Matt Johnson

40-Year-Old Hits for 12 Total Bases, Drives in Seven On This Date in 2020: In just the third game of the COVID-shortened season, 40-year-old DH Nelson Cruz hit two home runs, two doubles, knocked in seven, and scored four runs in a 14-2 Twins win in Chicago. He was just the sixth player in MLB history age 40+ with 12 or more total bases in a game. Babe Ruth holds the record with 13, and Stan Musial, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, and Jason Giambi also had 12-total base games after age 40. Cruz was just the fourth player in his 40s with seven RBI in a game (Musial, Jackson, Giambi). Cruz Homers in Fifth Straight Game Nelson Cruz homered in his fifth straight game on this date in 2019, tying the Twins record. He hit three home runs the previous day, and, remarkably, had a second three-home run game just nine days later. Three previous Twins had five-game home run streaks. Harmon Killebrew did it in 1964 and on two separate occasions in 1970. Marty Cordova did it in 1995 in just his 23rd major league game. And Brian Dozier did it in 2016, also with a three-homer game mixed in. Twins Connect for 11 Extra-Base Hits The Twins connected for 20 hits—11 for extra bases—in a 19-1 win in Kansas City on this date in 2010. Mauer went 5-for-5 with a home run and seven RBI. Danny Valencia went 4-for-4, hitting his first major league home run—a two-out opposite field grand slam off reigning Cy Young winner Zack Greinke in the first. Joe Mauer was just the third catcher in major league history with five hits and seven RBI in a game. (The first two were Walker Cooper in 1949 and Victor Martinez in 2004.) Danny Valencia is the only player in Twins history to hit a grand slam for his first major league home run. Hunter Steamrolls Catcher Torii Hunter steamrolled White Sox catcher Jamie Burke on this date in 2004. Burke spent the night in the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion. "I feel like a truck hit me," Burke said. Twins Sitting Pretty atop the Division Twins fans must have been feeling pretty good on this date in 1992, as their defending World Series Champions had a three-game lead in the AL West. "There was no single explanation for their collapse," wrote legendary sportswriter Roger Angell, "because so many things went wrong at the same time." Molitor Steals Second, Third, and Home St. Paul native Paul Molitor singled and stole second, third, and home in the bottom of the first on this date in 1987. The leadoff-hitting DH finished a home run shy of the cycle in the 7-4 Brewers win over Oakland. Blyleven Dominates in Return to Minnesota In his first game against the Twins since being traded to the Rangers at the beginning of June, Bert Blyleven pitched a two-hit shutout at Met Stadium on this date in 1976. Dave Goltz took the tough-luck loss for the Twins, holding the Rangers to three runs (two earned) over 8.1 innings. Merritt Pitches 13 Innings Starting pitcher Jim Merritt pitched a Twins record 13 innings in a 3-2, 18-inning win at Yankee Stadium on this date in 1967. Mickey Mantle went 0-for-6 with a walk in the game. The winning run scored when Rod Carew walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, and scored on a Rich Rollins hit to the shortstop. Small ball for the win! View full article

Boomstick, Baby! Nelson Cruz homered in his first three at-bats on this date in 2019. He homered again the next day, tying the Twins record with a home run in five straight games. Can you name the other three Twins to homer in five straight games? Flex your Twins history knowledge in the comments below. Remarkably, Cruz hit three home runs again nine days later! 40-Year-Old DH Has 2-HR Game And speaking of elder DHs, 40-year-old Paul Molitor went 3-for-4 with two home runs and an RBI-single in a 5-2 Twins win over the Orioles at home in the Dome on this date in 1997. Fellow Minnesotan Terry Steinbach also homered in the game. Both, of course, are Golden Gophers all-time greats. Goltz Earns 11-Inning Win Minnesota native Dave Goltz went all 11 innings (180 pitches) in a 2-1 Twins win over Oakland on this date in 1977. He tied for the American League lead with 20 wins that season. Also worth noting that no American League pitcher has pitched 300 innings since Goltz and Jim Palmer did so that season. Larry Hisle drove in Rod Carew with the walk-off single in this 11-inning game, which only took two hours and 39 minutes. Happy Birthday, Chris Schwab Happy 51st birthday to Chris Schwab, who the Montreal Expos drafted in the first round, 18th overall, out of Cretin-Derham Hall in 1993, two spots ahead of Torii Hunter. (Alex Rodriguez was the first-overall pick that year.) Unfortunately, he never made it past Double-A and played his final professional season at age 26 with the independent Duluth-Superior Dukes and St. Paul Saints. Edina-Morningside Graduate Has Triumphant Homecoming Edina-Morningside graduate Bob “Rocky” Johnson had a triumphant homecoming on this date in 1961. Playing for the new Washington Senators, he singled to center off the Twins' Jack Kralick in each of his first two major-league at-bats on Minnesota soil. (Just to clarify, this was his 82nd MLB game overall, but his first playing in Minnesota.) Bemidji Grad Makes MLB Debut 27-year-old Bemidji grad and Golden Gophers all-time great Bryan Hickerson made his major league debut on this date in 1991, pitching a 1-2-3 top of the ninth in an 8-1 Giants win over the Mets, striking out Kevin McReynolds and Howard Johnson, and grounding out Vince Coleman. Not a bad start in “The Show,” huh? Hickerson was drafted by the Twins in 1986 but sent to San Francisco as part of the Dan Gladden trade in 1987. Also on this date: View full article

Twins Sign Oliva Twins scout Joe Cambria signed a hard-hitting 22-year-old Cuban kid named Tony Oliva on this date in 1961. Cambria—a legendary scout—also signed Camilo Pascual and Zoilo Versalles when the team was still in Washington. Kaat Homers While Pitching a Shutout Jim Kaat pitched a shutout and hit a three-run homer as the Twins swept a doubleheader in Cleveland on this date in 1963. Nimrod native Dick Stigman pitched a shutout in Game 1. A Twins pitcher has homered while pitching a shutout three times: Jim Perry did it in 1968, and Kitty did it a second time in 1970. Fourth Cycle in Twins History Lyman Bostock hit for the fourth cycle in Twins history on this date in 1976. Twelve players have hit for the cycle in Twins history. How many can you name? Flex your knowledge of Twins history down in the comments section below. Erickson Pitches One-Hitter Scott Erickson pitched a one-hit shutout at Fenway Park on this date in 1992. Designated hitter Tom Brunansky got Boston's only hit leading off the second. Randy Bush hit an RBI double and home run off Roger Clemens in the 5-0 Twins win. Scott Erickson got his no-hitter in April 1994. Woman Wins First Game Duluth-Superior Dukes starter Ila Borders became the first woman to win a men's professional baseball game on this date in 1998, pitching six scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries at Wade Stadium. Valencia Heats Up Rookie third baseman Danny Valencia went 14-for-19 with four doubles and a home run over a four-game stretch between July 24 and this date in 2010 as the Twins outscored the Orioles and Royals 47-9 on the road. Kepler Homers on First Pitch of the Season After Opening Day was pushed back almost four months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leadoff hitter Max Kepler homered on the first pitch of the season, and homered again in the second inning of a 10-5 Twins win in Chicago on this date in 2020. Also on This Date: 2009: Hill-Murray graduate and Golden Gophers all-time great Robb Quinlan hits his 25th and final major league home run off the Twins' Francisco Liriano in a 6-3 Angels win in Anaheim 2011: Bert Blyleven is inducted into the Hall of Fame View full article

The Aaron Hicks Game Former Twin Aaron Hicks put his stamp on an incredible regular-season game between the Twins and Yankees on this date in 2019, hitting a dramatic two-run go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth and making a remarkable diving catch to end the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th. Buehrle Pitches Perfect Game Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game on this date in 2009. His next start was against the Twins at the Metrodome and he retired the first 17 batters for a record 45 straight batters retired (including one out in the game prior to his perfect game). Despite the Twins' slow start in the July 28 game, they won 5-3. Campaneris Homers on First MLB Pitch Kansas City A's shortstop Bert Campaneris homered on his first major league pitch from Jim Kaat on this date in 1964. Campy hit his second career homer off Kitty in the seventh. The Athletics beat the Twins 4-3 in 11 innings at the Met. Pretty remarkable debut, especially considering the six-time All-Star averaged just 5.5 home runs per 162 games over his 19-year MLB career. He led the American League in stolen bases six out of his first nine seasons. Happy 65th birthday to Willmar native Brad Skoglund. Fun Fact: He was teammates with Mike Trout's dad Jeff at Wisconsin Rapids in the Twins organization in 1983. Longtime teacher and baseball coach in Paynesville. Reportedly an excellent badminton and floor hockey player. Wohler Pitches a Gem Bird Island-Lake Lillian graduate Barry Wohler pitched a four-hit shutout for the double-A San Antonio Dodgers on this date in 1987. The previous offseason, he was a standout member of the St. Cloud State basketball team that fell one win short of the Division II Final Four. (The 1981 high school graduate took classes at SCSU during the baseball offseasons.) He pitched a no-hitter at single-A Vero Beach in 1985. Werden Hits Four Home Runs Millers first baseman Perry Werden hit four home runs in an 18-5 win over the Detroit Tigers at Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis on this date in 1895. He hit two home runs the day before, going 9-for-9 between the two games. Werden hit .417 with a league-leading 43 home runs in 1894, and .428 with a league-leading 45 home runs in 1895. Those 45 home runs stood as professional baseball’s single-season record for 25 years until the Yankees’ Babe Ruth hit 54 in 1920. Millers teammate Bill Kuehne also had a four-home run game back on June 11 of that year. Bonus Fact: St. Paul native Jack Crooks had the first four-home run game in professional baseball history playing in St. Paul for the visiting Omaha Omahogs in1889. View full article

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

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. 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. 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.) 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. 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. 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! 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 View full article

Thanks to Matthew Trueblood for adding the information about Don Mincher 🫡

First Baseman Has Back-to-Back Multi-HR Games Don Mincher hit two home runs each in consecutive home games on July 20 and 21, 1963. He was the first of just four players in Twins history to have back-to-back multi-homer games. Oliva Has Five-Hit Game There have been 61 five-hit games in Twins history, and Tony Oliva had two of them just eight days apart in 1965—on this date, and again on the 28th. Three Twins players have five-hit games in the past two seasons. See if you can correctly name all three down in the comments section. Pitcher Strikes Out Seven Straight Jim Merritt struck out seven straight Senators while pitching a three-hit shutout on this date in 1966. Seven consecutive K's established a Twins record tied by Francisco Liriano on June 11, 2010, and broken by Kenta Maeda when he K'ed eight straight on August 18, 2020. The Twins' only run in the 1-0 win came when Don Mincher scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth. Birthdate of Mike Cubbage Former Twins third baseman Mike Cubbage was born in Virginia on this date in 1950. He hit for the fifth cycle in team history on July 27, 1978. He had a 17-for-23 (.739) stretch in his first pro season at low-A Geneva, NY in 1971. His first major league hit was a grand slam with the Rangers in June 1975, after going 0-for-15 over two big-league stints in 1974. He came to the Twins as part of the June 1976 trade that also brought Roy Smalley to Minnesota and sent Bert Blyleven and Danny Thompson to Texas. Repulski Hot Streak Rookie Rip Repulski (Sauk Rapids class of '46) went on a torrid six-game tear, going 15-for-24 (.625) with three home runs between July 17 and this date in 1953. He hit .447 altogether on the 12-game road trip, with at least one hit in all but one game. (Unfortunately, the Cardinals went 4-8.) Also on This Date: 1988: Steve Lombardozzi ill-advisedly shows up at the home of Dan "Wrench" Gladden 2018: Joe Mauer leads off the game in Kansas City with career double number 415, surpassing Kirby as the Twins career leader 2018: St. Paul native Jack Morris and former Twin Jim Thome are inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Allan Trammell, Chipper Jones, Trevor Hoffman, and Vladimir Guerrero View full article

Happy 87th birthday to Hall of Famer Tony Oliva, born in Pinar del Río, Cuba in 1938. He is one of six players in major league history to lead their league in hits five times, along with Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Pete Rose, Tony Gwynn, and Ichiro. He and Kirby Puckett are two of only eight players to lead their league in hits for three-straight seasons. The others are Wisconsin native Ginger Beaumont, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Johnny Pesky (interrupted by service in WWII), Ichiro, and José Altuve*. What's your favorite memory, stat, or fun fact about Tony O? Let's get a conversation going down in the comments section below. Happy 41st birthday to former Twins middle infielder Alexi Casilla. He drove in the most exciting regular-season run in team history on October 6, 2009. Tell me all your stories about watching that game. Let's take a trip down memory lane together :) Morneau Drives in Seven, But Twins Blow 10-Run Lead Justin Morneau hit a grand slam in the second inning and three-run homer in the third but the Twins blew a 10-run lead for a tough loss in Oakland on this date in 2009. The Twins led 12-2 after the top of the third (with Morneau driving in seven runs), and led 13-7 going into the bottom of the seventh, but ultimately lost 14-13. 1997 Austin graduate Michael Wuertz pitched the ninth for the A's, and got Nick Punto and Justin Morneau swinging to start the inning. But then Michael Cuddyer doubled, putting the tying run on second with two out. Wuertz bounced a pitch that got past catcher Kurt Suzuki, who had trouble finding the ball. Cuddyer tried scoring the tying run all the way from second, but was called out. The video, however, clearly shows he was safe. Catching Prospect Drives In 10 Runs Twins catching prospect Justin Morneau set a Gulf Coast League record with TEN runs batted in on this date in 2000, going 5-for-5 with a grand slam and three-run homer. The hitting prowess was legit. The catching capability, maybe not so much. Pitcher Wins Two Games in One Day Jim Perry earned two wins on this date in 1969, first pitching two perfect innings of relief before pitching a complete-game shutout. In a game resumed from the night before, Perry pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 17th. Then, in the top of the 18th, he hit a double and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded balk. He then pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 18th to secure an 11-7 win in Seattle versus the short-lived Pilots. Perry then went back out there and pitched a complete-game shutout for a 4-0 Twins win in the day's regularly scheduled game. The first win is officially listed as July 19—when the game began—but Perry did all of his pitching on July 20. '27 Yankees Play in St. Paul The Yankees narrowly beat the Saints 9-8 in an exhibition game in St. Paul on this date in 1927 (a pretty good season for the Yankees). Winona native Julie Wera played in the game for the Yankees and scored on a home run by catcher Pat Collins. (Wera hit his only MLB home run in front of a record crowd of 74,000 at Yankee Stadium on the Fourth of July that year.) According to SABR historian Rich Bogovich, the Yankees were stealing signs! Can you believe it? The vaunted '27 Yankees stealing signs to win an exhibition game against the minor-league St. Paul Saints. How did Babe Ruth spend the winter prior to his famous 60-home run season in '27? Well, in part by embarking on a 12-week vaudeville tour that included stops in Minneapolis and Duluth in November. He went duck hunting in northern Minnesota with Hall of Famers Harry Heilmann and Heinie Manush between tour engagements in Duluth and Fargo. Birthdate of Minnesotan Major Leaguer Ollie Fuhrman was born in Jordan, MN on this date in 1896. He got into seven major league games with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1922 as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement at catcher (he never started a game) going 2-for-6 with a double and run scored. Hey, he has a lifetime .333 MLB batting average! Major league baseball has been played for 149 years. Only 188 major leaguers have been born in Minnesota. View full article