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 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced on Friday November 5 the 10-person ballots that will be considered by its Early Baseball Era Committee and Golden Days Era Committee for Hall of Fame election for the Class of 2022. These Era Committees will both meet on December 5 at baseball’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida.
The Golden Days Era ballot includes Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Roger Maris, Minnie Minoso, Danny Murtaugh, Tony Oliva, Billy Pierce and Maury Wills. Kaat, Oliva and Wills are the only living members of this group. Twins fans are excited to see “Tony O” and “Kitty” get another opportunity to enter the hallowed halls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Both players are in their early 80’s and deserve the opportunity to enter the HOF while they are still around to enjoy it.
Cruz and Dozier send game to extras in almost unprecedented fashion
Nelson Cruz homered in the top of the ninth inning to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead, but Brian Dozier answered with a four-bagger in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie it. Seattle then won in 11 innings at Target Field, 4-1.
The only other game in major-league history that was scoreless through eight innings, and then went to extra innings tied, 1-1, after a solo homer in the ninth for each team was played on Opening Day at Kansas City in 1972. The White Sox and Royals played out that scenario with ninth-inning homers by Dick Allen (in his White Sox debut) off Dick Drago and by Bob Oliver (father of Darren) off Wilbur Wood. The Royals won, 2-1, in the 11th inning, on a walk off single by John Mayberry.
Brian Dozier hit his 23rd home run yesterday afternoon, tying a single-season career-high, done last season. Dozier has 28 doubles and needs five to tie his career-high of 33, done in both 2013 and 2014. He needs one home run to tie Roy Smalley’s 24 in 1979 for most homers by a Twins middle infielder in club history and he enters today tied with Josh Donaldson for first in the AL in extra base hits with 54. Sources: ELIAS and Twins Game Notes.
Nine former players and one executive are up for consideration by this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame Golden Era Committee. These candidates either played or contributed to the National Pastime between 1947 and 1972.
Kaat (10 votes in 2011), Hodges (9 votes), Minoso (9 votes), Oliva (8 votes), Boyer (less than 3 votes) and Tiant (less than three votes) return to the ballot after appearing in the fall in 2011 in the first vote of the Golden Era Committee. Allen, Howsam, Pierce and Wills will be considered by the Golden Era Committee for the first time. Ron Santo was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Golden Era Committee in 2011, the last time a Golden Era ballot was considered.
Any candidate receiving votes on 75 percent of all ballots cast will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015 on July 26. Voting will take place on December 8th at the MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego.
Jim Kaat pitched in the big leagues for 25 years and pitched for the Senators/Twins from 1959-1973.
You can make an argument for each of these guys being elected to the Hall of Fame but as a long time Twins fan I obviously would love to see Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat elected. It is a crying shame some of these guys that deserve Hall of Fame election have had to wait so long and it some cases like Ken Boyer and Gil Hodges, it is too late for them to enjoy the fruits of their labors as they have passed away. That is just plain wrong!
