1961 Minnesota Twins
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1961 Minnesota Twins / Franchise: Minnesota Twins / BR Team Page[edit]
Record: 70-90, Finished 7th in American League (1961 AL)
Managed by Cookie Lavagetto (23-36) and Sam Mele (47-54)
Coaches: Floyd Baker, Eddie Lopat, Clyde McCullough and Sam Mele
Ballpark: Metropolitan Stadium
History, Comments, Contributions[edit]
The 1961 Minnesota Twins were the first edition of the team to play in the Twin Cities, having relocated from the Nation's Capital in the off-season. The had played there as the Washington Senators in 1960 and were replaced there by a "new" version of the team, created through expansion.
While the Senators had built a reputation for ineptitude over recent decades, they had actually begun to show some promise in their last couple of seasons in Washington, with youngsters like Harmon Killebrew and Camilo Pascual being named to the All-Star team, OFs Albie Pearson and Bob Allison winning the Rookie of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons, and promising young lefty Jim Kaat getting his first taste of the majors. These players, except for Pearson, would form the core of a very good team that would hover near the top of the American League standings for most of the 1960s. The 1961 Twins weren't quite there yet, as their 7th place finish, just half a game ahead of the expansion Los Angeles Angels demonstrates. The supporting cast for the foundation was still to be assembled, but the Senators had quietly gone from having one of the worst farm systems in baseball to one of the best, and they would soon produce the support players - along with a few other stars - needed to turn the Twins into a winner.
Awards and Honors[edit]
- All-Stars: Harmon Killebrew and Camilo Pascual
- AL Gold Glove: Earl Battey (C)
Standings[edit]
American League | W | L | Pct. | GB |
---|---|---|---|---|
New York Yankees | 109 | 53 | .673 | -- |
Detroit Tigers | 101 | 61 | .623 | 8 |
Baltimore Orioles | 95 | 67 | .623 | 14 |
Chicago White Sox | 86 | 76 | .531 | 23 |
Cleveland Indians | 78 | 83 | .484 | 30.5 |
Boston Red Sox | 76 | 86 | .469 | 33 |
Minnesota Twins | 70 | 90 | .438 | 38 |
Los Angeles Angels | 70 | 91 | .435 | 38.5 |
Kansas City Athletics | 61 | 100 | .379 | 47.5 |
Washington Senators | 61 | 100 | .379 | 47.5 |
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