Did you see the Twins in 1961? (Seeking old-school Twins memories)

[dlhalper]

I'm from Boston, and I've been a big fan of baseball since I was a kid. The Red Sox were going nowhere in 1961, even though they had some good players (my fave was pitcher Bill Monbouquette). But what I remember about 1961 was it was the first time we in Boston got to see the Minnesota Twins (formerly the Washington Senators).  I remember seeing Jim Kaat (announcers couldn't figure out how to say it: Cott? Cat? Kaht?), Zorro Versalles, Camilo Pascual, and especially Harmon Killebrew-- I read the sports pages faithfully and there was a lot of buzz about him. Were any of you around for that inaugural season? Got any recollections you can share?     

[strumdatjag]

I was only 6 years old but I remember Ray Scott doing the play by play with Halsey Hall doing the color commentary.  Bob Wolff was less memorable.   Over the following years, Merle Harmon and then a young Herb Carneal came on board.  These announcers pronounced our shortstop’s last name Ver-Sall’- Lees for years before they pronounced it correctly Ver-Sye’-Yez.  
Only a few home games were televised and not all of the road games.  There were a lot of Hamm’s Beer and Twin City Federal commercials.

Harmon Killebrew was the star of the team as a left fielder (in later years moving to 3B and 2B) .   My Grandfather would call him “Killer Harm-a-brew”. As a young fan, I don’t remember Cookie Lovagetto (can’t even spell it) as manager, only Sam Mele.  
If one bought popcorn at the game, upon eating all of it, one could rip out the bottom of the cone-shaped cups and turn it into a megaphone to cheer (hey, this is the stuff six year olds remember). 
Long before Wally the Beerman, the Twins had a fun beer vendor who would often confuse the brand he was selling “Cold refreshing Grain Belt Beer  —— No this is Hamm’s!”   My friends and I would order a beer from him and he would say “Milk for you son!”   Pat Reusse later wrote that the vendor had been a pretty good player himself (either in the minor leagues or negro leagues, I forget).  He was a fixture at the games for decades in the third base lower deck area, later donning a black umbrella hat.  
During the 7th inning stretch the organist played “The Mexican Hat Dance” (not “Take Me Out to the Ball Game) while the crowd responded to each line with two claps (some slowed down and some sped up as a “challenge” for the fans). . 
The electric scoreboard displayed the line score and also gave messages on the “Twins O Gram” (it became “Vikings Logs” for the Vikings games).  
There were no “dance-offs”, no mascots, no overplaying and displaying if commercials.  It was about the baseball, the organ player and the food (“Get your frosty malts!”).   Who needs more?
 

[RpR]

I remember them .

Only got to one game in 1961, but our church invited Lenny Green to speak.

The Old Days were Good.

[ashbury]

Hi!  Fellow SABR member here.  Is there a book on the '61 team being contemplated?  As you're no doubt aware, the Twin Cities have a pretty strong chapter that could help out; and there are at least a couple of other SABR members among Twins Daily's regulars, too.  Or, if you're here to just reminisce, that's cool too.  (I didn't move to the Twin Cities until 1978 so I can't help with your particular question.)

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

Great to read about the old Twins teams from the past. I was all of 2 years old in 1961, but thanks to my grandfather (who held several jobs in the major and minor leagues over the years) I had plenty of baseball cards from those early to mid 1960s Twins teams, so the names were all familiar to me. Later, when I was a bit older, I could at least attend Twins games in spring training where they played in my hometown of Orlando. Great memories of those teams and players, including Jim Kaat, Mudcat Grant, and of course the great Tony Oliva. 

[stringer bell]

I also was young in 1961 (turned 7 in April) but remember the season well. The Twins weren't quite there yet, but had the pieces to be a very good ballclub. I went to one game (against the Red Sox) and couldn't believe how green and perfect the grass was under the lights!

Really don't want to correct a fellow old-timer, but Jim Lemon was the left fielder in '61 (Harmon only played two games in left). Bob Allison was also a fine player--he'd won Rookie of the Year a couple years previous--and Earl Battey was an All-Star caliber catcher. 

A couple of interesting notes about the '61 team. Most of their starting pitchers are still around--Kaat, Pascual, and Ramos. Also, the Topps baseball cards showed no Twins wearing the TC hat, it hadn't been unveiled yet when they took pictures of the players in Florida.