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Jim "Mudcat" Grant came from humble origins, but he left a lasting mark during his big-league tenure. However, his post-playing career days were even more influential. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo Grant's Humble Origins Jim "Mudcat" Grant was born and grew up in Florida. He was a three-sport star in high school, and he went to Florida A&M to play football and baseball. His father died when he was a toddler, so he left school to find a way to help his family. Luckily, the Cleveland Indians kept an eye on him during his amateur days and signed him to a contract. His first professional stop was in Fargo, ND, with Cleveland's minor league affiliate in the Northern League. It was the first time he left Florida, and that move had to provide quite the culture shock. He moved quickly through Cleveland's system while winning multiple awards along the way. In his final minor league season, he went 18-7 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. It was clear he was ready for the next step. Grant's MLB Career Grant's first seven big-league seasons were played in a Cleveland uniform while amassing a 4.09 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. His first All-Star appearance came in 1963 when he went 13-14 with a 3.69 ERA. The 1964 campaign couldn't have started much worse as he allowed 41 runs in 62 innings. Cleveland shipped him to Minnesota, and a change of scenery was a blessing in disguise. Grant made 26 appearances for the Twins in 1964 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. His 128 ERA+ was over 25 points higher than he had in any other season. His improved performance carried over into the 1965 season, which became one of the most important in Twins history. He earned his second All-Star nod and led the AL in wins and shutouts. By season's end, he finished sixth in the AL MVP voting. Mudcat was named The Sporting News American League Pitcher of the Year and was the first black pitcher in the American League to win 20 games in a season and the first black AL pitcher to win a game in the World Series. Before Kirby Puckett in 1991, Grant gave the franchise a legendary Game 6 performance. During the 1965 World Series, he put the Twins on his back and carried them to Game 7. With the Twins up 2-0 in the sixth inning, the Dodgers intentionally walked a man to face Grant. He made them pay with a three-run home run. It was just the second home run by an AL pitcher in World Series history. His pitching performance was even more masterful as he took the mound on two days' rest while battling a cold. Grant faced the minimum through four innings, and he tossed a complete game. Overall, he allowed one run on six hits while striking out five and walking none. He allowed the Twins to get to a decisive Game 7. Grant finished his 14-year big-league career with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He'd play for seven different organizations. He was a trailblazing African American pitcher, and he made sure his impact was felt after his retirement too. Grant's Off-Field Impact Music was always an essential component of Grant's life, and he started a jazz group called "Mudcat and the Kittens." With Grant as the lead, this group got so popular they were asked to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. "I made way more money in music than I did in baseball," Grant once said. Many Twins fans may recall his memorable singing performance at Harmon Killebrew's funeral service at Target Field. In retirement, he worked as a TV analyst for the Indians and the Athletics. He worked in the Indians community relations office, a group he worked with when he was playing in Cleveland. Hank Aaron requested Grant serve as a pitching coach in the Braves system, and that's a role he filled for multiple years. In 2005, Grant authored a book called The 12 Black Aces. In it, he chronicled the lives of all 12 black pitchers that had won 20 games in a season, which included himself. President George W. Bush honored him and the other pitchers in a White House ceremony. Later in life, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a community activist and advocate for Black participation in sports. On June 11, 2021, Grant passed away at the age of 85. What stands out to you from Mudcat Grant's extraordinary life? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

2021 was a difficult year for many, including the Minnesota Twins community. As hope and brightness of the new year prevails, we take time to honor and reflect on members of the Twins family that left us this past year. Baseball is a very human game. Stats and numbers lead to titles and accolades, yet the core of our nation’s pastime is bound in the men who took the field. Men of all different backgrounds, positions, creeds, and personalities; some who cemented their name in baseball history and others who were lucky enough to dance with their childhood dream for just a short period of time. Maybe you grew up watching some of these names on television with your parents. Perhaps some are inked in some of your fondest memories that enriched a lifelong love of the game. Others you may just be learning of as you read this article. Regardless of knowledge, each of these individuals painted their own canvas in the history of a game and the Minnesota Twins organization that we all love. And while we miss them dearly, we smile at the memories and stories of how they impacted the game of baseball. Joe Altobelli (May 26, 1932- March 3, 2021) Outfielder and First Baseman for the 1961 Twins A son of Rochester, New York, Altobelli played in 41 games for the 1961 Twins. That tenure included 21 hits and three home runs. Even though Altobelli’s tenure for the Twins was brief, his impact on the game was massive. Most notably, Altobelli took over the Earl Weaver-led Baltimore Orioles in 1983 and managed the club to a World Series in his first season at the helm. Contrary to many managers at the time, Altobelli was known for his kindness and compassion towards players. After over a decade of coaching, Altobelli returned home in 1991 to serve as General Manager of the Rochester Red Wings for three seasons. In 1997, he became the color commentator for the Wings’ home games, a role that he would hold through the 2009 season. Altobelli became known as “Mr. Baseball” in Rochester. His number is the first to be retired in team history. Mike Bell (December 7, 1974- March 26, 2021) Bench Coach for the 2020 and 2021 Twins The Twins community mourned the loss of Bench Coach Mike Bell, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer just prior to the 2021 season. Bell was coming off of his first season with the Minnesota Twins. A member of a family rich with baseball history, Mike was the true definition of a 'baseball man' according to Rocco Baldelli. Yet perhaps his greatest quality was the love that he had for those surrounding the game of baseball. “He brought that passion to the field as our bench coach. He was an amazing bench coach because he was amazing with people,” Baldelli said in an interview after Bell's passing. Mike's brother David is the current manager of the Cincinnati Reds. When the two teams met for an interleague game in June, a touching ceremony was held in honor of Bell. Twins' beat writer Do Hyoung-Park wrote a beautiful piece touching on the ceremony. You can read it here. The Twins wore patches on their jerseys throughout the 2021 season to honor and remember Bell. While Mike's time in Minnesota was brief, it is extremely clear that he touched the lives of so many throughout the baseball community. Jim 'Mudcat' Grant (August 13, 1935- June 11, 2021) Pitcher for Twins from 1964-67 A giant in baseball history, Mudcat Grant passed away in June at the age of 85. Grant broke barriers in the game, most notably becoming the first black pitcher to win 20 games in a season. That incredible milestone took place in 1965, where Grant went 21-7 with a 3.30 ERA and played an instrumental role in the Twins' journey to the World Series. That incredible season earned him all-star accolades and a sixth place finish in MVP voting (teammates Zoilo Versalles and Tony Oliva finished first and second in voting). Grant spent 14 seasons in the MLB amongst seven teams. His career stat line is impressive; 145-119 with a 3.63 ERA and 21.1 WAR. Yet his greatest legacy will be his advocacy for equality and representation in Major League baseball. His efforts will forever be remembered and honored as the game continues to strive to be more equitable. Mike Marshall (January 15, 1943- June 1, 2021) Pitched for the Twins from 1978-1980 Known for his screwball and incredible durability, 'Iron Mike' passed away at the age of 78. A perennial Cy Young candidate and eventual winner in the early 70's (the first reliever to win the award), Marshall was a bullpen staple for the Twins in the late 70's. The Adrian, Michigan, native's best season in Minnesota took place in '79, where he appeared in a league-leading 90 games and touted a league-leading 32 saves. Those numbers and a 2.65 ERA earned him MVP and Cy Young votes in what would be his last 'elite' season. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Marshall's career was that he completed his Doctorate of Philosophy in Exercise Physiology in 1978 while he was with the Twins. He was a huge advocate for eliminating arm-related pitching injuries and carried that with him as he demolished milestones in baseball. John Swol of TwinsTrivia.com chatted with Marshall about his unique tactics and excellent career, check it out! Ray Miller (April 30, 1945- May 4, 2021) Manager for the Twins in 1985 and 1986 Serving as a crucial olive branch after a miserable start to the 1985 season, Ray Miller passed away at the age of 76. Miller was named skipper of the Twins for the '85 season after the team fired Billy Gardner following a 27-35 start. Miller weathered the storm, leading the young Twins to a 50-50 record to finish the season. He lasted midway through the 1986 season and was replaced by Tom Kelly. Chuck Schilling (October 25, 1937 – March 30, 2021) Member of Twins Roster for the 1966 season A member of some high-quality Red Sox teams (and good friend to Carl Yastrzemski), Schilling was traded from the Sox to the Twins in exchange for Nimrod, MN, native Dick Stigman. And while Schilling never played a game for the Twins, he had an excellent tenure with the Red Sox, garnering team MVP status in his 1961 rookie season. Dwight Siebler (August 5, 1937 – June 16, 2021) Pitched for the Twins from 1963-67 A native of Platte Center, NE,, Siebler passed away at the age of 83. The RHP spent the entirely of his major league career with the Twins, garnering a 3.45 ERA in 48 appearances. Siebler appeared in just seven games during the '65 World Series run but pitched in a career-high 23 games the following season. Jim Snyder (August 15, 1932 – March 9, 2021) Second Baseman for the Twins from 1961-62, 1964 Best known as manager of the 1988 Mariners, Snyder played three seasons for the Twins in the early 1960's. And while he only tallied 103 MLB plate appearances, he achieved the dream that all youth ballplayers dream of; one MLB home run on July 16, 1964 in a 6-0 victory over the Washington Senators. Wayne Terwilliger (June 27, 1925 – February 3, 2021) Coach for Minnesota Twins and St. Paul Saints Veteran, player, and beloved coach. Known as 'Twig' by many, Terwilliger served as the Twins' first-base coach for both World Series titles in '87 and '91. Terwilliger began coaching with the Twins in 1986 under Ray Miller and stayed on the staff when Tom Kelly took over managerial duties. An excellent player in his own right, Terwilliger actually played for the St. Paul Saints in 1952 and would come full circle, serving as the Saints' first base coach from 1995-2002. Twig truly embodied the phrase 'love of the game.' After serving in World War II, Terwilliger spent 62 years in profession baseball. He was so well-liked that the Twins gifted him a fishing boat when he retired from the team in 1994. Loved by many, Terwilliger was a staple of baseball in the state of Minnesota and will be remembered for an eternity. Stan Williams (September 14, 1936 – February 20, 2021) Pitched for the Twins from 1970-1971 Nicknamed "Big Daddy" the 6'5 Williams spent two of his 14 MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins. Williams posted an outstanding 10-1 record with an 1.99 ERA in 1970. A starting pitcher earlier in his career, Williams' 1970 season is cemented as one of the most dominant relieve pitching campaigns in Twins history. Have any fond memories of the players and coaches listed above? Share your story below! View full article

Now available for Name Your Own Price (including free, if you like)... The 2020 season marked the 60th season of the Twins in Minnesota. Now available is a new e-book of The Top 60 Twins Players in 60 Seasons in Minnesota. Order now for immediate download.How would you rank… these four Twins players? (1.) Dean Chance, 2.) Nelson Cruz, 3.) Greg Gagne, 4.) Eddie Guardado) We all like lists and rankings, right? On this site, our prospect rankings often are the most heavily-discussed articles that we put together. Everyone can have their varying opinions and none are completely wrong, well, some are just more debatable. But this new e-book, The Top 60 Twins in 60 Seasons in Minnesota, should hopefully create a lot of discussion for our readers, but also for fathers and sons, husbands and wives, grandparents and grandkids. And for just $7.99. Before last month, I had never talked to “Nate Tubbs Rules.” However, for the past decade, I have eagerly awaited his updated Top 300 Twins Player rankings. Shortly after each season, it was fun to see which current players jumped furthest up the rankings. Which players fell out of the Top 300. For his rankings, “NTR” considers several factors, and they are things that we all think about probably as we think about how we might rank the players. (No, most of us wouldn’t think to actually rank them to 60, much less 300!) As he explains, these are some of the factors that go into these rankings (and by the way, you should see all the Excel spreadsheets that go into this!). “Longevity” includes how many years the player was with the Twins as well as how many plate appearances or innings pitched that player had during those years.For “Peak Value”, I looked at their stats, honors, and awards in their best seasons, as well as how they compared to their teammates.Did they lead their team in OPS or home runs or ERA for starters or WPA? If so, that got some bonus points.Postseason Heroics,Awards (Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, MVPs, Cy Youngs),Statistical achievements (batting titles, home run leaders, ERA champs, etc),Honors (All Star appearances), andTeam Success. If you were the #1 starter on a division-winning champ, that gave you more “points” than the #1 starter on a cellar dweller.For each of us, we probably weigh each of those factors a little bit differently.In the handbook, you will find profiles for each of the Top 60 on his list, but you will also find the Top 300 rankings. At the very back of the book, I tried it myself. You can find my Top 60 Twins rankings there. So, let’s go back to that original question: How would you rank… these four Twins players? (1.) Dean Chance, 2.) Nelson Cruz, 3.) Greg Gagne, 4.) Eddie Guardado) Dean Chance was really good for about three seasons as a starter for the Twins. He was an All Star, threw a no-hitter, posted a 2.67 ERA over three years. Nelson Cruz has two Silver Sluggers at DH for the Twins in his two seasons, and the team won the division both years. Greg Gagne is a Twins Hall of Famer with two World Series rings. His offense wasn’t great, though most shortstops not named Ripken or Trammell did, but he was great defensively. And, he hit for some power at times. Eddie Guardado struggled as a starter and then became a solid, and frequently-used reliever before becoming an All Star closer. Leave your comments below for how you might rank those players, but as you can see, this is a fun exercise for Twins fans. And, it brings in all of the factors. Varying longevity in a Twins uniform. Varying levels of team success. Some won awards or were All Stars. Others were just really solid for several years. How do you compare starting pitchers to relievers, to power hitters and defensively-strong players? Those are the types of questions you will find yourself asking yourself and your friends over and over while reading through this book. For each of the Top 60, you will find a profile. I wrote the profiles, but “Nate Tubbs Rules” added his comments on why he ranked each player where he did. There are lists. There are rankings. And it’s just a lot of fun. We think that if you are a passionate Twins fan, you will really enjoy this book. We made it and it is only available as an e-book. We are asking for $7.99 per book. We were told we could charge more, and if you want to give more, you can, but we just want it to get in the hands of as many Twins fans as possible. The history of the organization is a lot of fun to read about and discuss. Oh, and then you can discuss who you would rank higher… Mudcat Grant or Jack Morris? Or which DH would you rank highest? Randy Bush, Nelson Cruz, Chili Davis, Jason Kubel or Paul Molitor? And why… We certainly hope that you will enjoy the book as much as Nate Tubbs Rules and I enjoyed researching and writing it! Tuesday night at 7 pm, "Nate Tubbs Rules" and I will be discussing the book and talking about the controversial rankings and answering any questions you would like to ask. Click here to view the article

Last night, I posted my choices for the Twins Hitters of the Decade for the 1960s. Today, I am sharing my choices for the Twins Pitchers of the Decade for that 1960s. While not as impressive as the hitter list, this group does show the depth of solid pitchers that were on the Twins roster in the 1960s. Please leave your comments.In each decade, I will select five Starting Pitchers and five Bullpen pitchers. But the role of the bullpen in 1960s baseball is much, much different than it is today, and even much different than it became in the 1980s. So below you will see five starters and five "relievers" but frankly, at least three of the relievers made a significant number of starts. So in reality, you could call them "Long Relievers" and they are somewhat interchangeable with the back-end starters listed. But I am very curious your thoughts on my selections for a Twins pitching staff for the decade of the 1960s. And on a side note, later tonight (Thursday), I will be posting a podcast with someone who was/is very close to those Twins teams from the 1960s. It was a little over an hour conversation filled with many stories about the players selected (and many "snubs") from my list. You will definitely want to listen to that. THE PITCHERS SP - Jim Kaat (1961-1969) 340 games, 307 starts, 141-114 with a 3.22 ERA in 2,173 ⅔ innings. 1,410 K, 530 BB. Kaat debuted with the Senators as a 20-year-old in 1959 and pitched in 16 total games before the team moved to Minnesota in 1961. He was an All Star in 1962 and 1966. He led the league in starts in 1965 and 1966, and with 19 complete games in 1966 when he also led the league with 304 ⅔ innings. He finished fifth in MVP voting that season. It was before there were two Cy Young Awards, but he was The Sporting News’ AL Pitcher of the Year that season. He won the first eight Gold Gloves of the 16 he won in his career during the decades (1962-1969). SP - Jim Perry (1963-1969) 261 games, 135 starts, 74-45 with a 2.88 ERA in 1,117 innings. 646 K. 322 BB. Perry debuted with Cleveland in 1959. He came to the Twins early in the 1963 season and remained through the 1972 season. His two All Star appearances and his Cy Young Award came in 1970 and 1971, but he was pretty good in the ‘60s too. He split a lot of time between the rotation and the bullpen, but he provided innings, and kept his ERA low each year. His best season of the decade was the 1969 season when he went 20-6 with a 2.82 ERA. He finished third in Cy Young voting, setting up his great 1970 season. SP - Camilo Pascual (1961-1966) 184 games, 179 starts, 88-57 with 3.31 ERA in 1,284 ⅔ innings. 995 K. 431 BB. Pascual signed from Cuba and debuted at 20 in 1954. He was an All Star in 1959 and 1960. The Twins came to Minnesota and he was an All Star in 1961, 1962 and 1964. He won 20 games in 1962 and 21 games in 1963. Known for his great curveball, Pascual threw at least 248 ⅓ innings each season from 1961 through 1964, and he led the American League in strikeouts in three of those season. SP - Dean Chance (1967-1969) 104 games, 93 starts, 41-34 with a 2.67 ERA in 664 innings. 504 K. 166 BB. After six seasons with the Angels, Chance came to the Twins before the 1967 seasons. That season, he won 20 games and won the AL Comeback Player of the Year award. He then won 16 games the following season. In his three seasons with the Twins, he posted an ERA under three each season. SP - Dave Boswell (1964-1969) 169 games, 135 starts, 64-47 with a 3.28 ERA in 967 ⅔ innings. 820 K. 416 BB. Boswell debuted with the Twins as a 19-year-old in 1964. He remained with the Twins through the 1970 season. He was a reliable part of the Twins rotation throughout his time. His best season was 1969 when he won 20 games and posted a 3.23 ERA in 256 ⅓ innings. So while he’s mostly known for a fight, he was also a pretty good starting pitcher. RP - Al Worthington (1964-1969) 327 games, 0 starts, 37-31 with 88 saves and a 2.62 ERA in 473 ⅓ innings. 399 K. 186 BB. Worthington debuted as a 24-year-old in 1953 with the New York Giants. He came to the Twins early in the 1964 season, already 35. He became a reliable arm in the late innings for the next five seasons. He posted an ERA no higher than 2.84 from 1964 through 1968. RP - Dick Stigman (1962-1965) 138 games, 85 starts, 37-37 with 7 saves and a 3.69 ERA in 643 ⅔ innings. 538 K. 248 BB. The central Minnesota native was an All Star with Cleveland as a rookie in 1960. He came to the Twins in 1962 and went 12-5. The following season, he won 15 games in 241 innings. He split his time with the Twins between the rotation and the bullpen and ate a lot of innings in either role. RP - Ron Perranoski (1968-1969) 141 games, 0 starts, 17-17 with 37 saves and a 2.53 ERA in 206 ⅔ innings. 127 K. 90 BB. Perranoski came to the Twins from the Dodgers before the 1968 season and spent four years in the organization. In those two seasons, he was a late-inning fireman. In 1969, he went 9-10 despite a 2.11 ERA. He led the league with 31 saves and tossed 119 2/3 innings. He led the league in Saves the next season as well. LR - Mudcat Grant (1964-1967) 129 games, 111 starts, 50-35 with 7 saves and a 3.35 ERA in 780 ⅔ innings. 377 K. 163 BB. Grant came to the Twins from Cleveland during the 1964 season. In 1965, he went 21-7 with a 3.30 ERA. The next season, he went 13-13 despite posting a 3.25 ERA. He then went 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in three World Series starts and added a huge home run as well. RP - Jim Merritt (1965-1968) 122 games, 89 starts, 37-41 with 6 saves and a 3.03 ERA in 686 ⅔ innings. 527 K. 135 BB. The southpaw debuted with the Twins in 1965 with 16 games. He entered the Twins starting rotation during the 1966 season. Despite the record, Merritt posted ERAs below 3.38 and WHIPs below 1.10 in his three seasons as a starter with the Twins. He was traded to Cincinnati after the 1968 season and became an All Star and 20-game winner in 1970. Click here to view the article

The best starting pitcher in Twins history 1961 The starting pitchers had a history that began in Washington DC with the Senators. For all the starters there years with team, w-l, pct, era, SO/W and WAR. We started out with a very good starting staff. In the early years the started averaged 34 starts per year. Camilo Pascual 13 years starting in DC – 145-141 .507 3.66 SO/W = 2.07. WAR 33.2 Jim Kaat 15 years beginning in DC . 190- 159/.544 3.34 2.54 SO/W WAR 30.7 Jack Kralick 5 years 34-32/.515 3.63 1.99 WAR 11.7 Pedro Ramos 7 years 78-112/.411 4.19 WAR 5.8 In 1962 Kaat, Kralick, and Pascual continued to dominate the rotation. In 1963 Dick Stigman, Lee Stange and Jim Perry came on as starters. In 1964 Kaat, Pascual, and Perry were joined by Mudcat Grant. Jim Perry 10 years 128-90/.587 3.15 1.89 WAR 26.4 Great Career. Mudcat Grant 4 years 50-35/.588 3.35 6.0 WAR In 1965 Grant won 21 games, Jim Kaat 18, Perry 12, and Pascual who had injuries 9. It was our world series year. Pascual had a reduced place in the Rotation with 19 starts in 1966 and Jim Merritt and Dave Boswell shared one of the four rotation spots. In 1967 we had six starters with Kaat first and joined by Dean Chance as the number 2, Boswell, Merritt and Perry were other primary starters. Jim Merritt 4 years 37-41/.474 3.03 3.90 great SO/W ratio WAR 11.4 Dave Boswell 7 years 67-54/.554 3.49 1.88 11.2 WAR Dean Chance 3 years 41-34/.547 2.67 Great Era. 13.1 WAR he was a star. In 1969 Dick Woodson, Bob Miller, and Tommy Hall made significant starts in support of Kaat, Chance, and Bowell. Tommy Hall was my favorite. Hall was six foot and weighed 150. I am six foot and 230, I cannot imagine. His nickname was The Blade. In nine years, his record was of 52-33 with 32 saves and he was with the Big Red Machine their first two years. Tommy Hall 4 years 25-21/.543 3.00 2.32 WAR 6.6 In 1970 behind Kaat and Perry were Blyleven 25 games, Bill Zepp (love the name, but I cannot remember him), Luis Tiant, Dave Boswell. 1971 Perry, Kaat, Blyleven and an assortment. 1972 Blyleven, Perry and Woodson were the big three, Kaat and Dave Goltz were behind them. Jim Kaat 15 of 25 years a Twin, 190-159/.544 3.34. 2.54 K/BB rate – amazing for that many years. 30.7 WAR for Twins. Bert Blyleven 11 of 22 years with Twins. 149-138/.519 3.28 and an amazing K/BB rate 3.02 WAR 49.4. In 1973 Blyleven started 40 games, Kaat 28, then Joe Decker 24, Dick Woodson 23, Mike Adams 22. 1974 Blyleven, Decker, Goltz and Albury were the top five. 1975 Blyleven and Jim Hughes were 1 – 2 then Goltz and Albury. Goltz was the ACE in 1976 with Bill Singer, Jim Hughes, and Pete Redfern. 1977 Goltz was backed by Paul Thormodsgard (yup – him), Geoff Zahn, Pete Redfern. 1978 Roger Erickson had the most starts, then Geoff Zahn, Dave Goltz and Roger Serum. 1979 had Jerry Koosman and Dave Goltz leading the rotation. Paul Hartzell, Roger Erickson, and Geoff Zahn completed the rotation. Dave Goltz 8/12 years, 96 – 79/.549 3.48 1.80 K/BB and 24.6 WAR Geoff Zahn 4 years 53-53/.500 3.90 1.37 and 9 WAR Koosman and Zahn in 1980 with Erickson, Redfern, and Darrell Jackson. 1981 had 8 pitchers start and Redfern had the most starts 23 and Albert Williams 22. Jerry Koosman 3/19 years, 39-35/.527 3.77 1.94 K/BB 11.1 WAR Brad Havens was sort of our ACE in 1982 with Albert Wiliams, Bobby Castillo, and Rookie Frank Viola. 1983 Viola took over ACE position and was backed by Ken Schrom (I am amazed by the names in the rotations), Albert Williams, and Bobby Castillo. 1984 Mike Smithson 36 starts, Viola 35, John Butcher 34, Schrom 21. 1985 Smithson 35, Viola 36, Butcher 33, Schrom 26, and Blyleven was back – 14. 1985 Viola, Blyleven, Smithson dominated the rotation. The Champion season, 1987, Blyleven, Viola and that famous Les Straker were 1,2,3 and Smithson 4! Mike Smithson 4 years 47-48/.495 4.46 1.93 K over BB and 4.7 WAR Frank Viola 8 years, 112-93/.546 3.86 2.33 K over BB and 11.6 WAR 1988 Viola, Blyleven were joined by Alan Anderson and behind them were Charlie Lea, Freddie Toliver, and Straker. 1989 Allan Anderson, Roy Smith, Shane Rawley, and Frank Viola were the main rotation. 1990 saw a rotation of Anderson, David West, Kevin Tapani, Mark Guthrie, Scott Erickson, and Roy Smith. Allan Anderson 6 years, 49 – 54/.476 4.11 8.5 WAR The WS year of 1991 Jack Morris started 35 games, it is his durability that made him HOF, Kevin Tapani, Scott Erickson, Allan Anderson, Guthrie and West were our starters. Jack Morris, 1 year, 18 -12/.600. 3.43 1.77, 4.3 WAR Kevin Tapani 7 years 75-63/.543. 4.06 2.84 19.2 WAR Allan Anderson 6 years 49-54/.476 4.11 1.61 8.5 WAR Scott Erickson 6 years 61-60/.504 4.22 1.44 12.7 WAR John Smiley joined Erickson and Tapani in 1992 with Bill Krueger and Bob Kipper. We also had Pat Mahomes, Willie Banks, and Mike Trombley – three young pitchers who were the promise of the future! Tapani, Erickson and Willie Banks lead 1993 with Jim Deshaies and Eddie Guardado. 1994 the same except banks was replaced by Mahomes and someone named Carlos Pulido filled the rotation. 1995 Brad Radtke and Tapani lead the rotation with Erickson, Trombley, and Frankie Rodriguez. 1996 Rodriguez was joined by Rich Robertson, Radtke, Aldred and Aguilera. 1997 It was Radtke, Robertson, Naulty, Tewksbury, LaTroy Hawkins, and Scott Aldred. 1998 LaTroy Hawkins started 33 games, Eric Milton 32, Radke 32, and Tewksbury 25. Brad Radke 12 years. 148 – 139/.516 4.22 3.30 great K over BB! 45.7 WAR Rick Aquilar will eventually make his mark as a reliever but was 40 – 47 as a starter. 1999 it was Milton, Hawkins, and Radke. Joe Mays, Dan Perkins, and Mike Lincoln were three more starters. 2000 we had a solid rotation of five guys who dominated the starts. Santana, Mays, Milton, Radke, and Redman. Eric Milton 6 years 57-51/.528 4.76 2.66 14.8 WAR 2001 Milton, Mays, Radtke over 30 starts, Todd Jones 24, Kyle Lohse 19 and Santana only 11. In 2002, Lohse, Milton and Rick Reed +30 starts, Santana 13, Radtke 21, Joe Mays 17, Matt Kinney 12. 2003 Santana got only 18 starts out of 45 appearances (will we do this to Romero too) Lohse, Kenny Rogers, Mays and Radtke got the starts. Joe Mays 6 years 48-65/.425 4.85 1.56 10.7 WAR Kyle Lohse 6 Years 51-57/.472 4.88 1.94 WAR 6.6 2005 Santana is let loose and is the ACE, with Lohse, Mays, and Radtke. 2006 Santana still the Ace, Carlos Silva, Radtke, Boof Bonser, and Scott Baker. 2007 Santana, Silva, and Bonser all have 30+ starts, Scott Baker and Matt Garza are next. 2008 Nick Blackburn takes over with the most starts, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins and Livan Hernandez. Johan Santana 8 mostly under-utilized years 93-44/.679 3.22 3.79 K/BB 35.7 WAR 2009 Baker, Blackburn, Liriano, Slowey and Perkins. 2010 Pavano, Liriano, Baker, Blackburn and Slowey. Scott Baker 7 years, 63-48/.568 4.15 3.44 WAR 15.8. Francisco Liriano 7 years 50-52/.490 4.33 2.43 9.4 WAR 2011 Pavano was followed by Brian Duensing, Blackburn, Liriano, Baker. 2012 Kevin Slowey 5 years 39-29/.574 4.66 4.70 excellent k/BB rate. 4.4 WAR Nick Blackburn 6 years 43-55/.439 4.85 1.92 3.2 WAR Carl Pavano 4 years, 33-33/.500 4.32 3.08 2.6 WAR 2012 Scott Diamond had the most starts, Blackburn, Liriano, De Vries, Pavano in that order. What can I say about 2013 – Kevin Correia had the most starts, Mike Pelfrey was second, Scott Diamond third, Sam Deduno fourth. I think I will stop there. So who are the best starters? Here they are ranked by WAR. Johan will have an argument if we look at WAR per year 4.4, Blyleven 4.5, Radke 3.8, Pascual 2.6, Perry 2.6, Goltz 3.1, Dean Chance 3.3, and Koosman 3.7! 1. Bert Blyleven 11 of 22 years with Twins. 149-138/.519 3.28 and an amazing K/BB rate 3.02 WAR 49.4. 2. Brad Radke 12 years. 148 – 139/.516 4.22 3.30 great K over BB! 45.7 WAR 3. Johan Santana 8 mostly under-utilized years 93-44/.679 3.22 3.79 K/BB 35.7 WAR 4. Camilo Pascual 13 years starting in DC – 145-141 .507 3.66 SO/W = 2.07. WAR 33.2 5. Jim Kaat 15 years beginning in DC . 190- 159/.544 3.34 2.54 SO/W WAR 30.7 6. Jim Perry 10 years 128-90/.587 3.15 1.89 WAR 26.4 Great Career. 7. Dave Goltz 8/12 years, 96 – 79/.549 3.48 1.80 K/BB and 24.6 WAR 8. Kevin Tapani 7 years 75-63/.543. 4.06 2.84 19.2 WAR 9. Eric Milton 6 years 57-51/.528 4.76 2.66 14.8 WAR 10. Dean Chance 3 years 41-34/.547 2.67 Great Era. 13.1 WAR he was a star. 11. Scott Erickson 6 years 61-60/.504 4.22 1.44 12.7 WAR 12. Frank Viola 8 years, 112-93/.546 3.86 2.33 K over BB and 11.6 WAR 13. Jack Kralick 5 years 34-32/.515 3.63 1.99 WAR 11.7 14. Jim Merritt 4 years 37-41/.474 3.03 3.90 great SO/W ratio WAR 11.4 15. Dave Boswell 7 years 67-54/.554 3.49 1.88 11.2 WAR 16. Jerry Koosman 3/19 years, 39-35/.527 3.77 1.94 K/BB 11.1 WAR To continue the debate WHIP leaders 1. Jim Merritt 2. Dean Chance 3. Johan Santana 4. Rick Aquilera 5. Bert Blyleven 6. Jim Perry 7. Mudcat Grant Best ERA – Chance 2.67, Milton Most Wins and I count Wins – good pitchers are in enough innings to dominate a game. Jim Kaat 190 Bert Blyleven 149 Brad Radke 148 Camilo Pascual 145 Jim Perry 128 Frank Viola 112 Best Win Pct. 1. Johan Santana 679 2. Mudcat Grand 588 3. Jim Perry 588 Hits per nine innings 1. Dave Boswell 7.147 2. Johan Santana 7.345 3. Dean Chance 7.373 4. Jim Merritt 7.641 Strikeouts – okay Walter was part of our franchise. 1. Walter Johnson 3509 2. Bert Blyleven 2035 3. Camilo Pascual 1885 4. Jim Kaat 1851 5. Brad Radke 1467 6. Johan Santana 1381 7. Frank Viola 1214 8. Jim Perry 1025 9. Dave Goltz 887 My starting Rotation has the following: 1. Johan Santana 2. Bert Blyleven 3. Brad Radke 4. Jim Kaat 5. Jim Perry Camilo Pascual just misses and Dean Chance did not pitch long enough to make my list.

With the Super Bowl in town, it feels like as good a time as ever to revisit some of the greatest World Series performances by Twins players. There are a lot of ways someone could attempt to compile such a list, but I’m going to be using a stat called Win Probability Added.WPA tries to put into context an individual play’s impact on a team's odds of winning. So while Kent Hrbek’s grand slam in Game 6 of the 1987 World Series was a great accomplishment, his performance in that game doesn’t crack the top 10. The slam was Hrbek’s only hit in that game, it came in the sixth inning and the Twins were already ahead by a run. That was no doubt a massive play, but the Twins have had some huge performances among their 21 World Series contests. For more on WPA, check out the FanGraphs glossary. I also like MLB.com’s one-sentence explanation: "Its best use is for deciphering the impact of a specific player or play on a game's outcome." It’s a fun stat, but it has its limitations. For example, fielders don’t get any credit for WPA from key defensive plays. 10. Chili Davis, 1991 Game 3, .303 WPA Chili only had one plate appearance in this game, but it was a big one. With the Twins trailing 4-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Brian Harper led things off by reaching on an error. Davis came off the bench to pinch hit for the pitcher and Atlanta countered by bringing in Alejandro Pena to face him. Davis swatted a laser beam for an opposite-field homer to tie the game. Unfortunately, the Twins would eventually fall in the 12th inning. 9. Carl Willis, 1991 Game 6, .334 WPA Willis became the third Twins pitcher to appear in the seventh inning of this game after starter Scott Erickson was lifted and Mark Guthrie, the first man out of the pen, got into some further trouble. The first man Willis faced hit into a force out that scored the tying run from third base. Willis then struck out David Justice to end the seventh and worked scoreless frames in both the eighth and ninth innings to keep the game tied, helping set the stage for ... we'll get to that in a minute. 8. Kevin Tapani, 1991 Game 2, .335 WPA This was a great bend-but-don’t-break performance from Tapani. He gave up a pair of runs over eight innings, but got outs when he needed them most. He also may have gotten a little help from his first baseman. Wait, let me rephrase that, Tapani was bailed out by Ron Gant, who inexplicably just fell right off first base. Atlanta scratched across runs on sacrifice flies in the second and fifth innings. Scott Leius led off the eight with a go-ahead homer before Rick Aguilera nailed down the save in the ninth. 7. Les Straker, 1987 Game 3, .372 WPA Straker pitched six shutout innings before exiting this game with a 1-0 lead. He gave up four hits and two walks while tallying four strikeouts. Straker’s position on this list surprised me, but six shutout innings goes a long way toward helping a team win and this was a tight ballgame. Unfortunately, the Cardinals got to Juan Berenguer for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and cruised to victory from there. 6. Frank Viola, 1987 Game 7, .378 WPA Viola gave up a pair of runs in the second inning, but it was all sweet music from there. He struck out seven Cardinal batters over eight innings while limiting St. Louis to six hits and did not walk a batter. From the end of that shaky second frame forward, he retired 11 consecutive batters. Viola exited the game with a 4-2 lead and Jeff Reardon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the victory. 5. Jim Kaat, 1965 Game 2, .393 WPA Sandy Koufax was incredible in this series, but Kaat managed to outduel him in this one. It was 0-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Twins tallied a pair of runs off Koufax. Kaat gave up his only run of the game in the top of the seventh, but the Twins scored three more runs against the Dodgers’ bullpen to win 5-1. Kaat pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits, all of them singles. He also had a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to score the team’s final two runs. 4. Mike Pagliarulo, 1991 Game 4, .399 WPA This is the highest WPA game that came in a Twins loss. Pagliarulo opened the scoring with an RBI single off John Smoltz in the second inning. He added another base hit in the fourth before hitting a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh. So that’s a 3-for-3 day off a future Hall of Famer in which Pags drove in the team’s only two runs of the contest. He was pulled in the ninth inning to avoid a lefty-lefty matchup against Mike Stanton and the Braves won it on a walk-off sac fly in the bottom half of that inning. 3. Mudcat Grant, 1965 Game 6, .420 WPA (pitching + hitting) What a performance. Mudcat not only pitched a complete game, but he also socked a three-run dinger. Grant didn’t even give up a hit until the top of the fifth inning, after Bob Allison already secured him a two-run lead with a home run in the previous frame. Grant was just the seventh pitcher to homer in a World Series game and only six more hurlers have gone deep in the Fall Classic since. The last to do it was Joe Blanton (Phillies, 2008). 2. Kirby Puckett, 1991 Game 6, .593 WPA The big moment here was Kirby’s walk-off home run in the 11th inning, but he had an incredible game leading up to that moment. In his first at-bat, Puckett drove in Chuck Knoblauch on a triple. He later scored on a Shane Mack base hit. Puckett then made that incredible catch up against the plexiglass in the third inning (not accounted for by WPA), and delivered a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fifth. With the game still tied at 3-3 in the eighth inning, Puckett recorded a single and stole second base, though was stranded there. The next time he came up was in the 11th. And we will see you tomorrow night. Speaking of which ... 1. Jack Morris, 1991 Game 7, .845 WPA Of course it’s Morris, and it’s not even close. A 10-inning shutout in which the score was tied 0-0 the entire time he was on the mound? We’ll probably never see anything like it again. Atlanta got a runner to second base with one out in both the second and third innings. They got a man there with two down in the fourth. In the fifth, they had a runner at third with one out. In the eighth inning, they had a man on third with nobody out (hat tip to some Knoblauch deception on that one). Morris got out of every jam. When he needed a strikeout, he got one. The one moment when he desperately needed a double play, he got it. Morris would not be beaten on that day. Click here to view the article

Most pieces for a contender were in place in 1964, but the Twins made a key addition to the coaching staff prior to the 1965 season. Manager Sam Mele and pitching coach John Sain were joined on the coaching staff by Billy Martin, who is credited with helping shortstop Zoilo Versalles win the American League MVP. But the pennant the team won was certainly a group effort; so many players were injured that the success required contributions from all available hands. The best remembered hit was provided by Killebrew, who hit a two-out, two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Yankees the day before the All-Star break. The Twins would not relinquish first place for the rest of the year. For 26 years that hit would be the considered the most dramatic home run in the organization’s history.The World Series pitted the Twins against the favored Dodgers. The Twins won the first two games handily in Minnesota, but scored just two runs in three games as they were swept in Los Angeles. Mudcat Grant, who led the club with 21 wins, pitched a one-run complete game to tie up the series, three games apiece. But the Dodgers prevailed in Game Seven when Sandy Koufax outdueled Kaat, throwing a shutout on two-day’s rest. Part 2 of a 12-part series that breaks Twins history into fun-sized chunks. You can find more here: Part 1 Part 2 The next couple of years would feature lots of success, but no return to the World Series. The next year, 1966, was a year of silver medals. Jim Kaat won 25 games–but lost to Koufax in the Cy Young voting, since there was only one award given between the two leagues. Meanwhile, Killebrew finished second in the American League in home runs and runs batted in, behind Frank Robinson who won the Triple Crown. The Twins also finished second in the American Leauge, though they were never closer than nine games back after mid-June. Finishing second was a lot tougher to swallow in 1967. As of September 6, four teams–the Twins, White Sox , Red Sox and Tigers–were in a virtual tie for the division lead. For the last month, those teams would battle in a ten-team league for a single postseason spot. As the final weekend approached, the Twins held a one-game lead over Boston and Detroit with two games to play against Boston. But in the third inning, while holding a one-run lead, Kaat tore a tendon in his pitching elbow, and the Red Sox rallied to win 6-4, helped by a 3-run home run from Carl Yastrzemski. The next day the Sox won the final game of the season 5-3, featuring more highlights from “Yaz.” The Twins finished second best again. After a disappointing 1968 that included a hamstring injury to Killebrew in the All-Star game and a seventh-place finish, changes were made for 1969. Billy Martin, who had managed the AAA team in Denver the year before, was instilled as manager. Martin’s aggressive style would make headlines on - and off - the field. Click here to view the article