CALIFORNIA 12, MINNESOTA 3 IN CALIFORNIA
Date: Tuesday, August 4.
Batting stars: Steve Lombardozzi was 1-for-3 with a three-run homer (his fifth) and a walk. Gene Larkin was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once. Gary Gaetti was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run.
Pitching stars: None.
Opposition stars: Doug DeCinces was 3-for-5 with a home run (his twelfth) and a double, driving in three. Bob Boone was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring three times. Gary Pettis was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in two.
The game: It was close for four innings. Bill Buckner singled in a run in the first and the Angels rallied for three in the third to go ahead 4-0. Lombardozzi hit a three-run homer in the fourth to get the Twins back into the game at 4-3. California put together a five-run fifth, though, making the score 9-3 and putting the game out of reach.
Of note: Kirby Puckett was 0-for-4 to make his average .319...Randy Bush was again your leadoff batter and right fielder, with Tom Brunansky in left and Dan Gladden out of the lineup. Gladden was perhaps bothered by a minor injury--he was used as a pinch-hitter and would play the next game, but then would get a couple more days off and wouldn't return to the lineup regularly until August 11...Gene Larkin was again the DH, with Roy Smalley out of the lineup...This was the Twins debut of Steve Carlton, who came from Cleveland for a player to be named later (Jeff Perry). It had been obvious all season that he was no longer the Hall of Fame pitcher he had been, and the change of scenery did not help him any. As we will see, he did have a couple of good games for the Twins, but for the most part did not do much for them. In this game he pitched 4.2 innings and allowed nine runs on eleven hits and four walks with one strikeout...Angels starter Don Sutton pitched six innings, giving up three runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts...Sutton and Carlton were each forty-two years old when this game was played. It would be interesting to know what the record is for oldest starters being matched against each other, if someone had the time to look it up.
Record: The Twins were 57-51, in first place, one game ahead of Oakland.
We hope to resume player profiles either later this week or early next.
Unfortunately not an easy B-R search. One pitcher that popped into my mind was Charlie Hough. I had his Wikipedia page in my browser history so went there to then go to B-R, but I noticed this line.
So, at least that old.
I've heard someone mention it before. It could have been Satchel Paige and somebody, though it might have been Jamie Moyer or Randy Johnson involved, too.
Moyer and Johnson faced each other on May 9, 2007 and again on May 30. That's a Moyer at 44 years, 6 months, and 12 days against a Johnson at 43 years, 8 months, and 20 days. Combined age of 32,232 days.
Satchell Paige had one start at 59 years, 2 months, and 18 days. He started against Bill Monbouquette at 29 years, 1 month, and 14 days. Combined age of 32,267 days.
Based on what I can see here, it looks like the oldest starting matchup might be Moyer vs. David Wells on 21 July 2007. Moyer was 44 years, 8 months, 3 days; Wells was 44 years, 2 months, 1 day. Combined age 32,449 days.
Now, if Hoyt Wilhelm came in while some pitcher in his forties was the pitcher of record on the other side, that might be the oldest in-game pitching matchup.