The Minnesota Twins and the Cruelest Streak in Sports 

THEY DID IT! I am convinced this video helped them end the streak.

This is better than any video I've ever made

They’ve done it. The streak is finally over. I’m happy for y’all. Good franchise, good fanbase, y’all deserved the suffering to end

Man, 2010 hurts even more when you remember how Morneau was stopped cold by his career-altering concussion in the middle of what might’ve been the best season ever by a Twin

I cannot believe I just watched this for free. As a depressed Nats fan, I’ll be pulling for the Twins this October.

He jinxed it. Thank god, he jinxed it

As a Guardians fan, the Royals fan rooting for "AL Central bros" really stuck out to me. While there is some division rivalry, I definitely feel a sense of community with other AL Central fans. I guess that's what 2 combined World Series wins in 25+ years will do. We're a bunch of misfits and losers taking on the big guys.

As a big Dorktown and Twins fan, this was everything I could have hoped for, in every painful way imaginable. Fantastic storytelling. Liked and subbed.

I love how they ended the streak literally one week after this near-2 hour video was posted

Kirby Puckett is the reason I love baseball. Seeing the pure JOY in my father's eyes when I was 7 years old and they won the WS in 1991 is the reason I love the Twins. Superbly done, Chris. Take a bow, my dude -- this should become a NetFlix special (I'm not kidding).

This is fantastic storytelling! I’m not a baseball person but this was really compelling

I don’t ever like/comment on videos. This is the greatest piece of sports media I’ve ever consumed, and I’m not even a twins fan. Incredible job

Something about the segment on game 163 in 2009 really gets to me. It’s one of my most vivid baseball memories. 11 years old sitting on the recliner, staying up way past my bed time. Jumping in the air as Gomez glides across home plate. I still have the newspaper clipping from that moment. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to watching the Twins win a playoff game. That was my very first moment of complete euphoria over a sporting event. I’ve felt from the beginning of this season that this would be the year they beat the streak. Not because they’re statically due to break it, but because something about this team feels so different. And you better believe that I’ll be jumping with joy like I did when I was 11 when it’s finally over.

This is one of the greatest baseball documentaries I’ve ever seen. Bravo. Like seriously, this deserves awards.

I was born around a month after the twins won their last playoff game. I've lived all my life hearing about the Twins from my dad and grandfather (unfortunately, being from the New Jersey area, my dad was and is and will forever be a diehard Yankees fan) and it never really occurred to me about their record in the playoffs. The twins played, my dad went to a few games occasionally bringing me along, and life would move on. I look back now and realize how crazy it is how I've lived my entire life without the Twins ever winning a playoff game. I've been watching this type of documentary content for a few years now. I became infatuated with the Jon Bois style of video, and enjoyed it much more when BobbyBroccoli applied it to one of my favorite topics in the world, the sciences. Out of all these videos which have changed so much of my worldview and knowledge, this has got to be my favorite data-centric documentary ever. You do such a great job of both portraying the story and outcome of the games as a true fan of the team. Your animation and visuals were extremely impressive and I really hope you create more videos of this style. Amazing work!

Unreal!!! They did it!! I give you a lot of credit for this Huge W! We’ll you and Royce Lewis

Hopefully some non Twins fans also watch this “video”. And understand the pain. 😅 And from the replies most of them didn’t watch the video.😑

as a young baseball fan, who followed a semi-local giants during their 2010-2014 dynasty and who realized that loving baseball was the ups and downs together when i left following baseball prior to 2020 and found myself feeling happy watching the young pirates have fun, thank you for giving a perspective of a fan of another team like no other, I never understood why someone is a fan of (insert team who hasn't had success in 25+ years) or why someone bandwagons (enter trendy team here) but I think this video has helped me find at least half of my answer, family, communities, just excitement for the future of the game/a team. the Braves miracle 2021 gave my dad a source of light and they have only shined since and I know it won't last forever but I will always root for the Braves and now, I think I can safely say, the Twins will be on that list... wait a second i forgot to mention, fuck the yanks

Seattle Mariners fan here. This video was incredible. Footage of game 163 vs Detroit had me sobbing like a child.

Idk how you can make so much heartbreak so entertaining to watch. I remember all those games, yet somehow, watching the highlights, still feel the excitement like they have a chance... Great history breakdown.

Man, did this open up some wounds. I definitely have a bias as a lifelong Twins fan, but good lord this was well put together, incredibly researched and profoundly unique. I’m glad I watched this after the Twins broke the streak because I don’t if I would’ve been able to watch the game knowing how cursed our recent history has been. I broke down and cried after the win against the Jays today which I was not expecting. I’ll be at game 2 and hope the Twins can pull off the sweep! Go Twins!!

Congratulations, Twins fans. You've waited long enough.

The ending gave me the craziest goosebumps. Extremely well done.

I'm watching this on the day the streak of losing has ended, and it's absolutely crazy on how much has happened to this organization for this streak to happen. Considering my Cardinals aren't in this year, I'll root for the Twins this year.

This is one of the greatest videos I have ever watched and perfectly encapsulates all my feelings as a life long Twins fan. Thank you for such an incredible piece of media.

The baseball gods needed Chris to relive this struggle before they’d let the twins win, thanks Chris!

I lost my grandpa (who was a massive twins fan and the reason my father and I are fans too) last year, so that ending really got to me 😢 Such a really well done video, thank you for making it!

If I made this video I would take it with me to the grave. Unbelievable from start to finish, I can't believe I watched the entire thing. Incredible illustration of history that I myself lived through and remember parts of (90s kid). I don't know how many people will sit and watch this entire thing but it's a shame because this is not only one of the best sports documentaries I have ever seen, it is one of the greatest documentaries I have ever seen period.

Chris - this is incredible, exceptional stuff for this lifelong Twins fan and sportswriter. Thank you for making this.

THE STREAK IS OVER! I've waited my entire life just to see the twins win a playoff game, and 19 years later, they've done it. Thank you Chris, for an amazing video and for jinxing the curse we have finally freed ourselves from.

This needs to go viral! It’s beautifully made. The highs, the lows, and the disappointment. All to the one feeling of hope. Go Twins!

This was the most beautiful love letter. Thank you SO much for making this.

As a lifelong twins fan, this is both a fantastic and horrifying video. Well done. This will be our year, I'm sure :')

THE STREAK IS OVER!

What a remarkably well done illustration of the horror. Seriously, this is exquisite work, congratulations.

We're all here before 1,000 subscribers ^^

As a Braves fan… after watching this video I’d love to somehow see a Braves Twins World Series. And if the Twins make it that far. I’d want them to have it. Not just to have it. But to work for it and it be a hell of a series for the Twins to win. As he said it. They will win another world series. Go Braves and as far as the AL is concerned. Go Twins

@Chris Hanel SKOR North gave your video a shoutout. Congrats on all the praise. You did a great job and it mustve been a ton of work. So happy for you that you are getting the recognition.

Unbelievable video. Thank you for the time and effort put into this. As a huge minnesota sports fan that was 3 years old in 1991, this encapsulates the heartbreak since perfectly.

Chris just an incredible video. Literally brought me to emotion. If this video doesn’t encapsulate what it is to be a Minnesota sports fan than show me a better example.

THE STREAK IS OVER!!! I was at Game 1 vs. Toronto earlier this evening...Target Field was absolutely electric! I only finished the last 30-40 minutes of the video tonight...still a great watch even after knowing it all came to an end today.

Fantastic work. And I'm so sorry.

As a twins fan I can say that you accurately described my own emotional rollercoaster. I hope you continue to make more of these!

This was beautiful, and knowing that the streak ended yesterday makes it even so much more powerful

This video has me sobbing yet very hype for the 2023 playoffs. They will end the drought, it’s just a matter of when. When that does happen, tears will flow. Probably uncontrollably, I am 21 years old and I have not been able to witness the Twins win a playoff series. I was too young to remember the last playoff game win. So when they do end the drought and win a playoff game, win a playoff series and win the World Series. You best believe I will be crying my eyes out. Such a beautiful video, thank you. Last but not least, GO TWINS.

11:24 that is when this Video begins talking about: THE STREAK!! Loved the Ferris Bueller reference.

I have just a handful of moments I cherish from being a Twins fan. To young for the championships, witnessing in person Johan Santana striking out 17 Rangers batters and watching 2009 game 163 on tv.

Listening to this video while watching today's Twins playoff game. Currently up 3-1 at the 7th inning stretch. Win Twins,!

...And it's over.

19 years and waiting. I was in 6th grade last time they won a playoff game, now im almost 30 with a kid of my own.😢 the pain is real.

Just moved to the Twin Cities at the beginning of this year and fell in love with not only the people and places but this team as well and holy cow, I had no idea the pain ran this deep but the beauty and pain and achievement shown through the entire time, especially with how you presented it. I watched the whole thing and thank YOU for putting this together.

Stay tuned after the credits for a special message from me and my extremely adorable dog. Corrections/Clarifications/Notes: 10:18 - This isn't a clarification, I just want to note that you can hear Deeps bark in the background as I'm narrating. I "forgot" to take it out of the edit. >.> 25:36 - Johan Santana came to the Twins as a result of the Astros leaving him unprotected during the Rule 5 draft, and the article in the video does go into the details a bit more than my narration, but to clarify: The Twins had the first pick in the draft and made a deal with the Marlins to pick Jared Camp first, have the Marlins pick Santana second, and then the Twins would get $50k in compensation along with swapping players. 33:01- while talking about Game 163, I address how the Twins held the season series advantage over the Tigers. However, what you see on screen is a a BRef table of the Twins vs. the White Sox, which is a big mistake on my part and was due to having just done all the animation for the 2008 tiebreaker. (For those curious, the Twins beat the Tigers in the season series 11-7.) 51:02- I say in the narration that the 2009 ALDS took place in the 'old' Yankee Stadium, but this is incorrect, this was the first year that the Yankees played in the new (and current) stadium. I caught this during the editing and then forgot to add a correction to the video. 53:35 - The WGA announced a tentative deal to end the strike literally the day before this video was released. If the price of that is this joke being obsolete then I am happy to pay that price. 1:06:20 - I mention that this is Paul Molitor's "first coaching job". What i should have said was that this was his first post as Manager, as he had been a bench coach, hitting coach, and fielding instructor for both the Twins and Mariners prior to accepting the head job in 2015. 1:13:43- There was supposed to be text and arrows pointing to this while I was narrating, but the pitch immediately before Gregorius's home run should have been strike three, but the ump called it a ball. 1:39:40 - I say "for the first time in decades, the Twins split a series at Yankee Stadium" and then immediately show that the last time it happened was actually only 9 years ago. In the script I was originally bundling together all of the following factoids but then changed the phrasing without updating the opening line.

Similar presentation as a Jon Bois video, but you completely made it your own. This was fantastic. Could really tell you lived through this streak. I’ve always heard of the Twins losing streak, but never knew how absolutely brutal it was. As an Angels fan I understand the pain of sports bit, but this is truly something else. Just straight up meteor smacking you on the head unluckiness spread out over 20 years. Twins have a solid team this year, especially pitching wise. I could easily see them beat the streak. After watching this, though, I am nervous for any further cruelty the baseball gods may bestow upon the Twins. I truly hope, just for the fans sakes, they get back in the W column.

I didn't want to sit down to watch an almost two hour RU-vid video, but my brother texted me and said to try it on 1.5 speed. After 7 minutes I slowed it down to regular speed and my eyes didn't leave the TV until the end. I have never had someone so beautifully (still painfully) illustrate what being a Twins fan has been for me. All we live on is hope. And to be honest that hope has been gone since 2020. I still watch every game, but no matter what good has happened this year (Correa walk off, Royce grand slams, the entire rotation being unstoppable) I find myself not enjoying it because I know the pain that's coming. This story reminded me of all the pain of the past, but it has also sparked that hope in me again. Thank you Chris, and go Twins.

It's over baby, it feels so great. I do not know how long we'll last in the playoffs but I am happy this monkey is off the back!

There are those who are going to discredit you for "stealing" Jon Bois style, but you took the framework established by Secret Base and modified it, added onto it, and made it your own. This was beautiful.

I’m not really a baseball fan but as an all around sports fan this is one of the best passion projects I have ever watched. Thank you.

This took me back. I was raised in MN and watched all these games as they happened. I remember watching them win that game in 2004 when I was just a sophomore in high school, I am now 35 years old. This video really made me realise how much I miss the past players and teams from my youth. Thank you for making this.

I’m a lifelong Twins fan and Mauer superfan and this video was probably the most well-done (and surprisingly concise for the runtime) explanation of what this streak meant to us and how much the Toronto series meant to our collective psyche. Watching the 2009 series recap was so much of a gut punch, it felt like I was back in that timeframe. I’ll make the trip to Cooperstown with you when Joe gets inducted. In the meantime, let’s meet over by gate 6 and I’ll buy you a Summit.

Just came back to say congrats on your Twins on breaking the streak. This documentary is very well made, entertaining, informal and fascinating as hell. PS: I hope someone one day makes a video on how influential Jon Bois and Secret Base have been on Sports YT since 2020. His fingerprints are all over these docs lol.

Congratulations Twins and Twins fans!! Watched your video just in time to find myself cheering on the Twins today =D of course A-Rod would be in the booth for this game haha

Amazing video. Lots of memories. Go Twins!

This was very well done! While a lot of parts were painful, it perfectly painted the picture of the last 18 playoff games. Also, reliving game 163 vs the Tigers was amazing!

Man, this had me in tears multiple times. Incredible video! I immediately sent it to my friend who’s a White Sox fan and he was on board right away. This got me hyped for the playoffs and reminded me of so many great memories with loved ones. Thanks for doing this! Great work! MAKE MORE MINNESOTA SPORTS VIDEOS PLEASE!

49:51 every September I think I've almost purged this from my memory, but like clockwork, it refreshes itself every October.

I have been a Twins fan all my life. I attended three games of the 1987 World Series (Don Baylor's Game Six homer landed two rows in front of me) and have felt exactly the pain you expertly described these past 19 years. This is probably one of the finest baseball videos I've ever seen, exactly because it hits so close to home. It made the Tuesday win (which I witnessed in person) that much sweeter. I've watched this video 7 times in six days. An amazing job!😊

You know that thing going around about how often do you think of the Roman Empire? This is my Roman Empire. I think about these playoff losses almost daily and how brutal this streak has been. This video gave me chills. Cheers and kudos!

I was 6 years old when Puckett went deep in game 6. I've been in love with this game and this team ever since. Puck was my hero. Fast forward a few decades and my son's heroes are Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. Hopefully Buck and Kep can give my son postseason memories similar to mine. Let's go boys. It's time.

Hey man, this is an absolutely amazing video and I can feel your passion for this team pouring into the work it took to make it. Hoping to see more videos from you one day… just hopefully not about the Blue Jays. Good luck to the Twins and cheers from a Rays fan!

Game 163 in 2009 made me tear up, absolutely fantastic storytelling.

As a 26 year old Twins fan I love this video. I feel like my life hasn’t been an able to see a single Twins win that I can remember. I was alive in 2004 but I wasn’t able to watch the last win. I’m ready for this year to change that.

It’s so crazy that in 2 months we have a secret base documentary on the Vikings Post season woes and now a secret base style one on the twins. How brutal it is to be a Minnesota sports fan. What’s next? T-Wolves?

This is one of the greatest videos I have seen on this website and I've been on here since the early 2010s. This needs to be shared.

I will forever remember the top of 1 in 2017. ugh bring me back Also, amazing work on the video!

after todays first divison series game win im 100% convinced this video jinxed the streak. i am so incredibly excited for whats to come. thank you for this beautiful video.

This might be the greatest content I have ever seen. Everything about it. Still, I actually did not know it was this bad for the Twins. I am not mortified that we won the AL Central this year. What is in store for us? I was 3 and 7 years old, respectively, in 87' and 91'. I still have my homer hanky lol. This is crazy.

I'm subscribed to TFTwins and saw his video with you in it. I watched that first and then came here. This is an amazing video. Great work. You sir have gained a new subscriber.

This is one of the best baseball documentaries I’ve ever seen. Absolutely fantastic. Especially loved the bomba squad tribute. Need more of your content!

Jon Bois would be proud. This is great to see coming off the heels of their Vikings series, the Wild's playoff woes are equally impressive. And the '04 Wolves are a story of their own as well. I went into this going "oh jeez a Jon Bois ripoff" but you really took the formula and put your own spins on it.

This was such a great video, especially the ending. Whether you're a Twins fan or not, every sports fan is a fan for a reason and the people who brought us to love those teams/sports are what it's really all about. These teams bring us together, giving us common ground to relate and connect to each other, spending time and making memories together through all of the ups and downs, regardless of how statistically improbable they may be. As a life-long Braves fan who became a fan through my grandparents and suffered through countless first-round exits to cap off what seemed like one legitimately promising season after another, there was almost no greater feeling than watching them finally win in it all in 2021 for the first time in my life as a fan. I called my grandfather immediately after that last out and we were just basking in the joy of what we've never felt together... and it wasn't because the Braves won. It was because it felt like WE won. The team we've spent so much time together watching and talking about, feeling hopeful and down about, the team that brought us together. Them winning made me realize it was never about the team. That World Series clinching game would be the last game my grandmother ever saw and my grandfather never got to see a game played this year. Felt like we got to go out on top with a story book ending, getting that last jolt of joy before the bitter end. As much as I want the Braves to win every year, I hope all fans can feel that same feeling at some point. The hard years, the perplexing records (14 straight division titles and only one world series?!?! I also hate the yankees lol), and baffling plays along the way only make it that much sweeter.

70 BILLION to 1. I shudder to think of what this number could become with just two more disastrous late inning games this year.

Fantastic video!

I'm an hour in and this is just... unfiltered pain. Prayers up for your dog. Hey they won their series vs the Blue Jays. They say misery loves company. As easy as it is to look at this sentence in a cynical way, I've been told the opposite: It loves company because the relief from the misery is shared by said company, even if they can only celebrate in part and not in whole. I'm not a baseball fan, but I'm a fan of the San Diego, now Los Angeles Chargers. It was small, but I felt that win yesterday.

This was needed now more than ever. Thank you for this

This was nothing short of outstanding. Wow. Thanks for putting the time into this.

This is an insanely well done video. Shades of Jon Bois in execution, the laying out of information, the music, all of it. Every detail shows how much you care, no, love this franchise to bits. I'm here after they won, and broke the streak. Incredible work. Please do more.

This was so beautiful. My memory of so many of these games is wiped clean by trauma but you got me to remember how good so many of these teams were and just how absurd these losses are. This streak will end and I’ll cry, hug my dad, and try to log all the feelings of that moment. Thank you for doing this!

My god... this is as good if not better than Bois. I've been dying for a dorktown episode on this topic but you my friend hit this out of the park better than I believe they could. This video needed to be made by a Twins fan. Absolutely brilliant work. We're GOMQ!

Thank you so much! Your feelings are so often what I remember feeling in the moment. This was fantastic.

This is fantastic work. I hope you decide to make more, whichever way you decide to go, I wish you lots of luck. Again, this was marvelous in many different facets.

I completely forgot about Rosie getting tossed. Anyway this is incredible work. I’m so impressed.

Tremendous film!!! Hope you are still smiling tonight, and tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Congratulations!!!

Love this production! Thank you for taking your time in putting this together

Amazing work on this! This brought up so many forgotten heartbreak memories of how things played out to where we are today. Thank you for your work and effort on this. GO TWINS!

This might genuinely be one of the best videos i have ever watched

This gave me heart palpitations, reliving all of this. Well done sir!

The most awesome heartbreaking Doc i have ever watched. Well done, sir!

I haven't followed baseball closely since the late 2000s-early 2010s but I grew up in a stout Minnesota sports household, so it was obvious coming back to baseball to follow the Twins. I remember the only game I've been to was when the Twins faced the Angels, and it was Torii Hunter's first game against the Twins (a 3-2 win iirc). I was 5 the last time the Twins won a playoff game but I'm hopeful and will be cheering for them without a doubt. Thank you for all the effort I'm sure you've put into this video

Great content! You have a knack for storytelling! Impatiently awaiting more!

This is so good, really impressed.