MLB team advanced to World Series 60 years ago

Contributed photo
Starting pitchers Jim Kaat of the Minnesota Twins, left, and Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers posed for a photo prior to the start of the seventh and final game of the 1965 World Series at the old Metropolitan Stadium 60 years ago in Bloomington, today the site of the Mall of America.

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Sixty years ago, in 1965, several residents of Otter Tail County were among those seeing one or more World Series games near the Twins Cities. This series featured the American League champion Minnesota Twins and the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 1965 the Twins played home games at Metropolitan Stadium, today the site of the Mall of America. The Twins won the first two World Series games at home, lost the next three in Los Angeles, won game six back home but then lost game seven at home 2-0 to the Dodgers and their star pitcher Sandy Koufax.

Rural Otter Tail County native Dick Stigman, raised at Nimrod east of Perham in Wadena County, was a pitcher for the Twins in 1965. Stigman and some of his Twins teammates from 1965 were honored by the Twins the weekend of Aug. 15-17 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Star players, including the late Harmon Killebrew and current Twins public relations ambassador Tony Oliva, appeared often in Otter Tail County during Twins Winter Caravan stops in Fergus Falls, Pelican Rapids and other locations. Both of these former players recalled the exciting seven-game World Series in 1965. Kellebrew played third base and Oliva was a right fielder.

Other star players with the Twins in 1965 included left fielder Bob Allison, shortstop Zoilo Versalles, pitcher Jim (Mudcat) Grant, catcher Earl Battey, first baseman Don Mincher, and pitchers Kim Kaat, Camilo Pascual and Jim Perry.

The July 1965 All-Star baseball game also was also played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The Beatles performed at Met Stadium in Bloomington in August 1965.