1967 Minnesota Twins season
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Twins
finished 91-73, tied for second in the American League
with the Detroit Tigers
. The Twins had a one-game lead with two games remaining, but lost both games to the Boston Red Sox
in the season's final days. 1,483,547 fans attended Twins games, the second highest total in the American League
.
fired manager Sam Mele
, who had guided the club to a pennant in 1965. He was replaced by Cal Ermer
, who had been managing the Twins AAA farm club in Denver.
The Twins continued to play .500 ball until late June, when Minnesota reeled off an eight game winning streak. At the all star break, they had risen to third place, two and one half games behind the league leading Chicago White Sox
.
Five Twins made the All-Star Game
: first baseman Harmon Killebrew
, who led the team with 44 HR and 113 RBI; second baseman Rod Carew
, the AL Rookie of the Year
; outfielder Tony Oliva
; catcher Earl Battey
, and pitcher Dean Chance
, a 20-game winner in 1967. Pitcher Jim Kaat
won his sixth Gold Glove Award
.
After a brief slump in late July, the Twins began the month of August by winning 15 of 20 games, including a three game sweep of the White Sox, which put them in first place on August 13. From that point on, they remained in first place, or never more than two games out of it.
On September 14, outfielder Walt Bond
died of leukemia
. Bond had been diagnosed with the disease several years earlier, but it had gone into remission. He started the season with the Twins and played in 10 games before being removed from the active roster. His final game was on May 7.
With one day left in the regular season, Minnesota was tied for first place with the Boston Red Sox
, with the Detroit Tigers
just a half game behind them. As fate would have it, the two first place teams were scheduled to play one another in Fenway Park
, while the Tigers were to meet the California Angels in a doubleheader
. Dean Chance threw five scoreless innings and the Twins scored unearned runs in the first and third inning to take a 2-0 lead. However, in the sixth inning, things fell apart for the Twins as the Red Sox took advantage of four consecutive singles, two wild pitches, and an error to score five runs. Minnesota mustered only one more run, and lost the game and their chance for a second league championship in three years. The Tigers won their first game, but lost their second, and Boston earned the American League pennant.
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
finished 91-73, tied for second in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with the Detroit Tigers
1967 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for second in the American League with the Minnesota Twins with 91 wins and 71 losses, one game behind the AL pennant-winning Boston Red Sox.- Notable transactions :...
. The Twins had a one-game lead with two games remaining, but lost both games to the Boston Red Sox
1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
in the season's final days. 1,483,547 fans attended Twins games, the second highest total in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Offseason
- December 3, 1966: Bernie AllenBernie AllenBernard Keith "Bernie" Allen was a Major League Baseball player for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, and Montreal Expos. At 6' 0" and 185 lbs, Allen was a second-baseman for most of his career...
and Camilo PascualCamilo PascualCamilo Alberto Pascual is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career , he played for the Washington Senators , the second Washington Senators franchise, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cleveland Indians...
were traded by the Twins to the Washington SenatorsTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for Ron KlineRon KlineRonald Lee Kline was a former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of seventeen seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta...
.
Regular season
With a second place finish in 1966, the Twins appeared poised to contend in 1967. However, at the end of May, they were in sixth place (in a ten team league), with 20 wins and 22 losses. One week later, owner Calvin GriffithCalvin Griffith
Calvin Robertson Griffith , born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was a Major League Baseball team owner...
fired manager Sam Mele
Sam Mele
Sabath Anthony "Sam" Mele is a former right fielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball...
, who had guided the club to a pennant in 1965. He was replaced by Cal Ermer
Cal Ermer
Calvin Coolidge Ermer was an American second baseman, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II...
, who had been managing the Twins AAA farm club in Denver.
The Twins continued to play .500 ball until late June, when Minnesota reeled off an eight game winning streak. At the all star break, they had risen to third place, two and one half games behind the league leading Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
Five Twins made the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
: first baseman Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, who led the team with 44 HR and 113 RBI; second baseman Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
, the AL Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
; outfielder Tony Oliva
Tony Oliva
Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
; catcher Earl Battey
Earl Battey
Earl Jesse Battey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox , the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins...
, and pitcher Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
, a 20-game winner in 1967. Pitcher Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat
James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St...
won his sixth Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
.
After a brief slump in late July, the Twins began the month of August by winning 15 of 20 games, including a three game sweep of the White Sox, which put them in first place on August 13. From that point on, they remained in first place, or never more than two games out of it.
On September 14, outfielder Walt Bond
Walt Bond
Walter Franklin Bond was an American professional baseball player who appeared in six Major League Baseball seasons between and for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Colt .45s/Astros and Minnesota Twins...
died of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. Bond had been diagnosed with the disease several years earlier, but it had gone into remission. He started the season with the Twins and played in 10 games before being removed from the active roster. His final game was on May 7.
With one day left in the regular season, Minnesota was tied for first place with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
just a half game behind them. As fate would have it, the two first place teams were scheduled to play one another in Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, while the Tigers were to meet the California Angels in a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
. Dean Chance threw five scoreless innings and the Twins scored unearned runs in the first and third inning to take a 2-0 lead. However, in the sixth inning, things fell apart for the Twins as the Red Sox took advantage of four consecutive singles, two wild pitches, and an error to score five runs. Minnesota mustered only one more run, and lost the game and their chance for a second league championship in three years. The Tigers won their first game, but lost their second, and Boston earned the American League pennant.
Notable transactions
- June 6, 1967: 1967 Major League Baseball Draft1967 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The June draft was filled with talented prospects who would go on to pro careers...
- Mike SadekMike SadekMichael George Sadek is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1969, he spent his entire major league career with the San Francisco Giants. He was a backup throughout his eight-year major league career, which spanned the years and through .-Sources:...
was drafted by the Twins in the 5th round. - Steve LuebberSteve LuebberStephen Lee Luebber is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Luebber pitched in all or part of five seasons in the majors between and . He currently serves as pitching coach for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, single-A farm team for the Kansas City Royals...
was drafted by the Twins in the 13th round.
- Mike Sadek
Roster
| 1967 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 104 | 234 | 39 | .167 | 1 | 12 | |
| 1B | 163 | 547 | 147 | .269 | 44 | 113 | |
| 2B | 137 | 514 | 150 | .292 | 8 | 51 | |
| SS | 160 | 581 | 116 | .200 | 6 | 50 | |
| 3B | 109 | 339 | 83 | .245 | 6 | 39 | |
| LF | 153 | 496 | 128 | .258 | 24 | 75 | |
| CF | 133 | 415 | 107 | .258 | 6 | 49 | |
| RF | 146 | 557 | 161 | .289 | 17 | 83 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 164 | 649 | 173 | .267 | 6 | 47 | |
| 74 | 170 | 40 | .235 | 1 | 22 | |
| 48 | 109 | 18 | .165 | 0 | 8 | |
| 95 | 101 | 25 | .248 | 4 | 20 | |
| 99 | 97 | 16 | .165 | 1 | 3 | |
| 20 | 60 | 10 | .167 | 2 | 11 | |
| 29 | 28 | 4 | .143 | 0 | 3 | |
| 10 | 16 | 5 | .313 | 1 | 5 | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 283.2 | 20 | 14 | 2.73 | 220 | |
| 42 | 263.1 | 16 | 13 | 3.04 | 211 | |
| 37 | 227.2 | 13 | 7 | 2.53 | 161 | |
| 37 | 222.2 | 14 | 12 | 3.27 | 204 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 130.2 | 8 | 7 | 3.03 | 94 | |
| 27 | 95.1 | 5 | 6 | 4.72 | 50 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 2.84 | 80 | |
| 54 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3.77 | 36 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54.00 | 0 |