Manager: Tom Kelly
Home: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Home: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Before we get to the lineup I want to mention that the Twins were an inspiration for starting this series -- specifically their postseason futility against the Yankees. I wondered to myself If the Greatest Twins of All-Time faced a Yankee lineup with Mike Tauchman, Gio Urshela, and Austin Romine.. how many games would they win?
I think these guys would take a game or two from the current crop of Yanks:
Leading off for the Twins.. the Second Baseman.. Rod Carew
Rod Carew was an All-Star in every season except his last. The seven-time batting champion won AL Rookie of the Year in 1967 and AL MVP in 1977, when he hit a career-high .388 with a major-league leading 239 hits. Despite little power Carew accumulated nearly 4,000 career total bases and led the league in intentional walks three times. Carew's career WAR total of 81.3 is fifth all-time among second basemen; 68.3 of that was accumulated as a Twin - placing him second in team history and first among position players.
Batting second for Minnesota.. the Catcher.. Joe Mauer
One of the greatest hitting catchers of the 21st century, Joe Mauer is the only catcher to win multiple batting titles and the only American League receiver to win one. A six-time All-star, Mauer won five Silver Slugger awards and three Gold Gloves before moving to first base full-time in 2014. The 2009 AL MVP is second in Twins history with 428 doubles and fourth in WAR with a 55.0 career total. Mauer accumulated 2,123 carrer hits - a higher total than such legends as Johnny Bench and Gary Carter, and more than all but three players in Twins franchise history.
Batting third.. the Center Fielder.. Kirby Puckett
An immensely popular player throughout his twelve seasons in the Twin cities, Kirby Puckett won six Gold Gloves, six Silver Slugger awards, two World Series rings, and a batting title in his Hall of Fame career. The ten-time All-Star led the league in hits four times, total bases twice, and finished top-3 in MVP voting three times. "Puck" places in the Twins' top five in career hits, runs scored, RBI, batting average, and WAR.
Batting fourth.. the Designated Hitter.. Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew is Minnesota's all-time leader in offensive WAR, OPS, slugging, games played, total bases, and home runs. The Hall of Fame first baseman led the league in home runs six times, walks four times, and RBI three times. "Killer" is 12th all-time with 573 career dingers and seventh all time in at-bats per home run. He posted eight seasons of 40 or more home runs and eight seasons of over 100 RBI - leading the majors in both categories in his MVP season of 1969.
Batting fifth.. the Left Fielder.. Goose Goslin
Leon Allen Goslin was an RBI machine in the 1920s and '30s. "Goose" posted twelve seasons of 100+ runs batted in, including a league-leading 129 in 1924. Only five left fielders in history can match his career total of 1,612. Goslin won a batting title in 1928 with a .379 average and slashed .323/.386/.502 over his dozen seasons in D.C. His career batting average with the Senators/Twins franchise is tied for third highest in team history and his OPS+ of 131 is tied for fifth-best. Goslin played in five World Series, winning titles with the 1924 Senators and the 1935 Tigers. My late father in-law would want me to mention that Goslin is the only baseball Hall of Famer buried in New Jersey.
Batting sixth.. the Right Fielder.. Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva led the majors in hits and total bases as a rookie in 1964, earning him the first of eight consecutive All-Star nods and near-unanimous Rookie of the Year honors. The following year, Oliva finished second in AL MVP voting to teammate Zoilo Versalles after capturing his second consecutive batting title and leading the Twins to their first World Series in Minnesota. He was runner-up to Boog Powell for AL MVP honors in 1970 and won his third batting title in 1971. Tony's career OPS+ of 131 ties him with Goslin for fifth in franchise history.
Batting seventh.. the First Baseman.. Kent Hrbek
The Twins/Senators franchise has had several standout first basemen but Kent Hrbek outslugged nearly all of them; only Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs and collected more RBI than "Herbie". The Minnesota native slashed .282/.367/.481 over 14 seasons for his hometown team, batting over .300 three times. An All-Star in 1982, Hrbek finished second to Cal Ripken in that year's AL Rookie of the Year voting. He was runner-up to Willie Hernandez for league MVP honors in 1984, the first of his eight consecutive 20+ home run seasons.
Batting eighth.. the Third Baseman.. Gary Gaetti
A slick-fielding third baseman with power, Gary Gaetti won four Gold Gloves and hit 20+ home runs six times in his ten seasons with the Twins. The two-time All-Star was the ALCS MVP in 1987 en route to winning the Twins' first title. Gaetti and Senators star Eddie Yost posted nearly equal batting averages. Yost drew a tremendous amount of walks (his nickname was "The Walking Man") and his OPS+ was higher as a result. However Gaetti was the superior defender and collected nearly the same amount of total bases as Yost - in four fewer seasons.
Batting ninth.. the Shortstop.. Cecil Travis
Cecil Travis batted .327 over his first nine seasons with the Senators, collecting 200+ total bases six times. He made three All-Star teams and led the majors with 218 hits in 1941, finishing sixth in AL MVP voting. Then he missed the next three seasons serving in the US Army during World War II. In the three seasons following the war, Travis batted just .241 over 226 games. Nevertheless, his career .314 mark places him eighth in franchise history, well ahead of franchise icons Joe Mauer and Tony Oliva.
The Starting Pitcher for the Twins.. Walter Johnson
Perhaps the greatest pitcher in baseball history, Walter Johnson is the all-time leader in shutouts with 110, and his career WAR of 164.3 is the highest of any pitcher or position player. The "Big Train" led the AL in strikeouts twelve times, wins six times, ERA five times, and WHIP six times. In his first MVP season of 1913, Johnson went 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA, a 0.780 WHIP, and 11 shutouts. His WAR total that year was an astounding 16.4. In 1924 he won his second MVP award and led the Senators to their only World Series championship.
Catcher - Earl Battey
1st Base - Justin Morneau
Infield - Chuck Knoblauch
Outfield - Sam Rice
Outfield - Bob Allison
Battey made five All-Star teams and won three Gold Gloves from 1960-66. Morneau won AL MVP honors in 2006 and his .485 slugging % with the Twins (5th in franchise history) gave him the edge over lighter-hitting Senators Joe Judge and Mickey Vernon. "Knobby" won AL Rookie of the Year for the 1991 World Series champs. Sam Rice posted a career .322 batting average and collected 2,987 hits in his Hall of Fame career. Allison won AL ROY in 1959 and hit more home runs than all but two Twins.
#2 Starter - Johan Santana
#3 Starter - Bert Blyleven
#4 Starter - Jim Kaat
#5 Starter - Camilo Pascual
Santana was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball from 2004-2008, winning two Cy Young awards and the pitching Triple Crown. Blyleven's 3,701 career strikeouts are fifth all-time and his total of 2,035 for the Twins franchise is second to Walter Johnson. Kaat won 283 games and 16 Gold Gloves over his 25-year career. Pascual led the league in strikeouts and complete games three times. Brad Radke just missed the cut; his WAR and ERA+ totals were higher than Pascual's but he gave up more hits and home runs.
RH Reliever - Al Worthington
LH Reliever - Glen Perkins
LH Reliever - Eddie Guardado
RH Reliever - Firpo Marberry
RH Reliever - Rick Aguilera
RH Reliever - Joe Nathan
Worthington led the AL in saves in 1968. Perkins was a three-time All-Star. "Everyday Eddie" pitched the second-most games in franchise history. Firpo was the first true relief ace of the pre-war era, leading the league in saves and appearances six times. Aguilera is second in Twins history with 254 saves. Nathan posted a 204 ERA+ in Minnesota, made six All-Star teams, and holds career and single-season team records for saves.
The New York teams are next. I hope to see you back here for the Mets and Yankees All-Time rosters. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
~
Batting third.. the Center Fielder.. Kirby Puckett
An immensely popular player throughout his twelve seasons in the Twin cities, Kirby Puckett won six Gold Gloves, six Silver Slugger awards, two World Series rings, and a batting title in his Hall of Fame career. The ten-time All-Star led the league in hits four times, total bases twice, and finished top-3 in MVP voting three times. "Puck" places in the Twins' top five in career hits, runs scored, RBI, batting average, and WAR.
Batting fourth.. the Designated Hitter.. Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew is Minnesota's all-time leader in offensive WAR, OPS, slugging, games played, total bases, and home runs. The Hall of Fame first baseman led the league in home runs six times, walks four times, and RBI three times. "Killer" is 12th all-time with 573 career dingers and seventh all time in at-bats per home run. He posted eight seasons of 40 or more home runs and eight seasons of over 100 RBI - leading the majors in both categories in his MVP season of 1969.
Batting fifth.. the Left Fielder.. Goose Goslin
Leon Allen Goslin was an RBI machine in the 1920s and '30s. "Goose" posted twelve seasons of 100+ runs batted in, including a league-leading 129 in 1924. Only five left fielders in history can match his career total of 1,612. Goslin won a batting title in 1928 with a .379 average and slashed .323/.386/.502 over his dozen seasons in D.C. His career batting average with the Senators/Twins franchise is tied for third highest in team history and his OPS+ of 131 is tied for fifth-best. Goslin played in five World Series, winning titles with the 1924 Senators and the 1935 Tigers. My late father in-law would want me to mention that Goslin is the only baseball Hall of Famer buried in New Jersey.
Batting sixth.. the Right Fielder.. Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva led the majors in hits and total bases as a rookie in 1964, earning him the first of eight consecutive All-Star nods and near-unanimous Rookie of the Year honors. The following year, Oliva finished second in AL MVP voting to teammate Zoilo Versalles after capturing his second consecutive batting title and leading the Twins to their first World Series in Minnesota. He was runner-up to Boog Powell for AL MVP honors in 1970 and won his third batting title in 1971. Tony's career OPS+ of 131 ties him with Goslin for fifth in franchise history.
Batting seventh.. the First Baseman.. Kent Hrbek
The Twins/Senators franchise has had several standout first basemen but Kent Hrbek outslugged nearly all of them; only Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs and collected more RBI than "Herbie". The Minnesota native slashed .282/.367/.481 over 14 seasons for his hometown team, batting over .300 three times. An All-Star in 1982, Hrbek finished second to Cal Ripken in that year's AL Rookie of the Year voting. He was runner-up to Willie Hernandez for league MVP honors in 1984, the first of his eight consecutive 20+ home run seasons.
Batting eighth.. the Third Baseman.. Gary Gaetti
A slick-fielding third baseman with power, Gary Gaetti won four Gold Gloves and hit 20+ home runs six times in his ten seasons with the Twins. The two-time All-Star was the ALCS MVP in 1987 en route to winning the Twins' first title. Gaetti and Senators star Eddie Yost posted nearly equal batting averages. Yost drew a tremendous amount of walks (his nickname was "The Walking Man") and his OPS+ was higher as a result. However Gaetti was the superior defender and collected nearly the same amount of total bases as Yost - in four fewer seasons.
Batting ninth.. the Shortstop.. Cecil Travis
Cecil Travis batted .327 over his first nine seasons with the Senators, collecting 200+ total bases six times. He made three All-Star teams and led the majors with 218 hits in 1941, finishing sixth in AL MVP voting. Then he missed the next three seasons serving in the US Army during World War II. In the three seasons following the war, Travis batted just .241 over 226 games. Nevertheless, his career .314 mark places him eighth in franchise history, well ahead of franchise icons Joe Mauer and Tony Oliva.
The Starting Pitcher for the Twins.. Walter Johnson
Perhaps the greatest pitcher in baseball history, Walter Johnson is the all-time leader in shutouts with 110, and his career WAR of 164.3 is the highest of any pitcher or position player. The "Big Train" led the AL in strikeouts twelve times, wins six times, ERA five times, and WHIP six times. In his first MVP season of 1913, Johnson went 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA, a 0.780 WHIP, and 11 shutouts. His WAR total that year was an astounding 16.4. In 1924 he won his second MVP award and led the Senators to their only World Series championship.
Now let's take a look at the Twins' bench and bullpen:
Catcher - Earl Battey
1st Base - Justin Morneau
Infield - Chuck Knoblauch
Outfield - Sam Rice
Outfield - Bob Allison
Battey made five All-Star teams and won three Gold Gloves from 1960-66. Morneau won AL MVP honors in 2006 and his .485 slugging % with the Twins (5th in franchise history) gave him the edge over lighter-hitting Senators Joe Judge and Mickey Vernon. "Knobby" won AL Rookie of the Year for the 1991 World Series champs. Sam Rice posted a career .322 batting average and collected 2,987 hits in his Hall of Fame career. Allison won AL ROY in 1959 and hit more home runs than all but two Twins.
#2 Starter - Johan Santana
#3 Starter - Bert Blyleven
#4 Starter - Jim Kaat
#5 Starter - Camilo Pascual
Santana was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball from 2004-2008, winning two Cy Young awards and the pitching Triple Crown. Blyleven's 3,701 career strikeouts are fifth all-time and his total of 2,035 for the Twins franchise is second to Walter Johnson. Kaat won 283 games and 16 Gold Gloves over his 25-year career. Pascual led the league in strikeouts and complete games three times. Brad Radke just missed the cut; his WAR and ERA+ totals were higher than Pascual's but he gave up more hits and home runs.
RH Reliever - Al Worthington
LH Reliever - Glen Perkins
LH Reliever - Eddie Guardado
RH Reliever - Firpo Marberry
RH Reliever - Rick Aguilera
RH Reliever - Joe Nathan
Worthington led the AL in saves in 1968. Perkins was a three-time All-Star. "Everyday Eddie" pitched the second-most games in franchise history. Firpo was the first true relief ace of the pre-war era, leading the league in saves and appearances six times. Aguilera is second in Twins history with 254 saves. Nathan posted a 204 ERA+ in Minnesota, made six All-Star teams, and holds career and single-season team records for saves.
The New York teams are next. I hope to see you back here for the Mets and Yankees All-Time rosters. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
~
Another good team. What really stood out to me, though, is the Purple Mauer refractor. What a card!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I pulled that out of a blaster I ordered from Dave & Adam's a few years ago.
DeleteMan, that lineup would put a hurt on most pitching staffs! I'm surprised Oliva doesn't get more Hall of Fame consideration on the Veterans committee - 3 batting titles, 8 All-Star nods - the guy was a star!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Matt on the Oliva/Cooperstown topic. Hope he eventually gets the call.
DeleteAwesome team as usual. My sentimental pick would be Kurt Suzuki as a back up catcher ;)
I think that Larry Walker's enshrinement helps Tony Oliva since they were both held back by shortened careers. It's not a perfect comp, but it might make a veteran's committee take a second look at Tony.
DeleteThe Twins have definitely had some primo hitters over the years. Amazing that Walter Johnson actually beats out Bonds and Ruth in career WAR.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Goslin is no longer the only Hall of Famer buried in my home state. Yogi Berra was laid to rest not far from me in East Hanover.
Really looking forward to my Mets!
I was amazed that Johnson had the highest WAR in history.
DeleteAnd thanks for the fact-check on Goslin. My 'pop' did more cemetery research for his Civil War books than I've done for baseball and I dont know when exactly he shared that tid-bit of info with me, but I know it inspired him to pick up a Goslin Goudey card.
Looks like a solid team pitching and hitting.
ReplyDeleteThe Big Train and Johan as your 1-2 punch? Now we're talking about some stud pitching!
ReplyDeleteRod Carew very nearly was a Yankee.
ReplyDeleteOliva is absolutely a Hall of Famer, that he and Jim Kaat are still on the outside looking in bugs me every year. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you enjoyed this post.
Delete