Month: September 2015

Remembering 1965 – Part 24 – 100 wins

100 winsThe Minnesota Twins beat the Hank Bauer managed Baltimore Orioles 3-2 at Memorial Stadium and post win number 100 for the only time in franchise history in a 2 hour and 7 minute game. The Twins trailed 2 to 1 going into the 8th inning but Bob Allison hits a two run home run in the top of the eighth inning and the Twins are up 3-2. The Orioles however; were not going to go down without a fight, they load the bases with no one out against Twins starter Mudcat Grant on a walk, a single and a Frank Quilici error and Twins manager Sam Mele brings in Jim Merritt who induces pinch-hitter Bob Johnson to hit into a RF-C double play. Mele then pulls Merritt and brings in 37 year-old reliever Johnny Klippstein to face pinch-hitter Norm Siebern. Klippstein gets Siebern to fly out to center field to earn the save and the Twins put victory 100 into the books.

Box score

The Twins go on to win 102 games in 1965, the most in franchise history. The most games that the Washington Senators ever won was 99 in 1933 when they finished first but lost the World Series 4 games to 1 to the New York Giants.

1965 twins 50th anniversary banner

According to ELIAS

If only Sano had arrived earlier

Miguel Sanol 2015Miguel Sano drove in the first run of the Twins’ win in Cleveland last night, giving him 51 RBIs this season. Sano, who made his major-league debut on July 2, is the second rookie in major-league history to drive in more than 50 runs in a season without having any before July. The other player to do that was Josh Phelps, with 58 RBI for Toronto in 2002.

Sports Illustrated did a nice piece on Miguel Sano earlier this month that you can view here.

The story of how the Twins landed top prospect Miguel Sano 

According to ELIAS

Santana is as good as ever

Ervin Santana 2015

 

Ervin Santana, who allowed only one run in seven innings to beat the Tigers on Sunday, is 5-0 with a 1.47 ERA over his last six starts for the Minnesota Twins. Santana has posted such a low ERA over a span of six starts in only one other season of his 11-year major-league career. That was in 2011, when Santana produced ERAs of 1.09 and 1.24 for the Angels during two overlapping spans of six starts from July to August.Escobar’s two long hits key Minnesota win

Eduardo Escobar 2015Eduardo Escobar tripled and homered in the Twins’ 6-2 win at Detroit on Saturday. The only other Minnesota shortstop in the last 10 years to hit a triple and a home run in the same game was Escobar himself, last August 22, also against the Tigers.

Remembering 1965 – Part 23 – Twins clinch the pennant

1965 Twins clinch pennat on September 26

September 26, 1965 – The Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Senators 2-1 at D.C. Stadium and clinch their first American League pennant with their 99th victory of the season. It is a bit ironic that the Twins win the pennant in Washington since they themselves were the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota after the 1960 season.

1965 Twins celebrationTwins pitcher Jim Kaat pitched a complete game and struck out 10 while allowing one run (0 earned) on eight hits to earn his 17th win of the season. The Twins scored their two runs on a passed ball and a Sac fly. Senators pitcher Pete Richert also pitched a complete game allowing only three hits but end up the hard luck loser for the Gil Hodges managed Senators. Box score.

1965 Minnesota Twins win the Pennant (40 minute video)

 

Twins-champion-banner-1965

Congratulations to Pete Mackanin on being named as Phillies skipper

Pete MackaninFormer Twins infielder and baseball lifer Pete Mackanin has been named as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies for 2016 and a team option for 2017. Mackanin served as the Phillies interim manager since June and has also been an interim manager for the Pirates and the Reds but this will be his first full-time gig as a big league skipper.

“The Phillies are pleased that Pete has accepted the position of manager for the 2016 season,” team president (and former Twins GM) Andy MacPhail said in a statement. “We believe that Pete is the best fit for the role. Since assuming the interim manager position in June, Pete has developed an excellent rapport with our players and has also connected well with the media and our fans. Equally as important is his eagerness to take on the challenge of rebuilding the team and further developing our players. We look forward to his contributions.”

Mackanin, PeteMackanin was a fourth round selection by the Washington Senators in 1969 and  played in 548 games in the majors from 1973 to 1981 with the Rangers, Expos, Phillies and Twins. The Twins acquired Mackanin from the Phillies on December 7, 1979 for pitcher Paul Thormodsgard. Mackanin played in 185 games in a Twins uniform hitting .252 before leaving the team as a free agent after the 1981 season. Mackanin did not play in the majors again after leaving Minnesota. Mackanin’s tie to Minnesota Twins history is that he hit the last Twins home run in Met Stadium and also scored the last Twins run there.

According to ELIAS

Ervin evoking memories of Johan

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Ervin Santana 2015Ervin Santana came through again for the Twins on Tuesday night, holding the Indians to one run over seven innings and earning well-deserved credit for Minnesota’s 3-1 victory. Santana is now 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA over his last five starts, with 39 strikeouts in 36 innings. Source: ELIAS

We will never know what the Twins record might have been had Santana pitched for the Twins all year long. The old what if ………..

According to ELIAS

Duffey wins his fourth straight decision

Tyler Duffey 2015Tyler Duffey pitched seven scoreless innings and was the pitcher of decision in the Twins’ 8-1 victory over the Angels. Duffey absorbed a loss to the Blue Jays in his major-league debut on August 5, when he allowed two homers and six runs in a two-inning start. But he is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in seven starts since then, while allowing only one home run in 43.2 innings. Source: ELIAS

Did you know?

Grey beardsOf the 15 remaining active Major Leaguers who were drafted in 1997 or earlier, four (LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, A.J. Pierzynski and Michael Cuddyer) were selected by the Minnesota Twins as Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. That doesn’t include Kyle Lohse, who was drafted in 1996 by the Cubs but played his first several big-league seasons with Minnesota.

Joel Sherman article in New York Post

Max Kepler deserves call-up in 2015

Max Kepler
Max Kepler

Twins 1B/OF Max Kepler deserves to be called up by the Minnesota Twins as soon as the Chattanooga Lookouts playoff run is completed. The 22 year-old Kepler is having a huge breakout season in his sixth year of pro ball. Kepler started the season playing a handful of games at Ft. Myers due to an injury but quickly was sent to Chattanooga where he has been a hitting machine and was selected as the Southern League MVP which is a league loaded with top prospects.

I know the Twins are in the chase for a wildcard spot but they need to call Kepler up to Minnesota where he can get a taste of big league life and be rewarded for his play this season. I know that first base and the outfield are crowded at Target Field but Kepler has earned his shot at putting on a Twins uniform and showing fans here in Minnesota another of their highly regarded prospects. Don’t let me down Mr. Ryan!

Kepler homers twice to even SL Final

Chattanooga Lookouts Even Southern League Championship Series