The 2006 Minnesota Twins Season was the Minnesota Twin's 46th season playing in the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

and their 106th season in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. They were managed by

Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...

and played their home games in the

Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...

. The Twins finished first in the

American League Central The American League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed in the realignment of 1994 by moving three teams from the American League West and two teams from the American League East. Its teams are all loc ...

with a 96-66 record. They were swept in three games by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

in the

2006 American League Division Series The 2006 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 2006 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Saturday, October 7, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a " wild card" team� ...

Offseason

* January 31, 2006:

Rubén Sierra Rubén Angel Sierra García (born October 6, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Sierra goes by the nicknames ''El Caballo'' and ''El Indio''. Over 20 seasons, Sierra played for the Texas Rangers (1986–92, 2000–01, 2003), O ...

was signed as a free agent by the Twins.Rubén Sierra
at ''Baseball Reference'' * March 29, 2006:

Rob Bowen Robert McClure Bowen (born February 24, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 2003 to 2008 for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athlet ...

was selected off waivers from the Twins by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Regular season

The Twins stumbled out of the gate after the death of

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett (March 14, 1960 – March 6, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins (1984–1995). Puckett is the Twins' all- ...

in late March, accumulating a dismal 25-33 record by June 7. Around that time, the team dropped underperforming veterans like

Tony Batista Leocadio Francisco "Tony" Batista Hernandez (born December 9, 1973) is a Dominican former Major League Baseball infielder. He played in the major leagues from to and to , and with the SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League in . Care ...

Juan Castro Juan Gabriel Castro (born June 20, 1972), is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies, ...

, and

Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse (; born October 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, an ...

, replacing them with talented rookies from the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

. The Twins went 9-1 in their next ten games, evening their record at 34-34.

Interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pr ...

was particularly generous to the team; the Twins had Major League Baseball's best Interleague record at 16 wins and 2 losses. By July 26 the team had won 34 of 42 games, leaving them tied with the White Sox at 59-41, but still 8.5 games behind the division-leading Tigers. As the season neared its conclusion, the Twins continued to put distance between them and the White Sox, while gaining on the Tigers. A key series starting on September 7 saw the Twins take three out of four from the Tigers. And after a commanding win in Boston on September 19, the Twins found themselves within a half game of the Central-leading Tigers. On September 25, the Twins beat Kansas City 8-1 to secure an American League playoff berth. A win in a 10-inning game against the Royals on September 28 moved the Twins into a tie with the Tigers atop the AL Central. With that win, the Twins broke a major league record by moving into first place after the team's 159th game. This was the latest in a season that a team moved into first place for the first time all season. (It was a tie for first at this point.) The Tigers led the season series, so a tie at the end of the season between the Tigers and Twins would have meant the Twins get the wild card. Instead, the Tigers were swept by 100-game-losers Kansas City to end the season, and the Twins took one of three from the White Sox, giving the Twins their fourth AL Central title in five years. It was the first time in major league history that a team clinched on the last day of the season after never having held sole possession of first place. *The representatives of the Twins in the All-Star Game were

Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque (; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 200 ...

Joe Mauer Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. A six-time All-Star, Mauer is the only ca ...

, and

Francisco Liriano Francisco Liriano Casillas (born October 26, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, ...

. *The highest paid Twin in 2006 is

Torii Hunter Torii Kedar Hunter (; born July 18, 1975) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 ...

at $10,750,000.00. *The motto for the 2006 Twins was "Smell 'em." Backup catcher

Mike Redmond Michael Patrick Redmond (born May 5, 1971) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager. He is currently the bench coach for the Colorado Rockies. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins, ...

coined the phrase, saying the hitters have to "smell those RBIs" when they see runners in scoring position in key situations. Hitters will tap their noses when they come through. After a 9-5 victory over the

on September 8 that followed a two-week-long hitting drought, hitting coach

Joe Vavra Joseph Alan Vavra (born November 16, 1959) is an American professional baseball coach. Vavra previously served as a coach for the Minnesota Twins from 2006 to 2017, and as the Detroit Tigers quality control coach in 2018 and 2019, and hitting coac ...

remarked: "The 'smell 'ems' were out again tonight. That's the good feeling we were missing." *In reference to the scrappy, fleet-footed hitters that make up almost half of their lineup, many of the Twins' players have been referred to by

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

manager

Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...

as "little piranhas". The moniker has stuck, and the team has printed and markets T-shirts bearing the nickname. *

won his second

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...

, a unanimous decision. He also won the pitching

triple crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

, leading the majors in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. The last pitcher to lead both leagues in all 3 categories was

Dwight Gooden Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964), nicknamed "Dr. K" and "Doc", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Gooden pitched from 1984 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2000 for the N ...

in 1985. *

Justin Morneau Justin Ernest George Morneau (born May 15, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox. At and , ...

won his first AL MVP Award, a decision won narrowly over

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

shortstop

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

320 points to 306 points, with 15 of a possible 28 first place votes. He was the first Twins MVP since

Rod Carew Rodney Cline Carew (born October 1, 1945) is a Panamanian former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman, second baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins ...

in 1977. *

was the first American League catcher ever to win the Major League Baseball batting crown.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

* June 14, 2006:

designated for assignment. He was released on the 19th and cleared waivers on the 21st. * June 15, 2006:

traded to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

for outfielder Brandon Roberts. * July 10, 2006:

was released by the Twins. * July 31, 2006:

traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Minor League RHP Zach Ward. * August 31, 2006: The Twins acquired veteran

Phil Nevin Phillip Joseph Nevin (born January 19, 1971) is an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He is the manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 12 seasons, appearing in 1,217 gam ...

from the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

for a player to be named later (Adam Harben).

Roster

Game log

, - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 1 , , April 4 , , @ Blue Jays , , 6–3 , , Halladay , ,

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

, , Ryan , , 50,449 , , 0–1 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 2 , , April 5 , , @ Blue Jays , , 13–4 , , Radke , ,

Towers A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specific ...

, , , , 18,156 , , 1–1 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 3 , , April 6 , , @ Blue Jays , , 6–3 , , Chacín , ,

Silva Silva is a surname in Portuguese language, Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Brazil. It is derived from the Latin word , meaning "forest" or "woodland". It is the family name of the House of Silva. The name is also widespread i ...

, , Ryan , , 16,221 , , 1–2 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 4 , , April 7 , , @ Indians , , 11–6 , ,

Byrd Byrd commonly refers to: * William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance * Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer Byrd or Byrds may also refer to: Other people * Byrd (surname), includin ...

, , Lohse , , , , 42,445 , , 1–3 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 5 , , April 8 , , @ Indians , , 3–0 , ,

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

, ,

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grains ha ...

, , Wickman , , 25,107 , , 1–4 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 6 , , April 9 , , @ Indians , , 3–2 , , Westbrook , ,

, , Wickman , , 23,311 , , 1–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 7 , , April 11 , ,

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

, , 7–6 , , Radke , , Haren , ,

Nathan Nathan or Natan may refer to: People *Nathan (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name *Nathan (surname) *Nathan (prophet), a person in the Hebrew Bible * Nathan (son of David), biblical figure, son of King David an ...

, , 48,911 , , 2–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 8 , , April 12 , ,

, , 6–5 , ,

, , Loaiza , ,

, , 22,603 , , 3–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 9 , , April 13 , ,

, , 8–2 , , Lohse , , Blanton , , , , 13,520 , , 4–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 10 , , April 14 , ,

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

, , 5–1 , ,

, , Mussina , , , , 30,622 , , 5–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 11 , , April 15 , ,

, , 6–5 , , Rincón , ,

Rivera Rivera () is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. The border with Brazil joins it with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, which is only a street away from it, at the north end of Route 5. Together, they form an urban area of aro ...

, , , , 42,316 , , 6–5 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 12 , , April 16 , ,

, , 9–3 , ,

Wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thailand ...

, , Radke , , , , 22,627 , , 6–6 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 13 , , April 18 , ,

Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

, , 8–2 , , Escobar , ,

, ,

Shields A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

, , 15,757 , , 6–7 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 14 , , April 19 , ,

, , 12–10 , ,

, ,

Romero The name Romero is a nickname type of surname for a Roman or an Italian. The name was originally derived from the Latin word Romaeus and the Greek word Romaios, which mean Roman. #A person on a religious journey or pilgrimage from Rome (possibly t ...

, , , , 21,507 , , 7–7 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 15 , , April 20 , ,

, , 6–4 , , Gregg , ,

Crain Crain may refer to: People * Crain (surname) Places * Crain, Yonne, a commune in the region Bourgogne, France Other * Crain (band), an indie rock band * Crain Communications, an American publishing conglomerate * ''Crain crain'', the common na ...

, , Rodríguez , , 12,990 , , 7–8 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 16 , , April 21 , , @

White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, , 7–1 , , Buehrle , ,

, , , , 31,287 , , 7–9 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 17 , , April 22 , , @

, , 9–2 , , García , , Radke , , , , 38,955 , , 7–10 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 18 , , April 23 , , @

, , 7–3 , , Contreras , ,

, , , , 38,102 , , 7–11 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 19 , , April 25 , , @ Royals , , 2–1 , , Liriano , ,

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

, ,

, , 12,911 , , 8–11 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 20 , , April 26 , , @ Royals , , 3–1 , ,

Hernández Hernández is a widespread Spanish surname that became common around the 15th century. Originally a patronymic, it means son of Hernán, Hernando or Fernando—the Spanish version of Germanic Ferdinand. Fernández is a very common variant of the n ...

, ,

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...

, , 9,188 , , 8–12 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 21 , , April 27 , , @ Royals , , 7–3 , ,

, , Redman , , , , 11,391 , , 9–12 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 22 , , April 28 , , @

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

, , 9–0 , ,

Robertson Robertson may refer to: People * Robertson (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Robertson (given name) * Clan Robertson, a Scottish clan * Robertson, stage name of Belgian magician Étienne-Gaspard Robert (1763–1837) Places ...

, , Radke , , , , 23,263 , , 9–13 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 23 , , April 29 , , @

, , 18–1 , , Verlander , ,

, , , , 24,258 , , 9–14 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 24 , , April 30 , , @

, , 6–0 , ,

Rogers Rogers may refer to: Places Canada *Rogers Pass (British Columbia) * Rogers Island (Nunavut) United States * Rogers, Arkansas, a city * Rogers, alternate name of Muroc, California, a former settlement * Rogers, Indiana, an unincorporated communit ...

, , Lohse , , , , 24,323 , , 9–15 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 25 , , May 1 , , Mariners , , 8–2 , , Piñeiro, ,

, , , , 11,796, , 9–16 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 26 , , May 2 , , Mariners , , 5–1 , ,

, ,

Washburn Washburn (alternatively Wasseburne, Wasseborne, Wasshebourne, Wassheborne, Washbourne, Washburne, Washborne, Washborn, Wasborn, Washbon) is a toponymic surname, probably of Old English origin, with likely Anglo-Norman and Norman-French influen ...

, , , , 14,513, , 10–16 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 27 , , May 3 , , Royals , , 6–1 , , Radke , , Mays, , , , 15,996, , 11–16 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 28 , , May 4 , , Royals , , 1–0 , , Affeldt, ,

, ,

, , 11,803, , 11–17 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 29 , , May 5 , ,

, , 9–6 , ,

, , Lohse , ,

Jones Jones may refer to: People *Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname *List of people with surname Jones * Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter Arts and entertainment * Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell ...

, , 23,892 , , 11–18 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 30 , , May 6 , ,

, , 7–6 , , Rincón , ,

, , , , 20,907 , , 12–18 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 31 , , May 7 , ,

, , 4–2 , ,

, , Maroth , ,

, , 20,548 , , 13–18 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 32 , , May 8 , , @ Rangers , , 6–4 , , Koronka , , Radke , , Otsuka , , 18,609 , , 13–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 33 , , May 9 , , @ Rangers , , 15–5, ,

, , Millwood , , , , 19,316 , , 14–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 34 , , May 10 , , @ Rangers , , 4–3 , , Loshe , , Padilla , ,

, , 23,008 , , 15–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 35 , , May 12 , ,

, , 10–1 , ,

, ,

Garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. Etymology From the ...

, , , , 30,473 , , 16–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 36 , , May 13 , ,

, , 8–4 , , Radke, , Vázquez , , , , 33,021, , 17–19 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 37 , , May 14 , ,

, , 9–7 , , Buehrle , ,

, , Jenks , , 21,796 , , 17–20 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 38 , , May 15 , ,

, , 7–3 , , García , ,

, , , , 19,413 , , 17–21 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 39 , , May 16 , , @

, , 7–4 , ,

, , Lohse , ,

, , 18,115, , 17–22 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 40 , , May 17 , , @

, , 2–0 , , Verlander , ,

, ,

, , 16,669 , , 17–23 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 41 , , May 18 , , @

, , 5–3, ,

, , Radke , ,

, , 26,732, , 17–24 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 42 , , May 19 , , @ Brewers , , 7–1 , , Liriano , ,

Davis Davis may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Davis (Antarctica) * Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago) * Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land Canada * Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community * Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...

, , , , 28,462, , 18–24 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 43 , , May 20 , , @ Brewers , , 16–10 , ,

, , Hendrickson, , , , 43,422 , , 19–24 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 44 , , May 21 , , @ Brewers , , 5–3, , Capuano , ,

, , Turnbow , , 35,180 , , 19–25 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 45 , , May 23 , , Indians , , 6–5 , ,

, ,

Mota Mota, MOTA or variations thereof may refer to: Geography * Mota (island), Vanuatu * Mota, Ethiopia, a town * Mota, Gujarat, India, a town * Mota, Ljutomer, Slovenia, a village Music * ''M.O.T.A.'' (album), a 2005 album by Cultura Profética * "M ...

, , , , 19,334 , , 20–25 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 46 , , May 24 , , Indians , , 11–0, , Sabathia , , Radke , , , , 22,789 , , 20–26 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 47 , , May 26 , , Mariners , , 3–1 , , Liriano , ,

, ,

, , 28,082 , , 21–26 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 48 , , May 27 , , Mariners, , 9–5 , , Bonser , , Moyer , , Rincón , , 25,305 , , 22–26 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 49 , , May 28 , , Matiners , , 4–3 , ,

, , Guardado , , , , 24,388 , , 23–26 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 50 , , May 29 , , @

, , 4–3 , ,

, ,

, , , , 40,007 , , 23–27 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 51 , , May 30 , , @

, , 6–3, , Weaver , ,

, , Rodríguez , , 37,299 , , 23–28 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 52 , , May 31 , , @

, , 7–1, , Liriano , ,

, , , , 40,001 , , 24–28 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 53 , , June 1 , , @

, , 4–0 , , Zito , , Bonser , , , , 12,025 , , 24–29 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 54 , , June 2 , , @

, , 2–1 , ,

, , Saarloos , ,

, , 16,138 , , 25–29 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 55 , , June 3 , , @

, , 2–1 , , Halsey , , Radke , ,

Street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...

, , 23,194 , , 25–30 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 56 , , June 4 , , @

, , 5–1 , , Halsey , ,

, , , , 25,247 , , 25–31 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 57 , , June 6 , , @ Mariners , , 4–2, ,

, , Liriano , , Putz , , 21,028 , , 25–32 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 58 , , June 7 , , @ Mariners , , 10–9, , Mateo , ,

, , , , 24,785 , , 25–33 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 59 , , June 8 , , @ Mariners , , 7–3, ,

, , Piñeiro , , , , 27,341 , , 26–33 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 60 , , June 9 , ,

Orioles Oriole or Orioles may refer to: Animals * Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae * New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae Music * The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and earl ...

, , 7–5, ,

, , Chen , , , , 22,894 , , 27–33 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 61 , , June 10 , ,

, , 9–7, , Cabrera , ,

, , , , 24,478 , , 27–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 62 , , June 11 , ,

, , 4–0, , Liriano , , Bédard , , , , 25,438 , , 28–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 63 , , June 13 , ,

Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, , 5–2, , Reyes , , Tavárez , , , , 25,531 , , 29–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 64 , , June 14 , ,

, , 8–1, , Radke , ,

Clement Clement or Clément may refer to: People * Clement (name), a given name and surname * Saint Clement (disambiguation)#People Places * Clément, French Guiana, a town * Clement, Missouri, U.S. * Clement Township, Michigan, U.S. Other uses * ...

, , , , 26,492 , , 30–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 65 , , June 15 , ,

, , 5–3, ,

, ,

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

, ,

, , 21,191 , , 31–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 66 , , June 16 , , @

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

, , 4–2, , Liriano , , Snell , ,

, , 33,025 , , 32–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 67 , , June 17 , , @

, , 5–3, ,

, ,

Marte Marte may refer to: *Marte, Nigeria, a Local Government Area in Borno State *Marte (surname), including a list of people with the name * C.D. Marte, a Mexican football club *C.D. Atlético Marte, a Salvadoran football club * ST ''Marte'', a tug in ...

, ,

, , 34,085 , , 33–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 68 , , June 18 , , @

, , 8–2, ,

, ,

Pérez Pérez, or Perez as most commonly written in English, is a Castilian Spanish surname. Perez (pronounced Peretz, see below) is also common in people of Sephardic Jewish descent and is the 4th most common surname in Israel, most common surname not o ...

, , , , 25,104 , , 34–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 69 , , June 20 , , @

Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division, having moved to the div ...

, , 6–5, ,

, ,

Miller A miller is a person who operates a Gristmill, mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Mill (grinding), Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surname ...

, , , , 32,713 , , 35–34 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 70 , , June 21 , , @

, , 5–3, ,

Wheeler Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a ...

, , Lohse , , Lidge , , 33,243 , , 35–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 71 , , June 22 , , @

, , 4–2, , Liriano , ,

Clemens Clemens is both a Late Latin masculine given name and a surname meaning "merciful". Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adelaide Clemens (born 1989), Australian actress. * Andrew Clemens (b. 1852 or 1857–1894), American folk artist * ...

, ,

, , 43,769 , , 36–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 72 , , June 23 , , Cubs , , 7–2, ,

, , Mármol , , , , 34,361 , , 37–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 73 , , June 24 , , Cubs , , 3–0, , Bonser , ,

Prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

, ,

, , 42,304 , , 38–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 74 , , June 25 , , Cubs , , 8–1, , Radke , ,

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

, , , , 35,128 , , 39–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 75 , , June 26 , ,

Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, , 8–2, ,

, , Billingsley , , , , 22,258 , , 40–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 76 , , June 27 , ,

, , 9–2, , Liriano , , Lowe , , , , 30,681 , , 41–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 77 , , June 28 , ,

, , 6–3, ,

, ,

, , 34,157 , , 42–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 78 , , June 30 , , Brewers , , 8–2, , Radke , , Villanueva , , , , 28,412 , , 43–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 79 , , July 1 , , Brewers , , 10–7, , Rincón , , Turnbow , ,

, , 35,056 , , 44–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 80 , , July 2 , , Brewers , , 8–0, , Liriano , ,

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, , , , 35,466 , , 45–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 81 , , July 3 , , @ Royals , , 6–5, ,

, , Sisco , ,

, , 28,401 , , 46–35 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 82 , , July 4 , , @ Royals , , 7–2, , Gobble , , Bonser , , Dessens , , 23,996 , , 46–36 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 83 , , July 5 , , @ Royals , , 6–3, , Affeldt , ,

, ,

, , 12,085 , , 46–37 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 84 , , July 7 , , @ Rangers , , 9–4, , Wasdin , ,

, , , , 30,207 , , 46–38 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 85 , , July 8 , , @ Rangers , , 4–0, , Liriano , , Rheinecker , , , , 36,035 , , 47–38 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 86 , , July 9 , , @ Rangers , , 5–2, , Bauer , ,

, , Otsuka , , 23,268 , , 47–39 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 87 , , July 13 , , Indians , , 6–4, , Lee , , Liriano , , Wickman , , 21,085 , , 47–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 88 , , July 14 , , Indians , , 3–2, ,

, , Mujica , , , , 21,279 , , 48–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 89 , , July 15 , , Indians , , 6–2, ,

, , Sabathia , , , , 33,904 , , 49–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 90 , , July 16 , , Indians , , 5–2, ,

, , Sowers , ,

, , 31,838 , , 50–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 91 , , July 17 , , Devil Rays , , 6–3, ,

, ,

Corcoran Corcoran is an Irish surname, the original Irish language form being meaning 'descendant of Corcrán'. The name itself is derived from meaning 'purple'. History The name Corcoran is an anglicisation of the names of two Gaelic clans. The f ...

, ,

, , 17,071 , , 51–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 92 , , July 18 , , Devil Rays , , 8–1, , Liriano , , Kazmir , , , , 22,808 , , 52–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 93 , , July 19 , , Devil Rays , , 7–2, , Radke , ,

Seo Seo or SEO may refer to: * Search engine optimization, the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines Organisations * SEO Economic Research, a scientific institute * Spanish Ornithological Society (''Socied ...

, , , , 25,866 , , 53–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 94 , , July 20 , , Devil Rays , , 6–4, ,

, ,

, , 25,104 , , 54–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 95 , , July 21 , , @ Indians , , 14–6, , Reyes , , Sabathia , , , , 29,695 , , 55–40 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 96 , , July 22 , , @ Indians , , 11–0, , Sowers , , Baker , , , , 26,895 , , 55–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 97 , , July 23 , , @ Indians , , 3–1, , Liriano , , Westbrook , ,

, , 25,889 , , 56–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 98 , , July 24 , , @

, , 7–4, , Radke , , Vázquez , , , , 39,750 , , 57–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 99 , , July 25 , , @

, , 4–3, ,

, , Contreras , ,

, , 36,984 , , 58–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 100 , , July 26 , , @

, , 7–4, ,

, , Buehrle , ,

, , 39,387 , , 59–41 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 101, , July 28 , ,

, , 3–2, , Rodney , , Rincon , ,

, , 45,478 , , 59–42 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 102, , July 29 , ,

, , 8–6, ,

, , Radke , ,

, , 45,496 , , 59–43 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 103, , July 30 , ,

, , 6–4, , Neshek , , Bonderman , ,

, , 43,204 , , 60–43 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 104, , July 31 , , Rangers , , 15–2, ,

, , Rheinecker , , , , 19,532 , , 61–43 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 105 , , August 1 , , Rangers , , 9–0, , Eaton , ,

, , , , 25,969 , , 61–44 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 106 , , August 2 , , Rangers , , 10–2, ,

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

, , Bonser , , , , 26,492 , , 61–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 107, , August 3 , , @ Royals , , 8–2, , Radke , , de la Rosa , , , , 12,022 , , 62–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 108, , August 4 , , @ Royals , , 8–5, , Reyes , , Dohmann , ,

, , 19,394 , , 63–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 109, , August 5 , , @ Royals , , 14–3, ,

, ,

, , , , 25,131 , , 64–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 110, , August 6 , , @ Royals , , 11–5, , Reyes , , Wellemeyer , , , , 14,064 , , 65–45 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 111, , August 7 , , @

, , 9–3, ,

Miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

, , Liriano , , , , 34,870 , , 65–46 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 112, , August 8 , , @

, , 4–2, , Radke , ,

, ,

, , 35,624 , , 66–46 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 113, , August 9 , , @

, , 4–3, ,

, , Zumaya , ,

, , 36,339 , , 67–46 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 114, , August 10 , , Blue Jays , , 5–0, , Lilly , ,

, , , , 30,118 , , 67–47 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 115, , August 11 , , Blue Jays , , 7–1, , Burnett , , Garza , , , , 31,814 , , 67–48 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 116, , August 12 , , Blue Jays , , 4–0, , Downs , , Bonser , , , , 36,261 , , 67–49 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 117, , August 13 , , Blue Jays , , 5–0, , Radke , , Marcum , , , , 32,811 , , 68–49 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 118, , August 15 , , Indians , , 4–1, ,

, , Westbrook , , , , 34,854 , , 69–49 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 119, , August 16 , , Indians , , 7–2, , Neshek , , Carmona , , , , 42,328 , , 70–49 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 120, , August 17 , , Indians , , 3–2, ,

, , Garza , , , , 27,664 , , 70–50 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 121, , August 18 , ,

, , 7–3, , Neshek , , García , , , , 43,204 , , 71–50 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 122, , August 19 , ,

, , 4–1, ,

, , Radke , , Jenks , , 46,215 , , 71–51 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 123, , August 20 , ,

, , 7–3, ,

, , Vázquez , , , , 42,537 , , 72–51 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 124, , August 22 , , @

, , 6–3, , Loewen , ,

, , Ray , , 19,756 , , 72–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 125, , August 23 , , @

, , 4–1, , Garza , ,

López López is a surname of Spanish origin. It was originally a patronymic, meaning "Son of Lope", ''Lope'' itself being a Spanish given name deriving from Latin ''lupus'', meaning "wolf". Its Portuguese and Galician equivalent is ''Lopes'', its Ital ...

, ,

, , 19,258 , , 73–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 126, , August 24 , , @

, , 11–2, , Bonser , ,

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

, , , , 24,848 , , 74–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 127, , August 25 , , @

, , 5–4, ,

, ,

MacDougal Macdougal, foaled 1953, was a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. In November 1959 he won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse. He was ridden by Pat Glennon and carried a weight of 8-11 (123 pounds). Macdougal started at odds of 8/1 in ...

, ,

, , 35,931 , , 75–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 128, , August 26 , , @

, , 8–7, , Eyre , , Thornton , , , , 38,636 , , 76–52 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 129, , August 27 , , @

, , 6–1, , Buehrle , ,

, , , , 35,193 , , 76–53 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 130, , August 29 , , Royals , , 2–0, , Redman , , Garza , , , , 24,904 , , 76–54 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 131, , August 30 , , Royals , , 4–3, ,

, , Bonser , ,

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, , 28,668 , , 76–55 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 132, , August 31 , , Royals , , 3–1, ,

, , de la Rosa , ,

, , 21,287 , , 77–55 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 133 , , September 1 , , @

, , 8–1, , Lidle , ,

, , , , 54,311 , , 77–56 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 134, , September 2 , , @

, , 6–1, ,

, , Karstens , ,

, , 53,220 , , 78–56 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 135, , September 3 , , @

, , 10–1, , Rasner , , Garza , , , , 55,155 , , 78–57 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 136, , September 4 , , @ Devil Rays , , 2–1, , Bonser , ,

, ,

, , 15,910 , , 79–57 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 137, , September 5 , , @ Devil Rays , , 8–0, ,

, ,

, , , , 8,256 , , 80–57 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 138, , September 6 , , @ Devil Rays , , 4–2, , Shawn Camp , , Neshek , , McClung , , 8,492 , , 80–58 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 139, , September 7 , ,

, , 7–2, , Verlander , ,

, , , , 21,229 , , 80–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 140, , September 8 , ,

, , 9–5, , Neshek , ,

Ledezma Ledezma is a Spanish-language surname. People with the surname include: People * Antonio Ledezma (born 1955), Venezuelan lawyer, politician and former political prisoner * Froylán Ledezma (born 1978), Costa Rican football forward * Iván Ledez ...

, , , , 29,042 , , 81–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 141, , September 9 , ,

, , 2–1, , Bonser , ,

, ,

, , 39,160 , , 82–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 142, , September 10 , ,

, , 12–1, ,

, , Bonderman , , , , 40,158 , , 83–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 143, , September 11 , ,

, , 9–4, ,

, , Blanton , ,

, , 15,728 , , 84–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 144 , , September 12 , ,

, , 7–5, , Reyes , , Kennedy , ,

, , 20,991 , , 85–59 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 145, , September 13 , ,

, , 1–0, , Haren , , Garza , ,

, , 18,902 , , 85–60 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 146, , September 14 , , @ Indians , , 9–4, ,

, ,

, , , , 21,424 , , 86–60 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 147, , September 15 , , @ Indians , , 5–4, , Cabrera , , Neshek , , , , 32,473 , , 86–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 148, , September 16 , , @ Indians , , 4–1, ,

, , Sabathia , ,

, , 26,757 , , 87–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 149, , September 17 , , @ Indians , , 6–1, ,

, ,

Guerrier Guerrier (French: ''warrior'') is a French surname that may refer to * André Guerrier (1874–?), French Olympic sailor * Akia Guerrier (born 1998), female sprinter for the Turks and Caicos Islands * Edith Guerrier (1870–1958), American libra ...

, , 20,324 , , 88–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 150, , September 19 , , @

, , 7–3, , Garza , ,

, , , , 36,242 , , 89–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 151, , September 20 , , @

, , 8–2, , Bonser , , Hansen , , , , 36,484 , , 90–61 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 152, , September 21 , , @

, , 6–0, , Beckett , ,

, , , , 36,434 , , 90–62 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 153, , September 22 , , @

, , 7–3, , Cabrera , ,

, , , , 21,051 , , 90–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 154, , September 23 , , @

, , 8–5, ,

, , Bédard , ,

, , 21,980 , , 91–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 155, , September 24 , , @

, , 6–3, , Garza , , Loewen , ,

, , 23,005 , , 92–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 156, , September 25 , , Royals , , 8–1, , Bonser , , de la Rosa , , , , 18,108 , , 93–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 157, , September 26 , , Royals , , 3–2, ,

, , Peralta , ,

, , 24,819 , , 94–63 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 158, , September 27 , , Royals , , 6–4, , Redman , ,

, ,

, , 28,540 , , 94–64 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 159, , September 28 , , Royals , , 2–1, ,

, , Dohmann , , , , 26,254 , , 95–64 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 160, , September 29 , ,

, , 4–3, ,

Freddy García Freddy Antonio García (born October 6, 1976), is a former Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher. He is best known for his many seasons with seven Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises, including the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and ...

, , Bonser , , Jenks , , 45,439 , , 95–65 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 161, , September 30 , ,

, , 6–3, ,

, , Garza , , , , 46,219 , , 95–66 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 162, , October 1 , ,

, , 5–1, ,

, , Vázquez , , , , 45,182 , , 96–66

Team overview

Offense: Power and the Piranhas

For the first time since 1987, the Twins had legitimate power hitters in

, and

Michael Cuddyer Michael Brent Cuddyer (; born March 27, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and New York Mets. He batted and threw right-han ...

. On August 9, Morneau became the first Twin to hit 30 or more home runs since

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, when

Tom Brunansky Thomas Andrew Brunansky (born August 20, 1960), nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewe ...

Gary Gaetti Gary Joseph Gaetti (, ; born August 19, 1958), is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins (1981–1990), California Angels (1991–1993), Kansas City Royals (1993–1995), St. Louis Cardinals (1996–1998) ...

, and

Kent Hrbek Kent Alan Hrbek (; born May 21, 1960), nicknamed "Herbie", is a former American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 14-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins (1981–1994). Hrbek batted left-handed and threw right-hand ...

did it. The Twins led the Major Leagues in batting average with a team average of .287. During the same span: *Every other team in the majors had at least three 30-homer hitters. *Nine teams had 20 or more 30-homer hitters. *478 players, including 14 in 2006, hit 30 or more home runs in a season. *138 players hit 40 or more homers. Twenty of those reached 50. Morneau finished the season with 34 home runs, 130 runs batted in, and a .321 average and was named

American League MVP The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...

. Both Morneau and

won their first

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...

s. Hunter enjoyed a late season surge to also reach the 30 home run mark. On September 25, he homered off

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

pitcher

Zack Greinke Donald Zackary Greinke ( ; born October 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2004 and has also played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los An ...

in the bottom of the 7th inning and became the second Twin to hit 30 home runs in 2006. He finished the season with 31 home runs and 98 runs batted in.

also had a breakout season as the Twins' cleanup hitter. He did not start the season as a regular player, but eventually replaced the ineffective opening day right fielder,

Jason Kubel Jason James Kubel (born May 25, 1982) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Indians. A Belle Fourche, South Dakota native, Kube ...

. By June, he was hitting fourth in the lineup, and he finished the season with 24 home runs, 109 runs batted in, scored 102 runs, and hit for a .284 average. Morneau and catcher

may have finally earned the nickname "The M&M Boys", that had been prematurely applied to them early in the 2005 season. (This was the nickname applied to

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

and

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

in the early 1960s.) Not only did Mauer win the American League batting title, but he led the major leagues with a .347 average, finishing ahead of National League champion

Freddy Sanchez Frederick Phillip Sanchez Jr. (born December 21, 1977) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. Sanchez played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox (–), Pittsburgh Pirates (–) and San Francisco Giants (–). He ...

. Mauer was the first catcher to lead either the American League or the majors in hitting. Two catchers did win the National League batting title.

Bubbles Hargrave Eugene Franklin "Bubbles" Hargrave (July 15, 1892 – February 23, 1969) was an Americans, American catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Yankees. He won the National League batting title i ...

of the

did it in 1926.

Ernie Lombardi Ernesto Natali Lombardi (April 6, 1908 – September 26, 1977), was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Brooklyn Robins, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, and New York Giants duri ...

led the National League twice: once for the Reds in 1938 and once for the Boston Braves in 1942. However, neither catcher won the major league title. These strong hitters were complemented by the top and bottom of the Twins' order, where the players gave the hitters plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. Midway through the season, the Twins opted for a lineup that included

Jason Tyner Jason Renyt Tyner (born April 23, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His MLB career spanned nine seasons from 2000 through 2008 for the New York Mets (2000), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000-2003), Minnesota Twins (2005-2007), and Cleve ...

batting eighth, Jason Bartlett ninth, Luis Castillo first, and

Nick Punto Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers ...

second. Manager

said that these players were like four leadoff hitters: all were fast and hit for average but not power. All four hit between .290 (Punto) and .312 (Tyner), but hit a combined six home runs. Players like this caused

manager

to dub the team "the piranhas." Said Guillen: Despite the fact that the term came from a rival manager, it was quickly embraced by both the players and the fans, as well as media outlets such as

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

. After running a popular "Twins Territory" commercial in 2007 featuring Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto at the

Mall of America Mall of America (MOA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway ...

's Underwater World as "Piranhas" the Minnesota Twins organization marketed official T-shirts, hats, signs, the team even had a "Little Piranha Night" in which piranha finger puppets were given to fans attending the game that evening. The four finished their MLB careers hitting a combined .274 and just 79 HRs in 14,262 at-bats. : *Major League Leader

Pitching

For much of the season, the Twins' starting rotation was its most apparent weakness. This is surprising, because the 2005 Minnesota Twins had one of the strongest rotations in baseball. The team started the season with a rotation of

Brad Radke Brad William Radke (born October 27, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in ...

, Carlos Silva,

, and Scott Baker. By September, only Santana could be counted on for a full, effective start. Baker was not effective and was quickly demoted to the minors, though he came back a couple times and had a couple competent starts. Lohse was ineffective, surly, and traded to the

midway through the season. Radke started slowly but seemed to find his form, providing some consistency to the number two spot before being sidelined with a torn labrum and a stress fracture in his right shoulder. Silva was unable to find his 2005 form, finishing the season with an

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

of 5.94. He did make a few strong starts in September before regressing. On May 19, talented rookie

entered the starting rotation. He pitched well enough to earn an All-Star berth, finishing with a 12-3 record and a minuscule ERA of 2.16. Unfortunately, he was sidelined after the All-Star break with elbow problems. He did not pitch at all in 2007, as he was recovering from

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

Boof Bonser John Paul "Boof" Bonser (born October 14, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Oakland Athletics. High school career Bonser attended Gibb ...

had an up-and-down season, but finished strong with a 7-6 record and 4.22 ERA. This earned him a spot in the postseason rotation.

Matt Garza Matthew Scott Garza (born November 26, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2006 with the Minnesota Twins, and also played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Texas ...

was the team's top pitching prospect, but was inconsistent during his first partial year in the majors. The Twins had one of baseball's best bullpens.

Dennys Reyes Dennys Reyes (; born April 19, 1977) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. In more than a decade-long career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played for 11 different teams, often as a left-handed specialist. Nicknamed "The Big Swe ...

, signed to a minor-league deal during the offseason, provided a pleasant surprise with an excellent season as the Twins' sole left-handed reliever. Right-handers

Jesse Crain Jesse Alan Crain (born July 5, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox. High school and college Crain was born in Toronto, Ontario and at ...

and

Juan Rincón Juan Manuel Rincón (born January 23, 1979) is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach and former relief pitcher. Rincón bats and throws right-handed. He throws a low 90s fastball and a mid to low 80s slider. In his career, Rincón posted a .208 ...

set the stage throughout the season for closer

Joe Nathan Joseph Michael Nathan (born November 22, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cu ...

, with homegrown

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

Pat Neshek Patrick John Neshek (pronounced NEE-shehk; born September 4, 1980), is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, ...

contributing some solid innings after being recalled from the minor leagues in July. Pitchers like

Willie Eyre William Mays Eyre (born July 21, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. Baseball career High school & college Eyre was All-State at Cyprus High School (U ...

and

Matt Guerrier Matthew Olson Guerrier (born August 2, 1978) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Amateur career A native of Cleveland ...

ate up innings when the starters faltered. In the May 27 game against

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

– with a lead – loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth.

replaced Crain, and promptly ended the threat – with just one pitch – by inducing Mariner

Kenji Johjima is a Japanese former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for four years with the Seattle Mariners in the American League, then returned to Japan and played for the Hanshin Tigers. On November 21, 2005 ...

to hit into a triple play. Rincon threw 26 more pitches in the ninth for the save. : ''*Tied for league lead'' : ''¹Led league''

Defense

The Twins finished tied for second place in the American League with a .986 fielding percentage. The team's defense was noticeably stronger when the left side of the infield was revamped in June, when the team traded

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and released

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

. Jason Bartlett and

stepped into those roles, providing an immediate upgrade. In center field,

won his sixth

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Other batters

''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Pitching

Starting pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Other pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Relief pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Playoffs

After the Twins won the division, the American League playoff matchups were decided as follows: number two seed Minnesota Twins hosting number three seed

, and number one seed

hosting the wild card

. The Twins were defeated by Oakland in a three-game sweep, ending their playoff run for 2006. The Twins got great starts from both Johan Santana and Boof Bonser (who made his first post season appearance) at the Metrodome. After losing game 1 by the score of 3-2, the Twins came back to even the score at 2 in game 2. With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the 7th inning, Mark Kotsay hit a line drive to center field that Torii Hunter made a valiant dive for. Unfortunately, the ball sailed past him all the way to the wall, resulting in an inside-the-park home run for Kotsay. This play seemed to take all the momentum away from the Twins. The Twins never led in any game in this series.

Farm system

Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007

External links

Player stats from www.baseball-reference.comTeam info from www.baseball-almanac.comUp to date standings from MLB.comTeam leaders from Yahoo!

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2006 Minnesota Twins Season Minnesota Twins seasons Minnesota Twins season American League Central champion seasons

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

Offseason

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Roster

Game log

Team overview

Offense: Power and the Piranhas

Pitching

Defense

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Other batters

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Playoffs

Other post-season awards

Farm system

External links

References