Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr.,nicknamed "the Ryan Express",is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB),Ryan pitched for the New York Mets,California Angels,Houston Astros,and Texas Rangers. After his retirement in 1993,Ryan served as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Texas Rangers and an executive advisor to the Houston Astros. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999,and is widely considered to be one of the greatest MLB pitchers of all time.
John Scott Morris is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1977 and 1994,mainly for the Detroit Tigers. Morris won 254 games throughout his career.
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 2008 to 2012. A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Twins,Santana is a four-time All-Star and earned a pitching triple crown in 2006. On June 1,2012,Santana pitched the first no-hitter in New York Mets history against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In Major League Baseball (MLB),the 3,000 strikeout club is the group of 19 pitchers who have struck out 3,000 or more batters in their careers. Walter Johnson became the first member in 1923,and was the only one until Bob Gibson joined in 1974. The most recent addition is Max Scherzer,who joined on September 12,2021. The group includes three left-handed pitchers:CC Sabathia,Steve Carlton,and Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson reached the mark with the fewest games pitched and innings pitched. The Minnesota Twins were the first of four franchises to see multiple pitchers record their 3,000th strikeout:Walter Johnson in 1923 and Bert Blyleven in 1986. The other teams with multiple members are the Chicago Cubs,the New York Yankees,and the Houston Astros. César Gerónimo is the only player struck out by two pitchers for their 3,000th strikeout:Gibson in 1974 and Ryan in 1980. Ten 3,000-strikeout pitchers are also members of the 300-win club. Seven members were named to the All-Century Team,a list of MLB's best 100 players;fans later elected four of them as starters. Thirteen members of the club also won a Cy Young Award in their careers.
James Lee Kaat is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (1959–1973),Chicago White Sox (1973–1975),Philadelphia Phillies (1976–1979),New York Yankees (1979–1980),and St. Louis Cardinals (1980–1983). His playing career spanned 25 years.
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega,nicknamed El Tiante,was a Cuban Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed starting pitcher. He pitched in MLB for 19 years,primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox.
Kyle Matthew Lohse is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins,Cincinnati Reds,Philadelphia Phillies,St. Louis Cardinals,Milwaukee Brewers,and Texas Rangers.
James Evan Perry Jr. is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1959 to 1975 for the Cleveland Indians,Minnesota Twins,Detroit Tigers,and Oakland Athletics. During a 17-year baseball career,Perry compiled 215 wins,1,576 strikeouts,and a 3.45 earned run average. He won the Cy Young Award in 1970 and was a three-time MLB All-Star. He and his younger brother Gaylord Perry,who were Cleveland teammates in 1974–1975,became the first brothers to both win 200 games in the major leagues,and remain the only brothers to both win Cy Young Awards.
Roy Frederick Smalley III is an American former professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1975 through 1987 for the Texas Rangers (1975–76),Minnesota Twins,New York Yankees (1982–84),and Chicago White Sox (1984). Smalley was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. His father,Roy Jr.,was also an MLB league shortstop,and his uncle,Gene Mauch,was a long-time MLB manager and infielder.
Francisco Liriano Casillas is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins,Chicago White Sox,Pittsburgh Pirates,Toronto Blue Jays,Houston Astros,and Detroit Tigers. Liriano was an MLB All-Star in 2006,and is a two-time winner of the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award;he is the only player to win the award in both leagues.
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1971 through 1983 for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers.
Robert Dennis Owchinko is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played all or parts of ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Initially drafted by the San Diego Padres,he played for five teams during the 1980s. During his career,he worked as both a starter and relief pitcher.
Jesse Sandoval Flores was a Mexican Major League Baseball pitcher. The 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m),175 lb (79 kg) right-hander was a native of Guadalajara,Jalisco,Mexico. He played for the Chicago Cubs (1942),Philadelphia Athletics (1943–47),and Cleveland Indians (1950).
The 1973 Minnesota Twins finished 81–81,third in the American League West.
The 1976 Minnesota Twins finished 85–77,third in the American League West. Only 715,394 fans attended Twins games,the lowest total in the American League. It was the third year in a row that the Twins attracted the fewest fans in the AL.
The 1986 Minnesota Twins finished at 71–91,sixth in the AL West,21 games behind the eventual American League West runner-up California Angels. 1,255,453 fans attended Twins games,the second lowest total in the American League. Pitcher Bert Blyleven made a prediction on Fan Appreciation Day on October 3,saying that if the team came together as a unit and signed some other good players,they could potentially bring a World Series championship to Minnesota. That prediction proved accurate the next year.
The 1977 Major League Baseball season saw the American League (AL) having its third expansion,as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays began play,with Seattle returning to the MLB fold after a seven-year absence when the Pilots relocated to Milwaukee to become the Brewers. However,the National League (NL) did not expand,remaining at 12 teams compared to the AL's 14,until the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins joined the NL in 1993.
Martín Pérez Jiménez is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins,Boston Red Sox,Texas Rangers,Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. Pérez was an MLB All-Star in 2022 and won the 2023 World Series with the Rangers.
Kyle Benjamin Gibson is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB)for the Minnesota Twins,Texas Rangers,Philadelphia Phillies,Baltimore Orioles,and St. Louis Cardinals. The Twins selected Gibson in the first round,22nd overall,of the 2009 MLB Draft,and he made his MLB debut in 2013.
The 2011 Minnesota Twins season was the 51st season for the franchise in Minnesota,and the 111th overall in the American League. The team drew 3,168,107 fans during the year. The Twins had a poor season,falling from first place the year before to last in American League Central.
