Month: July 2017

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Diamond, Schullstrom, Goltz and Quilici

July the 18th was a busy day for big league debuts as Twins.

 

Scott Diamond Credit: (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

Scott Diamond (P) – July 18, 2011 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins from the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 rule 5 draft. Took the loss (6-3) in his debut as a big leaguer at Target Field against the Cleveland Indians.

Erik Schullstrom (P) – July 18, 1994 – On August 16, 1993 the Baltimore Orioles sent Erik Schullstrom to the Minnesota Twins to complete an earlier deal made on August 15, 1993. Debuted in relief in a loss to the Blue Jays at the Skydome pitching 2.2 scoreless innings allowing one hit, one walk while striking out two.

Dave Goltz (P) – July 18, 1972 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round of the 1967 amateur draft. Major league debut was a rare relief appearance in a Twins 6-0 loss to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium I. Goltz threw 3.2 scoreless innings allowing a single hit and striking out one.

Frank Quilici (2B/3B) – July 18, 1965 – Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent in 1961. Quilici was 0-1 in his big league debut at the Met in a 5-3 loss to the California Angels.

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins

According to ELIAS – Eduardo Escobar

Twins get one by the Yankees at home

 

Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar’s go-ahead single in the eighth inning put the Twins up for good, as they defeated the Yankees, 4-2, at Target Field. Since Target Field opened in 2010, Minnesota has a 7-19 (.269) home record against the Bronx Bombers. Over that span, only two teams have that low of a home winning percentage against a particular opponent (minimum 10 games): Reds vs. Mets (6-17, .261) and Mariners vs. Yankees (7-19, 269).

Some items from The New York Yankees 7/17/17 Game Notes

TWIN KILLING: The Yankees are 10-2 in their last 12 games vs. Minnesota and have won each of the last five series between the clubs…have won 10 consecutive season series
vs. the Twins (since 2007) and have won or split 15 straight season series between the clubs (13-0-2 since 2002). Are 19-6 (.760) in 25 games all-time at Target Field, the
highest winning percentage by any team at any ballpark since 1913 (min. 15 games).

YANKEES AT MINNESOTA
OVERALL TRENDS/FACTS: The Yankees and Twins will meet six times in 2017: with three-game series scheduled for tonight-Wed. in Minneapolis and 9/18-20 at Yankee
Stadium…are 10-2 in the last 12 matchups…had an eight-game winning streak from 7/25/15-6/18/16…have won five consecutive series (since 7/3/14)…are 51-21 (.708)
against the Twins since 2007, their best record vs. any AL club over the last 11 seasons…are 74-29 since 2002…IN 2016: Went 5-2 vs. Minnesota, including 2-1 at home and
3-1 in Minneapolis (all games occurred in an 11-day span from 6/16-26/16)…had opportunities to sweep both series but dropped the finales…IN SEASON SERIES: Have
won 10 consecutive season series since 2007…have won or split 15 consecutive season series vs. the Twins, going 13-0-2 since 2002 (went 3-3 in 2005 and 2006)…marks
their longest active streak of non-losing season series vs. any AL opponent…since 1993, are 20-1-3 in season series (went 2-4 in 2001)…AT YANKEE STADIUM: Are 5-1 vs.
Minnesota in the Bronx since the start of 2015…are 12-2-1 in their last 15 home series (min. 2G) vs. the Twins (went 1-2 in 2014 and ’13, 2-2 in ‘12)…are 18-9 vs. the Twins at
the current Yankee Stadium and 37-12 since the start of 2002…AT TARGET FIELD: Are 13-3 in their last 16 games in Minnesota and 22-6 since the start of 2009…have won
eight straight road series at Minnesota (2009-16)…are 19-6 (.760) at Target Field since its 2010 opening, their best record at any current AL ballpark…are 37-17 at Minnesota
since 2002…IN POSTSEASON: Are 4-0 all-time in postseason series vs. Minnesota (2010 ALDS, 3-0; 2009 ALDS, 3-0; 2004 ALDS, 3-1; 2003 ALDS, 3-1)…own a 12-2 all-time
record against the Twins in postseason games…have won nine straight postseason meetings since 10/6/04, their second-longest postseason win streak vs. any opponent
(10G vs. Texas).

Good Grief! Should the Minnesota Twins even show up?

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Josh Rabe

Another day and another player making his major league debut as a Minnesota Twin.

 

Josh Rabe

Josh Rabe (OF) – July 17, 2006 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 2000 MLB June Amateur Draft. His big league debut took place at the Dome and he pinch-ran for Jason Kubel but did not score in a 8-1 Twins win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins

 

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Tanner English

Tanner English

Ft. Myers Miracle (High A) outfielder (yes, another center-fielder) Tanner English, 24,  was named the Twins Player of the Week ending July 15. The right-handed hitting English hit .450 (9-for-20) with a double, two triples, three home runs and seven RBI on the week. In 49 games for the Miracle this season English is batting .240 (40-for-167) with nine doubles, five home runs and 27 RBI.

English was originally a 13th round selection in the 2011 MLB Draft out of high school by the Tampa Bay Rays but decided to go to college. English was drafted in the 11th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina and signed by Minnesota for a reported bonus of $105,000.

According to ELIAS – Brian Dozier

Dozier leads off second straight game with home run

 

Brian Dozier

Brian Dozier hit a leadoff home run in the Twins’ 4–2 win at Houston last night. It was the second time in a span of less than a year that Dozier has led off consecutive games with homers, having also done so last September. No other player in franchise history has more than one streak of at least two straight games hitting a leadoff home run.

Brian Dozier extended his Twins all-time franchise record for career leadoff homers last night, slugging the 22nd of his career. Dozier passed Jacque Jones Friday night with his 21st career leadoff home run. His 22 leadoff home runs are tied third most in the majors since his debut season in 2012. Dozier is tied with Shin-Soo Choo and trails only Charlie Blackmon (25) and Ian Kinsler (24) in that span.

Batting in the first spot in the order, Dozier also ranks in the top 10 in Twins history in
home runs (1st, 88), RBI (3rd, 226), walks (4th, 161), runs (5th, 256), doubles (5th,
98), hits (7th, 409), and triples (tied 9th, 10).

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Adam Johnson

Just one player made his debut in a Twins uniform on July 16th.

 

Adam Johnson

Adam Johnson (P) – July 16, 2001 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st round (2nd) of the 2000 MLB June Amateur Draft. Adam Johnson started against the Cardinals in Busch Stadium II and pitched 6 innings allowing 3 earned runs on seven hits, one walk and five strikeouts but took a ND in this Twins 3-2 win over the Cards. 

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins

According To ELIAS

Astros have the Twins’ number

The Astros defeated the Twins on Friday, 10–5, scoring in double digits for the fifth time in their last seven games. Houston has scored 73 runs in that stretch, the third-highest total for a major-league team this season. Washington scored 77 runs over the last seven days of April and had 76 runs from April 25 to May 2.

The Astros have won their last seven games against the Twins, the last six of which they’ve won by at least five runs. That ties the longest streak of that kind over the last 89 seasons (1929 to date); the most recent instance was by the White Sox against the Tigers spanning the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

The 1967 AL Pennant Race – Part 25 – Twins KO the Kansas City A’s 3-2 – just 1 1/2 games out of the lead

The Minnesota Twins allowed the Athletics to steal a record-breaking seven bases but yet found a way to beat the last place bunch from Kansas City. The Twins proved that at least in this game, that power beats speed. 

In the first inning the A’s scored two runs on a single hit, an error, a walk and four stolen bases. The Twins came back on a home run in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 2-1. The score remained 2-1 until Jack Aker relieved A’s starter Lew Krausse in the ninth inning. Harmon Killebrew greeted Aker with a game tying home run, his second of the game. Tony Oliva followed with another home run off Aker and the Twins walked off the running A’s 3-2. The Twins had but six hits but three were home runs and one was a double. Box Score

Twins_walk_off_A__039_s___1

Twins_walk_off_A__039_s___2

By the way, do you what a KO line-up is versus an OK line-up in Twins history?

 

The rest of the stories that I have done on the 1967 AL pennant race can be found here.

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Kevin Frederick

Today’s Major League debut as a Minnesota Twin on July 15 is:

Kevin Frederick (P) – July 15, 2002 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 34th round of the 1998 MLB June Amateur Draft. Entered the Twins vs Angels game at the Dome in the top of the fifth with the Twins down 7-1 and pitched 1.2 inning allowing two hits and one run. Eventually the Twins came back to win 10-8.

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins