the Detroit Tigers with a 80-58 record. During this month, 1B Harmon Killebrew hit his 400th career HR! It was a rough September for the Twins, and as a result, they were eliminated on September 25th, 1968. They finished 90-72, 5 games back of the AL champion Detroit Tigers. The Tigers go on to face the Giants once again in the World Series, and the Giants win the series 4-1. This will be their 3rd WS title in this series.   @ashbury finished his 1st season as Cincinnati's GM with 100 wins.    1968-1969 Offseason: League Expansion and The Introduction of Divisional Play   The MLB has expanded from 20 to 24 teams, and as a result, divisions were formed. In the AL, the KC Royals and Seattle Pilots were added to the league. In the NL, the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres were added to the league.    Prior to the Rule 5 draft, the Twins added SP Ray Miller, RF Roger Freed, CP Michael Peschel, SP Rob Gardner, RP Carl Finfarock, and SS Don Money to the 40 man roster. The Twins were decimated from the expansion draft, and needed as much help as they could from the minor leagues.    RF Tony Oliva is a 3 time Gold Glove winner. 1B Harmon Killebrew, 2B Ron Carew, and LF Lou Brock won Silver Slugger Awards. SP Bob Veale has won back to back Cy Young Awards.    The Rule 5 draft was particularly busy this year because of the league expanding. The Twins skipped their selection, and ended up losing minor league 3B Dave Nelson to the Pilots.    The offseason was quiet for the Twins for transactions. 2B Sandy Alomar was traded to the Seattle Pilots for a minor league RP.    The 1969 HOF class is highlighted by 3 players - SP Robin Roberts who made it first ballot, RF Enos Slaughter who was in his 5th year of eligibility, and SS Vern Stephens in his 8th year of eligibility.    1969 Season: Record-setting 109 wins!    With the 19th pick in the 1969 Amateur draft, the Minnesota Twins selected 20 year LHP Doug Rau from Texas A&M University.    The Twins are cruising to the All Star Break with a 67-31 record. As a result, 6 players were named to the All Star Team. The 6 players were SP Jim Kaat (2x) SP Bob Veale (4x) RP James Kubes (2x) 1B Harmon Killebrew (10x) 2B Rod Carew (2x) and LF Reggie Smith for the first time in his age 24 season.    The 1969 season was full of individual milestones for players around the league. LA Dodgers SP Don Drysdale records his 200th win, Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits his 500th HR at 35 years old, and RF Al Kaline hits his 400th career HR.    Heading into September, the Twins lead the AL West with an 89-42 record, a virtual lock to win the first AL West Division title. In fact, they clinched it on September 20th, a couple of days after the Giants clinched the NL West title.    The Twins face off in the 1st annual AL Championship Series against the 94-win Detroit Tigers and win the series 3-1. The Twins face a familiar foe in the World Series. The 112 win San Francisco Giants were not a match for the Twins this time, as Minnesota swept 4 games to 0 for their 3rd WS title in the series. Tied with the Giants for most since 1961.    @ashburyand @USAFChief are both looking to take down the Goliath in the NL West. Maybe next year!   1969-70 Offseason:   The best player of the series, Mickey Mantle, retired in the offseason at 38 years old. He finishes as a 6 time MVP, 16 time All-Star, and 656 career HRs.    Baltimore and Boston fired their General Managers. RF Tony Oliva wins his 4th gold glove award. 35 year old Pirates legend Roberto Clemente now has 9 gold glove awards.    Ashbury's Reds had 4 silver slugger award winners! 21 year old Johnny Bench, 2B Don Buford, 3B Tony Perez, and CF Jimmy Wynn. Will he trade some offensive talent for the pitching the team desperately needs?   Twins 2B/3B Don Money won Rookie of the Year for the AL, and Cubs 18 year old LF Jeff Burroughs wins it for the NL. Tigers RF Al Kaline wins his 4th MVP award, and Phillies 1B Dick Allen wins his 3rd.    Calvin Griffith continues to lower our budget, even after a World Series victory... As a result, the Twins were forced to trade their highest paid player Bob Veale to the Boston Red Sox for 4 pitching prospects.   Cardinals legend Stan Musial and Dodgers legend Duke Snider were the lone members of the 1970 HOF class.    1970 Season:   The AL West has 4 teams that are projected to do well. White Sox with 93 wins, Twins with 92, Angels with 89, and Athletics with 87. Pitching is going to be the biggest challenge for the Twins to repeat as World Series champions. Not only did they lose Bob Veale to trade in the offseason, George Stone endured a season ending shoulder injury in spring training.    Rod Carew also caught the injury bug when he tore his hamstring on April 29th, 1970.    With the first pick in the 1970 June Amateur draft, the San Diego Padres select SS Mike Schmidt! George Brett will be a future AL West star, except on the Milwaukee Brewers.    Star/Legendary Player Watch: Willie Mays has 3,000 hits and is chasing 600 HRs in his age 39 season. 10 time All-Star Frank Robinson is still on the Reds and eclipsed 460 HRs in his age 34 season.    6 Twins players were named to the 1970 AL All-Star team - SP Jim Merritt (4x), CP James Kubes (3x), 1B Harmon Killebrew (11x), SS Don Money (1st time), CF Reggie Smith (2x), and RF Tony Oliva (4x)   The Oakland Athletics dominated the AL West and eliminated the Twins by mid September. The Athletics finish the regular season with a 110-52 record and make their first appearance in the World Series since relocating to Oakland. Oakland faces off against the Pittsburgh Pirates, their first WS appearance in the series, and Oakland wins the series 4-2!    1970-71 Offseason:   Award Season:   Tony Oliva wins his 5th Gold Glove. Harmon Killebrew wins a silver slugger award at 1B.   Rookie of the Year: CWS RP Don Gullett and LAD SP Steve Dunning   Cy Young: Tom Hall for the Angels went 27-0! Phillies Fergie Jenkins had a great season himself.   MVP: Harmon Killebrew wins his 2nd MVP of the series at 34 years old. Meanwhile, 36 year old Roberto Clemente wins his 1st MVP, which seems absurd.    The AI... errr... I mean @ashbury is going off the rails. Perhaps he is also under budget constraints? Whatever happened, resulted in RF Pete Rose being traded to @USAFChief Houston Astros for a modest return...    After 10 years with the Twins, 2B/3B Rich Rollins was released from the team.    Whitey Ford is the lone member of the 1971 HOF class making it as a first ballot.    1971 Season:   During spring training, SP Jim Merritt was lost for 3 months due to a shoulder injury. The rotation is led by 32 year old Jim Kaat, and 4 other players under 24 years old - Joe Coleman, Doug Rau ('69 R1), George Stone ('65 R1), and Steve Kline ('66 R3).    Milestone Watch: CIN RF Frank Robinson (age 35) and Harmon Killebrew (age 34) approaching 500 HRs... DET RF Al Kaline (age 36) gets hit #3000! 40 year old Willie Mays hits HR #600 on May 18th! Pirates legend Roberto Clemente gets hit #3000 on July 30th!   Old friend OF Bob Allison retired on May 1, 1971 at 36 years old. He spent the rest of his career with the Pirates after our trade at the deadline in 1965.    At the All-Star Break, the Twins are in 1st place with a 53-37 record. 6 players were named to the All-Star team - SP George Stone (1x), CP James Kubes (4x), 1B Harmon Killebrew (12x), 2B Rod Carew (3x), CF Reggie Smith (3x), and RF Tony Oliva (5x).   Minnesota ends the year with 100 wins and another AL West division title. They were eliminated by the eventual champions Cleveland Guardians.   1971-72 Offseason:   RF Tony Oliva (6x) is the lone Twins player to win a Gold Glove.    Oliva wins his 1st MVP award. Roberto Clemente was the NL MVP.   Once again, the Twins did nothing in free agency. We were out of money thanks to penny pinching Calvin Griffith.    In the Rule 5 draft, the Twins selected 22 year old RP Steve Leubber from the Orioles.   The lone selection in the 1972 HOF class is Pee Wee Reese in his 9th year of eligibility.   1972 Season:    21 year old SP Ray Burris (1x), 33 year old SP Jim Kaat (3x), 2B Rod Carew (4x), and CF Reggie Smith (4x) were named All-Stars for the 65-32 Twins.   Milestone watch later in the season... Hank Aaron hits his 600th HR in his age 38 season. Harmon Killebrew is showing signs of decline in his age 35 season chasing 550 HRs.    During the ALCS, Jim Kaat blew out his elbow. He will be out for the 1973 season at a minimum.   Boston Red Sox win their first WS title since 1908, beating the 106-win Houston Astros 4-2.    1972-73 Offseason:   The offseason begins with a blockbuster trade. The California Angels traded 24 year All Star pitcher Tom Hall and 20 year old LF prospect Jerry Mumphrey to San Francisco for 28 year old All Star closer Masanori Murakami and 22 year old 2B prospect John Harbin.   Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Chicago White Sox will all be looking for new GMs.    The Twins had a banner year in the awards department. CF Reggie Smith won AL MVP, SP Joe Coleman won his 1st Cy Young Award, and SS Kenneth Bruno won AL ROY.    3B Eddie Matthews and SP Sandy Koufax are both 1st ballot Hall of Famers in the 1973 class.   Calvin Griffith continues to tighten the belt on the budget. We have enough depth at OF, and decided to trade away LF Lou Brock to the New York Yankees for 23 year old SP prospect Jim Willoughby and 20 year old 2B Leonard Bonk.    1973 Season:    Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits a new milestone, with 3,500 career hits on May 25th.    Top picks in the 1973 draft:   CF Lonnie Smith 1st overall to Montreal, 1B Mark Lucich 2nd overall to Milwaukee, C Dale Murphy 3rd overall to Kansas City, CF Willie Nelson 4th overall to San Diego, and LF Steve Henderson 5th overall to San Francisco. Old real life friend Roy Smalley went 8th overall to the St Louis Cardinals. With the 22nd overall pick, the Minnesota Twins selected switch hitting C Butch Wynegar.    3 Twins were named to the 1973 All Star team. SP Randy Jones (1x), 2B Rod Carew (5x), and CF Reggie Smith (5x).    At the trade deadline, the Twins are in a tight AL West race, only leading the division by 1 game. Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva have declined dramatically, and the rotation is not as strong without Jim Kaat leading the way. Unfortunately the budget isn't available to add MLB talent.    The Twins and Athletics have been in a battle for the AL West title all season long, and that hasn't changed on September 1st. The Twins remain 1 game ahead of them with a 85-49 record.    The Twins finish 1st again in the AL West race. And end up losing in the WS to the Phillies 4 games to 1.    1973-74 Offseason:   Harmon Killebrew retired after a 20 year career with the Twins. He finished with 570 HRs, 3 time WS champion, 2 time MVP, 1 Gold Glove in 1972 hilariously, 11 time All Star, and 5 time Silver Slugger. We offered him a manager position with our AA team, and he accepted. In the next year or two, who knows, maybe he will be the next manager of the Twins.    3B Graig Nettles and SS Kenneth Bruno win Gold Glove Awards.    Jim Kaat suffered a setback in his rehab from a torn elbow flexor. With his return looking unlikely, Sid Hartman swung for a blockbuster trade with the Orioles. 22 year old SP Bert Blylevin will head to the Twins for 5 prospects. 23 year old SP Ray Burris who started 29 games last year for the Twins, #1 org prospect 1B Randy Bass, #3 org prospect C Terry Mappin, #5 prospect RF Jim Fuller, and #9 prospect LF Raymond Castaldi.    Nobody was voted into the 1974 HOF class.    1974 Season:   Willie McCovey hits his 500th HR and 2,000th hit this year. As well as Roberto Clemente clearing 3,500 hits. Cincinnati Red legend Frank Robinson achieved his hit #3000 and 600th HR. Baltimore Orioles 1B Boog Powell hits his 400th HR.   1974 Draft: MON: 1B Willie Aikens MIL: C Dale Murphy (unsigned from last year) KC: 1B Jason Thompson KC: 3B Lou Whitaker SF: LF Andre Dawson   With the 28th overall pick in the 1st round, the Minnesota Twins select HS pitcher Dave Rozema.    Jim Kaat returned after his elbow injury and recorded win #200 in his illustrious career.    6 Twins were named All Stars for the 74 campaign. SP Bert Blylevin (3x), SP Randy Jones (2x), C Milt May (1x), 2B Rod Carew (6x), SS Kenneth Bruno (1x), and LF Phillip Zahn (1x).    At the trade deadline, the Twins sit at 68-41 and in 1st place by 2 games over the Oakland Athletics. The Twins stood pat and continued to rely on their young talent to carry them to another postseason.    The Twins win the AL West comfortably with a 99-63 record. The Tigers challenged them in the ALCS, but the Twins advance to another WS.    This go around, the Twins win their 4th WS in the series 4 games to 3. Game 7 was very tight on scoring. Bert Blylevin was the hero throwing a 1 hit shutout in a 2-0 victory!   1974-75 Offseason:   Award Winners:    Gold Glove to C Milt May and 2B Rod Carew   Rod Carew also won a Silver Slugger Award.   Bert Blylevin is the AL Cy Young Award winner. 
  4. Vanimal46
    Introduction of the series here
    Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
    Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here
    Hello friends! Putting a slight pause on the series to ask a question in the comments below. In the meantime, enjoy another WS title winning run in 1967! Below are my notes since the last time I checked in... 
    1964-65 Offseason:    CF Jackie Brandt wins a Gold Glove, and 4 Twins win Silver Slugger Awards - Mincher, Rollins, Killebrew, and Allison.  Sam Mele was named AL Manager of the Year after his WS clinching run.  Mickey Mantle has been named MVP in the AL for the 4th consecutive season. Meanwhile, Sandy Koufax swept the NL MVP and Cy Young - the first Triple Crown winning pitcher in the series!  The major signing for the Twins is 19 year 2B/1B Rod Carew who starts his professional career as the #3 prospect in baseball.  The Twins made another major trade, this time with the Cincinatti Reds. Minnesota trades 2 minor league prospects - 24 year old OF Ted Uhlaender and 23 year old SP Larry Bohannon for 32 year old LH SP Billy O'Dell.    No one was elected to the 1965 HOF class. Things are looking up for the Twins heading into Opening Day 1965.     1965 season:    First Amateur Player Draft: SP Tom Seaver is the first ever 1st overall pick to the Washington Senators. SP George Stone was the Twins' first draft pick ever at 16th overall. 
      1965 is the first season where we felt the penny pinching of our owner Calvin Griffith. In order to sign the majority of our draft class, it required making a drastic change... As a result, the highest paid player on the team, LF Bob Allison, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for 18 year old SS Don Money and 19 year old SP Harold Clem.  All Stars - SP Jim Merritt, 1B Don Mincher, 3B Harmon Killebrew, and RF Tony Oliva. 54-30 record and 4.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers at the AS Break.  Even though the Twins sat at 2nd place in the AL with a 62-39 record at the trade deadline, the payroll slashing continued on. The Twins traded C Earl Battey (current highest paid player) and CF Jackie Brandt for 2 prospects - 21 year old CF Jose Cardenal and 20 year old RHP Ray Miller.  Despite finishing with a 20-4 record in September, including 13 wins in a row, it was not enough to overcome the Detroit Tigers. The Twins were eliminated in the 158th game of the regular season. The 105 win Twins go home unsatisfied, as the 109 win Tigers face the 103 win LA Dodgers in the World Series. Even though SP Sandy Koufax is a back to back Triple Crown winning pitcher, the team could not overcome the Tigers, losing the series 4-2. Detroit wins their first WS since 1945.   1965-66 Offseason:   Don Mincher and Harmon Killebrew win Silver Slugger awards.  Because Griffith cut payroll even further after losing the pennant race, the Twins traded another highly popular, but highly paid player in 4 time All Star 1B Don Mincher. The 27 year old 1B was traded to the Kansas City Athletics for 26 year old speedster OF Lou Brock, who has yet to establish himself. This move allows 1965 MVP winning 29 year old Harmon Killebrew to settle in at 1B for the foreseeable future. Major trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for LH SP Bob Veale.   Ted Williams has been elected to the 1966 HOF class. The Twins are in the middle of their contending window, and 1966 is another year full of hope in Bloomington, MN.     1966 Season: Legendary 3B Eddie Matthews hits his 500th career HR. Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits career #400 this season at 32 years old.  Due to Phil Niekro establishing himself in the starting rotation, and 21 year old hotshot prospect Dave Broswell returning from injury, this made SP Camilio Pascual avaliable via trade. He was traded to the Washington Senators for 19 year old SP Joe Coleman.  The Twins selected 3B Steve Brye at 22nd overall in the 1st round of the 1966 draft. @USAFChief has accomplished his goal of creating a top 3 minor league farm system after drafting John Mayberry Sr with the 4th overall pick. @AceWrigleyis the best of the lousiest, and lousiest of the best ranking 10th.    
    At the All-Star break, the Twins sit in 2th place with a 56-35 record. 3 Twins players were named All Stars - SP Jim Merritt (2x), C Tim McCarver (1st appearance for the 24 year old), and 1B Harmon Killebrew (7x) Approaching the trade deadline, the Twins won 6 in a row to raise their record to 65-41 However, they still have a steep hill to climb trailing the Detroit Tigers by 3 games. Sid Hartman felt confident in his young team and stood pat.  The Twins continued to play red-hot winning baseball throughout August and enter September tied with the Detroit Tigers for the AL lead. It's a 3 team race between us, the Tigers, and the Red Sox who are 3.5 games back.    The Twins and Tigers battled all throughout September for the AL lead. Unfortunately for Minnesota, they were eliminated in the final game of the season, after losing the last 2 games to Baltimore. Detroit wins the AL with 97 wins, Minnesota 96 wins, and Boston 95 wins.  The San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 6 games, with Willie Mays winning MVP honors.   Kudos to Assistant GM @ashburyfor having the confidence in Mack Jones. The 27 year old enjoyed a breakout season as the 4th OF. He appeared in 146 games, 51 of those he started, batting .273 with 18 HR and 58 RBI.    1966-67 Offseason:   In a shocking turn of events, Sam Mele who has been managing the team for the last 5 seasons is leaving the team after not coming to an agreement on a new contract. He will be remembered as the winningest manager since moving to Minnesota with a 490-321 record and 1 WS title. Sid Hartman hosted a press conference and disclosed that Mele wanted full control of the team. Hartman did not agree and allowed him to explore other opportunities.  Hartman was once an unorthodox hire, and he is taking a chance on recently retired SP Curt Simmons to be the next Twins manager. He was signed to a 5 year contract.      This is going to be a tricky off-season for the Twins. 21 year old 2B Rod Carew is beating the door down in AAA, but another 21 year old in Reggie Smith is currently occupying his position in the majors. Reggie has the ability to play corner OF, but our current OF is set with Brock, Cardenal, Oliva, and Jones. The Twins could use an upgrade at 3B, where Joe Foy underperformed, and a shutdown reliever.  New York Yankees C Eslton Howard retired from baseball at 37 years old and will enter politics as New York City's newest House of Representatives.  SS Zoilo Versalles and RF Tony Oliva won the Gold Glove Award for their respective positions. Oliva also won a Silver Slugger Award.  SP Jim Merritt wins his first Cy Young Award, leading the majors with 272 innings pitched.      2B John Donaldson and SP/RP Larry Bearnarth were added to the 40 man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft.  Brooklyn Dodgers catching legend Roy Campanella is the lone member of the 1967 HOF class.    While the Twins attempted to make a trade over the offseason, Sid Hartman did not receive enough value to move on from 2B Reggie Smith. Rod Carew will have to wait patiently in AAA until an injury or in-season move occurs.    1967 Season:   Milestone watch heading into Opening Day... Mickey Mantle, who has been the best player in this series by far, has 575 HRs entering his age 35 season. Hammerin' Hank Aaron has 433 HRs entering his age 33 season. Pete Rose is looking for the 3 peat as NL batting champion.  Due to new manager Curt Simmons' unorthodox ways, the Twins enter 1967 with a new defensive configuration... Lou Brock spent spring training playing CF, and ended up winning the starting job over Jose Cardenal. Reggie Smith made the move from 2B to LF, and rookie Rod Carew made the team at 2B. Defensive prowess has been sacrificed to clear a path for Carew, but Hartman sees something special in him to make these decisions.    C - Tim McCarver 1B - Harmon Killebrew 2B Rod Carew SS Zoilo Versalles 3B Joe Foy LF Reggie Smith CF Lou Brock RF Tony Oliva   Reggie Smith on May 31st was beaned in the head with a pitch, and was concussed in the process. The Twins lost him for the season. Jim Merritt was also struck with the injury bug after his extreme workload last season. 1966 4th round selection Jim Colborn was called up from AAA to take a spot in the rotation.  With the 20th overall pick in the 1967 draft, the Minnesota Twins select CF Tom Kelly, a 17 year old CF from Graceville, MN. A close, personal friend told Hartman that Kelly could not only be a potential MLB player, but a future manager.      The Twins were off to a historic start to the 67 season - they entered the All Star break with a 63-21 record. As a result, 9 players were selected to the All-Star team. At the trade deadline, the Twins could have looked for an upgrade at SS, where Versalles is struggling with a .590 OPS, but they are so far ahead at 76-27, Hartman spent the day at Manny's Steakhouse. The starting pitching staff has been pitching in such dominating fashion that nothing else really matters. It really is a sight to see.      Minnesota cruised to an AL pennant, winning 108 games. 21 year old rookie Rod Carew wins the AL batting title, and Pete Rose does three peat in the NL.  The Twins faced the Dodgers once again in the World Series, and won in 5 games!
     


  5. Vanimal46
    Introduction of the series here
    Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here
    In the 1962 regular season, the Minnesota Twins showcased their talent with players like Harmon Killebrew, Jack Kralick, and Don Lee earning All-Star nods. With a 45-40 record, they stood in 4th place at the All-Star break. A notable trade saw Lenny Green moved to the St. Louis Cardinals, paving the way for the rising star Tony Oliva. However, their playoff hopes dimmed by September 20, finishing tied for 3rd with the New York Yankees at 90 wins. The Red Sox represented the AL, while the San Francisco Giants emerged as NL champions.
    During the offseason, Pedro Ramos and Harmon Killebrew originated the "Get to Know 'Em" campaign because Metropolitan Stadium is hovering around 55% of its capacity...

    The Houston Colt .45s, led by @USAFChiefin his first season of ownership, struggled as expected for an expansion team, losing 113 games. Despite the challenges, they had the promising 18-year-old outfielder Rusty Staub as a building block for the future. The Chicago White Sox experienced a significant downturn, going from 102 wins in 1961 to 65 wins in 1962.
    The San Francisco Giants, boasting players like Willie McCovey and Willie Mays, dominated the 1962 season, earning the World Series title by defeating the New York Yankees in a 4-1 series. Willie McCovey is also this series' 1st Triple Crown winner for batting! 

    In the 1962-63 offseason, individual accolades came as Zoilo Versalles won a gold glove at shortstop, and Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison secured silver slugger awards. A major trade involved sending Bernie Allen to the Milwaukee Braves for Frank Bolling and Sandy Alomar. The Twins made no notable free agent signings. Even with the lack of activity, the team was predicted to perform very well in the upcoming season.

    The 1963 season was marked by a close pennant race with the Twins, Yankees, and White Sox.

    Despite a strong showing, the Twins were eliminated on the 161st game of the regular season. Pascual led MLB in pitching wins with 20, and Killebrew topped the charts in home runs with 42. The Los Angeles Dodgers, led by Sandy Koufax, won the World Series against the New York Yankees.

    In the 1963-64 offseason, Gold Gloves were awarded to Earl Battey and Zoilo Versalles, while Battey, Rich Rollins, and Bob Allison earned Silver Slugger Awards. The Twins signed 18-year-olds Dave Boswell and Reggie Smith. A major trade with the Baltimore Orioles brought Jackie Brandt to the Twins.

    The 1964 season was a year made for the cinema theatres! 
    The Twins are 52-29 and in 2nd place in the AL at the All-Star break. 1.5 games back from the New York Yankees, It was another star studded affair for the Twins, with 7 All-Stars named.  21 year old RP Pete Magrini, C Earl Battey, 1B Don Mincher, 2B Rich Rollins, 3B Harmon Killebrew, LF Bob Allison, and RF Tony Oliva were named to the All Star team.    The Twins are in a 3 way tie with the Yankees and Tigers at the trade deadline with a 64-39 record. At the deadline, the Twins traded SP Pedro Ramos to the Los Angeles Dodgers for RP Ron Perranoski. While Ramos had a 2.81 ERA in 94 innings prior to the deadline, the underlying numbers were not promising, and 25 year old Phil Niekro was ready to make the transition from reliever to the starting rotation.    It was a 3 team race starting in September between the Twins, Yankees, and Tigers.     With 2 games left in the season, it was still anyone's chance to win the division. The Twins and Yankees played in a 1 game take all series to represent the AL in the World Series. Game 163 was dictated by both catchers throughout the game. Earl Battey came through with the walk off hit in the 12th inning. 
     
    The Twins faced a powerhouse 107 win LA Dodgers team led by Triple Crown winning SP Sandy Koufax. The Twins won the series 4-2 for their first title since relocating to Bloomington, MN! 

  6. Vanimal46
    Introduction of the series here
    The 1961 season was a bit of a rollercoaster for the team, finishing with a record of 79-83 and landing in 8th place in the AL. The World Series saw the Los Angeles Dodgers triumph over the Chicago White Sox in a thrilling 4-3 series victory.
    In terms of transactions over the course of the 1961 season, there were none worth noting. Despite the temptation to sign young free agents like 17-year-old Sandy Alomar, the decision was made to stick with the existing roster, following a mandate from owner Clark Griffith to give the group another shot before making major changes.
    The All-Star lineup featured 1B/3B Harmon Killebrew and C Earl Battey, but SP Camilo Pascual had a somewhat disappointing season compared to his previous All-Star performances. The bullpen struggled, and down in the minors, LF/RF Tony Oliva showcased impressive stats, potentially earning a spot in Minnesota next season.
    Moving into the 1961-1962 offseason, notable changes were on the horizon with NL expansion and both leagues adopting the 162-game schedule. The Houston Colt .45s and New York Mets joined the league, and an expansion draft in November resulted in the loss of RP Bob Porterfield to the Mets and LF Joe Altoberry to Houston.
    The managerial reins were handed over to Sam Mele, who brought in an entirely new coaching staff to mesh with the team. The offseason also saw the team acquiring RP Bill Fischer from Detroit and C Hobie Landrith from San Francisco in the free agency market.
    In the Rule 5 draft, the team selected 22-year-old knuckleballer Phil Niekro and 23-year-old CF Mack Jones, while losing pitchers Gerry Arrigo and Joe Bonikowski to other teams. The Hall of Fame welcomed starting pitchers Hal Newhouser and Bob Feller in 1962.
    The offseason proved to be a mix of changes and additions, setting the stage for what will hopefully be a more promising season ahead. Will this be the year that Tony Oliva makes himself a household name in MLB? I will check in next time in 1965, when MLB implements the amateur draft! In the meantime, here is a quick glance at the team heading into the 1962 season. 

    We have tough competition to win the AL, Hopefully with a revamped bullpen, a bounce back season from Pascual, and 3 solid prospects ready to contribute at Metropolitan Stadium, we surprise some people. 

     
  7. Vanimal46
    As the crack of the bat fades away and the echo of cheering crowds subsides, the hallowed fields of baseball fall silent, marking the end of another thrilling season. As the final out is recorded and the last pitch is thrown, a hush descends over the diamond, signaling the inevitable transition from the sun-soaked days of summer to the crisp embrace of winter.* Since winter is upon us, and I still have the itch for baseball, I decided to try something new... Out of the Park Baseball has a mode in their game to play historical seasons, and over the course of the winter I will be simulating the game starting from 1961 to see if I can win more than 2 World Series titles. Let's begin this series by introducing the team! 
    *Wow, ChatGPT is such a romantic. 

    The 1961 Twins are led by a young core of Killebrew, Battey, and Allison. With a couple of young guns waiting for their chance in AAA like Tony Oliva, Rich Rollins, and Don Mincher. Working with team owner Calvin Griffith is not going to be an easy task. So we hired a spry 40 year old with a lot of close, personal friends to overcome this challenge. 

    The season is about to get under way. Can Hartman lead this newly relocated team to the promised land? Who should we keep an eye out for in the coming years? 
  8. Vanimal46

    I’m Incredibly Bored of Position Players Pitching

    By Vanimal46,


    Position Players Pitchinf
    There was a time in baseball history where throwing in the towel and using a position player to pitch was a rare sight to see. Heck, I’m sure people tuned in to witness the comedy and see a position player actually try on the mound. 
    For example, Jeff Francour pitching 2 innings in 2015, topping out at 88 MPH and mixing in 4 different pitches to boot. 
    Or Ichiro Suzuki taking the craft seriously, throwing 87 MPH and mixing in 3 different pitches during his outing in 2015. 
    And of course, Willians Astudillo who threw mid 70s and the infamous 40 something MPH eephus. 
    Back in 2011, we only saw 8 appearances by position players on the mound. The number has exploded in recent years. 
     2017: 65
    2018: 78
    2019: 90
    2020: 50
    2021: 95
    2022: 23 as of June 1. Can’t find exact number up to June 23
    It’s also not just the sheer number of position players pitching that’s making this once novelty incredibly boring. The way they’re now pitching is 10 year old little league status.
    If position players are now being informed not to try at all on the mound and throw 40 MPH floaters, what are we doing here? It’s no longer entertainment. 
    The problem is only going to continue getting worse with the rule in place to have a max of 13 pitchers on staff. Teams will continue to throw the white flag down or up by 6 runs to save their bullpen arms for another game. Paying fans will watch professional baseball players lob pitches 40 MPH for an inning or 3. And the product will suffer. 
  9. Vanimal46
    It's Friday afternoon, and I'm counting the minutes until the weekend. Let's make a plan.
     
    For this exercise, I started with Matthew Taylor's spreadsheet on Twinspayroll.com, and used $125 million as the top spending level. My goal is to fall $5-10 million under that to reflect closer to a 15% payroll discount.
     
    When I started the exercise, I wondered how we could best allocate the budget if we elected not to re-sign Nelson Cruz.
     
    Let's get started...
     
    The spreadsheet shows these roster slots available to fill:
     
    LF
    DH
    4th OF
    Utility
    Utility
    Backup C
     
    Along with 4 bullpen slots and 2 slots in the starting rotation.
     
    Starting amount: $84.6 Million
     
    Internal Adds:
     
    In this blueprint, I gave LF, 4th OF, Backup C, 5th starter, and the last 2 bullpen slots to internal prospects.
     
    Alex Kirilloff gets my opening day nod in LF. If the team trusted him to start game 2 of the playoffs, they should trust him to start on Opening Day. By seniority, I chose Jake Cave as the 4th OF with a very short leash. Ryan Jeffers showed in the shortened season that he's ready for prime time and makes the team platooning with Garver. The Twins still have 3-4 prospects in the mix for the 5th spot, and I think one of them will win it. For fun, I chose Jhoan Duran. For the last two bullpen slots, Cody Stashak and Lewis Thorpe made the cut. I think Smeltzer and Thorpe will need to move to the bullpen this winter to have a shot at making the team.
     
    Running Amount: $88.2 Million
     
    Free Agents:
     
    SP #4 - Corey Kluber $10 million - This guy maybe toast. However, I can't help thinking what if he's healthy? There's very few besides Trevor Bauer who have Cy Young caliber stuff. I take that gamble with this regime's usual 1 + option year contact.
     
    RP Archie Bradley $6.5 million - Bradley instantly becomes the top free agent bullpen arm, and I think he's got the stuff to stay strong for another 2-3 years. I would offer 2/$13 and see if he bites.
     
    RP Tyler Clippard $3 million - Clippard was rock solid in the pen last year, and I'm happy to re-sign him for another season.
     
    Utility - Hanser Alberto $1 million - Admittedly I know nothing about this guy other than a quick glance at Baseball Reference. This isn't a hill I'm going to die on...
     
    DH Yasiel Puig $2 million - Here's the payoff for the blog title. I punted DH by not allocating $15 million towards the position and elect toward a rotational effort. Puig is still young enough, hits RH, and can play in the OF too.
     
    Running Amount: $110.73 million
     
    Trades:
     
    I only made one trade since they are impossible to predict. I really liked one of our member's suggestions to trade for Chris Taylor on the LA Dodgers. I have been looking for the post to give proper credit where its due and can't find it. Sorry!
     
    Chris Taylor fits the need for depth at 2B, SS, and the OF. He has 1 year left on his contract at $7.8 million. I won't claim to know exactly what it would take to acquire him. However, I believe it won't take more than a prospect playing in the lower levels of the minors, and doesn't affect anyone in consideration for a 2021 MLB roster spot.
     
    ALL IN COST: $118.53 million
  10. Vanimal46
    Over the off-season there will be PLENTY of chatter about the Twins. They're primed to be BOLD and make a YUGE splash in free agency.
     
    As a seasoned Twins fan I'm here to save you a bunch of time! The off-season is already predetermined, and your friend Vanimal found the transcript for the most DRAMATIC off-season yet...
     
    10/9: Twins exercise Nelson Cruz' option
     
    10/14: Jim Pohlad quoted in a Sid Hartman column "there will be no restrictions on payroll"
     
    11/1: Ken Rosenthal tweets the Twins are one of several teams interested in free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole.
     
    11/10: Jeff Passan tweets the Twins are attempting to schedule a meeting with Zach Wheeler's representation.
     
    11/11: Zach Wheeler signs 4/$72 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
     
    11/12: Lavelle E Neal writes rushed blog post saying Wheeler's representation never returned the Twins' call.
     
    12/1: Twins add 5 minor Leaguers to 40 man roster. Twins Daily writes that every player added has a floor of an average major league player, and a ceiling of a perennial all star.
     
    12/4: Jake Odorizzi signs a 5/$75 million contract with the Houston Astros.
     
    12/6: Pat Reusse writes column that the Twins gave an honest attempt to sign Odorizzi. Didn't want to commit to 5th guaranteed year.
     
    1/13: Twins sign SP Homer Bailey to minor league contract with invite to spring training.
     
    1/14: Twins season ticket holders receive automated email informing them prices will increase for the 2020 season.
     
    1/27: Jon Heyman tweets the Twins make Gerrit Cole their top priority.
     
    2/1: Dave St. Peter announces a new bar will be constructed 30 feet above the pitcher's mound held up by suspension cables! For $15,000 you can be RIGHT ON TOP of the action drinking your favorite local craft brew!
     
    2/11: Lavelle E Neal reports Jose Berrios has turned down extension offer from the Twins.
     
    2/15: Twins announce NEW FOOD offerings at Target Field.
     
    2/26: Gerrit Cole signs 8/$275 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
     
    3/4: Twins sign free agent SP Tanner Roark to 1/$12 million contract with a team option for 2nd year.
     
    3/13: Lavelle E Neal reports SP Brusdar Graterol is in team's plans to make opening day rotation.
     
    3/14: Brusdal Graterol optioned to AAA spring training.
     
    3/28: Twins realize they're still short 1 starting pitcher, re-sign Kyle Gibson to minor league contract with "opt-out" on May 1.
     
    You're welcome!
  11. Vanimal46
    Let me preface this post by acknowledging that the odds are low Machado signs with the Twins in real life. With low odds, we need to be BOLD and aggressive right upfront to schedule a meeting with him.
     
    Mr. Machado, I want you to remember 3 numbers. 60, 40, and 3. We'll go into more detail what those numbers represent.
     
    Let's start with the first number, 60. That's the number (in millions) I'm willing to offer you to play for the Twins in 2019. The organization is in a great spot financially with little to no extensive contract commitments after 2019. No one in baseball will be within $20 million of your annual salary. I hope this gets your attention.
     
    The second number is 40. And that will be your AAV of your contract with the Twins for the first 3 years of the contract. After the first year where you make $60 million, you'll drop down to $30 million and still be one of the top paid players in the game. Not even Mike Trout has an AAV of $40 million. I hope this gets your attention, Mr. Machado.
     
    Now let's talk about the last number, 3. This number is especially important because it allows you to control your own destiny. I'm willing to offer 3 opt-out clauses for you after your the 3rd year of your contract. If the team is failing to contend, it's your prerogative to opt-out and play somewhere else. However, we're confident the next wave of prospects in our system will compliment you very well from years 4-6 of the contract.
     
    So what do you think Mr. Machado? Is this bold enough for you to spend the next 6 years of your career with the Twins?
  12. Vanimal46
    http://gentlemint-media.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2012/04/18/6745f59b.jpg.505x650_q85.jpg

     
     
    ANND Welcome! To Minnesota Twins Whine Line: Detective Edition! I'm your LEAD Investigator, Vanimal, along with my trusty sidekick, the intern. Since we last checked in, both of us set down the PS4 controllers, put MLB The Show back in the case, and studied for our Private Investigator license! In the real world, we noticed that it's January 30th, and 8 out of the top 10 free agents have still yet to sign! It's a strange, boring off-season... There's been several STRONG takes about why this is happening... And we're no different! We decided to put on our Deerstalker, and dive deep into the REAL reason why recent off-seasons are boring...
     
    Collusion: It happened once before, so it could happen again, right? That's what we thought too! Until we put it to the test using real world examples... Have you ever arranged a conference call with 30 busy people before? It's NEARLY impossible to do! Plus, they would waste countless hours of time! Owners will be talking over each other, waiting for others to take themselves off mute, jumping on the line 25 minutes late, and needing to "circle back at a later time." All of that sounds exhausting....
     
    Whine Line Verdict: False.
     
    Waiting for a Sale: As consumers, we're accustomed to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, 4th of July BLOWOUTS, or "just because!" sales. Doesn't it feel good to purchase what you wanted, for a 30% discount! Of course it does! General Managers are humans too, and they want to feel like they got a discount... Now these days he could look at MLBTradeRumors, FanGraphs, even the Twins Daily Handbook to find salary projections of free agents. Where's the excitement?! The THRILL of the hunt?! Perhaps they're waiting for their Cyber Monday sale....
     
    Whine Line Verdict: Certainly possible!
     
    Too Many Options: Typically at this time of year, 1 or 2 of the top free agents are left unsigned... If that! This year, there are 4 to 8 times as many options! Is it possible that General Managers are frozen in fear because there's too many players to choose from? We took our investigation on the road to get to the bottom of it!
     
    ANNND Welcome back! We're broadcasting LIVE from the Cheesecake Factory! That's right, the home of a 20 page menu.... If you can't find something to eat here, you're not looking hard enough! In order to test this theory, the intern and I gave ourselves a 30 minute window to decide what to order...
     
    WAITER: "Here are your waters, gentleman. Do you have any questions about the menu? Or know what you want?"
    VAN: "I think we need a little bit of time. There's so many options here. Any specials?"
    WAITER: "Today's soup of the day is split-pea, and we also have a Philly cheese steak with your choice of fries, salad, fruit, onion rings, or vegetable."
    VAN: "Wow, even the sides have a bunch of options to choose from... Okay, we need some time."
     
    8 minutes later...
     
    WAITER: "Are you ready to order? Questions at all?"
    VAN: "Yeah, a few questions. I'm debating between the Avocado BLT, Philly cheese steak, Chicken Parmesan, or Chicken Enchiladas. What would you choose?"
    WAITER: "Hmm, well, our Philly is one of the most popular orders today. The Chicken Parmesan is okay, but I would recommend our Spaghetti and Meatballs over that. And frankly, you're better off going somewhere else for Mexican food."
    VAN: "That helps... And the Cobb Salad?"
    WAITER: "I mean, it's a salad.... So... How about you sir, are you ready?"
    INTERN: "I'll have the uh, chi.... No. Not that. Umm.... Can you come back to me?"
    WAITER: "Guys, I do have other tables to tend to. I'll come back later."
     
    13 minutes later....
     
    WAITER: "Okay, how about now?"
    INTERN: "I.... I...... I JUST CAN'T DECIDE! Please, come back to me, okay?"
    WAITER: "Are you crying, sir?"
    INTERN: "It's your fault! There isn't a perfect option to order... EVERYTHING has flaws!"
    WAITER: "Okay, this is getting weird. What about you, sir?"
    VAN: "I have narrowed it down to 2 items, and I will get back to you by the end of the week."
    WAITER: "This ISN'T how this works, sir. Look, guys, it's only lunch. You're just spending some money now... It's not like you're trading me your watch, or I don't know... a top prospect like Nick Gordon in order to eat. So what do you say? Let's figure this out before my shift is over, okay?"
    VAN & INTERN: "Wow... This HAS to be how Falvine feels signing free agents.... I've seen the light!"
     
    Whine Line Verdict: TRUE
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