In 1961, Minnesota gained its first professional sports team when the Washington Senators moved to Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington and became the Minnesota Twins. The team enjoyed relatively quick success, winning the American League pennant in 1965 behind the hitting of Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew, and the pitching of Mudcat Grant and Jim Kaat. The Twins lost the World Series that year to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The team didn't make another trip to the World Series until 1987, when they became Word Series champions…a feat the Twins repeated in 1991.
By 1987, the Twins moved into the Metrodome in Minneapolis. The team's move to that domed stadium was controversial, as would be its move to Target Field in 2010. Both projects were preceded by years of debate and controversy over whether public investments in stadiums were worthwhile.
Nine Twins players have have had their numbers retired: Harmon Killebrew (3), Tony Oliva (6), Joe Mauer (7) Kent Hrbek (14), Bert Blyleven (28), Rod Carew (29), Kirby Puckett (34), and Jim Katt (36).
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September 27, 1988 - Morning Edition’s Loren Omoto interviews Dave Jarzyna, marketing director for the Minnesota Twins, about the team’s milestone of achieving the American League single season attendance record.
September 29, 1988 - MPR’s Jim Bickal takes a look back at the 1988 Minnesota Twins’ Major League Baseball season. Despite coming in second place in the American League West and missing post season play, the team had an impressive 91-71 record. That is the best regular season record in 18 years.
February 17, 1989 - MPR Journal’s Gary Eichten interviews Dick Such, pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins, about the potential he sees in the 1989 spring training pitching roster.
April 3, 1989 - MPR’s Jim Bickal checks in with Minnesota Twins players to get their take of what the 1989 Major League Baseball season may hold for the team. There is positive outlook and hopes that season will start well…as opposed to the slow start in 1988, which cost team later.
May 31, 1989 - MPR Journal’s Gary Eichten interviews former Major League Baseball power hitter Don Baylor about the struggling Twins and his recollections as a member of Twins team during the 1987 championship season.
June 21, 1989 - MPR’s Kate Smith reports on a Minnesota Twins try-out camp being held at the Metrodome. 30 young players show their talents in hopes of catching the eye of Jerry Bell, director of Scouting for the Twins organization.
March 20, 1990 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on efforts by the Minnesota Twins organization to get ready for the start of 1990 Major League Baseball season, after losing spring training and Opening Day to a 32 day lockout.
April 20, 1990 - MPR’s Bill Wareham reports on the Minnesota Twins home opener in a year that has a strange feeling to it. The season is starting late due to player lockout and usually strong Twins slugging and fielding has been subpar. It is the first home opener since the Twins moved to Minnesota that has not sold out.
June 16, 1990 - Weekend Edition’s sports commentator Jay Weiner, of the Star Tribune, describes a rough situation on-and-off the field for the Minnesota Twins, who have won 2 of the last 13 games. Weiner says while things are bad for the team, it is still not “1982 bad.”
September 21, 1990 - MPR Journal’s Gary Eichten presents interview segments of Andy MacPhail, general manager for the Minnesota Twins, who breaks down what went wrong in the 90-91’ MLB season.