Tag: Minnesota Twins

Most innings pitched

Jim Kaat

The Minnesota Twins have had a number of work-horse starting pitchers over the years but Jim Kaat stands on the top of the hill with 2,959.1 inning logged. In his Twins career “Kitty” pitched in 468 games with 422 of them as a starter. Back then it was not unusual for starters to pitch in relief now and then as needed. Here is a look at a list of pitchers with 500 or more innings logged wearing a Twins uniform.

Walter Johnson

Now let’s take a look at the Senators/Twins franchise leaders in innings pitched and who else but Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson would you expect to head this list? Over 5,900 innings, my goodness. Look at the rest of his numbers as compared to more modern pitchers.

That said how about taking a look across all of MLB and look at innings pitched over 1,000 and then we see a number of modern day pitchers with over 5,000 innings logged. I did not expect to find that to be the case.

Multi Home Run Games by Senator/Twins players

Home runs are always fun to see if your team hits them. How many times have you been to a ballgame where your favorite team has a player that hits two or more home runs in the same game. Not too often I bet. That thought crossed my my mind recently so I decided to look at up and see who the Senators/Twins franchise leaders were in multi (two or more) home run games in a single regular season and a career.

You think you know who it is? Take a guess on who it was and what year it happened before you look it up. From 1901-2025 the franchise leaders in multi home run regular season games in a single season can be found at: https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/F8SHL

Harmon Killebrew in 1964. (TSN Archives.)

Who do you think is the Senators/Twins franchise career leader? That answer should not be that tough. From 1901-2025 the franchise leaders in multi home run regular season games in a franchise career can be found at: https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/3DmpE

How about the all-time leader in MLB history from 1901 through 2025? How about your favorite player? Yes I have that answer for you right here at https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/pKS31

The sorry state of baseball today

Ever since I started following baseball almost 65 years ago, I have been led to believe that you need to have great starting pitching to win it all. Is it true or is this been a falsity all along? I have been fortunate to watch some great starting pitching over the years and I still wish I could have seen the great Walter Johnson pitch in person but those kinds of starters are disappearing. Ace starters are getting paid big bucks but at the same time they are quickly becoming as extinct as dinosaurs.

Here is my problem. Baseball pitching today is about throwing less than 100 pitches, don’t face the line-up a third time around, openers, and bullpen games and God knows what else they will dream up. You pay the starters huge dollars and then you don’t let them pitch. Aren’t starter’s supposed to be your best pitchers? Starters have been throwing over 100 pitches and going through the opposing lineup multiple times in games since baseball started and now all of a sudden that is not a good idea?

Continue reading The sorry state of baseball today