Twins Announce New 2024 Team Hall of Fame Members

[Nick Nelson]

Former general manager Terry Ryan and longtime coaching staff staple Rick Stelmaszek will be enshrined this summer.

Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, the Twins inducted Joe Mauer into their team Hall of Fame, one year ahead of his formal induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This year, he will be followed into the franchise's honorary club by the general manager who drafted him, and a man who coached Mauer during a large portion of his playing career.

Terry Ryan overtook the GM reins from Andy MacPhail in 1994, with big shoes to fill after the Twins won a pair of World Series under his predecessor. Ryan spent several years rebuilding Minnesota into a contender and oversaw a flourishing decade in the 2000s, which saw the team win six division titles in nine years.

Ryan's front office made many key moves and decisions to fuel this success, including the call to draft Mauer No. 1 overall in 2001. Other memorable moments for TR included the Johan Santana acquisition, the A.J. Pierzynski trade, and the deadline deal for Shannon Stewart in 2003.

Ryan sat in the general manager's chair in Minnesota from '94 to 2016, with a hiatus from 2008 through 2011 during which he stepped down and Bill Smith took over.

Terry Ryan is viewed in the game as a legendary scout, and also one of the most kind, honest, straightforward baseball executives to come around over the years. The time he gave to people covering the team, including lowly bloggers like ourselves, will not be forgotten.

Rick Stelmaszek was a coach in the Twins organization for 32 consecutive years, starting all the back in 1980. Serving mostly as a catching coach or bullpen coach, "Stelly" worked under five different managers, including Tom Kelly during both of the World Series teams. He was a franchise institution up until the team parted ways with him in 2012.

Stelmaszek passed away from pancreatic cancer in November of 2017 at the age of 69, so this will be a posthumous tribute to a man who was beloved by all who encountered him in the Twins organization.

The Minnesota Twins 2024 Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on August 11th at Target Field.

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[tony&rodney]

Excellent choices. Fine gentlemen and outstanding baseball people. The Twins have been blessed to have some good humans working for the organization. Terry Ryan is one of them. 

[Blyleven2011]

I have alot of respect for Terry Ryan  , he put together some good teams  that won divisions  ...

He also put together some awful teams  , but he wasn't allotted  the kind of spending the current front office  has been approved to spend ...

Ryan is a good baseball man ...

Congratulations  ...

[h2oface]

Congrats to the recipients or their family. I always think of a Hall of Fame being comprised of extraordinary accomplishments and individuals, and not just good baseball men, but good  for them. 

[DocBauer]

I have tremendous respect for Ryan. He was a great scout, and helped build some very good rosters for the early 21st Century teams. I wish he had just spent a little more instead of being proud of what he built. I guess that was the old school part of him. But under his watch, the Twins had some really great teams in the early '00 that just SHOULD have done more in the playoffs.

But he built those playoff teams. And you don't always win. But we wouldn't have been in those positions to win without him.

Stelly was a respected coach for 32yrs before being let go. He helped the Twins win 2 WS and numerous division championships in his tenure. I guess, at some point, changes are always made. I doubt he had anything but great memories for his career. It's just sad the F'er that is cancer took his life before he could be enshrined. I hope his family takes great joy in his enrichment to the Twins HOF.