Greatest Minnesota Twins: The Twinkie Town definitive list (Round 2)

Round 1 Results:

1. Harmon Killebrew

As predicted, Round 1 was a battle between Killebrew & Kirby Puckett, with the former narrowly outpacing the latter to take the George Washington position on the Minnesota Twins Mount Rushmore.

While internal polls (i.e. my best guess) expects this second round to be a landslide in favor of #34, both Rod Carew & Joe Mauer received surprising support already.

The new entry: the first pitcher on the docket—just as likely to set a player’s shoelaces on fire as to whiff him with a knee-buckling bender.

Round 2:

SetNumber: D95051

Rod Carew

• Perhaps the best pure batsman in Twins history. Career .328 BA and 3,053 hits—plus a 1977 assault on the mythical .400 batting average that came up just short (.388).

Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Kirby Puckett

• An all-around spark plug (.318 BA, 2,304 H, 207 HR, 134 SB) who powered the Twins to their first two World Series championships in 1987 and 1991. His knack for being at his best in the biggest situations was never more apparent than Game Six of the 1991 World Series.

Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images

Tony Oliva

• From 1964-1971, Tony O was as good of a hitter as one could find in the American League—averaging .313 at the plate with a 140 OPS+. Only a devastating knee injury prevented his elite reign from continuing. After his playing days, Oliva was a Twins coach and remains a charismatic franchise ambassador routinely seen at Target Field.

Joe Mauer

• Born in St. Paul and drafted straight out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Mauer had perhaps the keenest eye and sweetest swing of any Twins alum. Not only dominating pitch-calling and baserunner-nabbing behind the plate, his offensive production—three batting titles, one AL MVP award, .308 BA, 124 OPS+—was unprecedented for a backstop.

Bert Blyleven

• When that tongue crept out from the corner of Rik Aalbert Blijleven’s mouth, it usually meant a swing-and-a-miss for the opposing batter. Possessing perhaps the most fearsome 12-6 curveball the sport has ever seen, Bert piled up 287 wins (242 complete games and 60 shutouts!) & 3,701 strikeouts (5th all-time in MLB) en route to a long-awaited plaque in Cooperstown. Post-playing career, “Circle Me” Bert became an iconic Twins TV color commentator alongside Dick Bremer.