Tony, the Killer, and Carew

From the frivolity department, I present the history of the Twins on opening day. Feel free to comment about game or games that stand out in your memory. I think my most memorable was watching the 2002 team start the season with a lead off home run in Kansas City. I took the day off of work to watch the game on TV, and I remember it was snowing that day in Minnesota.

Date - Result - Starting Pitcher

4/11/1961 W @ NYY 6-0 Pedro Ramos
4/10/1962 L @ KCA 2-4 Jack Kralick
4/9/1963 L vs CLE 4-5 Camilso Pascual
4/14/1964 W @ CLE 7-6 Camilo Pascual (2)
4/12/1965 W vs NYY 5-4 (11 innings) Jim Kaat
4/12/1966 W vs KCA 2-1 Mudcat Grant
4/11/1967 L @ BAL 3-6 Jim Kaat (2)
4/10/1968 W @ WAS 2-0 Dean Chance
4/8/1969 L @ KCR 3-4 (12 innings) Tom Hall
4/7/1970 W @ CHW 12-0 Jim Perry

 
4/6/1971 L vs MIL 2-7 Jim Perry (2)
4/15/1972 L @ OAK 3-4 (11 innings) Bert Blyleven
4/6/1973 W @ OAK 8-3 Bert Blyleven
4/5/1974 W @ KCR 6-4 (11 innings) Bert Blyleven
4/8/1975 W @ TEX 11-4 Bert Blyleven (2)
4/9/1976 L @ TEX 1-2 (11 innings) Bert Blyleven (3)
4/9/1977 L @ OAK 4-7 Dave Goltz
4/5/1978 L @ SEA 2-3 Dave Goltz (2)
4/6/1979 W @ OAK 5-3 Dave Goltz (3)
4/10/1980 W @ OAK 9-7 (12 innings) Jerry Koosman

4/9/1981 L vs OAK 1-5 Jerry Koosman (2)
4/6/1982 L vs SEA 7-11 Pete Redfern
4/5/1983 L vs DET 3-11 Brad Havens
4/3/1984 L vs DET 1-8 Albert Williams
4/9/1985 W @ CAL 6-2 Frank Viola
4/8/1986 W @ OAK 3-2 Frank Viola (2)
4/7/1987 W vs OAK 5-4 (10 innings) Bert Blyleven (4)
4/5/1988 L @ NYY 0-8 Frank Viola (3)
4/4/1989 L vs NYY 2-4 Frank Viola (4)
4/9/1990 L @ OAK 3-8 Allan Anderson

4/9/1991 L @ OAK 2-7 Jack Morris
4/6/1992 W @ MIL 4-2 Scott Erickson
4/6/1993 W vs CHW 10-5 Kevin Tapani
4/5/1994 L vs CAL 2-8 Kevin Tapani (2)
4/26/1995 L @ BOS 0-9 Scott Erickson (2)
4/1/1996 W vs DET 8-6 Brad Radke
4/1/1997 W vs DET 7-5 Brad Radke (2)
4/1/1998 L @ TOR 2-3 Bob Tewksbury
4/6/1999 W vs TOR 6-1 Brad Radke (3)
4/3/2000 L vs TB 0-7 Brad Radke (4)

 
4/3/2001 W @ DET 3-2 Brad Radke (5)
4/1/2002 W @ KC 8-6 Brad Radke (6)
3/31/2003 W @ DET 3-1 Brad Radke (7)
4/5/2004 W vs CLE 7-4 (11 innings) Brad Radke (8)
4/4/2005 L @ SEA 1-5 Brad Radke (9)
4/4/2006 L @ TOR 3-6 Johan Santana
4/2/2007 W vs BAL 7-4 Johan Santana (2)

Overall Record on Opening Day: 24-23

3/31/2008 ? vs LAA ?-? Livan Hernandez

Former Twin and longtime Tiger’s coach, Billy Consolo passed away on Thursday of an apparent heart attack. Consolo was 73. His playing time with the Twins was brief (11G, 5AB, 1R, 0H), but he did manage 179 games as a utility infielder with the Senators in 1959/1960.

Consolo signed with the Red Sox straight out of High School in 1953 and was their starting second baseman and leadoff hitter at the start of the 1954 season.

Billy Consolo’s TwinsCards.com page

Billy Consolo’s Baseball-Reference page

Billy Consolo’s Baseball-Reference Bullpen page

Billy Consolo’s Baseball Cube page

Billy Consolo’s Baseball Almanac page

Billy Consolo’s SABR Minor League Database page

Congratulations to Jason Barrett for answering 8 out of the 10 questions for a total of 12 points. Jason was one of two persons to submit answers in the extended version of this month’s contest. I know this month was tough, but you gotta know your Twins to play with the big boys…and Jason does. Jason has won 18 autographed Twins baseball cards (courtesy of Twinkie). This month’s group will include signed Bowman rookie cards of Ricky Barrett, Angel Garcia, Garrett Guzman, Paul Kelly, Luis Maza, Errol Simonitsch, Brock Peterson, Jay Rainville, Kyle Waldrop, Luke Hughes, Dusty Goman, Justin Arneson, Eduardo Morlan, Frank Mata, Denard Span, Trevor Plouffe, Drew Thompson, Johnny Woodward.
Here are this month’s answers and links to the cards I got the blurbs from.

1. (NAME) was running away with all Southern League pitching honors last year when called to the Twins, June 21. Used mostly as a spot starter by Mgr (NAME), (NAME) was an All-Star in NY-Penn League, (YEAR), & Fla. State League, (YEAR). Pitched in Venezuelan loop last winter, was 7-5 with 1.75 ERA, allowed one run in last 27 innings. (Steve Luebber, 1972 Topps)
2. (NAME) tied a Major-League record (DATE) for the most consecutive base on balls, as a batter, in consecutive innings (4). Wearing glasses for the first time, he made a fine comeback during the (YEAR) season, ending with a ERA of 2.97. (Chuck Stobbs, 1961 Post)
3. The slender fast-baller has been plagued by illness and arm trouble during his brief major league career, but last season he finally put it all together to become a 20-game winner. Only 3 A.L. pitchers fanned more than (NAME)’s (TOTAL). (Dave Boswell, 1970 Topps)
4. Emerged as one of the A.L.’s top all-around outfielders in (YEAR). Ranked 10th in A.L. in total bases and slugging percentage. Led A.L. outfielders in double plays (TOTAL) in (YEAR). Hit for the cycle, (DATE) vs. (TEAM). Has played both leftfield and rightfield for Twins. Hit grand-slam homer (DATE) vs. Red Sox. (Gary Ward, 1983 Donruss Action All-Stars)
5. Though not reflected in his won-loss record, (NAME) was a much improved pitcher in (YEAR). Featuring control that borders on legendary, he has days when he dominates by simply pitching to contact. A case in point was (NAME)’s shutout of the (TEAM) on (DATE, when he allowed 8 hits but all were singles and he didn’t walk a batter. (Carlos Silva, 2007 Topps Update)
6. Entering the 2001 season, (NAME) was one of only nine major league pitchers to win at least 11 games in each of the last six seasons. Anchoring the Twins starting rotation, the right-hander has also netted at least a dozen wins for five consecutive seasons, including this year. (Brad Radke, 2001 Leaf Limited)
7. Played in 101 games in first full ML season at age 26 but with eight minor league seasons behind him. (Houston Jimenez, 1985 Fleer)
8. When (NAME) signed with Minnesota, he received the biggest bonus ever given to any Twin pitcher.Arm miseries curtailed (NAME)’s service in (YEAR), after he notched 4 out of 5 decisions. Last year, the righthander was used as a spot started as well as a receiver. (Jim Roland, 1965 Topps)
9. Twice had seven-game hitting streaks last year. Has played first, second, third base, shortstop and outfield in his career. Was the 1,134 player selected (??? round) in (YEAR). (Denny Hocking, 2003 UD 40-Man)
10. (NAME) stepped forward on offense in (YEAR) while bringing the Twins’ young pitching staff along on defense. With runners in scoring position, (NAME) upped his output to a .307 average. (Matt Walbeck, 1996 Collectors Choice)

Talkin’ Twins Baseball with links.

The Twins had already clinched the American League Central, and were in cruise control mode when they entered the weekend series against the Tigers. Though Detroit had been well out of contention all year, the final four-game series held special meaning for Detroit faithful. Entering the weekend the Tigers stood at 40-118, just three losses shy of a major league record for futility.

The teams split the first two games, leaving the Tigers in a position where they could win out and avoid history. A split in the final two games would mean that the Tigers would tie the 1962 Mets for most losses in a season. If they swept the Twins on Saturday and Sunday, the Tigers could avoid that “honor” all together.

The Twins started most of their regulars on the rainy Saturday night, including veteran Brad Radke at pitcher, but the fact that the playoffs were already clinched for the Twins meant that it would be a short day’s work for most of the starters.

It looked as though it might not matter in the early innings. A Doug Mientkiewicz sacrifice fly scored Shannon Stewart, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning, to give the Twins a 1-0 first inning lead. Radke was able to keep the Tigers off the board for the first four innings, allowing at least a single in each inning but working his way out of trouble.

With one out in the fourth, Corey Koskie, Torii Hunter, and AJ Pierzynski hit consecutive doubles off of Tigers’ starter Gary Knotts. Michael Ryan and Cristian Guzman followed with RBI singles, giving the Twins a 5-0 lead. After Radke worked out of another jam in the fourth, the Twins came back with a pair of home runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 8-0. The first was a lead off home run by Jacque Jones, the second a two-run shot by Michael Ryan.

With an 8-0 lead Ron Gardenhire began to make wholesale substitutions, something that was likely regardless of the score, but was probably easier to do with a comfortable lead in the middle of the fifth inning. Radke came out for his final inning of work. This time he allowed an RBI single off the bat of Craig Monroe, but finished his day without any further damage and with what seemed like a comfortable 8-1 lead.

The score remained 8-1 until the bottom of the seventh. With two men on, partly as a result of a botched double play ball by Denny Hocking at first base, Craig Monroe doubled down the left field line, scoring both men. Carlos Pena followed with an RBI single off of Carlos Pulido, who got out of the inning himself still ahead 8-4.

After the Twins were retired in order in their half of the eighth, the Tigers went back to work, this time against some of the elite members of the Twins’ bullpen. Juan Rincon faced three batters and walked two of them. JC Romero came on the try and work out of the jam, but he walked the first man he faced to load the bases with one out. Romero then issued a walk to Dmitri Young that forced a run home and cut the Twins’ lead to three. Monroe and Pena followed with a pair of singles that scored three and tied the game.

Though Justin Morneau led off the Twins’ ninth with a double, the next three were retired by Fernando Rodney, bringing the Tigers to bat with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth. Jesse Orosco retired Ramon Santiago, but then fell victim to the walk, giving Alex Sanchez a free pass to first to represent the winning run with one out. The Tigers came to the park to win, showing their aggressiveness with a pair of Sanchez stolen bases off of the battery of Orosco and Rob Bowen. With Sanchez at third, Orosco got former Twins Warren Morris to swing at a third strike, but the ball got away from Bowen. Sanchez scored for a Tigers win that came on a walk-off strikeout. The Tigers weren’t picky about how they got their wins.

Instead of a record-tying 120th loss, the Tigers had their fifth victory in six games, including two over the Twins.

“We’re not the worst team in baseball, no matter what,” Tigers first baseman Carlos Pena said. “We’re going to have a better winning percentage than the Mets, and we won’t beat their record. You’ve got to compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges, OK? They played 160 games and we’ll play 162.”

Craig Monroe finished the game 4-for-5 with 3 RBI and a run scored. The Tigers defeated the Twins on the final game of the season to avoid their 120th loss.

Box

March 23, 1928
Jim Lemon - Lemon was an original member of the Minnesota Twins, moving west with the Senators in 1961. His best seasons came before the move. In Washington, Lemon provided a lot of power that Nats’ fans weren’t used to, but he came along at a time when there was an unusual power surge in the nation’s capital. He was overshadowed in his first few years by Roy Sievers, and later by Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison. The other knock against Lemon was his high strikeout totals. He set a new league record with 138 K’s in 1956. The following season Lemon made an effort to cut back on the strikeouts, but did so at the expense of his own power. It was manager Cookie Lavagetto who suggested that Lemon return to his free-swinging ways in the spring of 1957, leading to a return of his power. Despite his production, Lemon still had trouble shaking the notion that he struck out too much. He wasn’t helped much by the fact that owner Calvin Griffith regularly told any newspaper that would listen that Lemon struck out too much.

March 23, 1947 - Pat Bourque

March 25, 1969 - Erik Schullstrom

March 26, 1967
Jarvis Brown - A member of the 1991 team, Brown was used almost exclusively as a pinch runner. Brown was the man due up when the Atlanta Braves intentionally walked both Puckett and Hrbek after Gladden’s double and Knoblauch’s sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Brown had come in to run for Chili Davis in the ninth inning. He was, of course, taken out in favor of Gene Larkin for that at-bat.

March 26, 1972 - Jason Maxwell

March 27, 1979
Michael Cuddyer - Current right fielder, Cuddyer was bounced around from position to position for a while, publicly criticized often by his manager, but ultimately played very well once given the chance to be an every day player.

March 28, 1935 - Garland “Duck” Shifflett

March 29, 1962
Billy Beane - This would be Beane with an “e”, not the Billy Bean who made news for other reasons after his playing career. One of the more controversial figures in baseball today played for the Twins in 1986 and briefly in 1987. He was used mostly as a backup outfielder during his brief time with the Twins, he batted .213/.258/.295 in 194 PA’s during his busiest career season of 1986. Beane played with the Mets prior to his stint with the Twins, then played in Detroit and Oakland to finish his playing career. His biggest impact, however, has been as the general manager of the Oakland A’s and subject of the book Moneyball.

March 29, 1972 - Alex Ochoa

CONTEST EXTENDED

Wow, you guys either really suck at trivia, the questions were incredibly too difficult, you were entirely too apathetic or you could care less about winning 18 autographed rookie cards! Whatever the reason, we still do not have a monthly winner or a home for those 18 autographed cards. With all that being said, I’ve decided to extend the contest for another week. Here is the link to last week’s post and I’ve copied the questions below.

Questions (1 pt each): Something new this month. I’m going to provide you the text from the back of a player’s card (omitting certain key words) and all you have to do is tell me who the blurb is about.

1. (NAME) was running away with all Southern League pitching honors last year when called to the Twins, June 21. Used mostly as a spot starter by Mgr (NAME), (NAME) was an All-Star in NY-Penn League, (YEAR), & Fla. State League, (YEAR). Pitched in Venezuelan loop last winter, was 7-5 with 1.75 ERA, allowed one run in last 27 innings.
2. (NAME) tied a Major-League record (DATE) for the most consecutive base on balls, as a batter, in consecutive innings (4). Wearing glasses for the first time, he made a fine comeback during the (YEAR) season, ending with a ERA of 2.97.
3. The slender fast-baller has been plagued by illness and arm trouble during his brief major league career, but last season he finally put it all together to become a 20-game winner. Only 3 A.L. pitchers fanned more than (NAME)’s (TOTAL).
4. Emerged as one of the A.L.’s top all-around outfielders in (YEAR). Ranked 10th in A.L. in total bases and slugging percentage. Led A.L. outfielders in double plays (TOTAL) in (YEAR). Hit for the cycle, (DATE) vs. (TEAM). Has played both leftfield and rightfield for Twins. Hit grand-slam homer (DATE) vs. Red Sox.
5. Though not reflected in his won-loss record, (NAME) was a much improved pitcher in (YEAR). Featuring control that borders on legendary, he has days when he dominates by simply pitching to contact. A case in point was (NAME)’s shutout of the (TEAM) on (DATE), when he allowed 8 hits but all were singles and he didn’t walk a batter.
6. Entering the 2001 season, (NAME) was one of only nine major league pitchers to win at least 11 games in each of the last six seasons. Anchoring the Twins starting rotation, the right-hander has also netted at least a dozen wins for five consecutive seasons, including this year.
7. Played in 101 games in first full ML season at age 26 but with eight minor league seasons behind him.
8. When (NAME) signed with Minnesota, he received the biggest bonus ever given to any Twin pitcher. Arm miseries curtailed (NAME)’s service in (YEAR), after he notched 4 out of 5 decisions. Last year, the righthander was used as a spot started as well as a receiver.
9. Twice had seven-game hitting streaks last year. Has played first, second, third base, shortstop and outfield in his career. Was the 1,134 player selected (??? round) in (YEAR).
10. (NAME) stepped forward on offense in (YEAR) while bringing the Twins’ young pitching staff along on defense. With runners in scoring position, (NAME) upped his output to a .307 average.

Bonus Question (5 pts): 1/2 pt for every correct card you identify. In other words, which card did I find the blurb from?

According to Pierzynski’s Wikipedia entry, he was voted by his fellow major leaguers as the player most would like to see get banned from the game. This alone speaks highly to A.J.’s character…if there was any doubt that it was suspect in the first place. Pierzynski has been part of several controversial moments in his career including a pair of moments as a visiting White Sox when he tried to spike Justin Morneau by stepping on the inside part of first base.

Of course, A.J. will be forever linked to the lopsided trade that brought Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser to the Twins from the Giants. He played a year with the Giants before they tired of his crap and sent him to the White Sox, where he has found his niche as one of the true “jerks” in baseball.

I do love this card though. It’s not just Pierzynski’s card, but the entire 2001 Fleer Tradition set. It’s got almost everything a good card needs…an action shot, a head shot, a clear and readable tag with player name, position, team and logo. Loosely based around the 1955 Topps card, these are some of my favorite cards in the Fleer Tradition or Topps Heritage series. The only negative thing I can say about this design is the total lack of innovation and/or thought that went into creating the backs of these cards. Too much unused space and silly cartoonish pictorials that deal with baseball terminology. They could have used that space to give us some player blurbs and/or trivia. Instead, we get an unimaginative back with stats and personal data….yuck!

I was watching some spring baseball over the weekend, thinking that Carlos Gomez might find a place on this list down the road. The trick for him will be to get on base enough to do it.

The Twins don’t exactly have a rich history of great stolen base men. As you can see, the top 10 is dominated by two players, but there has been only one season in which a member of the Twins has more than 50 stolen bases. In fact, Chuck Knoblauch’s Twins-leading 62 stolen bases in 1997 is tied for the 190th top stolen base season in major league history.

For the record, the top single season stolen base mark in franchise history belongs to Clyde Milan, who swiped 88 in 1912. Knoblauch’s 1997 season is tied for fourth on that list.

1. Chuck Knoblauch - 1997
62 SB, 10 CS

2. Rod Carew - 1976
49 SB, 22 CS

3. Chuck Knoblauch - 1995
46 SB, 18 CS

4t. Chuck Knoblauch - 1996
45 SB, 14 CS

4t. Cesar Tovar - 1969
45 SB, 12 CS

6. Rod Carew - 1973
41 SB, 16 CS

7. Rod Carew - 1974
38 SB, 16 CS

8. Otis Nixon - 1998
37 SB, 7 CS

9t. Rod Carew - 1975
35 SB, 9 CS

9t. Chuck Knoblauch - 1994
35 SB, 6 CS

9t. Cesar Tovar - 1968
35 SB, 13 CS

Sunday April 15, 2007
HHH Metrodome

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (4-7) @ Minnesota Twins (7-4)

The Twins ran into a hiccup early in the season that they hoped would provide their fifth division title in six years. After opening with a sweep over the Orioles, the Twins went on to drop three of their next five games to the White Sox and the Yankees. A four-game weekend series with the Devil Rays might have figured to be another opportunity for a sweep, though the Twins were happy to head into the final game with a 2-1 series lead.

The news for the Twins before the game was that Nick Punto would miss his second straight game due to an ankle injury. Though Punto had started the season batting .132/.214/.211, he was thought of as the best option at third base, particularly considering that Jeff Cirillo was also out with an injury. With Luis Castillo also out, the Twins had half of their starting infield on the bench for the series finale.

Still, the Twins scored first. Michael Cuddyer led off the second inning with a single off of Jae Seo. Justin Morneau followed with a double to give the Twins two men in scoring position with no outs. Torii Hunter worked out an 11-pitch at-bat and ended up bringing Cuddyer home with a ground out to third for the first run of the game. Seo retired the next two batters to escape the inning with no further damage.

The Rays tied the game in the fifth inning when Jonny Gomes singled home a run off of Boof Bonser. The Twins responded in the bottom half of the inning when Jason Kubel, at second thanks to a single and a stolen base, scored on Jason Bartlett’s single to right field.

It was in the sixth inning that the future Twins took over. Brendan Harris led off the inning with a solo home run over Michael Cuddyer’s head in right field. After Carl Crawford singled and Ty Wigginton struck out, Delmon Young took the first pitch he saw from Bonser deep to right-center field for a two-run home run to put the Rays up 4-2.

The pitch to Young was Bonser’s last, but the Twins’ bullpen, Denis Reyes and Matt Gurrier, were able to hold the Rays scoreless until the Twins were able to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Once again it was Kubel and Bartlett who did the damage, each with an RBI hit off of Seo to tie the game at four.

With the score the same, Ron Gardenhire went to his ace in the ninth inning. Nathan had yet to allow a run in five appearances. That streak didn’t last, however, as the first three Devil Rays he faced all reached safely. Akinori Iwamura and Dioner Navarro rapped back-to-back doubles off of Nathan to give Tampa Bay the lead, and Carlos Pena followed with an RBI single to make the score 6-4. Al Reyes retired the Twins in order in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the series split.

Joe Christiansen wrote about the game in the Star Tribune the next day:

The sound in Twins manager Ron Gardenhire’s voice after Sunday’s 6-4 loss was not frustration, as one might have expected after his team split four games with the consistently inconsistent Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Gardenhire didn’t sound bewildered, which would have been understandable, considering the two losses came against usual stalwarts Johan Santana and Joe Nathan.

No, the sound was concern.

“The big thing early in the season is staying healthy, and right now we’re not healthy,” Gardenhire said. “We’ve got too many injuries to be able to show any consistency out there.”

After an extended postgame meeting with his coaches, Gardenhire had come to grips with the surprising ninth-inning events at the Metrodome.

 

Joe Nathan was quoted in the same story:

“It’s something you learn from today and tomorrow it’s over,” Nathan said, as his team limped into today’s open date, waiting to face the Mariners on Tuesday in Seattle.

 

Box

Three of the heroes of this April game were involved in an off season trade between the two teams. It may be a coincidence that the two Devil Rays who homered in the sixth inning are now members of the Twins, while 3-for-3 two RBI game didn’t go unnoticed by his future team in Tampa.