Happy Birthday–May 9

Frank Bancroft (1846)
Tommy Clarke (1888)
Billy Jurges (1908)
Tony Bartirome (1932)
Ron Jackson (1953)
Tom Chism (1954)
Tony Gwynn (1960)
Aaron Harang (1978)
Prince Fielder (1984)
Chase Headley (1984)
Buddy Boshers (1988)
Oswaldo Arcia (1991)

Frank Bancroft managed seven teams in nine different seasons over the period of 1880-1902.

Infielder Tony Bartirome is better known as an athletic trainer, working for Pittsburgh from 1967-1985 and for Atlanta from 1986-1988.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to UncleWalt’s youngest child and to Philosofer's third child.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 9

FMD: 2020/05/08

I've stopped worrying about wasting my office's bandwidth while I'm on their VPN. Bandcamp, Youtube, whatever.
I don't like leaving work in the basement sitting on the computer only to go the the computer upstairs to add different music to my iPod. And I need to keep searching for new things to listen to, even if they're old things. Like last week, I listened to a few records from the jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders; all via Youtube.

May 8, 2020: Early and Often

And here we are at the end of the first round.  Wanted to give everyone a chance to vote one more time in case you missed any of the polls before.  Second round will start Monday!

If you want to look at individual posts, they're all categorized under "Twins Top Moments," which you can see above this post.

The Better Moment

  • Larkin Walks It Off (96%, 23 Votes)
  • Mike Sweeney Pops Into Infield Fly Double Play, Gets Nailed by Dougie (4%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 24

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The Better Moment

  • Pedro Munoz Walks Off in 22nd Inning (65%, 13 Votes)
  • Twins Win 15 In A Row (35%, 7 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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The Better Moment

  • Eric Milton No-Hitter (55%, 12 Votes)
  • Juan Berenguer Saves ALCS Game 2 (45%, 10 Votes)

Total Voters: 22

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The Better Moment

  • Hrbek Tags Out Gant (77%, 17 Votes)
  • Bobby Korecky: First Hit, First Win (23%, 5 Votes)

Total Voters: 22

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The Better Moment

  • 3-2-3 Double Play (79%, 15 Votes)
  • Winfield's 3000th hit (21%, 4 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Brad Radke Wins #20 (74%, 14 Votes)
  • Jack Morris Escapes Jam in 5th Inning (26%, 5 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Hrbek Grand Slam (89%, 16 Votes)
  • Hicks Cannon (11%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Twins Win 87 World Series (100%, 20 Votes)
  • Rincon Induces Triple Play (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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The Better Moment

  • A.J. Goes Yard (67%, 12 Votes)
  • Joe Crede Walk-Off Grand Slam (33%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Santana Outduels Mussina in ALDS (72%, 13 Votes)
  • Jacque Jones Breaks Up Garcia's No-No (28%, 5 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Span Triples Down the Line (68%, 13 Votes)
  • Carlos Silva 74-Pitch CG (32%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Francisco Liriano No-Hitter (89%, 17 Votes)
  • Delmon Homers Off Rivera (11%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Sano Homers off Britton (56%, 10 Votes)
  • Hunter Homers in ALDS Game 2 (44%, 8 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Santana Strikes Out 17 (89%, 17 Votes)
  • Rosario Walk-Off Assist (11%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Touch Em All Kirby (95%, 19 Votes)
  • Go Buxton Go (5%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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The Better Moment

  • Two Triple Plays in One Game (60%, 12 Votes)
  • Erickson Wins 12 In a Row (40%, 8 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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The Better Moment

  • Kubel Slam (53%, 10 Votes)
  • Gladden Slam (47%, 9 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Erickson's No-Hitter (60%, 12 Votes)
  • Pagliarulo Pinch-Hit Homer in ALCS (40%, 8 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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The Better Moment

  • Puckett Robs Gant (78%, 14 Votes)
  • Kuby Smacks--Rivera Edition (22%, 4 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Puckett Goes 6-6 (89%, 16 Votes)
  • Molitor's 3,000th Hit (11%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Twins Clinch 2002 ALDS (63%, 10 Votes)
  • Jim Thome Hits Flag Pole (38%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 16

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The Better Moment

  • Joe Mauer's Final Game (79%, 15 Votes)
  • Kepler 5 in a row off Bauer (21%, 4 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Mauer Tags Out Gardner (95%, 19 Votes)
  • Dozier/Rosario Homer Off Severino (5%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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The Better Moment

  • Arraez Pinch-Hit Walk (53%, 10 Votes)
  • Dozier Walks-Off Tigers (47%, 9 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • JI (95%, 18 Votes)
  • Butters! (5%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

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The Better Moment

  • Nathan Induces DP in 163 (56%, 10 Votes)
  • Mauer Catches Ball Behind Net (44%, 8 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Twins Win Central (89%, 16 Votes)
  • Mauer Batting Title (11%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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The Better Moment

  • Twins Get Home-Run Record (75%, 12 Votes)
  • Kepler Hero in 17-inning Game (25%, 4 Votes)

Total Voters: 16

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The Better Moment

  • Baylor Homers (81%, 13 Votes)
  • 5-4-2 Double Play (19%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 16

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The Better Moment

  • 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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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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The Better Moment

  • Twins Clinch Division On Final Day (83%, 15 Votes)
  • Liriano Outduels Roger Clemens (17%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 18

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Random Rewind: 1995, Game Seventy

MINNESOTA 11, NEW YORK 4 IN NEW YORK

Date:  Friday, July 14.

Batting stars:  Pedro Munoz was 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.  Marty Cordova was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs.  Jeff Reboulet was 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and four runs.  Chuck Knoblauch was 2-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base (his twenty-first), a walk, and two runs.  Dan Masteller was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.  Kirby Puckett was 2-for-5 with a double and a stolen base, his third.

Pitching stars:  Mark Guthrie pitched three shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out two.  Dave Stevens pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk and striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Jim Leyritz was 2-for-5 with a home run, his fifth.  Luis Polonia was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Don Mattingly was 2-for-4.

The game:  In the first inning Reboulet reached on an error, went to second on Puckett's single, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.  It lasted until the bottom of the first.  Polonia singled and scored on a double by Dion James.  James went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.  The Twins tied it in the top of the second on singles by Scott Leius and Matt Walbeck and another sacrifice fly, but New York again took the lead in the bottom of the second when Leyritz led off the inning with a home run.

The Twins wasted a leadoff triple by Knoblauch in the third.  In the fourth, however, Cordova led off with a double, went to third on a ground out, and scored on Masteller's single to tie it 3-3.  The Twins took the lead in the fifth when Knoblauch singled, Reboulet was hit by a pitch, and Munoz delivered a two-run double.  The Yankees cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth when Wade Boggs doubled and scored on a Paul O'Neill single.

The Twins took control of the game in the sixth.  Walbeck led off with a single, but was still on first with two out.  Knoblauch walked.  Reboulet had an RBI single, Puckett hit a run-scoring double, Munoz drove in a run with a single, and Cordova hit a two-run double.  It was 10-4 Twins.

The Twins got their last run in the eighth on singles by RebouletMunoz, and Cordova.  The Yankees did not threaten to get back into the game.

WP:  Brad Radke (6-7).  LP:  Sterling Hitchcock (3-6).  S:  None.

Notes:  Masteller was at first base.  Twins first basemen in 1995 included Scott Stahoviak (69 games), Masteller (48), Ron Coomer (22), David McCarty (18), Reboulet (17), and Jerald Clark (11), along with four others who played less than ten games there.  It was Coomer's rookie season, and he did not come up until August 1.  it's saying something that he would be the best player out of that group.

Reboulet was at shortstop in place of Pat Meares.  Reboulet played all over the infield in 1995--39 games at shortstop, 22 at third base, 17 at first base, and 15 at second base.  This was his best season in the majors:  .292/.373/.398 in 246 plate appearances.

Knoblauch was leading the team in batting at .319.  He would finish at .333.  Munoz was batting .303.  He would finish at .301.

Radke pitched five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk and striking out none.  It was his rookie season, and at age 22 he was not ready, going 11-14, 5.32 in 28 starts.  That was actually above average for Twins starters in 1995, though--others who had a significant number of starts were Kevin Tapani (6-11, 4.92), Mike Trombley (4-8, 5.62), Frankie Rodriguez (5-6, 5.38), Scott Erickson (4-6, 5.95), and Jose Parra (1-5, 7.95).  The Twins had thirteen pitchers start games in 1995--other than Tapani, the only one to have an ERA below five was Rich Robertson, who only made four starts.

Hitchcock pitched just four innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits, with no walks and no strikeouts.  Other Yankee pitchers were Scott Bankhead, Dave Pavlas, and Bob MacDonald.  Ah, the good old days.

The 1995 season did not start until late April due to a strike or a lockout, I forget which.  Thus, the Twins were only on their seventieth game on July 14.

Record:  The Twins were 23-47, in fifth (last) place in the American League Central, 25.5 games behind Cleveland.  They would finish 56-88, in fifth place, 44 games behind Cleveland.

The Yankees were 32-37, in fourth place in the American League East, 7.5 games behind Boston.  They would finish 79-65, in second place, seven games behind Boston, but winning the wild card.

Happy Birthday–May 8

Dan Brouthers (1858)
Edd Roush (1893)
Turkey Stearnes (1901)
Mike Cuellar (1937)
Steve Braun (1948)
Orestes Destrade (1962)
Todd Greene (1971)
John Maine (1981)
Adrian Gonzalez (1982)
Sean Gilmartin (1990)

I could not find out why Edd Roush's first name was spelled with two d's.  I did find out, however, that he had a twin brother whose name was Fred, not Fredd.

Outfielder Turkey Stearns was a star in the Negro Leagues from 1923-1940, posting a slugging percentage of .619.

Mike Cuellar pitched in AAA in the Twins’ organization in 1961.  He does not seem to have belonged to the Twins, however.  It may be that he was temporarily loaned to them, a practice which was not uncommon in the 1960s.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–May 8