Glew: Albers made memorable MLB debut 12 years ago
Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) made his MLB debut 12 years ago today. Photo: YouTube
August 6, 2025
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
On this date 12 years ago, left-hander Andrew Albers (North Battleford Sask.) had one of the most impressive major league debuts by a Canadian pitcher.
With his parents and two sisters in the stands, he started for the Minnesota Twins and allowed just four hits in 8 1/3 scoreless innings in the Twins’ 7-0 win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
“It was special – no question,” the then 27-year-old Albers told MLB.com after the game. “It’s hard to put into words, but it was special. To be able to go out and have that kind of performance in your debut. Unfortunately it’s not going to get much better from there. So, I’m just going to enjoy this high and really enjoy tonight.”
Eric Hosmer, the second batter of the game for the Royals, singled off Albers, but he was erased on a double play grounder by Billy Butler. Albers then retired 15 batters in a row prior to permitting a single to Alcides Escobar in the sixth.
Hosmer and Escobar added singles in the seventh and ninth innings respectively to account for the Royals’ four hits.
Albers walked one and struck out two in the contest. He threw 67 of his 109 pitches for strikes before being replaced by reliever Casey Fien with one out in the ninth inning.
The Canuck southpaw fell just two outs short of becoming the first Twins pitcher to throw a shutout in their MLB debut.
“It would’ve been nice,” said Albers of tossing a shutout. “I was definitely getting tired. It would’ve been tough with Hosmer, Butler and Gordon coming up. It was the heart of the lineup and they had already seen me three times. I was pretty fatigued and it was hot out there. But I wanted it and it would’ve been nice.”
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was reluctant to take Albers out of the game in the ninth.
“I did not want to go out there and take him out,” Gardenhire told MLB.com. “He was totally out of gas at the end and I didn’t want to see him walking off at the end after giving up a hit or something crazy. But, wow, that was fun to watch. To do that in your first big league performance against a team that’s red hot like that was pretty special for us. We needed it desperately.”
With the win, the Twins improved to 49-61 on the season, while the Royals dropped to 57-53.
To support his fellow Canadian, Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) belted a two-run home run off Royals starter James Shields in the first inning. That followed a leadoff homer by Brian Dozier.
Canadian George Kottaras (Scarborough, Ont.) was the starting catcher for the Royals and he accounted for both of Albers’ strikeouts.
Albers’ 8 1/3 innings ranks as the second-most scoreless innings thrown by a Canadian pitcher in their major league debut.
Right-hander Ron Taylor did not allow a run in his first 11 innings in his big league debut with Cleveland against the Boston Red Sox on April 11, 1962. In the 12th inning, however, Red Sox right fielder Carroll Hardy belted a walk-off grand slam home run off Taylor to give the home squad a 4-0 victory.
Albers’ MLB debut was one of the feel-good Canadian baseball stories of 2013.
The determined lefty, who worked as a school teacher in the off-season, had endured Tommy John surgery and toiled in the minors for parts of five seasons prior to getting his call-up.
As recently as 2010, he had been pitching as a reliever for the Quebec Capitales of the independent Can-Am League.
“You dream about this,” said Albers after his MLB debut, “but you never know if it’ll actually happen.”