1990 Minnesota Twins
Encyclopedia
The 1990 Minnesota Twins
, three years after their World Series title
in 1987, fell to the bottom of the AL West once again. However, the season was not completely bad, as there were some bright spots: Pitchers Rick Aguilera
and Scott Erickson
. Aguilera converted from starter to closer and recorded 32 saves, while Erickson was promoted to the Twins in June from AA and went 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA.
s. In the 4th inning, with the bases loaded and Scott Erickson
pitching, former Twin Tom Brunansky
hit a sharp grounder to Gary Gaetti
at third base, who stepped on the bag for the force out, fired to Al Newman
at second, whose relay to Kent Hrbek
was in time to get Brunansky at first. In the 8th inning, with John Candelaria
pitching and runners on first and second, Jody Reed
hit a one-hopper at Gaetti who again started a 5-4-3 triple play. This was the first time in MLB history that two triple plays were recorded in a game, a feat that has not been duplicated since.
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...
, three years after their World Series title
1987 Minnesota Twins
The 1987 Minnesota Twins won the World Series for the first time since moving from Washington in 1961, marking the second time that the franchise had won the World Series...
in 1987, fell to the bottom of the AL West once again. However, the season was not completely bad, as there were some bright spots: Pitchers Rick Aguilera
Rick Aguilera
Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
and Scott Erickson
Scott Erickson
Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins...
. Aguilera converted from starter to closer and recorded 32 saves, while Erickson was promoted to the Twins in June from AA and went 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA.
Offseason
- December 4, 1989: Drafted Shane Mack from the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in the 1989 Rule 5 draftRule 5 draftThe Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. - December 6, 1989: Signed Kent HrbekKent HrbekFrequently 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...
as a free agent. - January 8, 1990: Carmelo CastilloCarmen CastilloMonte Carmelo Castillo is a former right-handed outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins.
Regular season
- The lone representative of the Twins in the All-Star Game was center fielder Kirby PuckettKirby PuckettKirby 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...
.
- The highest paid Twin in 1993 was Puckett at $ 2,816,667; followed by Kent HrbekKent HrbekFrequently 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...
at $2,100,000.
Offense
| 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... |
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... |
22 |
| 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... |
85 |
| 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... |
.298 |
| 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... |
82 |
Pitching
| 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... |
Allan Anderson Allan Anderson Allan Lee Anderson is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of 6 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He led the American League in ERA in while playing for Minnesota. For his career, he compiled a 49-54 record in 148 appearances, with a 4.11 ERA and 339 strikeouts... |
4.53 |
| 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... |
Kevin Tapani Kevin Tapani Kevin Ray Tapani is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.-Early life:... |
12 |
| Saves | Rick Aguilera Rick Aguilera Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs.... |
32 |
| Strikeouts | Mark Guthrie Mark Guthrie Mark Andrew Guthrie is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was a member of the 1991 World Series Champion Minnesota Twins.... , Kevin Tapani Kevin Tapani Kevin Ray Tapani is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.-Early life:... |
101 |
Defense
The highlight of the season came on July 17, in Boston, when the Twins turned 2 triple playTriple Play
A triple play is a baseball play in which three outs are made as a result of continuous action without any intervening errors between outs.Triple play may also refer to:...
s. In the 4th inning, with the bases loaded and Scott Erickson
Scott Erickson
Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins...
pitching, former Twin 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 a sharp grounder to 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...
at third base, who stepped on the bag for the force out, fired to Al Newman
Al Newman
Albert Dwayne Newman is a former infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos , Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers...
at second, whose relay to 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...
was in time to get Brunansky at first. In the 8th inning, with John Candelaria
John Candelaria
John Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles...
pitching and runners on first and second, Jody Reed
Jody Reed
Jody Eric Reed is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1987-1997. The 5'9" second baseman played with the Boston Red Sox from 1987–1992, and in 1990 he led the American League with 45 doubles and finished 10th in the AL with 173 hits...
hit a one-hopper at Gaetti who again started a 5-4-3 triple play. This was the first time in MLB history that two triple plays were recorded in a game, a feat that has not been duplicated since.
Roster
| 1990 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Notable Transactions
- April 4: Traded Mike Pomeranz (minors) to the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Received Junior OrtizJunior OrtizAdalberto "Junior" Ortiz Colón , is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played all or part of thirteen seasons in the majors from 1982-94. He was a member of the 1991 World Champion Minnesota Twins....
and Orlando Lind (minors). - June 4, 1990: Midre CummingsMidre CummingsMidre Almeric Cummings is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Cummings played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Red Sox , Minnesota Twins , Arizona Diamondbacks , Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Baltimore Orioles .Cummings was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st...
was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st round (29th pick) of the 1990 amateur draft. Player signed June 12, 1990. - June 4, 1990: Jayhawk Owens was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 1990 amateur draft. Player signed June 12, 1990.
- June 4: Drafted Eddie GuardadoEddie GuardadoEdward Adrian Guardado is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Throughout his career, Guardado had played with the Minnesota Twins , Seattle Mariners , Cincinnati Reds , and the Rangers .His common nickname is "Everyday Eddie", a testament to his durable arm during his first stint with the...
in the 21st round of the 1990 amateur draft. Player signed May 23, 1991. - July 27: Traded John CandelariaJohn CandelariaJohn Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles...
to the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. Received Nelson LirianoNelson LirianoNelson Arturo Liriano Bonilla is a former Major League baseball player. He played for various teams from 1987 to 1998 batting a career average of .260 over those 11 seasons. In 1999, he played in one game for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.Before turning professional, Liriano played amateur...
and Pedro MuñozPedro Muñoz (baseball)Pedro Javier Muñoz González is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics.-External links:...
. - December 18: Randy BushRandy BushRobert Randall Bush , is a former professional baseball player and currently a front office member of the Chicago Cubs. With the hiring of Theo Epstein, Bush will continue as an assistant General Manager, and will be involved in the hiring process of the field and scouting staff.Bush played for...
was signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins.
Starters by position
Note: 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 | Brian Harper Brian Harper Brian David Harper is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for teams in both the American and National Leagues during his 16-year career and is currently the manager of the Chicago Cubs' AA club, the Tennessee Smokies.-Minor leagues:Harper was drafted by the California Angels in... |
134 | 479 | 141 | .294 | 6 | 54 |
| 1B | 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... |
143 | 492 | 141 | .287 | 22 | 79 |
| 2B | Al Newman Al Newman Albert Dwayne Newman is a former infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos , Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers... |
144 | 388 | 94 | .242 | 0 | 30 |
| 3B | 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... |
154 | 577 | 132 | .229 | 16 | 85 |
| SS | Greg Gagne | 138 | 388 | 91 | .235 | 7 | 38 |
| LF | Dan Gladden Dan Gladden Clinton Daniel "Dan" Gladden III is an American former Major League Baseball player and current radio broadcaster.-Baseball career:Gladden is a graduate of Westmont High School in Campbell, California... |
136 | 534 | 147 | .275 | 5 | 40 |
| CF | 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... |
146 | 551 | 164 | .298 | 12 | 80 |
| RF | Shane Mack | 125 | 313 | 102 | .326 | 8 | 44 |
| DH | Gene Larkin Gene Larkin Eugene Thomas Larkin is a former switch-hitting first baseman, designated hitter and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire seven-season career with the Minnesota Twins. During his playing career he wore #9 for Minnesota, and was a member of both the 1987 and 1991 World... |
119 | 401 | 108 | .269 | 5 | 42 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Smith Roy Smith (1980s pitcher) Le Roy Purdy Smith is a former professional baseball pitcher and executive. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball from until . He is currently a scout for the New York Mets.-Playing career:... |
32 | 153.1 | 5 | 10 | 4.81 |
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|