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The history of professional baseball team the Minnesota Twins originated in Washington, D.C. in 1901 as the Washington Senators. It wasn’t until 1960 that Major League Baseball granted the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota an expansion team. Washington Senators owner Calvin Griffith was granted permission to move his baseball team to Bloomington, Minnesota after the 1960 MLB season. The Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins, which was derived from the popular nickname of the cities Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Minnesota Twins became a stronger team throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s with players such as Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva. Killebrew hit 40 homers in a season eight times. In 1965, he helped the Minnesota Twins reach the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harmon Killebrew was named to eleven All Star teams. Tony Oliva played his entire Major League Baseball career for the Minnesota Twins baseball team (1962-1976). Tony Oliva was the 1964 Rookie of the Year. In 2000, Tony Oliva was inducted into the initial class of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame along with teammates Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota Twins player Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek and long time Minnesota Twins owner Calvin Griffith, who owned the Minnesota Twins from 1961-1984.
In 1984, owner Calvin Griffith threatened to move the Minnesota Twins to Tampa, Florida if Minnesota Twins ticket sales to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome did not increase. Local businessman Carl Pohlad bought the team from Calvin Griffith to keep the Minnesota Twins in Minnesota. Also in 1984 was the emergence of rookie center fielder Kirby Puckett, who went on to become one of the most beloved Minnesota Twins players. The Minnesota Twins defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1987 World Series, which was the first World Series championship for the Minnesota Twins. The Minnesota Twins won the championship again in the 1991 season. For those who had Twins tickets to those Minnesota Twins baseball games, they will have memories that will last forever, as the Minnesota Twins were the first home team to win all seven games of the series.
In the new millennium, the Minnesota Twins compiled the longest winning streak of consecutive winning seasons since the start of the Minnesota Twins franchise. Current Minnesota Twins greats are first baseman Justin Morneau and Minnesota native catcher, Joe Mauer.
The Minnesota Twins sport the original Homer Hanky, printed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune during Minnesota Twins championship seasons, first introduced in 1987.
Construction of the new Minnesota Twins stadium, Target Field, is under way and set to open in time for the 2010 Minnesota Twins baseball season. Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to purchase Minnesota Twins tickets for the new Minnesota Twins Target Field for the upcoming 2009 and 2010 Minnesota Twins schedule. The Target Field seating capacity will be much less than the HHH Metrodome, with only about 40,000 seats and 72 suites. It will be more important than ever to make sure you purchase your Minnesota Twins baseball tickets ahead of time. Buy Minnesota Twins Tickets today!
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