Matt Johnson

Today's Almanac is a short and sweet two-minute read, featuring the birthdate of the first Golden Gopher to play in the majors • A team record winning streak • Dick Such pitching against the Twins • And the Twins sign a Sauk Rapids legend out of their annual Met Stadium tryout camp. Happy Fathers Day! June 16, 1889: Capron Born in Minneapolis The first Golden Gopher to play in the majors, Ralph Capron, was born in Minneapolis on this date in 1889. June 16, 1970: Dick Such Pitches Against Twins Playing for the Ted Williams-managed Washington Senators, future Twins pitching coach (1986–2001) Dick Such made his only career appearance against the Twins at Met Stadium on this date in 1970. He entered down 5-2 in the seventh, and walked Rod Carew to lead off the inning. Carew stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. It was a moot point, however, as Tony Oliva hit a two-run homer. (Of course, Such and Oliva were the pitching and hitting coaches for the 1987 World Series Championship team.) After the Oliva homer, Such loaded the bases, but got pitcher Jim Perry to ground out to end the inning. Such retired Tovar, Carew, and Killebrew in order in the bottom of the eighth. The Twins won 7-3. Jim Perry went 3-for-4 in the game (raising his average to .361) with an RBI and run scored. That 1970 campaign was Such's only season in the majors, making 21 appearances with a 1-5 record and 7.56 ERA. Fun Fact: Such shares a 1970 Topps "Rookie Stars" card with Rick Stelmaszek, who was the Twins' bullpen coach from 1981 to 2012. The two did not play together in the majors, however, as Stelly wasn't called up until 1971. June 15–16, 1981: Twins Sign Sauk Rapids Native Out of Tryout Camp The Twins signed 1979 Sauk Rapids graduate Dick Henkemeyer out of their annual tryout camp held at Met Stadium on June 15 & 16, 1981. While at Brainerd Community College in 1980, Henkemeyer led the nation with 1.93 strikeouts per inning. He was roommates with Kirby Puckett at spring training in 1982, and went on to be a longtime Phy Ed teacher in Sauk Rapids. Henkemeyer played for the townball Sartell Muskies in the '80s. June 16, 1991: Twins Win 15th Straight The Twins won their team-record 15th straight game on this date in 1991, beating Cleveland 4-2 in 10 innings. The streak began in Kansas City on June 1. At the time, the Twins were in fifth place in the AL West—5.5 games behind Oakland. With the win in Cleveland, the Twins moved half a game ahead of Oakland. The streak came to an end when Rick Aguilera blew a two-run ninth-inning lead the next night in Baltimore. The Twins then won another four in a row, and six of their next seven, before going on a seven-game losing streak, ensuring a summer of further drama as an amuse-bouche before the October feast. View full article

And here it is, your daily dose of Twins history • Mauer's number retired • Reardon becomes all-time saves leader • Four-straight strikeouts in one inning • Darwin ties single-game RBI record • Ullger has career day • Bemidji native sent to Giants June 15, 1973: Darwin Ties Team Single-Game RBI Record Right fielder Bobby Darwin went 4-for-5 with a pair of two-run homers, a two-run single, and a one-run single to tie the team single-game record with seven RBI in a 13-6 win at Tiger Stadium on this date in 1973. (Glenn Adams set a new Twins record with eight RBI on June 26, 1977, matched by Randy Bush on May 20, 1989.) Jim Kaat earned the win for Minnesota in the 1973 game while old friend Jim Perry took the loss for Detroit. June 15, 1983: Ullger Has Career Day First baseman Scott Ullger collected 20% of his major league hits on this date in 1983, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored in a 6-2 Twins win over the Royals at home in the Dome. Ullger went 15-for-79 (.190) altogether in 35 major league games. Connection: This reminds me of when Billy Beane went 5-for-5 with a walk playing for the Twins on April 29, 1986. Those five hits represented 7.6% of the 66 hits the former first-round draft pick got over parts of six major league seasons, and were more than he had total in four of those seasons. June 15, 1987: Bemidji Native Sent to Giants The Twins sent 1982 Bemidji graduate and Golden Gophers all-time great Bryan Hickerson to the San Francisco Giants as the "player to be named later" to complete the March 31st Dan Gladden trade on this date in 1987. (I'm sure Bryan's friends and family were looking forward to him pitching for the hometown team, but I'd have to say acquiring Gladden worked out pretty well for Minnesota baseball fans.) Fun Fact: Hickerson won the first two "Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year" awards given out by the University of Minnesota in 1985 and '86. June 15, 1992: Reardon Becomes All-Time Saves Leader Old friend Jeff Reardon earned his 342nd save on this date in 1992, surpassing Rollie Fingers as the all-time leader. The Red Sox only run in the 1-0 win over the Yankees at Fenway came on a solo home run by Phil Plantier. Reardon struck out Kevin Maas to end it. Phil Plantier and Kevin Maas . . . if you collected baseball cards in the early '90s, those are two names I'm sure you remember. Reardon's 1987 teammates Tom Brunansky and Frank Viola were teammates with him in Boston in '92. Lee Smith took over as the all-time saves leader just one year later. Reardon finished his career with 367, which is still good for 12th-most in MLB history. Of course the current career leader is Mariano Rivera with 652. June 15, 2008: Four-Straight Strikeouts in One Inning Scott Baker struck out four-straight Brewers on this date in 2008. He got Ryan Braun swinging to start off the bottom of the third. Prince Fielder then struck out swinging at a wild pitch and reached first base safely before Baker got Russell Branyan and Mike Cameron both swinging to end the inning. You've heard of a Snapper Mow 'Em Down Inning . . . what do you call it when the pitcher strikes out all four batters in an inning? June 15, 2019: Twins Retire Number 7 The Minnesota Twins retired Joe Mauer's number 7 on this date in 2019. A lot of different Twins wore number 7 prior to Joe, including: Denny Hocking Greg Gagne Scott Ullger Rob Wilfong Dave McKay Jerry Terrell Jim Nettles Paul Powell Frank Quilici Jimmie Hall Lenny Green View full article

Today's Almanac is all about home runs: Five in one inning, four in one game, the 250th of a career, three-straight to start off a game against a future Cy Young winner, and a very "nice" career total. June 9, 1966: Twins Hit 5 HRs in One Inning The Twins set an American League record by hitting five home runs in a single inning on this date in 1966. The Kansas City Athletics erupted for four runs in the top of the first inning off Camilo Pascual, who only lasted 2/3 of an inning. Facing Catfish Hunter, the Twins pulled within 4-3 on a Bob Allison RBI double in the fifth and a two-run Harmon Killebrew homer in the sixth. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Rich Rollins and Zoilo Versalles connected for back-to-back homers off Hunter to take the lead. Reliever Paul Lindblad retired Sandy Valdespino before allowing back-to-back homers to Tony Oliva and Don Mincher. The Athletics then turned to John Wyatt who allowed the Twins’ third consecutive home run—and fifth of the inning—to Harmon Killebrew (his second of the game). The story goes that Jimmie Hall nearly hit a sixth home run in the inning, but doubled off the top of the wall. The Twins were the only American League team to hit five home runs in a single inning until the Yankees tied the record in 2020, and the Astros in 2022. Five National League teams have hit five home runs in an inning. Remarkably, the first four instances (spanning 1939 to 2006) all came against the Cincinnati Reds. On a related note, the Twins are tied for the MLB record with four consecutive home runs in Kansas City on May 2, 1964. June 9, 1977: Bass Hits Four Homers at Triple-A Tacoma Tacoma first baseman Randy Bass had the first of just three four-home run game in Twins organization history at the Phoenix Giants on this date in 1977. Bass led the Tacoma Twins with 25 home runs that season. Tom Kelly was second on the team with 12. Bass made his MLB debut the Twins in 1977. In 1983, he went to Japan to play for the Hanshin Tigers with whom he won four-straight batting titles. He still holds the Japanese single-season record with a .389 average in 1986. In 1985, Bass was close to tying the legendary Sadaharu Oh's single-season record of 55 home runs. He was at 54 going into the final game, which just happened to be against the Yomiuri Giants who were managed by none other than Sadaharu Oh himself, and they intentionally walked Bass four times! Bass later became the Oklahoma State Senate minority leader. The other four-home run games in Twins organization history were by Lew Ford at double-A New Britain on August 19, 2001, and Garrett Jones at single-A Quad Cities on July 14, 2002. While playing at double-A El Paso in the Angels organization, Tom Brunansky hit four home runs on June 18, 1980. June 9, 1992: Hrbek Hits 250th Home Run Kent Hrbek hit his 250th career home run in the top of the ninth of a 4-2 Twins win in Kansas City on this date in 1992. Fun Fact: He led off the seventh inning with a bunt single. This was the penultimate game of a 15-game hitting streak over which Hrbie went 22-for-54 (.407), with five home runs, 17 RBI, and 13 runs scored. June 9, 2022: First Three Twins Batters Homer Off Cole Luis Arráez, Byron Buxton, and Carlos Correa ambushed Yankees starter Gerrit Cole with three-straight home runs to begin the bottom of the first on this date in 2022. Cole wound up surrendering seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work, but the Yankees still beat the Twins, because of course they did. Bonus Baseball Fact for 6/9: Hall of Famer King Kelly hit 69 career home runs. Nice. View full article

I'm not a big draft guy, but I feel like when I do glance over the first-round picks from any particular year, it's always surprising how many don't even make it to the majors at all. In the ninth round in 1978, the Twins took 12-year major leaguer Tony Fossas, and in the 12th they got nine-year MLBer Scott Bradley.

The Twins Almanac for June 8 spans 122 years of Minnesota baseball history, beginning with the first four-home run game in professional baseball history. Today we also revisit a few interesting draft notes, including the younger brother of a Twins World Series hero and a hall of fame quarterback. June 8, 1889: St. Paul Native Makes Home Run History Did you know that the first four-home run game in professional baseball history happened in St. Paul? And it was a St. Paul native who did it . . . but he was playing for the visiting team. Playing for the Western Association Omaha Omahogs on this date in 1889, St. Paul native Jack Crooks went 5-for-5 with four home runs versus the St. Paul Apostles at Athletic Park, located on the riverfront on St. Paul’s west side. There is one known prior instance of a player hitting four or more home runs in a single game. In the pre-professional era, 21-year-old Philadelphia Athletics lefty Lipman Pike—standing at all of 5-foot-8, 158 pounds—hit five home runs from the nine-hole on July 16, 1866. June 8, 1971: Twins Draft a Quarterback The Twins drafted Notre Dame shortstop (and quarterback) Joe Theismann in the 39th round (773rd overall) on this date in 1971. Spoiler: He did not sign. June 8, 1978: Twins Draft Hrbek The Twins drafted Willmar native Wade Adamson in the fourth round out of South Dakota State on this date in 1978. They drafted Jack Morris's brother Tom in the 10th round. (He didn't sign.) . . . . . . Then, way down here in the 17th round, they selected Bloomington high schooler Kent Hrbek. Hrbek didn't accept Calvin Griffith's initial contract offer, but his play that summer with his local American Legion team convinced the Twins to find a little extra money for him. The Twins' first-round draft pick in 1978 was Lenny Faedo, with whom Hrbek and Tim Laudner shared a 1982 Topps "Future Stars" card. June 8–9, 1984: Luzinski Hits Grand Slams in Back-to-Back Games White Sox cleanup hitter Greg Luzinski hit a first-inning grand slam off Frank Viola, who only recorded one out in a 6-1 Twins loss in Chicago on this date in 1984. The next day, the Twins brought in Mike Walters to face Luzinski with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of seventh, and the Bull hit the final of his seven career grand slams, driving in Julio Cruz, Carlton Fisk, and Harold Baines. The White Sox won 8-4. June 8, 2011: Hannahan Hits Game-Tying Home Run St. Paul native and Golden Gophers all-time great Jack Hannahan was nearly a hero versus his hometown Twins on this date in 2011, hitting a two-out game-tying homer off closer Matt Capps in the bottom of the ninth in Cleveland. Ben Revere drove in Drew Butera in the top of the tenth, however, to salvage a 3-2 Twins win. View full article

Today's Almanac is a less than two-minute read • Team-record four triples in 1964 • Team-record losing streak in 1982 • Carew retires in 1986 • and Lenny Webster homers in first two games of 1991 call-up. 1964: Team-Record Four Triples Johnny Goryl, Bernie Allen, Don Mincher, and Earl Battey combined for a team record four triples in a 6-2 home win over the Yankees on this date in 1964. It was Allen and Battey's only triple of the season! Rookie right fielder Tony Oliva went 3-for-5 with a double and run scored, raising his average to .392. He finished the season with a league-leading .323 and was named American League Rookie of the Year. 1982: Team-Record Losing Streak The Twins fell 4-2 in Cleveland for a team record 14th-straight loss on this date in 1982. They were in last place (obviously) in the seven-team American League West—TWENTY games behind the Angels. They finished the season with 102 losses—33 games behind the Angels. 1986: Carew Retires After failing to receive a suitable contract offer, Rod Carew officially announced his retirement on this date in 1986. It was later determined that owners had colluded against Carew and other free agents, essentially agreeing not to offer contracts to other teams' free agents, thereby helping each other retain their own players while keeping salaries low. In 1995, Carew was awarded $782,035.71 in damages for lost wages. Carew's comments to Harmon Killebrew after connecting for his 3,000th hit against the Twins in 1985 are particularly interesting in light of the collusion scandal. Carew 3,000hit hit interview, contract talk.mp4 1991: Webster Homers in Call-Up Lenny Webster only got 34 at-bats with the Twins in 1991, but he hit three home runs, including in his first official major-league at-bat of the season on this date. (He drew a walk in his first plate appearance earlier in the game.) But wait, there's more: He homered again in his second MLB game of the season on June 5th. Webster spent most of the 1991 season at triple-A Portland, but was brought back to Minnesota to serve as a bullpen catcher during the postseason. View full article

The first TWO pitchers to throw no-hitters in Twins history share a birthday today. Can you name them? The Twins have made a few noteworthy trades on this date, including the first trade in team history, and one in 1976 involving two members of the 1987 World Series Championship team. The longest winning streak in team history began on this date. And in 2005, an all-time fan favorite went 5-for-5 with a grand slam, driving in all six runs in a Twins win over a division rival. Jack Kralick was born in Ohio on this date in 1935, and Dean Chance was born in Ohio on this date in 1941. Remarkably, they pitched the first and second no-hitters in Twins history. June 1, 1961 Calvin Griffith made the first trade in Twins history on this date in 1961, sending 1950 Winona High School graduate and Gopher football legend Paul Giel along with Reno Bertoia to the Kansas City A's in exchange for Bill Tuttle. Later that same day, the Twins traded infielder Billy Consolo to Milwaukee for four-time World Series champion Billy Martin. 1961 was Martin's 11th and final season as a major league player. From 1962 to '64, he worked as a scout for the Twins, and rejoined the major league team as third base coach in 1965. He was sent down to Denver midway through the 1968 season to serve as the triple-A manager, and then succeeded Cal Ermer as Twins manager in 1969, winning the American League West in his only season at the helm. Martin was hugely popular as a Twins coach and manager and instrumental in the development of César Tovar and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Rod Carew. Martin went on to manage 16 major league seasons, including five stints with the Yankees whom he led to a World Series Championship in 1977. June 1, 1976 The day after giving the ol’ one-finger salute walking off the mound at Met Stadium, Bert Blyleven and his roommate Danny Thompson were traded to the Rangers for Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, Bill Singer, Jim Gideon, and $250,000 on this date in 1976. Blyleven had been involved in contentious contract negotiations with Calvin Griffith leading up to the trade. Blyleven wasn't the only one, though. Talks between Danny Thompson and the owner were also at a standstill. Griffith refused to give the infielder—who had been diagnosed with leukemia prior to the 1973 season—a fair price, insisting that no other team would even offer someone with cancer a contract at all. Thompson struggled in Texas and passed away at the Mayo Clinic that December, just 69 days after playing his final major league game. He was only 29 and left behind a wife and two young daughters. June 1, 1991 The Twins were in fifth place in the AL West—5.5 games behind Oakland—when Allan Anderson bested Kevin Appier for an 8-4 win in Kansas City on this date in 1991, beginning a team record 15-game winning streak. Designated Hitter Chili Davis hit a pair of two-run homers in the game. The Twins had moved into first place—half a game ahead of Oakland—by the end of the streak. June 1, 2005 Torii Hunter went 5-for-5 with a grand slam, driving in all six runs in a 6-2 win over Cleveland at home in the Dome on this date in 2005. Brad Radke gave up a two-run homer in the first, but he, J.C. Romero, and Jesse Crain held Cleveland scoreless for the next eight innings. Hunter gave the Twins the lead with a grand slam in the third inning, driving in Shannon Stewart, Lew Ford, and Justin Morneau. Hunter added two insurance runs in the sixth, driving in Nick Punto and Ford with a bloop double. Designated Hitter Lew Ford was 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the game. View full article

The Twins Almanac for May 26 features Tom Kelly's only MLB home run, one of the longest home runs in Met Stadium history, some father-son history, and the memorial service of one of the greatest players in Twins history. May 26, 1974 Twins right fielder Bobby Darwin hit a 515-foot blast off Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins on this date in 1974, becoming just the second and final player to reach the second deck at Met Stadium. The first was Harmon Killebrew's famous 520-foot clout in 1967. May 26, 1975 In his 10th major league game, Twins first baseman Tom Kelly hit his only MLB home run off Vern Ruhle at Tiger Stadium on this date in 1975. Ruhle—who shares a 1975 Topps rookie card with 1971 Edina graduate Paul Siebert—makes another appearance in the annals of Twins history, giving up a home run to Dave McKay in his first major league plate appearance on August 22, 1975. @wthballs on X made this very cool 1976 Topps-style card: May 26, 2004 Pirates first baseman Daryle Ward hit for the cycle in St. Louis on this date in 2004. His dad Gary hit for the cycle in just his 14th major league game with the Twins in Milwaukee on September 18, 1980, making the Wards the only father-son duo to hit for the cycle in MLB history until the Biggios joined the club in 2019. May 26, 2011 On an off day, the Twins and about 4,000 fans paid their final respects to Harmon Killebrew with a beautiful memorial service at Target Field on this date in 2011. In attendance were Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, and Bert Blyleven, future Hall of Famer Tony Oliva, an All-Star lineup of Twins old and new, and Commissioner Bud Selig. View full article

The Twins Almanac for May 25 features Kirby Puckett, Lyman Bostock, Todd Walker, North St. Paul native Brent Killen, Rangers pinch hitter Bill Stein, and what was at one time the biggest shutout win in Twins history. Happy 54th birthday to North Saint Paul graduate Brent Killen. Killen was a power-hitting first baseman at the University of Florida and then played three seasons in the Tigers farm system (1992–94). Major Leaguers Don Arlich, Louie Varland, and Gus Varland were also North St. Paul Polars. Happy 51st birthday to former Twins first-round draft choice Todd Walker. In July 1998, he tied Tony Oliva and Mickey Hatcher‘s team record with nine-straight hits. May 25, 1977 Center fielder Lyman Bostock tied the MLB outfielder record with 12 putouts in a 9-4 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Fenway on this date in 1977. (The Twins won the first game 13-5.) Three Minnesota natives pitched for the Twins in the doubleheader. 1967 Rothsay graduate Dave Goltz was the winning pitcher in Game 1, with 1961 St. Cloud Cathedral grad Tom Burgmeier earning a 3 ⅔-innings save. 1969 St. Paul Murray grad Tom Johnson pitched the ninth inning of Game 2. May 25, 1981 The Rangers beat the Twins on Bill Stein’s seventh consecutive pinch hit on this date in 1981. The Minnesota connections here are multi-layered. Stein’s seventh-straight pinch hit broke the American League record previously held by 1954 Edina-Morningside graduate Bob “Rocky” Johnson. And Randy Bush tied Stein’s new record with his seventh-straight pinch hit on August 19, 1991. May 25, 1990 The Twins beat the Red Sox 16-0 at the Dome on this date in 1990. That was the biggest shutout victory in team history until they beat the Royals 17-0 at Target Field on September 2, 2017. Pitcher Roy Smith authored the four-hit shoutout for Minnesota. Remarkably, the Twins scored all 16 runs without a home run. Kirby Puckett—the third batter of the game—hit a two-run triple, and Hrbek drove him in to make it 4-0 before the Red Sox got their first out. Just six days earlier (May 19), the Red Sox had pummeled the Twins 13-1 at Fenway, with Boston’s Tom Brunansky going 5-for-5 with two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs scored. May 25, 1997 Culminating a three-day celebration of his career, the Twins retired Kirby Puckett‘s number 34 before a dramatic 7-6, 10-inning victory over the Athletics on this date in 1997. The Twins took a 6-4 lead into the ninth inning, but Rick Aguilera blew his fourth save of the season. He held the A’s scoreless in the 10th, however, and picked up the win when Rich Becker delivered a two-out walk-off single, driving in Matt Lawton (pinch running for Terry Steinbach). View full article

The Twins Almanac for May 19 features the start of a historically powerful rookie season for Jimmie Hall, a career game for Tom Brunansky against the Twins, a pinch-hit game-winning grand slam by Matt LeCroy, the only hit by a pitcher in Metrodome history, and the longest losing streak in Twins history. 1963 Pinch hitter Jimmie Hall hit his first major-league home run off former Twin Pedro Ramos on this date in 1963. Hall hit 33 that season, breaking Ted Williams' American League record for first-year players. Hall's record stood for 51 years until 27-year-old White Sox rookie José Abreu hit 36 in 2014. (Other rookies—such as Mark McGwire and Aaron Judge—have hit more, but they had major league experience prior to their official "rookie" seasons, and thus were not "first-year" players.) 1982 The Twins lost 4-2 in Baltimore on this date in 1982, beginning a team record 14-game losing streak. They didn't win again until June 4, falling to 12-41 on the season. They lost eight games on the road and six at the Dome, and were outscored 88-33, including three shutouts. They scored no more than two runs in each of the first eight games, followed by five games in which they scored at least four. Ron Davis and Brad Havens picked up three losses each. The Yankees' Goose Gossage, on the other hand, earned two saves and two wins against the Twins during the 14-game streak. 1990 Old friend Tom Brunansky had the best individual game of his career playing for the Red Sox against the Twins on this date in 1990. Bruno went 5-for-5 with two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs scored in a 13-1 pummeling of the Twins at Fenway. 2004 Matt LeCroy hit a pinch-hit game-winning grand slam on this date in 2004. The Twins were trailing 5-2 with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth in Toronto when manager Ron Gardenhire sent Matt LeCroy out to pinch hit for third baseman Alex Prieto. LeCroy hit the 1-0 pitch out of the park for a one-run Twins lead. Joe Nathan put the Blue Jays down in order in the bottom of the ninth, earning his 13th save of the season. LeCroy's is the most recent of twelve pinch-hit grand slams in Twins history. Rich Reese hit three pinch-hit grand slams during his Twins career. The Twins as a team hit two in 1970—one each by Reese and Rick Renick. 2008 On this date in 2008, Bobby Korecky connected for the only hit by a pitcher in Metrodome history—and he did it while earning his first major league win. Here's how the pitcher Korecky found himself with a bat in his hand: With the Twins trailing by a run going into the bottom of the ninth, Mike Redmond pinch hit for shortstop Adam Everett leading off the inning. (He grounded out). Then Craig Monroe pinch hit for second baseman Alexi Casilla. Monroe drew a walk, and was eventually driven in by Joe Mauer, sending the game to extra innings. But this left Mike Redmond and Craig Monroe in the lineup as the Twins' middle infielders. That certainly wasn't going to work! So Howie Clark—who only played in four games with the Twins—entered the game at second base, and the designated hitter Brendan Harris came in to play shortstop ... and thus the Twins lost the DH. Bobby Korecky came in to pitch with the bases loaded and one in the top of the 11th and retired Ian Kinsler and Michael Young to get out of the jam. Korecky then came to the plate in the bottom of the 11th and hit a one-out ground-ball single to right. Brendan Harris then singled and Mauer walked to load the bases, with Korecky representing the winning run on third, but Justin Morneau struck out and Michael Cuddyer grounded out to end the inning. (So both teams had the bases loaded with one out in the 11th inning but failed to score!) Korecky set the Rangers down in order in the top of the 12th, and Howie Clark was hero in the bottom of the inning, hitting a walk-off double to center scoring Carlos Gómez. And that's how Bobby Korecky got his first major league win and the only hit by a pitcher in Metrodome history. If your family and friends would enjoy reading about this date in Twins history, please share the link on Facebook or Twitter. View full article

The Twins Almanac for May 18 is short and sweet, featuring career highlights by Rod Carew and Miguel Sanó, the birthdays of two players with interesting footnotes in Twins history, and a noteworthy game played in Minnesota on this date in 1865! Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Happy Birthday, Andre David Happy 66th birthday to former Twin Andre David. He homered off Hall of Famer Jack Morris on his very first major-league swing on June 29, 1984 (age 26). Unfortunately, it was the only home run of his career. Happy Birthday, Rich Garcés Happy 53rd birthday to former Twins reliever Rich Garcés. Back in 1990, he became the most recent of only eight teenagers to play for Minnesota. In just his second MLB game, he became the only teenager in Twins history to record a save. Prior to Garcés, the last teenager to play for the Twins was Bert Blyleven way back in 1970. 1865 Baseball has a long history here in Minnesota. One hundred and fifty-nine years ago today—just a month after the end of the Civil War—the North Star Base Ball Club of St. Paul beat the Excelsior Club of Fort Snelling 38-14. If you're interested in Minnesota baseball history, I highly recommend Stew Thornley's outstanding book, Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History. 1969 Rod Carew stole second, third, and home in the same inning on this date in 1969. With the Billy Martin-managed Twins down 2-0 in Detroit, César Tovar singled off Mickey Lolich leading off the bottom of the third. Then, with Carew up to bat, Tovar was balked to second and then stole third. Perhaps distracted by Tovar, Lolich walked Carew. Then, with Harmon Killebrew at the plate, the Twins executed a double steal, with Carew swiping second and Tovar taking home on the throw. Carew then stole third and home to tie the game. (Killebrew wound up striking out.) Carew was the only player to steal second, third, and home consecutively during the 1960s. St. Paul native Paul Molitor accomplished the feat in the first inning of a game against Oakland on July 26, 1987. The most recent player to do so was Elly De La Cruz on July 8, 2023. 2021 Miguel Sanó hit three home runs with four RBI in a 5-4 win over the White Sox at Target Field on this date in 2021. In the Twins' first 55 seasons in Minnesota, there were only four 3-HR games (Allison, Killebrew, Oliva, and Morneau). There were NINE 3-HR games over a six-year period from 2016 to 2021 (Kepler x2, Rosario, Dozier, Buxton, Cruz x2, and Sanó). View full article

The Twins Almanac for May 15 is stacked with great names from Minnesota baseball history, including 1949 Rochester townballer Sam Jones, the colorful Pedro Ramos, Rod "Mad Hits" Carew, Butch "I Love that Kid" Wynegar, Chuck "Dollar Dog" Knoblauch, Golden Gophers all-time great Robb Quinlan, and Anthony Bemboom. On this date... Image courtesy of © Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports 1955 The Cubs' Sam Jones threw the first no-hitter by a black pitcher in MLB history on this date in 1955. The Minnesota angle here is that the former Negro Leaguer played for the townball Rochester Royals in 1949, pitching no-hitters against Owatonna on August 4 and Austin on September 7. It is worth noting here that 1949 was the same summer that former Negro Leaguer Hilton Smith was playing townball in Fulda, Minnesota, managed by Patrick Reusse's dad Dick. (Smith was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 along with Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield.) 1961 Twins and Angels pitchers traded home runs off each other on this date in 1962. Tied 2-2 in the top of the fifth, Angels pitcher Eli Grba hit a solo home run to give his team a 3-2 lead. Then in the bottom of the inning, Twins pitcher Pedro Ramos homered to tie it back up. Ramos added a two-run single in the sixth, and the Twins held on to win 5-4, with the pitcher driving in the Twins’ final three runs. 1972 The Twins suffered their longest loss on this date in 1972. The Twins and Brewers were tied 3-3 after 21 innings at Met Stadium when the game was postponed due to the American League’s curfew. The game resumed the next morning, with the Brewers scoring in the top of the 22nd off Bert Blyleven. The Twins loaded the bases against Brewers pitcher Jim Lonborg in the bottom of the inning, but the Brewers held on to win 4-3. Rod Carew went 5-for-7 with two doubles and three walks in the game. Blyleven and Lonborg started the regularly scheduled game later that day, with Blyleven going nine innings. This game, too, required extra innings. The Brewers took a 4-3 lead on a solo home run in the top of the 15th, but with Jim Nettles aboard in the bottom of the inning, Eric Soderholm hit a two-out, walk-off home run for a 5-4 Twins win. Soderholm’s home run was apparently the most clutch swing in Twins history in terms of Win Probability Added, (which I don’t claim to understand). According to BaseballReference.com, the Twins’ probability of winning went from 8% to 100% on Soderholm’s swing, for a probability added of 92%. Carew went 3-for-6 with a walk in the second game, for a total of 12 times on base between the two games. The Twins and Brewers played a combined 37 innings over the two games. 1982 Just one day after trading two bonafide big leaguers for a minor league pitcher and the unproven Tom Brunansky, the Twins continued their liquidation by trading pitcher Roger Erickson and standout catcher Butch Wynegar to the Yankees for not a whole heckuva lot. Wynegar was an All-Star in his first two seasons and finished second to Detroit’s Mark Fidrych in 1976 AL Rookie of the Year balloting. Despite the Brunansky deal working out very well in retrospect, both trades were seen at the time as cheap, cost-cutting measures by Twins ownership. 1991 Rookie second baseman Chuck Knoblauch went 4-for-5 on this date in 1991, raising his average to .336 over his first 30 career games. He hit .400 over a 20-game hitting streak in September and was named American League Rookie of the Year. 2002 1995 Hill-Murray graduate, three-time Golden Gophers MVP, and 1999 tenth-round Angels draft pick Robb Quinlan went 5-for-5 with two home runs and eight RBI for triple-A Salt Lake versus Edmonton on this date in 2002. Quinlan went on to hit .333 with 31 doubles, 13 triples, 20 home runs, and a league-leading 112 RBI en route to being named the Angels’ Minor League Player of the Year. The major league team, meanwhile, won the 2002 World Series. Quinlan made his major league debut on July 25, 2003. 2019 Sauk Rapids-Rice graduate Anthony Bemboom made his major league debut catching for the Rays on this date in 2019. He must call a nice game, because pitcher Blake Snell had 10 strikeouts through the first four innings. View full article

The Twins Almanac for May 11 features Kent Hrbek, Tom Brunansky, Frank Quilici, Dean Chance, Kerry Ligtenberg, and Dan Gladden. On this date... Image courtesy of © MPS-USA TODAY Sports 1939 Former Twins player, player-coach, manager, and broadcaster Frank Quilici was born in Chicago on this date in 1939. As a rookie in 1965, he tied a World Series record by connecting for two hits in one inning off Don Drysdale in Game 1. An all-time great guy and a Twins lifer, Quilici received the 2013 “Kirby Puckett Award,” honoring community service by Twins alumni. 1967 Dean Chance pitched a one-hit shutout against the Kansas City Athletics at Met Stadium on this date in 1967. Chance got his no-hitter on August 25 of that season. 21-year-old Catfish Hunter, already in his third season, gave up eight runs (seven earned) in just five innings for Kansas City. He got his revenge, though, 363 days later, pitching a perfect game against the Twins in the Athletics’ first season in Oakland. Happy Birthday, Kerry Ligtenberg Happy 53rd birthday to 1989 Park High School (Cottage Grove, MN) and 2000 University of Minnesota graduate Kerry Ligtenberg, born in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1971. After pitching for the independent Minneapolis Loons, Ligtenberg signed with Atlanta on the recommendation of Loons manager and former Atlanta All-Star catcher Greg Olson. (Fun Fact: Ligtenberg was teammates on the Loons with old-timer Juan Berenguer.) He pitched in five postseasons with Atlanta from 1997 to 2002 before spending one season each with the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks. If you have a couple of minutes, his Wikipedia entry is brief and fascinating. 1982 Rookie Kent Hrbek connected for a hit in his 21st-straight game on this date in 1982. Question: Has a Twins rookie ever had a longer hitting streak? (If you can think of one, let me know in the comments below.) Also 1982 The Twins traded Doug Corbett and Rob Wilfong to the Angels for Tom Brunansky, pitcher Mike Walters, and $400,000 cash on this date in 1982. Brunansky, a southern California native, was drafted by the Angels in the first round out of high school in 1978. Bruno was, of course, an integral part of the Twins’ 1987 championship season, hitting 32 home runs with 85 RBI and 83 runs scored. The following year, Andy MacPhail ill-advisedly traded him to St. Louis for clubhouse cancer Tommy frickin’ Herr. 1991 Dan Gladden tripled in his third straight game as the Twins beat the Tigers 5-4 at home in the Dome on this date in 1991. Four Twins have tripled in three straight games: Rod Carew (June 15–17, 1977), Gladden, Delmon Young (May 18–20, 2008), and Eddie Rosario (July 28–30, 2015) View full article