1998 Minnesota Twins
Encyclopedia
Like many Twins teams of its half-decade, the 1998 Minnesota Twins
neither impressed nor contended. The team finished with a 70-92 record, with subpar batting and pitching. The season was not without its bright spots, as individual players had solid seasons and Hall of Fame designated hitter
Paul Molitor
announced his retirement at the end of the season. Unfortunately, Tom Kelly
's team suffered plenty of lowlights, most notably David Wells
' perfect game
against the team on May 17 at Yankee Stadium.
and Todd Walker
as major league hitters. The team believed Walker would be able to fill the void left after the trade of Chuck Knoblauch
, who had been traded to the New York Yankees
on February 16. Fans also saw the merciful end to Twins' Scott Stahoviak
era. Otis Nixon
had a surprising year for a 39-year-old, hitting .297 and stealing 37 bases (leading the team). Molitor's hitting continued its gradual decline from his stellar 1996 campaign, with his average down to .281 and RBIs down to 69. These numbers were still competent and he was able to retire while playing solid baseball.
was the opening day starter for the Twins, the last opening day starter not named Brad Radke
until 2006. Tewksbury, Radke, LaTroy Hawkins
, and rookie Eric Milton
(acquired in the Knoblauch trade) were in the rotation for most of the year. Mike Morgan
and Frank Rodriguez
also started 17 and 11 games, respectively. While Morgan had an impressive year for a forty-year-old journeyman before being traded in August, Rodriguez's season was a major disappointment. In his last year for the Twins, Rodriguez went 4-6 with an ERA of 6.56. This could not have been what the team had in mind when it acquired him for Rick Aguilera
in 1995.
Subsequent to that trade, the Twins reacquired Aguilera, and he served as the teams' closer in 1998, earning a respectable 38 saves. Also in the bullpen, Eddie Guardado
, Mike Trombley
, Héctor Carrasco
, and Greg Swindell
had competent seasons.
, then 36, had a mediocre season, with Javier Valentin
as his backup. David Ortiz
was projected as the starting first baseman, but was hampered by injuries. Orlando Merced
, Molitor, and Stahoviak saw time at the position in Ortiz's absence. Walker played second, while Ron Coomer
saw a majority of the time at third. Pat Meares
was the starting shortstop, but was unceremoniously dumped by the team following the season. The outfield consisted of a declining Marty Cordova
, Nixon, and Lawton.
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...
neither impressed nor contended. The team finished with a 70-92 record, with subpar batting and pitching. The season was not without its bright spots, as individual players had solid seasons and Hall of Fame 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...
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...
announced his retirement at the end of the season. Unfortunately, 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 suffered plenty of lowlights, most notably David Wells
David Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
' perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
against the team on May 17 at Yankee Stadium.
Offense
In 1998, Twins fans witnessed the emergence of Matt LawtonMatt 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...
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...
as major league hitters. The team believed Walker would be able to fill the void left after the trade of 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...
, who had been traded to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on February 16. Fans also saw the merciful end to Twins' 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...
era. Otis Nixon
Otis Nixon
Otis Junior Nixon, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a center fielder and switch-hitter who played from 1983 to 1999...
had a surprising year for a 39-year-old, hitting .297 and stealing 37 bases (leading the team). Molitor's hitting continued its gradual decline from his stellar 1996 campaign, with his average down to .281 and RBIs down to 69. These numbers were still competent and he was able to retire while playing solid baseball.
| 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... |
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... |
21 |
| RBI | 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... |
77 |
| 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 :... |
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... |
.316 |
| 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... |
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... |
91 |
Pitching
Bob TewksburyBob Tewksbury
Robert Alan Tewksbury is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Tewksbury's talent was initially discovered by Andy Michael in Concord. Michael contacted the New York Yankees and Tewksbury was drafted by them out of Saint Leo University in the 19th round of the 1981 draft...
was the opening day starter for the Twins, the last opening day starter not named 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...
until 2006. Tewksbury, Radke, LaTroy Hawkins
LaTroy Hawkins
LaTroy Hawkins is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Through 2011, he was third of all active pitchers in career games pitched.-Minnesota Twins:...
, and rookie Eric Milton
Eric Milton
Eric Robert Milton is a former American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...
(acquired in the Knoblauch trade) were in the rotation for most of the year. Mike Morgan
Mike Morgan
Michael Thomas Morgan is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He competed for twelve different teams over 25 years, and is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have played Major League baseball over four decades...
and 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...
also started 17 and 11 games, respectively. While Morgan had an impressive year for a forty-year-old journeyman before being traded in August, Rodriguez's season was a major disappointment. In his last year for the Twins, Rodriguez went 4-6 with an ERA of 6.56. This could not have been what the team had in mind when it acquired him for 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....
in 1995.
Subsequent to that trade, the Twins reacquired Aguilera, and he served as the teams' closer in 1998, earning a respectable 38 saves. Also in the bullpen, Eddie Guardado
Eddie Guardado
Edward Adrian Guardado is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Throughout his career, Guardado had played with the Minnesota Twins , Seattle Mariners , Cincinnati Reds , and the Rangers .His common nickname is "Everyday Eddie", a testament to his durable arm during his first stint with the...
, Mike Trombley
Mike Trombley
Michael Scott Trombley and raised in Wilbraham, Massachusetts is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from -.-External links:...
, Héctor Carrasco
Héctor Carrasco
Héctor Pacheco Pipo Carrasco is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher...
, and Greg Swindell
Greg Swindell
Forest Gregory "Greg" Swindell is an American former Major League Baseball player, who had a 17-year career as a left-handed pitcher from to...
had competent seasons.
| 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... |
4.30 |
| 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... |
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... |
12 |
| 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.... |
38 |
| 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... |
146 |
Defense
In his penultimate year as a major league catcher, Minnesota native Terry SteinbachTerry Steinbach
Terry Lee Steinbach is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for 14 years from to . He was drafted in 1980 out of New Ulm High School by the Cleveland Indians. He was the starting catcher for Oakland Athletics teams that won three straight American League pennants from 1988 to...
, then 36, had a mediocre season, with Javier Valentin
Javier Valentín
José Javier Valentín Rosario is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. From -, he played for the Cincinnati Reds after playing with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and playing in four brief stints for the Minnesota Twins from -. He is the younger brother of former Major League...
as his backup. David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David 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 projected as the starting first baseman, but was hampered by injuries. Orlando Merced
Orlando Merced
Orlando Luis Merced Villanueva is a former Major League Baseball first Baseman and outfielder. He played all or part of thirteen seasons in the majors for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Toronto Blue Jays , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Montreal Expos , and Houston Astros...
, Molitor, and Stahoviak saw time at the position in Ortiz's absence. Walker played second, while 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...
saw a majority of the time at third. 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....
was the starting shortstop, but was unceremoniously dumped by the team following the season. The outfield consisted of a declining 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...
, Nixon, and Lawton.
Roster
| 1998 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Notable transactions
- January 14: Signed first baseman/outfielder Orlando MercedOrlando MercedOrlando Luis Merced Villanueva is a former Major League Baseball first Baseman and outfielder. He played all or part of thirteen seasons in the majors for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Toronto Blue Jays , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Montreal Expos , and Houston Astros...
as a free agent. - February 16: Traded 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...
to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in exchange for outfielder Brian BuchananBrian BuchananBrian James Buchanan is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia, where he excelled not only at hitting but at pitching as well and was named First Team All-Region for all of Northern Virginia. He once played for the St...
, shortstop Cristian GuzmanCristian GuzmánCristian Antonio Guzmán is a Dominican baseball player who plays second base and shortstop, who is currently a free agent.-Minnesota Twins:...
, pitcher Eric MiltonEric MiltonEric Robert Milton is a former American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...
, pitcher Danny MotaDanny MotaDaniel Avila Mota is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mota played for the Minnesota Twins in the 2000 season. In four games, he had a 8.44 ERA, in 5.3 innings pitched, with three Strikeouts. Mota batted and threw right-handed.He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in...
, and cash. - April 3: Claimed pitcher Héctor CarrascoHéctor CarrascoHéctor Pacheco Pipo Carrasco is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher...
off waivers from 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...
. - May 26, 1998: Pitcher Doug LintonDoug LintonDouglas Warren Linton is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball between 1992 and 2003 for the Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles, mostly as a relief pitcher...
was signed as a Free Agent. - July 31: Traded Merced and pitcher Greg SwindellGreg SwindellForest Gregory "Greg" Swindell is an American former Major League Baseball player, who had a 17-year career as a left-handed pitcher from to...
to the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for outfielder John BarnesJohn Barnes (baseball)John Delbert Barnes is a professional baseball outfielder. Barnes is a graduate of Granite Hills High School and attended Grossmont College in El Cajon, California-Career:...
, pitcher Matt KinneyMatt KinneyMatthew John Kinney is an American professional baseball pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization. He spent with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan's Pacific League. Kinney is a graduate of Bangor High School....
, and Joe Thomas. - August 25: Traded pitcher Mike MorganMike MorganMichael Thomas Morgan is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He competed for twelve different teams over 25 years, and is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have played Major League baseball over four decades...
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 a player to be named later and cash. On November 3, the Cubs sent pitcher Scott DownsScott DownsScott Jeremy Downs is an American professional baseball relief pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays...
to the Twins to complete the trade. - September 29: First baseman Scott StahoviakScott StahoviakScott 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...
granted free agency. - September 30: Infielder Brent GatesBrent GatesBrent Robert Gates is a former Major League Baseball second and third baseman. He is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota....
granted free agency. He was re-signed on December 15.
Miscellaneous
- The lone representative of the Twins in the All-Star Game was pitcher Brad RadkeBrad RadkeBrad 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...
.
- The highest paid Twin in 1998 was 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...
at $ 4,250,000; followed by Terry SteinbachTerry SteinbachTerry Lee Steinbach is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for 14 years from to . He was drafted in 1980 out of New Ulm High School by the Cleveland Indians. He was the starting catcher for Oakland Athletics teams that won three straight American League pennants from 1988 to...
at $ 2,850,000.
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
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|