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January 5th, 2009
NL East
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Pittsburgh Pirates 79 48 31 0 .608 - 346 290
New York Mets 80 46 34 0 .575 2.5 355 305
St. Louis Cardinals 81 44 37 0 .543 5.0 351 331
Chicago Cubs 82 38 44 0 .463 11.5 363 384
Montreal Expos 82 35 47 0 .427 14.5 290 333
Philadelphia Phillies 82 33 49 0 .402 16.5 315 361
NL West
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Los Angeles Dodgers 80 49 31 0 .613 - 346 268
Cincinnati Reds 80 44 36 0 .550 5.0 335 320
Atlanta Braves 79 39 40 0 .494 9.5 364 339
San Diego Padres 83 40 43 0 .482 10.5 318 362
San Francisco Giants 81 35 46 0 .432 14.5 311 347
Houston Astros 81 34 47 0 .420 15.5 280 334
AL East
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Toronto Blue Jays 83 49 34 0 .590 - 339 289
Boston Red Sox 80 42 38 0 .525 5.5 358 331
Detroit Tigers 81 41 40 0 .506 7.0 400 401
New York Yankees 78 38 40 0 .487 8.5 353 350
Milwaukee Brewers 80 36 44 0 .450 11.5 370 366
Baltimore Orioles 80 33 47 0 .412 14.5 341 415
Cleveland Indians 79 26 53 0 .329 21.0 261 336
AL West
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Texas Rangers 77 44 33 0 .571 - 400 358
Minnesota Twins 83 47 36 0 .566 - 358 320
California Angels 81 44 37 0 .543 2.0 369 347
Chicago White Sox 80 43 37 0 .538 2.5 329 342
Oakland Athletics 82 44 38 0 .537 2.5 401 412
Seattle Mariners 82 40 42 0 .488 6.5 324 330
Kansas City Royals 80 36 44 0 .450 9.5 365 371
Twins on the leader board
AL HR
1. Canseco OAK 21
1. Fielder DET 21
3. Tartabull KC 20
4. Davis MIN 19
4. Carter TOR 19
AL CG
1. Morris MIN 6
1. McDowell CHW 6
AL SHO
1. Erickson MIN 3
AL SV
1. Eckersley OAK 23
2. Aguilera MIN 22
2. Harvey CAL 22
AL HR Allowed
1. Anderson MIN 17
1. Welch OAK 17
AL ERA
1. Erickson MIN 1.83
2. Clemens BOS 2.22
With regards to making any deals down the stretch, the Twins don’t appear likely to be shopping. From Charley Walters’ column in the Pioneer Press:
While in Toronto for the All-Star Game, Andy MacPhail is talking trade with other general managers, but only casually. There’s no urgency for the Twins to make a deal for the second half of the season, he said Monday.
“Our pitching’s as good as anybody’s in baseball,” MacPhail said. “We’ll be pretty much talking about ways to improve our offense. But in my view, staying in the race isn’t contingent upon a trade.” …
Kent Hrbek agreed:
Kent Hrbek said Wednesday the Twins don’t need to make a trade to contend during the second half of the season, which begins tonight against Boston at the Metrodome.
“I don’t think we need any help,” the first baseman said. “We do have to have Chili Davis keep doing his thing and the pitching staff keep doing their thing. And I’ve got to stay on the field. But our chances the second half are just as good as they were the first half.”
Jeff Lenihan took the occasion of the break to profile some of the changes in Tom Kelly’s demeanor:
The chew that used to be packed into his cheek is gone, having been replaced, often, by a fine cigar. Once smug, sullen and often surly around outsiders, he has softened his exterior and become, well . . . approachable. His clubhouse, where controversies once raged, has become a peaceful place again.
Yes, these are better times for Jay Thomas Kelly. Winning times. Fun times. His team is in a virtual tie for first in the American League West entering the season’s second half, which begins tonight against Boston. His players, with only a few exceptions, are his kind of players. Sometime this month he will receive a lucrative contract extension and take aim at Sam Mele, the only Twins manager with more career victories (522 to Kelly’s 389).
“I think Tom has done a great job this year,” says general manager Andy MacPhail.
MacPhail says Kelly is doing most of the things this year that he always has done so effectively. He has kept his team on his famous “even keel,” used his subs frequently enough to keep them fresh, and employed his bullpen with consistency and restraint.
…
And how does Kelly evaluate himself? “I can never figure out that stuff,” he says. “I’ve tried to play everybody and bring the younger players along, get them ready for the second half and teach them about the game.
“There’s always different things you can learn so you do better the next time. I’ve tried to keep my mind open to suggestion.
“I think really the players evaluate the job for you. When they do well, I do well.”
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
January 4th, 2009
Sunday July 7, 1991
Jim Caple had this note in the Pioneer Press:
The five-year anniversary of Al Newman’s only major league home run passed quietly this weekend. There were no celebrations. Newman maintains a slim lead over Milwaukee’s Jim Gantner for the most at-bats in the majors since homering.
Caple’s game story from the final game before the break neatly summarized the first half of the season:
The season reached its traditional midpoint Sunday, so let’s review what so far has been a very predictable season.
Oakland’s Dave Stewart has an earned-run average above 5.00. The Twins’ Scott Erickson and the Angels’ Chuck Finley are tied for the major league lead in victories (12), but neither will pitch in the All-Star Game. And Minnesota is in a virtual tie for first place.
That’s right. The Twins. The same team that finished dead last in 1990.
Yes, they’re hurting right now - Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Chicago was their ninth in their past dozen games - but the Twins will spend the three-day all-star break right up there with the Texas Rangers.
Just as everyone expected, right?
“(The experts) expected it to be close, but I don’t think they expected some of the teams to be up there,” Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek said. “I don’t think they expected us to be leading.”
After a half season of baseball, the American League West is as tight as when the season began April 8. Just 2 1/2 games separate the division’s top five teams, and only Seattle and Kansas City are below .500.
“Screw all those other teams. This is the team I’m thinking about,” the Twins’ Chili Davis said when asked whether any team might have an edge. “Anyway it goes, we start the second half in first place and we’re going to stay there. All those guys can talk all they want to about being catchable, but we’re the ones in first place and we plan on staying there.”
Jeff Lenihan had the details of the loss:
Sunday’s loss was emblematic of the past two weeks and served as a reminder of three things: The Twins need to get healthy, pitch more intelligently and hit more consistently. Manager Tom Kelly acknowledged and addressed each of those concerns before heading for Toronto, where he will help coach Tony La Russa’s AL team in Tuesday’s midseason battle of the leagues.
First, the injuries. Outfielder Pedro Munoz became the latest casualty when he sprained his left thumb diving for Tim Raines’ third-inning fly ball. Raines cruised into second with a double, and the White Sox had begun the rally that gave them a 3-0 lead. Munoz left the game but could be available Thursday when the Twins resume play.
Second, Twins pitchers continue to be hurt by the long ball. They have yielded 10 homers in seven games this month, and each has been damaging. Robin Ventura, who had a multi-run homer in all three game in the series, keyed the third-inning rally with a two-run shot off starter Kevin Tapani, and Twin-killer Dan Pasqua’s shot off Mark Guthrie (5-5) leading off the eighth broke a 3-3 tie.
Third, the Twins again showed little punch at the plate. They were held to one hit through five innings by Alex Fernandez, who was pitching junior college baseball 13 months ago. The bottom of the order ignited a three-run uprising that tied the game in the sixth, but a one-out, two-on rally fizzled in the seventh. The Twins have scored only 28 runs over their last 12 games (2.3 per contest).
While Kelly said, “I don’t think many people thought we’d be on top at this point,” he also said the Twins will have to make some critical adjustments if they intend to stay there. “We need to get our people healthy,” Kelly said. “Every manager just wants to be able to compete with his entire team. If we can do that, we have a pretty talented team, and I think we have a chance.”
Following the three-day break, the Twins will host the Red Sox for four games before heading out for a nine-game road trip.
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Texas Rangers 77 44 33 0 .571 - 400 358
Minnesota Twins 83 47 36 0 .566 - 358 320
California Angels 81 44 37 0 .543 2.0 369 347
Chicago White Sox 80 43 37 0 .538 2.5 329 342
Oakland Athletics 82 44 38 0 .537 2.5 401 412
Seattle Mariners 82 40 42 0 .488 6.5 324 330
Kansas City Royals 80 36 44 0 .450 9.5 365 371
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2009
Saturday July 6, 1991
The AP provided an article by an unattributed writer who lamented the lack of star power for the upcoming All-Star Game:
It’s still the All-Star Game, but where are all the stars?
Guys like Hank Aaron, Stan Musial and Frank Robinson. Big timers. They made the National League outfield in 1961 - as reserves.
They’re gone. So are the Mickey Mantles, Johnny Benches and Mike Schmidts. And, sad to say, so is a lot of the glitz and glamour that used to make this game so great.
Whatever happened to pitching staffs of Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal, Bob Gibson and Gaylord Perry, like the Nationals produced in 1966? Or the batting order they put together that July: Willie Mays leading off, followed by Roberto Clemente, Aaron and Willie McCovey?
Those days, it was a real treat to see such a collection. That was before cable television, and was one of the few opportunities for many fans to watch stars such as Warren Spahn, Ernie Banks and Willie Stargell.
On Tuesday night at the SkyDome, outfielders Ivan Calderon, Felix Jose and Paul O’Neill will be on the bench for the Nationals. Pete Harnisch, John Smiley and Dennis Martinez will be among the pitchers. Tune in any day to ESPN, CNN or the local news, and you can see every one of them.
They’re good, sure. And some, like Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken, Ryne Sandberg and Roger Clemens, rank right up there with Whitey Ford, Eddie Mathews, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris and the 17 hall of famers who played in 1961.
..and of course there was the yearly tradition of second-guessing the selections for the game, this time performed by Jim Donaghy of the AP:
It’s almost inconceivable that Mark McGwire was voted the American League’s starting first baseman over Cecil Fielder.
Cecil Fielder? Surely, you’ve heard of him. Last season, he hit 51 homers and had 132 runs batted in for Detroit. He entered the weekend with 20 homers and 64 RBIs.
McGwire’s average was .199 going into a weekend series at Kansas City. He weighs about 225.
Sandy Alomar Jr. was the American League rookie of the year last season. That, however, doesn’t count toward this year. Alomar has missed much of the year with a shoulder injury and is hitting only .212.
“My numbers are not good enough to be there,” Alomar said. “My numbers are not even good, but there’s nothing wrong with being popular. It’s a popularity contest, and I won. People obviously voted for me for what I did last year.”
The ever-popular Ozzie Smith is like one of those 10-term congressmen. All he has to do to get elected is get on the ballot. Ozzie is having a good year, but Cincinnati’s Barry Larkin should have been the starting NL shortstop. Larkin hit nine homers in June.
In the fan balloting, Larkin didn’t even finish second. Tony Fernandez beat him by 207,419 votes.
Atlanta’s Terry Pendleton probably should be the starting third baseman in the NL, and he wasn’t even selected for the team.
“I’ve done all I did to help this ballclub,” Pendleton said. “I felt I put up some decent numbers. Not to make it is a disappointment. I’ll just have to deal with it.”
Texas second baseman Julio Franco, the All-Star Game MVP last season, wasn’t very happy the fans picked Toronto’s Roberto Alomar.
“I don’t care, because I know I’m better,” Franco said. “I’ve got better numbers and I’m a better fielder. It’s all just a bunch of bull. I don’t know how he’s on the team ahead of me.”
It seems the voting fans have been listening too much to George Steinbrenner, too. How else can Dave Winfield’s ninth-place finish among outfielders be explained.
One last thing fans, how could Darryl Strawberry get more votes than Tony Gwynn?
The Twins didn’t have the luxury of worrying about the All Star game. The team was winding down the first half in the midst of a terrible slump. The team found some relief in the form of the long ball against the White Sox.
With July only a week old, the All-Star break just ahead and 80 games left to play, talk of turning points and must victories sounds very premature. But the Twins weren’t selling short the importance of Saturday night’s 5-4 victory over the White Sox after rallying from a 4-0 deficit.
Not only was this victory fashioned with the help of the Twins’ best late-inning rally of the season, it enabled them to put at least a temporary end to a slide that had produced eight defeats in 10 games. The victory also assures the Twins (47-35) of at least a share of first place in the congested AL West entering the All-Star break.
“If there is such a thing as a must win in July, then Sunday’s game would have been one if we had lost,” said catcher Brian Harper, who hit an 0-2 pitch for a three-run homer with two outs in the seventh to get the Twins back in the game last night. “This game takes a lot of pressure off us. We hadn’t been scoring any runs and were starting to press. This makes it a lot easier to come out and play (today).”
Harper’s three-run homer, his first since May 3, gave the Twins a chance. Kent Hrbek’s two-run shot in the eighth gave 2/5hem the lead. The bullpen work of Carl Willis (3-2) and Rick Aguilera, who earned his 22nd save, gave them the victory.
“The homers really changed things in the dugout,” said hitting coach Terry Crowley. “We were down a little. Then with one swing, Harper put us in a position where we knew we could get it tied or get the lead with one more swing. This game gives us a big lift.”
-Jeff Lenihan, Star Tribune
TK hoped this was the start of a new trend:
Said Kelly: “You’re gonna have to come back and win some games against guys like Radinsky and Thigpen,” Kelly said. “Maybe this game will get us going. Maybe we’ll come out and get some runs early and make it easy on our pitching staff.”
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 82 47 35 0 .573 - 355 316
Texas Rangers 76 43 33 0 .566 1.0 393 358
California Angels 80 44 36 0 .550 2.0 369 340
Oakland Athletics 81 44 37 0 .543 2.5 396 405
Chicago White Sox 79 42 37 0 .532 3.5 325 339
Seattle Mariners 81 40 41 0 .494 6.5 322 325
Kansas City Royals 79 35 44 0 .443 10.5 358 366
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
January 2nd, 2009
Friday July 5, 1991
Jeff Lenihan had this note on Scott Erickson in the Star Tribune:
Scott Erickson received an interesting phone call at the Twins’ team hotel Friday afternoon - one that could have a major impact on the righthander’s season.
Long before he went on the disabled list, Erickson was convinced that his sore right elbow was the result of a mechanical problem. But try as they might, Erickson and the Twins could not figure out what he was doing wrong. At least until yesterday, when Erickson picked up the phone and heard the voice of Jim Wing, his pitching coach from the University of Arizona.
“He watched my game (last Saturday night against the White Sox) and told me exactly what I was doing wrong,” said Erickson, who is 12-3 with a 1.83 ERA. “It had to do with the angle of my arm when I pull it out of my glove. It’s a mechanical thing.
“I knew all along it was something like that. We just couldn’t figure out what it was. I feel real good about things now. I’m optimistic.”
Trainer Dick Martin examined Erickson’s elbow yesterday and found no symptoms of the injury.
“We’re very encouraged,” Martin said. “It looks real good. (Yesterday) it was asymptomatic. There was nothing there.
“I even encouraged him to start playing catch, but he said he wanted to wait until Sunday. He’s playing it safe. That’s a good sign.”
Erickson will play catch off the mound Sunday, throw off the bullpen mound Wednesday and Friday and, if all goes well, return to the rotation a week from Monday in Milwaukee.
“This is the same thing I had at Arizona,” Erickson said. “But it was never so bad that I had to sit out.”
Said Martin: “Sometimes, all a guy needs is rest. If a pitcher didn’t have some discomfort somewhere during the course of a season, you figure he’s not really throwing like he should be.”
The Twins made their first trip to new Comiskey Park in Chicago, and unanimously gave the new baseball-only stadium rave reviews.
“It’s beautiful,” said Chicago-native Kirby Puckett. “It’s a great thing for the city. It’s been a long time since there’s been a new stadium in Chicago.”
Yes, it has. The old Comiskey opened in 1910 and Wrigley Field in 1914. Soldier Field, home of the Bears, opened in 1924.
The Twins are the final American League team to play in the new park, which opened in April. It holds 44,702 fans and is the first baseball-only stadium to be built since Royals Stadium in 1972. It looks like a combination of the old Comiskey and Royals Stadium.
“It’s old Comiskey redone and revitalized,” Twins general manager Andy MacPhail said. “The new stadiums like this and the one in Baltimore (opening next April) seem to maintain the feel of the past while including the inevitable modernization.”
“It’s good because they got rid of those pillars and it doesn’t have any view-destructed seats,” Puckett said.
“It’s a good-looking ballpark,” said bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, who grew up watching baseball at the old park across the street. “You can see shortstop, third and left field from the dugout and you couldn’t see them at the old ballpark (due to the extreme pitch of the field for drainage). It’s got good dugouts and a nice clubhouse.”
Some examples of old-style charm are the grass field, exterior archways and, like the old Comiskey, a large scoreboard in center field with bright pinwheels at its top. It also has wood planking on the dugout floors.
“I like that,” Stelmaszek said. “It sounds stupid but I think wood feels like baseball and I like it. There’s a nice blend of the old and the new. It’s new, but it’s got an old-time feel to it.”
Although the old Comiskey sits across the street, halfway torn down and resembling a rotting carcass, Puckett said he felt no sadness when he saw it. “It’s just like human beings - you get old and then you die.”
-Jim Caple, Pioneer Press
While they liked the ballpark, the Twins couldn’t have enjoyed the game, particularly their performance at the plate.
It says a lot about the state of the Twins’ offense that the hit that had the greatest impact for them Friday night was a double off the buttocks of White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk.
That 20-foot smash leading off the third inning put Mike Pagliarulo on second, and Chuck Knoblauch’s double - this one made the outfield - gave the Twins a 1-0 lead. But the slumping AL West leaders could muster little else off Jack McDowell and two relievers, and Robin Ventura’s tie-breaking three-run homer off Jack Morris in the seventh powered the surging White Sox to a 4-2 victory. The game was the first for the Twins (46-35) at new Comiskey Park.
The loss ended Morris’ eight-start winning streak and dropped him to 11-6. Fellow All-Star McDowell improved to 10-4 and avenged a 3-0 loss to Morris and the Twins on Sunday at the Metrodome. The Twins maintained their one-game lead in the AL West when the Angels lost to the Texas Rangers (also one game back), but the Twins had to come away from their eighth loss in 10 games wondering whether their offense has the punch to keep them in the race after the All-Star break.
The Twins are hitting only .215 in their last 10 games and generally have been helpless with teammates in scoring position. Kirby Puckett is 0-for-14 - zero for the road trip - and Chili Davis, the key to the offense, is in a 2-for-17 skid. Kent Hrbek, recovering from an injury, returned to the lineup last night and floated a soft liner to center in the eighth with two outs and the tying runs in scoring position.
“We’re just not hitting the ball,” said manager Tom Kelly. “We’re missing a few people (Dan Gladden and Gene Larkin) and we’re not getting the job done. That’s no excuse. . . . We’re just not hitting anything like we did last month. And when you’re not hitting, guys like McDowell and (Thursday’s 1-0 loser Jimmy) Key are eligible to stick it to you.”
-Jeff Lenihan, Star Tribune
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 81 46 35 0 .568 - 350 312
Texas Rangers 75 42 33 0 .560 1.0 389 355
California Angels 79 44 35 0 .557 1.0 366 336
Chicago White Sox 78 42 36 0 .538 2.5 321 334
Oakland Athletics 80 43 37 0 .538 2.5 387 398
Seattle Mariners 80 40 40 0 .500 5.5 319 321
Kansas City Royals 78 35 43 0 .449 9.5 351 357
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
January 1st, 2009
Thursday July 4, 1991
The Twins took the field for the final game in Toronto with an unfamiliar first baseman.
After Thursday’s 1-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, most of the Twins were milling around the visitors clubhouse discussing who was chosen for the AL All-Star team and the merits of those selections.
Al Newman was wondering whether he had earned a less honorable but certainly equally enjoyable distinction: as the shortest first baseman in major league history.
“Am I it?” Newman asked. “I can’t think of anybody shorter. What about that midget (Eddie Gaedel)? Did they put him there?”
The Twins list Newman at 5-9, but the infielder would feel proud checking in at even 5-8. He has bounced all around the infield during his five seasons with the Twins but never played first before yesterday. “Never, college, high school, Little League or anything,” Newman said proudly. “Never even taken ground balls there. T.K. (manager Tom Kelly) asked me about it and I said, “Sure, I can do it.’ All you have to do catch the ball and tag the base, right?”
Kelly turned to Newman because Kent Hrbek and Gene Larkin are hurt and he believed Paul Sorrento would be overmatched against lefty Jimmy Key. Kelly did not want to start Randy Bush at first against a lefty. The other choice was catcher Brian Harper, but Kelly said he had seen Harper play an inning there earlier this year “and that was enough.”
So the only available righthanded bat belonged to the switch-hitting Newman. He wasted no time getting tested as Devon White fouled out to first on David West’s first pitch of the game. Newman also cleanly fielded five throws from the infield and mastered the technique of stepping off the base a split-second prematurely.
The reviews on Newman?
“He made the plays,” Kelly said.
“We had to be careful to throw the ball low,” shortstop Greg Gagne said. “With Hrbek out there, you can throw it anywhere.”
Added second baseman Chuck Knoblauch: “This really makes you appreciate Herbie. I think you can throw the ball a foot and a half higher with (Hrbek) in there, maybe more.”
A smiling Newman was ready with a retort. “That’s true about the high throws, but I’ll get all the low ones better. I’m already down there.”
-Jeff Lenihan, Star Tribune
There was also a bit of a stranger on the pitching mound.
He made his pro debut in the Mets’ farm system in 1983 when Dwight Gooden still was a minor leaguer, when Scott Erickson still was in high school and when Atlanta’s Steve Avery still was in junior high. Over the next half-decade he pitched well enough in the minors to be considered among the finest pitching prospects in the game, a virtual can’t-miss.
At 26, David West scarcely has fulfilled that promise. His career record entering Minnesota’s 1-0 victory over Toronto on Thursday: 11-13 with a 5.54 earned-run average, a mark that at the start of the season was the highest career ERA of any active pitcher.
West hadn’t pitched in the majors since early last September, had spent the entire season on the disabled list, and had gone through rehab assignments at Class AA Orlando and Class AAA Portland.
So when the struggling Twins sent West to the mound at SkyDome against Toronto’s Jimmy Key, manager Tom Kelly acknowledged he really didn’t know what to expect.
Pitching in place of Erickson, West gave the Twins the type of game they’ve come to expect from their injured ace and the type of game they’ve long anticipated from West. The left-hander allowed two hits, pitched seven scoreless innings and got relief help from Steve Bedrosian and Rick Aguilera.
The victory was the second in nine games for the Twins (46-34) and gave them a half-game lead over California as they headed to Chicago.
“He threw good; I was surprised. I think everyone was surprised,” said catcher Junior Ortiz, who drove in the game’s only run with a second-inning ground ball. “He’d been hurt for so long and he was going up against a good hitting team.”
-Jim Caple, Pioneer Press
Tom Kelly on West’s performance.
“It’s the kind of game we’ve expected out of him for a lot of years,” Kelly said. “We’ve had glimmers of it in a couple of innings along the way but overall we haven’t seen it. We talk about consistency, that’s a word a lot of managers like to use, and you’d like to see consistency from him. We want him to string together a couple of starts like this.
“It’s going to take a lot of quality starts to get any accolades from T.K.,” West said. “If that’s what he expects from me, well, so do I.”
The three Twins selected to the All-Star Team: Kirby Puckett, Jack Morris, and Rick Aguilera.
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 80 46 34 0 .575 - 348 308
California Angels 78 44 34 0 .564 1.0 366 328
Texas Rangers 74 41 33 0 .554 2.0 381 355
Chicago White Sox 77 41 36 0 .532 3.5 317 332
Oakland Athletics 79 42 37 0 .532 3.5 378 395
Seattle Mariners 79 40 39 0 .506 5.5 318 319
Kansas City Royals 77 35 42 0 .455 9.5 348 348
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
December 31st, 2008
Wednesday July 3, 1991
Jim Caple speculated on Minnesota’s All-Star game representation in the Pioneer Press:
Equipment manager Jim Wiesner said he brought eight home uniforms on Minnesota’s road trip to cover all of the Twins’ all-star possibilities, slim though some might be.
Although the Twins certainly won’t have eight representatives, they should have at least three and perhaps as many as five. Manager Tom Kelly already has been chosen as a coach, while pitcher Jack Morris (11-5, 3.60 earned-run average) and outfielder Kirby Puckett (.329, 11 home runs, 44 RBIs) are virtual locks for the team.
Designated hitter Chili Davis (.278, 19 home runs, 52 RBIs) deserves a spot as well when the all-star reserves are announced today, but his chances may be hurt by the high number of deserving outfielders and designated hitters.
Catcher Brian Harper (.318, 32 RBIs) and closer Rick Aguilera (2-3, 20 saves, 2.92 ERA) also have outside chances to make the team. Until he went into a prolonged slump a few weeks ago, shortstop Greg Gagne also warranted selection.
While it was fun for fans and journalists to speculate about the mid-summer classic, tempers were starting to flare on the field for the suddenly slumping Twins.
Allan Anderson obviously was sore after giving up the three home runs that led to the 4-0 defeat. Miffed after Devon White’s leadoff blast to left in the fourth gave Toronto its fourth run, the lefty threw his next pitch into the left side of Roberto Alomar, earning Anderson the first ejection of his life and nearly inciting a brawl.
…
After plunking White in the fourth, Anderson received an immediate ejection, the first of his career, from plate umpire Jim Joyce. “Never happened before,” Anderson said. “Not even in Little League.”
Both dugouts emptied, but the hot-tempered Harper restrained Alomar, who insisted he did not want to fight but said he found his getting hit one pitch after homer No. 3 too much to ignore. Kelly argued with the entire crew and said later he was angry crew chief Jim McKean (umpiring at first) rather than Joyce had the final say.
-Jeff Lenihan, Star Tribune
As if the 4-0 loss wasn’t enough, the trainer’s room got a little busier:
After placing three players on the disabled list and sitting down a fourth within a span of 48 hours, the Twins were wondering Tuesday how things could get worse.
Wednesday, they found out.
Shane Mack missed last night’s game with the Blue Jays with a sore right shoulder, and fellow outfielder Pedro Munoz sat out with a bruised left triceps. Though neither injury is considered serious, both came at inopportune times. Outfielders Dan Gladden (pulled abdominal muscles) and Gene Larkin (pulled groin) already are on the disabled list, as is pitcher Scott Erickson (sore right elbow). And Kent Hrbek, who recovered from a shoulder problem just in time to sprain his right ankle, missed a second straight start last night.
The bruised and battered Twins dropped out of first place with the loss, though only by .001 percent.
Put down that hot dog and hold that forkful of apple pie. It’s July 4th and it’s time to chew on some baseball numbers. For the first time since June 16, the Twins do not lead the American League West.
If you pledge your allegiance to the Twins, that’s bad news - and good news. In 1965 and ‘70, the Twins were ahead of the pack on July 4th and both years they finished on top of the standings. In ‘87, the Twins were exactly where they are now - only a few percentage points behind the division leader - when the games ended on July 4th. Of course, they went on to win their first World Series.
-Curt Brown, Star Tribune
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
California Angels 77 44 33 0 .571 - 361 316
Minnesota Twins 79 45 34 0 .570 - 347 308
Texas Rangers 73 40 33 0 .548 2.0 376 351
Chicago White Sox 76 41 35 0 .539 2.5 315 329
Oakland Athletics 78 42 36 0 .538 2.5 374 390
Seattle Mariners 78 39 39 0 .500 5.5 315 317
Kansas City Royals 76 34 42 0 .447 9.5 336 343
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
December 30th, 2008
Tuesday July 2, 1991
It would be an understatement to say the Twins were not as happy with the start of July as they had been with the early days of June. From Jim Caple’s game story in the Pioneer Press:
These may have been the worst 48 hours anyone has had since Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte teamed up for that awful movie sequel.
In the first two days of July, the Twins blew two 3-1 leads, lost two games in their opponents’ final at-bat, took a late-night/early-morning flight to a foreign country and, worst of all, placed Scott Erickson on the disabled list a week before he likely would have been his league’s starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. And the team that won 17 of its first 18 games in June now has lost six of its past seven games.
How many days until August?
“(The past 48 hours) have been a test, a true test,” reliever Steve Bedrosian said after giving up a bases-loaded single to Rance Mulliniks in the ninth inning that finalized Minnesota’s 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. “But there’s still a lot of baseball left, we’re still in first place. We’ve got quality people here, we’ve got a good bench here, and we’ll have to continue playing hard. We’ve had our highs; now we’ll have to battle through the lows.
“We’ll definitely miss Scott, but we can’t let it affect us. The people who are still here have to rise to the occasion and pick up the slack.”
There’s a lot of slack to pick up. The Twins escaped the season’s first three months virtually injury-free, but suddenly Dick Martin needs to add a number dispenser to the trainer’s room. Dan Gladden went on the d.l. Sunday, Gene Larkin strained a groin muscle Monday and went on the d.l. Tuesday, and Kent Hrbek is back to day-to-day status with a sprained ankle.
Tuesday’s worst news, though, came in the afternoon. After checking into their team hotel at 4:30 a.m. and getting some sleep, the Twins went to SkyDome hoping Erickson would feel no forearm discomfort when he threw in the bullpen. He did, and the Twins put the 12-game winner on the 15-day disabled list along with Larkin.
“The condition’s not unusual at all for a pitcher,” Martin said. “It’s not serious. It just got to the point where he needed rest in addition to therapy.”
“It’s been frustrating, very frustrating,” said Erickson’s roommate, Chili Davis, who still was lamenting failed scoring opportunities during Monday night’s 5-4 loss to Chicago.
“You don’t want to blame injuries, but when you get a few key players out of the lineup it changes things. We’ll have to battle. Some of us, each of us, will have to do a little more.”
The results in the first game of three at SkyDome just seemed to pile on to the Twins.
Thus the Twins (45-33) were hoping starter Kevin Tapani could salvage the day somewhat by maintaining or extending their two-game lead over California with a victory. He gave it a good try, holding the AL East-leading Blue Jays to two runs in 6 1/3 innings before the bullpen proved inadequate.
Unlike his gem against Toronto last Thursday when he allowed only five base runners, Tapani was in trouble for much of the game, and allowed 11 hits. When it was suggested he did a good job of working out of trouble, Tapani replied, “I did a good job of getting into trouble, too.”
Still, it was the 15th time in his 16 starts that he lasted at least six innings, and the 12th time he made a quality start (at least six innings, fewer than four runs). And had Terry Leach provided ample relief - or his teammates sufficient runs - he might have won.
The Twins scored three early runs off Juan Guzman and Mike Timlin (who took over when Guzman developed a sore back), then went flat. Tapani took a 3-1 lead into the seventh, loaded the bases on three singles and gave way to Leach.
Leach (0-1) allowed a run on Joe Carter’s grounder to short before retiring Mulliniks on a fly to left to the inning. He gave up a one-out single to John Olerud and a two-out double to Manuel Lee to tie the score 3-3 in the eighth, then loaded the bases in the ninth before Bedrosian took over.
Mulliniks greeted Bedrosian by punching a single to center field that brought home Devon White with the game-winner and send 48,676 home cheering.
Asked to describe his team’s past 48 hours, Leach thought a moment, then replied succinctly and accurately: “Bad. Very bad.”
Even worse for the Twins, as reported by Jeff Lenihan in the Star Tribune:
The Twins were hoping Erickson still could be named to the team and not pitch. All-Star teams usually include 10 or 11 pitchers, four or five of whom usually don’t play. But the Twins were informed yesterday that the league is not interested in naming Erickson, 12-3 with a major league-leading 1.83 ERA, as an honorary gesture.
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 78 45 33 0 .577 - 347 304
California Angels 76 43 33 0 .566 1.0 357 313
Texas Rangers 72 40 32 0 .556 2.0 376 346
Chicago White Sox 75 40 35 0 .533 3.5 312 327
Oakland Athletics 77 41 36 0 .532 3.5 369 390
Seattle Mariners 77 39 38 0 .506 5.5 313 314
Kansas City Royals 75 34 41 0 .453 9.5 333 339
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December 29th, 2008
Monday July 1, 1991
The AP ran a blurb about the stadium situation in Milwaukee.
Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent, saying again that small-market teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers must increase their revenue sources to stay competitive, gave his endorsement to a new stadium for the team Monday.
“I think people have to recognize that a new ballpark may be essential to the health of this franchise,” Vincent said during a stop at aging County Stadium, which was built in 1952.
“I think it’s one of the key things that can be done in a circumstance like this for baseball to remain vibrant in this area. I feel it’s a major project for baseball and even more important for Milwaukee.”
The Brewers want to build a new $140 million stadium and are hoping to increase revenues with the sale of luxury boxes that their current stadium lacks.
A plan proposed last month would give the Brewers a $35 million loan from the state, with the state and local governments splitting the infrastructure costs. The team would finance the remaining $105 million for the stadium.
“I think it is very important for Milwaukee to pursue a recommendation on the stadium. It’s important for the health of baseball in this size community,” said Vincent, adding that other issues must also be addressed to help the smaller market teams.
Brewers owner Bud Selig is the chairman of a joint players and owners committee currently studying finances in the game.
“You tell me how Seattle, Cincinatti or Milwaukee can raise more revenue,” Vincent said. “What do you do? There is no significant TV market and virtually no cable.”
Vincent said he thinks baseball will address the topic of small markets before it is too late.
“I believe there is enough flexibiility to permit people to come together and protect baseball in the form that we know it,” he said.
Back at the Metrodome, the Twins blew a late lead and lost the game when 43-year-old Carlton Fisk hit a solo home run in the top of the tenth inning. From Gregg Wong’s game story in the Pioneer Press:
Even Carlton Fisk, the player who perfected the stall in baseball, finally had enough of Monday night’s marathon in the Metrodome.
Fisk, the 43-year-old catcher for the Chicago White Sox who moves as if he’s twice that age, homered in the 10th inning to send the Twins to an agonizing 5-4 loss in a game that took three hours and 48 minutes to complete.
“Fisk is one of those clutch players who’s been doing it for a long time,” Twins manager Tom Kelly said.
On Monday night, it was a long, long time. It was made longer because the Twins’ veteran bullpen wasted a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, and then the hitters couldn’t come through in the clutch after that, much to the dismay of the fine Monday night crowd of 26,427, meaning the four-game series attracted 165,902.
As a result of this latest loss, the first-place Twins won only two of seven games on the homestand against Toronto (1-2) and Chicago (1-3). They had won 21 of their previous 23.
After opening June with 15 straight victories, the Twins now have to hope that the loss on the first of July doesn’t start a trend in the other direction.
Dennis Brackin reported on the true cost of the loss in the Star Tribune:
The Twins took one step forward Monday night at the Metrodome, gaining another candidate for the starting rotation when Paul Abbott pitched six impressive innings in his first start of 1991.
But they took three sizable steps back, losing the game 5-4 in 10 innings to Chicago and two players to injury: outfielder Gene Larkin (groin pull) and first baseman Kent Hrbek (ankle sprain).
…
This was a night, however, when injuries overshadowed the bottom line. Larkin was hurt beating out a first-inning infield single. The outfielder-first baseman sustained a “significant pull,” according to team physician Dr. John Steubs, and will be inactive a minimum of five to seven days. The Twins are expected to put Larkin on the disabled list.
Hrbek, who had missed seven games in late June because of a sprained right shoulder, suffered a sprained right ankle after rounding first with an eighth-inning RBI single.
The preliminary diagnosis for Hrbek was more encouraging; his availability is described as day-to-day by Steubs.
“At this point, it looks like a minor sprain,” Steubs said. “There’s not a lot of swelling.”
Larkin’s injury was the second to a Twins outfielder in four games. Starting left fielder Dan Gladden suffered a strained abdominal muscle last Friday and was placed on the 15-day disabled list, with first baseman Paul Sorrento recalled.
The Twins now have only four remaining outfielders - Kirby Puckett, Shane Mack, Pedro Munoz and Randy Bush. Chili Davis is also a candidate, but the Twins were hoping to use him exclusively as a designated hitter this season because of past back problems.
“With the outfield situation the way it is and the off days (the Twins play six games in the next six days), it makes a disabling assignment (for Larkin) a little more likely,” said general manager Andy MacPhail.
The leading candidate to be summoned is Portland outfielder Jarvis Brown (.283, 19 stolen bases). The other leading candidate, ex-Gopher J.T. Bruett (.274, 10 stolen bases at Portland), is sidelined for two weeks with a knee injury.
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 77 45 32 0 .584 - 344 300
California Angels 75 42 33 0 .560 2.0 347 310
Texas Rangers 71 39 32 0 .549 3.0 367 340
Oakland Athletics 76 41 35 0 .539 3.5 363 381
Chicago White Sox 74 39 35 0 .527 4.5 307 323
Seattle Mariners 76 39 37 0 .513 5.5 309 309
Kansas City Royals 74 34 40 0 .459 9.5 330 329
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December 28th, 2008
Sunday June 30, 1991
Jack Morris did everything he could to help the Twins avoid ending the month with a losing streak.
On a muggy Sunday afternoon that marked the end of June, Tom Kelly leaned back in his office chair and recalled the promise offered by a winter’s day. His thoughts were of the February morning that brought Jack Morris to the Twins as a free agent.
“Today,” Kelly said, “was the day we got Jack for.”
Morris brought an end to the Twins’ four-game losing streak yesterday by defeating the White Sox 3-0 in front of 51,085 fans at the Metrodome. The shutout was Morris’ first as a Twin, the victory his eighth in his last eight starts. But the significance of this day went far beyond personal milestones.
Players and team officials who pride themselves on a low-key, one-game-at-a-time philosophy expanded their perspective yesterday. General manager Andy MacPhail called it “about as big a win as we’ve had yet this year.”
Said catcher Brian Harper: “We needed the win. I’m hoping it won’t be the biggest game we play this year, but it’s sure one that has to help us mentally.”
The Twins not only had lost four straight, they had lost Dan Gladden to the disabled list Friday and had watched Scott Erickson suffer his worst defeat Saturday. Erickson, seemingly invincible for three months, was bothered by a tender elbow and another starter, Mark Guthrie, had been sent to the bullpen Friday.
“It’s hard to say enough about what Jack did today,” MacPhail said. “It’s the biggest crowd of the season, really a game where we needed a pick-me-up going against a hot team. We’d lost four in a row, and we had a rookie pitching (today, Paul Abbott) who’d have felt a lot of pressure to turn this around. This was everything and more than we could have hoped for when we got Jack.”
Morris allowed only six hits and one walk. The White Sox, who had homered in seven straight games, advanced a runner as far as second only twice.
“I don’t know if there was any more of a burden on me than anyone else would have felt,” said Morris, 36. “Any time you’re losing, the guy who’s got the ball in his hand wants to do the best he can and give the team a chance to win.”
Morris has consistently accomplished that for the past five weeks. He has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last eight starts, posting a 2.07 ERA in 65 1/3 innings.
“When we took the field today, I just had the feeling we were going to win,” said infielder Al Newman. “With the bulldog Jack has in him, you knew he was going to be tough.”
Another reason for optimism yesterday was the play of first baseman Kent Hrbek, who had been out of the lineup for seven games because of a sprained shoulder. He homered in his return Saturday, then had two hits yesterday, including an RBI double, plus a ninth-inning fielding gem.
With Robin Ventura on first and one out, Dan Pasqua hit a hard shot between first and second. Hrbek made a diving stop and flipped to Morris for the second out.
The Twins, who had scored only eight runs during their four-game losing streak, collected nine hits in 7 1/3 innings yesterday against Jack McDowell.
Morris’ strong start helped the Twins for more than just this game, though the rotation behind Morris and Tapani seems to be in a bit of limbo at the moment.
Twins pitcher Scott Erickson might skip his next scheduled start and team officials said Sunday they have not ruled out placing the 12-game winner on the disabled list.
Erickson, 23, has experienced soreness in the muscles around his right elbow since a May 7 start in Boston. Although Erickson has maintained he is healthy enough to pitch, his performance in Saturday’s 8-4 loss has heightened concern.
Manager Tom Kelly, pitching coach Dick Such and general manager Andy MacPhail met with Erickson before yesterday’s game. The meeting came the day after Erickson’s fastball lacked its usual velocity and movement when he allowed a season-high 11 hits and a career-high seven runs in 6 1/3 innings.
MacPhail said after the meeting that any decision on Erickson’s status will not be made for a couple of days. But the prevailing opinion appears to be that Erickson needs a rest. He has pitched 122 2/3 innings, tying him with teammate Jack Morris and Cleveland’s Greg Swindell for the major league lead.
“We’d like a healthy Erickson right now, and rest is much-needed for a young guy,” Such said. “We recommend it in the minor leagues, and we recommend it here. He’s been on a grueling pace and been maxing out every game, and sometimes you need some time off. He’s put in a lot of innings, and the forearm doesn’t appear to be getting much better after the way he threw the ball (Saturday) night. I think right now we’d have to recommend that he miss a start.”
Said Kelly: “We’re not giving it a chance to get better. He’s been pushing it since back in Boston six, seven weeks ago. That’s a long time ago, and we’ve been sort of rolling the dice with it since then.”
The extenuating circumstance is that Erickson is a candidate to start for the American League in the All-Star Game on July 9 at Toronto. Erickson is 12-3 with a league-leading 1.83 ERA. If he is removed from the rotation, team officials concede the pitcher faces the possibility of not being selected to the team.
“You’d like to see him on the All-Star team and all that, but the bottom line here is his career, and his health,” Twins manager Tom Kelly said. “That’s the foremost thing we have to worry about. There’ll be plenty of All-Star chances for him if he stays healthy.”
MacPhail said placing Erickson on the disabled list is “a possibility, if we thought it was that type of injury.”
“I think the prudent thing to do is see how he feels in a couple days and make the decision,” MacPhail said. “We’re going to treat it conservatively, whatever the decision is.”
Dennis Brackin reflected on the month of June:
A month of emotion-filled days became the stuff of memories and record books Sunday when the Twins wrote the final chapter on the month of June.
They began the month with a team-record 15 straight victories, surged into first place for the first time since 1987 on June 16 and compiled the club’s best-ever monthly winning percentage (.786, 22-6). The fans responded, with crowds of 50,525 and 51,085 jamming the Metrodome on the month’s final two days.
“It was one of those periods where you look at it, and at the moment you don’t appreciate it,” infielder Al Newman said. “Now that the month is coming to an end, you realize, `Hey, you won 15 in a row and moved up in the standings.’ “
Players agree that the latter fact is the most significant aspect of the June surge. The Twins, 23-25 and 5 1/2 games out of first place at the end of May, closed June in first place.
“It was a great month for us,” Jack Morris said. “We came from battling to get over .500 to first place, and we did it in one month.”
There were reminders expressed yesterday that the Twins must not get too high on June’s results. Lest they need proof, a year ago they were 21-7 in May, 7-21 in June.
“You remember that you won eight series in a row, the 15-game winning streak and that it’s put us in a position to contend,” Dan Gladden said. “But I’ve never known a team to win a pennant in June.”
Said Kent Hrbek: “It was fun while it lasted, but (June is) over. At the end of September, if we’re at the same place we are now, I’ll look back.”
For a month with such an unforgettable start, June’s final days had several bittersweet moments. The Twins lost four straight before yesterday’s victory, Gladden went on the disabled list with an abdominal injury and Scott Erickson’s 12-game winning streak came to an end.
“Like they say, you have to take the good with the bad,” Gladden said. In time, though, those few clouded memories will probably be long forgotten.
“I’ll remember the 15 in a row, I know that,” Newman said. “You’re going to lose four in a row and have some bad breaks again, that’s for sure. But 15 in a row, you may never achieve that.”
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 76 45 31 0 .592 - 340 295
Texas Rangers 70 39 31 0 .557 3.0 365 334
California Angels 74 41 33 0 .554 3.0 341 308
Oakland Athletics 75 41 34 0 .547 3.5 360 374
Chicago White Sox 73 38 35 0 .521 5.5 302 319
Seattle Mariners 75 39 36 0 .520 5.5 306 305
Kansas City Royals 73 33 40 0 .452 10.5 323 326
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December 27th, 2008
Saturday June 29, 1991
Dennis Brackin reported on the Twins’ newest draw, Scott Erickson:
The Twins are expecting at least 40,000 fans Sunday for their annual bat-day promotion. But bat day isn’t expected to be the biggest drawing card for the weekend series against the White Sox.
Twins vice president Dave Moore said a crowd in the mid-40,000’s is expected tonight. The attraction: Scott Erickson.
“Saturday nights are always good for us, but we’re starting to see people calling and asking when Scott Erickson pitches,” Moore said. “And this is obviously the only time he’s going to pitch in our park before the All-Star Game.”
After concluding a four-game series against the White Sox at the Dome on Monday, the Twins will play six road games (three each at Toronto and Chicago) before the All-Star break. Erickson, 12-2 with a 1.39 ERA, will be seeking his 13th straight victory tonight.
Moore said the fan interest in Erickson was obvious during the 10-game homestand June 3-13.
Erickson pitched twice, attracting 25,313 in a 2-1 victory over Cleveland on June 8 and 29,687 in a 10-3 triumph over the Yankees on June 3.
The other attendance figures for Cleveland’s visit were 18,200, 20,677 and 14,171; the other two Yankees games drew 18,233 and 19,178.
The bottom line: Erickson attracted an average of 27,500 for his two starts. In games against Cleveland and New York in which Erickson didn’t pitch, the Twins averaged 18,092.
“Without a doubt, people are starting to want to find out when Scott is going to pitch, and we’re starting to see some of the same thing with Jack Morris,” Moore said. “It sure doesn’t hurt that Sunday is bat day, and Jack’s pitching.”
The crowd, as it turned out, was even larger than expected. From Ray Richardson’s story in the Pioneer Press:
A crowd of 50,525 came to see Erickson go for his 13th consecutive victory. Instead, they saw the 23-year-old right-hander suffer his worst pounding of the season.
Erickson was tagged for 11 hits and seven runs, both season highs, in 6 1/3 innings as the Twins lost their fourth consecutive game.
“I knew someday I would probably get beat up on, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be tonight,” Erickson said. “This one is very untimely because we needed a pickup to break the losing streak.”
Greg Hibbard survived three home runs by the Twins to earn the victory and give the White Sox their eighth victory in nine games.
In the manager’s estimation:
“It was pretty obvious that he (Erickson) didn’t have anything,” Kelly said. “The ball was up in the strike zone and his zip just wasn’t there.”
After dropping their fourth consecutive game, the Twins got some bad news off the field as well.
The strained abdominal muscle Dan Gladden suffered Friday night forced the Twins to put the veteran left fielder on the 15-day disabled list before Saturday’s game.
Gladden was hurt swinging the bat on a strikeout pitch from White Sox pitcher Charlie Hough in the third inning. He was unable to finish the game.
“He’s looking at a minimum of two weeks before he could do anything even if he wasn’t put on the d.l.,” Twins physician Dr. John Steubs said. “Something like that can be difficult to get rid of. We’ll go slow with the therapy for awhile. He just needs rest to let the spasm go down.”
Gladden was hitting .259 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in.
“Dan doesn’t miss too many games, so you know he must be hurting,” Twins manager Tom Kelly said. “He’s a pretty tough guy, but he was in an awful lot of pain.”
First baseman Paul Sorrento was called up from Class AAA Portland to replace Gladden on the roster.
Sorrento was hitting .340 with seven home runs and 50 RBIs in 72 games.
“Hopefully, I can do some damage up here now,” Sorrento said.
Box
Team Name G W L T PCT GB RS RA
Minnesota Twins 75 44 31 0 .587 - 337 295
California Angels 73 41 32 0 .562 2.0 340 306
Texas Rangers 69 38 31 0 .551 3.0 363 333
Oakland Athletics 74 40 34 0 .541 3.5 357 372
Chicago White Sox 72 38 34 0 .528 4.5 302 316
Seattle Mariners 74 39 35 0 .527 4.5 305 299
Kansas City Royals 72 33 39 0 .458 9.5 321 323
Posted in Hot Stove 1991 | No Comments »
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