Twins Almanac for 9/7: Big Numbers from Harmon Killebrew and Mitch Garver

[Matt Johnson]

Todyay's Almanac features Harmon Killebrew, Brant Alyea, Mitch Garver, Hal Haydel, Sam Jones, Wally Gilbert, and the cautionary tale that walks will haunt. 

Image courtesy of David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

September 7, 1949: Rochester No-Hits Austin

Townball Rochester Royals pitcher Sam Jones no-hit the Austin Packers on this date in 1949. (He had also no-hit Owatonna back on August 4th.) Six years later, playing for the Chicago Cubs, Jones pitched the first no-hitter by a Black pitcher in AL/NL history. 

It's worth noting that the same summer former Negro Leaguer Sam Jones was playing townball in Rochester, fellow former Negro Leaguer Hilton Smith was playing townball in Fulda, Minnesota. Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001—the same class as Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield. 

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September 7, 1958: Gilbert Dies at 57

Duluth Denfeld graduate Wally Gilbert passed away at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth on this date in 1958. He was just 57 years old.

In addition to playing Major League Baseball, Gilbert played in the NFL and even played some professional basketball, but he had a lung removed as a complication of working in a Duluth steel plant during World War II.

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September 7, 1969: Killebrew Owns the A's

Harmon Killebrew drove in SEVEN runs in the first TWO innings of a 16-4 Twins win in Oakland on this date in 1969. He hit a three-run homer in the first and grand slam in the second before coming out of the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Killebrew drove in 34 runs in 18 games against the A's in 1969, which was the first season the leagues split into two divisions. Nobody has driven in more runs against a single team since then. (At least that was true as of a few years ago. Somebody can double check if that's still accurate.)

The Twins, incidentally, won the first two AL West crowns. 

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September 7, 1970: Alyea Puts the Twins on His Back

Brant Alyea hit a grand slam in the first inning and three-run homer in the third to drive in all seven Twins runs in a 7-6 win in the first game of a home doubleheader against the Brewers on this date in 1970. It was the beginning of a team record nine-game RBI streak during which he knocked in 17.

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September 7, 1970: Haydel's Historic MLB Debut

In the second game of the doubleheader, Hal Haydel made his major league debut entering in relief of Luis Tiant in the second inning. Folks, get this: The pitcher doubled and homered off Al Downing in his first two MLB at-bats, and pitched five strong innings to earn the win. Has a pitcher ever done better than six total bases in his first two MLB plate appearances? (If you know, let me know in the comments.)

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September 7, 1974: Walks Will Haunt

Despite the Twins having 13 baserunners and the Royals only having four baserunners, the Twins lost 1-0 in Kansas City on this date in 1974.

Twins starter Joe Decker walked Vada Pinson leading off the bottom of the first. Pinson then somehow advanced to third on a 1-3 groundout (maybe he was running on the pitch) and scored on a groundout to first, giving the Royals their only run without the benefit of a hit. 

Decker held the Royals scoreless the next eight innings while giving up just two hits and another walk for a total of four baserunners in the game (and one of those was erased on a double play), but the Twins couldn't muster a single run despite putting 13 men on base on eight hits and five walks off Royals pitcher Al Fitzmorris. 

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September 7, 2019: Garver Sets Career Record in a Single Season

Mitch Garver had his fifth multi-home run game of the season on this date in 2019, setting a team CAREER record for catchers in a single season. Joe Mauer is second with four multi-home run games as a catcher. The only other Twins catchers with even two multi-HR games in a season at Earl Battey in 1961, Tim Laudner in 1988, and Joe Mauer in 2009.

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[mikelink45]

The Twins needed Harmon yesterday

[Matt Johnson]

Ope! FOURTEEN baserunners in that 1974 game. Hisle reached on a strike-three wild pitch.