Minnesota Twins

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul illustrator who created the enduring Minnesota Twins logo of two players shaking hands across a river has died of cancer at age 80. Ray Barton was paid $15 in 1961 to create the image, never thinking it would become the team’s official logo. Mr. Barton assumed it would be used on cups at Metropolitan Stadium. Mr. Barton created art for advertising agencies and other companies in the Twin Cities, including Target, but it was his image of Minnie and Paul that became best known.

Chris Sale pitched seven sharp innings and Paul Konerko and Alex Rios backed him with home runs, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 6-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night. Sale (5-2) held the Twins to two hits and two walks, striking out six. He has allowed three runs or less in all eight of his starts in his first year as a member of the Chicago rotation. Still showing a black eye after getting hit in the face by a pitch last Friday, Konerko had three hits and scored three times.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Angelo Giuliani, who was behind the plate for Joe DiMaggio's first at-bat in the majors and went on to sign Kent Hrbek as a Minnesota Twins scout, died Friday, the Twins said. He was 91. Mr. Giuliani was a scout with the Washington Senators before the team moved to Minnesota in 1961 and became the Twins. He retired in 1987. "I've seen a lot of changes," Mr. Giuliani said then. "It's kind of a young man's game. The old scouts just fade away. " He said his proudest moment was opening day in 1984 when Minnesota's lineup included four of his signees --...

P.J. Walters tossed his first career complete game and Justin Morneau hit a three-run homer as the Minnesota Twins routed the Chicago White Sox 9-2 on Tuesday night. Walters, who gave up a solo homer to Gordon Beckham with one out in the first inning, threw a five-hitter. In just his third start of the season, Walters (2-1) struck out eight and walked two. The Twins jumped all over Gavin Floyd (3-5), scoring four runs in the second inning and five in the fourth. Morneau's homer chased the right-hander, who is 0-8 against Minnesota in his last eight starts, dating to Aug. 31, 2009.

Chris Colabello has always been able to hit, from his days on the Milford Post 59 squad that advanced to the American Legion World Series in 2001, to his four seasons at Assumption College, where he finished with a .359 career batting average. Or the last seven seasons in the independent Can-Am League, including last summer with the Worcester Tornadoes, when the 6-foot-4, 225-pound first baseman earned league Player of the Year honors after he finished second in average (.348)

Jonathan Lucroy homered twice and had a career-high seven RBIs, Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to improve to 14-0 at Miller Park, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins 16-4 on Sunday. Lucroy connected on an 0-2 pitch from Jeff Gray in the seventh inning for his first career grand slam. The ball nipped the back edge of the padding in right before falling into the Twins' bullpen. A curtain call followed for the Brewers' catcher who batted cleanup for the first time in his three-year career.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Heavy downpours here this morning, The crew is trying to work on the infield to get the team ready for today's 1:35 p.m. start vs. the Minnesota Twins. Josh Beckett is scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones has left a game against the Minnesota Twins with an illness. Jones started in center field as usual and struck out in his first at-bat before being replaced by Matt Angle, who pinch-hit for Jones in the second inning. Jones has played in 124 of Baltimore's 126 games this season, batting .297 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. Angle was recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Norfolk when the Orioles designated slumping outfielder Felix Pie for assignment.

FORT MYERS, Fla - Carl Yastrzemski, Dwight Evans and Mike Greenwell are at the ballpark today. Yaz is expected to make a pre-game appearance. he was in the batting cages earlier today working with hitters. Evans is also in uniform working with outfielder's, while Greenwell, a Cape Coral resident, is at the ballpark and was in a No. 39 Red Sox uniform and could also be a part of a pregame ceremony here for the first regular game of spring training at Jet Blue Park against the Minnesota Twins.

Jason Marquis was hit hard in his shortest start of the season and the Minnesota Twins couldn't contain Jonathan Lucroy. Marquis allowed eight runs in 1 2-3 innings, done in by Milwaukee's six-hit, six-run second inning, and the Brewers went on to beat the Twins 16-4 on Sunday. Lucroy homered twice and had a career-high seven RBIs, and Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to improve to 14-0 at Miller Park for the Brewers. In Milwaukee's second inning, Ryan Braun doubled in two runs, Lucroy had a bloop two-run single and Corey Hart and Travis Ishikawa each...

Trevor Plouffe hit a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning to lift the Minnesota Twins to a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Plouffe's fourth homer of the season came off Manny Parra (0-1) with two outs. Parra had retired the first two batters before Plouffe connected on a 2-0 pitch that landed in the Brewers' bullpen. Matt Capps, the fifth Twins reliever, got three outs for his ninth save while wrapping up the Twins' fourth straight win. The Brewers threatened to win it in the 10th when Corey Hart singled with one out off reliever Jeff Gray (3-0)

Jonathan Lucroy homered twice and had a career-high seven RBIs, Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to improve to 14-0 at Miller Park, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins 16-4 on Sunday. Lucroy connected on an 0-2 pitch from Jeff Gray in the seventh inning for his first career grand slam. The ball nipped the back edge of the padding in right before falling into the Twins' bullpen. A curtain call followed for the Brewers' catcher who batted cleanup for the first time in his three-year career.

Jason Marquis was hit hard in his shortest start of the season and the Minnesota Twins couldn't contain Jonathan Lucroy. Marquis allowed eight runs in 1 2-3 innings, done in by Milwaukee's six-hit, six-run second inning, and the Brewers went on to beat the Twins 16-4 on Sunday. Lucroy homered twice and had a career-high seven RBIs, and Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to improve to 14-0 at Miller Park for the Brewers. In Milwaukee's second inning, Ryan Braun doubled in two runs, Lucroy had a bloop two-run single and Corey Hart and Travis Ishikawa each added run-scoring singles.

Scott Diamond lost his scoreless streak. He still won his third straight start for the Minnesota Twins, who pounded the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3 on Friday night. Diamond (3-0) gave up a run in the first, ending the 14-inning scoreless stretch he put together in two starts since he was called up from the minors. He went on to give up three runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings. Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, Joe Mauer had three hits and three RBIs while Denard Span had four hits and three RBIs for the Twins.

Justin Morneau hit a two-run home run in his second game back from a wrist injury and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 4-3 victory over the Tigers on Thursday in Detroit. P.J. Walters (1-1) allowed four hits - including three solo homers - in 6 1/3 innings for the Twins, who swept the two-game series. Minnesota has won two in a row for only the second time this season. Morneau's homer off Doug Fister (0-2) opened the scoring in the third, and Trevor Plouffe followed with a long ball.

Shin-Soo Choo hit the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning to back Jeanmar Gomez's seven superb innings and lift the Cleveland Indians to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Choo's base hit off Twins closer Matt Capps (0-2) scored pinch-runner Lou Marson from second base, bailing out an Indians bullpen that squandered a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning. Gomez allowed one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. But Vinnie Pestano gave up an RBI-double to Josh Willingham in the eighth and Nick Hagadone served up a two-run homer to Ryan...

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Former Southern League president and Major League Baseball player Don Mincher has died after a long illness. He was 73. Southern League vice president Lori Webb said Mr. Mincher passed away Sunday at his Huntsville home. Mr. Mincher spent 13 years in the major leagues and was a two-time American League All-Star. He played for the 1972 World Series champion Oakland Athletics and had stints with the Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Texas Rangers, Seattle Pilots, and Washington Senators.

Scott Diamond pitched seven shutout innings, Brian Dozier hit his first career homer and the Minnesota Twins held on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Sunday. Ryan Doumit and Jamey Carroll added two hits apiece for the Twins, who became the last team in the majors to reach double-digit wins by splitting the four-game series. Matt Capps pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save in as many chances. Yunel Escobar and Eric Thames knocked in runs for Toronto, which closed its road trip at 5-5. Diamond (2-0)

Darin Mastroianni got his first major league hit and drove in three runs to help the Minnesota Twins overcome Jose Bautista's two homers in a 7-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Ryan Doumit added two RBIs and Denard Span had two hits and scored twice in a game that lasted 3 hours, 17 minutes, after rain delayed the first pitch for 1 hour, 51 minutes. Nick Blackburn snapped a 13-start winless streak. Bautista hit two solo homers, raising his total at spacious Target Field to nine in nine career games.