You never know when you’re going to have a Minnesota Twins moment.
There I was watching You Tube when an old WGN White Sox/ Twins broadcast popped up in my feed. The game? Oct. 3, 1981, the second to last contest of the strike-interrupted season in which Minnesota wrapped things up at Comiskey Park.
The Twins’ overall record that season placed them dead last in the American League West, although their second-half record was slightly better than the South Siders, prompting Harry Caray to quip: “Hard to believe this club is ahead of the White Sox.”
Broadcasting partner and Hall of Famer Lou Brock added that the Twins have some “scrappers.”
Were they scrappy? Well, Kent Hrbek was newly minted at first base, plus there was Ron Washington at short, Mickey Hatcher at third, Gary Ward in the outfield and Tim Laudner behind the plate. There was enough talent to come away with the occasional win, but they were far from dominant.
On the mound it was the Twins’ Brad Havens opposite the Pale Hose’s Dennis Lamp.
I will say this: the Twins played a much cleaner game than the White Sox who were a mess on defense, committing four errors, three of them at third base, as well as a passed ball. The Twins, though, hit into five double plays — a total of seven were turned in the game — and Twins pitching couldn’t escape the base on balls.
There also were two stark differences in the dugout: it was a young Tony La Russa versus the colorful character Billy Gardner. It’s clear why La Russa is in the Hall of Fame and Gardner is not.
Despite being a meaningless game, La Russa continued to manage. He visited the mound, he called on pinch hitters and the bullpen and moved runners over with sacrifice plays. Gardner didn’t budge. In fairness to him, again, it was the second to last game of the season and perhaps he didn’t have anything to work with.
The Minneapolis Tribune had this to say about the Twins and the ’81 season:
Thirty-eight players, two managers, 53 games canceled by a two-month long players’ strike and injuries only a computer could keep track of highlighted a tumultuous Twins season.
So Gardner sat. Reliever Bob Veselic followed Havens. Havens had walked three batters in five innings and Veselic issued four over three-plus innings. The bottom of the ninth inning was especially bad.
Twins left fielder Hosken Powell started the inning by playing too far back on a pop fly and it dropped in for a single. Veselic then walked three straight batters to hand the White Sox the 5-4 walk-off walk win.
Watching the game, it appeared that Veselic started walking in the direction of the Twins dugout as soon as the ball left his hand. I guess he knew he had missed his mark again.
Extra innings…
–Ex-Twin and Blue Jays hurler Jose Berrios is not part of the ALDS because for the first time in his 10-year career he is on the injured list, MLB.com reports. That’s unfortunate news, but it’s also impressive that he has been so durable when so few baseball players are. They don’t call him “La Makina” for nothing.
Source: Newspapers.com