The Twins Almanac for July 22: Hrbek and Baldelli Hit Metrodome Grand Slams, '91 Twins Play Midseason Exhibition in Cooperstown

[Matt Johnson]

Hrbek Hits Second Grand Slam in Five Days
Bloomington native Kent Hrbek hit his second grand slam in five days on this date in 1985. He hit a third grand slam less than a month later—on August 15—tying the Twins' single-season record. Royce Lewis set a new record by hitting four grand slams over a 20-day span as a rookie in 2023. (He only played 58 games in 2023. He originally came up in 2022 and hit a grand slam for his first career home run!) 

Other Twins with three grand slams in a season: Bob Allison (1961), Rod Carew (1976), Kirby Puckett (1992), and Torii Hunter (2007). 

Hrbek's July 22 grand slam came in the five-run second inning of a 5-4 Twins win over the Orioles at home in the Dome. The one five days earlier was a big game-winner in the bottom of the seventh of an 8-4 win over the Yankees.

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Twins Play Midseason Exhibition in Cooperstown
The Twins played the San Francisco Giants (and Minnesota native Mike :) in the Hall of Fame Game on this date in 1991—the year Rod Carew was inducted.

The Twins homered in each of the first three innings. Rumor has it Kent Hrbek's homer cleared the bleachers.

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Former Twin Goes Out with Four-K Inning

Former Twin Frankie Rodriguez struck out four batters in his final major league inning on this date in 2001.

Bonus Fact: Twins reliever Jesse Orosco's final major league pitch resulted in a walk-off strikeout. (Batter swung at a wild pitch and the runner scored from third.)

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Baldelli Hits Grand Slam at the Metrodome
Devil Rays center fielder Rocco Baldelli hit a game-tying grand slam off Twins reliever Juan Rincón in the top of the eighth on this date in 2004.

Fortunately, Michael Cuddyer hit an 0-2 homer leading off the bottom of the inning to put the Twins back in front to stay. 

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Doumit Homers from Both Sides
Designated hitter Ryan Doumit homered from both sides of the plate, and hit a two-run single in a 7-5 Twins win in Kansas City on this date in 2012. To date, five Twins have homered from both sides in a game: Roy Smalley, Chili Davis, Doumit, Kennys Vargas, and Jorge Polanco.

Right after Doumit did it, Chili was in town with the A’s and Smalley was working the game for FSN. The three took a picture together and signed three baseballs for each other with the dates they accomplished the feat.

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Catcher Has Third Multi-HR Game of the Season
Mitch Garver had his third multi-home run game of the season on this date in 2019, setting a new single-season record for Twins catchers.

He finished the season with five multi-homer games, setting a new team CAREER record for catchers in just one season!

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Also on This Date:

• Happy 24th birthday to Minnesota native and current Tampa Bay Rays prospect Mac Horvath. He attended Rochester Century High School through his junior year before moving to the IMG Academy in Florida.

• 1986: Mets relievers Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell alternate between the outfield and the mound in an extra-inning win in Cincinnati. Orosco pitched for the Twins in 2003—a mere 25 years after they drafted him in 1978. 

• 2000: Apple Valley graduate Dave Maurer makes his major league debut with the Padres, holding the Rockies scoreless over two innings of work.

• 2002: Leadoff hitter Jacque Jones goes 5-for-6 with two doubles and a home run in an 11-6 Twins win at Comiskey Park 

 

 

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[Matt Johnson]

Thanks, as always, to Matthew Trueblood for the additions 👍

[Matthew Trueblood]

1 minute ago, Matt Johnson said:

Thanks, as always, to Matthew Trueblood for the additions 👍

This is becoming one of my favorite daily edits. :D You have all these interesting anniversaries that start a thread in my brain, and then I can't help but wonder something, so I look it up and add what I find. It's delightful.