T.K.
Round 1 Results:
Much like the Definitive Greatest Twins poll series from last offseason, championship hardware holds a lot of sway even in the intangibles. To date, Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly has brought the only Commissioner’s Trophies to MN—and he did it twice (1987 & 1991). His dogged persistence in defensive fundamentals, pitching, and platooning transformed the organization in the mid-1980s through the 1990s.
Next: With most of the organizational stalwarts accounted for, it’s time to dip into ephemera—in the form of a local newspaper. “What’s that?”, say the kiddos—find out below!
Jack Morris
- Is it possible to cement a regional legacy with one game? That’s essentially what Black Jack did in 1991. The St. Paul native was solid (125 ERA+) in the regular season. But in the playoffs he took charge of the staff, culminating with 10 scoreless innings in Game 7 of the ‘91 World Series before Gene Larkin sent us home happy. There is a case for Morris’ masterpiece as the single greatest pitching performance in MLB history.
photo by: Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Paul Molitor
- Despite a long, Hall of Fame career elsewhere, the St. Paul-born, Gopher-playing Molitor didn’t play for his hometown major league squad until 39 years of age (1996-1998). Even then, his .341 BA campaign in ‘96 was remarkable! After assuming various coaching roles in the Twins organization from 2005-2014, Molly assumed the top dugout perch from 2015-2018. Even after being let go, Molitor remained—and remains—active as a roving instructor.
Photo by Richard Orndorf/MLB via Getty Images
The Metrodome
- One could argue that the ballpark before and the ballpark after the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome were more pleasant. Former Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer referred to the Dome as “the other place” upon its irrelevance. But: Dome Dogs, lime green turf, deafening noise, t-shirt dropping blimps, wind currents, impossible pop-ups, giant baggies, plexiglass, and—most importantly—championships. Remember that dump of an apartment after college that you built all your formative memories in? Yeah—that’s the Metrodome.
Target Field
- Debuting in 2010, Target Field was—and remains to this day—a gem of a ballpark. Nestled into a Minneapolis plot that no one thought possible to accommodate a baseball yard, it has a uniquely cozy feel. It always resides in the top third of MLB ballpark lists—often in the top five! Maintained impeccably for the past 14 years—some might argue better than the on-field product—Target Field is the mirror image of its Metrodome predecessor: a glorious shrine to Minnesota baseball, only missing a championship trophy in its bowels.
The Star Tribune Sports Section
- Gather ‘round, children, and let me tell you of a time before the internet. In the hardscrabble analog age of human existence, following your local sporting nine was not a moment-by-moment affair. Instead, a rolled-up newsprint assemblage that magically appeared on your doorstep to meet the rising sun was often your best bet for baseball news. No shade to east Twin Cities suburbanites who received the Pioneer Press, but the west-side’s Star Tribune had unassailable sports coverage that provided beat opinions and box scores to pore over for hours.