Don Mincher News Today

The wide-ranging Twins Almanac for 4/20 features quite a cast of characters, including Hall of Famers Charles Albert Bender, Dave Bancroft, Bert Blyleven, Kirby Puckett, and Cy Young, and Minnesotan major leaguers Dan Smith, Jack Crooks, and Sam Hentges. We also revisit an 11-home run doubleheader back in 2019. 

April 9 Happy Birthday, Luis Arráez Happy birthday to 2022 American League and 2023 National League Batting Champion Luis Arráez. The legend of Luis Arráez began back in 2019, when the rookie entered for the injured Jonathan Schoop down 0-2 in the count to Edwin Diaz—who was throwing 98–100 miles...

Jimmie Hall was a left-handed hitting outfielder who burst on the scene in 1963 and helped the Twins reach the World Series in 1965, but faded quickly and was traded for a future ace starting pitcher.

Baseball’s mystical side

Overview The early '60s Twins were shockingly talented for a team that had freshly arrived in a new city. The 1961 team—the first one officially known as “the Twins”—featured two future MVPs in the lineup (Harmon Killebrew and Zoilo Versalles), and an eventual Hall-of-Famer in the rotation (Jim K...

Some thoughts from me--a contrarian old guy who has followed the Twins since they moved from Washington: Did you know? Playing the Immaculate Cube has educated and entertained me to a significant degree. I have tried to use as many Twins and ex-Twins as I can find in filling out the cube. Was the...

Was Zoilo Versalles a One-Hit Wonder? When the Washington Senators relocated to Minneapolis/St. Paul for the 1961 season they brought a team that had finished 7th, 8th, 8th, 8th, and 5th the previous 5 years. After the move the team finished 7th in 1961, then 2nd, 3rd and 6th in the 10 team Ameri...

A season of moral victories

Introduction of the series here Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here Hello friends! Putting a slight pause on the series to ask a question in the comments below. In the meantime, enjoy another WS title winning run in 1967! Below are my notes since ...

Introduction of the series here Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here In the 1962 regular season, the Minnesota Twins showcased their talent with players like Harmon Killebrew, Jack Kralick, and Don Lee earning All-Star nods. With a 45-40 record, they stood in 4th place at the All-Star b...