1996 Minnesota Twins season

MLB yearly infobox
name = Minnesota Twins
season = 1996
misc =

current league = American League
y1 = 1901
division = Central Division
y2 = 1994
Uniform
ballpark = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
y4 = 1982
city = Minneapolis
y5 = 1982
owners = Carl Pohlad
managers = Tom Kelly
television = WCCO-TV
Midwest Sports Channel
(Bert Blyleven, Dick Bremer, Ryan Lefebvre, Tommy John)
radio = 830 WCCO AM
(Herb Carneal,John Gordon)|

Prior to the spring training, the 1996 Minnesota Twins were projected to be a contending team. The team's chances significantly worsened on March 28, 1996. Kirby Puckett, the team's franchise player, had been tattooing the Grapefruit League (spring training) for a .360 average. That morning he woke up without vision in his right eye. He was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma. Several surgeries over the next few months could not restore vision in the eye. Puckett announced his retirement from baseball on July 12. After beginning the season under the melancholy cloud of the Puckett situation, Manager Tom Kelly's team finished the year with a 78-84 record, which put it in fourth place in the American League Central Division.

Offseason

* October 9: Luis Rivas was signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rivaslu01.shtml Luis Rivas page at Baseball Reference] ]
* December 5: Paul Molitor was signed as a free agent by the Twins. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/molitpa01.shtml Paul Molitor page at Baseball Reference] ]
*January 29: Signed Roberto Kelly as a free agent.

Regular season

Offense

Individual players on the team did excel. Paul Molitor had a standout year in his first year back with his hometown team, playing as the regular designated hitter. He played in all but one game and hit .341 with 113 RBI and a league-best 225 hits. On September 16th in Kansas City, he collected his 3,000th hit, a triple off of Jose Rosado. He is the only player to obtain his 3,000th hit via a triple. Like Molitor, Chuck Knoblauch also hit .341. Among the hits were 35 doubles. He also stole 45 bases. Marty Cordova had a respectable year, driving in 111 runs.

Notable Transactions

*May 28: Selected Scott Aldred off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.
*June 4: In the 1996 amateur draft, the Twins drafted future major leaguers such as Jacque Jones [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jonesja05.shtml Jacque Jones Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ] (2nd round), Chad Allen (4th round), and Chad Moeller (7th round). The Twins botched the signing of first baseman Travis Lee, whom they signed in the first round with the second overall pick. Lee exploited a never-before used clause that allows a draft pick to become a free agent if a team doesn't make an offer within 15 days of the draft. After the Twins failed to do this, Lee left for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who gave him a $10 million signing bonus. The Twins had the last laugh, however, as Lee has proven to be a below-average hitter who has bounced from team to team.
*August 29: Traded Dave Hollins to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later. On September 31, the Mariners sent David Ortiz to the Twins to complete the trade.
* September 13, 1996: David Ortiz was sent by the Seattle Mariners to the Minnesota Twins to complete an earlier deal made on August 29, 1996. The Seattle Mariners sent a player to be named later to the Minnesota Twins for Dave Hollins. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/o/ortizda01.shtml David Ortiz Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]

Player stats

Batting

tarters by position

"Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In"

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Miscellaneous

*The lone representative of the Twins in the All-Star Game was second baseman Chuck Knoblauch.

*The highest paid Twin in 1996 was Chuck Knoblauch at $ 4,670,000; followed by Rick Aguilera at $ 3,500,000.

Awards and Honors

* Kirby Puckett, Outfield, Roberto Clemente Award

References

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1996.shtml Player stats from www.baseball-reference.com]
* [http://shrpsports.com/mlb/stand/1996finaldiv.htm 1996 Standings]