The Twins And Tigers Brawl, 5/14/82 (a Gif Showcase)

In baseball of the 21st Century, there is mere anger, displays of "displeasure," including the throwing of inanimate objects, like clothes, bats, water buckets, and the dreaded pointing of fingers at rookies who dare to show up veterans after hitting homeruns...(see: "Jose Ramirez, Minnesota Twins, 2015).

via GIPHY

...and then there is the real deal, where grown men actually do something with their righteous anger...unlike our calm and sedate MLB fights we have presently, there was a caveman-like era when Minnesota and Detroit players literally hated each other.

Ah, the humanity...if you have children in the room, you'd best think twice of scrolling forward...what follows is "Gangs Of New York"-type stuff...

Note "Freedom Fighter" Al Williams, center.

Must have felt like a lemonade festival, compared

to engaging in Central American insurgent dust ups.

The May 14, 1982 brawl (box score link) between the Twins and the Tigers at old Tigers Stadium in Detroit has been documented quite well already. Most recently, Rachel Blount posted an excellent account in her June 29, 2010 piece in the Star Tribune, The GIFs here merely reinforce what a real, visceral melee it really was. I've always maintained it helped form the rich fabric of the Twins-Tigers history, which includes some merciless beatings via Detroit over the young Twins in the 1981-86 period, and culminating in a most satisfying ALCS win for the Twins over the Motowners in 1987.

In the end, perhaps the greatest prize these GIFs reveal is that Jesus Vega , no 21, actually did something real and passionate on the field, for once at least--to belie the otherwise pacifist tone of his given birth name. His bat didn't necessarily do his talking for him, to reverse the baseball adage

Pete Redfern started off the nasty fun with this hit on Chet Lemon in the Fourth Inning. Note Pete Filson, no. 23, sauntering in so very casually at the very end of the frame, from the right.

via GIPHY

Ron Davis kept the smoking embers of anger hot with his tatoo job on Enos Cabel in the 11th.

via GIPHY

I'm actually surprised Davis had that kind of control, his everlasting infamy coloring my memory.

Breath in the ensuing mayhem, all ye street fighting men and ladies. I'm only glad ol' Sparky Anderson wasn't seriously roughed up during the hi-jinks. Alas, "Captain Hook" lived to tell the tale, clear up through 2010, in fact. See You Tube for the full and unbridled banquet of violence.

"So long, everybody!" - Herb Carneal

Euphoria Squared: The Great Metrodome Victory Celebration, Oct. 12, 1987 VIDEOS

The Twins 9-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers to win the 1987 ALCS was unprecedented not only for ending the team's 17 year absence from post-season play, but just as much for that game's aftermath. The outpouring of fan joy that greeted the team as it set foot on the springy Metrodome surface that evening was truly an occasion never before seen in Minnesota.

It was a hastily organized "Welcome Home" at the H.H.H. Metrodome for team players, coaches, trainers, and execs fresh off landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. It was a Monday night, a school night, and event organizers weren't expecting much better than a polite turnout - Minnesotans aren't like New Yorkers, news flash. They're famous for keeping the kiddies home, early to bed, feed the cats, put on the nightcap...you get the idea.

 For Minnesota fans so long accustomed to ignominious defeat in four Superbowls, and being the butt of flyover land jokes, or of ill-fated closers (let's not mention the name "Ron Davis,") the return of the AL Champs from Detroit was an excuse to let loose the emotional floodgates and "Party Like It's 1999."

I well remember waking up every morning after a Twins win late in the season, my head a-swirl with giddiness about what seemed to be happening, breathing it all in, and yet not wanting to let go of my disbelief...yes, giddiness, euphoria...it was like being at a month-long Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd concert.

With that as context, you can hold back on your urge to have Viking Alan Page materialize and blindside the whistle-blowing Twins players' wives, or muzzle over-eager television sports reporters. God knows I had to.

Can someone tell me where Juan Berenguer got the idea for this get-up?

Listen closely at the 4:00 minute mark of the second vid. John Rooney correctly reminds fans that Bert Blyleven predicted an '87 pennant. He's 100 percent spot-on; I heard him say it live at the Dome, after the '86 season-ending game; it was a fan appreciation ceremony, with player speeches. My brother Kevin and I turned to each other - and laughed out loud. Sure, Bert, whatever!

What this evocative group of videos helps me remember is the fun of a completely unexpected pennant race. It was seeing grizzled veterans* like Steve Carlton, Joe Niekro, Don Baylor, Bert Blyleven and Roy Smalley mesh seamlessly with the Class of '82 players like Kent Hrbek, Tom Brunansky, Gary Gaetti, Tim Laudner, Randy Bush (and later) Greg Gagne, Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, Dan Gladden, Jeff Reardon, et. al., to create an improbable, crazy-quilt patchwork of a playoff contender. This was all 1-2 years ahead of the timetable, in the estimation of youthful Vice President Of Player Personnel, Andy McPhail. Blueprints? Who needs blueprints?

*Could have included Rod Carew, discussion in '86 The Sporting News article

If you actually made it to the second and third videos, consider yourselves "real" men and women, in the stout-hearted Norseman sense. By all means, you now should be able to weather AND enjoy this vintage '87 newspaper account about that great evening in downtown Minneapolis.

I enjoy how the giant baseball behind Kent Hrbek's head make's it look as if he's wearing a sombrero. Which only would have been fitting, as it WAS a huge fiesta for 55,000 people. That alone should make you want to go to the link...so, check out the Google docs version of this report, and click on "+" for a larger view.

Hope you enjoyed Herb Carneal in the above videos! May as well let him have the last word:

"So long, everybody!"

Game Of The Week: When Doves and Gary Gaetti Cried - Fri., Sept. 28, 1984

Post Last Updated:  September 28, 2016

The tickets you see below were printed in anticipation of the Twins reaching the postseason in 1984. You can forgive the Twins Ticket Office for giddiness in their anticipation of a turnstile windfall. The club was only a game and a half out of first place that year when it began the final series of the year against the Indians on Thursday, Sept. 27, in Cleveland. By winning 3 of the 4, the Twins would tie the Royals. A sweep would assure them the Western Division championship, to be matched against the eventual World Series-winning Detroit Tigers.

I shall stab at thee from hell, Jamie Quirk.

1978 Issue - a K.C. Royals farm team

Al Williams thought bubble:

"So you think pitching to 

Senor Pat Tabler with the 

bases loaded is scary, amigo? 

 I was a Freedom Fighter.

And you disgust me."

The 1984 Twins roster included Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, Mickey Hatcher, Tim Tuefel, Dave Engel, Randy Bush, Ron Washington and his skinny roommate, rookie Kirby Puckett. The men on the mound were Mike "The Tall Man" Smithson, John Butcher, Frankie Viola, Ken Schrom, "Freedom Fighter" Al Williams (so-named for his stint with the insurgent militia in Nicaragua) and the closer who seemed to come from a Twain novel, Ron Davis. You can see some very fine vids with these '80's Twins and other Minneapolis personalities at TC Media Now. After the national anthem, these Twins' Metrodome entrances were prefaced by smoke coming out of the tunnel (some last, quick drags), doing a few stretches, and tossing the ball around the infield before the first pitch. Paragons of American virtue, no, but a talented bunch just learning how to win.

The Twins learned the hard way what every farmer & Confucius knows:

"Don't count your chickens until they're hatched." I suspect it would have been

one hell of an accomplishment to get past the Detroit Tigers in the League 

Championship Series. Detroilet flushed everyone that season.

Unfortunately, their date with Cleveland that September has become the series that will live in infamy for Twins fans.  The youthful squad imploded by losing all four games, with Davis tagged the loser of  two.  The most galling was the game-ending walk-off home run the wacky Davis allowed to pinch hitting journeyman, Jaime Quirk in the first game, on Thursday, Sept. 27. Quirk's home run was his only hit AND second RBI of the year (look it up)!! Exhibit "B" from that weekend - and our game of focus -  was the horrendous 11-10 loss the next day, Friday, Sept. 28 (box at BBRef) in which they lost after first cruising to a 10-0 lead in the early going for Sweet Music Viola.  But the purple rain of wretched fate seemed to descend upon the Twins at Cleveland Stadium in that dreadful 6th, which they entered leading 10-2.

New story/Photo above Santa Ana Orange County Register

The Tribe chased Viola with 4 runs before Rick Lysander spelled him, setting up the Julio Franco at-bat. It was a grounder to Gaetti - and with success smiling him in the face, The Rat flinched. He threw the ball in the dirt to Hrbek at first, allowing Jerry Willard to score the 5th run of the inning. Then two more plated before Pete Filson put the tourniquet on matters, inducing a pop fly to Hrbek.  7 runs, 6 hits, 1 error, and 1 seething Twin. Gary Gaetti famously remarked later: "It's hard to throw with both hands around your throat." The hyper-passionate third baseman would get his day of redemption - but this was not it. Davis would come on to give up the tying run on a homer by Joe Carter in the 8th(number two for the day), and he stayed in long enough to walk what would turn out to be the eventual winning run in the 9th, pushed across by a Brett Butler single off Ed Hodge. The Twins were thus eliminated with two games left to play. They then lost on Saturday and Sunday, by scores of 6-4 and 7-4. Season over. 

It was an abysmal ending, a cruel kick to the gut. Or to other sensitive regions. A perfect circumstance, when you factor that "The Karate Kid" was in the top ten of highest grossing films in theatres that weekend (neck and neck with a film from a certain, purplish Minnesota rocker who inspired this post's title)! 

Gardner's bringing in Davis again? 

You can't be serious!"

Truthfully, lots of Twins choked, bombed, folded and fizzled in that loss, maybe the ugliest in the team's history! That 11-10 blown loss was a seminal date in the history of this future-world champion team; the next one on the calendar would be the first game Tom Kelly ever skippered for the Twins (9/12/86); another to follow would be the trading away of the albatross that was Davis (8/13/86) to the Cubs; still another would be the addition of Jeff Reardon and Dan Gladden before the beginning of the 1987 season. The Twins organization in 1984 could take pride in Harmon Killebrew, newly elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The ownership turnover that summer of Calvin Griffith to Carl Pohlad offered a new beginning. And then there was that oddly-shaped rookie center fielder who had begun to capture the imagination of Twins fans...


Lest one forgets, the 1984 Cleveland roster was stocked with some pretty fine, young talent. Any team that had Joe Carter, Mel Hall, Andre Thornton, Twin-Killer Pat Tabler, Rick Sutcliffe, Julio Franco and Brett Butler as emerging players, along with vets Bert Blyleven and Mike Hargrove was, indeed, NOT the Little Sisters of the Poor. The much maligned Davis' blown saves 13 (game logs) dwarfed the next closest candidate of Twins Pitching Goats, Matt Capps (game logs) and his mere 9 in 2011. Just to dredge up some long suppressed memories for you long-time Twins fans...

Brett Butler and Joe Carter, ca. 1984

The Twins would gain a measure of revenge on Joe Carter, but it would take a while. He was neutralized by the Twins pitching staff in the 1991 ALCS, and the team would taste the champagne of two championship celebrations before Carter would reach the promised land in 1992 and '93 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Meanwhile, Gary Gaetti's highlight reel (see You Tube) would be epic three seasons later.  



As Herb Carneal would say: "...And the count rides along." - TT

The Phenoms of Minnesota Spring Trainings Past: Part IV

John Castino 1979:
Seasons of Passion & Fire, Albeit Brief

In another lifetime, I see John Castino as one of those Pony Express riders - bringing in the mail through a hail of arrows from hostile Indian batteries, enduring the wrenching heat of the Old West. He was the guy that teammates wanted on their side, whom fans loved for his working class grit.

"Go ahead, try to spika me,

 I messupa your face." ---

I know.  I know. 

Cliche I-tai...Italian never spoken

in the Castino home in Evanston.

The story of how the Twins became entwined with the skinny kid from Illinois begins with a game he played against them before the Twins ever heard his name ( enjoy superb John Swol interview at his site, the excellent Twins Trivia ). In what had become a rite of spring, Castino's college team, the Rollins Tars, played the Major League Twins in their annual spring game on March 6, 1974. Rollins is located near Winter Park, Florida, near the Twins former spring training home of Tinker Field, in Orlando.

Lost to me now is the final score of that contest, and exactly who pitched and played for the Twins.  Amateur players are usually giddy just to make contact with professional pitching. They almost always end in blowouts for the big boys.

Castino went 2 for 4, with two singles (see back, 1980 Topps).

I remember listening in horror to that spring game broadcast back to the Twin Cities.  Our ace Blyleven (reasonably sure it was Bert!) giving up hits to some snot kid just out of high school? How could this happen? What's this "Castino" thing? An exotic Italian ice cream?! A extra from "The Godfather?" cast?  Dumbstruck.  What will the pros do to our hurlers this year?

My pre-teen sense of  pride in the Twins was severely rattled.  It was as if someone had told my girl she's ugly at the 6th Grade rollerskating party, then punched me in the stomach as a parting shot.

John Castino, 1980 Topps Rookie card

The Twins, knowing a gem had dropped into their lap, began scouting John. Castino was taken in the third round of the MLB 1976 amateur draft with the10th pick. Drafted just ahead of him with the 9th pick was future Twin Dan Schatzeder. Allan Trammel went to the Tigers in Round Two.  Round One saw future Twin Ken Landreaux picked by the Angels, future Twin-Killer  Pat Tabler to the Yankees, and Mike Scioscia go to the Dodgers as a catcher. Scioscia would also go on to manage the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim past the Twins in the 2002 American League Championship Series.  A solid draft, at that.


John had to beat out the incumbent Mike Cubbage for third base in '79.  Cubbage had been there since he'd come over in the 1976 Bert Blyleven trade to Texas, and Mauch usually showed preference towards the veterans.  That figures.  Castino was still a thin guy lacking man muscles, appearing to be a choir boy barely able to shoulder a Louisville Slugger.  Appearances deceive.

Manager Mauch chose a formulaic platoon for his third sackers, where Cubbage batted against righties, Castino against lefties. It took until the middle of May for Castino to begin receiving the majority of starts at third (see day by day game stats). Cubby was a solid major leaguer, but the disparity in their talent was obvious. Castino batted over .300 most of that year, finishing at .285, showing an obvious love for hitting triples (8) in only 398 at bats.  He had excellent range, getting to so many balls that he was nearly beyond peer in the league (see Baseball Ref link with advanced fielding metrics-take the time to peruse, esp. the double play section right of chart  - fascinating! Castino was right there with George Brett, Buddy Bell, defensive stalwarts).

The defensive tactician side of Mauch had to like that. Nice ball-hawkin' and then some "bling" to bolster that genius title - for the Rookie of the Year Award, the writers flinched: it was a draw between his new third baseman and Alfredo Griffin of the Toronto Blue Jays. That after John was told he was a longshot to make the team out of spring training.

Beyond the numbers, Castino had an innate pluck and sense of a leader to stand up to others in the baseball ranks, including the manager AND the Twins team owner...

When Calvin Griffith had blasted the team (see Castino article) for poor play during the 1982 season in the media, Castino shot back. "I'm not in charge of assembling the team.  You'll have to ask Mr. Griffith about that." Calvin then issued this statement:

Griffith, Mid 1960's

“If Castino is a man, he will come see me face to face, if not, he’s a mouse.”

Castino takes it from there:

"Well, Calvin knew I’d come see him. When I got to his office he said, “Castino, you’re the most overrated third baseman in the American League.” I said, “Then trade me Calvin.” He replied, “I can’t trade you, you’re the best third baseman in the American League.” I just walked away and couldn’t figure out a way to debate his logic (or lack thereof). Both 100 percent true stories. He was an interesting character. Anyway, it gives some insight to Calvin’s boldness and lack of tact. Having said that, however, I liked the man and respected him. You always knew where you stood with him."(Seam heads link).



Relations gone awry at Tiger stadium: Fri, May 14, 1982.

Tiger Lance Parrish is man-handling a Twin, lower left.

On right, #22 Randy Johnson and #19 John Pacella of the

Twins are chanting peaceful James Taylor lyrics to pacify the

crazed jock-mob. Pacella had just pitched his first game

for the Twins the day before, coming over from New York 

in the Wynegar / Erickson trade.

 There was another on-field incident in 1982 that deserves mention in the Castino saga. The Twins rivalry with the Detroit Tigers had flowered into palpable animosity over the years, probably beginning in earnest with the arrival of Manager Sparky Anderson in the late 1970's.  The rancor between the two teams continued all the way up to the 1987 League Championship Series showdown.

Then, the May, 1982 brawl errupted, culminating in Detroit pitcher Dave Rozema attempting to karate kick Castino (see Rachel Blount, Minneapolis Star Trib.). The whole, unsavory display of fisticuffs first began with an errant pitch from our favorite reliever and whipping boy, Ron Davis.

See the video for Sparky's account.  Lousy quality, but still fascinating!



Anybody know if Charles Manson had a bobblehead Day yet?




Still sad to me is how John's back betrayed him, prematurely ending his career. A succession of injuries and spinal fusion operations forced him to call it quits in early May, 1984.  What was most frustrating for me was the fact that right up to the very last day, he was improving in all phases of the game: he was fielding at an all-star clip, and fittingly reached base 4 times in 5 plate appearances in his finale (three hits plus a walk) against the Angels on May 7, 1984. And then he decided the pain was just too much,  packed his gear, and left. An unfinished college education awaited his attention, and a career as wealth enhancement advisor beyond that.

Taking his place on the Twins roster the next day in Anaheim was a young outfielder with only two years of minor league experience: Kirby Puckett. His line?  Reached base...4 times in 5 at bats (4 singles).

John prospered, but definitely watched with wistfulness and grace 3 seasons later when the Twins won it all ( see video no. 2 at link of him in retirement, summer, 1986).

 ***

"When I was 24, and in the majors, I felt I was
invincible. I thought I could play until I was 45."

 Factoid: Castino graduated from New Trier (Ill.) High. That school also numbers Liz Phair, Donald Rumsfeld, and Rainn Wilson ("The Office") among its graduates.

I'm not sure you could get a more assymetrical collection than this to gather at an all-school reunion.


Quotes about John Castino:

*Bruce H. (Castino fan), at Baseball Ref said:
"What a pleasure it was, to watch John Castino play the hot corner. He was as good at third, as anyone I ever saw at the Met."

*Kent Hrbek (Twins first baseman) from "The Twins At The Met: "I was always a fan of Johnny Castino.  I admired him and the way he played, the hard-nosed player he was until he hurt his back.  He was the third baseman when I came to the Twins.  During my rookie season he was the guy I chatted with the most and looked up to the most."

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