document_title: List of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory characters

question_text: who is the little boy in charlie and the chocolate factory

text: Willy Wonka[edit]

text:
Willy Wonka

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Gene Wilder (1971)
Johnny Depp (2005)

Voiced by
James Arnold Taylor (2005 video game)
JP Karliak (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Male

tag: table

text: In the novels and films, Willy Wonka is the odd owner of an extremely prosperous chocolates factory. The inciting action of the story occurs when Wonka holds a contest, hiding five Golden Tickets within the wrappers of confectionery bars, promising their discoverers a tour of his factory and a lifelong supply of his creations. Implications stand in all three versions that he allows four of his five finalists to disgrace themselves, in hope that one does not.

text: In the book, Wonka is described by Roald Dahl as having a goatee and "marvelously" bright eyes, a high and "flutey" voice, a face "alight of fun and laughter", and quick little jerky movements "like a squirrel". He is enthusiastic, eccentric, charming, talkative, and friendly, but at times insensitive, and has been given to glossing criticisms of himself.

text: In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, he is portrayed by Gene Wilder. While his personality remains generally the same as in the original, he is more melancholy here, and frequently quotes books and poems, including William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet ("Is it my soul that calls upon my name?") or John Masefield's "Sea Fever" ("All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by"), and the famous "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker" from "Reflections on Ice Breaking" by Ogden Nash, among many others. Toward the end of the film, he tests protagonist Charlie's conscience by pretending to deny him any reward, but assumes an almost paternal role when Charlie proves honest. And as Charlie places the gobstopper on Wonka's desk, Wonka declares Charlie the winner and apologies for his anger and tell him to meet his assistant Mr. Wilkinson (known earlier as "Slugworth"). He explains they had to test him and Charlie passed. As they go to the Wonkavator, Wonka tells Charlie that the real grand prize is the entire chocolate factory and makes Charlie Bucket the new owner of the Willy Wonka Chocolate factory (as Willy Wonka retires), and the entire family can move in and live there. Wonka also reminds Charlie not to forget about the man who suddenly gets everything he ever wanted: he lives happily ever after.

text: In the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he is portrayed by Johnny Depp. In this version, a back-story was added that Willy Wonka's father (being a dentist) would not let him eat sweets because of the potential risk to his teeth, and that the young Wonka left home to become a chocolatier. The conflict was so bad on young Wonka (portrayed by Blair Dunlop), that he took no interest in the kids when they arrived and couldn't even say the word "parent". He later gains a soft spot for Charlie and offers him a spoon from the chocolate river. Toward the end of the film, Charlie reconciles the two.

text: Charlie Bucket[edit]

text:
Charlie Bucket

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Peter Ostrum (1971)
Freddie Highmore (2005)

Voiced by
Freddie Highmore (2005 video game)
Lincoln Melcher (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Male

Family
Joe Bucket (grandfather) Josephine Bucket (grandmother) Nathan Bucket (father) Hellen Bucket (mother) George Bucketass (grandfather) Georgina Bucketass (grandmother)

text: Charlie Bucket is a title character and the protagonist of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and the film adaptations of these books.[1] He is depicted as a kind-hearted, nice, selfless, sweet, brave, but poor boy that lives with his mother, father and his four grandparents. In 1971, he has a newspaper route after school. He and his family follow the progress of the hunt for the Golden Tickets in newspapers, in films, and on television. Unlike the first four finalists, Charlie is honest and generous. In the 1971 film, Charlie was portrayed by Peter Ostrum, in his only film appearance. His nationality is never explicitly stated, but in the 1971 film, he speaks with an American accent, and in the 2005 film, he speaks with an English accent. The filmmakers have stated that it was their intention that Charlie's hometown be kept ambiguous.

text: In the novel, at the end of the tour, Wonka declares Charlie heir to the factory for his refusal of vice, and Charlie's family are permitted to move into the factory. In the 1971 film, Charlie wins the factory when he returns an Everlasting Gobstopper given to him by Wonka, thereby passing Wonka's moral test. In the 2005 film, Wonka initially refuses to allow Charlie's family to join them in the factory, and Charlie rejects Wonka's offer. When Charlie helps Wonka reconcile with his father, the family move into the factory and Charlie becomes Wonka's partner.

text: Grandpa Joe[edit]

text:
Grandpa Joe Bucket

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Jack Albertson (1971)
David Kelly (2005)
Nigel Planer, Barry James (2013)
John Rubinstein (2017)

Voiced by
David Kelly (2005 video game)
Jess Harnell (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Male

Family
Josephine Bucket (wife) Nathan Bucket (son) Hellen Bucket (daughter-in-law) Charlie Bucket (grandson)

text: Grandpa Joe is one of Charlie's four bed-ridden grandparents. He is usually stubborn, senile, and paranoid, but still kind, caring, grandfatherly, excitable, and supportive. He tells Charlie (and the reader) the story of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and the mystery of the secret workers. When Charlie finds the Golden Ticket, Grandpa Joe leaps out of bed in joy, and later accompanies Charlie on the factory tour. In the sequel book, Grandpa Joe accompanies Charlie, Willy Wonka, and all members of Charlie's family in the Great Glass Elevator and assists the rescue of the Commuter Capsule from the Vermicious Knids. Grandpa Joe's age is given as "ninety-six and a half" in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", making him the eldest of Charlie's grandparents, but in the musical, it is stated he is almost ninety and a half.

text: The character was played by Jack Albertson in the 1971 film adaptation Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. In this film, he is often excitable, paranoid, stubborn and appears anxious that Charlie won the contest, and becomes angry when Charlie is dismissed without reward, despite the fact that they both violated the rules by stealing Fizzy Lifting Drinks and not following the tour, which indicated that Charlie violated the contract, unaware that Wonka had found out what they had done. He tells Charlie that he expects him to find all five Golden Tickets and most certainly expects Charlie to find one when he receives a Wonka Bar for his birthday.

text: The character was played by David Kelly in the 2005 film adaptation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Veteran actor Gregory Peck was originally selected to play the role, but he died in 2003 before filming began. This version of the character is written as more calm than the 1971 version. An original backstory to Grandpa Joe's past was added to Tim Burton's film, wherein it is said that Joe worked for Wonka until the latter fired all his workers from his factory due to constant corporate espionage by rival confectionery manufacturers. When he returns to the factory with Charlie for the tour, Wonka asks if he was a spy working for a competing factory before he humbly welcomes him back.

text: Augustus Gloop[edit]

text:
Augustus Gloop

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Michael Bollner (1971)
Philip Wiegratz (2005)

Voiced by
Philip Wiegratz (2005 video game)
Rachel Butera (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Male

Family
Gretta Gloop (mother) Harold Gloop (father)

Nationality
German

text: Augustus Gloop is an obese, greedy, gluttonous boy, the first person to find a Golden Ticket and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He hails from fictitious Dusselheim, Germany in the 1971 film, and Düsseldorf, Germany in the 2005 film. His mother takes great pride in his gluttonous eating and seems to enjoy the attention of the media. In the novel and both films, he is portrayed as "enormously fat". Augustus is the first to be removed from the tour: while drinking from the Chocolate Room’s Chocolate River, he accidentally falls into the river and is drawn through a pipe to the factory's Fudge Room. His parents are summoned to retrieve him from the mixing-machine. In the book, he is depicted leaving the factory, having lost most of his weight, and covered in melted chocolate.

text: In the 1971 film, despite eating constantly, he has decent table manners, is not as obese as he is in the book, and is polite to Charlie and the other finalists. He is portrayed by Michael Bollner in this film. Since Bollner could not speak fluent English at the time of the film's production, the 1971 Augustus has fewer lines and less screen time.

text: In the 2005 film, Augustus is always shown consuming chocolate. He has a binge eating disorder and often has food smeared on his face. He is a bully towards Charlie in the one instance when they interact, as Augustus offers Charlie a bite of his Wonka Bar and then retracts it, saying Charlie should have brought some himself. As in the book, he is shown leaving the factory toward the end of the story; but in this version, he is his normal size, licking his fingers to remove the adherent chocolate he is still coated in. The actor, Philip Wiegratz, wore a fat suit for the production.

text: In the book, both of Augustus's parents accompany him to the factory. Both film versions contradict this, however, and have only his mother go with him.

text: In the 2013 London musical, Augustus Gloop is known as "the Bavarian Beefcake" in his Alpine community. His mother and father indulge his eating habits with sweets and pieces of sausage of which they (and sometimes Augustus) butcher themselves. In his number, "More of Him to Love", Frau Gloop reveals that she had vital organs removed to retrieve Augustus from the womb. They arrive at the factory wearing traditional Eastern European clothing, with Augustus in a red, argyle sweater and green shorts. When Augustus falls into the chocolate river Wonka summons the diversionary pumping system to divert the flow, while Oompa Loompas dressed in red boiler suits sing, "Auf Wiedersehen Augustus Gloop", as they prepare the chocolate, while Augustus travels through the main industrial pipe, occasionally getting stuck.

text: Violet Beauregarde[edit]

text:
Violet Beauregarde

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Denise Nickerson (1971)
AnnaSophia Robb (2005)

Voiced by
AnnaSophia Robb (2005 video game)
Dallas Lovato (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Female

Family
Scarlett Beauregarde (mother)
Sam Beauregarde (father)

Nationality
American

text: Violet Beauregarde is the third person to find a Golden Ticket, and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She is the vain, self-centered, snobby, and gum-obsessed child. Violet chews gum obsessively and boasts that she has been chewing the same piece "for three months solid", a world record which Violet proclaims was previously held by her best friend Cornelia Prinzmetel. She is also aggressively competitive, prideful and has won trophies for gum chewing. In the 1971 film, she is shown to be from Miles City, Montana, while in the 2005 film, she is from Atlanta, Georgia.

text: When Wonka shows the group around the Inventing Room, he stops to display a new type of gum he is working on. The gum doubles as a three-course meal which is composed of tomato soup, roast beef and baked potato, and blueberry pie and ice cream. Violet is intrigued and, despite Wonka's protests, snatches and chews the gum. She is delighted by its effects but, when she reaches the dessert, blueberry pie, her skin starts turning a somewhat blue color and her body begins to swell up, filling with juice. Eventually, Violet's head, legs, and arms get sucked into her gigantic body, but she is still mobile and is able to waddle. When her swelling stops, she resembles a round blueberry, causing Wonka to have the Oompa-Loompas roll her to the Juicing Room to have the juice squeezed out of her in fear she may explode. She is last seen leaving the factory with the other children, restored to her normal size but with indigo skin like of a blueberry. Wonka says there is nothing that can be done to change Violet's skin back to its original pigment.

text: In the 1971 film, Violet is impatient, arrogant, self-centered, vain, and impulsive. She is accompanied by her father, Sam Beauregarde, a fast-talking car salesman who tries to advertise his business during Violet's television interview. She demeans Cornelia Prinzmetel more than she did in the book. She was polite to everyone, except for Veruca. She has a notable rivalry with Veruca Salt, with whom she persistently argues. Her blueberry form is relatively small, and her hair color remains unchanged. Violet is informed that she must be juiced immediately before she explodes and is last seen en route to the Juicing Room, with her father following her.

text: In the 2005 film, Violet has a rude, impatient and competitive personality. Aside from gum-chewing, she also has many other interests that reflect her obsession with always winning, such as karate. She is accompanied by her single mother, Scarlett Beauregarde (a former baton champion herself) whose own competitive personality appears to have had an influence on her daughter, as Scarlett expresses pride over Violet's 263 trophies and medals. Cornelia Prinzmetel was not mentioned in this film. Violet is also shown to be anti-social and bullying when she briefly insults Charlie, snatching a piece of confectionery from his hand and calling him a loser when he tries to interact with her. She turns blue, although her lips remain red, and swells up into a 10-foot blueberry before being rolled off to the Juicing Room by the Oompa Loompas to prevent her from bursting. Violet is shown leaving the factory gymnastically cartwheeling as a consequence of her increased flexibility, which she is actually happy about, although her mother is less than pleased with her daughter's permanently indigo color.

text: In the 2013 Sam Mendes London musical, Violet Beauregarde is portrayed as an African-American, Californian fame-hungry wanna-be, with her agent/father Eugene Beauregarde parlaying her mundane talent of gum chewing into celebrity status, with multitude of endorsements including her own TV show, line of perfume, and a clothing boutique franchise. Her theme is called "The Double-Bubble Duchess". It is revealed that Violet's chewing "skill" was picked up when she was a baby and her mom tried to get her to stop talking all the time. Violet and her father are escorted by an entourage to the factory entrance. Violet comes dressed in a sparkly purple and pink disco jumper and a pink backpack. Upon swelling in the influence of the experimental gum (which consisted of tomato soup, roast chicken, potatoes and gravy, Fizzy Orange, cheese and crackers and blueberry pie), she panics and runs away as the Oompa Loompas break into an disco number, "Juicy", and roller skate along the stage as Violet lifts into the air, resembling a giant purple disco-ball. Mr. Beauregarde phones his lawyer excitedly, with intent to profit from Violet's new size, until Violet explodes. Wonka's only reassurance of her survival is the prospect of rescuing the pieces and de-juicing them. In the Broadway version, the song "Juicy" is cut out (the only child-exit song to be cut from the London version), and Violet instead becomes a blueberry and explodes in the background while Wonka explains how he met the Ooompa-Loompas to the group.

text: Veruca Salt[edit]

text:
Veruca Salt

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Julie Dawn Cole (1971)
Julia Winter (2005)

Voiced by
Julia Winter (2005 video game)
Emily O'Brien (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Female

Family
Diane Salt (mother)
Robert Salt (father)

Nationality
British

text: Veruca Salt is a greedy, demanding, manipulative and stingy brat and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She demands every single thing she wants (and more), the second person to find a Golden Ticket, the third eliminated from the tour. A selfish, rotten brat who shows her wealthy family no mercy and has absolutely no regard for other people's property, Veruca frequently pesters her parents to purchase a variety of different objects for her. In the 2005 film, it is revealed that she owns a pony, two dogs, four cats, six rabbits, two parakeets, three canaries, a parrot, a turtle, and a hamster, totalling up to 21 pets. But when she interferes with the trained squirrels used by Willy Wonka to select the best nuts to bake into chocolate bars, she is judged as a "bad nut" by the squirrels and discarded into the adjacent 'garbage chute' and her parents follow. All three are later seen leaving the factory "covered in garbage". Her nationality was never specified in Dahl's novel, but she hails from an upper-class family in the United Kingdom in both films.

text: In the 1971 film adaptation, Veruca has a fiery temper, rudely demands various desires nonstop, brags about her wealth, and chastises anyone who questions her. In this film it is not squirrels but geese that lay special golden chocolate-filled eggs for Easter, one of which she demands as a new pet. She and Violet, in this film, bicker on two occasions. Veruca is eliminated at the end of her musical number in the film ("I Want it Now") after climbing a machine designed to tell whether or not the geese's eggs are "good" or "bad" eggs, and it judges her as a bad one. Her father then follows and is also deemed bad. In the Tom and Jerry version of the 1971 film, Veruca and her father manage to escape the furnace right before it ignites while trapping Tom inside. Veruca demands to be taken home and have her father make her a different chocolate factory, but Mr. Salt finally decides to discipline her as the near-death experience seems to have finally gotten to him.

text: In the 2005 film adaptation, Veruca's elimination remains virtually the same as in the book, with only a few changes made. Her demeanor is less vehement, but more obnoxious, compared to the 1971 version. When she leaves the factory (covered in trash), she demands a facsimile of the Great Glass Elevator. However, her father, having learned a good parenting lesson from the Oompa-Loompas and finally realizing how much he has spoiled her, sternly tells her that she will only be getting a bath that day instead, and shoots her a fierce glare for trying to argue any further.

text: In the 2013 Sam Mendes London musical, Veruca Salt is a British billionaire's daughter, dressed in a pink ballerina tutu and baby seal fur coat - "clubbed and tickled pink". Her father, Sir Robert Salt, is portrayed as a spineless dolt for giving his daughter her wishes. In the Nut Sorting Room, Veruca runs foul of the nut-testing squirrels who deem her a 'bad nut' when she tries to steal one. This summons oversized squirrels with Oompa Loompas riding on their backs. They sing a nightmarish ballet "Veruca's Nutcracker Sweet" that concludes with Veruca and her father sent down the garbage chute. In the Broadway version, Veruca's nationality is changed to Russian, and the squirrels tear her apart limb by limb, but Wonka assures the group that the Ooompa-Loompas will be able to put her back together.

text: Mike Teavee[edit]

text:
Mike Teavee

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Paris Themmen (1971)
Jordan Fry (2005)

Voiced by
Jordan Fry (2005 video game)
Lauren Weisman (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Male

Family
Paloma Teavee (mother) Norman Teavee (father)

Nationality
American

text: Mike Teavee, a boy that does nothing but watch television, the fourth Golden Ticket finder, and one of the four main antagonists of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He was described as adorned with eighteen toy pistols that he ‘fires’ while watching gangsters on TV. He is bad-tempered, slothful but also intelligent. How he found his Golden Ticket is never explained in the book or 1971 film as he is too absorbed in his television viewing to talk to the press about it. In the 2005 film, he does have an explanation on how he found the Golden Ticket: he used an algorithm to find it as an intellectual exercise. In the book, both of Mike's parents tour the factory with him. During a display of miniaturization technology, used to transport chocolate, Mike shrinks himself to a tiny size, Willy Wonka has an Oompa-Loompa take the Teavee family to the Gum-Stretcher Room to get Mike stretched back to normal. Mike is last seen exiting the factory, now 10 ft (3 m) tall because the Oompa-Loompas overstretched him. After he got shrunk when his parents lament that he won't be able to attend school, Mike happily says he can continue watching TV. His angry father then blames the TV for Mike's poor behavior and decides to unplug it and throw it out the window when they get home, much to Mike's displeasure.

text: In the 1971 film, Mike is played by Paris Themmen and his surname is spelled "Teevee" in the credits. Mike is nine years old and accompanied to the factory by his high-strung mother. He's from Arizona, enjoys Western films and wears cowboy attire. He makes constant references to television shows throughout the factory tour and comes across as somewhat of a know-it-all. Although easily annoyed, he does not have any major anger issues and gets along relatively well with the other kids.

text: In the 2005 film, 13-year-old Mike's (portrayed by Jordan Fry) interests are updated to the Internet and video games (especially gory first-person shooters), in addition to television viewing.[2] In this version, he is from Denver, Colorado, and is portrayed as more disrespectful. Whenever he says something critical of Wonka's company, or his ideas, Wonka reacts as if Mike is mumbling, even though he does not. He is able to find the Golden Ticket by using math and logic, though he admits he does not even like chocolate. When Mike demands to know why candy is pointless, Charlie tries to reason with him, saying candy doesn't have to have a point. After the incident in the Television Chocolate room, Willy Wonka has an Oompa-Loompa take Mr. Teavee and Mike to the Taffy-Puller Room to have Mike stretched back to normal. When Mike and his father are later seen leaving the factory, Mike is 10 ft (3 m) tall as well as incredibly thin and flat.

text: In the 2013 Sam Mendes London musical, Mike Teavee (now age 10) lives in a suburban neighborhood with his disinterested father Norman Teavee and neurotic, alcoholic mother, Doris Teavee. Their opening number, "It's Teavee Time!" has Mrs. Teavee presenting her family as a normal, functioning household, downplaying Mike's violent tendencies like setting a cat on fire, chloroforming a nurse, and stealing a German tank. In the Department of the Future, where Wonka transmits chocolate by television, Mike anxiously jumps into the machine and transmits himself, much to his mother's horror. Wonka summons the monitors to see on which channel Mike has ended, as the Oompa Loompas rave around the room, singing, 'Vidiots'. Near the end, Mrs. Teavee joins the rave, as they conclude that Mike still has a future on 'Mike.com'. When Mike is shrunk as a result of the transporter, Mrs. Teavee happily takes him home as he can no longer cause trouble and she can take care of him like when he was a baby. In the Broadway version of the musical, lyrics in Mike's song and some of Mike's mannerisms reference president Donald Trump.

text: Arthur Slugworth[edit]

text:
Arthur Slugworth

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Günter Meisner (1971)
Phil Philmar (2005)

Voiced by
Mick Wingert (Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Information

Gender
Male

text: In the book, Arthur Slugworth is one of Willy Wonka's rival chocolatiers. Slugworth, along with Wonka's other rivals Mr. Fickelgruber and Mr. Prodnose, sent in spies to steal the secret recipes to Wonka's treats, which he plagiarized, nearly ruining Wonka's factory. After Wonka re-opens his factory (operated exclusively by Oompa-Loompas), Slugworth is never heard from again, but it is stated that Fickelgruber would give each of his front teeth to enter Wonka's inventing room (laboratory/chocolate room in the book) for three minutes.

text: Slugworth has a much larger role as an enigmatic villain in the 1971 film. Inside Bill's Candy Shop, Wonka's products and signs are the most visible; but Slugworth's Sizzlers are also prominent, and one is even sold to a child. Also seen are signs for Fickelgruber's candy. Grandpa Joe describes Slugworth as the worst of Wonka's rivals. As each Golden Ticket is found, a sinister man approaches the finder and whispers something into his or her ear. After Charlie finds the last ticket, the same man approaches Charlie as well, introduces himself as Arthur Slugworth, and bribes the child to bring him one piece of the newly invented 'Everlasting Gobstopper', allowing him to plagiarize the formula and prevent the future invention from ruining his business. Two of the children (Veruca and Mike) respond to Slugworth's bribe; but Charlie, when tempted, returns the Everlasting Gobstopper to Wonka. Wonka eventually reveals that the tempter is not Slugworth, but his own employee Mr. Wilkinson, and that his offer was a moral test of character. Slugworth/Wilkinson was played by Günter Meisner, a West German actor.

text: Slugworth only makes a split-second appearance in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where he alongside Mr. Ficklegruber and Mr. Prodnose are sending spies to steal ingredients from Wonka's factory. He is here played by Philip Philmar.

text: In the Tom and Jerry version of the 1971 film, Slugworth is the main antagonist, instead of an enigmatic villain. When he first meets Charlie, he sings a cover of Veruca's song, "I Want it Now!" and also sings it as a duet with Veruca during her downfall. He teams up with Spike to steal a Gobstopper from the factory, but the two are thwarted by Charlie, Tom, and Jerry. Despite being more emphasized as a villain, he is still revealed to be Wonka's employee Mr. Wilkinson much to Tom & Jerry's dismay. Nevertheless, the cat and mouse get the last word on Slugworth/Wilkinson (and Spike) by shrinking them with the Wonkavision tech.

text: Mr. Turkentine[edit]

text: Mr. Turkentine is Charlie Bucket's school teacher and appears in the first film in 1971, but not in the book or the 2005 film. He has an odd sense of humor, which he uses to express knowledge. He asks Charlie to assist him in making a medicine using several scientific elements for the class but the project is interrupted due to the frantic golden ticket search for Willy Wonka. Mr. Turkentine when hearing the news about the golden tickets during the project dismisses the class and runs out. Later when it is revealed that all the tickets have supposedly been found ending with a Paraguayan millionaire he decides to use Wonka bars as an example to teach his class about percentages. He uses a few students as examples for the class, including Charlie. Charlie however reveals that he only opened two Wonka bars during the search and so to help make it easier for his class, he decides to pretend Charlie opened 200. Mr. Turkentine is played by British actor David Battley.

text: Prince Pondicherry[edit]

text:
Prince Pondicherry

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character

First appearance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Created by
Roald Dahl

Portrayed by
Nitin Ganatra (2005)

Information

Gender
Male

text: Prince Pondicherry is a prince who lives in India. He appears in the third chapter of the novel when Grandpa Joe is telling Charlie a story. In the story, Willy Wonka makes him a chocolate palace in India, that melts in the hot weather, as he had rejected Willy Wonka's advice to eat it before it melted in the heat. His name derives from the city of Pondicherry (officially spelled Puducherry since 2006) in southeastern India.

text: He is absent from the 1971 film version, but makes a brief appearance in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where he is played by Nitin Ganatra. His story here matches that in the book, except in depicting his wife (Shelley Conn) and stating that the Prince demanded a second palace, but was refused.

text: Oompa-Loompas[edit]

text: Oompa-Loompas are small humans who would end up being preyed upon by the various predators that also reside in Loompaland before Wonka invited them to work at his factory and are paid in their favorite food, cocoa beans, which were extremely rare on their island.[3][4] The Oompa-Loompas are also mischievous, loving practical jokes and singing songs which, according to Wonka, they are very good at improvising. They sing at the end of each child's demise.

text: In early editions of the novel, the Oompa-Loompas (originally called "Whipple-Scrumpets" before publication[5]) are shown as African pygmies before Dahl rewrote them to be white-skinned and golden haired. In both editions, despite working in the factory, Oompa-Loompas insist on maintaining their native clothing: men wear skins, women wear leaves, and children wear nothing.

text: In the 1971 film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, they were written to be played by actors with dwarfism and are portrayed as orange-skinned, green-haired men in striped shirts and baggy lederhosen-like pants. Prominent portrayers: Angelo Muscat, Rusty Goffe, George Claydon, Rudy Borgstaller, Jo Kilkenny, Andy Wilday, Malcolm Dixon, Ismed Hassan, Norman Mcglen, Pepe Poupee, Marcus Powell, and Albert Wilkinson.[6]

text: In the 2005 film, the Oompa-Loompas are all played by Deep Roy and are virtually identical. They wear their tribal clothing during their time in Loompaland, and typical factory worker uniforms in Wonka's Factory. Some of the female Oompa-Loompas, like Doris, work in the administration offices.

text: Vermicious Knids[edit]

text: Vermicious Knids are a fictional species of amorphous aliens that invade the Space Hotel "U.S.A." in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

text: They are also mentioned in the 1971 feature film adaptation, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, but here are mentioned only as predators of the Oompa-Loompas.

text: In the book, Vermicious Knids are huge, dark, egg-shaped predators who swallow their victims whole, and are capable of surviving, operating, and traveling faster than light, in the vacuum of space. Although normally oviform, they can assume any shape at will, while retaining their native texture and features. They originate (according to Mr. Wonka) on the planet Vermes, a fictional planet located (in dialogue) 184,270,000,000 miles (2.9655×1011 kilometres) from Earth (52 times Pluto's distance). In the presence of victims, they cannot resist shaping themselves to spell the word "SCRAM" (the only word they know) before they attack.

text: In Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, a swarm of Knids take possession of the new Space Hotel "U.S.A.". When the transport capsule brings the staff to the Space Hotel, the Knids consume some of the staff, and the survivors retreat to the capsule. There, the Knids bludgeon the capsule with their own bodies, until its retro-rockets are useless; whereupon Wonka, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe connect the capsule to the Elevator, in hope of towing it to Earth, and one Knid wraps itself around the Elevator while the others form a chain, intending to draw the Elevator and capsule to their home planet. The Elevator then returns to Earth, and the Knids are incinerated in Earth's atmosphere.

text: When Nestle created their interpretation of Wonka's world to sell chocolate bars under the name "Wonka", they released a number of downloadable flash games, wherein Knids seem to have entered the factory and have the appearance of flying green blobs with single red eyes.

text: The etymology of the name was not provided by Dahl. Pronunciation of Knid is said in the book to approximate adding a schwa between the "K" and "nid", or in Dahl's words, "K'nid". Cnidaria is the name of the taxonomic phylum containing stinging aquatic invertebrates such as jellyfish and coral, itself derived from the classical Greek word for nettle, κνίδη. Vermicious is a real word, meaning "worm like".

text: The Vermicious Knids are also mentioned in other Dahl stories, including James and the Giant Peach (where the New York Police Department misidentify Miss Spider as one) and The Minpins.

text: Other characters[edit]

text: Portrayed in other media[edit]

text:
Name
1971 film
2005 film

Mrs. (Hellen) Bucket
Diana Sowle
Helena Bonham Carter

Mr. (Nathan) Bucket
Deceased
Noah Taylor

Mrs. (Gretta) Gloop
Ursula Reit
Franziska Troegner

Mr. (Harold) Gloop
Kurt Großkurth (uncredited)
Harry Taylor

Mrs. (Paloma) Teavee
Dodo Denney
Cameo (uncredited)

Mr. (Norman) Teavee
Michael Goodliffe
Adam Godley

Mrs. (Scarlett) Beauregarde
Cameo (uncredited)
Missi Pyle

Mr. (Sam) Beauregarde
Leonard Stone
Absent

Mrs. (Diane) Salt
Pat Coombs (uncredited)
Francesca Hunt

Mr. (Robert) Salt
Roy Kinnear
James Fox

Grandma Josephine
Franziska Liebing (uncredited)
Eileen Essell

Grandma Georgina
Dora Altmann (uncredited)
Liz Smith

Grandpa George
Ernst Ziegler (uncredited)
David Morris

Shopkeeper
Aubrey Woods
Oscar James

Dr. Wilbur Wonka
Absent
Christopher Lee

Winkelmann
Peter Stuart
Absent

Newscaster
Steve Dunne (uncredited)
Todd Boyce

Tinker
Peter Capell
Absent

Mr. Joepack
Werner Heyking
Absent

Computer Scientist
Tim Brooke-Taylor (uncredited)
Absent

Auctioneer
Frank Delfino (uncredited)
Absent

Prodnose
Absent
Criss Cresswell

Ficklegruber
Absent
Tony Kirwood

Young Willy Wonka
Absent
Blair Dunlop

Princess Pondicherry
Absent
Shelley Conn

Narrator
Absent
Geoffrey Holder


document_title: Minnesota Twins

question_text: minnesota twins logo what does the c stand for

root

text: Minnesota Twins

text: Team history[edit]

text: Washington Nationals/Senators: 1901–1960[edit]

text: The Washington Senators spent the first decade of their existence finishing near the bottom of the American League standings. Their fortunes began to improve with the arrival of 19-year-old pitcher, Walter Johnson, in 1907. Johnson blossomed in 1911 with 25 victories, although the Senators still finished the season in seventh place.[21] In 1912, the Senators improved dramatically, as their pitching staff led the league in team earned run average and in strikeouts. Johnson won 33 games while teammate Bob Groom added another 24 wins to help the Senators finish the season in second place.[22] The Senators continued to perform respectably in 1913 with Johnson posting a career-high 35 victories, as the team once again finished in second place.[23] The Senators then fell into another period of decline for the next decade. After a string of mediocre seasons, a rejuvenated Johnson rebounded in 1924 to win 23 games with the help of his catcher, Muddy Ruel, as the Senators won the American League pennant for the first time in the history of the franchise.[24]

tag: p

text: The Senators faced John McGraw's heavily favored New York Giants in the 1924 World Series.[25] The two teams traded wins back and forth until the series reached the seventh and deciding game. The Senators trailed the Giants 3 to 1 in the eighth inning of Game 7, when Bucky Harris hit a routine ground ball to third which hit a pebble and took a bad hop over Giants third baseman Freddie Lindstrom. Two runners scored on the play, tying the score at three.[26] An aging Walter Johnson then came in to pitch the ninth inning, and held the Giants scoreless into extra innings. In the bottom of the twelfth inning with Ruel at bat, he hit a high, foul ball directly over home plate.[27] The Giants' catcher, Hank Gowdy, dropped his protective mask to field the ball but, failing to toss the mask aside, stumbled over it and dropped the ball, thus giving Ruel another chance to bat.[27] On the next pitch, Ruel hit a double and proceeded to score the winning run when Earl McNeely hit a ground ball that took another bad hop over Lindstrom's head.[26][27] This would mark the only World Series triumph for the franchise during their 60-year tenure in Washington.

text: The following season they repeated as American League champions but ultimately lost the 1925 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates. After Walter Johnson's retirement in 1927, he was hired as manager of the Senators. After enduring a few losing seasons, the team returned to contention in 1930. In 1933, Senators owner Clark Griffith returned to the formula that worked for him nine years prior: 26-year-old shortstop Joe Cronin became player-manager. The Senators posted a 99–53 record and cruised to the pennant seven games ahead of the New York Yankees, but in the 1933 World Series the Giants exacted their revenge winning in five games. Following the loss, the Senators sank all the way to seventh place in 1934 and attendance began to fall. Despite the return of Harris as manager from 1935–42 and again from 1950–54, Washington was mostly a losing ball club for the next 25 years contending for the pennant only during World War II. Washington came to be known as "first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League",[28] with their hard luck being crucial to the plot of the musical and film Damn Yankees. Cecil Travis, Buddy Myer (1935 A.L. batting champion), Roy Sievers, Mickey Vernon (batting champion in 1946 and 1953), and Eddie Yost were notable Senators players whose careers were spent in obscurity due to the team's lack of success.[29][30] In 1954, the Senators signed future Hall of Fame member Harmon Killebrew. By 1959 he was the Senators’ regular third baseman and led the league with 42 home runs earning him a starting spot on the American League All-Star team.

text: After Griffith's death in 1955, his nephew and adopted son Calvin took over the team presidency. Calvin sold Griffith Stadium to the city of Washington and leased it back leading to speculation that the team was planning to move as the Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Athletics had all done in the early 1950s. By 1957, after an early flirtation with San Francisco (where the New York Giants would eventually move after that season ended), Griffith began courting Minneapolis–St. Paul, a prolonged process that resulted in his rejecting the Twin Cities' first offer[31] before agreeing to relocate. The American League opposed the move at first, but in 1960 a deal was reached: The Senators would move and would be replaced with an expansion Senators team for 1961. Thus, the old Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins.

text: Team nickname[edit]

text: The Washington franchise was known as both "Senators" and "Nationals" at various times, and sometimes at the same time. In 1905, the team changed its official name to the "Washington Nationals."[32] The name "Nationals" appeared on uniforms for only two seasons, and was then replaced with the "W" logo for the next 52 years. The media often shortened the nickname to "Nats." Many fans and newspapers (especially out-of-town papers) persisted in using the "Senators" nickname, because of potential confusion caused by an American League team using the "Nationals" name. Over time, "Nationals" faded as a nickname, and "Senators" became dominant. Baseball guides listed the club's nickname as "Nationals or Senators", acknowledging the dual-nickname situation.

text: The team name was officially changed to Washington Senators around the time of Clark Griffith's death. It was not until 1959 that the word "Senators" first appeared on team shirts. "Nats" continued to be used by space-saving headline writers, even for the 1961 expansion team, which was never officially known as "Nationals."

text: The current "Nationals" and "Nats" names were revived in 2005, when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington to become the Nationals.

text: Minnesota Twins: 1961 to present[edit]

text: The name "Twins" was derived from the popular name of the region, the Twin Cities. The NBA's Minneapolis Lakers had relocated to Los Angeles in 1960 due to poor attendance which was believed to have been caused in part by the reluctance of fans in St. Paul to support the team.[33] Griffith was determined not to alienate fans in either city by naming the team after one city or the other, so his desire was to name the team the "Twin Cities Twins",[33] however MLB objected. Griffith therefore named the team the Minnesota Twins. However, the team was allowed to keep its original "TC" (for Twin Cities) insignia for its caps. The team's logo shows two men, one in a Minneapolis Millers uniform and one in a St. Paul Saints uniform, shaking hands across the Mississippi River within an outline of the state of Minnesota. The "TC" remained on the Twins' caps until 1987, when they adopted new uniforms. By this time, the team felt it was established enough to put an "M" on its cap without having St. Paul fans think it stood for Minneapolis. The "TC" logo was moved to a sleeve on the jerseys, and occasionally appeared as an alternate cap design.[34] Both the "TC" and "Minnie & Paul" logos remain the team's primary insignia. As of 2010, the "TC" logo has been reinstated on the cap as their logo.[35]

text: The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota when they arrived in 1961. They brought a nucleus of talented players: Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, Camilo Pascual, Zoilo Versalles, Jim Kaat, Earl Battey, and Lenny Green. Tony Oliva, who would go on to win American League batting championships in 1964, 1965 and 1971, made his major league debut in 1962. That year, the Twins won 91 games, the most by the franchise since 1933. Behind Mudcat Grant's 21 victories, Versalles' A.L. MVP season and Oliva's batting title, the Twins won 102 games and the American League Pennant in 1965, but they were defeated in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games (behind the Series MVP, Sandy Koufax, who compiled a 2–1 record, including winning the seventh game).[36]

text: Heading into the final weekend of the 1967 season, when Rod Carew was named the A.L. Rookie of the Year, the Twins, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers all had a shot at clinching the American League championship. The Twins and the Red Sox started the weekend tied for 1st place and played against each other in Boston for the final three games of the season. The Red Sox won two out of the three games, seizing their first pennant since 1946 with a 92–70 record. The Twins and Tigers both finished one game back, with 91–71 records, while the White Sox finished three games back, at 89–73. In 1969, the new manager of the Twins, Billy Martin, pushed aggressive base running all-around, and Carew set the all-time Major League record by stealing home seven times in addition to winning the first of seven A.L. batting championships.[37] With Killebrew slugging 49 homers and winning the AL MVP Award, these 1969 Twins won the very first American League Western Division Championship, but they lost three straight games to the Baltimore Orioles, winners of 109 games, in the first American League Championship Series. The Orioles would go on to be upset by the New York Mets in the World Series. Martin was fired after the season, in part due to an August 1969 fight in Detroit with 20-game winner Dave Boswell and outfielder Bob Allison, in an alley outside the Lindell A.C. bar. Bill Rigney led the Twins to a repeat division title in 1970, behind the star pitching of Jim Perry (24-12), the A.L. Cy Young Award winner, while the Orioles again won the Eastern Division Championship behind the star pitching of Jim Palmer. Once again, the Orioles won the A.L. Championship Series in a three-game sweep,[38] and this time they would win the World Series.

text: After winning the division again in 1970, the team entered an eight-year dry spell, finishing around the .500 mark. Killebrew departed after 1974. Owner Calvin Griffith faced financial difficulty with the start of free agency, costing the Twins the services of Lyman Bostock and Larry Hisle, who left as free agents after the 1977 season, and Carew, who was traded after the 1978 season.[39] In 1975, Carew won his fourth consecutive AL batting title,[40] having already joined Ty Cobb as the only players to lead the major leagues in batting average for three consecutive seasons. In 1977, Carew batted .388, which was the highest in baseball since Boston's Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941; he won the 1977 AL MVP Award. He won another batting title in 1978, hitting .333.[40]

text: In 1982, the Twins moved into the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which they shared with the Minnesota Vikings. After a 16-54 start, the Twins were on the verge on becoming the worst team in MLB history. They turned the season around somewhat, but still lost 102 games which is the second-worst record in Twins history (beaten only by the 2016 team, who lost 103 games), despite the .301 average, 23 homers and 92 RBI from rookie Kent Hrbek.[41] In 1984, Griffith sold the Twins to multi-billionaire banker/financier Carl Pohlad. The Metrodome hosted the 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. After several losing seasons, the 1987 team, led by Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Frank Viola (A.L. Cy Young winner in 1988), Bert Blyleven, Jeff Reardon, Tom Brunansky, Dan Gladden, and rising star Kirby Puckett, returned to the World Series after defeating the favored Detroit Tigers in the ALCS, 4 games to 1. Tom Kelly managed the Twins to World Series victories over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987[42][43] and the Atlanta Braves in 1991.[44] The 1988 Twins were the first team in American League history to draw more than 3 million fans.[45] On July 17, 1990, the Twins became the only team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in the same game. Twins' pitcher and Minnesota native Jack Morris was the star of the series in 1991, going 2–0 in his three starts with a 1.17 ERA.[46] 1991 also marked the first time that any team that finished in last place in their division would advance to the World Series the following season; both the Twins and the Braves did this in 1991.[47] Contributors to the 1991 Twins' improvement from 74 wins to 95 included Chuck Knoblauch, the A.L. Rookie of the Year; Scott Erickson, 20-game winner; new closer Rick Aguilera and new designated hitter Chili Davis.

text: The World Series in 1991 is regarded by many as one of the classics of all time. In this Series, four games were won during the teams' final at-bat, and three of these were in extra innings. The Atlanta Braves won all three of their games in Atlanta, and the Twins won all four of their games in Minnesota. The sixth game was a legendary one for Puckett, who tripled in a run, made a sensational leaping catch against the wall, and finally in the 11th inning hit the game-winning home run. The seventh game was tied 0–0 after the regulation nine innings, and marked only the second time that the seventh game of the World Series had ever gone into extra innings. The Twins won on a walk-off RBI single by Gene Larkin in the bottom of the 10th inning, after Morris had pitched ten shutout innings against the Braves.[48] The seventh game of the 1991 World Series is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in the history of professional baseball.[49][50][51]

text: After a winning season in 1992 but falling short of Oakland in the division, the Twins fell into a years-long stretch of mediocrity, posting a losing record each season for the next eight: 71–91 in 1993, 50–63 in 1994, 56–88 in 1995, 78–84 in 1996, 68–94 in 1997, 70–92 in 1998, 63–97 in 1999 and 69–93 in 2000. From 1994 to 1997, a long sequence of retirements and injuries hurt the team badly, and Tom Kelly spent the remainder of his managerial career attempting to rebuild the Twins. In 1997, owner Carl Pohlad almost sold the Twins to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver, who would have moved the team to the Piedmont Triad area.[52][53]

text: Puckett after the 1995 season was forced to retire at age 35 due to loss of vision in one eye from a central retinal vein occlusion.[54] The 1989 A.L. batting champion, he retired as the Twins' all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases. At the time of his retirement, his .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter since Joe DiMaggio. Puckett was the fourth baseball player during the 20th century to record 1,000 hits in his first five full calendar years in Major League Baseball, and was the second to record 2,000 hits during his first 10 full calendar years. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility.

text: The Twins dominated the Central Division in the first decade of the new century, winning the division in six of those ten years ('02, '03, '04, '06, '09 and '10), and nearly winning it in '08 as well. From 2001 to 2006, the Twins compiled the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota.

text: Threatened with closure by league contraction,[55] the 2002 team battled back to reach the American League Championship Series before being eliminated 4–1 by that year's World Series champion Anaheim Angels. The Twins have not won a playoff series since the 2002 series against the Athletics, this despite the team winning several division championships in the decade.

text: In 2006, the Twins won the division on the last day of the regular season (the only day all season they held sole possession of first place) but lost to the Oakland Athletics in the ALDS. Ozzie Guillén coined a nickname for this squad, calling the Twins "little piranhas".[56] The Twins players embraced the label, and in response, the Twins Front office started a "Piranha Night", with piranha finger puppets given out to the first 10,000 fans. Scoreboard operators sometimes played an animated sequence of piranhas munching under that caption in situations where the Twins were scoring runs playing "small ball", and the stadium vendors sold T-shirts and hats advertising "The Little Piranhas".

text: The Twins also had the AL MVP in Justin Morneau,[57] the AL batting champion in Joe Mauer,[56] and the AL Cy Young Award winner in Johan Santana.[58]

text: In 2008, the Twins finished the regular season tied with the White Sox on top of the AL Central, forcing a one-game playoff in Chicago to determine the division champion.[59] The Twins lost that game and missed the playoffs. The game location was determined by rule of a coin flip that was conducted in mid-September. This rule was changed for the start of the 2009 season, making the site for any tiebreaker game to be determined by the winner of the regular season head-to-head record between the teams involved.[60]

text: After a year where the Twins played .500 baseball for most of the season, the team won 17 of their last 21 games to tie the Detroit Tigers for the lead in the Central Division.[61] The Twins were able to use the play-in game rule to their advantage when they won the AL Central at the end of the regular season by way of a 6–5 tiebreaker game that concluded with a 12th-inning walk-off hit by Alexi Casilla to right field, that scored Carlos Gómez.[62] However, they failed to advance to the American League Championship Series as they lost the American League Divisional Series in three straight games to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.[63] That year, Joe Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the AL MVP award.[64] Iván Rodríguez won for the Texas Rangers in 1999, previous to that, the last catcher to win an AL MVP was the New York Yankees Thurman Munson in 1976.[65]

text: In their inaugural season played at Target Field, the Twins finished the regular season with a record of 94-68, clinching the AL Central Division title for the 6th time in 9 years under manager Ron Gardenhire. New regular players included rookie Danny Valencia at third base, designated hitter Jim Thome,[66] closer Matt Capps,[67] infielder J. J. Hardy,[68] and infielder Orlando Hudson.[69] In relief pitching roles were late additions Brian Fuentes and Randy Flores. On July 7, the team suffered a major blow when Justin Morneau sustained a concussion, which knocked him out for the rest of the season. In the divisional series, the Twins lost to the Yankees in a three-game sweep for the second consecutive year.[70] Following the season, Ron Gardenhire received AL Manager of the Year honors after finishing as a runner up in several prior years.[71]

text: After repeating as AL Central champions in 2010, the Twins entered 2011 with no players on the disabled list, and the team seemed poised for another strong season. During the off-season, the team signed Japanese shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka to fill a hole in the middle infield, re-signed Jim Thome, who was in pursuit of career home run number 600, and also re-signed Carl Pavano. However, the season was largely derailed by an extensive list of injuries. Nishioka's broken leg in a collision at second base[72] led the way and was followed by DL stints from Kevin Slowey, Joe Mauer, Jason Repko, Thome, Delmon Young (two stints on the DL), José Mijares, Glen Perkins, Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, Jason Kubel, Denard Span (two stints), Justin Morneau, Scott Baker, and Alexi Casilla. The team's low point was arguably on May 1 when the team started 7 players who were batting below .235 in a game against Kansas City.[73] From that day forward, the Twins made a strong push to get as close as five games back of the division lead by the All-Star break. However, the team struggled down the stretch and fell back out of contention. The team failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and experienced their first losing season in four years. Despite an AL-worst 63-99 record, the team drew over 3 million fans for the second consecutive year.[74]

text: Michael Cuddyer served as the Twins representative at the All-Star game, his first appearance.[75] Bert Blyleven's number was retired during the season and he was also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during the month of July.[76] On August 10, Nathan recorded his 255th save, passing Rick Aguilera for first place on the franchise's all-time saves list.[77] On August 15, Thome hit 599th and 600th home run at Comerica Park to become the eighth player in Major League history to hit 600 home runs, joining Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Alex Rodriguez.[78]

text: The team started the 2012 season with a league worst 10-24 record.[79] In late May and early June, the team embarked on a hot streak, winning ten out of thirteen games.[80][81] By mid July, the team found themselves only 10 games out of the division lead.[82] On July 16, the Twins defeated the Baltimore Orioles 19-7, the most runs scored in the short history of Target Field.[83][84] By the end of August, the Twins were more than 20 games below .500, and last in the American League.[85] On August 29, it was announced that the Twins would host the 2014 All-Star Game.[86] In 2013, the Twins finished in 4th place in the AL Central, with a record of 66-96.[87] In 2014, the team finished with a 70-92 record, last in the division and accumulated the second fewest wins in the American League.[88] As a result, Ron Gardenhire was fired on September 29, 2014.[89] On November 3, 2014 Paul Molitor was announced by the team as the 13th manager in Twins history.

text: In 2015, the team had a winning season (83-79), following four consecutive seasons of 90 or more losses.

text: In 2016, the Minnesota Twins finished last in the AL Central, with a 59-103 record. Brian Dozier set his career high in home runs with 43, which was tied for second in baseball, and leading all 2nd basemen. Tyler Duffey led all Twins starters with 9 wins throughout the season, while fellow reliever Brandon Kintzler led the team with 17 saves. Rising stars Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Byron Buxton combined to have 263 total hits, 52 home runs, 167 RBIs, and a batting average of .232 throughout the season. The Twins signed star Korean slugger Byung Ho Park to a 4-year/$12 million contract, where he hit a .191 batting average, with 12 home runs, and 24 RBIs before being sent down to Rochester for the remainder of the season.[90]

text: Threatened contraction or relocation of the team[edit]

text: The quirks of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, including the turf floor and the white roof, gave the Twins a significant home-field advantage that played into their winning the World Series in both 1987 and 1991, at least in the opinion of their opponents, as the Twins went 12–1 in postseason home games during those two seasons.[91] These were the first two World Series in professional baseball history in which a team won the championship by winning all four home games.[92] (The feat has since been repeated once, by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.) Nevertheless, the Twins argued that the Metrodome was obsolete and that the lack of a dedicated baseball-only ballpark limited team revenue and made it difficult to sustain a top-notch, competitive team (the Twins had been sharing tenancy in stadiums with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings since 1961). The team was rumored to contemplate moving to such places as New Jersey, Las Vegas, Portland, Oregon, the Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina, area, and elsewhere in search of a more financially competitive market. In 2002, the team was nearly disbanded when Major League Baseball selected the Twins and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals franchise) for elimination due to their financial weakness relative to other franchises in the league. The impetus for league contraction diminished after a court decision forced the Twins to play out their lease on the Metrodome. However, Twins owner Carl Pohlad continued his efforts to relocate, pursuing litigation against the Metropolitan Stadium Commission and obtaining a state court ruling that his team was not obligated to play in the Metrodome after the 2006 season. This cleared the way for the Twins to either be relocated or disbanded prior to the 2007 season if a new deal was not reached.

text: Target Field[edit]

text: In response to the threatened loss of the Twins, the Minnesota private and public sector negotiated and approved a financing package for a replacement stadium— a baseball-only outdoor, natural turf ballpark in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis— owned by a new entity known as the Minnesota Ballpark Authority.[93] Target Field was constructed at a cost of $544.4 million (including site acquisition and infrastructure), utilizing the proceeds of a $392 million public bond offering based on a 0.15% sales tax in Hennepin County and private financing of $185 million provided by the Pohlad family.[94][95] As part of the deal, the Twins also signed a 30-year lease of the new stadium, effectively guaranteeing the continuation of the team in Minnesota for a long time to come. Construction of the new field began in 2007, and was completed in December 2009, in time for the 2010 season. Commissioner Bud Selig, who earlier had threatened to disband the team, observed that without the new stadium the Twins could not have committed to sign their star player, catcher Joe Mauer, to an 8-year, $184 million contract extension. The first regular season game in Target Field was played against the Boston Red Sox on April 12, 2010, with Mauer driving in two runs and going 3-for-5 to help the Twins defeat the Red Sox, 5–2.[96]

text: On May 18, 2011, Target Field was named "The Best Place To Shop" by Street and Smith's SportsBusiness Journal at the magazine's 2011 Sports Business Awards Ceremony in New York City.[97] It was also named "The Best Sports Stadium in North America" by ESPN The Magazine in a ranking that included over 120 different stadiums, ballparks and arenas from around North America.[98]

text: In July 2014, Target Field hosted the 85th Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby.

text: Current roster[edit]

text:
Minnesota Twins roster

v
t
e

Active roster
Inactive roster
Coaches/Other

Pitchers
Starting rotation

17 José Berríos
44 Kyle Gibson
31 Lance Lynn
12 Jake Odorizzi
77 Fernando Romero

Bullpen

19 Matt Belisle
32 Zach Duke
39 Trevor Hildenberger
68 Matt Magill
57 Ryan Pressly
43 Addison Reed
55 Taylor Rogers

Closer

56 Fernando Rodney

Catchers

23 Mitch Garver
46 Bobby Wilson

Infielders

16 Ehire Adrianza
 2 Brian Dozier
 5 Eduardo Escobar
 7 Joe Mauer
99 Logan Morrison
45 Taylor Motter

Outfielders

36 Robbie Grossman
26 Max Kepler
24 Ryan LaMarre
20 Eddie Rosario

Pitchers

67 Alan Busenitz
27 John Curtiss
21 Tyler Duffey
59 Stephen Gonsalves
76 Félix Jorge
52 Zack Littell
65 Trevor May
49 Adalberto Mejía
58 Gabriel Moya
50 Aaron Slegers
71 Lewis Thorpe

Infielders

22 Miguel Sanó

Outfielders

25 Byron Buxton
60 Jake Cave
 8 Zack Granite

Manager

 4 Paul Molitor

Coaches

41 Garvin Alston (pitching)
75 Nate Dammann (bullpen catcher)
13 Gene Glynn (third base)
18 Eddie Guardado (bullpen)
63 Rudy Hernandez (assistant hitting)
30 Jeff Pickler (major league coach)
76 Ben Richardson (bullpen catcher)
33 James Rowson (hitting)
37 Jeff Smith (first base)
 9 Derek Shelton (bench)

60-day disabled list

15 Jason Castro
35 Michael Pineda
54 Ervin Santana

Restricted list

11 Jorge Polanco

25 active, 15 inactive
 7- or 10-day disabled list
 Suspended list
# Personal leave
Roster and coaches updated June 15, 2018
Transactions • Depth chart
→ All MLB rosters

text: Minnesota Twins all-time roster: A complete list of players who played in at least one game for the Twins franchise.

text: Minor league affiliates[edit]

text:
Level
Team
League
Location

AAA
Rochester Red Wings
International League
Rochester, New York

AA
Chattanooga Lookouts
Southern League
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Advanced A
Fort Myers Miracle
Florida State League
Fort Myers, Florida

A
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Midwest League
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Rookie
Elizabethton Twins
Appalachian League
Elizabethton, Tennessee

GCL Twins
Gulf Coast League
Fort Myers, Florida

DSL Twins
Dominican Summer League
Dominican Republic

text: Achievements[edit]

text: Baseball Hall of Famers[edit]

text:
Minnesota Twins Hall of Famers

Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Washington Senators

Stan Coveleski
Joe Cronin
Ed Delahanty

Rick Ferrell
Lefty Gomez
Goose Goslin

Clark Griffith
Bucky Harris
Whitey Herzog
Walter Johnson

Heinie Manush
Sam Rice
Al Simmons

George Sisler
Tris Speaker
Early Wynn

Minnesota Twins

Bert Blyleven

Rod Carew
Steve Carlton

Harmon Killebrew
Paul Molitor

Jack Morris
Kirby Puckett

Jim Thome
Dave Winfield

Players and managers listed in bold are depicted on their Hall of Fame plaques wearing a Twins or Senators cap insignia.

text: Molitor and Winfield, St. Paul natives and University of Minnesota graduates,[99] came to the team late in their careers and were warmly received as "hometown heroes", but were elected to the Hall on the basis of their tenures with other teams. Both swatted their 3,000th hit with the Twins.[100][101]

text: Cronin, Goslin, Griffith, Harris, Johnson, Killebrew and Wynn are listed on the Washington Hall of Stars display at Nationals Park (previously they were listed at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium). So are Ossie Bluege, George Case, Joe Judge, George Selkirk, Roy Sievers, Cecil Travis, Mickey Vernon and Eddie Yost.[102]

text: Ford C. Frick Award recipients[edit]

text:
Minnesota Twins Ford C. Frick Award recipients

Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Herb Carneal

Russ Hodges

Arch McDonald

Chuck Thompson

Bob Wolff

Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as broadcasters for the Twins or Senators.

text: Team captains[edit]

text: 3 Harmon Killebrew 1961–74

tag: ul

text: Twins Hall of Fame[edit]

text:
Key

Year
Year inducted

Bold
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Twin

Bold
Recipient of the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award

text:
Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame

Year
No.
Name
Position(s)
Tenure

2000
3
Harmon Killebrew
1B
1961–74

29
Rod Carew
2B
1967–78

6
Tony Oliva
RF/DH
1962–76

14
Kent Hrbek
1B
1981–94

34
Kirby Puckett
CF
1984–95

—
Calvin Griffith
President and Owner
1961–83

2001
—
Herb Carneal
Radio Broadcaster
1962–2007

36
Jim Kaat
P
1961–73

2002
28
Bert Blyleven
P
1970–76
1985–88

10
Tom Kelly
Manager
1986–2001

2003
4
Bob Allison
OF
1961–70

—
Bob Casey
Public Address Announcer
1961–2004

2004
10
Earl Battey
C
1961–67

2005
16
Frank Viola
P
1982–89

—
Carl Pohlad
Owner
1984–2009

2006
2
Zoilo Versalles
SS
1961–67

2007
8
Gary Gaetti
3B
1981–90

—
Jim Rantz
Director of Minor Leagues
1986–2012

2008
38
Rick Aguilera
P
1989–95
1996–99

2009[103]
22, 23, 59
Brad Radke
P
1995–2006

—
George Brophy
Front office executive
1961–85

2010[104]
7
Greg Gagne
SS
1983–92

2011[105]
31
Jim Perry
P
1963–72

2012[106]
17
Camilo Pascual
P
1961–66

2013[107]
18
Eddie Guardado
P
1993–2003, 2008

—
Tom Mee
Media Relations Director
1961-91

2016
—
John Gordon
Radio Broadcaster
1987-2011

48
Torii Hunter
CF/RF
1997–2007, 2015

2017
5
Michael Cuddyer
RF
2001–11

—
Andy MacPhail
General Manager
1985–94

2018
57
Johan Santana
P
2000–2007

text: Retired numbers[edit]

text: The Metrodome's upper deck in center and right fields was partly covered by a curtain containing banners of various titles won, and retired numbers. There was no acknowledgment of the Twins' prior championships in Washington and several Senator Hall of Famers, such as Walter Johnson, played in the days prior to numbers being used on uniforms. However Killebrew played seven seasons as a Senator, including two full seasons as a regular prior to the move to Minnesota in 1961.

text: Prior to the addition of the banners, the Twins acknowledged their retired numbers on the Metrodome's outfield fence. Harmon Killebrew's #3 was the first to be displayed, as it was the only one the team had retired when they moved in. It was joined by Rod Carew's #29 in 1987, Tony Oliva's #6 in 1991, Kent Hrbek's #14 in 1995, and Kirby Puckett's #34 in 1997 before the Twins began hanging the banners to reduce capacity. The championships, meanwhile were marked on the "Baggie" in right field.

text:
Harmon
Killebrew
LF-1B-3B
Retired
May 4, 1975

Tony
Oliva
RF-DH-Coach
Retired July 14, 1991

Tom
Kelly
Manager
Retired September 8, 2012

Kent
Hrbek
1B
Retired August 13, 1995

Bert
Blyleven
P
Retired July 16, 2011

Rod
Carew
1B-2B
Retired July 19, 1987

Kirby
Puckett
CF
Retired May 25, 1997

Jackie
Robinson
All MLB
Honored April 15, 1997

text: In the Metrodome, the numbers ran in that order from left to right. In Target Field, they run from right to left, presumably to allow space for additional numbers in the future. The retired numbers also serve as entry points at Target Field, The center field gate is Gate No. 3, honoring Killebrew, the left field gate is Gate No. 6, honoring Oliva, the home plate gate is Gate No. 14, for Hrbek, the right field gate serves as Gate No. 29, in tribute to Carew, and the plaza gate is known as Gate No. 34, honoring Puckett.

text: The numbers that have been retired hang within Target Field in front of the tower that serves as the Twins' executive offices in left field foul territory. The championships banners have been replaced by small pennants that fly on masts at the back of the left field upper deck. Those pennants, along with the flags flying in the plaza behind right field, serve as a visual cue for the players, suggesting the wind direction and speed.

text: Jackie Robinson's number, 42, was retired by Major League Baseball on April 15, 1997 and formally honored by the Twins on May 23, 1997.[108] Robinson's number was positioned to the left of the Twins numbers in both venues.

text:
Player
Jersey
Position
Date retired

Harmon Killebrew
3
LF-1B-3B: 1954–60 (WAS)
LF-1B-3B: 1961–74 (MIN)
May 4, 1975

Rod Carew
29
1B-2B: 1967–78 (MIN)
July 19, 1987

Tony Oliva
6
RF-DH: 1962–76 (MIN)
Coach: 1976–78 (MIN)
Coach: 1985–91 (MIN)
July 14, 1991

Kent Hrbek
14
1B: 1981–94 (MIN)
August 13, 1995

Jackie Robinson
42
Retired by MLB
April 15, 1997

Kirby Puckett
34
CF: 1984–95 (MIN)
May 25, 1997

Bert Blyleven
28
P: 1970–76 (MIN)
P: 1985–88 (MIN)
July 16, 2011

Tom Kelly
10
Manager: 1986–2001 (MIN)
September 8, 2012

text: Awards[edit]

text: Team records[edit]

text: Team seasons[edit]

text:
Year
Regular Season
Postseason
Result

Wins
Losses
Win %
Finish
Attendance
Attendance per Game
Record
Win %

2001
85
77
.525
2nd – AL Central
1,782,929
22,011
0–0
.000

2002
94
67
.584
1st – AL Central
1,924,473
23,906
4–6
.400
Won ALDS vs Oakland Athletics, 3–2
Lost ALCS to Anaheim Angels, 1–4

2003
90
72
.556
1st – AL Central
1,946,011
24,025
1–3
.250
Lost ALDS to New York Yankees, 1–3

2004
92
70
.568
1st – AL Central
1,911,490
23,599
1–3
.250
Lost ALDS to New York Yankees, 1–3

2005
83
79
.512
3rd – AL Central
2,034,243
25,114
0–0
.000

2006
96
66
.593
1st – AL Central
2,285,018
28,210
0–3
.000
Lost ALDS to Oakland Athletics, 0–3

2007
79
83
.488
3rd – AL Central
2,296,347
28,349
0–0
.000

2008
88
75
.540
2nd – AL Central
2,302,611
28,427
0–0
.000

2009
87
76
.534
1st – AL Central
2,416,237
29,466
0–3
.000
Lost ALDS to New York Yankees, 0–3

2010
94
68
.580
1st – AL Central
3,223,640
39,798
0–3
.000
Lost ALDS to New York Yankees, 0–3

2011
63
99
.389
5th – AL Central
3,168,107
39,112
0–0
.000

2012
66
96
.407
5th – AL Central
2,776,354
34,275
0–0
.000

2013
66
96
.407
4th – AL Central
2,477,644
30,588
0–0
.000

2014
70
92
.432
5th – AL Central
2,250,606
27,785
0–0
.000

2015
83
79
.521
2nd – AL Central
2,220,054
27,408
0–0
.000

2016
59
103
.364
5th – AL Central
1,963,912
24,246
0–0
.000

2017
85
77
.525
2nd – AL Central
2,051,279
25,324
0–1
.000
Lost AL Wild Card Game (Yankees)

2018
15
17
.469
2nd – AL Central
285,531
20,395
0–0
.000

Total as Twins
4501
4592
.495
 –
 –
 –
25–39
.391
2 World Series Championships

text: Radio and television[edit]

text: In 2007, the Twins took the rights to the broadcasts in-house and created the Twins Radio Network (TRN). With that new network in place the Twins secured a new Metro Affiliate flagship radio station in KSTP (AM 1500). It replaced WCCO (AM 830), which held broadcast rights for the Twins since the team moved to Minneapolis in 1961. For 2013, the Twins moved to FM radio on KTWN-FM 96.3 K-Twin, which is owned by the Pohlad family. The original radio voices of the Twins in 1961 were Ray Scott, Halsey Hall and Bob Wolff. After the first season, Herb Carneal replaced Wolff. Twins TV and radio broadcasts were originally sponsored by the Hamm's Brewing Company. In 2009, Treasure Island Resort & Casino became the first ever naming rights partner for the Twins Radio Network, making the commercial name of TRN the Treasure Island Baseball Network.[111] In 2017, it was announced that WCCO would become the flagship station the Twins again starting in 2018, thus returning the team back to its original station after 11 years.[112]

text: Cory Provus is the current radio play by play announcer,[113] taking over in 2012 for longtime Twins voice John Gordon who retired following the 2011 season.[114] Former Twins OF Dan Gladden serves as color commentator.[115]

text: TRN broadcasts are originated from the studios at Minnesota News Network and Minnesota Farm Networks. Kris Atteberry hosts the pre-game show, the "Lineup Card" and the "Post-game Download" from those studios except when filling in for Provus or Gladden when they are on vacation.

text: On April 1, 2007, Herb Carneal, the radio voice of the Twins for all but one year of their existence, died at his home in Minnetonka, Minnesota after a long battle with a list of illnesses. Carneal is in the broadcasters wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.[116]

text: The television rights are held by Fox Sports North[117] with Dick Bremer as the play-by-play announcer and former Twin, 2011 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee,[118] Bert Blyleven as color analyst. They are sometimes joined by Roy Smalley and Jack Morris.[119]

text: Bob Casey was the Twins first public-address announcer starting in 1961 and continuing until his death in 2005. He was well known for his unique delivery and his signature announcements of "No smoking in the Metrodome, either go outside or quit!" (or "go back to Boston", etc.), "Batting 3rd, the center-fielder, No. 34, Kirby Puckett!!!" and asking fans not to 'throw anything or anybody' onto the field.[120]

text: Community activities[edit]

text: Minnesota Twins Community Fund – Play Ball! Minnesota[121]

text: Team and franchise traditions[edit]

text: Fans wave a Homer Hanky to rally the team during play-offs and other crucial games. The Homer Hanky was created by Terrie Robbins of the Star Tribune newspaper in the Twin Cities in 1987. It was her idea to originally give away 60,000 inaugural Homer Hankies. That year, over 2.3 million Homer Hankies were distributed.[122]

text: The party atmosphere of the Twins clubhouse after a win is well-known,[123] the team's players unwinding with loud rock music (usually the choice of the winning pitcher) and video games.[123]

text: The club has several hazing rituals, such as requiring the most junior relief pitcher on the team to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a brightly colored small child's backpack (Barbie in 2005, SpongeBob SquarePants in 2006, Hello Kitty in 2007, Disney Princess and Tinkerbell in 2009, Chewbacca and Darth Vader in 2010),[123] and many of its players, both past and present, are notorious pranksters.[123] For example, Bert Blyleven earned the nickname "The Frying Dutchman" for his ability to pull the "hotfoot" – which entails crawling under the bench in the dugout and lighting a teammate's shoelaces on fire.[124][125]


document_title: The J. Geils Band

question_text: who is the lead singer of the j geils band

text: The J. Geils Band

text: Early days[edit]

text: The band started as an acoustic blues trio in the mid-1960s, with guitarist John Geils, bassist Danny Klein (Dr. Funk) and harmonica player Richard Salwitz (stage name Magic Dick). The band formed under the name Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels while Geils was attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute for a couple of semesters. In 1968, the band switched focus, starting to play electric guitar and bass and recruiting two fellow musicians from a local Boston, MA band called The Hallucinations, who were a frequent performing band at the Boston Tea Party concert venue on 53 Berkeley Street.  They were the drummer Stephen Bladd and his bandmate, (who was the fast-talking former WBCN disc jockey) singer Peter Wolf, born Peter Blankenfeld (originally from the Bronx, NY).[1] They became The J. Geils Blues Band, later dropping the word "Blues" from the band name. The same year, former fan Seth Justman joined on keyboards, and the band started to earn a sizable local following in the Boston area.[2] The band was choosy with its various offers of contracts, and unofficial live recordings circulated: as noted in Creem, "WBCN had the infamous J. Geils 'bathroom tapes' (that were almost exactly what the name implies) and a tape of their performance at Alternate Media Conference at Goddard College, but these hardly sufficed."[3] The group ultimately signed to Atlantic Records in 1970. Initial influences included James Cotton and Little Walter, indeed in a later interview, harmonica star Magic Dick revealed that the whole band were "harp freaks".[4]

text: 1970s touring, recordings and early top 40 success[edit]

text: After spending the better part of 1970 playing live shows around the US opening for artists as eclectic as BB King, Johnny Winter, The Allman Brothers and The Byrds,[5] The J. Geils Band recorded their debut LP The J. Geils Band in August 1970 in A&R Studios in New York City, and it was released in November of that year. The band started to get airplay with release of their first single, a rock-cover of The Contours' Motown hit, "First I Look at the Purse", and soon the band would get more AM radio airplay with a series of several successful singles in the early 1970s, the first one being a cover version of The Valentinos' "Lookin' for a Love", which appeared on their second album The Morning After and was their Top 40 debut in 1972 (at #39 on the Billboard charts). The album was released in October 1971. The song "Cry One More Time" (also on The Morning After) was later covered by Gram Parsons on his debut album in 1973.

text: Through constant touring, the band soon built a large following in the US for their energetic live shows,[2] with the charismatic stage-antics and "microphone-stand-pole-vaulting"[6] of singer Peter Wolf, as well as its innovative use of the harmonica as a lead instrument.[citation needed] Harmonicalinks.com later called Magic Dick "a pioneer in sound and style for rock harmonica."[7] AllMusic.com described their 1970s period as a band "pure and simple, churning out greasy covers of obscure R&B, doo wop, and soul tunes, while cutting them with a healthy dose of Stonesy swagger."[2] On August 17, 1971, at a show on the Boston Common, The Allman Brothers Band named The J. Geils Band as its favorite local band.[8] Both bands later played the last show at the Fillmore East prior to the venue closing. Although living in Boston, the band had always considered Detroit its second home because of its enormous popularity there. Two of its three live albums were recorded in Detroit at the Cinderella Ballroom and Pine Knob Music Theater (now DTE Energy Music Theater). Their second live album, 1976's Blow Your Face Out, was recorded at the Boston Garden and Detroit's Cobo Arena.

text: After the release of their first two albums and keeping a busy show schedule, it was The J. Geils Band's third album Bloodshot which was the first commercial breakthrough for the band, reaching #10 on the Billboard 200 album charts in the United States in 1973 and spawning the single "Give It to Me", which went to #30 in the Billboard Charts following the album's release in 1973.  The original U.S. copies of Bloodshot were distributed in red vinyl, (instead of the customary black), with matching red 1950's style Atlantic Records labels. The band would continue to use these vintage-style Atlantic labels, in different colors with each album release, throughout their remaining tenure with the label.[9][better source needed] Seeking to seize on this commercial success, the band released their following album Ladies Invited in November of that same year, which debuted at #51 but didn't match the commercial success of Bloodshot. After spending the early part of 1974 on the road with an active touring schedule, the band went back into the studio and recorded their fifth album Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle, which yielded a big hit single, the Justman/Wolf composition "Must of Got Lost", which reached #12 on the Billboard Top 100 in early 1975. Later that year the band started playing arenas across the US with a variety of artists including The Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, and Rod Stewart.[5] After their initial commercial success and with constant touring, the group seemed destined to be nothing more than a party band until the release of Monkey Island (1977), followed by Sanctuary (1978), which charted at No. 49 on the Billboard 200 and spun off a sizable hit single in "One Last Kiss" (No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100).

text: 1980s commercial peak and breakup[edit]

text: The group hit their commercial peak and achieved mainstream success in the early 1980s, first with the humorous Love Stinks which was released in January 1980 and yielded two Top 40 singles, the song "Come Back" which peaked at #32 on the Billboard chart, as well as the title track "Love Stinks" which went to #38.  "Love Stinks" remained a staple in FM radio in the 80's and was showcased in the 1998 hit film The Wedding Singer when Adam Sandler performs it in the film, and it also appeared on the film's soundtrack The Wedding Singer Volume 2, also released in 1998.  The band spent the better part of 1980 touring the US, Europe as well as touring Japan for the first time.[10]  The band followed up the success of Love Stinks with their hit album Freeze Frame, which reached #1 in early 1982 for four weeks. The first single "Centerfold" which peaked at No. 1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100) "Centerfold" also became their only major hit single in the United Kingdom, where it reached No. 3 in February 1982. The title-cut "Freeze Frame" peaked at #4 in April 1982. The flip side of "Freeze Frame", "Flamethrower" received airplay on Urban contemporary radio notably, in Metro Detroit, and reached number 25 on the Billboard soul chart and peaked at 12 on U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song also received airplay on rock and Top 40 stations. The third and final singles released from the album "Angel in Blue" peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100  The band's videos for "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame" were in heavy rotation on MTV as well, which contributed to the album's success. During 1982 the band was frequently selling out arenas around the US, including a month-long tour with U2 as their support act in March 1982.,[10] The band also undertook a two-month tour of Europe playing with The Rolling Stones from June & July of that year as well.[10]  The band followed up on the international success of Freeze Frame with the release of another live album, Showtime!, which contained their #24 live hit cover of "I Do", originally a 1965 hit by the Marvelows, which the band remade for their 1977 Monkey Island album.

text: Wolf left the group in 1983 over disagreements on the group's musical direction.  Many years later in 2016, Wolf offered the following recollection of the disagreements within the group that lead to his departure: "I did not leave the band, but the majority of the band wanted to move in another direction.[...] They wanted to continue in a pop-techno way, [and] it wasn’t my thing."[11]

text: The band went on to record one more album of new material, You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd. Seth Justman took over lead vocal duties in Wolf's absence. The album produced only one single, "Concealed Weapons", and was not a commercial success. The group then disbanded in 1985 after contributing the title song to the 1985 horror film Fright Night.

text: Reunion appearances[edit]

text: The group reunited with Wolf in 1999 for a 13-date tour of the East Coast and upper Midwest. Rollins Band drummer Sim Cain sat in on drums for this tour, which also saw the band supported by backup singers Andricka Hall and Catherine Russell, as well as the Uptown Horns (who had also appeared with the group on its Freeze Frame Tour). After the '99 reunion tour finished at that year's end, Wolf returned to touring with his own backup band.

text: On February 26, 2005, the band (with drummer Marty Richards) reunited at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA, for a charity show for the Cam Neely Foundation for cancer care. On May 22, 2006, all six original members had a surprise reunion at bassist Danny Klein's 60th birthday party at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston.

text: On February 19, 2009, the band reunited again to perform the opening concert at the new House of Blues in Boston on Lansdowne Street (formerly the location of Avalon, Axis, The Embassy and The Modern), with Marty Richards on drums and Mitch Chakour supplying backup vocals. Subsequently, they played two shows on April 24 and 25 at Detroit's Fillmore Theater (formerly State Theater). They also did a second show on Lansdowne Street on April 28.[12]

text: On July 11, 2009, The J. Geils Band played at the Borgata Hotel/Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, selling out the Borgata's 2,000-seat event center. On December 31, 2009, the band reunited for a one-night live gig at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.[13]

text: The band played a benefit in Boston for Big Brothers/Big Sisters on January 23, 2010. On August 14, 2010, The J. Geils Band reunited once again to open for Aerosmith at a sold-out show at Fenway Park.[14] For their 2010 dates, the band was again supported by the Uptown Horns along with backup singers Mitch Chakour, Andricka Hall and Nichelle Tillman. Hall and Tillman continued on in the band for their 2011 and 2012 tours, as did the Uptown Horns. Since this time, Wolf and Geils had also both been touring as solo artists. Danny Klein formed a new band called Danny Klein's Full House that was dedicated to playing the music of The J. Geils Band.

text: The J. Geils Band embarked on a short U.S. tour in August/September 2012. However, they left for the tour without J. Geils, replaced by touring guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry, along with touring drummer Tom Arey. Geils filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the other members of the group over use of the name for a tour without him. He named band members Richard Salwitz, Danny Klein, Peter Wolf and Seth Justman in the lawsuit filed in Boston Superior Court, claiming that they "planned and conspired" to continue touring without him and were unlawfully using the group's trademarked name. Geils, angry at his bandmates for what they did, permanently left the band. Geils died in 2017.[15][16]

text: On May 30, 2013, The J. Geils Band performed six songs as part of the Boston Strong concert at the TD Garden in Boston. The concert, a benefit for victims of the recent Boston Marathon bombing victims, also featured Aerosmith, James Taylor, Boston, Dropkick Murphys, New Kids on the Block, Bell Biv DeVoe, Boyz II Men, Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Extreme and Jason Aldean.

text: In 2013 the band was the opening act for Bon Jovi in multiple locations across the United States. Beginning in the fall of 2014 and through the beginning of 2015, The J. Geils Band was the opening act for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band on most tour dates across North America, along with a few solo shows.

text: Projects outside of the band[edit]

text: Since the breakup of the band in 1985, J. Geils began restoring sports cars in Massachusetts and started the performance shop KTR European Motorsports in Ayer, Massachusetts.[17] In 1992, he joined his old bandmate Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz to form the band Bluestime, which released two records: the self-titled Bluestime (1994) and Little Car Blues (1996) on Rounder Records. In 2004, Geils produced the album Nail It! for Massachusetts-based blues/rock group The Installers (Francesca Records No. 1011). He also occasionally performed live with the group. The December 2009 edition of Vintage Guitar (magazine) featured an in-depth interview with Geils by Mambo Sons guitarist Tom Guerra. In the interview, Geils revealed his playing approach, jazz influences and choice of instruments.

text: Magic Dick contributed his harmonica playing and some vocals as part of a live recording called Command Performance by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring The Tommy Castro Band, Deanna Bogart, Ronnie Baker Brooks and others. Since 2007, he has toured as part of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue on different Blues Cruises and again on land-based shows.[18]

text: Peter Wolf followed his time in the band with a moderately successful solo career, having six solo singles chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s and early 1990s.  He continued to release albums into the 2010s.  He toured with Kid Rock during the first half of 2008.

text: Honors[edit]

text: The band was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the years 2005, 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2018. They were not voted in on any of those attempts.[19][20]

text: Members[edit]

text:
J. Geils – lead guitar (1968–1985, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009–2012; died 2017)
Danny Klein – bass (1968–1985, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009–2015)
Magic Dick – harmonica, saxophone, trumpet (1968–1985, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009–2015)
Peter Wolf – lead vocals, percussion (1968–1983, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009–2015)
Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1968–1985, 2006)
Seth Justman – keyboards, backing vocals (1968–1985, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009–2015), lead vocals (1983–1985)

text: Touring members[edit]

text:
Sim Cain – drums (1999)
Catherine Russell – backing vocals (1999)
Andricka Hall – backing vocals (1999, 2010–2015)
Marty Richards – drums (2005, 2009–2011)
Mitch Chakour – backing vocals (2009–2010)
Nichelle Tillman – backing vocals (2010–2015)
Duke Levine – rhythm guitar (2009–2011), lead guitar (2012–2015)
Kevin Barry – rhythm guitar (2012–2015)
Tom Arey – drums (2012–2015)

text: Timeline[edit]

text: Discography[edit]

text:
Studio albums
The J. Geils Band (1970)
The Morning After (1971)
Bloodshot (1973)
Ladies Invited (1973)
Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle (1974)
Hotline (1975)
Monkey Island (1977)
Sanctuary (1978)
Love Stinks (1980)
Freeze Frame (1981)
You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd (1984)