Matt Johnson

March 5 Happy 60th Birthday to Jerry Ujdur It's the birthday 1975 Hermantown High School graduate Jerry Ujdur. Jerry made the Hermantown varsity team as an 8th grader. In ‘75 he met Dick Siebert halfway in Hinckley to audition for the legendary Gophers coach. He would win 27 games as a Gopher, second only to his teammate, Minnetonka High School grad Steve Comer's 30 wins. Ujdur appeared in 49 games, starting 37 for Detroit from 1980 to '83, winning 10 games for the Tigers in ‘82. He would pitch in four games for the Cleveland ballclub in 1984 before retiring with a major league record of 12-16. Though he pitched in only 53 major league games, Ujdur sure had the number of a few Hall of Famers, including Eddie Murray who went 0-for-11 with two walks vs. the Hermantown Hawk. Carlton Fisk went 0-for-10 with a walk, Paul Molitor 2-for-14 with a walk, and Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson each went 1-for-9 with 2 walks. March 5, 2006 Kirby Puckett Suffers Stroke Twins legend Kirby Puckett suffers a massive stroke at the home he shares with his fiancee in Scottsdale, Arizona. Old friend Ron Washington, in camp with the Athletics nearby, was one of the first at his bedside. Ken Griffey Jr. also rushed to his side, while former teammates including Shane Mack and Kent Hrbek made their ways to Arizona. Puckett’s weight had spiralled out of control following the abrupt end to his career. "That's what really hurt him bad, when he was forced out of the game," Hrbek told the Associated Press. "I don't know if he ever recovered from it." "We would tell him. But he enjoyed life. He enjoyed the size he was. That's who he was," Jacque Jones told ESPN from Cubs camp in Mesa, AZ. "You can't do anything about it until he decides to change. Hopefully, he'll pull through this, and it'll be like a call for him to change some things in his life.” March 6, 1973 Larry Hisle Becomes First DH in MLB History In an exhibition game vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates, Larry Hisle becomes the first Designated Hitter in major league history. Back on January 11, American League owners had voted 8-4 to adopt the DH, and in this game Hisle made them look like geniuses, hitting two home runs and driving in seven. The Yankees’ Ron Blomberg was the first DH to bat in a regular season game. The Twins’ Tony Oliva would hit the first regular season home run by a DH on April 6th (Opening Day) off of Oakland's Catfish Hunter. Interestingly, Oakland owner Charlie Finley is generally credited with leading the push for the DH. March 6, 2006 Kirby Puckett Passes Away A day after suffering a massive stroke, Kirby Puckett passes away at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. After unsuccessful emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, friends and family were notified that the end was near. Many people rushed to be with Kirby in his final hours. Former teammates Shane Mack and Kent Hrbek travelled to Arizona. Ron Washington, who was in spring training with the Athletics nearby, was one of the first friends to arrive. Another friend who rushed to the hospital and was reportedly at his bedside when he passed was Ken Griffey Jr. "There's certain people that you owe it to, for the things they've done for you," Griffey told the Los Angeles Time. "No matter where you are. He was that important to my family. It was for the things he said to me, not for the way he played." Kirby Puckett was just 45 years old, the second-youngest person to pass away after having already been enshrined in Cooperstown. Lou Gehrig was just 37. March 7, 2013 Aaron Hicks Has Himself a Day Entering spring training it was unclear whether or not 2008 first-round draft choice Aaron Hicks had a legitimate chance of making the Opening Day roster. On this day, though, he made the front office’s decision just a little bit easier, going 4-for-5 with 3 home runs, 6 RBI and a stolen base vs. the Phillies in Clearwater. He would indeed make his major league debut on April 1st, playing 81 big league games in 2013 but also spending some time back in Rochester. March 8 Happy 60th Birthday to John Butcher It’s the birthday of former Twins pitcher John Butcher, born in Glendale, California in 1957. The Twins acquired Butcher along with pitcher Mike Smithson and minor league catcher Sam Sorce from Texas in exchange for Gary Ward on December 7, 1983. Butcher pitched a remarkable 1 hour and 55 minute complete game shutout on April 21, 1985. The Twins had lost 9 in a row, falling to 2-9 on the season, entering the Sunday series finale in Oakland when Butcher hurled an 81-pitch gem, allowing three hits, but facing just 28 batters, one over the minimum. Leadoff hitter Kirby Puckett went 3-for-5, driving in both Twins runs in the 2-0 victory. It was the beginning of a 10-game Twins winning streak. March 8 Happy 55th Birthday to Mark Salas It’s the birthday of former Twins catcher Mark Salas, born Montabello, California in 1961. The Twins acquired Salas from the Cardinals in the December ‘84 Rule 5 Draft, and traded him to the New York Yankees for knuckleballer Joe Niekro on June 6, 1987. Today Salas is the Chicago White Sox bullpen catcher. Yes, I was surprised, too, but “Bullpen Catcher” is really what he’s listed as on the White Sox roster. March 9 Happy 54th Birthday to Terry Mulholland It’s the birthday of former Twins pitcher Terry Mulholland, born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 1963. The Twins purchased the 1993 All-Star from Seattle on April 2, 2004. He was 41 years old. He pitched in 39 games for the ‘04 Twins, starting 15. The following season, at age 42, Mulholland made 49 relief appearances for Minnesota. He pitched briefly for Arizona in 2005, his 20th and final major league season. March 11, 1961 The First Game in Twins History Winona Senior High School graduate and 2x All-American Golden Gopher tailback Paul Giel started the first game in Minnesota Twins history, an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers at Tinker Field in Orlando. The Tigers won the game 4-1. Pedro Ramos was the first Opening Day starter in Twins history, pitching a 3-hit shutout vs. Berra, Mantle, Maris and the gang at Yankee Stadium on April 11. One of the three hits that Ramos allowed was to Yankees ace Whitey Ford, with Yogi Berra and Moose Skowron collecting the other two. The game was scoreless through six until Bob Allison led off the seventh with a home run. It was Twins pitcher Ramos who knocked Ford out of the game with a 2-RBI single with one away in the seventh. The Twins went on to win 6-0. After the Twins jumped out to a hot 5-2 start in New York and Boston, Camilo Pascual took the ball in the first home opener in Twins history vs. the new expansion Washington Senators who wound up beating the home team 5-3. Keep in touch with the @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter and Facebook.

The Twins announced that 19-year-old outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff needs Tommy John surgery exactly three years to the day after making the same announcement about 20-year-old third baseman Miguel Sano.

February 26, 1933 Johnny Blanchard Born in Minneapolis It’s the birthdate of probably the most famous backup catcher in baseball history, Johnny Blanchard, born 85 years ago in the Mini Apple. Blanchard attended Minneapolis’s De LaSalle and Central High Schools, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He played one game for the New York Yankees late in the 1955 season, and would not play in the majors again until 1958, making a career of backing up Yogi Berra and Elston Howard. He would appear in five World Series as a Yankee. The highlight of his career came in the 1961 World Series when he hit .400 with 2 HRs as the Yankees defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games. Blanchard would earn his second ring in 1962. Blanchard tied a major league record by homering in four consecutive at-bats in 1961. Of course in true “Suber Sub” fashion, those four consecutive at-bats came over a six-day span. Blanchard hit a game-winning two-out pinch-hit grand slam at Fenway Park on July 21, 1961. He hit another pinch-hit homer the next day, and then sat out the next three games. He made a rare start on July 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium, homering in his first two at-bats and flying out to the wall in his third. Johnny Blanchard died of a heart attack at North Memorial in Robbinsdale on March 25, 2009. He was 76 years old. Read George Rekela’s SABR BioProject entry on Johnny Blanchard: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/92bd6f31 A version of Rekela’s essay appears in the Halsey Hall SABR chapter’s book Minnesotans in Baseball, edited by the inexhaustible Stew Thornley. February 26 Happy 59th Birthday to Bob Hegman It’s the birthday of 1976 Sauk Rapids-Rice graduate Bob Hegman, born in Springfield, Minnesota in 1958. Hegman was drafted by Kansas City in the 15th round of the 1980 amateur draft. He played half an inning for the 1985 World Series Champion Royals, entering as a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth of a 10-3 win at home vs. Chicago on August 8, 1985. 1956 NL All-Star Rip Repulski also attended Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. February 27 Happy 33rd Birthday to Denard Span It’s the birthday of 2002 Twins first-round draft choice Denard Span, born in Tampa, FL in 1984. Span went 4-for-4 with a walk, tying a modern (since 1900) major league record with three triples at Target Field on June 29, 2010. Span drove in five and scored two runs in the 11-4 win over Detroit. March 1, 2014 Miguel Sano to Undergo Tommy John Surgery Acting GM Rob Antony announces that Twins top prospect Miguel Sano will undergo Tommy John surgery. Sano would miss the entire 2014 season, but would be back in 2015, making the jump from Double-A Chattanooga to the majors on July 2. Sano would hit 18 HRs in just 80 major league games during his rookie season. March 2 Happy 66th Birthday to Mike Johnson It’s the birthday of 1969 Faribault High School graduate and former San Diego Padres pitcher Mike Johnson, born in Slayton, Minnesota in 1951. Johnson was signed by Cincinnati Reds scout Bill Clark out of his annual tryout camp at Bell Field in Faribault. Johnson lost his major league debut with the San Diego Padres on July 25, 1974. He walked Atlanta’s Darrell Evans to lead off the bottom of the tenth. Evans was bunted over (thoughts, Parker Hageman?) and scored on Rowland Office’s walk-off single. Tom House (throwing guru to the stars, including Nolan Ryan and Tom Brady) earned the win for Atlanta. Walks were an issue for Johnson during his brief major league career. He pitched 21.1 innings over 18 relief appearances, issuing 15 walks and striking out 15. He also allowed 29 hits in those 21.1 innings. He finished with an 0-2 record and 4.64 ERA. Johnson returned to Faribault following his pro career, playing for the Lakers townball team. March 3 Happy 55th Birthday to Terry Steinbach It’s the birthday of 1980 New Ulm High School graduate, former Golden Gopher and 3x American League All-Star Terry Steinbach. Here’s a fun story: the Gophers moved hotshot Edina third baseman Greg Olson to catcher to make room for up-and-coming New Ulm third baseman Terry Steinbach. Steinbach was later converted to catcher by the Oakland A’s to make room for third baseman Mark McGwire. McGwire, of course, ultimately wound up at first base while Olson and Steinbach each developed into All-Star major league catchers. Steinbach homered in his first major league at-bat on September 12, 1986. He would also homer in his first All-Star at-bat. After being maligned by the press as an unworthy All-Star starter in ‘88, Steinbach hit a solo home run and a sacrifice fly to lead the American League to a 2–1 victory and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The AL only used two catchers in the game, the other being Park Center graduate Tim Laudner. Steinbach was also an All-Star in ‘89 and ‘93. Steinbach hit an Opening Day grand slam when I was in fourth grade (1994). I know this because Mel Allen told me so on This Week in Baseball. Altogether Steinbach would play 14 seasons in the majors, including his final three in Minnesota (1997-’99). Steinbach coached the Wayzata High School baseball team from 2008-2012. The Twins hired him as bench coach for the 2013 season, succeeding Steve Liddle. He was not retained when Paul Molitor took over as manager in 2015. March 2 Happy 34th Birthday to Glen Perkins It’s the birthday of 2001 Stillwater Area High School graduate, University of Minnesota alumnus and current Minnesota Twin Glen Perkins. born in St. Paul in 1983. After redshirting in 2002, Perkins played for the Gophers in 2003 and 2004, going 19-5 with a 2.87 ERA, 13 complete games, two shutouts and 230 strikeouts in 216.1 innings. Perkins set a new Gophers single-season strikeout record in ‘03 with 117 in 105.1 innings. He gave his own record a run for it’s money in 2004 with 113 strikeouts in 111.1 innings. Those innings pitched, incidentally, were the second and fifth most in school history. Perkins was named the 2004 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. The Twins drafted Perkins in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2004 draft. He made his major league debut in September 2006, the same season as fellow-Gopher Jack Hannahan. He made the American League All-Star team in 2013, ‘14 and ‘15, saving 30+ games each of those three seasons. Perkins currently ranks third on the Twins’ all-time saves list, a position in which he’ll likely remain. His 120 saves are 134 shy of second-place Rick Aguilera. Twins bullpen coach Eddie Guardado is actually only 4 saves behind Perkins, but at this early juncture it remains unclear whether or not the Twins will have to resort to calling Everyday Eddie up to active duty this season. March 4 Happy 81st Birthday to Bob “Rocky” Johnson It’s the birthday of 1954 Edina-Morningside grad and 11-year major league middle infielder Bob “Rocky” Johnson, born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1936. Johnson’s father had grown up in the Twin Cities and the family returned to Minneapolis in December of 1947. Johnson, who signed with Detroit out of high school, was a career .272 hitting over 874 games with eight major league teams over his 11-year major league career. Johnson made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Athletics in 1960, and went on to play for the Senators, Orioles, Mets, Reds, Braves, Cardinals and back to the Athletics, now in Oakland. He played 71 regular season games for the eventual 1966 World Series Champion Orioles. Over his career Johnson earned a reputation as a proficient pinch-hitter. He strung together six consecutive pinch-hits in 1964, an American League record that he owned for 17 years until Bill Stein bested it in 1981. Johnson, who lives in St. Paul these days, was inducted into the Edina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Read the prolific Stew Thornley’s SABR BioProject essay on Bob “Rocky” Johnson: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/5b8d84d0 A version of Thornley’s essay appears in the Halsey Hall SABR chapter’s book Minnesotans in Baseball. (There's no connection between "Rocky" Johnson and Blaine High School grad Dan Johnson, by the way. That's just the picture I had handy.) March 4 Happy 37th Birthday to Gopher Great Jack Hannahan It’s the birthday of Cretin-Derham Hall grad, Gopher great and eight-year major leaguer Jack Hannahan, born in Minneapolis in 1980. Hannahan was the 2001 Big Ten Player of the Year after leading the conference in hits, runs scored, home runs, total bases, and slugging percentage. The Tigers snatched him up in the 3rd round of the ‘01 draft. He made it to the Show in 2006, going 0-for-9 in three games. Hannahan stuck around in the majors until 2014, playing 614 games for the Tigers, Athletics, Mariners, the Cleveland ballclub, and the Reds. He played in South Korea in 2015 where he got a good up-close look at Byung-ho Park. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Here is the Twins Almanac for the week of February 19-25. Four Minnesotan major leaguers were born in this week in history: "Home Run" Joe Marshall, Charley Walters, Dave Maurer and Dana Kiecker. Dick Siebert, one of the most important figures in the history of baseball in our great state, was born in Fall River, Massachusetts this week in 1912. And the Twins traded for two members of their first World Series Championship team this week in 1985 and '87. February 19, 1876 “Home Run” Joe Marshall Born in Audubon, MN It’s the birthdate of “Home Run” Joe Marshall, born in Audubon, MN in 1876. Marshall broke into professional baseball in the Red River Valley League in 1897. Despite his 5’8”, 170 lb. frame, Marshall was one of the preeminent minor league sluggers of the Deadball Era. He led all of organized baseball with 25 (officially) or 26 home runs for the San Francisco Pirates in 1903. The Boston Americans’ Buck Freeman, by comparison, led the major leagues that season with just eight round-trippers. Despite his success at lower levels, Marshall performed poorly in two brief major league stints, first with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903, and again with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1906. Read Terry Bohn’s SABR BioProject biography of “Home Run” Joe Marshall: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/fe32283a And some interesting blog posts by Jeff Bozovsky, author of Divorcees, Barmaids, and Cranks: The 1897 Red River Valley League: http://historicbaseballfargo.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20Run%20Joe%20Marshall February 19, 1912 Dick Siebert Born in Fall River, MA It’s the birthdate of Richard “Dick” Siebert, born in Fall River, MA in 1912. In the summer of 1923 the Sieberts moved to Cass Lake, Minnesota where Dick’s dad pastored Immanuel Lutheran Church. In 1926 the family moved to St. Paul where the elder Siebert had accepted a teaching position at Concordia College. Dick graduated from Concordia Academy High School in 1928. Dick Siebert played in six games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932, and two games in 1936. He was drafted by the Cubs in the 1936 Rule 5 Draft and purchased by the Cardinals prior to the ‘37 season. In May 1938 he was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics where he finally saw regular playing time from ‘38-’45. He was an American League All-Star in 1943. Siebert is best known in Minnesota, of course, for coaching the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1948-’78, winning three NCAA championships (1956, ‘60 & ‘64), and 12 Big Ten titles with only three sub-.500 seasons. Dick Siebert passed away on December 9, 1978. He was just 66 years old. The U of M renamed its ballpark “Siebert Field” on April 21, 1979. Read Rich Arpi’s SABR BioProject biography of Dick Siebert: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/9aee41e7 February 19, 1985 Twins Acquire Roy Smalley, Again The Twins trade first baseman Randy Johnson and outfielder Ron Scheer to the White Sox for infielder Roy Smalley. Randy Johnson, who originally came up with Chicago in 1980, had last played in the majors with Minnesota in 1982. He would not make it back to the show. Ron Scheer would never make it past class Double-A. The Twins had originally acquired Roy Smalley in the 1976 trade that sent Bert Blyleven and Danny Thompson to the Texas Rangers. (See the previous week’s Almanac for some douchey Calvin Griffith history involving his contract negotiations with Danny Thompson) Smalley’s first stint with the Twins was highlighted by his 1979 All-Star campaign. On April 10, 1982 he was traded along with St. Cloud State Alumnus and proprietor of Serum’s Good Time Emporium in Anoka, Gary Serum, to the New York Yankees for pitchers Ron Davis, and Paul Boris, and a minor league infielder named Greg Gagne. In July of ‘84, the Yankees offloaded Smalley to the White Sox in exchange for players to be named later, one of whom wound up being Doug Drabek, who after just one season the Yankees in turn shipped off to Pittsburgh where he would win the 1990 NL Cy Young Award. One of the highlights of Smalley’s second stint with the Twins -- other than winning the 1987 World Series, of course -- was becoming the first player in Twins history to homer from both sides of the plate on May 30, 1986. Three players have done so since Smalley: Chili Davis (October 2, 1992), Ryan Doumit (July 22, 2012), and Kennys Vargas (August 11, 2016). Here’s a fun story that Roy Smalley related to me on Twitter: “It just so happened that right after Doumit did it Chili was in town with the A's and I was there for FSN. We took a great picture together… We also each signed three baseballs with the dates we hit the HR's -- one for each of us -- which I'm proud to have. Only three Twins to have done it (at the time).” Smalley retired following the Twins’ 1987 World Series Championship season. February 20, 1987 Twins Acquire Al Newman The Twins trade minor league pitcher Mike Shade to the Montreal Expos for infielder Al Newman. Shade would never make it to the majors. Newmie, meanwhile, played an important role on the Twins’ 1987 and 1991 World Series Championship teams. Newman played in 110 games for the ‘87 Twins, starting 75, splitting time pretty evenly between second base and shortstop. It is interesting to note, though, that Al Newman started two games that season as the Twins’ designated hitter. Newman played in 118 games for the ‘91 Twins, starting 56, once again mostly splitting time between second and short, with four starts at third, one in left, and one as first baseman. Newman is one of eight players to play for both the ‘87 and ‘91 Twins, and one of seven to play in both World Series. Allan Anderson did not play in either Series. Unfortunately, Anderson -- who posted the lowest ERA in the American League in 1988 and won 33 games between ‘88 and ‘89 -- was just getting his feet wet in ‘86 and ‘87 and was on his way out in ‘91. The other six Twins to play in both World Series are Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Dan Gladden, Greg Gagne, Gene Larkin, and Randy Bush. Newman became a free agent following the 1991 season. He signed with the Reds, was released in April and ultimately wound up playing with the Texas Rangers in 1992, his final season. February 21 Happy 70th Birthday to Charley “Shooter” Walters It’s the birthday of 1965 Edison High School graduate Charley Walters, born in Minneapolis in 1947. The Twins signed Walters out of their annual open tryout at Met Stadium in 1965. He went 7-2 with a 1.94 ERA for the 1967 Northern League Champion St. Cloud Rox. Walters broke camp with the Twins in ‘69 and pitched 6.2 innings over six games between April 11-May 14. He did not allow a run in his first five outings. He allowed four, however, in his sixth and final major league appearance. Walters has been a sportswriter for the Pioneer Press since way before Al Gore invented the internet. If anyone knows the exact year he started writing for the Pioneer Press, shoot me a message through the system of tubes. Read the prolific Stew Thornley’s SABR BioProject biography of Charley Walters: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/f96b4aae February 23 Happy 42nd Birthday to Apple Valley Grad Dave Maurer It’s the birthday of Apple Valley graduate Dave Maurer, born in Minneapolis in 1975. The Padres drafted Maurer in the 11th round of the 1997 Amateur Draft. He made his major league debut in 2000, pitching 14.2 innings over 14 games and picking up his only big league win. He made only three appearances for the Padres in ‘01. After brief stints in the Reds’ and Athletics’ organizations, Maurer made it back to the majors with Cleveland late in the 2002 season, pitching in two games, both against the Minnesota Twins. At the Metrodome on September 25, he took his only major league loss, giving up a twelfth-inning walk-off home run to David Ortiz. Maurer made three appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004. They did not go well. If anyone knows what year Dave Maurer graduated from Apple Valley High School, please let me know. February 24 Happy 61st Birthday to Eddie Murray I spend a lot of time nerding out on BaseballReference.com researching the Twins Almanac. Interesting details jump out at me all the time. Like the fact, for instance, that Eddie Murray absolutely owned Bert Blyleven, hitting .419 with seven HRs in 62 at-bats. That’s a home run in a little over 11% of his at-bats vs. Blyleven. He also drew five walks and struck out ten times. And it’s hardly a small sample size. Murray only faced 12 pitchers more often during this 21-year major league career. He actually faced St. Paul’s Jack Morris most of all, hitting .304 with five HRs and 12 walks in 105 plate appearances. Murray was a career .287 hitter with 3,255 hits and 504 home runs. Actually, that brings up another story! Murray collected his 3,000th hit off of Mike Trombley on June 30, 1995 in the Metrodome while playing for the Cleveland ballclub. Cal Ripken Jr. collected his 3,000th hit at the Dome on April 15, 2000. The first man to congratulate him was none other than Orioles first base coach Eddie Murray. Mike Trombley, now an Oriole, earned the save. I hate to ramble on and on like this, but actually another Eddie Murray-related tidbit comes to mind. Hermantown High School graduate Jerry Ujdur only pitched in 53 major league games, but he sure had the number of a few Hall of Famers, including Eddie Murray who went 0-for-11 with two walks vs. Ujdur. Carlton Fisk went 0-for-10 with a walk, Paul Molitor 2-for-14 with a walk, and Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson each went 1-for-9 with 2 walks. February 25 Happy 56th Birthday to Dana Kiecker It’s the birthday of 1979 Fairfax High School and 1983 St. Cloud State graduate Dana Kiecker, born in Sleepy Eye in 1961. Kiecker pitched in 50 major league games for the Boston Red Sox between 1990 and ‘91, making 30 starts, compiling a 10-12 record with a 4.68 ERA. You can hear Kiecker on St. Paul Saints broadcasts this summer. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter and on Facebook.