It might have been special for the Minnesota Twins to win the Harmon Killebrew Award Team of the Year in 2014, but they would have won it with a losing record in the competition, which isn't special. In the end, the Kansas City Royals emerged as a strong champion.
By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles
The 2014 season was looking pretty lackluster for the Harmon Killebrew Award until the middle of September.
Then, along came the Kansas City Royals.
When the Royals went to Cleveland to face the Cleveland Indians on Sept. 22, the Minnesota Twins were making a nice bid for Killebrew Team of the Year, despite a losing record in Killebrew games. Even with that, the Twins (21-22) led all American League teams in Killebrew wins (21), titles, (five) and days with the crown (24). The Twins were a low-percentage Killebrew team, playing for it 13 times, more than any other team, but defending it only twice in seven tries.
The Detroit Tigers were looking like the winners through the first half of September, taking the Killebrew with a two-of-three triumph against the New York Yankees in Detroit (Aug. 26-28), then holding it for four defenses.
But the Twins snagged it from Detroit with a two-of-three victory in Minneapolis Sept. 15-17 and, although they immediately lost it to the Indians (two-of-three in Minneapolis, September 19-21), that short tenure gave the Twins enough weight in the numbers to move in front.
The Royals changed all of that. In addition to winning two of three from the Indians, they held it through four games against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, then, of course, went on that eight-game winning streak in the American League playoffs to retire the prize for the year in their possession.
Thus, the Royals led all Killebrew teams in wins at 27-16, they ended with six title defenses and they held it for 27 days, most of any team. It was, for the Royals, a finish for the ages, in more ways than one.
2014 Harmon Killebrew Award results
Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.
Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.
Tampa Bay 3, Texas 1 — April 3-6 at St. Petersburg.
Kansas City 2, Tampa Bay 1 — April 7-9 at Kansas City.
Minnesota 3, Kansas City 0 - April 12-14 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Toronto 1 — April 15-17 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 — April 18-20 at Kansas City.
Cleveland 3, Kansas City 1 — April 21-24 at Cleveland.
ANGELS 3, Cleveland 0 — April 28-30 at Anaheim.
Texas 2, ANGELS 1 — May 2-4 at Anaheim.
Boston 2, Texas 1 — May 9-11 at Arlington.
Minnesota 2, Boston 1 — May 13-15 at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Seattle 1 — May 16-18 at Minneapolis.
Texas 3, Minnesota 1 — May 26-29 at Minneapolis.
Baltimore 2, Texas 1 — June 3-5 at Arlington.
Oakland 2, Baltimore 1 — June 6-8 at Baltimore.
ANGELS 2, Oakland 1 — June 9-11 at Los Angeles.
Cleveland 2, ANGELS 1 — June 16-18 at Cleveland.
Detroit 3, Cleveland 0 — June 20-22 at Cleveland.
Detroit 3, Texas 0 — June 24-26 at Arlington.
Houston 2, Detroit 1 — June 27-29 at Houston.
Seattle 3, Houston 0 — June 30-July 2 at Houston.
Chicago (AL) 2, Seattle 1 — July 4-6 at Chicago.
Chicago 2, Boston 2 — July 7-10 at Boston (Chicago, 19-12).
Cleveland 2, Chicago 1 — July 11-13 at Cleveland.
Cleveland 2, Detroit 1 — July 18-20 at Detroit.
Minnesota 2, Cleveland 1 — July 21-23 at Minneapolis.
Chicago 3, Minnesota 1 — July 24-27 at Minneapolis.
Chicago 2, Detroit 1 — July 29-31 at Detroit.
Minnesota 2, Chicago 1 — August 1-3 at Chicago.
Oakland 3, Minnesota 1 — August 7-10 at Oakland.
Kansas City 3, Oakland 1 — August 11-14 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1 — August 15-18 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 2, Texas 1 — August 22-24 at Arlington.
New York 1, Kansas City 0 — August 25 at Kansas City.
Detroit 2, New York 1 — August 26-28 at Detroit.
Detroit 2, Chicago 2 — August 29-31 at Chicago (Detroit, 20-17).
Detroit 3, Cleveland 1 — September 1-4 at Cleveland.
Detroit 2, Kansas City 1 — September 8-10 at Detroit.
Detroit 3, Cleveland 0 — September 12-14 at Detroit.
Minnesota 2, Detroit 1 — September 15-17 at Minneapolis.
Cleveland 2, Minnesota 1 — September 19-21 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 2, Cleveland 1 — September 22-24 at Cleveland.
Kansas City 3, Chicago 1 — September 25-28 at Chicago
Kansas City 1, Oakland 0 — September 30 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, ANGELS 0 — October 2-5 at Anaheim and Kansas City.
Kansas City 4, Baltimore 0 — 10-15 at Baltimore and Kansas City.
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