Also posted at wgom.org
Jose Valdivielso (1934)
Ron Piche (1935)
Infielder Jose Lopez Valdivielso was one of the original Twins, playing for them in 1961. He was born in Matanzas, Cuba. He started in organized baseball in 1953, joining the Washington organization in 1954. He came up to the majors in late June of 1955 and was the regular Washington shortstop the rest of the season. He hit .221 with an OPS of .594, yet somehow got a tenth-place vote
Also posted in wgom.org
Kent Hrbek (1960)
First baseman Kent Allen Hrbek played his entire 14-year major league career, 1981-1994, with the Twins. He was born in Minneapolis, raised in Bloomington, and drafted by Minnesota in the 17th round in 1978. He hit only .203 in 59 at-bats in Elizabethton that year, but improved to .267 with 19 homers in Wisconsin Rapids in 1980. In 1981, he hit .379 with 27 homers at Class A Visalia, and that was as much as the Twins need to
No major league players with connections to the Minnesota Twins were born on this day.
Also posted at wgom.org
Dan Ford (1952)
Outfielder Darnell Glenn “Disco Danny” Ford played for the Twins from 1975-1978. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ford was drafted by Oakland in the first round in 1970. He spent his first two seasons at Class A Burlington, hitting .354 with 18 homers the second year. That got him promoted to AAA Tucson, where he also spent two seasons. Ford hit around .280 with double digit home runs in each season, but the Athletics were apparently
Also posted at wgom.org
Carroll Hardy (1933)
Andre David (1958)
Rich Garces (1971)
Outfielder Carroll William Hardy played in 11 games for the Twins in 1967. Born and raised in Sturgis, South Dakota, Hardy attended the University of Colorado and signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 1955. Hardy began his minor league career that season with Class A Reading; he also played running back for the San Francisco 49ers that season. He stuck with baseball after