1963 Minnesota Twins season

1963 Minnesota Twins
File:Twins 6171.gif
Ballpark	Metropolitan Stadium
City	Bloomington, Minnesota
Owners	Calvin Griffith (majority owner, with Thelma Griffith Haynes)
Managers	Sam Mele
Television	WTCN-TV
Radio	830 WCCO AM (Herb Carneal, Halsey Hall, Ray Scott)
Seasons

The 1963 Minnesota Twins finished 91–70, third in the American League. 1,406,652 fans attended Twins games, the highest total in the American League.

Offseason

• November 5, 1962: Rudy May was signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins.
• November 26, 1962: Rich Reese was drafted by the Twins from the Detroit Tigers in the 1962 first-year draft.
• November 26, 1962: Joe Foy was drafted by the Boston Red Sox from the Minnesota Twins in the 1962 minor league draft.
• January 21, 1963: Rubén Gómez was released by the Twins.

Regular season

Four Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Harmon Killebrew, shortstop Zoilo Versalles, outfielder Bob Allison and catcher Earl Battey.

On August 29, the Twins played two games at Washington. The club struck for eight home runs in the first game (to tie an American League record) and four more in the nightcap, for an even dozen on the day.

On September 21, the Twins played two games at Boston's Fenway Park. Slugger Harmon Killebrew connected for three home runs in the first game and another in the nightcap. His four-homer double-header tied an AL record.

Harmon Killebrew again led the team (and the American League) with 45 home runs; his 96 RBI was Minnesota's best. Bob Allison hit 35 home runs and drove in 91. Camilo Pascual won 21 games and led the AL with 202 strikeouts.

With 33 home runs, Twins rookie Jimmie Hall topped the Boston Red Sox Ted Williams' "true rookie" American League record of 31 homers, set by Williams in 1939. The team's total of 225 home runs was the second-most ever in a season, only trailing the 1961 New York Yankees' 240.

Three Twins won Gold Gloves: first baseman Vic Power won his sixth, shortstop Zoilo Versalles won his first, and Jim Kaat won his second.

Season standings

American League

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Yankees	104	57	.646	—	58‍–‍22	46‍–‍35
Chicago White Sox	94	68	.580	10½	49‍–‍33	45‍–‍35
Minnesota Twins	91	70	.565	13	48‍–‍33	43‍–‍37
Baltimore Orioles	86	76	.531	18½	48‍–‍33	38‍–‍43
Cleveland Indians	79	83	.488	25½	41‍–‍40	38‍–‍43
Detroit Tigers	79	83	.488	25½	47‍–‍34	32‍–‍49
Boston Red Sox	76	85	.472	28	44‍–‍36	32‍–‍49
Kansas City Athletics	73	89	.451	31½	36‍–‍45	37‍–‍44
Los Angeles Angels	70	91	.435	34	39‍–‍42	31‍–‍49
Washington Senators	56	106	.346	48½	31‍–‍49	25‍–‍57

Record vs. opponents

1963 American League record Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Team	BAL	BOS	CWS	CLE	DET	KCA	LAA	MIN	NYY	WSH
Baltimore	—	7–11	7–11	10–8	13–5	9–9	9–9	9–9	7–11	15–3
Boston	11–7	—	8–10	10–8	9–9	7–11	9–8	7–11	6–12	9–9
Chicago	11–7	10–8	—	11–7	11–7	12–6	10–8	8–10	8–10	13–5
Cleveland	8–10	8–10	7–11	—	10–8	11–7	10–8	5–13	7–11	13–5
Detroit	5–13	9–9	7–11	8–10	—	13–5	12–6	8–10	8–10	9–9
Kansas City	9–9	11–7	6–12	7–11	5–13	—	10–8	9–9	6–12	10–8
Los Angeles	9–9	8–9	8–10	8–10	6–12	8–10	—	9–9	5–13	9–9
Minnesota	9–9	11–7	10–8	13–5	10–8	9–9	9–9	—	6–11	14–4
New York	11–7	12–6	10–8	11–7	10–8	12–6	13–5	11–6	—	14–4
Washington	3–15	9–9	5–13	5–13	9–9	8–10	9–9	4–14	4–14	—

Notable transactions

• May 21, 1963: Bill Tuttle was released by the Twins.
• August 24, 1963: Dwight Siebler was purchased by the Twins from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Roster

1963 Minnesota Twins
Roster
Pitchers 35 Gerry Arrigo 31,15 Bill Dailey 27 Gary Dotter 27 Mike Fornieles 36 Jim Kaat 15 Jack Kralick 29,33 Fred Lasher 21 Ray Moore 17 Camilo Pascual 31 Jim Perry 19 Bill Pleis 32 Garry Roggenburk 34 Jim Roland 34 Dwight Siebler 39,20 Lee Stange 18 Dick Stigman 20 Frank Sullivan 43 Don Williams		Catchers 10 Earl Battey 24 Paul Ratliff 22 Jerry Zimmerman Infielders 12,1 Bernie Allen 11 George Banks  8 Johnny Goryl  5 Don Mincher 28 Vic Power  9 Rich Rollins  2 Zoilo Versalles 26 Jay Ward  6 Vic Wertz		Outfielders  4 Bob Allison  7 Lenny Green 30 Jimmie Hall  3 Harmon Killebrew 23,44 Jim Lemon 29 Wally Post 13 Bill Tuttle Other batters 40 Julio Bécquer 37 Tony Oliva		Manager 14 Sam Mele Coaches 53 Floyd Baker 52 Ed Fitz Gerald 54 Gordon Maltzberger 51 Hal Naragon

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
C	Earl Battey	147	508	145	.285	26	84
3B	Rich Rollins	136	531	163	.307	16	61
SS	Zoilo Versalles	159	621	162	.261	10	54
LF	Harmon Killebrew	142	515	133	.258	45	96
RF	Bob Allison	148	527	143	.271	35	91

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
Julio Bécquer	1	0	0	----	0	0

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
Camilo Pascual	31	248.1	21	9	2.46	202
Dick Stigman	33	241	15	15	3.25	193
Jim Kaat	31	178.1	10	10	4.19	105

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
Dwight Siebler	7	38.2	2	1	2.79	22
Gerry Arrigo	5	15.2	1	2	2.87	13

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
Bill Dailey	66	6	3	21	1.99	72
Mike Fornieles	11	1	1	0	4.76	7
Gary Dotter	2	0	0	0	0.00	2

Farm system

See also: Minor league baseball

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers	Pacific Coast League	Jack McKeon
AA	Charlotte Hornets	Sally League	Al Evans
A	Wilson Tobs	Carolina League	Ralph Rowe
A	Orlando Twins	Florida State League	Harry Warner
A	Erie Sailors	New York-Penn League	Frank Franchi
A	Bismarck-Mandan Pards	Northern League	Vern Morgan
Rookie	Wytheville Twins	Appalachian League	Red Norwood

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Wilson

References

• Player stats from www.baseball-reference.com
• Team info from www.baseball-almanac.com
• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, N.C.: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.