It what is commonly considered the first major trade in Twins history, Minnesota trades Pedro Ramos for Nimrod native, 1954 Sebeka High School graduate, and 1960 All-Star Dick Stigman.

Pedro Ramos started the first regular season game in Twins history, pitching a complete game three-hit shutout vs. Whitey Ford at Yankee Stadium on April 11, 1961.

He was involved in an interesting piece of Twins history on May 12, 1961 as he and Angels pitcher Eli Grba traded homers off of each other. Grba homered off of Ramos in the top of the fifth to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. Ramos returned the favor in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Ramos added a two-run single in the sixth. The Twins held on to win 5-4, with the pitcher driving in the Twins’ final three runs.

The Twins and St. Louis Cardinals play an exhibition game at Target Field, the first major league game at the new ballpark, and Denard Span has himself a day. The center fielder collects the stadium’s first hit (a triple, of course), first home run, and first run scored.

Jacque Jones, attempting a comeback with the club, pitch-hits and receives a moving standing ovation. I sure wish the Twins would make this kind of footage available. If they want to monetize it, fine, but don’t just keep in the damn vault!

The Twins and Philadelphia Philles play an exhibition game at the Metrodome, the first major league game at the new ballpark, and 1978 Bloomington Kennedy grad Kent Hrbek has himself a day. The Phillies’ Pete Rose collects the Dome’s first basehit, but the hometown kid hits the first AND second home runs in Metrodome history, powering the Twins to a 5-0 win.

40-year-old Twins DH Paul Molitor hits a grand slam off Detroit’s Willie Blair at home in the Dome, driving in Todd Walker, Chuck Knoblauch, and Rich Becker.

It is the third and final grand slam of Molitor’s career. The second came off of Minnesota’s Dave Stevens on July 5, 1994. The first was way back on April 22, 1981.

The Twins trade future-KARE11 anchor Mike Pomeranz to Pittsburgh for Junior Oritz and minor league pitcher Orlando Lind. Oritz, who wore number 0, is best-rememberd as Scott Erickson’s peronal catcher during the Twins’ 1991 World Series Championship season.

1997 Austin, Minnesota High School graduate Michael Wuertz strikes out the first two batters he faces in his major league debut, pitching a 1-2-3 sixth in a 7-4 Cubs win in Cincinnati.

Wuertz would pitch 426 major league games over eight seasons with the Cubs and Oakland A’s.

Brian Dozier homers on the second pitch of the game, leading the Twins to a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland ballclub for Ron Gardenhire’s 1,000th managerial win. The milestone victory doesn’t come without a new gray hair, however, as 2001 Stillwater grad Glen Perkins gives up two runs in the bottom of the ninth before securing the Kyle Gibson win.

It’s the birthday of Rik Aalbert “Bert” Blyleven, born in Zeist, Holland in 1951. Blyleven grew up in Garden Grove, California and was drafted by Minnesota out of high school in the 3rd round in 1969. After only 21 minor league starts, Bert made his major league debut on June 2, 1970 at age 19. Blyleven would pitch for 22 seasons, 11 in Minnesota (‘70-’76, ‘85-’88). He is a 2x World Series Champion, winning his first in 1979 as a Pittsburgh Pirate, and his second as a member of the ‘87 Twins. Blyleven won 149 games as a Twin, 2nd only to Jim Kaat (190). He pitched three one-hitters with the Twins, two in 1973 and another in 1974. He pitched a no-hitter in his final game as a Texas Ranger, September 22, 1977. His 3,701 career strikeouts rank fifth in major league history. Only Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and Steve Carlton had more strikeouts. Bert Blyleven was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, his 14th year on the ballot. His number 28 is retired by the Minnesota Twins.

With Rod Carew aboard in the top of the first on Opening Day, Tony Oliva hits the first home run by a designated hitter in major league history off of Oakland’s Catfish Hunter. Bert Blyleven pitches the first of 25 complete games on the season in the Twins’ 8-3 victory.

The Twins opened the 1982 season vs. Seattle at home in the dumb new Dome. 1977 St. Cloud Tech graduate Jim Eisenreich had the honor of being the first Twins batter to the plate. He grounded out to short. Two batters later right fielder Dave Engle homered for the first regular season hit in Metrodome history.

In his first at-bat in the dumb new Dome, Gary Gaetti was thrown at at home trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run. He put the ball over the fence in his next two at-bats, going 4-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. The Twins fell to the Mariners, however, 11-7.

Outifielder Brant Alyea, who the Twins had just acquired on March 21, drives in a Twins record seven runs to back Jim Perry on Opening Day. He will go on to drive in 21 runs in the Twins’ first 12 games. Quite remarkably, 19 of those 21 RBI come in Jim Perry’s first four starts. Alyea matched his own record, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and driving in all seven Twins runs in a 7-6 win on September 7, 1970.

Glenn Adams broke Alyea’s record with 8 RBI on June 26, 1977. Randy Bush matched that on May 20, 1989.

Alyea’s career had gotten off to an Eddie Rosario-esque start, homering on the first big league pitch he saw as a Washington Senator on September 11, 1965.

Dan Gladden goes 4-for-5 with two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored in a 6-3 Twins win vs. Toronto at home in the Dome. Gladden homered to lead off the Twins’ half of the first, and knocked out another in the bottom of the eighth. With Kent Hrbek batting in the seventh, Gladden stole home off of David Wells. It was the first of three times that Gladden would steal home in his career. He would do so again later in the ‘88 season, and once more in 1989. He was caught trying to steal home five times in his career. Rod Carew stole home 17 times and in his caeer, and Paul Molitor did so 10 times.

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