Tag: Roger Maris

Rich Rollins, a member of 1965 Twins pennant winning team passes away

Rich “Red” Rollins

Richard John Rollins, known to baseball fans as Rich Rollins, passed away on May 13, 2025 at the age of 86 in Akron, Ohio, leaving behind a legacy that embodies perseverance, talent, and the spirit of the game. A two-time All-Star and a key contributor to the Minnesota Twins’ 1965 American League pennant-winning season, Rollins carved out a successful career despite early doubts about his abilities.

Early Life and Passion for Baseball

Born on April 16, 1938, in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Rich inherited a deep love for baseball from his father, an ambidextrous welder who played in coal mining leagues. When the family relocated to the Cleveland area, young Rich immersed himself in the game, playing multiple positions—second base, third base, and catcher—for Parma High School. He also played second base for an American Legion team, all while working at Cleveland Indians games as a popcorn vendor.

His journey to professional baseball was far from straightforward. Initially enrolling at Ohio University after high school, Rollins soon received a scholarship offer from Kent State University, despite never having been seen by the coach, Matt Resnick. Recommended by Norbert “Nobby” Lewandowski, a pitcher in the Twins’ farm system, Rollins thrived at Kent State. He earned three consecutive selections to the All-Mid-American Conference team at second base and posted an extraordinary .383 career batting average—second only to future Yankees catcher Thurman Munson.

Despite his success, Rollins faced skepticism from scouts who deemed him too small (5’10”), unable to hit curveballs, incapable of turning double plays, and possessing a weak arm. However, Kent State coaches Matt Resnick and Moose Paskert encouraged him to persevere, helping him refine his skills and stay motivated.

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Last Call for Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame?

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.

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According to ELIAS – What Just Happened?

 

Only five American League teams finished at or above .500

The only American League teams that finished the regular season with winning percentages of .500 or higher are the five A.L. teams that qualified for the playoffs, all of which had winning records (the Indians, Astros, Red Sox, Yankees and Twins). It is the first time that either the American or National League had as few as five teams finish a season with as many or more wins than losses since the major leagues expanded to 30 teams in 1998.

Every major-league manager went “wire-to-wire” this season

Brad Ausmus will not be returning as the Tigers’ manager in 2018, nor will Pete Mackanin for the Phillies, and although their fates were sealed earlier last week, they both finished the season for their respective teams. Terry Collins announced his resignation as the Mets’ manager after Sunday’s season finale. Every major-league manager who began the 2017 season spent the entire season in that position. There have been only two other seasons over the last 75 years in which the manager of every major-league team went “wire-to-wire” in that position: 2000 and 2006.

Nothing new as the American League best the National League in interleague play

The Diamondbacks defeated the Royals in the final interleague game of the year. The American League took the season series from the National League, 160–140. This was the 14th consecutive year in which the A.L. had the upper hand in interleague play.

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According to ELIAS – Byron Buxton

Buxton’s own kind of triple double, adding inside-the-park HR

 

Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton’s contributions to the Twins’ 10-3 victory yesterday over the visiting Diamondbacks included a double, a triple and an inside-the-park home run. Buxton became only the fifth major-leaguer in the 70-plus years since the end of World War II, and the first in 41 years, to squeeze those three types of hits into the same game. Jerry Snyder did it for the Washington Senators in 1956, a young Roger Maris for the Kansas City A’s in 1958, George Altman for the Cubs in 1961, and Al Bumbry for the Orioles at Chicago’s Comiskey Park on Aug. 21, 1976.

According to Phil Miller in the Star Tribune this morning, MLB announced that Buxton’s trip around the bases took a mere 13.85 seconds, the fastest that its StatCast system that was installed in 2015 had ever recorded.

In all, the Twins smashed six home runs in their victory, tying the most home runs in a home game in the history of the franchise, dating to 1901 when the team played in Washington. The Twins connected for six circuit clouts twice at Metropolitan Stadium (in 1964 and 1966) and once earlier this year at Target Field (May 2 against the A’s). Actually, it’s not a surprise that it never happened at Griffith Stadium, the longtime home to the Washington Senators. The field dimensions at old Griffith were so huge that in 1945—a season in which Washington uncharacteristically finished just a game and a half behind the pennant-winning Tigers—the Senators hit exactly one home run—one!—in their 78 home games. And that lone home homer was an inside-the-parker, hit by Joe Kuhel on September 7.

Games when the Twins turned on the power

Results
Rk Date Tm Opp Rslt PA HR
1 1963-08-29 (1) MIN WSA W 14-2 49 8
2 2001-07-12 MIN MIL W 13-5 46 7
3 2017-08-18 MIN ARI W 10-3 41 6
4 2017-05-02 MIN OAK W 9-1 38 6
5 2016-06-26 MIN NYY W 7-1 37 6
6 2007-07-06 (2) MIN CHW W 12-0 48 6
7 2004-04-10 MIN DET W 10-5 47 6
8 2000-04-09 MIN KCR W 13-7 43 6
9 1993-08-15 MIN OAK W 12-5 44 6
10 1966-06-09 MIN KCA W 9-4 38 6
11 1964-05-14 MIN CHW W 15-7 44 6
12 1962-04-29 (2) MIN CLE W 7-3 41 6
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/19/2017.

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58 home runs in one day

Major-league players combined to hit 58 home runs in the 15 games played on Friday, the second-highest total of home runs ever hit on one day in the 142-year history of Major League Baseball. There were 62 home runs hit on July 2, 2002, a day on which 16 games were played. The 58 homers set a record for the most longballs on a day on which 15-or-fewer games were played; the previous record of 57 was set in the 15 games played on April 7, 2000.

This season, there has been an average of 2.54 home runs per game (for both teams combined), which is on target to surpass, rather handily, the all-time record high of 2.34 homers per game, set in 2000.