July 3, 1964 - There were three heroes being congratulated in the Minnesota Twins clubhouse tonight after pitcher Dick Stigman stopped the Yankees, 1-0, before 22,262 persons at Yankee Stadium.
First, there was Stigman, who gave up only four hits in beating the Bombers for the second time this year.
Second, there was Don Mincher, whose long triple in the 10th inning set up the winning run.
Third, there was Jim Snyder, who drove in his sixth run in six games. His sacrifice fly in the 10th scored Jerry Kindall (running for Mincher) from third with the winning run.
“I really didn’t feel good until the sixth,” said Stigman. “My arm was okay, but I didn’t feel coordinated.
“The heat didn’t bother me, but it was awful humid out on the mound. I’ve had better stuff in other games, but my control was never better [he walked two].
“When [manager] Sam [Mele] came out to the mound in the ninth, he was interested in giving me a slight rest. We knew we would walk Tresh after Pedro Gonzalez got the double.”
Stigman had faced only 24 men through the eighth (the minimum), and he was familiar with this fact.
“They were making the plays behind me. The three double plays helped.”
Mele hailed Stigman for keeping the curveball low in a double-play situation.
“Stig got the curve over more consistently in this game than any I can remember. And he struck out men when he needed to.
“When Stigman is getting his curve over, they can’t wait for his fastball, and he is effective.”
Mincher, whose home run helped Stigman beat the Yankees, 2-1, at Metropolitan Stadium early in the year, couldn’t understand how centerfielder Mickey Mantle got so close to his long 10th-inning triple.
“I hit a low fastball. I thought it was way over Mantle’s head, but he almost got to it.”
Mincher also hit a home run to win a game for Stigman in relief in Los Angeles. “Before Mincher went to the plate, I told him to go out there swinging like he can,” said Mele.
Twins president Calvin Griffith said that Yankee pitcher Stan Williams, who blanked the Twins for nine innings, drove the Twins crazy by changing speeds.
“This was one of our biggest wins,” said Griffith. “For a change we won a 1-0 game from the Yankees.”
The Twins, who used to find it impossible to win at Yankee Stadium, have now won five straight in the house that Babe Ruth built.
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