Most Underrated Twins Players of All-Time - Mine: Brian Harper

[Loosey]

After reading Seth's interview with Brian Olsen I made a joke about how the last time the Twins had a catcher named Brian the Twins won the World Series.  I then proceeded to go look up just how good or not good Harper was for the Twins.  My memory as a 9 year old sometimes inflated Twins players to being better than they actually were due to my love of the Twins.

 

In this case however, I may not have remembered just how good Brian Harper actually was for the Twins.  My memory only recalls his time with the Twins.  But doing a little research shows that Harper's talent was wasted by multiple teams for about a 5 year stretch. 

 

He was a catcher in the Angels organization and hit for power and average but had a reputation as a bad defensive catcher.  He bounced around from Pittsburgh to St. Louis and Detroit, only catching in 6 games, mostly DH'ing and attempting to convert him to 1st or OF, before signing with the Twins.

 

Once he signed with the Twins he caught for 655 games in 6 seasons.  Although he was never a stud defensively, he was right around league average in caught stealing %, and seemed to be able to handle the pitching staff pretty well.  What he lacked defensively though he made up for it with his bat.

 

From 1988-1993 he posted .306/.342/.431 line.  He hit 48 HR's in that stretch and tallied an OPS+ of 110.  A stat I found pretty amazing is in his 2691 plate appearances with the Twins he struck out only 128 times!  He also only walked 111 times, but still.  That is ridiculous.  

 

On top of all of this he helped lead the team to the 1991 World Series and was involved in 2 awesome plays that I can remember.  One play was the collision with Lonnie Smith in which he held on to the ball for the out, the other was the game saving Hrbek to Harper back to Hrbek double play.

 

For some reason Harper seems to be forgotten in Twins lore and history.   And when he is remembered he is talked about in passing.  I think it is time he gets some recognition.  If he were playing in today's game he would be one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. 

 

Does anyone else here feel this way about Harper?  What other players were there that fly or flew under the radar and were highly underrated when we take a look back.  I'm interested to read about other guys.

 

 

[DJL44]

Harper was my favorite when I was younger. The guy could flat-out hit.

[big dog]

Shane Mack.  5 years with the Twins, 1990-1994.  Played 5 full seasons (including all of the strike-shortened 1994 as a full season).

 

OPS+ was 133, 140, 139, 100, 147.

OBP was .392, .363, .394, .335, .402.

 

Very creditable outfielder, or at least that's how I remember him.

 

Let's get another one of those.

[Loosey]

 

Shane Mack.  5 years with the Twins, 1990-1994.  Played 5 full seasons (including all of the strike-shortened 1994 as a full season).

 

OPS+ was 133, 140, 139, 100, 147.

OBP was .392, .363, .394, .335, .402.

 

Very creditable outfielder, or at least that's how I remember him.

 

Let's get another one of those.

I loved Shane Mack!

[#1ShaneMackFan]

Agreed on Harper and Mack.  Love them both.  When they made the 50 greatest Twins a few years ago, and Shane Mack was not included it was a dark day.  Dan Gladden made it and Shane Mack did not.  Just unbelievable.

[DaveW]

 

Agreed on Harper and Mack.  Love them both.  When they made the 50 greatest Twins a few years ago, and Shane Mack was not included it was a dark day.  Dan Gladden made it and Shane Mack did not.  Just unbelievable.

It's ok Shane, you will always be top 50 to us.

[awinter]

Brian Harper hit a grand slam in the first game I ever attended.

 

How about adding Eduardo Escobar to this list?

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

I don't know if he had enough good seasons to be considered underrated, but Allan Anderson won 33 games in 1988/89 and even won an ERA title. It's just too bad he accomplished those things in between the Twins' World Series runs, otherwise he wouldn't be so forgotten. Hell, Les Straker is probably more well known than Anderson.

[Benchwarmerjim]

 

I don't know if he had enough good seasons to be considered underrated, but Allan Anderson won 33 games in 1988/89 and even won an ERA title. It's just too bad he accomplished those things in between the Twins' World Series runs, otherwise he wouldn't be so forgotten. Hell, Les Straker is probably more well known than Anderson.

 

Anderson's ERA title...He sat out the last game of the season because he wanted to keep that ERA title after Teddy Higuera gave up a few runs in his last start (both finished at 2.45 ERA but Anderson's was a fraction lower when the number was not rounded)

 

Every once in a while, you'll hear Dan Gladden talk about that and he still gets mad because he felt Anderson put his numbers over giving his team a chance to win.

[zenser]

I was a fan of both Mack and Harper.  Very solid players and fun to watch as a kid.  I also really liked Greg Gagne. 

[Monkeypaws]

I'll go with co-Rookie of the Year John Castino: good bat, great glove, bad back.

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

 

Anderson's ERA title...He sat out the last game of the season because he wanted to keep that ERA title after Teddy Higuera gave up a few runs in his last start (both finished at 2.45 ERA but Anderson's was a fraction lower when the number was not rounded)

 

Every once in a while, you'll hear Dan Gladden talk about that and he still gets mad because he felt Anderson put his numbers over giving his team a chance to win.

 

I remember Jose Reyes doing something similar to that a few years ago. It's a shame Anderson didn't have more belief in his abilities as a pitcher (he could have lowered his ERA).

[DocBauer]

Harper was vastly undervalued and Mack was just so good all around. The only negative on either one is they just didn't put up the huge numbers. 

 

Randy Bush was always a favorite of mine. Never a star, never the huge numbers either, but he was just such a great role player over the years. He was a solid hitter with decent power and a knack in the clutch. He was solid in both OF corners, 1B, productive as a DH, outstanding as a PH for his career, and even stole a few bases

[DocBauer]

 

I'll go with co-Rookie of the Year John Castino: good bat, great glove, bad back.

Man....what a nice player he would have been long term if his back was sound!! One of the biggest "what a shame" players in Twins history.

[jimmer]

Punto :-)

[Monkeypaws]

 

Man....what a nice player he would have been long term if his back was sound!! One of the biggest "what a shame" players in Twins history.

No doubt - his career only lasted five years.

[Dantes929]

 

Harper was vastly undervalued and Mack was just so good all around. The only negative on either one is they just didn't put up the huge numbers. 

 

Randy Bush was always a favorite of mine. Never a star, never the huge numbers either, but he was just such a great role player over the years. He was a solid hitter with decent power and a knack in the clutch. He was solid in both OF corners, 1B, productive as a DH, outstanding as a PH for his career, and even stole a few bases

The first name that came to my mind was also Shane Mack and it is supported by the fact that a guy like Doc says he didn't put up huge numbers.    Mack's OPS with the Twins .854.    Puckett's .837  Hrbek .848 Mauer .845  Oliva .830, Carew .841.    You can't really say it was small sample size since it was 2400 at bats with the Twins.  .   One of the sad things is he was having a monster year with a .966 OPS through 81 games when the 2004 season came to a halt due to strike.  

I am guessing a reasonable case could be made to put him in the top 10 much less the top 50.      

[Dantes929]

 

Punto :-)

Naw.   All he did is win where ever he went.   What's so great about that?    I would maybe put Butera on there, not because of how good he was but because of how very bad everyone thought he was.    The fact that he has made several different playoff teams tells me he was under valued.   

[Thrylos]

I think that most Twins fans realize that both Harper and Mack were major contributors, at least in 1991 and they are in high regard.  

 

The one guy who when left from that core, the Twins fell apart, was Chili Davis.   I don't think that many people put Chili up there, but in 1991 and 1992 he was up there with Kirby and Mack.   And much bigger contributor than Hrbek in those 2 seasons.

 

So he would get my most underrated vote as far as a position player goes. 

 

On the pitching side has to be Jeff Reardon.  Reardon did more for the Twins in 1987 than Morris did in 1991 yet see where these 2 are in the fans' ratings.   That '86 bullpen with Ron Davis and Keith Atherton sharing the closing duties was...

 

I think that without Reardon and Davis the Twins would not win it all in 87 and 91 and they are just not regarded as high as some of their teammates...