Name your favorite lesser-known Twins players

[Greglw3]

On 6/25/2021 at 1:31 PM, mnfireman said:

Funderburk = Classic AAAA player

It was weird when the Twins finally gave him a little chance in 1985 that he had an .880 OPS after hitting 34 HR in AA. One would think this indicated he was ready for success but two years later his MLB career was over.

[Greglw3]

3 hours ago, Craig Arko said:

Have not seen Bob Darwin mentioned, so I’ll recall those long HR’s.

I remember Larry Calton always saying "Man oh man oh man" to those long home runs

[Otto von Ballpark]

On 6/25/2021 at 1:31 PM, mnfireman said:

Funderburk = Classic AAAA player

 

6 hours ago, Greglw3 said:

It was weird when the Twins finally gave him a little chance in 1985 that he had an .880 OPS after hitting 34 HR in AA. One would think this indicated he was ready for success but two years later his MLB career was over.

Looking at his stats, I’m not even sure I’d call Funderburk a AAAA player — he actually hit poorly in AAA for his career: .204/.262/.355, .617 OPS in 654 PA.

Funderburk was solid at AA though and got to rack up 558 games and 2246 PA at that level. And his nice MLB cameo in  September 1985 came after a promotion straight from AA at age 28 too. Not sure what you’d call a “AAAA” player without the AAA.

[Greglw3]

41 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

 

Looking at his stats, I’m not even sure I’d call Funderburk a AAAA player — he actually hit poorly in AAA for his career: .204/.262/.355, .617 OPS in 654 PA.

Funderburk was solid at AA though and got to rack up 558 games and 2246 PA at that level. And his nice MLB cameo in  September 1985 came after a promotion straight from AA at age 28 too. Not sure what you’d call a “AAAA” player without the AAA.

I'm not sure either! He was one of the more intriguing prospects along the way. It’s fun for me just to talk about him. I think I saw him in Toledo, my birthplace and home until 1990. That’s when Twins were still parent club, I think I was with my Grandpa from Orlando, FL (see the connection?!) in Toledo when Funderburk hit a titanic blast! y Grandpa said, "There it goes," but the old Mud Hens stadium was the place where fly balls go to die so as massive a blast as it was, I think it was caught.

[tombazomba]

Bob Gorinski, I was in the Bob Gorinski fan club, in the left field bleachers, in the late 70's

[SanoMustGo]

Of's Hosken Powell & Willie Norwood

[AceWrigley]

Bobby Darwin was a fun player to root for in the early 70's. Converted Dodger pitcher to outfielder. Could hit 25 homers, drive in some runs. Played an almost adequate CF but mostly was the right fielder 1972-75 before being traded to the Brewers for Johnny Briggs. Kind of a long swing (lead the AL in strikeouts 3 straight years) but when he timed one, "Boom."