1996 Minnesota Twins
Encyclopedia
Prior to the spring training
, the 1996 Minnesota Twins
were projected to be a contending team. The team's chances significantly worsened on March 28, 1996. Kirby Puckett
, the team's franchise player, had been tattooing the Grapefruit League (spring training) for a .360 average, but that morning woke up without vision in his right eye. He was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma
. Several surgeries over the next few months could not restore vision in the eye. Puckett announced his retirement from baseball on July 12. After beginning the season under the melancholy cloud of the Puckett situation, Manager Tom Kelly's team finished the year with a 78-84 record, which put it in fourth place in the American League Central Division.
had a standout year in his first year back with his hometown team, playing as the regular designated hitter
. He played in all but one game and hit .341 with 113 RBI and a league-best 225 hits. On September 16 in Kansas City, he collected his 3,000th hit, a triple off of José Rosado
. He is the only player to obtain his 3,000th hit via a triple. Like Molitor, Chuck Knoblauch
also hit .341. Among the hits were 35 doubles. He also stole 45 bases. Marty Cordova
had a respectable year, driving in 111 runs.
, Frank Rodriguez
, and Rich Robertson all spent the whole season in the starting rotation and had losing records. The team's experiment moving Rick Aguilera
from the closer's role to the starting rotation was not a successful one, as he started only 19 games. Scott Aldred
also started seventeen games for the team. Radke had the lowest ERA among the starters at 4.46. The rest were over five. Dave Stevens got the most saves at 11, but he was not an effective closer. Mike Trombley and Dan Naulty had effective seasons out of the bullpen, but nobody else had an ERA under five. Epitomizing the pitching woes, Mike Milchin had an ERA of 8.31 but the team still let him pitch in 26 games.
at shortstop, and Cordova in left field. In a less-than-encouraging sign for the team's postseason prospects, Scott Stahoviak
saw a majority of the time at first base. Dave Hollins
played 116 games at third, with Jeff Reboulet
and Todd Walker
also seeing time. Greg Myers and Matt Walbeck
platooned at catcher. Rich Becker
had the unenviable task of replacing Puckett in center field and played 121 games there. Right field was a mish-mash, with Matt Lawton
playing 60 games at the position, Roberto Kelly
54, Denny Hocking
33, and Ron Coomer
23.
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, the 1996 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...
were projected to be a contending team. The team's chances significantly worsened on March 28, 1996. 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...
, the team's franchise player, had been tattooing the Grapefruit League (spring training) for a .360 average, but that morning woke up without vision in his right eye. He was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
. Several surgeries over the next few months could not restore vision in the eye. Puckett announced his retirement from baseball on July 12. After beginning the season under the melancholy cloud of the Puckett situation, Manager Tom Kelly's team finished the year with a 78-84 record, which put it in fourth place in the American League Central Division.
Offseason
- October 9: Luis RivasLuis RivasLuis Wilfredo Rivas [REE-vas] is a free agent Major League Baseball infielder.He played for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2005, Cleveland Indians in 2007, and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008. He bats and throws right-handed.Rivas was known to be a free-swinging hitter who will offer at almost any...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins. - December 5: Paul MolitorPaul MolitorPaul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
was signed as a free agent by the Twins. - January 29: Signed Roberto KellyRoberto KellyRoberto Conrado Kelly is a former Outfielder in Major League Baseball and is currently the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants. He previously managed the Giants' single-A team, the Augusta GreenJackets. Kelly played for several major league clubs...
as a free agent.
Offense
Individual players on the team did excel. Paul MolitorPaul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
had a standout year in his first year back with his hometown team, playing as the regular 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...
. He played in all but one game and hit .341 with 113 RBI and a league-best 225 hits. On September 16 in Kansas City, he collected his 3,000th hit, a triple off of José Rosado
José Rosado
Jose Antonio Rosado is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Kansas City Royals from 1996 to 2000. He was drafted by the Royals in the 12th round of the 1994 amateur draft. He was a successful pitcher before his career was effectively ended by a torn rotator cuff...
. He is the only player to obtain his 3,000th hit via a triple. Like Molitor, 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...
also hit .341. Among the hits were 35 doubles. He also stole 45 bases. Marty Cordova
Marty Cordova
Martin Keevin "Marty" Cordova [cor-DOH-vuh] , is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder. He played for the Minnesota Twins , Toronto Blue Jays , Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles...
had a respectable year, driving in 111 runs.
| 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... |
Marty Cordova Marty Cordova Martin Keevin "Marty" Cordova [cor-DOH-vuh] , is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder. He played for the Minnesota Twins , Toronto Blue Jays , Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles... |
16 |
| RBI | Paul Molitor Paul Molitor Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins... |
113 |
| 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 :... |
Paul Molitor Paul Molitor Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins... and 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... |
.341 |
| 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... |
140 |
Pitching
The pitching did not match the offense. Brad RadkeBrad Radke
Brad William Radke is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in the Twins organization during the late 90's...
, Frank Rodriguez
Frank Rodriguez (baseball)
Francisco Rodriguez is a former major league pitcher.-Amateur career:Rodriguez won the Dick Howser Trophy in 1991. At the time of the award, Rodriguez was playing for Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas...
, and Rich Robertson all spent the whole season in the starting rotation and had losing records. The team's experiment moving 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....
from the closer's role to the starting rotation was not a successful one, as he started only 19 games. Scott Aldred
Scott Aldred
Scott Phillip Aldred is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and current minor league pitching coach.-Early life:Aldred was born in Flint, Michigan...
also started seventeen games for the team. Radke had the lowest ERA among the starters at 4.46. The rest were over five. Dave Stevens got the most saves at 11, but he was not an effective closer. Mike Trombley and Dan Naulty had effective seasons out of the bullpen, but nobody else had an ERA under five. Epitomizing the pitching woes, Mike Milchin had an ERA of 8.31 but the team still let him pitch in 26 games.
| 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... |
Brad Radke Brad Radke Brad William Radke is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in the Twins organization during the late 90's... |
4.46 |
| 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... |
Frank Rodriguez Frank Rodriguez (baseball) Francisco Rodriguez is a former major league pitcher.-Amateur career:Rodriguez won the Dick Howser Trophy in 1991. At the time of the award, Rodriguez was playing for Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas... |
13 |
| Saves | Dave Stevens Dave 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:... |
11 |
| Strikeouts | Brad Radke Brad Radke Brad William Radke is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in the Twins organization during the late 90's... |
148 |
Defense
The only truly regular starters in the field were Knoblauch at second base, Pat MearesPat 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....
at shortstop, and Cordova in left field. In a less-than-encouraging sign for the team's postseason prospects, Scott Stahoviak
Scott Stahoviak
Scott Edmund Stahoviak is a former Minnesota Twins first baseman. He was born on March 6, 1970, in Waukegan, Illinois. He attended Creighton University, and was an integral part of Creighton's NCAA College World Series appearance in 1991...
saw a majority of the time at first base. Dave Hollins
Dave Hollins
David Michael Hollins is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played baseball at Orchard Park High School, where he graduated in 1984. He attended the University of South Carolina. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 6th round of the 1987 amateur draft...
played 116 games at third, with Jeff Reboulet
Jeff Reboulet
Jeffrey Allen Reboulet was a Major League Baseball infielder. He is an alumnus of Louisiana State University....
and Todd Walker
Todd Walker
Todd 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...
also seeing time. Greg Myers and Matt Walbeck
Matt 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...
platooned at catcher. Rich Becker
Rich Becker
Richard "Richie" Godhard Becker was a Major League Baseball player between 1993-2000.Born in Aurora, Illinois, Becker was selected in the third round of the 1990 Major League Baseball amateur draft out of West Aurora High School by the Minnesota Twins. In high school Becker, excelled at football...
had the unenviable task of replacing Puckett in center field and played 121 games there. Right field was a mish-mash, with Matt Lawton
Matt Lawton
Matthew "Matt" Lawton, Jr. is a retired professional baseball whose career spanned 15 seasons, including 12 seasons in Major League Baseball. Lawton, an outfielder, made his major league debut September 5, 1995, with the Minnesota Twins, who signed him four years prior...
playing 60 games at the position, Roberto Kelly
Roberto Kelly
Roberto Conrado Kelly is a former Outfielder in Major League Baseball and is currently the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants. He previously managed the Giants' single-A team, the Augusta GreenJackets. Kelly played for several major league clubs...
54, Denny Hocking
Denny Hocking
Dennis Lee "Denny" Hocking is a former Major League Baseball utility player. After playing at El Camino College in California, he was drafted in the 52nd round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins and made his major league debut in...
33, and Ron Coomer
Ron Coomer
Ronald "Coom Dawg" Coomer is a former first baseman and third baseman in Major League Baseball who had a 9-year career from to . He played for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
23.
Roster
| 1996 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Notable Transactions
- May 28: Selected Scott AldredScott AldredScott Phillip Aldred is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and current minor league pitching coach.-Early life:Aldred was born in Flint, Michigan...
off waivers from the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. - June 4: In the 1996 amateur draft, the Twins drafted future major leaguers such as Jacque JonesJacque JonesJacque Dewayne Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who currently is a free agent-Early life:...
(2nd round), Chad Allen (4th round), and Chad MoellerChad MoellerChad Edward Moeller [MOE-ler] is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Colorado Rockies organization. He is the cousin of former MLB first baseman Chris Cron.-College career:...
(7th round). The Twins botched the signing of first baseman Travis LeeTravis LeeTravis Lee is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia, Washington in 1993, where he also played football. Being ambidextrous Lee played as a lefty in baseball and as a QB for the Capital High football team threw with his right...
, whom they signed in the first round with the second overall pick. Lee exploited a never-before used clause that allows a draft pick to become a free agent if a team doesn't make an offer within 15 days of the draft. After the Twins failed to do this, Lee left for the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, who gave him a $10 million signing bonus. The Twins had the last laugh, however, as Lee has proven to be a below-average hitter who has bounced from team to team. - August 29: Traded Dave HollinsDave HollinsDavid Michael Hollins is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played baseball at Orchard Park High School, where he graduated in 1984. He attended the University of South Carolina. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 6th round of the 1987 amateur draft...
to 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...
for a player to be named later. On September 30, the Mariners sent David OrtizDavid OrtizDavid Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
to the Twins to complete the trade. - September 13, 1996: David OrtizDavid OrtizDavid Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
was sent by the Seattle Mariners to the Minnesota Twins to complete an earlier deal made on August 29, 1996. The Seattle Mariners sent a player to be named later to the Minnesota Twins for Dave Hollins.
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 |
|---|
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 |
|---|
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|
Miscellaneous
- The lone representative of the Twins in the All-Star Game was 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 1996 was 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...
at $ 4,670,000; followed by Rick AguileraRick AguileraRichard 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....
at $ 3,500,000.