The Tampa Bay Rays made a big move in June and kept it going for two months, holding the Harmon Killebrew Award for an incredible 13 consecutive title defenses on their way to making themselves the Team of the Year in the competition for 2013.
By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles
No team has ever produced a better two months in the corn competition than the Tampa Bay Rays in their pursuit of the Harmon Killebrew Award in 2013.
Going to late June, the Baltimore Orioles were the clear leaders with three victories and four title defenses in five attempts. The Rays had won it three times, but never with a successful defense.
All of that began to change June 24-26 in St. Petersburg, where the Rays snagged the Killebrew for the fourth time in a two-of-three win against the Toronto Blue Jays. From there, the Jays were unstoppable for two months, reeling off 13 consecutive title defenses and holding the Killebrew for 43 games, both all time records in any of the corn competitions. Their record in those games was 32-11.
And who knows how long the Rays would have held it had they not run into a one-game makeup of a previous postponement in Kansas City on August 26? The Royals won that single-game affair to take the prize from the Rays.
By then, though, it really was all over. The Rays finished 41-21 for the Killebrew. They set the all-time record with 13 Killebrew defenses. But they still, in many ways, fell short of the Texas Rangers' landmark 2011 season, which ended 44-22 with five titles and 12 defenses in 16 attempts.
2013 Harmon Killebrew Award results
Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.
Minnesota 2, Detroit 1 — April 1-4, at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Baltimore 1 — April 5-7 at Baltimore.
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 0 — April 8-10 at Kansas City.
Toronto 2, Kansas City 1 — April 12-14 at Kansas City.
Toronto 2, Chicago 2 — April 15-18 at Toronto (Toronto 17-8).
New York (AL) 2, Toronto 1 — April 19-21 at Toronto.
Tampa Bay 2, New York 1 — April 22-24 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Chicago 2 — April 25-28 at Chicago (Tampa Bay 24-17).
Kansas City 2, Tampa Bay 0 — April 30-May 1, at Kansas City.
Kansas City 2, Chicago 1 — May 4-6 at Chicago.
Baltimore 3, Kansas City 1 — May 6-9 at Baltimore.
Baltimore 2, Minnesota 1 — May 10-12 at Minneapolis.
Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 0 — May 17-19 at St. Petersburg.
Toronto 2, Tampa Bay 1 — May 20-22 at St. Petersburg.
Baltimore 2, Toronto 2 — May 23-26 at Baltimore (Baltimore, 29-27).
Baltimore 2, Detroit 1 — May 31-June 2 at Detroit.
Baltimore 2, Houston 1 — June 4-6 at Houston.
Tampa Bay 2, Baltimore 1 — June 7-9 at St. Petersburg.
Boston 2, Tampa Bay 1 — June 10-12 at St. Petersburg.
Baltimore 3, Boston 1 — June 13-16 at Baltimore.
Baltimore 2, Detroit 1 — June 17-19 at Detroit.
Toronto 3, Baltimore 0 — June 21-23 at Toronto.
Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 1 — June 24-26 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Detroit 1 — June 28-30 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 3, Houston 1 — July 1-4 at Houston.
Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 0 — July 5-7 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 4, Minnesota 0 — July 8-11 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Houston 1 — July 12-14 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 0 — July 19-21 at Toronto.
Tampa Bay 2, Boston 1 — July 22-24 at Boston.
Tampa Bay 2, New York 1 — July 26-28 at New York.
Tampa Bay 1, Boston 0 — July 29 at Boston.
Tampa Bay 2, Seattle 1 — August 13-15 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 1 — August 16-18 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Baltimore 1 — August 19-21 at Baltimore.
Tampa Bay 2, New York 1 — August 23-25 at St. Petersburg.
Kansas City 1, Tampa Bay 0 — August 26 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 0 — August 27-29 at Minneapolis.
Toronto 2, Kansas City 1 — August 30-September 1 at Toronto.
Toronto 3, Minnesota 0 — September 6-8 at Minneapolis.
ANGELS 3, Toronto 0 — September 10-12 at Toronto.
ANGELS 2, Houston 1 — September 13-15 at Houston.
ANGELS 2, Oakland 1 — September 16-18 at Oakland.
ANGELS 2, Seattle 1 — September 20-22 at Anaheim.
ANGELS 2, Oakland 1 — September 23-25 at Anaheim.
Texas 4, ANGELS 0 — September 26-29 at Arlington.
By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles
No team has ever produced a better two months in the corn competition than the Tampa Bay Rays in their pursuit of the Harmon Killebrew Award in 2013.
Going to late June, the Baltimore Orioles were the clear leaders with three victories and four title defenses in five attempts. The Rays had won it three times, but never with a successful defense.
All of that began to change June 24-26 in St. Petersburg, where the Rays snagged the Killebrew for the fourth time in a two-of-three win against the Toronto Blue Jays. From there, the Jays were unstoppable for two months, reeling off 13 consecutive title defenses and holding the Killebrew for 43 games, both all time records in any of the corn competitions. Their record in those games was 32-11.
And who knows how long the Rays would have held it had they not run into a one-game makeup of a previous postponement in Kansas City on August 26? The Royals won that single-game affair to take the prize from the Rays.
By then, though, it really was all over. The Rays finished 41-21 for the Killebrew. They set the all-time record with 13 Killebrew defenses. But they still, in many ways, fell short of the Texas Rangers' landmark 2011 season, which ended 44-22 with five titles and 12 defenses in 16 attempts.
2013 Harmon Killebrew Award results
Total run tiebreakers, if applicable, are given at the end of the results.
Minnesota 2, Detroit 1 — April 1-4, at Minneapolis.
Minnesota 2, Baltimore 1 — April 5-7 at Baltimore.
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 0 — April 8-10 at Kansas City.
Toronto 2, Kansas City 1 — April 12-14 at Kansas City.
Toronto 2, Chicago 2 — April 15-18 at Toronto (Toronto 17-8).
New York (AL) 2, Toronto 1 — April 19-21 at Toronto.
Tampa Bay 2, New York 1 — April 22-24 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Chicago 2 — April 25-28 at Chicago (Tampa Bay 24-17).
Kansas City 2, Tampa Bay 0 — April 30-May 1, at Kansas City.
Kansas City 2, Chicago 1 — May 4-6 at Chicago.
Baltimore 3, Kansas City 1 — May 6-9 at Baltimore.
Baltimore 2, Minnesota 1 — May 10-12 at Minneapolis.
Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 0 — May 17-19 at St. Petersburg.
Toronto 2, Tampa Bay 1 — May 20-22 at St. Petersburg.
Baltimore 2, Toronto 2 — May 23-26 at Baltimore (Baltimore, 29-27).
Baltimore 2, Detroit 1 — May 31-June 2 at Detroit.
Baltimore 2, Houston 1 — June 4-6 at Houston.
Tampa Bay 2, Baltimore 1 — June 7-9 at St. Petersburg.
Boston 2, Tampa Bay 1 — June 10-12 at St. Petersburg.
Baltimore 3, Boston 1 — June 13-16 at Baltimore.
Baltimore 2, Detroit 1 — June 17-19 at Detroit.
Toronto 3, Baltimore 0 — June 21-23 at Toronto.
Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 1 — June 24-26 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Detroit 1 — June 28-30 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 3, Houston 1 — July 1-4 at Houston.
Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 0 — July 5-7 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 4, Minnesota 0 — July 8-11 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Houston 1 — July 12-14 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 0 — July 19-21 at Toronto.
Tampa Bay 2, Boston 1 — July 22-24 at Boston.
Tampa Bay 2, New York 1 — July 26-28 at New York.
Tampa Bay 1, Boston 0 — July 29 at Boston.
Tampa Bay 2, Seattle 1 — August 13-15 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Toronto 1 — August 16-18 at St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay 2, Baltimore 1 — August 19-21 at Baltimore.
Tampa Bay 2, New York 1 — August 23-25 at St. Petersburg.
Kansas City 1, Tampa Bay 0 — August 26 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 0 — August 27-29 at Minneapolis.
Toronto 2, Kansas City 1 — August 30-September 1 at Toronto.
Toronto 3, Minnesota 0 — September 6-8 at Minneapolis.
ANGELS 3, Toronto 0 — September 10-12 at Toronto.
ANGELS 2, Houston 1 — September 13-15 at Houston.
ANGELS 2, Oakland 1 — September 16-18 at Oakland.
ANGELS 2, Seattle 1 — September 20-22 at Anaheim.
ANGELS 2, Oakland 1 — September 23-25 at Anaheim.
Texas 4, ANGELS 0 — September 26-29 at Arlington.
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