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8/8/1974 - The Royals - Twins game at Royals Stadium is briefly interrupted by President Nixon's resignation speech. The speech is broadcast after it begins and the next inning is delayed until the conclusion of the speech. The Twins prevail over the Download attachment: gooseinshorts.jpg host Royals‚ 3 - 2 in 14 innings when Tony Oliva's sacrifice fly drives home Rod Carew. Bill Campbell pitches 7 innings of relief for the win. 8/8/1976 - This has nothing to do with the Minnesota Twins but still it deserves to be remembered for its "strangeness". Thirty-seven years ago, on Aug. 8, 1976, the Chicago White Sox made sartorial history by wearing shorts in a win over the Royals. The Bermudas were the idea of—who else?—owner Bill Veeck. Here is what Sports Illustrated wrote. If you want to see an even better picture, go to This Day In Twins History ? August 8 | Twinstrivia.com ~~~ Originally posted earlier at This Day In Twins History ? August 8 | Twinstrivia.com ~~~ 8/8/1987 - The Twins beat the Oakland A's 9-2 at the Metrodome as Twins pitcher Steve Carlton wins the 329th and final game of his Hall of Fame career. Carlton pitches 8 2/3 innings giving up 2 runs while striking out two batters. 8/8/1988 - The Indians and the Twins were scoreless after 3 innings at the Metrodome with Allan Anderson on the mound for the local nine. In the top of the fourth inning with no one out, the Indians Ron Washington and Willie Upshaw singled to put runners on first and second and then Joe Carter smashed a long drive to the left field corner where Twins outfielder Dan Gladden snagged it for an out and wheeled and fired a strike to Steve Lombardozzi at 2B to nail Washington and then Lombo relayed the ball to Gene Larkin at first to get the runner there by at least 5 feet and completed the unusual 7-4-3 triple play. The Twins went on to win the game by a 7-2 score with Galdden going 3 for 5 with a run scored, a stolen base, and a RBI. Catcher Brian Harper was 4 for 4 but played second fiddle to Gladden on this day. 8/8/1998 - Paul Molitor stole his 500th base in Minnesota's 6-3 loss to Baltimore to become only the fifth player ever with 3,000 hits and 500 steals. Molitor joined Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins and Lou Brock. 8/8/2004 - The A's beat the Twins 6 - 5 in 18 innings. It is the second-longest game in the 23-year history of the Metrodome. With the score tied 3 to 3, the A's score 3 in the top of the 18th off Terry Mulholland to take a 6-3 lead. The Twins come back with 2 in the bottom of the 18th with a Morneau home run but leave Matthew LeCroy stranded on first when Koskie and Cuddyer flyout to end the rally and the Twins hope of a huge comeback victory. The game lasts 4 hours and 57 minutes. 8/8/2005 - One time Minnesota Twins manger (1976-1980) Gene Mauch passes away at the age of 79. Mauch was the seventh manager in Twins history. I think one of my favorite Gene Mauch quotes was "I'm not the manager because I am always right, but I am always right because I am the manager". 8/8/2009 - The Twins third manager, Cal Ermer passed away at the age of 85 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Ermer replaced the fired Sam Mele in June 1967 with the Twins in sixth place with a 25-25 record. The Twins went 66-46 the rest of the season but lost the American League pennant on the final day of the season. Ermer was fired after the Twins finished in seventh place in 1968 with a 79-83 record. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: 2014 draft logo.jpg The MLB First-Year Player Draft may not be as popular as the NFL draft but is is still a fun and entertaining event that many baseball fans wait for all year. In the NFL, the players drafted will be putting on that teams colors come fall, but in baseball a draftee might spend years in the minor leagues learning his craft before he ever gets a sniff of a big league clubhouse. History The first draft took place in 1965, it was introduced to prevent richer teams from negotiating wealthier contracts with top-level prospects and therefore, monopolizing the player market. Originally, three drafts were held each year. The first draft took place in June and involved high-school graduates and college seniors who had just finished their seasons. The second draft took place in January for high school and college players who had graduated in December. The third draft took place in August and was for players who participated in American amateur summer leagues. The August draft was eliminated after two years, and the January draft lasted until 1986. Rick Monday became MLB's first draft pick after being selected by the Kansas City Athletics. [/hr]Originally posted at http://wp.me/p1YQUj-2P5 [/hr]This Year MLB will hold day one of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft on June 5th at MLB Network’s Studio 42 in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Draft will be aired live on the MLB Network starting at 7:00 p.m. (ET). As is the case with most events of this type, the MLB talking heads will analyze the up-coming draft in a one hour pre-draft preview show. The selection order of the First-Year Player Draft is determined by the reverse order of finish at the close of the previous season. The Houston Astros will have the first overall selection of the 2014 Draft, marking the third consecutive year, and the fifth time in club history, that they hold the top selection (previous: 1976, 1992, 2012, 2013). It marks the first time ever that a club has the top pick in three consecutive years. In addition, the Astros are the third club in history to hold the top selection at least five times, joining the New York Mets and San Diego Padres (five each). Six clubs, the Toronto Blue Jays (9th and 11th), the Kansas City Royals (17th and 28th), the Cincinnati Reds (19th and 29th), the Cleveland Indians (21st and 31st), the Boston Red Sox (26th and 33rd) and the St. Louis Cardinals (27th and 34th) have two selections in the first round. The Indians, Miami Marlins and Royals each have a league high four selections within the first 68 picks during the opening day of the Draft. The Draft will once again feature competitive balance rounds, which were agreed upon as a part of the 2012-2016 Basic Agreement between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association. The competitive balance rounds give clubs with the lowest revenues and in the smallest markets the opportunity to obtain additional draft picks through a lottery, which was held last July. The 10 clubs with the lowest revenues and the 10 clubs in the smallest markets were entered into a lottery for the six selections immediately following the first round (picks 35-41; excluding pick 36, which Miami holds as compensation for an unsigned 2013 selection). The eligible clubs that did not receive one of the six selections after the first round, and all other payee clubs under the revenue sharing plan, were entered into a second lottery for the six picks immediately following the second round of the Draft (picks 69-74). The Draft will have 40 rounds, and a club may pass on its selection in any round and not forfeit its right to participate in other rounds. Like each of the previous five years, the 2014 Draft will span three days. For day one on June 5th, MLB Network and MLB.com will provide live pick-by-pick coverage during the first round, competitive balance round A, the second round and competitive balance round B. The intervals between selections will last four and a half minutes during the first round and one minute during Competitive Balance Round A, the second round and Competitive Balance Round B. The Draft will resume at 1:05 p.m. (ET) on both June 6th and June 7th via conference call from MLB headquarters in New York City. June 6th will cover rounds three through 10, and June 7th will cover rounds 11 through 40. Rounds three through 10 will have one minute between selections, and the remainder of the selections will be made without delays. According to MLB, of the 853 players who were on 2014 Opening Day 25-man rosters, disabled lists and restricted lists, a total of 650 players were selected in the MLB Draft. As could be expected, the earlier picks do show the highest returns of Major League players, as the 143 players chosen in the top 30 selections amounted to 22.0% of the those 650 players. Picks 31-60 generated 12.0% (78) of the players, and picks 61-90 turned out 10.0% (65). Picks 91-120 generated 6.9% (46) and picks 121-159 generated 8.6% (56) players. Kansas City’s outfielder Jarrod Dyson is the latest draft pick in the Major Leagues on Opening Day rosters. He was chosen in round 50 of the 2006 Draft by the Royals. The Twins have five picks in the top 140 owning the rights to the 5th, 46th, 79th, 110th and 140th selections. Twins Draft History The Minnesota Twins first selection ever (Round 1 - 9th over-all in 1965) was shortstop Eddie Leon from Arizona University but he chose not to sign with Minnesota. Leon went on to play for three big league teams but never hit it big playing in 601 games over 8 years hitting for a .236 batting average with 24 home runs. The Twins have had the first pick over-all twice, in 1983 when they selected RHP Tim Belcher from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and again in 2001 when they selected catcher Joe Mauer from Cretin-Derham Hall High School. Tim Belcher chose not to sign with Minnesota but went on to have a long 14 year big-league career with 7 different teams putting up a 146-140 won/lost record. Joe Mauer has been with the Twins since 2004. The current 25-man Minnesota roster has six players selected by the Twins in round one: RHP Kyle Gibson in 2009 was 21st overall, outfielder Aaron Hicks in 2008 was 14th overall, outfielder/Ib Chris Parmelee in 2006 was 20th overall, 3B Trevor Plouffe in 2004 was 20th overall, closer LHP Glen Perkins in 2004 was 22nd overall, and 1B Joe Mauer who the Twins picked number one overall in 2001. A number of Twins first round picks have moved on such as outfielder Ben Revere (28th overall - 2007), RHP Matt Garza (25th - 2005), outfielder Denard Span (20th - 2002), outfielder Michael Cuddyer (9th - 1997) and finally outfielder Torii Hunter who is still playing good ball with the Tigers. He was selected 20th overall back in 1993. Hunter is playing in his 18th big league season at the age of 38. How time flies.... The first player to be drafted in the first round by Minnesota and make the Twins roster was outfielder Steve Brye who the Twins selected number one and 17th overall in 1967. Brye debuted with Minnesota in September of 1970 and appeared in 697 games for the Twins between 1970 and 1978 hitting .258 with 30 home runs. Five Years Ago - 2009 draft The Twins selected Kyle Gibson in round 1, catcher Chris Herrmann in round 6, and 2B Brian Dozier in round 8. All were picked after spending time in college. No other players drafted by Minnesota that year have made it to the big leagues. Ten Years Ago - 2004 draft The Twins selected Trevor Plouffe (20th overall) and Glen Perkins (22nd) in round 1 along with RHP Kyle Waldrop) (25) and RHP Matt Fox (35). RHP Anthony Swarzak was chosen in round 2, infielder Matt Tolbert in round 16, and outfielder Rene Tosoni in round 34. Travis Lee Fiasco Travis Lee was a Jeff Moorad client and was initially drafted as the second pick overall in the 1996 Major League draft by the Minnesota Twins, but was declared a free agent by MLB through a loophole after the Twins failed to tender him a contract within fifteen days of the end of the draft. He then signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lee did not turn out to be the super-star everyone expected him to be but he did play in the big leagues from 1998 to 2006 appearing in 1,099 games hitting .256 with 115 home runs. Will this years Minnesota Twins first round pick be stud or a dud? It could be years before we know. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Gardenhire_Anderson_Looking_US_720.jpg For many years the Minnesota Twins have had a reputation for protecting their starting pitchers and their method of choice for accomplishing this has been to limit the number of pitches their starters throw in a game. The Twins are not alone in counting pitches; all teams do it these days and 100 pitches per game seems to be the "gold standard" that most teams follow. Before pitch counts started to become prominent in the 1980s, ball clubs expected their starting pitcher to pitch a complete game unless he was injured during the game or just could not get anyone out. In days gone by, relievers were often starters who were past their prime and were finishing their careers. Being a reliever was looked upon as a step down from being a starter. In some ways it is not really that different today; hardly anyone comes out of high school or college hoping to be a reliever though there have been some exceptions over the last few years. For the most part, major league relievers are still failed starters, yet managers bring in these guys, who are in many cases not good enough to start, to bail out the starter after the starter gets in trouble or reaches his pitch limit. Originally posted at TwinsTrivia.com So what brought on this change? When I first started following baseball in the 1950's, teams usually had four starters and these starters were occasionally called on to pitch a few games in relief each season as needed. Baseball then evolved from four to five starters and the Twins joined that bandwagon in 1963. As baseball payrolls started to escalate and pitching talent became diluted due to expansion, starting pitchers became a more valuable commodity. I don't have good Twins payroll data prior to 1980 but it appears the Twins highest paid player was always a position player until 1986 when Bert Blyleven became the first Twins pitcher to lay claim to that title and to make over a million dollars a season, pocketing $1,450.000. In the last 28 years the Twins highest paid player has been a position player 16 times, a starting pitcher 11 times and a closer on one occasion. You can see the numbers and the names at http://wp.me/P1YQUj-22. I am not sure anyone knows for sure but somewhere along the line either the players' agents or team management (I doubt it was a player) decided starting pitchers needed to be protected and that limiting the number of pitches thrown was the best way to accomplish that goal. Counting pitches isn't very scientifically validated but it is easy to do and that might be why pitch counts were chosen as the tool of choice. The stress of the game, runners on base, the weather and many other variables are not taken into consideration when all you do is count pitches to determine how hard a pitcher worked on any given day. One way to make a case for pitch counts is to argue each pitcher has only so many "bullets" to throw before his arm or elbow gives out. I have always found the concept that pitch counts limit injuries to be a strange notion because when we want to strengthen a muscle what we do what? We exercise it and work it. After knee or arm or elbow surgery we do what? We exercise it to make it stronger and that just seems to go against the grain of limiting pitchers throwing. Have pitch count really limited injuries? I don't think anyone knows for sure but the use of pitch counts is becoming more entrenched than ever. Let's take a look at this from the Twins historical perspective. From 1994 through 2013 the Twins have played 3,173 games. In that time Tom Kelly/Dick Such and Ron Gardenhire/Rick Anderson have allowed their starting pitcher to throw 100 or more pitches 1,134 times or in 35.74% of the games the Twins have played. Over the last 20 years, Minnesota Twins managers and their pitching coaches have allowed their starters throw 100+ pitches fewer times than any team in the American League and it is not even close. Have Twins starters suffered fewer injuries than all the other teams? I don't think so. Heck, even the Tampa Rays have 1,259 games with 100 or more pitches and they have been in existence in only 16 of the 20 years this data covers. AL games with starter going 100 or more pitches 1994-2013 (Houston excluded since they have been in AL only one season) [TABLE=class: easy-table-creator tablesorter mceItemTable, width: 100%] [/TH][TH]Team Total Avg games per year 1 WSox 1711 85.55 2 Angels 1668 83.4 3 Yankees 1621 81.05 4 Mariners 1597 79.85 5 Rays 1259 78.69 6 BJays 1548 77.4 7 Orioles 1482 74.1 7 Indians 1482 74.1 9 Rangers 1476 73.8 10 RSox 1470 73.5 11 Tigers 1458 72.9 12 A's 1434 71.7 13 Royals 1403 70.15 14 Twins 1134 56.7 [/TABLE] So why the huge disparity between the Twins and their peers? The time period covers two different Twins managers along with their choices of pitching coaches. The Twins have not always had bad starting pitchers. With this large a discrepancy it has to be some type of organization philosophy to limit the starters' pitches. For the most part relievers are cheaper and more expendable than starters; would the Twins rather burn out the bullpen staff then their starting pitchers? It seems the Twins are sending a message and doing a disservice to their starters when they don't allow them to throw more pitches. Who wants to come to pitch in Minnesota for an organization that, relatively, pulls you at the first sign of trouble and does not allow you to work out of your own jams? Pitchers can only get better if they can learn how to extricate themselves from predicaments they find themselves in. For the most part Twins teams have had decent bullpens. It seems logical that they might be even better if not over-worked. What have the Twins gained by keeping the number of pitches down for their starters? Who knows? In the last 20 years the Twins have had the fewest 100+ pitched games by starters four times. As a matter of fact they have not once in the last 20 years reached even the AL average of starts with 100+ pitches. That is just plain amazing. The chart below shows in graphic form how the Twins starters compare to the AL league high, average and low in games that starters threw 100+ pitches. http://twinstrivia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/100+-pitches-by-starters.jpg Download attachment: Radke, Brad 3.jpg In the past 20 years only four Twins starting pitchers have averaged 100+ pitches a game for an entire season: Brad Radke with 103.7 in 2000, Joe Mays with 100.2 in 2001, Johan Santana in 2004 with 100.8, in 2005 with 101.1, in 2006 with 101.5, in 2007 with 101.4 and Carl Pavano in 2011 with 102.5. Among these, their innings pitched was between 219 and 233.2 per season. The Twins leader in average pitches per game in 2013 was Samuel Deduno with 96.8 in 18 starts. The intent of this piece is not to say that the Twins starting pitching would have been better if Kelly and Gardenhire had allowed them to throw more pitches. It is more for pointing out the peculiarity of how the Twins handle their starters versus how the rest of the AL league does. Click here to view the article

Previously posted at http://wp.me/p1YQUj-2Ja The Twins are in Chicago by now having left Florida and their spring training record of 9-16-3 in their wake. Earlier today the Twins won their final 2014 Grapefruit League outing by a score of 7-4. The Twins scored more than five runs in just five exhibition games and scored two or fewer runs on 10 occasions. The Twins ended spring training with a .360% winning percentage, the worst in the American league. All that being said, the team along with every other team in the American League stands at 0-0. With the regular season just around the corner, some teams have high expectations and others are left with hope and a prayer. The Twins who finished last season at 66-96 and booked their third straight 90+ loss season are part of that latter group and strangely enough this team does not have a single player on their opening day roster that qualifies as a rookie. How strange is that? So how many games will the Twins win in 2014? I see the Twins improving this year in spite of what has been a horrendous spring going back to when Terry Ryan announced he had cancer, to Miguel Sano's injured elbow that needs surgery, all the way through the spring training season where Twins players acted as if it was a crime to get more than two hits in an inning or that they would be sent to prison if they attempted to steal a base. The Twins can brag up the 2014 All-Star game all they want but many Twins fans have jumped off the band wagon and others are mystified as to how a team this bad for so long has no rookies on the roster while players like Jason Kubel and Jason Bartlett grace the roster. How about Chris Colabello who spent 2005-2011 playing in an independent league before the Twins gave him a shot? This team will improve as the season goes along but there are numerous players on this opening day roster that will not be wearing TWINS on their chest when the 2014 season comes to an end. I have no doubt in my mind that Byron Buxton will be playing centerfield in Target Field some time this summer and Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia will be his wingmen. So without further ado, here is what the Twins will do.... http://twinstrivia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Einstein-2014.jpgAccording to Mr. Einstein there will be no fourth straight 90+ loss season for the Twins and that there will actually be an 11 game improvement. Although not a SABR member, the man knows his numbers. The 2014 MLB season should be exciting once again and Twins Trivia has consulted with the experts, reviewed all the stats and more importantly shaken the old Magic 8-Ball and here is what will happen in 2014. NL West 1. Dodgers 2. Giants (wild card) 3. Diamondbacks 4. Rockies 5. Padres .. NL Central 1. Cardinals 2. Pirates (wild card) 3. Reds 4. Brewers 5. Cubs .. NL East 1. Nationals 2. Braves 3. Mets 4. Phillies 5. Marlins .. AL West 1. Rangers 2. A's 3. Mariners 4. Angels 5. Astros .. AL Central 1. Royals 2. Tigers (wild card) 3. Indians 4. Twins 5. White Sox .. AL East 1. Rays 2. Red Sox (wild card) 3. Orioles 4. Yankees 5. Blue Jays .. New blood in the Series folks! When the smoke and fog clears, the Magic 8-Ball and I see the Washington Nationals beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to three in a very exciting World Series. (I know Twins fans don't want to hear this but the 26-year-old Wilson Ramos will finally stay healthy all year and have a break-out season and become one of baseball's top catchers)

Originally posted at http://wp.me/p1YQUj-2D6​ Minnesota Twins pitchers have finished dead last in the American League in strikeouts the last three years and you all know where the team has finished in the standing during that time frame. When the Twins came into existence in 1961 the SO/9 average in the American League was 5.2 SO/9 and it slowly climbed to 6.1 SO/9 in 1967 but then started sliding down to under 5.0 SO/9 from 1974 to 1983. Since then it started climbing and for the first time in 2012 it went above 7.0 went it hit 7.4 SO/9 and in 2013 it hit 7.7 SO/9 which is a new high water mark. From 2006 through 2013 only one team in the AL has finished above the .500 mark in the standings when their pitching staff has had under 1,000 strikeouts and guess who that was? It was the 2008 Minnesota Twins team that finished second to the Chicago White Sox in 2008 when Gardy's boys went 88-75 and lost game 163 in Chicago. When Twins pitchers have 1,000 or more strikeouts the team won less than 79 games only once and that was the 2000 Twins when they finished the season with a 69-93 mark. Twins pitchers have struck 1,000 or more batters only 10 times in 53 seasons and peaked with 1,164 KO's in 2006 when the team had a franchise high 7.28 SO/9. The Twins can spew all the "pitch to contact" babble they want but striking out hitters and winning games goes together like peanut butter and jelly. We can only wait and see what the new Twins pitchers can do. Ricky Nolasco has a career 7.4 SO/9 and Phil Hughes is 7.6 SO/9 so they should help improve the Twins sad 2013 6.11 SO/9 team mark. So looking back all the way to 1961 what Twins pitchers have had the best SO/9 ratio in a given season? The table below shows the highest SO/9 ratio with a minimum of 50 innings. Not many starters on this list. http://twinstrivia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Nathan-2.jpg [TABLE=class: sr_share mceItemTable] [TH=class: tooltip ranker sort_default_asc show_partial_when_sorting, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]Rk[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip sort_default_asc show_partial_when_sorting, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]Player[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip hide_non_quals, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]SO/9[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]IP[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip sort_default_asc show_partial_when_sorting, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]Year[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]G[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]GS[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]W[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]L[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]SV[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]SO[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip sort_default_asc hide_non_quals, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]ERA[/TH] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]12.51[/TD] [TD=align: center]68.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2006[/TD] [TD=align: center]64[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]36[/TD] [TD=align: center]95[/TD] [TD=align: center]1.58[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]12.09[/TD] [TD=align: center]70.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2005[/TD] [TD=align: center]69[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]43[/TD] [TD=align: center]94[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.70[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]11.67[/TD] [TD=align: center]68.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]2009[/TD] [TD=align: center]70[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]47[/TD] [TD=align: center]89[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.10[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]Juan Rincon[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]11.63[/TD] [TD=align: center]82.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2004[/TD] [TD=align: center]77[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]106[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.63[/TD] [TD=align: center]5[/TD] [TD=align: center]Johan Santana[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]11.38[/TD] [TD=align: center]108.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2002[/TD] [TD=align: center]27[/TD] [TD=align: center]14[/TD] [TD=align: center]8[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]137[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.99[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]11.07[/TD] [TD=align: center]72.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2004[/TD] [TD=align: center]73[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]44[/TD] [TD=align: center]89[/TD] [TD=align: center]1.62[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]Glen Perkins[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]11.06[/TD] [TD=align: center]62.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]2013[/TD] [TD=align: center]61[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]36[/TD] [TD=align: center]77[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.30[/TD] [TD=align: center]8[/TD] [TD=align: center]Francisco Liriano[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.71[/TD] [TD=align: center]121.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2006[/TD] [TD=align: center]28[/TD] [TD=align: center]16[/TD] [TD=align: center]12[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]144[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.16[/TD] [TD=align: center]9[/TD] [TD=align: center]Tom Hall[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.66[/TD] [TD=align: center]155.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]1970[/TD] [TD=align: center]52[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]184[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.55[/TD] [TD=align: center]10[/TD] [TD=align: center]Casey Fien[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.60[/TD] [TD=align: center]62.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2013[/TD] [TD=align: center]73[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]5[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]73[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.92[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]Johan Santana[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.46[/TD] [TD=align: center]228.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2004[/TD] [TD=align: center]34[/TD] [TD=align: center]34[/TD] [TD=align: center]20[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]265[/TD] [TD=align: center] 2.61[/TD] [TD=align: center]12[/TD] [TD=align: center]Ron Davis[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.02[/TD] [TD=align: center]64.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]1985[/TD] [TD=align: center]57[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]25[/TD] [TD=align: center]72[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.48[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center]Glen Perkins[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.98[/TD] [TD=align: center]70.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2012[/TD] [TD=align: center]70[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]16[/TD] [TD=align: center]78[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.56[/TD] [TD=align: center]14[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.84[/TD] [TD=align: center]67.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]2008[/TD] [TD=align: center]68[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]39[/TD] [TD=align: center]74[/TD] [TD=align: center]1.33[/TD] [TD=align: center]15[/TD] [TD=align: center]Juan Rincon[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.82[/TD] [TD=align: center]77.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2005[/TD] [TD=align: center]75[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]84[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.45[/TD] [TD=align: center]16[/TD] [TD=align: center]Francisco Liriano[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.81[/TD] [TD=align: center]100.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2012[/TD] [TD=align: center]22[/TD] [TD=align: center]17[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]10[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]109[/TD] [TD=align: center]5.31[/TD] [TD=align: center]17[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.67[/TD] [TD=align: center]71.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]2007[/TD] [TD=align: center]68[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]37[/TD] [TD=align: center]77[/TD] [TD=align: center]1.88[/TD] [TD=align: center]18[/TD] [TD=align: center]Johan Santana[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.66[/TD] [TD=align: center]219.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]2007[/TD] [TD=align: center]33[/TD] [TD=align: center]33[/TD] [TD=align: center]15[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]235[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.33[/TD] [TD=align: center]19[/TD] [TD=align: center]Johan Santana[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.61[/TD] [TD=align: center]158.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]2003[/TD] [TD=align: center]45[/TD] [TD=align: center]18[/TD] [TD=align: center]12[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]169[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.07[/TD] [TD=align: center]20[/TD] [TD=align: center]Tom Hall[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.51[/TD] [TD=align: center]129.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]1971[/TD] [TD=align: center]48[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]9[/TD] [TD=align: center]137[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.33[/TD] [/TABLE] Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used Generated 12/26/2013. Looking over the Twins history here the best Twins career SO/9 ratio's with a minimum of 100 innings pitched. How many of these pitchers were originally signed by the Twins? That would be eight. [TABLE=class: sr_share mceItemTable] [TH=class: tooltip ranker sort_default_asc show_partial_when_sorting, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]Rk[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip sort_default_asc show_partial_when_sorting, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]Player[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip hide_non_quals, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]SO/9[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]IP[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]G[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]GS[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]W[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]L[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip hide_non_quals, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]W-L%[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]SV[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]SO[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip sort_default_asc hide_non_quals, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]ERA[/TH] [TH=class: tooltip hide_non_quals, bgcolor: #DDDDDD]BA[/TH] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]Joe Nathan[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.90[/TD] [TD=align: center]463.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]460[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]24[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center].649[/TD] [TD=align: center]260[/TD] [TD=align: center]561[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.16[/TD] [TD=align: center].186[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]Pat Neshek[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]10.48[/TD] [TD=align: center]129.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]132[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center].647[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]151[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.05[/TD] [TD=align: center].189[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]Johan Santana[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.50[/TD] [TD=align: center]1308.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]251[/TD] [TD=align: center]175[/TD] [TD=align: center]93[/TD] [TD=align: center]44[/TD] [TD=align: center].679[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]1381[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.22[/TD] [TD=align: center].221[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]Francisco Liriano[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]9.05[/TD] [TD=align: center]783.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]156[/TD] [TD=align: center]130[/TD] [TD=align: center]50[/TD] [TD=align: center]52[/TD] [TD=align: center].490[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]788[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.33[/TD] [TD=align: center].247[/TD] [TD=align: center]5[/TD] [TD=align: center]Tom Hall[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]8.52[/TD] [TD=align: center]455.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]139[/TD] [TD=align: center]44[/TD] [TD=align: center]25[/TD] [TD=align: center]21[/TD] [TD=align: center].543[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center]431[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.00[/TD] [TD=align: center].212[/TD] [TD=align: center]6[/TD] [TD=align: center]Juan Rincon[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]8.41[/TD] [TD=align: center]441.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]386[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]30[/TD] [TD=align: center]26[/TD] [TD=align: center].536[/TD] [TD=align: center]3[/TD] [TD=align: center]412[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.69[/TD] [TD=align: center].248[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]Ron Davis[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]8.24[/TD] [TD=align: center]381.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]286[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]19[/TD] [TD=align: center]40[/TD] [TD=align: center].322[/TD] [TD=align: center]108[/TD] [TD=align: center]349[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.51[/TD] [TD=align: center].264[/TD] [TD=align: center]8[/TD] [TD=align: center]Jared Burton[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]8.16[/TD] [TD=align: center]128.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]135[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]5[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center].313[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]116[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.02[/TD] [TD=align: center].216[/TD] [TD=align: center]9[/TD] [TD=align: center]Juan Berenguer[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]8.15[/TD] [TD=align: center]418.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]211[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]33[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center].717[/TD] [TD=align: center]9[/TD] [TD=align: center]379[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.70[/TD] [TD=align: center].231[/TD] [TD=align: center]10[/TD] [TD=align: center]Ray Moore[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.95[/TD] [TD=align: center]159.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]126[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center]10[/TD] [TD=align: center].565[/TD] [TD=align: center]25[/TD] [TD=align: center]141[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.90[/TD] [TD=align: center].252[/TD] [TD=align: center]11[/TD] [TD=align: center]Gerry Arrigo[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.93[/TD] [TD=align: center]131.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]54[/TD] [TD=align: center]15[/TD] [TD=align: center]8[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center].533[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center]116[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.31[/TD] [TD=align: center].245[/TD] [TD=align: center]12[/TD] [TD=align: center]Eddie Guardado[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.79[/TD] [TD=align: center]704.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]648[/TD] [TD=align: center]25[/TD] [TD=align: center]37[/TD] [TD=align: center]48[/TD] [TD=align: center].435[/TD] [TD=align: center]116[/TD] [TD=align: center]610[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.53[/TD] [TD=align: center].253[/TD] [TD=align: center]13[/TD] [TD=align: center]Dennys Reyes[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.77[/TD] [TD=align: center]126.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]191[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]10[/TD] [TD=align: center]1[/TD] [TD=align: center].909[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]109[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.14[/TD] [TD=align: center].238[/TD] [TD=align: center]14[/TD] [TD=align: center]Rick Aguilera[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.60[/TD] [TD=align: center]694.0[/TD] [TD=align: center]490[/TD] [TD=align: center]30[/TD] [TD=align: center]40[/TD] [TD=align: center]47[/TD] [TD=align: center].460[/TD] [TD=align: center]254[/TD] [TD=align: center]586[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.50[/TD] [TD=align: center].243[/TD] [TD=align: center]15[/TD] [TD=align: center]Dan Naulty[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.60[/TD] [TD=align: center]111.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]97[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]4[/TD] [TD=align: center]5[/TD] [TD=align: center].444[/TD] [TD=align: center]5[/TD] [TD=align: center]94[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.61[/TD] [TD=align: center].234[/TD] [TD=align: center]16[/TD] [TD=align: center]Al Worthington[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.59[/TD] [TD=align: center]473.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]327[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]37[/TD] [TD=align: center]31[/TD] [TD=align: center].544[/TD] [TD=align: center]88[/TD] [TD=align: center]399[/TD] [TD=align: center]2.62[/TD] [TD=align: center].221[/TD] [TD=align: center]17[/TD] [TD=align: center]Dick Stigman[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.52[/TD] [TD=align: center]643.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]138[/TD] [TD=align: center]85[/TD] [TD=align: center]37[/TD] [TD=align: center]37[/TD] [TD=align: center].500[/TD] [TD=align: center]7[/TD] [TD=align: center]538[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.69[/TD] [TD=align: center].229[/TD] [TD=align: center]18[/TD] [TD=align: center]Dave Boswell[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.51[/TD] [TD=align: center]1036.1[/TD] [TD=align: center]187[/TD] [TD=align: center]150[/TD] [TD=align: center]67[/TD] [TD=align: center]54[/TD] [TD=align: center].554[/TD] [TD=align: center]0[/TD] [TD=align: center]865[/TD] [TD=align: center]3.49[/TD] [TD=align: center].217[/TD] [TD=align: center]19[/TD] [TD=align: center]J.C. Romero[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.42[/TD] [TD=align: center]407.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]327[/TD] [TD=align: center]22[/TD] [TD=align: center]25[/TD] [TD=align: center]20[/TD] [TD=align: center].556[/TD] [TD=align: center]2[/TD] [TD=align: center]336[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.35[/TD] [TD=align: center].256[/TD] [TD=align: center]20[/TD] [TD=align: center]Mike Trombley[/TD] [TD=class: highlight_text, align: center]7.36[/TD] [TD=align: center]645.2[/TD] [TD=align: center]365[/TD] [TD=align: center]36[/TD] [TD=align: center]30[/TD] [TD=align: center]34[/TD] [TD=align: center].469[/TD] [TD=align: center]34[/TD] [TD=align: center]528[/TD] [TD=align: center]4.53[/TD] [TD=align: center].266[/TD] [/TABLE] Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used Generated 12/26/2013.

Right on Mr. Willihammer, Congratulations!

I think you have it Wilihammer, tell the folks.

Another hint or two - This utility player played every position for the Twins except pitcher and catcher. This players wife gave birth to fraternal twins, making him the first player in Twins franchise history to become the father of a set of twins.

He was not a lead-off hitter but he did hit lead off now and then. This native Californian called the Metrodome home for over 10 years.

Not Revere

Not Knoblauch or AM

Nope, not Hrbek or Hatcher.

In the Twins 53 year history, 27 different Twins players have gotten five or or more hits in a game but only nine players have done this more then once. Kirby Puckett did it six times and in two of those occurrences he had six hits in a game. Puckett remains the only Twins player to get more then 5 hits in a game. Joe Mauer and Rod Carew each have had five 5 hit games wearing a Twins uni. Tony Oliva accomplished the feat four times. Paul Molitor did it three times. Denard Span, Justin Morneau, and Jacques Jones each had 5 hits in a game twice. There is one other Twins player that had 5 hits in a game twice. Who was he?

Originally posted earlier at This Day In Twins History ? August 8 | Twinstrivia.com 8/8/1962 - With the score tied at 3 apiece at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, A's rookie third baseman Ed Charles steals home with two out in the ninth to score the winning run in a A's 4-3 win over the Twins. Ray Moore and Jerry Zimmerman were the Twins battery at the time. 8/8/1974 - The Royals - Twins game at Royals Stadium is briefly interrupted by President Nixon's resignation speech. The speech is broadcast after it begins and the next inning is delayed until the conclusion of the speech. The Twins prevail over the host Royals‚ 3 - 2 in 14 innings when Tony Oliva's sacrifice fly drives home Rod Carew. Bill Campbell pitches 7 innings of relief for the win. 8/8/1976 - This has nothing to do with the Minnesota Twins but still it deserves to be remembered for its "strangeness". Thirty-seven years ago, on Aug. 8, 1976, the Chicago White Sox made sartorial history by wearing shorts in a win over the Royals. The Bermudas were the idea of—who else?—owner Bill Veeck. Here is what Sports Illustrated wrote. If you want to see a picture, go to This Day In Twins History ? August 8 | Twinstrivia.com 8/8/1987 - The Twins beat the Oakland A's 9-2 at the Metrodome as Twins pitcher Steve Carlton wins the 329th and final game of his Hall of Fame career. Carlton pitches 8 2/3 innings giving up 2 runs while striking out two batters. 8/8/1988 - The Indians and the Twins were scoreless after 3 innings at the Metrodome with Allan Anderson on the mound for the local nine. In the top of the fourth inning with no one out, the Indians Ron Washington and Willie Upshaw singled to put runners on first and second and then Joe Carter smashed a long drive to the left field corner where Twins outfielder Dan Gladden snagged it for an out and wheeled and fired a strike to Steve Lombardozzi at 2B to nail Washington and then Lombo relayed the ball to Gene Larkin at first to get the runner there by at least 5 feet and completed the unusual 7-4-3 triple play. The Twins went on to win the game by a 7-2 score with Galdden going 3 for 5 with a run scored, a stolen base, and a RBI. Catcher Brian Harper was 4 for 4 but played second fiddle to Gladden on this day. 8/8/1998 - Paul Molitor stole his 500th base in Minnesota's 6-3 loss to Baltimore to become only the fifth player ever with 3,000 hits and 500 steals. Molitor joined Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins and Lou Brock. 8/8/2004 - The A's beat the Twins 6 - 5 in 18 innings. It is the second-longest game in the 23-year history of the Metrodome. With the score tied 3 to 3, the A's score 3 in the top of the 18th off Terry Mulholland to take a 6-3 lead. The Twins come back with 2 in the bottom of the 18th with a Morneau home run but leave Matthew LeCroy stranded on first when Koskie and Cuddyer flyout to end the rally and the Twins hope of a huge comeback victory. The game lasts 4 hours and 57 minutes. 8/8/2005 - One time Minnesota Twins manger (1976-1980) Gene Mauch passes away at the age of 79. Mauch was the seventh manager in Twins history. I think one of my favorite Gene Mauch quotes was "I'm not the manager because I am always right, but I am always right because I am the manager". 8/8/2009 - The Twins third manager, Cal Ermer passed away at the age of 85 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Ermer replaced the fired Sam Mele in June 1967 with the Twins in sixth place with a 25-25 record. The Twins went 66-46 the rest of the season but lost the American League pennant on the final day of the season. Ermer was fired after the Twins finished in seventh place in 1968 with a 79-83 record.

Originally posted earlier at This Day In Twins History ? August 8 | Twinstrivia.com 8/8/1962 - With the score tied at 3 apiece at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, A's rookie third baseman Ed Charles steals home with two out in the ninth to score the winning run in a A's 4-3 win over the Twins. Ray Moore and Jerry Zimmerman were the Twins battery at the time. 8/8/1974 - The Royals - Twins game at Royals Stadium is briefly interrupted by President Nixon's resignation speech. The speech is broadcast after it begins and the next inning is delayed until the conclusion of the speech. The Twins prevail over the host Royals‚ 3 - 2 in 14 innings when Tony Oliva's sacrifice fly drives home Rod Carew. Bill Campbell pitches 7 innings of relief for the win. 8/8/1976 - This has nothing to do with the Minnesota Twins but still it deserves to be remembered for its "strangeness". Thirty-seven years ago, on Aug. 8, 1976, the Chicago White Sox made sartorial history by wearing shorts in a win over the Royals. The Bermudas were the idea of—who else?—owner Bill Veeck. Here is what Sports Illustrated wrote. If you want to see a picture, go to This Day In Twins History ? August 8 | Twinstrivia.com 8/8/1987 - The Twins beat the Oakland A's 9-2 at the Metrodome as Twins pitcher Steve Carlton wins the 329th and final game of his Hall of Fame career. Carlton pitches 8 2/3 innings giving up 2 runs while striking out two batters. 8/8/1988 - The Indians and the Twins were scoreless after 3 innings at the Metrodome with Allan Anderson on the mound for the local nine. In the top of the fourth inning with no one out, the Indians Ron Washington and Willie Upshaw singled to put runners on first and second and then Joe Carter smashed a long drive to the left field corner where Twins outfielder Dan Gladden snagged it for an out and wheeled and fired a strike to Steve Lombardozzi at 2B to nail Washington and then Lombo relayed the ball to Gene Larkin at first to get the runner there by at least 5 feet and completed the unusual 7-4-3 triple play. The Twins went on to win the game by a 7-2 score with Galdden going 3 for 5 with a run scored, a stolen base, and a RBI. Catcher Brian Harper was 4 for 4 but played second fiddle to Gladden on this day. 8/8/1998 - Paul Molitor stole his 500th base in Minnesota's 6-3 loss to Baltimore to become only the fifth player ever with 3,000 hits and 500 steals. Molitor joined Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins and Lou Brock. 8/8/2004 - The A's beat the Twins 6 - 5 in 18 innings. It is the second-longest game in the 23-year history of the Metrodome. With the score tied 3 to 3, the A's score 3 in the top of the 18th off Terry Mulholland to take a 6-3 lead. The Twins come back with 2 in the bottom of the 18th with a Morneau home run but leave Matthew LeCroy stranded on first when Koskie and Cuddyer flyout to end the rally and the Twins hope of a huge comeback victory. The game lasts 4 hours and 57 minutes. 8/8/2005 - One time Minnesota Twins manger (1976-1980) Gene Mauch passes away at the age of 79. Mauch was the seventh manager in Twins history. I think one of my favorite Gene Mauch quotes was "I'm not the manager because I am always right, but I am always right because I am the manager". 8/8/2009 - The Twins third manager, Cal Ermer passed away at the age of 85 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Ermer replaced the fired Sam Mele in June 1967 with the Twins in sixth place with a 25-25 record. The Twins went 66-46 the rest of the season but lost the American League pennant on the final day of the season. Ermer was fired after the Twins finished in seventh place in 1968 with a 79-83 record.