A three-way deadlock was the result of last week’s poll, so yours truly gets tie-breaker rights: I have to go with the last-day 2006 AL Central title and celebration at the Metrodome. On August 7, the Twins were 10.5 GB the Detroit Tigers. Until the season’s final day, they had not spent any time in the division’s catbird seat. But that’s why they play all 162.
On October 1, the Twins defeated the White Sox—and no one was blown out of the Dome immediately upon the final out. Why? Because the capacity crowd stuck around to watch the Kansas City Royals beat the Tigers and give our boys of summer a miraculous AL Central crown! After the disappointment that was 2005, the improbability of ‘06 felt like a restoration of order to the Central.
One of the handful of MN Twins moments to bring tears to my eyes even just watching it on TV.
The newbie: Minnesota Mauer takes a curtain call.
Kirby Puckett takes Milwaukee (1987)
Breaking the playoff losing streak (2023)
Thome christens Target Field (2010)
Santana strikes out 17 (2007)
Mauer’s final bow (2018)