FanPost

Today Only Possible Because of Yesterday


The Twins will play an outdoor home game for the first time since 1981 this afternoon, a day-long celebration of a new era in Minnesota baseball that will honor current stars like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, as well as Hall of Famers, All-Stars and championship players from the past like Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek.

On a day that will gloriously weave the future with the past, players like Rod Carew and Tony Oliva, as well as members of the championship teams from 1987 and ‘91 will be remembered, and rightfully so. However, it would be an injustice to celebrate the opening of Target Field and not pay homage to a group of players who helped make this day possible.

The Twins had not had a winning season since 1992, and with the exception of the strike-shortened ‘94 season, had averaged 93 losses through 2000. What’s worse, players like Puckett, Hrbek, Greg Gagne and Brian Harper were slowly replaced by the likes of Pat Meares, Rich Becker and Scott Stahoviak on manager Tom Kelly’s line-up card.

It truly seemed as though the days of winning baseball in Minnesota were a permanent thing of the past.

Then something changed.

Despite 93 losses in 2000, a new crop of Twins had emerged, a group comprised of Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie, A.J. Pierzynski, Doug Mientkiewicz and Jacque Jones.

It wasn’t just their collective on-field abilities, which were significant, but rather their approach to the game that caught the attention of not only Twins fans, but the American League as well...continue...