Matt Johnson

Here is the Twins Almanac for the week of February 5-11. Former Twins closer Al Worthington, Mounds View grad Mark Hamburger, and current Twins outfielder Max Kepler are all celebrating birthdays this week. '27 Yankees third baseman Julie Wera was born in Winona this week in 1902. Also this week in Twins history was a big payday for Bloomington's Kent Hrbek (1985), the Chuck Knoblauch trade ('08), and Terry Ryan's cancer diagnosis ('14). http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Worthington.68T_zpshtvoxhjr.jpg February 5 Happy 88th Birthday to Al Worthington It’s the birthday of former Twins stopper Al Worthington, born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1929. The Twins purchased the 35-year-old pitcher from the Reds on June 26, 1964, the same day on which Twins pitcher Gerry Arrigo took a no-hitter against the White Sox into the ninth at Met Stadium. Arrigo would complete a 1-hit shutout of the Sox. Worthington, meanwhile, would appear in 41 of the Twins’ 81 remaining games, posting a 1.37 ERA. Worthington was the first Twin to save 20+ games, going 10-5 with 21 saves and a 2.13 ERA during the Twins’ 1965 American League Championship season. Worthington was the first Twin to lead the league in saves with 18 in 1968 at age 39. Ron Perranoski (‘69 and ‘70), Mike Marshall (‘79), and Eddie Guardado (‘02) are the only other Twins to do so. Worthington lives in Sterrett, AL these days, and, incidentally, would be happy to answer your letter. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/hamburger%201_zps8lukeqze.jpg February 5 Mark Hamburger Turns the Big 3-0 Happy 30th birthday to Mounds View High School and Mesabi Range Community and Technical College alumnus Mark Hamburger, born in St. Paul in 1987. Hamburger was signed by the Twins in 2007, and traded to Texas for Eddie Guardado in August, 2008. He pitched eight innings over five games for the Rangers late in the 2011 season, posting a 1-0 record during his only big league call-up. Hamburger subsequently spent time in the Padres’ and Astros’ organizations before being signed again by the Twins in September 2013. He never made it back to the majors, though. Hamburger pitched for the St. Paul Saints in 2016, going 12-6 in 21 appearances (20 starts), with a 3.29 ERA. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/knoblauch.Milton.Guzman_zpsrjiautqk.jpg February 6, 1998 Twins Trade Chuck Knoblauch The Twins trade All-Star second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers Eric Milton, Cristian Guzman, Brian Buchanan, Danny Mota and three millions dollars of George Steinbrenner’s cold hard cash. There had been speculation for several years that the struggling Twins would deal hot commodity Knoblauch, and eventually he himself demanded to be traded to a contender. Knoblauch was coming off a stretch of four sensational seasons in which he made three all-star teams, hitting .318 and stealing 188 bases. His 127 OPS+ over that stretch was three points better than that of Roberto Alomar. The trade would ultimately go down as a win-win. Knoblauch was uneven as a Yankee. We all know about his struggles throwing the ball to first base. He continued to swing a solid stick, though, and the Yankees won the World Series in each of his first three seasons in New York. Cristian Guzman, meanwhile, was the Twins’ starting shortstop for six seasons, leading the league in triples three times. He never realized his full potential, but Twins fans sure saw some sparks from the exciting speedster. Milton jumped straight into the starting rotation, giving the Twins five solid seasons, highlighted by a no-hitter on September 11, 1999. Another highlight came on April 15, 2001 when Milton struck out eight of the first 10 White Sox he faced. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/wera_zpsgffok02p.jpg February 9, 1902 It’s the Birthday of Julie Wera Julie Wera, who played 38 games at third base for the vaunted ‘27 Yankees, was born in Winona, MN on this date in 1902. The 25-year-old Wera made his major league debut at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 1927, pinch-hitting for Hall of Famer Waite Hoyt against Hall of Famer Lefty Grove. He grounded out. Wera hit his one and only big league homer during a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1927 in front of a then-record crowd of 74,000. Wera did not play in the 1927 World Series in which the Yankees swept the Pirates. He did, however, receive the same $5,782 portion of the winners’ purse as the rest of his teammates, which included Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. Nice bonus, considering that Wera’s ‘27 salary was reported to be $2,400. Julie Wera died of a heart attack at his home in Rochester, MN on December 12, 1975. He was 73 years old. Read J.G. Preston’s SABR BioProject biography of Julie Wera: http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/2dc33add http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Kepler.Mauer.8-1-16_zpskprrgr69.jpg February 10 Happy 24th Birthday to Max Kepler It's the birthday of Twins outfielder Max Kepler, born in Berlin, Germany in 1993. Playing Cleveland at Target Field on August 1, 2016, Kepler became the fifth player in Twins history to hit three home runs in a game. The previous four were Bob Allison ('63), Harmon Killebrew ('63), Tony Oliva ('73), and Justin Morneau ('07). Brian Dozier joined the club on September 5, 2016. Kepler's 3-HR game was the beginning of a historic offensive outburst for the team as a whole. Mired in one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Twins hit a team record 19 extra-base hits over a two-game span. They set a milestone in the third game of the series, too, putting up 10 runs in three straight games against the same team for the first time. They had scored 10 runs in three straight games before, but not against the same team. They would lose the fourth game of the series 2-9. February 10, 2014 Terry Ryan Reveals Cancer Diagnosis The Twins release a statement on behalf of 60-year-old General Manager Terry Ryan revealing that he has been diagnosed with skin cancer in his neck. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/hrbek.85t_zpspasivh1t.jpg February 11, 1985 Kent Hrbek Cashes In 1978 Bloomington Kennedy High School grad Kent Hrbek signs a 5-year, 6 million dollar contract, meaning he would be the first player in Twins history to earn a million dollars for a single season’s work. Hrbek celebrated by going ice fishing outside his Lake Minnetonka home. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter and on Facebook.

Here is the Twins Almanac for the week of February 12-18. Former Twins pitchers Kevin Tapani and Cole De Vries celebrate birthdays this week, as well as a pair of big leaguers who played their high school ball in Minnesota, Don Arlich and Brian Denman. And it was this week in 1973 that the Twins revealed 27-year-old infielder Danny Thompson's leukemia diagnosis. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/denman_zpseevl08jd.jpg February 12 Happy 61st Birthday to Brian Denman It’s the birthday of 1974 Richfield High School graduate and University of Minnesota alumnus Brian Denman, born in Minneapolis in 1956. Denman was drafted by Boston in the first round of the 1978 January secondary phase. Denman was a hot prospect in the Red Sox organization, winning 30 games in his first two minor league seasons, and 51 between 1978 and ‘82. His numbers, however, were significantly stronger at Double-A than Triple-A. Denman made his major league debut on August 2, 1982. He would make nine starts for the Red Sox during his only big league season, going 3-4 with a 4.78 ERA. The highlight of his call-up was a complete game shutout vs. Dave Righetti at Yankee Stadium. In addition to being one heckuva baseball player at Richfield, Denman was a standout member of the Spartans’ 1972 state champion and '73 and '74 state runner-up basketball teams. These days Denman makes his home in Buffalo, NY. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/devries_zps6amzpj56.jpg February 12 Happy 32nd Birthday to Cole De Vries It’s the birthday of 2003 Eden Prairie graduate, University of Minnesota alumnus and former Twins pitcher Cole De Vries, born in St. Louis Park in 1985. De Vries played three seasons for the Gophers before signing with the Twins as an amateur free agent in 2006. He made his major league debut starting against the White Sox in Chicago on May 24, 2012, allowing six runs on six hits and a walk over five innings, earning the loss. It was a rude welcome to the show as A.J. Pierzynski, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios each took him deep. Mauer and Morneau homered for the Twins in the 11-8 loss. De Vries pitched in 17 games for the Twins in 2012, starting 16 of them, compiling a 5-5 record with a 4.11 ERA. He earned his first and second major league wins in his third and fourth starts, but would not win again until reeling off three consecutive victories in his final three starts of the season. De Vries struggled in four September appearances in 2013. He was granted free agency following the season and did not sign with another team. De Vries still lives in Eden Prairie. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Arlich_Don_zpsb9ehudvq.jpg February 15 Happy 74th Birthday to St. Paul North Grad Don Arlich It’s the birthday of 1961 St. Paul North High School graduate and former Houston Astros pitcher Don Arlich, born in Wayne, Michigan in 1943. Arlich went 15-0 for the State Champion North High Polars as a senior in 1961. One of his teammates at St. Paul North was Twins curator Clyde Doepner. Arlich signed with Houston out of high school. He made one start for the Astros on October 2, 1965, the second to last game of the season. He made seven relief appearances in 1966. He stuck it out in the minors until 1969, playing his final two and a half seasons in the Braves’ organization. Arlich had lived in Cottage Grove for quite a few years, but I believe he may now live in St. Paul. Perhaps you know? http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20170204_130339_zpsv9clndgk.jpg February 16, 1973 Twins Announce Danny Thompson’s Leukemia Diagnosis The Twins announce that 27-year-old infielder Danny Thompson has been diagnosed with chronic granulocytic leukemia. Doctors say that the disease is in an early stage, and should not affect Thompson for about five years. The Twins drafted Thompson out of Oklahoma State in 1968 in the first round of the June Secondary Phase. He made his MLB debut on June 25, 1970 and never went back down to the farm. Thompson was involved in contentious contract negotiations with old man Griffith in ‘76. Calvin Griffith refused to give the infielder a fair price, insisting that no other team would even offer someone with cancer a contract at all. So on June 1, 1976 he was packaged with Bert Blyleven and shipped to Texas in exchange for Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, and pitchers Bill Singer and Jim Gideon. Thompson struggled in Texas. He passed away at the Mayo Clinic on December 10, 1976, just 69 games after playing his final major league game. He was 29 years old. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/tapani.91t_zpsht4opcbb.jpg February 18 Happy 53rd Birthday to Kevin Tapani It’s the birthday of Kevin Tapani, born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1964. Tapani won 75 games for the Twins between 1989 and 1995. He had double digit wins of each of his five full seasons in Minnesota. To put that in perspective, Tyler Duffey led the 2016 Twins with 9 wins. Tapani had his best season in 1991, going 16-9 with a 2.99 ERA. He actually led the World Series Champion Twins in WAR with 6.8 (as calculated by Baseball Reference). May 15, 1991 was not one of his best games as the Brewers’ Paul Molitor went 5-for-5 off of Tapani at the Dome, hitting for the cycle. Tapani was involved in two July 31st trades. He originally came to the Twins on July 31, 1989 with Rick Aguilera, David West, Tim Drummond and Jack Savage in exchange for ‘87 World Series MVP Frank Viola. On July 31, 1995, Tapani and Mark Guthrie were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for four players including Ron Coomer. Kevin Tapani makes his home in Wayzata, MN. Wish him a happy birthday if you see him. 1991 WAR (as calculated by Baseball Reference) Kevin Tapani 6.8 Shane Mack 5.0 Scott Erickson 4.5 Jack Morris 4.3 Kirby Puckett 4.3 Chili Davis 3.3 Chuck Knoblauch 2.8 Kent Hrbek 2.7 Mike Pagliarulo 2.7 Greg Gagne 2.5 Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you. I think I'll be able to stay more on top of it this season. I can guarantee at least two consecutive installments, which is something.

http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/TwinsAlmanac_zpscrd6a75x.jpg January 29 Twins Almanac’s First Birthday The Twins Almanac was born in a Bellingham, WA apartment with the creation of the @TwinsAlmanac Twitter account on January 29, 2016. In the intervening year Molly and I moved to Minnesota where our daughter was born earlier this month. The Twitter account was originally a way for me to feel like I was being productive, building an audience for the articles that were to follow. The articles on Twins Daily, however, became more and more sporadic over the course of the season, and I still haven’t gotten anywhere with TwinsAlmanac.com. The Twitter account, meanwhile, has attracted 6,600 followers in the first twelve months, and has been shared by Torii Hunter, Kent Hrbek, Frank Viola, LaTroy Hawkins, Eric Milton, Dave St. Peter, Patrick Reusse and others. It’s been fun for me, though also a distraction from writing the actual Almanac I’d originally envisioned. With a year’s worth of trivia in one messy spreadsheet, though, I’m looking forward to a strong second season. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/hunter.gordon.split_zpshifmbpkp.jpg January 29, 2016 Torii Hunter and John Gordon Elected to Twins Hall of Fame Twins President Dave St. Peter announces that Torii Hunter and John Gordon will be the 27th and 28th members of the Twins Hall of Fame. Gordon spent 25 years in the Twins’ radio broadcast booth, originally joining Herb Carneal in 1987 and retiring at the end of the 2011 season. Torii Hunter spent 12 of his 19 major league seasons with the Twins, originally coming up in August, 1997 at age 22. While in a Twins uniform Hunter won 7 of his 9 career Gold Gloves, made 2 of his 5 All-Star appearances, and hit 214 of his 353 home runs (6th most in Twins history). Hunter’s 3 grand slams in 2007 tied the team’s single season record (Bob Allison '61, Rod Carew '76, Kent Hrbek '85, Kirby Puckett '92). Hrbek and Hunter, incidentally, both hit their third on August 15. Don Mattingly set the MLB record with 6 grand slams in 1987. Please enjoy John Gordon’s iconic call of Kirby Puckett’s 11th-inning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series: January 31 Happy 30th Birthday to Caleb Thielbar http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Caleb-Thielbar-Minnesota-Twins-vs-Seattle-Mariners-06-01-2013_zpse7rm1isb.jpg It’s the birthday of Randolph, Minnesota High School graduate Caleb Thielbar, born in Northfield, MN in 1987. Thielbar was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round in 2009, released in December 2010 and, eight months later, signed by the Minnesota Twins on August 18, 2011. Thielbar had a very successful rookie season in 2013, not allowing a run in his first 17 big league appearances. In total he pitched 46 innings over 48 appearances, compiling a 3-2 record and 1.76 ERA. He appeared in 54 ballgames in 2014 with a 3.40 ERA, and just 6 games in 2015. He was claimed off waivers by the Padres in August 2015 but did not pitch in the majors for them. He signed with the Marlins this past November. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Erickson.92T_zpsfukbqzce.jpg February 2 Happy 49th Birthday to Scott Erickson Scott Erickson was born in Long Beach, CA in 1968. The Twins drafted Erickson in the 4th round in 1989 out of Arizona State. It was the fourth time he had been drafted. Erickson made it to the majors midway through the 1990 season, finishing strong with a 5-0 record in September. He went 12-2 with a 1.39 ERA in the first half off the ‘91 season. He was named the starting pitcher of the 1991 All-Star game but could not pitch due to injury, so manager Tony LaRussa handed the ball to fellow Twin Jack Morris in his stead. Morris wore black socks and his pants low in the style of Scott Erickson. Erickson wound up going 20-8 for the ‘91 World Series Champion Twins, tying for the major league lead in wins and finishing second to Roger Clemens for the American League Cy Young Award. After a solid ‘92 season, Erickson lost a major league worst 19 games in 1993. ‘94 was arguably an even worse season for Erickson, though he did no-hit the Brewers at the Metrodome on April 27th. He rebounded after being traded to the Orioles during the ‘95 season, and would ultimately prove to be one of the more durable pitchers of the ‘90s, pitching an American League leading 251.1 innings in 1998, winning 73 games between 1995-’99. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Santana.Gomez_zpspvcf2lgn.jpg February 2, 2008 Twins Trade 2x Cy Young Winner Santana The Twins due the prudent thing and trade 2004 and ‘06 Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana to the Mets for outfielder Carlos Gomez, and three pitchers, all of whom were duds. Gomez showed sparks but never lived up to his potential in Minnesota, though he did score one of the most exciting runs in team history on October 6, 2009. Less than a month later he was traded to Milwaukee for former and future All-Star J.J. Hardy. Gomez, for his part, would go on to consecutive All-Star seasons for Milwaukee in 2013 and ‘14. After three very good seasons in New York, Santana missed all of the 2011 season and has not pitched in the majors since 2012. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/carew.landreaux_zpsu7jbsp5v.jpg February 3, 1979 Twins Trade Rod Carew The Twins trade seven-time American League batting champ Rod Carew to the Angels for Ken Landreaux, Dave Engle, Brad Havens and Paul Hartzell. It had become increasingly clear that team owner Calvin Griffith had no intention of ponying up for the future Hall of Famer. And even if Griffith could have afforded him, it was unlikely that Carew would have played for Griffith again after the owner had gone full Trump at a Lion’s Club dinner in Waseca on September 28. Griffith was quoted in the Star Tribune as having said "I'll tell you why we came to Minnesota. It was when we found out you only had 15,000 blacks here... We came here because you've got good, hardworking white people here." Here is a Star Tribune article about the whole debacle from October 1, 1978: http://www.startribune.com/templates/Print_This_Story?sid=95430139 February 3, 1987 Twins Acquire the Terminator http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20170126_123305_zpsbogdzpsd.jpg The Twins trade pitcher Neal Heaton, 1980 first round draft pick catcher Jeff Reed, 19-year-old future major league pitcher Yorkis Perez, and career minor league pitcher Afredo Cardwood to the Expos for backup catcher Tom Nieto and 1985 and ‘86 All-Star closer Jeff Reardon. Reardon would save 31 regular season games for the ‘87 Twins, plus three postseason games, including Game 7 of the World Series. Reardon surpassed Rollie Fingers as major league baseball’s all-time saves leader in 1992 with his 342nd save. His 367 career saves currently rank 10th all-time. Stupid Jonathan Papelbon passed him in 2016. Heaton, for his part, won a career-high 13 games for the Expos in 1987. Please enjoy this video of Reardon saving the fifth and final game of the 1987 ALCS: February 4 Happy 36th Birthday to Ben Hendrickson http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Hendrickson.01T_zpsvcneubcq.jpg It’s the birthday of Bloomington’s Thomas Jefferson High School graduate Ben Hendrickson, born in St. Cloud in 1981. Hendrickson pitched in 10 major league games for the Brewers in 2004, and another four games in 2006, compiling a 1-10 career record with a 7.41 ERA. With former Twin Todd Walker on base, Hendrickson gave up one of Sammy Sosa’s 609 career home runs on July 29, 2004. Hendrickson held slugger Adam Dunn 0-for-5 with a walk and three strikeouts during his brief career. Fringe Hall of Fame candidate Larry Walker was 1-for-6 with a walk and a strikeout vs. Hendrickson. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Gaetti colluding with Holdingford High School grad and brief St. Cloud State Huskie Joe Brinkman. I like it.

Wow, thanks for the very thorough rundown. I really appreciate it. Think I'll sign myself up. To clarify, you don't pay dues to both SABR nationally and to a local chapter, right? Looks like you just pay your $65 to SABR through your local chapter... does that make sense and am I right?

From the Halsey Hall Chapter's Twitter account: "The Halsey Hall Chapter of The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and serves the entire Upper Midwest."

Well, as someone who played catcher and invited a good collision (and boy do I have stories!), that play really doesn't need to exist in baseball. Think about it... how did that become a thing? And why only on tag plays at home?

Well he couldn't let Greg Olson show him up.

I've never been to Boston, but I did live about two miles from the end of I-90 for about eight years. I-90, as you may know, begins (right?) at the Ted Williams Tunnel and ends at Edgar Martinez Drive and Dave Niehaus Way. Anyway, what are the benefits of being a SABR member? Looks like they get together quarterly. But other than that...?

I'd totally forgotten about that play. Nice job by Hrbek being in position for that play, too.

Who among us are SABR members? Is anybody going to the fall meeting on October 29th? I just moved back to Minnesota last month. I'm interested in joining, but haven't done so yet. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on it. I'm definitely interested in hearing Dick Stigman speak at the meeting. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

The toughest player to strike out in Minnesota Twins history turns 57 today. Harper led the American League in AB/SO in 1990 and '92. He struck out once every 22.8 at-bats in 1992. For comparison, Kurt Suzuki led the 2016 club with 1 K per 7.2 at-bats. Joe Mauer K'ed every 5.3 times up. Harper is tied with Jackie Robinson and Jackie Hayes for 212th best AB/SO ratio in major league history. What are your favorite memories of Harper's playing career? First image that pops into my head is of him getting bowled over by Lonnie Smith. Any chance the Cubs' Triple-A hitting coach finds a job in the major leagues. Literally just occurred to me, but any chance of seeing him back a Twins uniform? Keep in touch with @twinsalmanac on Twitter.

Yeah, I posted from my Twins Almanac Twitter account that Dozier had tied the record, only to finally pick up on the fact that 2 came while DHing. Well, sure enough, that got more retweets BY FAR than anything I've ever posted before, even after subsequent tweets pointing out the error.

Here's my quick kitchen table roundup of all of the trivia surrounding Dozier's big day. Brian Dozier is the sixth player in Twins history to homer three times in a game, joining Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew (1963), Tony Oliva ('73), Justin Morneau ('07) and Max Kepler who homered three times on August 1st this season in Cleveland. Dozier's first homer came on the first pitch of the game. It was Dozier's 17th career leadoff home run. It was also his 36th home run of the season, giving him the highest Twins total since Killebrew's 41 in 1970. Dozier has now homered in 4 consecutive games, and in 6 of the last 7 games. Three home runs today gives him 9 on the season versus Kansas City, the highest total by any one player against KC ever. Dozier now has 38 home runs this season. The American League record for home runs by a second baseman is 39 by the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano in 2002. The major league record is 42, held by Rogers Hornsby (1922) and Davey Johnson ('73). Of course the Twins lost the game 11-5, making their record 51-87. That's the worst in the world. Keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

And here is the Labor Day weekend edition of the Twins Almanac. While you're reading this I'll be attending my first State Fair of the millennium. Expect the next Almanac to read like it was written by someone five pounds fatter. September 3, 1971 Eric Soderholm’s Eventful MLB Debut Making his major league debut versus Oakland at home at Met Stadium in Bloomington, Eric Soderholm homered off of Diego Segui in just his second big league at-bat. A closer look at the game, though, reveals that Soderholm’s debut was even more eventful that it appears at first-glance. He reached on a fielder’s choice ground-out in his very first major league at-bat. He moved up to second on a Phil Roof single. Pitcher Jim Perry then singled to right and Soderholm was thrown out at the plate by Reggie Jackson for the second out of the inning. With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Soderholm came up with runners on second and third and one out. In just his third major league at-bat, Soderholm was intentionally walked to load the bases. Oakland brought Mudcat Grant in from the bullpen to pitch to Phil Roof with the bases loaded. The Twins, however, called upon Harmon Killebrew who hit a pinch-hit grand slam driving in Steve Brye, Steve Braun and Soderholm. In his fourth and final at-bat, Soderholm was hit-by-pitch to load the bases, but George Mitterwald struck-out to end the threat. The Twins beat the first-place Athletics 9-4. Soderholm had been on base in each of his first four major league at-bats. In addition to homering in his first major league game, he was thrown out at home by one Hall of Famer and scored on another Hall of Famer’s grand slam. What a memorable debut. September 3, 1990 Mark Guthrie Complete Game Shutout In the first game of a doubleheader in Milwaukee, Mark Guthrie pitched a complete game 4-hit shutout. The Twins won 6-0. It was the major league debut of Brewers catcher Tim McIntosh, a Hopkins High School and University of Minnesota alumnus. He went 0-for-3. Fellow Golden Gopher Paul Molitor went 0-for-4 against Guthrie. Kirby Puckett went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Pedro Munoz, who had made his major league debut two days earlier, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Check out the first six Brewers batters in game two, with a combined 31 All-Star selections between them: Paul Molitor (7), Robin Yount (3), Gary Sheffield (9), Dave Parker (7), B.J. Surhoff (1) and Greg Vaughn (4). The fact that Robin Yount was only selected to three All-Star teams is always a little startling. He wasn’t even an All-Star in 1989 when he was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player. The only other American Leaguer to win MVP without being named an All-Star that season was Hank Greenberg in 1935. September 3, 2006 Bert Blyleven Said a Naughty Word on Television Bert Blyleven had a tough time with a pre-game segment that he thought was being taped. “We’re gonna do this f*cking thing over again,” Bert said, “‘cause I just f*cked it up,” to which Anthony LaPanta said “well we’re live.” Bert would enjoy a five-game vacation. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Gagne.Score91WS_zpsk4x8yotk.jpg September 4, 2010 Greg Gagne Inducted into Twins Hall of Fame The Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame inducted its 22nd member, Greg Gagne, who played shortstop for the Twins from 1983-’92 before spending his final five seasons with the Royals and Dodgers. Gagne originally came to the Twins from the Yankees in the Ron Davis/Roy Smalley trade. On October 4, 1986 Gagne hit two inside-the-park home runs against the White Sox at the Metrodome. As a personal aside, I think an error should have been charged on 99% of inside-the-park home runs. Gagne, never a power hitter, hit 4 postseason home runs between 1987 and ‘91. He hit two in the ‘87 ALCS vs. Detroit and one in each World Series. Probably his most memorable was a game-winning three-run home run in Game One of the 1991 World Series off of Charlie Liebrandt. It was Leibrandt who also gave up Kirby’s Game Six walk-off home run. After the induction ceremony, the first-place Twins hosted the first-place Rangers, with the Twins winning 12-4. Carl Pavano picked the the 16th of his 17 wins on the season. Matt Tolbert had 2 triples and drove in 5 runs. And Jim Thome hit a pair of home runs, passing Mark McGwire for ninth most all-time. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/discodan_zpsoiuveo4r.jpg September 5, 1978 "Disco" Dan Earns His Nickname In a 4-3 home loss to the Larry Doby-managed White Sox, "Disco" Dan Ford earned his nickname. Ask @RoySmalley5 how. And keep in touch with @TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

And here is the Twins Almanac for Monday, August 29 to Friday, September 2, 2016. Mrs. Johnson broke the internet at my folks' place where we're staying, so I'm posting this from across the pasture at my sister's house. I kind of forgot about this whole humidity thing here in Minnesota. It's alright, though, I'm just pretending I'm on safari. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/killebrewallison_zpsq2qqq1gi.jpg August 29, 1963 Twins Hit 12 Home Runs The Twins hit a team record 8 home runs in the first game of a doubleheader in Washington, DC. Vic Power and Harmon Killebrew each hit a pair, with Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, Bernie Allen, and Rich Rollins connecting for the other four. First baseman Power went 4-for-6 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. Killebrew, playing left field, was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and 3 runs in the 14-2 Twins win. The Twins would hit another 4 home runs in the second game. August 29, 1987 Kirby Puckett Has Himself a Day Kirby Puckett goes 4-for-5 with 2 HRs in Milwaukee. The best is yet to come. August 29, 1990 Greg Gagne Has Himself a Day Greg Gagne went 2-for-4 with a HR and 3 stolen bases including home plate in a 6-1 Twins win over the White Sox at home in the Dome. Gagne only had 5 steals coming into the game. Gene Larkin, playing right field, went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Mark Guthrie, meanwhile, pitched the complete game allowing just the 1 run on 5 hits and a walk. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/ortiztimberrattlers_zpsb9rc0abc.jpg August 29, 1996 Twins Trade Dave Hollins for David Ortiz The Twins traded veteran third baseman Dave Hollins to the Mariners in exchange for hot prospect David Ortiz who was hitting .322 with 18 HR and 93 RBI in 129 games with the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at the time of the trade. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/koosman_zpstztj0och.jpg August 30, 1981 Twins Trade Jerry Koosman The Twins trade Appleton, MN-native Jerry Koosman to the White Sox for outfielder Randy Johnson and two others. August 30, 1987 Kirby’s 10-for-11 Weekend Kirby Puckett collects a team-record 6 hits in 6 at-bats including 2 HRs and 2 doubles in a 10-6 win in Milwaukee. Puckett had gone 4-for-5 with 2 HRs the day before, making him 10-for-11 with 6 RBI and 7 runs scored on the weekend. He had gone 0-for-4 on Friday in the first game of the series, a 1-0 Twins loss. 10 hits in two games tied a major league record. Kirby also had 6 hits in an extra-inning game in 1991. No other Twin has ever had a 6-hit game. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/baylor_zpsse3vlmci.jpg August 31, 1987 Pennant-Chasing Twins Acquire Big Bat The Twins acquired veteran slugger Don Baylor from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league pitcher Enrique Rios. It was the Twins seventh trade of the season. They had acquired Tom Nieto, Jeff Reardon, Al Newman and Dan Gladden in pre-season trades, Joe Niekro and Dan Schatzeder in June, and Steve Carlton in July. August 31, 1993 Munoz HR Ends Record-Length Game The Twins trailed Cleveland 4-2 with two out in the bottom of the ninth when Terry Jorgenson hit a double, driving in David McCarty. Thirteen innings later, in the bottom of the 22nd, Pedro Munoz ended the longest game in Twins history with a walk-off home run. Munoz crossed the plate at 1:22 AM. The game lasted 6 hours and 17 minutes. Brian Harper went 4-for-8. August 31, 1994 Twins Deal Dave Winfield In the midst of the ‘94 strike the Twins sent future-Hall of Famer, St. Paul-native Dave Winfield to the Cleveland club for straight cash, homey. August 31, 2003 Twins Acquire 46-Year-Old Jesse Orosco The Twins acquired 46-year-old pitcher Jesse Orosco from the Yankees. He would pitch 4.2 over 8 games for the Twins, the ninth and final team he would pitch for in his 24-year career. Orosco made his major league debut in 1979, meaning he pitched in four decades. Nobody in major league history has pitched in more games than Jesse Orosco (1,252). August 31, 2005 Twins Get 13 Hits, Do Not Score The Twins collected 13 hits, 2 walks and a reached-on-error for a grand total of 16 base runners and still managed to lose to the Royals 1-0 at Kaufman Stadium. Starting pitcher Kyle Lohse pitched 7 innings of shutout ball, allowing only 3 hits. The game was still scoreless entering the bottom of the ninth when former Twin Denny Hocking hit a lead-off single off reliever Matt Guerrier. Facing Terry Mulholland, Emil Brown drove-in Hocking for a walk-off Royals win. August 31, 2007 Scott Baker Flirts with Perfect Game Scott Baker had a perfect game going against the Royals at home in the Dome when he walked catcher John Buck leading off the ninth. Two batters later he allowed a one-out single to pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney. That was all the offense the Royals would muster, though, as Baker completed the 1-hit shutout for a 5-0 Twins win. September 1, 1972 Rod Carew Steals Home for the Win With the Twins and Cleveland tied 4-4 with two out in the bottom of the tenth, Rod Carew stole home for the walk-off (or run-off) win. Rod Carew would steal home 17 times in his career. Right fielder Bobby Darwin drove in the Twins’ first 4 runs. He was 4-for-4 with a HR and double when he struck out with the bases loaded and one out in the tenth. September 1, 1992 Rick Aguilera Becomes Twins All-Time Saves Leader Rick Aguilera pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve a 5-4 Twins win at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. It was Aggie’s 35th save of the season and 109th of his Twins career, surpassing Ron Davis as the Twins’ all-time leader. Aguilera would go on to save 254 games in a Twins uniform. He saved 42 games for the Twins’ 1991 World Series champion team. In total, Aguilera earned 318 major league saves. He saved 7 games for the ‘89 Mets, 20 during his brief stint with Boston in 1995, and 37 for the Chicago Cubs between 1999 and 2000, his final season. Joe Nathan surpassed Aguilera as the Twins’ all-time saves leader in 2011. Nathan finished his Twins career with 260 saves before signing with the Rangers following the 2011 season. He was an All-Star with Texas in 2012 and ‘13, saving a combined 80 games those two seasons and another 35 for Detroit in 2014. September 2, 1965 Bob Allison Strikes Out 5 Times in 5 At-Bats The Twins 5-hitter, left fielder Bob Allison, went 0-for-5 with 5 strikeouts in a 5-4 home loss to the Tigers. Tigers leadoff hitter, Bloomington High School and University of Minnesota alumnus George Thomas, went 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored. Thomas doubled off of Nimrod, MN-native Dick Stigman leading off the top of the ninth. The major league record for strikeouts in a game is six. Six players have done so. Only Alex Gonzalez (2009) did it in just 6 plate appearances. The most recent to do so, Geoff Jenkins in 2008, had 7 plate appearances. The other four came to the plate eight times in their respective games. Sammy Sosa had four 5-K games in his steroid-addled career. Ray Lankford had three such games, and Jim Thome had two. Ryan Howard is the all-time leader with 27 4-strikeout games, followed by Reggie Jackson (23) and Jim Thome (20).

And here is the Twins Almanac for the weekend of August 27-28, 2016. Mrs. Johnson and I have been busy getting settled here in Minnesota. It's good to be back after a decade out west. Look for a fresh batch of Twins trivia by open of business Monday. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_105324_zpsinrwxudh.jpg August 27 Happy 46th Birthday, Jim Thome It’s the birthday of Jim Thome, born in 1970 in Peoria, IL. He had already hit 564 home runs when he signed with the Minnesota Twins prior to the 2010 season. He hit a dramatic walk-off home run on August 17, 2010, the first Twins walk-off hit at Target Field. On August 15, 2011 Thome hit two opposite field home runs in Detroit, the 599th and 600th of his career. The Twins sold him to Cleveland 10 days later. In total he hit 40 home runs as a Twin. Thome, whose final season was 2012, officially retired on August 2, 2014 with 612 home runs. He hit 61 home runs against the Twins. The only team he more against was Detroit, 66. Jim Thome is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018. August 27, 1975 Kusick Ties Record, Blyleven Hurls Gem Craig Kusick tied a major league record by being beaned three times in the Twins’ game versus the Brewers in Milwaukee. That record stands to this day. Bert Blyleven, meanwhile, pitched an 11-inning shutout as the Twins won 1-0. Don Baylor, incidentally, owns the American League record for times hit-by-pitch in a career. He was beaned 267 times in his career played entirely in the AL. He was beaned four times while played for the 1987 World Series-champion Twins. August 27, 2012 Mauer Passes Battey for Most Games Caught Joe Mauer caught his 832nd game, surpassing Earl Battey for most games caught in Twins history. Battey played for Minnesota from 1961-’67. The game versus Seattle at Target Field was a pitchers duel between Felix Hernandez and rookie Liam Hendricks who would go the distance allowing only 3 hits. The Twins could only muster 5 hits off of Herndandez, with Mauer hitting a two-out single to center in the fourth. With the game still scoreless, Justin Morneau led-off the bottom of the seventh with a triple but was stranded there as three straight Twins batters grounded out. With Hendricks pitching a 2-hit shutout into the eighth, Seattle’s Eric Thames hit a leadoff home run and Seattle went on to win 1-0, with both Hendricks and Hernandez pitching complete games. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Laudner.82D.89DAS_zpsl4ir6evw.jpg August 28, 1981 Tim Laudner Homers in MLB Debut 1976 Park Center High School graduate Tim Laudner homered in his major league debut, a 6-0 Twins win versus the Tigers in Bloomington. Laudner singled in his first MLB at-bat leading off the third and worked a walk in his second at-bat. In the seventh inning, in his third big league at-bat, Laudner hit a home run driving in Gary Ward. He popped out to the catcher in his final at-bat. Minnesota-native Jerry Koosman entered the game in the seventh inning, earning a seven-out save. Laudner hit his second major league home run the following day against Tigers pitcher Dan Schatzeder who would later win game 6 of the 1987 World Series for the Twins. Laudner had hit a whopping 42 home runs at AA Orlando in ‘81. The 44 he hit in total between the minors and majors led all of professional baseball. Laudner was one of three Twins to homer in his major league debut in 1981. Just four days earlier Kent Hrbek -- who, like Laudner, had also played his high school ball in the Twin Cities area -- hit a twelfth-inning home run in his major league debut off of George Frazier at Yankee Stadium. Frazier, like Schatzeder, would also go on to pitch for the ‘87 Twins. On September 20th, Gary Gaetti homered in his first major league at-bat. Keep in touch with @@TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

August 20, 1961 Two Twins Pitchers Homer in Same Game Twins starting pitcher Jack Kralick and reliever Al Schroll both hit solo home runs vs. the Angels at Los Angeles’s Wrigley Field. The Twins, incidentally, won by 2 runs, 9-7. Twins center fielder Lenny Green homered to lead-off the game. Bloomington High School graduate George Thomas tied the game for the Angels with an RBI single in the second. The Angels went on to build a 3-1 lead in the inning. Then, leading off the third inning, Twins pitcher Jack Kralick pulled a home run to right. Lenny Green then made it back-to-back to tie the game at 3-3. The Twins scored 3 to take a 6-3 lead in the fourth. Kralick, however, gave all 3 runs back in the bottom of the inning, including back-to-back home runs by Earl Averill and future-Golden Gophers head coach George Thomas to lead-off the inning. Kralick was out after 3 ⅔ innings having allowed 6 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. Twins reliever Al Schroll was solid in relief, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits in 4 ⅓ innings. He also pulled a home run to left to lead-off the eighth inning. Ray Moore came in in the ninth to convert his 11th save of the season. August 21, 1965 Nothing Happened Today… …unless you count the Beatles concert at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. August 22 Happy 60th Birthday, Paul Molitor It’s the birthday of Paul Molitor, born in 1956 in St. Paul, MN. Molitor graduated from Cretin High School in 1974 and attended the University of Minnesota from 1975-’77 where he was an All-American his final two seasons. He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the third overall pick in the 1977 draft behind Harold Baines and Bill Gullickson, who was born in Marshall, MN but attended high school in Joliet, IL. In 1978 Molitor was runner-up to Detroit’s Lou Whitaker for American League Rookie of the Year. Molitor set a World Series record with 5 hits in game 1 of the ‘82 Series which the St. Louis Cardinals won in seven games. He played 15 seasons for Milwaukee before signing with the Toronto Blue Jays following the 1992 season. In ‘93, at age 37, Molitor had his first 100-RBI season, collecting 111. He was the 1993 World Series MVP, hitting .500 (12-for-24) with 2 HRs and 10 runs scored, tying the record set by Reggie Jackson in 1977. Molitor signed with the Twins for the 1996 season, when, at age 40, he hit .341, collected 113 RBI and led the American League with 225 hits. Molitor retired following the 1998 season with 3,319 hits and 504 stolen bases. He was only the sixth player in major league history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases following Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson. Ichiro has since joined the club. Paul Molitor was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Dennis Eckersley on July 25, 2004. It was Molitor’s first year of eligibility. 85.2% of Hall of Fame voters voted for Molitor, meaning a staggering 75 members of the BBWAA were complete ignoramuses. Molitor was named Twins manager prior to the 2015 season. August 22, 1975 Dave McKay Homers in First MLB At-Bat With the Twins and Tigers tied 1-1 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Dave McKay, in his first major league at-bat, led-off the bottom of the third with a home run off the Tigers’ Vern Ruhle. Ruhle’s rookie card is 1975 Topps #614, which he shares with Edina High School and University of Minnesota alumnus Paul Siebert. It is the only major league baseball card on which Siebert appears. The Twins won 8-4 with 1967 Rothsay High School graduate Dave Goltz earning an ugly win, giving up 4 runs on 9 hits in just 5 innings pitched. McKay was the second of six Twins to homer in their first major league at-bat: Rick Renick, McKay, Gary Gaetti, Luke Hughes and Eddie Rosario. August 22, 2014 Twins Win 20-6 at Target Field The Twins beat the Tigers 20-6, the first time the Twins had scored 20+ runs at Target Field. Center fielder Danny Santana, batting leadoff, went 3-for-6 with a walk, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. Trevor Plouffe also went 3-for-6 with 3 RBI and 4 runs scored. Santana and Plouffe homered, as did Eduardo Escobar. Despite the lopsided victory, the Twins used six pitchers, with Tommy Milone being knocked out in the fifth after giving up 5 runs on 10 hits, including a home run to Ian Kinsler leading off the game. August 23, 1977 Dave Goltz Pitches 1-Hit Shutout Rothsay, MN-native Dave Goltz pitched a 1-hit shutout versus Boston at home in Bloomington. The only hit Goltz allowed was a Jim Rice single over a leaping Roy Smalley leading off the fourth. Goltz also walked 3 while striking out 10. The Twins won the game 7-0, scoring 5 runs against 1991 Hall of Fame-inductee Fergie Jenkins who lasted only 4 ⅓ innings. Rod Carew, also elected to the Hall in ‘91, homered off Jenkins in the first inning. All nine Twins batters had at least one hit. August 23, 2005 Twins Win on One Hit The White Sox’s Freddy Garcia had a no-hitter going into the eighth inning at the Metrodome when Jacque Jones hit a leadoff home run. It was the only hit that Garcia would allow. Johan Santana, meanwhile, allowed just 3 hits over 8 innings, and, more importantly, did not allow a run. Joe Nathan held the pale hose hitless in the ninth for a 1-0, 1-hit Twins win. It was the second time the Twins have won on 1 hit. This has happened at least 65 times since 1914. The Yankees won on 1 hit on May 29, 2016. David Schoenfield wrote an interesting Sweet Spot blog post on 1-hit wins. August 23, 2009 Michael Cuddyer Hits 2 HRs in Same Inning The Twins and Royals were tied 1-1 entering the top of the seventh at Kauffman Stadium when Michael Cuddyer hit a leadoff home run off Kansas City starter Brian Bannister. Delmon Young, Denard Span and Orlando Cabrera combined to drive in 5 more runs before Cuddyer came up again, this time with Joe Mauer on first, and homered for the second time in the inning. The third place Twins would go on to win 10-3. They, of course, would finish the 162-game schedule in a tie with Detroit before winning the division in game 163. Cuddyer is the only Twin to homer twice in the same inning. There have been 59 occurrences in major league history. The first was the Braves’ Charley Jones in 1880. The most recent was Mark Trumbo on April 15, 2016. Andre Dawson did it twice, first in 1978 and again in 1985. Pittsburgh’s Jeff King did so in ‘95 and ‘96. Two switch-hitters have homered from each side of the plate in the same inning: the Cubs’ Mark Bellhorn in 2002, and Cleveland’s Carlos Baerga in 1993. The Cardinals’ Fernando Tatis hit two grand slams in the same inning on April 23, 1999. August 24, 1981 Kent Hrbek Homers in MLB Debut In his major league debut at Yankee Stadium, 1979 Bloomington Kennedy graduate Kent Hrbek hit a 12th-inning home run off of George Frazier, giving the Twins a 3-2 victory. He also hit an RBI single in the fifth, tying the game at 1-1 at the time. Hrbek made the jump to Yankee Stadium straight from Class A Visalia (California League) where he was hitting .379 with 27 HRs and 111 RBI. Hrbek was the first of three Twins to homer in their major league debut in less than a month. Four days later Tim Laudner would do so. And on September 20th Gary Gaetti homered in his first big league at-bat. August 25, 1967 Dean Chance Pitches No-Hitter In the second game of a doubleheader in Cleveland, Dean Chance pitched the second no-hitter in Twins history. Interestingly, Cleveland led the game 1-0 with 1 out in the bottom of the first. Chance walked the first two batters of the game before getting a strikeout for the first out. Cleveland’s cleanup hitter reached on an error to load the bases. Chance then unleashed a wild pitch, allowing Cleveland to score without the benefit of a hit. Chance would issue 5 walks in the game but not allow a hit. He struck out 8 as the Twins won 2-1. Chance had pitched a rain-shortened five-inning perfect game on August 6th. Though Major League Baseball considers a game official after five innings, in 1991 MLB dictated that a pitcher only gets credit for a no-hitter if the game goes the full nine innings. This rule was enacted retroactively, and, therefore, Chance and 35 other pitchers had no-hitters wiped from the record books. In high school in Ohio, Chance pitched 17 no-hitters (I’ve also read 18), including 8 in one season. He posted a 52-1 high school record. August 25, 2008 Twins Trade Mark Hamburger for Eddie Guardado The Twins traded minor league pitcher Mark Hamburger to Texas for veteran reliever Eddie Guardado. Hamburger was born in St. Paul in 1987, graduated from Mounds View High School and attended Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia, MN before signing with the Twins in 2007. Hamburger made 5 relief appearances for the Rangers in 2011. He currently pitches for the St. Paul Saints. Guardado made his major league debut with the Twins in 1993. He pitched for the team until 2003, leading the league with 45 saves in 2002 and representing the Twins at the 2002 and ‘03 All-Star Games. He signed with the Mariners after the ‘03 season. Guardado only pitched in 9 games in his 2008 return to the Twins. He re-signed with the Rangers following the season. Eddie Guardado pitched in more games than any other pitcher in Twins history, and it’s not even close. “Everyday” Eddie appeared in 648 games for Minnesota. Rick Aguilera is second at 490. Guardado was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2013. He was named Twins bullpen coach prior to the 2015 season. August 26, 1962 First No-Hitter in Twins History Jack Kralick pitched the first no-hitter in Twins history versus the Kansas City Athletics at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The Twins won 1-0. Their only run came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bernie Allen singled to right leading off the inning. Zoilo Versalles then laid down a sacrifice bunt. Kansas City tried and failed to get the lead runner at second with Versalles reaching on the fielder’s choice. Pitcher Jack Kralick then sacrificed the runners up a base. With a runner on third and one out, Lenny Green hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the Twins’ only run of the game. Kralick had a perfect game going into the ninth inning when he issued a one-out walk. He completed the no-hitter having thrown 97 pitches, striking out 3. Right fielder Bob Allison robbed Kansas City’s Ed Charles of a home run in the fourth. The End Keep in touch with the Twins Almanac on Facebook.

I really enjoyed this story.

The Twins Almanac for August 13-19 http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_105206_zpsixc8dcyp.jpg And here is the first full-fledged Twins Almanac in awhile. In my absence from Twins Daily, many of you have been keeping in touch on Twitter, with over 1,000 new people following @TwinsAlmanac over the past month. It's good to be back writing posts of greater than 140 characters, though. This was a fun week in Twins history to write about. My childhood hero Kent Hrbek's number 14 was retired this week in 1995, Tom Kelly's 66th birthday is this week, and Jim Thome hit two very memorable home runs. In other news, after nearly a decade in Seattle (and lately Bellingham...) I'm moving back to Minnesota next week, and I'm bringing Mrs. Almanac with me. We are expecting our rookie to make it's debut in January. I'm sure we'll make it out to Target Field a time or two before winter sets in. Hopefully we'll be seeing you. August 13 Happy 81st Birthday, Mudcat Grant It’s the birthday of Jim “Mudcat” Grant, born in 1935 in Lacoochee, FL. Grant had a 14-year major league career spanning from 1958 to 1971. The Twins acquired Grant in a trade with Cleveland on June 15, 1964. He was an All-Star in ‘65 and finished sixth in American League Most Valuable Player balloting. He led the league with 21 wins and 6 shutouts. He also tied with St. Louis’s Bob Gibson for most home runs allowed with 34. Grant started three games in the 1965 World Series, winning games one and six before Sandy Koufax outdueled Jim Kaat in game seven. Following the 1967 season, the Twins traded Grant and Zoilo Versalles to the Dodgers for 1969 All-Star catcher John Roseboro, Ron Perranoski, and Bob Miller. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_105721_zpsvx70ievr.jpg August 13, 1986 Twins Swap Ron Davis for George Frazier The Twins traded pitchers Ron Davis and Dewayne Coleman to the Chicago Cubs for Julius McDougal, Ray Fontenot and George Frazier. Davis, who was the supposed centerpiece of the trade that sent Roy Smalley to the Yankees and brought Greg Gagne to Minnesota in 1982, had a shaky tenure as Twins closer. In 1984 he tied a single season record with 14 blown saves, a dubious feat which no pitcher has since matched. Four pitchers had blown 14 saves in a season prior to Davis, including Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers (1976) and Bruce Sutter (‘78). George Frazier pitched in 54 games for the Twins’ 1987 World Series champion team. It was his final season. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/Hrbek.teamissue_zpsfdujvojg.jpg August 13, 1995 Kent Hrbek’s Number Retired Kent Hrbek grew up in Bloomington, less than a mile from Metropolitan Stadium. He graduated from Kennedy High School in 1978 and was drafted by the Twins that spring in the 17th round. He jumped straight from A ball to make his major league debut on August 24, 1981 at Yankee Stadium. With the game tied at 2-2 in the 12th, Hrbek hit a home run off of future-Twin George Frazier for his first big league hit. Four days later Tim Laudner would also homer in his major league debut, and less than a month later Gary Gaetti would homer in his first at-bat. In 1982, his first full season in the show, Hrbek batted .301 with 160 hits, 23 HRs and 92 RBI, made his only All-Star appearance, and finished second to Cal Ripken Jr. for American League Rookie of the Year. In 1984 Hrbie was runner-up to Tigers pitcher Willie Hernandez for American League MVP. Kent Hrbek hit a career-high 34 home runs in 1987. It would be the Twins’ last 30-home run season until Justin Morneau hit 34 in his 2006 MVP season. So much for the Steroid Era in Minnesota. Only Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett played more games in a Twins uniform than Kent Hrbek. His 293 career HRs, 1,086 RBI and 838 walks are each second in Twins history to only Harmon Killebrew. In addition to being one of the most prodigious sluggers in Twins history, Hrbek is widely praised for his defense. Many, in fact, go so far as to rank Hrbek among the greatest defensive first basemen in baseball history. And though he was not the fastest man, Tom Kelly regarded Hrbie as an excellent baserunner. Hrbek’s number 14 was the fourth number retired by the Twins, after Harmon Killebrew in 1974, Rod Carew in 1987 and Tony Oliva in 1991. Kent Hrbek was inducted along with Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kirby Puckett and Calvin Griffith as the inaugural class of the Twins’ Hall of Fame on August 12, 2000. August 14, 2010 Brian Duensing Pitches 3-Hit Complete-Game Shutout On a Saturday night at Target Field Brian Duensing pitched the first of two career shutouts as the first-place Twins beat the Athletics 2-0. Duensing gave up a hit in each of the first three innings before holding the A’s hitless the final six innings of the ballgame. He also walked two batters while striking out four. Reigning American League MVP Joe Mauer went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Orlando Hudson drove in the Twins’ other run. The Twins went on to win the Central Division in 2010, their sixth division crown in nine seasons. They were swept out of the playoffs by the New York Yankees. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_105519_zpskdl32b6s.jpg August 15 Happy 66th Birthday, Tom Kelly It’s the birthday of Tom Kelly, born in 1950 in Graceville, MN, though he grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey and attended Monmouth University also in New Jersey. Graceville, with a population of 565 at last check, is also the birthplace of Bill Davis, who played sparingly for Cleveland and San Diego in the sixties. Davis attended Richfield High School just south of Minneapolis. Kelly was drafted in the 8th round by the Seattle Pilots in 1968. After three lackluster seasons in the Pilots/Brewers organization, TK was signed by the Minnesota Twins prior to the ‘71 season. He made his major league debut on May 11, 1975 at age 24. He played 49 games in the majors, going 23-for-117 (.181) while playing primarily first base. In his tenth game, May 26th, TK hit his one and only big league home run in Detroit off of Vern Ruhle. Ruhle makes at least one other appearance in the annals of Twins home run history. On August 22, 1975, Ruhle, who shares a 1975 Topps rookie card with Edina High School and University of Minnesota alumnus Paul Siebert, gave up a home run to the Twins’ Dave McKay in his first big league at-bat. Kelly spent the 1976 season in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization playing for the Rochester Red Wings, who were Baltimore’s AAA affiliate at the time. Kelly returned to the Twins’ organization in 1977 as a player-manager. Kelly joined the major league club as a coach in 1983 under manager Billy Gardner. Kelly, only 35-years-old, was named Twins manager with 23 games remaining in 1986, replacing Ray Miller. In 1987, with a cast of characters many of whom he played a large role in cultivating down on the farm, Kelly “became the youngest non-playing manager to win the World Series since John McGraw in 1905” (per Baseball Reference). Following back-to-back losing seasons in 1989 and ‘90, TK won his second World Series in 1991 with only seven players and four starters remaining from the ‘87 World Series roster. The only pitcher remaining from 1987 was Allan Anderson who only played in 4 regular season games in ‘87 and did not play in either postseason. After eight of the most miserable seasons in Twins history, TK piloted the club to second place in the Central in 2001 before handing the helm to Ron Gardenhire who won three consecutive division championships in his first three seasons, a total of five in the decade and another in 2010. Tom Kelly’s number 10 was retired on September 8, 2012. August 15, 2011 Jim Thome Joins the 600-HR Club The Twins traded outfielder Delmon Young to the Tigers prior to the first game of their series against them in Detroit. Young, batting third in his debut with his new team, hit a 2-out home run off of Francisco Liriano in the first inning. It would prove to be Jim Thome’s day, though. With the Twins and Tigers tied at 3 in the sixth, Thome hit a 2-run opposite field home run to left-center off of Rick Porcello, driving in Jason Kubel. It was the 599th home run for the 40-year-old Thome, playing in his 21st big league season. Then, just one inning later, the Twins clinging to a 6-5 lead, two on and two out, Thome hit Daniel Schlereth’s 2-1 offering to straightaway left field and into the Tigers’ bullpen, becoming the eighth member of the 600-HR Club. The Twins went on to beat the first place Tigers 9-6. Thome finished the day 3-for-4 with 5 RBI and the 2 runs scored. Thome, whose final season was 2012, officially retired on August 2, 2014 with 612 home runs. He hit 66 of those home runs against the Tigers, more than he hit against any other team. The team he hit the second-most against was the Twins, 61. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_110645_zpskw8dunrg.jpg August 16, 1975 All Nine Twins Get 2+ Hits Twins batters collected 20 hits in a 9-1 victory over Cleveland at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. All nine Twins batters got at least 2 hits. Center fielder “Disco” Dan Ford and catcher Phil Roof each got 3 hits. Of the 20 hits only five went for extra bases, with Roof hitting a home run. The starting lineup that day was Lyman Bostock, Dan Ford, Rod Carew, John Briggs, Tony Oliva, Eric Soderholm, Steve Braun, Jerry Terrell (Waterville High School ‘64; Minnesota State, Mankato ‘68), Phil Roof. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_105324_zpsinrwxudh.jpg August 17, 2010 Jim Thome Walk-Off Home Run Trailing the Twins by three games in the Central Division standings, the White Sox were in town for the first of a three-game series. The Twins jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first against Chicago pitcher 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. http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w413/mjohnso9/20160810_110930_zpshmzusjfs.jpg August 18, 1986 Tom Seaver Wins 311th and Final 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. Seaver pitched 8 ⅔ innings, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7. 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. Seaver, though he would issue 4 walks over the course of the game, would not give up another hit until he had two outs in the ninth. Frank Viola, too, pitched a strong game. After finding himself in a 1-0 hole two batters into the game, he held the Red Sox scoreless, allowing just 4 hits in the second through eighth innings. Tied 1-1 in the ninth, however, Viola gave up a single to center fielder Tony Armas and 2-run home run 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 Tom Seaver’s 311th win. It is also interesting to note that Tom Seaver earned his 300th win the previous August while pitching for the White Sox against the Yankees in the city that he is most associated with, New York, on the same day that Rod Carew got his 3,000th hit off of Frank Viola, pitching, of course, for Carew’s former club. August 19 Happy 58th Birthday, Gary Gaetti It’s the birthday of Gary Gaetti, born in 1958 in Centralia, IL. The 20-year major leaguer played 10 seasons in Minnesota, 1981-1990. On September 20, 1981, Gaetti homered in his first major league at-bat. He was the third Twin that season to homer in his first major league game (Kent Hrbek, August 24, and Tim Laudner, August 28). Six Twins have homered in their first major league at-bat: Rick Renick, Dave McKay, Gaetti, Andre David, Luke Hughes and Eddie Rosario. Like Eddie Rosario, Andre David's home run was on the first pitch. The pitcher was Jack Morris and it was the only major league home run he would ever hit. Gaetti won Gold Gloves at third in 1986, ‘87 and ‘88 and represented the Twins in the 1988 and ‘89 All-Star Games. He hit 201 home runs in a Twins uniform, eighth most in team history, one spot behind Kirby Puckett (207). August 19, 1991 Randy Bush Hits Record Pinch-Hit Double In an 8-7 loss to division-rivals Oakland at the Metrodome Randy Bush got his seventh consecutive pinch-hit dating back to July 5, tying an American League record set in 1981 by the Rangers’ Bill Stein. Jose Canseco and Kirby Puckett had traded solo home runs in the first inning. Tied at 7-7 in the ninth, 1980 New Ulm High School graduate Terry Steinbach drove in Dave Henderson with a two-out line drive single to center off of Steve Bedrosian. After Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley struck out Mike Pagliarulo to lead-off the ninth, Bush pinch-hit for Al Newman, hitting a 1-0 double to right. Eckersley, however, retired Knoblauch and Larkin to preserve the victory for the Athletics. August 19, 2007 Johan Santana Strikes Out Twins Record 17 In a Sunday afternoon game at the Metrodome versus Texas, reigning Cy Young Award-winner Johan Santana struck out a team record 17 batters in only eight innings. Santana struck out all nine Rangers at least once. The only two hits that Santana allowed were to the designated hitter, known steroid user Sammy Sosa who singled in the fifth and doubled in the seventh. Santana finished strong, striking out the side in his eighth and final inning. He did not issue a walk. Joe Nathan came in in the ninth to preserve the 1-0 Twins win. Michael Young, who had struck out in all three at-bats against Santana, struck out swinging to end the game. The only run that the Twins could muster against Rangers starting pitcher Kevin Millwood was a Michael Cuddyer home run leading off the second. The End Well, that's all. Thanks for reading. And if your townball team is looking for a legitimate 32-year-old base stealing threat for next summer, stop into Johnson's Hardware Hank & Rental in scenic downtown Zimmerman and ask for the prodigal son. And keep in touch with the Twins Almanac on Facebook.

I love this bite-sized history concept! Let's publish pocket books.