Twins Brawls (Video): Roger Erickson Vs Bobby Grich April 22, 1978

Of note: this post was largely composed live, during a sunami-like migraine before the All-Star Game in Minneapolis in 2014- with little or no editing taking place. If that doesn't qualify me as a throwback gamer, I don't know what will. I had the feeling as if the video's principal actors were putting the hurt on ME, instead of one another at old Metropolitan Stadium. Just a small diversion for me from the hullabaloo and hype engulfing the Minneapolis area.

Left to right: (jackets) Twins Jose Morales, Geoff Zahn, (hatless) Angels starter Frank Tanana; Ron Jackson holds Twins pitching coach and legend Camilo Pascual, while Glenn Borgmann runs interference from the side.

I'd completely forgotten about this crazy melee on Saturday, April 22, 1978 (box) and was it ever. One minute rookie Roger Erickson is tossing an errant one inside, and the next thing you know, the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention is breaking out! Bobby Grich was among the most intense, and valuable second basemen of the 1970's and 80's. He had an excellent OBP, power numbers, besides having one of the nicest, shortest swings (1972 All-Star Game video) you'll ever see. I'd choose him in a minute if compiling a fantasy all-time legends team. His SABR bio packs a pretty good punch *ahem* of info about him.

Yep - I can totally believe Rod took Dave LaRoche into storage closet

and beat the crap out of him for lipping off in a team meeting in '72

The California announcers (Don Drysdale and Al Wisk? Angel fans in the house, a little help?) were correct - Grich looked ready to punch anybody - beer sellers, ticket takers, Calvin Griffith, his own teammates, besides any of the patrons sitting near the Angel dugout throwing beverages and paraphernalia at him that day. That last was my favorite part of the video.

As it was, Twin Rich Chiles came out of nowhere to put a truly huge blind side hit on Grich, while future-Twins Ken Landreaux and Ron "Papa Jack" Jackson was seemingly everywhere . Also easily seen at the fisticuff fiesta is former Twin Lyman Bostock (#10 of Angels), and Twins Tony Oliva (coach, #6), Rod Carew (#29) and shortstop Roy Smalley (#5). The Sporting News (see mischievous Mauch grin in pdf) of May 13, 1978 asserts that is was indeed Carew that got in the quick head jabs on Grich's angry skull as he lay on the ground-some deft, stop-action views confirm that claim. The Grich quotes are doubly interesting as he implicates Twins Manager Gene Mauch as the instigator of the brushback.

And you thought charging the mound was a new thing?

Amazingly, only Grich was tossed out, the game resumed, with '65 Stars Oliva and Pascual being the only people on the premises who may have required any antibiotics or band aids. Welcome to 1970s baseball everyone, where Wild West lawlessness often prevailed (see link, "Disco Demolition"). Lost in the shuffle is this: the-then 21 year old Erickson righted himself to last 8 innings, though losing to the top lefty Tanana. It was his fourth major league start ( see popup stats), and his second against the Angels.

Look at this, and tell me Grich wasn't a bit wired as a habit...

(hover cursor on the screen to reveal audio button)

As Herb Carneal so eloquently put it: "So long, everybody!"

Game Of The Week (Video): Lyman Bostock's 4-4 Night Sept. 21, 1976

ENTIRE Video Link at MediaBurn.Org

A video I discovered the other night, with the help of my Twitter friend Lord Of The Fries. It is the last 20 minutes of the 13-6 win against the White Sox on September 21, 1976.
Bostock, during his final at-bat
Beautiful beyond words. From seeing that uncomplicated, whippy swing of Lyman Bostock, Larry Hisle settling in under a can of corn in left field, Mike Cubbage (think John Denver in baseball hosiery), and that crazy pitching delivery of Tom Burgmeier from the first base side, to how impossibly unathletic Glenn Borgmann REALLY appeared - all on top of seeing hitless wonder Bob Randall (4 hits that night), Roy Smalley (in his first go-around with the Twins)  AND hitting wonder Rod Carew bat (hitless that night) - is too much for words. It was when my fandom was in its most innocent stage.

 "My last time up, I was definitely trying to hit a home run [for the cycle] and I almost got it." - Lyman Bostock, Winona Daily News, September 22, 1976 (VIDEO LINK: STARTING WITH BOSTOCK AT BAT)

BONUS: besides getting to see the faux, 1893-era Sox uniforms, you get to hear Harry Caray go completely incoherent at about the 5:30 minute mark, remarks about "Minnesota's proximity to Oakland versus Oakland's to Kansas City." Or some such gibberish. Oh yes - -I will be adding additions to this post on the original Minnesota Lumber Company faster than a psychotic carpenter, rest assured.

I couldn't watch this segment, and Caray's references to the leaders in the batting title race, without thinking about the controversial finish to come days later in the season finale (Oct. 3, 1976)  for Carew and Bostock against Kansas City's George Brett and Hal McRae. Brett won the title (news story pdf) by .001 of a point with a ninth inning inside-the-park home run, which McRae claimed Twins left fielder Steve Brye let drop purposely because of racial bias on the part of Twins Manager Gene Mauch. A story for another time..

Harry Caray, wiseguy: 

"Minnesota has a great shot at finishing second!" LOL! (5:00 mark)

Signing off, in the style of our old broadcasting buddy, Herb Carneal:

"So long, everybody!"

Twins Killers, Vol. #1: Dick Allen Hits Two Inside The Park Homers (With Video!) At The Met

TWINS KILLERS will be a semi-regular series, profiling the greatest performances AGAINST our Minnesota Twins. One day performances, career logs (See Jim Thome) will be fodder for posts. If you have suggestions, the Editorial Politburo would love to hear 'em - leave thoughts in "Comments." Special thanks to our friends at that humdinger of a site,  Dick Allen HOof F,  for great photos, and the accompanying Vimeo video.

Book excerpt link added, Friday, January 3, 2014

On July 31, 1972 (BBRef Box). Dick Allen accomplished the feat of hitting two inside-the-park homeruns in one game at Met Stadium, something that has occured only one other time since in baseball history (by a Twins infielder named "Greg," by the way). He had long been thought by the MLB establishment as being among the most talented players and hitters of his generation. An iconoclast. A man who marched to his own drum (code language for "he's could be kind of an odd duck - or "dick," if you'll pardon the pun). Being an individual was one of the fastest ways a player could make himself suspect, and subject himself to scrutiny. Now, we can live with players like Nyjer Morgan, Cliff Lee, Ichiro Suzuki - players who march to their own beat - and nobody thinks much about it. Not so for players in the 60's and 70's, however! 

 "See Dick run. Run, Dick, run (for another tater)."

The truth was complicated: while many believed he was a polarizing figure in the locker room (disputed by "brawl" link, below), who often punched the time clock late, he was also a gentle, soft-spoken man who was far more comfortable in the company of his horses than with general managers, and some of his team mates (see "Frank Thomas" and  "1965 brawl with Allen") who didn't cotton to his brand of individuality.  And he was arriving in Chicago not long after the Curt Flood verdict, a further signpost of the impasse and power imbalance between owners and players.

 It was the era of bad-ass anti-heroes. For us little, ten year-old boys from the midwest, he was a Clint Eastwood, or more accurately, a Richard Roundtree "Shaft" come to life with a 40-ounce bat. He had been the NL Rookie of The Year in 1964, and after another seven stormy years with the Phils, Cardinals, and Dodgers, he was in the midst of an MVP, career year with the Chicago White Sox. He had changed leagues at a time when players rarely did. Not only had Allen joined the Junior Circuit, but Nolan Ryan had also come over that season from the Mets, incidentally. You'd see these National League studs only in the All-Star Game*, or the Game of The Week, on Saturday afternoons. And, without a doubt, he sure added excitement to the previously static, and more white-faced American League in 1972. A new book on Allen and the White Sox, "October, '72" is out, go to the link for an excerpt.

* - See Tony Oliva playing centerfield on hit, Dean Chance pitching! Check out this 1972 AS Game footage too!

It was just after the players strike, and MLB was in need of some positive press. He was a perfect athlete, a multistar athlete back in his hometown of Waumpum, PA, possessing incredible, compact power for a man a hair under six feet, and less than 200 pounds. Just watch the swing he puts on his second HR, waving that 38-40 oz. bat like a wand.

Did Glenn Borgmann have an alternate nickname..."Lynn?"

The 1972 White Sox hit 107 homeruns, total. Dick Allen? 37. Yup, over 1/3 by himself...MVP!

The video pretty much tells the story! Watching the backhanded play by Bobby Darwin, and you're liable to conclude he was a fielder with terrible instincts. He really wasn't! For 1972, in particular, he was just a shade under the league average, fielding percentage-wise, as an outfielder (see averages at CF and RF, where he received most of his innings). This article the next day helps explains Darwin's dilemna:

(ABOVE) An all-round, excellent ballplayer, baserunner
- Photo courtesy Dick Allen HOF site-

That season, the Commiskey Park organist played

"Jesus Christ, Superstar" whenever Allen came to bat.
- Photo courtesy Dick Allen HOF site-

	Allen Splits - 1972	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB
	Minnesota Twins	11	43	3	10	2	10	1	14	.233	.250	.395	.645	17

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 7/31/2013. 

And there you have it...the sum total of long balls Allen generated versus the Twins for the entire '72 season! The Twins pitching staff and Bert Blyleven could at least brag he never took them over the wall! Check the fine table of inside-the-park homeruns at Baseball Almanac.

To quote the great Herb Carneal: "So long, everybody."

1975 Minnesota Twins Camera Day

Today we call attention to one of the early, annual promotions staged by the Minnesota Twins. Camera Day has been chronicled slightly here at Classic Twins in a previous, early post, and here we get the full-color treatment. Among the finer nuggets of Twins and baseball treasures found on ye olde public internet is this collection of Twins players from Camera Day at the Met, before the Sunday, Sept. 14, 1975 game. 

I think it's cool for the glimpse of civilian clothing styles in vogue, the team's uniform of the mid-70's, and the simple beauty of a sunny day at Metropolitan Stadium. Plus, none of the players are unbelievably ripped and "top heavy" (see "Jose Canseco"), as would become common 20 years later. Normal, is the word I'm searching for.

 Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Lyman Bostock, Larry Hisle, Tony Oliva Phil Roof, Glenn Borgmann, Bill Campbell, Bill Butler, Porkchoppin' John Briggs,* Dave Goltz, Frank Quilici, Joe Decker, and Danny Thompson are all here for perusal - at least, they're the ones I can ID. It's one of the excellent, vintage collections at snaebyllej2's Flickr photo share site - worth a look, take my word on that. It's one of the few examples of close proximity fans could hope to have with players back then, when Twitter and the internet, card shows, fan fests, and 24-hour cable sports were miles away on the horizon.

*All-time Twins leader, sideburn/facial hair category

As the great broadcasting professional Herb Carneal signed off, I say:
"So long, everybody.!" - TT

Phenoms of Minnesota Twins Spring Trainings Past: Part III

Butch Wynegar, 1976:
The Bicentennial Backstop...
SORRY! POST BEING FIXED!
[NOTE: due to monumental material for use in this post, and my aching, sentimental attachment to the subject, the sections on John Castino and Carlos Gomez will await another time for publication, to give them their just due!]

During the winter of 1975-76, Butch Wynegar was expecting nothing higher than a promotion to Triple A, or at least a Double A hop upward in the Minnesota Twins system.  So, it was with shock that he opened up the  letter from GM Howard Fox informing him of his invite to the Twins Major League camp. The needle on the Donna Summer "Love To Love You Baby" LP made a sudden skip, his mind screeching with it to a halt...

His surprise was realistic.  Even though he'd batted .315 at age 19 in 1975 for the Twins A-level Reno Silver Sox, he'd only played in 199 games over two minor league years, and that was including the 60 games he'd played previously in rookie league after being drafted #14 in the 2nd Round (38th overall) of the 1974 draft.  "I thought, 'You've got to be kidding,'  said Wynegar after he retired. "I expected to get a quick look and be sent to Triple A. I was excited being around players such as Rod Carew and Larry Hisle.  But there wasn't much pressure on me.  I had nothing to lose.  Realistically, I never thought about sticking with the club."

Of note: Dave Bergman had been drafted ahead of him in that round, while Dale Murphy (5th pick-c), Lonnie Smith (3rd pick-of), Willie Wilson (18th-of), Garry Templeton (13th-ss), Lance Parrish (16th) and Rick Sutcliffe (21st-rhp) had all been taken earlier in the first round. One of  the '70s draft bumper crops.

 Of course, the Twin were sportin' a bumper crop of lousy-hitting big league catchers, and felt they had nothing to lose promoting Wynegar. Phil Roof was 35 years old, and couldn't be expected to be anything more than a capable, defensive backup. Glenn Borgmann had proved a major bust as a big league hitter. His sickly 1975 .207 BA, .303 OBP, with more walks (45) than RBI's (33) had driven the Twins upper management to pray before the porcelain god, and Manager Frank Quilici to permanent vacation. But they definitely had some alternatives in mind for their '76 catcher (see 'Twins Grooming Wynegar As A Super Mitt Prospect," The Sporting News, of April 17, 1976.

Photo from 1979 Twins Program & Scorecard

Butch embraced his new
Yankee status, and
Dave Rightetti too,
following no-hitter.

New Twins Manager Gene Mauch quickly became a fan of the switchhitting kid from York, PA.  The old National League skipper told reporters "Butch can turn things around for us. I know he doesn't have much experience, but he can swing the bat, catch the ball, and throw it.  There's just not much more to the game than that" (he, of course, forgot to add "have a working knowledge of hot New York night clubs" and "never ask about the epic '64 Philadelphia Phillies season-ending collapse"). That Mauch-managed team melted under the weight of a thin starting staff and general dissension. Mauch got his wish: Butch would be squatting behind home plate in Arlington, Texas on April 9th, against the Rangers.  The kid notched his first basehit that night off greasin' cheater, Gaylord Perry.  The Butch Show was on the radio, and in the air over Minneapolis-St. Paul!

If the mania for Butch Wyngar never reached the monkey scream hero-status of  Joe Mauer,  he nevertheless made an indelible impression on fans in the upper Midwest.  In a Twins TV spot legendary among Twins fans of that era, he exclaimed "I love this game so much, I'd play it for free," followed by a shot of Calvin Griffith gushing "I love that kid" (other vintage ad videos here). Of course, this didn't do much more to improve Calvin's earned reputation as a cheap, chiseling, old coot, but it was definitely a watershed moment in sports team promotions in Minnesota (see link to Calvin post at link above).

Babes in (slender) arms

The highlights I take from that season are his home runs against Catfish Hunter in New York, and then, vividly, the one took deep off Jim Palmer at the Met on April 25. In the exhilaration of the moment,  I recall Wynegar rounding third with a smile that was akin to the one on that kid Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" who'd just received his Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.  His batting average at one point was as high as .314, and was at .294 just before the All Star break.  The fans got behind him, and rocketed Butch onto the All-Star team on the strength of 560,000 write-in votes.


He played in the game in Philadelphia at the dirty, old concrete outhouse known as Veteran's Stadium.  He certainly didn't "shoot his eye out" or  in the foot, for that matter.  The 20-year old pinch hit for the 76-year old former Twin Luis Tiant in the top of the 7th, drawing a walk off John "The Count" Montefusco. Nicknames! The American League lost, as per custom in those years, 7-1.  The AL in the '70s had only one victory notch on their bats, that being the 6-4 win in 1971.

Even before the AS game, Butch was impressing the old guard with his deftness in handling pitchers, so beyond his years.  That. and his overall defense would become his greatest contribution to his teams as time wore on. He finished the season batting (see game logs) .260, with 10 HR, 69 RBI's, a .356 OBP, numbers which compare fascinatingly to Mauer's 2005 season (as ciphered by Aaron Gleeman, 3/13/06). These stats easily outdistanced the competition on the roster, and basically equaled the league average offensive performance at catcher. He rated a WAR of just over three games for his team that year. 

Such courage! Such catching fundametals!

Coming in second to pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych in the '76 Rookie Of The Year voting  was no shame, as he never expected to be in that position anyway.  The whole year was like one big fairy tale for him, sans the talking animals and whimsical characters (a situation left unfulfilled until Mickey Hatcher joined the Twins in 1981).  In my opinion, he never reached his potential - but what the hades do I know?  He hit in a difficult era,

Wynegar  has served as the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach in recent years, and is employed currently in the New York Yankee minor league system, giving tutelage to their young stars. Most recently, he's been credit for his work with up-and-coming catching stud, Jesus Montero.  By the way, we'll have to cut him some slack on that Yankee thing - they were his favorite team growing up, and some guy named Mickey was his favorite player. Go figure. 

He has some interesting comments on the Twins and his first season at this Nov., 2009, YouTube video.  The Kid comes across as really pretty humble. 

As good, ol' Herb used to say:
"...and the count rides along..."
TT