1984 Minnesota Twins season
Encyclopedia
The 1984 Minnesota Twins
season was a season in American baseball. The team finished with a record of 81-81, second in the American League West
.
1,598,692 fans attended Twins games, a Twins attendance record, but still the fifth lowest total in the American League
. Towards the end of the season, Calvin Griffith
sold the club to local investor Carl Pohlad
.
hit .311 with 27 HR and 107 RBI.
Tom Brunansky
hit 32 HR and 85 RBI.
Leadoff batter Kirby Puckett
hit .296 and scored 63 runs.
Gary Gaetti
hit 5 HR and 65 RBI.
was 18-12.
Reliever Ron Davis had 29 saves.
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 with a record of 81-81, second 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...
.
1,598,692 fans attended Twins games, a Twins attendance record, but still the fifth 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...
. Towards the end of the season, Calvin Griffith
Calvin Griffith
Calvin Robertson Griffith , born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was a Major League Baseball team owner...
sold the club to local investor Carl Pohlad
Carl Pohlad
Carl R. Pohlad was a successful financier and the owner of the Minnesota Twins baseball franchise from 1984 until his death in 2009.-Early life:...
.
Offseason
- October, 1983: Jeff LittleJeff LittleDonald Jeffrey Little is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Little pitched in parts of two seasons: for the St. Louis Cardinals and for the Minnesota Twins. He pitched in a total of 40 games, including 2 starts.-External links:...
was released by the Twins. - December 7, 1983: Gary WardGary WardGary Lamell Ward is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played for the Minnesota Twins , Texas Rangers , New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers .Ward was signed by the Twins as an amateur free agent in 1972 and made his debut in the 1979 season...
and Sam Sorce (minors) were traded by the Twins to the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for John ButcherJohn 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....
and Mike Smithson. - January 17, 1984: Mark Grace was drafted by the Twins in the 15th round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft1984 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Future Canadian Football League quarterback Damon Allen, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round, 182nd overall....
, but did not sign.
Regular season
- May 8, 1984: 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...
got four hits in his major league debut. - Only one Twins made the All-Star GameMajor League Baseball All-Star GameThe 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...
, catcher Dave EngleDave EngleRalph David Engle is a former Major League Baseball utility player who played for the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers all of the American League and the Montreal Expos of the National League from 1981 to 1989.-Pro career:A graduate of the University of Southern California,...
.
Offense
Kent HrbekKent 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 27 HR and 107 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 32 HR and 85 RBI.
Leadoff batter 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...
hit .296 and scored 63 runs.
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 5 HR and 65 RBI.
Pitching
Starter 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...
was 18-12.
Reliever Ron Davis had 29 saves.
Notable transactions
- June 4, 1984: 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...
was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (8th pick) of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft1984 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Future Canadian Football League quarterback Damon Allen, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round, 182nd overall....
. Jay Bell signed on June 11, 1984.
Roster
| 1984 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 | 109 | 391 | 104 | .266 | 4 | 38 | |
| 1B | 149 | 559 | 174 | .311 | 27 | 107 | |
| 3B | 162 | 588 | 154 | .262 | 5 | 65 | |
| SS | 108 | 298 | 60 | .201 | 0 | 19 | |
| CF | 128 | 557 | 165 | .296 | 0 | 31 | |
| RF | 155 | 567 | 144 | .254 | 32 | 85 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 52 | 13 | .250 | 1 | 6 | |
| 13 | 29 | 5 | .172 | 0 | 5 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 257.2 | 18 | 12 | 3.21 | 149 | |
| 36 | 252 | 15 | 13 | 3.68 | 144 | |
| 34 | 225 | 13 | 11 | 3.44 | 83 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 68.2 | 3 | 5 | 5.77 | 22 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 7 | 11 | 29 | 4.55 | 74 | |
| 36 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3.49 | 22 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.93 | 0 | |
Awards and honors
All-Star Game1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 55th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 10, 1984 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, home of the...
- Dave EngleDave EngleRalph David Engle is a former Major League Baseball utility player who played for the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers all of the American League and the Montreal Expos of the National League from 1981 to 1989.-Pro career:A graduate of the University of Southern California,...
, reserve