The 2006 Minnesota Twins Season was the

Minnesota Twin The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

's 46th season playing in the Twin Cities and their 106th season in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. They were managed by

Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he ...

and played their home games in the Metrodome. The Twins finished first in the

American League Central The American League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed in the realignment of 1994 by moving three teams from the American League West and two teams from the American League East. Its teams are all loc ...

with a 96-66 record. They were swept in three games by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

in the

2006 American League Division Series The 2006 American League Division Series (ALDS), the opening round of the 2006 American League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Saturday, October 7, with the champions of the three AL divisions—along with a " wild card" team� ...

Offseason

* January 31, 2006:

Rubén Sierra Rubén Angel Sierra García (born October 6, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Sierra goes by the nicknames ''El Caballo'' and ''El Indio''. Over 20 seasons, Sierra played for the Texas Rangers (1986–92, 2000–01, 2003), O ...

was signed as a free agent by the Twins.Rubén Sierra
at ''Baseball Reference'' * March 29, 2006:

Rob Bowen Robert McClure Bowen (born February 24, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 2003 to 2008 for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athlet ...

was selected off waivers from the Twins by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Regular season

The Twins stumbled out of the gate after the death of Hall of Famer

Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett (March 14, 1960 – March 6, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins (1984–1995). Puckett is the Twins' all- ...

in late March, accumulating a dismal 25-33 record by June 7. Around that time, the team dropped underperforming veterans like

Tony Batista Leocadio Francisco "Tony" Batista Hernandez (born December 9, 1973) is a Dominican former Major League Baseball infielder. He played in the major leagues from to and to , and with the SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League in . Care ...

Juan Castro Juan Gabriel Castro (born June 20, 1972), is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies, ...

, and

Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse (; born October 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers ...

, replacing them with talented rookies from the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field, located in do ...

. The Twins went 9-1 in their next ten games, evening their record at 34-34.

Interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pr ...

was particularly generous to the team; the Twins had Major League Baseball's best Interleague record at 16 wins and 2 losses. By July 26 the team had won 34 of 42 games, leaving them tied with the White Sox at 59-41, but still 8.5 games behind the division-leading Tigers. As the season neared its conclusion, the Twins continued to put distance between them and the White Sox, while gaining on the Tigers. A key series starting on September 7 saw the Twins take three out of four from the Tigers. And after a commanding win in Boston on September 19, the Twins found themselves within a half game of the Central-leading Tigers. On September 25, the Twins beat Kansas City 8-1 to secure an American League playoff berth. A win in a 10-inning game against the Royals on September 28 moved the Twins into a tie with the Tigers atop the AL Central. With that win, the Twins broke a major league record by moving into first place after the team's 159th game. This was the latest in a season that a team moved into first place for the first time all season. (It was a tie for first at this point.) The Tigers led the season series, so a tie at the end of the season between the Tigers and Twins would have meant the Twins get the wild card. Instead, the Tigers were swept by 100-game-losers Kansas City to end the season, and the Twins took one of three from the White Sox, giving the Twins their fourth AL Central title in five years. It was the first time in major league history that a team clinched on the last day of the season after never having held sole possession of first place. *The representatives of the Twins in the All-Star Game were Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, and

Francisco Liriano Francisco Liriano Casillas (born October 26, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, ...

. *The highest paid Twin in 2006 is Torii Hunter at $10,750,000.00. *The motto for the 2006 Twins was "Smell 'em." Backup catcher Mike Redmond coined the phrase, saying the hitters have to "smell those RBIs" when they see runners in scoring position in key situations. Hitters will tap their noses when they come through. After a 9-5 victory over the

on September 8 that followed a two-week-long hitting drought, hitting coach Joe Vavra remarked: "The 'smell 'ems' were out again tonight. That's the good feeling we were missing." *In reference to the scrappy, fleet-footed hitters that make up almost half of their lineup, many of the Twins' players have been referred to by

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

manager Ozzie Guillén as "little piranhas". The moniker has stuck, and the team has printed and markets T-shirts bearing the nickname. * Johan Santana won his second

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Ha ...

, a unanimous decision. He also won the pitching triple crown, leading the majors in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. The last pitcher to lead both leagues in all 3 categories was Dwight Gooden in 1985. * Justin Morneau won his first AL

MVP Award In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

, a decision won narrowly over

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

shortstop Derek Jeter 320 points to 306 points, with 15 of a possible 28 first place votes. He was the first Twins MVP since Rod Carew in 1977. * Joe Mauer was the first American League catcher ever to win the Major League Baseball batting crown.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

* June 14, 2006:

designated for assignment. He was released on the 19th and cleared waivers on the 21st. * June 15, 2006:

traded to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

for outfielder Brandon Roberts. * July 10, 2006:

was released by the Twins. * July 31, 2006:

traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Minor League RHP Zach Ward. * August 31, 2006: The Twins acquired veteran Phil Nevin from the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

for a player to be named later (Adam Harben).

Roster

Game log

, - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 1 , , April 4 , , @ Blue Jays , , 6–3 , ,

Halladay Halladay is an English and Scottish surname which may refer to: *Daniel Halladay (1826–1916), American engineer, inventor and businessman *Howard Hadden Halladay (1876–1952), Canadian politician *Roy Halladay (1977–2017), American baseball pl ...

, , Santana , ,

Ryan Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an elector ...

, , 50,449 , , 0–1 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 2 , , April 5 , , @ Blue Jays , , 13–4 , , Radke , , Towers , , , , 18,156 , , 1–1 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 3 , , April 6 , , @ Blue Jays , , 6–3 , , Chacín , , Silva , ,

, , 16,221 , , 1–2 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 4 , , April 7 , , @

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

, , 11–6 , ,

Byrd Byrd commonly refers to: * William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance * Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer Byrd or Byrds may also refer to: Other people * Byrd (surname), includin ...

, , Lohse , , , , 42,445 , , 1–3 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 5 , , April 8 , , @

, , 3–0 , , Johnson , , Baker , , Wickman , , 25,107 , , 1–4 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 6 , , April 9 , , @

, , 3–2 , , Westbrook , , Santana , , Wickman , , 23,311 , , 1–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 7 , , April 11 , , Athletics , , 7–6 , , Radke , , Haren , , Nathan , , 48,911 , , 2–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 8 , , April 12 , , Athletics , , 6–5 , , Silva , , Loaiza , , Nathan , , 22,603 , , 3–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 9 , , April 13 , , Athletics , , 8–2 , , Lohse , , Blanton , , , , 13,520 , , 4–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 10 , , April 14 , , Yankees , , 5–1 , , Baker , , Mussina , , , , 30,622 , , 5–5 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 11 , , April 15 , , Yankees , , 6–5 , , Rincón , , Rivera , , , , 42,316 , , 6–5 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 12 , , April 16 , , Yankees , , 9–3 , ,

Wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thai ...

, , Radke , , , , 22,627 , , 6–6 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 13 , , April 18 , , Angels , , 8–2 , , Escobar , , Silva , , Shields , , 15,757 , , 6–7 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 14 , , April 19 , , Angels , , 12–10 , , Nathan , ,

Romero The name Romero is a nickname type of surname for a Roman or an Italian. The name was originally derived from the Latin word Romaeus and the Greek word Romaios, which mean Roman. #A person on a religious journey or pilgrimage from Rome (possibly ...

, , , , 21,507 , , 7–7 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 15 , , April 20 , , Angels , , 6–4 , , Gregg , , Crain , , Rodríguez , , 12,990 , , 7–8 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 16 , , April 21 , , @ White Sox , , 7–1 , , Buehrle , , Santana , , , , 31,287 , , 7–9 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 17 , , April 22 , , @ White Sox , , 9–2 , , García , , Radke , , , , 38,955 , , 7–10 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 18 , , April 23 , , @ White Sox , , 7–3 , ,

Contreras Contreras is a Spanish surname of toponymic origin, for "from the surrounding area". It is a common family name in the Hispanic-speaking world. People *Adán Amezcua Contreras (born c. 1969), Mexican co-leader (with his two younger brothers) of t ...

, , Silva , , , , 38,102 , , 7–11 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 19 , , April 25 , , @

Royals Royals may refer to: Entertainment * The Royals (band), a Jamaican reggae vocal group * The Royals, original name of The Midnighters * "Royals" (song), a 2013 single by Lorde * ''The Royals'' (TV series), a 2015 E! network drama series * ''The ...

, , 2–1 , , Liriano , , Hudson , , Nathan , , 12,911 , , 8–11 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 20 , , April 26 , , @

, , 3–1 , , Hernández , , Baker , ,

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...

, , 9,188 , , 8–12 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 21 , , April 27 , , @

, , 7–3 , , Santana , , Redman , , , , 11,391 , , 9–12 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 22 , , April 28 , , @ Tigers , , 9–0 , , Robertson , , Radke , , , , 23,263 , , 9–13 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 23 , , April 29 , , @ Tigers , , 18–1 , , Verlander , , Silva , , , , 24,258 , , 9–14 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 24 , , April 30 , , @ Tigers , , 6–0 , , Rogers , , Lohse , , , , 24,323 , , 9–15 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 25 , , May 1 , , Mariners , , 8–2 , , Piñeiro, , Baker, , , , 11,796, , 9–16 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 26 , , May 2 , , Mariners , , 5–1 , , Santana, ,

Washburn Washburn (alternatively Wasseburne, Wasseborne, Wasshebourne, Wassheborne, Washbourne, Washburne, Washborne, Washborn, Wasborn, Washbon) is a toponymic surname, probably of Old English origin, with likely Anglo-Norman and Norman-French influenc ...

, , , , 14,513, , 10–16 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 27 , , May 3 , ,

, , 6–1 , , Radke , ,

Mays Mays may refer to: People * Benjamin Mays (1894–1984), American minister, educator, and social activist * Billy Mays (1958–2009), American television commercial salesman * Brook Mays, investor in the Brook Mays Music Group * Cade Mays (born ...

, , , , 15,996, , 11–16 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 28 , , May 4 , ,

, , 1–0 , , Affeldt, , Silva , ,

, , 11,803, , 11–17 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 29 , , May 5 , , Tigers , , 9–6 , , Rogers , , Lohse , ,

Jones Jones may refer to: People *Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname *List of people with surname Jones *Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter Arts and entertainment * Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell' ...

, , 23,892 , , 11–18 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 30 , , May 6 , , Tigers , , 7–6 , , Rincón , ,

, , , , 20,907 , , 12–18 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 31 , , May 7 , , Tigers , , 4–2 , , Santana , ,

Maroth Maroth is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a community belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'' – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography The locality belongs to the area Westerwaldkreis - village Maroth with the degree of 7.6875 ...

, , Nathan , , 20,548 , , 13–18 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 32 , , May 8 , , @

Rangers A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...

, , 6–4 , , Koronka , , Radke , , Otsuka , , 18,609 , , 13–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 33 , , May 9 , , @

, , 15–5, , Silva, , Millwood , , , , 19,316 , , 14–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 34 , , May 10 , , @

, , 4–3 , , Loshe , , Padilla , , Nathan , , 23,008 , , 15–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 35 , , May 12 , , White Sox , , 10–1 , , Santana , ,

Garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. Etymology From the ...

, , , , 30,473 , , 16–19 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 36 , , May 13 , , White Sox , , 8–4 , , Radke, ,

Vázquez Vázquez (also spelled Vásquez, Vasques), in non-Spanish-speaking countries often spelled as Vazquez or Vasquez, is an originally Galician surname, in use not only in Galicia but all over the Spanish-speaking world. Overview To a lesser extent i ...

, , , , 33,021, , 17–19 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 37 , , May 14 , , White Sox , , 9–7 , , Buehrle , , Silva , , Jenks , , 21,796 , , 17–20 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 38 , , May 15 , , White Sox , , 7–3 , , García , , Baker , , , , 19,413 , , 17–21 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 39 , , May 16 , , @ Tigers , , 7–4 , , Robertson, , Lohse , ,

, , 18,115, , 17–22 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 40 , , May 17 , , @ Tigers , , 2–0 , , Verlander , , Santana , ,

, , 16,669 , , 17–23 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 41 , , May 18 , , @ Tigers , , 5–3, , Rogers , , Radke , ,

, , 26,732, , 17–24 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 42 , , May 19 , , @ Brewers , , 7–1 , , Liriano , , Davis , , , , 28,462, , 18–24 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 43 , , May 20 , , @ Brewers , , 16–10 , , Baker , , Hendrickson, , , , 43,422 , , 19–24 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 44 , , May 21 , , @ Brewers , , 5–3, , Capuano , , Crain , , Turnbow , , 35,180 , , 19–25 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 45 , , May 23 , ,

, , 6–5 , , Nathan , , Mota , , , , 19,334 , , 20–25 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 46 , , May 24 , ,

, , 11–0, , Sabathia , , Radke , , , , 22,789 , , 20–26 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 47 , , May 26 , , Mariners , , 3–1 , , Liriano , , Hernández , , Nathan , , 28,082 , , 21–26 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 48 , , May 27 , , Mariners, , 9–5 , , Bonser , , Moyer , , Rincón , , 25,305 , , 22–26 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 49 , , May 28 , , Matiners , , 4–3 , , Nathan , ,

Guardado Guardado is a Spanish surname, which derives from guardar, meaning "to guard". It may refer to: *Albert Guardado (born 1973), American boxer * Andrés Guardado (born 1986), Mexican football player * Eddie Guardado (born 1970), American baseball p ...

, , , , 24,388 , , 23–26 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 50 , , May 29 , , @ Angels, , 4–3 , , Shields , , Crain , , , , 40,007 , , 23–27 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 51 , , May 30 , , @ Angels , , 6–3, ,

Weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...

, , Baker , , Rodríguez , , 37,299 , , 23–28 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 52 , , May 31 , , @ Angels , , 7–1, , Liriano , , Santana , , , , 40,001 , , 24–28 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 53 , , June 1 , , @ Athletics , , 4–0 , , Zito , , Bonser , , , , 12,025 , , 24–29 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 54 , , June 2 , , @ Athletics , , 2–1 , , Santana , , Saarloos , , Nathan , , 16,138 , , 25–29 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 55 , , June 3 , , @ Athletics , , 2–1 , , Halsey , , Radke , ,

Street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of d ...

, , 23,194 , , 25–30 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 56 , , June 4 , , @ Athletics , , 5–1 , , Halsey , , Silva , , , , 25,247 , , 25–31 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 57 , , June 6 , , @ Mariners , , 4–2, , Hernández , , Liriano , , Putz , , 21,028 , , 25–32 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 58 , , June 7 , , @ Mariners , , 10–9, , Mateo , , Crain , , , , 24,785 , , 25–33 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 59 , , June 8 , , @ Mariners , , 7–3, , Santana , , Piñeiro , , , , 27,341 , , 26–33 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 60 , , June 9 , , Orioles , , 7–5, , Nathan , , Chen , , , , 22,894 , , 27–33 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 61 , , June 10 , , Orioles , , 9–7, , Cabrera , , Silva , , , , 24,478 , , 27–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 62 , , June 11 , , Orioles , , 4–0, , Liriano , , Bédard , , , , 25,438 , , 28–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 63 , , June 13 , , Red Sox , , 5–2, , Reyes , , Tavárez , , , , 25,531 , , 29–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 64 , , June 14 , , Red Sox , , 8–1, , Radke , , Clement , , , , 26,492 , , 30–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 65 , , June 15 , , Red Sox , , 5–3, , Silva , ,

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population ...

, , Nathan , , 21,191 , , 31–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 66 , , June 16 , , @

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

, , 4–2, , Liriano , , Snell , , Nathan , , 33,025 , , 32–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 67 , , June 17 , , @

, , 5–3, , Crain , , Marte , , Nathan , , 34,085 , , 33–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 68 , , June 18 , , @

, , 8–2, , Santana , , Pérez , , , , 25,104 , , 34–34 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 69 , , June 20 , , @ Astros , , 6–5, , Nathan , , Miller , , , , 32,713 , , 35–34 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 70 , , June 21 , , @ Astros , , 5–3, , Wheeler , , Lohse , , Lidge , , 33,243 , , 35–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 71 , , June 22 , , @ Astros , , 4–2, , Liriano , ,

Clemens Clemens is both a Late Latin masculine given name and a surname meaning "merciful". Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adelaide Clemens (born 1989), Australian actress. * Andrew Clemens (b. 1852 or 1857–1894), American folk artist ...

, , Nathan , , 43,769 , , 36–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 72 , , June 23 , , Cubs , , 7–2, , Santana , , Mármol , , , , 34,361 , , 37–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 73 , , June 24 , , Cubs , , 3–0, , Bonser , , Prior , , Nathan , , 42,304 , , 38–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 74 , , June 25 , , Cubs , , 8–1, , Radke , , Marshall , , , , 35,128 , , 39–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 75 , , June 26 , , Dodgers , , 8–2, , Silva , , Billingsley , , , , 22,258 , , 40–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 76 , , June 27 , , Dodgers , , 9–2, , Liriano , , Lowe , , , , 30,681 , , 41–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 77 , , June 28 , , Dodgers , , 6–3, , Santana , , Pérez , , Nathan , , 34,157 , , 42–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 78 , , June 30 , , Brewers , , 8–2, , Radke , , Villanueva , , , , 28,412 , , 43–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 79 , , July 1 , , Brewers , , 10–7, , Rincón , , Turnbow , , Nathan , , 35,056 , , 44–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 80 , , July 2 , , Brewers , , 8–0, , Liriano , , Jackson , , , , 35,466 , , 45–35 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 81 , , July 3 , , @

, , 6–5, , Crain , , Sisco , , Nathan, , 28,401 , , 46–35 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 82 , , July 4 , , @

, , 7–2, , Gobble , , Bonser , , Dessens , , 23,996 , , 46–36 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 83 , , July 5 , , @

, , 6–3, , Affeldt , , Crain , ,

, , 12,085 , , 46–37 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 84 , , July 7 , , @

, , 9–4, , Wasdin , , Silva , , , , 30,207 , , 46–38 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 85 , , July 8 , , @

, , 4–0, , Liriano , , Rheinecker , , , , 36,035 , , 47–38 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 86 , , July 9 , , @

, , 5–2, ,

Bauer Bauer is a German surname meaning "peasant" or "farmer". For notable people sharing the surname, see Bauer (surname). Bauer may also refer to: Education and literature * Bauer's Lexicon, a dictionary of Biblical Greek * Bauer College of Busin ...

, , Santana , , Otsuka , , 23,268 , , 47–39 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 87 , , July 13 , ,

, , 6–4, ,

Lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

, , Liriano , , Wickman , , 21,085 , , 47–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 88 , , July 14 , ,

, , 3–2, , Nathan , , Mujica , , , , 21,279 , , 48–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 89 , , July 15 , ,

, , 6–2, , Santana , , Sabathia , , , , 33,904 , , 49–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 90 , , July 16 , ,

, , 5–2, , Silva , , Sowers , , Nathan , , 31,838 , , 50–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 91 , , July 17 , , Devil Rays , , 6–3, , Baker , , Corcoran , , Nathan , , 17,071 , , 51–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 92 , , July 18 , , Devil Rays , , 8–1, , Liriano , , Kazmir , , , , 22,808 , , 52–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 93 , , July 19 , , Devil Rays , , 7–2, , Radke , , Seo , , , , 25,866 , , 53–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 94 , , July 20 , , Devil Rays , , 6–4, , Santana , , Shields , , Nathan , , 25,104 , , 54–40 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 95 , , July 21 , , @

, , 14–6, , Reyes , , Sabathia , , , , 29,695 , , 55–40 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 96 , , July 22 , , @

, , 11–0, , Sowers , , Baker , , , , 26,895 , , 55–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 97 , , July 23 , , @

, , 3–1, , Liriano , , Westbrook , , Nathan , , 25,889 , , 56–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 98 , , July 24 , , @ White Sox , , 7–4, , Radke , ,

, , , , 39,750 , , 57–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 99 , , July 25 , , @ White Sox , , 4–3, , Santana , ,

, , Nathan , , 36,984 , , 58–41 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 100 , , July 26 , , @ White Sox , , 7–4, , Silva , , Buehrle , , Nathan , , 39,387 , , 59–41 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 101, , July 28 , , Tigers , , 3–2, ,

Rodney Rodney may refer to: People * Rodney (name) * Rodney (wrestler), American professional wrestler Places ;Australia * Electoral district of Rodney, a former electoral district in Victoria * Rodney County, Queensland ;Canada * Rodney, Ontario, a ...

, , Rincon , ,

, , 45,478 , , 59–42 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 102, , July 29 , , Tigers , , 8–6, , Robertson , , Radke , ,

, , 45,496 , , 59–43 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 103, , July 30 , , Tigers , , 6–4, , Neshek , , Bonderman , , Nathan , , 43,204 , , 60–43 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 104, , July 31 , ,

, , 15–2, , Silva , , Rheinecker , , , , 19,532 , , 61–43 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 105 , , August 1 , ,

, , 9–0, ,

Eaton Eaton may refer to: Buildings Canada * Eaton Centre, the name of various shopping malls in Canada due to having been anchored by an Eaton's store * Eaton's / John Maryon Tower, a cancelled skyscraper in Toronto * Eaton Hall (King City), a confere ...

, , Baker , , , , 25,969 , , 61–44 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 106 , , August 2 , ,

, , 10–2, ,

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada * Wells, British Columbia England * Wel ...

, , Bonser , , , , 26,492 , , 61–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 107, , August 3 , , @

, , 8–2, , Radke , ,

de la Rosa De la Rosa is a Spanish surname, which means "of the rose". The name De la Rosa (or variants of the name) may refer to: People with the name De la Rosa *Dane De La Rosa (born 1983), American baseball player *Domingo Vega de la Rosa (born 1953), S ...

, , , , 12,022 , , 62–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 108, , August 4 , , @

, , 8–5, , Reyes , , Dohmann , , Nathan , , 19,394 , , 63–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 109, , August 5 , , @

, , 14–3, , Silva , , Hernández , , , , 25,131 , , 64–45 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 110, , August 6 , , @

, , 11–5, , Reyes , , Wellemeyer , , , , 14,064 , , 65–45 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 111, , August 7 , , @ Tigers , , 9–3, , Miner , , Liriano , , , , 34,870 , , 65–46 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 112, , August 8 , , @ Tigers , , 4–2, , Radke , , Robertson , , Nathan , , 35,624 , , 66–46 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 113, , August 9 , , @ Tigers , , 4–3, , Santana , ,

Zumaya , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Iñaki Ostolaza Esnal ( EH Bildu) , area_code = +34 (Spain) + 943 (Gipuzkoa) , website zumaia.eus Zumaia (, es, link=no, Zumaya) is a small town i ...

, , Nathan , , 36,339 , , 67–46 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 114, , August 10 , , Blue Jays , , 5–0, , Lilly , , Silva , , , , 30,118 , , 67–47 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 115, , August 11 , , Blue Jays , , 7–1, , Burnett , , Garza , , , , 31,814 , , 67–48 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 116, , August 12 , , Blue Jays , , 4–0, , Downs , , Bonser , , , , 36,261 , , 67–49 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 117, , August 13 , , Blue Jays , , 5–0, , Radke , ,

Marcum Marcum is a family name. Notable persons with that name include: * Deanna B. Marcum (1946–2022), American librarian and nonprofit leader * John Marcum (1995-present), ARCA founder, NASCAR official * Johnny Marcum (1909–1984), baseball pitcher ...

, , , , 32,811 , , 68–49 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 118, , August 15 , ,

, , 4–1, , Santana , , Westbrook , , , , 34,854 , , 69–49 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 119, , August 16 , ,

, , 7–2, , Neshek , ,

Carmona Carmona may refer to: Places Angola * the former name of the town of Uíge Costa Rica * Carmona District, Nandayure, a district in Guanacaste Province India * Carmona, Goa, a village located in the Salcette district of South Goa, India ...

, , , , 42,328 , , 70–49 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 120, , August 17 , ,

, , 3–2, ,

, , Garza , , , , 27,664 , , 70–50 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 121, , August 18 , , White Sox , , 7–3, , Neshek , , García , , , , 43,204 , , 71–50 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 122, , August 19 , , White Sox , , 4–1, ,

, , Radke , , Jenks , , 46,215 , , 71–51 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 123, , August 20 , , White Sox , , 7–3, , Santana , ,

, , , , 42,537 , , 72–51 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 124, , August 22 , , @ Orioles , , 6–3, ,

Loewen Loewen is a spelling variant of the word ''Löwen'' which means "lions" in German. This spelling is uncommon in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (as in the most common German language dialects ö is used usually instead of oe, while in English ö a ...

, , Silva , ,

Ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (g ...

, , 19,756 , , 72–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 125, , August 23 , , @ Orioles , , 4–1, , Garza , , López , , Nathan , , 19,258 , , 73–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 126, , August 24 , , @ Orioles , , 11–2, , Bonser , , Benson , , , , 24,848 , , 74–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 127, , August 25 , , @ White Sox , , 5–4, , Crain , , MacDougal , , Nathan , , 35,931 , , 75–52 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 128, , August 26 , , @ White Sox , , 8–7, ,

Eyre Eyre may refer to: Name *Eyre (given name) *Eyre (surname) Places Australia National *Eyre Highway, a highway connecting South Australia and Western Australia South Australia * Eyre Peninsula (disambiguation) *Eyre, South Australia, a suburb * ...

, , Thornton , , , , 38,636 , , 76–52 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 129, , August 27 , , @ White Sox , , 6–1, , Buehrle , , Silva , , , , 35,193 , , 76–53 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 130, , August 29 , ,

, , 2–0, , Redman , , Garza , , , , 24,904 , , 76–54 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 131, , August 30 , ,

, , 4–3, , Hudson , , Bonser , , Nelson , , 28,668 , , 76–55 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 132, , August 31 , ,

, , 3–1, , Santana , ,

, , Nathan , , 21,287 , , 77–55 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 133 , , September 1 , , @ Yankees , , 8–1, , Lidle , , Silva , , , , 54,311 , , 77–56 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 134, , September 2 , , @ Yankees , , 6–1, , Baker , ,

Karstens Karstens is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Jeff Karstens (born 1982), American baseball pitcher * Harry Karstens (1878–1955), American mountaineer *Gerben Karstens (1942–2022), Dutch cyclist See also * Carstens * Karsten ...

, , Crain , , 53,220 , , 78–56 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 135, , September 3 , , @ Yankees , , 10–1, , Rasner , , Garza , , , , 55,155 , , 78–57 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 136, , September 4 , , @ Devil Rays , , 2–1, , Bonser , , Corcoran , , Nathan , , 15,910 , , 79–57 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 137, , September 5 , , @ Devil Rays , , 8–0, , Santana , , Seo , , , , 8,256 , , 80–57 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 138, , September 6 , , @ Devil Rays , , 4–2, , Shawn Camp , , Neshek , , McClung , , 8,492 , , 80–58 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 139, , September 7 , , Tigers , , 7–2, , Verlander , , Baker , , , , 21,229 , , 80–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 140, , September 8 , , Tigers , , 9–5, , Neshek , , Ledezma , , , , 29,042 , , 81–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 141, , September 9 , , Tigers , , 2–1, , Bonser , , Robertson , , Nathan , , 39,160 , , 82–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 142, , September 10 , , Tigers , , 12–1, , Santana , , Bonderman , , , , 40,158 , , 83–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 143, , September 11 , , Athletics , , 9–4, , Silva , , Blanton , , Nathan , , 15,728 , , 84–59 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 144 , , September 12 , , Athletics , , 7–5, , Reyes , , Kennedy , , Nathan , , 20,991 , , 85–59 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 145, , September 13 , , Athletics , , 1–0, , Haren , , Garza , ,

, , 18,902 , , 85–60 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 146, , September 14 , , @

, , 9–4, , Crain , , Davis , , , , 21,424 , , 86–60 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 147, , September 15 , , @

, , 5–4, , Cabrera , , Neshek , , , , 32,473 , , 86–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 148, , September 16 , , @

, , 4–1, , Silva , , Sabathia , , Nathan , , 26,757 , , 87–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 149, , September 17 , , @

, , 6–1, , Baker , ,

, , Guerrier , , 20,324 , , 88–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 150, , September 19 , , @ Red Sox , , 7–3, , Garza , ,

, , , , 36,242 , , 89–61 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 151, , September 20 , , @ Red Sox , , 8–2, , Bonser , , Hansen , , , , 36,484 , , 90–61 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 152, , September 21 , , @ Red Sox , , 6–0, ,

Beckett Beckett is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adam Beckett (born 1950), American animator, special effects artist and teacher, worked on ''Star Wars'' * Alex Beckett (born 1954), Scottish footballer * Allan Beckett (19 ...

, , Santana , , , , 36,434 , , 90–62 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 153, , September 22 , , @ Orioles , , 7–3, , Cabrera , , Silva , , , , 21,051 , , 90–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 154, , September 23 , , @ Orioles , , 8–5, , Guerrier , , Bédard , , Nathan , , 21,980 , , 91–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 155, , September 24 , , @ Orioles , , 6–3, , Garza , ,

, , Nathan , , 23,005 , , 92–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 156, , September 25 , ,

, , 8–1, , Bonser , ,

, , , , 18,108 , , 93–63 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 157, , September 26 , ,

, , 3–2, , Santana , , Peralta , , Nathan , , 24,819 , , 94–63 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 158, , September 27 , ,

, , 6–4, , Redman , , Silva , , Nelson , , 28,540 , , 94–64 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 159, , September 28 , ,

, , 2–1, , Nathan , , Dohmann , , , , 26,254 , , 95–64 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 160, , September 29 , , White Sox , , 4–3, , Freddy García , , Bonser , , Jenks , , 45,439 , , 95–65 , - style="background-color:#ffbbbb" , 161, , September 30 , , White Sox , , 6–3, ,

, , Garza , , , , 46,219 , , 95–66 , - style="background-color:#bbffbb" , 162, , October 1 , , White Sox , , 5–1, , Silva , ,

, , , , 45,182 , , 96–66

Team overview

Offense: Power and the Piranhas

For the first time since 1987, the Twins had legitimate power hitters in Justin Morneau, Torii Hunter, and Michael Cuddyer. On August 9, Morneau became the first Twin to hit 30 or more home runs since 1987, when Tom Brunansky, Gary Gaetti, and Kent Hrbek did it. The Twins led the Major Leagues in batting average with a team average of .287. During the same span: *Every other team in the majors had at least three 30-homer hitters. *Nine teams had 20 or more 30-homer hitters. *478 players, including 14 in 2006, hit 30 or more home runs in a season. *138 players hit 40 or more homers. Twenty of those reached 50. Morneau finished the season with 34 home runs, 130 runs batted in, and a .321 average and was named

American League MVP The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writ ...

. Both Morneau and Joe Mauer won their first Silver Slugger Awards. Hunter enjoyed a late season surge to also reach the 30 home run mark. On September 25, he homered off

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...

pitcher

Zack Greinke Donald Zackary Greinke ( ; born October 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2004 and has also played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los A ...

in the bottom of the 7th inning and became the second Twin to hit 30 home runs in 2006. He finished the season with 31 home runs and 98 runs batted in. Michael Cuddyer also had a breakout season as the Twins' cleanup hitter. He did not start the season as a regular player, but eventually replaced the ineffective opening day right fielder, Jason Kubel. By June, he was hitting fourth in the lineup, and he finished the season with 24 home runs, 109 runs batted in, scored 102 runs, and hit for a .284 average. Morneau and catcher Joe Mauer may have finally earned the nickname "The M&M Boys", that had been prematurely applied to them early in the 2005 season. (This was the nickname applied to

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

and Roger Maris in the early 1960s.) Not only did Mauer win the American League batting title, but he led the major leagues with a .347 average, finishing ahead of National League champion Freddy Sanchez. Mauer was the first catcher to lead either the American League or the majors in hitting. Two catchers did win the National League batting title. Bubbles Hargrave of the

did it in 1926. Ernie Lombardi led the National League twice: once for the Reds in 1938 and once for the Boston Braves in 1942. However, neither catcher won the major league title. These strong hitters were complemented by the top and bottom of the Twins' order, where the players gave the hitters plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. Midway through the season, the Twins opted for a lineup that included

Jason Tyner Jason Renyt Tyner (born April 23, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His MLB career spanned nine seasons from 2000 through 2008 for the New York Mets (2000), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000-2003), Minnesota Twins (2005-2007), and Clev ...

batting eighth, Jason Bartlett ninth, Luis Castillo first, and

Nick Punto Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, a ...

second. Manager

said that these players were like four leadoff hitters: all were fast and hit for average but not power. All four hit between .290 (Punto) and .312 (Tyner), but hit a combined six home runs. Players like this caused

manager Ozzie Guillén to dub the team "the piranhas." Said Guillen: Despite the fact that the term came from a rival manager, it was quickly embraced by both the players and the fans, as well as media outlets such as

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

. After running a popular "Twins Territory" commercial in 2007 featuring Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto at the Mall of America's Underwater World as "Piranhas" the Minnesota Twins organization marketed official T-shirts, hats, signs, the team even had a "Little Piranha Night" in which piranha finger puppets were given to fans attending the game that evening. The four finished their MLB careers hitting a combined .274 and just 79 HRs in 14,262 at-bats. : *Major League Leader

Pitching

For much of the season, the Twins' starting rotation was its most apparent weakness. This is surprising, because the

2005 Minnesota Twins The 2005 Minnesota Twins Season was the franchise's 45th season playing in the Twin Cities and the 105th season in its history. The team was managed by Ron Gardenhire in his fourth year as the Twins' manager. They played their home games in the ...

had one of the strongest rotations in baseball. The team started the season with a rotation of Johan Santana,

Brad Radke Brad William Radke (born October 27, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in ...

, Carlos Silva,

, and Scott Baker. By September, only Santana could be counted on for a full, effective start. Baker was not effective and was quickly demoted to the minors, though he came back a couple times and had a couple competent starts. Lohse was ineffective, surly, and traded to the

midway through the season. Radke started slowly but seemed to find his form, providing some consistency to the number two spot before being sidelined with a torn labrum and a stress fracture in his right shoulder. Silva was unable to find his 2005 form, finishing the season with an ERA of 5.94. He did make a few strong starts in September before regressing. On May 19, talented rookie

entered the starting rotation. He pitched well enough to earn an All-Star berth, finishing with a 12-3 record and a minuscule ERA of 2.16. Unfortunately, he was sidelined after the All-Star break with elbow problems. He did not pitch at all in 2007, as he was recovering from

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's ...

. Boof Bonser had an up-and-down season, but finished strong with a 7-6 record and 4.22 ERA. This earned him a spot in the postseason rotation. Matt Garza was the team's top pitching prospect, but was inconsistent during his first partial year in the majors. The Twins had one of baseball's best bullpens. Dennys Reyes, signed to a minor-league deal during the offseason, provided a pleasant surprise with an excellent season as the Twins' sole left-handed reliever. Right-handers Jesse Crain and Juan Rincón set the stage throughout the season for closer Joe Nathan, with homegrown rookie Pat Neshek contributing some solid innings after being recalled from the minor leagues in July. Pitchers like Willie Eyre and

Matt Guerrier Matthew Olson Guerrier (born August 2, 1978) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Amateur career A native of Cleveland ...

ate up innings when the starters faltered. In the May 27 game against

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, Jesse Crain – with a lead – loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Juan Rincón replaced Crain, and promptly ended the threat – with just one pitch – by inducing Mariner Kenji Johjima to hit into a triple play. Rincon threw 26 more pitches in the ninth for the save. : ''*Tied for league lead'' : ''¹Led league''

Defense

The Twins finished tied for second place in the American League with a .986 fielding percentage. The team's defense was noticeably stronger when the left side of the infield was revamped in June, when the team traded

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

and released

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

. Jason Bartlett and

stepped into those roles, providing an immediate upgrade. In center field, Torii Hunter won his sixth Gold Glove Award.

Player stats

Batting

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''

Pitching

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''

Playoffs

After the Twins won the division, the American League playoff matchups were decided as follows: number two seed Minnesota Twins hosting number three seed

, and number one seed

hosting the wild card

. The Twins were defeated by Oakland in a three-game sweep, ending their playoff run for 2006. The Twins got great starts from both Johan Santana and Boof Bonser (who made his first post season appearance) at the Metrodome. After losing game 1 by the score of 3-2, the Twins came back to even the score at 2 in game 2. With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the 7th inning, Mark Kotsay hit a line drive to center field that Torii Hunter made a valiant dive for. Unfortunately, the ball sailed past him all the way to the wall, resulting in an inside-the-park home run for Kotsay. This play seemed to take all the momentum away from the Twins. The Twins never led in any game in this series.

Farm system

Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007

External links

Player stats from www.baseball-reference.comTeam info from www.baseball-almanac.comUp to date standings from MLB.comTeam leaders from Yahoo!

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2006 Minnesota Twins Season Minnesota Twins seasons Minnesota Twins season American League Central champion seasons

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...

Offseason

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Roster

Game log

Team overview

Offense: Power and the Piranhas

Pitching

Defense

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Other batters

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Playoffs

Other post-season awards

Farm system

External links

References