| if many fans of baseball are just a little familiar | | | | however thought this an opportunity for the |
| with Minnesota Twin's history and tend to actually | | | | Washington team and sought permission from the |
| think of the team as one of the expansion | | | | League to relocate the team back to D.C., which |
| teams, probably since the start of their playing | | | | would allow Washington D.C. the opportunity to |
| history didn't begin until 1961. Even though they | | | | create the new expansion team. The League then |
| did not start playing for Minneapolis until then, the | | | | agreed and Griffith took his team and relocated |
| franchise was actually one of American League's | | | | to Minnesota in Bloomington, right before the start |
| first eight teams. They originated not near the | | | | of the '61 season. During that same timeframe, |
| Twin Cities in Minnesota, but in the Washington, | | | | D.C. was seeing the creation of the Washington |
| D.C. area, where they were formerly named the | | | | team, once again called the Senators. |
| Washington Senators, next into the Nationals | | | | A Successful Warm Welcome |
| where the country kept referring to them as | | | | Not many expansion teams received a high level |
| Washington Senators, but then the team's owners | | | | of excitement as well as support from their fans |
| decided to officially take on the nickname of the | | | | upon arrival. Minnesota had an advantage with this |
| Senators a few years later. Also the Senators | | | | new team arriving in their state since they already |
| name never did appear on their jerseys until 1958, | | | | had lots of talent that they were brining with |
| only two years before the team made it's move | | | | them. Which helped spare this new franchise |
| over to Minnesota. | | | | having to slowly and steadily rise up in the Major |
| Expansion was Finally Granted | | | | League ranks, there were already well on their |
| Minneapolis was trying for years to obtain an | | | | way up. As a matter of fact, the Twins |
| Major League Baseball franchise and that request | | | | managed, in 1962, in achieving 91 victories, making |
| finally got granted in 1960. The MLB decided that | | | | that number of highest the franchise achieved |
| in 1960 it would expand their league in order to | | | | since the good old glory days during the '30s. In |
| reach out to new markets. And since Minnesota's | | | | 1965 they took that number even higher to 102 |
| team had a very rich tradition in the amateur | | | | wins, with the Pennant of the Amer. League that |
| baseball area it made them an attractive choice to | | | | year and only losing to Los Angeles that year in |
| bring into the MLB. The Senator's owners | | | | the World Series in the seventh game. |