Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

1970 Minnesota Twins season

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General manager(s)
  
Calvin Griffith

Local television
  
WTCN-TV

Manager(s)
  
Bill Rigney

Owner(s)
  
Calvin Griffith (majority owner, with Thelma Griffith Haynes)

Local radio
  
830 WCCO AM (Herb Carneal, Halsey Hall, Al Shaver, Ray Christensen, Frank Buetel)

Led by new manager Bill Rigney, the 1970 Minnesota Twins won the American League West with a 98–64 record, nine games ahead of the Oakland Athletics. The Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. After the ALCS, Metropolitan Stadium would never see another post-season game, and the Twins would not return to the postseason stage until 1987 when they won the World Series.

Contents

Offseason

  • October 13, 1969: Johnny Roseboro was released by the Twins.
  • December 1, 1969: 1969 rule 5 draft
  • Mike Sadek was drafted from the Twins by the San Francisco Giants.
  • Hal Haydel was drafted by the Twins from the San Francisco Giants.
  • December 10, 1969: Graig Nettles, Dean Chance, Bob Miller, and Ted Uhlaender were traded by the Twins to the Cleveland Indians for Luis Tiant and Stan Williams.
  • March 21, 1970: Joe Grzenda and Charley Walters were traded by the Twins to the Washington Senators for Brant Alyea.

    • Regular season

    On April 7, newly acquired Twin Brant Alyea homered twice in going 4 for 4 and driving in 7 RBI. The RBI total set a record for major league baseball's Opening Day.

    On May 20, in a 10–5 win over the Kansas City Royals, Rod Carew became the very first Twin to hit for the cycle—going single, homer, double, triple. Over time, his feat will be matched by nine other Twins (César Tovar, 1972; Larry Hisle, 1976; Lyman Bostock, 1976; Mike Cubbage, 1978; Gary Ward, 1980; Kirby Puckett, 1986; Carlos Gómez, 2008; Jason Kubel, 2009; and Michael Cuddyer, 2009).

    On June 5, pitcher Bert Blyleven debuted, allowing a home run off the very first batter he faced.

    Four Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Harmon Killebrew, second baseman Rod Carew, outfielder Tony Oliva, and pitcher Jim Perry.

    On September 16, Blyleven struck out the first six batters he faced to tie a major league record. However, the Twins lost the game to the California Angels, 5–1.

    The Twins are no-hit for the second time in their history, losing 6–0 to Oakland's Vida Blue.

    The Twins won the American League West, led by leadoff batter César Tovar (120 runs), Oliva (.325, 23 HR, 107 RBI) and Killebrew (41 HR, 113 RBI). Carew was batting .366 (after 51 games) when his knee was injured turning a double play. Perry won 24 games and became the first Twins pitcher to win the AL Cy Young Award. Jim Kaat added 14 wins and rookie Bert Blyleven won 10. Kaat also won his 9th Gold Glove Award. Reliever Ron Perranoski led the AL with 34 saves.

    1,261,887 fans attended Twins games, the third highest total in the American League.

    Notable transactions

  • June 27, 1970: Craig Kusick was signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins.

    • 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

    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

    Awards and honors

  • Jim Perry, American League Cy Young Award

    • Farm system

    LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Auburn

    References

    1970 Minnesota Twins season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA