The 1967 AL Pennant Race – Part 27 – Jose Cardenal and the Angels steal a 2-1 win

The Twins lose to the California Angels on the road again and it is the same old story, they lose 2-1 for the third day in a row and they have lost all five game on this current road trip and six in a row. Ermer’s boys find themselves in fifth place 3 1/2 games behind the leaders and 4-7 since the All-Star break.

The Twins could only muster three hits off Angels spitballer Jack Hamilton who is 5-1 since being acquired from the Mets and Minnie Rojas who earned the save with 3 innings of scoreless relief while allowing just 1 hit. Dean Chance pitched well enough to win for Minnesota but allowed 2 unearned runs in the third. Bobby Knoop reached on a Rod Carew error, Hamilton sacrificed Knoop to second. Jose Cardenal singled scoring Knoop from second. Cardenal then stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Chance then struck out Roger Repoz for the second out and that brought Woodie Held to the plate who was batting when Cardenal stole home and Chance then struck out Held but it was too late, the run would turn out to be the winner.

With their tails between their legs the Twins now have to fly from California to New York to play the New York Yankees but first they need to make a detour to Milwaukee to play the Chicago White Sox in a meaningless exhibition game before continuing their road trip and pennant race. No way the players union would allow something like that now days but that is the way it was back then.

Twins__amp__White_Sox_to_play_an_exhibition_game_in_Milwaukee_on_7_24_1967

 

 

The rest of the stories that I have done on the 1967 AL pennant race can be found here.

Twins pick-off artist’s

It is obviously important for pitchers to keep base runners as close to the base as possible to prevent them from getting a good jump and stealing a base. What Twins pitchers were the best at this seemingly lost art? Jon Lester (Cubs) doesn’t even throw the ball to first any more for fear of throwing the ball away. As you might guess most of the pitchers on this list are lefties but a few right-handed pitchers are sprinkled in.

Most pick-offs in a single season by Twins pitchers

Results
Rk Player PO Year G W L W-L% SV IP SO ERA SB CS
1 Jerry Koosman 14 1979 37 20 13 .606 0 263.2 157 3.38 7 16
2 Mark Guthrie 11 1990 24 7 9 .438 0 144.2 101 3.79 17 12
3 Roger Erickson 10 1978 37 14 13 .519 0 265.2 121 3.96 5 15
4 Allan Anderson 8 1990 31 7 18 .280 0 188.2 82 4.53 10 11
5 Jerry Koosman 7 1980 38 16 13 .552 2 243.1 149 4.03 7 10
6 Mark Guthrie 6 1989 13 2 4 .333 0 57.1 38 4.55 5 6
7 Frank Viola 6 1988 35 24 7 .774 0 255.1 193 2.64 7 8
8 Dave Goltz 6 1977 39 20 11 .645 0 303.0 186 3.36 18 16
9 Vic Albury 6 1974 32 8 9 .471 0 164.0 85 4.12 12 13
10 Eddie Bane 6 1973 23 0 5 .000 2 60.1 42 4.92 3 8
11 Jim Merritt 6 1968 38 12 16 .429 1 238.1 181 3.25 8 2

 

Most career pick-offs as a Twins pitcher

Frank Viola
Results
Rk Player PO From To G W L W-L% SV IP SO ERA SB CS
1 Frank Viola 27 1982 1989 260 112 93 .546 0 1772.2 1214 3.86 70 69
2 Jerry Koosman 24 1979 1981 94 39 35 .527 7 601.1 361 3.77 15 33
3 Mark Guthrie 20 1989 1995 240 29 27 .518 8 489.2 388 4.19 50 30
4 Francisco Liriano 17 2005 2012 156 50 52 .490 1 783.1 788 4.33 67 23
5 Roger Erickson 17 1978 1982 114 31 47 .397 0 712.0 321 4.10 23 32
6 Allan Anderson 15 1986 1991 148 49 54 .476 0 818.2 339 4.11 54 38
7 Dave Goltz 15 1972 1979 247 96 79 .549 3 1638.0 887 3.48 111 76
8 Johan Santana 14 2000 2007 251 93 44 .679 1 1308.2 1381 3.22 28 29
9 Geoff Zahn 14 1977 1980 133 53 53 .500 0 852.0 348 3.90 30 42
10 Jim Kaat 14 1961 1973 468 189 152 .554 5 2959.1 1824 3.28 115 47
11 Bert Blyleven 11 1970 1988 348 149 138 .519 0 2566.2 2035 3.28 221 111
12 Vic Albury 11 1973 1976 101 18 17 .514 1 372.2 193 4.11 24 27
13 Jim Merritt 11 1965 1968 122 37 41 .474 6 686.2 527 3.03 14 13
14 Jim Perry 10 1963 1972 376 128 90 .587 5 1883.1 1025 3.15 43 66
15 Kyle Gibson 9 2013 2017 110 36 43 .456 0 632.2 428 4.78 33 11

Note that current Twin pitcher Kyle Gibson made the career list.

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Anthony Slama

Major league debuts as Minnesota Twins on July 21.

 

FT. MYERS, FL – MARCH 01: Anthony Slama #39 of the Minnesota Twins poses during photo day at Hammond Stadium on March 1, 2010 in Ft. Myers, Florida. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Anthony Slama (P) – July 21, 2010 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 39th round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft. Slama slammed the door on the Indians at Target Field in a Twins 6-0 win with one inning pitched and two strikeouts.

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Kevin Mulvey

Just the one player with a big league debut as a Minnesota Twins on July 20.

Kevin Mulvey (P) – July 20, 2009 – Traded by the New York Mets with Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra and Philip Humber to the Minnesota Twins for Johan Santana on February 2, 2008. Mulvey’s debut was a short one, facing just one batter and retiring him on four pitches to close out the 14-13 loss to the Oakland A’s in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins

The 1967 AL Pennant Race – Part 26 – Twins commit five errors while bullpen falters

The Twins had a 6-4 lead at Municipal Stadium over the last place Kansas City A’s going into the bottom of the 8th inning but the home town A’s plated 5 runs on 4 hits, an error and an IBB and held on for a 9-6 win. The Twins committed five errors while their pitching staff allowed nine hits and five walks and had their losing streak extended to three games, fortunately they remained just one game out of first place. Cesar Tovar was 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Al Worthington took the loss in relief of Dean ChanceBox Score

The rest of the stories that I have done on the 1967 AL pennant race can be found here.

According to ELIAS – Bartolo Colon

Twins add sexy

 

Bartolo Colon

Bartolo Colon made his Twins debut on Tuesday night with a start against the Yankees. Minnesota is the 10th major-league team Colon has started for, becoming the fifth pitcher in major-league history to start for 10 different teams. Mike Morgan holds the all-time record; he started at least one game for 12 different teams and of course one of them was the Minnesota Twins.

This is sort of impossible to believe, but there have been eight pitchers older than the age that Bartolo Colon currently is to appear in a Major League Baseball game in the past 50 years. They are:

Hoyt Wilhelm (49, 1972)
Jamie Moyer (49, 2012)
Phil Niekro (48, 1987)
Nolan Ryan (46, 1993)
Jesse Orosco (46, 2003)
Tommy John (46, 1989)
Charlie Hough (46, 1995)
Randy Johnson (45, 2009)

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Diamond, Schullstrom, Goltz and Quilici

July the 18th was a busy day for big league debuts as Twins.

 

Scott Diamond Credit: (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

Scott Diamond (P) – July 18, 2011 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins from the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 rule 5 draft. Took the loss (6-3) in his debut as a big leaguer at Target Field against the Cleveland Indians.

Erik Schullstrom (P) – July 18, 1994 – On August 16, 1993 the Baltimore Orioles sent Erik Schullstrom to the Minnesota Twins to complete an earlier deal made on August 15, 1993. Debuted in relief in a loss to the Blue Jays at the Skydome pitching 2.2 scoreless innings allowing one hit, one walk while striking out two.

Dave Goltz (P) – July 18, 1972 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round of the 1967 amateur draft. Major league debut was a rare relief appearance in a Twins 6-0 loss to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium I. Goltz threw 3.2 scoreless innings allowing a single hit and striking out one.

Frank Quilici (2B/3B) – July 18, 1965 – Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent in 1961. Quilici was 0-1 in his big league debut at the Met in a 5-3 loss to the California Angels.

To see other Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins

According to ELIAS – Eduardo Escobar

Twins get one by the Yankees at home

 

Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar’s go-ahead single in the eighth inning put the Twins up for good, as they defeated the Yankees, 4-2, at Target Field. Since Target Field opened in 2010, Minnesota has a 7-19 (.269) home record against the Bronx Bombers. Over that span, only two teams have that low of a home winning percentage against a particular opponent (minimum 10 games): Reds vs. Mets (6-17, .261) and Mariners vs. Yankees (7-19, 269).

Some items from The New York Yankees 7/17/17 Game Notes

TWIN KILLING: The Yankees are 10-2 in their last 12 games vs. Minnesota and have won each of the last five series between the clubs…have won 10 consecutive season series
vs. the Twins (since 2007) and have won or split 15 straight season series between the clubs (13-0-2 since 2002). Are 19-6 (.760) in 25 games all-time at Target Field, the
highest winning percentage by any team at any ballpark since 1913 (min. 15 games).

YANKEES AT MINNESOTA
OVERALL TRENDS/FACTS: The Yankees and Twins will meet six times in 2017: with three-game series scheduled for tonight-Wed. in Minneapolis and 9/18-20 at Yankee
Stadium…are 10-2 in the last 12 matchups…had an eight-game winning streak from 7/25/15-6/18/16…have won five consecutive series (since 7/3/14)…are 51-21 (.708)
against the Twins since 2007, their best record vs. any AL club over the last 11 seasons…are 74-29 since 2002…IN 2016: Went 5-2 vs. Minnesota, including 2-1 at home and
3-1 in Minneapolis (all games occurred in an 11-day span from 6/16-26/16)…had opportunities to sweep both series but dropped the finales…IN SEASON SERIES: Have
won 10 consecutive season series since 2007…have won or split 15 consecutive season series vs. the Twins, going 13-0-2 since 2002 (went 3-3 in 2005 and 2006)…marks
their longest active streak of non-losing season series vs. any AL opponent…since 1993, are 20-1-3 in season series (went 2-4 in 2001)…AT YANKEE STADIUM: Are 5-1 vs.
Minnesota in the Bronx since the start of 2015…are 12-2-1 in their last 15 home series (min. 2G) vs. the Twins (went 1-2 in 2014 and ’13, 2-2 in ‘12)…are 18-9 vs. the Twins at
the current Yankee Stadium and 37-12 since the start of 2002…AT TARGET FIELD: Are 13-3 in their last 16 games in Minnesota and 22-6 since the start of 2009…have won
eight straight road series at Minnesota (2009-16)…are 19-6 (.760) at Target Field since its 2010 opening, their best record at any current AL ballpark…are 37-17 at Minnesota
since 2002…IN POSTSEASON: Are 4-0 all-time in postseason series vs. Minnesota (2010 ALDS, 3-0; 2009 ALDS, 3-0; 2004 ALDS, 3-1; 2003 ALDS, 3-1)…own a 12-2 all-time
record against the Twins in postseason games…have won nine straight postseason meetings since 10/6/04, their second-longest postseason win streak vs. any opponent
(10G vs. Texas).

Good Grief! Should the Minnesota Twins even show up?