Michael Cuddyer’s Five Greatest Moments as a Twin
On Friday, Michael Cuddyer signed a contract to become a Colorado Rockies. Cuddyer’s tenure with the Twins was a great one, and he was definitely a fan favorite. Let’s take a look back at Cuddyer’s five greatest moments as a Twin.
#5- Cuddyer Plays His First All-Star Game, July 12th, 2011
The 2011 season was a rough one for the Twins and Cuddyer was the logical choice to represent the Twins in the All-Star Game. Cuddyer’s numbers weren’t very impressive, batting .298, with 13 home runs and 43 RBI’s, but Cuddyer had been a large part of the Twins organization for several years and it was nice to see that he was finally recognized with an All-Star game appearance. Cuddyer didn’t do anything special in the game, going 0-1, but Cuddyer finally got recognized as the All-Star he was.
#4- Cuddyer Pitches an Inning, July 25th 2011
The Twins were down 20-5 an average July game for a struggling team when Michael Cuddyer came out to pitch the eighth. Cuddyer gave up 2 hits, but no runs, in pitching a full inning. Cuddyer became the first Twins position player to pitch since John Moses did on July 31st, 1990. While insignificant at the time, it was an excellent display of the versatility of Michael Cuddyer. It also showed Cuddyer’s ambition to be a “team player” and his willingness to step up when the team needed him.
#3- Cuddyer Hits Two Home Runs in One Inning, August 23rd 2009
2009 was truly a wonderful year for the Twins, but on August 23rd, they found themselves 60-63. In a must-win game, the Twins were knotted with the Royals at one at the beginning of the seventh inning. Cuddyer led off the eighth inning with a solo home run that started off an eight-run seventh inning capped off by, you guessed it, another Cuddyer home run. Cuddyer became the fifty-third player to hit two round-trippers in an inning. Many viewed this game as the turning point of the season. The Twins finished the season on an impressive 27-13 forcing a one-game playoff.
#2- Cuddyer Hits for the Cycle, May 22nd 2009
Michael Cuddyer again accomplished a huge feat on May 22nd, 2009 when he hit for the cycle. Cuddyer started his assault early with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first. Cuddyer added a double in the third, a single in the fourth, and a triple in the sixth to complete the cycle. Cuddyer also added five RBI’s on the day. It was a magical moment in the start of a magical season, as Cuddyer added one of Major League Baseball’s 293 cycles.
#1- Cuddyer Comes Up Big in Game 163, October 6th 2009
The 2009 season came down to a one-game playoff against the Detroit Tigers. Michael Cuddyer only had one hit, but it was the biggest hit of the season. After nine innings wasn’t enough, Detroit was able to put one across in the top of the tenth, and the Twins had to save their season one last time. Cuddyer got the bottom of the tenth off to an excellent start with a triple. Two batters later he was knocked in by a Matt Tolbert single that continued the game. The Twins eventually walked off in the bottom of the eleventh.