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 eighteen.
The Minnesota Twins start their week with a 47-65 record and they trail the first place Yankees by 27.5 games in the dog-days of August.
August 10 – Yes sir! Another day in Fenway, another Twins loss, another loss by one run. The Red Sox and Tracy Stallard take a 3-0 lead but the Twins scored one in the fifth on a Zoilo Versalles home run and again in the sixth on a Jim Lemon home run but that is all the runs they could muster as they lost 3-2 ending their disastrous 15 game four city road trip with a 5-10 record. Stallard held the Twins at bay until the ninth inning when things got a bit dicey. Earl Battey started the inning with a walk but Stallard retired Ted Lepcio and Zoilo Versalles before PH Joe Altobelli singled moving pinch-runner Pedro Ramos to third. With runners at the corners and sitting on a one-run lead Red Sox manager Pinky Higgins turned to closer Arnold Earley and Twins skipper Mele chose to go with PH Billy Martin batting for Lenny Green. Martin strikes out and the Twins come up short but at least they can finally go home again. The Twins are still in ninth place, 28.5 games behind the AL leading Yankees who now have stretched their lead over Detroit to 3 games. Tracy Stallard wins his first major league game and only one of two games he will win in 1961. Yes, this is the same Tracy Stallard that ends up giving up home run number 61 to Roger Maris later this season. Al Schroll pitched another respectable game giving up 3 runs over 6 innings but all he would get is another defeat, his record now stands at 0-2 on the season. Box Score
August 11 – The Twins are glad to be home again for the first time since July 27th and a great crowd of 34,117 fans shows up at Met stadium to watch and the Twins don’t disappoint. The starters are Paul Foytack, 7-6 for the second place Detroit Tigers and Pedro Ramos 9-12 for our Minnesota Twins, The Twins jump out to a quick 1-0 lead in the second on a solo blast by catcher Earl Battey and it is a 1-0 game until the Tigers push a run across in the fifth to tie up the game 1-1. Battey again unloads on Foytack in the seventh with his 12 home run of the season, another sole blast, and the Twins are back in front 2-1. Ramos gives up just a single the rest of the way and the Twins win their fourth straight game against the high-flying Tigers. Battey complained before the game about the “lack of hits in this protective batting helmet I’ve worn since I was beaned”. Battey was hit in the head by a pitch from Bobby Locke of the Cleveland Indians on July 22. Since he resumed playing, Battey has worn a helmet with an ear flap on the left side to protect his cheek. Battey had two of the teams six hits. Ramos upped his record to 9-13 with his complete game win as he allowed just six hits and one walk while striking out ten. The Twins victory jumped them two spots in the standings to seventh place. Box Score
August 12 – The (73-41) Detroit Tigers crush the (48-67) Twins at Metropolitan Stadium by a 17-3 score. Not exactly how the Twins wanted their streak of one-run games to end. Jim Bunning pitches a complete game for the Tigers win allowing just six hits and three runs. Twins starter Don Lee lasted just 3.2 innings and allowed 8 runs, all earned. The Tigers out hit Minnesota 17 to 6. Box Score
August 13 – The Twins must have been a bit upset about yesterday’s thrashing by the Detroit Tigers because they jumped on Tiger starter Ron Kline for a double, 4 singles, 2 walks and scored 6 runs, although 3 were unearned, in the second inning and chased him to the showers after just 1.2 innings. The Twins added five more in the fourth inning and rolled to a 13-5 victory on 15 hits in spite of the fact that they committed three errors. Camilo Pascual started and went seven inning for the win but it wasn’t one of his better efforts. Ray Moore pitched two scoreless innings for his ninth Save of the year. The only Twins home run was a grand slam hit by Bill Tuttle (image on the right) in the fourth inning. Tuttle ended up the day 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and six RBI. Lenny Green was a home run short of the cycle and Earl Battey also had 3 hits including two doubles. Box Score
August 14 – The Kansas City Athletics showed up at Met Stadium and Jerry Walker squared off against the Twins Jim Kaat. Harmon Killebrew’s ten game home run drought ended in the first inning putting the Twins up by one. The Twins scored four more in the third inning with three runs coming on a Billy Martin home run. Kaat who pitched a complete game had only allowed two hits prior to the seventh inning lost his shutout in the seventh when he allowed back-to-back home runs on successive pitches to Deron Johnson and Joe Pignatano but buckled down and finished the game allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four and earned his fifth win against 12 losses in his rookie season. The final score was Twins 6 and the Athletics 2. In addition to the Killebrew and Martin home runs, Zoilo Versalles chipped in 3 hits including a double. Twins owner Calvin Griffith has talked with reporters about moving Versalles to second base next season if he can first acquire a good shortstop. As it turned out, Versalles never played a single game at second base for Minnesota in his seven seasons as a Twin. Box score
August 15 – It wasn’t Jack Kralick’s best start of the season but he fought through it to pitch a complete game against the Kansas City Athletics and get his 11th win of the season against 8 setbacks as the Twins beat the A’s 9-4 and won their third straight game. Kralick allowed four runs on 9 hits and 3 walks. A’s starter Jim Archer (8-8) took the loss. Bob Allison (25), Billy Martin (4), and Harmon Killebrew (35) all hit circuit swats. Martin’s home run was his second 3-run homer in two days as it clanked off the fair pole just 330 feet down the left field line in the fourth inning. Box Score
August 16 – The last-place Kansas City Royals ended their 6-game losing streak by beating the Twins and their starter Pedro Ramos at Met Stadium 12-7. Ramos who has been prone to the gopher ball now has given up 32 this season including one today to Norm Bass the A’s starting pitcher. Ramos hasn’t beaten the A’s in two seasons and lost his 14th in 23 decisions this year. The Twins tried to rally in the ninth by loading the bases with one out but a Jim Lemon double-play put and end to that. Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew again hit home runs and Billy Martin contributed thee hits including two doubles but it was not enough. The 51-68 Twins now hit the road for a short six game road-trip. Box Score
The Twins win four this week while losing three and their record on the year stands at 51-68. Not great by any means but Minnesota Twins fans still love their new MLB team regardless.
