Name your favorite lesser-known Twins players

[Seth Stohs]

I'll start... 

Fred Tolliver. 

I remember collecting his Phillies rookie cards, and then he briefly became a Twins player. 

Your turn... Name some lesser known Twins of the past, and what reminded you of them. 

[matthew0211]

Andre David.  He drew a bases loaded walk in the 12th inning to beat the Blue Jays in the first Twins game I ever attended in 1984.   Boxscore

[Rosterman]

Pat Neshek. He won the game at which I proposed to my wife!

 

[stringer bell]

Gary Wayne.

[Seth Stohs]

54 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Gary Wayne.

Successful Rule 5 pick! 

[Seth Stohs]

How about Chris Pittaro? Once a top prospect in all of baseball with the Tigers, he came to the Twins and didn't do much there either... However, he and Billy Beane became friends and both became highly-respected baseball executives. 

[USAFChief]

Shane Mack. Not really "unknown" I guess, at least to long time fans, but he was really good and underappreciated.

 

Brant Alyea: I remember the start he had to the 1970 season...I was convinced he'd hit like that forever.

Spoiler alert: he didn't. But always  will have a place in a 12 year old's heart.

[SirLoin]

Dave Gassner

Played at a golf course in Appleton, WI where his brother was working in the pro shop days before he made his first start.  Gassner won that first start and I remember the brother saying how excited he was to go to Minneapolis to pitch his next start.  How did that start go?  1.2 IP 6 H 4 ER

I believe he was injured in that start and never seen or heard from again.

[Dman]

Danny Ford and Lyman Bostock.  I thought Bostock was superman.  He could really jump and steal HR's.  Was good with the bat too.  I was mad when the Twins couldn't keep him and then he was tragically killed in Oakland.  He was an amazing player and left an impression on me.

[Vanimal46]

Sweet Lew Ford. Left for dead by the MLB over a decade ago and has found a niche in Independent ball. He is STILL playing today at 44 years old. 

[bighat]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Gary Wayne.

He had quite the hinkey delivery!

[bighat]

2 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

I'll start... 

Fred Tolliver. 

I remember collecting his Phillies rookie cards, and then he briefly became a Twins player. 

Your turn... Name some lesser known Twins of the past, and what reminded you of them. 

I have Fred Tolliver's autograph on a baseball. After a game at the Dome I went to the exit where the players came out, did this for a few games that particular summer. Anyway, I think the first autograph I ever had signed in real life by a baseball player was Mr. Tolliver's. Was a big moment for me.

[bighat]

How about a tip of the cap to Matt Lawton? He was a bright spot on some pretty bad Twins teams for a couple years.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Glenn Williams

[lecroy24fan]

Pat Meares

[East Coast Twin]

Jim Holt.

 

[Thegrin]

Eric Soderholm. Because I loved the scrappy way he played 3b.

[Seth Stohs]

1 hour ago, bighat said:

How about a tip of the cap to Matt Lawton? He was a bright spot on some pretty bad Twins teams for a couple years.

Vastly underrated. Definitely a Top 50 Twins player of all time! And, coached current Twins prospect Willie Joe Garry on a travel team. 

[h2oface]

Cesar Tovar. All 5'9" 155lbs. Roamed center field '66-'72. Just saying his name is fun. 1970 was perhaps his best year. If you don't know who his is, check him out!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I'll also add a small vote for Andrew Albers, with the caveat that i don't want to know what combination of unfortunate events might result in him being called up again.

PS.

He's pitching for St. Paul tonight...

[Seth Stohs]

I wonder if Bernardo Brito had come around 15 years later... maybe he's a DH for years. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

It feels kind of lazy and easy to say this but Greg Gagne.

[Pius Jefferson]

Really thought it was neat when Allan Anderson won the ERA title in 1988.

[howeda7]

Ron Coomer

[wsnydes]

6 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

It feels kind of lazy and easy to say this but Greg Gagne.

He's my answer too.  I even copied his batting stance for a while as a kid.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Jason Tyner! Did something kind for me for no reason, when some other guys were acting more like immature brats. (many players are; never meet your heroes, etc)

[roger]

I'll go with Luke Hughes, Seth.   Gotta love those Aussies that Howie used to sign for the Twins.

Correct me if my memory is in error, but didn't he get a home run in his first AB with the Twins?  Remember he was with maybe Oakland for a bit after the Twins, but his MLB career was short, wasn't it?

[Dodecahedron]

Bill James said it best about Brian Harper.

"Harper should have had a much better career than he did. He lost a lot of his career to other people's stupidity. He was drafted by the Angels in 1977, hit .293 with 24 homers, 101 RBI at Quad Cities in 1978, then hit .315 with 37 doubles, 90 RBI at El Paso in 1979. The Angels at that time were building entirely around free agents and veterans, in no mood to give a young player a chance. At Salt Lake City in '81 he hit .350 with 45 doubles, 28 homers, 122 RBI. The Angels traded him to Pittsburgh. The Pirates already had Tony Pena and Steve Nicosia; they needed another catcher like they needed a first baseman. Harper tried to convert to the outfield or first base. He wasn't fast enough to play the outfield; nobody was sure he would hit enough to play first. He bounced over to St. Louis, Detroit, Oakland, Minnesota. He was (28) by the time he got a chance to play."

[puckstopper1]

So many names running thru my head on this one, Seth.  I'm going to give you two.

1) Brian Harper - Kind of a "quiet" free agent acquisition who played a significant role in the 1991 World Series Championship team. He also hit over .300 overall during his 6 seasons with the team.

2) Dick Stigman - I never saw him play, but my Dad grew up playing against him in Northern MN!

[bighat]

15 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

Vastly underrated. Definitely a Top 50 Twins player of all time! And, coached current Twins prospect Willie Joe Garry on a travel team. 

Liked Willie Joe as a draft pick coming out of HS. Looks like he's struggling a bit in the minors though, at least briefly looking at his standard stats.

Currently with the Mussels (Low-A) hitting .169 after 124 ABs. That lost season last year really hurt him - wonder how many careers were ruined by the Covid-19 pandemic? Don't really expect an answer, just food for thought. Too bad.