Minnesota Twins - The Obama / Trump Years (2010-2019)  
   
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    Yr P W L       Yr P W L           Yr P W L       Decade  
    2010 1 94 68       2013 4 66 96           2017 2 85 77       Click  
    2011 5 63 99       2014 5 70 92           2018 2 78 84       on Logo  
    2012 5 66 96       2015 2 83 79           2019 1 101 61          
                  2016 5 59 103                            
                                                       
   
  Titles: Top Twins Players of the Twenty Teens  
  2010 - Won Division, Lost LDS  (Yankees)  
  2017 - WC - Lost WC-Play-in (Yankees) Pitchers:  
  2019 - Won Division, Lost LDS to Yankees Kyle Gibson (9.46) -    37  
    Glen Perkins (6.81) -    28  
  BallPark: Ervin Santana (9.37) -    21  
  Target Field Jose Berrios (7.32) -    27  
    Carl Pavano (4.87) -    18  
  Team Name:  Phil Hughes (5.42) -    17  
  Twins Brian Duensing (4.72) -    15  
    Franscisco Liriano (4.56) -    14  
  Owner:  Jake Odorizzi (5.14) -    12  
  Jim  Pohlad Scott Diamond (2) -    12  
    Brandon Kintzler (2.19) -    11  
  General Managers: Taylor Rogers (6.49) -   10  
  Bill Smith (2010 - 2011) Scott Baker (5.75) -    10  
  Terry Ryan (2012 - 2016) Fernando Rodney (0.82) -    6  
  Thad Levine (2016-2019)    
    Catchers:  
  Managers: Joe Mauer (27.8) -    74  
  Ron Gardenhire (2010 - 2014) Mitch Garver (5.03) -    17  
  Paul Molitor (2015 - 2018) Kurt Suzuki (3.26) -    15  
  Rocco Baldelli (2019) Ryan Doumit (1.55) -    12  
       
  No Hitters: First Basemen:  
  Francisco Liriano (2011) Justin Morneau (6.54) -    17  
    Robbie Grossman (2.46) -    13  
  Hall of Famers: C.J. Cron (1.72) -    6  
  None Jim Thome (4.5) -   4  
       
  Rookie of the Year: Second Basemen:  
  None Brian Dozier (23.9) -    45  
    Alexi Casilla (4.64) -   8  
  MVP: Jonathan Schoop (1.64) -   6  
  None Marwin Gonzalez (1.82) -   4  
       
  Cy Young: ShortStop:  
  None Jorge Polanco (9.42) -   21  
       
  Notable Events: Third Base:  
    Eduardo Escobar (6.52) -    33  
  2010 - Minnesota was one of the better teams in baseball coming into the Twenty Miguel Sano (7.95) -    26  
   Teens. They had won the Division and made the playoffs in 2009 Trevor Plouffe (8.55) -    23  
   (altho' they got swept by the World Champion Yankees in the ALDS)     
  and they had made it into the post season five of the previous eight years. Outfield:  
  However, hard times were ahead for Minnesota in the Twenty Teens. Eddie Rosario (10.5) -    29  
   One problem for the Twins was that because of their success in the Oughts, they Max Kepler (11) -    26  
   hadn't been drafting high and, thus, not replenishing the talent in their system. Byron Buxton (9.99) -    19  
   Other factors that come into play during the decade are there is a new owner, Denard Span (9.02) -    16  
  Jim Pohlad, who took over for his father Carl in 2009  and the Twins bring back  Ben Revere (3.23) -    15  
  GM Terry Ryan as GM when things go south in the Twenty Teens in an attempt Mike Cuddyer (2.57) -   15  
  to recapture the magic of the Oughts.  Ryan had built the successful Twins Jason Kubel (- 0.68) -    13  
   clubs of the Twenty Oughts after a rough start as GM. Ryan fails to do so. Josh Willingham (4.75) -    12  
   The 2010 Twins would win the Division again and get swept by the Yankees  Delmon Young (1.32) -   12  
  in the ALDS once again. New York continued to be Minnesota's kryptonite  Danny Santana (0.49) -    11  
  in the post season marking the fourth time in eight years that the Yankees knock Oswaldo Arcia (-0.81) -    11  
  off the Twins in the LDS by a combined 12-2 mark. Nelson Cruz (4.35) -    8  
  Jake Cave (2.34) -    4  
  2010 - As the decade opens, the Twins have five stud hitters and it looks like     
  they have the core of a contender for years to come: Notable Events:  
  □  C - Joe Mauer, 27, .327 hitter in 2010, would get catcher's legs and get old early.    
  He still plays but not nearly at the same level as he had in his youth  2015 - Righthander Ervin Santana, 32, is picked up as a quality  
   Mauer had gone 28-96-.365 in 2009, but never comes close to those numbers again.  free agent from the Braves. Gutsy move for a low budget franchise coming  
   Back problems helped accelerate the decline, as well. As good a catcher as he was, off a 70 win season by GM Terry Ryan, but it pays off.  
  Minnesota should have moved him out from behind the plate years earlier to   
  preserve his bat especially considering the long term deal they had given him.  2015 - Minnesota pops their head over the .500 mark, barely, at 83-79.   
  □  1B - Justin Morneau, 29, is beaned in 2010 It was the only year since 2010 that the Twins pitching staff wasn't a sieve.  
  He still plays but not nearly at the same level as he had in his youth.  The starting pitching is solid behind Kyle Wilson, Phil Hughes and Tommy  
   Morneau went 30-100-.274 in 2009 but never approached those numbers again.  Milone, who were all in the rotation in 2014 plus newcomer Ervin Santana.   
  □  OF - Delmon Young, 24, a former first overall pick in the 2003 draft by Tampa. The bullpen is solid enough to support the starters.   
  A head case, he squared himself away in 2010 and went 21-112-.298.   
  Unfortunately, he would never come close to that level of production again.  2016 - Once again, it all collapses, this time to a horrific 59-103 mark.  
  □  OF - Jason Kubel, 28, went 28-103-.300 in 2009.  The team gives up an awful 889 runs, 189 more than 2015.  
   He wouldn't reach those heights again with the Twins  Only one starter has an ERA under 5. Only one pitcher out of a   
  He leaves for Arizona in 2012 as a free agent. couple dozen on the staff has an ERA uner 3.   
  □  OF - Mike Cuddyer, 31, 14-81-.271 in 2010.  
   He still had a few good years left in him, but not with the Twins as   2017 - Minnesota surprises everybody and goes 85-77.  
  he left for Colorado as a free agent in 2012 The Twins have a good looking young nucleus that is augmented by a   
  There was also a solid supporting cast on offense:  a handful of talented veterans.  
  □  2B Orlando Hudson, 32 - signs with San Diego as a FA in 2011 The youngsters:  
   □  SS JJ Hardy, 27 - dealt to Orioles in a salary dump in 2011  □ SS - Jorge Polanco, 23, IFA in 2009  
  □  3B Danny Valencia, 25 - dealt to Boston in 2012  □ 3B - Miguel Sano, 24, IFA in 2009  
   □  CF Denard Span, 26 - dealt to Washington in 2013  □ OF - Eddie Rosario, 25, 4th round pick in 2010 draft  
  Plus some good looking youngsters:  □ OF - Byron Buxton, 23,  2nd overall pick in 2012 draft  
   □  3B - Trevor Plouffe, 24, first round pick in 2004 - leaves as FA in 2017  □ OF - Max Kepler, 24, IFA in 2009  
   □  OF - Ben Revere, 22, first round pick in 2007 - dealt to Phillies in 2013  □ Utility - Eduardo Escobar, 28, obtained in a trade from Chicago in 2012  
   □  C - Wilson Ramos, 22, IFA in 2004 - dealt to Washington at 2010 trade deadline  □ RHP - Jose Berrios, 23, 1st round pick in 2012 draft  
  for ace reliever Matt Capps, 26, in push for post season.  The Veterans:  
      □ 1B - Joe Mauer, 34  
  2010 - On the mound, Minnesota also has a lot of quality moving into the decade:    □ 2B - Brian Dozier, 30  
   □ righthander Carl Pavano, 34, who goes 17-11    □ RHP - Ervin Santana, 34  
  obtained from Cleveland in 2009     □ Closer- Brandon Kintzler, 32, low priced FA from Milwaukee in 2015  
  □ lefthander Francisco Liriano, 26, who goes 14-10.  
  obtained from the Giants in 2003 (in exchange for Joe Nathan). 2018 - RHP Michael Pineda, 28, signs as a low priced Free Agent  
   □ RHP Kevin Slowey, 26 - after a 39-21 start, hurts his arm in 2011 and goes 0-8  
  career over. Was 2nd round pick in 2005 2018 - The Twins drop under .500 losing 7 games in the standings from 2017  
   □  Scott Baker, 28 - was 45-28 from '07 to '11. Hurt his arm in '12, career over . Instead of taking a step forward with the young nucleus, they fall back.   
  Was 2nd round pick in 2003   The culprit is the offense which scores 77 less runs (half a run per game)  
  □ Brian Duensing, 27 - 10-3 2.62 in 2010, never again comes close to those numbers  from 2017. The two guys who caused the fall were twenty five year old  
  Was 3rd round pick in 2005  third baseman Miguel Sano and thirty one year old second baseman  
  □ Jesse Crain, 28 - signs with Chicago as a FA in 2011   Brian Dozier.  Sano had surgery over the winter, came into camp out of  
  Was 2nd round pick in 2002  shape, pulled a hamstring, and could never get going when he came back.  
   □  Matt Geurrier, 31 - signs with LA as a FA in 2011  His numbers dropped from 28-77.264 to 13-44-.199. Dozier was dealt to the   
    □ Jon Rauch, 31 - signs with Toronto as a FA in 2011  Dodgers at the trade deadline in his free agent walk year and his void   
    □ Closer Matt Capps, 26, was picked up at the trade deadline from Washington wasn't filled.  
   for highly rated catching prospect Wilson Ramos  On the mound, Minnesota lost RHP Ervin Santana due to injury.  
   
   2011 - It all comes crashing down, unexpectedly. 2019 - 1B CJ Cron, 29, is picked up on waivers from Tampa Bay  
   The Twins were young and talented and were coming off two division titles,  
   but they score 162 less runs than in 2010 and give up 134 more and they drop  2019 - GM Thad Levine, sensing that the Twins are close despite all of their  
  a whopping 29 games in the standings and into the cellar where they stay, setbacks in 2018, goes on a Free Agent buying spree:  
   for the most part, thereafter. □  DH Nelson Cruz, 38   
  All of the hitters declined, and declined quite a bit for a variety of reasons. □ 2B Jonathan Schoop, 27   
   The same thing happened on the mound, the same guys who were  □ UT Marwin Gonzalez, 30  
  gittin' 'er done in 2010, weren't in 2011 and would not again.  □  RHP Jake Odorizzi, 29   
  □  LHP Martin Perez, 28   
   2012 - 2B Brian Dozier, 25, is a rookie.  
   He was an 8th round pick in the 2009 draft. 2019 - Minnesota ends the decade as they began it, winning the Division  
  and then losing the ALDS to the Yankees. This marked six out of six  
  2012 - SS Eduardo Escobar, 23, is obtained from the White Sox post season series losses to the Yankees with a combined 2-16 mark   
   for Francisco Liriano.  including the last 13 games in a row: 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2019.   
  This debacle is part of a much bigger nightmare in which the Twins  
  2012 - Lefty Closer Taylor Rogers, 22, is drafted out of Kentucky in the 11th round  have lost nine straight post season series. The last time Minnesota  
  won a post season series was 1991 when they won the World Series.  
  2013 - Catcher Mitch Garver, 22, is drafted out of U of New Mexico in the 9th round.  
  2019 - Despite the now ritual post season pasting, the Twins have a pretty  
  2013 - Righthander Kyle Gibson, 25, is a rookie good season. Minnesota bludgeoned the opposition and demolished the  
  . He was a first round pick in the 2009 draft previous all time team home run record by 40 homers, smashing 307 dingers.  
  That mark had been set by New York in 2018.  
  2014 - Righthander Phil Hughes, 28, is signed from the Yankees   □ Five Twins slug 30 or more homers, a record:  
  as a free agent Cruz, Kepler, Sano, Rosario, Garver  
     □ 3 moreTwins slug 20 or more homers, a total of eight, a record:   
  2014 - Lefthander Tommy Milone, 27, is picked up from the A's  Cron, Polanco, Schoop  
   at the trade deadline for Sam Fuld □ 3 moreTwins slug 10 or more homers, a total of eleven, NOT a record:   
  Marwin Gonzalez, Jason Castro, Byron Buxton  
  2015 - OF Miguel Sano, 22, is a rookie. He was an IFA in 2009 The good news is that eight of the eleven are under thirty.   
    Meanwhile, the pitching is solid, if unspectacular with a rotation of   
    five double digit winners:  
    Berrios, Gibson, Odorizzi, Perez, Pineda   
    Plus a solid bullpen led by closer Taylor Rogers with thirty saves