September 10, 1974: Tom Johnson wins in big-league debut thanks to Twins’ extra-inning comebacks

The Minnesota Twins were tied with the Kansas City Royals for third place in the American League West Division, one game under .500 with a 70-71 record, as they prepared for the Chicago White Sox, who were only a half-game behind the two teams. Minnesota had played sub-.500 baseball nearly all season; the team last attained a .500 winning percentage on May 7 when it was 12-12 after shutting out the Milwaukee Brewers. The Twins’ first winning month was July, which was highlighted by a five-game winning streak and a three-game winning streak featuring three consecutive walk-off wins. Throughout the summer months, rumors circulated about the Twins potentially leaving the Twin Cities.1 The Minneapolis and St. Paul Chambers of Commerce authorized a Stadium Task Force to investigate the stadium situation and in their report urgently stated, “The Minnesota Vikings … and the Minnesota Twins … will relocate their franchises from the Twin Cities … if improved sports facilities are not available.”2

Minnesota scored three eighth-inning runs and defeated the White Sox 3-1 on September 9 to open a nine-game homestand.3 Frank Quilici, who played his entire major- and minor-league career with Minnesota, guided the Twins in his second full season as manager.4 Future Hall of Fame second baseman Rod Carew was vying for his third consecutive AL batting title5 as the centerpiece of the Twins’ offense. Third baseman Eric Soderholm, with outfielders Larry Hisle and Bobby Darwin, added power to Minnesota’s offense. Bert Blyleven and Joe Decker were Minnesota’s top two starting pitchers.

Chicago was playing the final game of its nine-game road trip on September 10. The White Sox’ offense included veteran sluggers Dick Allen and Ken Henderson, with youngster Jorge Orta hitting over .300 since late June.6 Chicago’s pitching staff featured durable veteran starting pitchers Wilbur Wood and Jim Kaat, with youngsters Terry Forster and future Hall of Famer Rich Gossage anchoring the bullpen. Unfortunately for manager Chuck Tanner, the White Sox played without notable regulars Allen, catcher Ed Herrmann, third baseman Bill Melton, and left fielder Carlos May that evening.7 Although unknown at the time, Allen had already played his last game for Chicago before leaving the team in mid-September.8 The others were dealing with various injuries: Melton suffered a pulled leg muscle the previous weekend, Herrmann contended with sore knees, and May limped badly on heavily-taped ankles.9

Vic Albury started for Minnesota. The 6-foot left-hander was pitching his first full season in the majors. After an August demotion to the bullpen, Albury returned to the rotation as the fourth starter. He had last pitched five days earlier against the Royals when he threw a six-hitter.10 Entering the contest, Albury was 6-8 with a 4.74 earned-run average in 133 innings pitched.

Wood started for Chicago. The durable knuckleballer had led the American League or tied for the lead the past two seasons in wins (24 each season), games started (49 in 1972, 48 in 1973), and innings pitched (376⅔ in 1972, 359⅓ in 1973). He finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting in 1973, and was an All-Star team selection in 1974. Chicago’s ace carried a 20-17 record and a 3.64 ERA in 294⅓ innings pitched into Tuesday’s game; he had endured a rough April but pitched better starting in mid-May.11

Albury started quickly; Chicago leadoff hitter Lee Richard flied out and Orta grounded out. Henderson delivered the evening’s first hit by singling to left field. Ron Santo grounded out to end Chicago’s first frame. The Twins struck in their half. Steve Brye singled and Carew bunt singled. Wood nearly escaped trouble when Hisle grounded into a double play as Brye reached third. Darwin launched his 24th homer over the left-field wall to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. Killebrew grounded out to end the first inning.

The White Sox responded in the second. Brian Downing walked, Jerry Hairston doubled, and Tony Muser singled, scoring Dowling. With runners at the corners and no outs, Bucky Dent hit into an unconventional double play: He attempted a squeeze, and Minnesota first baseman Craig Kusick ran Hairston down off third base, then Dent was caught in a rundown between first and second base and tagged out by center fielder Brye.12 Bill Sharp flied out as Chicago pulled within a run.

Minnesota threatened in the bottom of the second, but with runners on first and second and one out, Phil Roof hit into a double play. Fans subsequently witnessed little action on the basepaths from the third inning through the sixth as both pitchers established their rhythms. In the third inning, Chicago’s Orta singled but was caught stealing as Henderson struck out. Minnesota had runners on in the third and fifth innings, but neither traveled beyond first base.

The offenses awakened in the late innings. In the seventh, Minnesota’s Danny Thompson blasted a solo shot into left field. In the eighth, Soderholm walked with the bases loaded and two outs to score Carew, who reached base on a third-strike passed ball. The Twins carried a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning.

Bill Campbell, who relieved Albury starting the eighth inning, allowed a leadoff single by Henderson in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Nyls Nyman, in his first major-league plate appearance, doubled to right, bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs. Downing launched his 10th homer into the night sky, tying the game, 4-4. Hairston singled and Campbell’s night was finished. Reliever Tom Burgmeier allowed a Muser single, sending Hairston to third and poising the White Sox to grab the lead. However, a fly out, groundout, and strikeout ended the threat. In the bottom half, White Sox reliever Terry Forster relieved Wood and retired the Twins on two groundouts and a lineout, and the game headed into extra innings for the 3,285 attending fans.13

Downing singled to start the Chicago 11th. Hairston sacrificed him to second. After Muser struck out, Dent plated Downing with a single to center field. The White Sox missed an opportunity to extend their lead when Eddie Leon fouled out with runners on first and second.

Coming to bat in the bottom of the inning, Minnesota wasted no time tying the score; leadoff hitter Kusick belted his eighth homer of the season 404 feet to left field to tie the game, 5-5. Forster retired the next three hitters and the contest moved into the 12th inning. Minnesota threatened in the 12th; with no outs, Carew walked, stole second, and went to third on a wild pitch. But Forster struck out Hisle and Darwin, then Killebrew grounded out.

Chicago pulled ahead in the 13th inning when Dent’s single plated Hairston. Minnesota countered in the bottom of the inning on Glenn Borgmann’s single driving in Soderholm. (Another Twins baserunner, Jerry Terrell, was thrown out at home by left fielder Hairston.) The teams exchanged runs again in the 14th; for the White Sox, Orta singled, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt by reliever Tom Johnson, took third on a groundout, and scored on Nyman’s single. For the third time during extra innings, the Twins rallied: Soderholm singled with two outs and scored on pinch-hitter Tony Oliva’s left-field double.

In the 15th inning, Johnson retired Chicago in order. For Minnesota, Carew walked with one out. He stole second base, his 35th of the season, then scored the winning run on Hisle’s bad-hop single that bounced over White Sox third baseman Leon’s head. Hisle’s hit also ended his 0-for-12 slump.14 After three extra-inning comebacks, 4 hours and 7 minutes, and six extra innings, the Twins prevailed, 8-7.

Johnson, a native of St. Paul,15 made his major-league debut and won his first game with two effective innings, allowing only an unearned run. Gossage absorbed the loss. Carew scored twice with three walks and three stolen bases while Brye banged out three hits from the leadoff spot. Downing went 3-for-6 and scored three runs while Henderson and Hairston also had three hits for the White Sox. The Twins finally reached .500 again, and eventually finished third in the AL West with an 82-80 record, one game ahead of Chicago. Quilici commented after the game, “This is just like beating Cincinnati in the seventh game of the World Series. These guys … these guys . . . just never quit.”16

After much speculation regarding the Twins’ future in the Twin Cities, the franchise remained in Minnesota. Carew won his fourth batting title and finished seventh in the Most Valuable Player voting. His 7.5 Wins above Replacement led AL position players and his 38 stolen bases were second in the league. Hisle finished second on Minnesota with 19 homers and 79 runs batted in, and ninth in the AL with a .465 slugging percentage.

Sources

Besides the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Almanac.com, Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and the following:

James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Abstract (New York: The Free Press, 2001).

Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer, et al. Total Baseball: The Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball (New York: Viking Press, 2004).

Notes

1 Bob Fowler, “Sagging Gate Spurs Rumors of Move by Twins,” The Sporting News, September 28, 1974: 18.

2 Dan Stoneking, “Stadium Report: Twins, Vikings to Move Unless …” Minneapolis Star, September 10, 1974: 35.

3 Dan Stoneking, “Killebrew Homers So … Goltz’ Faith Rewarded,” Minneapolis Star, September 10, 1974: 35.

4 Tom Briere, “Quilici to Emphasize Execution as Twins Open Training on Monday,” Minneapolis Tribune, February 24, 1974: 32.

5 Dan Stoneking, “.400 for Carew: Impossible Dream?” Minneapolis Star, September 2, 1974: 22.

6 John Hillyer, “Orta His Own Severest Critic as .315 Hitter,” The Sporting News, August 31, 1974: 3.

7 Richard Dozer, “Twins Beat Sox in 15th,” Chicago Tribune, September 11, 1974: 74.

8 Richard Dozer, “Last Allen Sox Trip: a Walk,” Chicago Tribune, September 15, 1974: 75.

9 Chicago Tribune Press Service, “Angels, Tanana End Sox’ Win Streak at 4,” Chicago Tribune, September 7, 1974: 88.

10 Associated Press, “Dad ‘Gives’ Albury Jr. Twin Win,” Minneapolis Star, September 6, 1974: 22.

11 Jerome Holtzman, “Chisox Owner Allyn Gets Assist in Wood Comeback,” The Sporting News, May 25, 1974: 10.

12 Tom Briere, “Twins Hit .500 Mark,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 11, 1974: 25.

13 Dan Stoneking, “Twin Rallies Do It,” Minneapolis Star, September 11, 1974: 55.

14 Tom Briere, “Twins hit .500 mark,” Minneapolis Tribune, September 11, 1974: 28.

15 Stoneking, “Twin Rallies.”

16 Stoneking, “Twin Rallies.”