Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves finished 44-38, and missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. See also Category:Minnesota Twins players. Coach Flip Saunders was replaced in midseason by GM Kevin McHale, who took over the team for the rest of the season. 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. The team was plagued with contract disputes and the complaining of key players Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell, and Troy Hudson. The impact of the Twins on the Upper Midwest should not be underestimated. In the 2004-05 season, the Wolves kept the same team from the previous season. In fact, in addition to the Twins, the Vikings and Gophers both have new stadium proposals in various stages of development.

Kevin Garnett finally earned his first MVP award with 24.2 points per game and 13.9 rebounds per game. 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 finished as the season as the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 58-24, and beat the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings in the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. However, attempts to spur interest and push legislative efforts towards a new stadium have repeatedly failed. During the 2003-04 NBA season, the Timberwolves became the team everyone wanted to beat. 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. In 2003, the Timberwolves made two stunning offseason moves, trading away forward Joe Smith and injured guard Terrell Brandon in a multi-player deal for Ervin Johnson, Sam Cassell and embattled guard Latrell Sprewell. 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.

However, the Lakers came back to win the game on the way to winning the series in six games, as the Timberwolves were eliminated in the first round for the 7th straight year. 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. After being blown out at home in Game 1 the Timberwolves had a chance to take a 3-1 series lead as they led heading into the 4th quarter of Game 4 in Los Angeles. 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. With home court advantage for the first time facing the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. 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). 2002-2003 seemed to look up for the Wolves. Kevin Garnett had a great season, finishing 2nd in MVP voting while averaging a solid 23.0 ppg and 13.4 rebounds per game as the Timberwolves finish in 3rd place with a 51-31 record. 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.

However, in the playoffs the Wolves were eliminated in the first round again by the San Antonio Spurs in 4 games in the spring of 2001. After 1992, the Twins again fell into an extended slump, posting a losing record each year through 2000. Despite the trouble the Wolves made the playoffs for the 5th straight season with a 47-35 record. 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. They stripped the T-Wolves of three draft picks, fined them $3.5 million and suspended general manager Kevin McHale for one year. Paul native) Jack Morris. Also in that season, a free agent deal signed by Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who ruled that the Timberwolves violated proper procedure in signing the contract. 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.

Guard Malik Sealy was killed in a car accident in the summer of 2000. In both of these World Series, the home team won each game, which had never occurred prior to 1987. However, in the playoffs the Wolves fell in the first round again losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in 4 games. Louis Cardinals to win the 1987 World Series, then later defeated the Atlanta Braves to win the 1991 World Series. Led by Kevin Garnett, who averaged 22.9 ppg and 11.8 rebounds per game, the Timberwolves enjoyed their first 50-win season finishing in 3rd place with a solid record of 50-32. The Twins defeated the St. He had a solid season finishing 3rd on the team in scoring with 11.6 ppg. 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.

In 1999, the Timberwolves drafted Wally Szczerbiak. The 1982 season brought the team indoors, into the Metrodome, which is in downtown Minneapolis near the Mississippi River. In the playoffs the Timberwolves were beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in 4 games. The Mall of America now occupies the spot where the "Old Met" stood. The Wolves made the playoffs for the 3rd straight season by finishing in 4th place with a 25-25 record. Through 1981, the team played its games at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, a suburb south of the Twin Cities. In the 3-team midseason deal that sent Marbury to the New Jersey Nets the Wolves got Terrell Brandon in return. The team continued to post winning records through 1971, but then entered a decade-long slump.

With an already cap heavy payroll the Wolves were forced to let Tom Gugliotta walk away and trade Stephon Marbury fearing both would seek deals similar to Garnett's. 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 1998, a year after signing Kevin Garnett to an unprecedented 6-year, $126 million contract, the Timberwolves were used as the poster child of irresponsible spending as the NBA endured a 4-month lockout that wiped out the season. 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. However, the Wolves dropped Game 4 at home as the Sonics went on to win the series in 5 games. This fact is reinforced by the stylized TC logo worn on road caps, and by their mascot, TC Bear. As the series shifted to Minnesota the Timberwolves had an opportunity to pull off the upset as they won Game 3 by a score of 98-90. Paul (and, presumably, the entire state).

After dropping Game 1 on the road to the Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs the Timberwolves earned their first postseason win in Game 2 winning in Seattle 98-93. The "Minnesota" designation, instead of "Minneapolis", comes from the fact that the team is intended to represent the "Twin" Cities of Minneapolis-St. Despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta for half the season the Timberwolves went on to post their first winning season at 45-37 making the playoffs for the 2nd straight season. Team nickname: Nats, short for Nationals. Also sometimes called Griffs by inventive headline writers, in reference to the club owner. In 1997 Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury established themselves as two of the brightest rising stars in the NBA as Garnett averaged 18.5 ppg while pulling down 9.6 rebounds per game, while Marbury averaged 17.7 ppg, and dished out 8.6 assists per game. One of the songs from the musical, You Gotta Have Heart, is frequently played at baseball games. However, in the playoffs the Timberwolves made a quick exit as they are swept by the Houston Rockets in 3 straight games. 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.

Gugliotta and Garnett led the Timberwolves in scoring as the team made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a record of 40-42. 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. The addition of Marbury had a positive effect on the entire team, as Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta became the first Wolves to be selected to the All-Star team. 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). In addition the T-Wolves found another star player in the draft as they traded with the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Stephon Marbury, the 4th overall pick. [1] (http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/castro.asp). Garnett went on to average 10.4 ppg in his rookie season as the T-Wolves finished in 5th place with a 26-56 record. It is falsely claimed that prior to the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro tried out for the Senators as a pitcher during the early 1950s.

Also first round pick Donyell Marshall was traded that season for Golden State Warriors' forward Tom Gugliotta, who was earlier traded himself from Washington for Chris Webber The trade paved the way for rookie Kevin Garnett to become the go-to player inside. 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). Changes were abound for the Timberwolves as Christian Laettner was traded along with Sean Rooks to the Atlanta Hawks for Andrew Lang and Spud Webb. That, along with its poor early years, resulted in the team being remembered mostly for its failures rather than its successes. In 1995, the Timberwolves selected Kevin Garnett and Flip Saunders became coach. After that, the team fell into mediocrity quickly. Glen Taylor bought the team and named Kevin McHale general manager. 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.

Over the next several years, the franchise encountered mediocrity and even a near relocation in 1994 before NBA owners rejected the team's move to New Orleans. 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. They fired their head coach Bill Musselman. In 1959 the word "Senators" finally appeared on their shirts. The next season the team moved into the Target Center and won 29 games. By the 1950s, "Nationals" was pretty much passe. Playing in the cavernous Metrodome the expansion Timberwolves drew over 1 million fans including the 3rd largest crowd in NBA history at 49,551 on April 17, 1990 that saw the Timberwolves lose to the Denver Nuggets 99-88 in the final home game of the season. Baseball guides even said "Nationals or Senators" when listing the nickname.

The Timberwolves went on to finish with a 22-60 record while finishing in 6th place in the Midwestern Division, as Tony Campbell led the team with 23.2 ppg. Newspaper articles for decades used the names "Senators" and "Nationals" (or "Nats") interchangeably, often within the same article. Just two nights later the Wolves would finally got their first win beating the Philadelphia 76ers at home 125-118 on November 10th. Otherwise, the jerseys either read "Washington" or carried a plain block "W". Five days later they would make their home debut at the Metrodome losing to the Chicago Bulls 96-84. During <! daterange+ ->1905 to 1906<!- daterange- -> the team actually wore "Nationals" on their jerseys. The Timberwolves made their debut on November 3, 1989 losing to the Seattle SuperSonics on the road 106-94. The Washington ballclub was known by two nicknames, the Nationals and the Senators, for most of its history prior to moving to Minnesota.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a National Basketball Association team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Blues were champions of the Western League in 1898, taking the league by a game-and-a-half from the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Wally Szczerbiak. 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. Latrell Sprewell. The Kansas City Blues were a charter member of a the Western League, a minor league at the time. Michael Olowokandi. in 1901 when the American League was formed, and played there through the 1960 season.

Mark Madsen. The franchise originated in Kansas City, Missouri in 1894, moved to Washington, D.C. Ervin Johnson. Bear is the Twins' mascot, introduced in 2001. Troy Hudson. T.C. Eddie Griffin. 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.

Kevin Garnett. 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. Ndudi Ebi. Former manager Tom Kelly and current manager Ron Gardenhire run and encourage a hard-nosed, fundamentals-first attitude toward playing and winning baseball games. Sam Cassell. 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. 2 Malik Sealy. The team and its famous (or infamous) domed ballpark, the Metrodome, were featured in the 1994 motion picture Little Big League.

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

Stephon Marbury. Fort Myers Miracle
Beloit Snappers. Christian Laettner. New Britain Rock Cats. Tom Gugliotta. Rochester Red Wings. Terrell Brandon. American League
.

See also Category:Minnesota Timberwolves players. 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