In Today’s Almanac:

Minnesota native has 3-HR game

Minnesota native on the cover of Sports Illustrated

Rookie hits fifth home run in four days

Twins move into first place to stay

Minnesota native hits grand slam vs. Twins at the Metrodome

Mauer flirts with .400

Happy birthday to Nick Anderson

Minnesota Native Hits Three Homers in a Game
Let’s begin today’s Almanac with a late entry from yesterday: Inver Grove Heights native Michael Busch hit three home runs playing for the Cubs at Wrigley Field yesterday. His third home run was the Cubs’ eighth of the game, establishing a new team record. (The Twins’ record is also eight, occurring on August 29, 1963.)

 

To the best of my knowledge, Busch was just the third Minnesota high school graduate to hit three homers in a game, following Wes Westrum in 1950 and Dave Winfield playing for the Angels at the Metrodome in 1991. Hibbing-born, Fargo-raised Roger Maris also had a three-home run game. If you’re aware of anyone else with a Minnesota connection, please let me know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

In April 2024, Busch tied the Cubs record with a home run in five-straight games. (That is also the Twins’ record.) 

 

Hrbek on the Cover of Sports Illustrated
The cover of Sports Illustrated on this date in 1982 read: “Best of the Worst—Rookie Sensation Kent Hrbek of the Terrible Twins.”

Hall Hits Fifth Home Run in Four Days

Twins rookie Jimmie Hall homered in Baltimore off Hall of Famer Robin Roberts on this date in 1963, giving him five home runs in four days. (He hit two off Hall of Famer Jim Bunning on July 3.) The Twins and Orioles played a doubleheader that day, and future AL MVP Zoilo Versalles committed five errors between the two games! 

Hall hit 33 home runs altogether on the season, breaking Ted Williams’ American League record for first-year players. Hall’s record stood for 50 years until 27-year-old rookie José Abreu hit 27 in 2014.  

 

Twins Move Into First Place to Stay
The Twins swept the Red Sox in a doubleheader at Met Stadium on this date in 1965, moving into first place where they’d remain the rest of the season.

Molitor Hits Grand Slam versus Twins

After Pat Mahomes retired him in the first inning, St. Paul native Paul Molitor went 4-for-5 with a double and a seventh-inning grand slam off Dave Stevens in a 14-3 Blue Jays win at the Metrodome.

Light-hitting Toronto third baseman Darnell Coles—who hit .210 with four home runs in 1994 and hit just 75 home runs altogether over his 14-year major league career—hit three homers in the game.

 

Mauer Flirts with .400
Joe Mauer was batting .391 on this date in 2006. 

Happy Birthday, Nick Anderson
Happy 35th birthday to 2008 Brainerd graduate Nick Anderson, born in Crosby on this date in 1990. He spent five years as a major league reliever with Miami, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Kansas City. He got off to a heckuva start with the Marlins in 2019, striking out 27 of the first 51 batters he faced in the majors. He pitched in the 2020 World Series with the Rays. 

Are you interested in Twins history? Then check out the Minnesota Twins Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Twins uniform!

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