1967

The war in Vietnam continued to escalate, and anti-war protests did the same. Race riots erupted in major cities throughout the north. And, Israel fought and won the six-day war.

The Minnesota Gopher football team finished second, in a manner of speaking. Actually, they tied for the Big 10 title, clobbering co-champion Indiana 33-7. Purdue beat Minnesota, Minnesota beat Indiana, and Indiana beat Purdue, setting up a three-way tie. Indiana got the Rose Bowl bid because they had never been there, Purdue had been there the previous year, and the Gophers after the 1961 season. There were no bowl bids for the co-champions in those days, just as there were no wild cards for second place baseball teams. 

• The Minnesota Twins had a one-game lead over the Boston Red Sox heading into a season-ending, two-game series in Fenway Park. They lost twice.

#29 Event

Twins Lose AL Pennant on the Last Day of the season

The Minnesota Twins had a one-game lead in the American League pennant race with two games left on their schedule. They would finish their season in Boston, and it was the Red Sox who were in second place. The Twins had started poorly, which cost manager Sam Mele his job. He was replaced by Cal Ermer in early June, but the Twins were just 35-34 on June 27. They then won eight games in a row and 14 of 17 to move into second place. In July, they lost seven in a row to fall all the way to fifth place, but they were never more than five games out of first.

The Twins won seven games in a row in August to take over first place but, after losing three of five down the stretch, their lead was down to that one game. On Saturday, September 30, they lost 6-4 and it wasn’t that close. Harmon Killebrew hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning for the final score. Jim Kaat lasted just two-and-a-third innings, and both Jim Perry and Ron Kline got hit as well. On Sunday, they lost 5-3 as 20-game winner Dean Chance gave up five runs in the sixth inning to blow a 2-0 lead. Killebrew had two more hits but it was not enough.

• Edina blitzed three opponents to repeat as state basketball champion. Jeff Wright was all-state in football and basketball, while Bob Zender was the star of the basketball team. Rochester Lourdes joined Edina in repeating as state basketball champions, Lourdes in the Catholic league. Coleraine Greenway defeated St. Paul Johnson 4-2 in the final to win its first hockey title. Greg Lokken became the fifth boy to run a 9.9 100 yard dash, and led Moorhead to the state track title. 

Year	Athlete of the Year	Team of the Year	Coach of the Year	Event of the Year
1967	1. Killebrew 2 (tie). Jeff Wright, Edina basketball and football Bob Zender, Edina basketball 3. Greg Lokken, Moorhead track (state team and individual champion)	1. Minnesota Gopher football   (7-2, Big 10 co-champion) 2. Minnesota Twins baseball (91-71) 3. Edina basketball (26-0, state champion)	1. Warmath 2. Bob Gernander, Coleraine Greenway hockey (state champion) 3 (tie). Duane Baglien, Edina basketball Orris Jirele, Rochester Lourdes basketball (state Catholic champion)	1. The Red Sox defeated the Twins 5-3 on the last day of the season leaving the Twins one game back in the AL race.  2. The Gophers hammered co-champion Indiana 33-7 to get a piece of the Big 10 football title. 3. Greenway beat Johnson 4-2 for the state hockey title.