Tag: Phillies

This Day in Twins History – April 3

April 3, 1982 – The Twins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 in an exhibition game, the first event ever held in the new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Pete Rose of the Phillies gets the first hit in the new stadium and Kent Hrbek hits the first two home runs in the Metrodome.

Key Dates in Metrodome History

TCBearApril 3, 2000 – TC Bear is introduced as the Twins new mascot. The TC stands for Twin Cities. A case could be made that TC Bear “bears” some resemblance to the Hamm’s Beer Bear, a mascot used in advertisements for Hamm’s Brewery, an early sponsor for the Twins dating back to the early 1960’s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TC!

Ervin Santana 2015April 3, 2015 – The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Ervin Santana has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Santana will be effective for the first 80 games of the 2015 regular season. Santana, who was to earn $55 million over the next four seasons, was suspended for 80 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug prevention and treatment program. The earliest he can return to action is July 4, when the Twins visit the Kansas City Royals. Scheduled to earn $13.5 million this year as part of the richest free-agent deal in club history, Santana will not be paid during the suspension, costing him more than $6.6 million.

A chat with former catcher Matt Walbeck

 

catcher Matt Walbeck (courtesy of the Minnesota Twins)

Matthew Lovick Walbeck was born on October 2, 1969 in Sacramento, California and grew up playing a variety of sports but baseball was his passion. Walbeck was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 8th round of the 1987 amateur free agent draft out of Sacramento High School as a catcher and signed his first pro contract just a few days later fulfilling a lifetime dream to play professional baseball. Matt worked his way up the Cubs minor league ladder playing and ended up making the Cubs big league club out of spring training in 1993 as the teams 3rd catcher. Walbeck stayed with the Cubs for about a month before being sent down to AAA Iowa where he spent most of 1993 before being called up to the big club again in September.

In November of 1993 Walbeck was traded by the Cubs to the Minnesota Twins along with pitcher Dave Stevens for the Twins 1987 first round pick (3rd overall) pitcher Willie Banks. Walbeck was the Twins primary catcher in the Twins strike shortened 1994 season but the highlight of Matt’s big league career occurred on April 27th at the Metrodome when Matt caught Scott Erickson’s no-hitter, a 6-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1995 Walbeck played in a career high of 115 games and hit for a .257 average. In spring training of 1996 Matt had a sore wrist and a couple of days before the season started, Walbeck was diagnosed with a broken Hamate bone and had to undergo surgery. The recovery from the surgery was slower than expected and Walbeck did not play his first game in 1996 until June 18th. Former Oakland A’s catcher and Minnesota native Terry Steinbach signed with the Twins as a free agent in December of 1996 and just a few days later Walbeck was traded to the Detroit Tigers for minor league pitcher Brian Stentz. Stentz as it turned out never appeared in a big league ball game. Walbeck ended his Twins career having played in Minnesota for 3 years. During his time in Minnesota, Walbeck better known for his catching skills then his bat, caught in 275 games and had 1,008 plate appearances in which he hit 8 home runs, knocked in 103, stole 7 bases and posted a .230 batting average.

Walbeck played for the Detroit Tigers in 1997 before being traded to the Anaheim Angels where he played from 1998-2000. Walbeck then played in the minors for the Reds and the Phillies getting only one big league at bat with the Phillies in 2001 before finishing his career in Detroit in 2002-2003 at the age of 33 and 11 years of big league baseball.

Immediately after ending his playing career, Matt move into a manager role in the Tigers system in 2004 and managed their A ball team to two championships between 2004 and 2006. Walbeck then moved up to manage in AA ball where he again took the team to the playoffs and was rewarded by getting the 3rd base coaching job for the Texas Rangers and manager Ron Washington in 2008. Walbeck was let go after one season and returned to managing in the Pirates system in 2009 and by 2010 he had led his team to yet another championship season and was named manager of the year in the Eastern League but was let go by the Pirates. In 2011 Walbeck took over as manager for the A ball Rome Braves in the Atlanta organization but the team played poorly and Walbeck was fired mid season for philosophical differences.

Matt Walbeck today

Since then, Matt has started the Walbeck Baseball Academy in Sacramento, California where he gets to work with youngsters and their parents teaching some life skills and baseball while spending time at home with his wife and 3 children. I think that Matt is enjoying his life at home right now but who knows what the future may hold for this former catcher and proven minor league winning manager if another big league opportunity should present itself. In his free time, Matt enjoys coaching his son’s baseball team, exercising and doing some fly fishing.

Want to know how and why Matt became a switch-hitter? You can listen to Matt tell you by clicking here. Be sure to check out our other interviews with former Twins players by going to the Interview Archives page, there are 36 different interviews you can check out.

Sam Perlozzo – Twins 2B and baseball lifer

Sam Perlozzo played 2B for the Twins in 1977.

Samuel Benedict Perlozzo was born in Cumberland, Maryland on March 4, 1951. Growing up in Maryland, Sam enjoyed playing football and baseball and was probably better known as a football player playing running back and safety but his lack of size kept him from pursing the gridiron. Sam earned a baseball scholarship to George Washington University where he played for three seasons from 1970 to 1972. In his final year, Sam was the star of the team hitting .345, leading the nation in stolen bases and getting named as an Academic All-American. Sam ended up signing a free agent contract with the Minnesota Twins on August 15, 1972. Perlozzo started his professional career in “A” ball with Fort Lauderdale in 1973 and played in Dubuque in 1974 and Reno in 1975. Back in those days some of the big league clubs had co-op teams where a team was made up of players for several big league clubs so even though Sam was signed as a Minnesota Twin, he did not get to play on a team of Twins minor leaguers until he joined the Orlando team in 1976. Sam Perlozzo made his major league debut on September 13, 1977 at Comiskey Park replacing Bob Randall at 2B in the seventh inning but he did not get an at bat that day. Sam ended up playing in 10 games for the Twins in 1977 going 7 for 24 (.292 average) and scoring 6 runs. As it turned out, those 10 games would be the only games that Sam played in a Minnesota Twins uniform as he spent 1978 in AAA Toledo. In the spring of 1979 Perlozzo and the Twins had reached an agreement that if Sam did not make the Twins ballclub coming out of spring training he would be granted his release and that took place on March 30, 1979. Perlozzo signed with the San Diego Padres and spent the season playing in Hawaii before getting a September call-up. Unfortunately for Sam he was suffering from a groin injury at the time and only got two at bats with the Padres before being carted off the field after he reinjured his groin. That my friends marked the end of Sam Perlozzo’s big league playing career. In January of 1980 the Padres sold Perlozzo to the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese League and Sam played ball there in 1980 hitting .281 with 15 home runs and 43 RBI’s in 118 games. In 1981 Sam joined the New York Mets as a player/coach in AAA Tidewater but after that season, Sam, who was 30 at the time, walked away from his playing days and moved into coaching and managing.

Perlozzo managed various teams in the Mets minor league system from 1982-1986 winning three league titles while never having a losing season. Perlozzo ended his minor managing league career with a 364-263 (.581) record in five seasons. The following season (1987), Sam was promoted to the New York Mets as a third base coach and he stayed in that role through the 1989 season. Perlozzo then went on to coach for the Cincinnati Reds from 1990-1992, the Seattle Mariners from 1993-1995, and the Baltimore Orioles from 1996-2005. In August of 2005 Perlozzo was named as the Baltimore Orioles manager after Lee Mazzilli was let go. After nearly two years at the helm, Perlozzo could not get the Orioles over the hump and on June 18, 2007 Sam was replaced by Dave Tremblay as the O’s skipper. Sam then returned to coaching with the Seattle Mariners from 2008-2009 before joining the Philadelphia Phillies as a coach in 2009. Perlozzo is still coaching with the Phillies and has now been a big league coach or manager for 25 straight seasons. Sam obviously loves the game of baseball. In the off season, Sam lives in Tampa, Florida and enjoys playing golf and spending time with family and friends. Sam’s son Eric was drafted by the Orioles in the 2007 amateur draft.

You can listen to the Sam Perlozzo interview by clicking here. Be sure to check out our other interviews with former Twins players by going to the Interview Archives page, there are 35 different interviews you can check out.

This Day in Twins History – February 6, 1998

The Twins trade their 1991 Rookie of the Year and four-time All-Star 2B Edward Charles “Chuck” Knoblauch to the New York Yankees and in turn receive pitchers Eric Milton and Danny Mota along with shortstop Cristian Guzman and outfielder Brian Buchanan and $3 million in cash.

Chuck had first been drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 18th round of the 1986 amateur free agent draft but chose not to sign primarily because his father felt that he was not ready for pro ball so Chuck went on to play for Texas A&M. The Minnesota Twins selected Knoblauch with their first pick (25th overall) in the 1989 amateur free agent draft and four days later Knoblauch signed his first professional contract. After signing with the Twins, the 5’9″ and 175 pound Knoblauch played A ball in Kenosha and Visalia and then in 1990 he moved up to AA ball Orlando under manager Ron Gardenhire. Knobby won the Twins starting 2B job coming out of spring training in 1991 and his big league career was underway. Knoblauch, a right-handed hitter played in 151 games during the 1991 World Championship season hitting .281 while scoring 78 runs and stealing 25 of 30 bases. Knoblauch won the ROY award going away garnering 26 of 28 first place votes. As time went by in Minnesota and the Twins teams struggled, Knoblauch became more aloof and distant from the fans and was known as a difficult autograph to get. In June of 1995 things got ugly in Seattle when Knoblauch was walking toward the team hotel when a 15-year-old boy asked him for an autograph. Knoblauch ignored him. Just as Knoblauch reached the door, the kid yelled, “Knoblauch, you suck!” Knoblauch spun around, backed the kid against a wall and cursed him out. The cops were called. The kid said Knoblauch had torn his shirt and scratched his neck. Knoblauch said he hadn’t laid a hand on the kid. No charges were pressed.

In August 1996 in August, Knoblauch passed up free agency by agreeing to a five-year contract extension. According to a March 1998 Sports Illustrated story, “Frustration had turned Chuck into a zombie.” Lisa Knoblauch is describing her husband’s Season of the Living Dead with the 1997 Minnesota Twins. “He was sad, desolate, miserable. He felt stuck in a five-year contract with a team that was sure to get worse. Requesting a trade seemed the only way out.” During this same time period, Knoblauch’s father (Ray) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was quickly losing his battle with the dreadful disease. The Twins and the Yankees agreed on a deal and the trade was made, Knoblauch was a New York Yankee but only after a supposed deal with the Cleveland Indians for pitchers Chad Ogea and Steve Karsay and infielder Enrique Wilson was turned down by Minnesota.

The same I article goes on to say “According to a reporter who covers the team, “Knoblauch whined and whined about wanting a long-term deal. So the team finally commits to him for five years at $30 million, and his commitment to the team lasts barely a year.” One member of the club’s front office says, “During the seven years Knoblauch was in Minnesota, he evolved into a bratty tyrant who ran roughshod over the people around him. Hardly anyone–from his teammates to the clubhouse kids to the valets who park the players’ cars—was unhappy to see him leave.”

Knoblauch played in New York from 1998-2001 and the team went to the World Series each year he was there, winning 3 and losing to Arizona in 2001. But Chuck’s time as a Yankee was not all peaches and cream as he started to develop a throwing issue and as time went by, his throws to first base from 2B grew progressively problematic. In 1999 Chuck committed 26 errors at 2B and slowly the Yankees started to use him more and more as a DH and in the outfield. Knoblauch played just 82 games at 2B for the Yankees in 2000 and that was the last time that Chuck played 2B in the big leagues. After the 2001 season Knoblauch left the Yankees through free agency and signed with the Kansas City Royals but hit only .210 in 80 games and the once promising career was over.

Chuck Knoblauch was named in the Mitchell Report and later appeared before a Congressional Committee to give testimony. He admitted using human growth hormone in 2001. A full text of that report can be seen here. In September of 2009, Chuck Knoblauch surrendered to authorities in Harris County, Tex., after he was charged with assaulting his common-law wife. Knoblauch entered a guilty plea in exchange for deferred-adjudication probation. Chuck Knoblauch is now doing motivation speaking through AthletePromotions.com. There is a nice piece written by Classic Minnesota Twins about the May 2, 2001 “Dollar Dog Rebellion” when Knoblauch and the Yankees were at the Metrodome that you will enjoy raeding.

Eric Milton

The left-handed starting pitcher Eric Milton who was the Yankees number one pick (20th overall) in the 1996 amateur free agent draft was the supposed plum in the Knoblauch trade. Although the big lefty (6’3″ and 210 pounds) pitched for Minnesota from 1998-2003 starting 165 games and putting up a 57-51 won/lost record, he never attained the super star status that many expected of him.  Milton struck out 13 and no-hit (5th no-hitter in Twins history) the Anaheim Angels 7-0 at the Metrodome on September 11, 1999 but even then he was critized because it was an early Saturday morning game due to an up-coming Minnesota Gopher football game at the Dome later in the day and many of the Angels regulars sat out the game. In his six seasons in Minnesota, Milton struck out 715 in 987 innings with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The Twins traded their one time All-Star pitcher to the Philadelphia Phillies on December 3, 2003 for pitcher Carlos Silva, infielder Nick Punto, and a PTBNL who turned out to be pitcher Bobby Korecky.

Cristian Guzman

The switch-hitting shortstop Cristian Guzman played for the Twins from 1999 through the 2004 season before leaving as a free agent. The speedy Guzman led the league in triples in 2000, 2001, and 2003 and was named to the All-Star team in 2001. Guzman wasn’t a bad shortstop but for some reason he just was not given a lot of love by either the fans or the team. You can view a Twins commercial with Cristian Guzman in their 2001 “Get to Know’em” campaign here.

 

 

Brian Buchanan

The big (6’4″ and 230 pounds) right-handed hitting outfielder Brian Buchanan did not turn out to be the bigger slugger that the Twins had hoped they had acquired and “Buck’s” stay in Minnesota only lasted from 2000-2002 for a total of 143 games. In those 143 games, Buchanan hit .258 with 16 home runs but it was his 113 strikeouts in 414 at bats that kept Buchanan from becoming a regular outfielder. The Twins sent Brain to the San Diego Padres for shortstop Jason Bartlett on July 12, 2002. Buchanan is the son-in-law of former Boston Celtic great John Havlicek.

Danny Mota was a right-handed pitcher but his stay in Minnesota was very brief, Mota pitched in four games for the Twins in 2000 and that turned out to be his entire major league career. The Dominican born Mota appeared in 4 games throwing 5.1 innings allowing 10 hits and 5 runs and ending his big league career with a 8.44 ERA. I am not sure much else needs to be said about Mr. Mota.

Last April the Platoon Advantage did a piece on Chuck Knoblauch and his “Twins Family Tree” that I have copied here because I think it is kind of cool. Danny Mota’s Twins contribution is left out and of course Delmon Young has since been traded but never the less these kinds of family tree charts are fun and interesting to look at. It teaches us to look past the original trade and what it brings to the ballclub.

 

If I was Michael Cuddyer

I can’t help but wonder what is going on with Michael Cuddyer. The winter meetings have wrapped up and the Twins still sit back and wait for a decision from Michael Cuddyer. Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire have made it pretty clear that they are chasing Cuddyer but apparently Cuddyer does not want to be caught. Yes, I know that his wife had twins earlier this week but are you telling me that they have not sat down and discussed a possible signing scenario before now?The numbers that are floating around that the Twins have supposedly offered the Twins former right-fielder are 3 years for $24 or $25 million. So I will put myself in Michael’s shoes and tell you what I may be thinking.

I have been in the Twins organization since 1998 and in the big leagues with the Twins since 2001. I will be 33 years old before the 2012 season kicks off and this just might be my last chance to sign a multi-year deal for significant dollars. Last year I made $10.5 million, $9.4 million in 2010, and $7.6 million in 2009. Between 2004 and 2011 (excluding my injury plagued year in 2008 when I only played in 71 games) I have averaged 141 games per year playing all over the field except catcher and shortstop and in 2011 I was the only Twins player selected to participate in the 2011 All-Star game. My wife and I work our butts off for the Twins Community Fund, I give up lots of my own personal time to interact with the fans, I never turn down an autograph request  and I see myself as a leader in the Twins clubhouse. My team sucked in 2011 and a number of players were hurt but some of them didn’t work all that hard to get back on the field, others just plain quit playing and some of the youngsters the Twins brought up had no business being in the big leagues yet. I play hurt because I know that the team needs my right-handed bat in the line-up and because I want to win. The Twins lost 99 games and changes need to happen, I understand that and I am all for it. I know we had a payroll of $113 million last year and we almost became the second team in history to lose 100 games with a $100+ million payroll and now management expects revenue to drop in 2012 so payroll has to drop accordingly, I get that too. What I have a problem with is why I should I take a pay cut for a team that lost 99 games when I was out there day in and day out working my butt off. Why should I have to take a pay cut from $27.5 million the last three years to $25 million? At this stage of my career I want a ring, what are my chances of getting a ring in Minnesota in the next two or three years? I have to think they might be better somewhere else. At first, I thought that Philly was a nice landing spot but it appears that has fallen through but now I am hearing that the Rockies might come across with a 3 year deal that could trump Minnesota’s offer and hitting in Colorado might be fun, but can they win a ring for me? We love Minnesota and we are comfortable living and playing there but damn, I feel like the Twins and the Twins fans just don’t appreciate what I have done here. To many it is all about dollars and cents but I am a human being and I should be valued for what I have brought to the table. I always knew that baseball was a business, but it is a hard and cruel business at times. Albert Pujols just signed a huge $250 million 10-year deal and he will be 32 in a couple of weeks. Is Pujols being paid this princely sum for what he will do or what he did in the past? I know, I know, I am no Albert Pujols but the comparison is he same, should I be paid for what I have done for the Twins in the past or what I will do in the future? I would hope a little of both but right now I am not feeling the Twins love so let’s just hold on for a while and see what else shakes out. Maybe it is time for me to see if the Twins have as much flexibility as I have shown them in the past.

For many of us fans and bloggers it is all about wins, we tend to forget that the players are real people with real families and real problems of their own. We tend to think of them as an inanimate object that we can discard if we find something better. We pull a dollar figure out of out butts and we say that player X is worth X amount of dollars but then again we don’t have to pull out our own wallets and turn over cold hard cash to pay the player salaries. We sometimes get too enamoured with players we see less frequently and we see all the warts on the home town players just because we see them day in and day out.

Cuddyer was originally drafted as a shortstop by the Twins in the first round (ninth over all) of the June 1997 amateur draft and signed with the Twins shortly there after. Cuddyer worked his way up the minor league chain and made his big league debut with the Twins on September 23, 2001 as the DH at the Metrodome. Cuddyer has been with the Twins for 11 seasons now and has been a fixture in right field playing 670 games there but he has also played 210 games at 1B and 171 games at 3B not to mention 79 games at 2B and his lone relief appearance on the mound in 2011. The only positions Cuddy has not played is catcher and ironically shortstop, the position that he was drafted to play back in 1997. Although Cuddyer may not be a superstar, he has been a very valuable part of the Twins organization for a long time. When I think of Michael Cuddyer, I see him as a true professional, he does what ever it takes to win and he represents the Minnesota Twins as well as anyone ever has and that includes Harmon Killebrew. Cuddyer and his wife are also very active in the community and the Twins Community Fund. I have seen Cuddyer interact with baseball fans during spring training and no one does a better job at that than Michael does and he talks with everyone. The Twins organization and Twins fans will miss Michael Cuddyer if he choses to sign elsewhere, I know I will, but then again the money to pay Cuddy does not come out of my pocket.

UPDATE as of December 16 – The Colorado Rockies have agreed to sign Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com

Jim Thome sent to Cleveland

Jim Thome

August 25, 2011 – According to numerous reports, DH Jim Thome has been claimed on waivers by Cleveland and traded to them for the proverbial “player to be named later”. These same reports state that the Indians and the Twins have until October 15 to agree on the PTBNL. Jim Thome came up with the Cleveland Indians and played there from 1991 through the 2002 season before moving on to the Phillies as a free agent in December of 2002. Thome played for the Phillies through 2005 before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox where he played in 2006 through August of 2009 when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Thome then signed as a free agent with the Twins in January of 2010 and re-upped with Minnesota in 2011. During his stay in Minnesota, Thome was a very popular player both with the team as well as the Twins fan base. In his short stay in Minnesota, Thome played in 178 games, had 578 plate appearances while hitting .268 with 37 home runs and 99 RBI’s. Thome never played in the field for the Twins, always serving as the DH or coming in as a pinch-hitter. Thome leaves Minnesota with 601 career home runs, one of just 8 players in history to reach the 600 circle. Jim Thome is a sure Hall of Famer and his stay in Minnesota was in reality for a short period of time but fans and players alike will miss “Gentleman Jim”. But the trade to Cleveland is a good move on the Twins part and hopefully Jim Thome can help Cleveland catch the Detroit Tigers and move on to the playoffs and give Jim the shot at a World Series that he wants badly. I know the odds are stacked against Thome but he deserved that shot. Good luck Mr. Thome!

How they will finish in 2011

March 31, 2011 – I know the season started today and I am a bit slow with my predictions for this year but here is how I see things playing out. Sorry to say, but I don’t see the Twins winning the AL Central this year, the new champs of the Central will be those “dag nabbit” Mighty Whitey’s. I see the Chicago White Sox as just beating out the Twins by 1 ½ games in a season long battle for supremacy. But things aren’t all bad, as the Twins will be the American league wild card winners for the first time in their history. Here is how I see the Division races ending up.

Finish AL East AL Central AL West
1 Red Sox White Sox Rangers
2 Yankees Twins * A’s
3 Rays Tigers Angels
4 Orioles Royals Mariners
5 Blue Jays Indians  
       
Finish NL East NL Central NL West
1 Braves Reds Rockies
2 Phillies * Cardinals Giants
3 Marlins Brewers Padres
4 Nationals Cubs Dodgers
5 Mets Pirates D-Backs
    Astros  

* – Wild Card Winner

The Twins will make some progress in the playoffs this year but they will only win one series and get beat out in the ALCS by the Boston Red Sox who will face the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. The Boston Red Sox will become the World Champions in 5 games.

 

Former Twins 1B Joe Lis passes away

Joe LisOctober 19, 2010 – Joseph Anthony Lis Sr., 64, passed away Sunday, October 17, 2010, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. Lis was born August 15, 1946, in Somerville, N.J.

Joe Lis signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964 and ended up playing in the major leagues with the Phillies 70-72, the Minnesota Twins in 73-74, and the Cleveland Indians in 74-76 and the Seattle Mariners in 1977. Lis also spent some time in the White Sox and Tigers minor league systems.

Lis played in the minors for all or parts of 12 season’s and put up some decent numbers in 1,337 games, getting 4,492 at bats, and hitting 236 home runs while getting 604 RBI’s to go along with a .277 batting average. Lis was really never able to land a full time starting job in the big leagues. Lis’s best season may have been with the Minnesota Twins in 1973 when he appeared in 103 games, getting 253 at bats and hitting .245 with 9 home runs, 25 RBI’s and 37 runs scored. When his major league career ended after the 1977 season, Joe had played in all or part of 8 big league seasons, appearing in 356 games with 780 at bats and hitting 32 home runs and knocking in 92 RBI’s while hitting for a .233 average.

After retiring from baseball, Lis coached youth baseball for over 30 years and in his spare time he enjoyed golf, fishing, and spending time with his grandchildren. Joe Lis owned and operated the Joe Lis Baseball School since 1991 and also worked in insurance since 1989. The obituary for Joe Lis can be found in the Evansville Courier & Press. You can also find a very nice SABR biography about Joe Lis by clicking here. We at Twinstrivia.com would like to pass on our condolences to the Joe Lis family in their time of sorrow.

Elias says

October 7, 2010 – Twins take the lead, Yankees come back and win – same old script. The Yankees have won seven consecutive postseason games against the Twins, despite the Twins owning a lead in all seven games. That’s the longest such winning streak in postseason history. The next best belongs to the Indians, who won five straight games in that fashion against the Red Sox from 1998 to 1999.

October 9, 2010 – The bad news for Twins fans is that the team extended its postseason losing streak to 11 games on Thursday; the good news is that they cannot, this year, equal the major league record of consecutive postseason losses. The Red Sox lost 13 consecutive postseason games from 1986 to 1995, a streak that started with the Bill Buckner game.

The Twins did match 1 major-league record on Thursday night. The team that won World Series in both 1987 and 1991 by going a combined 8-0 at home has now lost its last 10 postseason home games (a streak that began in 2002); that ties the record set by the Phillies in a streak that lasted from 1915 to 1978 (or from Woodrow Wilson to Jimmy Carter).