Terry Jorgensen

Terry Jorgensen was born on September 2, 1966, in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. After a stellar athletic career at Luxemburg-Casco High School, he stayed close to home and attended Division III powerhouse, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He helped the team to a national championship in 1985. 

In 1987, the 6-4 infielder was the second round draft pick of the Twins. He spent that summer with the Twins Low-A affiliate in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He hit .315 with 17 doubles and seven home runs in 67 games. The next season, he was pushed to Double-A Orlando. In 1988, he played in 135 games and hit .246 with 27 doubles and three home runs. He stayed there for the 1989 season. In 135 games, he  hit .263 with 27 doubles, five triples, and 13 home runs. He also drove in 101 runs and nearly had as many walks as strikeouts. That earned him his first promotion to the big leagues. He had four hits in 23 at-bats. 

Then he had to show some patience. He spent the entire 1990 season in Triple-A Portland and hit 28 doubles and 10 homers. He spent the entire 1991 season with Portland and hit .298 with 29 doubles and 11 home runs. In 1992, he hit .294 with 32 doubles and 14 home runs. In September, he was again called up to the Twins. In his first game back (9/9), he went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. In 22 games, he hit .310 with a double. 

In 1993, he played a career-high 59 games with the Twins and hit .224 with seven doubles and a home run. 

He joined the Marlines organization in 1994 and spent the season at Double-A. Then in 1995, he moved up to their Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. In 1996, he played in 27 games for Green Bay in the independent Prairie League. 

In researching, I reached out to Jorgensen and learned the following. 

After pro ball, he went  back to Oshkosh and received his bachelor's degree. He worked a few "odds and end jobs." After he graduated, he got a call from the principal of his hometown school, who asked if he was interested in teaching there because there was a Physical Education job open. He said/wrote, "Never thought I would return to the Luxemburg-Casco school district, but here I am, 26 years later." 

In his time there, he was the varsity baseball coach for 13 years. He also has been an assistant in a variety of sports including baseball, softball, boys and girls basketball, and golf. 

He no longer coaches so that he can watch his son and daughter play at the college level at their sports. 

He said that he is unlikely to coach again and is looking forward to retirement in a few years. 

9/10/89 - MLB debut in Kansas City vs Tom Gordon and the Royals. Jorgensen went 2-for-4 with a walk, but he also had two RBI in the game. 

9/15/89 - After starting his career 0-for-12 with a couple of walks, Jorgensen grounded a one-out single through the left side of the infield off of Brian Dubois of the Detroit Tigers for his first career hit. Three batters later, he scored from second on a Kirby Puckett single to right. 

9/19/89 - Jorgensen's second MLB  hit came a couple of days later when he lined a double down the left field line off of Angels' legendary lefty Chuck Finley. It was his first extra-base hit. 

9/20/89 - Jorgensen posted his first multi-hit game. The Twins lost 9-1, but he was 2-for-3 with a walk off of Jim Abbott, who worked a complete game. 

9/16/92 - In Oakland, he wen t3-for-3 with a walk against Bobby Witt and the A's. 

8/29/93  - As part of a double-switch, Terry Jorgensen came into the game in Chicago in the lineup spot of Kirby Puckett. He came to the plate with two on and two outs in the 9th inning and hit a three-run homer off of Scott Radinsky. 

2018: named a Wisconsin Inter-Collegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Famer. 

2018: Named to UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame with his brother Tim Jorgensen who also played pro baseball.