History of the Minnesota Twins
Franchise began as Washington Senators, moved to Minnesota in 1961.
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the American League Central division of Major League Baseball. The franchise began in 1901 as the Washington Senators, one of the eight original American League teams. After a 1903 agreement settled disputes between the two major leagues regarding player contracts and member cities, the World Series was established. In 1905, the team officially changed its name to the Washington Nationals, though the "Nationals" name appeared on uniforms for only two years before being replaced by a "W" logo that lasted 52 seasons. The media often shortened the nickname to "Nats," but many fans and out-of-town newspapers continued to call them the Senators. Over time, "Nationals" faded, and "Senators" became the dominant nickname; baseball guides listed the club as "Nationals or Senators" to reflect this dual identity. After 60 years in Washington, the team relocated to the Twin Cities of Minnesota in 1961, becoming the first major league club to use a state name instead of a city name. Washington received a new expansion Senators team to replace them (which later became the Texas Rangers).
The name "Twins" comes from the Twin Cities region. Owner Calvin Griffith, aware of the long-standing rivalry between Minneapolis and St. Paul, wanted to avoid alienating fans in either city by naming the team after one. He initially proposed the "Twin Cities Twins," but after meeting with state officials, an unprecedented decision was made: the team would be named after the state. The Minnesota Twins name was announced on November 26, 1960, one month after the NFL's Minnesota Vikings had announced their name on September 27, 1960. Later teams like the California Angels, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks followed this state-naming model. The original "TC" logo (for Twin Cities) was kept until 1987, when the Twins updated their uniforms, feeling established enough to use an "M" on caps without St. Paul fans thinking it stood for Minneapolis. The "TC" logo returned on some home uniforms in 2002, along with the original cartoon logo of two players—representing the displaced Minneapolis Millers and St. Paul Saints—shaking hands over the Mississippi River. Since 2014, the classic "TC" logo has appeared on all uniforms.
The Twins were warmly welcomed when
- founded
- 1901 (as Washington Senators)
- relocated
- 1961 (to Minnesota)
- home field
- Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (1982 onward)
- league
- American League
- division
- Central
- world_series_titles
- 3
- managers_in_history
- 29
Lore & Background
The team was named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Owner Calvin Griffith proposed naming the team the Twin Cities Twins, but after a meeting with state officials, the team became the Minnesota Twins on November 26, 1960. The original 'Twin Cities Twins' TC logo was kept until 1987, when the Twins adopted uniforms with an 'M' on the caps. The TC logo returned in 2002 and has been used on all uniforms since 2014.
The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota in 1961. They won the American League Pennant in 1965 under manager Sam Mele, driven by Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Mudcat Grant, and league MVP Zoilo Versalles, but lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. The team returned to the World Series in 1987, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The 1982 season was the first 100-loss season since 1904, but the team also had 100-loss seasons in 1909 and 1910.
Reader's Guide
The Minnesota Twins franchise has a 108-year history as of the source article, with 29 managers and three World Series championships. Seven managers have taken the franchise to the postseason. Ron Gardenhire, manager from 2002 to 2014, led the team to six playoff appearances, the most in franchise history. Two managers won World Series with the franchise: Bucky Harris in 1924 (as Washington Senators) against the New York Giants, and Tom Kelly in 1987 against the St. Louis Cardinals and 1991 against the Atlanta Braves.
The team's name 'Twins' derives from the Twin Cities region, and the decision to use a state name was unprecedented in American professional baseball at the time. The franchise originally played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington from 1961 through 1981, then moved indoors to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 1982. The team's original cartoon logo features two players representing the Minneapolis Millers and St. Paul Saints shaking hands over the Mississippi River.
The franchise's significance includes being one of the American League's eight original charter franchises, its relocation from Washington D.C. to Minnesota, and its role in popularizing state-based team names, later followed by the California Angels, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Did You Know?
- The team was originally named the Washington Senators in 1901 and changed its official name to the Washington Nationals in 1905, though 'Senators' remained dominant.
- The Twins were the first major league baseball team to use a state in its geographical identifier name rather than the traditional city.
- The original 'Twin Cities Twins' TC logo was kept until 1987, then returned in 2002 and has been used on all uniforms since 2014.
- The franchise's worst season in Minnesota was 1982 with a 60–102 record, the first 100-loss season for the team since 1904.
More in History of Major League Baseball by team 1-24
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