Twins announce details for ‘Jim Kaat Day’ on Saturday, July 16
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins today announced further details regarding “Jim Kaat Day” presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company on Saturday, July 16 at Target Field, as the club will officially retire the legendary left-hander’s uniform number 36 prior to that afternoon’s 1:10 p.m. game against the Chicago White Sox. Generations of Twins greats – including all eight of the club’s previously-retired numbers (player/manager himself or a family representative) – are scheduled to be on hand for pregame ceremonies celebrating the 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame electee, while the first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a special Jim Kaat bobblehead, courtesy of Sheboygan Sausage Company.
Tickets Available
Tickets for “Jim Kaat Day” presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company on July 16, the Twins’ upcoming six-game homestand (2 against the Milwaukee Brewers from July 12-13 and 4 vs. the White Sox from July 14-17), as well as season, group and single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2022 season at Target Field are available at twinsbaseball.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS or 1-800-33-TWINS, or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office.
“Jim Kaat Day” presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company – Saturday, July 16 vs. Chicago White Sox at 1:10 p.m. (gates open at 11:10 a.m.)
The Twins will honor 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame electee Jim Kaat, who made his major league debut for the Washington Senators in 1959, was a crucial part of the franchise’s starting rotation when it relocated to the Twin Cities in 1961, and is still Minnesota’s all-time leader in wins (189), games started (422) and innings pitched (2959.1), while ranking second in complete games (133), shutouts (23) and strikeouts (1824). “Kitty” won 16 Gold Glove Awards and went 283-237 with a 3.45 ERA in 898 major league games (625 starts) for Washington/Minnesota (1959-73), Chicago-AL (1973-75), Philadelphia (1976-79), New York-AL (1979-80) and St. Louis (1980-83), before embarking on an illustrious broadcasting career that has seen him win seven Emmy Awards for his work.
Kaat, 83, will join Harmon Killebrew (No. 3 – 1975), Rod Carew (No. 29 – 1987), Tony Oliva (No. 6 – 1991), Kent Hrbek (No. 14 – 1995), Kirby Puckett (No. 34 – 1997), Bert Blyleven (No. 28 – 2011), Tom Kelly (No. 10 – 2012) and Joe Mauer (No. 7 – 2019) as the ninth Twins player or manager to have his number retired by the organization (2nd pitcher, alongside Blyleven). The Twins, in conjunction with all of Major League Baseball, retired Jackie Robinson’s number 42 in 1997.
- Gate Giveaway: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a special Jim Kaat bobblehead, courtesy of Sheboygan Sausage Company.
- Jim Kaat Number Retirement Ceremony: Honoring the Hall of Fame career of one of the franchise’s all-time great pitchers, the Twins will officially retire the number 36 worn by Jim Kaat throughout his entire Minnesota tenure (1961-73) during pregame ceremonies.
- Kaat is scheduled to be joined on the field by his family and friends; past teammates George Mitterwald, Phil Roof and Dick Stigman; fellow Twins Hall of Famers Michael Cuddyer and Joe Nathan (who also wore the No. 36); Minnesota native and former Twins catcher Terry Steinbach (himself another No. 36); and the Twins’ previously retired numbers: Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, Tom Kelly, Ken Killebrew (Harmon’s son), Joe Mauer, Tony Oliva, Catherine Puckett (Kirby’s daughter) and Kirby Puckett Jr. (Kirby’s son).
- Longtime Twins television announcer Dick Bremer, who partnered with Kaat in the broadcast booth from 1988-93 and again from 2019 through this season, will emcee the event. Additional speakers are set to include Cuddyer and Kaat’s former Twins rotation-mate Blyleven, himself a Cooperstown inductee and legendary broadcaster.