Minnesota Twins Baseball: Hardball History on the Prairie (Sports) - Softcover

Thornley, Stew

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1626193819 ISBN 13: 9781626193819

Publisher: The History Press, 2014

Synopsis

For more than half a century, Minnesotans have been treated to the memorable players and teams of the Minnesota Twins. From the Ruthian blasts of Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett to a successful brand of "small ball," the Twins have fielded competitive teams at Metropolitan Stadium, the Metrodome and Target Field. But prior to its arrival in 1961, the team also had a storied past in Washington that included Walter Johnson, the greatest pitcher of the Deadball Era, if not all time. Sports historian Stew Thornley highlights the lesser-known events in the club's history, from the area's attempts to lure a major-league team to town in the 1950s to then-owner Calvin Griffith's campaign to regionally rename the team. He also pays tribute to the rich heritage of baseball before the Twins, marked by minor-league teams such as the St. Paul Saints and Minneapolis Millers, which produced future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Ted Williams and Roy Campanella.

About this title

About the Author:

Sports historian Stew Thornley has written more than forty books. His first book, On to Nicollet: The Glory and Fame of the Minneapolis Millers, was a finalist in the 1988 Minnesota Book Awards and earned him a national research award sponsored by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and Macmillan Publishing Company. Thornley is an official scorer for Minnesota Twins home games for Major League Baseball and for the National Basketball Association for Minnesota Timberwolves games.

Review:

Throughout the pages of this 126-page book, Thorney does a good job of retelling the major events in Twins history one decade at a time. There have been good and bad times over the last five decades and the author employs his collection of knowledge to convey them to the most passionate of Twins fans. He tells stories that might not be familiar and even provides insights into his own private collection of baseball artifacts. --Cody Christie, Twins Daily

Even though this book is a quick read, there is great information packed onto every page. The inset stories and pictures provide a look at how baseball on the prairie has changed since the 1880s. For even the most dedicated Twins fan there will be stories in this book that one has forgotten or stories that one would love to relive. This book can be read over a long weekend at the lake but the memories will stick with you forever. --Cody Christie, Twins Daily

About this edition

• Publisher: The History Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1626193819
• ISBN 13: 9781626193819
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128