The Twins Almanac for June 15

Matt Johnson · June 15, 2024

And here it is, your daily dose of Twins history • Mauer's number retired • Reardon becomes all-time saves leader • Four-straight strikeouts in one inning • Darwin ties single-game RBI record • Ullger has career day • Bemidji native sent to Giants

June 15, 1973: Darwin Ties Team Single-Game RBI Record

Right fielder Bobby Darwin went 4-for-5 with a pair of two-run homers, a two-run single, and a one-run single to tie the team single-game record with seven RBI in a 13-6 win at Tiger Stadium on this date in 1973.

(Glenn Adams set a new Twins record with eight RBI on June 26, 1977, matched by Randy Bush on May 20, 1989.)

Jim Kaat earned the win for Minnesota in the 1973 game while old friend Jim Perry took the loss for Detroit.

June 15, 1983: Ullger Has Career Day

First baseman Scott Ullger collected 20% of his major league hits on this date in 1983, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored in a 6-2 Twins win over the Royals at home in the Dome.

Ullger went 15-for-79 (.190) altogether in 35 major league games.

Connection: This reminds me of when Billy Beane went 5-for-5 with a walk playing for the Twins on April 29, 1986. Those five hits represented 7.6% of the 66 hits the former first-round draft pick got over parts of six major league seasons, and were more than he had total in four of those seasons.

June 15, 1987: Bemidji Native Sent to Giants

The Twins sent 1982 Bemidji graduate and Golden Gophers all-time great Bryan Hickerson to the San Francisco Giants as the "player to be named later" to complete the March 31st Dan Gladden trade on this date in 1987. (I'm sure Bryan's friends and family were looking forward to him pitching for the hometown team, but I'd have to say acquiring Gladden worked out pretty well for Minnesota baseball fans.)

Fun Fact: Hickerson won the first two "Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year" awards given out by the University of Minnesota in 1985 and '86.

June 15, 1992: Reardon Becomes All-Time Saves Leader

Old friend Jeff Reardon earned his 342nd save on this date in 1992, surpassing Rollie Fingers as the all-time leader. The Red Sox only run in the 1-0 win over the Yankees at Fenway came on a solo home run by Phil Plantier. Reardon struck out Kevin Maas to end it.

Phil Plantier and Kevin Maas . . . if you collected baseball cards in the early '90s, those are two names I'm sure you remember.

Reardon's 1987 teammates Tom Brunansky and Frank Viola were teammates with him in Boston in '92.

Lee Smith took over as the all-time saves leader just one year later. Reardon finished his career with 367, which is still good for 12th-most in MLB history. Of course the current career leader is Mariano Rivera with 652.

June 15, 2008: Four-Straight Strikeouts in One Inning

Scott Baker struck out four-straight Brewers on this date in 2008. He got Ryan Braun swinging to start off the bottom of the third. Prince Fielder then struck out swinging at a wild pitch and reached first base safely before Baker got Russell Branyan and Mike Cameron both swinging to end the inning.

You've heard of a Snapper Mow 'Em Down Inning . . . what do you call it when the pitcher strikes out all four batters in an inning?

June 15, 2019: Twins Retire Number 7

The Minnesota Twins retired Joe Mauer's number 7 on this date in 2019.

A lot of different Twins wore number 7 prior to Joe, including: