1977 Minnesota Twins season
Encyclopedia
The 1977 Minnesota Twins
season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 84-77, fourth in the American League West
.
Rod Carew
was named American League
Most Valuable Player. In winning his sixth AL
batting title, Carew flirted with becoming the first batter since Ted Williams
in to hit .400, finishing at .388. He also had 239 hit
s, scored a league-leading 128 runs, hit 14 home run
s and collected 100 RBI
.
Other offensive stars were outfielder
Larry Hisle
, who hit 28 HR and drove in a league-leading 119 runs, and Lyman Bostock
, who hit .338 with 104 runs, 14 HR and 90 RBI. Carew and Hisle were selected to the All-Star Game
along with catcher
Butch Wynegar
The Twins' ability to score runs was matched by their pitchers' ability to give up runs. Reliever Tom Johnson
replaced Bill Campbell, racking up 16 relief wins along with 20 saves. Dave Goltz
became a 20-game winner for the first time.
1,162,727 fans attended Twins games, the fourth lowest total in the American League
. It was the first time the Twins since 1970 the Twins attracted more than one million fans.
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...
season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 84-77, 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...
.
Regular season
First basemanFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
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 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. In winning his sixth 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...
batting title, Carew flirted with becoming the first batter since Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
in to hit .400, finishing at .388. He also had 239 hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
s, scored a league-leading 128 runs, hit 14 home run
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...
s and collected 100 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
Other offensive stars were outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Larry Hisle
Larry Hisle
Larry Eugene Hisle is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Philadelphia Phillies , Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed...
, who hit 28 HR and drove in a league-leading 119 runs, and Lyman Bostock
Lyman Bostock
Lyman Wesley Bostock, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played Major League Baseball for four seasons, as an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels...
, who hit .338 with 104 runs, 14 HR and 90 RBI. Carew and Hisle were selected to the All-Star Game
1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 48th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 19, 1977, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, New York the...
along with catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Butch Wynegar
Butch Wynegar
Harold Delano "Butch" Wynegar, Jr. is a former professional baseball player and is the current hitting coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Triple A affiliate of the New York Yankees...
The Twins' ability to score runs was matched by their pitchers' ability to give up runs. Reliever Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson (baseball)
Thomas Raymond Johnson was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played five seasons in the majors, from until for the Minnesota Twins. He pitched in 129 games during his career, all but one as a reliever....
replaced Bill Campbell, racking up 16 relief wins along with 20 saves. Dave Goltz
Dave Goltz
David Allan "Dave" Goltz , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972-1983....
became a 20-game winner for the first time.
1,162,727 fans attended Twins games, the fourth 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...
. It was the first time the Twins since 1970 the Twins attracted more than one million fans.
Notable transactions
- April 6, 1977: The Twins purchased the contract of Don CarrithersDon CarrithersDonald George Carrithers is a former professional baseball pitcher. Carrithers pitched in all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball from 1970 until 1977....
from the Montreal ExposMontreal ExposThe Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. - May 2, 1977: Dave JohnsonDave Johnson (1970s pitcher)David Charles Johnson is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball between 1974 and 1978 for the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was purchased by the Twins from the Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
. - June 7, 1977: Darrell JacksonDarrell Jackson (baseball)Darrell Preston Jackson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of five seasons in the majors, from until , all with the Minnesota Twins.Jackson was drafted by the Twins out of high school in 1973, but he did not sign with them...
was drafted by the Twins in the 9th round of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft1977 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The White Sox raised some brows when they passed on right-handed pitcher Bill Gullickson, a native of nearby Orland Park, IL, and selected outfielder Harold Baines as the number one...
.
Roster
| 1977 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 | 144 | 532 | 139 | .261 | 10 | 79 | |
| 1B | 155 | 616 | 239 | .388 | 14 | 100 | |
| 2B | 103 | 306 | 73 | .239 | 0 | 22 | |
| 3B | 129 | 417 | 110 | .264 | 9 | 55 | |
| SS | 150 | 584 | 135 | .231 | 6 | 56 | |
| LF | 141 | 546 | 165 | .302 | 28 | 119 | |
| CF | 153 | 593 | 199 | .336 | 14 | 90 | |
| RF | 144 | 453 | 121 | .267 | 11 | 60 | |
| DH | 115 | 268 | 68 | .254 | 12 | 45 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 83 | 19 | .229 | 3 | 9 | |
| 32 | 65 | 16 | .246 | 0 | 11 | |
| 17 | 43 | 11 | .256 | 2 | 7 | |
| 15 | 32 | 5 | .156 | 0 | 5 | |
| 9 | 19 | 2 | .105 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 303 | 20 | 11 | 3.36 | 186 | |
| 37 | 218 | 11 | 15 | 4.62 | 94 | |
| 34 | 198 | 12 | 14 | 4.68 | 88 | |
| 30 | 137.1 | 6 | 9 | 5.18 | 73 | |
| 3 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 2.50 | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 134.2 | 8 | 7 | 4.41 | 77 | |
| 30 | 72.2 | 2 | 5 | 4.58 | 33 | |
| 18 | 48.1 | 2 | 3 | 6.89 | 32 | |
| 6 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 6.86 | 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 3.13 | 87 | |
| 61 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5.09 | 35 | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.37 | 4 | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.91 | 3 | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.94 | 3 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.08 | 1 |
Awards and honors
- Rod CarewRod CarewRodney 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...
, American League batting champion (.388) - Rod Carew, Roberto Clemente AwardRoberto Clemente AwardThe Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame...
- Rod Carew, American League MVP