Another Opening Day…This Time Without Predictions

It has been a while since I have written anything about the 2008 Twins. While I am excited for the start of the 2008 baseball season, I can’t say that I am particularly looking forward to following this particular team. The off season has been more interesting in terms of player movement than any in the recent history of the Twins, but overall I would grade Bill Smith’s first off season as general manager with a “meh.” My best hope for the 2008 season is that it will be what 1982 was to 1987, a year for young players to get some experience together before making a run a few years down the road.

To be clear (and at the risk of making a prediction), I don’t think this year’s version will be as bad as 1982, but a Twins fan in 2008 has significantly higher standards than a Twins fan would have had in 1982.

Here is what I am looking forward to seeing as part of my 20-game season ticket package in 2008:

-Carlos Gomez on the basepaths (assuming, of course, that he is able to get on base).

-The further development and, hopefully, emergence of Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano as star pitchers (in Liriano’s case re-emergence might be more accurate).

-The best closer in baseball - even though I think it would have made more sense trade him in the grand scheme of things.

-Joe Mauer returning to his 2006 form as the best hitter in baseball.

-Several home games against the Detroit Tigers, my favorite for the American League representative in the World Series (oops, there’s another prediction).

-The best defensive short stop in baseball.

-Buying a Gameday Program and eating a Chicago-Style Hot Dog.

-Watching games with my 14-month-old son.

…and a few things I am not looking forward to:

-Nick Punto getting any playing time that doesn’t involve a late-inning defensive substitution.

-Ron Gardenhire talking down young pitchers and Jason Kubel to anyone who will listen.

-Inappropriate use of the sacrifice bunt.

-Dick and Bert praising the inappropriate use of the sacrifice bunt.

-An offense that scores fewer than two runs in a game.

-Joe Mauer getting blamed for not knocking in runs when he bats directly after Nick Punto, Adam Everett, and Carlos Gomez.

Game 162: California Angels (75-86) @ Minnesota Twins (90-71)

Sunday October 2, 1988

A few weeks ago, Tom Kelly adjusted his starting rotation a bit in order to reward Allan Anderson with an extra start, scheduled to come on the final day of the season. Neither Kelly nor Anderson anticipated that the left-hander would choose to sit out the day before.

Roy Smith will pitch for the Twins today in the season finale at the Metrodome. Allan Anderson was scheduled to go against the Angels but he will be sitting on the bench and on his earned-run average.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Teddy Higuera, starting against the Athletics in Oakland on Saturday, gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings and saw his ERA move up to 2.454. That made Anderson’s ERA of 2.446 the best in the league.

A couple of Anderson’s teammates mentioned to him that by pitching he would risk losing the ERA championship. At least one veteran suggested he not pitch today. Anderson began thinking about that and became confused over what to do. When manager Tom Kelly saw Anderson’s ambivalent state, he figured it best for all concerned to send Smith out there.

“I gave him a choice of what he would like to do,” Kelly said. “He was sort of in between. He was indecisive. At that point I figured it would be better to probably use someone else.”

-Tom Powers, Pioneer Press 10/1/1988

Anderson, who earlier in the week had said that he wasn’t paying attention to his ERA, figured he might take some heat for his decision.

“I had a lot of opinions from the other ballplayers,” Anderson said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It is an honor to have that. I feel good about myself. I feel I’ve done everything possible when I went out there.”

Anderson says he knows people are going to ridicule his decision and say he backed into an ERA title.

“I just take it at face value,” he said. “If it makes them feel better, that’s fine.”

Powers reported on the Milwaukee reaction the next day.

Milwaukee pitching coach Chuck Hartenstein was philosophical when he heard Twins pitcher Allan Anderson would sit out Sunday’s finale to protect his earned-run average. Anderson thereby nipped Brewers starter Teddy Higuera for the earned-run average title, 2.446 to 2.454.

“Let each man’s conscience be his guide,” Hartenstein said when he got the news. “That kid (Anderson) worked his tail off all year to do what he did. I can understand him doing that, (he’s) a young player.

“You like to see guys who, when it comes their turn to pitch, pitch. But it’s no big deal. I’m not sure what we would have done if the shoe was on the other foot.”

“I don’t care,” Higuera said. “I’m very happy with the season I’ve had.”

With the AL ERA champion watching from the clubhouse, the Twins won the final game of the 1988 season to finish 91-71. Though the Twins won 3-2, the story of the game was the fan reaction.

The Metrodome was draped with bedsheet banners, some in anticipation of topping 3 million in attendance (”See a Game, Set a Record”), some offering suggestions to executive vice president Andy MacPhail (”Sign Bert Blyleven - If He Leaves, It Will Be Like Losing Jim Kaat”).

The game was something of a formality, although the victory allowed the Twins to finish 20 games over .500 for the first time in 18 years. A crowd of 35,952 cheered Gladden’s fence-crashing catch in the fifth inning and, after Kirby Puckett struck out for the third time, still applauded the center fielder’s terrific season.

However, the fans saved their loudest cheers for themselves: With two outs in the ninth, the scoreboard flashed the news that the Twins had become the first American League club to top 3 million in attendance, ending up with 3,030,672. Carol Hanson of Alexandria, Minn., won a drawing as the 3,000,000th fan, with prizes of airfare, hotel, rental car and a $1,000 gift certificate.

Afterward, the Twins gathered in the middle of the infield and tipped their caps to the stands. Club owner Carl Pohlad, manager Tom Kelly, Kent Hrbek, Puckett, Frank Viola and Jeff Reardon briefly thanked the fans and predicted future postseason fun. Then it was into the clubhouse and into the night.

“The last two years have been the most incredible two years I’ve ever witnessed,” said Viola, whose 24-7 record makes him a lock for the AL Cy Young Award. “Knowing what it was like here in ‘82, ‘83, looking up and seeing 4,000 fans in the stands, this gives me goose bumps. That’s what this game’s all about.”

-Steve Aschburner, Star Tribune 10/3/1988

Though they finished six games better than the previous year, there will be no champagne popping for the Twins in 1988.

Box

Player of the Game
Greg Gagne

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              162  104   58    0  .642     -   800  620
Minnesota Twins                162   91   71    0  .562  13.0   759  672
Kansas City Royals             161   84   77    0  .522  19.5   704  648
California Angels              162   75   87    0  .463  29.0   714  771
Chicago White Sox              161   71   90    0  .441  32.5   631  757
Texas Rangers                  161   70   91    0  .435  33.5   637  735
Seattle Mariners               161   68   93    0  .422  35.5   664  744

Game 161: California Angels (75-85) @ Minnesota Twins (89-71)

Saturday October 1, 1988

The Twins won their 90th game for the first time since 1970. They did so largely behind the bat of Kirby Puckett, whose two-run home run in the first inning got the game off on the right foot. Puckett’s season line now stands at .357/.376/.547 with 24 HR and 121 RBI. The last Twin to drive in as many runs was Harmon Killebrew, who knocked in 140 in 1969. Puckett’s home run also extended his hitting streak to 15 games, tying the team record. Tom Brunansky also hit in 15 straight back in 1983.

Charlie Lea pitched 5 2/3 innings to earn the win in what will be his final major league game. Les Straker came on to pitch the final 3 1/3 innings, what would also turn out to be his final major league appearance.

The 10-5 victory for the Twins was somewhat overshadowed by events in Oakland.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Teddy Higuera, starting against the Athletics in Oakland on Saturday, gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings and saw his ERA move up to 2.454. That made Anderson’s ERA of 2.446 the best in the league.

Box

Player of the Game
Kirby Puckett

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              161  103   58    0  .640     -   796  620
Minnesota Twins                161   90   71    0  .559  13.0   756  670
Kansas City Royals             160   84   76    0  .525  18.5   703  643
California Angels              161   75   86    0  .466  28.0   712  768
Chicago White Sox              160   70   90    0  .438  32.5   626  756
Texas Rangers                  160   69   91    0  .431  33.5   630  733
Seattle Mariners               160   68   92    0  .425  34.5   662  737

Game 160: California Angels (75-84) @ Minnesota Twins (88-71)

Friday September 30, 1988

Frank Viola took the mound for the final time in the 1988 season. While it wasn’t his finest performance, he did enough to earn his 24th win of the year. When he was removed after allowing four consecutive hits in the eighth inning, the fans gathered at the Metrodome cheered until Viola came out of the dugout for a curtain call.

“He had an outstanding season,” manager Tom Kelly said. “There were times a couple of years ago when I didn’t know if he was ever going to do that, if he was physically and mentally strong enough. He has proven he is a top-notch pitcher.”

-quoted by Tom Powers, Pioneer Press 10/1/1988

The Twins jumped ahead early, making the night fairly easy for Viola. After five innings, the Twins held a 7-0 lead with their ace pitcher seemingly cruising.

He ran into some trouble in the sixth, however. Jack Howell led off the inning with a double. Three consecutive one-out singles by the Angels plated two runs, including Howell, and put them on the scoreboard. Kirby Puckett’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning made the score 8-2.

The final inning of Viola’s magical season was a forgettable one. He didn’t retire a single batter while allowing four consecutive hit and three runs. Still, he was able to earn the victory on the strength of the Twins offense.

Jeff Reardon came on in the ninth inning and retired the Angels to earn his 41st save of the year.

Viola finished the 1988 season with a 24-7 2.64 ERA 1.14 WHIP 0.9 HR/9 1.3 BB/9 7.5 K/9.

Viola’s 24 wins ties him with Jim Perry for second most in franchise history, behind Jim Kaat who had 25 in 1966.

Box

Player of the Game
Kirby Puckett

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              160  103   57    0  .644     -   793  612
Minnesota Twins                160   89   71    0  .556  14.0   746  665
Kansas City Royals             159   84   75    0  .528  18.5   703  640
California Angels              160   75   85    0  .469  28.0   707  758
Chicago White Sox              159   69   90    0  .434  33.5   623  756
Texas Rangers                  159   69   90    0  .434  33.5   627  729
Seattle Mariners               159   67   92    0  .421  35.5   658  734

Game 159: Oakland A’s (101-57) @ Minnesota Twins (88-70)

Thursday September 29, 1988

The finger-pointing in the aftermath of Ben Johnson’s Olympic disqualification for steroid use was aimed at Oakland outfielder Jose Canseco during the A’s visit to the Dome.

Thomas Boswell, sports columnist for the Washington Post, called Canseco “the most conspicuous example of a player who made himself great on steroids.” Boswell made his comments to CBS newscaster Charlie Rose early Wednesday morning on the network’s “Newswatch.”

“It was an ignorant statement, and usually I don’t pay attention to ignorant statements,” Canseco said Thursday at the Dome after the A’s beat the Twins 6-2. “There was no background and no basis to it.

“He said I gained 50 pounds over a summer; that’s ridiculous. He’s not a very knowledgeable person. I have no idea where he got that stuff from. I was surprised as much as anybody else was.”

Canseco is the leading candidate for the American League MVP Award after becoming the first player in major league history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season. Canseco told reporters yesterday that he has seen a partial transcript of the program and plans to confer with his agent, Dennis Gilbert, to pursue possible legal action.

“It’s really ignorant, not true and very slanderous,” Canseco said. “If he thinks I got to the major leagues because I used steroids, he’s crazy, because I’ve never used the stuff.”

Officials of both the Twins and A’s said yesterday that they were aware of no major league disciplinary policy governing steroid use, but both teams routinely counsel players against using the drug.

-Dennis Brackin, Star Tribune 9/30/1988

Canseco went 2-for-4 in the game with a two RBI double in the sixth inning that represented the final scoring in the 6-2 Oakland victory.

Tom Herr went 3-for-5 for the Twins, continuing a stretch of 11 games in which he has hit .356/.431/.444, much closer to the numbers the Twins were looking for than his .256/.352/.320 season mark to this point. Herr was sitting at .241/.340/.301 after play on September 17, the game prior to the 11-game stretch referenced above. Overall, it has been a disappointing season for Herr, who will likely play elsewhere in 1989.

“The period of adjustment after the trade was hard on me,” he said. “It has been a year of starting over. I’ve started over four times: the start of the season; then the trade and I had to start over; I got hurt and had to start over; then I was out a week sick and had to start over… . It was one thing after another and I haven’t been able to adjust.”

Meanwhile, Herr has heard about the Phillies’ interest in him and how they are experimenting with Juan Samuel in center field to clear a spot for him at second next season. The only question seems to be whether the Phillies will acquire him via trade or wait to sign him as a free agent, thereby giving up a draft choice.

“The opportunity to go to Philadelphia probably would be the ideal situation,” Herr said. “I’d be 80 miles from home and able to be with my family. That’s important to me.”

What the Phillies are willing to offer in terms of salary is unknown. Herr realizes he hasn’t had his best season.

“I wasn’t able to show what I could do in the American League, where they hadn’t seen me play. People in the National League know,” he said. “The only thing that is really disturbing is that I haven’t driven in many runs. The last three years in St. Louis I’ve been an RBI man. But my role changed this year. I walked a lot and my on-base percentage was pretty good. I set the table for Puck and Hrbek.”

A crowd favorite with the Cardinals, Herr knows that many of the fans in Minnesota are ambivalent toward him.

“Generally speaking, they’ve been rather cool to me,” he said. “There is a small section that really never accepted me, and I still hear them yelling things. Another group has cheered me all the way. Most don’t know what to think.”

The Twins will wrap up the 1988 season with a three-game weekend series against the Angels in the Metrodome.

Box

Player of the Game
Jose Canseco

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              159  102   57    0  .642     -   786  611
Minnesota Twins                159   88   71    0  .553  14.0   738  660
Kansas City Royals             158   83   75    0  .525  18.5   699  638
California Angels              159   75   84    0  .472  27.0   702  750
Chicago White Sox              158   69   89    0  .437  32.5   621  752
Texas Rangers                  158   68   90    0  .430  33.5   616  723
Seattle Mariners               158   67   91    0  .424  34.5   652  723

The Franchise 1960

1960 Washington Senators

Manager: Cookie Lavaegetto 4th Season (4th with Washington 248-350-2)
73 W 81 L 672 RS 696 RA 5th AL 24 GB (New York 97-57-1)
4.36 RPG (AL = 4.39) 3.77 ERA (AL = 3.87)
.700 DER (7th AL)

All Stars (2*) Jim Lemon, Camilo Pascual
*both players were selected to both All Star Games

Franchise (1901-1960) 4214-4864-104; 8-11 WS

Washington’s team results finally started to catch up with the talent on the field in 1960. After a slow start that was a result of injury and various slumps, the Nats vaulted their way into the first division and actually sat four games above the .500 mark as late as September 9. Though they ended the season with a 3-15 slump that made their final record 73-81, it seemed as though Washington fans finally had something to look forward to for 1961. The team also showed improvement at the gate, showing their best season attendance in more than a decade.

When reports began to surface in mid-October that Griffith had reached an agreement to move his team to the Twin Cities while Washington would receive one of the expansion teams, they were quickly denied by Griffith. “That’s a lot of baloney and it sounds like somebody’s pipe dream. It is new to me that the American League will discuss transferring the Washington club elsewhere” Griffith told Shirley Povich in a report that was published in The Sporting News on October 26. On that same day, AL owners voted to make the move official, finally ending more than seven years of speculation, threats, and rumors.

Washington fans took in the announcement with mixed emotions. Perhaps tired of the constant posturing that took place over the previous decade, and possibly placated by the hope of an expansion team, there was relatively little fight left in the fan base. A petition did circulate asking Griffith to reconsider, but the decision had been made and all legal avenues had been exhausted. The first version of the Washington American League baseball club was moving west to become the Minnesota Twins.

Roster/Stats
Bold = Player new to Washington in 1960

C Earl Battey .270/.346/.427 15 HR 2.3 BFW 16 WS 31 FRAR 5.9 WARP3
Calvin Griffith’s original request from Chicago in the Roy Sievers trade was Battey and SS Sammy Esposito. White Sox manager Al Lopez refused to okay the offer, saying that he wouldn’t part with Esposito. Griffith’s counter proposal still included Battey, this time with Don Mincher, a first-baseman with power potential but no major league experience. Esposito remained with the White Sox until 1964. As a utility infielder those seasons, he had OPS+ of 52, 39, 70, and 43. Though Griffith was almost universally panned for the deal at the time, Mincher and Battey both became cornerstones of the Washington/Minnesota franchise. This was Battey’s first season as a regular in the majors. Not only was Battey impressive at the plate, but he gave the Nats a force behind the plate shutting down the opponent’s running game. On one occasion, Battey threw out three White Sox who were trying to steal in a single game. By mid-season, it was clear that the team had found the man who would be their starting catcher for years to come. He finished 8th in voting for AL MVP.

1B/3B Harmon Killebrew .276/.375/.534 31 HR 1.6 BFW 20 WS -3 FRAR 4.6 WARP3
At the age of 24, Killebrew was coming off of his best season. He followed that up with an even better season in most regards, though he played in about 30 fewer games due to injury. Those injuries, most prominently a pulled hamstring in May, contributed to tough first half in which Killer batted .233/.347/.380 with just four home runs. From July 7 on, however, Nats fans saw the Killebrew they were expecting, when he batted .301/.394/.624 with 27 HR from that day on.

1B Julio Becquer .252/.282/.389 4 HR -1.8 BFW 3 WS -1 FRAR -0.2 WARP3
When Killebrew was out, Becquer was the regular first baseman. Becquer’s performance wasn’t really of note, though he did participate in the major’s only all-Cuban triple play with countrymen Ramos and Valdivielso. Becquer was selected by Los Angeles in the expansion draft, but found his way back to the franchise later in the 1961 season.

2B Billy Gardner .257/.313/.363 9 HR -0.7 BFW 13 WS 33 FRAR 4.3 WARP3
With the arrival of Earl Battey, catcher Clint Courtney became expendable. He was traded to Baltimore shortly before the season started along with utility infielder Ron Samford for Gardner, who had been Baltimore’s regular second baseman since 1956. Gardner was never a great hitter, his best season was .262/.325/.356 in 1957, but he had the label “slick-fielding veteran” attached to his name so he was coveted by Griffith. Gardner endeared himself quickly to Washington fans, hitting safely in 19 of the first 20 games of the season. His steady play at second also made him a favorite of manager Cookie Lavagetto, who called the trade for Gardner the best deal the team had ever made. Gardner cooled significantly after a hot start, coming back down to his career numbers at the plate. Though Gardner was the opening day starter in Minnesota a year later, he didn’t last long and was dealt to the Yankees in June, prompting Dan Daniel, a TSN writer, to ask Yankee GM Roy Hamey “What do you want with Gardner?” Gardner spent the rest of the season on the Yankee bench, his days as a regular over. He did catch Griffith’s eye during his short stay in Washington, and would return to the club as a manager in 1981.

SS Jose Valdivielso .213/.276/.246 2 HR -1.0 BFW 4 WS 21 FRAR 1.0 WARP3
When Valdivielso wasn’t playing short stop, Billy Consolo got the nod, though neither man represented any kind of threat at the plate. A young Zoilo Versalles played in 15 games, and will take over the position starting next season.

3B Reno Bertoia .265/.313/.359 7 HR -1.9 BFW 9 WS 13 FRAR 1.9 WARP3
Bertoia was a bonus baby with Detroit before he landed in Washington as part of the Eddie Yost trade. 1960 was the only season in which the Italian-born player was an everyday player. He had a solid season, but not good enough to keep the job in 1961. Bertoia was the opening day third baseman for Minnesota in 1961, but was traded to Kansas City on June 1 for his replacement, Bill Tuttle.

LF Jim Lemon .269/.354/.508 38 HR 1.2 BFW 21 WS -2 FRAR 4.5 WARP3
32-year-old Jim Lemon had his best season as a major leaguer in 1960, and was instrumental in keeping the team afloat early in the season when most others were slumping. This also seems to be the season in which Lemon finally won over the owner of the team, Calvin Griffith, who put him on the “untouchables” list along with Killebrew and Battey after the season.

CF Lenny Green .294/.383/.430 5 HR 1.1 BFW 13 WS 9 FRAR 3.8 WARP3
Green probably had his best season in the majors, but didn’t grab too many headlines thanks to his role on a team that included Killebrew, Lemon, Allison, Battey, and Pascual. Still, and argument can easily be made that Green was the most valuable center fielder in the league not named Mantle.

RF Bob Allison .251/.367/.413 15 HR 1.2 BFW 16 WS 13 FRAR 4.8 WARP3
Allison’s numbers fell a bit from his excellent rookie season of 1959 and he found himself the subject of many trade rumors after the 1960 season, partially fueled by the owner’s refusal to list him among the “untouchables” on the trade market. He stayed put, however, and moved west with the team for 1961.

SP Pedro Ramos 11-18 3.45 ERA 1.29 WHIP 1.1 PW 16 WS 7.0 WARP3
Ramos led the American League in losses once again, making him one of the most hard-luck pitchers in franchise history. The Nats scored two runs or less in 15 of Ramos’ 36 starts in 1960. On July 19, Ramos carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Though Rocky Colavito’s lead off single stopped the no-hit bid, Ramos ended the day with a one-hitter in the 5-0 Nats victory.

SP Camilo Pascual 12-8 3.03 ERA 1.27 WHIP 1.9 PW 13 WS 5.7 WARP3
Fresh off of a Caribbean World Series win in the off season, Pascual started 1960 very well for the Nats. On opening day he struck out 15 batters en route to a 10-1 win over the Red Sox. While he showed his brilliance on many occasions in 1960, the dominant theme of the season was the shoulder trouble that Pascual had throughout, something that eventually shut him down with more than a month left in the season. The arm trouble can be traced back to a brawl that occurred on May 27 that was touched off when Pete Runnels thought that Pascual was throwing a bit too close to his head. The “lame arm” also touched off a very public dispute between Pascual and Griffith. The owner wanted Pascual to sit out the Cuban season to rest his arm, but Pascual would have none of it. After a few weeks of exchanges in the papers, Pascual sent Griffith a letter stating that he couldn’t play in the Cuban league if he wanted to due to his shoulder injury, so the matter was settled for the short term. Pascual also had a season highlight on the other side of the ball. On August 14 he provided his own offense in a 5-4 win over the Yankees with a sixth inning grand slam off of Bob Turley.

SP Jack Kralick 8-6 3.04 ERA 1.22 WHIP 1.4 PW 12 WS 5.3 WARP3
After making sporadic appearances out of the bullpen for most of the first half of the season, the young lefty was installed in the starting rotation late in June. Kralick shut out the Red Sox in just his second career start, a feat that was particularly impressive because it happened at Fenway Park. Kralick was a solid pitcher for the Nats throughout the rest of the season. Kralick’s contribution was surprising to almost everybody because he wasn’t a highly regarded pitching prospect coming into the season. At best, the lanky and frail 6′4″ lefty was tabbed as a short relief man, but he proved that he was able to handle a role as a regular starter in the majors despite a minor league record that seemed to indicate that he wasn’t.

SP Jim Kaat 1-5 5.58 ERA 1.58 WHIP -1.1 PW 0 WS -0.2 WARP3
While Kralick wasn’t a highly regarded left-handed pitching prospect, there was one in camp. Jim Kaat made his major league debut in late in 1959 and got some unexpected playing time early in the 1960 season due to injuries that plagued the Washington staff. Though he wasn’t overly impressive during his time in the majors, it was clear that the organization had big expectations for the 21-year-old.

RP/SP Don Lee 8-7 3.95 ERA 1.36 WHIP 0.8 PW 11 WS 4.9 WARP3
Lee’s only major league experience before 1960 came in 12 appearances with the Tigers over a two year span from 1957 to 1958. Lee was acquired by Washington in the 1959 rule 5 draft, and immediately became an important part of the Washington pitching staff. On September 2 Lee gave up a home run to Ted Williams, a significant moment because Williams had also homered off of Lee’s father Thornton 20 years earlier.

RP/SP Chuck Stobbs 12-7 3.32 ERA 1.28 WHIP 0.8 PW 9 WS 3.9 WARP3
On September 28 Stobbs allowed a pair of home runs to Mickey Mantle, the 39th and 40th of the season for Mantle who won the home run title over teammate Roger Maris. 1960 was Stobbs’ last good season in the majors. After a sub par season out of the Minnesota bullpen in 1961 he called it quits. In nine seasons with Washington/Minnesota, Stobbs’ record was 66-92 with a 4.27 ERA (92 ERA+).

RP/SP Hal Woodeshick 4-5 4.70 ERA 1.66 WHIP -0.8 PW 4 WS 1.5 WARP3
Woodeshick stayed in Washington after the 1960 season when he was selected by the new Senators in the expansion draft. The best seasons of his career came with Houston from 1962 to 1965 when he was considered among the best relief pitchers in the National League.

RP Tex Clevenger 5-11 4.20 ERA 1.55 WHIP -1.0 PW 5 WS 1.9 WARP3
Cleveger was taken by the Angels in the expansion draft though he was quickly traded and finished his career as a member of the New York Yankees.

RP Ray Moore 3-2 2.88 ERA 1.16 WHIP 0.7 PW 9 WS 2.6 WARP3
After a poor start to the 1960 season with the White Sox, Ray Moore was purchased by Washington in June and became the team’s closer with some impressive numbers. The 34-year-old was used sparingly at first, but certainly emerged as the most reliable option out of the bullpen by early July.

1960 World Series
The Pittsburgh Pirates upset the New York Yankees in seven games, the final blow being Bill Mazeroski’s game winning home run in the final game.

Game 158: Oakland A’s (100-57) @ Minnesota Twins (88-69)

Wednesday September 28, 1988

Dennis Brackin reported on the end of Bert Blyleven’s difficult 1988 season in the September 29 issue of the Star Tribune:

Bert Blyleven was 19 years old when he pitched his first game for the Twins. Blyleven, now 37, pitched what might have been his last game in a Twins uniform Wednesday night.

If that is to be the case, there was no happy ending. The veteran righthander lost 5-2 to Oakland, his 17th setback in 27 decisions. Blyleven tied a major league record by hitting three batters in one inning, but, as has been the case so often, was done in by another bad inning devoid of personal good fortune.

The A’s scored four fifth-inning runs on five hits: a fly-ball double off the right-field tarp, a sinking liner in front of left fielder Dan Gladden, a bunt, a ball that deflected off Blyleven’s glove and a turf single.

It was a fitting end to the season, a notion even Blyleven advanced. A happy finish would have been as out of place as cozy security at the conclusion of “Nightmare on Elm Street.”

“This definitely has to be my worst season ever,” Blyleven said. “I’m glad it’s over. . . . Why keep going out there and losing?”

It was fitting, too, that the Twins mustered two runs off four Oakland pitchers. The Twins have scored 17 runs in Blyleven’s last seven starts, five times being held to two runs or fewer. Oakland righthander Todd Burns shut out the Twins until Steve Lombardozzi’s inside-the-park home run with one out in the eighth.

On June 28, Blyleven was 7-6 with a 4.51 ERA. Unbeknownst to anyone, that was to be the high point of 1988. In 15 starts since, he is 3-11 with a 6.62 ERA, lifting his season’s ERA to 5.43. In his last 89 2/3 innings, he has given up 110 hits.

Blyleven and the organization seemed to treat this game as a farewell.

What the future holds remains uncertain. Blyleven said last night that he has not ruled out returning to the Twins. “I’ll consider my options at the end of the season and go from there,” he answered a half-dozen times to a half-dozen similar questions. “I sound like an attorney, don’t I?”

He also sounded like a man who sensed that he will not be returning in 1989. His awareness of the possibility, he said, was such that he hoped for a 1-2-3 ninth and a strikeout on the final batter. He settled for a two-out walk, then a harmless popup by ex-teammate Don Baylor. As he left the mound, Blyleven doffed his hat to acknowledge scattered applause from the crowd of 47,620. A farewell?

“That was to my wife, who’s supported me for 18 years. Through the ups and downs, she’s always there,” Blyleven said. “I bet her that I would go the full nine, and I haven’t done that for a while.”

Manager Tom Kelly and pitching coach Dick Such wouldn’t say it, but the implication was clear that the complete game was a tribute. Blyleven threw 137 pitches, which on almost any other night would have precluded his being there at the end.

Box

Player of the Game
Dave Parker

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              158  101   57    0  .639     -   780  609
Minnesota Twins                158   88   70    0  .557  13.0   736  654
Kansas City Royals             157   82   75    0  .522  18.5   692  632
California Angels              159   75   84    0  .472  26.5   702  750
Chicago White Sox              157   69   88    0  .439  31.5   615  745
Texas Rangers                  157   68   89    0  .433  32.5   615  718
Seattle Mariners               157   66   91    0  .420  34.5   647  722

Game 157: Oakland A’s (100-56) @ Minnesota Twins (87-69)

Tuesday September 27, 1988

With the division out of reach, some of the focus on the Twins has turned to individual records.

Kirby Puckett went 2-for-3 in the opening game of the three-game series with Oakland, putting his current batting average at .355. Though he is still trailing Wade Boggs (.368) in that department for the 1988 batting title, Puckett has a chance to finish with the highest batting average for a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio hit .381 in 1939. The magic number for that accomplishment would be .358 to better DiMaggio’s own .357 from 1941.

The big story on Tuesday, however, was Allan Anderson. The lefty turned in his best performance of the season, allowing just three hits in a shut out effort against the AL West champs from Oakland.

Anderson’s performance put his season ERA at 2.45, 2nd in the AL behind Ted Higuera who sits at 2.41.

“I’m vaguely aware of my ERA, but I don’t calculate it out there and I don’t rush to the paper to read it in the morning,” said Anderson, who will start the season finale Sunday against California in an effort to overtake Higuera.

-quoted by Mike Augustin, Pioneer Press 9/28/1988

The win clinched second place in the AL West for the Twins, who were able to hold off the Royals. The announced attendance was 48,300, enough to set an American League season attendance record with 2,820,049 coming through the Metrodome turnstiles with five home games left to go.

Box

Player of the Game
Allan Anderson

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              157  100   57    0  .637     -   775  607
Minnesota Twins                157   88   69    0  .561  12.0   734  649
Kansas City Royals             157   82   75    0  .522  18.0   692  632
California Angels              158   75   83    0  .475  25.5   699  746
Chicago White Sox              156   68   88    0  .436  31.5   612  743
Texas Rangers                  156   68   88    0  .436  31.5   613  715
Seattle Mariners               157   66   91    0  .420  34.0   647  722

1996: Kirby’s Last Game

Originally posted in March 2007

March 28, 1996The concern over Kirby Puckett in the spring of 1996 was starting to change to optimism. Puckett took a Dennis Martinez pitch to the jaw at the end of the 1995 season, and there was some fear among Twins’ fans that Puckett may never be the same.Spring training 1996 was a chance for Puckett to show that he was the same hitter he had always been. The spring numbers seemed to foreshadow another great season for Puckett. That all changed one day before the team planned to break camp.

On Thursday morning, March 28, Puckett woke up with a strange spot in the middle of his vision on the right side, and everything seemed just a bit blurry. From Jim Souhan’s story a few days later in the Star Tribune:

Puckett sounded doubtful that he will be able to play on Monday, when the Twins will open the season at the Metrodome against the Detroit Tigers.

“My right eye is my dominant eye,” he said. “If it was my left eye, then I think I’d be able to hit. But I need my right eye. I can’t hit right now. I’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

Puckett was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and all indication suggested that he would return when that time was up, April 12. As the date approached, it became more clear that Puckett’s vision problem was not going away as soon as expected.

The saga played out through the first half of the Twins’ 1996 season. Puckett was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma, and the severity was such that he ultimately retired from baseball in July.

Sources:

Baseball Library

Souhan, Jim. “Vision problems might keep Puckett from Twins’ opener” Star Tribune 3/29/1996.

Game 156: Minnesota Twins (86-69) @ California Angels (75-81)

Sunday September 25, 1988

Both papers’ headlines read that the Twins were able to “steal” a victory from the Angels on their way to a four game sweep in Anaheim.

In fact, that is exactly what the Twins and Dan Gladden did.

With the score tied at two in the top of the seventh, Gladden worked a one-out walk from Dan Petry. On Petry’s next pitch, Gladden took off and successfully stole second base. Gladden moved to third on a ground out to set up the game-winning run.

Gladden walked with one out in the seventh and stole second. He moved to third on Tom Herr’s ground ball and immediately flashed a sign to Kelly. Kelly declined on the first pitch, opting to give Bush a swing. But Gladden, who had been part of a sputtering Twins offense, kept asking.

“I asked for it,” said Gladden. “I hadn’t done anything with the bat and I wanted to contribute. I wasn’t doing it at the plate so I did it with my speed.”

Gladden had bluffed toward the plate on the previous pitch, but Angels’ starter Dan Petry (3-8) did little more than glance.

“With two out I don’t think he was paying much attention to me,” said Gladden, who has stolen home twice this season and is the only Twin to do so since Rod Carew in 1976. “I bluffed the pitch before, trying to get him to balk. He probably figured I wasn’t going.”

-Mark Vancil, Star Tribune 9/26/1988

Gladden took off and successfully stole home. The Twins added some insurance runs in the later innings, including a Kirby Puckett home run, and won the game 6-2.

Frank Viola won his 23rd game of the season by allowing two runs and nine hits over seven innings pitched.

“This one felt good,” said Viola, who had worked 245 innings without an intentional walk. “It was a good day’s work. When I needed to make a pitch I did. It feels good to be able to win when you know you don’t have your best stuff. I really worked for it. Then Danny scored. That was a hell of a play. It was awesome.”

The game was the last road game for the Twins in 1988. After posting a horrible 29-52 record in road games the year before, the Twins ended 1988 with a 44-37 record in away games.

Box

Player of the Game
Frank Viola

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Oakland Athletics              156  100   56    0  .641     -   775  602
Minnesota Twins                156   87   69    0  .558  13.0   729  649
Kansas City Royals             155   81   74    0  .523  18.5   684  622
California Angels              157   75   82    0  .478  25.5   694  740
Chicago White Sox              154   67   87    0  .435  32.0   606  736
Texas Rangers                  154   67   87    0  .435  32.0   606  709
Seattle Mariners               155   65   90    0  .419  34.5   637  714