Franchise Timeline
1990
On paper, the Twins 1990 season appears to be terrible, as they finished in last place for just the third time since divisional play began in 1969. Despite their record, the Twins had several bright spots. Rick Aguilera was converted from starter to reliever in the bullpen and responded by recording 32 saves. Right-hander Scott Erickson made the jump from Double-A Orlando to the Twins in June and finished the season strong, going 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA.
Brian Harper established himself as one of the game's best hitting catchers, batting .294 and with a 25-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors that season. Shane Mack, selected in the December 1989 draft, was one of the team’s most dependable hitters (.326) and showed good speed on the bases, going 13-for-17 in stolen base attempts.
On July 17, in Boston, the Twins did something that had never been done in the history of Major League Baseball (and hasn’t been done since): They turned two triple plays in a single game. In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and Scott Erickson pitching, former Twin Tom Brunansky hit a sharp grounder to Gary Gaetti at third, who stepped on the bag for the force out, fired to Al Newman at second and his relay to Kent Hrbek was in time to get Brunansky at first. In the eighth inning, with John Candelaria on the hill and runners on first and second, Jody Reed hit a one-hopper at Gaetti who again started a 5-4-3 triple play. The Twins remain the only team to achieve this particular feat.
1991
1991 is another year that forever holds a place in the mythology of the Twins. After the club’s most successful spring training ever at its new spring home, at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, FL, the club sputtered out of the starting gate, beginning the year 2-9 on two brutal West Coast trips.
But the Twins soon turned it around, behind the spectacular pitching of Scott Erickson, who won a club-record 12 consecutive games, and closed the gap on first-place Texas, making their move as June rolled around. On June 16, Minnesota found itself in first place by the slimmest of mathematical margins, a place the club held for the remainder of the season. Standouts who boosted the club down the stretch included Erickson, who led the majors with 20 wins in his second season, and St. Paul native Jack Morris, a free agent veteran at the tail end of his career who went 18-12 with a 3.43 ERA in his lone season with his hometown team. Offensively, Chili Davis led the Twins with 29 home runs and 93 RBI, while Kirby Puckett (.319 AVG, 15 HR, 89 RBI) and Kent Hrbek (.284 AVG, 20 HR, 89 RBI) also had solid campaigns.
Minnesota won the American League pennant, 4-1, over the Toronto Blue Jays and advanced to the World Series for the second time in four seasons. The 1991 World Series is often regarded as one of the best of all-time. Facing National League Champion the Atlanta Braves, the Twins – in parallel with their 1987 title series – won the first two games at the Metrodome, before falling in Games 3, 4 and 5 in Atlanta, including a 14-5 setback in Game 5. When the series returned to the ‘Dome, the Twins dug deep and found some magic in Minneapolis and won the subsequent two games in extra-innings, taking Game 6 on Puckett’s walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 11th inning. Game 7 proved just as dramatic, as the Twins became World Series Champions behind 10.0 shutout innings pitched by Morris – who refused to be taken out of the game – and Gene Larkin’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th that scored Dan Gladden and won the game for the home side.
1992
The 1992 season saw the continuation of the success of the previous year. The Twins went 90-72, their third 90-win campaign in the last five, and had record-setting individual and team accomplishments along the way. Despite that, however, the Twins couldn't catch the Oakland A's and finished in second place, missing the playoffs.
Kirby Puckett reached 200 hits for the fifth time in his career and again reached 100 runs and 100 RBI, while hitting over .300 for the seventh time in nine seasons. He also hit three grand slams, the first of his career and good enough to tie the club record, and was twice named American League Player of the Month. Chuck Knoblauch and Shane Mack each established themselves as top-notch players, as they joined Puckett by scoring 100 runs to become the first trio of Twins to each score 100 in team history. On September 1 at Detroit, Rick Aguilera notched his 109th save to become the Twins' all-time saves leader and on September 27 Tom Kelly won his 523rd game as Twins manager, more than any other skipper in team history.
1993
The Twins finished the 1993 season with a 71-91 (.438) record, which left them tied for fifth place with California. Rick Aguilera recorded 34 saves and was named American League Pitcher of the Month for June; on the other end of the spectrum, Scott Erickson led the majors with 19 losses. Kent Hrbek became the second Twin (alongside Harmon Killebrew) to reach 1,000 RBI and Brian Harper became (at the time) just fourth catcher in last 40 years to hit .300 in three consecutive seasons. Kirby Puckett earned All-Star Game MVP honors – the first Twin to do so – with a homer and an RBI double on July 13 in Baltimore.
The 1993 season was one of milestones for St. Paul native and Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. He doubled off Jimmy Key for his 500th career double on May 17 at New York and hit his 450th career homer off Russ Springer on August 1 at California. He also became the 19th player in AL/NL history to record 3,000 hits with a single off Dennis Eckersley in ninth inning on September 16 vs. Oakland.
1994
The 1994 season, the Twins first in the new American League Central division, was overshadowed by the labor dispute and ended on August 12. On April 27, Scott Erickson became the third Twin to pitch a nine-inning no-hitter and just the second (alongside Jack Kralick on August 26, 1962) to throw a scoreless nine-inning game with no hits when he beat Milwaukee, 6-0, at the Metrodome. Chuck Knoblauch had an 85-game errorless streak and led the majors in doubles. Kirby Puckett collected his 2,000th career hit off Bobby Witt, going 5-for-6 (sixth 5-plus hit game of career) on April 8 vs. Oakland. He also set the single-month club record with 26 RBI in April. Puckett later homered off Mike Magnante to become Twins' all-time hits leader (2,086) on June 26 vs. Kansas City. To cap it off, Puckett led the league in RBI, becoming the first Twin to do so since Larry Hisle in 1977.
On August 4, 1994, Kent Hrbek announced his retirement at season’s end. Over the course of his 14-year career, Hrbek helped lead the Twins to two World Championships and ranks in the top five in virtually every offensive category in club history. With the strike-shortened season, his last game in a Twins uniform was August 10, when the Twins beat Boston, 17-7, at the Metrodome. Additionally, on September 13, Terry Ryan was named Vice President/General Manager replacing Andy MacPhail, who left to become President/CEO of the Chicago Cubs.
1995
Due to residual effects of the previous season’s strike, the regular season did not begin until April 26 and a 144-game schedule was played in 1995. The Twins finished 56-88 (.389) in fifth place, 44 games back. The Twins all-time saves leader, Rick Aguilera, was traded to Boston; Scott Erickson, Kevin Tapani and Mark Guthrie were also dealt. The season was not without its bright spots, however, as outfielder Marty Cordova was named American League Rookie of the Year after hitting .277 with 24 home runs, 84 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Additionally, Kirby Puckett scored his 1,000th career run on May 17 versus California, had his 1,000th career RBI on May 26 versus Texas and hit his 200th career home run off Felipe Lira on August 20 at Detroit.
During the 1995-96 offseason, the Twins continued their efforts to rebuild by bringing back Aguilera as a free agent along with St. Paul native Paul Molitor, third baseman Dave Hollins, center fielder Roberto Kelly and catcher Greg Myers. The offseason also seemed to be the starting point for discussions involving the possibility of a new outdoor baseball stadium in 1999.
1996
Despite finishing 78-84 and chasing a Wild Card spot, the phrases "what if" and "if only" generally come to mind when thinking of the 1996 Twins season. A year filled with optimism turned into discouragement when the most popular player in Twins history, Kirby Puckett, awoke with blurred vision on the morning of March 28. Later diagnosed with incurable glaucoma, Puckett announced his retirement on July 12. In the following offseason, Puckett was named the team's vice president of baseball and continued to be a member of the organization in the coming years.
Molitor had a career year in which he became the 21st player in major league history to collect 3,000 hits by tripling off Jose Rosado on September 16 at Kansas City. The 40-year-old designated hitter led the league in hits, ranked second in at-bats and third in batting average (.341). Molitor’s performance led an offense that established single-season club records in batting average (.288), runs (877), hits (1633), doubles (332) and RBI (812).
Second baseman Chuck Knoblauch was the Twins’ All-Star representative and put together the finest season of his career by batting .341 with 35 doubles, 13 homers, 72 RBI and 45 stolen bases. In the offseason, the Twins added Minnesota native Terry Steinbach along with pitcher Bob Tewksbury through free agency, while discussions about funding a new proposed outdoor baseball stadium began.
1997
The Twins endured a long, frustrating year in 1997. Nagging injuries early on and disappointing performances from key players led to a 68-94 finish. The year was highlighted by the retirement of Kirby Puckett's No. 34 on May 25 and the 10-year reunion of the 1987 World Series Champions during the weekend of August 8-10. Pitcher Brad Radke put together a 20-win season and finished third in the American League Cy Young voting. His year included a 12-game win streak in 12 consecutive starts, a feat accomplished only two other times in the last 50 years at the time.
The Twins’ outdoor stadium efforts endured a roadblock in the offseason. The state legislature voted down several proposals for funding and Twins owner Carl Pohlad reached a sale agreement of the team with North Carolina businessman Don Beaver, whose intention was to move the team there. The deal, however, was not finalized heading into the 1998 season. The offseason also consisted of the Twins honoring Chuck Knoblauch's request for a trade on February 6. They acquired prospects from the New York Yankees in pitcher Eric Milton and outfielder Brian Buchanan in the exchange.
1998
The 1998 season consisted of promising young talent and a farewell to one of the greatest players to have ever played. The '98 club struggled with the bat and on the mound, compiling a 70-92 record – the Twins’ sixth consecutive losing season. However, the Twins did have solid individual performances from outfielder Matt Lawton, who led the team with 21 home runs and 77 RBI. In September, the Twins called up a nucleus of young, talented players including first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, third baseman Corey Koskie, pitcher Benj Sampson and outfielder Torii Hunter.
The end of the season marked the end of 21-year veteran and St. Paul native Paul Molitor’s career. "Mollie" played his last game on September 27 at the Metrodome. He singled to rightfield in the eighth inning off Cleveland's Doug Jones in the last at-bat of his Hall of Fame career. In typical Molitor fashion, he went from first base to third on a soft single to right, hustling all the way and sliding headfirst into the third-base bag. He would then score on a sacrifice fly, crossing the plate for the last time as the Metrodome crowd stood and cheered.
Additionally, the ongoing stadium issue became a non-issue, as Twins owner Carl Pohlad signed a two-year lease with the Metrodome assuring the Twins would play in Minnesota for the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
1999
1999 was the year of the rookie, when manager Tom Kelly and Twins coaching staff put 17 rookies on the field with the idea of throwing them in the water and seeing who could swim.
Eric Milton started to emerge as a dominant pitcher, topping 200 innings and providing the highlight of the season: a no-hitter vs. Anaheim on September 11. Cristian Guzmán proved to be a top-fielding shortstop, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz led the league with a .997 fielding percentage and Corey Koskie led the team with a .310 batting average. Chad Allen, Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones all had fair numbers as rookies, setting the tone for the years to come. Though the team finished 63-97, but the young players showed promise.