Twins Quietly Building a Winner

Baseball’s dream matchups involve a Subway Series in New York, a Freeway Series in southern California, and perhaps another I-70 tangle between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals.

But isn’t someone forgetting the Minnesota Twins?

Since the last out of the World Series--and even before then--the Twins have worked quietly to improve on their fourth-place finish of last year.

They have traded with Cleveland, Detroit, Boston and the New York Mets, trying to build around an impressive nucleus.

“We’re trying to conform our club a little bit more to the surface we play on,” said Andy MacPhail, vice president of player personnel, who has strong family ties to the game.

He is a son of Lee MacPhail, whose various positions include presidency of the American League, and grandson of Larry MacPhail, one-time part owner and president of the Yankees who introduced night baseball to the majors when he was general manager at Cincinnati.

“We tried to improve our speed and range,” said Andy MacPhail. “We weren’t satisfied with our middle relief. We want to throw our middle open to a competitive situation.”

Last year amounted to a flop for a team that entered the season with the look of a contender. Before the season ended, Ray Miller replaced Billy Gardner as manager, and the Twins reacquired ace right-hander Bert Blyleven from Cleveland.

Blyleven, who also pitched for Texas and Pittsburgh since leaving Minnesota after the 1976 season, went 17-16 last year with a 3.16 earned-run average. He joins a starting rotation that includes Frank Viola (18-14), Mike Smithson (15-14, 4.34) and John Butcher (11-14, 4.98).

MacPhail said that only St. Louis and Kansas City generated as many victories from their top three starters as Blyleven, Viola and Smithson delivered last year.

MacPhail, assistant general manager in Houston for four seasons, said he made his winter deals on the basis on what he observed after assuming the Twins job in August.

“The first thing I noticed was the surface,” he said. “I hadn’t realized it was quite as lively as it is. When you play on our surface, speed is a real prerequisite.”

In one series of deals, the Twins made room for people they think can play in the big leagues now. MacPhail said the potential of catcher Jeff Reed, 22, enabled the team to deal catcher Dave Engle to Detroit for infielder Chris Pittaro and Al Sanchez.

The presence of Pittaro and 25-year-old second baseman Steve Lombardozzi allowed the Twins to trade Tim Teufel to the Mets for outfield prospect Billy Beane and minor league left-hander Bill Latham.

Beane will challenge Mickey Hatcher in left, Reed can share time with Mark Salas and Tim Laudner behind the plate, and Pittaro and Lombardozzi should fill the need at second.

That’s a lot of youth to place into the lineup at once, but the Twins also offer veteran Tom Brunansky in right, Kirby Puckett (.288) in center and Gary Gaetti (20 homers) at third.

The Twins also sent right-hander Ken Schrom to Cleveland for right-hander Roy Smith and left-hander Ramon Romero. They will receive a chance to make the club as middle relievers or spot starters.

Last year, the Twins finished with a 77-85 record in the American League West, tied for fourth with Oakland, 14 games behind the Royals.

For consolation, however, the Twins need only recall 1965, the last time they went to the World Series. They were 79-83 in 1964 before blossoming to 102-60.

In 1985, the baseball community flocked to the Metrodome for a mid-summer event. Don’t be too shocked if the event occurs later in the season.