Like many Twins teams of its half-decade, the 1998 Minnesota Twins neither impressed nor contended. The team finished with a 70–92 record, with subpar batting and pitching. The season was not without its bright spots, as individual players had solid seasons and Hall of Famedesignated hitterPaul Molitor announced his retirement at the end of the season. Tom Kelly's team had plenty of lowlights, most notably David Wells' perfect game against the team on May 17 at Yankee Stadium.
Regular season
Offense
In 1998, Twins fans witnessed the emergence of Matt Lawton and Todd Walker as major league hitters. The team believed Walker would be able to fill the void left after the trade of Chuck Knoblauch, who had been traded to the New York Yankees on February 6. Fans also saw the merciful end to Twins' Scott Stahoviak era. Otis Nixon had a surprising year for a 39-year-old, hitting.297 and stealing 37 bases. Molitor's hitting continued its gradual decline from his stellar 1996 campaign, with his average down to.281 and RBIs down to 69. These numbers were still competent and he was able to retire while playing solid baseball.
was the opening day starter for the Twins, the last opening day starter not named Brad Radke until 2006. Tewksbury, Radke, LaTroy Hawkins, and rookie Eric Milton were in the rotation for most of the year. Mike Morgan and Frank Rodriguez also started 17 and 11 games, respectively. While Morgan had an impressive year for a forty-year-old journeyman before being traded in August, Rodriguez's season was a major disappointment. In his last year for the Twins, Rodriguez went 4-6 with an ERA of 6.56. This could not have been what the team had in mind when it acquired him for Rick Aguilera in 1995. Subsequent to that trade, the Twins reacquired Aguilera, and he served as the teams' closer in 1998, earning a respectable 38 saves. Also in the bullpen, Eddie Guardado, Mike Trombley, Héctor Carrasco, and Greg Swindell had competent seasons.
In his penultimate year as a major league catcher, Minnesota native Terry Steinbach, then 36, had a mediocre season, with Javier Valentín as his backup. David Ortiz was projected as the starting first baseman, but was hampered by injuries. Orlando Merced, Molitor, and Stahoviak saw time at the position in Ortiz's absence. Walker played second, while Ron Coomer saw a majority of the time at third. Pat Meares was the starting shortstop, but was unceremoniously dumped by the team following the season. The outfield consisted of a declining Marty Cordova, Nixon, and Lawton.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Roster
Notable transactions
January 14: Signed first baseman/outfielder Orlando Merced as a free agent.
February 6: Traded second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Brian Buchanan, shortstop Cristian Guzmán, pitcher Eric Milton, pitcher Danny Mota, and cash.
April 3: Claimed pitcher Héctor Carrasco off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
May 26, 1998: Pitcher Doug Linton was signed as a Free Agent.
September 29: First baseman Scott Stahoviak granted free agency.
September 30: Infielder Brent Gates granted free agency. He was re-signed on December 15.
Miscellaneous
In February, Paul Molitor received the 1997 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award recognizing his exemplary contributions in both community and philanthropy. Molitor is the third Twin to receive the award, following Harmon Killebrew and Kent Hrbek.
The lone representative of the Twins in the All-Star Game was pitcher Brad Radke.
After a 9-for-10 weekend at the Dome, Todd Walker raised his batting 18 points to take the league lead at.352. He singled in his first July 28 at-bat in Kansas City to tie club records for consecutive hits and consecutive times on base. With a chance to set new records, he struck out looking in the fourth inning.
The highest paid Twin in 1998 was Paul Molitor at $4,250,000; followed by Terry Steinbach at $2,850,000.
Molitor also received the 1998 Branch Rickey Award, given annually to an individual in Major League Baseball in recognition of his exceptional community service. Kirby Puckett, in 1993, is the only other Twin to receive this award.
