Puckett's Pond » 2002 Minnesota Twins http://puckettspond.com A Minnesota Twins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More Wed, 22 May 2013 20:29:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 The Winning Teams: 2002 http://puckettspond.com/2011/05/29/the-winning-teams-2002/ http://puckettspond.com/2011/05/29/the-winning-teams-2002/#comments Sun, 29 May 2011 17:30:37 +0000 http://puckettspond.com/?p=5412 This is part six in a series examining every Twins team that has made the playoffs. Whether the current version of the Twins is 20 games over .500 or stuck in last place, fans can always hold onto memories of successful teams past.

Previous articles in the series: 1965, 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991

 

The Minnesota Twins were reborn in 2002.

The championships of 1987 and 1991 failed to usher in a generation of prosperity for the team, and it suffered through eight losing seasons in the mid and late 90s. Fan interest waned along with team talent, and by 2000, a dismal campaign in which the Twins finished 69-93, barely one million people (just over 12,000 per game) bought tickets to sit in the Metrodome’s seats.

And suddenly, the turmoil ended. In 2001 the roster full of young unknowns actually managed to be competitive in the AL Central. And in 2002, manager Ron Gardenhire’s first year in control, the Twins captured the Central Division crown with 94 wins. It was the first of many playoff runs for Gardenhire, and the end of bad baseball in Minnesota. Soon the Twins would be perennial contenders in the American League, and Minnesota fans would no longer be embarassed by their Major League squad.

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