Twins Flashback: With the National Guard Looking on Chance Shines in Return to Washington (4/10/1968)

Twins 2, Washington 0 Box Score

Chance: 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Home Runs: Killebrew (1), Allison (1)

Multi-hit games: Oliva (3-for-4, 2B)

Top 3 WPA: Chance .540, Oliva .140, Alison .072

Chart via Baseball-Reference

32,063 fans came out to experience opening day and more than a few of them were armed. No, it wasn’t “bring your gun to the ballpark day"; the National Guard was on hand to ensure opening day went smoothly. It gets stranger. Washington Senators shortstop Ed Brinkman attended the game not in his Senators getup, but in a military uniform, as he was performing his duty as a member of the National Guard. He made the most of the opportunity by heckling his team-and roommate, Frank Howard from the left field stands.

“The games going on, and I’m trying to concentrate, and he’s hollering at me,” Howard later told Fredrich Frommer in an interview. “I’m thinking if we have to depend on this guy to save us, we’re in deep trouble.”

Howard would go on to strike out in all three of his plate appearances against Minnesota starter Dean Chance, but the way Chance was throwing the ball he didn’t need any help from Brinkman.

In fact, both Chance, who came to Minnesota from the former Senators franchise when it relocated to Minnesota, and Camilo Pascual, who rejoined Washington (where his career started) after six seasons and three all-star appearances in Minnesota, traded zeros for the first five innings. Minnesota threatened to score in the first as Rod Carew singled with one out and moved to third on a Tony Oliva double. That brought up the great Harmon Killebrew, who finished runner-up in the 1967 MVP race (to Carl Yastrzemski), but no MVP awards were won in his first plate appearance as he stuck out with the bat on his shoulder. Bob Allison followed with a two out walk to load the bases, but it was all for naught as John Roseboro grounded to first to end the inning.

With Chance dealing on the mound, Killebrew got a chance to redeem himself in the top of the sixth, and he did just that, with a solo shot to deep left to lead off the inning and put Minnesota up 1-0. Another shot would be fired into the left field seats, and fortunately for all involved (though less so for the Senators) it came not from the rifle of a guardsman, but off of the bat of Minnesota left fielder Bob Allison with two outs in the top of the eighth.

The two runs Minnesota scored were one more than Chance needed, as he scattered four hits across nine scoreless innings to lead Minnesota to a 2-0 opening day victory. Chance didn’t issue any free passes while striking out eight and finishing with a game score of 87 and a Win Probability Added of .540. If game one was a sign of things to come, we might just have been staring at “the year of the pitcher.”

FLASHBACKS

April 9: Gladden Caps off 3-Run Rally in the 9th to Complete Opening-Series Sweep of A's (1987)

April 8: Gladden Puts On a Show For The Twins’ First Defending Champs Home Opener (1988)

April 7: Seattle Sinks, Casilla Delivers Finishing Blow in Walk-Off Win (2009)

April 6: Oliva Becomes First DH to HR, Blyleven Goes the Distance on 22nd Birthday (1973)

April 5: Stewart Hits Walk-Off Homer, Mauer Shines in MLB Debut (2004)

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