1978 Minnesota Twins season

Updated on Oct 06, 2024

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General manager(s) Calvin Griffith		Manager(s) Gene Mauch
Owner(s) Calvin Griffith (majority owner, with Thelma Griffith Haynes) Local television WTCN(Harmon Killebrew, Joe Boyle) Local radio 830 WCCO AM(Herb Carneal, Frank Quilici)

The 1978 Minnesota Twins finished 73-89, fourth in the American League West.

Offseason

October 3, 1977: Jim Hughes was released by the Twins.

October 3, 1977: Steve Luebber was released by the Twins.

October 25, 1977: Bombo Rivera was purchased by the Twins from the Montreal Expos.

December 6, 1977: Jesús Vega was drafted by the Twins from the Milwaukee Brewers in the minor league draft.

January 10, 1978: Jesse Orosco was drafted by the Twins in the 2nd round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.

March 23, 1978: Don Carrithers was released by the Twins.

Regular season

On May 7, shortstop Roy Smalley set a Twins record by drawing five walks in a 15-9 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Smalley went 1 for 1 and scored three times.

Third baseman Mike Cubbage, on July 27, became the fifth Twin to hit for the cycle (following Rod Carew, 1970; César Tovar, 1972; Larry Hisle, 1976 and Lyman Bostock, 1976). Cubby went double, homer, single, triple off Toronto Blue Jays' pitching. In subsequent years, five others will match the feat: Gary Ward, 1980; Kirby Puckett, 1986; Carlos Gómez, 2008; Jason Kubel, 2009; and Michael Cuddyer, 2009.

787,878 fans attended Twins games, the second lowest total in the American League. Only one Twins player made the All-Star Game: first baseman Rod Carew. In that game at San Diego Stadium, Carew—in his twelfth consecutive All-Star appearance—performed an All-Star first by hitting two triples in the game.

Carew won his seventh AL batting title with a .333 average, leading the team in hits and runs scored. Shortstop Roy Smalley hit 19 HR and collected 77 RBI. Dan Ford hit 11 HR and collected 82 RBI.

Reliever Mike Marshall was signed in May and replaced Tom Johnson and Bill Campbell as manager Gene Mauch's all-purpose reliever. Marshall went on to rack up 10 relief wins along with 21 saves. Three starters had double digit wins: Dave Goltz (15-10), Roger Erickson (14-13), Geoff Zahn (14-14).