The Twins’ Greatest Players: Pioneers & Unicorns

[Cody Christie]

The Sporting News has been reviewing the 140 greatest baseball players of all time through a different approach to ranking the game's legends. Rather than placing every player on a single list, the publication has divided its selections into 14 positionless rooms, each representing a different archetype of greatness. Each room features 10 players whose careers share a defining characteristic, from sustained excellence to unforgettable performances and unusual legacies.

According to The Sporting News, “Our ‘rooms’ serve not only to honor the game’s greatest players, but to contextualize their standing in baseball history — for better or worse.” The publication developed this concept while celebrating its 140-year history, recognizing that comparing players from different eras can be difficult when the game has changed so dramatically. The Sporting News explains the reasoning behind its 14-room approach.

From a Minnesota Twins perspective, this series identifies two players for each of the 14 rooms. Some former Twins might fit into different categories when viewed on a national level, but their accomplishments still connect to the themes behind each room. This installment looks at two players who helped establish the franchise's identity and two others whose unusual abilities made them stand out in baseball history.

Pioneers

The Sporting News describes its Pioneers as players who went first. They reimagined who could play and how the game could be played, helping build the foundation for those who followed.

From a Twins perspective, this category can include players who helped establish the franchise's identity during its early years in Minnesota. Bob Allison provided one of the organization's first defining moments, while Camilo Pascual demonstrated how a distinctive pitching approach and international baseball background could become part of a successful major league career.

Bob Allison

Bob Allison might not be the first name that comes to mind when discussing the greatest players in Twins history, but his contributions to the franchise's early years make him an important figure.

Allison began his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1958. He quickly became one of the team's most exciting young players, winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1959. That season, he hit 30 home runs, drove in 85 runs and led the league with nine triples. He also earned his first All-Star selection, beginning a career in which he would appear in three All-Star Games. 

When the Senators relocated to Minnesota and became the Twins in 1961, Allison helped welcome major league baseball to the Upper Midwest. In the franchise's first game, he hit the first home run in Twins history, connecting off Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford during a 6-0 Minnesota victory.

That moment represented more than a home run. The franchise was beginning a new chapter in a new market, and Allison became one of its first recognizable stars.  Allison's production continued in Minnesota. He hit 256 career home runs over 13 seasons with the Senators and Twins, using a powerful swing and an aggressive approach on the basepaths. His physical style also made him a memorable defensive player. He crashed into outfield walls, made daring catches and rarely shied away from contact when running the bases.

His most memorable defensive moment came during Game 2 of the 1965 World Series. With the game scoreless in the fifth inning and a runner aboard, Allison made a diving, backhanded catch of a sinking line drive from Los Angeles Dodgers hitter Jim Lefebvre. The play helped preserve Minnesota's advantage in a game the Twins eventually won 5-1. It remains one of the most celebrated defensive plays in franchise history.

The Twins lost that World Series in seven games, but Allison had helped establish the identity of a team that would become a perennial contender during the decade. Alongside Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Zoilo Versalles and others, he formed part of the core that took Minnesota to its first American League pennant.

Allison was not a pioneer in the same sense as a player who broke baseball's racial or competitive barriers. His importance to this room comes from helping establish the Twins in Minnesota, both through his early accomplishments and his role in the development of the franchise's first great teams.

Camilo Pascual

Camilo Pascual brought a different kind of pioneering influence to Minnesota. Born in Havana, Cuba, Pascual became one of the most accomplished Cuban-born pitchers of his era, earning recognition for a curveball that could leave even established major league hitters guessing.

Pascual signed with the Washington Senators as a teenager and made his major league debut in 1954. His early career was difficult because he pitched for struggling Washington teams, but his talent was unmistakable. The right-hander developed one of the most devastating curveballs in baseball, a pitch that became the foundation of his success. 

His career took a major turn when the Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961. With a stronger supporting cast around him, Pascual emerged as a frontline starter. He won 15 games in 1961, then delivered back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1962 and 1963. Pascual's 1963 campaign was particularly impressive. He finished 21-9 and continued to establish himself as one of the most difficult pitchers in the league to hit. His curveball allowed him to generate strikeouts while keeping hitters off balance, giving Minnesota a dependable weapon at the front of its rotation.

Over his major league career, Pascual recorded 174 wins, a 3.63 ERA and 2,167 strikeouts. He also became a five-time All-Star and continued working in baseball after his playing career ended, including a stint as a Twins pitching coach and many years as an international scout.

Pascual's place in the Pioneers room is based on his career representing the growing influence of Cuban baseball talent in the American game. He demonstrated that a player coming from Cuba could become one of the league's leading pitchers, and his success was part of the broader international history of the Twins.

Unicorns

The Sporting News describes its Unicorns as players who broke the mold by redefining excellence. These are rare figures whose combination of skills makes direct comparisons difficult. What made them different from other players was also what made them great.

César Tovar and Earl Battey fit this description in different ways. Tovar's positional versatility and aggressive style made him one of baseball's most unusual players, while Battey's combination of defensive excellence and offensive production set him apart among catchers of his era.

César Tovar

César Tovar was one of the most versatile players in Twins history. The Venezuelan-born utilityman played with energy, speed and a willingness to fill virtually any role his team needed. He was not a superstar in the conventional sense, but his unusual skill set made him an invaluable part of Minnesota's lineup during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Tovar joined the Twins in 1965 and gradually became a fixture at the top of the batting order. He primarily played in the outfield during his major league career, but he could handle nearly every position on the field. His versatility became one of the defining aspects of his career, allowing managers to use him wherever they needed help.

On September 22, 1968, Tovar achieved one of baseball's most unusual feats. He played all nine defensive positions in a single major league game against Oakland. Tovar started on the mound, struck out Reggie Jackson during his inning of work, then moved behind the plate before rotating through the infield and outfield. He became only the second player in major league history to accomplish the feat at the time.

The game was partly a promotional stunt, but the fact that Tovar could execute it reflected his unusual athletic ability. His versatility was not limited to one memorable afternoon. He regularly moved between positions throughout his career, allowing Minnesota to adjust its lineup without sacrificing speed or offensive production.

Tovar's value was also apparent with the bat. He hit .281 in eight seasons with Minnesota, collecting 1,164 hits, 193 doubles, 45 triples and 186 stolen bases. He led the American League in doubles and triples in 1970, then recorded a career-high 204 hits in 1971. He also received MVP votes in five consecutive seasons from 1967 through 1971. 

Tovar was an ideal table-setter for Minnesota's lineup, which included power hitters such as Killebrew and Oliva. His speed allowed him to create scoring opportunities, while his contact ability helped keep the offense moving. He also had a knack for getting on base by taking pitches, finishing his career with 88 hit-by-pitches.

The Unicorns category fits Tovar because very few players have combined his level of offensive production with such extreme positional flexibility. His career serves as a reminder that greatness does not always come from being the best at one thing. Sometimes it comes from doing several things well enough to become indispensable.

Earl Battey

Earl Battey was one of the best catchers in the American League during the early years of the Minnesota Twins. His defensive ability, strong throwing arm and leadership behind the plate made him a central figure on the franchise's first successful teams. Battey originally played for the Chicago White Sox before being traded to the Washington Senators in 1960. When the franchise moved to Minnesota the following season, he became one of the cornerstones of the new Twins organization.

His defensive ability quickly earned recognition. Battey won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1960 through 1962, establishing himself as one of the league's premier defensive catchers. He also developed into a reliable offensive contributor, giving Minnesota a player who could influence games on both sides of the ball.

Battey's best offensive season came in 1963, when he hit 26 home runs and finished seventh in American League MVP voting. He was selected to start the All-Star Game that summer, joining a Twins lineup filled with power hitters. Although his home run total was impressive, his value extended well beyond his bat.

One of Battey's greatest strengths was his ability to control the running game. In 1965, he threw out 26 of the 54 runners who attempted to steal against him, a remarkable rate of nearly 48 percent. His throwing arm helped limit opposing teams' ability to manufacture runs, and he was a major part of Minnesota's defensive foundation.

That same season, Battey hit .297 and helped the Twins win 102 games and capture the American League pennant. He started the All-Star Game and remained a central figure behind the plate as Minnesota advanced to the World Series. Although the Dodgers ultimately won the championship, Battey's role in the club's success was substantial.

Battey finished his major league career with a .270 batting average, 104 home runs and 449 RBI. He was a five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, providing Minnesota with an elite catcher during one of the most important periods in franchise history.

Battey fits the Unicorns room because of the unusual combination of skills he brought to a demanding position. Catchers are often evaluated primarily on defense, but Battey also provided meaningful power and offensive production. His ability to manage a pitching staff, throw out baserunners and contribute to the middle of a lineup made him a distinctive player.

His legacy is especially important when remembering the early Twins teams. Battey was not simply a defensive specialist behind the plate. He was one of the team's leaders and a key contributor to its rise from a relocated franchise into an American League contender.

Four Players Who Helped Shape Twins History

Allison, Pascual, Tovar and Battey represent different paths to baseball greatness. Allison helped establish the Twins' identity in Minnesota, from hitting the franchise's first home run to making memorable plays during the 1965 World Series. Pascual brought an exceptional curveball and a successful Cuban baseball background to the American League, becoming one of the early franchise's most accomplished pitchers.

Tovar and Battey, meanwhile, demonstrated how unusual combinations of skills could help make a player indispensable. Tovar's ability to play all nine positions and contribute as an offensive table-setter made him one of the game's most versatile players. Battey's defensive excellence, strong arm and offensive production gave Minnesota a rare combination behind the plate.

The Sporting News' room concept encourages baseball fans to look beyond traditional rankings and consider the different ways players have shaped the game. In Minnesota, these four players show that greatness can come from helping establish a franchise, bringing a distinctive skill to the mound or developing a combination of abilities that few others can match.

Their careers also remind fans that the history of the Twins is built from more than championship seasons and award winners. It is shaped by the players who helped define the franchise's identity and the ones who made baseball look a little different whenever they took the field.

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What other players fit in these rooms? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

Image courtesy of Minnesota Twins

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[Rigby]

Four of my all-time favorite Twins. Nice they are being recognized.