Matt Johnson

May 18, 1969 Rod Carew Steals Second, Third, and Home With the Billy Martin-managed Twins trailing 2-0 in Detroit, Cesar Tovar led off the bottom of third with a single off of Mickey Lolich. Then, with Rod Carew at the plate, Tovar was balked to second and 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 as Tovar stole home. With Killebrew still at bat, Carew stole third and home to tie the game. Killebrew ultimately struck out, and the Twins went on to lose the game 8-2. They would, however, go on to win the division but were beat in the League Championship Series by Baltimore. Forty players have stolen second, third and home consecutively a total of 50 times in MLB history, 11 since 1940. The feet was accomplished four times in the '80s, twice in the '90s, once in the '00s, and, most recently, by Dee Gordon in 2011. Paul Molitor pulled it off in the first inning versus Oakland on July 26, 1987. May 19, 1982 Twins Begin Record Losing Streak The Twins lose 4-2 in Baltimore, beginning a team-record 14-game losing streak. They won't win again until June 4. They will lose eight games on the road, and six at home in the Dome. Ron Davis and Brad Havens will each pick up three of the losses. The Yankees' Goose Gossage, on the other hand, will pick up two wins and two saves. May 19, 1990 Tom Brunansky’s Big Day The Twins had an ugly day at Fenway. The Red Sox’s Tom Brunansky drew first blood, driving in Wade Boggs with a one-out double in the first. The Red Sox went on to score five runs on five hits in the first off of Twins starter Allan Anderson, who only lasted ⅔ of an inning. Brunansky went 5-for-5 with two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs scored as the Red Sox pummeled the Twins 13-1. Tom Kelly called upon outfielder John Moses to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He gave up just one run on two hits in his second pitching appearance for the Twins. His previous appearance had also come at Fenway in 1989 as he pitched a scoreless eighth inning, not allowing a hit but walking one. He would pitch a third time for the Twins in July, 1990. May 19, 2004 Matt LeCroy Hits Game-Winning Pinch-Hit Grand Slam Trailing 2-5 in the top of the ninth in Toronto with Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, and Henry Blanco on base and one out, the Twins sent Matt LeCroy out to pinch-hit for third baseman Alex Prieto. LeCroy hit the Blue Jays' Terry Adams' 1-0 pitch out of the park, giving the Twins a one-run lead. Joe Nathan put the 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. Keep in touch with the @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

In Twins history, May 17th has included a breakthrough game, a visit by a home run legend, a perfect game to forget and the final departure of perhaps the greatest Twin of all time.May 17, 1963 Allison Has Twins' First 3-HR Game Bob Allison became the first Minnesota Twin to hit three home runs in a game in an 11-4 Twins win in Cleveland. He was 3-for-5 on the day with six RBI. His batting average at the end of the day was .330. He would finish his All-Star ‘63 season with a .271 AVG, 35 HRs, and 91 RBI. Harmon Killebrew and Zoilo Versalles also hit home runs in the game. Pitcher Jim Perry, who had played for Cleveland the previous season, was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored on Allison’s first home run. May 17, 1975 Aaron Brings Hammer to Bloomington Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Hank Aaron hit the 738th of his 755 career home runs off of the Twins' Ray Corbin in the fifth inning of a Saturday afternoon game at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The two-run home run extended the Brewers' lead to 6-2. Aaron had hit an RBI double in the third, knocking Twins starting pitcher Vic Albury out of the game. The Twins trailed just 6-7 in the bottom of the eighth when Rod Carew hit a two-out, two-run double. Tom Kelly entered one of his 49 major league games playing first base in the top of the ninth. The Twins held on to win 8-7. May 17, 1998 David Wells Pitches a Perfect Game 50,000 fans, including Billy Crystal, came out to Yankee Stadium for Beanie Baby Day, and what turned out to be the fifteenth perfect game in major league history. David Wells threw 120 pitches, striking out 11. The last perfect game at Yankee Stadium was Game 5 of the 1956 World Series by Don Larsen, who attended the same high school as Wells, Point Loma in San Diego. Don Larsen actually threw out the first pitch before baseball’s next perfect game, pitched by David Cone in 1999 on Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium. Berra had caught Larsen's perfect game in the '56 Series. Cone threw only 88 pitches in his perfect game. The major leagues’ first two perfect games were pitched in 1880, just five days apart. The next perfect game wasn’t pitched until 1904 by the Boston Americans’ Cy Young. The most recent perfect game was pitched by the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez on August 15, 2012. May 17, 2011 Harmon Killebrew Passes Away Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew passed away at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on this date in 2011. He was just 74 years old. Click here to view the article

May 17, 1963 Allison Has Twins' First 3-HR Game Bob Allison became the first Minnesota Twin to hit three home runs in a game in an 11-4 Twins win in Cleveland. He was 3-for-5 on the day with six RBI. His batting average at the end of the day was .330. He would finish his All-Star ‘63 season with a .271 AVG, 35 HRs, and 91 RBI. Harmon Killebrew and Zoilo Versalles also hit home runs in the game. Pitcher Jim Perry, who had played for Cleveland the previous season, was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored on Allison’s first home run. May 17, 1975 Aaron Brings Hammer to Bloomington Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Hank Aaron hit the 738th of his 755 career home runs off of the Twins' Ray Corbin in the fifth inning of a Saturday afternoon game at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The two-run home run extended the Brewers' lead to 6-2. Aaron had hit an RBI double in the third, knocking Twins starting pitcher Vic Albury out of the game. The Twins trailed just 6-7 in the bottom of the eighth when Rod Carew hit a two-out, two-run double. Tom Kelly entered one of his 49 major league games playing first base in the top of the ninth. The Twins held on to win 8-7. May 17, 1998 David Wells Pitches a Perfect Game 50,000 fans, including Billy Crystal, came out to Yankee Stadium for Beanie Baby Day, and what turned out to be the fifteenth perfect game in major league history. David Wells threw 120 pitches, striking out 11. The last perfect game at Yankee Stadium was Game 5 of the 1956 World Series by Don Larsen, who attended the same high school as Wells, Point Loma in San Diego. Don Larsen actually threw out the first pitch before baseball’s next perfect game, pitched by David Cone in 1999 on Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium. Berra had caught Larsen's perfect game in the '56 Series. Cone threw only 88 pitches in his perfect game. The major leagues’ first two perfect games were pitched in 1880, just five days apart. The next perfect game wasn’t pitched until 1904 by the Boston Americans’ Cy Young. The most recent perfect game was pitched by the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez on August 15, 2012. May 17, 2011 Harmon Killebrew Passes Away Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew passed away at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on this date in 2011. He was just 74 years old. Be well, do good work, and keep in touch with the @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

May 16 Happy 62nd Birthday, Jack Morris It’s the birthday of 1973 Highland Park High School graduate Jack Morris, born in St. Paul in 1951. Morris was selected in the Fifth Round of the '76 Draft out of Brigham Young. The Tigers had drafted Alan Trammell in the 2nd Round, and Lou Whitaker in the 5th Round a year earlier. All three would make their major league debuts in 1977, with Trammell and Whitaker debuting in the same game. Morris was the Tigers’ Opening Day starter in 1980, beginning a major league-record streak of 14 consecutive Opening Day starts (1980-1993). Morris won his first of four World Series in 1984 as the Tigers beat the Padres in five games. Morris pitched complete game victories in Games One and Four. Morris won more games in the 1980s (162) than any other pitcher. On February 5, 1991 Jack Morris signed a one-year, $3.7 million contract with the Twins, making him the highest paid pitcher in the American League, a distinction which he previously held in 1987 and ‘88, and would hold again in 1993. Morris won 18 games during the regular season and another four in the postseason, including the legendary 10-inning shutout of the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the World Series. 1991 would be Morris’s only season with the Minnesota Twins. On December 18, 1991 he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, against whom he had just won two games in the American League Championship Series. Morris led the league with 21 wins in 1992 and the Blue Jays went on to win the World Series, beating the Braves in six games. The Blue Jays won the Series again in 1993, though Morris pitched poorly, accumulating a 7-12 record with a 6.19 ERA before his season was cut a month short by injury. Fellow St. Paul native Paul Molitor was MVP of the '93 Series. Morris pitched for Cleveland in 1994 but was released in August just prior to the strike. The following spring he unsuccessfully attempted a comeback with Cincinnati. In 1996, the 41-year-old Morris went 5-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 10 starts with the St. Paul Saints before retiring for good. May 16, 1928 It’s the Birthdate of Billy Martin Twins player, coach, and manager Billy Martin was born in Berkeley, California on this date in 1928. Martin, who won four World Championships as a member of the 1950s New York Yankees, was traded by the Milwaukee Braves to Minnesota on June 1, 1961, where he played out his final major league season. Martin served as a Twins scout from 1962-’64, and rejoined the major league team as third base coach in 1965. He was sent down to Triple-A Denver midway through the 1968 season where he served as manager. He succeeded Cal Ermer as manager of the Twins 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 Cesar Tovar, and, to a lesser extent, Rod Carew. Martin went on to manage 16 major league seasons, including five stints with the Yankees who he led to a World Series Championship in 1977. Martin died in a single-car crash on Christmas, 1989. He was 61 years old. May 16, 2010 Jason Kubel Hits Grand Slam Off Mariano Rivera The Twins had not beaten the Yankees since August 13, 2008. They had been swept by the Yankees in both the 2009 regular and postseason. Now, trailing 3-1 in the third game of a series at Yankee Stadium, the Twins loaded the bases against Joba Chamberlain in the eighth. With two out and the bases full of Twins, manager Joe Girardi brought in Mariano Rivera to face Jim Thome. Rivera had converted his last 51 home save opportunities, tying the Dodgers’ Eric Gagne’s all-time record. Rivera walked Thome, forcing in Orlando Hudson. Trailing now by just one run, Jason Kubel hit Rivera’s 1-0 pitch into the right field seats for a grand slam. The Twins went on to an improbable 6-3 victory, with Jon Rauch converting his 10th save of the season. Keep in touch with the @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

May 15 Happy 36th Birthday, Justin Morneau! It’s the birthday of 2006 American League Most Valuable Player Justin Morneau, born in New Westminster, British Columbia in 1981. The Twins drafted the 6’4” Canadian in the 3rd round in 1999, behind B.J. Garbe and Rob Bowen, neither of whom made it to the majors. Morneau hit cleanup in his MLB debut on June 10, 2003, hitting a two-strike line drive single to center in his first at-bat, and going 2-for-4 on the day. He hit 19 home runs in just 74 major league games in 2004, and another 22 with Rochester. In 2006, just his second full season in the majors, Morneau hit .321 with 34 HRs and 130 RBI en route to being voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player. Morneau was hitting .345 midway through 2010 when he suffered a season-ending concussion sliding into second. Though Twins fans saw glimpses over the next three seasons, Morneau never fully returned to All-Star form before being traded to the pennant-chasing Pirates in August, 2013. May 15, 1960 Moryn Secures Cardwell's No-Hitter 1944 St. Paul Harding High School graduate and Cubs left fielder Walt Moryn made a great shoestring catch for the final out of Don Cardwell’s no-hitter. May 15, 1969 Cesar Tovar Breaks Up No-Hitter With one out in the bottom of the ninth and Baltimore’s Dave McNally pitching a no-hitter, Cesar Tovar singled to left-center. Rod Carew then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play as McNally completed the one-hit shutout for a 5-0 Orioles win. This was the first of two times that Tovar would break up a no-hitter in the ninth inning during the 1969 season. Tovar is tied with Eddie Milner for the major league record of breaking up five no-hitters in his career. Tovar broke up four no-hitters as a Twin, and another as a Ranger when he broke up Catfish Hunter’s no-hit bid in 1975. May 15, 1991 Paul Molitor Hits for the Cycle vs. the Twins 1974 Cretin High School graduate Paul Molitor tripled on Kevin Tapani's first pitch of the game at the Metrodome. He promptly put the Brewers up 1-0 on a Jim Gantner groundout. Molitor singled in the third, doubled in the fifth, and, leading off the seventh, homered off of Tapani to complete the cycle. Reliever Steve Bedrosian finally retired Molitor in the ninth. The Brewers won the ballgame 4-2. The Twins, meanwhile, would manage to salvage the season. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

May 13, 1989 Kirby Puckett Hits Four Doubles Kirby Puckett hit a team record four doubles as the Twins beat the Blue Jays 10-8 at the Metrodome. Kirby, who was 4-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, hit two doubles each off of 7x All-Star Dave Stieb and '87 AL saves leader Tom Henke. May 13, 2009 Crede Hits Walk-Off Grand Slam Down 7-9 to Detroit in the eighth with Mike Redmond on first, Jason Kubel, pinch-hitting for Carlos Gomez, hit a game-tying home run. The teams were still tied in the thirteenth when Curtis Granderson hit a one-out triple off of Jesse Crain. Then, with two out, Crain was called for a balk, bringing Granderson home with the go-ahead run. Kubel led-off the bottom of the thirteenth with a single, and was pinch-run for by Nick Punto, who was sacrificed to second by Denard Span, and driven in by Matt Tolbert to tie the game. Joe Mauer then grounded out for the second out of the inning, with Tolbert advancing to second on the play. 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau was intentionally walked to fill first. Tigers reliever Brandon Lyon, however, then gave up a walk to Michael Cuddyer, forcing the winning run up to third base. With two out and a 1-2 count, third baseman Joe Crede hit a walk-off grand slam. May 14 Happy 62nd Birthday, Hosken Powell It's the birthday of former Twins right fielder Hosken Powell, born in Selma, Alabama in 1955. The Twins' '75 draft choice played in Minnesota from 1978-'81 before playing his final two big league seasons in Toronto. Powell hit his first major league home run off of Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in May of his rookie season. His third home run was off of Hall of Famer Fegie Jenkins. And his final home run came off of Hall of Famer Don Sutton. May 14, 1968 3-HR First Inning vs. Catfish Hunter After Twins starter Jim Merritt set Oakland's Bert Campaneris, Reggie Jackson, and Sal Bando down in order to start the game, Rod Carew led off the bottom of the first with a home run off of future-Hall of Famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter. Catfish then walked Cesar Tovar, and gave up another home run to Tony Oliva. After walking Harmon Killebrew, Catfish finally got Bob Allison to pop up for the first out. Rich Rollins then drove in Harmon with the Twins' third home run of the inning, giving them a 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Athletics battled back, however, scoring in each on the next three innings, including a big six-run fourth inning, ultimately winning 13-8, with Catfish Hunter improving to 4-2 on the season. May 14, 1998 Marlins Trade Eisenreich In what would have been one of the biggest blockbuster trades of all time had it happened in 1993, the Marlins sent Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, 1977 St. Cloud Tech graduate Jim Eisenreich, and Manuel Barrios to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Mike Piazza, and Todd Zeile. Keep in touch with the @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

May 9, 1877 Lew Drill Born in Browerville, MN It’s the birthdate of former major leaguer Lew Drill, born in Browerville, Minnesota in 1877. Drill graduated from Hamline in 1897, and received a law degree from Georgetown, from where the catcher was signed by the Washington Senators in 1902. Drill played 293 major league games over four seasons for the Senators, Orioles, and Tigers. He would later serve as United States district attorney for Minnesota in the late 1920s and early ‘30s. Lew Drill passed away on July 4, 1969 in St. Paul. He was 92 years old. May 10, 1962 Twins Begin Game with Back-to-Back HRs Lenny Green and Vic Power hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the bottom of the first in Bloomington versus Cleveland pitcher and future-Twin Jim Perry. Cleveland came back to win the game 9-4. Back-to-back home runs to begin a game tied the major league record at the time. Three teams have since begun a game with three consecutive homers: the Padres (bottom of the first on April 13, 1987), the Braves (bottom of the first on May 28, 2003), and the Brewers (top of the first on September 9, 2007). May 11 Happy 78th Birthday, Frank Quilici Frank Quilici was born on this day in 1939 in Chicago. He played for the Twins in 1965 and 1967-’70, including the ‘65 World Series and 1970 American League Championship Series. He spent the ‘66 season at Triple-A Denver. He retired as a player after the 1970 season but was brought back as a coach in 1971. In July of ‘72 he replaced Bill Rigney as manager, a position which he held through the end of the 1975 season. He was succeeded by Gene Mauch. Quilici, who turns 78 today, makes his home in Burnsville, MN. May 11 Happy 46th Birthday, Kerry Ligtenberg It’s the birthday of 1989 Park High School (Cottage Grove, MN), and 2000 University of Minnesota graduate Kerry Ligtenberg, born in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1971. Ligtenberg made 386 relief appearances over eight seasons (1997-2005) for the Braves, Orioles, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks May 11, 1967 Dean Chance Pitches a One-Hitter Dean Chance pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout versus the Kansas City Athletics at home in Bloomington. Chance struck out eight and walked six in the 8-0 Twins win. Chance would get his no-hitter on August 25 of that season. 21-year-old Catfish Hunter, already in his third season, started for the Athletics, allowing all eight Twins runs on seven hits and six walks in just five innings. He would pitch a perfect game against the Twins 363 days later. May 11, 1982 Bruno Acquired from Angels The Twins traded Doug Corbett and Rob Wilfong to the California Angels for Tom Brunansky, pitcher Mike Walters, and $400,000 cash. Brunansky, a southern California native, was drafted by the Angels in the first round out of high school in 1978. He had played 11 games with the Angels in 1981, and was at Triple-A Spokane at the time of the trade. Brunansky was, of course, an integral part of the Twins’ 1987 championship season when he hit 32 home runs, drove in 85 and scored 83 runs. He played for the Twins until an ill-advised April ‘88 trade to St. Louis for clubhouse cancer Tommy Herr. Brunansky’s 163 home runs in a Twins uniform are ninth most in team history. He hit a total of 271 home runs over his fourteen year major league career. Bruno has served as the Twins’ hitting coach from 2013-2016. May 12, 1961 Pitchers Homer Off Each Other Pitcher Eli Grba homered in the top of the fifth to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. Twins pitcher Pedro Ramos led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run of his own, tying the game. Ramos added a two-run single the following inning and the Twins held on to win 5-4, with Ramos driving in the Twins’ final three runs. May 12, 1982 Butch Wynegar Traded to the Yankees Just one day after trading two bonafide big leaguers for a minor league pitcher and the unproven Tom Brunansky, the Twins traded pitcher Roger Erickson and standout catcher Butch Wynegar to the Yankees for not a whole lot. Wynegar was an All-Star in his first two seasons and finished second to Detroit’s Mark Fidrych in 1976 American League 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. May 12, 2002 Robb Quinlan Goes 5-for-5 1995 Hill-Murray graduate, 3x 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 vs. Edmonton. Quinlan would go 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, would win the 2002 World Series. Quinlan would not make his major league debut until July 25, 2003. Be well, do good work, and keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

May 8, 1967 Rookie Carew Has Twins' First 5-Hit Game Rookie Rod Carew became the first Twin to collect five hits in a single game in a 7-4 Twins loss to the Senators at home in Bloomington. Rodney was 5-for-5 on the day with a double, an RBI, and run scored. The Twins had 11 hits in total, but no other Twin had more than one. Kirby Puckett set a new Twins record by going 6-for-6 with two home runs and two doubles in a 10-6 Twins win in Milwaukee on August 30th, 1987. Puckett had gone 4-for-5 with two home runs the day before, making him 10-for-11 with six RBI and seven runs on the weekend. He had gone 0-for-4 on Friday in the first game of the series, a 1-0 Twins loss. May 8, 1968 Catfish Hunter Pitches a Perfect Game 22-year-old Catfish Hunter pitched a perfect game against the Twins in Oakland, striking out 11 in the Athletics’ 4-0 win. Harmon Killebrew struck out in each of his three plate appearances. In addition to pitching the perfect game, Hunter went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in three of the Athletics’ four runs. Reggie Jackson was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. May 8, 1979 Twins Hit Team-Record 12 Extra Base Hits The Twins set a team record when 12 of their 19 hits went for extra bases in a 16-6 shellacking of the Blue Jays at home in Bloomington. Roy Smalley and Craig Kusick each hit two home runs. Ken Landreaux hit a home run and a double. Bombo Rivera hit two doubles, while Willie Norwood, Glenn Borgmann and Bob Randall hit one each. John Castino hit a triple. Roy Smalley had the best day of anybody, going 4-for-5 with the two home runs, a walk, four RBI and four runs scored. May 8, 1984 Puckett Goes 4-for-5 in MLB Debut Kirby Puckett went 4-for-5 with a run scored in his major league debut as the Twins beat the first place Angels 5-0 in Anaheim. Puckett, hitting leadoff, grounded out to short to start the game. He collected singles in his next four at-bats, becoming the sixth player in American League history to debut with four-hit performance. Frank Viola pitched a complete game, four-hit shutout. Kirby collected 16 hits in his first seven major league games, hitting .485. He would finish the season with 165 hit in 128 games, batting .296 and finishing third to Seattle’s Alvin Davis and Mark Langston in American League Rookie of the Year balloting. Minnesota’s Tim Teufel came in fourth. 22-year-old Twins catcher Wilson Ramos also went 4-for-5 in his major league debut on May 2, 2010. The following night he went 3-for-4 with a double, becoming the third player in major league history with seven hits in his first two games, and the first since Nanny Fernandez in 1942. Be well, do good work, and keep in touch with the @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.