Dunn attended Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia from 1984 to 1988 where he earned Washington Post All-Metropolitan Baseball honors in 1987 and 1988. Dunn was a top 10 Baseball America magazine prospect in 1988, but had committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill prior to the 1988 amateur draft which resulted in his slide to the 4th round. After attending a Minnesota Twins game in which he took batting and fielding practice with the team prior to the game, Dunn rescinded his commitment to UNC and signed with Twins for a $100,000 signing bonus.
The Twins released Dunn on November 20, 1995 and he signed with the Cleveland Indians before the 1996 season. He played 92 games for the Buffalo Bisons of the American Association, but never again reached the major league level.
He went on to become both a baseball coach and a humanities teacher of East Tennessee's Alcoa High School where he still teaches. He is married and has three girls.
Kirby Puckett was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins (1984–1995). Puckett is the Twins' all-time leader in career hits, runs, and total bases. At the time of his retirement, his .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter since Joe DiMaggio.
Gary Joseph Gaetti, is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins (1981–1990), California Angels (1991–1993), Kansas City Royals (1993–1995), St. Louis Cardinals (1996–1998), Chicago Cubs (1998–1999) and Boston Red Sox (2000).
Christopher Cory Gomez is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He bats and throws right-handed.
Michael Ray Jackson is a former professional baseball player whose career spanned 19 seasons, 17 of which were spent in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jackson, a relief pitcher for the majority of his career, compiled a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.42, allowing 451 earned runs off of 983 hits, 127 home runs, and 464 walks while recording 1,006 strikeouts over 1,005 games pitched.
Terry Lee Steinbach is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1986 to 1999, most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics team that won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series championship in 1989. He played his final three seasons with the Minnesota Twins. A three-time All-Star player, Steinbach won the 1988 All-Star Game MVP Award and caught two no-hitters during his career.
Kevin Ray Tapani is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.
Timothy Shawn Teufel is an American former professional baseball second baseman and current coach. He played Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1993, most notably as a member of the New York Mets with whom he won a world championship in 1986. He also played for the Minnesota Twins and the San Diego Padres. He is currently a New York Mets minor league instructor and club ambassador. Teufel became known for his batting stance, the "Teufel shuffle", in which he wiggled his buttocks back and forth before the pitcher's delivery.
Prior to spring training, the 1996 Minnesota Twins were projected to be a contending team. The team's chances significantly worsened on March 28, 1996. Kirby Puckett, the team's franchise player, had been tattooing the Grapefruit League for a .360 average, but that morning woke up without vision in his right eye. He was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma. Several surgeries over the next few months could not restore vision in the eye. Puckett announced his retirement from baseball on July 12. After beginning the season under the melancholy cloud of the Puckett situation, Manager Tom Kelly's team finished the year with a 78-84 record, which put it in fourth place in the American League Central Division.
Although the 1995 Minnesota Twins were separated from a world championship by only four years, it seemed like eons. Because of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike, the season got off to a late start. However, it did not end soon enough, as the team finished with a 56–88 record and in last place in its division. The team found it impossible to compete against the runaway Cleveland Indians who won 100 games despite the shortened season and finished 44 games ahead of the Twins. By July, the team was trading away its veterans in a fire sale. Manager Tom Kelly might have preferred that the strike had continued.
The 1994 Minnesota Twins played in an abbreviated, strike-shortened season. The strike overshadowed the season's accomplishments. These included Scott Erickson's no-hitter on April 27, Chuck Knoblauch's 85-game errorless streak and league-leading 45 doubles, Kirby Puckett's 2,000th hit, and Kent Hrbek's retirement. In 113 games, Manager Tom Kelly's team finished with a record of 53–60, for fourth place in the newly created American League Central Division.
The 1990 Minnesota Twins, three years after their World Series title in 1987, fell to the bottom of the AL West once again. However, the season was not completely bad, as there were some bright spots that included pitchers Rick Aguilera and Scott Erickson. Aguilera converted from starter to closer and recorded 32 saves, while Erickson was promoted to the Twins in June from AA and went 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA. During Fan Appreciation Day on October 3, Outfielder Dan Gladden made a prediction saying that even though we finished in last place this season, we're going to improve next season and if we did, they could potentially bring another World Series championship to Minnesota. That prediction proved accurate the next year.
The 1972 Minnesota Twins finished 77–77, third in the American League West.
The 1978 Minnesota Twins finished 73–89, fourth in the American League West.
The 1989 Minnesota Twins finished 80–82, fifth in the AL West Division. 2,277,438 fans attended Twins games, the 7th highest total in the American League.
The Seattle Mariners 1996 season was their 20th season, and the team was the runner-up in American League West, with a record of 85–76 (.528), 4½ games behind the champion Texas Rangers. The Mariners led the majors in runs (993), doubles (335), runs batted in (954), and slugging percentage (.484), but the pitching staff had the highest earned run average (5.21) in team history. Four Mariners scored at least 100 runs and four drove in at least 100 runs. In their game against the Kansas City Royals on May 11, the Mariners set a franchise record of 12 extra-base hits.
The 1987 New York Mets season was the 26th regular season for the Mets. The Mets entered the season as the defending World Series champions. They went 92–70 and finished 2nd in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson. The team played home games at Shea Stadium.
The 2000 Boston Red Sox season was the 100th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished second in the American League East with a record of 85 wins and 77 losses, 2+1⁄2 games behind the New York Yankees, who went on to win the 2000 World Series. The Red Sox did not qualify for the postseason, as the AL wild card went to the Seattle Mariners, who had finished second in the American League West with a record of 91–71.
Below are select minor league players and the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Minnesota Twins:
Douglas Eugene Simons is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets (1991) and Montreal Expos (1992).
Nicholas Chad Gordon is an American professional baseball outfielder, second baseman, and shortstop for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Twins in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.
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