TWINS TRIVIA is hopefully a fun and informative site that will help you to better enjoy the Minnesota Twins and their wonderful history. “History never looks like history when you are living through it” – John Gardner, former Secretary of Health
As the Twins entered spring training in 1965 they faced some challenges that baseball teams do not face today. One of those challenges was the “holdout.” Agents didn’t really exist back then and arbitration was unheard of as players went head-to-head with their teams to sign a contract that both sides could live with. Back in the day, “holdouts” were commonplace as players fought with ownership for a good contract. In today’s world they never even discuss pay cuts after a player has a substandard season, back then it was common place and player salaries could be cut by as much as 20%.
Twins owner Calvin Griffith was known as one of the toughest negotiators in baseball and there was seldom a year that went by that he didn’t have some difficult salary negotiations with a number of his players, 1965 was no different as Calvin had some issues signing two of his best pitchers, Camilo Pascual and Jim Kaat.
The Cuban born outfielder Sandy Valdespino played sparingly for Minnesota between 1965-1967 appearing in 259 games. You can learn a little more about Hilario Valdespino by reading the piece about him in the March 27, 1965 issue of the Sporting News.
In 2014 Eduardo Escobar took over as the Twins regular shortstop in spite of team’s attempts to give the job to a number of other players. Escobar responded by playing well in the field and better than expected at the plate by hitting .275 with 35 doubles and six home runs in 433 at bats. Escobar does not steal many bases, not sure why that is, and his OBP was only .315. Escobar is a fun player to watch and when he plays he seems to make the team around him play better.
This spring the 26 year-old Escobar has the second most at bats of anyone on the team and he is hitting .319 with three home runs and a team leading 14 RBI but his OBP is only .313. What you see is what you get with the popular Escobar, he will never be an on base machine but he plays well in the field and he has some pop in his bat. Although Escobar prefers shortstop, he has also played 3B, 2B, and he can play some outfield in a pinch.
Danny Santana
The Twins however; seem to have their heart set on Danny Santana becoming the teams regular shortstop. The 24 year-old Santana is also a natural shortstop but the Twins threw him out in to center field last year and he responded well by playing good defense for someone with so little outfield experience and with the stick he was even better with a .319 average and seven home runs, 40 RBI and 20 stolen bases in just 405 at bats at the big league level. When you add in his .353 OBP, primarily from the lead-off spot you are looking at a pretty nice rookie season for the young switch-hitter. I know manager Paul Molitor would like to see his lead-off hitter with a .370 or so OBP but Santana is still very young and he probably will raise his OBP as he matures.
Meanwhile, back in the black hole the Twins call center field no one has stepped up and taken the reins to win the job since the Twins traded both Denard Span and Ben Revere after the 2012 season. The team has tried to give the job to Aaron Hicks for the last several seasons and this year he was expected to at least play center in a platoon role but just the other day the team sent him packing to look for a home in AAA Rochester. Everyone knows that center field will be the new home of Byron Buxton in the very near future so the Twins are only looking for s place holder for that role until Buxton shows up to claim his spot. By sending Hicks down the Twins seem to be saying that Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson will share the center field job. Personally, I think that by All-Star time Buxton will be patrolling center field at Target Field.
The Twins claim they want to be a better team, but who doesn’t. I am not sure I understand the Twins logic in playing Schafer/Robinson in center, Santana at short, and Escobar in a utility role. To me it makes more sense to play Santana in center five days a week and two days a week at short and play Escobar at short when Santana is in the outfield. It seems to me that I would prefer Escobar in the line-up most of the time over a Schafer or Robinson. I understand that Santana needs to continue playing some shortstop if that is going to be his long-term position. I love Santana in my line-up but has he proven he can play short in the big leagues? Not on a long-term basis. Assuming that Buxton really is the knight in shining armor and will coming riding in to Target Field on his white horse before September of 2015 why not get the best sticks in the line-up.
Both Danny Santana and Eduardo Escobar deserve and have earned more playing time than Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson and it’s time for the Twins to man up and put their best players on the field. It will be best for the team and for us fans that pay good money to buy the tickets to watch this team play ball.
One things that really bugs me is when Twins management and Twins fans complain that this player can’t do this and he can’t do that. Everyone is always looking for a player with all five tools. What the hell are they thinking? How many five tool guys are there in the big leagues playing ball today? They are rare as hen’s teeth, they are perennial all-star’s and future Hall of Famers, they don’t grow on trees. If you find one each decade you are doing great. Most big league players have flaws, canker sores, warts and other issues. We all have to quit thinking that every player the Twins bring up has to be the next Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Jim Kaat, Johan Santana, or Kirby Puckett.
There is nothing wrong with good baseball players that have some warts. Twins management needs to realize that it is OK for some of these young players to come up to Minnesota with shortcomings in their game that they can improve on and learn from while they earn big league dollars. Not everyone can do it all, so don’t keep waiting on perfection.
3/27/1973 – Twins’ pitcher Jim Perry becomes the first player to use the ’10 and 5 rule’ when he okay’s his own trade to the Tigers for minor league pitcher Dan Fife and cash.
3/27/1985 – The Twins move pitcher Brad Havens to the Orioles and receive pitcher Mark Brown.
3/27/2005 – Bob Casey, the first and only Twins public-address announcer passed away.
Bob Casey
3/27/2010 – The University of Minnesota Gophers lost to Louisiana Tech 9-1 in the first baseball game played at the Twins’ new home, Target Field. More than 37,757 people came through the turnstiles after they opened in the morning for fans to take a look, sit in the seats and sample the food. Tickets were $2, with proceeds going to the team’s community fund. Former Gophers and Twins catcher Terry Steinbach threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Louisiana Tech’s Clint Ewing hit the ballpark’s first home run.
Here is an interesting blog I ran across this morning on Fivethirtyeight.com . What would you rather have? TJ elbow surgery or shoulder surgery? See what Fivethirtyeight has to say about it.
The blog C70 at the Bat has an annual event where they check in with bloggers from other teams to talk about the past off-season and the up-coming season which they call Playing Pepper. This has been going on for a number of years and I have participated for the last few year. Here is what a number of Twins bloggers had to say in Playing Pepper 2015 – Minnesota Twins.
I know that spring training stats don’t mean squat but if you go by the numbers they have put up so far this spring the Twins bullpen is in for a long season and pitching coach Neil Allen and manager Paul Molitor will wear a path from the dugout to the pitching mound. Hopefully they are not nearly as bad as they have shown us so far this spring.
Chris Herrmann
The Twins keep playing the 27-year-old Chris Herrmann this spring and the way I see it they are showcasing him and trying to do him a favor and move him. I have talked with Herrmann a number of time over the last few years and you could not meet a nicer guy. The Twins are using Herrmann in the outfield, first base, DH and at catcher. It is good to be able to play a variety of roles but it is the catchers gear that will prolong Herrmann’s career in the big leagues and he wants to be considered a catcher because he understands that ordinary utility players are a dime a dozen. I believe the Twins feel that Herrmann has no future with the Twins but they want to reward him for his loyalty but showcasing him and moving him this spring to a team that is looking for a back-up catcher that can also play several other positions. Herrmann is what he is and his skills are not going to change at this point in his career, he just needs to find a team looking for his skills. I wish Chris the best but baseball can be cruel.
I am disappointed in how little the Twins have run this spring under their new skipper. The team stolen base leaders so far are Aaron Hicks and Eduardo Nunez with two and the team has stolen a total of seven bases in 11 attempts. Oddly enough speedster Jordan Schafer has been caught three times in four attempts.
Tim Stauffer
My biggest disappointment so far this spring? That would be reliever Tim Stauffer, I expected a lot more but it is still early.
I still have hope that the Twins will some how find a way to take a serious look at Eddie Rosario as the Twins center fielder in 2015.
This past Wednesday I heard that one of the Twins top prospects, Max Kepler had injured his arm during a morning workout. The early diagnosis was a Flexor Pronator Strain and a MRI the following day confirmed the diagnosis. The good news is that there is no tear but the bad news is that Max had a similar arm injury last season. Kepler works very hard to stay in shape year round but has had some bad injury luck the last couple of years that have limited him to 61 games in 2013 and 102 games last season. When I asked Twins management about the injury to Kepler their comment was “just a tight forearm”.
Kepler, who turned 22 recently was signed by Minnesota in 2009 and can play all three outfield positions as well as first base has been in the Twins minor league system since 2010. Kepler was hoping to start this season with Chattanooga and is very disappointed with his latest injury. A lot of people including myself were expecting a breakout season from Max in 2015 and he may still have that but it will start later than he would have wanted. I understand that Kepler has been shut down and will start rehabbing his injury this coming week but expectations are that he could be out 3-4 weeks. A very tough break for one of my favorite players in the Minnesota Twins system.
When you visit the CenturyLink Sports complex when there are no games going on it can be kind of boring. I know, I know, I have nothing to complain about as I watch the Twins prepare for a new season in the 80 degree sunshine that SW Florida provides. When I got to the ballpark I ran into Seth Stohs from Twins Daily who had just arrived a day earlier and we chatted for a while. The Twins were playing the Pirates up in Bradenton so the remaining crew of Twins players back in Fort Myers was made up primarily of starting pitchers and a few position players that didn’t make the trip like Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter and Eduardo Nunez.
The minor league players hadn’t reported yet although I believe they are scheduled to report today. With the minor league group reporting it would mean that it is time for the Twins to announce their first group of cuts which I believe will be announced later today.
Ton Kelly
As I was leaving the minor league fields I happened to see former Twins skipper Tom Kelly sauntering back from the minor league complex to Hammond Stadium bat in hand. I said hello and asked about his health as we walked back. TK told me he was not 100% as yet but was getting stronger everyday. He told me about how his doctor had literally “gotten in his face” and told him to rest and do nothing after he was released from the hospital. Of course TK being who he is couldn’t sit still for long but he found out quickly that the doctor knew what he was talking about and since then TK has listened to the doctor and abided by his wishes. The doctor told him it would probably take about 6 months to get back to where he was before the stroke and the 6 month mark is coming up soon. As we got closer to the stadium more fans recognized TK and soon a group had gathered for pictures and autographs with the Twins legend. I continue to be amazed at how Tom Kelly has mellowed over the years. Good for you TK, stay healthy because the Twins and their fans need you.
As always I managed to get some pictures of the action for you down here and you can check them out on the right hand side of the page under the 2015 Spring Training link.
Is Toronto Blue Jays prospect Daniel Norris the most interesting man in baseball? Every now and then you run across a story that gets your attention and makes you wonder about a lot of things. This morning I ran across such a story on ESPN and it makes me wonder what if the Minnesota Twins had signed Norris. If the Twins drafted and signed Norris would they be OK with his life style? I really liked this story and wish Daniel Norris the best and I hope I get a chance to talk to him some day. You can read the story here. Maybe there still are “characters” in baseball after all.
Baseball has changed so much over the years, in terms of play, the players, the rules and even the executive side. When the Twins first moved here in 1961 team owner Calvin Griffith served as his own GM. Griffith could do it all, he scouted players, he made trades and he negotiated salaries with all the players. Now days the owners are expected to sit back and sign the pay checks and for the most part keep their mouth shut.
The attached Sporting News page from March 6, 1965 shows you how different things were 50 years ago. Manager Sam Mele and Twins owner and GM Calvin Griffith publicly state their differences about team make-up and openly discuss players that the team pursued in trades as the team reports to spring training and prepares for the 1965 season. Now days baseball clubs are like the government and everything is classified and the information that they do provide is often cryptic and ambiguous. I guess with all the money involved in professional sports now days maybe more information needs to be held closer to the vest but it seems to me that as time goes on that baseball squeezes more and more fun out of the game.
Harmon Killebrew
In another section you can read about Harmon Killebrew becoming the first player in franchise history to sign a contract for $50,000. They used to say that Griffith threw nickels around like they were man-hole covers but I think that Harmon usually got his way with Calvin.
In 1965 when you mentioned the word “draft” and your number you weren’t talking about the upcoming June free-agent draft, you were talking about getting drafted into the military and as they say on one of my favorite TV shows, Person of Interest, “when your number comes up, we will find you.” Today baseball and its players no longer have to deal with the military draft and service to ones country because Conscription in the United States, commonly known as the draft, was discontinued in June of 1973. Back in 1965 there was a huge concern that the Twins were going to lose Tony Oliva to the military and the man could not even speak English. About a year or so ago ThinkBlueLA did a piece called Baseball without the Draft that you might also enjoy reading. It has a cool picture of Hall of Famer Stan Musial in a Navy uniform. Boy, how times have changed, and not always for the better.
Many of the stories written about the Minnesota Twins in the Sporting News in 1965 were written by Max Nichols. Here is a short bio on Max Nichols during his time in Minnesota – Minneapolis Star, Minneapolis, MN: September, 1959 to February, 1980: sports writer specializing in baseball from 1959 to 1967; Assistant City Editor from 1967 to 1969; Sports Editor from 1969 to 1974; Education Editor from 1974 to 1976; daily sports columnist from 1976 to February 1980. You can learn more about the life of Max Nichols here.
Enjoy this page of the Sporting News as you travel back in time to March 6, 1965.
If I were still alive today it would be my 94th birthday making me the oldest player to ever wear a Minnesota Twins uniform. I was a left-handed hitting outfielder that was born in Czechoslovakia and played in the major leagues for 20 seasons but I only spent a part of one season in Minnesota. In 6,091 career plate appearances I walked 942 times and struck out just 284 times and posted a career .398 OBP which is identical to Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio. So who am I?
Hint: I played for three different franchises that relocated while I was a team member.
The Minnesota Twins open their 2015 exhibition season by playing the Minnesota Gophers on March 4 and they will play their final spring training game on Saturday April 4th at Hammond Stadium against the Boston Red Sox. When early April rolls around we will all have a pretty good idea who will make this years opening day roster. Having said that, I don’t think that Twins fans should get too attached to the players on the opening day roster because I have a feeling that the “roster will be a-changing” and I can’t wait to see some of that new blood when it heads north to Minnesota and Target field.
The Minnesota Twins played their first ever exhibition game on March 11, 1961 at Tinker Field in Orlando. Cookie Lavagetto and his boys took on the Detroit Tigers and their first game turned out to be a 4-1 loss. Paul Giel started the game for Minnesota and took the loss and Bob Bruce who started for the Tigers was credited with the victory. You will notice in the box score that although this was the first game of spring training and players were not in the shape that they are in today that a number of the pitchers that pitched in this game logged three innings not the one inning that you will probably see tomorrow.
Paul Giel (courtesy of the Minnesota Twins)
The box score below was provided courtesy of Stew Thornley, Thanks Stew, we appreciate it!
The Cuban born outfielder Sandy Valdespino played sparingly for Minnesota between 1965-1967 appearing in 259 games. You can learn a little more about Hilario Valdespino by reading the piece about him in the March 27, 1965 issue of the Sporting News.
