Randall David Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers. From Manakin-Sabot in Virginia, Verlander attended Old Dominion University (ODU) and played college baseball for the Monarchs. He broke the Monarchs' and Colonial Athletic Association's career records for strikeouts. At the 2003 Pan American Games, Verlander helped lead the United States national team to a silver medal. He is often regarded as one of the most accomplished players of his generation, and one of the greatest pitchers in history.
Led by new manager Bill Rigney, the 1970 Minnesota Twins won the American League West with a 98–64 record, nine games ahead of the Oakland Athletics. The Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. Of note, the Twins were the only team in the American League to have a winning record in the regular season versus the Orioles. After the ALCS, Metropolitan Stadium would never see another post-season game, and the Twins would not return to the postseason stage until 1987 when they won the World Series.
After winning 91 games the previous two seasons, the 1964 Minnesota Twins slumped to 79–83, a disappointing tie for sixth with the Cleveland Indians in the American League, 20 games behind the AL champion New York Yankees.
The 1966 Minnesota Twins finished 89–73, second in the American League. 1,259,374 fans attended Twins games, the second highest total in the American League.
The 1968 Minnesota Twins season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 79–83, seventh in the American League.
Clayton Edward Kershaw is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has played 14 seasons in the major leagues since he debuted in 2008. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner, and the 2014 NL Most Valuable Player. His 2.49 career earned run average (ERA) and 1.00 walks plus hits per inning pitched rate (WHIP) are the lowest among starters in the live-ball era. Kershaw has a career hits allowed per nine innings pitched average of 6.81, the third-lowest in MLB history. He has been described for much of his career as the best pitcher in baseball, and one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
Maxwell Martin Scherzer is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. A right-handed starting pitcher, Scherzer is an eight-time MLB All-Star, has won three Cy Young Awards, has pitched two no-hitters, and won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019. Known for his intensity and competitiveness during play, he is nicknamed "Mad Max" after the fictional character of the same name.
The 1998 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 99th season. They finished with a record of 80-82, good enough for 2nd place in the American League Central, 9 games behind the 1st place Cleveland Indians.
The 1978 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 78th season in Major League Baseball, and its 79th overall. They finished with a record of 71-90, good enough for fifth place in the American League West, 20.5 games behind the first-place Kansas City Royals.
Vernon Christopher Carter is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees. In 2016, while playing for the Brewers, Carter led the National League in home runs, along with Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, with 41.
Christopher Michael Smith is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach in the Oakland Athletics organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Oakland Athletics. He is a 1999 graduate of Hesperia High School in Hesperia, California, and attended the University of California, Riverside.
Christopher Allen Sale is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, with whom he made his major league debut on August 6, 2010. As a power pitcher, Sale excels at achieving high numbers of strikeouts, and has set a number of strikeout-related records. He bats and throws left-handed, stands 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m), and weighs 180 pounds (82 kg).
The Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs is an independent professional baseball league headquartered in Houston, which operates in cities in desert mountain regions throughout California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and Texas. The league plays in cities that do not have Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either.
Eric Michael Surkamp is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics from 2011 to 2016. He also pitched for the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League in 2016. Surkamp batted and threw left-handed with his fastball averaging 89 miles per hour (143 km/h).
Aaron James Judge is an American professional baseball right fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Judge was unanimously selected as the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017 and finished second in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player Award.
Aaron Michael Nola is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Tucson Saguaros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, that began play in 2016. The club is a member of the Pecos League, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball.
Christopher Patrick Smith is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017.
