Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets will pick 20th in the 2005 NBA Draft; the pick was acquired from Washington via Orlando. See also Category:Minnesota Twins players. After winning an incredible game one at San Antonio, the Nuggets proceeded to lose the next four games and lost the series 4-1. Although Minneapolis appears at first glance to be a "small market" city (3 million residents of the associated metropolitan area), the team routinely draws fans from as far away as Montana and Wyoming. In the playoffs, however, the Nuggets could not survive the powerhouse defense of Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. The impact of the Twins on the Upper Midwest should not be underestimated. Karl lived up to his reputation by leading the team to an astounding record of 32-8 in the 2nd half of the regular season which vaulted the team into the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year. In fact, in addition to the Twins, the Vikings and Gophers both have new stadium proposals in various stages of development.

On December 28, 2004, head coach Jeff Bzdelik was fired from the organization and replaced by interim Nuggets coach, former Los Angeles Laker player and Los Angeles Sparks head coach Michael Cooper, before finally hiring veteran coach George Karl. The Dome is thought to be an increasingly poor fit for all three of its major tenants (the Twins, the Vikings and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team). They were eliminated in the first round four games to one by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, attempts to spur interest and push legislative efforts towards a new stadium have repeatedly failed. In April, the turnaround was complete as they became the first franchise in NBA history to qualify for the postseason following a sub 20 win campaign the previous year. In particular, the Twins receive no revenue from luxury suite leasing (as those are owned by co-tenant Minnesota Vikings) and only a small percentage of concessions sales; also, the percentage of season-ticket-quality seats in the Metrodome is said to be very low compared to other stadiums. Much of of the reason for this incredible turnaround were the front-office moves of General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe a former Nuggets player who assumed General Manager duties August,9 2001 adding crucial personnel including: point guard Andre Miller, power forward Nènè, point guard Earl Boykins, Center Marcus Camby and shooting gaurd Jon Barry. The Twins wish to replace the Metrodome with a new ballpark within the next half decade, claiming that the Metrodome generates too little revenue for the Twins to be competitive.

In just two months of the season, they recorded more wins than they had in 5 1/2 months of play in 2002-03. Their streak of three straight division titles, along with some bitterly fought games, have helped to create an intense rivalry with the Chicago White Sox during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The team has shown signs of another renaissance for the 2003-04, with the drafting of Carmelo Anthony and yet another uniform change (light blue and yellow). Threatened with closure by league contraction in 2002, the team battled back to reach the American League Championship Series before being eliminated 4-1 by that year's eventual World Series Champion Anaheim Angels. Ironically, Cleveland (LeBron James) and Denver (Carmelo Anthony) would eventually have a twin pair of rookie dynamos enter their ranks the very next year. From <! daterange+ ->2002 to 2004<!- daterange- ->, the Twins compiled their longest streak of consecutive league/division championships ever (previous were the 1924 World Champion-1925 AL Champion Senators and the 1969–70 Twins). They tied for the worst record in the NBA in 2002-03 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Things turned around, and in <! daterange+ ->2001 to 2004<!- daterange- ->, the Twins compiled the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota, going 85-77 in 2001, 94-67 in 2002, 90-72 in 2003 and 92-70 in 2004.

Denver was an also-ran for nearly a decade, and flirted with having the worst record in a season in 1997-98, winning only 11 games in an 82 game season. After 1992, the Twins again fell into an extended slump, posting a losing record each year through 2000. The team had a brief resurgence in 1993-94 (a year they ditched their rainbow colors for a dark blue and gold scheme) finishing 42-40 and stunning the top-seeded Supersonics in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, falling to the Utah Jazz in game six of the second round, but it was a rare highlight following Moe's departure. 1991 was also the first time any team finishing last in its division the previous year advanced to the World Series, with both the Twins and Braves accomplishing this unprecedented feat. Moe left the team in 1990, and his departure ended their run as a competitive franchise. Paul native) Jack Morris. Only once, in 1984-85, did they even make it to the conference finals, and that year they lost in 5 games to the Los Angeles Lakers. All three Series were decided in seven games, with the latter series ending in a dramatic 10-inning, 1-0 shutout by Series MVP (and St.

It was a novel strategy, but it rarely led to playoff success. In both of these World Series, the home team won each game, which had never occurred prior to 1987. 1980s Denver Nuggets basketball teams would often score in excess of 115 points a game, and during one full season, 1981-82, they did not fail to score 100 points in any game. Louis Cardinals to win the 1987 World Series, then later defeated the Atlanta Braves to win the 1991 World Series. Moe brought with him a "run and gun" philosophy, a style of play focusing on attempting to score rapidly with little interest in defense, and it helped the team become highly competitive. The Twins defeated the St. It ended in 1981, when they hired Doug Moe as a head coach. After several losing seasons in the Dome, the arrival of 1980s superstars Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett electrified the team and sent them to two World Series in five years.

Brown left the team in 1979, helping usher in a brief decline in their team's performance. The 1982 season brought the team indoors, into the Metrodome, which is in downtown Minneapolis near the Mississippi River. However, neither of these teams were ultimately successful in the postseason. The Mall of America now occupies the spot where the "Old Met" stood. Led by Dan Issel (http://www.nba.com/history/players/issel_summary.html), Bobby Jones (http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/BobbyJones.html), and David Thompson (http://www.nba.com/history/thompson_bio.html), Denver (and their memorable rainbow-striped jerseys) were quite strong early on in the NBA, as they won division titles in their first two seasons in the league, and missed a third by a single game. Through 1981, the team played its games at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, a suburb south of the Twin Cities. They would get no second chance to win a league championship, as the ABA merger occurred during the off-season. The team continued to post winning records through 1971, but then entered a decade-long slump.

With Larry Brown coaching, they had their best seasons in team history in their first two seasons as the Nuggets, with the team making the ABA finals in 1975-76. They were defeated in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the championship drive cemented the team's relationship with the people of Minnesota. In 1974, the team was renamed the Nuggets, a nickname first used by a 1949-50 NBA franchise. The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota when they arrived in 1961, and they advanced to the World Series in 1965, driven by the exciting play of superstar first baseman Harmon Killebrew. Haywood averaged 30 points in his only ABA season, then was allowed to sign with the Seattle SuperSonics to start a productive NBA career. This fact is reinforced by the stylized TC logo worn on road caps, and by their mascot, TC Bear. Haywood was one of the first players to turn pro before graduating college, and the NBA initially refused to let him play in the league. Paul (and, presumably, the entire state).

During the 1969-1970 season, the team also had a controversial rookie named Spencer Haywood. The "Minnesota" designation, instead of "Minneapolis", comes from the fact that the team is intended to represent the "Twin" Cities of Minneapolis-St. They had a solid lineup led by Byron Beck (http://www.nba.com/nuggets/history/byron_beck_retire.html) and Larry Jones, then later by Beck and Ralph Simpson (http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SAMPSRA01). Team nickname: Nats, short for Nationals. Also sometimes called Griffs by inventive headline writers, in reference to the club owner. However, they tended to struggle in the postseason and failed to make a championship game during this span. One of the songs from the musical, You Gotta Have Heart, is frequently played at baseball games. One of 4 ABA teams that joined the NBA through a league merger in 1976, they were known as the Rockets for their first 7 years of existence, and were very strong in their early years. The plot features a middle-aged man named Joe Hardy who sells his soul to the Devil so the Washington Senators can win the pennant.

The Denver Nuggets are a National Basketball Association team based in Denver, Colorado. The longtime competitive struggles of the team were fictionalized in the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, which became the Broadway musical and movie Damn Yankees. Bryon Russell (Long Beach State). The team played its games at Griffith Stadium, sharing it with the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues (who played some of their games there). Wesley Person (Auburn). [1] (http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/castro.asp). Dermarr Johnson (University of Cincinnati). It is falsely claimed that prior to the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro tried out for the Senators as a pitcher during the early 1950s.

Nenê (Brazil). During one portion of its history, the team was so notoriously inept that it inspired San Francisco Chronicle columnist Charley Dryden to joke: "Washington: First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League." This was a play on Light Horse Harry Lee's remembrance of George Washington: "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." The team's difficulties on the field also inspired the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant (see below). Eduardo Najera (Oklahoma). That, along with its poor early years, resulted in the team being remembered mostly for its failures rather than its successes. Andre Miller (Utah). After that, the team fell into mediocrity quickly. Kenyon Martin (University of Cincinnati). During the period <! daterange+ ->1907 to 1927<!- daterange- ->, the team's line up boasted the presence of Walter "The Big Train" Johnson and they won the 1924 World Series. They also appeared in the 1925 and 1933 Series and came very close in 1945.

Francisco Elson (California). They and their expansion-replacement in 1961 would remain officially the "Senators" for good, although space-saving headline writers continued to refer to them as "Nats" frequently. Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse). In 1959 the word "Senators" finally appeared on their shirts. Greg Buckner (Clemson). By the 1950s, "Nationals" was pretty much passe. Marcus Camby (Massachusettes). Baseball guides even said "Nationals or Senators" when listing the nickname.

Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan). Newspaper articles for decades used the names "Senators" and "Nationals" (or "Nats") interchangeably, often within the same article. 44 Dan Issel. Otherwise, the jerseys either read "Washington" or carried a plain block "W". 40 Byron Beck. During <! daterange+ ->1905 to 1906<!- daterange- -> the team actually wore "Nationals" on their jerseys. 33 David Thompson. The Washington ballclub was known by two nicknames, the Nationals and the Senators, for most of its history prior to moving to Minnesota.

2 Alex English. The Blues were champions of the Western League in 1898, taking the league by a game-and-a-half from the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Lafayette "Fat" Lever. Byron "Ban" Johnson, president of the Western League, changed the name to the American League in 1900 and major league status was awarded a year later. Dikembe Mutombo. The Kansas City Blues were a charter member of a the Western League, a minor league at the time. David Thompson. in 1901 when the American League was formed, and played there through the 1960 season.

Dan Issel. The franchise originated in Kansas City, Missouri in 1894, moved to Washington, D.C. Alex English. Bear is the Twins' mascot, introduced in 2001. T.C. The club has several well-known, harmless hazing rituals, such as requiring the most junior relief pitcher on the team to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a bright pink Barbie backpack and many of its players, both past and present, are notorious pranksters.

The party atmosphere of the Twins clubhouse after a win is well-known, the team's players unwinding with loud rock music (usually the choice of the winning pitcher) and video games. Former manager Tom Kelly and current manager Ron Gardenhire run and encourage a hard-nosed, fundamentals-first attitude toward playing and winning baseball games. The Twins are affectionately known among their fans as the "Twinkies." Despite the cream-puff sound of that nickname, the Twins have a reputation as a hard-working, hard-playing club. The team and its famous (or infamous) domed ballpark, the Metrodome, were featured in the 1994 motion picture Little Big League.

The team is owned by Minneapolis businessman Carl Pohlad, the third owner of the club (following Clark Griffith and his son Calvin). They are in the Central Division of the American League. The Minnesota Twins is a Major League Baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Elizabethton Twins
Gulf Coast League Twins.

Fort Myers Miracle
Beloit Snappers. New Britain Rock Cats. Rochester Red Wings. American League
.

Pitching saves: Eddie Guardado, 45 (2002). Pitching ERA: Walter Johnson, 1.14 (1.14). Pitching strikeouts: Walter Johnson, 313 (1910). Pitching wins: Walter Johnson, 36 (1913).

Strikeouts: Bobby Darwin, 145 (1972). Walks: Eddie Yost, 151 (1956). Hitting streak: Ken Landreaux, 31 games (1980). Stolen bases: Chuck Knoblauch, 62 (1997).

Extra-Base hits: Tony Oliva, 84 (1964). Triples: Goose Goslin and Christian Guzman, 20 (1925 and 2000). Doubles: Mickey Vernon, 51 (1966). Singles: Sam Rice, 182 (1925).

Hits: Rod Carew, 239 (1977). Runs: Chuck Knoblauch, 140 (1996). Runs batted in: Harmon Killebrew, 140 (1969). Home runs: Harmon Killebrew, 49 (1964 and 1969).

Batting average: Rod Carew, .388 (1977). 44 Bob Casey. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). 34 Kirby Puckett.

29 Rod Carew. 14 Kent Hrbek.   6 Tony Oliva.   3 Harmon Killebrew.

Bob Casey, the public address announcer for the first 44 years of Twins baseball (<! daterange+ ->1961 to 2004<!- daterange- ->). Frank Viola. Zoilo Versalles. César Tovar.

Kevin Tapani. Rich Rollins. Jeff Reardon. Pierzynski.

A.J. Jim Perry. Camilo Pascual. Tony Oliva.

Joe Niekro. Al Newman. Jack Morris. Doug Mientkiewicz.

Shane Mack. Gene Larkin. Chuck Knoblauch. Tom Kelly.

Jim Kaat. Kent Hrbek. Brian Harper. Eddie Guardado.

Mudcat Grant. Dan Gladden. Greg Gagne. Gary Gaetti.

Scott Erickson. Chili Davis. Tom Brunansky. Bert Blyleven.

Juan Berenguer. Bob Allison. Rick Aguilera. Tom Kelly and Paul Molitor often work with the Twins in scouting and assistant coach roles, though neither are in the dugout during games.

Note