I lived through the Marty Cordova era

I lived through the dark ages of Twins baseball. Yes, I am talking about the Marty Cordova Era. You see I was born in 1992, the last winning season the Twins would have until 2001. And while they had a winning season in 1992, for me personally I don’t recognize it because I was 1 years old and had no idea what baseball was.

Let’s fast foreword to when I am three, the age I figured out the difference between winners and losers. So it is 1995 when I am three and when I watch the Twins, all the while understanding what is going on for the first time they are absolutely sucking. From 1995 to 2000, my first five years of watching baseball I thought it was an absolute joke in Minnesota. You might not believe this now, but when I was a kid I looked at the Timberwolves in a higher respect than the Twins. But when you think about that makes sense. From 1995 to 2000 the T-Wolves made the playoffs 4 out of those five years. Meanwhile the Twins would have a combined record of 404-548 (.424 winning percentage, a worse winning percentage than their 2000 season when they went 69-93). That being said the Minnesota sports world would change in 2001 and something foreign to me occurred: The Twins were good.

In 2001 they almost made the playoff, coming in second in the AL Central Standings. All of sudden my thoughts on the Twins changed. Minnesota has a good MLB Baseball team? What the heck is going on!! And then in 2002 season another strange thing happened. Ron Gardenhire became the manager. While most Twins fans were sad to see Tom Kelly go, and were skeptical of Ron Gardenhire, I was ecstatic! As far as I was concerned it was a good thing. I wanted Tom Kelly out! Remember: I simply knew him as the guy with funny glasses that posted a five year winning percentage of .424. (Obviously my thoughts have now changed and I now hold Mr. Kelly in a high regard, but at the time I think it is understandable why I didn’t.)

In 2002, I turn 10, and just as I begin my new decade the Twins give me the greatest birthday present of all: A birth to the playoffs and a series win. I went my first ever baseball playoff games that year and boy were they fun. The A’s series which we came back from down 2-1., yeah I went to games three and four. And game four was truly electric. It was a must win game for the Twins and they played it like it was a must win game as they destroyed the A’s 11-2. Unfortunately they wound up loosing to the Angels in the ALCS , but nonetheless, two very special things came about from that season: 1. my love for the Twins. 2. My hatred towards rally monkeys

And now as I watch the Twins today I can’t help but have horrible flashbacks to the Marty Cordova era. I realize there is a three year old little chubby un-athletic St. Paul boy who is thinking the same thoughts I had when I was watching the Twins at that age. Sure people tell him Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are good, but he doesn’t believe it, just I like I didn’t believe it when people told me Tom Kelly was a good manager.

Are the Twins going through another Dark Age? Possibly, but honestly I don’t know. At least I have already lived through one Dark Age and know what to expect. I mean nothing can be worse than the Marty Cordova era. Absolutely nothing.