Twins in the 2000s: The 2008 Season

[Nick Nelson]

With a new general manager and new faces across the roster, the Minnesota Twins were rebooting in 2008. But they were still very much contenders in the AL Central, and would battle for it down to the season's last day.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 2008 season.

 

Team Record: 88-75

Finish: 2nd Place in AL Central

All-Stars: Joe Mauer ©, Justin Morneau (1B), Joe Nathan (RP)

Awards: Joe Mauer (Gold Glove & Silver Slugger, C), Justin Morneau (Silver Slugger, 1B)

Playoffs: N/A

 

Season Overview

 

As the 2008 season arrived, everything felt NEW. Though Ron Gardenhire's coaching staff remained intact, a new general manager was running the show, with Bill Smith taking over following Terry Ryan's resignation the previous September.

 

And Smith's first roster was full of new faces, a stark departure from the culture of continuity and homegrown talent he'd inherited. Gardenhire's Opening Day lineup at the Metrodome featured:

• Center fielder and leadoff man Carlos Gómez, prize of the offseason's Johan Santana trade. Despite a raw and unrefined game, the athletic 22-year-old was thrust into action straightaway, with hopes that his exhilarating speed and energy could reignite a fanbase feeling gutted by the loss of its elite ace starter. While he definitely had his moments, Gómez's inexperience showed often, and with his sub-.300 OBP he was badly miscast as a leadoff man (a role he thankfully lost to rookie Denard Span in the second half).
• Left fielder Delmon Young, prize of the offseason blockbuster that sent Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to Tampa. The Twins envisioned Young, a first overall draft pick turned No. 1 overall prospect turned Rookie of the Year runner-up, as a long-term solution to their offensive shortcomings, and also a crucial lineup infusion with one of the team's main power threats (Torii Hunter) departing via free agency. In what would become a trend, the free-swinging Young showed little progression or growth from his rookie year, mixing in ugly defense to become a net-negative.
• Designated hitter Craig Monroe, a veteran brought in to platoon at the position with Jason Kubel as the DH carousel kept spinning. Monroe lasted only 58 games as a Twin, before Kubel (finally) took a firm grasp of the DH role.
• Second baseman Brendan Harris. The Twins had soured on Alexi Casilla after he sputtered to a .516 OPS in 2007, so the 27-year-old Harris, acquired alongside Young in the Rays trade, got the nod at second. Casilla would soon re-stake his claim as Harris shifted into more of an infield utility role.
• A left side of the infield comprising Adam Everett (shortstop) and Mike Lamb (third base). Both were veteran free agents, signed to cheap short-term deals, and both flamed out rather quickly. In many regards, the new GM Smith was showing a lot of functional similarity to his predecessor. As another example...
• Starting pitcher Liván Hernández. Coming off a season in Arizona where he posted a 4.93 ERA and led the league in hits allowed, Hernández signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Twins in February. Then, he was named Opening Day starter, as Gardenhire decided to go with his most experienced option in the absence of the only two Opening Day starters he'd ever known: Santana and Brad Radke. Hernández and his 5.48 ERA were traded in July.

The new additions were pretty much roundly disappointing, as Smith's initial efforts to augment the roster fell flat. But luckily, his incumbent talent was good enough to make this team a pesky postseason contender.

 

Joe Mauer won another batting title, along with a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, finishing fourth in the AL MVP voting. Justin Morneau played in all 163 of the team's games, batting .300 with 129 RBIs and a franchise-record 47 doubles. He finished as MVP runner-up behind Boston's Dustin Pedroia. The M&M Boys were driving the bus.

 

As the aforementioned rundown alluded, many passengers were still searching for their seats. But several did settle in over the course of the campaign.

 

Michael Cuddyer battled injuries, but his absence opened the door for Span to debut in spectacular fashion, slashing .294/.387/.432 and quickly entrenching himself as leadoff hitter with his stunningly advanced plate approach. Kubel mashed 20 homers with an .805 OPS to solidify his DH hold. Casilla came to fit Gardenhire's beloved prototype as a bat-handling middle-infielder in the lineup's second spot. He bunted like crazy and led the league in sacrifice hits.

 

While uneven, the offensive unit was – on balance – a solid one. And the same can be said for a reworked rotation, where young arms were coming together to fill Santana's void.

 

Scott Baker led the way, posting a 3.45 ERA in 28 starts as suddenly the team's longest-tenured starter. Kevin Slowey and Glen Perkins both won 12 games in their first full seasons. Nick Blackburn grabbed the torch from departed Carlos Silva as an efficient, strike-throwing, pitch-to-contact righty. Unfortunately, Francisco Liriano opened the season in the minors and totaled only 76 innings with the Twins as he dealt with reduced velocity and wavering command in his return from Tommy John surgery.

 

The bullpen generally took a step back, outside of the ever-reliable Joe Nathan, who saved 39 games with a 1.33 ERA fresh off signing a four-year contract extension in March.

 

Altogether, this was a good young team still searching for greatness. They raced in lockstep with the Chicago White Sox atop the Central for most of the season, culminating in identical records after 162 games. The two clubs faced off in a tiebreaker at U.S. Cellular Field, where Jim Thome's solo homer against Blackburn proving decisive as Chicago took the division title with a 1-0 win.

 

It was a fitting end for a group that was almost, but not quite, ready to push back into contention. Fate would tilt in their favor soon enough.

 

Team MVP: Joe Mauer ©

 

Other Contenders: Justin Morneau (1B), Denard Span (CF), Scott Baker (SP), Joe Nathan (RP)

 

After a bit of a down year in 2007, Mauer came back strong in '08, winning his second batting title in three years with a .328 average to go along with his .864 OPS. Playing in 146 games, including a career-high 135 starts at catcher, Mauer scored 98 runs, drove in 85, and walked 34 more times than he struck out. He also won his first of three straight Gold Gloves at catcher.

 

His 6.4 fWAR led all Twins – nearly doubling Morneau's 3.3 – and tied Mauer with the AL MVP Pedroia for 12th in the majors.

 

3 Most Pivotal Games

 

July 26th: Won @ Cleveland Indians, 11-4

 

As the All-Star break approached, the Twins had fallen into a slump. Tied for first place five days earlier, they'd suffered a sweep at Yankee Stadium, and then followed by dropping their first tilt in Cleveland. Suddenly three back, and seeking to snap a five-game losing streak, the Twins sent their best starter Baker to the mound.

 

Big Spot Scott did his part, and the offense came through in a well-rounded effort where everyone in the lineup had at least one hit. Third baseman Brian Buscher led the way with three knocks and five RBIs. The Twins would win the series at Cleveland, and then take three of four from the White Sox at home, setting up a dramatic final two months.

 

September 25th: Won vs. Chicago White Sox, 7-6

 

Throughout August and September, the Twins and White Sox jockeyed for the top spot, with the division lead changing hands several times and never growing beyond a few games. In late September, though, it looked like Chicago might take the thing. Up 2 1/2 with six games left, the White Sox were coming to Minnesota for a three-gamer, the Twins desperately needed a sweep.

 

They took the first two behind Baker and Blackburn, then clinched the finale on Casilla's walk-off RBI single against Bobby Jenks in the bottom of the 10th. The Twins had overtaken first with three games left.

 

September 30th: Lost @ Chicago White Sox, 1-0

 

Unfortunately Minnesota couldn't close the deal by winning a home series against the Royals, dropping two of three while the White Sox went 2-2 to force the first division tiebreaker game in either franchise's history. A coin flip determined it would be played in Chicago – the last time this method was used.

 

An epic pitcher's duel ensued between Blackburn and John Danks, with Thome's solo homer the only disruption to a crisply pitched and defended ballgame. Minnesota's best chance to score, in the fifth inning, was thwarted when Cuddyer was thrown out at home by Ken Griffey, Jr. trying to score on a sac fly. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski held onto the ball at home plate as Cuddyer lowered his shoulder and railed into him.

 

 

Unforgettable Highlights

 

Go-Go Goes for the Cycle

 

On May 7th, Gómez hit for the cycle against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, becoming the first Twins player to accomplish the feat since Kirby Puckett in 1986. Gómez was also the third-youngest big-leaguer ever to hit for the cycle.

 

The sequence of Gómez's hits (home run, triple, double, single) is known as the reverse cycle or "unnatural" cycle. He's one of only 10 players to do it.

 

Kevin Slowey Skewers Brewers

 

Slowey was easily one of the most enigmatic pitchers on the 2008 staff. A 24-year-old known for his stellar numbers in the minors and his pinpoint command, Slowey was inconsistent in his acclimation to the majors. But when he was on, he was ON.

 

That was definitely the case on June 29th, when he outdueled Ben Sheets in a complete game shutout against Milwaukee, allowing three hits and no walks with eight strikeouts. One month earlier he'd given up one run in a complete game win against Kansas City; a month later he would spin another shutout in Chicago. Slowey led the team in complete games (3) and shutouts (2); he would achieve neither feat again after '08.

 

"Jason" Morneau Wins Home Run Derby

 

In 2008, Morneau participated in his second straight All-Star Game and also his second straight Home Run Derby. While this contest is best remembered for Josh Hamilton's ridiculous first round, in which he launched a staggering 28 home runs, it was Morneau who eventually won, out-homering a fatigued Hamilton 5-3 in the finals.

 

 

After coming out on top, there was a common (and silly) sentiment that he'd "ruined" Hamilton's big night by having the gall to win the contest. ESPN's presenter infamously referred to him as "Jason Morneau" during an interview after the event – a reflection of the Twins' relative anonymity on the big stage, even when repped by an MVP winner.

 

Glen Perkins Slays the Dragon

 

The "Big Bad Yankees" narrative was only getting started – 10 straight playoff losses were still ahead – but the dread was already underway. So when Perkins threw an absolute gem against New York at the Metrodome on August 11th, holding them scoreless on four hits over eight innings in a 4-0 victory, it was a big deal. And Perkins, it seemed, might also become a big deal, as the former first-round pick was rattling off wins during his first opportunity in the rotation (he went 10-1 in June, July and August).

 

Perkins would indeed become a big deal. Just not in the rotation.

 

One Detail You Probably Forgot

 

After emerging as one of the game's top closers in 2002 and 2003, earning All-Star nodes both years, Eddie Guardado signed with Seattle as a free agent and delivered a couple more outstanding seasons. But by 2008, he was 37 and had been through some injuries, diminishing his abilities.

 

Still, he was having a decent enough season with the Rangers, and the Twins needed some help in the bullpen, so they traded pitching prospect (and St. Paul native) Mark Hamburger to Texas for him on August 25th.

 

The move didn't pan. Guardado posted a 7.71 ERA in nine appearances with Minnesota. He gave it one more go with Texas in 2009, then retired, later rejoining the Twins as bullpen coach.

 

Fun Fact

 

Comparing Mauer's workload in 2008 to Mitch Garver's in 2019 is an eye-opening exercise in the evolution of catcher management. Mauer started 135 of Minnesota's 163 games at catcher, mixing in four starts at DH to total 139. On 13 separate occasions, he started at least six consecutive games behind the plate. At one point in June he caught 15 out of 16 games over 18 days.

 

In 2019. Garver – an MVP-caliber offensive producer in his own right – started 75 games at catcher and never once started more than four in a row behind the plate.

 

~~~

 

Previous Installments:

• The 2000 Season
• The 2001 Season
• The 2002 Season
• The 2003 Season
• The 2004 Season
• The 2005 Season
• The 2006 Season
• The 2007 Season

 

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[adamsa804]

While I'm convinced that keeping Santana would have propelled the team to the playoffs in '08, it would be interesting to consider what ripple effects that might have had for future years.

[adamsa804]

I also fell in love with Gomez this season. Favorite moment was a home game vs KC. Gathright leads off the game with a bunt hit, steals 2nd, scores on a single. Gomez says "you're not the only fast guy". Leads off the bottom half of that same inning with a bunt hit, steals 2nd, scores on a single. The man was fun to watch.

[mikelink45]

The list of players that Bill Smith added is eye-opening.  Wow were they a bad lot.  If he had hit on any of them we would have won that year.  I guess I forgot how bad Bill really was. 

[Shaitan]

How did a team with some of those names finish as high as second place. Credit to Gardie and a poor division, I suppose.

[Brandon Brooks]

That September 25th game to complete the sweep, down 2.5 games, remains the best baseball game I've ever been to in person. In a lot of ways, it felt like the Piranhas' Last Stand -- the final big Dome win against Ozzie Guillen's White Sox. Ken Griffey, Jr. and Jim Thome against - Go-Go and Casilla.

 

It's just one of those games that I remember beat-for-beat. Mauer doubles in a run in the home first, and then Slowey rattles off three perfect innings before everything just explodes in the fourth. But then it was just off to the races for the speedsters - 

 

• Gomez RBI triple in the fourth, followed by a Span RBI double
• Gomez triples and scores on a Span squeeze play in the sixth
• Gomez singles in a run and scores on a game-tying Span triple in the eighth

Just an unreal night from both of those guys. "0-1 to Casilla...LINER TO CENTER! AND THE TWINS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE!"