Minnesota Twins Daily Morning Dip: Happy Birthday, Lefty!
Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, December 22nd, 2017
Welcome to the December 22nd 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 Organizational Scores
Australian Baseball League Update
The ABL All-Star game was on Thursday.
Dominican Winter League Update
Kennys Vargas started as DH for Aguilas Cibaenas, going 2-5 with a double and a strikeout.
Venezuelan Winter League Update
Gregorio Petit played at shortstop for Leones del Caracas, going 0-3. He also had an error, his 7th of the winter league.
Caribes de Anzoategui defeated Bravos de Margarita 8-5 in 10 innings. Willians Astudillo played left field, going 0-4 with 3 walks.
Minnesota Twins news and notes
Twins sign Taiwanese righty
The Minnesota Twins made their signing of Taiwanese right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng official. He’s 19 and throws low-90s with his fastball and also works with a curve and a change. He’s the fifth-ever Taiwanese player ever signed.
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
Notes from around baseball
- Darvish calls out reporter, teases fans about his future.
- Yanks, Pirates renew Cole discussions
- Who could Cain help in the outfield
- Giants attempt to get Bruce
- Strasburg ready for more in 2018
- Team USA brought thrills to title run
- Astros set up banner and rings unveiling
- Phillies plan not to wear 34 in honor of Halladay
- Achilles injury could have long-term effects for Britton
- Coors Field ready for White Christmas
- Is Christmas Story a baseball movie?
- Morrison did work on the road in 2017
- Brault prepping to make Pirates staff
One Last Thing
It was only 13 games and 8 starts. All of it quite ugly, to be kind.
That was the “career” of Hall of Famer Steve Carlton in his two seasons with the Minnesota Twins in 1987 and 1988. One of the trivia questions that will likely win you a beer at the bar with your friends is to get your friends to name all of the Hall of Fame players that played for the 1987 Twins. Most will get Kirby Puckett and Bert Blyleven, but Steve Carlton won’t come quickly (and if he gets in as an executive, Billy Beane being on the club could make that an even better trivia question).
Carlton had 328 of his career victories before the Twins picked him up in mid-1987 in hopes of having him contribute to a team seemingly destined to do something special. Instead, he put up a 6.70 ERA in 43 innings in 1987 and then threw just 9 2/3 innings, allowing 18 earned runs, in 1988 before he decided to hang things up and retire.
Another bit of trivia with Carlton that you could win a bet with – he is one of three Hall of Fame players to finish their careers playing with the Minnesota Twins – Puckett and Paul Molitor are the two others. He turns 73 today.
Happy birthday, Lefty!