#6. Scott Baker's Near Perfecto
Baker was always one of my favorite pitchers. Maybe it was that he looked terrified every time he was out on the mound. Maybe it was because the Twins announcers (especially Bert) relentlessly criticized him for no reason. But man I was pulling for him so hard every start and this was a dream come true.
He entered the 9th inning with his perfect game. He didn't make it, but a 1-hit shutout is still nice.
#11. Twins Homer 11 Times on April 20th, 2019
Man, playing the Orioles was fun last year.
- 2nd inning Game 1: Eddie Rosario solo HR (415 feet)
- 2nd inning Game 1: Willians Astudillo solo HR (372 feet)
- 5th inning Game 1: Eddie Rosario solo HR (367 feet)
- 1st inning Game 2: Nelson Cruz 2-run HR (410 feet)
- 1st inning Game 2: C.J. Cron solo HR (381 feet)
- 3rd inning Game 2: Eddie Rosario 2-run HR (398 feet)
- 3rd inning Game 2: Mitch Garver 3-run HR (378 feet)
- 4th inning Game 2: Jonathan Schoop 3-run HR (389 feet)
- 8th inning Game 2: Mitch Garver solo HR (394 feet)
- 8th inning Game 2: Nelson Cruz solo HR (415 feet)
- 9th inning Game 2: Jonathan Schoop solo HR (435 feet)
The Better Moment
- Scott Baker's Near Perfecto (61%, 11 Votes)
- Twins Homer 11 Times in One Day (2019) (39%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 18
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- Tim Laudner Picks Off Darrell Evans, ALCS Game 4 (50%, 9 Votes)
- Willians Astudillo Chugs, Lets His Hair Fly (50%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 18
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- Baylor Homers (81%, 13 Votes)
- 5-4-2 Double Play (19%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 16
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I also liked Baker a lot. Similarly, I remember I was sitting next to the bullpen once, and was watching him walk to the mound before the game, though the verb I would use was "slinking"
I'm sure I've told this story before. I was at #6 with my 1, 4, and 6 year old kids. We left in the 5th inning and I was vaguely aware that it was a no-hitter, but had no idea it was a perfect game until I turned on the radio in the car.
So Baker got called up when the Twins were in Baltimore in 2005 (I think). Sheenie was back in St. Paul at the SBG College of Law, so I went to one of games at Camden with a high school classmate who was spending a year working for NIH. We got there during Twins batting practice and were near where Baker was shagging fly balls. I pointed him out to her, and told her that if she yelled, "Hey Scott!" the next time a ball came to him, that he would probably toss it to her. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
At that point we wandered towards the dugout. When Morneau came in to hit, he saw me and asked where Sheenie was (this was the year after she terrified him by already having a shirt when he had just been promoted). I told him she was back studying in St. Paul and asked him he would sign the ball Baker had just given my classmate. He obliged, and my friend was dumbfounded and calling friends and family back in Minnesota and telling them about how she had managed to get a Justin Morneau autographed baseball. Anyway, that's always my first memory of Scott Baker.
(Oh, we also bought cheap seats for that game but sat just above the Twins dugout. She bumped into some classmates from St. Olaf sitting nearby who talked about getting their seats from a scalper for about $50 each. When they how much she had paid, it was hilarious to see their response when she sheepishly said, "Three dollars.")
I once met with a friend for dinner before the ballgame in Baltimore, planning to do the cheap seat thing. It had rained that evening and the waitress came back and said "someone just dropped off some tickets, anyone want them?" We, of course, grabbed them. They were for about 10 rows up behind home plate. We still moved up from there, ended up 5 or 6 rows back - just off screen.
Pretty sure it was this game, since I remember Santana pitching.
Morneau knew you by sight?
He was at the other game.
Yup. Sheenie made quite an impression the previous season (that and Koskie teased him relentlessly about having a fan), so he chatted with us before all 3 games that year. Then, he recognized her again in Fort Myers. I'm guessing he was looking for her in Baltimore.