No self-respecting baseball player wants to be caught with a batting average below the Mendoza Line’s mythical figure of .200. And no Minnesota expansion franchise wants to have a winning percentage below the Minn-doza Line’s .364.

While the Mendoza Line is based on the last name of a light-hitting Mariners shortstop in the 1970s and ’80s, the Minn-doza Line is the average amount of victories from the state’s established five pro sports teams during their inaugural seasons.

As a Major League Soccer expansion franchise, Minnesota United (6-12-4) has fallen well below the concocted point of demarcation, winning only 27 percent of its games going into Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game in Chicago. That’s the third-worst start for new teams in Minnesota, behind the Vikings in 1961 and the Timberwolves in 1989-90. Related Articles Minnesota United acquires striker Kei Kamara in trade with Colorado

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While losing is one thing — the Loons’ 22 points are third-fewest among 22 clubs in MLS — the bigger objective for the clubs is to establish building blocks for the future.

Here’s a look at where the six pro clubs stood, or stand, in winning percentage at their respective all-star games or mid-points in their debut campaigns, and which players gave/give hope for brighter futures. They’re ranked from worst to first:

VIKINGS

First half: .124

Final: .214

Rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton threw 18 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in a 3-11 faceplant in 1961. Tarkenton’s TD/INT numbers tracked along the same line until he left to play for the New York Giants in 1967, when Bud Grant became coach in Minnesota.

The Vikings suffered losing seasons in four of their first six years before Grant took over and turned them into a division champion his second season, in 1968, eventually leading them to four Super Bowls through 1976.

After a rookie year in Cleveland, defensive end Jim Marshall came to Minnesota in 1961 and was the ironman for the Purple People Eaters through 1979. Tarkenton came back in 1972 and was a part of three of the Super Bowl defeats.

TIMBERWOLVES

At break: .216

Final: .268

The Wolves dug a crater with six coaches in its first seven seasons, starting with Bill Musselman in 1989-90. Then, Flip Saunders arrived midway through the 1995-96 season to lead them to eight straight playoff appearances through 2004.

Leading scorers in the debut season with NBA-record crowds at their first home arena, the Metrodome, Tony Campbell and Tyrone Corbin, were gone after three seasons on the tundra. Sam Mitchell left after three, but came back three years later to be a role player beside Kevin Garnett, who changed the course of the franchise in 1995. Doug West was in the mix in Minnesota for nine seasons.

After the franchise’s eight playoff appearances, the Wolves have slogged through the longest active playoff drought — 13 seasons — since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1984. Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and others look to end the drought this spring.

UNITED

At break: .272

Final: TBD

After allowing an abysmal 18 goals in their first four games, the Loons have recovered somewhat from a record-breaking winless opening month. United quickly benched struggling central defender Vadim Demidov and traded for veteran defensive midfielder Sam Cronin to become competitive.

Midfielders Ibson, Kevin Molino and striker Christian Ramirez received interest for the all-star game and figure to be key players, along with defenders Francisco Calvo and Brent Kallman, for the club in the foreseeable future.

After outpacing the record for most goals allowed per game, the Loons have stabilized, allowing 2.04 per game to fall well below the MLS record of 2.5 set by Tampa Bay in 2001.

The Loons, who are winless on the road this season, play eight of their final 11 games away from TCF Bank Stadium. That doesn’t bode well for their final spot along the Minn-doza Line.

WILD

At break: .352

Final: .304

After the North Stars left in 1993, the startup Wild hit big on Marian Gaborik with the third pick in the 2000 NHL Draft. He was second on the team in scoring with 36 points in 2000-01 and then led the team with 65 points in the regular season and 17 more in the surprising playoff run to the Western Conference finals in 2003.

The Wild hired hall of fame coach Jacques Lemaire to lead the first team and stuck with him for eight years, including six straight winning seasons and three trips to the NHL playoffs.

TWINS

At break: .404

Final: .437

While the Twins weren’t an expansion franchise after relocating from Washington and rebranding from the Senators in 1961, they stuck with a core of first baseman Harmon Killebrew, shortstop Zoilo Versalles and pitchers Jim Katt and Camilo Pascual for years.

That foursome and others, coupled with the addition of Mudcat Grant, advanced to the 1965 Wold Series, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

LYNX

At break: .538

Final: .468

The Lynx are the only Minnesota expansion franchise to sport a winning record at midseason of their first year, and while they slipped to sub-.500 over the final stretch in 1999, their winning percentage is the best among all Minnesota start-ups.

Katie Smith was the third-leading scorer on the Lynx that debut season and was a standout for Minnesota through 2005.

Seimone Augustus was the first current cornerstone player to arrive in 2006, Lindsey Whalen joined from Connecticut in 2010, and Maya Moore was the first overall pick by the Lynx in 2011. With that threesome, they won their first of three WNBA championships in 2011. Those three players, plus star center Sylvia Fowles, have led the Lynx to a WNBA-best 19-2 record this season.