Berserk Boxscores: White Sox @ Twins 04/19/1962

It's been 3.5 years since I've run one of these columns. Half-Baked Hall may have something to do with that. While we will resume the voting in 2017, we'll whet your whistle with a crazy game the Twins were involved in 44 years ago.

The Twins inaugural season had been pretty blah, and the beginning of their second season started much the same. Entering into this game they were 2-5, last place in the American League. Jim Kaat would face off against John Buzhardt. Except he didn't really. Kaat didn't retire a batter.

The White Sox led off the first with four straight singles. Kaat was immediately replaced. Either Sam Mele felt he just didn't have it or he was injured. Either way, Jim Manning replaced him and he didn't have it either. He recorded one out, allowed two batters to reach by error, then allowed a single and a hit-by-pitch. He was pulled for Georges Maranda who promptly gave up a grand slam to Jim Landis, who had led off the inning with a single. The inning would end on a double play, but the Twins were already down 9-0 before coming to the plate.

Because this is Berserk Boxscores, I'm guessing you're betting on a miraculous Twins comeback. But you'd guess wrong. So what makes this game so special?

It is the only game in modern history where a team scored at least 10 runs and never left a man on base. 

You saw nine of those runs in the first inning. They would score one more on Jim Landis's second homer, which was the only hit the Twins staff would allow the rest of the game. They did allow two more walks which would be erased on a double play and a caught stealing. In fact, the Twins easily won the game from the second inning forward, outhitting the Sox five to one and outscoring them three to one.

While this feat of the White Sox and Twins is not terribly impressive, it is pretty hilarious. The Twins would remain in last place for one more day, then would steadily climb up the standings, finishing in 2nd place behind the Yankees. They were in 1st place on June 15th and would be as close as 2.5 games back on September 5th, but ultimately could not catch the Bombers. The Yankees would win the next two division titles as well before the Twins finally wrestled it away in 1965.

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