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
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.
The following players made their big league debuts in a Twins uni on August 6.
Andrew Albers on August 12, 2013 at Target Field
Andrew Albers (P) – August 6, 2013 – Signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins on March 10, 2011. Started the game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium and pitched 8.1 scoreless innings allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk and earning his first big league victory in the Twins 7-0 whitewash of the Royals.
Oscar Munoz (P) – August 6, 1995 – Traded by the Cleveland Indians with Curt Leskanic to the Minnesota Twins for Paul Sorrento on March 28, 1992. Debuted in relief in the Dome pitching the final 3.2 innings allowing the Royals 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in a Twins 11-1 defeat at the hands of the boys from KC.
Three players debuted in the big leagues as Minnesota Twins on August 5.
Tyler Duffey
Tyler Duffey (P) – August 5, 2015 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft. Duffey’s welcome to the “bigs” at Roger Centre against the Blue Jays in a Twins 9-7 loss was a rough one to put it mildly, just 2 innings pitched in the start and allowing 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks as he threw 60 pitches.
Jesse Crain
Jesse Crain (P) – August 5, 2004 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 2002 MLB June Amateur Draft. Debuted in a 8-3 Twins loss to the Anaheim Angels at the Humpty Dome pitching 1.1 scoreless inning allowing 2 hits and striking out two.
German Gonzalez (P) – August 5, 1988 – Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent on December 29, 1986. The Twins were whipping the Yankees 11-2 at Yankee Stadium II when Gonzalez was brought in to pitch the last inning which he did giving up just a hit and a walk but no runs.
One player made his big league debut wearing a Twins uniform on August 4.
Don Williams (P) – August 4, 1963 – Acquired from Kansas City A’s in 1960. Debut was at Municipal Stadium in a Twins 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Kansas City A’s. Williams pitched 1.1 innings of relief allowing 2 hits and 3 walks but no runs.
I believe that Don Reid Williams is the only Twins player I do not have a picture of, if anyone out there does have any kind of picture of him, digital or hard copy, I would very much appreciate getting a copy.
I got a little busy with some other activities yesterday and didn’t get the August 2 debuts out here so today we will do August 2 & 3.
Danny Ardoin (Credit: Getty Images)
Danny Ardoin (C) – August 2, 2000 – Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Minnesota Twins for Mario Valdez on July 31, 2000. Debut was at Camden Yards in a Twins 10-6 win over the Orioles and Ardoin was 0 for 2 but scored a run and walked three times.
Bob Gebhard
Bob Gebhard (P) – August 2, 1971 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 44th round of the 1965 amateur draft. Debuted at White Sox Park in a 7-5 loss to the White Sox. He pitched 2 innings of scoreless, hit-less relief and allowed just the single walk.
Jim Merritt (P) – August 2, 1965 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1961 first-year draft. Debuted as a starter against the Orioles at the Met and had a 5-2 lead after 8 innings but in the ninth inning he retired Brooks Robinson on a ground ball, gave up a single to Bob Johnson, induced Carl Warwick to pop-up before giving up another single to Jerry Adair and that brought up catcher Dick Brown who proceeded to hit a 3 run home run, his only home run of the season and tied the score at 5-5. Johnny Klippstein was brought in and struck out Jim Palmer to end the threat. In the bottom of the ninth inning the first Twins batter was Klippstein and Jimmie Hall pinch-hit a walk-off home run for him off Palmer and Twins fans went home happy, Merritt probably was not in such a merry mood as he did the heavy lifting and Klippstein earned the “W”.
Jason Bartlett
Jason Bartlett (SS) – August 3, 2004 – Traded by the San Diego Padres to the Minnesota Twins for Brian Buchanan on July 12, 2002. Debuted as a sub for Cristian Guzman at the Dome and struck out in his only plate appearance but at least he got to shake hands on the field after the Twins 10-0 shellacking of the Angels.
Kennys Vargas (1B) – August 1, 2014 – Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent on February 25, 2009 – Debuted on his 24th birthday at U.S. Cellular Park in a Twins 10-8 loss to the White Sox. Vargas went 1 for 5 with a double, a run scored and 2 RBI. Happy Birthday Kennys!
Randy Ruiz
Randy Ruiz (1B) – August 1, 2008 – Signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins on November 16, 2007. Debuted at the Dome in a 4-1 win over the Indians. Ruiz started at DH and went 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Travis Baptist
Travis Baptist (P) – August 1, 1998 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins from the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1996 rule 5 draft. Debuted in a Twins 10-9 loss to the Blue Jays at the Dome. Baptist pitched the ninth inning for the Twins and had a tough go of it allowing two runs on 3 hits in his lone inning of pitching.
Scott Watkins (P) – August 1, 1995 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 23rd round of the 1992 amateur draft. Debuted at Jacobs Field and helped to protect a Twins 6-5 lead in the ninth inning by facing one batter and retiring him.
Ron Coomer (3B/1B/OF) – August 1, 1995 – Traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a player to be named later, Greg Hansell and Jose Parra to the Minnesota Twins for Mark Guthrie and Kevin Tapani on July 31, 1995. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Chris Latham (October 30, 1995) to the Minnesota Twins to complete the trade. The Coom Dog debuted at Jacobs Field in the same game that Scott Watkins did. Coomer’s debut however came as a pinch-hitter with one out and two runners on and Coomer hit into a double play ending the Twins threat.
One big league debut in a Minnesota uniform on July 31.
Willie Banks
Willie Banks (P) – July 31, 1991 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st round (3rd pick) of the 1987 amateur draft. Big league debut was in New York against the Yankees in a Twins 12-3 win. Banks tossed two innings of relief allowing two runs (none earned) on 3 hits and 2 walks.
Two big league debuts as Minnesota Twins on July 27.
Brian Buscher (3B) – July 27, 2007 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins from the San Francisco Giants in the 2006 rule 5 draft on December 7, 2006. Two for four including singles in his first two big league at bats at Jacobs Field in a 10-4 Twins loss to the Indians.
Denny Neagle (P) – July 27, 1991 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1989 amateur draft. Neagle made his debut in a start at the Dome in front of 47,632 fans against the Brewers and struck out 5 in 3 innings while allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. The Twins ended up winning the game 7-4 but Neagle had a ND.
Today’s debuts are lesser known players that made their big league debut as Twins on July 26.
Alex Prieto
Alex Prieto (2B/SS/3B) – July 26, 2003 – Signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins on January 24, 2002. Struck out in his big league debut at Jacobs Field in a Twins 9-2 loss to the Indians.
Shane Bowers – Credit to Getty Images
Shane Bowers (P) – July 26, 1997 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 21st round of the 1993 amateur draft. Twins starter against the Orioles at the Dome and pitched 5.2 innings allowing 4 hits and 3 walks but just one run but got a ND for his efforts in a 12 inning 2-1 loss to the O’s.
Bert Cueto (P) – July 26, 1961 – Signed as an amateur free agent in 1956. One of the early MLB debuts as a Minnesota Twin, number 7 on the list. Debuted in relief against the Washington Senators at the Met and faced just one batter, retiring him on a fly ball and thus earning his first and only big league win.
Just one MLB debut as a Minnesota Twin on July 25.
Mark Guthrie
Mark Guthrie (P) – July 25, 1989 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 7th round of the 1987 amateur draft. Guthrie threw 36 pitches in his big league debut pitching 1.2 innings and giving up 2 hits but he also struck out three Orioles in the Dome and held Baltimore off the scoreboard in a 9-3 Twins victory over the visiting birds from Baltimore.
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.
