These were some quick games

Frank ViolaI thought that with all the attention this year on the length of games that it would be fun to take a look at some of the quickest nine inning games in Twins history in terms of wall clock time. The fastest game turned out to be a Twins 3-0 loss at Exhibition Stadium to the Toronto Blue Jays as starter Jim Clancy and his Twins counterpart Frank Viola faced off.

Twins 9 inning games in 1 hour and 45 minutes and under

Rk Date Opp Rslt PA AB Attendance GmLen ?
1 1982-09-28 (1) TOR L 0-3 28 27 0 93
2 1973-07-01 CAL W 2-1 32 31 27,068 100
2 1968-09-13 BOS L 0-3 31 31 23,171 100
4 1968-08-22 NYY W 3-1 31 26 15,898 102
5 1979-08-12 OAK W 1-0 30 27 14,500 103
5 1974-06-17 BAL L 0-1 31 29 7,157 103
7 1975-09-26 CHW W 2-1 33 29 2,769 105
7 1966-04-12 KCA W 2-1 29 26 21,658 105
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 5/11/2015.

The fastest Twins nine inning game in this century you ask? That would be a 1-0 loss to the Oakland A’s in McAfee Park on June 2, 2007 when Joe Blanton beat Carlos Silva in one hour and 49 minutes. Since the 2000 season began, the Twins have played in only nine complete games that lasted two hours or less.

The Twins longest game in terms of time was a 17 inning six-hour and 36 minute affair back on May 7, 1995 when the Indians beat the Twins 10-9 at Jacob’s Field. I suspect that the 39,431 fans at the ballpark got their money’s worth that day. I wonder what Tom Kelly’s temperament was like after that game? The Twins used nine pitchers and the Indians used eight. Oddly enough, the Twins have played only two games that lasted six or more hours and they were both against the Cleveland Indians. The other long game against the boys from Cleveland was a six-hour and 17 minute affair at the Metrodome but this time the Twins came out with a 5-4 win in 22 innings on August 31, 1993.

I also took a look at the length of an average Twins game in 1961 versus an average Twins game in 2014. Back in the Twins initial season an average Twins game took two hours and 40 minutes, last year an average Twins game took three hours and 7 minutes.

According to ELIAS

Salazar stingy after allowing a homer to lead off the game

Danny Salazar retired every one of the 21 batters he faced (including 11 strikeouts) after he allowed a first-inning leadoff home run to Brian Dozier in the Indians’ 8-2 win over the Twins in Cleveland yesterday. Salazar became the first major-leaguer to win a game in which he pitched at least seven innings with the only hit against him being a home run to lead off the first inning since Jack McDowell tossed a complete game in the White Sox’ 15-1 victory at Milwaukee on July 14, 1991. The Brewers’ only hit in that game was a home run by Paul Molitor to lead off the bottom of the first inning.

According to ELIAS

Hunter dials back the years

Torii HunterTorii Hunter followed his 4-for-4 performance on Friday with hits on each of his first three at-bats in the Twins’ 7-4 win at Cleveland. Hunter, whose first hit on Saturday was a home run, became the first 39-year-old with hits on seven straight ABs since Chili Davis did it for the Yankees in 1999. Hunter’s current manager, Paul Molitor, also had seven straight hits at age 39 for the Blue Jays in 1995. Source: ELIAS

Twins minor league player of the week

Trey Vavra 2015Cedar Rapids (Low – A) first baseman/outfielder Trey Vavra is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Vavra, who bats and throws from the right-side played in six games, hitting .560 (10-for-19) with one double, two RBI, six walks and eight runs scored. Vavra has played in 27 games for the Kernels this season, hitting .319 (30-for-94) with six doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 19 runs scored. Trey was selected by the Twins in the 33rd round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida Southern College and is the son of Twins Bench Coach Joe Vavra. In 2014 Vavra played in 50 games for Elizabethton and hit .319 with one home run and had 34 RBI.

Twins Daily piece on getting to know Trey Vavra

For Vavras, baseball is a Twins family affair

Previous winners of Twins POW this season are right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey, left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonsalves and outfielder Byron Buxton

Twins Minor League Report May 10, 2015

According to ELIAS

Twins wrap up a very successful homestand

The Twins finished their 11-game home stand with an 8-3 record by coming from behind to record a 6-5 win over the Athletics on Thursday afternoon. Minnesota won only one of three games versus the Tigers to begin the homestand, but swept a four-game series against the White Sox and then beat Oakland in three of four games. This is the third time since Target Field opened in 2010 that the Twins have won eight games on one homestand. They posted 8-1 records on nine-game homestands in both 2010 (Aug. 31-Sept. 8) and 2011 (June 9-19). Source: ELIAS

Congratulations to Eddie Rosario

Rosario, Eddie 2015Eddie Rosario found the first big league pitch he saw to his liking and he hammered it into the Target Field left-center field bleachers for a home run. The pitch was thrown by left-handed starter Scott Kazmir and put the Twins up 1-0 en-route to a 13-0 white-washing of the Oakland A’s. Rosario becomes the 115th player to hit a home run in his first major league at bat but only the 29th player in big league history to swing at the first pitch he saw in the major leagues and hit it for a home run.

Rosario goes into the Twins record books as the 10th Twin to hit a home run in his first game but the first to do it on the first pitch of his first plate appearance. Six of the 10 home runs in the first game came on the first at bat.

I have been waiting for the Twins to call up Rosario and it was nice to see him have a positive impact in his first major league game. Rosario’s parents were in the stands to witness their sons historic moment. Although Rosario’s stay in Minnesota is expected to be short, you never know, he might just be here to stay. Congratulations Eddie!

BOX SCORE

Twins players that have hit a home run in their first major league game

Rk Player Date Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BOP Pos Summary
1 Eddie Rosario 2015-05-06 OAK W 13-0 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 8 RF
2 Luke Hughes 2010-04-28 DET L 6-11 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 9 3B
3 Andre David 1984-06-29 (1) DET W 5-3 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 7 RF
4 Gary Gaetti 1981-09-20 TEX L 3-4 3 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 7 3B
5 Tim Laudner 1981-08-28 DET W 6-0 4 3 1 2 0 0 1 2 8 C
6 Kent Hrbek 1981-08-24 NYY W 3-2 5 5 1 2 0 0 1 2 8 1B
7 Dave McKay 1975-08-22 DET W 8-4 3 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 8 3B
8 Eric Soderholm 1971-09-03 (1) OAK W 9-4 4 2 2 1 0 0 1 1 7 3B
9 Hal Haydel 1970-09-07 (2) MIL W 8-3 3 3 2 2 1 0 1 1 9 P
10 Rick Renick 1968-07-11 DET W 5-4 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 7 SS
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 5/7/2015.

I find it kind of interesting that all the players on the above list were slotted 7-9 in the batting order.

This Day in Twins History – May 4

Dick Woodson - Twins pitcher from 1969 - 1974
Dick Woodson – Twins pitcher from 1969 – 1974

5/4/1974 – Less than 3 months after pitcher Dick Woodson wins MLB’s first salary arbitration case, the Twins exile him to the New York Yankees for pitcher Mike Pazik. Owner Calvin Griffith swore he would never pay Woodson the money and he held true to his word.

Vic Albury5/4/1975 – The Minnesota Twins retired their first number ever, HOF Harmon Killebrew’s number 3. Harmon, playing for the Kansas City Royals, hit his first ever home run against the Twins and it was at Met Stadium in a Twins 6-3 win over the Royals. Vic Albury gave up the long ball to Harmon in the first inning. Box score.

Stew Thornley wrote the following in the Halsey Hall chapter of SABR “Old-timers” may remember a promotion by Tootsie Rolls in 1975 to commemorate the one millionth run in major league history (with only the history of the American and National leagues being recognized). The countdown came down to Sunday, May 4, 1975. At Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota, the Twins held a pre-game ceremony to retire the number of Harmon Killebrew, who then homered in the first inning for the Kansas City Royals. In the bottom of the second, Rod Carew was on third for the Twins with no out. Teammates, monitoring the progress of runs that day, yelled at Carew that he was in line to score the millionth run. When Steve Brye hit a fly to right, Carew tagged and raced for home. However, the strong-arm of Al Cowens nailed Carew at the plate, taking away his chance for the millionth run. Soon after Bob Watson of the Astros, in the first game of a doubleheader in San Francisco, scored on a home run by Milt May and took the honor. The run came at 12:52 Pacific time. Watson was on second and ran as fast as he could to reach home. He reportedly crossed home plate at Candlestick Park four seconds before Dave Concepcion, who had homered in Cincinnati and also beat cheeks around the bases. Carew, by being thrown out by Cowens, missed out on the prize: $10,000 and 1 million Tootsie Rolls”.

Eisenreich, Jim 35/4/1982 – Minnesota Twins’ rookie outfielder Jim Eisenreich, who suffered from Tourette’s Syndrome, removes himself from the game due to taunts from Boston Red Sox bleacher fans.

Kingman, Dave5/4/1984 – In the fourth inning of the Twins-A’s game, Oakland’s Dave Kingman hit a ball into one of the Metrodome roof’s drainage holes and the ball never came back down.  Kingman’s pop-up had gone up 180 feet and into one of the seven-inch drainage holes in the inner layer of the roof. The umpires gathered to discuss the event that had never happened before in a major league game and awarded Kingman a ground rule double.  In the ninth inning Kingman homered for Oakland’s only run and the Twins won 3-1. Before the game the next day, a Dome worker found the ball and let it fall on the field to a waiting Twins outfielder Mickey Hatcher, he dropped it. Box score.

Mike Lincoln Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport
Mike Lincoln Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

5/4/1999 – The Twins beat the Yankees 8-4 at the Metrodome as Mike Lincoln gets the win and the Twins get victory number 3,000. Box score.

Twins minor league player of the week

Byron Buxton - ChattanoogaChattanooga (AA) outfielder Byron Buxton is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Buxton played in seven games, hitting .423 (11-for-26) with one double, one home run, six RBI, nine runs scored, six walks and four stolen bases. Buxton has played in 21 games for the Lookouts, hitting .284 (23-for-81) with three doubles, four triples, two home runs, 10 RBI, 15 runs scored, 10 walks and seven stolen bases. Buxton has been named as the Twins top prospect in each of the last two seasons by Baseball America as well as top prospect in baseball entering this season.  Previous winners of Twins POW this season are right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey and left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonsalves.

What more is there to say about Buxton? Hopefully he stays hot and makes a strong case for Terry Ryan and the gang to bring him to Target Field sooner than later.

Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton slaps three extra-base hits for Chattanooga Lookouts – MiLB.com News

Twins Minor League Report 050315

According to ELIAS

Torii HunterTorii’s career vs. White Sox: 200 games, 33 homers

Torii Hunter, playing against the White Sox yesterday for the 200th time in his big-league career, smashed a two-run, game-tying homer in the third inning and the Twins went on to earn a 5-3 victory. The home run was the 333rd of the 39-year-old outfielder’s major-league career: 300 against other teams and 33 against the White Sox. Since 1999, when Hunter first played against the Sox, he has both the most games played and the most home runs against the Pale Hose. Source: ELIAS

According to ELIAS

Twins don’t need an RBI to win

The Twins defeated the White Sox last night, 1-0, with the only run scoring on a wild pitch. Over the last 40 years, Minnesota has won only one other 1-0 game with the only run scoring on a wild pitch or passed ball. That was in Boston in 1985; Bruce Hurst‘s wild pitch allowed Dave Engle to score and Mike Smithson threw a shutout.