Minnesota Twins Daily Morning Dip: Touch Em All

Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, October 26th, 2017

Welcome to the October 26th edition of the Daily Dip, your daily piece of news and notes here on Puckett’s Pond, offseason edition. You’ll find the most recent news of the Minnesota Twins organization, stories from around the game, and links to any information you may want to know about the Minnesota Twins or baseball as we work our way through the hot stove season!

Minnesota Twins Scores, News and Notes

Arizona Fall League Update

Surprise withstood a late rally from Glendale to win 6-4 on Wednesday. Chris Paul started at first base, going 0-4 with a strikeout. Paul was the only Twins prospect in Arizona that played in the game Wednesday.

Surprise will play Glendale at 2:30PM CT.

Twins players totals in the AFL:
Chris Paul, 8 games, 33 AB, .273/.314/.394, 2B, HR, 1/7 BB/K
Sean Miller, 6 games, 23 AB, .261/.292/.304, 2B, SB, 1/5 BB/K
LaMonte Wade, 9 games, 32 AB, .250/.368/.406, 2 2B, HR, SB, 5/3 BB/K
Andrew Vasquez, 5 games, 5 2/3 IP, 1.59 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 1/6 BB/K
Thomas Hackimer, 4 games, 5 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 1/4 BB/K
Tyler Jay, 5 games, 4 2/3 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, 1/7 BB/K
Ryan Eades, 5 games, 5 1/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 1/5 BB/K

World Series, Game 2

Houston Astros 7, Los Angeles 6 (11)
The Dodgers and Astros had an epic game 2 that set records with 8 home runs between the two teams and saw a combined 7 runs in the extra innings. Dodger starter Rich Hill was pulled after 4 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7. Astros starter Justin Verlander went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits (both home runs) and 2 walks, striking out 5.

Carlos Correa and George Springer each had three hits, each putting out a home run in extra innings and Springer adding a double as well. Marwin Gonzalez and Jose Altuve also homered for the Astros. The Dodgers got home runs from Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig, and Charlie Culberson.

Game 3 will shift to Houston on Friday night.

Next World Series game

Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros, 7:00PM CT Friday
Starting Pitchers: Yu Darvish vs. Lance McCullers, Jr.
Television: Fox
Series Standing: Series tied 1-1

Notes from around baseball

Next: Possible Twins HUGE pitching move

One Last Thing

One thing that could be said about Kirby Puckett. When game 6 rolled around, the man knew how to perform!

In 1987, Puckett went 4-4 with a walk, a stolen base, 4 runs scored, and an RBI. Then came the 1991 World Series, 26 years ago today, arguably the greatest single-game performance of Kirby’s career.

In the 3rd inning, with the score 2-0 Twins, the Braves had a runner at first base when Ron Gant sent a ball deep to center field. Puckett sprinted back to the plexiglass wall, lept up with all 5’8″ listed (he was lucky if he was that tall!) height, and snagged the ball before it bounced off of that glass. He then had the wherewithal to whip around and fire a strike to first base that nearly doubled up Terry Pendleton on first base.

Again, Puckett was a monster at the plate, going 3-4 with a triple, a sacrifice fly, and a pair of RBI in regulation. He even stole a base in the 8th inning, attempting to get a run pushed across to win the game in 9 innings. Instead the game went to extras. After both teams’ closers had each pitched 2 innings, the Braves were the first to dip into their previous starters when they brought in Charlie Liebrandt for the 11th inning.

Puckett led off the inning against Liebrandt. He took a called strike. Known as a junkballer, Liebrandt worked around the zone with offspeed stuff, missing with the next two pitches. Needing to get a strike, Liebrandt fired in a fastball. He had only thrown one other time in the series, starting the first game, giving up 4 runs in 4 innings, exiting after giving up a bomb of a 3-run home run to Greg Gagne with no out in the 5th inning of that game. This game would have the same walk-away ending for Liebrandt.

Puckett swung, and immediately, the crowd rose to its feet, the announcers on national television, national radio, and local radio all went ballistic. Above is the call that many Twins fans know, local radio man John Gordon’s call of “touch ’em all”. Below is the iconic Vin Scully’s call:

That home run, called by Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck in the last World Series he would ever call, led to one of Buck’s most iconic calls ever:

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