With no baseball being played and “classic” games being broadcast on the radio and television I thought I would do something a bit different, at least for awhile, since no baseball is being played. I thought I would give up a brief recap of Minnesota Twins games from 1961.
I have been working on a very long term project whereas I do a brief recap of Twins games on my “In This Day in Twins History Pages.” So my plan is to give you a brief recap of the Twins first season as it plays out on a weekly basis. For more info on a particular game you can also click on the date and go to the appropriate “In This Day in Twins History Page” as there you will often get to see some player pictures and supporting documentation. We will see how long I can keep up with it, no promises. So let’s see what we have for week one.
April 11 – The Minnesota Twins play their first ever regular season game and win 6-0 when Pedro Ramos shuts out the New York Yankees on 3 hits in Yankee Stadium I. Bob Allison leads off the 7th inning with a home run and breaks up the scoreless duel that Ramos and Whitey Ford are waging. Reno Bertoia hits a two-run homer in the 8th inning. In addition to getting a complete game win, Ramos is 1 for 4 with a single and 2 RBI. Box Score
April 12 – No Game Today, a scheduled day off.
April 13 – Game against the New York Yankees rained out in New York.
April 14 – Playing in only their second game the Twins beat the Orioles 3-2 at Memorial Stadium behind Camilo Pascual’s complete game 12 strikeout effort. Pascual allows 5 hits and 2 walks. Shortstop Zoilo Versalles singles in second baseman Billy Gardner who had doubled in the seventh inning and the Twins take a 3-2 lead that they won’t relinquish. Box Score
April 15 – After starting the season with two wins, the Minnesota Twins lose to the Baltimore Orioles and Steve Barber 8-0 at Memorial Stadium and get a “L” on their record for the first time ever. The Twins however; lost more than just a game when their star power-hitter Harmon Killebrew had to be helped off the field in the ninth inning after pulling his left hamstring running out a grounder in the ninth inning. Killebrew is expected to be out at least three weeks with Don Mincher expected to fill in. In the 5th inning catcher Ron Henry pinch-hits for Ted Sadowski in the 5th inning and grounds into a double play but in the process becomes the first player to make his major league debut as a Minnesota Twin. In the 8th inning pitcher Lee Stange becomes the second player to have his major league debut as a Minnesota Twins player. Barber kept the Twins in check even though he gave up 5 hits and 6 walks in his complete game shutout. Orioles left fielder Dick Williams hit the games only home run. Twins starter Chuck Stobbs took the defeat. Box Score
In off the field action the Minnesota Twins were in search of “twin” bat boys and ball boys and 74 sets of twins showed up to offer their services.
April 16 – On the day of the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba, the Twins sweep the Orioles at Memorial Stadium 10-5 and 6-4 in the Twins first ever double-header. The Twins explode out of the gate in game 1 scoring 6 runs in the first inning when outfielder Bob Allison hits the Twins first ever grand slam home run and Orioles starter Chuck Estrada is sent to the showers without retiring a single batter. It takes three Oriole pitchers to get the Twins out in the first inning, primarily because six Twins batters get walked, two of the walks force in runs. Allison has a great game hitting two home runs and knocking in 7 with two runs scored to boot. Lenny Green also chipped in a home run and Pedro Ramos was credited with the win and as you might guess Estrada took the loss. Box Score game 1
The Twins have the Orioles where they want them in game 2 with a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth but close Ray Moore blows the save and the Orioles tie the game at 4-4. Note that Twins starter Jack Kralick started the ninth but Moore was brought in when Kralick retired the first batter but then allowed a single and a walk. The Twins go on to play their first extra inning affair in game 2 and win when Zoilo Versalles hits the Twins first extra inning home run, a 2-run shot in the 11th inning. Versalles was 4 for 6 with a run, a stolen base, and 3 RBI. Rookie pitcher Bill Pleis making his big league debut entered the game with the scored tied 4-4 with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners at the corners and retires Dave Philly to send the game into extra innings. Pleis also pitched a scoreless 10th inning and became the first Twins pitcher to earn a win in his major league debut. Box Score Game 2
April 17 – No Scheduled Game Today. An April snowstorm dropped 8″ of snow and 30 MPH winds made for slower than expected ticket sales for the Minnesota Twins first ever home baseball game that is just four days away at Met Stadium.
April 18 – With a brisk wind and game time temperature at 38 degrees the Twins beat the Red Sox 3-2 at Fenway Park with just 2,309 fans in the stands. Twins starter Jim Kaat goes 7.1 innings and allows just one earned run on 3 hits while striking out six. Twins center fielder Lenny Green goes 4 for 4 with a sacrifice and stolen base and Jim Lemon contributes a home run and a double as the new Twins up their record to 5-1 to start their first season. Box Score
April 19 – Game versus the Red Sox at Fenway Park is postponed due to snow and cold. A crowd of 3,000-5,000 fans greet the league leading 5-1 Minnesota Twins at Wold-Chamberlain Field when they return from their season-opening trip to New York, Baltimore and Boston.
I hope you check in next week for Episode 2. Stay safe and healthy!
Thank you John. I’m looking forward to how long you can keep doing this.
Appreciate your help in this baseball-free hell.
We will have to wait and see if I can keep up as it takes a bit of research to get some of the unusual aspects of the game included. Thank you for reading and your comments.