The Minnesota Twins 5.5 Biggest Blunders

As the Minnesota Twins enter into their 50th season longtime fans know they have made many mistakes, but 5 stand out plus it's a nice round number. Now what's a half mistake? Actually the Twins have made many partial mistakes, but I decided to classify one above all others. I'm not going to rank the blunders because why have one stand out above all others? I'm for equal opportunity in all areas, even blunders, so here they are in the order they occurred:


1) Billy Martin Fired After One Season:
OK, Martin had his issues in his one year managing the Twins. He punched pitcher Dave Boswell multiple times (possibly 40 times!) in a brawl, he threw out Calvin Griffith's son and Hubert H. Humphrey from the locker room after a difficult loss, was secretly dating Griffith's college age daughter during the season and had numerous other run ins with Twins management. He was no prince, but Billy Martin was a winner everywhere he went and Minnesota was no different. He led the Twins to a division championship with a 97-65 record. Rod Carew thanks him for teaching him how to play second base and Jim Kaat said there wasn't a game during that 1969 season the Twins played they felt they wouldn't win. He instilled a winning mentality, but his act had a short shelf life. Three years at best and his message would wear thin. It would have been nice to have gotten 3 years from him especially when he won the division in his only year here. Firing Billy Martin after only 1 season was an obvious blunder.


2) Harmon Killebrew the Kansas City Royal:
Looking at the picture of Killebrew as a Royal in this article it seems odd and I never saw him play in a Twins uniform. Full disclosure dictates the circumstances that made Harmon Killebrew a Kansas City Royal for the 1975 season. As Wikipedia states, "At age 38, he was given the option of staying with the Twins as a coach and batting instructor, managing the Triple A Tacoma Twins, or being released." Harmon Killebrew is the greatest ambassador for baseball the Twins have ever had. You just don't release a future Hall of Famer, don't even give him that option. Offer him a farewell season and move him into the coaching ranks. He's always thought of as Minnesota Twin, but seeing him in a Royal uniform was a blunder that should've been avoided.


3) Calvin Griffith Closes the Door On Rod Carew:
The Minnesota Twins in 1978 were a stingy organization that wasn't relevant on the baseball landscape especially with the dawn of free agency and escalating player salaries approaching. Rod Carew knew this and was in the middle of a contract squabble with Griffith. Griffith spoke at a Lions Club meeting and uttered the following fateful quote, "I'll tell you why we came to Minnesota. It was when we found out you only had 15,000 blacks here. Black people don't go to ballgames, but they'll fill up a rassling ring and put up such a chant it'll scare you to death. We came here because you've got good, hardworking white people here." Very smooth Calvin. Rod Carew decided he'd prefer to offer his Hall of Fame services elsewhere and a trade to the California Angels was worked out. Surprisingly their rift was worked out and once Carew was elected to the Hall of Fame his first phone call was to Calvin Griffith, before he even called his mother. A happy ending, but a major blunder nonetheless.


4) Tom Brunansky Traded for Tommy Herr:
Even my 14 year old mind knew this was a mistake the moment it happened. Let me get this straight. The Twins win the World Series over the Cardinals in 1987. Tom Brunansky, 27 at the time, was a leader on the team and key cog in keeping the team loose. In the 6 years he played for the Twins he would hit somewhere between 25-32 homeruns and have around 85 RBI. His batting average was never great, about .250, but they traded him after only 14 games in 1988. Tommy Herr,32 years old, hated it here and had 1 homerun and 21 RBI and batted .263. He said he felt like an intruder on the team. Andy McPhail, Twins GM at the time, has said this was his worst trade ever. It was a blunder, but at least the Twins traded Herr in the offseason for Shane Rawley...oh never mind.

4.5) David Ortiz is Not Invited Back
This one counts as half a mistake because David Ortiz has been found to have used steroids. So the Twins may have actually had the "real" David Ortiz before the slugging/clutch hitting machine known as David Ortiz showed up in Boston. Did they give up on him too early? Yes. According to Ortiz's autobiography the Twins always wanted him to hit the ball the other way. Boston wanted him to pull the ball. No one saw the enormous future David Ortiz had ahead of him, but to let him go to Boston without a contract offer from the Twins, now that was a blunder.


5.5) Johan Santana is Traded for Spare Parts
Possibly the worst trade in the history of baseball. Yes, strong words, but really look at who the Twins got in return for the best pitcher in the game. No one notable. Carlos Gomez...gone to Milwaukee, but they did get JJ Hardy so we'll judge later, Philip Humber...now with Royals on minor league deal, Kevin Mulvey...sent to Diamondbacks last year, Deolis Guerra...young pitching prospect in Twins minor league system/jury still out. Bill Smith was hoodwinked in this deal big time. Better deals were out there with Boston, it was a blunder not to take one of those.

So there you go. Big blunders from our favorite team. I'm sure there were many more. Comment on the ones I missed and let's hope a few years pass before more are added to this list.