Twins End 19-Year Postseason Winless Streak with Game 1 Victory
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins finally broke their 19-year postseason winless streak with a resounding 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Target Field on Tuesday. It was a historic win for the Twins, as their 18 straight playoff losses over that span set the record for the longest such streak in Major League Baseball history.
Prior to their triumph on Tuesday, the Twins had gone winless in six postseason appearances since defeating the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2004 AL Division Series. This winless drought had been a source of concern for the team and fans alike, but the Twins remained unfazed and determined to end their streak.
Justin Morneau, a former Twins player turned broadcaster, had a strong belief in this year’s team. “It doesn’t matter to these guys,” Morneau said. “Those were good Twins teams — it’s just that there was that one person hurt every year, a crazy play that doesn’t get made. At some point, it’s going to even out.”
The victory over Toronto marks the end of a 19-year postseason drought for the Twins. Here are some notable facts about the streak and the context surrounding it:
– The streak lasted 6,938 days, during which the Twins reached the postseason in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Out of these appearances, five were as AL Central champions, with Minnesota being a Wild Card team in 2017.
– Out of the 18 postseason losses during the drought, 13 came against the New York Yankees. However, the Yankees only went on to win the World Series in one of those years, 2009.
– The Twins held a lead in nine of the 18 losses, including two one-run losses in extra innings during the 2004 ALDS against the Yankees.
– The latest lead the Twins had in a postseason game during the drought was in the 12th inning of Game 2 of the 2004 ALDS, immediately following their last playoff win. They led New York 6-5 before ultimately losing on a walk-off sacrifice fly.
– Over the 19-year drought, every other team in the Majors won at least two playoff games, with the Houston Astros leading the pack with 69 victories.
– The drought spanned three managers: Ron Gardenhire (2004-2014), Paul Molitor (2015-2018), and the current manager, Rocco Baldelli (2019-present).
To put the length of the drought into perspective, here are some events that took place the last time the Twins won a playoff game:
– George W. Bush was the President of the United States.
– Facebook, which was still called “The Facebook,” was limited to Harvard University and other northeastern colleges.
– The iPhone was still three years away, and flip-phones were the dominant mobile phones in the market.
– The Twins played their games in the Metrodome stadium.
– The Philadelphia Phillies had just completed their first season in Citizens Bank Park.
– The Houston Astros were still playing in the National League.
– Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was a 22-year-old center fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays.
– Twins legend Joe Mauer was a 21-year-old rookie.
– Twins rookie hero from Game 1, Royce Lewis, was just 5 years old.
With their winless streak finally snapped, the Twins have their sights set on a bigger goal – winning their first World Series title since 1991. Morneau believes this year’s team is capable of achieving that. “This team’s concern is winning more than one game. They talk about winning the World Series, and I think this is the deepest Twins team that’s been in the postseason in a while, and they’re capable of doing it,” he said.
The Twins will look to continue their postseason success as they face the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. With the weight of the winless streak lifted off their shoulders, the Twins are eager to make their mark in the playoffs and bring a championship to Minnesota.