Matt Johnson

Today's wide-ranging Almanac features quite a list of names, including Burleigh Grimes, Rip Repulski, Tom Seaver, Joe Mauer, Kenta Maeda, and the second-longest losing streak in Twins history. August 18, 1893: Birthdate of Burleigh Grimes Hall of Fame spitballer Burleigh Grimes was born near Clear Lake, Wisconsin on this date in 1893. He pitched for the Austin, MN town team on the Fourth of July 1912 and wound up staying and spending the rest of the season with them. Came back to much fanfare with a Brooklyn barnstorming team in 1921. August 18, 1959: Sauk Rapids Native Connects for Game-Winning Hit Sauk Rapids native Rip Repulski hit a 13th-inning game-winning single off Milwaukee's Warren Spahn on this date in 1959. Remarkably, it was the second time in just over a month that Repulski hit a 13th-inning game-winning single off the Hall of Famer Spahn, both times knocking in Dodgers teammate Wally Moon. Repulski entered both games as a pinch hitter for Hall of Famer Duke Snider. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series that year. August 18, 1986: Seaver Wins Final MLB Game Pitching for the Red Sox, 41-year-old Tom Seaver won his 311th and final major league game in a narrow 3-1 Boston victory over the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome on this date in 1986. He pitched 8 ⅔ innings, allowing just one run on three hits and four walks while striking out seven. Seaver gave up a single to the first batter he faced, leadoff hitter Kirby Puckett. In the bottom of the third he gave up a solo home run to Roy Smalley, tying the game at 1-1. He did not give up another hit until two outs in the ninth. Frank Viola pitched a heckuva game himself. After finding himself in a 1-0 hole two batters into the game, he held the Red Sox scoreless, allowing just four hits from the second through the eighth innings. Tied 1-1 in the ninth, however, Viola gave up a single to center fielder Tony Armas and a two-run homer to catcher Rich Gedman to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. With two out in the ninth, Seaver gave up a his third and final hit, a double to Randy Bush. With Tom Brunansky pinch hitting for Billy Beane and representing the tying run, Red Sox manager John McNamara brought in Bob Stanley who got Bruno looking to secure Seaver’s 311th and final win. August 18, 2009: Mauer Flirting with .400 Joe Mauer was batting .383 on this date in 2009. He finished the season with a .365 average and was named American League MVP. August 18, 2016: Twins Begin 13-Game Losing Streak The Twins lost 8-1 in Kansas City on this date in 2016, beginning a 13-game losing streak—the second-longest in team history. They did not win again until September 1. August 18, 2020: Maeda K's Eight-Straight in No-Hit Bid Kenta Maeda set a new Twins record with eight-straight strikeouts on this date in 2020, and took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning. After Maeda lost his no-hit bid with a leadoff single to center in the ninth, the Twins went to the bullpen, and the Brewers wound up tying the game 3-3 (with just the one run charged to Maeda). Despite the newly implemented runner on second to start each extra inning, it took the Twins until the 12th to pull off the victory. View full article

Today's Almanac features fireworks from Jim Thome, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Joe Mauer, as well as notes on Minnesota natives Blix Donnelly and Jerry Ujdur. Image courtesy of Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports August 17, 1943: Minnesota Native Pitches Third No-Hitter Olivia, Minnesota native Blix Donnelly pitched his third minor league no-hitter with the Rochester Red Wings against the Jersey Giants on this date in 1943. He became a World Series hero out of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen one year later. August 17, 1980: Hermantown Grad Makes MLB Debut Hermantown High School graduate and Golden Gophers all-time great Jerry Ujdur made his major league debut with the Tigers on this date in 1980, relieving Mark "The Bird" Fidrych with two out in the fifth. He gave up a two-run double to the first batter he faced. Ujdur made 53 appearances (40 starts) over five seasons in the majors. He had some pretty impressive numbers versus a handful of Hall of Famers: Eddie Murray 0-for-11 Carlton Fisk 0-for-10 Paul Molitor 2-for-14 Dave Winfield 1-for-9 Rickey Henderson 1-for-9 (Each of the above had one or two walks) August 17, 2010: First Walk-Off at Target Field Jim Thome hit one of the most memorable walk-off home runs in Twins history on this date in 2010. The White Sox—trailing the Twins by three games in the Central Division standings—were in town for the first of a three-game series. The Twins jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first against John Danks. Entering the top of the ninth, however, the Twins clung to a 5-4 lead. White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, hitting in the 8-hole, tied the game on closer Matt Capps’ second pitch of the inning. The White Sox threatened to take the lead, but after intentionally walking Alex Rios to load the bases, Capps induced an inning-ending double play from none other than Paul Konerko. Alexei Ramirez came to the plate again in the tenth, this time with big Jon Rauch on the mound, and this time with a runner in scoring position. Ramirez singled to center, driving in the go-ahead run. Delmon Young led off the bottom the tenth with a single against 2010 All-Star Matt Thornton. Jim Thome then hit Thornton’s 1-0 offering—a belt-high fastball—well over the limestone facade onto the plaza for the first walk-off hit in Target Field history. It was Thome’s 17th home run of the season, and 581st of his career. Thome Walk-Off home run (1).mp4 August 17, 2013: Mientkiewicz Instigates Brawl Single-A Fort Myers Miracle manager Doug Mientkiewicz charged out of the dugout and tackled Bradenton manager Frank Kremblas, sparking an all-out brawl on this date in 2013. Mientkiewicz brawl.mp4 August 17, 2018: Mauer Hits Game-Winning Pinch-Hit Homer Joe Mauer hit a big pinch-hit three-run homer in a 5-4 Twins win over the Tigers at Target Field on this date in 2018. The next day, he led off the game with a homer, and went 3-for-5 altogether in a 7-5 loss to the Tigers. Mauer pinch-hit home run august 17, 2018 (2).mp4 View full article

TWO hit a home run while pitching a shutout. Only other pitcher in Twins history to do so was Jim Perry (one time).

Today's Almanac features Minnesota amateur baseball legend Pete Bright along with Harmon Killebrew, Hank Aaron, Jim Perry, Terry Felton, Kennys Vargas, and Sauk Rapids-Rice graduate Anthony Bemboom. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports August 11, 1929: Birthdate of Pete Bright Minnesota baseball legend Pete Bright was born on this date in 1929. The Cyrus High Schooler struck out all 21 batters he faced in a perfect game in 1947. He went on to a storied townball career, and was inducted into Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978, when he was 50 years old. Folks, the farmer pitched until age 72! August 11, 1970: Pitcher Drops Below .300 Twins pitcher Jim Perry went 0-for-3 on this date in 1970, dropping his average below .300 for the first time since June 2. He peaked at .368 on June 21, and finished the season at .247. He had a nice season on the mound, too, winning 24 games and the AL Cy Young Award. Heck, these days a position player batting .300 entering play on August 11 is noteworthy. Who are some other pitchers in Twins history who could handle the bat? Get the conversation started in the comments section below. August 11, 1974: Harmon Killebrew Day The Twins celebrated Harmon Killebrew Day at Met Stadium on this date in 1974. Owner Calvin Griffith announced the team would retire Killebrew's number 3 at a later date. Governor Anderson, Senators Humphrey and Mondale, and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul all gave speeches. Killebrew came through in the game, connecting for two RBI singles, and scoring the eventual game-winning run as the Twins swept the three-game series with Baltimore. The following season, Killebrew played for Kansas City, and the Twins retired his number before a game with the Royals on May 4 ... Harmon homered in the first inning! August 11, 1975: Aaron Brings His Hammer to Bloomington Milwaukee Brewers slugger Hank Aaron brought his prodigious hammer to Bloomington on this date in 1975, hitting his 744th home run off St. Paul native Tom Johnson. (The Twins held on to win 8-7.) FUN FACT: Hank Aaron spoke at the New Ulm Legion baseball banquet in 1978 after the team, which included Terry Steinbach, returned home from the American Legion World Series in Yakima, Washington. August 11, 1982: Felton Falls to 0-14 The Twins lost to the Angels on this date in 1982, dropping Terry Felton's career record to 0-14, breaking Guy Morton's 1914 record of 13-straight losses to start a career. Felton retired 0-16. Former Twins Geoff Zahn and Dave Goltz combined for the win and the save for the Angels. August 11, 2016: Vargas Homers from Both Sides Kennys Vargas became the fourth player in Twins history to homer from both sides of the plate in a game on this date in 2016, joining Roy Smalley, Chili Davis, and Ryan Doumit. Jorge Polanco joined the club in 2017. August 11, 2019: Sauk Rapids Native Hits Game-Winner in Angels Debut Traded after hitting .400 in three games with Tampa Bay, 2008 Sauk Rapids-Rice graduate Anthony Bemboom made his Angels debut at Fenway Park on this date in 2019. He entered the game in the bottom of the eighth with the score tied 4-4, and threw out Mookie Betts attempting to steal second. He got his first at-bat with two out in the 10th, and connected for a game-winning single. To date, Bemboom has gotten into 82 major league games over parts of five season with the Rays, Angels, and Orioles. This season, he's been at triple-A in the Tigers organization. View full article

Today's Almanac features the Twins all-time home runs and saves leaders, César Tovar breaking up another no-hit bid, and Minnesota high school all-time greats Kent Hrbek, Robb Quinlan, and Dan Johnson. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports August 10, 1969: Tovar Breaks Up No-Hit Bid César Tovar broke up Orioles pitcher Mike Cuellar's no-hit bid leading off the top of the ninth on this date in 1969. Pepito broke up two Baltimore no-hit bids in the ninth inning that season. (Baltimore, of course, got the last laugh, sweeping the Twins in the first-ever ALCS that fall.) Tovar had his team's only hit five times in his career—tied for the MLB record. (He did it four times with the Twins and once with the Rangers. In the other three games outside of 1969, the one hit came prior to the ninth inning.) RELATED NOTE: Joe Mauer broke up three no-hit bids in the ninth inning. August 10, 1971: Killebrew Hits 500th & 501st Home Runs Harmon Killebrew hit his 500th and 501st home runs off Baltimore's Mike Cuellar at Met Stadium on this date in 1971. (Twins lost 4-3.) The Twins actually gave away Harmon Killebrew 500th Home Run commemorative mugs way back on July 6th, assuming he would have reached the milestone by then, but he was having an uncharacteristically slow stretch in terms of home run production. August 10: Happy Birthday, Dan Johnson Happy 45th birthday to Blaine High School graduate and 10-year major league first baseman Dan Johnson, born in Coon Rapids on this date in 1979. He hit not one but TWO of the biggest home runs in Tampa Bay Rays history, in 2008 and 2011. He later attempted to make a comeback as a knuckleball pitcher with the St. Paul Saints. August 10, 1994: Hrbek's Final Game Kent Hrbek played his final game in a Minnesota Twins uniform on this date in 1994, collecting three RBI (including on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch) and scoring one run in a 17-7 win over the Red Sox at home in the Dome. (It was also Red Sox left fielder Tom Brunansky's final game.) Kirby Puckett went 2-for-3 with three walks, a grand slam, and three-run homer, for a total of seven RBI. Remarkably, there had only been eight 7-RBI games in Twins history prior to 1994, but it was done three times in 1994: Twice by Kirby Puckett and once by Pedro Muñoz. August 10, 2004: Quinlan 21-Game Hitting Streak Hill-Murray graduate and Golden Gophers all-time great Robb Quinlan hit in his 21st-straight game with the Angels on this date in 2004. It was the longest hitting streak by a rookie in Angels history. He hit .407 in the July and was named American League Rookie of the Month. August 10, 2011: Nathan Becomes Twins Saves Leader Joe Nathan earned his 255th save on this date in 2011, surpassing Rick Aguilera as the Twins' all-time leader. View full article

Today's Almanac features Rod Carew, Steve Carlton, Bartolo Colón, Kent Hrbek, Jimmie Hall, Brian Dozier, Allan Anderson, and townball great Mike Davison, with guest appearances by Frank Viola, Harmon Killebrew, Don Sutton, and Carlos Gómez. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Birthdate of Mike Davison Springfield (MN) High School graduate Mike Davison was born in Galesburg, IL, on this date in 1945. He pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 1969 and '70 (and shares a 1971 Topps rookie card with the great George Foster). After his pro career, he played townball with the Windom Pirates. He passed away in Glencoe, MN, in 2013 at age 67. August 2–4, 1963: Hall's Big Weekend Rookie Jimmie Hall homered in all three games of a weekend series in Kansas City between August 2 and this date in 1963. He homered 33 times altogether on the season, breaking Ted Williams' American League record for first-year players. Hall's record stood for 50 years until José Abreu hit 36 in 2014. August 4, 1985: Carew's 3,000th Hit Angels first baseman Rod Carew singled off Twins lefty Frank Viola for his 3,000th hit on this date in 1985. Kent Hrbek was there at first base to shake Carew's hand. Color commentator Harmon Killebrew got a little choked up on the telecast. Killebrew interviewed Carew on the field after the game. August 4, 1987: Matchup of 300-Game Winners In just the fourth matchup of 300-game winners since 1900, the Angels' Don Sutton (317) held the Twins to three runs over six innings, while Steve Carlton (328) gave up nine runs in just 4.2 innings on this date in 1987. The 645 combined wins is the most ever in a pitching matchup. August 4, 1988: Anderson Pitches to Contact Allan Anderson pitched the only complete game in Twins history without a strikeout or walk on this date in 1988. He threw just 102 pitches and faced only 29 batters in the 2-1 Twins win in Toronto, which was over in two hours and nine minutes. (Of course Anderson famously finished the season as the American League ERA leader.) August 4, 1993: Hrbek Drives In 1,000th Run Kent Hrbek knocked in his 1,000th career run on this date in 1993, joining Harmon Killebrew as the only players in Twins history with 1,000 RBI. Kirby Puckett later joined the club, and to this date, they are the only three members in Twins history. August 4, 2017: Colón Becomes Oldest Twin to Pitch Complete Game 44-year-old Bartolo Colón became the oldest player in Twins/Senators history to pitch a complete game, beating the Rangers 8-4 at Target Field on this date in 2017. The only runs Colón surrendered came in the first and ninth innings, on an Adrián Beltré two-run single in the first and a two-run homer by Carlos Gómez with two out in the ninth. Brian Dozier led off the bottom of the first AND second innings with home runs off the Rangers' Martín Pérez. View full article

Today's Almanac features Harmon Killebrew, Joe Niekro, Nelson Cruz, Joe Mauer, Max Kepler, Rich Reese, and Grand Rapids native Tim Graupmann, with guest appearances by Jason Kubel, Dave McNally, and more. Happy Birthday, Tim Graupmann Happy birthday to 1981 Grand Rapids graduate Tim Graupmann. He played three seasons in the Twins farm system and was teammates with Kirby Puckett his first year with Elizabethton in 1982. These days, Tim is a chiropractor with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and operates a bed & breakfast at the historic Gilbert Mansion in Grand Rapids. August 3, 1962: Killer Hits Monster Homer Harmon Killebrew hit a monster home run off Hall of Famer Jim Bunning over the roof and out of Tiger Stadium on this date in 1962. The only other right-handed batters to hit the ball over the roof of Tiger Stadium are Frank Howard, Mark McGwire, and Cecil Fielder. August 3, 1969: Reese Snaps McNally's Streak Rich Reese hit a seventh-inning pinch-hit grand slam on this date in 1969 which wound up snapping Orioles starter Dave McNally's 15-game winning streak. And he had won 17-straight stretching back to 1968. Bonus Fact: The American and National Leagues each split into two divisions (East and West) in 1969. The Twins won the first two AL West titles in '69 and '70, but were swept by Baltimore three games to none in the ALCS both years. August 3, 1987: Nail-File Incident The man comes down on mischievous knuckleballer Joe Niekro for practicing good personal hygiene on the mound on this date in 1987. August 3, 2004: Silva Pitches 11-Hit Shutout Carlos Silva pitched an ELEVEN-HIT shutout on this date in 2004. He also walked two and another batter reached on a fielder's choice for a total of 14 baserunners, which tied the team record for baserunners in a complete-game shutout. The record for hits in a complete-game shutout is 13 by Mudcat Grant on July 15, 1964. The Twins turned six double plays in Silva's shutout. Despite the 14 baserunners, Silva only threw 99 pitches. Torii Hunter, Corey Koskie, Justin Morneau, and Henry Blanco homered in the 10-0 home win over the Angels. Bonus Fact: Silva beat the Brewers on just 74 pitches on May 20, 2005, giving up five hits and no walks in a 7-1 win at the Dome. He led the majors with 0.430 walks per nine innings that season. August 1–3, 2016: Twins Score 35 Runs Over Three-Game Span The Twins scored 10-plus runs in three-straight games against the same team for the first time in team history between August 1 and this date in 2016. (They had previously done it in three-straight games, but never against one team.) Joe Mauer went 10-for-15 with two walks, a homer, four doubles, a triple, six RBI, and eight runs scored. Max Kepler went 7-for-12 with four walks, four home runs (including three in one game on August 1st), 10 RBI, and eight runs scored. August 3, 2019: Cruz Has Second 3-HR Game In a Saturday night home game versus the Royals on this date in 2019, 39-year-old DH Nelson Cruz had his second three-home run game in 10 days, becoming the first Twin to have two such games in a season, and joining Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler as the only Twins to have two 3-HR games altogether. Cruz is the only player in major league history with two 3-HR games after age 39. Not even the steroid-addled Barry Bonds did it. The August 3 game was Cruz's fourth game of the season with at least 11 total bases. Believe it or not, the only other player in Twins history with even two 11-total base games in one season was Jason Kubel in 2008. Of course the team single-game record is 14 by Kirby Puckett that one Sunday in Milwaukee in 1987. Nelly had five RBI in the game. He finished the season with FIVE 5-RBI games, which is the most in Senators/Twins franchise history. And who had the second-most 5-RBI games in team history? Wouldn't you know it's Jason Kubel again, with four such games in 2009. Remarkably, a Twins player only hit three home runs in a game four times in the team's first 55 seasons, and then they had eight such games in a four-year period between 2016 and 2019. The most recent of now 10 three-home run games in Twins history was by Miguel Sanó on May 18, 2021. View full article

Today's Almanac features Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and minor league baseball's all-time hits leader. Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports July 28, 1925: Duluth Native Hits First MLB Home Run After connecting for a pinch-hit RBI single off Walter Johnson in the sixth inning, Duluth native Spence Harris hit an inside-the-park grand slam off the Senators' Curly Ogden in the ninth for his first major league homer on this date in 1925. Harris—who spent his formative years in Seattle—is minor league baseball's all-time hits, doubles, and runs leader. July 28, 1965: Oliva Gets Five Hits—Again There have been 60 five-hit games in Twins history. Tony Oliva had his second in the span of just eight days on this date in 1965. Can you name the last Twins player to connect for five hits in a game? How about the last TWO players to do so? Leave your answer(s) in the comments section below. July 28, 1974: Killer and Carew Hit Pinch-Hit Homers off Reliever Nolan Ryan Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew both hit pinch-hit home runs off Nolan Ryan in his final career relief appearance on this date in 1974. (Killebrew and Carew pinch-hitting? Ryan relieving? What a strange entry this was for me to write.) Ryan had pitched a complete game three days earlier, and pitched a 10-inning complete game two days later. Built different. July 28, 1993: Griffey Jr. Homers in Eighth-Straight On this date in 1993, Ken Griffey Jr. led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run off Willie Banks, giving Junior a homer in eight straight games, tying Dale Long and Don Mattingly's major league record. Banks may have lost the battle with Griffey, but he won the war, holding the Mariners to just the one run on three hits over seven innings. Dave Winfield homered off Randy Johnson in the 5-1 Twins win. July 28, 1995: Masteller Hits First HR off Cy Young Winner Twins first baseman Dan Masteller's first career home run was a walk-off off former Cy Young winner Jack McDowell on this date in 1995. His second homer was a pinch-hit game-tying homer off Hall of Famer Lee Smith in September. And his third and final career home run came off All-Star Kevin Appier. If you're only going to hit three career home runs, those are three pretty good names to do it against. July 24–28, 1998: Walker Connects for Nine Straight Hits Second baseman Todd Walker collected nine straight hits between July 24 and this date in 1998, which at the time tied Tony Oliva and Mickey Hatcher's team record until José Miranda upped the record to 12 straight earlier this month. Walker's streak raised his average to .352, and he finished the season batting a career-high .316. July 28, 2002: Hill-Murray Grad Hits for Cycle 1995 Hill-Murray graduate and Golden Gophers all-time great Robb Quinlan hit for the cycle, going 5-for-6 with two home runs for the triple-A Salt Lake Bees on this date in 2002. (Fun Fact: His brother Tom Quinlan hit three home runs for the Salt Lake Buzz on this same date in 1995.) July 28, 2009: Buehrle Makes History After pitching a perfect game in his previous start, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle retired the first 17 batters faced at the Metrodome on this date in 2009, for a record 45 consecutive batters retired. Despite the slow start, the Twins won the game 5-3. July 24–28, 2010: Eighty-Six Hits in Five Games The Twins connected for an eye-popping 86 hits over a five-game stretch on the road in Baltimore and Kansas City between July 24 and this date in 2010. That's an average of over 17 hits per game! July 28, 2012: Twins Trade Liriano for Escobar The Twins traded Francisco Liriano to the White Sox for all-time fan favorite Eduardo Escobar and pitcher Pedro Hernández on this date in 2012. July 28, 2021: Twins Hit Seven Homers and Lose The Twins outhomered the Tigers seven-to-none at Target Field on this date in 2021, but still lost 17-14. The Twins are the only team in MLB history to outhomer their opponent of seven and lose (and the Tigers are the only team to be outhomered by seven and win). The fourth inning alone saw a lot of offense, with the Tigers scoring eight runs and the Twins six. View full article

Thanks, Chief.

Check out his SABR Bio, which is linked on his Baseball Reference story. As I recall, though, his brother owned a lumber yard out in Seattle, and Rube was "discovered" throwing rocks at train cars or fence posts or something like that. He was in Pine City until at least 18 or 19, though (if I remember correctly).

Thanks, Karbo. Any relation to Bernie Carbo? ;)

Today's Almanac spans generations, featuring Danny Valencia, Corey Koskie, Paul Molitor, Ben Oglivie, Mike Cubbage, Tony Oliva, and Pine City, MN native Rube Walberg. Image courtesy of © Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports July 27, 1896: World Series Champion Born in Pine City Fifteen-year major league pitcher and two-time World Series Champion Rube Walberg was born in Pine City, Minnesota on this date in 1896. Fun Fact: He gave up more home runs to Babe Ruth (17) than any other pitcher. July 27, 1971: Killebrew-Oliva One-Two Punch The Twins and Senators entered the ninth inning tied 2-2 on this date in 1971, but two Hall of Famers wrapped things up pretty efficiently. Harmon Killebrew led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left and the next batter, Tony Oliva, sent the Met Stadium crowd home with a walk-off homer. July 27, 1978: Fifth Cycle in Team History Mike Cubbage hit for the fifth cycle in Twins history, driving in four runs in a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays at Met Stadium on this date in 1978. Stan Perzanowski earned the complete-game win in his Twins debut. Remarkably, it was Perzanowski's first major league appearance in over two years. July 27, 1983: Longest Home Run in Metrodome History Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ben Oglivie hit the longest home run in Metrodome history on this date in 1983, measured at 481 feet. Interestingly, hometown hero Kent Hrbek hit a home run off knuckleballer Charlie Hough measured at 480 feet the following season. Considering home run distances are pretty imprecise estimates, it's interesting they couldn't tack another foot or two onto Hrbek's homer. July 27, 1996: Molitor's Multiple-RBI Streak Paul Molitor went 4-for-4 with two triples and two RBI in a Twins loss to the Red Sox on this date in 1996. It was his fifth-straight game with multiple runs batted in, tying Harmon Killebrew's team record established in 1962. Molly went 13-for-20 with 12 RBI over the five games. July 27, 2004: Koskie Plunked Three Times White Sox pitchers plunked Corey Koskie three times in a Twins win in Chicago on this date in 2004. I wonder what arcane unwritten rule Koskie broke to piss off Ozzie Guillén. July 27, 2010: Road Bats are Cooking The Twins scored double-digit runs in three straight road games from July 25 to 27, 2010, outscoring the Orioles and Royals 40-7. They connected for 58 hits over the three games. Danny Valencia had four straight games with at least three hits, which was one game shy of Rod Carew's team record for consecutive three-hit games. View full article

Today's Twins Almanac features Mike Cubbage, Rip Repulski, Don Mincher, Tony Oliva, Jim Merritt, Joe Mauer, Jack Morris, Jim Thome, and the Lombardozzi/Gladden kerfuffle. Image courtesy of Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports Happy Birthday, Mike Cubbage Happy 74th birthday to former Twins third baseman Mike Cubbage. 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. June 17–21, 1953: 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 21, 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.) July 20–21, 1963: First Baseman Has Back-to-Back Multi-HR Games Don Mincher hit two home runs in the second straight game against the Senators at Met Stadium in Bloomington on this date in 1963. Mincher was the first of just four players in Twins history with back-to-back multi-HR games: • Kirby Puckett, 1987 • Eddie Rosario, 2019 • Byron Buxton, 2022 July 21, 1965: Oliva Has Five-Hit Game There have been 58 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. July 21, 1966: Pitcher Strikes Out Seven-Straight Jim Merritt struck out seven straight Senators while pitching a three-hit shutout on this date in 1966. Seven straight 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. July 21, 1988: Lombardozzi Visits Gladden at Home Steve Lombardozzi ill-advisedly showed up at Dan "Wrench" Gladden's house on this morning in 1988. July 21, 2018: New Twins Career Doubles Leader Joe Mauer led off the game in Kansas City with his 415th career double on this date in 2018, surpassing Kirby Puckett as the Twins career leader. July 21, 2018: Morris and Thome Inducted in Cooperstown St. Paul native Jack Morris and former Twin Jim Thome were inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Allan Trammell, Chipper Jones, Trevor Hoffman, and Vladimir Guerrero on this date in 2018. View full article

Today's Almanac features the birthday of one of the greatest players in Twins history, the '27 Yankees, two MONSTER games by Justin Morneau, a pitcher winning two games in one day, and major leaguers born in Jordan and Winona, Minnesota. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Happy 86th birthday to Hall of Famer Tony Oliva, born in Pinar del Río, Cuba on this date 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. What's your favorite memory, stat, or fun fact about Tony O? Let's get a conversation going down in the comments sections below. July 20, 1896: Major League Born in Jordan, MN 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, that's a lifetime .333 MLB batting average! He passed away in 1969 (age 72), and is buried at Spirit Hill Cemetery in Jordan. July 20, 1927: '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. 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. July 20, 1969: 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. July 20, 2000: 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. July 20, 2009: Morneau Drives in Seven, 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—which you can find on YouTube—clearly shows he was safe. Morneau's seven-RBI game was the 16th such performance in Twins history. Well, friends, that's it for today's Almanac. Let's meet back here tomorrow for the Sunday edition featuring Rip Repulski, Mike Cubbage, Don Mincher, Tony Oliva, Jim Merritt, Steve Lombardozzi/Dan Gladden, Joe Mauer, and more. And as always, keep in touch on Facebook and Twitter. View full article