The Twins Almanac (August 24): Kent Hrbek's First Big-League Home Run Gives Twins Extra-Inning Win at Yankees Stadium

[Matt Johnson]

Only three items in today's Almanac, but one of them is one of my favorite events on the Almanac calendar: Kent Hrbek's major league debut. There are some interesting layers to the story beyond his 12th-inning game-winning homer. Also, on this date in 1969, Tom Hall bested Al Downing in an epic pitchers' duel, and on this date in 1992, Hrbie and Gladden traded homers to left as Gladden returned to the Dome with Detroit. 

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

August 24, 1969: Blade Wins Pitchers' Duel
Tom "The Blade" Hall and the Yankees' Al Downing locked horns in an epic pitchers' duel at Met Stadium on this date in 1969, with both pitchers taking three-hit shutouts into the ninth inning. After Tony Oliva made it to third on an error leading off the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees intentionally walked Bob Allison and Leo Cárdenas before George Mitterwald delivered a walk-off single. Hall surrendered a hit in the ninth inning, making it a four-hit shutout. He also walked two in the game.

Al Downing ... where have I heard that name before? Flex your baseball history knowledge in the comments section below. 

---

August 24, 1981: Hrbek Hits Game-Winning Home in MLB Debut
21-year-old Kent Hrbek hit the game-winning home run in the 12th inning of his major-league debut at Yankee Stadium on this date in 1981.

Hrbie was called up straight from Low-A Visalia, where he was batting .379 with 27 home runs and 111 RBI. The call up straight from Class A meant he'd be getting home to Minnesota sooner than expected, where his dad had recently been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. (You'll note, of course, that Hrbie made his major-league debut playing Lou Gehrig's old position at Gehrig's old ballpark.)

The 1978 Bloomington Kennedy graduate's first major league hit was an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1 in the fifth. The game was tied 2-2 in the top of the 12th when Hrbie hit the game-winning homer off 1987 teammate George Frazier, over the head of Mr. October, Reggie Jackson. Supposedly Twins pitching coach Johnny Podres said to Hrbek, "Hey, kid, it's getting kind of late; I'm going to need a cocktail pretty soon. Hit one out of here, will you?

Hrbek was the first of three Twins to homer in their MLB debuts in less than a month. Four days later, Park Center graduate Tim Laudner did so, and on September 20th, Gary Gaetti homered in his very first big-league at-bat. 

---

August 24, 1992: Old Teammates Trade Homers
After watching a Kent Hrbek opposite-field homer sail over his head the previous half inning, Tigers left fielder Dan Gladden hit one over the plexiglass himself as part of a 6-2 Tigers win at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on this date in 1992.

 

 

View full article

[Linus]

I remember watching Hrbek hit that one out   He was so young and athletic looking. 

[IndianaTwin]

Hrbek's homer against the Yankees brought me back to baseball. 

I was a junkie as a younger kid, collecting cards and listening to as many games as possible. After Oliva retired, it was Butch Wynegar and Larry Hisle. In junior high and early high school, I thought I would move on to more nobler things (the future Mrs. IT being one of them, but that's a different story). 

I would still sorta follow along, however, including reading the newspaper (for the informed, that was a printed thing that would show up in our mailbox each day). One day in the fall of my sophomore year, I read about this guy with a funny name who hit a game winning homer in his first game. As noted, two other rookies hit homers in their first game later that month, and I started to think this could be a fun team to follow again. 

The next year, Hrbek should have been rookie of the year and became my new favorite. They were contenders in 1984 as I headed off to college and my senior year they gloriously won the series. I've been hopelessly hooked ever since. 

[Twins63]

Remember, watching the Herbie debut and his home run. Don't know why we stayed up to watch a 12 inning game of such a dismal team though...🤣

Another game I watched involved Hank Aaron's 715th homer served up by...Al Downing. Loved the moment!

[Houston Jimenez]

Tommy Herr, that name just makes me want to chew on rocks.  One of the dumbest trades in Twins history.

[twinstalker]

I, too, watched the game on my little black and white I'd brought to the temporary dorm room I had for fall practice my freshman year.  For some reason I remember it being a Monday night.  I seriously wish I could remember why I know it was a Monday night.  Given the rarity of games on local TV, it could have been Monday Night Baseball, but I think it was local.