1994 Minnesota Twins
Encyclopedia
The 1994 Minnesota Twins
played in an abbreviated, strike-shortened season. The strike overshadowed the season’s accomplishments. These included Scott Erickson
’s no-hitter
on April 27, Chuck Knoblauch
’s 85-game errorless streak and league-leading 45 doubles, Kirby Puckett
’s 2,000th hit, and Kent Hrbek
’s retirement. In 113 games, Manager Tom Kelly
’s team finished with a record of 53-60, for fourth place in the newly created American League Central Division.
managed to belt 20 home runs and drive in 112 runs. Outfielder Shane Mack had a solid year in his last year with the Twins, batting .333. Knoblauch and outfielder Alex Cole
lit up the base paths, stealing 35 and 29 bases, respectively. Designated hitter
Dave Winfield
had a mediocre year in his last season with his hometown team. (He would play in 46 games for the Cleveland Indians
in 1995 before announcing his retirement.)
, Kevin Tapani
, Scott Erickson
, Pat Mahomes
, and Carlos Pulido started all but six games for the team. Despite the no-hitter, Erickson's year was disappointing, as he posted a 5.44 ERA. Rick Aguilera
continued to be a reliable closer while the only reliable arm out of the bullpen was Kevin Campbell
with an ERA of 2.92.
and Derek Parks
were a strong 1-2 punch at catcher, at least defensively. (Both had .993 fielding percentages.) Kent Hrbek
ended his career with a solid one defensively with a .997 average. As mentioned, Knoblauch excelled defensively at this point in his career. Scott Leius
and Pat Meares
were defensively average on the left side of the infield. Puckett and Mack were strong in the outfield, while Alex Cole
was average. Pedro Muñoz
also saw substantial time in the outfield.
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...
played in an abbreviated, strike-shortened season. The strike overshadowed the season’s accomplishments. These included 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...
’s no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on April 27, Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch
Edward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
’s 85-game errorless streak and league-leading 45 doubles, 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...
’s 2,000th hit, and 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...
’s retirement. In 113 games, Manager Tom Kelly
Tom Kelly (baseball)
Jay Thomas Kelly , is the former manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team from to . Currently, he serves as a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Twins....
’s team finished with a record of 53-60, for fourth place in the newly created American League Central Division.
Offseason
- November 24, 1993: Willie BanksWillie Banks (baseball)Willie Anthony Banks was a pitcher for Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins , Chicago Cubs , Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Yankees , Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox .Banks was a member of the 1991 World Series champion Minnesota Twins, the 1995...
was traded by the Twins to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for Dave StevensDave Stevens (baseball)David James Stevens is an American former Major League Baseball player. A pitcher, Stevens played for the Minnesota Twins , Chicago Cubs , Cleveland Indians , and Atlanta Braves .-External links:...
and Matt WalbeckMatt WalbeckMatthew Lovick Walbeck is a former right-handed Major League Baseball catcher who played from to for the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Anaheim Angels and Philadelphia Phillies...
. - February 16, 1994: Alex ColeAlex ColeAlexander Cole Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1985 MLB amateur draft, Cole would make his Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians on July 27, 1990, and appear in his final game on May 22, 1996...
was signed as a free agent by the Twins. - February 21, 1994: The Twins traded a player to be named later 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 minor leaguer Shawn Bryant. The Twins completed the deal by sending Enrique WilsonEnrique WilsonEnrique Wilson Marte is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He batted switch and threw right-handed....
to the Indians on March 24.
Regular season
By Friday, August 12, the Twins had compiled a 53-60 record through 113 games. They had scored 594 runs (5.26 per game) and allowed 688 runs (6.09 per game).- Terry RyanTerry Ryan (baseball)Terry Ryan is the general manager for the Minnesota Twins. Ryan is known for using a low payroll and building up the minor league system to put up contending teams. He resigned as general manager of the Twins on October 1, 2007 but returned to the team as interim GM on November 7, 2011.-Early...
was named Twins General Manager, replacing Andy MacPhailAndy MacPhailAndy MacPhail is the former president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the president/CEO of the National League Chicago Cubs from September 9, 1994 until October 1, 2006...
, architect of the team’s 1991 world champion team1991 Minnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins won the World Series, the second time the Twins had won the World Series since moving to Minnesota in .The Twins finished 95-67, first in the AL West.2,293,842 fans attended Twins games, the eighth highest total in the American League....
.
- The Twins’ all-star representatives were outfielder 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...
and second baseman Chuck KnoblauchChuck KnoblauchEdward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
.
- The highest paid Twin in 1994 was Puckett at $5,300,000, followed by Aguilera at $3,260,000.
Offense
Despite the short season, 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...
managed to belt 20 home runs and drive in 112 runs. Outfielder Shane Mack had a solid year in his last year with the Twins, batting .333. Knoblauch and outfielder Alex Cole
Alex Cole
Alexander Cole Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1985 MLB amateur draft, Cole would make his Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians on July 27, 1990, and appear in his final game on May 22, 1996...
lit up the base paths, stealing 35 and 29 bases, respectively. Designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
had a mediocre year in his last season with his hometown team. (He would play in 46 games for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The 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...
in 1995 before announcing his retirement.)
| 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... |
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... |
20 |
| RBI | 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... |
112 |
| 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 :... |
Shane Mack | .333 |
| 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... |
Chuck Knoblauch Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals... |
85 |
Pitching
The starting rotation was not a strong one, although the starters at least started consistently every fifth day, unlike in subsequent years for the Twins. Jim DeshaiesJim Deshaies
James Joseph "Jim" Deshaies , also known as "JD", is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball and currently a TV commentator with the Houston Astros.- Major-league career :...
, 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:...
, 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...
, Pat Mahomes
Pat Mahomes
Patrick Lavon Mahomes is a professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball from to for the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also pitched in two seasons in Nippon Professional...
, and Carlos Pulido started all but six games for the team. Despite the no-hitter, Erickson's year was disappointing, as he posted a 5.44 ERA. 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....
continued to be a reliable closer while the only reliable arm out of the bullpen was Kevin Campbell
Kevin Campbell (baseball)
Kevin Wade Campbell is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991 until 1995, for the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins....
with an ERA of 2.92.
| 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... |
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:... |
4.62 |
| 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:... |
11 |
| 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.... |
23 |
| Strikeouts | 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... |
104 |
Defense
Matt WalbeckMatt Walbeck
Matthew Lovick Walbeck is a former right-handed Major League Baseball catcher who played from to for the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Anaheim Angels and Philadelphia Phillies...
and Derek Parks
Derek Parks
Derek Gavin Parks is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played parts of three seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
were a strong 1-2 punch at catcher, at least defensively. (Both had .993 fielding percentages.) 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...
ended his career with a solid one defensively with a .997 average. As mentioned, Knoblauch excelled defensively at this point in his career. Scott Leius
Scott Leius
Scott Thomas Leius is a former American League baseball player during the 1990s. Leius was a late season call up by the Minnesota Twins and debuted with the parent club on September 3, 1990...
and Pat Meares
Pat Meares
Patrick James Meares is a former Major League Baseball shortstop.Meares was the 12th round draft pick of the 1990 amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins, from Wichita State University....
were defensively average on the left side of the infield. Puckett and Mack were strong in the outfield, while Alex Cole
Alex Cole
Alexander Cole Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1985 MLB amateur draft, Cole would make his Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians on July 27, 1990, and appear in his final game on May 22, 1996...
was average. Pedro Muñoz
Pedro 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:...
also saw substantial time in the outfield.
Notable transactions
- March 14, 1994: Lenny WebsterLenny WebsterLeonard Irell Webster is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a platoon catcher from 1989-2000...
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...
as part of a conditional deal. - June 2, 1994: 1994 Major League Baseball Draft1994 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
- Todd WalkerTodd WalkerTodd Arthur Walker is a former Major League Baseball infielder.-College:Walker attended LSU where he led the Tigers to the 1993 national championship. He also earned the 1993 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. In 2006, Walker was elected to the LSU Hall of Fame...
was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (8th pick). - Travis MillerTravis MillerTravis Eugene Miller , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from - for the Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (34th pick). - Cleatus DavidsonCleatus DavidsonCleatus Lavon Davidson is a Major League Baseball infielder. He played 12 games for the Minnesota Twins in , mostly at second base and shortstop....
was drafted by the Twins in the 2nd round. - A. J. PierzynskiA. J. PierzynskiAnthony John "A. J." Pierzynski is an American Major League Baseball catcher who is currently with the Chicago White Sox. Pierzynski previously played with the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants . Pierzynski was also a wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Early life:Anthony John...
was drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round. - David DellucciDavid DellucciDavid Michael Dellucci is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder.-High School:Dellucci graduated from Catholic High in Baton Rouge in 1991. He earned the team's Most Valuable Player honors in both baseball and football, and All-State honors for baseball...
was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round, but did not sign. - Corey KoskieCorey KoskieCordel Leonard "Corey" Koskie is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.-Baseball career:...
was drafted by the Twins in the 26th round.
- Todd Walker
- July 14, 1994: Larry CasianLarry CasianLawrence Paul Casian , is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1990-1998. He is currently an assistant coach for the baseball team at the University of Portland....
was claimed off waivers from the Twins by 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...
. - August 31: Dave WinfieldDave WinfieldDavid Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
was sold 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...
.
Roster
| 1994 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
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 In| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 109 | 445 | 139 | .312 | 5 | 51 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 89 | 17 | .191 | 1 | 9 | |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 144 | 8 | 11 | 5.44 | 104 | |
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.92 | 15 | |