Matt Johnson

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

Today's Almanac features a heckuva hot start by rookie Kent Hrbek, and noteworthy home runs by Jim Kaat, Jim Thome, Justin Morneau, and a Kansas City slugger in 1935. Hrbek Hitting Streak Rookie Kent Hrbek went 2-for-4 on this date in 1982, giving him a hit in 17-straight games. This streak came immediately after his Twins rookie-record 23-game hitting streak, giving him a hit in 40 of his last 41 games, and in 48 of his 51 games played on the season. (Interestingly, he missed nine games between when his 23-game streak ended and the 17-game streak began. If anyone knows what the story was there, please let me know in the comments. Whatever he was out for, he obviously came back 100% ready to go!) In the game in which the 17-game streak ended, Hrbie only had one official at-bat, going 0-for-1 with three walks. Hrbie was batting .337 with a 1.031 OPS and 15 home runs at this point in the season. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1982 and finished runner-up to Cal Ripken Jr. in Rookie of the Year balloting. Old Friend Homers in Back-to-Back Games Old friend Jim Thome homered in back-to-back games at Target Field with the Phillies on June 13 and this date in 2012. They were career home runs number 606 and 607. He hit a ninth-inning homer off Joe Nathan in his first game back at Target Field after his contract was purchased by Cleveland in August 2011, giving Cleveland an important insurance run in an eventual one-run victory. Four-Home Run Game in Minneapolis The Kansas City Blues' Dale Alexander hit four home runs in a 15-2 win over the Millers at Nicollet Park in Minneapolis on this date in 1935. There have been seven four-home run performances in professional games played in Minnesota, including the first four-home run game in pro baseball history by St. Paul native Jack Crooks playing for the visiting Omaha in St. Paul in 1889. Also on this date in Minnesota baseball history: 1964: Pitcher Jim Kaat goes deep as part of a Twins three-home run inning for the second time 2006: Justin Morneau hits the Twins second grand slam in two days 2013: Longtime media relations director Tom Mee and "Everyday" Eddie Guardado are inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame View full article

Today's Almanac features an epic pitchers' duel between Johan Santana and Curt Schilling, culminating in a memorable walk-off grand slam; a team-record 28-hit game during which the No. 9 batter hit three home runs; the first interleague game in Twins history; a power outburst by a St. Paul Saints slugger' the Brooklyn Dodgers come to town, and a heckuva hot streak by a Sauk Rapids native. Jason Kubel Hits Walkoff Grand Slam Johan Santana and Boston’s Curt Schilling locked horns in a classic pitchers duel at the Metrodome on this date in 2006, allowing just one run each when Jason Varitek and Michael Cuddyer traded two-out homers in the seventh inning. Both pitchers went eight innings, with Santana striking out 13 without issuing a walk. The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 12th inning. Alex Gonzalez hit a potential double-play grounder, but beat the throw to first, allowing Mike Lowell to score the go-ahead run. With Boston now in front 3-2, Julian Tavarez got Joe Mauer looking to lead off the bottom of the 12th. Michael Cuddyer was then hit by a pitch and Justin Morneau hit a ground rule-double to put runners on second and third. Boston intentionally walked Torii Hunter to load the bases, setting up a force at home and/or double play. Jason Kubel had other plans, however, working a full count before driving the seventh pitch of the at-bat over the fence for a walk-off grand slam. Bonus Fact: Justin Morneau hit a grand slam the next day in a 8-1 win over the Red Sox. Twins Get 28 Hits; Rosario Hits Three Homers The Twins beat the Mariners 20-7 at Target Field on this date in 2017, setting a franchise record with 28 hits. Left fielder Eddie Rosario—batting ninth—went 4-for-5 with three home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored. It was the seventh three-home run game in Twins history. (I missed the third home run because I was assembling our daughter's crib.) Rosario was the fifth player in major league history to hit three home runs in a game batting ninth. The others were Trot Nixon, Dale Sveum, Art Shamsky, and knuckleballer Jim Tobin on May 14, 1942. Third baseman Eduardo Escobar went 5-for-6 in the 20-7 win over Seattle. Kennys Vargas, Jason Castro, and Rosario all had four hits. The only Twin in the starting lineup without multiple hits was first baseman Joe Mauer. (Don’t worry—he still had the highest average on the team.) First Interleague Game In a matchup of dome teams, the Twins played their first ever interleague game in Houston on this date in 1997. Chuck Knoblauch led off the game with a ground-ball single to center, and ultimately went 4-for-4 with a walk, three RBI, and a run scored, finishing a home run short of the cycle. Paul Molitor hit a two-run homer in the seventh, driving in Rich Becker to put the Twins up 6-1. They went on to win 8-1. Brad Radke pitched eight innings, allowing just the one run on a Jeff Bagwell homer (surprise, surprise). Mike Trombley pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Saint Slugs Three Homers St. Paul Saints slugger Chris Williams hit three home runs and knocked in seven in Game 1 of a five-game series in Louisville on this date in 2023. He hit two more home runs in Game 2, and yet another in Game 3. Obviously, he was named International League Player of the Week. Brooklyn Dodgers Play Game in St. Paul Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, and Gil Hodges homered and Don Drysdale earned the win with five innings of relief as the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the St. Paul Saints 7-2 in an exhibition game on this date in 1956. It was the Saints' final season at Lexington Park. Midway opened in 1957. Repulski Rips the Cover Off the Ball Sauk Rapids native Rip Repulski connected for five hits in a doubleheader on this date in 1954, beginning a streak of 10-straight multi-hit games over which he went 22-for-44 (.500) with half of those hits going for extra bases, including five homers. It was part of 16-game hit streak overall. Rip had begun the season with a pair of hits in each of the Cardinals' first three games, and at least one hit in 14 of the their first 15 games of the season. View full article

In today's Almanac, Francisco Liriano flirts with his second no-hitter of the season; A.J. Pierzynski has the 13th seven-RBI game in team history; Carlos Correa has a five-hit game; and it's the birthday of the man who came within three out of pitching the second no-hitter in team history. Liriano Takes No-Hit Bid into Eighth A month after pitching a no-hitter, Francisco Liriano took a no-hit bid into the eighth before surrendering a single to future Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré on this date in 2011. Liriano did not walk a batter in eight innings of work. (He issued six walks in his no-hitter.) You can make a strong case that he was better in the follow-up outing than he had been in that magical no-hit showing. Pierzynski Drives in Seven Batting eighth, Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski hit a first-inning grand slam and seventh-inning three-run homer in a 15-3 win over the Rockies at home in the Dome in this date in 2003. It was the 13th time in Twins history that a player drove in seven or more runs. Leadoff hitter Lew Ford went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. A 38-year-old Kenny Rogers earned the win. He pitched until he was 43, receiving Cy Young votes at age 41. Correa Has Five-Hit Game Carlos Correa went 5-for-6 with three runs scored in a 17-9 win over the Rockies at Target Field on this date in 2024. Happy Birthday, Gerry Arrigo Happy 84th birthday to former Twins pitcher Gerry Arrigo, born in Chicago on this date in 1941 (a good summer for baseball). He took a no-hitter into the ninth and completed a one-hit shutout versus the White Sox at Met Stadium on Jun. 26, 1964. The Twins only runs in the game came on a Harmon Killebrew homer driving in Tony Oliva. View full article

Joe Mauer was named American League Player of the Week on this day in 2006 after going 15-for-24 (.625 AVG) with seven walks (.700 OBP), and five doubles (1.533 OPS) over the previous week. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound catcher even had two stolen bases! It's interesting to note that the Twins faced Seattle's Eddie Guardado and Baltimore's LaTroy Hawkins during this hot streak. Mauer was the first player since fellow catcher Mike Piazza in 1997 to reach base four or more times in five straight games, as he continued establishing his credentials as one of the best offensive players in the history of that position. Mauer went on to be named AL Player of the Month after batting .452 with a .528 on-base percentage and 1.152 OPS in June. Liriano Strikes Out Seven Straight Francisco Liriano tied Jim Merritt's Twins record with seven consecutive strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Atlanta on this date in 2010. Kenta Maeda later broke the record, with eight straight punchouts on Aug. 18, 2020. On Jun. 11, 2010—the first season at Target Field—the Twins faced all-time great Tim Hudson and Atlanta in a matchup of first-place teams. Atlanta played small ball to manufacture a 1-0 lead in the second inning, with Troy Glaus moving to third on a sac bunt and scoring on a groundout. Liriano buckled down from there, though, completing eight innings and allowing just the one run on five hits, no walks, and striking out 11, including seven consecutive over a stretch from the third to fifth innings. The M&M boys, Mauer and Justin Morneau, scored the Twins’ only two runs in the seventh on singles by Jason Kubel and pinch-hitter Delmon Young. Closer Jon Rauch struck out the side in the ninth, getting Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones, and Troy Glaus all swinging. It was Rauch’s 16th save of the season. Burgmeier Pitches Eight Innings of Scoreless Relief After Red Sox starter Bob Ojeda had a tough top of the first, St. Cloud native Tom Burgmeier entered in the second and pitched eight innings of scoreless relief to beat Cleveland on this date in 1982. Kindall Hits for the Cycle St. Paul native Jerry Kindall hit for the cycle playing for the Golden Gophers versus Ole Miss in the College World Series on this date in 1956. He was the only player to hit for the cycle in College World Series history until Tennessee's Christian Moore did so in 2024. The Gophers went on to win the College World Series, defeating Arizona in the championship game. That Arizona team included Minnesota native Carl Thomas, who pitched a two-hit shutout in the College World Series the previous year. After playing parts of nine seasons in the majors, Kindall went on to a legendary coaching career at the University of Arizona. Millers Infielder Hits Four Home Runs| On this date in 1895, Minneapolis Millers third baseman Bill Kuehne had the second professional four-home run game on Minnesota soil, and the first by a member of a Minnesota team. The first four-home run game in professional baseball history was by St. Paul native Jack Crooks, playing in St. Paul for the visiting Omaha Omahogs in 1889. View full article

Hrbek Hits 250th Home Run Kent Hrbek hit his 250th career home run in the top of the ninth of a 4-2 Twins win in Kansas City on this date in 1992. Fun Fact: He led off the seventh inning with a bunt single! This was the penultimate game of a 15-game hitting streak over which Hrbie went 22-for-54 (.407), with five home runs, 17 RBI, and 13 runs scored. First Three Twins Batters Homer Off Cole Luis Arráez, Byron Buxton, and Carlos Correa ambushed Yankees starter Gerrit Cole with three-straight home runs to begin the bottom of the first on this date in 2022. Cole wound up surrendering seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work, but the Yankees still beat the Twins, because of course they did. Twins Hit Five HRs in One Inning The Twins set an American League record by hitting five home runs in a single inning on this date in 1966. The Kansas City Athletics erupted for four runs in the top of the first inning off Camilo Pascual, who only lasted ⅔ of an inning. Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew helped narrow the margin to 4-3 going into the seventh when Rich Rollins and Zoilo Versalles connected for back-to-back homers off A's starter Catfish Hunter to take the lead. Reliever Paul Lindblad retired Sandy Valdespino before allowing back-to-back homers to Tony Oliva and Don Mincher. The Athletics then turned to John Wyatt who allowed the Twins’ third consecutive home run—and fifth of the inning—to Killebrew (his second of the inning). The story goes that Jimmie Hall nearly hit a sixth home run in the inning, but doubled off the top of the wall. The Twins were the only American League team to hit five home runs in a single inning until the Yankees tied the record in 2020, and the Astros in 2022. Five National League teams have hit five home runs in an inning. Remarkably, the first four instances (spanning 1939 to 2006) all came against the Cincinnati Reds. On a related note, the Twins are tied for the MLB record with four consecutive home runs in Kansas City on May 2, 1964. Bass Hits Four Homers at Triple-A Tacoma Tacoma first baseman Randy Bass had the first of just three four-home run games in Twins' organization history at the Phoenix Giants on this date in 1977. Bass led the Tacoma Twins with 25 home runs that season. Tom Kelly was second on the team with 12. Bass made his MLB debut the Twins in 1977. In 1983, he went to Japan to play for the Hanshin Tigers with whom he won four consecutive batting titles. He still holds the Japanese single-season record with a .389 average in 1986. In 1985, Bass was close to tying the legendary Sadaharu Oh's single-season record of 55 home runs. He was at 54 going into the final game, which just happened to be against the Yomiuri Giants who were managed by none other than Sadaharu Oh himself, and they intentionally walked Bass four times! Bass later became the Oklahoma State Senate minority leader. The other four-home run games in Twins organization history were by Lew Ford at Double-A New Britain on August 19, 2001, and Garrett Jones at Single-A Quad Cities on July 14, 2002. While playing at Double-A El Paso in the Angels organization, Tom Brunansky hit four home runs on June 18, 1980. Bonus Trivia for June 9th: View full article

St. Paul Native Makes Home Run History Did you know that the first four-home run game in professional baseball history happened in St. Paul? And it was a St. Paul native who did it... but he was playing for the visiting team. Playing for the Western Association Omaha Omahogs on this date in 1889, St. Paul native Jack Crooks went 5-for-5 with four home runs versus the St. Paul Apostles at Athletic Park, located on the riverfront on St. Paul’s west side. Crooks spent parts of eight seasons in the majors, hitting two homers off Cy Young. Twins Draft Hrbek The Twins drafted Willmar native Wade Adamson in the fourth round out of South Dakota State on this date in 1978. Then they drafted Jack Morris's brother Tom in the tenth round. (He didn't sign.) Then, way down in the 17th round, they selected Bloomington high schooler Kent Hrbek. Hrbek had already committed to play for Golden Gophers coach Dick Siebert, but wasn't super excited about taking college classes and was willing to sign a pro contract for the right price. Of course, Hrbek felt Calvin Griffith's initial offer was too stingy, but after Hrbie put up big numbers with his local American League team, Calvin found a little extra cash lying around and Hrbek signed. (Similar story with Kirby Puckett, by the way, who was selected in the now-defunct January draft but didn't sign until Griffith upped his offer based on Kirby being named Region IV Junior College Player of the Year that spring.) Twins Draft a Quarterback The Twins drafted Notre Dame shortstop (and quarterback) Joe Theismann in the 39th round (773rd overall) on this date in 1971. Spoiler: He did not sign. The Bull Hits Grand Slams in Back-to-Back Games White Sox cleanup hitter Greg Luzinski hit a first-inning grand slam off Frank Viola, who only recorded one out in a 6-1 Twins loss in Chicago on this date in 1984. The next day, the Twins brought in Mike Walters to face Luzinski with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of seventh, and the Bull hit the final of his seven career grand slams, driving in Julio Cruz, Carlton Fisk, and Harold Baines. White Sox won 8-4. Hannahan Hits Game-Tying Home Run St. Paul native and Golden Gophers all-time great Jack Hannahan was nearly a hero versus his hometown Twins on this date in 2011, hitting a two-out game-tying homer off closer Matt Capps in the bottom of the ninth in Cleveland. Ben Revere drove in Drew Butera in the top of the tenth, however, to salvage a 3-2 Twins win. View full article

On this date in Minnesota baseball history: Happy 67th birthday to Tim Laudner 1987: Edina East graduate pitches two-hit shutout 1996: 39-year-old DH has sixth-straight multi-hit game 2011 & '18: Chaska and Totino-Grace graduates make MLB debuts 2013: Eden Prairie graduate earns first MLB win Happy Birthday, Tim Laudner Happy 67th birthday to 1976 Park Center graduate Tim Laudner, born in Mason City, Iowa, in 1958. His family moved to Brooklyn Center when Tim was seven. Laudner led all of professional baseball with 44 home runs in 1981, including a Southern League record 42 at Double-A Orlando, and one in each of his first two career major league games. He was just the seventh player since at least 1908 to homer in his first two career games. He was one of three Twins to homer in their major league debut in less than a month. Four days before Laudner’s debut, 1978 Bloomington Kennedy graduate Kent Hrbek hit a 12th-inning game-winning home run off future teammate George Frazier at Yankee Stadium. Gary Gaetti homered in his first major league at-bat on September 20. Twins fans' most enduring memories of Laudner will likely be of the 1987 World Series. After hitting just .191 (with 16 home runs) during the regular season, he was clutch in the World Series, going 7-for-22 (.318) with five walks, a double, home run (Game 2), four RBI, and four runs scored. Molitor Has Sixth-Straight Multi-Hit Game 39-year-old Twins DH Paul Molitor went 4-for-5 on this date in 1996, giving him six-straight multi-hit games. Over that six-game streak, he went 15-for-28 (.536) with three home runs and 12 RBI, raising his season average to .350. Then he pretty much kept up that pace, finishing the season batting .341 and leading the league with 225 hits. He had 22 games that season with three or more hits. Drees Pitches Two-Hit Shutout Edina East graduate Tom Drees pitched a two-hit shutout for single-A Daytona Beach versus West Palm Beach on this date in 1987. Believe it or not, he also pitched THREE no-hitters at triple-A Vancouver in 1989! Hand Makes MLB Debut 21-year-old Chaska graduate Brad Hand made his major league debut with the Marlins on this date in 2011, making the start at home versus Atlanta. Hand was solid, holding Atlanta to just one hit and a walk (the first batter he faced) over six innings. Unfortunately, that one hit was an Álex González homer leading off the fourth, which held up for a 1-0 Atlanta win. Talk about a tough-luck loss in your MLB debut! Atlanta swept the three-game series by scores of 1-0, 3-2, and 3-2. Hand went on to make three All-Star teams over his 13-year major league career. His 579 appearances are third-most among players born in Minnesota, behind Tom Burgmeier and Jerry Koosman, and ahead of Jack Morris. Wagner Earns First MLB Win The Blue Jays brought in Eden Prairie graduate Neil Wagner to face Adrian Beltré on this date in 2013. He struck him out, leading to Wagner's first MLB win. In an amusing coincidence, two days later they brought Wagner in to face Beltré again, but this time he hit a home run, leading to Wagner's first MLB loss. (He did strike out the next batter, Nelson Cruz.) Meyer Makes MLB Debut 2011 Totino Grace graduate and four-year Golden Gopher Ben Meyer made his major league debut with the Marlins in St. Louis on this date in 2018, entering down 4-1 in the seventh with a runner on and nobody out. Folks, he retired all three batters he faced. Hell yeah! Fun Fact Luis Arráez was batting .401 heading into play on this date in 2023. (He raised it to .403 that night, but they didn't make a cool graphic for that.) View full article

When he hits the ball, it stays hit.

Image courtesy of © Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images Harmon Killebrew hit the longest home run in Twins history on Jun. 3, 1967—a prodigious 522-foot blast off 40-year-old Angels pitcher Lew Burdette. Rod Carew had a heckuva perspective, leading off second base. The wallop continues to fascinate Twins fans to this day. The Twins painted the spot on the bench seat that the ball crashed into bright orange, standing out in a sea of green as a testament to the legendary power of the Killer—and as a warning to opposing pitchers. Today, Mall of America sits on the site of Metropolitan Stadium. Visitors may notice a single chair mounted high on a wall overlooking the mall’s seven-acre indoor amusement park, marking the approximate spot in space where Killebrew’s home run landed. For perspective, the giant bronze glove on Target Field Plaza outside Gate 34 is 522 feet from home plate. The home run was originally announced at 435 feet—the distance of a straight line between home plate and the upper deck seat that the ball struck. Befuddled—and a little incredulous—Bob Allison called official scorer (and longtime Twins PR man) Tom Mee from the phone in the dugout, wanting to know how on Earth that home run could be measured at only 435 feet. That same day, Mee phoned a University of Minnesota physics professor to recalculate the actual distance the home run would have traveled if Metropolitan Stadium hadn’t gotten in the way. The next day, immediately after the revised distance of 522 feet was announced, Killebrew crushed another one over 500 feet. To this day, people swear the ball was still rising when it collided with the facing of the second deck at the old Met. The only other player to ever hit one to the upper deck at Met Stadium was Bobby Darwin in 1972. View full article

Twins Begin 15-Game Winning Streak (1991) The Twins were in fifth place in the AL West—5.5 games behind Oakland—when Allan Anderson bested Kevin Appier for a 8-4 win in Kansas City on this date in 1991, beginning a team record 15-game winning streak. DH Chili Davis hit a pair of two-run homers in the game. By the time the streak was over, the Twins had moved into first place, half a game ahead of Oakland. Longest HR to LF in Metrodome History (1996) Mark McGwire* hit the longest home run to left field in Metrodome history on this date in 1996, measured at 475 feet. The longest homer at the Dome overall was 481 to right field by the Brewers' Ben Oglivie in 1983. Interestingly, Kent Hrbek hit a Charlie Hough knuckleball 480 feet the very next season. As imprecise of a science as home-run measurement is, you're telling me they couldn't fudge an extra foot or two for the hometown kid?! The longest home run to center field was 473 feet by Pedro Muñoz in 1994. Steinbach Beaned (1991) New Ulm native Terry Steinbach was beaned by Bobby Thigpen on this date in 1991. He was taken to the hospital as emotions ran high. Check out this clip. The Blyleven-Smalley Trade (1976) The day after giving the ol’ one-finger salute walking off the mound at Met Stadium, Bert Blyleven and his roommate, Danny Thompson, were traded to the Rangers for Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, Bill Singer, Jim Gideon, and $250,000 on this date in 1976. Blyleven had been involved in contentious contract negotiations with Calvin Griffith leading up to the trade. Blyleven wasn’t the only one, though. Talks between Danny Thompson and the owner were also at a standstill. Griffith refused to give the infielder—who had been diagnosed with leukemia prior to the 1973 season—a fair price, insisting that no other team would even offer someone with cancer a contract at all. Thompson struggled in Texas and passed away at the Mayo Clinic that December, just 69 days after playing his final major league game. He was just 29 and left behind a wife and two young daughters. Borders Pitches Snapper Mow 'Em Down Inning (1997) Less than 20 hours after her historic (if ineffective) professional baseball debut, St. Paul Saints pitcher Ila Borders struck out the side in a one-inning relief appearance against the Sioux Falls Canaries. Folks, that's what we call a Snapper Mow 'Em Down Inning. Birthdates of Jack Kralick and Dean Chance (1935 & 1941) Jack Kralick was born in Ohio on this date in 1935, and Dean Chance was born in Ohio on this date in 1941. Remarkably, they pitched the first and second no-hitters in Twins history. Hunter Goes 5-for-5 with a Grand Slam (2005) Torii Hunter went 5-for-5 with a grand slam, driving in all six runs in a 6-2 win over Cleveland at home in the Dome on this date in 2005. Brad Radke gave up a two-run homer in the first, but he, J.C. Romero, and Jesse Crain held Cleveland scoreless the next eight innings. Hunter gave the Twins the lead with a grand slam in the third inning, driving in Shannon Stewart, Lew Ford, and Justin Morneau. Hunter added two insurance runs in the sixth, driving in Nick Punto and Ford with a bloop double. Designated Hitter Lew Ford was 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the game. First Trades in Twins History (1961) In the first trade in Minnesota Twins history, Calvin Griffith sent 1950 Winona High School graduate and Gophers football legend Paul Giel along with Reno Bertoia to the Kansas City A’s in exchange for Bill Tuttle on this date in 1961. Later that same day, the Twins traded infielder Billy Consolo to Milwaukee for four-time World Series champion Billy Martin. 1961 was Martin’s 11th and final season as a major league player. From 1962 to ’64, he worked as a scout for the Twins, and rejoined the major league team as third base coach in 1965. He was sent down to Denver midway through the 1968 season to serve as the triple-A manager. He succeeded Cal Ermer as Twins manager in 1969, winning the American League West in his only season at the helm. Martin was hugely popular as a Twins coach and manager, and instrumental in the development of César Tovar, and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Rod Carew. Martin went on to manage 16 major league seasons, including five stints with the Yankees whom he led to a World Series Championship in 1977. View full article

Puckett Flashes His Golden Glove (1993) Kirby Puckett made a heckuva catch to rob future Twins coach Butch Davis of a home run on this date in 1993. (Unfortunately, Charlie Leibrandt and the Rangers won 1-0.) Kirby Puckett robs home run May 31, 1993.mp4 Carew Begins Streak of Three-Hit Games (1975) Second baseman Rod Carew began a team record five-game streak of three-hit games on this date in 1975. The major league record is six-straight games. (The Twins lost all five home games.) Blyleven Gives Hecklers the Ol' One-Finger Salute (1976) With contract negotiations at a standstill and trade rumors swirling, Bert Blyleven walked off the mound after the top of the ninth trailing the Angels 3-1. There were only 8,379 fans at Metropolitan Stadium that day, and some were giving the pitcher grief, singing “bye-bye Bertie.” Before he got to the dugout, Blyleven, visibly angry, looked to the stands and gave the hecklers the middle finger. The next day, he was traded with Danny Thompson to the Texas Rangers for four players, including Roy Smalley. Happy Birthday to Kevin Sevcik Happy 68th birthday to Northfield native Kevin Sevcik, who the Twins drafted out of St. Olaf in 1978. Fun Fact: He was teammates at Elizabethton with Jesse Orosco. After Sevcik's brief stint in pro ball, he enjoyed a long townball career and remained a big Twins fan. It must have seemed surreal to see Orosco pitch for the Twins in 2003, a literal QUARTER CENTURY after they were teammates in the minors! The Twins first-round pick in 1978 was Lenny Faedo. They also selected Willmar native Wade Adamson and Bloomington native Kent Hrbek that year. View full article

Image courtesy of © Scott Rovak-Imagn Images Twins Retire Number 34 (1997) Culminating a three-day celebration of his career, the Twins retired Kirby Puckett‘s number 34 before a dramatic 7-6, 10-inning victory over the Athletics on this date in 1997. The Twins took a 6-4 lead into the ninth inning, but Rick Aguilera blew his fourth save of the season. He held the A’s scoreless in the 10th, however, and picked up the win when Rich Becker delivered a two-out walk-off single, driving in Matt Lawton (pinch running for Terry Steinbach). Record-Setting Shutout Win (1990) The Twins beat the Red Sox 16-0 at the Dome on this date in 1990. That was the biggest shutout victory in team history until they beat the Royals 17-0 at Target Field on September 2, 2017. Pitcher Roy Smith authored the four-hit shoutout for Minnesota. Remarkably, the Twins scored all 16 runs without a home run. Kirby Puckett—the third batter of the game—hit a two-run triple and Hrbek drove him in to make it 4-0 before the Red Sox got their first out. Just six days earlier (May 19), the Red Sox had pummeled the Twins 13-1 at Fenway, with Boston’s Tom Brunansky going 5-for-5 with two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs scored. Twins Lose on Record-Setting Pinch Hit (1981) The Rangers beat the Twins on Bill Stein’s record-breaking seventh consecutive pinch hit on this date in 1981. The Minnesota connections here are multi-layered: Stein’s seventh-straight pinch hit broke the American League record previously held by 1954 Edina-Morningside graduate Bob "Rocky" Johnson . And in 1991, Randy Bush tied Stein’s new record with his seventh-straight pinch hit. Birthdays Happy 55th birthday to North Saint Paul High School graduate Brent Killen . Killen was a power-hitting first baseman at the University of Florida and then played three seasons in the Tigers farm system, from 1992 to 1994. And happy 52nd birthday to former Twins first-round draft choice Todd Walker . In July 1998, he connected for a hit in nine-straight at-bats. At the time, that tied Tony Oliva and Mickey Hatcher for the team record. In 2024, though, Jose Miranda blew that record out of the water with a hit in 12-straight at-bats. Miranda was just the fourth player in MLB history to get a hit in 12-straight at-bats, and the first since 1952. View full article