1968 Minnesota Twins season

1968 Minnesota Twins
79–83, seventh in the American League
Major League affiliations
Location
Other information
Owner(s) Calvin Griffith (majority owner, with Thelma Griffith Haynes)
General manager(s) Calvin Griffith
Manager(s) Cal Ermer
Local television WTCN-TV
Local radio 830 WCCO AM
(Herb Carneal, Halsey Hall, Merle Harmon)
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The 1968 Minnesota Twins season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 79–83, seventh in the American League.

Offseason

Regular season

Leadoff batter César Tovar sparked the offense, finishing second in the AL with 167 hits and third with 89 runs. Tony Oliva was third in the AL with a .289 batting average. Harmon Killebrew had 17 HR and 40 RBI at the All-Star break, but was injured in the game and missed the second half of the season.

It took until their eighth season for the Twins to get no-hit and then it happened profoundly, as their first opposing no-hitter was the perfect game thrown by Oakland's Jim "Catfish" Hunter on May 8 in Oakland. Hunter struck out eleven, and drove in three of his team's four runs.

A first for the Twins: on July 11, Rick Renick played his first-ever major league game, as shortstop. In his first big-league at bat, he homered. The run came off Detroit Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich. Renick is the first Twins player to accomplish the feat, but will be joined in history by Dave McKay (1975), Gary Gaetti (1981) and Andre David (1984). They'll all be joined by Eddie Rosario in 2015, who hits a homer not only in his first at bat, but on the first major-league pitch thrown to him.

Three Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Harmon Killebrew, second baseman Rod Carew, and outfielder Tony Oliva.

On September 22, utility player César Tovar played all nine positions, an inning each, against the Oakland Athletics. Duplicating the feat that Bert Campaneris had performed three years prior, Tovar topped Campy by starting as pitcher and allowing no hits or runs, for a 0.00 earned run average. In the inning, the first man to face Tovar was Campaneris, who fouled out. Tovar then struck out slugger Reggie Jackson.[2]

Four Twins won 10 or more games: Dean Chance (16–16), Jim Kaat (14–12) Jim Merritt (12–16), Dave Boswell (10–13). Pitcher Jim Kaat won his seventh Gold Glove. Al Worthington led the American League with 18 saves.

1,143,257 fans attended Twins games, the fourth highest total in the American League.

Season standings

American League W L Pct. GB
Detroit Tigers 103 59 .636 –
Baltimore Orioles 91 71 .562 12
Cleveland Indians 86 75 .534 16½
Boston Red Sox 86 76 .531 17
New York Yankees 83 79 .512 20
Oakland Athletics 82 80 .506 21
Minnesota Twins 79 83 .488 24
California Angels 67 95 .414 36
Chicago White Sox 67 95 .414 36
Washington Senators 65 96 .404 37½

Record vs. opponents

1968 American League Records

Sources:

Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET MIN NYY OAK WSH
Baltimore — 9–9 10–8 11–7 7–11 8–10 10–8 13–5 9–9 14–4
Boston 9–9 — 9–9 14–4 10–8 6–12 9–9 10–8 8–10 11–7
California 8–10 9–9 — 8–10 7–11 5–13 7–11 6–12 5–13 12–6
Chicago 7–11 4–14 10–8 — 5–13 5–13 10–8 6–12 10–8 10–8
Cleveland 11–7 8–10 11–7 13–5 — 6–12 14–4 10–8–1 6–12 7–10
Detroit 10–8 12–6 13–5 13–5 12–6 — 10–8 10–8–1 13–5–1 10–8
Minnesota 8–10 9–9 11–7 8–10 4–14 8–10 — 12–6 8–10 11–7
New York 5–13 8–10 12–6 12–6 8–10–1 8–10–1 6–12 — 10–8 14–4
Oakland 9–9 10–8 13–5 8–10 12–6 5–13–1 10–8 8–10 — 7–11
Washington 4–14 7–11 6–12 8–10 10–7 8–10 7–11 4–14 11–7 —

Roster

1968 Minnesota Twins
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Player stats

= Indicates team leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
1B Killebrew, HarmonHarmon Killebrew 100 295 62 .210 17 40
3B Tovar, CésarCésar Tovar 157 613 167 .272 6 47
LF Allison, BobBob Allison 145 469 116 .247 22 52
RF Oliva, TonyTony Oliva 128 470 136 .289 18 68

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Chance, DeanDean Chance 43 292 16 16 2.53 234
Boswell, DaveDave Boswell 34 190 10 13 3.32 143

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Perranoski, RonRon Perranoski 66 8 7 6 3.10 65
Worthington, AlAl Worthington 54 4 5 18 2.71 57

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Denver Bears Pacific Coast League Johnny Goryl and Billy Martin
AA Charlotte Hornets Southern League Harry Warner
A Wilson Tobs Carolina League Vern Morgan
A Orlando Twins Florida State League Ralph Rowe
A Wisconsin Rapids Twins Midwest League Ray Bellino and Tom Umphlett
A-Short Season Auburn Twins New York–Penn League Boyd Coffie
A-Short Season St. Cloud Rox Northern League Carroll Hardy
Rookie GCL Twins Gulf Coast League Fred Waters

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Orlando, St. Cloud

Notes

  1. ↑ Eric Soderholm at Baseball-Reference
  2. ↑ "Minnesota Twins". Baseball=Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2016.

References

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