Twins in the 2000s: The 2007 Season

[Nick Nelson]

In the wake of a thrilling division title run in 2006, a changing of the guard was afoot for the Minnesota Twins. The clock was counting down on veteran leaders in the lineup and rotation – and also, it turns out, on their long-tenured general manager.We're running a 20-part series in which we look back at each Minnesota Twins season of the 2000s. A rotation of different writers will highlight key moments, unearth forgotten details, and share nostalgic tales from the past two decades leading up to the present. This installment covers the 2007 season.

 

Team Record: 79-83

Finish: 3rd Place in AL Central

All-Stars: Johan Santana (SP), Justin Morneau (1B), Torii Hunter (CF)

Awards: Torii Hunter (Gold Glove, CF), Johan Santana (Gold Glove, P)

Playoffs: N/A

 

Season Overview

 

Coming off one of the best regular seasons in franchise history (and one of the most deflating postseasons), the Minnesota Twins faced a future of change and uncertainty. Torii Hunter was entering his final season under contract, while Johan Santana's own upcoming free agency (after 2008) forced the low-budget Twins to start weighing the possibility of trading their superstar pitcher.

 

Beyond big-picture considerations, general manager Terry Ryan also had plenty of short-term concerns to address – most pressingly, absences in the starting rotation created by Brad Radke's retirement and Francisco Liriano's recovery from Tommy John surgery.

 

In painfully typical TR fashion, the GM signed two low-cost veteran mediocrities to complement a roster with valid World Series aspirations. Ramón Ortiz (5.14 ERA) and Sidney Ponson (6.93 ERA) were both disastrous, and neither made it through May in the rotation. The Twins went 6-11 in 17 combined starts from these two before Ortiz was demoted to the bullpen and Ponson was released.

 

Their spots were soon claimed by two young hurlers who would become staples in the post-Radke (and soon-to-be post-Santana) rotation: Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey. Another right-hander named Nick Blackburn debuted and got his feet wet as a reliever in September. Meanwhile, pitching prospect Matt Garza found his first MLB success at age 23 with a 3.69 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts).

 

Thanks to solid efforts from newcomers, another excellent season from Santana, a bounce-back year from Carlos Silva, and reliable work from Joe Nathan, Matt Guerrier and Pat Neshek at the back end of the bullpen, this was a quality staff. The Twins ranked fourth among AL teams in runs allowed, ERA and WHIP while leading the league in K/BB ratio. But much like 2005, a lackluster offense and an inspired run from a division opponent spelled doom for Minnesota's chances of repeating as division champs.

 

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau took steps back after producing MVP-caliber results the prior year, but both were still plenty good, with Mauer registering a 118 OPS+ and Morneau checking in at 122 to go along with 31 homers and 111 RBIs. Hunter was stellar in his walk year, building a strong case for free agency with 28 homers, 45 doubles, 107 RBIs, and his seventh straight Gold Glove.

 

But elsewhere, weaknesses were evident:

• Second baseman Luis Castillo batted .304 but it was an empty average, as he drew just 29 walks and collected only 14 extra-base hits in 384 plate appearances. At age 31 his signature speed was fading. The Twins traded him to the Mets in July to make way for prospect Alexi Casilla.
• Following his impressive showing at third base after replacing Tony Batista in 2006, Nick Punto dove (head-first) back into the dumpster offensively, slashing a hideous .210/.291/.271 while drawing the fifth-most plate appearances (536) on the team.
• The designated hitter spot was a mess as Ryan's perpetual inability to find a capable bat for the position persisted. Among players to draw more than a dozen starts at DH for the Twins in '07: Jeff Cirillo, Mike Redmond, Jason Tyner, Rondell White, Garrett Jones. None finished the year with an OPS above .700. Meanwhile David Ortiz mashed his way to a fifth straight top-five MVP finish in Boston, not to mention a second championship.

Hurting their chances significantly, the Twins went 4-14 against a Cleveland Indians team that won 96 games and the division, coming within a game of the World Series. CC Sabathia won the Cy Young Award, ending what should've been a three-year run by Santana.

 

In the only sub-.500 season of their decade-long run from 2001 through 2010, the Twins were stuck in transition, with several notable tenures coming to an end.

 

Staring down the unenviable task of moving on from multiple cherished franchise mainstays in the coming offseason, Ryan stepped aside as GM in September. Replacing him would be his longtime assistant Bill Smith.

 

There never seemed to be much substantive momentum toward Hunter re-signing with the Twins. He inked a five-year contract with the Angels around Thanksgiving. A week later, Smith struck his first big trade, sending Garza and Jason Bartlett to the Rays in exchange for 2007 Rookie of the Year runner-up Delmon Young.

 

Shortly after the calendar flipped to 2008, Santana would be traded to the Mets in exchange for a package of four prospects.

 

With construction officially getting underway on their new downtown outdoor ballpark, the Twins were restructuring for a very different type of future, eliminating the last vestiges of an early-decade core that ushered success back into the Metrodome.

 

This was going to be Mauer and Morneau's team now. Who would join them in taking the lead?

 

Team MVP: Johan Santana (SP)

 

Other Contenders: Jason Barlett (SS), Joe Mauer ( C ), Torii Hunter (CF), Joe Nathan (RP)

 

Santana's final year as a Twin was another excellent one, though undoubtedly his worst since becoming a full-time starter in 2004. Actually, "worst" is too harsh. Let's say "least amazing." While his ERA (3.33), FIP (3.82), and WHIP (1.07) were all the highest in four years, as was his league-leading total of 33 homers allowed, Santana still topped the team in fWAR (4.0) and bWAR (5.0). He was an All-Star for a third straight time, finished fifth in the Cy Young voting, and was awarded his first and only Gold Glove.

 

By now the 28-year-old left-hander was firmly established as one of the very best pitchers in baseball. For him to pitch this well even in a down year almost reinforced just how good he was. The Twins carried some leverage into offseason trade talks as a result, though it was tempered by his one remaining year of control, and a looming monster long-term contract.

 

3 Most Pivotal Games

 

April 23rd: Lost vs. Cleveland Indians, 7-3

 

The Indians came to town on April 23rd trailing Minnesota by 1 1/2 games in the standings, and looking to overtake sole possession of first place in a two-game series. They did just that. In the first game they scored four runs against Jesse Crain – who'd soon be shelved for the rest of the season due to shoulder issues – in the 14th inning to close within a half-game. Veteran reliever Roberto Hernández was credited with the win for Cleveland.

 

The next day, the Indians completed a two-game sweep at the Dome, with a different Roberto Hernández picking up the W. Except at that point, he was known as Fausto Carmona.

 

The Twins would never again see first place.

 

August 5th: Won vs. Cleveland Indians, 1-0

 

To their credit, the Twins did hang around in the AL Central, balancing out losing spells with winning streaks to stay within range of .500 and on the fringe of a race playing out between Cleveland and Detroit ahead of them.

Heading into the third of a four-game home series against the Indians in early August, Minnesota had won five of its past seven – including three against Cleveland – on the strength of great pitching, whittling their deficit in the Central from nine games to 5 1/2. On this date, Baker hurled eight shutout innings and Nathan slammed the door as the Twins won to move back within five games of first. The three-way race was on.

 

August 29th: Lost @ Cleveland Indians, 4-3

 

Or was it? Unfortunately the Twins followed that triumphant victory by dropping seven of eight, and when late August rolled around they'd failed to gain any more ground. Still, when the Twins headed to Cleveland for a series against the frontrunners, they were 5 1/2 games behind with a chance to move within striking distance.

 

Instead, they dropped the first two games behind Silva and Boof Bonser. And in the finale, as they sent their ace Santana against the eventual Cy Young winner Sabathia to try and avoid a sweep, the Twins were sunk by a four-run first inning from Cleveland. This left Minnesota 8 1/2 behind. They'd finish 17 games out after an 11-16 September.

 

Unforgettable Highlights

 

Doubleheader Derby

 

By this point the rivalry between the Twins and White Sox was white-hot. So it was extra-satisfying when Minnesota enjoyed one of the greatest doubleheaders ever on July 6th, scoring 32 runs across the day-night twin bill in front of Chicago's home fans.

 

In the first game, a 20-14 win, the Twins pounded out 21 hits with Jason Kubel driving in seven runs and Mauer five. The nightcap was a 12-0 laugher, fueled by six shutout innings from Garza and three home runs from Morneau.

 

Jason Tyner Finally Goes Yard

 

As he stepped to the plate for his first at-bat of the day in Cleveland on July 28th – the 1,319th of his major-league career – Tyner still had yet to hit his first MLB home run. The dry spell became a bit of a running joke among Twins fandom (and in the clubhouse, I'm sure). But on this fateful day, Tyner finally got his first one, a meager 352-foot shot against Jake Westbrook.

 

The slap-hitting outfielder's baton for longest home-run drought was handed to his teammate (for a couple more days at least), the second baseman Castillo.

 

Johan Santana Sets Twins Single-Game Strikeout Record

 

While this season wasn't Santana's best as a Twin, it did feature his most dominant performance. On August 19th, facing the Texas Rangers at Target Field, Santana was at the height of his effectiveness, logging an astounding 17 strikeouts over eight shutout innings. That's a Twins franchise record, as is the 19 totaled in the nine-inning contest, with Nathan adding two in his save. Making this outing all the more impressive is that Texas was always within one swing of tying or taking the lead, as Minnesota scored once in the second and never provided further run support.

 

 

Target Field Breaks Ground

 

In the midst of an ongoing land dispute, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held at the site for Minnesota's then-unnamed new pro baseball stadium on August 30th. Located across downtown from the Metrodome, this new facility was to be built upon a strikingly small patch of land. Plenty of creative planning and architecture would be required in bringing its bold vision to life.

 

While Target Field would become a marvel of modern engineering, its groundbreaking – originally scheduled for August 2nd – had been delayed by a haunting failure of engineering one day prior, when the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed just blocks away from the Metrodome.

 

Baker Flirts with Perfection

 

Postponed along with the Target Field groundbreaking on August 2nd was the Twins' home game scheduled for the same day, against Kansas City. It was instead played on August 31st, as part of a doubleheader. In the second billing that day, Baker pitched the best game of his career and one of the best in Twins history, carrying a perfect game into the ninth inning before John Buck drew a leadoff walk and Mike Sweeney snapped the no-hitter with a one-out single.

 

Since the 1980s, only two Minnesota pitchers have posted a higher Game Score than Baker's 93 in this start: Eric Milton in his 1999 no-hitter, and Santana in his 17-strikeout game 12 days earlier.

 

One Detail You Probably Forgot

 

Tommy Watkins is familiar to current Twins fans as Rocco Baldelli's affable first base coach, but he did have a very brief and successful career as a major-league player.

 

A 38th-round draft pick in 1998, Watkins worked his way through the minors for nearly a decade – more a likable organizational soldier than a legitimate prospect. In August of 2007, he received his first big-league promotion at age 27, much to the delight of people throughout the organization.

 

In 28 at-bats, Watkins collected 10 hits (all singles) before suffering an abdominal injury late in the month. He wouldn't appear again in the majors, retiring with a .357 batting average, but his impact on the organization was far from over.

 

Fun Fact

 

When he dropped a force-out throw from Bartlett in the first inning of a June 6th contest against the Angels, Castillo snapped a streak of 143 straight games without an error. It was an MLB record for a second baseman, although Detroit's Placido Polanco was already in the midst of surpassing him with a 186-game streak that lasted into 2008.

 

Castillo was a streaky guy in general; his 35-game hitting streak with Florida in 2002 also set an MLB record for second basemen, later tied by Chase Utley.

 

~~~

Previous Installments:

• The 2000 Season
• The 2001 Season
• The 2002 Season
• The 2003 Season
• The 2004 Season
• The 2005 Season
• The 2006 Season

 

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[mikelink45]

It was so sad in this era to see talent rise and then be shipped away with Ponson, Nolasco, Correia, Ortiz...coming our way.  Bill Smith gets a lot of bad press, but Terry essentially bailed on him when he saw he was going to lose Santana and Hunter.