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
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are introducing the inaugural Players Weekend from August 25-27, when all players will wear colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs, and Twins players are excited for the chance to show off their personalities to the fans.
The Twins will be in Toronto for a three-game series that weekend, and players will be allowed to have a nickname placed on the back of the jerseys made by Majestic Athletic, as well as wearing and using uniquely colored and designed spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher’s masks and bats.
These guys had their big league debuts as Twins on August 10.
Tommy Watkins (3B) – August 10, 2007 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 38th round of the 1998 MLB June Amateur Draft. Debuted in Anaheim as a PH for Jason Kubel and grounded out to second base in a Twins 10-1 loss to the Angels.
Damian Miller (C) – August 10, 1997 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round of the 1990 amateur draft. Debuted in a Twins 9-6 loss to the Yankees at the Dome as a PH off Yankee closer Mariano Rivera and hit a flyball to right for an out.
The Twins had a long day at the Met on August 9, 1967 but after 5 hours and 40 minutes and 20 innings all they had to show for their efforts was a 9-7 loss at the hands of the Washington Senators. I have attached the first page of the sports page for the day after but there is no box score, must have been too late for that edition. I am including the Box Score link at B-R that you should check out.
No home runs for the Twins but the Senators Frank Howard and Ken McMullen each hit one out at the Met. But it is the relief pitching that is amazing, Senators reliever Darold Knowles went 10 scoreless innings allowing just 3 hits and striking out 10. Twins reliever Al Worthington went 8.2 scoreless innings allowing 2 hits and striking out 8 Senator batters. Interestingly enough, Worthington had pitched the final 2 innings of the game the previous day also. The Twins gave Worthington the next 4 days off….
After all was said and done the Twins were in fourth place and 2.5 games behind the lead leading White Sox. The Red Sox were 1.5 out and the Tigers 2 games out. The California Angels were just one back of Minnesota.
Hank Izquierdo (C) – August 9, 1967 – Signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins prior to the 1963 season. Debuted in the 16th inning of a 20 inning 9-7 loss to the Washington Senators at Met Stadium as a PH and went 0 for 2.
“”Another Twins player who debuted at age 36 (and one who, like Mendoza, was also a native of Cuba) was Enrique “Hank” Izquierdo, who had actually retired as a player five years before he finally made the big leagues in 1967. In four seasons with Cincinnati’s Class AAA teams from 1957-60 Izquierdo posted batting averages of .153, .196, .218 and .186. Not exactly encouraging. In 1961 he was a player-coach with the Reds’ AAA team at Jersey City, and in 1962 he stopped playing altogether to be a bullpen catcher for the Cleveland Indians.
But he missed playing, so in 1963 Izquierdo hooked up with the Twins and dropped down to the Class A Florida State League, where he hit .297 and rekindled his career. By 1966 he was back up to AAA, and in ’67 he hit .300 for Denver of the Pacific Coast League to earn another call to the big leagues — this time as part of the active roster, when Earl Battey went on the disabled list with a dislocated thumb. It didn’t hurt that Cal Ermer had replaced Sam Mele as the Twins’ manager; Ermer had started the season at Denver and had also managed Izquierdo in winter ball.
With the Twins in the thick of one of the greatest pennant races in history (they wouldn’t be eliminated until the last day of the season), Izquierdo did just fine when called upon. The Twins went 7-2 in the games he started, and he finished the season with seven hits in 26 at-bats for a .269 batting average.
After the season Izquierdo was drafted by the Houston Astros’ Oklahoma City farm club and spent two years with them. After the 1968 season he was nearly killed while driving a cab in Miami when he was shot during a robbery, then his 1969 season ended prematurely when he was suspended for the rest of the season by American Association president Allie Reynolds after swinging a bat at future major league star Ted Simmons during an on-field argument. Izquierdo went on to manage in Mexico before returning to the Twins as a scout.”
Minnesota Twins pinch hitter Don Baylor drops his bat after hitting a game winning single with the bases loaded in the eighth inning in the ALCS with the Detroit Tigers, Oct. 8, 1987, Minneapolis, Minn. The Twins went on to score three more runs in the inning to win game one of the series 8-5. (AP Photo/ Rusty Kennedy)
Former American League MVP in 1979 and National League Manager of the Year Don Baylor has passed away at the age of 68 after a 14 year battle with multiple myeloma.
Baylor graduated from Austin High School as one of the first African-Americans to attend the school and the very first to play baseball and football for the school. Baylor had an opportunity to become the first African-American to play football at the University of Texas but Baylor wanted to play football and baseball but Texas football coach Darrell Royal was opposed saying that was put too much pressure on Baylor and wanted him to focus on football so when the Orioles drafted in round 2 in 1967 it was an easy decision for Baylor. By the way, the Minnesota Twins selected 3B Bob Storm in round 2 just 2 picks earlier.
Remembered for his charisma and kindness off the field, Baylor was also a force to be reckoned with at the plate in a terrific 19-year career as a player. A three-time winner of a Silver Slugger Award and an American League All-Star, Baylor hit .260 over the life of a career that was highlighted by Most Valuable Player honors as a member of the 1979 California Angels.
Baylor, nicknamed “Groove” helped a team to the postseason on seven different occasions and, in the waning stages of his career, was traded from the Red Sox to the Twins for the stretch run in 1987. He’d go on to collect seven hits in 18 at-bats during the playoffs that season, including a game-tying two-run homer in Game 6 of the World Series. Minnesota would rally for six more runs following that key hit, and the Twins ultimately rode that momentum to a Game 7 victory and a World Series championship.
Following his playing days, Baylor became the first manager in Colorado Rockies history in their inaugural 1993 season. By the time the strike-shortened 1995 campaign rolled around, Baylor’s Rockies finished the season with a 77-67 record, leading to the first postseason appearance in franchise history as well as NL Manager of the Year honors for Baylor. That marked the first of three straight winning seasons for Baylor, who also later spent three years managing the Cubs (2000-02). Baylor’s managing record was 627-689. Baylor is one of four men to win an MVP award and Manager of the Year, joining Kirk Gibson, Frank Robinson and Joe Torre.
Baylor’s time in the dugout would continue for more than a decade, as he also served as a bench coach for the Mets and a hitting coach for the Braves, Mariners, Rockies, Diamondbacks and Angels.
Baylor is survived by his wife, the former Rebecca Giles; his son, Don Jr.; his brother, Doug; his sister, Connie; and two granddaughters. His marriage to Jo Cash ended in divorce.
The Twins powered up against Matt Garza and company, slamming five home runs in their 11–4 victory over the Brewers. Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario, who each homered twice for Minnesota, became the first Twins duo in just over six years to hit multiple homers in the same game. Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young each hit a pair of four-baggers for Minnesota on August 3, 2011 at Angel Stadium.
Clutch grand slams for both Dozier and Lamb
Brian Dozier
Brian Dozier also homered for the Twins on Tuesday, with his grand slam turning a one-run deficit into a three-run lead for Minnesota. Jake Lamb replicated that feat for the Diamondbacks later in the night, homering off Dodgers reliever Tony Watson with the bases loaded to give Arizona a 6–3 lead (the D-Backs won by that same score). There was one other day this season in which multiple players hit a go-ahead grand-slam home run with his team trailing at the time. And on that day – June 3 – there were four players that hit home runs of that kind! Those trailing-to-leading salamis were produced by Matt Adams, Kyle Schwarber, Travis Shaw, and Chris Taylor.
Eddie Rosario scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a two-out balk by Oliver Drake, and Ryan Pressly and Matt Belisle kept the Brewers off the board as the Twins took a 5-4 decision in Minneapolis. This was the first time since the franchise moved from Washington to Minnesota in 1961 that the Twins won a game with the go-ahead and final run coming home on a balk in the seventh inning or later. The last such win by any major-league team came on July 16 of last year, when the Padres won, 7-6, in 10 innings on a walk off balk by Giants reliever Santiago Casilla.
The only player to make his big league debut as a Minnesota Twin on August 7 is ….
Vic Albury (P) – August 7, 1973 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins from the San Diego Padres in the 1970 minor league draft. Albury’s debut took place at Met Stadium in a 10-4 loss to the Orioles. Albury was the Twins third pitcher of the day and he walked his first batter, committed a balk, and allowed a single before retiring the side with one run scored. He then pitched a clean second inning of relief before being replaced by Ray Corbin.
Berrios shakes off rough start, earns victory over Rangers
Jose Berrios
The Rangers scored five runs in the top of the first, but Minnesota overcame the early deficit to post a 6–5 victory. Twins starter Jose Berrios earned the win by completing five innings and allowing only three hits after the first inning. Berrios is the first pitcher to be credited with a win this season after allowing five or more runs in the first inning. Only one pitcher did so in 2016 (Johnny Cueto), and only one other did so for the Twins since they moved to Minnesota in 1961 (Nick Blackburn in 2011).
Clark Beeker – Credit: Dennis Hubbard/Sports Cards N More
Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low A) right-handed pitcher Clark Beeker has been named Twins minor league Player of the Week. Beeker made two starts for the Kernels, going 1-0, 0.00 ERA (17.2 IP) with no walks and 14 strikeouts. Before the season started, Class A Cedar Rapids pitching coach J.P. Martinez offered a steak dinner to anyone on the staff who could throw a shutout in 100 pitches or fewer. A hungry Clark Beeker made sure to cash in on the opportunity.
In 19 starts for the Kernels this season, his first season as a full-time starter, he has gone 10-3, 2.15 ERA (121.2 IP, 29 ER) with two complete game shutouts, 14 walks and 84 strikeouts. The man has never had an ERA for any pro team he has pitched for higher than 2.51.The North Carolina native was selected by the Twins in the 33rd round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Davidson College (NC).
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are introducing the inaugural Players Weekend from August 25-27, when all players will wear colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs, and Twins players are excited for the chance to show off their personalities to the fans.
