In Today’s Almanac:

Happy birthday to a career .357 hitter

Team-record extra-base hit streak

5-for-5 with a HR and stolen base

Rookie gets rare national recognition

Minor leaguer has four-HR game

Happy Birthday, Tommy Watkins
Happy 45th birthday to current Twins third base coach Tommy Watkins—owner of a .357 career major-league batting average. After going 0-for-4 in his first two games in August 2007, he connected for 10 hits over the next seven games before suffering an oblique injury. (He never made it back to the majors.)

Dozier Begins Extra-Base Hit Streak
Brian Dozier began a Twins-record 11-game extra-base hit streak on this date in 2016. He went 20-for-43 (.456) with six home runs, four doubles, and two triples during the streak, while only taking one walk. 

Boileryard’s Big Game
Senators catcher Boileryard Clarke went 5-for-5 with a home run and stolen base on this date in 1901.

The only other players in franchise history with five hits, including a home run, and a stolen base in a game are Jacque Jones on May 6, 2003, and Byron Buxton on April 28, 2021. Neither of them, however, are nicknamed Boileryard.

Rollins Off to Hot Start
Twins third baseman Rich Rollins went 3-for-5 on this date in 1962, raising his average to .360 through the first 65 games of his rookie season. Incredibly, Rollins was the American League’s leading All-Star vote-getter that season, starting at third base over Brooks Robinson, who was in his prime. If anybody knows how Rollins pulled that off, let me know in the comments below. 

The National League’s leading vote-getter was Orlando Cepeda, who previously played for both the St. Cloud Rox and Minneapolis Millers. 

Brunansky Hits Four Homers
Playing at Double-A El Paso in the Angels organization, Tom Brunansky hit four home runs on this date in 1980. There have only been three four-home run games in the Twins organization (zero at the major-league level): Randy Bass at Triple-A Tacoma in 1977; Lew Ford at Double-A New Britain in 2001; and Garrett Jones at Class-A Quad Cities in 2002. 

Birthdates:

Lou Brock was born on this date in 1939. He was the Northern League Rookie of the Year playing for the St. Cloud Rox in 1961.

Faribault High School alumnus and three-year Washington Senators infielder Jimmy Pofahl was born on this date in 1917. He hit two home runs during his 1940 rookie season—both inside-the-parkers.

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!

View The Players Project