2001 was a wonderful summer. I had a lousy job working at the local Wal-Mart, but I worked nights by the automotive display. I made sure to find "things" to do in that section, and spent my evenings listening to the Twins. Baseball was fun again. After 10 years in the desert, we could finally look forward to each game, knowing that they had a good chance of winning. Call me crazy, but even Herb sounded better- happier somehow. I'd sort of fallen away from baseball over the years. I took a passing interest, but nothing like when I was younger, and would spend evenings riding in the tractor with my dad, listening to the games. I tried to hang on, but we didn't have cable, and it just wasn't very much fun to listen to the exploits of Butch Husky, Scott Stahoviak, and Marty Cordova, as they limped to yet another loss.
The 2001 team stopped all that. Suddenly baseball was linked with a feeling that hadn't been there for a long time- hope. And it was wonderful.

Thanks for the nice post Bat-girl.

That should say "automotive speaker display" above. I should remember to preview!

That was beautiful.

So many memories with that great group of guys.

I remember going to my first game in years in 2001 - I too spent the late 90's sliding from a "passionate" to a "casual" Twins fan. But then I went to a game where some guy wearing number #16 that didn't wearing batting gloves hit two home runs and played amazing defense. Wow. I've been watching them like my seven year old self ever since.

Ah yes, there's nothing better than a lovable bunch of misfits...except maybe a bunch of highly paid professional athletes assembled for the sole purpose of winning a championship. But since we live in MN, I guess the later is out of the question so I will be happy...no, make that blissfully content with our rotating bunch of lovable misfits. Yes, thank you boys for the joy you've brought us!

SDave

I still have a baseball autographed by the 2001 team, and every one of their baseball cards in a frame on display in my bedroom.

It doesn't matter where they go to play, they'll always be my guys.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Batgirl. After living in banishment in Chicago for 7 years, 2001 was the year I came back to Twins territory. 2002 I worked as an usher and certainly that fun group of guys will have a soft spot in my heart.

Amen Batgirl! I loved those teams from 2001 - 2002. They were a bunch of scrappy over-achievers who reminded me of the '87 team: a group of lively personalities who inexplicably found a way to win, usually with a different hero each every night.

Remember when they started 2001 with a 14 - 5 record, or something like that? Remember all those high school kids spelling out M-I-E-N-T-K-I-E-W-I-C-Z in a row with t-shirts? Remember watching Guzman leg out triples? Remember Eddie's nailbiting saves punctuated by that fist pump? Remember Torii Hunter throwing the ball back at that Cleveland pitcher who beaned him? Remember that Corey Koskie commercial with the "Canandian folk song"?

Good, good stuff.

Being a Twins fan means always saying hello and good-bye, but never forgetting.

Excellent retrospective, thank you. My buddy and I bought into the 20-pack in '02 when the excitement was building - just so that we would have reserved seats in the new outdoor park, we told our wives - and I couldn't believe my luck. Three years of entertaining baseball and great playoff seats.

No more Meares and Knoblauch, we had young SS Guzman on the fake turf, with his cool goat and wristbands, and young Luis Rivas killing on the double play turn. Both men ran like the wind. We had a cool Koskie at the corner after years of putting up with nobodys at third. For awhile we had a big left-handed DH to fill the hole in the line up that Hrbek left. The Soul Patrol was in the outfield, making me forget Kirby Puckett's troubles and Rich Becker.

I remember at the only Twins Fest I attended (in January '02) mesmerized by alternating highlights of our Gold Glove winners, Mientkiewicz and Hunter in defensive action. I wish I owned that tape.

Now, I think those fellows took us about as far as they were ever going to take us, and that we got them at their best, but I have always been kind of bummed about some of the lack of appreciation they have received from so-called Twins fans.

I'm an older Twins fan who can't forget the pitiless '70s and '90s, so I appreciate you taking the time to reminisce about the little Twins who forced us to Get to Know 'Em.

Mmmmmmm...that was lovely to read. Yes, that was an amazing group, and, save Ortiz and possibly AJ, none of them are likely to ever be as great away from the Twins as they were together. But that was a charming, maddening, wondrous collection of guys, and they made this passionate Twins fan a rabid one. (That IS a good thing, I think.) Here's hoping the next band of misfits is just around the corner...

This is all both the beauty and bane of Twins Fanism. Now we wait for the next alignment of planets. Us old farts have seen a few of these and this one was as much fun as any.

so right BG That may have been the best piece of writing i seen on this site Good Job

BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, THAT WAS PURE POETRY.

Boy the way Glen Miller played
Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days !!

I wonder how mnay poeple don't know where this song is from ?

It was a fun group of guys, Bat-Girl. I'll miss 'em. But this next group of fellows looks promising, too. Hope springs eternally.

Mr. enemy: Naturally, that's from the worst TV Land show ever, "All in the Family"

As for the Get to Know 'Em Twins, I miss those guys. I don't miss our old pitching staff (I got my first gray hair with LaTroy on the hill), but I will always remember the feeling when we beat the A's to go to the Championship Game that year. To us Twins fans that was our World Series. Have you ever seen such an on-field celebration for a division series victory? I was too young to fully appreciate '87. And '91 was great, but somehow lessened by the success we'd enjoyed in previous years. Our team was probably better in '03, but to me that 2002 year was the most magical. I watched more games than I had in my life, I got to go to my first Twins game in 14 years, and that victory over the A's when noone gave us a chance was indescribable.

Now we are the underdogs again. We'll be picked to finish third or fourth in the division by all the analysts. They'll say we'll be lucky to find .500. We will field a team full has-beens alongside never-weres. Like 2001 & 2002, no one will expect a thing from our Twins next year.

And that's just the way we likely.

FL

"And that's just the way we likely."

Suppose to read:
"And that's just the way we like it."

the 2002 twins are my favorite baseball team ever. They could be down by three going into the ninth but there was no way you could stop watching. Scrappiest bunch of ballplayers I have ever seen. A.J.'s "BOO-YAH!" to Billy Koch in game five of the ALDS was one of the high points in my baseball loving life.

This reminds me of how I randomly picked Rivas as my favorite player. I still love him, always have, always will.

Mr Florida,

I had to laugh. All in the Family, "The worst TV Land show ever??"

I guess you had to be there when it was the groundbreaking CBS series that it was in 1970 and beyond.

But on to the topic at hand.

Yes Batgirl...we shall miss them.
But for four brief, shining seasons, they made us remember what Twins baseball was supposed to be.

Fun!!

And you are part of the reason why, even in the most recent season of perpetual suckitude, we still find fun in watching Twins baseball.

Oh, and BTW...thanks for the T-shirt. My male sibling loved it!!

Love,

bubblemint

This made me think about the furture misfits so i decided to rnak my top 5 twins minor leaguers so here they are Boof bonser- great baseball name porbally never become a great player but i love the name. Alex Remareo i love the way this kid hits just a great swing. Matt moses i'm partial to Thirdbaseman adnd i love this guy very good player. Glen perkins just special because he's a minnesota kid. denard span fast slap hitter like the way he can run.

It was kind of weird suddenly realizing that the twins were good a few years ago. Too bad most of them are gone now.

As for a more-recent twin, it looks like OMM is going to join Newmie in Arizona. (click on name)

Not only is the Old Man going to Arizona but I read now that Mike Restovich has signed with the Cubs. Both of those are minor league signings. I also see that Joe Randa got $4 mil to sign with the Pirates. Seems like a lot to me, but what do I know?

As for the topic of this thread, I guess I'm too old to wax poetic over this particular group. When I get nostolgic, my mind still wanders back to Killer and Carew. Ever since I saw Harmon in a Royals jersey and Rodney with the Angels, I guess I've never been able to get too emotional over anyone's departure. I just look forward to seeing who might be the next big surprise to come out of the system.

This is a very cool, quick "size up" of the American League teams.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2279057

It's cool to lose a breath when looking at the Yankees' lineup as compared to everyone else's. Then, it's equally as cool to lose another breath when comparing the Twins' pitching staff to everyone else's. Seeing it side-by-side makes it more real, I guess.

Whoa, now I'm dizzy.

YankeeFan

Of course, if the Strib's sources are accurate (there's a first time for everything, isn't there?), some of you may be welcoming one of your BFs back... The Jays are offering to send Corey back to Minnesota and are willing to eat a good chunk of his salary.

Not sure if Pohlad will open the pocketbook far enough to do the deal, but if he can stay healthy, it has to be a better option than Batista, doesn't it?

JimCrikket -

Yes! If there is a way for the Twins to swing a deal to bring Koskie back, let's see it happen! We have backups in case he gets injured (which he almost certainly will), but he would help our power totals and our defense.

Canadians at the corners, eh?

I hadn't thought of that, Andy... probably have to start adding Oh Canada to the pregame agenda.

I'm up for some more chair-smashing - come on, TR, pull the trigger and get Corey back where he belongs!

Augie and Resto signed minor league contracts with the Cubbies. And the old guy, Terry is signing with Arizona. And life goes on.

http://www.startribune.com/509/story/161902.html

Anyone know what we can do to let the Twins know that fans would like Koskie back?

Let them platoon @ 3B, if one guy proves to be better than the other I trust Gardy to let him win the job.

I'd love to see Koskie back with the Twins.

Wait, OMM is going to Arizona ? I don't believe it ! An old person moving to Arizona.... nah, that'll never happen.

:)

Dear Miss Mint

I thought the same thing when I saw TV Land. I knew the moment that I typed that I was going to be feeling old when someone didn't know who Archie Bunker was.

p.e.m.

ps If Koskie comes back will Jeb have two BFs or will Lew and Coery have to fight for his affection ?

Serves the Blue Jays right for overpaying for Koskie in the first place. They should send Koskie back with extra cash to compensate for a year of Cuddyer. With Koskie back, I'd be a lot more likely to renew my Flex 40.

Thanks, Batgirl, for pointing out again that it wasn't what those 2001-03 players were, but who they were. I just wonder if it could ever be that good again, short of a championship (or even with one).

P.S. "All in the Family" -- best sitcom in history.

That was a fun team and those were fun commercials and it has surely been a fun few years (with some fun added by this site, of course). For a while I was feeling sheepish whenever I wore my Guzman jersey, but he really was amazing for a while as a Twin, darnit. I loved those triples.

First, never feel sheepish for sporting a Guzzie Jersey. Sure, he had the worst swing I've ever seen and was only a mediocre SS, but he wore the coolest goat in baseball and was lightning on the bases. On top of all that, he batted over .300 for a while for us.

Second, I apologize to those I might have offended with my rip on "All in the Family". It's true that I didn't see it in its day when it was politically relevant. When I watch it all I see is what appears to be an attempt to have it all: appeal to biggots by making racist and antisemetic jokes while appealing to intellectuals by portraiting the deliverer of that humor as a small-minded biggot. In its day it may not have given the same appearance. Either way, I said it was the worst TV Land sitcom ever, not the worst old sitcom ever. I am just comparing it to the high calibar of comedy it competes against today on that channel and adding my admitted bias against any show claiming to be a comedy that is trying to make a "statement" (such as MASH, American Dad, etc.). If you know of a worse TV Land show, though, I am willing to retract my statement. Of course, all that said, how can it be the BEST sitcom in history? Cheers? Family Ties? The Simpsons (first 9 years)? Seinfeld? Come on. You have to like SOMETHING more than All in the Family. If not, I guess I'll let you drive your LaSalle and vote Hoover in '08.

Third, I'd trade my first Little League game ball and my Kirby Puckett rookie card for Kordell and a bionic bodypart to be named later.

Florida