Category: Did You Know?

Did you know?

Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey, Josh Donaldson and manager Rocco Baldelli of the Minnesota Twins pose for a photo as the Twins introduce Josh Donaldson at Target Field on January 22, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

According to mlbtraderummors.com – The Minnesota Twins for signing Josh Donaldson: Minnesota also received revenue-sharing and didn’t exceed the luxury tax threshold, so signing Donaldson put the Twins in position to give up their third-highest draft selection.  However, the Twins are actually giving up their fourth-highest pick in the 2020 draft, which is their third-round selection.  The Twins’ actual third selection is their pick in Competitive Balance Round B, but those picks aren’t eligible to be forfeited as compensation for QO free agent signings.

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Bill Veeck, the former owner of the Browns, White Sox, and Indians, was well-known for his promotions and ideas, which included a pinch-hitting midget, an exploding scoreboard, and putting players’ names on the back of their uniforms, the innovative Hall of Famer is also responsible for breaking the color barrier in the American League, signing Larry Doby in 1947 to play for Cleveland.

  • Mike Pelfrey (2006-17) has the most career starts (256) without throwing a shutout.
  • A.J. Pierzynski is one of only 10 players to catch 2,000 games in the majors.
  • Three players have won the Batting Championship without hitting a home run, Ginger Beaumont (1902 Pirates), Zack Wheat (1918 Robins), and Rod Carew (1972 Twins).
  • Four pitchers have won 25+ games in a season, yet they didn’t win the Cy Young Award: Juan Marichal (1963, 1966, 1968), Jim Kaat (1966), Mickey Lolich (1971), and Fergie Jenkins (1974). Now days wins don’t seem to matter in Cy Young voting.
  • The durable reliever LaTroy Hawkins pitched 21 seasons for 11 clubs, and his 1,042 appearances rank 10th all-time.
  • Back in 1928 in an effort to speed up the game and add more offense, National League president John Heydler proposes the concept of a designated batter for the pitcher. The American League opposes the idea and the NL withdraws the proposal before Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis is asked to break the deadlock.

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Martin Perez

That Martin Pérez struck out four in his outing against the Yankees (game No. 99 of the season), and with his first one to Gary Sánchez in the second inning, he joined all four Twins starters with 90 strikeouts, making the 2019 Twins’ starting rotation the first five-man rotation in Twins history to record 90-plus strikeouts apiece through less than 100 games of any Minnesota Twins season ever. Credit to MN Twins GameNotes

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Prior to last nights game against the Bronx Bombers the Twins ranked sixth in the AL in total attendance, having drawn 1,296,842 this season, trailing New York (2,174,093), Los Angeles (1,868,163), Boston (1,766,667), Houston (1,730,832) and Texas (1,409,726). Rocco’s boys now have drawn 30,000+ in 15 of their last 19 home games. The Twins have sold out 168 regular season games at Target Field since 2010, they sold out 81 in 2010, 57 in 2011, eight in 2012, six in 2013, none in 2014, six in 2015, one in 2016, one in 2017, one in 2018, and seven in 2019. Twins fans are showing they will come to watch a good team play ball. In spite of the teams low attendance numbers to start the season, they are now averaging 26,629 per game which is over 3,000 on average per game more than last season. At this pace they are on track to hit 2.2 million fans.

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The 2019 Minnesota Twins had scored three-or-more runs in 26 consecutive games, dating back to May 6 at Toronto, a single-season franchise record. The streak ended yesterday when the Cleveland Indians beat the Twins yesterday 5-2 in Cleveland.

The overall franchise record is 30 consecutive games, spanning two seasons, from September 14, 2003-April 23, 2004.

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“Leader of the Pack” Eddie Rosario hits one out with credit to Michael Layton/Getty Images

With four more home runs yesterday, the 2019 Minnesota Twins have homered in 11 straight games, their longest streak of the season. It marks their longest stretch since homering in 16 straight games twice in 2017 and again in 1979. The Twins have hit 76 home runs, third most in baseball, trailing Seattle and Houston, both with 83. What I find interesting too is that only one AL team (Angels) have struck out fewer times than the Twins.

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NOTES FROM REMARKABLE, FROM INSIDE EDGE:

Kyle Gibson

Jonathan Schoop

Byron Buxton

 

 

 

 

 

(Click on images to make them larger)

The Twins have used a defensive shift 245 times in 426 plate appearances (57.5% shift rate) vs right-handed batters this season — highest in MLB; League Avg: 22.5%.

Kyle Gibson has induced opposing right-handed batters to ground into 21 double plays in 83 opportunities (25.3%) since the start of last season — best among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 12.1%.

Kyle Gibson has walked 3 of 75 left-handed batters (4.0%) this season — 4th best among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 9.0%.

Kyle Gibson has recorded 10 of his 15 strikeouts (66.7%) vs right-handed batters with his slider this season — 7th highest in MLB among starting pitchers with at least 16.0 IP; League Avg: 26.2%.

Jonathan Schoop has not drawn a walk in his last 72 PA’s against a RHP dating back to April 13th — Manuel Margot has the longest active streak at 97.

Byron Buxton has 16 Extra-Base hits out of 22 total hits (72.7%) against RHP this season — best in MLB; League Avg: 39.0%

Source: Twins GameNotes 05/08/19.

Did you know?

That in the Twins GameNotes there is all kinds of good information for you Twins fans that you are missing out on if you fail to check them out. Here are some things you missed out on if you did not check them today. The Twins do a great job on these notes, don’t miss them.

The Twins enter today with the third best winning percentage in baseball at .609, trailing only Tampa Bay (.640, 16-9) and Seattle (.621 – 18-11). Their 14 wins through the first 23 games is their best start through 23 since going 15-8 in 2010, additionally, the Twins have gone 6-4 at home this season.

The Twins have seen 3.68 pitches-per-plate appearance this season, the lowest ratio in baseball; the highest in baseball is Seattle at 4.12…they have also seen the fewest number of total pitches at 3,212, the next closest being Pittsburgh with 3,412 Jonathan Schoop ranks second in baseball in fewest pitches-per-PA with 3.11. The Twins have struck out 166 times this season, only the Angels (158) have struck out fewer.

The Twins have hit 42 home runs so far through 23 games, tied for most in club history through their first 23 – also 42 in 1964. The Twins are on pace to hit 295 home runs, which would pass their club record of 225, set in 1963. The MLB record is 267, done by New York-AL last season. The Twins rank tied for fifth in baseball in home runs, despite playing in the fewest games, they rank third in at-bats-per-home run (18.79).

I Bet You Didn’t Know This About Former Twin Randy Hundley

 

I recently checked out a book out of the local library called “The 34-Ton Bat” written by one of my favorite writers, Steve Rushin. Rushin was born in Elmhurst, Ill. and raised in Bloomington, Minnesota.

According to Rushin, he had a great-great uncle Jack Boyle who played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, St.Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies between 1886 and 1898 and in 1892 was signed by the Giants for $5,500 and was the highest paid player in baseball history. Boyle was primarily a catcher and first baseman but could and did play every other position but pitcher.

Steve Rushin wanted to get into baseball and was hired by the Minnesota Twins at the age of 13 in 1979 to be a vendor at Met Stadium and did so until the early 80’s when he along with the Twins moved to the Metrodome. After graduating from Bloomington Kennedy High School in 1984 and Marquette University in 1988, Rushin joined the staff of Sports Illustrated. 

Randy Hundley

But on with our story, it is not about Steve Rushin, it is about what he wrote about former Twins catcher Randy Hundley. Hundley was acquired by the Minnesota Twins on December 6, 1973 when they sent catcher George Mitterwald over to the Chicago Cubs.

Continue reading I Bet You Didn’t Know This About Former Twin Randy Hundley

Who was this Twins player?

“The Golden Glove” sculpture sits outside Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.  (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

What Twins player holds the Minnesota Twins record for committing the most errors in a single season? How many errors did he have and what year did this happen?