Classic Twins Game of the Week: 5 Homeruns in 7th Inning, June 9, 1966!

                                       Eau Claire Daily Telegram (June 10, 1966)

During the decade of the 1960's, the Minnesota Twins were among the most prodigious power-hitting teams in baseball. They left their stamp on the era with a gargantuan five homer outburst in the seventh inning on June 9, 1966 at Metropolitan Stadium, in a 9-4 win. At the time, they were joining three other clubs who had accomplished this feat in one inning:

• The New York (baseball) Giants on June 6, 1939
• Philadelphia Phillies on  June 2, 1949
• San Francisco Giants on August 23, 1961, followed by the Twins in '66, and most recently...
• The Milwaukee Brewers on April 22, 2006...

 ...and, as you will read, the Twins nearly became the first to connect for SIX!

Max Nichols of the Minneapolis Star was one of the Twins beat writers in the 60's contributing to The Sporting News. He apparently was big on "Batman," the campy 1960's television series. For some reason, I was the show's biggest fan, as a preschooler. I swear, it had nothing to do with the Catwoman Julie Newmar (I couldn't have been less interested!). I doubt that the Athletics were thinking about Julie, in any event what with the daunting Twins lumber company confronting them (or maybe they were - the "ball girl" idea had to originate somewhere, as they were the first club to implement that invention!)  Here's Nichol's sound-errific description of that 7th inning from June 25, 1966:

(If you please, there's also this alternate, even more over-the-top version)

Jim Hunter, in the Athletic's green

Holy Homerun Orgy!  In the Twins half of the 7th inning at Metropolitan Stadium against the Kansas City (pre-Oakland Mustache Gang) Athletics, Rich Rollins and Zoilo Versalles homered off Catfish Hunter.  Then, Tony Oliva and Don Mincher took [BAM!] rookie Paul Lindblad deep [OUCH!].  And, to rub salt, avacado & guacamoli dip with a hint of tobasco sauce [UGH!] into the wound, Harmon Killebrew finished things off with one off John Wyatt (BOO-YAH!)  They almost got another tater from Jimmie Hall, whose shot off Wyatt struck high off the wall in right center for a double.  [WOOF!]. The Twins had thus made out like a fat man feasting on a bowl of K.C. dip-(Okay, so maybe a dose of moderation would have left this section out completely!)

                                                   Is it any wonder why people believed 

                                                   MLB chose Killebrew's silhouette as it's 

                                                   trademark logo? (Lebanon Daily News)

Jimmie Hall described his thoughts as he came to bat in that inning...

Indeed, Mele's attitude was understandable, as the Twins were in sixth place (10-team league), 3 games under .500, and 9 games back league-leading Baltimore after day's end. Here's the  boxscore and play by play of that 1966 game from Baseball Reference and the Muscatine (Iowa) Journal, June 10, 1966.

  Adam West (aka: "Batman") landing
 righteous  fist, circa 1966. Take that,
 Mr. Catfish Hunter.

As broadcasting professional Herb Carneal would put it -  
                                                    "So long everybody."