Cabin Twelve

1963: Major League Baseball stage the only Hispanic American All-Star Game in history. The roster of Latino stars includes future Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, and Juan Marichal, and other standouts like Felipe Alou and Tony Oliva. A pinch-hit single delivered by Manny Mota helps the National League stars to a 5 – 2 victory over the American League at the Polo Grounds.

1987: The Minnesota Twins beats Detroit 9 – 5 in Game Five of the ALCS to wrap up its first American League title since 1965. Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti is named MVP.

1991: The Blue Jays chase Minnesota Twins starter Kevin Tapani for the second time in the ALCS, but Minnesota’s bullpen and bats lead to six unanswered runs in Game Five as the Twins win their American League third pennant.

(Much of this information comes from baseball-reference.com’s bullpen. See copyright information here.)

1987: Don Baylor singled to break an eighth-inning tie and Gary Gaetti homered in his first two playoff at-bats as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers, 8 – 5, in the opening game of the American League Championship Series.

(Much of this information comes from baseball-reference.com’s bullpen. See copyright information here.)

An interesting bit of trivia from today’s Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox ALDS playoff game. Evan Longoria became the first player since former Minnesota Twins 3B Gary Gaetti to hit a home run in his first two playoff at bats. Gaetti did it in game 1 of the 1987 ALCS. Nobody else has ever done it.

Interestingly, Gaetti also hit a home run in his first major league at bat – and hit 2 HRs in the first regular season game played at the Metrodome, an 11-7 loss to the Seattle Mariners on April 6, 1982.