Monthly Archives: October 2018

Keeping Track

Off-Season’s Greetings: Games of October 10

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ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

SURPRISE 11, SALT RIVER 9 IN SALT RIVER

Twins:  Travis Blankenhorn was 0-for-4 with a walk.  Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.  Devin Smeltzer struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up three hits.

Surprise:  Charles Leblanc was 4-for-5.  Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.  was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, scoring twice.  Nick Heath was 3-for-6 with three runs.  Will Craig was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, scoring twice.  Yanio Perez was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.  Lane Thomas was 2-for-5.  Connor Jones pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.

Salt River:  Josh Fuentes was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.  Monte Harrison was 2-for-4 with two runs.  Jazz Chisholm was 2-for-5.

PEORIA 7, GLENDALE 4 IN GLENDALE

Peoria:  Cristian Pache was 3-for-5 with two runs.  Buddy Reed was 3-for-5.  Keston Hiura was 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk.  Evan White was 2-for-5.  Ray-Patrick Didder was 2-for-5.  Miguel Diaz struck out three in three innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk.  Dalton Moats struck out two in two perfect innings.

Glendale:  Steve Wilkerson was 3-for-5 with two doubles.  Connor Marabell was 2-for-5.  Jared Walker was 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.  Ben Holmes struck out four in three shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk.

SCOTTSDALE 10, MESA 3 IN MESA

Scottsdale:  Peter Alonso was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double, and a walk, scoring three times.  Ronnie Dawson was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.  Andres Gimenez was 1-for-4 with a home run.

Mesa:  Skye Bolt was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.  Eli White was 2-for-4 with a double.

Keeping Track

1969 Rewind: Game Ten

MINNESOTA 12, CALIFORNIA 1 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Sunday, April 20.

Batting stars:  Rod Carew was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs.  Harmon Killebrew was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three RBIs.  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third) and a walk, scoring twice and driving in two.  Dave Boswell was 2-for-4 with a triple and scored twice.  Johnny Roseboro was 2-for-4 with a double.  Ted Uhlaender was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.

Pitching star:  Boswell pitched a complete game, giving up an unearned run on five hits and six walks, striking out four.

Opposition star:  Aurelio Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a double.

The game:  The Twins scored five in the first and led all the way.  Their first five batters reached base:  Uhlaender walked, Carew singled, Oliva had an RBI single, Killebrew had a two-run double, and Graig Nettles walked.  The Angels then replaced starter Andy Messersmith with Clyde Wright.  He struck out Rich Reese, but Leo Cardenas walked and Roseboro had a two-run single-plus-error.  The Twins led 5-0 through one inning.

California threatened to get back into it in the second, loading the bases with one out, but a pair of foul popups ended the inning.  Oliva homered in the second and Uhlaender had a run-scoring single in the third to make the score 7-0.  They added three more in the fifth, when Boswell hit an RBI triple, Uhlaender scored him with a single, and Killebrew drove in another run with a single later in the inning.

The lone Angels run scored in the sixth.  They again loaded the bases with one out.  Boswell nearly got out of it again, getting a popup for the second out, but an error on third baseman Frank Quilici (who had replaced Killebrew at the start of the inning) brought home a run.

The Twins completed the scoring in the seventh.  With a man on second and two out, Carew circled the bases on a double-plus-error.

WP:  Boswell (1-1).  LP:  Messersmith (0-1).  S:  None.

Notes:  Nettles was again in left, with Killebrew on third and Reese on first.  Cesar Tovar replaced Nettles at the start of the seventh.

Roseboro made consecutive starts behind the plate for the first time all season.  He was batting .400.

Oliva was batting .391.  Carew was right behind him at .389.  Killebrew topped .300 for the first time, at .316.

Wright had both started and relieved to this point in his career.  You might think that, coming into the game in the first inning, the Angels would have him go five or six to save the bullpen.  They didn't.  He pitched one inning and was pinch-hit for by Vic Davalillo.  The situation makes it understandable--the Angels had the bases loaded with two out and were only down 5-0.  A big hit or two could've gotten them back into the game.

California used three other pitchers, pinch-hitting for each as their turn came up.  Phil Ortega pitched three innings, Pedro Borbon one, and Eddie Fisher three.

At this stage, it appears that manager Billy Martin had little hesitancy to remove a pitcher who was struggling, but if you were getting people out he'd leave you in there forever.  Complete games are rare these days anyway, but you'd never see one in a 12-1 game.  That's not a criticism or a compliment, just a comment that the game has changed.

Record:  After opening the season with four consecutive losses, the Twins had won six in a row to make their record 6-4.  They were tied for first place with the White Sox.

Keeping Track

Off-Season’s Greetings: Games of October 9

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

SALT RIVER 10, SURPRISE 8 IN SURPRISE

Twins:  Luke Raley was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Salt River:  Sam Hilliard was 3-for-5 with a triple and two runs.  Pavin Smith was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.  Drew Ellis was 2-for-4.  Bryson Brigman was 2-for-4.  Jesus Tinoco pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Surprise:  Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs.  Meibrys Viloria was 3-for-4 with a double.  Cole Tucker was 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs.

PEORIA 8, GLENDALE 7 IN PEORIA

Glendale:  Connor Marabell was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.  Laz Rivera was 3-for-3 with a double.  Keibert Ruiz was 2-for-5.

Peoria:  Evan White was 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, and two RBIs.  Joe McCarthy was 2-for-4 with two runs.  Lucius Fox was 2-for-5 with two runs.  Trent Grisham was 2-for-5.  Daniel Brown struck out four in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up a walk.

MESA 4, SCOTTSDALE 3 IN SCOTTSDALE

Mesa:  Daz Cameron was 2-for-4.  Darwinzon Hernandez struck out five in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Scottsdale:  Peter Alonso was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  C. J. Hinojosa was 2-for-5.

Keeping Track

1969 Rewind: Game Nine

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MINNESOTA 6, CALIFORNIA 5 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Saturday, April 19.

Batting stars:  Leo Cardenas was 3-for-4 with a home run.  Ted Uhlaender was 3-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.  Harmon Killebrew was 2-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Dick Woodson pitched a perfect inning.  Ron Perranoski pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Aurelio Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a home run, scoring twice.  Rick Reichardt was 2-for-4 with a double.

The game:  In the second, the Angels loaded the bases with one out on an error and two singles but only scored once, on a Bobby Knopp sacrifice fly.  The Angels again loaded the bases in the fourth, this time with two out, and pitcher Tom Murphy delivered a two-run single to put California ahead 3-0.

The Twins got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, but only with one.  Tony Oliva led off with a double and Killebrew followed with a single to put men on first and third, but Graig Nettles hit into a double play.  Oliva scored to make it 3-1.  California got the run back in the fifth, as Lou Johnson reached on a two-out error and scored on Reichardt's double.  The teams then traded leadoff home runs, as Cardenas hit one in the bottom of the fifth but Rodriguez hit one in the top of the sixth, leaving the score 5-2.  The Twins cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, as Nettles and Charlie Manuel hit back-to-back two-out doubles.

In the seventh, Uhlaender and Rod Carew hit one-out singles, ending up at second and third as Uhlaender went to third on the hit and Carew took second on the throw to third.  Hoyt Wilhelm cam in to replace Murphy on the mound.  Oliva's ground out scored Uhlaender and sent Carew to third, and with Killebrew up to bat and two out, Carew stole home for the second time of the season to tie the score.

The Twins put men on first and third with two out in the eighth, but Cesar Tovar fouled out.  In the ninth, Uhlaender led off with a walk and stole second.  With one out, Oliva was intentionally walked and Killebrew followed with an RBI single to win the game.

WP:  Ron Perranoski (3-0).  LP:  Eddie Fisher (0-1).  S:  None.

Notes:  Oliva was 1-for-4 with a walk and is batting .381.  Johnny Roseboro was 1-for-4 and is batting .364.  Carew was 1-for-5 and is batting .355.

Manuel made his first start of the season, playing left field, after four pinch-hitting appearances.  He went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Nettles got the start at third base, his first start there of the season.

Jim Kaat, who had pitched 11 innings in his first start April 9 and 8.2 innings in his second start April 15, pitched five innings in this game.  He gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks and struck out five.  Jim Perry, who had lasted just three innings in his start April 11, pitched two innings of relief.

Perranoski had now appeared in seven of nine Twins games.

The Twins were once again 2-for-2 in stolen bases, making them 6-for-13 on the season.

Murphy's two RBIs were half his season total and the first RBIs of his career.  He was in his second year, having made fifteen big league starts in 1968.  He had a twelve-year career, pitching for the Angels, Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Boston, and Toronto.  He was a starter through 1971, both started and relieved in 1972-1973, and was a reliever the rest of his career, which lasted through 1979.  He got twenty saves in each of 1974-1975, while with Milwaukee, and led the league in games finished in 1974.

Record:  The Twins got over .500 for the first time all season, going to 5-4.  In two games they had moved from a tie for last to a tie for first,, tied for the top spot with Kansas City and Oakland.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 10

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Otto Hess (1878)
Bill Killefer (1887)
Wally Berger (1905)
John Stone (1905)
Floyd Baker (1916)
Bobby Tiefenauer (1929)
Don Schaly (1937)
Gene Tenace (1946)
Roger Metzger (1947)
Terry Enyart (1950)
Les Straker (1959)
Jim Weaver (1959)
Ramon Martinez (1972)
Placido Polanco (1975)
Pat Burrell (1976)
Brad Ziegler (1979)
Troy Tulowitzki (1984)
Andrew McCutchen (1986)
Kolten Wong (1990)

Don Schaly was the head baseball coach at Marietta College for forty years.  His teams reached the finals of the Division III College World Series ten times, winning three times.

Kolten Wong was drafted by Minnesota in the sixteenth round in 2008, but did not sign.

We would like to wish a happy birthday to Can of Corn's Niblet.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–October 10 →

MLB

Division Playoffs — Yanks v. Bosox

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Dang it's been a pretty dreary post-season hasn't it? Even the game 163s lacked drama as they were playing for playoff positioning, not lose and go home.

One last game. Let's just hope the Red Sox win and we can get to what should be more competitive LCS's.

Rick Porcello vs. Captain Cheeseburger himself, CC Sabathia. First Pitch at 7:07p.

Keeping Track

1969 Rewind: Game Eight

MINNESOTA 6, CALIFORNIA 0 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Friday, April 18.

Batting stars:  Harmon Killebrew was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice.  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and scored twice.  Cesar Tovar was 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Pitching stars:  Tom Hall pitched a complete game shutout, giving up two hits and four walks and striking out six.

Opposition stars:  Jim Fregosi was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk.  Rudy May pitched five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks and striking out three.

The game:  Fregosi tripled with one out in the top of the first, but a strikeout and a popup stranded him.  In the fourth, walks to Killebrew and Bob Allison put men on first and second with two out and RBI singles by Leo Cardenas and Frank Quilici put the Twins up 2-0.  The Angels opened the sixth with a pair of walks, but a force out and a double play ended the inning.  The Twins scored twice more in the sixth, starting the inning with consecutive singles by Killebrew, Oliva, Allison, and George Mitterwald.

Lou Johnson opened the seventh with a single and reached third with none out on a pair of wild pitches.  No problem for Hall, as he struck out Rick Reichardt and retired Aurelio Rodriguez and Tom Egan on fly outs.

The Twins got the game's final two runs in the eighth.  Killebrew led off with a single-plus-error and was replaced by Rich Reese.  Reese scored on an Oliva single, with Oliva reaching second on the throw home.  He advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0.  The Angels went down in order in the ninth.

WP:  Hall (1-0).  LP:  May (1-1).  S:  None.

Notes:  Tovar started in center field, replacing Ted Uhlaender.  Uhlaender pinch-hit for Allison in the eighth and stayed in to play defense, with Tovar moving to left.

Quilici started at third base, with Killebrew at first.

Carew went 0-for-4, dropping his average to .385.  That made him second on the team to Oliva, who raised his average to .395.

Uhlaender was batting just .161 on the young season.

The Twins were 2-for-2 in stolen bases, making them 4-for-11 on the season.  They did, however, get two runners thrown out on the bases, both at third base.  With two out in the fourth, Cardenas was thrown out trying to advance from first to third on Quilici's RBI single.  With none out in the sixth, Allison was thrown out trying to advance from first to third on MItterwald's RBI single.  Billy Martin apparently did not believe in the old saying that you should never make the first or third out at third base.

Hall was the opening day starter on April 8 (going 5.2 innings), pitched two innings of relief on April 11, pitched five innings of relief on April 13, and pitched a complete game on April 18.

Having pitched in four games in a row and six of the team's first seven, Ron Perranoski was given the day off.  He would pitch again in their next game, however.

This was the Twins' first game of the season to be decided by more than two runs.

Record:  The Twins' four-game winning streak got them out of the division cellar.  They were now 4-4, tied for third with Oakland, one game behind Kansas City.