In the Year 2000...

Ah yes, a new decade is here. Let's look back as Minnesota Twins fans to what our reality was in the year 2000. The Twins finished up their 8th straight losing season with a record of 69-93. Tom Kelly's act with young players was wearing extremely thin and the Twins were going nowhere, but really they were bound for something much worse than multiple 90+ loss seasons. That something was being eliminated after the 2002 season. Not from an otherworldly force, but by their very owner, Carl Pohlad with an assist from commissioner Bud Selig. Luckily the Twins received a favorable court ruling allowing them to play and they won their division in 2002 and then defeated the favored Oakland A's in a 5th and deciding game. That 5th game in Oakland was Brad Radke's greatest game in terms of being a bulldog when most believed the Twins would lose. The 2002 team jump started a new era of Twins baseball and should be thought of right behind the 1987 and 1991 teams in terms of franchise importance. Without the 2002 team succeeding the road for the Twins existence would have been difficult and murky at best. Since 2000 the Twins have won 5 division championships and put considerable distance between themselves and the dismal record they had from 1993 to 1999. Ron Gardenhire makes many of us scratch our heads at times, but he is a large reason why the team has done so well these past 10 years. Amazingly the Minnesota Twins are now looked upon as a model franchise other teams try to emulate. Yes, not too bad a decade at all.