1969 Minnesota Twins season
Encyclopedia
Led by new manager Billy Martin
, the Minnesota Twins
won the newly formed American League West
with a 97-65 record, nine games over the second-place Oakland Athletics
. The Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles
in the first American League Championship Series
.
, led by Rod Carew
(.332, his first batting title), Tony Oliva
(.309, 24 HR, 101 RBI) and league MVP
Harmon Killebrew
(49 HR, 140 RBI - both league-leading totals). Carew stole home 7 times. Leadoff batter César Tovar
was third in the AL
with 45 stolen bases. Jim Perry
and Dave Boswell
won 20 games. Reliever Ron Perranoski
became the first Twin to lead the AL
in saves with 31. Pitcher Jim Kaat
won his 8th Gold Glove Award
.
Four Twins made the All-Star Game
: first baseman Killebrew, second baseman Carew, outfielder Oliva, and catcher Johnny Roseboro
. Harmon Killebrew
became the second Twin to be named American League
Most Valuable Player.
1,349,328 fans attended Twins games, the third highest total in the American League
.
in the 1969 American League Championship Series
.
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
, the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
won the newly formed American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
with a 97-65 record, nine games over the second-place Oakland Athletics
1969 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's compiling a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. With its expansion to 12 teams in 1969, the American League had been divided into two 6-team divisions. In their first year in the newly-established American League West, the Athletics finished second, nine...
. The Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles
1969 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1969 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. In the first season after the American League was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the runner-up...
in the first American League Championship Series
1969 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn the opener, 20-game winner Jim Perry held a 3–2 lead over the Orioles entering the ninth inning, Boog Powell tied the score with a smash over the right-field fence. Reliever Ron Perranoski, who worked in all three games,...
.
Regular season
In the first year of divisional play, the Twins won the American League WestAmerican League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
, led by Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
(.332, his first batting title), Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva
Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
(.309, 24 HR, 101 RBI) and league MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
(49 HR, 140 RBI - both league-leading totals). Carew stole home 7 times. Leadoff batter César Tovar
César Tovar
César Leonardo Tovar , nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins , Philadelphia Phillies , Texas Rangers , Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
was third in the AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with 45 stolen bases. Jim Perry
Jim Perry (baseball)
James Evan Perry, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for 1959-1975 for four different teams. During a 17-year baseball career, Perry compiled 215 wins, 1,576 strikeouts, and a 3.45 earned run average....
and Dave Boswell
Dave Boswell
David Wilson Boswell was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the American League for the Minnesota Twins from 1964-1971....
won 20 games. Reliever Ron Perranoski
Ron Perranoski
Ronald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through ....
became the first Twin to lead the AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in saves with 31. Pitcher Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat
James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St...
won his 8th Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
.
Four Twins made the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
: first baseman Killebrew, second baseman Carew, outfielder Oliva, and catcher Johnny Roseboro
Johnny Roseboro
John Junior Roseboro was a Major League Baseball catcher and coach, who was born in Ashland, Ohio.-Career:A left-handed-hitter, Roseboro had a lifetime .249 batting average with 104 home runs and 548 RBI in 1585 games played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , Minnesota Twins and...
. Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
became the second Twin to be named American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Most Valuable Player.
1,349,328 fans attended Twins games, the third highest total in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Notable transactions
- June 5, 1969: 1969 Major League Baseball Draft1969 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Washington Senators tabbed slugging outfielder Jeff Burroughs of Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA as the nation's number one pick...
- Bert BlylevenBert BlylevenBert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
was drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round. - Jim HughesJim Hughes (1970s pitcher)James Michael Hughes is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until , all with the Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was drafted by the Twins in the 33rd round.
- Bert Blyleven
Roster
| 1969 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 115 | 361 | 95 | .263 | 3 | 32 | |
| 2B | 123 | 458 | 152 | .332 | 8 | 56 | |
| 3B | 162 | 555 | 153 | .276 | 49 | 140 | |
| SS | 160 | 578 | 162 | .280 | 10 | 70 | |
| RF | 153 | 637 | 197 | .309 | 24 | 101 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158 | 535 | 154 | .288 | 11 | 52 | |
| 12 | 14 | 5 | .357 | 1 | 2 | |
| 5 | 8 | 1 | .125 | 0 | 0 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 261.2 | 20 | 6 | 2.82 | 153 | |
| 39 | 256.1 | 20 | 12 | 3.23 | 190 | |
| 40 | 242.1 | 14 | 13 | 3.49 | 139 | |
| 20 | 88.1 | 5 | 4 | 2.95 | 50 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 119.1 | 5 | 5 | 3.02 | 57 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 9 | 10 | 31 | 2.11 | 62 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.70 | 1 |
Postseason
The Twins were swept 3-0 by the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the 1969 American League Championship Series
1969 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn the opener, 20-game winner Jim Perry held a 3–2 lead over the Orioles entering the ninth inning, Boog Powell tied the score with a smash over the right-field fence. Reliever Ron Perranoski, who worked in all three games,...
.