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
This is a general blogging category.
Here is an interesting clipping I took from the May 3, 1969 edition of the Sporting News that relates to a hot topic in 2019, infield shifts. It makes me wonder why Harmon Killebrew could handle it back then and today’s players seem to struggle with it. You didn’t think that “shifts” were new did you? I don’t think anyone even used the word analytics and computers back then.
Make sure you follow the 1969 Twins on the On This Day in Twins History page.
Gregory Scott Booker was born in Burlington, North Carolina on June 22, 1960 and after a courageous fight with melanoma passed away at the age of 58 on March 30, 2019. Greg Booker was a 10th round pick in the 1981 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres and signed by Kelly McKeon. Booker is the son-in-law of “Trader Jack” McKeon and brother-in-law of Kasey McKeon and Kelly McKeon.
Greg Booker, a 6’6″ right-handed pitcher started his big league career in 1981 in the San Diego Padres organization and made his major league debut on September 11, 1983 after putting up relatively mediocre minor league pitching numbers. Booker spent all or parts of seven seasons (1983-1989) with the San Diego Padres and made an appearance in the 1984 NLCS and the 1984 World Series before being traded by his father-in-law Jack McKeon to the Minnesota Twins on June 29, 1989 for pitcher Freddie Toliver.
The 30-year-old Booker was sent to AAA Portland after being acquired by Minnesota and then in September the Twins called him up and he appeared in six games pitching a total 8.2 innings with no decisions and a 4.15 ERA. After the 1989 season ended Booker became a free agent and signed with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs released Booker prior to the 1990 season and the San Francisco Giants signed him a few days later and he appeared in just two games as a Giant and pitched in his final big league game on May 26, 1990.
James William Holt was born on May 27, 1944 in Graham, NC and passed away at the age of 74 on March 29, 2019 in Burlington, NC. The youngest of six children, Jim Holt learned to play baseball in high school and after graduation had tryouts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians. When these tryouts didn’t attract any pro ball offers and opportunities in Graham pretty much limited to working in a flour or timber mill, Holt decided to join the Army in 1963 and intended to make it a career.
With 10 strikeouts from Jose Berrios on Opening Day and 11 strikeouts from Jake Odorizzi yesterday, it’s only the second time in MLB history (since 1893) that a team has had a pitcher strike out 10+ batters in the first two games of the season. The only other team to have a pitcher strike out 10+ in each of its first 2 games of a season is the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks Randy Johnson & Curt Schilling. Not bad company at all. Credit to @morsecode.
Who would think that Twins pitchers would set strikeout records?
Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Stoke63538501
Back in the 60’s and 70’s it was not unusual to see the opening day pitcher pitch a complete game. Twins pitchers did it three times in the 60’s including in 1961 when they played their first game against the New York Yankees and Pedro Ramos went the distance in the 6-0 Twins win and again three more times in the 70’s. The last pitcher to pitch a complete game on opening day for Minnesota was Dave Goltz in 1978 but he lost to the Mariners that day in a 3-2 game.
When the Twins open the season against the Cleveland Indians it will be only the third time they have hosted a season opener at Target Field and the fourth time they have played the Cleveland Indians in a season opening game. It should be an interesting game as Twins ace Jose Berrios faces off against Indians ace Corey Kluber. Many baseball experts are picking the Cleveland Indians to defend their AL Central title while others are picking the Minnesota Twins to over-take the Indians this season so the predicted sell-out crowd should see some good baseball.
Season opening games against the Indians over the years
The last time the Minnesota Twins opened the season at home in Target Field was in 2017 when they beat Kansas City Royals 7 to 1. Ervin Santana went seven strong innings that day and held the Royals to just two hits and one run to earn his first win of the season. Attendance was reported at 39,615 and when Santana threw his first pitch it was 50 degrees and overcast. The Twins went on to win 83 games that season and lost a one-game wild card game against the New York Yankees. Box Score
The first time the Minnesota Twins opened the season at home in Target Field was on April 1, 2013 when the hosted the Detroit Tigers but lost the game 4-2 in front of 32,282 fans on a cool but sunny 35 degree day with 17 MPH winds howling out to center field. Vance Worley started on that April Fool’s Day and was the loser. Box Score
I can’t wait, let’s PLAY BALL!
The Minnesota Twins are an IF team. IF Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano play up to their abilities than Twins fans might be in for a lot of fun and exciting baseball. IF those two important cogs don’t show more than they did last season the Twins will once again struggle to get to the .500 mark.
The Derek Falvey regime has three off-seasons in the books and begins their third season on the playing field. When the year is done we should have a good feel for where this team is. We know the organization has gone head over heels for technology with expensive toys all over and more nerds in the front office than they probably have room for. Owner Jim Pohlad must feel like he gave Falvey an unlimited budget and he has already exceeded it with his organization rebuild.
I can’t help but feel that the Twins organization is so busy trying to help their players with technology that they forget what baseball is really all about. I am no spring chicken and I am not from Missouri but you have to show me that the new ways work better than the old. In spite of my concerns about the organization I am cautiously optimistic that Sano and Buxton will start to shine and help the team achieve the success we all hope for.
The post Joe Mauer era is here, there will be no Twins number 7 on the playing field. With Cleveland dumping some players and seemingly not trying to improve I think that the Minnesota Twins can over take the Indians this season and win the division by two games. I see the Chicago White Sox getting better and finishing in third place followed by the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals occupying the AL Central cellar with a 100+ loss season.
I can’t wait for the season to start and for the Twins to show me what they got! What about the rest of you, how do you think the Twins will do? Leave a comment with your prediction.
Charlie Manuel signed with the Minnesota Twins for $20,000 prior to the 1963 season by-passing college in order to provide for the family after his father committed suicide. Charlie was a four-sport star (baseball, football, basketball and track) in high school and had scholarship opportunities after graduating but decided he needed to work to help support is family.
Manuel started his pro baseball career in 1963 near his home with the Wytheville (Virginia) Twins of the Appalachian League, hitting .358 with seven home runs in 58 games. Manuel worked his way through the Twins system and in the spring of 1969 under manager Billy Martin finally made the Minnesota Twins roster.
Manuel who was known as Chuck instead on Charlie in his playing days could not win a regular outfield position and suffered some injuries and in his four seasons on the Twins roster from 1969-1972 never appearing in more than 83 games. In 1973 Manuel spent the entire season with AAA Tacoma and after the season ended he and catcher Glenn Ezell were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jim Fairey and Mike Floyd.
Manuel appeared in just four games with the Dodgers in 1974 and 15 games in 1975 never starting any of them and after the 1975 season ended so did his big league career as a player as the age of 31. In parts of six big league seasons Manuel played in 242 games hitting just four home runs (all in a Twins uniform) and had a career batting mark of just .199.
Manuel’s career as a player in the major leagues was over but he was not done playing. It turned out that he was just beginning the best part of his playing career, not in the United States but in Japan. The Yakult Swallows of Tokyo signed Manuel and treated him as a star. Despite his concerns about playing baseball in Japan, between 1976-1981 Manuel played like a man possessed in Japan’s Central League, hitting .303 with 189 home runs and 491 RBIs for the Swallows and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. His .324 average, 37 home runs, and 94 RBIs for Kintetsu in 1979 earned him the league MVP, the first American player to be so honored. He followed up his MVP season by slugging 48 home runs for the Buffaloes in 1980, which long stood as a record for an American player in Japan. Manuel played for two pennant-winning teams in his six seasons in Japan. His power at the plate and his reddish hair earned Manuel the nickname Aki Ono (Red Devil) among the fans and players in Japan.
Manuel left baseball as a player after the 1981 season and signed on with the Minnesota Twins as a scout in 1982. Manuel missed being on the playing field and was named the manager of the Minnesota Twins Wisconsin Rapids team in 1983. Manuel then moved on to manage AA Orlando in 1984 and 1985 and the AAA Toledo and Portland in 1986 and 1987.
Manuel moved on to the Cleveland Indians in 1988 and served as a hitting coach for two seasons before again going back to the minors as a manager. Manuel took over as the Cleveland Indians skipper from 2000 thru July of 2002 at which point he was fired. Manuel had numerous health issues between 1990 and 2001 including two heart attacks, bypass surgery, diverticulitis, kidney cancer, and gall bladder removal surgery.
Manuel then moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies in a front office capacity and after the 2004 season the Phillies fired their manager Larry Bowa and Charlie Manuel got the job. Manuel managed the Phillies from 2005 until mid 2013 when he again got the axe after winning exactly 1,000 games, two pennants and a World Championship (in 2008) for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Now Charlie Manuel is enjoying retirement in Florida.
Sporting News – April 5, 1969 – Chuck Manuel
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli named Jose Berrios as his his Opening Day starter when the Twins take on the Cleveland Indians at Target Field on March 28. This will be the first opening Day assignment for the 24 year old Berrios who was one of three Twins starters to make 32 starts in 2018.
4 – Number of wins that Twins pitchers with just one Opening Day start on their resume have recorded.
12 – Losses by Twins pitchers making their lone opening day start
13 – Twins pitchers have made multiple opening day starts
15 – Twins Opening Day starters took a ND for their work
18 – Twins pitchers have one Opening Day start on their resume
1967 – Last time a Twins pitcher on Opening Day had a hit