1965 Minnesota Twins
[edit] The Offseason and Transactions
December 4, 1964> Traded pitcher Gerry Arrigo to the Cincinnati Reds for infielder Cesar Tovar.
[edit] Spring Training and Pre-Season Predictions
As you can see by the above category, the Twins made only one move in the period between the end of the 1964 season and Opening Day, 1965 which had any impact on the roster for the season.
The Twins were picked to finish second in 1964, but due to a series of injuries and other misfortunes had trouble maintaining any consistency and finished a disappointing 79-83, good for sixth place, 20 games behind the New York Yankees.
There were some positives in Minnesota as the 1964 season ended, including outfielder Tony Oliva being named American League Rookie of the Year and winning the batting title with a .323 mark. The Twins had six player hit 20 homers or more, led by Harmon Killebrew's AL leading 49, and the pitching had remained healthy all season as reference by only only having seven pitchers record starts.
There were some concerns as well, from the decision to have Killebrew and Bob Allison switch positions, with Allison moving from first base to left field. The reasons were two fold, one to take stress off Killebrew's legs, and two, to get more at bats for slugging Don Mincher, who now would see more time at first and less in the outfield, where he struggled. In foresight, this move proved crucial as Killebrew struggled with injuries in '65, Mincher proved more than capable as the everyday first baseman. Another, more pressing concern, was the health of starting second baseman Bernie Allen, who suffered a major knee injury in 1964 and the Twins weren't sure how he would come back. The pick-up of Cesar Tovar would prove critical as well, Allen would only play 19 games in 1965.
The Twins were picked to finish fourth in 1965, as usual relying on power to do so, with the hope a breakout season or two from one of the starters carrying them over the top.
[edit] Regular Season Highlights
In 1965, the Twins were in the midst of a nine year stretch in which they reached the postseason three times, finished second twice and third once. The Twins averaged 91 wins during this stretch behind the pitching of Jim Kaat, Jim Merritt, Jim Grant and Jim Perry, and behind the hitting of Bob Allison, Tony Oliva and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew.
The Twins trademark during this time was unquestionably offense, but in 1965 the Twins had maybe their most consistent season during this stretch. Starting second baseman Bernie Allen was injured in 1964 and missed all but 19 games in '65, forcing utility man Jerry Kindall into the starting role. In his nine year career, Kindall played over 100 games just twice, with 1965 being one of them. Harmon Killebrew was also injured for most of the season, playing just 113 games. While Killebrew's 25 homers led the team, three other teammates also reached the twenty homer mark, with two others in the teens. The pitching staff was led by Mudcat Grant's 21 wins, 18 from Jim Kaat, a 2.63 ERA from Jim Perry, and a 12-7 record and 21 saves from closer Al Worthington. As a team, the Twins led the American League in total offense, and finished third in pitching.
Individually, Tony Oliva followed up his 1964 Rookie of the Year Award and batting championship by again winning the batting title, posting a .321 average. Oliva also led the league in hits with 185. Shortstop Zoilo Versalles led the league in at bats, plate appearances, runs, total bases, doubles, strikeouts, extra base hits and was subsequently named 1965 American League Most Valuable Player.
On the pitching side, Jim Grant led the AL in wins, winning percentage, and shutouts, with Jim Kaat leading in games started. In 1965, there was only one Cy Young Award given, which was won by Sandy Koufax, Jim Grant did finish second in the voting.
The Twins also had five players named to the American League All-Star team, Zoilo Versalles, Jimmie Hall, Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Jim Grant.
[edit] Opening Day
The Twins opened up the 1965 season on Monday afternoon, April 12th with a 5-4, 11 inning win. Despite the presence of the defending American League Champion New York Yankees, a disappointing crowd of 15,388 was on hand at Metropolitan Stadium for the opener. Jim Kaat started for the Twins, with Jim Bouton getting the nod for the Yankees. The Twins touched Bouton for single runs in both the first and second innings, and tacked on two more in the fourth on a two run single by Kaat. The Yankees scored a single run in the fifth, two in the seventh on a two run homer by catcher Elston Howard, and tied the game in the ninth inning with two out when third baseman Rich Rollins dropped Joe Pepitone's popup, allowing an unearned run to score. Redemption came the Twin's way in the bottom of the eleventh, however, as Art Lopez dropped Bob Allison's fly ball for a three base error. After reliever Pedro Ramos intentionally walked both Rich Reese and Sandy Valdespino, Zoilo Versalles flied out to short left field and Jerry Kindall struck out, Cesar Tovar singled to center, scoring Allison with an unearned run, and the game winner.
[edit] April
The Twins finished April with an 8-3 record, and held a half game lead over both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. After a brief season opening home stand which featured single games with the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers, and a two game series with the Cleveland Indians, the Twins packed their bags for a ten game roadie which extended into May.
A highlight for the month, and not a good one, was on April 24th against the Detroit Tigers in which pitchers Dick Stigman, Jim Perry, Johnny Klippstein and Jerry Fosnow combined to walk eleven batters in a 7-4 loss at Detroit.
[edit] May
The Twins went 19-12 in May, and maintained their half game lead over the White Sox. Their record for the month is even more impressive considering nineteen of the thirty-one games were on the road, where they went 12-7. After their month ending road trip, the Twins returned home for a ten game homestand, then proceeded to play 16 of the next 18 on the road. During the homestand, the Twins won 2 of 3 vs. Baltimore, 3 of 4 vs. Chicago and 2 of 3 vs. the California Angels. Their first road trip was eight games and included stops in Kansas City vs. the Athletics and in California. The Twins lost a season high four consecutive games the last two in KC and the first two vs. the Angels, then returned home for a brief two game series against the A's before hitting the road again.
Among the highlights during the month of May was on May 19th, in the second game of a doubleheader at Dodger Stadium vs. the Angels in which Bob Allison walked four times in four plate appearances, and the Tuesday, May 25th game in Boston against the Red Sox. In this game, the Twins set season highs in runs scored, (17), and hits, (20) and homers, (5). Every Twins starter had at least two hits, with Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison and Jimmie Hall having three, with Earl Battey having two hits and five RBI. There were a total of nine homers hit in the game, the Twins five, by Jerry Kindall, Zolio Versalles, Bob Allison, Tony Oliva and Earl Battey. Starting pitcher Jim "Mudcat" Grant went the distance, scattering eight hits, including solo homers by Gary Geiger, Lee Thomas, Eddie Bressoud and Jerry Moses.
[edit] June
At the end of June, the Twins found themselves in second place, one half game behind the Cleveland Indians, after a 16-13 month. After starting the month with an eight game homestand, the Twins went on the first of two season long fourteen game road trips, on which they went 7-7. During the month opening homestand, the Twins had a four game winning streak, sweeping two game series against the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. For the rest of the month there was no streak, winning or losing, longer than two games.
Highlights during the month of June were mixed. On June 27th, the Twins set a team record with five sacrifices in one game during a 6-5, 10 inning win vs. the Tigers. The following day, June 28 the Chicago White Sox handed the Twins their worst loss of the season, 17-4. The Twins led this game 3-0 after four innings, with the ChiSox having but one hit. The roof started to cave in on starter Dave Boswell and the bullpen starting in the fifth with the Sox scoring four runs, and again in the sixth, scoring five more. Jerry Fosnow pitched to four batters in the sixth inning, allowing one hit, three walks with all four scoring. The final reliever of the day, Mel Nelson, took one for the team, finishing out the last two innings and allowing six runs on nine hits. For the Twins, Jimmie Hall was 3-4 with three RBI and a homer. The Sox put together 18 hits in the final six innings, with Danny Cater, John Romano and Ken Berry having three each, and Cater, Romano and Tom McCraw also homering, McCraw's being a grand slam.
[edit] July
The Twins, bolstered by a sixteen game homestand, went 22-9 in July and opened up a six game lead over both the Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles. The month began with a three game sweep in Kansas City on the final stop of a six game road trip, then swept the first six games of the aforementioned homestand, three against Boston, and the first three of a five game series against the New York Yankees. After a brief stumble, losing a season high four straight games for the second time, the Twins closed out the month on an 11-4 run, including a 7-3 road trip.
As expected, highlights for the month of July were more positive, especially for Tony Oliva. Oliva, the 1964 American League Rookie of the Year and defending batting champion, had two five hit games within a week, on July 21, and again on July 28. In the first instance, Oliva was 5-6 with four singles and a double in an 8-6 win vs the Red Sox in the first game of a doubleheader. During this series, a three game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston, the Twins scored thirty runs on thirty nine hits, with just four homers. Exactly a week later, Oliva was 5-5, all singles, in an 8-1 win vs the Senators, also chipping in three runs scored, 2 RBI, and 2 stolen bases.
[edit] August
The Twins went 19-13 in August and tacked on an additional game and a half lead, now at seven and a half games over the second place Chicago White Sox. The month began with an eleven game homestand on which the Twins went 9-2, and then embarked on their second fourteen game road trip of the season. The trip, with stops in New York, Detroit, Cleveland and California was split at 7-7, the same record as turned in on the earlier trip. The Twins turned in a six game winning streak from August 4th thru August 10th, extending their lead from a precarious four games to a more comfortable eight games.
On August 31st, Zoilo Versalles hit three doubles in a 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
[edit] September/October
The final month of the season was anti-climactic for the Twins as they held a seven and a half game lead as the month began. The Twins ripped off a seven game winning streak beginning on September 8th, at the end of the streak on the fifteenth had extended their lead to ten games with two weeks to play. The Twins clinched the pennant on September 25th in Washington, and won their 100th game of the season with a 3-2 win over Baltimore on September 29th.
Highlights for the month of September began early, as on September 2, Bob Allison struck out five times in five plate appearances during a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
The pennant clinching game on September 25th came in the first game of a doubleheader in Washington against the Senators and was a complete game 1-hitter by Jim "Mudcat" Grant. Grant allowed only a two out, fourth inning double by Senators second baseman Don Blasingame, walked two and struck out seven while picking up his twenty-first win of the season.
After two days off, the World Series began on Wednesday, October 6th, against the National League Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Minneapolis. The first six games were won by the home team setting the stage for Game Seven, also in Minnesota, on October 14th. This game, considered one of the best World Series games ever played. The starting pitchers were Jim Kaat for the Twins and Sandy Koufax for the Dodgers, and marked the third time in the Series they had opposed each other, with each winning once. The Dodgers scored both runs in the fourth inning; Lou Johnson led off with a homer, followed by a Ron Fairly double and Wes Parker single. Koufax threw a complete game three hitter, striking out ten.
Sandy Koufax was named the Series MVP, compiling a 2-1 record with a 0.38 ERA, allowing 13 hits and striking out 29 in 24 innings. For the Twins, Jim Grant also posted a 2-1 record with a 2.74 ERA in 24 innings. Offensively, the Twins were led by Harmon Killebrew and Zoilo Versalles, each at .286 with a homer, while Ron Fairly (.379 2 homers) and Maury Wills (.367 3 steals) led the Dodgers.
For a complete list of 1965 World Series linescores, boxscores and stats, click here
[edit] Roster
[edit] Pitchers
- 23 Dave Boswell
- 26 Gary Fosnow
- 33 Jim Grant
- 36 Jim Kaat
- 35 Jim Merritt
- Mel Nelson
- 17 Camilio Pascual
- 31 Jim Perry
- 19 Bill Pleis
- Garry Roggenburk
- 34 Dwight Siebler
- 18 Dick Stigman
- 15 Al Worthington
[edit] Catchers
- 10 Earl Battey
- 22 Jerry Zimmerman
- 41 John Sevcik
[edit] Infielders
- 8 Bernie Allen
- 16 Jerry Kindall
- 11 Frank Kostro
- Andy Kosco
- 5 Don Mincher
- Frank Quilici
- 13 Rich Reese
- 9 Rich Rollins
- 12 Cesar Tovar
- 2 Zoilo Versalles
[edit] Outfielders
- 4 Bob Allison
- 7 Jimmie Hall
- 3 Harmon Killebrew
- 24 Joe Nossek
- 6 Tony Oliva
- 47 Sandy Valdespino
- Ted Uhlaender
[edit] Manager and Coaches
- 4 Sam Mele Manager
- 1 Billy Martin Coach
- 52 Jim Lemon Coach
- 51 Hal Naragon Coach
- 53 Johnny Sain Coach
George Lentz Trainer
[edit] Recommended Reading
"Cool of the Evening, the 1965 Minnesota Twins"; by Jim Thielman. Available through major book stores and online, $24.95 hardcover, $17.95 softcover. Buy direct at www.cooloftheevening.com, $20 hardcover, $15 softcover. Definitive story of the 1965 Twins by Twins beat writer Jim Thielman.
