Article: Twins Bite-Sized History: Part 5, Gene Mauch, Rod Carew and the Lumber Company

[John Bonnes]

Following their 1970 Division Championship, the Twins would remain marginally competitive over the next decade or so, but injuries and age would chip away enough to lower them from elite to mediocre. Killebrew turned 35 in 1971 and would never again hit even 30 home runs in a season. Oliva hurt his knee on a shoestring catch in June 1971 and would never again garner MVP votes, which he had done for eight straight years. Killebrew departed the Twins after the 1974 season and retired a year later. A year after that, Oliva played his last major league game.

 

Rod Carew, however, bounced back from his 1970 injury and resumed his Hall of Fame career. He won batting titles every season from 1972 through 1978, except for 1976, when he missed out by two hits. Read that last sentence again. He was also an All-Star every year from his rookie year in 1967 through 1984. 

Part 5 of a 12-part series that breaks Twins history into fun-sized chunks.You can find more here:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

 

 

The clubhouse was handed to manager Frank Quilici who guided the team to nearly a .500 record from 1972 through 1975, but they never finished higher than third in the division, and never fewer than eight games back. The results took their toll on attendance. The Twins did not break the 1,000,000 attendance mark for the first time in 1971, but it wouldn’t be the last. The Twins wouldn’t reach that mark again until 1977, thanks to Carew’s stellar season, a new manager, and a “Lumber Company.”

 

The manager was Gene Mauch, a veteran manager from the National League who also happened to be a former member of the St. Paul Saints and Minneapolis Millers. He took over the Twins in 1976, and, despite the midseason trade of Bert Blyleven, the Twins posted a winning record for the first time since 1970.

 

The next year was even more exciting, and over 1,100,000 Twins fans watched it live. The Twins offense, known as the “Lumber Company,” scored 867 runs and featured career years from Larry Hisle (119 RBI) and Lyman Bostock (.336 batting average). That level of run support helped make a 20-game winner out of Dave Goltz, who posted a 3.36 ERA. On August 23, the Twins were 18 games above .500 and a game back of the Royals. A late season fade to fourth place and 84 wins didn’t tarnish the return of interest to the franchise.

 

That interest was further fueled by Carew’s remarkable 1977 season. He entered June hitting .365 but proceeded to gather hits in every June game save one on the 18th. On July 1st he was hitting .411 and would keep his average above that level through July 10th. His story broke through sports and into mainstream news, even being featured on the cover of Time magazine (shown above). He would not reach .400 again, but finished the year with a .388 average, eight hits shy of the magical mark.

 

It would be the zenith of Carew’s career with the Twins. But things turned sharply downhill that offseason.

 

Next up: Bottoming Out

 

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[dxpavelka]

The caption on the cover of Time magazine says it all.  Funny thing is he wasn't terribly dissimilar as a hitter from a certain current Twin who also moved to 1st base from a more physically demanding defensive position late in his career and never quite lived up to the fans' expectations of what a first baseman should be.

[GM64]

Lyman Bostock. What a shame.

[Monkeypaws]

Somehow the term "Lumber Company" makes me thing of Craig Kusick, and Bob Gorinski.

[David HK]

 

Somehow the term "Lumber Company" makes me thing of Craig Kusick, and Bob Gorinski.

Heh... as it that's where they were soon working after some time with the Twins?

 

[Devereaux]

In 1977 I was 16 and I could finally drive to Met Stadium with my buddies. I remember being super happy that Bombo Rivera tossed a beach ball back to us in the bleachers.

 

I remember a double header that I kept score where it seemed like Carew made a ton of 1B unassisted. I was guessing it was 1978 because the stands weren't too full, but I can't locate the date for sure on BR. (Maybe July 24 against Boston?) Looks like the Twins played 7 home double headers that season!

[MileHighTwinsFan]

For a twelve year old from Apple Valley, Rod Carew's run at .400 and the Twins success made 1977 a summer to remember.   My life long love affair with the Twins was solidified during those summer nights next to the radio listening to Herb Carneal call that wonderful season.  

 

My thoughts are with Rodney Cline as he battles back to health.  A true icon of Minnesota sports.