After jumping from Double-A Orlando to Minnesota in June 1990, Erickson had the lowest ERA (2.87) for a Twins' rookie since Doug corbett in '80. As of Sunday, his record since Sept. 1 was 10-2, and Minnesota failed to score a run for him in the two defeats. erickson, who is 6 ft. 4 in., 225 pounds, has a nasty slider and a fastball that either sinks or bores in on righthanded hitters. Twins catch Junior Ortiz calls Erickson "the hardest pitcher I've ever caught" because his ball moves so much.
Despite his heroics, Erickson doesn't look good on the mound. His stirrup socks extend down so close to his shoes that one cannot see a trace of his white sanitary hose. He looks as if he were earing black dress socks. "I keep my socks down; it helps me keep my ball down," says Erickson. "It looks like I'm wearing hightops. I've always done it this way. I'm not changing now."
Outfielder Kirby Puckett, who calls Erickson "Superman" because of his
resemblance to actor Christopher Reeve, says Erickson's socks look "ugly,
but I'm not telling him. He's bigger than me. He's bigger than Superman."
Lately, he's been pitching like a man of steel.