Twins Almanac: Justin Morneau's Home Run Derby Victory, Brian Dozier Breaks A Team Record

[Matt Johnson]

Today's Twins Almanac is a nice succinct Sunday-morning read, featuring Twins all-time greats Camilo Pascual, Tony Oliva, Justin Morneau, and Brian Dozier. 

Image courtesy of © Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

July 14, 1991: Twins Retire Number 6

The Twins retired Tony Oliva's number 6 on this date in 1991.

They retired Rod Carew's number in 1987. Coincidence?

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July 14, 2008: Morneau Wins Home Run Derby

Justin Morneau won the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium on this date in 2008, beating out Josh Hamilton, who just didn't have the stamina to keep up.

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July 14, 2012: Ace Inducted into Team HOF

Camilo Pascual was inducted as the 24th member of the Twins Hall of Fame on this date in 2012. He was already a bona fide ace when the Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961.

Pascual—who Ted Williams said had the most feared curveball in the American League—was sensational over the Twins’ first four seasons in Minnesota. He led the American League in strikeouts in 1961, ’62, and ’63, and led the majors in shutouts in 1959, ’61, and ’62.

He pitched back-to-back shutouts three separate times during the Twins’ inaugural 1961 season, and once again in 1962.

Over the six-year period from 1958 to 1963, no pitcher in MLB racked up a higher cumulative WAR (32.0 as retroactively calculated by Baseball Reference).

On April 27, 1965, he hit the only grand slam by a pitcher in Twins history. (He had also hit a grand slam on August 14, 1960—the Senators’ final season in Washington.)

Following his playing career, Pascual became a scout. Two of his more noteworthy signings were Jose Canseco for the Athletics in 1982, and Alex Cora for the Dodgers in 1996. 

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July 14, 2017: Dozier Breaks Team Leadoff Home Run Record

On the second pitch back from the All-Star break, Brian Dozier hit his 21st leadoff home run, passing Jacque Jones for most in Twins history. 

Dozier hit his 22nd leadoff home run the next day, and wound up hitting 28 for the Twins before being traded to the Dodgers on July 31, 2018.

It doesn't count toward his official total, but Dozier led off the 2017 Wild Card Game with a home run. Eddie Rosario added a two-run homer to give the Twins a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Yankees tied it up in the bottom of the inning and went on to beat the Twins, because of course they did.

It also doesn't count toward his leadoff home run total, but Dozier scored on a leadoff bunt in Detroit on September 23, 2017. The third baseman committed a throwing error and Dozier circled the bases (a "Little League home run," if you will).

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