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Minnesota Twins: The Ultimate Franchise History Trivia

Test your knowledge of the Minnesota Twins. From the "Bomba Squad" to the legendary 1991 World Series, this deep-dive covers the League MVPs, Hall of Famers, and the most iconic moments in franchise history.

Gear up for the next home stand!

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1. Before relocating to Minnesota in 1961, the franchise was known as which original American League team?

A) Baltimore Orioles
B) Washington Senators
C) St. Louis Browns
D) Philadelphia Athletics

Answer: B) Washington Senators
The Story Behind the Stat: The franchise played in D.C. from 1901 to 1960. When they moved to Minnesota, they were renamed the "Twins" to honor the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

2. Who was the first Minnesota Twin to win the American League MVP award?

A) Harmon Killebrew
B) Rod Carew
C) Zoilo Versalles
D) Tony Oliva

Answer: C) Zoilo Versalles
The Story Behind the Stat: Shortstop Zoilo Versalles won the award in 1965, the same year he led the Twins to their first World Series appearance in Minnesota.

3. In the legendary 1991 World Series, which pitcher threw a 10-inning complete game shutout in Game 7?

A) Scott Erickson
B) Kevin Tapani
C) Jack Morris
D) Rick Aguilera

Answer: C) Jack Morris
The Story Behind the Stat: Widely considered one of the greatest postseason performances ever, Morris refused to leave the game, leading the Twins to a 1-0 victory over the Braves.

4. Harmon Killebrew, the "Killer," finished his career with how many home runs as a member of the Twins/Senators franchise?

A) 498
B) 559
C) 573
D) 612

Answer: B) 559
The Story Behind the Stat: Killebrew hit 573 total career home runs, but 559 of them came with the Twins/Senators. He remains the franchise leader by a massive margin.

5. Which Twins legend is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles?

A) Earl Battey
B) Brian Harper
C) Joe Mauer
D) Mitch Garver

Answer: C) Joe Mauer
The Story Behind the Stat: Mauer won batting titles in 2006, 2008, and 2009. His 2009 season also earned him the AL MVP award.

6. Who was the manager of the Twins during both their 1987 and 1991 World Series championships?

A) Billy Gardner
B) Ray Miller
C) Tom Kelly
D) Ron Gardenhire

Answer: C) Tom Kelly
The Story Behind the Stat: "TK" managed the Twins for 16 seasons and is the winningest manager in franchise history.

7. Rod Carew won an incredible seven batting titles with the Twins. In which year did he hit a career-high .388?

A) 1972
B) 1975
C) 1977
D) 1978

Answer: C) 1977
The Story Behind the Stat: Carew's .388 average in 1977 is one of the highest single-season marks in the modern era of baseball.

8. Which Twins pitcher won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2004 and 2006?

A) Brad Radke
B) Johan Santana
C) Francisco Liriano
D) Frank Viola

Answer: B) Johan Santana
The Story Behind the Stat: Santana was arguably the most dominant pitcher in baseball during this stretch, leading the league in strikeouts and ERA multiple times.

9. Kirby Puckett’s famous walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series was hit off which pitcher?

A) Charlie Leibrandt
B) John Smoltz
C) Tom Glavine
D) Steve Avery

Answer: A) Charlie Leibrandt
The Story Behind the Stat: Jack Buck’s call "And we'll see you tomorrow night!" became immortalized after Puckett’s 11th-inning blast.

10. What was the name of the Twins' home stadium from 1961 to 1981 before they moved into the Metrodome?

A) Nicollet Park
B) Metropolitan Stadium
C) Midway Stadium
D) Target Field

Answer: B) Metropolitan Stadium
The Story Behind the Stat: "The Met" was an outdoor stadium in Bloomington, MN. The site is now occupied by the Mall of America.

11. Which Twin holds the franchise record for the most Gold Glove Awards won at 12 (including his time in Washington)?

A) Torii Hunter
B) Jim Kaat
C) Kirby Puckett
D) Joe Mauer

Answer: B) Jim Kaat
The Story Behind the Stat: Kaat was a defensive wizard on the mound, winning 16 Gold Gloves total in his career, 12 of which came with this franchise.

12. In 2019, the Twins set a then-MLB record for team home runs in a single season. What was their nickname that year?

A) The M&M Boys
B) The Lumber Company
C) The Bomba Squad
D) The Twin Terrors

Answer: C) The Bomba Squad
The Story Behind the Stat: The 2019 Twins hit 307 home runs, with five different players hitting at least 30 homers.

13. Who was the first Twin to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Twins cap?

A) Rod Carew
B) Harmon Killebrew
C) Kirby Puckett
D) Tony Oliva

Answer: B) Harmon Killebrew
The Story Behind the Stat: Killebrew was inducted in 1984. While Rod Carew was a contemporary star, he was inducted later in 1991.

14. Which Twins pitcher earned the nickname "Sweet Music" and won the 1987 World Series MVP?

A) Bert Blyleven
B) Frank Viola
C) Jeff Reardon
D) Les Straker

Answer: B) Frank Viola
The Story Behind the Stat: Viola won two games in the '87 Series, including the decisive Game 7 against the Cardinals.

15. Tony Oliva won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1964. How many batting titles did he win in his career?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

Answer: C) 3
The Story Behind the Stat: Oliva won batting titles in 1964, 1965, and 1971. He was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

16. Which player holds the Twins' franchise record for the most career hits?

A) Rod Carew
B) Kirby Puckett
C) Joe Mauer
D) Harmon Killebrew

Answer: B) Kirby Puckett
The Story Behind the Stat: Puckett tallied 2,304 hits in just 12 seasons before his career was tragically cut short by glaucoma.

17. Who was the first Twins pitcher to win the Cy Young Award (1970)?

A) Jim Perry
B) Jim Kaat
C) Mudcat Grant
D) Dean Chance

Answer: A) Jim Perry
The Story Behind the Stat: Jim Perry won 24 games in 1970. His brother, Gaylord Perry, also won multiple Cy Youngs, making them the only brothers to both win the award.

18. In 2022, which Twins player became the first in AL history to win a batting title in both the American and National Leagues?

A) Carlos Correa
B) Byron Buxton
C) Luis Arraez
D) Jorge Polanco

Answer: C) Luis Arraez
The Story Behind the Stat: Arraez won the AL title with the Twins in 2022 and followed it up with an NL title with the Marlins in 2023.

19. What is the name of the iconic "shaking hands" logo characters that represent Minneapolis and St. Paul?

A) Mickey and Minnie
B) Bernie and Bucky
C) Minnie and Paul
D) Twin and City

Answer: C) Minnie and Paul
The Story Behind the Stat: The characters represent the "Twin Cities" and are featured in a massive mechanical sign at Target Field that lights up after home runs.

20. Against which team did the Twins lose the 1965 World Series in seven games?

A) Los Angeles Dodgers
B) St. Louis Cardinals
C) New York Mets
D) Cincinnati Reds

Answer: A) Los Angeles Dodgers
The Story Behind the Stat: Despite a valiant effort, the Twins were shut out in Game 7 by Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who was pitching on short rest.

How did you score?

Whether you're a casual fan or a die-hard "TC" faithful, there's always more to learn about this historic franchise.

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