Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, October 29th, 2017
Welcome to the October 29th 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
Scottsdale scored first and last in the game, coming out on top of Surprise in a 6-5 game on Friday. Chris Paul started at third base for Surprise, batting cleanup, going 2-3 with a double, a run scored, a walk, and a strikeout. LaMonte Wade started in right field, going 1-3, scoring a run and striking out once. He was also hit by pitch. The Twins contingent of AFL pitchers all made an appearance in the game. Andrew Vasquez went 1 2/3 perfect innings with a strikeout. Tyler Jay had a perfect inning. Tom Hackimer had a rough inning, allowing 2 runs on a hit and 4 walks, striking out 2. Ryan Eades closed out the game with a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Surprise was handled pretty thoroughly on Saturday, losing to Scottsdale 11-3. No Twins players made an appearance in the game.
Surprise will have a traditional Sunday off today.
Twins players totals in the AFL:
Chris Paul, 9 games, 36 AB, .306/.359/.444, 2 2B, HR, 2/9 BB/K
Sean Miller, 7 games, 26 AB, .346/.393/.385, 2B, SB, 2/5 BB/K
LaMonte Wade, 11 games, 40 AB, .250/.362/.375, 2 2B, HR, SB, 5/4 BB/K
Andrew Vasquez, 6 games, 7 1/3 IP, 1.23 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, 1/7 BB/K
Thomas Hackimer, 5 games, 6 IP, 4.50 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 5/6 BB/K
Tyler Jay, 6 games, 5 2/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 1/7 BB/K
Ryan Eades, 6 games, 6 1/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 1/6 BB/K
Most recent World Series games
Game 3: Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Houston used a 4-run bottom of the 2nd inning to propel the team to a 2-1 series. While Lance McCullers, Jr. got to the 6th inning with a solid performance, the pitching star for the Astros was Brad Peacock, who went 3 2/3 innings, allowing no runs, no hits, and a walk while striking out 4. Yuli Gurriel had a solo home run for the Astros.
Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Houston Astros 2
The Dodgers blew open a 1-1 game in the 9th inning, scoring 5 in the top of the inning to win 6-2 and tie the series again at 2 games apiece. Alex Wood went 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, a solo home run to George Springer, and 2 walks, striking out 3. Charlie Morton gave the Astros just as stellar an appearance, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and no walks, striking out 7. Alex Bregman had a solo home run as the Astros managed only two hits, both solo home runs. Joc Pederson put the game out of reach in the 9th with a 3-run home run.
The series continues in Houston tonight.
More from Puckett's Pond
- Minnesota Twins: Making the Case for the Current 2023 Rotation
- Minnesota Twins: Does the MLB or the Twins have a Spending Problem?
- Minnesota Twins: 2 Possible Free Agent Reunions for 2023
- Minnesota Twins: Holiday Wish List for the rest of the Offseason
- Minnesota Twins: After signing with the Mets, Correa spurns Twins again
Next World Series game
Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros, 7:00PM CT
Starting Pitchers: Clayton Kershaw vs. Dallas Keuchel
Television: Fox
Series Standing: Series tied 2-2
Notes from around baseball
- Kershaw visualized game 5 just after game 4 completed
- 7 year-old with 3D printed hand throws out first pitch
- Kimbrel, Jansen win Reliever of Year awards
- Game 4 features Stand Up To Cancer moment
- Gurriel suspended for first 5 games of 2018 for game 3 act
Next: Possible Twins HUGE pitching move
One Last Thing
Former Minnesota Twins reliever Terry Felton turns 60 years old today. Felton is a guy who really gives a great example of the major league dream come to reality for most players.
Felton was a right handed pitcher from Louisiana that the Twins drafted in the 2nd round of the 1976 June draft with the 34th overall pick. In the history of the June draft, the Twins have had the 34th pick twice, and both times they selected a pitcher who made the major leagues as a reliever. Interestingly enough, Travis Miller (selected in 1994) also has his birthday this week.
Felton was a guy with a strong arm and good mechanics that could repeat his delivery frequently. However, his command was less than desirable , in spite of his ability to eat up innings. Felton threw 87 innings in his draft season after having already pitched a spring high school season. He then proceeded to throw 154, 162, and 186 innings the next three seasons in the minor leagues.
Felton’s rubber arm earned him his first major league time in 1979, with another call up in 1980 and again in 1981. However, in 1982, Felton got his shot. He made the Twins out of spring training, and he held down the job of swingman in the bullpen all season long, making 48 appearances, 6 of them starts, throwing 117 1/3 innings, with a 4.99 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and a 76/92 BB/K ratio.
Alas, that would be his final pitching line in the major leagues. He threw one more season for the Twins triple-A club before being picked up by the Dodgers and throwing in their minor league system briefly in 1984 before he was released.
Felton still holds the major league record for the most losses to begin a career and the most losses in a career without a win in major league history, having gone 0-16 in his pro career. When doing a follow up a few years back, Michael Rand found Felton working as a night supervisor for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
Happy 60th, Terry!