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At the end of the 1960 season, the Washington Senators franchised moved, leaving their name and began anew as the Minnesota Twins beginning in the 1961 season. The team brought with them a talent pool that consisted of such players as Lenny Green, Bob Allison, Harmon Killebrew, Camilo Pascual, Jim Katt and Zolio Versalles. Right out of the box, they won 91 games in 1962 which was the most wins by the franchise since the 1933 team. By 1965, the team had posted a 102-60 record and found themselves in the World Series against the Sandy Koufax led Los Angeles Dodgers. It would take the full series, but the Dodgers would win four games to three.
The next three seasons would be close competitions between the Twins, Red Sox, White Sox and Tigers. Harmon Killebrew left the team to join the Royals for a season before retiring from Major League Baseball. In 1982, the Twins moved into a new venue shared by their NFL and College counterparts the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. By 1987, the team was again on the winning track and posted a 85-77 record. They faced the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS and defeated them to compete in their 2nd World Series. This series, which matched the Twins against the St. Louis Cardinals, was special in that it was the first that each home team won every game. The Twins would finally dispose of the Cards in seven games and Frank Viola won the MVP award.
Four seasons later, in 1991, the Twins again found themselves in the World Series after posting a 95-67 to close the season. In the World Series, the Twins faced the Atlanta Braves (who won the National League with a similar 94-68 record) and for the 2nd time in MLB history, both teams won all their home games. The Twins would pick up their third World Series title in what pundits now call the “Greatest of All Time” World Series matches.
In the new decade, the Twins have captured six Central Division Titles (02, 03, 04, 06, 09 and 10). Between 2004 and 2004, the franchise posted 90+ winning seasons but could not get past the ALCS to go to the next level. Since the Twins World Series season of 1991, the franchise has been pushing for a “Baseball Only” ballpark to help increase revenue and contemplated moving in order to force city leader’s hands. After being notified by MLB that the Twins franchise as well as the Expos franchise that they were being eliminated due to financial weakness. But the Twins continued to pursue either another stadium or a move out of the Twin Cities. In a court ruling, it was decided that the Twins did not have to play in the Metrodome after the 2006 season. With this, the franchise lobbied hard for a new ballpark threatening to either disband or relocate before the beginning of the 2007 season if a new stadium deal could not be had. Both the private and the public sector rallied to save their team and keep them in Minnesota and came up with a financing package for what would become Target Field. Over $185 million was provided by the Pohlard family, the Twins majority owners. The Twins signed a 30-year lease and Target Field broke ground on August 30, 2007 and opened in time for the 2010 MLB Season. The stadium was ranked by ESPN The Magazine as the #1 Sports Stadium in North America.
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