Ten Years of TD: The Top 5 Twins Daily Articles from 2021

[Nick Nelson]

On February 19th, Twins Daily will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary. To honor this upcoming milestone, we're looking back at the most-read articles from each year since our site launched. 

Today, we dive into the 2021 season – the 10th we've covered here on the site and easily the most disappointing since TD launched. As you'll see, readers turned to humor to escape the bleakness. 

I'll be pretty brief in recapping the top five articles from last year, both because it's all relatively fresh in mind and because Cody Christie already did a great job running back these articles (and others) in his writeup on the top 20 Twins Daily stories of 2021.

5. Notebook: Twins Have Offer Out to Veteran SP

By Matthew Lenz | Feb 11, 2021

There's something to be said for a catchy headline that sparks a reader's intrigue and compels a click. Matthew pulled it off masterfully in this piece, and as it turned out, there was plenty of substance behind the hook. The pitcher who was reportedly in the team's sights was Matt Shoemaker, who ended up signing a few days later. Didn't work out so well. 

4. Simmons Wants to Know the Real Story Behind Reliever’s Broken Hand

By RandBalls Stu | Oct 1, 2021

Stu's Friday satire columns are a weekly highlight on the site for me and many others. They performed especially well last year, with of his gems two reaching the top five in traffic. 

I'd suggest there are a couple main reasons these articles blow up: 

1. The headlines are often so on-the-nose they feel plausible and pique curiosity (as was the case with this one, lampooning Andrelton Simmons' known affinity for conspiracy theories).
2. They tend to be really good and really funny, so they get shared around. 

These "lighter side" pieces might have been especially popular in 2021 because fans were seeking some levity to distract them from the trainwreck playing out on the field. 

3. What Happened Between Josh Donaldson and Luis Arraez?

By Tom Froemming

Just like in 2020, the third-most popular article on Twins Daily in 2021 featured Tom breaking down on-field drama. Unlike Sergio Romo's dust-up with the Royals though, this time around, it was internal strife taking center stage, with Josh Donaldson barking at Luis Arraez. It turned out to be a fascinating "inside baseball" moment, and Tom did a phenomenal job of dissecting it, as he does.

2. 5 Things to Know About Twins Deadline Centerpiece Austin Martin

By Nick Nelson

The centerpiece of Minnesota's deadline trade that sent José Berríos to Toronto was one of the most significant prospects ever acquired by the franchise in a trade. Naturally, people were eager to learn about Martin's bona fides. 

1. Rare Unwritten Rule Triggers Name Change for Minnesota Twins

By RandBalls Stu | May 21, 2021 

Stu strikes again. I'm endlessly amused that this was the site's most-viewed article last year. The lede sentence: "Team must now go by 'Minnesota Cocaine Dentists' for two weeks."

This article is hilarious. The perfect highlight of Twins Daily's 10th year in business and the perfect note to end this series on. 

Endless thanks to those who've followed along on this 10-part trip down memory lane, and especially to those who've been along for the whole ride.  

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