1969 Minnesota Twins season

1969 Minnesota Twins
American League West Champions
Major League affiliations
Location
Other information
Owner(s) Calvin Griffith (majority owner, with Thelma Griffith Haynes)
General manager(s) Calvin Griffith
Manager(s) Billy Martin
Local television WTCN-TV
Local radio 830 WCCO AM
(Herb Carneal, Halsey Hall, Merle Harmon)
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Led by new manager Billy Martin, the 1969 Minnesota Twins won the newly formed American League West with a 97–65 record, nine games over the second-place Oakland Athletics. The Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the first American League Championship Series.

Regular season

In the first year of divisional play, the Twins won the American League West, led by Rod Carew (.332, his first AL batting title), Tony Oliva (.309, 24 HR, 101 RBI) and league MVP Harmon Killebrew (49 HR, 140 RBI – both league-leading totals). Carew stole home 7 times. Leadoff batter César Tovar was third in the AL with 45 stolen bases. Jim Perry and Dave Boswell each won 20 games, the first and only time a Minnesota club has held two 20-game winners. Reliever Ron Perranoski became the first Twin to lead the AL in saves with 31. Pitcher Jim Kaat won his 8th Gold Glove Award.

In the May 18 loss to Detroit, Twins stole five bases during the third inning to tie a major league record. Four bases were stolen during Harmon Killebrew's at-bat: César Tovar stole home, and Rod Carew stole second, third and then home.[1]

On June 21 in Oakland, the Twins were tied 3-3 with the A's going into the tenth inning. In the top of the inning, Minnesota scored eleven times, tying a 1928 New York Yankees record. The Twins won the game 14-4.[2]

Four Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Killebrew, second baseman Carew, outfielder Oliva, and catcher Johnny Roseboro. Harmon Killebrew became the second Twin to be named American League Most Valuable Player.

1,349,328 fans attended Twins games, the third highest total in the American League.

Season standings

AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road
Minnesota Twins 97 65 0.599 — 57–24 40–41
Oakland Athletics 88 74 0.543 9 49–32 39–42
California Angels 71 91 0.438 26 43–38 28–53
Kansas City Royals 69 93 0.426 28 36–45 33–48
Chicago White Sox 68 94 0.420 29 41–40 27–54
Seattle Pilots 64 98 0.395 33 34–47 30–51

Record vs. opponents

1969 American League Records

Sources:

Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIN NYY OAK SEA WSH
Baltimore — 10–8 6–6 9–3 13–5 11–7 11–1 8–4 11–7 8–4 9–3 13–5
Boston 8–10 — 8–4 5–7 12–6 10–8 10–2 7–5 11–7 4–8 6–6 6–12
California 6–6 4–8 — 9–9 8–4 5–7 9–9 7–11 3–9 6–12 9–9–1 5–7
Chicago 3–9 7–5 9–9 — 8–4 3–9 8–10 5–13 3–9 8–10 10–8 4–8
Cleveland 5–13 6–12 4–8 4–8 — 7–11 7–5 5–7 9–8 5–7 7–5 3–15
Detroit 7–11 8–10 7–5 9–3 11–7 — 8–4 6–6 10–8 7–5 10–2 7–11
Kansas City 1–11 2–10 9–9 10–8 5–7 4–8 — 8–10 5–7–1 8–10 10–8 7–5
Minnesota 4–8 5–7 11–7 13–5 7–5 6–6 10–8 — 10–2 13–5 12–6 6–6
New York 7–11 7–11 9–3 9–3 8–9 8–10 7–5–1 2–10 — 6–6 7–5 10–8
Oakland 4–8 8–4 12–6 10–8 7–5 5–7 10–8 5–13 6–6 — 13–5 8–4
Seattle 3–9 6–6 9–9–1 8–10 5–7 2–10 8–10 6–12 5–7 5–13 — 7–5
Washington 5–13 12–6 7–5 8–4 15–3 11–7 5–7 6–6 8–10 4–8 5–7 —

Notable transactions

Roster

1969 Minnesota Twins
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

Player stats

= Indicates team leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
C Roseboro, JohnnyJohnny Roseboro 115 361 95 .263 3 32
2B Carew, RodRod Carew 123 458 152 .332 8 56
3B Killebrew, HarmonHarmon Killebrew 162 555 153 .276 49 140
SS Cárdenas, LeoLeo Cárdenas 160 578 162 .280 10 70
RF Oliva, TonyTony Oliva 153 637 197 .309 24 101

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Tovar, CésarCésar Tovar 158 535 154 .288 11 52
Holt, JimJim Holt 12 14 5 .357 1 2
Clark, RonRon Clark 5 8 1 .125 0 0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Perry, JimJim Perry 46 261.2 20 6 2.82 153
Boswell, DaveDave Boswell 39 256.1 20 12 3.23 190
Kaat, JimJim Kaat 40 242.1 14 13 3.49 139
Chance, DeanDean Chance 20 88.1 5 4 2.95 50

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Miller, BobBob Miller 48 119.1 5 5 3.02 57

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Perranoski, RonRon Perranoski 75 9 10 31 2.11 62
Brandon, BuckyBucky Brandon 3 0 0 0 2.70 1

Postseason

The Twins were swept 3–0 by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 American League Championship Series.

Awards and honors

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Denver Bears American Association Don Heffner
AA Charlotte Hornets Southern League Ralph Rowe
A Red Springs Twins Carolina League Tom Umphlett
A Orlando Twins Florida State League Harry Warner
A Wisconsin Rapids Twins Midwest League Tom Videtich
A-Short Season Auburn Twins New York–Penn League Steve Thornton
A-Short Season St. Cloud Rox Northern League Jim Merrick
Rookie GCL Twins Gulf Coast League Fred Waters

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Charlotte

Notes

References

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