Tag Archives: Minnesota Twins

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Sixty-four

MILWAUKEE 4, MINNESOTA 1 IN MILWAUKEE

Date:  Thursday, June 25.

Batting star:  Rich Reese was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Tom Hall struck out six in 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.  Bill Zepp pitched two perfect innings.  Steve Barber pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two walks.

Opposition stars:  Lew Krausse pitched a complete game, giving up one run on four hits and no walks and striking out three.  Russ Snyder was 2-for-4 with a double.

The game:  The Brewers jumped on Twins starter Jim Perry for three runs in the first inning.  With one out Snyder doubled and scored on a Dave May single.  Tito Francona walked and Bob Burda delivered an RBI single.  Another run scored on a ground out, making it 3-0 Milwaukee.  In the second Phil Roof singled and Tommy Harper drew a one-out walk, chasing Perry from the game.  Hall came in and gave up a run-scoring single to Snyder and it was 4-0 Brewers.

The Twins did not get a hit until the fifth, when Reese hit a one-out single.  They got on the board in the seventh when, with one out, Tony Oliva doubled, Harmon Killebrew singled, and Reese drove in a run with a single.  That brought the tying run up to bat, but a pair of fly outs ended the inning.  The Twins got only one more baserunner, when George Mitterwald reached on an error in the eighth.

WP:  Krausse (5-10).

LP:  Perry (10-6).

S:  None.

Notes:  Danny Thompson made his major league debut in this game, playing second base.  Jim Holt was in left in place of Brant Alyea.  Herman Hill and Paul Ratliff were used as pinch-hitter for pitchers.

Oliva was 1-for-4 and was batting .320.  Killebrew was 1-for-4 and was batting .301.  Hall had an ERA of 2.41.  Zepp had an ERA of 2.75.  Barber had an ERA of 2.70.

Mitterwald was 0-for-3 and was batting .199.

Perry lasted only 1.1 innings, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks and striking out one.  It seems like a really quick hook for that era--I wonder if he was battling an injury or illness.  If so, it was minor, because he made his next start and did well.

Krausse had a few good years and also some not-very-good years.  This was one of the not-very-good ones, as he went 13-18, 4.75, 1.40 WHIP.  His game score of 82 in this game was his second-highest of the season, topped only by a shutout of the White Sox on July 7.  He did have eight complete games in 1970, his career high.

This game was a make-up of a rained out game on May 15.

Record:  The Twins were 41-23, in first place in the American League West, three games behind California.

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Sixty-three

MINNESOTA 3, MILWAUKEE 2 IN MILWAUKEE

Date:  Wednesday, June 24.

Batting star:  Tony Oliva was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Dave Boswell struck out eight in eight innings, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks.  Stan Williams pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Bob Burda was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Marty Pattin struck out ten in a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk.

The game:  In the first, Russ Snyder drew a one-out walk, Mike Hegan walked with two out, and Dave May singled, loading the bases.  Burda singled home a run, but a baserunning blunder ended the inning with the Brewers leading by only 1-0.

Milwaukee had men on first and second with one out in the second but did not score.  In the fourth, Cesar Tovar led off the inning by reaching second on a single-plus-error.  He was bunted to third and scored on a wild pitch to tie it 1-1.  Tony Oliva then doubled and scored on a Harmon Killebrew single to give the Twins a 2-1 lead.  It didn't last long, though, as Burda led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, was bunted to third, and scored on a sacrifice fly to tie it 2-2.

Each team had two on with two out in the seventh and did not score.  In the eighth Tovar was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on an Oliva single to put the Twins ahead 3-2.  The Brewers threatened in the ninth.  Burda led off with a walk and Phil Roof had a two-out single to put the tying run into scoring position.  But Ted Savage struck out to end the game.

WP:  Boswell (3-6).

LP:  Pattin (4-6).

S:  Williams (4).

Notes:  Herman Hill made his season debut in center field, with Tovar moving to second base in place of the injured Rod Carew.  Jim Holt was in left in place of Brant Alyea.

Oliva was batting .321.  Killebrew was 1-for-3 and was batting .302.  Williams had an ERA of 1.81.

Hill was 0-for-3 and was batting zero.  Boswell easily had his best game of the season to date--his score of 68 was twenty points higher than his second-best game score so far--but still had an ERA of 6.24.

Oddly, Frank Quilici was not used as a defensive replacement for Harmon Killebrew, even though the Twins took the lead in the eighth and Killebrew was unlikely to come to bat again.

Bob Burda had only been a member of the Brewers for a couple of weeks, having been sold by the Giants on June 9.  He was a first baseman/corner outfielder, mostly playing right field for Milwaukee.  He got the most playing time of his career in 1970--245 at-bats--and did not take advantage of it, batting .249/.315/.335 with just four home runs, not the kind of production you want from someone who plays those positions.  He had shown some power in the minors, hitting 27 homers in AAA in 1963 and 18 more in AAA in 1964, but he had only 13 homers in 634 major league at-bats.  He played for St. Louis in 1971 and for Boston in 1972 before ending his playing career.  He was successful in business after leaving baseball and is currently living in retirement in Mesa, Arizona.

Record:  The Twins were 41-22, in first place in the American League West, four games ahead of California.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–December 8

Jack Rowe (1856)
Jimmy Austin (1879)
Sam Zoldak (1918)
Jim Pagliaroni (1937)
Brant Alyea (1940)
Ed Brinkman (1941)
Ken Roy (1941)
Masahiro Doi (1943)
Alan Foster (1946)
Jeff Grotewold (1965)
Mike Mussina (1968)
Garvin Alston (1971)
Reed Johnson (1976)
Vernon Wells (1978)
Josh Donaldson (1985)

Ken Roy was a minor league umpire for two years before becoming a Catholic priest.  He said that his umpiring career helped him in ministry because it gave him more patience with people and made him a better listener.

Masahiro Doi was a fifteen-time all-star in the Japanese Pacific League, playing from 1962-1981.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to AMR’s son, HPR.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 8 →

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Sixty-two

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MILWAUKEE 4, MINNESOTA 3 IN MILWAUKEE

Date:  Tuesday, June 23.

Batting star:  George Mitterwald was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fifth.

Pitching stars:  Bert Blyleven struck out seven in six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Phil Roof was 2-for-3 with a home run, his sixth.  Roberto Pena was 2-for-4.  Bobby Bolin pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks and striking out three.  Dave Baldwin struck out two in two perfect innings.

The game:  The Twins loaded the bases in the second inning but did not score.  In the bottom of the second, Dave May singled, went to second on a passed ball, and scored on Pena's single to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

The Twins put two on with one out in the third but again did not score.  They got on the board in the fifth, as Cesar Tovar doubled and scored on a Jim Holt single.  The Twins took the lead in the sixth when Bob Allison singled and Mitterwald hit a two-out two-run homer, making it 3-1 MInnesota.

The Brewers had two on in the fifth and again in the sixth but did not score.  Roof homered leading off the seventh to cut the lead to 3-2.  It was still 3-2 in the ninth.  Roof was hit by a pitch with one out and Tommy Harper walked with two out.  Ron Perranoski then came in to face pinch-hitter Gus Gil.  Gil hit a double to left, scoring both runners, and Milwaukee took the win, 4-3.

WP:  Baldwin (2-0).

LP:  Tom Hall (2-2).

S:  None.

Notes:  Holt was again in right in place of Tony Oliva.  Allison was again in left in place of Brant Alyea.  Frank Quilici was at second base in place of Rod Carew.  So as not to spoiler it, I haven't checked if Bill Rigney continued to use the light-hitting Quilici to replace Carew or if he went a different direction.  We'll see as the series goes on.  With Quilici in the starting lineup, Rigney did not use a defensive replacement for Harmon Killebrew at third base.

Killebrew was 0-for-3 and was batting .301.  Hall gave up two runs in 2.2 innings and had an ERA of 2.70.

Quilici was 0-for-3 and was batting .172.

The Brewers used six pinch-hitters in the game:  Ted Savage, Gil, Danny Walton, Mike Hershberger, Tito Francona, and Jerry McNertney.  They also used a pinch-runner, Max Alvis.  I miss the days when teams had enough bench players that they could do stuff like that.

With the recent election, the 1970 Twins had five Hall-of-Famers:  Blyleven, Carew, Kaat, Killebrew, and Oliva.  I'm sure that's nowhere near the record, but it's still impressive.

The Twins were now 2-3 on their eleven-game road trip.

Record:  The Twins were 40-22, in first place in the American League West, 4.5 games ahead of California.

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Sixty-one

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MINNESOTA 4, MILWAUKEE 3 IN MILWAUKEE

Date:  Monday, June 22.

Batting stars:  Cesar Tovar was 2-for-5 with a double.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-3 with a three-run homer (his eighteenth) and a walk.

Pitching stars:  Jim Kaat pitched eight innings, giving up three runs on five hits and one walk and striking out five.  Ron Perranoski pitched a perfect inning and struck out one.

Opposition stars:  Tommy Harper was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his twelfth), a double, and two runs.  Ken Sanders retired all five men he faced, striking out one.  John Gelnar pitched three shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.

The game:  The Twins drew a pair of two-out walks in the first but stranded them.  In the bottom of the first Harper led off with a double, took third on a ground out, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.  The Twins put two on with one out in the third, but a double play took them out of the inning.

The Twins tied it in the fourth when Bob Allison walked and scored from first on a Leo Cardenas double.  The Twins took the lead in the fifth when Tovar went to second on a single-plus-error, Frank Quilici walked, and Killebrew hit a three-run homer to make it a 4-1 game.

Milwaukee did not get a man past first in innings two through eight.  In the ninth, Ted Savage singled and Harper hit a two-run homer, cutting the lead to 4-3.  Perranoski then came in and retired the next three men to end the game.

WP:  Kaat (6-5).

LP:  Gene Brabender (3-9).

S:  Perranoski (17).

Notes:  Allison was in left field in place of Brant Alyea.  Jim Holt was in right field in place of Tony Oliva, who apparently was dealing with a minor injury.

The most significant thing that happened, though, was that Rod Carew had his knee torn up while turning a double play in the fourth inning.  He would not return for three months.  He was batting .376 when he was injured.

Killebrew was batting .306.  Perranoski had an ERA of 1.79.

Quilici was 1-for-1 and was batting .182.

This was the last year of Brabender's five-year career.  He had been a good pitcher for Baltimore from 1966-1968.  He pitched 289.2 innings for them in 82 games (30 starts) and went 16-14, 3.39, 1.21 WHIP.  He did not do as well in Seattle in 1969, however, and was awful for Milwaukee in 1970--6-15, 6.02, 1.60 WHIP.  He somehow lost his control when he left Baltimore--he walked 3.1 per nine there, 4.6 per nine in Seattle, and 5.1 per nine in Milwaukee.  He apparently had a sore shoulder, which may have contributed to the problem.  He passed away in 1996 at the young age of fifty-five, due to a brain aneurysm.

Record:  The Twins were 40-21, in first place in the American League West, 4.5 games ahead of California.

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Sixty

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MINNESOTA 11, KANSAS CITY 2 IN KANSAS CITY

Date:  Sunday, June 21.

Batting stars:  Bob Allison was 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and three runs.  Rod Carew was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Leo Cardenas was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.  Rich Reese was 2-for-5.  Harmon Killebrew was 1-for-4 with a home run (his seventeenth) and a walk.

Pitching stars:  Jim Perry struck out seven in 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks.  Ron Perranoski pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Joe Keough was 2-for-4 with a double.  Lou Piniella was 2-for-4.  Al Fitzmorris pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

The game:  The Twins opened the scoring in the second.  Allison led off with an infield hit.  While Rick Renick was batting, Allison somehow went to second on an error on the shortstop.  He then stole third and scored on a throwing error on the catcher, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead.

The Twins put two on in the third but did not score.  In the fourth, however, the Twins took control of the game.  Allison reached on an error and Renick walked.  Cardenas delivered a two-run single-plus error, taking second on the play.  Reese singled, putting men on first and third, and George Mitterwald singled home a run.  A bunt moved the runners up and a sacrifice fly brought home one more, making it 5-0 Twins.  Killebrew homered leading off the fifth to make it 6-0.

The Royals had only one hit through the first six innings.  In the seventh, consecutive two-out singles by Bob Oliver, Keough, Piniella, and Ed Kirkpatrick brought home two runs and chased Perry from the game.  Perranoski came in to retire Hawk Taylor and keep the score 6-2.

The Twins put it away with five in the ninth.  Cesar Tovar doubled and scored on a Carew single.  Killebrew walked and Allison was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.  An error brought home one run and Cardenas hit a three-run double to bring us to the final score of 11-2.

WP:  Perry (10-5).

LP:  Bill Butler (2-6).

S:  Perranoski (16).

Notes:  Allison was in right field, giving Tony Oliva his first day off of the season.  Renick was in left in place of Brant Alyea.  Jim Holt replaced Renick in the seventh inning.  Frank Quilici pinch-ran for Killebrew in the ninth and stayed in the game at third base.

Carew was 7-for-12 in his last three games and raised his average to .378.  Perry was 1-for-2 and was batting .368.  Killebrew was batting .305.  Perry had an ERA of 2.82.  Perranoski had an ERA of 1.82.

I really don't know how Allison got to second in the second inning.  The play-by-play says "Baserunner Advance; Allison to 2B/Adv on E6".  My best guess is that he was trying to steal second and would've been out, but the shortstop dropped/missed the throw.  The catcher should get an assist on that, though, and nothing indicates that he did.

It seems strange to bring your closer into a game in the seventh inning of a 6-2 game, but of course it would not have been nearly has strange in 1970.  Plus, the game was arguably on the line--Kansas City had just scored two runs and had two men on.  On the other hand, the batter was Hawk Taylor, who wasn't exactly Babe Ruth--a career .218 average with a career OPS of .578.  Today they surely would've brought someone else in to pitch the ninth, with the Twins leading 11-2, but that just wasn't the way they did things back then.  At that time, they figured, Perranoski hasn't pitched since June 15, he's all warmed up, he might as well finish it up.

The Royals starter, Butler, would pitch for the Twins in 1974-1975 and 1977.  In this game, he pitched six innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits and three walks and striking out three.  Kansas City made five errors in the game, leading to four unearned runs.  They had made three errors in yesterday's game and two in the game before that, making ten for the series.  Yet, they won two out of three.

The Twins would now head for Milwaukee for the next leg of their three-city road trip.

Record:  The Twins were 39-21, in first place in the American League West, four games ahead of California.

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Fifty-nine

KANSAS CITY 5, MINNESOTA 3 IN KANSAS CITY

Date:  Saturday, June 20.

Batting stars:  Rod Carew was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, his fourth.  Rich Reese was 2-for-4.  The Twins only got one other hit.

Pitching stars:  Dick Woodson struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Stan Williams pitched a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Ed Kirkpatrick was 2-for-3 with a home run (his ninth), a double, and four RBIs.  Amos Otis was 2-for-4.  Jim Rooker pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks and striking out five.  Bob Johnson struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

The game:  In the first inning, the Twins loaded the bases with one out on a bunt single, a walk, and an error, but Leo Cardenas grounded into a double play to end the inning.  It cost the Twins, because the Royals scored four in the bottom of the first.  Cookie Rojas hit a one-out double and scored on Rojas' single.  An error put men on first and third and Joe Keough walked, loading the bases.  With two out, Kirkpatrick hit a three-run double, making it 4-0 Kansas City.

It stayed 4-0 until the fourth, when Kirkpatrick homered to make it 5-0.  Meanwhile, the Twins got only one hit in innings two through seven.  Bob Allison led off the eighth with a double.  Brant Alyea walked and Carew followed with a three-run homer to make it 5-3.  It killed the rally, however, as the next three batters went out.  Reese hit a one-out double in the ninth, bringing the tying run up to bat, but Charlie Manuel and Allison struck out to end the game.

WP:  Rooker (4-4).

LP:  Dave Boswell (2-6).

S:  Johnson (1).

Notes:  Rick Renick was in left field in place of Alyea.  Allison pinch-hit for Dave Boswell in the fifth and stayed in the game in center field as part of a double switch.  Alyea pinch-hit for Woodson in the eighth and Jim Kaat pinch-ran for Alyea.  Manuel pinch-hit for George Mitterwald in the ninth.

Carew was batting .376.  Tony Oliva was 0-for-4 and was batting .318.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-2 and was batting .307.  Woodson had an ERA of 2.35.  Williams had an ERA of 1.85.

Manuel was 0-for-1 and was batting .167.  Boswell gave up five runs (two earned) in four innings and had an ERA of 6.89.

This would be the last time Allison would play center field.  He had not done so since playing two innings there in 1968.

Oliva was 0-for-12 in his last three games.  Killebrew was 0-for-12 in his last four games.

This was Woodson's first appearance since June 2.  I assume he had gone to AAA Evansville during the interim.

This was the Twins' third consecutive loss, two to the Royals and one to the Senators.

Record:  The Twins were 38-21, in first place in the American League West, four games ahead of California.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–December 4

Jesse Burkett (1868)
Shano Collins (1885)
Bob Shawkey (1890)
Harvey Kuenn (1930)
Mike Couchee (1957)
Lee Smith (1957)
Stan Jefferson (1962)
Bernardo Brito (1963)
Jerome Williams (1981)
Matt Fox (1982)
Carlos Gomez (1985)
Jake Cave (1992)

Mike Couchee was drafted by Minnesota in the second round of the January Secondary draft in 1978, but did not sign.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 4 →

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Fifty-eight

KANSAS CITY 5, MINNESOTA 1 IN KANSAS CITY

Date:  Friday, June 19.

Batting stars:  Rod Carew was 3-for-4.  Jim Holt was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Tom Hall struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.  Steve Barber pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Amos Otis was 3-for-4 with a double.  Bob Oliver was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Joe Keough was 2-for-4.  Dick Drago pitched a complete game, giving up an unearned run on seven hits and one walk and striking out five.

The game:  There was no score until the third, when Bobby Floyd led off with a walk, went to second on a ground out, and scored on a Cookie Rojas single.  The Royals added two in the fourth:  Oliver and Keough led off with singles and Lou Piniella followed with an RBI double.  Ed Kirkpatrick was intentionally walked, loading the bases with still none out.  All Kansas City could get out of that was one more, on a ground out, but it put the Royals up 3-0.  Kansas City added two more in the fifth.  Otis hit a one-out single and scored on Oliver's double.  Oliver went to third on Keough's single and scored on a ground out to make it 5-0 Royals.

The Twins didn't mount a lot of threats.  They had a walk and a single with two out in the second.  They got a pair of one-out singles in the seventh.  Their lone run scored in the eighth when Cesar Tovar reached on a two-base error and scored on a Carew single.

WP:  Drago (5-4).

LP:  Bert Blyleven (2-2).

S:  None.

Notes:  Holt was in left in place of Brant Alyea.  Charlie Manuel pinch-hit for Hall in the seventh.  Paul Ratliff pinch-hit for George Mitterwald in the ninth.

Carew was batting .373.  Tony Oliva was 0-for-4 and was batting .324.  Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-4 and was batting .310.  Hall had an ERA of 2.30.  Barber had an ERA of 2.87.

Manuel was batting .176.  Manuel had been with the Twins all season and had appeared in twenty games, all as a pinch-hitter.  That's a tough way to try to succeed.  He was in his age twenty-six season.  I'm sure he was happy to be in the majors, but it sure wasn't a way to try to develop a young-ish player.

This was Blyleven's first poor start.  He allowed five runs in 4.1 innings, giving up seven hits and two walks and striking out two.

I don't remember that I've ever heard of Bobby Floyd.  He played in parts of seven major league seasons, from 1968-1974, but only once got as many as a hundred at-bats in a season (134 in 1972).  He was an infielder, playing 98 games at shortstop, 56 games at second base, and 48 games at third base.  He batted .219/.264/.266 in 425 at-bats.  1970 was his best season at bat, as he batted .311/.360/.400 in 45 at-bats.  He was tied with me in major league career home runs, as we both hit zero.  He did have a lengthy career as a minor league manager and coach.

Record:  The Twins were 38-20, in first place in the American League West, five games ahead of California.

Keeping Track

1970 Rewind: Game Fifty-seven

WASHINGTON 3, MINNESOTA 1 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Wednesday, June 17.

Batting star:  Leo Cardenas was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Jim Kaat struck out eight in eight innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks.  Bill Zepp pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  George Brunet struck out ten in eight innings, giving up one run on four hits and three walks.  Tim Cullen was 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

The game:  Ed Stroud led off the game with a double, went to third on a fly ball, and scored on an error to give the Senators a 1-0 lead.  The Twins tied it in the second when Rick Renick singled, went to third on a Cardenas double, and scored on a ground out.

There was only one base runner in innings three through five, and that was on an error.  In the sixth, Washington went back into the lead.  Frank Howard walked, went to third on Rick Reichardt's single and scored on a ground out to make it 2-1.  They got an insurance run in the seventh.  Paul Casanova and Cullen singled and Brunet reached on an error to load the bases with none out.  All they got out of it was a sacrifice fly, but it made the score 3-1.

The Twins threatened in the eighth.  With one out Cesar Tovar doubled and Rod Carew followed with a bunt single, putting men on first and third with Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva coming up.  It looked good, but they both struck out and the inning ended.  All the Twins could get in the ninth was a two-out single by Cardenas.

WP:  Brunet (4-5).

LP:  Kaat (5-5).

S:  Darold Knowles (13).

Notes:  Renick was again at third base, with Killebrew moving to first.  Jim Holt pinch-ran for Brant Alyea in the seventh inning and remained in the game in left field.  Bob Allison pinch-hit for Kaat in the eighth.

Carew was 1-for-4 and was batting .364.  Oliva was 0-for-4 and was batting .329.  Killebrew was 0-for-2 and was batting .316.  Zepp had an ERA of 2.89.

In his last eleven games, Cardenas was 18-for-43 (.419).  He had raised his average from .260 to .292.

Brunet was near the end of a long career, and was not having a particularly good season.  His ERA after this game was 5.17.  This was his second-best start (by game scores) of the season, bested only by a game in mid-July.  He would be traded to Pittsburgh at the August deadline and pitched very well for them out of the bullpen in September.

After all the Senators players with Twins connections in yesterday's game, there were none in today's game.

The Twins would next go on an eleven-game road trip, going to Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Chicago.  Those teams were in fifth, sixth, and fourth place in the AL West, respectively.

Record:  The Twins were 38-19, in first place in the American League West, five games ahead of California.