The Twins called Met Stadium home from 1961 through 1981 before moving into the HHH Metrodome in 1982. Today we are going to look at the starting pitchers that pitched at the Met for the Minnesota Twins and for their opponents and determine who won the most games.
The opposing pitcher that won the most games at Met Stadium pitched for the Yankees his entire career from 1964 to 1974 and it is Mel Stottlemyre. Not many people remember Mel Stottlemyre but he was what we would consider “a horse” today but his big league career ended way too early due to injury. Here is how his SABR Bio starts out:
A baseball lifer, Mel Stottlemyre burst on the scene as a midseason call-up for the New York Yankees in 1964, helping the club win its fifth consecutive pennant and starting three games in the World Series. One of the most underrated and overlooked pitchers of his generation, Stottlemyre won 149 games and averaged 272 innings per season over a nine-year stretch (1965-1973) that corresponded with the nadir of Yankees history. Only Bob Gibson (166 victories), Gaylord Perry (161), Mickey Lolich (156), and Juan Marichal (155) won more during that period; only Perry tossed more innings, and only Gibson fired more shutouts (43) than Stottlemyre’s 38. Stottlemyre was the “epitome of Yankee class and dignity,” wrote longtime New York sportswriter Phil Pepe. “[He was] a throwback to a winning tradition in those years of mediocrity.” After a torn rotator cuff ended his playing career at the age of 32 in 1974, Stottlemyre embarked on a storied career as a big-league pitching coach.
You can read the rest of his SABR Bio by going here. No opposing pitcher won more games than the 13 that Mel Stottlemyre did at the Met.
Opposing pitchers that won the most games at Met Stadium
The Bronx, New York 8/25/1968
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| Rk | Player | #Matching | W ? |
L | W-L% | ERA | GS | IP | HR | Tm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mel Stottlemyre | 21 | Ind. Games | 13 | 5 | .722 | 3.77 | 21 | 145.2 | 9 | NYY |
| 2 | Wilbur Wood | 32 | Ind. Games | 10 | 5 | .667 | 2.68 | 16 | 147.2 | 15 | CHW |
| 3 | Jim Palmer | 18 | Ind. Games | 10 | 5 | .667 | 2.97 | 15 | 115.1 | 10 | BAL |
| 4 | Luis Tiant | 22 | Ind. Games | 9 | 9 | .500 | 4.65 | 20 | 127.2 | 12 | CLE,BOS,NYY |
| 5 | Dave Wickersham | 21 | Ind. Games | 9 | 5 | .643 | 3.58 | 13 | 105.2 | 7 | KCA,DET,KCR |
| 6 | Paul Splittorff | 24 | Ind. Games | 8 | 7 | .533 | 5.66 | 22 | 119.1 | 10 | KCR |
| 7 | Clyde Wright | 17 | Ind. Games | 8 | 5 | .615 | 3.02 | 15 | 107.1 | 9 | CAL,MIL,TEX |
| 8 | Nolan Ryan | 14 | Ind. Games | 8 | 5 | .615 | 3.27 | 14 | 118.1 | 5 | CAL |
| 9 | Mike Cuellar | 14 | Ind. Games | 8 | 6 | .571 | 4.41 | 14 | 98.0 | 16 | BAL |
Twins pitchers that won the most games at Met Stadium
| Rk | Player | #Matching | W ? |
L | W-L% | ERA | GS | IP | HR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Kaat | 235 | Ind. Games | 93 | 76 | .550 | 3.53 | 217 | 1508.0 | 151 |
| 2 | Jim Perry | 189 | Ind. Games | 74 | 35 | .679 | 2.74 | 128 | 1020.0 | 83 |
| 3 | Dave Goltz | 124 | Ind. Games | 54 | 40 | .574 | 3.11 | 106 | 861.2 | 65 |
| 4 | Bert Blyleven | 112 | Ind. Games | 49 | 40 | .551 | 2.69 | 111 | 864.2 | 58 |
| 5 | Camilo Pascual | 89 | Ind. Games | 40 | 30 | .571 | 3.39 | 85 | 624.2 | 62 |
| 6 | Dave Boswell | 89 | Ind. Games | 34 | 23 | .596 | 3.34 | 69 | 509.0 | 60 |
| 7 | Geoff Zahn | 70 | Ind. Games | 26 | 28 | .481 | 3.97 | 65 | 459.2 | 37 |
| 8 | Mudcat Grant | 68 | Ind. Games | 24 | 22 | .522 | 3.61 | 59 | 409.1 | 50 |
| 9 | Al Worthington | 164 | Ind. Games | 23 | 13 | .639 | 2.67 | 0 | 252.2 | 13 |
| 10 | Dean Chance | 48 | Ind. Games | 21 | 16 | .568 | 2.79 | 44 | 326.0 | 21 |
| 11 | Dick Stigman | 68 | Ind. Games | 21 | 19 | .525 | 3.54 | 44 | 345.2 | 57 |
| 12 | Pete Redfern | 73 | Ind. Games | 20 | 17 | .541 | 4.00 | 49 | 335.0 | 23 |
