At the least the Twins could hit and score runs in 1996, but that was not the case in the strike-shortened season of 1995.
They got their usual offensive support from the likes of Kirby Puckett, Chuck Knoblauch and Rookie of the Year Marty Cordova, but on the mound it was not pretty, despite the presence of Brad Radke. One starter in the rotation had an ERA under 5.00 and even then it was just barely. They also had little in the way of relief and when the season came to an end the Twins had the worst team ERA in the American League at 5.76.
How bad was it? The Twins were blown out 34 times that season. That’s right: 34 times they lost by five or more runs and opening day was no exception, the Twins losing 9-0 to the Boston Red Sox. The Twins went 2-3 in April, 8-20 in May and 7-19 in June en route to a 56-88 record.
The most runs allowed that season was in a 16-7 defeat to the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Sept. 18.
The Star Tribune newspaper was there:
“The Young and the Zestless took their mope opera to Kansas City on Monday. The baby Twins embarrassed themselves in the first game of a doubleheader, then ended a six-game losing streak because the youngest among them — LaTroy Hawkins — earned the first victory of his career in the nightcap.”
Rookie Radke pitched to a 5.32 ERA across a team-leading 181 innings in 1995. Although he lost 14 games, there were flashes of what would help him win 148 games across 12 seasons for the Twins, including a 20-10 mark in 1997.
On Aug. 29, Radke tossed a complete game three-hitter to blank the Texas Rangers 2-0.
“Radke could have evoked the hallowed name of Greg Maddux with his performance,” the Star Tribune reported. “He threw only 101 pitches, the second-fewest in a nine-inning complete game this season.”
Extra innings…
–It was disappointing to learn that ex-Twin Max Kepler, who spent 10 seasons with the club before moving on to Philadelphia last season, has been suspended 80 games for using performing-enhancing drugs, Major League Baseball announced Friday. He’s currently a free agent, which means that in light of the suspension it likely will be tough, if not impossible, to latch onto a new team for the 2026 season.
–I have said it before and I will say it again: As a longtime Twins fan, I am by extension a fan of the state of Minnesota. My son and I have visited the state on multiple occasions. We have cheered on the local team at Target Field, we have ridden light rail, perused downtown and walked along the waterfront — an area lake or the Mississippi River — played golf, dined at local restaurants and generally taken in the sights and sounds of the Twin Cities. We have enjoyed the area and plan to return again.
The assassination and shooting of state lawmakers was hard enough, but the recent demonization of immigrants there and the ghastly behavior of those operating in the name of the federal government has simply been — to say the absolute very least — beyond the pale. Once again, I’m thinking of the state and wishing nothing but the best for it and its people.
Source: Newspapers.com