144-788: The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division . They play their home games at Nationals Park , located on South Capitol Street in the Navy Yard neighborhood of the Southeast quadrant of D.C. along the Anacostia River . The Nationals are
288-530: A Minneapolis Millers uniform and one in a St. Paul Saints uniform, shaking hands across the Mississippi River within an outline of the state of Minnesota. The "TC" remained on the Twins' caps until 1987, when they adopted new uniforms. By this time, the team felt it was established enough to put an "M" on its cap without having Saint Paul fans think it stood for Minneapolis. The "TC" logo was moved to
432-500: A 16–54 start, the Twins were on the verge on becoming the worst team in MLB history. They turned the season around somewhat, but still lost 102 games, finishing with what is currently the second-worst record in Twins history (beaten only by the 2016 team, which lost 103 games), despite the .301 average, 23 homers and 92 RBI from rookie Kent Hrbek . In 1984, Griffith sold the Twins to multi-billionaire banker/financier Carl Pohlad . Pohlad beat
576-595: A 6–5 tiebreaker game that concluded with a 12th-inning walk-off hit by Alexi Casilla to right field, that scored Carlos Gómez . However, they failed to advance to the American League Championship Series as they lost the American League Divisional Series in three straight games to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees. That year, Joe Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win
720-562: A charter member of the new American League — who were officially named the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1955. In 1912, another Washington Senators team formed as one of eight teams of the United States Baseball League . But the league and the team folded after just over a month of play in 1912. The first American League Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis after the 1960 season and became
864-460: A larger offer by New York businessman Donald Trump by promising to keep the club in Minnesota. The Metrodome hosted the 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game . After several losing seasons, the 1987 team , led by Hrbek, Gary Gaetti , Frank Viola ( A.L. Cy Young winner in 1988 ), Bert Blyleven , Jeff Reardon , Tom Brunansky , Dan Gladden , and rising star Kirby Puckett , returned to
1008-767: A member club of the American League (AL) Central Division . The team is named after the Twin Cities moniker for the two adjacent cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul . The franchise was founded in Washington, D.C. , in 1901 as the Washington Senators . The team moved to Minnesota and was renamed the Minnesota Twins for the start of the 1961 season . The Twins played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and in
1152-515: A new "Twin Cities" wordmark (with the underline below "win Citie") in navy. The set, which lacked red, also featured two crossed navy flags representing both Minneapolis ("M") and St. Paul ("STP"). An alternate all-navy cap with the "TC" insignia is used, except the "TC" is in cream and also lacked red elements. This design also became the basis of the all-navy alternate home "TC" helmet. Added in 2024
1296-408: A new uniform set starting in 2011. Gold was eliminated and the emphasis was on the "curly W" logo, which was prominently featured on the home and red alternate uniforms. The road all-navy cap was retired in a favor of a navy cap with red brim, and a new red cap with navy brim was added in 2013 for home games with the red alternates. The sleeve patch was updated to feature the primary roundel logo. Piping
1440-604: A perceived reluctance of fans in Saint Paul to support the team. Griffith was determined not to alienate fans in either city by naming the team after one city or the other. He proposed to name the team the "Twin Cities Twins", but MLB objected and Griffith therefore named the team the Minnesota Twins. The team was allowed to keep its original "TC" (for Twin Cities) insignia for its caps. The team's logo shows two men, one in
1584-526: A period of prolonged success in the 1920s and 1930s, led by Walter Johnson, as well as fellow Hall-of-Famers Bucky Harris , Goose Goslin , Sam Rice , Heinie Manush , and Joe Cronin . In particular, a rejuvenated Johnson rebounded in 1924 to win 23 games with the help of his catcher, Muddy Ruel , as the Senators won the American League pennant for the first time in its history. The Senators then faced John McGraw 's heavily favored New York Giants in
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#17327724693771728-484: A red alternate uniform, which features the "TC" insignia outlined in Kasota gold on the left chest. Letters and numerals are in navy outlined in white with Kasota gold drop shadows. The "Minnie and Paul" alternate logo appears on the left sleeve. The uniform is paired with a navy-brimmed red cap with the "TC" outlined in Kasota gold. In 2019, a new home navy alternate was released, featuring the classic "Twins" script (with
1872-653: A repeat division title in 1970 , behind the star pitching of Jim Perry (24–12), the A.L. Cy Young Award winner, while the Orioles again won the Eastern Division Championship behind the star pitching of Jim Palmer . Once again, the Orioles won the A.L. Championship Series in a three-game sweep, and this time they would win the World Series . After winning the division again in 1970, the team entered an eight-year dry spell, finishing around
2016-651: A shot at clinching the American League championship. The Twins and the Red Sox started the weekend tied for 1st place and played against each other in Boston for the final two games of the season. The Red Sox won both games, seizing their first pennant since 1946 with a 92–70 record. The Twins and Tigers both finished one game back, with 91–71 records, while the White Sox finished three games back, at 89–73. In 1969,
2160-604: A sleeve on the jerseys, occasionally appeared as an alternate cap design, and then was reinstated as the main cap logo in 2010. Both the "TC" and "Minnie & Paul" logos remain the team's primary insignia. The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota when they arrived in 1961 . They brought a nucleus of talented players: Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison , Camilo Pascual , Zoilo Versalles , Jim Kaat , Earl Battey , and Lenny Green . Tony Oliva , who would go on to win American League batting championships in 1964 , 1965 and 1971 , made his major league debut in 1962 . That year,
2304-830: A spot in the 2019 National League Wild Card Game , which they won over the Milwaukee Brewers 4–3. In the NLDS , the Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, propelling them past the divisional round for the first time in franchise history. The Nationals then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS , giving them their first NL pennant. The team then defeated the Houston Astros in game seven of
2448-413: A tail underline accent after the letter "s") in red outlined in navy and Kasota gold. Letters and numerals also take on the same color as the "Twins" script. As with the home white uniforms, it is paired with the all-navy Kasota gold "TC" cap. The gold-trimmed "TC" insignia also appears on the left sleeve. The following year, a throwback-inspired powder blue uniform was unveiled. A modern buttoned version of
2592-573: A year for three years, plus the potential to double TV and radio money. The American League opposed the move at first, but in 1960 a deal was reached. Major League Baseball agreed to let Griffith move his team to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and allowed a new Senators team to be formed in Washington for the 1961 season. Asked nearly two decades later why he moved the team, Griffith replied, "I'll tell you why we came to Minnesota, it
2736-472: Is a City Connect uniform, visually representing the state's nickname of "Land of 10,000 Lakes". The predominantly sublimated blue uniform with yellow accents featured the "MN" abbreviation on the left chest, with the yellow four-point star representing the north star. The sleeve patch contained a loon flying through ripples of water, with baseball stitching comprising the eyes and the north star representing its beak. Caps are blue with yellow brim, and contained
2880-705: Is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of the Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since
3024-481: Is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in
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#17327724693773168-504: The 1924 World Series . The two teams traded wins back and forth with three games of the first six being decided by one run. In the deciding 7th game, the Senators were trailing the Giants 3–1 in the 8th inning when Bucky Harris hit a routine ground ball to third that hit a pebble and took a bad hop over Giants third baseman Freddie Lindstrom . Two runners scored on the play, tying the score at three. An aging Walter Johnson came in to pitch
3312-457: The 2019 World Series , giving them their first World Series championship, with Strasburg being voted series MVP . The World Series was the first in MLB history that saw no team win a game at home, as the road team won all seven. The Nationals went a perfect 5-0 in elimination games during the playoffs, all of which were come-from-behind victories, the first team in MLB history to do so. Franchise cornerstone Anthony Rendon left in free agency for
3456-544: The 85th Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby in 2014. In mid 2020, following protests over the murder of George Floyd , a statue of former owner Calvin Griffith was removed from Target Plaza outside of the stadium due to his history of racist comments. Starting in 2023, the Twins made a drastic overhaul to their uniforms. The white home uniform features the updated "Twins" script (with
3600-565: The A.L. Rookie of the Year ; Scott Erickson , 20-game winner; new closer Rick Aguilera and new designated hitter Chili Davis . The World Series in 1991 is regarded by many as one of the classics of all time. In this Series, four games were won during the teams' final at-bat, and three of these were in extra innings. The Atlanta Braves won all three of their games in Atlanta, and the Twins won all four of their games in Minnesota. Up until then, it
3744-596: The Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 .) Nevertheless, the Twins argued that the Metrodome was obsolete. Furthermore, they said sharing a stadium with the NFL 's Minnesota Vikings, as they had been doing since their 1961 move to Minnesota, limited the team's revenue and made it difficult to sustain a top-notch, competitive team. The team was rumored to contemplate moving to New Jersey , Las Vegas , Portland, Oregon ,
3888-642: The Baltimore Orioles , winners of 109 games, in the first American League Championship Series . The Orioles would go on to be upset by the New York Mets in the World Series . Martin was fired after the season, in part due to an August 1969 fight in Detroit with 20-game winner Dave Boswell and outfielder Bob Allison , in an alley outside the Lindell A.C. bar. Bill Rigney led the Twins to
4032-805: The Boston Red Sox were sold to a partnership led by John W. Henry , owner of the Florida Marlins . In order to clear the way for Henry's group to assume Red Sox ownership, Henry sold the Marlins to Loria who in turn sold the Expos to MLB. However, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission , the Metrodome 's operator, won an injunction requiring the Twins to play there in 2002. MLB's inability to revoke
4176-504: The China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with
4320-645: The Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina area , and elsewhere in search of a more financially competitive market. In 2002, the team was nearly disbanded when Major League Baseball selected the Twins and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals franchise) for elimination due to their financial weakness. The impetus for league contraction diminished after a court decision forced the Twins to play out their lease on
4464-517: The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome from 1982 to 2009. The team has played at Target Field since 2010. The franchise won the World Series in 1924 as the Senators, and in 1987 and 1991 as the Twins. From 1901 to 2023, the Senators/Twins franchise's overall regular-season win–loss–tie record is 9,259–9,955–109 (.482); as the Twins (through 2024), it is 5,036–5,091–8 (.497). The team
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4608-486: The Los Angeles Angels after the 2019 season. The Nationals agreed to re-sign fellow building block Stephen Strasburg to a massive seven-year deal that guaranteed him $ 245 million. However, injuries limited him to just 31 and 1/3 innings under the contract, and eventually forced him to retire in 2024. The Nationals struggled in 2020 , when the coronavirus pandemic led to the season being shortened to 60 games;
4752-612: The MLB draft in 2009 and 2010, selecting Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper . The team secured their first playoff berth and first division title in 2012 and won the National League East again in 2014 , 2016 , and 2017 , but failed to advance past the NLDS each time. In 2019, the team advanced to the World Series as a Wild Card team and defeated the Houston Astros in seven games to earn their first championship. As of
4896-681: The Minnesota Twins . MLB awarded Washington an expansion team, the second American League Senators franchise , which began play in 1961 but moved to Arlington , Texas after the 1971 season to become the Texas Rangers . The Montreal Expos were part of the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion , which included the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers ), Kansas City Royals , and San Diego Padres . Based in Montreal ,
5040-524: The New York Giants would move after the season), Griffith began courting Minneapolis–St. Paul, a prolonged process that resulted in his rejecting the Twin Cities' first offer before agreeing to move. Home attendance in Washington, D.C., steadily increased from 425,238 in 1955 to 475,288 in 1958, and then jumped to 615,372 in 1959. However, part of the Minnesota deal guaranteed a million fans
5184-544: The San Francisco Giants . In 2014, they acquired shortstop prospect Trea Turner in a trade with the San Diego Padres, with Turner eventually becoming a major part of the Nationals' core. In 2015, the Nationals signed top free agent pitcher Max Scherzer to a 7-year, $ 210 million contract. That year, Harper had one of the greatest offensive seasons in MLB history, becoming the youngest player to win
5328-680: The Union Association during its only season in 1884. The first Washington Nationals of the National League played from 1886 to 1889. The Washington Statesmen played in the American Association in 1891, before jumping to the National League as the Senators the following season. The Washington Senators , who were often referred to as the Nationals, played in the National League from 1892 to 1899. They were followed in 1901 by another Washington Senators franchise —
5472-438: The "Capitol W" crest on the left chest and a new sleeve patch depicting the "interlocking DC" logo inside the silhouette of Washington, D.C. The chest numbers on both the primary home and alternate navy uniforms were removed. As part of MLB's uniform deal with Nike , selected teams were given themed "City Connect" uniforms. The Nationals' version, unveiled in 2022, pay homage to the cherry blossoms that adorn Washington, D.C. in
5616-414: The .500 mark. Killebrew departed after 1974. Owner Calvin Griffith faced financial difficulty with the start of free agency , costing the Twins the services of Lyman Bostock and Larry Hisle , who left as free agents after the 1977 season, and Carew, who was traded after the 1978 season. In 1975, Carew won his fourth consecutive AL batting title, having already joined Ty Cobb as the only players to lead
5760-700: The 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues,
5904-471: The 1940s. On November 21, 2004, the team's management chose the name "Washington Nationals", revealing the club's official colors of red, white, and blue the next day. The Nationals played their first three seasons at RFK Stadium until Nationals Park could be built. Nationals Park was completed in 2008, and the Nationals played their first home game there on March 30, 2008. ESPN televised the game nationally, for which U.S. President George W. Bush threw out
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6048-470: The 1955 Broadway musical Damn Yankees . Their fortunes began to improve with the arrival of 19-year-old pitcher, Walter Johnson , in 1907 . Johnson blossomed in 1911 with 25 victories, although the team still finished the season in seventh place. In 1912 , the Senators improved dramatically, as their pitching staff led the league in team earned run average and in strikeouts . Johnson won 33 games while teammate Bob Groom added another 24 wins to help
6192-566: The 1965 season. The team combined for a total of 307 home runs, the most in MLB history for a single season. The team's slugging prowess has earned them the nickname the Bomba Squad . In the 2019 ALDS , the Twins opponents were the New York Yankees, who finished one home run behind at 306 and the second team to break the 300 home run mark. The Twins were swept again, and extend their postseason losing streak to 16, dating back to
6336-424: The 1991 season. In May 1992, the Expos promoted Felipe Alou , a member of the Expos organization since 1976, to become the first Dominican-born manager in MLB history. Alou would go on to be the franchise leader in games managed while guiding the team to winning records, including 1994 when the Expos, led by a talented group of players including Larry Walker , Moisés Alou , Marquis Grissom and Pedro Martínez , had
6480-502: The 2000 season, reducing the team's media coverage. After the 2001 season, MLB considered revoking the team's franchise, along with that of either the Minnesota Twins or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays . In November 2001, Major League Baseball's owners voted 28–2 to contract the league by two teams — according to various sources, the Expos and the Minnesota Twins, both of which reportedly voted against contraction. Subsequently,
6624-524: The 2004 ALDS. On September 17, 2019, Miguel Sanó hit a 482-foot home run to make the Twins the first team in major league history to have five players with at least 30 home runs in a season. In 2023 the Minnesota Twins struggled through the first half, falling under .500 just before the All-Star break before beginning a late season surge that saw them take control of the AL Central. They finished as
6768-465: The 2009 season, the Nationals kept the same home uniform but unveiled a new road and red alternate uniform, along with a roundel-less "DC" sleeve patch. The road uniform now featured a script rendition of the city name in front minus the gold bevels, with the letters now rendered in red with navy and gold trim. The red alternate replaced the "DC" logo with the "curly W" logo, and numbers changed to white with gold bevels and navy trim. The Nationals unveiled
6912-498: The AL Central. Following Brian Dozier 's 34 home runs , Miguel Sanó , Byron Buxton , and Eddie Rosario all had breakout years, while Joe Mauer hit .305. They ended up making the playoffs, which made them the first ever team to lose 100 games the previous year and make the playoffs the next season. They lost to the Yankees in the wild card round. The 2018 season did not go as well. The Twins went 78–84, and did not return to
7056-898: The AL MVP award. Iván Rodríguez won for the Texas Rangers in 1999, previous to that, the last catcher to win an AL MVP was the New York Yankees Thurman Munson in 1976. 2010 marked Minnesota's inaugural season played at Target Field , where the Twins finished the regular season with a record of 94–68, clinching the AL Central Division title for the 6th time in 9 years under manager Ron Gardenhire . New regular players included rookie Danny Valencia at third base, designated hitter Jim Thome , closer Matt Capps , infielder J. J. Hardy , and infielder Orlando Hudson . In relief pitching roles were late additions Brian Fuentes and Randy Flores . On July 7,
7200-422: The American League"; their hard luck drove the plot of the musical and film Damn Yankees . Cecil Travis , Buddy Myer ( 1935 A.L. batting champion ), Roy Sievers , Mickey Vernon ( batting champion in 1946 and 1953 ), and Eddie Yost were notable Senators players whose careers were spent in obscurity on losing teams. In 1954 , the Senators signed future Hall of Fame member Harmon Killebrew . By 1959 , he
7344-778: The District of Columbia objected to the name Senators because the District of Columbia does not have voting representation in Congress . In addition, the Rangers still owned the rights to the Senators name. Washington, D.C. mayor Anthony A. Williams supported the name "Washington Grays" in honor of the Negro-league team Homestead Grays (1929–1950), which had been based in Pittsburgh but played most of their of their home games in Washington's Griffith Stadium during much of
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#17327724693777488-455: The Expos moved into Montreal's Olympic Stadium , which was built for the 1976 Summer Olympics . Two years later, the team won a franchise-high 95 games, finishing second in the NL East. The Expos began the 1980s with a core group of young players, including catcher Gary Carter , outfielders Tim Raines and Andre Dawson , third baseman Tim Wallach , and pitchers Steve Rogers and Bill Gullickson . The team won its only division championship in
7632-454: The Expos were the first Major League team in Canada and were named after the Expo 67 World's Fair . The majority-share owner was Charles Bronfman , a major shareholder in Seagram . The Expos' initial home was Jarry Park . Under manager Gene Mauch , the team lost 110 games in their first season, coincidentally matching the Padres' inaugural win–loss record, and continued to struggle during their first decade with sub-.500 seasons. In 1977,
7776-440: The Giants exacted their revenge, winning in five games. Following the loss, the Senators sank all the way to seventh place in 1934 and attendance began to fall. Despite the return of Harris as manager from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1950 to 1954, Washington was mostly a losing ball club for the next 25 years contending for the pennant only during World War II. Washington came to be known as "first in war, first in peace, and last in
7920-401: The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, including the turf floor and the white roof, gave the Twins a home-field advantage that helped them win the World Series in 1987 and 1991, at least in the opinion of their opponents. The Twins went 12–1 in postseason home games during those two seasons, becoming the first and second teams to sweep all four home games in a World Series. (The feat was repeated by
8064-405: The Metrodome. However, Twins owner Carl Pohlad continued his efforts to move, pursuing litigation against the Metropolitan Stadium Commission and obtaining a state court ruling that his team was not obligated to play in the Metrodome after the 2006 season. This cleared the way for the Twins to move or disband before the 2007 season if a new deal was not reached. In response to the threatened loss of
8208-416: The Minnesota state outline with a yellow star representing the Twin Cities and the northern lights reflected in a water line of a lake. The right side of the caps featured the "10,000 Lakes" moniker. From 1961 to 1971 the Twins sported uniforms bearing the classic "Twins" script and numerals in navy outlined in red. They wore navy caps with an interlocking "TC" on the front; this was adopted because Griffith
8352-409: The NL MVP unanimously. However the Nationals missed the playoffs again, leading to Williams' firing. The team hired veteran manager Dusty Baker in 2016, and returned to the playoffs only to be eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 NLDS in five games. They won the NL East title in 2017, but were eliminated in the NLDS yet again after losing game 5 to the Chicago Cubs . Baker's contract
8496-415: The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in the United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ")
8640-458: The Nationals lost its franchise icon and one of the last integral players from the 2019 championship team. The Nationals received one of the largest prospect hauls in any single trade in baseball history in return, with the front office hoping that the elite prospects would form the core of the next championship team. After trading Soto and others, the Nationals finished the 2022 season with the worst record in baseball at 55-107. That year proved to be
8784-424: The Senators finish the season in second place. Griffith joined the team in 1912 and became the team's owner in 1920. (The franchise remained under Griffith family ownership until 1984. ) The Senators continued to perform respectably in 1913 with Johnson posting a career-high 35 victories, as the team once again finished in second place. The Senators then fell into another decline for the next decade. The team had
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#17327724693778928-435: The Twins defeat the Red Sox, 5–2. On May 18, 2011, Target Field was named "The Best Place To Shop" by Street and Smith 's SportsBusiness Journal at the magazine's 2011 Sports Business Awards Ceremony in New York City. It was also named "The Best Sports Stadium in North America" by ESPN The Magazine in a ranking that included over 120 different stadiums, ballparks and arenas from around North America. The stadium hosted
9072-425: The Twins finished the regular season tied with the White Sox on top of the AL Central, forcing a one-game playoff in Chicago to determine the division champion. The Twins lost that game and missed the playoffs. The game location was determined by rule of a coin flip that was conducted in mid-September. This rule was changed for the start of the 2009 season, making the site for any tiebreaker game to be determined by
9216-399: The Twins franchise compelled it to keep both the Twins and Expos as part of the regular season schedule . The collective bargaining agreement signed with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in August 2002 prohibited contraction until the end of the contract in 2006. By that time, the Expos had become the Washington Nationals and the Twins had made sufficient progress towards
9360-431: The Twins modified their road uniforms upon moving to Target Field. The pinstriped home uniforms remained, but the road primary now featured an updated "Minnesota" script (with an underline below "innesot") in red trimmed in navy. Letters are in navy while numerals (both on the chest and on the back) are in red trimmed in navy. The team's primary logo appears on the left sleeve. Meanwhile, the navy alternate road uniform shared
9504-473: The Twins replaced the red uniforms with a home navy alternate, which features the "Twins" script and back numerals in red outlined in white, and player names and chest numerals in white outlined in red. Both uniforms contained the "TC" (later modern "Minnie and Paul") and primary logo sleeve patches respectively. The Twins also brought back the navy-brimmed red cap for a few games with the home navy alternates. The road navy alternates remained in use until 2009, with
9648-400: The Twins won 91 games, the most by the franchise since 1933 . Behind Mudcat Grant 's 21 victories, Versalles' A.L. MVP season and Oliva's batting title, the Twins won 102 games and the American League Pennant in 1965 , but they were defeated in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games (behind the Series MVP , Sandy Koufax , who compiled a 2–1 record, including winning
9792-416: The Twins won the division on the last day of the regular season (the only day all season they held sole possession of first place) but lost to the Oakland Athletics in the ALDS . Ozzie Guillén coined a nickname for this squad, calling the Twins " little piranhas ". The Twins players embraced the label, and in response, the Twins Front office started a "Piranha Night", with piranha finger puppets given out to
9936-410: The Twins, the Minnesota private and public sector negotiated and approved a financing package for a replacement stadium— a baseball-only outdoor, natural turf ballpark in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis— owned by a new entity known as the Minnesota Ballpark Authority. Target Field was constructed at a cost of $ 544.4 million (including site acquisition and infrastructure), utilizing
10080-498: The Vice President of Baseball Operations, second in charge under then-general manager Jim Bowden . The Nationals finished in last place in four out of five years from 2006-2010, but began building the foundations of a contender with their first-overall draft picks of pitcher Stephen Strasburg (in 2009 ) and catcher Bryce Harper , whom the team converted to the outfield, (in 2010 ), as well as their sixth-overall draft pick of infielder Anthony Rendon (in 2011 ). Strasburg, arguably
10224-433: The World Series after defeating the favored Detroit Tigers in the ALCS , 4 games to 1. Tom Kelly managed the Twins to World Series victories over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 and the Atlanta Braves in 1991 . The 1988 Twins were the first team in American League history to draw more than 3 million fans. On July 17, 1990, the Twins became the only team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in
10368-402: The all-red "DC" cap. The Nationals sported two different sleeve patches with this set. In their inaugural season, the patch featured gold accents, the full team name and two gold stars on the outer navy circle, and the interlocking "DC" on the inner red circle. The patch was tweaked the following season, eliminating the team name in favor of nine gold stars and relegating red to trim color. For
10512-483: The all-red "curly W" cap. The road uniforms contained the city name and numbers in navy with gold bevels and red trim, and were paired with the all-navy "curly W" cap. The front letters of both uniforms formed a distinct bridge-like shape. This set was joined the following season by a red alternate uniform, which featured the interlocking "DC" in white with gold bevels and navy trim, as well as numbers in navy with gold bevels and white trim. The red alternates were paired with
10656-411: The back, the player names are in navy and numbers are in red. Likewise, the new navy Minnesota map with red star was featured on the left sleeve. Navy pinstripes were also added. The road cap is also all-navy, but with the white "M" and a red star on top representing the north star ; this design also serves as the basis of their road batting helmet. The alternate navy uniforms, worn both at home and on
10800-476: The best record in the major leagues until the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season. After the disappointment of 1994, Expos management began shedding its key players and the team's fan support dwindled. Brochu sold control of the team to Jeffrey Loria in 1999, but Loria failed to secure funding to build a new downtown ballpark and did not reach an agreement on television or English radio broadcast contracts for
10944-464: The bottom of the 10th inning, after Morris had pitched ten shutout innings against the Braves. The seventh game of the 1991 World Series is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in the history of professional baseball. After a winning season in 1992 but falling short of Oakland in the division, the Twins fell into a years-long stretch of mediocrity, posting a losing record each season for
11088-453: The division in six of those ten years ('02, '03, '04, '06, '09 and '10), and nearly winning it in '08 as well. From 2001 to 2006, the Twins compiled the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota. Threatened with closure by league contraction , the 2002 team battled back to reach the American League Championship Series before being eliminated 4–1 by that year's World Series champion Anaheim Angels . In 2006,
11232-430: The eighth major league franchise to be based in Washington, D.C. , and the first since 1971. The current franchise was founded in 1969 as the Montreal Expos as part of a four-team expansion . After a failed contraction plan , MLB bought the Expos, seeking to move the team to a new city. MLB owners chose Washington, D.C. in 2004 and established the Nationals the next year, in the first MLB franchise move since 1971 when
11376-551: The end of the 2024 season, the franchise's overall win–loss record is 4,265–4,569–4 (.483). Since moving to Washington, D.C., their overall win–loss record is 1,510–1,626 (.482) Multiple short-lived baseball franchises, including two named the Nationals, played in Washington with the National Association in the 1870s. The first Washington Nationals team in a major league played in the American Association in 1884. Another Washington Nationals team also played in
11520-529: The eventual building of a new baseball-specific stadium that contraction was no longer on the agenda. With contraction no longer an option in the immediate term, MLB began looking for a new site for the Expos. Some of the choices included Oklahoma City ; Washington, D.C. ; San Juan, Puerto Rico ; Monterrey, Mexico ; Portland, Oregon ; Northern Virginia (such as Arlington or Dulles ); Norfolk, Virginia ; Las Vegas ; and Charlotte, North Carolina . Washington, D.C. , and both Virginia locations emerged as
11664-447: The expansion Washington Senators (now Texas Rangers ). However, only the "Capitol W" cap was used, and the "pitcher W" cap was not utilized on the field at all and immediately retired. For most of the 2020 season, the Nationals wore gold-accented versions of the new white uniforms in celebration of their World Series championship, along with all-red caps with the gold "curly W" logo. The script white alternates made their on-field debut on
11808-407: The final regular season home game September 27 against the New York Mets , and were paired with the "Capitol W" cap (the red "curly W" batting helmets were used with this uniform). The Nationals did not wear their home and red alternate "curly W" uniforms throughout that shortened season. In 2021, the white alternates were also paired with the primary red "curly W" cap, though the alternate Capitol cap
11952-729: The first 10,000 fans. Scoreboard operators sometimes played an animated sequence of piranhas munching under that caption in situations where the Twins were scoring runs playing " small ball ", and the stadium vendors sold T-shirts and hats advertising "The Little Piranhas". The Twins also had the AL MVP in Justin Morneau, the AL batting champion in Joe Mauer , and the AL Cy Young Award winner in Johan Santana . In 2008,
12096-543: The first pitch. Ryan Zimmerman hit his fifth career walk-off home run to give the Nationals a win in the first game in their new stadium. The Nationals played their first game on April 4, 2005 at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia , losing to the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4. The Nationals finished their inaugural season at .500 with an 81-81 record. Its first draft pick as the Nationals
12240-461: The franchise's second and third World Series (and first and second in Minnesota). The name "Twins" was derived from "Twin Cities", a popular nickname for the two cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul and sometimes used in reference to the entire Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan region. The NBA 's Minneapolis Lakers had moved to Los Angeles in 1960 due to poor attendance, blamed in part on
12384-487: The front-runners. On September 29, 2004, MLB announced that the Expos would move to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season, returning professional baseball to the United States's capital. On November 15, arbitrators struck down a lawsuit former team owners brought against MLB and former majority owner Jeffrey Loria , bringing to an end all legal actions that could have impeded a move. The other MLB team owners approved
12528-449: The home navy version worn for the last time in the 2013 season. The Twins also wore three other alternate uniforms in the past. In 2006, the Twins wore a sleeveless variation of their regular home uniforms with navy undershirts, which they wore until 2010. They also wore a buttoned version of their 1973–86 home uniforms in 2009, before giving way to the throwback off-white version of their 1961–71 home uniforms from 2010 to 2018. In 2010,
12672-399: The home uniform, and an updated "Minnie and Paul" roundel patch replaced the originals on the left sleeve. In 1973, the Twins switched to polyester pullover uniforms, which included a powder blue road uniform. Chest numerals were added while a navy-brimmed red cap was used with the home uniform. The original "Minnie and Paul" logo returned to the left sleeve. Player names in red were added to
12816-451: The longtime face of the franchise who had been with the team since its inaugural 2005 season, announced his retirement after the 2021 season, marking the end of the first era of Nationals baseball. On August 2, 2022, the Nationals traded 23-year-old superstar Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres after he turned down a 15-year, $ 440 million contract extension offer, which would have constituted the richest contract in baseball history. In doing so,
12960-404: The low point for the Nationals rebuild, as young players such as CJ Abrams and Josiah Gray led them to an improvement of 16 wins in 2023, finishing at 71-91. Additionally, the rebuild had strengthened a once-weak group of prospects. ESPN's annual farm system ranking showed improvement from 30th entering 2021 to 22nd in 2022, 13th in 2023, and 16th in 2024. The Nationals ended the 2024 season with
13104-485: The major leagues in batting average for three consecutive seasons. In 1977 , Carew batted .388, which was the highest in baseball since Boston's Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 ; he won the 1977 AL MVP Award . He won another batting title in 1978, hitting .333. In 1982 , the Twins moved into the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis , which they shared with the Minnesota Vikings . After
13248-863: The major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at a black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis . The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as
13392-425: The modern "Twins" script (with an underline below "win") in navy outlined in red with Kasota gold drop shadows. Letters and numerals also take on the same color as the "Twins" script. The modern "Minnie and Paul" alternate logo (with the state of Minnesota in navy outlined in Kasota gold) appears on the left sleeve. Caps are in all-navy with the interlocking "TC" outlined in Kasota gold. The following year, they unveiled
13536-481: The most hyped prospect in baseball history, struck out 14 batters in an unprecedented Major League debut at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates . In 2011, they signed Jayson Werth to the team's first big free-agent contract. With a mix of homegrown players and players acquired via trade and free agency, the Nationals clinched their first playoff berth and first division title in 2012. Teenage phenom Harper
13680-430: The move to Washington, D.C., in a 28–1 vote on December 3 ( Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos cast the sole dissenting vote). Although there was some sentiment to revive the name Senators when the Expos moved to Washington in 2005, legal and political considerations factored into the choice of Nationals, a revival of the first American League franchise's official name used from 1901 to 1956. Politicians and others in
13824-503: The new manager of the Twins, Billy Martin , pushed aggressive base running all-around, with Carew stealing home seven times in the season (1 short of Ty Cobb 's Major League Record) in addition to winning the first of seven A.L. batting championships . With Killebrew slugging 49 homers and winning the AL MVP Award , these 1969 Twins won the first American League Western Division Championship, but they lost three straight games to
13968-430: The next eight: 71–91 in 1993, 50–63 in 1994, 56–88 in 1995, 78–84 in 1996, 68–94 in 1997, 70–92 in 1998, 63–97 in 1999 and 69–93 in 2000. From 1994 to 1997, a long sequence of retirements and injuries hurt the team badly, and Tom Kelly spent the remainder of his managerial career attempting to rebuild the Twins. In 1997, owner Carl Pohlad almost sold the Twins to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver, who would have moved
14112-423: The ninth inning and held the Giants scoreless into extra innings. In the bottom of the twelfth inning, Ruel hit a high, foul ball directly over home plate . The Giants' catcher, Hank Gowdy , dropped his protective mask to field the ball but, failing to toss the mask aside, stumbled over it and dropped the ball, thus giving Ruel another chance to bat. On the next pitch , Ruel hit a double ; he proceeded to score
14256-510: The other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to the major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly
14400-474: The playoffs. After the 2018 season, superstar slugger Bryce Harper left the team via free agency, signing with the rival Philadelphia Phillies. The Nationals began the 2019 season with a record of 19–31, with their projected chances of winning the World Series at that time being 1.5 percent. They then posted a 74–38 record over the remaining 112 games, finishing with an overall record of 93-69 and earning
14544-461: The post-season. Sanó and Buxton were injured most of the year and eventually both sent down to the minors, while long-time Twin Brian Dozier was traded at the deadline. One bright spot came at the end of the season, when hometown hero Joe Mauer returned to catcher (his original position) for his final game, ending his career with a signature double and standing ovation. Another highlight was
14688-518: The proceeds of a $ 392 million public bond offering based on a 0.15% sales tax in Hennepin County and private financing of $ 185 million provided by the Pohlad family . As part of the deal, the Twins also signed a 30-year lease of the new stadium, effectively guaranteeing the continuation of the team in Minnesota for a long time to come. Construction of the new field began in 2007, and
14832-623: The road uniform in 1977. In 1987, the Twins updated their look. Home white uniforms brought back the pinstripes along with the modern-day "Twins" script. By this time, the franchise felt it was established enough in the area that it could put a stylized "M" on its cap without having fans in St. Paul think it stood for Minneapolis. The "TC" insignia adorned the left sleeve, later replaced by the modern "Minnie and Paul" alternate in 2002. Road gray uniforms, which also featured pinstripes, were emblazoned with "Minnesota" in red block letters outlined in navy, while
14976-399: The road uniform the team used from 1973 to 1986, the set contains the classic "Twins" script in red outlined in navy, along with red letters on the back and red numerals (both on the chest and on the back) outlined in navy. The "Minnie and Paul" alternate logo appears on the left sleeve. The uniform is paired with the primary all-navy "TC" cap minus the Kasota gold accents, which is also used on
15120-413: The road, has the all-caps "MINNESOTA" in white with red numbers. On the back, player names are also rendered in white while numbers are in red. The left sleeve features the updated "TC" insignia. The uniforms are paired with the road all-navy "M" cap with red star, with the white-paneled "TC" helmet used on home games and the "M" all-navy helmet used on the road. The alternate home cream uniform featured
15264-440: The same game. Twins' pitcher and Minnesota native Jack Morris was the star of the series in 1991, going 2–0 in his three starts with a 1.17 ERA. 1991 also marked the first time that any team that finished in last place in their division would advance to the World Series the following season; both the Twins and the Braves did this in 1991. Contributors to the 1991 Twins' improvement from 74 wins to 95 included Chuck Knoblauch ,
15408-401: The same look as the regular road uniforms, but with a few differences. The "Minnesota" script is in red outlined in white, letters and chest numerals are in white outlined in red, and back numerals are in red outlined in white. Red piping is also added. Both uniforms were paired with either the all-navy or the red-brimmed navy "TC" cap. In 2015, the Twins changed their home uniform. It features
15552-508: The same record as 2023 at 71-91. However, the rebuild progressed with top prospects James Wood , acquired via the Soto trade, and Dylan Crews , drafted #2 overall in 2023, making their debuts. Additionally, shortstop CJ Abrams, also acquired via the Soto trade, was selected to the 2024 All-Star Game. In 2022, The Washington Post reported that the Lerner family was exploring a restructuring of
15696-486: The script version of the team name in navy with red trim. Initially, the Nationals unveiled a pair of white-paneled and red-brimmed alternate caps: one in navy with the United States Capitol dome superimposed over a white block "W", and another in red with a navy block "W" superimposed over the silhouette of a pitcher. Both designs paid homage to the original Washington Senators (now Minnesota Twins ) and
15840-520: The seventh game). In 1962, the Minnesota State Commission on Discrimination filed a complaint against the Twins, which was the only MLB team still segregating players during spring training and when traveling in the southern United States. Heading into the final weekend of the 1967 season , when Rod Carew was named the A.L. Rookie of the Year , the Twins, Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Detroit Tigers all had
15984-629: The spring. The design has a dark gray base with pink trim and printed cherry blossoms. The uniforms were worn during Friday and Saturday home games until 2024. After 2024, the City Connect uniforms were retired. In 2009, the Nationals unveiled a navy alternate uniform for games that fell during Independence Day week . The uniform featured the "interlocking DC" logo rendered in the Stars and Stripes motif, along with white/red piping and white numbers with gold bevels and red trim. The original primary logo
16128-545: The strike-shortened split season of 1981, ending its season with a three-games-to-two loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series . The team spent most of the 1980s in the middle of the NL East pack, finishing in third or fourth place in eight out of nine seasons from 1982 to 1990. The Expos hired Buck Rodgers as manager before the 1985 season, and he guided
16272-482: The team finished 26-34 and missed the playoffs. After another disappointing start to the 2021 season, in which the team was under .500 at the trade deadline, GM Mike Rizzo disassembled much of the team, trading ace pitcher Max Scherzer and superstar shortstop Trea Turner to the Dodgers, among many other trades of starting players in exchange for prospects, signifying the start of a rebuilding process. Ryan Zimmerman ,
16416-459: The team in Minnesota. Sluggers Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison , who had been stars in Washington, were joined by Tony Oliva and Zoilo Versalles , and later second baseman Rod Carew and pitchers Jim Kaat and Jim Perry , winning the American League pennant in 1965. A second wave of success came in the late 1980s and early 1990s under manager Tom Kelly , led by Kent Hrbek , Bert Blyleven , Frank Viola , and Kirby Puckett , winning
16560-488: The team suffered a major blow when Justin Morneau sustained a concussion, which kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. In the divisional series , the Twins lost to the Yankees in a three-game sweep for the second consecutive year. Following the season, Ron Gardenhire received AL Manager of the Year honors after finishing as a runner up in several prior years. In 2017, the Twins went 85–77, finishing 2nd In
16704-506: The team to the Piedmont Triad area. Puckett was forced to retire at age 35 due to loss of vision in one eye from a central retinal vein occlusion . The 1989 A.L. batting champion , he retired as the Twins' all-time leader in career hits , runs , doubles , and total bases . At the time of his retirement, his .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter since Joe DiMaggio . Puckett
16848-443: The team to winning records five times in six years, with the highlight coming in 1987 when they won 91 games (.562). They finished third, but were just four games behind the division-winning Cardinals . Bronfman sold the team to a consortium of owners in 1991, with Claude Brochu as the managing general partner. The new ownership replaced Rodgers, at that time second only to Gene Mauch in number of Expos games managed, partway through
16992-415: The team's ownership, including the possibility of selling the team outright. Ted Lerner died on February 13, 2023, from pneumonia complications; his son Mark had become the public-facing principal owner in 2018, though Ted had retained his full interest in the team's decisions. The Nationals' original home uniforms contained the team name and numbers in red with gold bevels and navy trim, and were paired with
17136-588: The team's two-game series against the Cleveland Indians in San Juan, Puerto Rico . After the season, manager Paul Molitor was fired. Free agent signing Logan Morrison and long-time veteran Ervin Santana declared free agency. In 2019, the Twins clinched the AL Central Division for the first time since 2010, finishing the season with the second-most wins in franchise history with 101, one short of
17280-469: The third Washington Senators moved to Arlington, Texas to become the Texas Rangers . No MLB teams have moved since, although the Oakland Athletics are currently in the process of relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada . While the team initially struggled after moving to Washington, the Nationals enjoyed considerable success throughout the 2010s. The team had back-to-back first overall picks in
17424-686: The third seed in the AL for the 2023 MLB Playoffs and faced the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card round. Behind dominant pitching they won both of the first 2 games in the 3 game series, winning their first playoff game since 2004 (breaking an 0-18 postseason streak, the longest in North American sports history) and winning their first playoff series since the 2002 ALDS against the Oakland Athletics. The quirks of
17568-484: The underline below "win") in red with navy numbers. On the back, the player names are in navy and numbers are in red. On the left sleeve, the Minnesota state map in navy was added with a red star to represent the Twin Cities of Minneapolis–St. Paul. The home cap is all-navy with the updated "TC" insignia. The home helmet is navy with a white panel and red brim and features the new "TC" insignia. Road gray uniforms featured an all-caps "MINNESOTA" in navy with red numbers. On
17712-417: The updated primary logo adorned the left sleeve. Both uniforms kept the red numerals trimmed in navy, but the color on the player names was changed to navy. In 1997, player names were added to the home uniform. Initially, both uniforms were paired with an all-navy cap featuring the underlined "M" in front, but in 2002, the "TC" cap was brought back as a home cap while the "M" cap was used on the road. The "M" cap
17856-593: The winner of the regular season head-to-head record between the teams involved. After a year where the Twins played .500 baseball for most of the season, the team won 17 of their last 21 games to tie the Detroit Tigers for the lead in the Central Division. The Twins were able to use the play-in game rule to their advantage when they won the AL Central at the end of the regular season by way of
18000-401: The winning run when Earl McNeely hit a ground ball that took another bad hop over Lindstrom's head. This would mark the only World Series triumph for the franchise during their 60-year tenure in Washington. The following season they repeated as American League champions but ultimately lost the 1925 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates . After Walter Johnson retired in 1927, he
18144-504: Was Virginia native Ryan Zimmerman in the first round of the 2005 draft. Zimmerman made his MLB debut in 2005 and became one of the team's best players and the face of the franchise, playing his entire career with the Nationals. When Ted Lerner took over the club in mid-2006, he hired Stan Kasten as team president. Kasten was widely known as the Atlanta Braves ' architect before and during their run of 14 division titles. Kasten
18288-401: Was added to the "curly W" uniforms. In 2018 the Nationals released a navy alternate uniform, featuring a script rendition of the team name in white with red trim along with red numbers. The following season, the navy uniform proved to be a good-luck charm for the Nationals, as they went 11–3 while wearing the uniforms en route to winning the World Series. In 2020, a white version was added, with
18432-453: Was added to the left sleeve, and a navy cap with red brim containing the aforementioned "DC flag" logo was used. In 2011, the uniform was tweaked to feature the "curly W" in Stars and Stripes, along with updated logos and the removal of gold accents. The road navy cap was originally used with this uniform, but in 2016 it was replaced by a similar design, with the exception of the "curly W" which
18576-596: Was also the General Manager or president of many other Atlanta -area sports teams, including the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers . "The Plan", as it became known, was a long-range rebuilding and restructuring of the team from the ground up. This plan included investing in the farm system and the draft to build a team suitable for their new stadium. In the front office, the Nationals hired well-respected former Arizona scouting director Mike Rizzo to be
18720-586: Was completed in December 2009, in time for the 2010 season. Commissioner Bud Selig , who earlier had threatened to disband the team, observed that without the new stadium the Twins could not have committed to sign their star player, catcher Joe Mauer , to an 8-year, $ 184 million contract extension. The first regular-season game in Target Field was played against the Boston Red Sox on April 12, 2010, with Mauer driving in two runs and going 3-for-5 to help
18864-568: Was founded in Washington, D.C. , in 1901 as one of the eight original teams of the American League. It was named the Washington Senators from 1901 to 1904, the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1955, and the Senators again from 1956 to 1960. But the team was commonly referred to as the Senators throughout its history (and unofficially as the "Grifs" during Clark Griffith 's tenure as manager from 1912 to 1920). The name "Nationals" appeared on uniforms for only two seasons, and then
19008-475: Was hired as manager of the Senators. After enduring a few losing seasons, the team returned to contention in 1930. In 1933 , Senators owner Griffith returned to the formula that worked for him nine years earlier: 26-year-old shortstop Joe Cronin became player-manager . The Senators posted a 99–53 record and cruised to the pennant seven games ahead of the New York Yankees , but in the 1933 World Series
19152-465: Was named NL Rookie of the Year, the youngest ever to win. The Nationals were knocked out of the 2012 NLDS by the St. Louis Cardinals in five games after the Cardinals took the lead with two outs in the top of the ninth of game 5. After missing the playoffs in 2013, they hired Matt Williams as manager and rebounded to win their second division title in 2014, but were eliminated in the 2014 NLDS by
19296-593: Was not renewed after the 2017 playoff loss, and the team hired Dave Martinez as their sixth manager in ten years. In 2018, the All-Star Game was played at Nationals Park. 19-year-old phenom Juan Soto had an exceptional debut campaign, finishing 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year Voting. The Nationals failed to make the playoffs in 2018, finishing a disappointing second in a year they were expected to sail to
19440-564: Was now rendered in the Stars and Stripes. This design was used until 2019, during which the uniform was no longer exclusively worn on Independence Day week. In 2017 a white version of the "Stars and Stripes" alternate was released; this one is paired with the navy-brimmed red cap featuring the "curly W" in Stars and Stripes. Bold denotes a playoff season, pennant, or championship; italics denote an active season. Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Professional baseball Professional baseball
19584-406: Was on-deck. Puckett told Davis he was going to bunt, and Davis was going to win the game. Davis told him he was going to sit on Leibrandt's change-up and send everyone home. The seventh game was tied 0–0 after the regulation nine innings, and marked only the second time that the seventh game of the World Series had ever gone into extra innings. The Twins won on a walk-off RBI single by Gene Larkin in
19728-487: Was replaced with the "W" logo. The media often shortened the nickname to "Nats" — even for the 1961 expansion team . The names "Nationals" and "Nats" were revived in 2005, when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington to become the Nationals . The Washington Senators spent the first decade of their existence finishing near the bottom of the American League standings. The team's long bouts of mediocrity were immortalized in
19872-484: Was retired following the 2010 season, though the team continued to wear them as a throwback on special occasions. For a few games during the 1997 season, the Twins wore red alternate uniforms, which featured navy piping and letters in white trimmed in navy. In that same year, the Twins also released a road navy alternate uniform, featuring red piping, "Minnesota" and player names in white block letters outlined in red, and red numerals outlined in white. The following season,
20016-414: Was still used occasionally. Starting in 2022, the white alternate uniform with the "Nationals" script became the primary home uniform, replacing the white "curly W" uniform. In 2024, the Nationals updated their road uniform, featuring a block "Washington" lettering in navy with white and red trim. The red "curly W" alternates were replaced by an alternate white pullover uniform with navy sleeves, featuring
20160-681: Was the Senators' regular third baseman and led the league with 42 home runs, earning him a starting spot on the American League All-Star team . After Griffith's death in 1955, his nephew and adopted son Calvin took over the team presidency. Calvin sold Griffith Stadium to the city of Washington and leased it back. This led to speculation that the team was planning to move, as the Boston Braves , St. Louis Browns , and Philadelphia Athletics had done in recent years. By 1957, after an early flirtation with San Francisco (where
20304-534: Was the fourth baseball player during the 20th century to record 1,000 hits in his first five full calendar years in Major League Baseball, and was the second to record 2,000 hits during his first 10 full calendar years. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 , his first year of eligibility. The Twins dominated the Central Division in the first decade of the new century, winning
20448-485: Was the second time in MLB history when a team won all its home games on their way to winning the World Series. The Twins also did it in 1987. The sixth game was a legendary one for Puckett, who tripled in a run, made a sensational leaping catch against the wall, and finally in the 11th inning hit the game-winning home run. Before Puckett's home run, the Braves brought in Charlie Leibrandt to face him. Chili Davis
20592-411: Was well aware of the bitter rivalry between Minneapolis and Saint Paul and didn't want to alienate fans in either city. The original "Minnie and Paul" alternate logo appears on the left sleeve of both the pinstriped white home uniform and gray road uniform. For the 1972 season the Twins updated their uniforms. The color scheme on the "Twins" script and numerals were reversed, pinstripes were removed from
20736-472: Was when I found out you only had 15,000 blacks here. Black people don't go to ball games, but they'll fill up a rassling ring and put up such a chant it'll scare you to death. It's unbelievable. We came here because you've got good, hard-working, white people here." Renamed the Minnesota Twins, the team set up shop in Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington , a suburb of Minneapolis. Success came quickly to
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