After winning 91 games the previous two seasons, 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...

slumped to 79-83, a disappointing tie for sixth with the Cleveland Indians

1964 Cleveland Indians season

The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished in a tie for sixth place in the American League with the Minnesota Twins, while winning 79 and losing 83, 20 games behind the AL champion New York Yankees.- Offseason :...

 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...

, 20 games behind the AL champion New York Yankees

1964 New York Yankees season

The New York Yankees season was the 62nd season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 99-63, winning their 29th pennant, finishing 1 game ahead of the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Yogi Berra. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they were defeated...

.

Offseason

• December 2, 1963: Rudy May
  Rudy May
  Rudolph May, Jr. is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from to for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos...
  
   was drafted from the Twins by the Chicago White Sox
  Chicago White Sox
  The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
  
   in the 1963 first-year draft.

Regular season

Five 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 Bob Allison

Bob Allison

William Robert "Bob" Allison was born in Raytown, Missouri and was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played in the American League for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins from to ....

, outfielders 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...

, Jimmie Hall

Jimmie Hall

Jimmie Randolph Hall is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and left-handed batter who played for the Minnesota Twins , California Angels , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves .-Minor league career:After attending Belmont High School and playing...

 and 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...

 and pitcher Camilo Pascual

Camilo Pascual

Camilo Alberto Pascual is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career , he played for the Washington Senators , the second Washington Senators franchise, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cleveland Indians...

.

Tony Oliva became the first black player in the history of the American League to win the AL Rookie of the Year award.

Six Twins hit 20 or more home runs: 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, 111 RBI), 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...

 (32 HR, 96 RBI, 109 runs), Bob Allison

Bob Allison

William Robert "Bob" Allison was born in Raytown, Missouri and was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played in the American League for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins from to ....

 (32 HR, 86 RBI), Jimmie Hall

Jimmie Hall

Jimmie Randolph Hall is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and left-handed batter who played for the Minnesota Twins , California Angels , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves .-Minor league career:After attending Belmont High School and playing...

 (25 HR, 75 RBI), Don Mincher

Don Mincher

-External links:***...

 (23 HR, 56 RBI), and Zoilo Versalles

Zoilo Versalles

Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez , nicknamed "Zorro", was a Cuban shortstop in Major League Baseball, who was considered a solid leadoff man, and a good baserunner whose speed helped him to cover a huge area at shortstop...

 (20 HR, 94 runs). 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...

 also led the team with 109 runs scored, and was named Rookie of the Year

MLB Rookie of the Year Award

In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...

.

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...

 led the Twins with 17 wins and won his third Gold Glove

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...

, and Camilo Pascual

Camilo Pascual

Camilo Alberto Pascual is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career , he played for the Washington Senators , the second Washington Senators franchise, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cleveland Indians...

 again lead the Twins in strikeouts with 213.

1,207,514 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 6, 1964: Andy Kosco
  Andy Kosco
  Andy Kosco is a former Major League Baseball player who was affiliated at various times with the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds....
  
   was signed as a free agent by the Twins.
• June 24, 1964: 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...
  
   was signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins.

Roster

1964 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		131	405	110	.272	12	52
1B		149	492	141	.287	32	86
2B		74	243	52	.214	6	20
3B		148	596	161	.270	12	68
SS		160	659	171	.259	20	64
LF		158	577	156	.270	49	111
CF		149	510	144	.282	25	75
RF		161	672	217	.323	32	94

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
	120	287	68	.237	23	56
	26	71	11	.155	1	9
	19	45	10	.222	0	1

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
	36	267.1	15	12	3.30	213
	36	243	17	11	3.22	171
	32	190	6	15	4.03	159
	26	166	11	9	2.82	75
	4	23.1	2	0	4.24	25

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
	41	105.2	7	4	3.84	96

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
	41	5	6	14	1.37	59
	47	4	1	4	3.91	42
	33	0	4	2	1.97	39
	14	1	2	0	8.22	6
	9	0	0	0	4.91	10
	9	0	1	0	7.36	2
	7	0	1	0	10.97	9
	3	0	0	0	2.08	6

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Melbourne