Seth Stohs

In my opinion, Plouffe being at 3B is a bigger reason that he won't come up as a 3B than his weight is. He weighed in at 262 a year ago at Spring Training. He said he typically loses 5-8 pounds during spring training and played between 250 and 255. He said that's about what he played the 2013 season at and people talked about his defense being solid. No one is saying he's going to be a Gold Glove third baseman, but I have little concern that he can play the position. Long term? I'm less sure.

I like the breakdown... My saying the last 2-3 years has been that the importance of a strong and deep minor league system is that it gives a better percentage of one or two of them becoming pretty good. I'd never put someone in the Hall of Fame category. I just don't think that's fair to anyone. I'd like to see 1 guy become a perennial All Star, get to 5-6 of them (or more) in his career. I'd like to see 3-5 of them become solid everyday regulars, the kind that may get to 1-2 All Star games but always be a reliable player. And then if 3-5 of them become part-timers, bullpen options, that would be great. It's fun to look at these lists 5-8 years later and just see how they look.

Last month, Twins Daily posted its Top 20 Prospects. In previous years, we had just done the Top 10, but the Twins system is so strong that we felt that we should highlight twice as many prospects this year. In reviewing the prospect list, there are several very interesting topics that came up.The first thing that became apparent were that there were a few clear groupings that create some interesting discussion. THE ELITE PROSPECTS 2014 was a rough year for Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Buxton suffered from several injuries and never was able to get into any sort of rhythm. Miguel Sano missed the entire season with Tommy John surgery. However, elite tools are elite tools. Byron Buxton not only remained the #1 prospect in the Twins farm system, but he ranked #1 or #2 in all of the major national prospect rankings as well. Why? His elite tools, his speed, his defense and his arm. Meanwhile, most believe in his hit tool and believe he will be able to hit some home runs too. Miguel Sano has as much power as anyone in minor league baseball, including Cubs’ 3B prospect Kris Bryant. His missed season does not change that. Sure, it may make some question his ability to throw as hard, but he had an ‘80’ arm before, so if he lost a little zip, he’s probably still got ‘70’ arm strength. Questions regarding his ability to play 3B are no more or less than a year ago. Sano remained a top 20 prospect in baseball. The hope for both of these guys is that they can be organization-changing talents. They are both still just 21 years old and have plenty of time. THE THREE TOP PITCHERS Twins Daily’s final ranking had Jose Berrios at #3, Kohl Stewart at #4, and Alex Meyer at #5. However, we all acknowledge that there could be compelling arguments to ranking each ahead and behind each other. All three of these guys were Top 10 prospects one year ago. Berrios was the choice for Twins pitcher of the year in 2014 after pitching at three levels, pitching in the Florida State League All -Star Game and the Futures Game. Stewart fought injuries again and a lack of strikeouts, but he’s still just 20 years old and has as much potential as anyone if he can be healthy. Meyer is clearly the closest to the big leagues and has a chance to be a top of the rotation starter soonest, possibly by late 2015. All have a chance to be good MLB pitchers. THE MIDDLE INFIELDERS Jorge Polanco became the youngest player to debut with the Twins since Joe Mauer in 2004 when he was called up as a 20 year old in May. Nick Gordon was the Twins top draft pick in 2015, a shortstop out of high school with great baseball genetics. He clearly has the higher upside, but also presents a larger risk because he has a long way to go. CLOSE TO THE BIG LEAGUES The Twins have struggled over the past four years. There’s no questioning that. They have had a top-five draft pick each of the last three seasons. All three of those players rank in the Twins Daily top-six prospects. Twins fans, understandably, want to start seeing the fruits of the Twins strong farm system and player development in recent years. For each of the Top 10 prospects, we added an ETA in their profile. Two of the Top 10 prospects debuted in 2014 (Polanco and May). The year 2015 was shown as the ETA for seven of the Top 10 prospects, and in reality, it is possible that as many as eight of the Top 10 could debut with the Twins in 2015. The only two that really have little opportunity to debut in 2015 would be Kohl Stewart and Nick Gordon, the last two first-round draft picks out of high school. MORE TOP 10 TIDBITS In the Top 10, we had five hitters and five pitchers.All five pitchers are right-handed. Should that be a concern? Probably not. Lefties Lewis Thorpe (#11), Stephen Gonsalves (#13) and Taylor Rogers (#15) are all found among prospects 11 through 15.Two relief pitchers made the Top 20. Nick Burdi (#10) and Jake Reed (#18) were both 2014 Twins' draft picks. Burdi was the team’s second round pick out of Louisville, and Reed was their fifth round pick out of Oregon.The oldest player among the Top 20 is Trevor May (#9). He was the only one on the list not to be born in the 90s. The 25-year-old was born in September of 1989. Alex Meyer was close, born January 3, 1990.The youngest player among the Top 20 is Amaurys Minier (#20) turned 19 just over a month ago. Thorpe turned 19 in late November. Nick Gordon turned 19 in late October.Who is on the Twins 40-man roster? Miguel Sano (2), Alex Meyer (5), Jorge Polanco (7), Eddie Rosario (8), Trevor May (9) and Max Kepler (12).Who were non-roster invitees to Minnesota Twins' spring training? Byron Buxton (1), Jose Berrios (3), Taylor Rogers (15), Tyler Duffey (16) and Stuart Turner (17).Who was next? In our rankings and discussion, Chih-Wei Hu would have been Prospect #21 had we chosen to extend the list beyond 20. Others who were strongly considered included (alphabetically) C Mitch Garver, RHP JR Graham, RHP Zack Jones and RHP Aaron Slegers.TD Top Prospects 16-20TD Top Prospects 11-15 TD Top Prospect #10: Nick Burdi TD Top Prospect #9: Trevor May TD Top Prospect #8: Eddie Rosario TD Top Prospect #7: Jorge Polanco TD Top Prospect #6: Nick Gordon TD Top Prospect #5: Alex Meyer TD Top Prospect #4: Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospect #3: Jose Berrios TD Top Prospect #2: Miguel Sano TD Top Prospect #1: Byron Buxton Click here to view the article

i think, personally, that he can play the position adequately and maybe even pretty well for a while. At some point, hopefully in his late 20s or early 30s, he probably won't, but worry about that when we/they get there. He's a good athlete.

I tend to agree with this.

I think the Dozier is kind of the "given" for HR power, if there is one. I definitely think that Arcia and Vargas are the two guys that have the chance to be 30 HR guys, or at least 25 HR guys if they can take a little step forward this year. Hunter will be fine. Like you said, there's no reason to think he'll hit 17 or more in 2015, but I think 12-15 would be reasonable. That decline should be nullified by an increase from Mauer. The bench does have Pinto, but other than him, there really isn't a power-hitter off of the bench. Finally, it'll be interesting to see if Sano gets an opportunity, and if so, how much.

Ray Smith and Jeff Reed are very good coaches at Elizabethton too.

He was definitely drafted for his offensive upside. He's got huge potential. He's a large individual, very strong, terrific power. He's got a long ways to go to develop into what he can be. Defensively is where he's got some work to do. Caught stealing percentage is a pretty small piece of the equation. He has a very strong arm, but at his size, he'll take some time. I really like Navarreto and think he has a lot of potential. I think he starts in Cedar Rapids, but it might be best for him, long-term, to go back to Elizabethton.

Hmmm... that IS a very interesting thought... :-)

Yeah, I think a lot of people don't understand that leadership and personality is very important in team sports. Obviously guys have to be able to play as well, but there's no question that Garnett and Hunter bring the type of presence, that (hopefully) will bring the best out of others.

It's easy. I think Brian Dozier is a strong marketing guy, and they're promoting him a lot... but there's no question that Torii Hunter is their most marketable commodity right now. He can do commercials and spots and the the face of the franchise and all that. It's pretty simple. Dozier still is marketable. So is Mauer. And, obviously we hope that Buxton and Sano turn out. If so, Buxton will be more quiet, like Mauer, but Sano can be a marketing superstar and a media favorite. Vargas's personality and solid English make him marketable, if he can be a 25 HR a year guy.

Thanks for the feedback! It was fun!

From Nick's article: "Glen Perkins, Casey Fien, Tim Stauffer, Brian Duensing and Caleb Thielbar" Those five are certainly givens to start the season with the big league club. That means that Graham is going to be competing with the likes of Michael Tonkin, Lester Oliveros, AJ Achter, Aaron Thompson, Blaine Boyer, and others for TWO spots. Of course, Mike Pelfrey, Tommy Milone, Alex Meyer and Trevor May can factor into the bullpen as well depending upon how the 5th start competition plays out.

Maybe we can do something like this again and ask him a bunch more questions. He truly seemed to enjoy talking about that time in his life. Very few get to say they played in the big leagues, and it was such an interesting time in the Twins history. The AAA Toledo team and that 1985 team were comprised of the players that became that 1987 World Series team. Pretty great stuff!

Despite being just 5-11 (maybe), Graham has some bulk to him. He's not overweight by any means, but he has a strong build. I just think that if he's throwing 97-98 again, even 95-96, that's a guy you want to keep around the organization. Tonkin has an option, so do some of the other options. If Graham is closer to 91-92, then he goes back. Of course, if that's the case, the Braves may be more willing to make a trade to let the Twins keep him around.

In Part 1 on Catch Up With The Klaw yesterday, we discussed his unlikely path onto the Minnesota Twins 1985 Opening Day roster. Today, we’ll talk about Tom Klawitter’s brief MLB career as well as what has kept him busy since his playing days came to an end.When Part 1 concluded, Tom Klawitter had just learned that he was heading up to the big leagues. He made phone calls to family, and there was an excitement for the team coming off of a successful (until late) 1984 season. The next few days were a bit of a whirlwind for the left-hander. The team began their season with a West Coast trip. They played three games against the Angels before heading north to Seattle. Finally in the Twins’ sixth game, Klawitter was sitting out in the bullpen. Manager Billy Gardner called and Klawitter came in for his major league debut. “I was really confident, coming off a great spring. I was confident in Seattle, and I went out and did pretty well.” Al Cowens was the first batter that he faced. He popped up to shortstop. Jim “Hound Dog” Presley reached on an error. Dave Valle flew out to Kirby Puckett in centerfield. Spike Owens walked, but Harold Reynolds grounded to shortstop to end the inning. He got out of his first big league inning without any damage. The Twins returned home after the game, and the next night he came in to face the Angels. With a runner on and two outs in the eighth inning, Gardner walked out to the mound and summoned the bullpen, grabbing his left wrist and formed his hand into a claw. In came the left-hander. Rod Carew was the first batter he faced, and he walked the Hall of Famer. However, the runners were stranded and Klawitter got through the next inning as well. Three days later, the first batter he faced was Reggie Jackson who grounded out to first base. Klawitter was thrilled to be in the big leagues, but he was not necessarily adjusting well to his new role. “I struggled a little bit with not being a starter because I like to throw-throw-throw, and you weren’t allowed to do that because you might be used that particular time. It was tough for me to get into that relief type of thing. I just needed a lot of innings to stay sharp. It was a tough adjustment, and it’s obviously the big leagues so it’s not like you have time to work out your problems.” He was getting inconsistent innings as well. He pitched three times in five games and then didn’t pitch for two weeks. And then it was another ten days after that before he got into another game. It was a game on May 14th that he made his first big league start, and he didn’t know until he got to the ballpark that day that he would be starting. The ballpark was Yankees Stadium. “We walked around New York that afternoon enough that, not that it’s any excuse or anything, but I got to the park and found out ‘we’re going to start you tonight.’ That was like ‘Holy Cow, Yankees Stadium.’ That’s pretty exciting.” He went just two innings in that game. Hall of Famer Dave Winfield hit a solo home run against him. He made another start, on May 19, against the Blue Jays, and this time recorded just four outs. Two days later, he came into a game in relief against the Boston Red Sox. He faced two batters and walked them both. After a solid first three appearances, his next four he really struggled with the strike zone. He didn’t pitch in the big leagues again after the Red Sox game. “I had something going on with my elbow. I couldn’t figure it out. I’d never had any injuries before that. I kept having pain. Finally, I had to go see the doctor, and they found big bone spurs, bone chips in my elbow. I had surgery to take those out in June. That slowed things up. One bone chip actually had a little stem on it, and it was growing into the elbow joint, so it was a little more extensive than just going in and getting bone chips out. I’ve still got a few zippers on the back of my elbow from that.” He made a comeback in 1986 with the Blue Jays organization, but after just six games, he ended his baseball career and moved on to his next career. Teaching. He recalled, “It was funny, the timing. Someone was looking after me. I went back to Wisconsin Rapids, and because I was in the area, I got to finish up my degree, got my teaching degree. It was the perfect opportunity for me. Then when I got done with pro ball, I just hopped right into all this. Nothing better than going from a pro baseball career to teaching. I still get my summers off.” Klawitter began his teaching career as a physical education teacher at Janesville Parker High School. He said he plans to retire from teaching after this year. He has become one of the most successful high school girls’ basketball coaches, not only in the state of Wisconsin, but in the country. It wasn’t his plan to coach girls’ basketball though. “I got back and the athletic director was my coach in Legion ball way back in the day. He said they had an opening for a girl’s JV coach for basketball. I told him ‘Absolutely not! I’m not coaching girls basketball,’ and then I thought, maybe I should do it. It’s a little extra money. Of course, one thing led to another. I did that for three years, and I got the varsity job and the rest is history. We’ve built a pretty good program.” Coming into this season, Klawitter had a record of 548-120. He has won three state championships. He has coached in the McDonald’s All-America game. His team will begin the playoffs this week as the #4 seed in their section. Klawitter was excited to say that he had coached Mistie Bass in high school. She won three Wisconsin High School Player of the Year awards and helped Parker High School win back-to-back state titles. She went on to Duke and played in two Final Fours. She has played eight seasons in the WNBA, and in 2014, she was part of the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, teaming with Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. Klawitter also helps with the school’s baseball team. “The baseball guys do think it’s something else that I played (in the big leagues).” Has his status as "Former Major Leaguer" helped him out? “I think it’s helped my career. It’s always nice to have that little bit of ‘Wow.’ This guy did that, he must know how to whatever, work hard. He must know what he’s talking about. Credibility-wise, it has always helped me. It’s just one of those things that I can use as a motivational thing, whether it’s baseball or whatever, to achieve a goal. It works to my benefit.” At 57 years old, Klawitter still plays baseball too. He has played in the Wisconsin State League for about 20 years following his career. The league is a combination of college kids and ex-pros. It allows him to remain competitive and meet up with guys he played against in college or in the minor leagues. He still goes to the Chicago or Milwaukee areas to play. That said, he really seems to treasure getting to play with his two sons. “I get to play ball with my two sons. Both of them played ball at UW-Whitewater here in Wisconsin. Every year we go down this MSBL (Men’s Senior Baseball League). They have a World Series every year in the Phoenix area. So we play in the father-son tournament, and it’s fun.” Tom Klawitter generally doesn’t bring up stories from his baseball playing days. If someone wants to talk about it, he is happy to. He enjoys sharing his story and fondly remembers the experiences. “As far as accomplishments, you can’t help but smile about doing something like that. As a kid and a college player, I just wanted to get drafted. I just wanted that chance. And I just wanted to play pro ball. And then you get to A ball and it’s like, I just want to be in AA and then AAA. And if I got just one inning in the big leagues I’d be happy. I’ve got to stop looking back because there was a lot of time where I spent thinking I wish I would have done more. I was there, and I didn’t stay as long as I wanted. I certainly look back at the good times.” He spoke very fondly of his friend Kirby Puckett. “He was as nice a guy as you’d ever want to meet, and generous. He was my roommate on the road at times when he didn’t want his own room. We did go out a lot after the games. He was always so loose and just loved the game. That was one thing about him. He loved the game, and that was the one thing about him, you never saw him get mad. He just loved the game. He was a great person for baseball.” Regarding Kent Hrbek, “He was a very good guy. He was so loose about things. It didn’t seem like things got to him. He just played the game, and it wasn’t like it was life or death. He was one of the leaders on that team.” It seemed that, if given enough time and a couple of beverages, Klawitter would enjoy discussing each and every one of his teammates, from the lower levels of the minor leagues through his stint with the Twins. It was clear in his voice how much those memories mean to him, even to this day, thirty years later. When asked which teammates gave him great memories or helped him through his time with the Twins organization, his list was not short. “When we were home, Mike Stenhouse was my roommate. Mark Salas was close to me, and we did a lot of things together. (John) Butcher was pretty good. I thought that when (Bert) Blyleven came on, he was fun to be around, and someone you could go to even though he was just as nutty as heck. I certainly learned from him. (Greg) Gagne, I played in AAA with. (Steve) Lombardozzi. Those guys. Pete Filson was another one. Ron Davis who was with the Twins that year. Roy Smalley was somebody that came from a different organization and tried to instill some of the things he’d learned.” Having now been in Janesville for almost 30 years, Klawitter has developed a friendship with Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who is from Janesville. “I’ve got a good connection with Terry Ryan. He’s a friend of mine. One of the best men I have ever met. He’s just got it. He understands how to deal with people. He is a true baseball man and loves this game.” Terry Ryan had kind things to say of Klawitter as well. “Tom and I have been close friends for over 30 years. He has been a very successful teacher and high school basketball coach in Janesville for many years. Tom has always loves sports, is very competitive, and has pitched on amateur baseball teams in the area as recently as a year ago. I couldn’t be more proud of Tom’s accomplishments, especially pitching in the major leagues with the Twins after being released by the Dodgers. He is a good family man that has done well in his life after baseball.” Tom Klawitter was from a small school. He wasn’t drafted out of high school. He was released by one team and took full advantage when the Twins offered him another opportunity. He went to big league camp as a non-roster invitee and given a chance, he made the big league roster. His time with the Twins was short-lived, but he made it. He will forever be able to call himself a big leaguer. He still attends many major league baseball alumni get-togethers. As impressive is what he has done since retiring. He has been a teacher. He has been a coach, and a mentor. His competitive fire has served him well in these capacities and yet, he is also a family man. He still plays ball, but he does it in such a way that he gets to spend that time with his sons. Thirty years ago, Tom Klawitter, The Klaw, reached the big leagues and got his 15 minutes of fame. He proved that through hard work and effort, dreams really can come true. Click here to view the article

I guess I didn't really read that at all...

I remember trying to figure it out, and if they doubled the monthly salary for each minor leaguer not on the 40 man roster and not yet a minor league free agent, it would add up to less than $2 million a year. I guess as an MLB team, I would look at that - in today's economics - as a great way to help make the lives of your minor leaguers more comfortable. I see no negative in that. I do think that the academy in Ft. Myers is a great thing and helps a lot for guys at Instructs or during spring training when they don't make anything but a little per diem.

Personal opinion, but I think you'll enjoy Part 2 also. I'm the same way though, looking through old Twins rosters and wanting to remember and learn more about the history of this organization.

I love this stuff! I think it speaks volumes about the need for minor leaguers to make even a little bit more money. AJ is a wonderful person and always happy to talk baseball. We'll have to keep up with his Chanhassen baseball team throughout their season!!

I'm curious how many Twins Daily readers remember this story. I was 9, and I remember hearing about it... but I'm old! Ha! Part 2 is fun too. Terrific guy!

Thirty years ago, a pitcher arrived at Tinker Field in Orlando for Minnesota Twins spring training as a non-roster invitee. He was left-handed. He had a last name conducive to a classic nickname. He took advantage of his opportunities, and he made the 1985 Twins Opening Day roster. Tom Klawitter lived a dream held by anyone who has ever picked up a bat and a ball.Anything can happen. Dreams can come true. Tom Klawitter’s big league career may not have been real long. Many Twins die-hards may not even remember it. However, his story is one worth telling. It’s worth telling to Minnesota Twins fans. It’s worth telling to Minnesota Twins minor leaguers, and minor leaguers across baseball. It’s also worth telling to kids who dream of getting to the big leagues. Klawitter was born in 1958 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Asked if he was a Twins fan, Klawitter said, “It’s kind of funny. As a kid, I was kind of a front-runner. Back in the late-60s, I was an Orioles fan, and then I became a Dodgers fan after I got drafted. I did have a connection to the Twins with (former Twins 3B) Craig Kusick being from LaCrosse.” He wasn’t drafted out of high school, and then he stayed home for college. He spent four years at the University of Wisconsin, in LaCrosse. It was there that, despite being a northern school, he started to get the attention of area scouts. “I got to my senior year. I was 5-0, and the guys down south were 15-and-whatever, so I didn’t expect (to get drafted).” In June of 1980, Klawitter was the 19th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the time, the Dodgers were one of the most popular teams in baseball. They had players such as Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey and more household names. Klawitter said, “It was obviously a great opportunity for me. That was quite an experience being around all those great ballplayers. When I got up there early, it was Ron Cey and Valenzuela and those guys that were in the majors at the time. Garvey. Tommy Lasorda. In ’81 I went to camp there. It was quite an experience to see those guys. I was pretty spoiled at the time. The Dodgers were a first-class, top-of-the-line organization. Vero Beach was the place to be. You got treated pretty well down there.” In 1980, he had the second most starts for a Lethbridge (Rookie League) team that went 52-18. In 1981, he won 11 games for Lodi of the California League. In 1982, he made the jump to AA San Antonio. The then-24-year-old went 9-14 with a 5.30 ERA that year. The next spring he returned to San Antonio, but his stay there was short. After just seven games, he was released by the Dodgers. It was a tough time for Klawitter, but good came from it. “That’s a tough thing. It’s like being let go from your job. Obviously it’s pretty tough on you. Fortunately, I was able to come back pretty close to home and got picked up by the Twins.” The Twins signed him and sent him to Low Class A Wisconsin Rapids, a town less than a two-hour drive from his hometown of LaCrosse. “That was just what the doctor ordered. I was back in my old stomping grounds, where I had a lot of success. It seemed to pump in a lot of confidence, and I pitched pretty well. So that was kind of the start of it.” Over 23 appearances (21 starts) with Wisconsin Rapids, Klawitter went 10-5 with a 2.99 ERA in 156.1 innings. The next season, 1984, he jumped all the way up to AAA Toledo. “Being in AAA with the Mudhens is another great experience, and I had a pretty good year there too.” He made 26 starts and went 10-6 with a 3.59 ERA for the Mudhens. The roster was made up of several of the players who would become big pieces of the Minnesota Twins 1987 championship team. Playing for manager Cal Ermer, the team went 74-63. The Minnesota Twins 1984 team went late into the season before falling out of playoff contention, but prior to the age of social media, most of the players in Toledo weren’t really keeping tabs on the big league club, including Klawitter. “For me, I was so happy to be there that I didn’t even notice that some of the guys were really pressing to get to the big leagues or back to the big leagues or whatever. It was a really good time, and I was pitching well. When you’re playing well, it’s a lot more fun. I was right in the rotation, and Cal Ermer had a lot of confidence in me. The dynamics of the team were, I mean, we had a pretty close group of guys. I think that’s why we were successful. We did pretty well right up to the end. We had a good mix of guys that had had a taste of it and guys that were just trying to get a part of it. It was pretty neat.” Klawitter continued, “I’m not even sure we had anyone called up that year from our team. Brad Havens might have been. We were kind of in the thick of what we were doing. Scott Ullger was one of our outfielders. Bobby Mitchell, who came over from the Dodgers, I knew. It was just a bunch of great guys who, I mean, I really felt that we played for our team and not so much for ourselves. You don’t find that a lot in pro ball.” He truly enjoyed the opportunity. “It was a phenomenal opportunity at the time. That’s when I first started my friendship with Kirby. He was in AAA for a month and then he got called up right after that.” Klawitter performed, and because of it, he received a non-roster invitation to major league spring training with the Twins. He was excited about the news and another opportunity. “I was surprised and obviously very thankful. I took whatever I could get. I wasn’t disappointed that I wasn’t on the 40-man roster. I was thankful for the opportunity to get that chance. They sent me my contract, and it said this, but you’re a non-roster player, and come down with the big club in Orlando. We did pretty much what everyone was doing, just the fact that we were not on the roster. We went about our business and just hoped for an opportunity. I got down there and made the best of it.” He was also realistic about his chances of making the big league club out of spring training. “I thought I could have gone back to Toledo, and I would have been fine with that. I was playing pro ball, and I guess you can look at it any way you want to. It was a lot of us non-roster guys throwing batting practice and doing this or that and that’s part of everything.” In fact, his first spring training outing wasn’t really even supposed to happen, or at least not likely. “I believe somebody was looking out for me,” Klawitter explained. “The coaches told me to go warm up, that I had the ninth. We were on the road and down by I don’t know how many runs. The chances of me getting in the game were not good. Sure enough, we came back and went ahead. I went out there and shut them down in the ninth.” He believes that the coaches thought to themselves, “Wow! Maybe this guy can pitch.” One outing became two, and then three, and so on. “I didn’t really watch who else was pitching, but a couple of other guys weren’t getting the job done. I had a pretty good spring.” With the last name of Klawitter, it was clear that his nickname since his young years was The Klaw. As spring went along, and he was experiencing success, his nickname became a big part of his story At the same time, Baron von Raschke was very popular among pro wrestling fans. His signature move was The Claw. The match only made too much sense, and it just took off, with the help of one of his teammates. “(Twins Hall of Famer Kent) Hrbek was fun-loving, and he was kind of into this wrestling with Baron von Raschke, and it was just perfect timing for me.” “It was absolutely a blast. It took some of the pressure off. It just kind of kept building. You get Hrbek feeding off it, and (Gary) Gaetti started saying stuff. Then all of a sudden (manager Billy) Gardner, I don’t know why, stuck his hand out and started doing The Claw and it worked on its own,” Klawitter continued, “Like I said, someone was looking after me and it was a perfect opportunity for me. In the right place at the right time. It was definitely a high spot in my career, I’ll tell you that.” Instead of pitching when the games were out of hand, Klawitter started pitching in the seventh inning or in more important game situations. That’s when he figured he had a chance to make the team. Even toward the end of spring training, he was pretty certain that he would head back to Toledo. It wasn’t until very late in camp that somebody told him that he had made the Twins opening day roster. Klawitter recalled, “That was such an honor. I can’t even remember how it happened.” The first phone calls he made were to his family. “You’d like to call everybody. It’s more of a conversation like, ‘you won’t believe this, but I’m breaking with the big club.’” Tom Klawitter was the story of Twins spring training thirty years ago. His story did not end when he was called up to the Twins. In Part 2 of this Tom Klawitter story, we discuss his brief time in a Twins uniform. We will also tell you what has kept him busy, competitive and successful since his retirement. Please feel free to leave your questions and comments below. Click here to view the article