When were the Minnesota Twins founded?

The Minnesota Twins are a team that is always in the background. The team, a key member of the AL Central, has not had much postseason success recently, which has pushed them to the back of many fans' minds.

Although the team has fallen on hard times lately, the team has a storied history and even a World Series win. Today, we are going to explore the history of the team and learn about its origins.

"Rare film footage of the 1924 Washington Senators winning the World Series, defeating the New York Giants in seven games. Fans swarm onto the field of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.!" - @ Baseball by BSmile

The Washington Senators represented Washington DC on the diamond long before the Washington Nationals. The Senators, founded in 1901, are an often-forgotten team that was bitter rivals with the New York Yankees during the "Murderers Row" days of the 1920s. The Senators won the World Series in 1924.

Senators ownership believed that they could be more successful elsewhere in the 1950s due to declining spectator numbers. Calvin Griffith, team president, relocated his team to the newly constructed Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he hoped to attract more fans.

The Minnesota Twins' early days were defined by players like Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison. However, it would be a couple of decades before the Twins began to compete among the best in the league.

The Twins began to develop some serious talent in the mid-1980s, with players like Bert Blyleven, Frank Viola, and Kirby Puckett. The Minnesota Twins hired a legendary manager and former Twins player Bob Kelly in 1986. The following season, Kelly helped the Twins win the 1987 World Series.

"Thank you to the Minnesota Twins for sending me the new Twins hat. So many great players and memories since 1961. Go Twins!" - @ Bert Blyleven

The Twins followed up their success by winning the 1991 World Series over the Atlanta Braves. More recently, the team has struggled to succeed in the competitive AL Central, and they have not won the division title since their World Series win in 1991.

The Minnesota Twins are a perennial underdog

However, the team looked poised to contend in the AL West in 2022, especially after penning star shortstop Carlos Correa to a $105 million, 3-year deal. However, the team began to lose ground midway through the season and finished 3rd in the division, 14 games out of first place.