From Kralick to Lopez and Carew to Polanco: Interesting Aspects of the Pitcher’s Cycles and Batter’s Cycles Achieved by Minnesota Twins Players

Few single-game achievements are as highly-regarded as the cycle: “A single, double, triple, and home run (not necessarily in that order) hit by a player in the same game.”1 Since 1876, there have been 344 documented regular-season cycles in the history of major league baseball (excluding the Negro Leagues).2 Table 1 breaks down the players who achieved a cycle by the positions they played to start that particular game. What stands out is that not even one pitcher has ever hit for the cycle.3

It is important to point out that since 1973 in the American League and 2022 in the National League, pitchers have rarely batted thanks to the designated hitter rule (with the notable exception of the exceptional Shohei Ohtani). Thus, achieving a cycle is a feat limited to batters, and the baseball cycle has become a de facto “Batter’s Cycle” (BC). What about pitchers? What is (or what would/could/should be) a “Pitcher’s Cycle” (PC)?

The three primary objectives of the research described in this article are:

1. Devise a viable definition for a Pitcher’s Cycle.
2. Compile a list of all the Twins players who achieved a Pitcher’s Cycle.
3. Highlight the interesting aspects of the PCs and BCs accomplished by Twins players.

After checking the definition of the word ‘cycle’ in the dictionary, I devised the following definition for a Pitcher’s Cycle: At least one batter in each of the nine spots in the batting order struck out by the same player in the same game (not necessarily in order).4 Considering the primary objectives for batters and pitchers, this definition is equivalent to the Batter’s Cycle.

The primary objective of the batter is to reach base, an individual accomplishment that can be achieved by getting a safe hit, of which there are four types. The primary objective of the pitcher is to prevent the batter from getting on base—that is, to retire the batter—which can be accomplished individually by striking out the batter, who occupies one of the nine positions in the batting order.5

With a viable definition of a Pitcher’s Cycle in place, the next order of business was to ascertain the Minnesota Twins players who accomplished the feat, since the AL’s original Washington (DC) Senators franchise relocated to Minnesota after the end of the 1960 campaign.

RESEARCH PROCEDURE

Since a player needs a minimum of nine strikeouts to accomplish the Pitcher’s Cycle, the starting point was to generate a list of pitchers who amassed at least nine strikeouts in a game. This task is perfect for Baseball Reference’s Stathead search engine. I queried for Minnesota Twins pitchers with nine or more strikeouts in a game from 1961 through 2023, and learned that Twins pitchers fanned at least nine batters 482 times. I then examined the box scores and play-by-play accounts to ascertain which of these players accomplished the PC.

To find the Twins who achieved the Batter’s Cycle, I used the team-by-team list of cycles provided on MLB.com.6 For each Twin with a PC or a BC, I examined the game accounts in the relevant newspapers.

RESULTS

According to my research, there have been 17 Pitcher’s Cycles achieved by nine different Minnesota Twins players. Table 2 provides the basic information for each of the Twins PCs. Eleven Twins have hit for the cycle once each. Table 3 provides the fundamental information for each of them. For the remainder of this article the interesting aspects for selected PCs and BCs are highlighted.

1962: On August 3 at Tiger Stadium, Jack Kralick became the first Twins player to achieve a PC. With a 7–4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, Kralick had given up just three hits, although two of them were homers—a three-run blast by Steve Boros in the second and a solo shot by Bubba Morton in the sixth. While Kralick had struck out nine Tigers, he still needed K’s in the fourth lineup slot (Rocky Colavito) and sixth (Boros) to achieve the feat of striking out every batter in the starting lineup (the simplest type of the PC). Colavito was the leadoff batter in the ninth, and Kralick struck him out looking. Then, after Norm Cash grounded out, Kralick atoned for Boros’s homer by striking him out—simultaneously ending the game and walking off with the PC. However, Kralick’s feat received no attention in the press, which instead expounded on the prodigious home run that Harmon Killebrew hit off Jim Bunning in the fourth inning, an alleged 530-foot drive over the left field roof.7 The only Washington Nationals player to have accomplished a PC was Walter Johnson, who performed the feat twice (1910, 1913).

1970: In the team’s 10th season, Rod Carew became the first Twin to achieve the BC. On May 20 in Kansas City, the Minnesota second sacker singled in his first at-bat and homered in his second, tying the score, 1–1. In his third at-bat he doubled. His first opportunity to complete the cycle came in the sixth, but he grounded out to the second baseman. He was successful in his next chance, belting an RBI-triple to center field in the eighth and increasing the Twins lead over the Royals to 7–4. Asked how he felt about hitting for the cycle after the game, Carew responded, “Lots of luck. That’s it, lots of luck.” He also added, “Maybe I’ll get a bonus. Do you think?”8 Prior to becoming the Twins, the Washington Nationals had four players who hit for the cycle—Otis Clymer (1908), Goose Goslin (1924), Joe Cronin (1929) and Mickey Vernon (1946).

1972: The second Twins player to accomplish a BC was Cesar Tovar. It was dramatic. Facing the visiting Texas Rangers on September 19, Tovar led off the first inning by legging out a triple to center field. He then scored on a single by Steve Braun, staking the Twins to a 1–0 lead. He grounded out (1–3) to lead off the third, then singled in the fifth and doubled in the seventh. Each of his three hits was off KC’s starting pitcher, Dick Bosman. Facing Paul Lindblad in the bottom of the ninth, with the score knotted, 3–3, Tovar stepped into the batter’s box with a runner on and two down. He drove the ball into the left field seats for a walk-off homer that simultaneously earned him the Batter’s Cycle and the Twins the victory. When asked about his performance after the game, Tovar responded with a question, “What is this cycle thing? Single, double, triple, home run—the cycle?” He then added, “No, I no think I ever hit for the cycle, not even in Venezuelan winter baseball.”9 Interviewed before the game, Tovar had said, “He’s gonna trade me. I know it. But I show Mr. Griffith I can still play. I show him. I show him everything.”10 With his Batter’s Cycle and walk-off homer, Tovar certainly did.

1974: Bert Blyleven collected his fourth and final Pitcher’s Cycle on September 21 in a game at Metropolitan Stadium against the visiting California Angels. He K’d Joe Lahoud looking, in the ninth to complete the PC. With temperatures in the low 40s for the 10:30AM game (played at that time as a courtesy to the University of Minnesota Gophers, who had a football game that afternoon at nearby Memorial Stadium), Blyleven used a heating pad between innings to keep his pitching arm from stiffening up. The right hander commented, “I’d prefer to be awake before I start pitching. But the cold air does clear your head pretty fast.”11 With his fourth PC, Blyleven equaled the AL record for PCs established by Sam McDowell in 1967. His time at the pinnacle was relatively brief, as Nolan Ryan picked up his fourth and fifth junior circuit PCs in 1976.

2007: Johan Santana equaled Blyleven’s record for most PCs by a Twins player on August 19 in a game against the Texas Rangers. In achieving his fourth PC, Santana struck out 17 batters, establishing a new Twins single-game record, eclipsing the previous mark of 15 shared by Camilo Pascual (1961), Joe Decker (1973), Jerry Koosman (1980), and Blyleven (1986). Santana struck out the side in the eighth inning, his final frame after 112 pitches. “I felt good, but at the same time we felt that [Joe] Nathan would be the right guy to go back out there and shut everything out,” said Santana. “He’s one of the best closers in the game and I trust him.” Santana’s previous high was 14 strikeouts, and as the scoreboard noted each of the new marks he was setting, the crowd’s cheering increased. After the game Santana said, “That was really good, especially the way everything ended up. We won by one run [1–0], and 17 strikeouts is always good. But to see all the fans getting into it, that’s pretty special.” Santana also added, “It’s a great accomplishment. It’s always good to do something like that, but I’m going to keep doing what I do and hopefully somebody in the future will break it too.”12

2008: Carlos Gomez began his Batter’s Cycle with a leadoff home run on a 1–1 pitch from Mark Buehrle on May 7 against the White Sox. The Chicago hurler atoned for the homer by whiffing Gomez in their follow-up encounter in the third. Gomez came out on top in their next matchup, belting an RBI-triple in the fifth to push Minnesota’s lead to 2–0. Then, in the very next inning, Gomez knocked Buehrle out of the box with an RBI double, boosting the lead to 7–0. His next trip to the plate came in the ninth. Swinging at the first pitch, Gomez bounced a single off pitcher Ehren Wassermann’s glove to complete the first Batter’s Cycle by a Twins player in 22 years After the game Gomez said, “You know, it’s amazing. Kirby Puckett— I’ve seen the video. He’s a good player. He’s an All-Star, and I can’t explain to you to be the first since Puckett to hit for the cycle. That’s unbelievable.”13

2009: Jason Kubel hit the jackpot with his Batter’s Cycle on April 17 in a game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Batting clean-up, Kobel performed reasonably well in his first three trips to the plate. His first-inning double knocked in a run, giving Minnesota a 1–0 lead. He singled in the third, but was cut down at the plate when he tried to score from first on Michael Cuddyer’s two-out two-bagger. In the sixth, he tripled and tied the game, 3–3, when he came around to score. In his fourth at-bat, in the seventh, he struck out swinging. The Angels, after having scored five runs in the seventh, tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth for a 9–5 advantage. The Twins staged a rally in the bottom of the frame; three runs were in, runners were on second and third, with one out. The Angels brought in a new pitcher, Jason Bulger, who fanned Brendan Harris, bringing up Justin Morneau. What transpired next is succinctly reported by the Associated Press—“Jason Bulger intentionally walked Justin Morneau to load the bases, a move that will fire any batter up. But Kubel stayed calm and let a curve ball go by for strike one. The next one was right where he wanted it, and it landed in the upper deck.”14 Kubel’s grand slam not only gave him the Batter’s Cycle, it propelled the Twins into an 11–9 lead, which Minnesota closer Joe Nathan converted to a victory with a one-two-three top of the ninth. After the game, Kubel commented about the choice to walk another batter in order to get to him: “It used to really fire me up, and I used to get myself out. So, I just stayed calm and just knew what the circumstances were and just went from there.”15

2019: Jorge Polanco swung from both sides of the plate and went 5-for-5 to collect the most recent Batter’s Cycle by a Twins player. Facing the Phillies on April 5, Polanco tripled in the first, singled in the third, and homered in the fifth batting left-handed. Then, batting right-handed, he doubled in the seventh, and singled in the ninth batting left-handed. Asked about his cycle after the game, Polanco said through an interpreter, “That’s cool, man. I feel very grateful…for that opportunity they’re giving me. They want my cleats in Cooperstown. That’s a pretty cool thing.”16

2023: Pablo López achieved the most-recent Pitcher’s Cycle for the Twins: a gem against the visiting Mets on September 10. Through eight innings, the Minnesota righty had struck out 14 batters, walked none, and allowed just two hits, but neither team had been able to cross the plate. So, as López had thrown 106 pitches (73 strikes), Twins manager Rocco Baldelli decided to turn the game over to the bullpen. New York put across a couple runs in the top of the ninth while the Twins were blanked in their half. Nonetheless, López earned the PC, and since he’d entered the game with 199 strikeouts on the season, he reached another milestone. After the game he said, “It feels really good. I think for starters, when you think 200 innings, 200 strikeouts, that’s one of the main goals every starter has going into the season.”17

CONCLUDING REMARKS

This research unearthed even more interesting items. Like Kralick, Dave Boswell achieved a PC with a game-ending walk-off strikeout. Dave Goltz holds the team record for most innings to complete his PC, with 9⅓, while Joe Ryan completed his 2023 PC in a record 3⅓. Like Tovar and Kubel, Larry Hisle homered to complete his BC. Finally, Table 4 shows the rankings of the 20 franchises that have been operating since 1961/1962. The Twins are tied for seventh in Pitcher’s Cycles and tied for first in Batter’s Cycles.

HERM KRABBENHOFT, a retired organic chemist, has been a SABR member since 1981. Among the various baseball research topics he has pioneered are: Ultimate Grand Slam Homers, Consecutive Games On Base Safely (CGOBS) Streaks, Quasi-Cycles, Imperfect Perfectos, Minor League Day-In/Day-Out Double-Duty Diamondeers, and Downtown Golden Sombreros. Herm is the author of Leadoff Batters of Major League Baseball (McFarland, 2001). He has received three SABR Baseball Research Awards (1992,1996, 2013). He is a lifetime Detroit Tigers fan—Zeb Eaton hit a pinch-hit grand slam on the day Herm was born.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

With grateful appreciation, I heartily thank all those who have contributed to Retrosheet and Baseball Reference, thereby making their websites indispensable baseball-research enablers. I especially thank John Rickert for graciously writing a computer program using the Retrosheet database to generate a comprehensive list of all players who achieved a Pitcher’s Cycle during the 1901–2023 seasons, thereby ensuring that all possible PCs were identified. I also gratefully thank Jonathan Frankel for providing me with some of his superb strikeout research. And thanks to Pete Palmer, Jeff Robbins, Gary Stone, and Patrick Todgham for very helpful discussions.

 

NOTES

1 Paul Dickson, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009), 237.

2 “Hit for the Cycle: Every MLB Player Who Hit for the Cycle,” baseball-almanac.com, https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/Major_League_Baseball_Players_to_hit_for_the_cycle.shtml, accessed October 3, 2023; “Cycles Chronologically,” retrosheet.org, https://www.retrosheet.org/cycles_chron.htm, accessed October 3, 2023.

3 Jimmy Ryan of the White Stockings completed his July 28, 1888, cycle as a pitcher after having started the game as Chicago’s center fielder; see: “Home Runs All Around,” Chicago Tribune, July 29, 1888, 14; “They Hit the Ball Hard,” The (Chicago) Inter Ocean, July 29, 1888, 2; “Sluggers Outslugged,” Detroit Free Press, July 29, 1888, 4; “Was Waterloo Thus?,” Detroit News, July 29, 1888, 8.

4 “Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages,” https://www.google.com/search?q=cycle+meaning&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS971US972&oq=cycle&aqs=chrome.1.69i59j35i39i650j69i59l2j0i131i433i457i512j0i402i650j46i175i199i512j0i433i512j46i175i199i512l2.2605691715j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&bshm=rime/1, accessed “October 3, 2023.

5 It is appreciated that the pitcher’s battery mate, his catcher, must hold on to the third strike to actually retire the batter. But, even if the catcher drops the third strike and the batter reaches first base, the pitcher is still officially credited with a strikeout. It is emphasized that the Pitcher’s Cycle requires that nine different batters be struck out—at least one from each of the nine batting slots. It is pointed out that while the Pitcher’s Cycle does require a player to pitch at least 3 innings, it does not require the player to be a starting pitcher. Moreover, just like there is no limit to the number of at bats (plate appearances) it takes a player to achieve the Batter’s Cycle, there is no limit to the number of innings it takes a player to achieve the Pitcher’s Cycle.

6 Ed Eagle, “Players who have hit for the cycle,” MLB.com, August 28, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/news/players-who-hit-for-the-cycle-c265552018, accessed November 4, 2023.

7 “Killebrew’s Record Homer Aids Soaring Twins,” Minneapolis Star, August 4, 1962, 1; Joe Falls, “‘Killer’ 1st to Hit One All Way Out in Left,” Detroit Free Press, August 4, 1962, B1; “Killer Clears Detroit’s Roof With Mighty 530-Foot Shot,” The Sporting News, August 18, 1962, 10.

8 “Royals’ Metro in Awe as Carew Keeps Hitting,” Saint Cloud (Minnesota) Daily Times, May 21, 1970, 29; Tom Briere, “Twins Win 7th Straight,” (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, May 21, 1970, 31.

9 Tom Briere, “Tovar Homer Wins for Twins,” (Minneapolis) Tribune, September 20, 1972, 1C.

10 Dan Stoneking, “Tovar’s cycle ‘shows Mr. Griffith,’” Minneapolis Star, September 20, 1972, 1.

11 Larry Batson, “Blyleven and hot Twins cool California 8-1,” (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, September 22, 1974, C1.

12 Joe Christensen, “One Very Special ‘K’ Day,” (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, August 20, 2007, C1; Richard Durrett, “Santana wows Texas with 17 Strikeouts,” Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas), August 20, 2007, D1.

13 Joe Christensen, “Twins’ Gomez goes for cycle” (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, May 8, 2008, C1; “Gomez Singes Sox for Cycle,” Saint Cloud (Minnesota) Times, May 9, 2008, 1D.

14 Dave Campbell, “Kubel’s cycle powers Twins,” Saint Cloud (Minnesota) Times, April 18, 2009, 1D.

15 Dave Campbell, 2009.

16 La Velle E. Neall III, “One rose among the thorns,” (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune, April 6, 2019, C3.

17 Tyler Mason, “Stewart hits 2-run double in 9th, Mets beat Twins 2–0 despite 14 Ks by Lopez,” Associated Press, September 10, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/mets-twins-lopez-stewart-ecad4d5f98f50d8a3af66f1f05f1b495, accessed November 03, 2023.