Who's the whitest team in the NBA? (no, it's not the Celtics)

Certainly possible for a brief period of time, but the rest of those guys I listed are all remembered fondly.

Now, Kent Hrbek is worshiped, as are Morris, Viola, Gladden, etc. Joe Mauer is far and away the most popular Twin right now, but that's cause he's a hometown guy.

Battey, Grant, Puckett, Carew, Torii Hunter -- all worshiped as well.

 

In addition to Kirby, the 1986 Twins had Ron Washington, Al Woods, Alvaro Espinoza, Alejandro Sanchez, Mark Salas and Juan Agusto for all or part of the season. Players from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, or of Latin or Hispanic ancestry.

 

Shit, I forgot about Wash.

 

With the 1986 Twins, you have to remember the historical context; the franchise had only two years previously been sold by Calvin Griffith, who "joked" in a 1978 speech that he moved the team to Minnesota from Washington when he found out there were only 15,00 blacks there. So both the stigma of those comments, and the possibility that the makeup of the team's roster had been affected by the views of its management, were still around.

The 1986 furor actually started when Reggie Jackson commented to reporters that it was an "absolute shame" there weren't more blacks on the Twins. He later said that he was voicing concerns that Twins players had voiced to him privately but were afraid to go public with. Since this is Reggie, I don't know that we can entirely believe that.

And for what it's worth, as a lifelong Minnesotan, my view is that no one - not Bud Grant, not Hubert Humphrey, not Fran Tarkenton, not Charles Lindbergh, not Prince, not Bob Dylan - was ever close to as beloved as Kirby Puckett was in this state up until the day the domestic abuse allegations surfaced.

 

I can't believe the early 1990s Milwaukee Bucks didn't make the all-white team list.

Not only were they white, they were fair-complected white. It was like Alvin Robertson and Ricky Pierce joined the Finnish national team.

Jack Sikma? Brad Lohaus? Fred Roberts? Frank Brickowski? Danny Schayes? Steve Henson? Coppertone wept.

 

Don't forget Big Mo.

 

He was a little bit earlier -- pretty sure he followed Don Nelson to Golden State -- but he would've fit right in.

 

Fact.

That, and lutefisk sucks.

 

I think Harmon Killebrew edges out Kirby Puckett as most loved by Minnesotans but totally agree that Kirby tops the names listed.

 

You mean this guy isn't the most beloved Minnesotan?

 

Yep, that was when they had the "all awkward" Paul Mokeski/Randy Breuer duo manning the center spot. Larry Kyrstkowiak fits in there somewhere, too. The Bucks had so many stiff lumbering big white guys during that period it's hard to keep track of em all.

Yet, oddly enough, those were some damn good teams. You wouldn't know it by looking at the team photo, though.

 

If I can split that baby -- Harmon was probably the most respected.

But Kirby was the most beloved. Until after his retirement.

Now, probably, back to Harmon. Until Mauer gets a ring.