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The Eddie Rosario Almanac


Matt Johnson

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blog-0165700001606967195.jpgNow that the Eddie Rosario Experience is almost certainly over, let's take a look back at some of his contributions to Twins history. This is just what appears in my Twins Almanac spreadsheet. Please contribute your own Eddie trivia, fun facts, or cool stories in the comments section. And if you're into this kind of stuff, follow me on Twitter at @TwinsAlmanac.

 

May 6, 2015

Major League Debut

 

Leading off the bottom of the third against Oakland's Scott Kazmir, the 23-year-old Puerto Rico native hits the first big-league pitch he sees for an opposite field home run. In what made for a storybook moment, Eddie's parents were actually in the stands at Target Field being interviewed by Marney Gellner when it happened. Twins won 13-0.

 

Six Twins have homered in their first major league at-bat:
Rick Renick
,
Dave McKay
,
Gary Gaetti
,
Andre David
,
Gary Gaetti
,
Luke Hughes
, and Rosario. Fifteen players in major league history have homered on their first pitch, including former Twin
Brant Alyea
(playing for the Ted Williams-managed Senators).

 

July 30, 2015

Triple Streak

 

The rookie left fielder triples in his third-straight game, tying the club record (Rod Carew 1977, Dan Gladden 1991, and Delmon Young 2008). Bonus Fact: Rosario led the majors with 15 triples his rookie season.

 

June 13, 2017

First Three-Home Run Game

 

The Twins beat the Mariners 20-7 at Target Field, setting a franchise record with 28 hits. Nine-batter Eddie Rosario goes 4-for-5 with three home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored.

 

Third baseman
Eduardo Escobar
went 5-for-6 in the game.
Kennys Vargas
,
Jason Castro
, and Rosario all had four hits. The only Twin in the starting lineup without multiple hits was first baseman
Joe Mauer
.

 

Rosario's 13 total bases in the game are tied for second-most in team history, along with outfieldmates Byron Buxton and Max Kepler, Tim Teufel, and Rich Becker. Kirby Puckett set the team record with 14 that one Sunday in Milwaukee.

 

Rosario was the fifth player in major league history to hit three home runs from the nine-hole. The others were Trot Nixon, Dale Sveum, Art Shamsky, and knuckleball pitcher Jim Tobin in May 14, 1942.

 

July 1, 2017

5-for-5

 

Rosario goes 5-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI in a 10-5 Twins win in Kansas City. Last I checked, there have been 51 five-hit games in Twins history. Escobar and Rosario both had one in 2017.

 

Kirby Puckett
had two six-hit games—one each in 1987 and '91.

 

June 3, 2018

Second Three-Home Run Game

 

Tied with stupid Cleveland 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, Rosario hits a two-run walk-off home run, becoming the first player in team history with two career three-home run games. Additionally, he joined Tony Oliva as the only other player in team history with two games with 12 or more total bases.

 

Max Kepler
and
Nelson Cruz
have since joined the club of Twins players with two career three-home run games, with Cruz's coming just 10 days apart.

 

Hitting three home runs in a game used to be a big deal. There were just four such games in the team's first 55 seasons (
Bob Allison
,
Harmon Killebrew
,
Tony Oliva
, and
Justin Morneau
), and EIGHT in the four seasons from 2016 to 2019.

 

 

April 5, 2019

Rosario's Bat Hits for Cycle

 

Jorge Polanco goes 5-for-5, hitting for the 11th cycle in Twins history—and he did it swinging Eddie Rosario's bat! Unfortunately the Twins lost 10-4 in Philadelphia (starter Jake Odorrizi gave up five runs in 2/3 of an inning).

 

Polanco came up a double shy of the cycle just four days later.

 

April 20, 2019

Second-Straight Multi-HR Game

 

In the first game of a Saturday doubleheader in Baltimore, Rosario hits two solo home runs in a 6-5 win, joining Don Mincher and Kirby Puckett as the only players in team history with back-to-back multi-home run games.

 

The Twins tied a team record with eight home runs in the second game of the doubleheader. They had a second eight-home run game just over a month later, on May 23, becoming just the second team in major league history with two such games in one season, joining the '05 Rangers.

 

May 6, 2019

12 Home Runs in First 32 Games

(*Note: This one is really about Kirby Puckett)

 

After hitting zero home runs in 1984, and just four in 1985, Kirby Puckett erupted for 13 home runs in the Twins' first 33 games of the '86 season. That's a team record. Second-most through 33 is 12, by Harmon Killebrew in 1970, Rosario in 2019, and Nelson Cruz this season. (Rosario hit his 13th in Game 34, but, like I said, this fun fact was about Puckett.)

 

 

Well folks, that's what I have. Obviously there are a lot more Eddie Rosario memories to share. Please make your contributions in the comments section below. (I remember him inducing a big balk dancing off third base...) And remember, if you enjoy geeking out on Twins history, coming join me at

@TwinsAlmanac on Twitter.

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So wondferfully written Matt.  I'm old enough that while enjoying your words, Bob Hope's  song "Thanks for the Memories" was playing in the background in my mind.   You can Google it if you've never heard if before.   I've been a huge fan of Eddie Rosario since I first read about him in Elizabethton, when he out-homered the highly-touted Miguel Sano for the team lead in HR's that year.  First saw him play and met Eddie during his time in low A ball with Beloit,  and love to bring my "Eddie Rosario Fan Club" sign to Target Field, where he acknowledged the sign on several occasions.   I'm hanging onto the sign for when he visits in the future.

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