2024 Twins Turkey of the Year

With the extraordinarily warm weather we are having in Minnesota where the grass is still green, the water in the lakes is still liquid and Thanksgiving is just around the corner it is hard to believe we are well into the fall/winter sports season. The Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves all doing better than expected, pushing the Minnesota Twins off sports fans radar screens.

That is in spite of the fact that the Twins have announced that MLB will produce and distribute Twins games in 2025 but no specifics pertaining to cost were provided, the Pohlad family announced their intent to explore a sale of the Minnesota Twins, the team fired all three hitting coaches as well as its assistant bench coach, GM Thad Levine decided to pursue other interests and was replaced by Jeremy Zoll, Alex Kirilloff announced he was retiring at the age of 26, the team announced an executive leadership succession plan, to be implemented in the first quarter of 2025 whereas club President & CEO Dave St. Peter will transition to the role of Strategic Advisor; and President, Baseball Operations Derek Falvey will be elevated to President, Baseball & Business Operations. My favorite announcement so far though is the Twins also announcing in a very low-key manner a new (and I think complicated) ticket plan that includes the sale of MYTWINS Memberships and Reward Plans ranging from $600 to $7500. Just another method of of reaching into Twins fans pockets.

All of this with the Twins season ending less than a month ago and the MLB Winter Meetings (December 8-12) in Dallas still two weeks off. We have been very busy here at the home of Twinstrivia.com as we sold our home in Plymouth, MN in mid-October and are preparing to move to Corcoran, MN around Thanksgiving. When you live some place for 38+ years you tend to accumulate way too much stuff including in my case Twins memorabilia and other stuff. I first thought about skipping a Twins Turkey of the Year award this year but that just wouldn’t fair when the Minnesota Twins had an epic collapse that saw them drop from second place all the way to fourth. A 9-18 September had the Twins players calling their travel agents and making new travel plans that included more golf and no baseball. A season like the Twins just had in 2024 requires that a Twins Turkey of the Year winner be named yet again.

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Most games pitched for Twins without a start

Eddie Guardado

Starters no longer pitch the innings they used too and relievers are becoming more important in MLB every year. Yes, their are a few “Ace” starters in the game that make the big bucks but they too no longer pitch deep into games like the starters did in the past.

The role of relievers has changed

Relievers are critical pieces of any baseball team that hopes to contend and play late October baseball. The use of relievers and their value to the team has evolved over the years and today’s major league game requires the pitchers in the bullpen to fulfill certain roles. You have the “closer”, you have your set-up guys that pitch important innings, you have the long guy that comes in to pitch multiple innings, and you have relievers that are used to eat innings, probably when the team is losing. Each person in that bullpen knows their role and when they will probably be called upon to pitch. In the past it was not so clear, it was not unusual for starters to pitch some relief when the game situation called for it.

Another key part of relief pitching is your manager and pitching coach and how they plan out each game to see who is available to pitch and who isn’t based on previous usage. Then of course we have the analytics that comes into play. Back in the day, the manager monitored his starter and he called on the bullpen when he felt the time was right. We can’t forget about rule changes, MLB has changed numerous rules that have had an impact on the use of relievers, roster sizes, etc.

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Analyzing Starting Pitcher Trends: From Aces to Relievers

Walter Johnson

I have followed MLB since about 1956 by buying baseball cards, by listening to baseball games on the radio, by subscribing to The Sporting News and reading whatever box scores I could find. But how things have changed over the years, including pitching. One of the biggest changes has to do with starting pitching.

Starting pitchers used to pitch and hit back in the day. They would start every fourth day but over time the starting rotation changed to four to five. Recently some teams have gone to six day rotations and it is not that uncommon nowadays for games to be pitched totally by relief pitchers. Relief pitchers back then were “injured” starters or starters that for one reason or another had become ineffective.

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The charismatic Luis Tiant dies at the age of 83

Luis Clemente Tiant was born in Marianao, Cuba on November 23, 1940 the son of Luis and Isabel and passed away on October 8, 2024 at the age of 83. His father, Luis Eleuterio Tiant, was a legendary left-handed pitcher who starred in the Cuban Leagues and the American Negro Leagues for 20 years but the color barrier denied Luis E. the opportunity to play in the majors.

The colorful Luis Tiant played in the major leagues for 19 years between 1964 and 1982 for the Cleveland Indians, the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the California Angels. Tiant also played in Mexico for several seasons before and after his pro career in the states.

In his big league career Tiant had a 229-172 record with 20 or more wins four times and 20 losses once. He had his share of injuries but he started 484 games and pitched over 3,486 innings, threw 187 complete games with 49 shutouts and in his spare times he earned 15 Saves.

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1970 Twins infielder Minnie Mendoza passes away at 89

Cristobal Mendoza was born in Ceiba del Agua, Cuba on December 3, 1934 and passed away at the age of 89 on September 9, 2024 in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Mendoza was better known to Minnesota Twins fans as Minnie Mendoza who played for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins organization for 16 seasons between 1958 and 1972.

Mendoza was originally signed as a amateur free agent by the Cincinnati Reds but was released after two seasons and was signed by the Washington Senators as a free agent in 1958 at the age of 23. The Washington Senators had a long history of signing Latin American ballplayers, thanks largely to scout “Papa Joe” Cambria. Cambria convinced Mendoza to join the organization’s Missoula Timberjacks in the Class-C Pioneer League.

But it would be a long time before Mendoza would make his debut in the big leagues. Matter of fact it took 12 years and over 1,800 minor league games before a Rod Carew injury in 1970 resulted in Mendoza got his opportunity to put on a big league uniform. It was was not even the Senators team that he signed with since the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota after the 1960 season and became the Minnesota Twins.

Mendoza made his major league debut at White Sox Park on April 9, 1970 when he entered the game as a defensive replacement for third baseman Harmon Killebrew in the ninth inning of a game that the Twins were leading 6-4 against the Chicago White Sox and won by the same score. He went hitless in his first eight games going 0 for 9 before getting his first big league hit and run scored in his ninth game when he singled as a PH against the Baltimore Orioles Mike Cueller at Memorial Stadium. Mendoza played in his 16th and final big league game on June 7 at Washington before being sent to the minors never to play in the big leagues again. His big league career was short, just 16 games, 16 PA’s, 3 hits, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. That said, he reached the big leagues, and that is something to be proud of.

In 1974-75, Mendoza embarked on his career as a minor league manager beginning in Mexico. He returned to organized baseball as a coach and scout for several teams, primarily the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians organizations. He served on the Orioles’ major league coaching staff as their first-base coach in 1988. Among his accomplishments with Cleveland, Mendoza is credited with scouting and signing a young Bartolo Colon, who went on to win 247 games and the 2005 American League Cy Young award.

Ripbaseball.com does a great job with baseball obituaries and as usual they did a great job on Minnie Mendoza’s obituary at https://ripbaseball.com/2024/09/29/obituary-minnie-mendoza-1934-2024/ and I urge you to stop by check it out, you won’t be sorry and you will learn how he impacted the careers of two MLB Hall of Fame players.

2024 Arizona Fall League

With the Minnesota Twins season probably about to come to a surprisingly quick ending, the Arizona Fall League is about to start their season on October 7. This fall league is always full of top baseball prospects and this year will probably be no exception.

If you happen to be in Arizona during this season I would urge you to stop by and catch some of the action. Watching AFL action is like no other, as attendance is usually very limited and the odds of you sitting next to a scout or a team FO person are high. I have been to a number of these games over the years and I find it to be a very enjoyable experience. In addition to talking to scouts I have spend an entire game talking with the pitchers in the bullpen as the game progressed.

The game are played in the same stadiums as AZ spring training so unlike Florida ST the games, AZ ballparks are all near-by and you can easily drive to any game that interests you so you can watch the prospect(s) you want to see.

Since the AFL began play in 1992, it has spawned more than 3,000 big leaguer’s, including Hall of Famers Roy Halladay, Todd Helton, Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza and current stars including Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and Francisco Lindor.

This year the Twins will be part of the Salt River Rafters team which will be stocked by players from the Twins, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Rockies, and Nationals.

Twins (Salt River): Kala’i Rosario, OF (No. 20); Danny De Andrade, SS (No. 22); Kade Bragg, LHP; Jacob King, RHP; Devin Kirby, RHP; Jack Noble, RHP; Benjamin Ross, INF
Rosario played in the Fall League last year and won the league’s home run derby. He made it to Double-A this year, but missed nearly three months with an elbow injury so he’s returning to make up for some lost at-bats. The Twins signed De Andrade for $2.2 million in January 2021 and the 20-year old had moved to High-A this season, only to see his season end after 29 games with an ankle injury that required surgery.

Twins cut minor league catcher Derek Bender for tipping pitches

The Twins released their sixth-round draft pick from July after they learned he informed opposing hitters what pitches were coming as his minor league team competed for a playoff berth, the Minnesota Star Tribune confirmed. Derek Bender, a catcher from Coastal Carolina, lasted less than two months in the Twins organization after he received a $297,500 signing bonus. Sources indicate that Bender will get to keep the money.

After Fort Myers dropped the first three games, ESPN first reported Bender tipped off pitches to Lakeland Tigers hitters in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 6. Lakeland scored four runs in the second inning against lefty pitcher Ross Dunn, and Fort Myers was eliminated with a 6-0 loss. Fort Myers won its final two games.

Fort Myers coaches were notified by Lakeland coaches about Bender’s pitch tipping after the game, sources said. Bender’s willingness to tip pitches surprised Lakeland players, and there were no indications of wrongdoing from the Flying Tigers, sources said. Bender had told teammates he wanted the season to be over, according to sources. You have to wonder why the home plate umpire said nothing.

Bender spent the final two games of the season, which the Mussels won, in the team’s bullpen instead of his typical place in the dugout, sources said. Bender batted .200 in 19 games with two homers, two doubles and eight RBI.

5 greatest QB’s in Minnesota Vikings history

The Minnesota Vikings have had some excellent QB’s over the years. Some seriously good ones. There is just something about their coaching setup that has managed to create some good quarterbacks. There are so many good QB’s in Viking history that choosing just five is a challenge. You might not necessarily agree with the ‘greatest list’ we’ve put together as you might replace one name with another, but we are positive that you can agree that every single name mentioned in this article has had a positive impact on the Minnesota Vikings.

Fran Tarkenton

If there is one name on this list that won’t be controversial at all, it’ll have to be Fran Tarkenton. Quarterback from 1961 to 1966 and again from 1972-1978. Fran Tarkenton led the Minnesota Vikings during one of the most successful periods of their history.

He helped the team make three Super Bowls. Gained the NFL MVP Award and is now one of only a few lucky people to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Those who came up against Fran Tarkenton said that he was a nightmare to play against. He had a huge amount of mobility, and he was able to quickly get out of situations that would seem impossible for other quarterbacks.

Some say that Fran is one of the greatest QB’s in NFL history. While we may not go that far as there have been some great players in the modern era, it is amazing what Fran was accomplishing at a time when sports science was still fairly new, and he certainly wasn’t training in the same way that his modern counterparts are.

Daunte Culpepper

During the draft, Daunte Culpepper was the player that most teams wanted. The Minnesota Vikings were lucky enough to grab him in the first round, and they are probably glad they did. Between 1999 and 2005, he was probably the best QB in the NFL. His offensive play was second to none, with many defenses trembling when Culpepper ran at them. He was often backed by sports bettors keen to make a buck or two on the game. He was certainly a sure bet for a whole host of markets during his time. Remember, if you want to gamble on the Minnesota Vikings, you do need to choose the right website. We suggest you check out: https://www.askgamblers.com/sports-betting/bonuses.

Like Tarkenton, Culpepper was somewhat of a jack of all trades. While he loved to be on the offense, nabbing a few points for himself, he didn’t hog the spotlight. If another player had an opening, Culpepper would gladly pass, and with the awesome arm on him, you knew that most of the time it would be a successful throw.

Brett Favre

Brett Favre had already cemented himself as one of the top 10 QB of all time. He had nothing else to prove. Most of his time was spent away from the Minnesota Vikings though. It was only at the tail end of his career, in 2009, that he joined the Minnesota Vikings, and he was only there for one season. However, for many, it was a season that would go down in history, if only for the fact that many Vikings fans were impressed that they were able to secure a player of Favre’s caliber.

He broke several franchise records, including passing touchdown and passer rating. He also managed to guide the team to the NFC Championship game.

It’ll be a while before some of the records Favre set for the Minnesota Vikings are beaten. While he is unlikely to be massively remembered for his stint at the Vikings, since Favre spent so much of his time elsewhere, he will be a QB that everybody will remember for the team.

Tommy Kramer

In 1977, Tommy Kramer joined the Vikings. He was the perfect pick in the first round of the draft. If you needed a player to win you the game during its dying minutes, Tommy Kramer is who you would call. He managed to save the day so many times in the dying minutes that he eventually became known as two-minute Tommy.

He stuck with the team for 12 years, helping the team to multiple playoff spots. The only downside to Kramer was the fact that he was very injury prone. This meant that there were a few games that he had to sit out. Although, he did state that there were also a few games where he was very injured yet decided to play. You could barely tell. This was a guy who bled for the Vikings during his tenure and one who would always get a cheer from a Vikings supporter if they saw him in the street.

Kirk Cousins

Let’s wrap up with Kirk Cousins, a bit more of a recent QB. While he spent most of his career away from the Vikings, they had to snap him up in 2018 when he became a free agent. Over the next few years, Cousins would completely change the way the team played.

If you needed to get a ball somewhere accurately, it was best being placed in Kirk’s hands. You knew that if he threw it, it would get to where it needed to be. At the time, Kirk Cousins had some of the best offensive plays in the league. It was thanks to Kirk that the Vikings managed to grab a few playoff wins during his tenure.

Again, most people probably are not going to remember Kirk Cousins for his Minnesota Vikings stint. He did perform well elsewhere. However, Minnesota Vikings fans will definitely remember him. Even now, you’ll find people singing the praises of him as one of the hottest free agents of the time.

So, what do you think? Do you agree with our list? Are there more names you would add? We bet there are. As we said earlier, the Minnesota Vikings have a long history of quality QB’s in their ranks, and this will likely continue. Who knows? The list could completely change a couple of decades from now.

Keirsey Jr. & Adams named Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week

The Minnesota Twins have announced that Triple-A St. Paul outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Double-A Wichita right-handed pitcher Travis Adams have been named Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 4th round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT). Keirsey signed for $600,000, way over the assigned slot value. MLB has Keirsey rated as the Twins 29th best prospect. For additional info on Keirsey please go here. Keirsey Jr, 27, played in five games for the Saints, hitting .474 (9-for-19) with two triples, two home runs, eight RBI and a 1.500 OPS, including a four-hit game on Thursday vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On Tuesday, DaShawn became the fifth player in Saints history to reach 100 hits in a season.

Travis Adams was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 6th round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft from California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento, CA) and signed for a reported $253,300. Adams, a California native is repeating Double AA-Wichita and having a much better season this year than he had last year. Adams, 24, made the starter on Thursday at Midland, pitching 6.0 scoreless innings with one hit allowed, one walk and a season-high 10 strikeouts. Short video of Adams pitching.

Twins Minor League Report, 8-23-2024

Former Twin Mike ‘Cubby’ Cubbage dies at 74

Mike Cubbage

Michael Lee Cubbage, was born July 21, 1950, in Charlottesville, Virginia and passed away on August 10, 2024 after a near year-long battle with cancer, his wife, Jan, confirmed Sunday night, August 11. Cubbage was 74 years old.

Affectionately called “Cubby” by friends, family, players and coaches, Cubbage was a former Major League Baseball player and a pro baseball manager. He retired a couple of years ago after serving as one of the top scouts for the Washington Nationals.

He was a three-sport star at Charlottesville’s Lane High School, standing out in football, basketball and baseball before moving on to become a two-sport star at the University of Virginia, playing quarterback on the football team and becoming an All-ACC selection in baseball. Cubbage came from a baseball family that included cousins Larry Haney and Chris Haney, both major leaguer’s.

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