Swept out of playoffs, Twins still proud of 101-win season

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — While the New York Yankees were dousing themselves with cheap drinks down the hall in the Target Field basement, the Minnesota Twins were left to wonder how 101 wins, 307 homers and so much summer fun could lead to such an abrupt autumn exit.

Minnesota's major league record streak of 16 straight postseason losses, with 13 of those defeats exacted by the seemingly indefatigable Yankees, will gnaw at the franchise and the fan base for yet another year.

For the free agents to be, the 2019 regular season might well be the highlight of their time in Minnesota rather than the start of a dynastic run. The players who return in 2020, even with their experience of October disappointment administered by the nemesis Yankees limited to a mere three or four games, will face the same questions next year about slaying the pinstriped dragon that's bound to be among the AL favorites again.

One bad weekend of baseball on the big stage, though, can't erase the remarkable consistency, admirable resiliency and staggering success this Twins team displayed in bringing the crowds back to the limestone-and-glass ballpark and winning the AL Central division for the first time since 2010 when the building opened.

Even with the sting of the AL Division Series sweep so fresh on Monday night, the Twins had no trouble expressing pride in their 101-61 record in the regular season that surpassed all expectations, inside and out.

"So many memories. There was something special that happened pretty much every day," said catcher Mitch Garver, one of a record five players who topped 30 home runs. "We were crushing this league for a long time, and it just felt incredible. But that's all due to what these guys come in and do every day. They come in and put in the work, and we all stayed dedicated to our craft. We dealt with a lot of...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Swept-out-of-playoffs-Twins-still-proud-of-14502185.php