1985 Minnesota Twins season
Encyclopedia
The 1985
Minnesota Twins
finished with a record of 77-85, fourth in the American League West
.
Only one Twin made the All-Star Game
(the same year that they hosted the Midsummer Classic), outfielder Tom Brunansky
.
1,651,814 fans attended Twins games, a Twins attendance record, but still the sixth lowest total in the American League
.
hit .288 and scored 80 runs.
Kent Hrbek
hit .311 with 21 HR and 93 RBI.
Tom Brunansky
hit 27 HR and 90 RBI.
Gary Gaetti
hit 20 HR and 63 RBI.
(18-14), Mike Smithson (15-14), and John Butcher
(11-14).
Reliever Ron Davis had 25 saves.
1985 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals ; Bret Saberhagen, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: George Brett*National League Championship Series MVP: Ozzie Smith...
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...
finished with a record of 77-85, fourth in the 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...
.
Offseason
- October 17, 1984: Albert WilliamsAlbert Williams (baseball)Albert Hamilton Williams DeSouza is an Afro-Nicaraguan former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball, from until , all for the Minnesota Twins....
was released by the Twins. - January 3, 1985: Mike BenjaminMike Benjamin (baseball)Michael Paul Benjamin is a former infielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily as a shortstop from - and in . He played mostly for the San Francisco Giants as a utility infielder. He played college baseball at Arizona State.On June 14, 1995, he tied a Giants single-game record with 6 hits...
was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round of the 1985 Major League Baseball Draft1985 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1985 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:Six of the first eight draft picks from the June regular phase had at least one full year of major league experience prior to the start of the 1987 season. Included in that list were...
, but did not sign. - January 9, 1985: Jack O'ConnorJack O'Connor (pitcher)Jack William O'Connor is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, between and .-Sources:...
was traded by the Twins to the Montreal ExposWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
for Mike StenhouseMike StenhouseMichael Steven Stenhouse is a former outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos from -, the Minnesota Twins in , and the Boston Red Sox in . Listed at 6'1", 195 lb., Stenhouse batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
. - March 27, 1985: Brad HavensBrad HavensBradley David Havens is a former Pitcher for the Minnesota Twins , Baltimore Orioles , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers ....
was traded by the Twins to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe 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...
for Mark BrownMark Brown (baseball)Mark Anthony Brown is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, 1984 for the Baltimore Orioles and 1985 for the Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
.
Regular season
- June 20, 1985: After a disappointing start, manager Billy GardnerBilly GardnerWilliam Frederick Gardner is an American former Major League Baseball player, coach and manager. Gardner was a scrappy light-hitting second baseman who batted and threw right-handed. Gardner played for the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees,...
was replaced by Ray Miller.
Only one Twin made the All-Star Game
1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 56th playing of the game, annually played between the All-Stars of the National League and the All-Stars of the American League. The game was played on July 16, 1985, in the Hubert H...
(the same year that they hosted the Midsummer Classic), outfielder Tom Brunansky
Tom Brunansky
Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers....
.
1,651,814 fans attended Twins games, a Twins attendance record, but still the sixth lowest 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...
.
Offense
Leadoff batter Kirby PuckettKirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
hit .288 and scored 80 runs.
Kent Hrbek
Kent Hrbek
Frequently injured , Hrbek retired after the players strike in 1994, citing his nagging injury problems and desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter at their home in Bloomington, MN...
hit .311 with 21 HR and 93 RBI.
Tom Brunansky
Tom Brunansky
Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers....
hit 27 HR and 90 RBI.
Gary Gaetti
Gary Gaetti
Gary Joseph Gaetti , nicknamed "G-Man", "Rat", or "Zorn" is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins , California Angels , Kansas City Royals , St...
hit 20 HR and 63 RBI.
Statistic Baseball statistics Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics... | Player | Quantity |
---|---|---|
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
Tom Brunansky Tom Brunansky Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers.... |
27 |
RBI | Kent Hrbek Kent Hrbek Frequently injured , Hrbek retired after the players strike in 1994, citing his nagging injury problems and desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter at their home in Bloomington, MN... |
93 |
BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases... |
.288 |
Runs Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... |
Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases... |
80 |
Pitching
For the first time in years, the Twins had three solid starting pitchers: Frank ViolaFrank Viola
Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988...
(18-14), Mike Smithson (15-14), and John Butcher
John Butcher (baseball)
John Daniel Butcher is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for seven seasons. He played for the Texas Rangers from 1980 to 1983, the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1986, and the Cleveland Indians in 1986....
(11-14).
Reliever Ron Davis had 25 saves.
Statistic Baseball statistics Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics... | Player | Quantity |
---|---|---|
ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
Frank Viola Frank Viola Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988... |
4.09 |
Wins Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
Frank Viola Frank Viola Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988... |
18 |
Saves | Ron Davis | 25 |
Strikeouts | Frank Viola Frank Viola Frank John Viola, Jr. is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays . A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988... |
135 |
Notable transactions
- April 4, 1985: Lenny FaedoLenny FaedoLeonardo Lago Faedo is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was released by the Twins. - August 1, 1985: Curt WardleCurt WardleCurtis Ray Wardle is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He pitched for the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1985 and the Cleveland Indians in 1985.-External links:...
, Jay BellJay BellJay Stuart Bell is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and second baseman who played for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Royals , Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets .He played his high school baseball at J.M...
, Jim WeaverJim Weaver (outfielder)James Francis Weaver is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Detroit Tigers , Seattle Mariners , and San Francisco Giants .-External links:...
, and a player to be named later were traded by the Twins to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for 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...
. The Twins completed the deal by sending Rich YettRich YettRichard Martin Yett was a long relief pitcher in major league baseball from 1985 to 1990. Yett was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1980, but Yett only played one game with the team before being traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1985. The next four years he played often as a long relief pitcher...
to the Indians on September 17. - The Twins drafted pitcher Jeff Bumgarner with the thirteenth overall pick in the 1985 Draft.
Roster
1985 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted inPos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1B | 158 | 593 | 165 | .278 | 21 | 93 | |
3B | 160 | 560 | 138 | .246 | 20 | 63 | |
CF | 161 | 691 | 199 | .288 | 4 | 74 | |
RF | 157 | 567 | 137 | .242 | 27 | 90 | |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted inPlayer | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
81 | 179 | 40 | .223 | 5 | 21 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36 | 250.2 | 18 | 14 | 4.09 | 135 | |
14 | 114 | 8 | 5 | 3.00 | 77 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | 9.1 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | 5 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
35 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6.05 | 26 | |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.89 | 5 | |