Twins Almanac: A Collapsing Metrodome, Gary Gaetti's Revenge, & The 2016 Horrid Start

[Matt Johnson]

The wide-ranging Twins Almanac: Sunday Edition features some slow starts—both individually and as a team—as well as an outright collapse. We'll also look back at a heckuva pro debut by a Twins prospect back in 1978, and we'll remember a couple Minnesotan ballplayers from the 1930s and 40s. 

April 14
Happy Birthday, Mike Trombley

Happy 57th birthday to Mike Trombley. 

His 77 appearances in 1998 are tied for seventh-most in Twins history. He led the team in ERA that season, and won the Joseph W. Haynes Award for the team's most outstanding pitcher. 

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April 14, 1915
Birthdate of Chet Wieczorek

Ten-year minor leaguer Chet Wieczorek was born in Winona on this date in 1915. 

The slugger put up some big numbers a few years. He hit .342 with 37 home runs and 111 RBI with the Duluth Dukes in 1936.

At Portsmouth, OH in 1938, he hit .366 with 28 home runs and 130 RBI.

After being out of pro ball in 1944 and '45 (presumably related to WWII), he made it to Triple A in 1946.

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April 14, 1927
Wera Makes MLB Debut

25-year-old Winona native Julie Wera made his major league debut at Yankee Stadium on this date in 1927, pinch hitting for Hall of Famer Waite Hoyt against Hall of Famer Lefty Grove. (He grounded out.)

Wera played 38 games at third base for the vaunted ‘27 Yankees. He hit his one and only big league homer during a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1927 in front of a then-record crowd of 74,000.

Wera didn’t get any action in the 1927 World Series, in which the Yankees swept the Pirates, but he did receive the same $5,782 share of the winners’ purse as the rest of his teammates, which included Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. Nice bonus, considering that Wera’s ‘27 salary was reported to be $2,400.

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April 14, 1978
Jackson Makes Heckuva Pro Debut

Arizona State alumnus Darrell Jackson pitched nine no-hit innings in his professional debut at double-A Orlando on this date in 1978.

Manager Johnny Goryl went to the pen in the 10th, and Orlando eventually won in 12 innings. 

He pitched a three-hit shutout in just his fourth major league start later that summer.

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April 14, 1983
Snow Collapses the Dome

The largest April snowstorm in Twin Cities history (at the time) forced the postponement of a game versus the California Angels on this date in 1983.

The decision to postpone the game was made the night before out of concern that the Angels would not be able to arrive in Minnesota in time. Travel concerns were a moot point, however, as damage from the storm caused the Metrodome roof to collapse.

The spring storm dumped 13.6 inches of snow on the metro. That record was eclipsed when 14.9 inches of snow forced the postponement of three games on April 13, 14, and 15, 2018.

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April 14, 1991
Morris a Bust?/Gaetti Gets Revenge

New Twins pitcher Jack Morris—the highest-paid pitcher in the majors—got knocked around by the Angels on this date in 1991, giving up eight runs on 13 hits in just 5.2 innings.

New Angels third baseman Gary Gaetti had four RBI spread over three plate appearances. 

After starting the season 1-for-13 on the road in Seattle, Gaetti went 7-for-14 in his first-ever series against the Twins as the Angels took two of three at the Dome.

Meanwhile, by April 20 Morris had fallen to 0-3 and the team record was 2-9. (Things got better.)

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April 14, 2016
Worst Start in Twins History

The Twins were swept by the White Sox in their home-opening series in 2016, falling to 0-9 on the season, the worst start in the franchise’s 116-year history. It was the worst start by any major league team in 13 years, going back to the epically awful 2003 Tigers who finished 43-119.

Atlanta would also fall to 0-9 later that day, and finish the season 68-93. Minnesota, meanwhile, would finish 59-103—the worst record in Twins history. It was remarkably not the worst season in franchise history, however: the 1904 Washington Senators finished 38-113 (.252 winning %).

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Join the conversation in the comments section below, and follow the Twins Almanac on Facebook and Twitter throughout the week for interesting "On This Date" notes about:

• Showboat Fisher
• Jim Eisenreich
• Cal Ripken Jr.
• Eric Milton
• Ervin Santana
• Bob Allison
• ByungHo Park
• Jim Kaat
• George Mitterwald
• Rod Carew
• Nolan Ryan
• Jason Kubel
• Joe Mauer
• Camilo Pascual
• Dick Stigman
• Tony Oliva
• Tom Hall
• Frank Viola
and many more

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