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Also posted at wgom.org. Pedro Hernandez (1989) Left-hander Pedro Michel Hernandez has not played for the Twins yet, but joined their farm system in late July of 2012. He was born in Barquimsimeto, Venezuela and signed with San Diego as a free agent in 2006. He did very well in rookie ball but struggled in his first two tries at Class A. He took a substantial step forward in 2011, pitching well in both A and AA, although he struggled in four AAA starts. He was traded to the White Sox after the 2011 season in a deal for Carlos Quentin. He started very well in AA in 2012 and also did well in three AAA appearances. He made what one presumes was an emergency start for the White Sox on July 18 in Boston, allowing eight runs on twelve hits in four innings. He was traded to Minnesota with Eduardo Escobar on July 28 for Francisco Liriano. The Twins sent him to Rochester, where he struggled in four starts, going 0-2, 5.19, 5.00 WHIP. He began 2013 in Rochester but was promoted to Minnesota early in the season. He has made one start so far, a start which was not great but not awful. His AAA numbers are not very impressive, but he’s only twenty-four today. If he can take another step forward this season, the Twins could have something.

Also posted at wgom.org Bobby Mitchell (1955) Ricky Bones (1969) Outfielder Robert Van Mitchell was with the Twins from 1982-1983. He was born in Salt Lake City, went to high school in Chatsworth, California, and was drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round in 1977. He hit for a high average every year in the minors; his lowest average was .292 with AA San Antonio in 1978, and his highest was .327 with AAA Albuquerque in 1979. He drew a decent number of walks as well, although he had no power. Mitchell got September call-ups in both 1980 and 1981. Prior to the 1982 season, he was traded to Minnesota with Bobby Castillo for Paul Voight and Scotti Madison. He replaced Jim Eisenreich as the starting center fielder that year. He fielded the position well, but could not translate his high minor league averages into major league success. He hit .249 with an OBP of .331 and lost the starting job in 1983 to Darrell Brown. Mitchell hit .230 in a reserve role. He was with AAA Toledo in 1984, hitting .272, but then the Twins let him go. As a Twin, Bobby Mitchell hit .244/.337/.310 in 606 at-bats. He played in AAA for two more years, in the Tigers organization in 1985 and the Blue Jays organization in 1986, and then his playing career was over. He has been a minor league coach and manager since then, employed by the Expos, Padres, and Angels organizations. Bobby Mitchell managed the Salt Lake Bees, the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, from 2008-2010. He began 2011 as the roving outfield, baserunning, and bunting coordinator for the Angels, but became the manager of the AA Arkansas Travelers late in the season when their manager resigned. In 2012 he managed the Cubs entry in the Arizona Summer League. It appears that he still holds that position for 2013. Right-hander Ricardo Ricky Bones did not play for the Twins, but he was in their minor league system briefly in 1998. He was born in Salinas, Puerto Rico and went to high school in Guyama, Puerto Rico. He signed with San Diego as a free agent in 1986. He did not have spectacular minor league numbers, but he was decent and showed fairly good control. He made his major league debut with the Padres in mid-August of 1991, making eleven starts and not doing too badly for a 22-year-old. Just before the 1992 season, Bones was traded to Milwaukee in a trade that involved Gary Sheffield. He was in Milwaukee nearly five years, spending the first three as a solid rotation starter. His best year as a Brewer was 1994, when he was 10-9, 3.43 and made the all-star team. He had a down year in 1995, and was doing worse in 1996 when he was traded to the Yankees. Bones became a free agent after the season and signed with Cincinnati for 1997. He pitched poorly, was released in May, signed back with Milwaukee, and was sold to Kansas City in late June. He stayed there the rest of the year, became a free agent, and signed with Minnesota in January of 1998. He was pitching pretty well in AAA Salt Lake, going 5-1, 3.42 with a 1.27 WHIP, but was still released in late May. He signed back with Kansas City, went back to the bullpen, and did well there, posting a 3.04 ERA in 32 appearances. Bones spent three more years in the majors, playing for Baltimore in 1999 and for Florida in 2000 and 2001. He played in the Dodgers’ organization in 2002 and in Mexico in 2003 before ending his playing career. He went into coaching after that, working in the Mets’ organization. He was in the minors through 2011, and became the Mets’ bullpen coach in 2012, a position he continues to hold.

Also posted at wgom.org Bobby Mitchell (1955) Ricky Bones (1969) Outfielder Robert Van Mitchell was with the Twins from 1982-1983. He was born in Salt Lake City, went to high school in Chatsworth, California, and was drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round in 1977. He hit for a high average every year in the minors; his lowest average was .292 with AA San Antonio in 1978, and his highest was .327 with AAA Albuquerque in 1979. He drew a decent number of walks as well, although he had no power. Mitchell got September call-ups in both 1980 and 1981. Prior to the 1982 season, he was traded to Minnesota with Bobby Castillo for Paul Voight and Scotti Madison. He replaced Jim Eisenreich as the starting center fielder that year. He fielded the position well, but could not translate his high minor league averages into major league success. He hit .249 with an OBP of .331 and lost the starting job in 1983 to Darrell Brown. Mitchell hit .230 in a reserve role. He was with AAA Toledo in 1984, hitting .272, but then the Twins let him go. As a Twin, Bobby Mitchell hit .244/.337/.310 in 606 at-bats. He played in AAA for two more years, in the Tigers organization in 1985 and the Blue Jays organization in 1986, and then his playing career was over. He has been a minor league coach and manager since then, employed by the Expos, Padres, and Angels organizations. Bobby Mitchell managed the Salt Lake Bees, the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, from 2008-2010. He began 2011 as the roving outfield, baserunning, and bunting coordinator for the Angels, but became the manager of the AA Arkansas Travelers late in the season when their manager resigned. In 2012 he managed the Cubs entry in the Arizona Summer League. It appears that he still holds that position for 2013. Right-hander Ricardo Ricky Bones did not play for the Twins, but he was in their minor league system briefly in 1998. He was born in Salinas, Puerto Rico and went to high school in Guyama, Puerto Rico. He signed with San Diego as a free agent in 1986. He did not have spectacular minor league numbers, but he was decent and showed fairly good control. He made his major league debut with the Padres in mid-August of 1991, making eleven starts and not doing too badly for a 22-year-old. Just before the 1992 season, Bones was traded to Milwaukee in a trade that involved Gary Sheffield. He was in Milwaukee nearly five years, spending the first three as a solid rotation starter. His best year as a Brewer was 1994, when he was 10-9, 3.43 and made the all-star team. He had a down year in 1995, and was doing worse in 1996 when he was traded to the Yankees. Bones became a free agent after the season and signed with Cincinnati for 1997. He pitched poorly, was released in May, signed back with Milwaukee, and was sold to Kansas City in late June. He stayed there the rest of the year, became a free agent, and signed with Minnesota in January of 1998. He was pitching pretty well in AAA Salt Lake, going 5-1, 3.42 with a 1.27 WHIP, but was still released in late May. He signed back with Kansas City, went back to the bullpen, and did well there, posting a 3.04 ERA in 32 appearances. Bones spent three more years in the majors, playing for Baltimore in 1999 and for Florida in 2000 and 2001. He played in the Dodgers’ organization in 2002 and in Mexico in 2003 before ending his playing career. He went into coaching after that, working in the Mets’ organization. He was in the minors through 2011, and became the Mets’ bullpen coach in 2012, a position he continues to hold.

Bert Blyleven (1951) Bret Boone (1969) Right-hander Rik Aalbert Blyleven had two stints with the Twins, 1970-1976 and 1985-1988. He was born in Zeist, Netherlands but attended high school in Garden Grove, California. Minnesota drafted him in the third round in 1969. He had an excellent year and two months in the minors, was brought up to the Twins in June of 1970, and never looked back. He was immediately placed in the starting rotation and went 10-9, 3.18 with five complete games. He pitched an incredible number of innings for a young pitcher, topping 270 innings every year from age 20-25. The 3.18 ERA was the highest ERA he had as a Twin the first time around–every other year, he was at 3.00 or lower. He also had double digit complete games every year in his first time as a Twin, with at least 17 every year but one. He also struck out over 200 batters every season from 1971-1976. Remarkably, he only made the all-star team once, in 1973. He won twenty games that year, finished seventh in Cy Young voting, and got minor consideration for MVP. On June 1, 1976, the Twins traded Blyleven along with Danny Thompson to Texas for Mike Cubbage, Jim Gideon, Bill Singer, Roy Smalley, and cash. He continued to be an excellent pitcher with the Rangers, continuing his string of sub-3.00 ERAs and double digit complete games there. After the 1977 season Blyleven was traded to Pittsburgh as part of a four-team deal. His ERA started to rise in his Pirates years, but he remained a solid rotation starter and continued to pitch over 200 innings per season. Blyleven was traded to Cleveland after the 1980 season and responded with some fine years, although he missed much of 1982 due to injury. 1984 was an especially good year, as he went 19-7, 2.87 and finished third for the Cy Young award. On August 1, 1985, Blyleven was traded back to the Twins for Jay Bell, Curt Wardle, Jim Weaver, and a player to be named later (Richard Yett). He led the league that year with 24 complete games and 293.1 innings pitched. He remained in the Twins’ starting rotation through 1988, and while his ERA slipped over four for the first time, he continued to be a valuable pitcher, leading the league in innings pitched again in 1986 with 271.2. After a poor 1988, the Twins traded Blyleven again, this time to California with Kevin Trudeau for Rob Wassenaar, Mike Cook, and Paul Sorrento. He responded with one of the best years of his career, going 17-5, 2.73 with 241 innings pitched at age 38, finishing fourth in MVP voting. It was to be the last good year of his career, however; Blyleven struggled in 1990, missed 1991 with injury, struggled again in 1992, and then his career was over. As a Twin, Bert Blyleven was 149-138, 3.28. He pitched 2,566.2 innings, had a WHIP of 1.19, made 349 starts, pitched 29 shutouts, and had 141 complete games. As everyone reading this is aware, Bert Blyleven is currently a television analyst for the Twins on Fox Sports North. He was inducted into the major league baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. Second baseman Bret Robert Boone was a member of the Twins for two weeks or so in 2005. He comes from a baseball family: his grandfather, Ray, his father, Bob, and his brother, Aaron, were all major league baseball players. According to wikipedia, he is also a descendant of Daniel Boone. Bret was born in El Cajon, California, went to high school in Placentia, California, and was drafted by Seattle in the fifth round in 1990. He started slowly, but came into his own in 1992, when he reached AAA. He hit .314 in Calgary that year, earning a September call-up. In 1993, he hit .332 there in a half season. He came up to the majors to stay in late July. Boone was traded to Cincinnati after the 1993 season and had a big year in 1994, hitting .320 with 12 homers and getting minor consideration for MVP. He came crashing back to earth after that, hitting .267, .233, and .223 from 1995-1997. He bounced back to hit .266 with 24 homers in 1998, making the all-star team and winning a Gold Glove. Boone then spent a few years on the move, traded to Atlanta after the 1998 season and to San Diego following the 1999 season. He was a free agent the next year and signed with Seattle for 2001. He responded with what was easily the best year of his career, hitting .331 with 37 homers and a league-leading 141 RBIs. He made his second all-star team, won a Silver Slugger award, and finished third in MVP voting. While he never came close to repeating that season, he continued to hit well. His 2003 season, in which he hit .294 with 35 homers, got him on another all-star team, another Silver Slugger, and tenth place in MVP balloting. He also won the Gold Glove from 2002-2004. He had started to slip in 2004, however, and when he got off to a poor start in 2005 Seattle sent him to Minnesota in July ”as part of a conditional deal.” The Twins had a hole at second base that year, but Boone could not fill it: in 14 games, he hit .170/.241/.170 and was released at the end of the month. He tried to make a comeback in 2008, signing with Washington, but could not make it back to the big leagues. Bret Boone was manager of the Victoria Seals in the Golden Baseball League at the start of 2010, but left the position in late May to deal with family matters. At last report, he was coaching youth baseball in Southern California. He also speaks to teenagers about his battles with alcoholism. He is looking to get back into professional baseball in some capacity, but apparently nothing has materialized yet.

Bert Blyleven (1951) Bret Boone (1969) Right-hander Rik Aalbert Blyleven had two stints with the Twins, 1970-1976 and 1985-1988. He was born in Zeist, Netherlands but attended high school in Garden Grove, California. Minnesota drafted him in the third round in 1969. He had an excellent year and two months in the minors, was brought up to the Twins in June of 1970, and never looked back. He was immediately placed in the starting rotation and went 10-9, 3.18 with five complete games. He pitched an incredible number of innings for a young pitcher, topping 270 innings every year from age 20-25. The 3.18 ERA was the highest ERA he had as a Twin the first time around–every other year, he was at 3.00 or lower. He also had double digit complete games every year in his first time as a Twin, with at least 17 every year but one. He also struck out over 200 batters every season from 1971-1976. Remarkably, he only made the all-star team once, in 1973. He won twenty games that year, finished seventh in Cy Young voting, and got minor consideration for MVP. On June 1, 1976, the Twins traded Blyleven along with Danny Thompson to Texas for Mike Cubbage, Jim Gideon, Bill Singer, Roy Smalley, and cash. He continued to be an excellent pitcher with the Rangers, continuing his string of sub-3.00 ERAs and double digit complete games there. After the 1977 season Blyleven was traded to Pittsburgh as part of a four-team deal. His ERA started to rise in his Pirates years, but he remained a solid rotation starter and continued to pitch over 200 innings per season. Blyleven was traded to Cleveland after the 1980 season and responded with some fine years, although he missed much of 1982 due to injury. 1984 was an especially good year, as he went 19-7, 2.87 and finished third for the Cy Young award. On August 1, 1985, Blyleven was traded back to the Twins for Jay Bell, Curt Wardle, Jim Weaver, and a player to be named later (Richard Yett). He led the league that year with 24 complete games and 293.1 innings pitched. He remained in the Twins’ starting rotation through 1988, and while his ERA slipped over four for the first time, he continued to be a valuable pitcher, leading the league in innings pitched again in 1986 with 271.2. After a poor 1988, the Twins traded Blyleven again, this time to California with Kevin Trudeau for Rob Wassenaar, Mike Cook, and Paul Sorrento. He responded with one of the best years of his career, going 17-5, 2.73 with 241 innings pitched at age 38, finishing fourth in MVP voting. It was to be the last good year of his career, however; Blyleven struggled in 1990, missed 1991 with injury, struggled again in 1992, and then his career was over. As a Twin, Bert Blyleven was 149-138, 3.28. He pitched 2,566.2 innings, had a WHIP of 1.19, made 349 starts, pitched 29 shutouts, and had 141 complete games. As everyone reading this is aware, Bert Blyleven is currently a television analyst for the Twins on Fox Sports North. He was inducted into the major league baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. Second baseman Bret Robert Boone was a member of the Twins for two weeks or so in 2005. He comes from a baseball family: his grandfather, Ray, his father, Bob, and his brother, Aaron, were all major league baseball players. According to wikipedia, he is also a descendant of Daniel Boone. Bret was born in El Cajon, California, went to high school in Placentia, California, and was drafted by Seattle in the fifth round in 1990. He started slowly, but came into his own in 1992, when he reached AAA. He hit .314 in Calgary that year, earning a September call-up. In 1993, he hit .332 there in a half season. He came up to the majors to stay in late July. Boone was traded to Cincinnati after the 1993 season and had a big year in 1994, hitting .320 with 12 homers and getting minor consideration for MVP. He came crashing back to earth after that, hitting .267, .233, and .223 from 1995-1997. He bounced back to hit .266 with 24 homers in 1998, making the all-star team and winning a Gold Glove. Boone then spent a few years on the move, traded to Atlanta after the 1998 season and to San Diego following the 1999 season. He was a free agent the next year and signed with Seattle for 2001. He responded with what was easily the best year of his career, hitting .331 with 37 homers and a league-leading 141 RBIs. He made his second all-star team, won a Silver Slugger award, and finished third in MVP voting. While he never came close to repeating that season, he continued to hit well. His 2003 season, in which he hit .294 with 35 homers, got him on another all-star team, another Silver Slugger, and tenth place in MVP balloting. He also won the Gold Glove from 2002-2004. He had started to slip in 2004, however, and when he got off to a poor start in 2005 Seattle sent him to Minnesota in July ”as part of a conditional deal.” The Twins had a hole at second base that year, but Boone could not fill it: in 14 games, he hit .170/.241/.170 and was released at the end of the month. He tried to make a comeback in 2008, signing with Washington, but could not make it back to the big leagues. Bret Boone was manager of the Victoria Seals in the Golden Baseball League at the start of 2010, but left the position in late May to deal with family matters. At last report, he was coaching youth baseball in Southern California. He also speaks to teenagers about his battles with alcoholism. He is looking to get back into professional baseball in some capacity, but apparently nothing has materialized yet.

No Twins players were born on this day. However, this is the birthday of former Twins GM Andy MacPhail (1953).

No Twins players were born on this day. However, this is the birthday of former Twins GM Andy MacPhail (1953).

Also posted at wgom.org Tom Herr (1956) Casey Daigle (1981) Second baseman Thomas Mitchell Herr was with the Twins for most of the 1988 season. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he signed with St. Louis as a free agent in 1974. He hit for a high average with a good OBP in the minors, although he showed little power. He reached AAA in 1978 and got to the majors for the first time in mid-August of 1979, staying for the rest of the season but getting only twelve at-bats. He was with St. Louis for most of 1980 and finally left the minors behind for good in 1981, becoming the Cardinals’ regular second baseman. Somehow, he got minor consideration for MVP that year despite hitting .268 with an OPS of .674. He was generally a decent but unspectacular singles hitter for St. Louis, but he did have a couple of very good years. He was hitting .323 in early August of 1983 when he season was cut short by injury, and he hit .302 in 1985, when the Cardinals went to the World Series. He was a productive offensive player in those years, but for the rest of his career in St. Louis he was a .260 hitter with a sub-.700 OPS. In late April of 1988, Herr was traded to Minnesota for Tom Brunansky. He missed about two months with injuries, but the rest of the time was who he had been most of his career, hitting .263/.349/.320 in 304 at-bats. After the season, the Twins traded him to Philadelphia with Eric Bullock and Tom Nieto for Shane Rawley and cash. He had one of his better years for the Phillies in 1989, hitting .287. In August of 1990, he was traded to the Mets. He was with the Mets for about a year, but was released in August of 1991 when he hit .194. The Giants signed him for the remainder of the season, but then Tom Herr’s playing career was over. After that, was a high school coach in Pennsylvania for twelve years, managed the Lancaster Barnstormers in the independent Atlantic League from 2005-2006, managed the Class A Hagerstown Suns in 2007, and then returned to the Atlantic League as a coach for Lancaster in 2008. He once again became the manager of the Barnstormers midway through the 2009 season, but was replaced by Butch Hobson after the 2010 season. No information about what Tom Herr is doing now was readily available, but he appears to still be living in the Lancaster area. He is reportedly hoping to get back into managing, but it does not appear he has been hired by anyone at this writing. Right-hander Sean Casey Daigle did not play for the Twins, but he was in their farm system for much of 2008. He was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, went to high school in Sulphur, Louisiana, and was drafted by Arizona in the first round in 1999. A starter in his minor league career through 2004, he really never had much success, never posting an ERA below four nor a WHIP below 1.4. Despite that, he was promoted to AA at the end of 2002, and skipped AAA, making his major league debut in the Diamondbacks rotation at the start of 2004. Predictably, it did not go well; he was sent back to AAA after going 2-3, 7.16 in ten starts. He moved to the bullpen in 2005 and had his first good minor league season, going 9-4, 2.67 for AA Tennessee, although still with a high WHIP. He started 2006 in the majors and did okay out of the bullpen, going 0-0, 3.65 but with a WHIP of 1.62 in 12.1 innings. He was back in AAA by late May. He struggled through two AAA seasons and became a free agent after the 2007 campaign. He signed with the Twins for 2008 and spent the season in Rochester. He had what was probably his best season there, going 1-5, 3.78, 1.38 WHIP (the best of his career), but was still released in late August. He signed with Houston for 2009 and spent two years in their organization. Most of that time was in AAA, but he came back to the majors for about six weeks in 2010, going 1-1, 11.32 in 10.1 innings. A free agent again after the season, he signed with San Francisco for 2011 but had a bad year at AAA Fresno. A year ago we closed his biography by stating that “One has to think that it may be time for him to move on to the next phase of his life.” He appears to have done so, as he did not sign with anyone for 2012. No information about what he’s done over the last year or so was readily available, but he’s married to Jennie Finch, so he’s got that going for him.

Also posted at wgom.org Tom Herr (1956) Casey Daigle (1981) Second baseman Thomas Mitchell Herr was with the Twins for most of the 1988 season. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he signed with St. Louis as a free agent in 1974. He hit for a high average with a good OBP in the minors, although he showed little power. He reached AAA in 1978 and got to the majors for the first time in mid-August of 1979, staying for the rest of the season but getting only twelve at-bats. He was with St. Louis for most of 1980 and finally left the minors behind for good in 1981, becoming the Cardinals’ regular second baseman. Somehow, he got minor consideration for MVP that year despite hitting .268 with an OPS of .674. He was generally a decent but unspectacular singles hitter for St. Louis, but he did have a couple of very good years. He was hitting .323 in early August of 1983 when he season was cut short by injury, and he hit .302 in 1985, when the Cardinals went to the World Series. He was a productive offensive player in those years, but for the rest of his career in St. Louis he was a .260 hitter with a sub-.700 OPS. In late April of 1988, Herr was traded to Minnesota for Tom Brunansky. He missed about two months with injuries, but the rest of the time was who he had been most of his career, hitting .263/.349/.320 in 304 at-bats. After the season, the Twins traded him to Philadelphia with Eric Bullock and Tom Nieto for Shane Rawley and cash. He had one of his better years for the Phillies in 1989, hitting .287. In August of 1990, he was traded to the Mets. He was with the Mets for about a year, but was released in August of 1991 when he hit .194. The Giants signed him for the remainder of the season, but then Tom Herr’s playing career was over. After that, was a high school coach in Pennsylvania for twelve years, managed the Lancaster Barnstormers in the independent Atlantic League from 2005-2006, managed the Class A Hagerstown Suns in 2007, and then returned to the Atlantic League as a coach for Lancaster in 2008. He once again became the manager of the Barnstormers midway through the 2009 season, but was replaced by Butch Hobson after the 2010 season. No information about what Tom Herr is doing now was readily available, but he appears to still be living in the Lancaster area. He is reportedly hoping to get back into managing, but it does not appear he has been hired by anyone at this writing. Right-hander Sean Casey Daigle did not play for the Twins, but he was in their farm system for much of 2008. He was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, went to high school in Sulphur, Louisiana, and was drafted by Arizona in the first round in 1999. A starter in his minor league career through 2004, he really never had much success, never posting an ERA below four nor a WHIP below 1.4. Despite that, he was promoted to AA at the end of 2002, and skipped AAA, making his major league debut in the Diamondbacks rotation at the start of 2004. Predictably, it did not go well; he was sent back to AAA after going 2-3, 7.16 in ten starts. He moved to the bullpen in 2005 and had his first good minor league season, going 9-4, 2.67 for AA Tennessee, although still with a high WHIP. He started 2006 in the majors and did okay out of the bullpen, going 0-0, 3.65 but with a WHIP of 1.62 in 12.1 innings. He was back in AAA by late May. He struggled through two AAA seasons and became a free agent after the 2007 campaign. He signed with the Twins for 2008 and spent the season in Rochester. He had what was probably his best season there, going 1-5, 3.78, 1.38 WHIP (the best of his career), but was still released in late August. He signed with Houston for 2009 and spent two years in their organization. Most of that time was in AAA, but he came back to the majors for about six weeks in 2010, going 1-1, 11.32 in 10.1 innings. A free agent again after the season, he signed with San Francisco for 2011 but had a bad year at AAA Fresno. A year ago we closed his biography by stating that “One has to think that it may be time for him to move on to the next phase of his life.” He appears to have done so, as he did not sign with anyone for 2012. No information about what he’s done over the last year or so was readily available, but he’s married to Jennie Finch, so he’s got that going for him.

Also posted at wgom.org Reggie Smith (1945) Tom Johnson (1951) Billy Sample (1955) Curtis Leskanic (1968) Denny Hocking (1970) Outfielder Carl Reginald Smith did not play for the Twins, but spent his first year, 1963, in their farm system. Smith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, went to high school in Compton, California, and signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 1963. He played in Wytheville in the rookie-level Appalachian League, hitting .257 with eight home runs in 253 at-bats. He was then chosen by Boston in the first-year player draft, a decision that worked out well for the Red Sox. He rose through the minors, hitting .320 at AAA Toronto in 1966. He earned a September call-up that year and never returned to the minors. He was a regular in the outfield for Boston through 1973. As a member of the Red Sox, Smith finished second to Rod Carew in Rookie of the Year balloting in 1967, won a Gold Glove in 1968, made two all-star teams, and received minor consideration for MVP four times. He led the league in doubles twice and led in total bases once. He averaged over 20 homers a year and hit over .300 three times. He had not slowed down in 1973, but after the season he was traded to St. Louis. He continued to play well for the Cardinals, making the all-star team in 1974 and 1975 and finishing 11th in the MVP voting in 1974. He was off to a slow start in 1976, however, and was traded to the Dodgers in mid-June. It was a good deal for the Dodgers–Smith bounced back to make the all-star team in 1977 and 1978, finishing fourth in MVP balloting both years. He led the league in both OBP and OPS+ in 1977. He continued to play well in 1979 and 1980, making the all-star team the latter year, but had both seasons cut short with injuries. He was used almost solely as a pinch-hitter in 1981, had a poor year, and became a free agent, signing with San Francisco. He played first base for the Giants in 1982 and was the mostly regular, although he missed some time with injuries again. He had a solid season, hitting .284 with 18 homers. He then went to Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants for two years before his playing career came to an end. Smith then became a coach for the Dodgers. More recently, he has been involved in USA Baseball, serving as hitting coach for US teams in the Pan American Games, the baseball World Cup, the World Baseball Classic, and the Summer Olympics. Reggie Smith plays seven different musical instruments and holds a pilot’s license. He currently runs the Reggie Smith Baseball Centers, based in Encino, California, which consult with major league baseball organizations, conduct youth baseball camps, offer private and small-group instruction, and certify coaches, for amateur and school baseball leagues. Right-handed reliever Thomas Raymond Johnson was a member of the Twins for five seasons, from 1974-1978. Born and raised in St. Paul, he signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 1970. He both started and relieved in the minors and had a decent year as a starter for Class A Wisconsin Rapids in 1972. In 1973, however, he was primarily a reliever, and went to full-time bullpen status in 1974. He pitched well as a relief pitcher, posting a 1.86 ERA in 87 innings at AA Orlando. He got a September call-up that year, and spent the next two years bouncing between AAA Tacoma and Minnesota. He pitched well both years in the minors, and in 1976 he pitched also pitched well in the majors. By 1977, he was the Twins’ closer, although he was not used as a closer is used today. He appeared in 71 games, and in seventeen of those games he was brought in earlier than the seventh inning. He pitched more than two innings 29 times, three innings or more twenty times, four ininngs or more nine times, more than five innings three times, and more than six innings twice. For the season, he went 16-7, 3.13 in 146.2 innings of relief. Unsurprisingly, this workload had consequences: the next year, he posted a 5.51 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP. He was out of baseball in 1979. Johnson tried to make a comeback in AA with the White Sox in 1980 but pitched poorly, and his playing career was over. At some point after baseball, he appears to have taken an interest in Slovakia, and has established the GoodSports Youth Center in Bratislava, which offers sports leagues and tournaments, tutoring, camps, English lessons, service learning activities and discipleship groups. Outfielder William Amos Sample did not play for the Twins, but went to spring training with them in 1987. He was born in Roanoke, Virginia, went to high school in Salem, Virginia, attended James Madison University (the first major league player to come from that school), and was drafted by Texas in the tenth round in 1976. He quickly showed himself to be too good for the leagues in which he played, hitting .382 in rookie ball in 1976, .348 in AA in 1977, and .352 with 18 homers in AAA in 1978. He got a September call-up in the latter season and, other than a rehab assignment, never went to the minors again. He was not given a regular job for some time, however, instead platooning with Johnny Grubb for most of the 1979-1982 seasons. For as well as he hit in the minors, his major league numbers were somewhat disappointing, although he was not terrible by any means. He finally became a regular in 1983 and 1984, but after a poor 1984 campaign he was traded to the Yankees. Used as a reserve, he did not do particularly well there, either, and moved on to Atlanta for 1986. He had a good year as a reserve there, but became a free agent after the season. He signed with Minnesota for 1987, but did not make the team and his playing career came to an end. He then went into broadcasting, most recently working for mlb.com. He has also written and produced a movie, “Reunion 108″, which is scheduled to be released soon. Right-hander Curtis John Leskanic did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system in 1992. He was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, attended LSU, and was drafted by Cleveland in the eighth round in 1989. He had two pretty good years in Class A Kinston, then at the end of 1992 spring training was traded to Minnesota with Oscar Munoz for Paul Sorrento. Promoted to AA, Leskanic did not have a particularly good season, was left unprotected in the expansion draft, and was chosen by Colorado. He was a starter most of his minor league career, bouncing between the Rockies and AAA Colorado Springs in 1993 and 1994. He moved to the bullpen in 1995 and had his first full season in the majors that year, leading the league in appearances. He appeared in nearly as many games in 1996, but did not do nearly as well, as his ERA rose by nearly three runs. He was back in the minors for 1997, had two more mediocre years in the majors in 1998 and 1999, and then was traded to Milwaukee. He had back-to-back solid seasons for the Brewers, posting an ERA just over three in 143 game. He then went through injuries, missing all of 2002 other than a few minor league rehab appearances. He came back to have a good season in 2003 despite a trade to Kansas City in mid-July. He had a poor start in 2004, getting released in mid-June. He signed with Boston and did well there the rest of the year, but his playing career came to an end after that. At last report, Curtis Leskanic was a scout for the Red Sox. His cousin, Katrina Leskanich, is the lead singer of the group Katrina and the Waves. Infielder Dennis Lee Hocking was a member of the Twins for at least part of eleven seasons, 1993-2003. Born and raised in Torrance, California, he was drafted by Minnesota in the 52nd round. He rose a level per year and generally had solid but unexceptional offensive numbers. The one exception is 1992, when he hit .331 at Class A Visalia. He was a shortstop throughout his minor league career. He got a September call-up in 1993, was with the Twins for about three weeks in mid-summer of 1994, got another September call-up in 1995, was with Minnesota for about half of 1996, and finally made the team to stay in 1997. As a Twin, he was the definition of a utilityman, playing every position but pitcher and catcher at some point. He generally played in most of the team’s games, but never had a regular position for any substantial period of time. In 1997 his main positions were shortstop and third base; in 1998-1999 it was second base and shortstop; in 2000 it was outfield and second base; in 2001-2002 it was back to shortstop and second base; in 2003 it was second base and third base. He went from a low average of .202 to a high of .298, getting from 198 to 386 at-bats. For his career as a Twin, he hit .252/.310/351 in 2,204 at-bats. Hocking became a free agent after the 2003 season and signed with Colorado, but he did not hit and was released in July. He signed with the Cubs and finished the season at AAA Iowa. Hocking moved on to Kansas City for 2005, spent most of the year in Omaha, and came back to the majors in early August. After that, his playing career came to an end. Since then, Denny Hocking was active in various broadcasting endeavors, and was a minor league coach in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization, and will manage the Angels’ rookie-league team in Arizona this summer.

Also posted at wgom.org Reggie Smith (1945) Tom Johnson (1951) Billy Sample (1955) Curtis Leskanic (1968) Denny Hocking (1970) Outfielder Carl Reginald Smith did not play for the Twins, but spent his first year, 1963, in their farm system. Smith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, went to high school in Compton, California, and signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 1963. He played in Wytheville in the rookie-level Appalachian League, hitting .257 with eight home runs in 253 at-bats. He was then chosen by Boston in the first-year player draft, a decision that worked out well for the Red Sox. He rose through the minors, hitting .320 at AAA Toronto in 1966. He earned a September call-up that year and never returned to the minors. He was a regular in the outfield for Boston through 1973. As a member of the Red Sox, Smith finished second to Rod Carew in Rookie of the Year balloting in 1967, won a Gold Glove in 1968, made two all-star teams, and received minor consideration for MVP four times. He led the league in doubles twice and led in total bases once. He averaged over 20 homers a year and hit over .300 three times. He had not slowed down in 1973, but after the season he was traded to St. Louis. He continued to play well for the Cardinals, making the all-star team in 1974 and 1975 and finishing 11th in the MVP voting in 1974. He was off to a slow start in 1976, however, and was traded to the Dodgers in mid-June. It was a good deal for the Dodgers–Smith bounced back to make the all-star team in 1977 and 1978, finishing fourth in MVP balloting both years. He led the league in both OBP and OPS+ in 1977. He continued to play well in 1979 and 1980, making the all-star team the latter year, but had both seasons cut short with injuries. He was used almost solely as a pinch-hitter in 1981, had a poor year, and became a free agent, signing with San Francisco. He played first base for the Giants in 1982 and was the mostly regular, although he missed some time with injuries again. He had a solid season, hitting .284 with 18 homers. He then went to Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants for two years before his playing career came to an end. Smith then became a coach for the Dodgers. More recently, he has been involved in USA Baseball, serving as hitting coach for US teams in the Pan American Games, the baseball World Cup, the World Baseball Classic, and the Summer Olympics. Reggie Smith plays seven different musical instruments and holds a pilot’s license. He currently runs the Reggie Smith Baseball Centers, based in Encino, California, which consult with major league baseball organizations, conduct youth baseball camps, offer private and small-group instruction, and certify coaches, for amateur and school baseball leagues. Right-handed reliever Thomas Raymond Johnson was a member of the Twins for five seasons, from 1974-1978. Born and raised in St. Paul, he signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 1970. He both started and relieved in the minors and had a decent year as a starter for Class A Wisconsin Rapids in 1972. In 1973, however, he was primarily a reliever, and went to full-time bullpen status in 1974. He pitched well as a relief pitcher, posting a 1.86 ERA in 87 innings at AA Orlando. He got a September call-up that year, and spent the next two years bouncing between AAA Tacoma and Minnesota. He pitched well both years in the minors, and in 1976 he pitched also pitched well in the majors. By 1977, he was the Twins’ closer, although he was not used as a closer is used today. He appeared in 71 games, and in seventeen of those games he was brought in earlier than the seventh inning. He pitched more than two innings 29 times, three innings or more twenty times, four ininngs or more nine times, more than five innings three times, and more than six innings twice. For the season, he went 16-7, 3.13 in 146.2 innings of relief. Unsurprisingly, this workload had consequences: the next year, he posted a 5.51 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP. He was out of baseball in 1979. Johnson tried to make a comeback in AA with the White Sox in 1980 but pitched poorly, and his playing career was over. At some point after baseball, he appears to have taken an interest in Slovakia, and has established the GoodSports Youth Center in Bratislava, which offers sports leagues and tournaments, tutoring, camps, English lessons, service learning activities and discipleship groups. Outfielder William Amos Sample did not play for the Twins, but went to spring training with them in 1987. He was born in Roanoke, Virginia, went to high school in Salem, Virginia, attended James Madison University (the first major league player to come from that school), and was drafted by Texas in the tenth round in 1976. He quickly showed himself to be too good for the leagues in which he played, hitting .382 in rookie ball in 1976, .348 in AA in 1977, and .352 with 18 homers in AAA in 1978. He got a September call-up in the latter season and, other than a rehab assignment, never went to the minors again. He was not given a regular job for some time, however, instead platooning with Johnny Grubb for most of the 1979-1982 seasons. For as well as he hit in the minors, his major league numbers were somewhat disappointing, although he was not terrible by any means. He finally became a regular in 1983 and 1984, but after a poor 1984 campaign he was traded to the Yankees. Used as a reserve, he did not do particularly well there, either, and moved on to Atlanta for 1986. He had a good year as a reserve there, but became a free agent after the season. He signed with Minnesota for 1987, but did not make the team and his playing career came to an end. He then went into broadcasting, most recently working for mlb.com. He has also written and produced a movie, “Reunion 108″, which is scheduled to be released soon. Right-hander Curtis John Leskanic did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system in 1992. He was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, attended LSU, and was drafted by Cleveland in the eighth round in 1989. He had two pretty good years in Class A Kinston, then at the end of 1992 spring training was traded to Minnesota with Oscar Munoz for Paul Sorrento. Promoted to AA, Leskanic did not have a particularly good season, was left unprotected in the expansion draft, and was chosen by Colorado. He was a starter most of his minor league career, bouncing between the Rockies and AAA Colorado Springs in 1993 and 1994. He moved to the bullpen in 1995 and had his first full season in the majors that year, leading the league in appearances. He appeared in nearly as many games in 1996, but did not do nearly as well, as his ERA rose by nearly three runs. He was back in the minors for 1997, had two more mediocre years in the majors in 1998 and 1999, and then was traded to Milwaukee. He had back-to-back solid seasons for the Brewers, posting an ERA just over three in 143 game. He then went through injuries, missing all of 2002 other than a few minor league rehab appearances. He came back to have a good season in 2003 despite a trade to Kansas City in mid-July. He had a poor start in 2004, getting released in mid-June. He signed with Boston and did well there the rest of the year, but his playing career came to an end after that. At last report, Curtis Leskanic was a scout for the Red Sox. His cousin, Katrina Leskanich, is the lead singer of the group Katrina and the Waves. Infielder Dennis Lee Hocking was a member of the Twins for at least part of eleven seasons, 1993-2003. Born and raised in Torrance, California, he was drafted by Minnesota in the 52nd round. He rose a level per year and generally had solid but unexceptional offensive numbers. The one exception is 1992, when he hit .331 at Class A Visalia. He was a shortstop throughout his minor league career. He got a September call-up in 1993, was with the Twins for about three weeks in mid-summer of 1994, got another September call-up in 1995, was with Minnesota for about half of 1996, and finally made the team to stay in 1997. As a Twin, he was the definition of a utilityman, playing every position but pitcher and catcher at some point. He generally played in most of the team’s games, but never had a regular position for any substantial period of time. In 1997 his main positions were shortstop and third base; in 1998-1999 it was second base and shortstop; in 2000 it was outfield and second base; in 2001-2002 it was back to shortstop and second base; in 2003 it was second base and third base. He went from a low average of .202 to a high of .298, getting from 198 to 386 at-bats. For his career as a Twin, he hit .252/.310/351 in 2,204 at-bats. Hocking became a free agent after the 2003 season and signed with Colorado, but he did not hit and was released in July. He signed with the Cubs and finished the season at AAA Iowa. Hocking moved on to Kansas City for 2005, spent most of the year in Omaha, and came back to the majors in early August. After that, his playing career came to an end. Since then, Denny Hocking was active in various broadcasting endeavors, and was a minor league coach in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization, and will manage the Angels’ rookie-league team in Arizona this summer.

Also posted at wgom.org Ron Perranoski (1936) Ted Sadowski (1936) Mike Bacsik (1952) Mike Kinnunen (1958) Left-handed reliever Ronald Peter Perranoski pitched for the Twins from 1968-1971. His last name was originally “Perzanowski”, and he is a cousin of former Twins pitcher Stan Perzanowski. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey and went to high school in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He attended Michigan State and was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1958. He was a starter his first couple of years in the minors, struggling his first year but posting a 3.12 ERA with ten complete games in 1959 at AA San Antonio. In April of 1960 he was traded to the Dodgers in a trade that also involved ex-Twin Johnny Goryl. He pitched well for two AAA teams in 1960, but started his transition to the bullpen that season. When he reached the Dodgers in 1961, he was used almost exclusively as a reliever (the only major league start of his career came in his rookie season). He spent seven years in the Dodger bullpen and pitched very well. His best season was probably 1963, when he went 16-3, 1.67 with 21 saves. He led the league in winning percentage and appearances (69), pitching 129 innings of relief (one of seven seasons in which he pitched more than 100 relief innings). Perranoski finished fourth in MVP voting that year. He led the league in appearances three times as a Dodger. After the 1967 season, Perranoski was traded to Minnesota with Bob Miller and Johnny Roseboro for Mudcat Grant and Zoilo Versalles. Al Worthington was still the Twins’ closer in 1968, but Perranoski pitched well in relief and got six saves. He became the closer the next year and responded with two more fine seasons, leading the league in saves in consecutive years. In 1971, however, it appears that age and the number of relief innings finally caught up with him. He pitched poorly for the Twins, was placed on waivers at the end of July, and was claimed by Detroit. He was with the Tigers for a year, getting his release in July of 1972. The Dodgers re-signed him to finish out the year. Perranoski signed with the Angels for 1973 but pitched in only eight games before ending his playing career. As a Twin, Ron Perranoski was 25-29, 3.00 with 76 saves. He pitched 360.1 innings over 244 games. He was the Dodgers’ minor league pitching coordinator from 1973-1980 and became the pitching coach of the Dodgers from 1981-1994. Perranoski was later the Giants’ pitching coach and at last report was working in the Giants’ front office as an assistant to the general manager, where he works in the areas of scouting and player development. Ron Perranoski lives in Vero Beach, Florida. Right-handed reliever Theodore Sadowski was one of the original Minnesota Twins, playing for them in 1961 and 1962. A native of Pittsburgh, he signed as a free agent with Washington in 1955. He both started and relieved in the minors. He rose slowly, not reaching AAA until 1960. He had a solid season at Charleston that year, going 8-8, 3.15 in 44 appearances, seven of them starts. Sadowski made his major league debut as a September call-up, but did not pitch well in nine appearances. He came to Minnesota with the team in 1961 and made the team out of spring training, but was sent back to AAA in early June with an ERA well over six. He pitched well at AAA Syracuse that year and once again started the season in the majors in 1962. He again could not get the job done, and was sent back to AAA in early July with an ERA over five. Sadowski continued to pitch well in AAA through 1963, had a poor year there in 1964, and pitched two more years in AA for the Twins before ending his career after the 1966 season. His major league totals were 2-3, 5.76 in 43 appearances, two of them starts. He pitched a total of 84.1 innings in the big leagues. He apparently returned to his home town of Pittsburgh after leaving baseball, passing away there from cancer on July 18, 1993. Right-handed reliever Michael James Bacsik played for the Twins in 1979 and 1980. Born and raised in Dallas, he attended Trinity University and was signed by Texas as a free agent in 1973. He really did not pitch very well in the minors–his lowest ERA in a season where he pitched more than 45 innings was 4.24 at Class A Gastonia in 1974–but he got several chances in the majors anyway. Bacsik was with Texas for a month in 1975, for more than half the season in 1976, and for about a week in 1977. In December of 1978 the Rangers finally gave up on Bacsik, trading him to Minnesota for Mac Scarce. He had a good month in AAA Toledo in 1979, posting an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 1.05 in 21 innings, and that was all the Twins needed to see–he came up and stayed the rest of the season. He actually wasn’t too bad: 4-2, 4.39, 1.37 WHIP in 65.2 innings. He was having another decent year in AAA in 1980 when he was again called up in late June. He again wasn’t too bad, though nothing to get excited about: no decisions and a 4.30 ERA. After the season, however, the Twins traded Bacsik to Seattle for Steve Stroughter. The Mariners released him at the end of spring training and his playing career came to an end. He was inducted into the Trinity University Hall of Fame in 2005. His son, also named Mike Bacsik, also pitched in the major leagues. At last report, Mike Bacsik was operating Mike’s Baseball, a baseball training and coach facility in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It appears that he also does some broadcasting there. Left-handed reliever Michael John Kinnunen pitched for Minnesota for about two-thirds of the season in 1980. Born and raised in Seattle, he attended Washington State and was drafted by the Twins in the tenth round in 1979. He was a starter that year, but shifted to the bullpen in 1980. He was having a fine year in AAA Toledo when he was called up to the Twins. Kinnunen appeared in 21 games for Minnesota, pitching 24.2 innings. He had no record, a 5.11 ERA, and a 1.54 WHIP. Those would be his career major league stats for several years. He went back to Toledo in 1981, pitched poorly, and was traded to St. Louis after the season for Jeff Little. He had a good half-season in AA for the Cardinals, but did not do well when promoted to AAA and was released just before the start of the 1983 season. He signed with Montreal in late April and spent two years in their farm system, again pitching well at AA but not so well when given a chance at AAA. He was traded to Kansas City for 1985 and did all right in relief for Omaha, but became a free agent after the season. Baltimore signed him and he had a fine season in Rochester, earning a September call-up and a return to the majors in 1986. He began the season with Baltimore in 1987 but did not pitch well and went back down to Rochester in mid-May. He had another very good year there and got another September call-up. The Orioles were not sufficiently impressed, however, and let him go after the season. He pitched decently for AAA Columbus in the Yankees’ organization in 1988, moved on the Dodgers’ and Brewers’ organizations in 1989, and then his playing career was over. He played in the Puerto Rican Winter League several years during his playing career and at last report was living in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where he is in charge of the playing field at Roberto Clemente Amateur Stadium. Mike Kinnunen holds the record for most pitching appearances without a decision of any kind: win, loss, or save (48).

Also posted at wgom.org Ron Perranoski (1936) Ted Sadowski (1936) Mike Bacsik (1952) Mike Kinnunen (1958) Left-handed reliever Ronald Peter Perranoski pitched for the Twins from 1968-1971. His last name was originally “Perzanowski”, and he is a cousin of former Twins pitcher Stan Perzanowski. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey and went to high school in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He attended Michigan State and was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1958. He was a starter his first couple of years in the minors, struggling his first year but posting a 3.12 ERA with ten complete games in 1959 at AA San Antonio. In April of 1960 he was traded to the Dodgers in a trade that also involved ex-Twin Johnny Goryl. He pitched well for two AAA teams in 1960, but started his transition to the bullpen that season. When he reached the Dodgers in 1961, he was used almost exclusively as a reliever (the only major league start of his career came in his rookie season). He spent seven years in the Dodger bullpen and pitched very well. His best season was probably 1963, when he went 16-3, 1.67 with 21 saves. He led the league in winning percentage and appearances (69), pitching 129 innings of relief (one of seven seasons in which he pitched more than 100 relief innings). Perranoski finished fourth in MVP voting that year. He led the league in appearances three times as a Dodger. After the 1967 season, Perranoski was traded to Minnesota with Bob Miller and Johnny Roseboro for Mudcat Grant and Zoilo Versalles. Al Worthington was still the Twins’ closer in 1968, but Perranoski pitched well in relief and got six saves. He became the closer the next year and responded with two more fine seasons, leading the league in saves in consecutive years. In 1971, however, it appears that age and the number of relief innings finally caught up with him. He pitched poorly for the Twins, was placed on waivers at the end of July, and was claimed by Detroit. He was with the Tigers for a year, getting his release in July of 1972. The Dodgers re-signed him to finish out the year. Perranoski signed with the Angels for 1973 but pitched in only eight games before ending his playing career. As a Twin, Ron Perranoski was 25-29, 3.00 with 76 saves. He pitched 360.1 innings over 244 games. He was the Dodgers’ minor league pitching coordinator from 1973-1980 and became the pitching coach of the Dodgers from 1981-1994. Perranoski was later the Giants’ pitching coach and at last report was working in the Giants’ front office as an assistant to the general manager, where he works in the areas of scouting and player development. Ron Perranoski lives in Vero Beach, Florida. Right-handed reliever Theodore Sadowski was one of the original Minnesota Twins, playing for them in 1961 and 1962. A native of Pittsburgh, he signed as a free agent with Washington in 1955. He both started and relieved in the minors. He rose slowly, not reaching AAA until 1960. He had a solid season at Charleston that year, going 8-8, 3.15 in 44 appearances, seven of them starts. Sadowski made his major league debut as a September call-up, but did not pitch well in nine appearances. He came to Minnesota with the team in 1961 and made the team out of spring training, but was sent back to AAA in early June with an ERA well over six. He pitched well at AAA Syracuse that year and once again started the season in the majors in 1962. He again could not get the job done, and was sent back to AAA in early July with an ERA over five. Sadowski continued to pitch well in AAA through 1963, had a poor year there in 1964, and pitched two more years in AA for the Twins before ending his career after the 1966 season. His major league totals were 2-3, 5.76 in 43 appearances, two of them starts. He pitched a total of 84.1 innings in the big leagues. He apparently returned to his home town of Pittsburgh after leaving baseball, passing away there from cancer on July 18, 1993. Right-handed reliever Michael James Bacsik played for the Twins in 1979 and 1980. Born and raised in Dallas, he attended Trinity University and was signed by Texas as a free agent in 1973. He really did not pitch very well in the minors–his lowest ERA in a season where he pitched more than 45 innings was 4.24 at Class A Gastonia in 1974–but he got several chances in the majors anyway. Bacsik was with Texas for a month in 1975, for more than half the season in 1976, and for about a week in 1977. In December of 1978 the Rangers finally gave up on Bacsik, trading him to Minnesota for Mac Scarce. He had a good month in AAA Toledo in 1979, posting an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 1.05 in 21 innings, and that was all the Twins needed to see–he came up and stayed the rest of the season. He actually wasn’t too bad: 4-2, 4.39, 1.37 WHIP in 65.2 innings. He was having another decent year in AAA in 1980 when he was again called up in late June. He again wasn’t too bad, though nothing to get excited about: no decisions and a 4.30 ERA. After the season, however, the Twins traded Bacsik to Seattle for Steve Stroughter. The Mariners released him at the end of spring training and his playing career came to an end. He was inducted into the Trinity University Hall of Fame in 2005. His son, also named Mike Bacsik, also pitched in the major leagues. At last report, Mike Bacsik was operating Mike’s Baseball, a baseball training and coach facility in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It appears that he also does some broadcasting there. Left-handed reliever Michael John Kinnunen pitched for Minnesota for about two-thirds of the season in 1980. Born and raised in Seattle, he attended Washington State and was drafted by the Twins in the tenth round in 1979. He was a starter that year, but shifted to the bullpen in 1980. He was having a fine year in AAA Toledo when he was called up to the Twins. Kinnunen appeared in 21 games for Minnesota, pitching 24.2 innings. He had no record, a 5.11 ERA, and a 1.54 WHIP. Those would be his career major league stats for several years. He went back to Toledo in 1981, pitched poorly, and was traded to St. Louis after the season for Jeff Little. He had a good half-season in AA for the Cardinals, but did not do well when promoted to AAA and was released just before the start of the 1983 season. He signed with Montreal in late April and spent two years in their farm system, again pitching well at AA but not so well when given a chance at AAA. He was traded to Kansas City for 1985 and did all right in relief for Omaha, but became a free agent after the season. Baltimore signed him and he had a fine season in Rochester, earning a September call-up and a return to the majors in 1986. He began the season with Baltimore in 1987 but did not pitch well and went back down to Rochester in mid-May. He had another very good year there and got another September call-up. The Orioles were not sufficiently impressed, however, and let him go after the season. He pitched decently for AAA Columbus in the Yankees’ organization in 1988, moved on the Dodgers’ and Brewers’ organizations in 1989, and then his playing career was over. He played in the Puerto Rican Winter League several years during his playing career and at last report was living in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where he is in charge of the playing field at Roberto Clemente Amateur Stadium. Mike Kinnunen holds the record for most pitching appearances without a decision of any kind: win, loss, or save (48).

Also posted at wgom.org. Dick Woodson (1945) Shairon Martis (1987) Right-hander Richard Lee Woodson was with the Twins for four years, 1969-1970 and 1972-1973. He was born in Oelwein, Iowa, but attended high school in San Diego. He signed with the Twins as a free agent in 1965. He both started and relieved in the minors. He did not look like anything special in his first couple of years, but in 1967, used exclusively out of the bullpen, he went 5-2, 1.32 in 41 innings in Class A Orlando. Primarily a starter in 1968, he had another fine year, mostly at AA Charlotte, posting a 3.47 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He was with Minnesota all of 1969 and did fairly well. He was used mostly in relief, although he made ten starts, and went 7-5, 3.67 in 110 innings. Woodson started 1970 in the minors and did not do very well, but was called up to the Twins in late May anyway and did all right in 21 relief appearances. He was back in the minors for all of 1971, winning 16 games and pitching 221 innings for AAA Portland. Back in the majors in 1972, he had his best season, going 14-14, 2.72 in 251 innings. The number of innings may have taken a toll on his arm, however. His ERA rose by more than a full run in 1973, to 3.95, and an injury ended his season in mid-August. That off-season, he became the first player to go to arbitration, seeking a salary of $30,000 (the Twins offered $23,000--Woodson won). He got off to a poor start in 1974 and was traded to the Yankees in early May for Mike Pazik and cash. He again had to deal with injuries and an abbreviated season. He pitched ineffectively at AAA for the Atlanta and Texas organizations in 1975 and then his career was over. Woodson believed that his role as the first player to go to arbitration played a role in both his trade and the end of his career, although such a charge is difficult to prove. As a Twin, Dick Woodson was 33-30, 3.35. He appeared in 129 games, 73 of them starts, and pitched 561 innings. Woodson eventually became part-owner of a company which developed software to help companies track and monitor their assets. He retired at age 60 and at last report was living in Menifee, California, where he was volunteering with the elementary school reading program a couple of days a week. Right-hander Shairon Martis Martis has not played for the Twins yet, but has been in their system since June of 2012. Born and raised in Willemstad, Curacao, he signed with San Francisco as a free agent in 2004. He had a very good year in rookie ball in 2005 and was pitching well in Class A in 2006 when he was traded to Washington in late July for Mike Stanton. He reached AA in 2008, made seven solid starts in AAA that same year, and received a September call-up, going 1-3, 5.66 in 20.2 innings at age 21. He started 2009 in the Nationals rotation at age 22 and stayed there for three months. He had occasional good games, including one complete game, but by and large things did not go well for him and he was sent down in late June with a record of 5-3 but an ERA of 5.25. He struggled at AAA the rest of that season. Returned to AAA in 2010, he was okay, but nothing more. The Nationals sent him back to AA in 2011 and he did quite well there as a twenty-four-year-old. He had split 2012 between AA and AAA when Pittsburgh sold him to Minnesota in late June. He made three starts in New Britain and ten in Rochester, where he went 4-3, 5.22, 1.38 WHIP. He's been around so long that it's tempting to give up on him, but he's only 26 today. It would be foolish to think he'll ever be a star, but it's still possible Shairon Martis could make it back to the majors at some point.

Also posted at wgom.org. Dick Woodson (1945) Shairon Martis (1987) Right-hander Richard Lee Woodson was with the Twins for four years, 1969-1970 and 1972-1973. He was born in Oelwein, Iowa, but attended high school in San Diego. He signed with the Twins as a free agent in 1965. He both started and relieved in the minors. He did not look like anything special in his first couple of years, but in 1967, used exclusively out of the bullpen, he went 5-2, 1.32 in 41 innings in Class A Orlando. Primarily a starter in 1968, he had another fine year, mostly at AA Charlotte, posting a 3.47 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He was with Minnesota all of 1969 and did fairly well. He was used mostly in relief, although he made ten starts, and went 7-5, 3.67 in 110 innings. Woodson started 1970 in the minors and did not do very well, but was called up to the Twins in late May anyway and did all right in 21 relief appearances. He was back in the minors for all of 1971, winning 16 games and pitching 221 innings for AAA Portland. Back in the majors in 1972, he had his best season, going 14-14, 2.72 in 251 innings. The number of innings may have taken a toll on his arm, however. His ERA rose by more than a full run in 1973, to 3.95, and an injury ended his season in mid-August. That off-season, he became the first player to go to arbitration, seeking a salary of $30,000 (the Twins offered $23,000--Woodson won). He got off to a poor start in 1974 and was traded to the Yankees in early May for Mike Pazik and cash. He again had to deal with injuries and an abbreviated season. He pitched ineffectively at AAA for the Atlanta and Texas organizations in 1975 and then his career was over. Woodson believed that his role as the first player to go to arbitration played a role in both his trade and the end of his career, although such a charge is difficult to prove. As a Twin, Dick Woodson was 33-30, 3.35. He appeared in 129 games, 73 of them starts, and pitched 561 innings. Woodson eventually became part-owner of a company which developed software to help companies track and monitor their assets. He retired at age 60 and at last report was living in Menifee, California, where he was volunteering with the elementary school reading program a couple of days a week. Right-hander Shairon Martis Martis has not played for the Twins yet, but has been in their system since June of 2012. Born and raised in Willemstad, Curacao, he signed with San Francisco as a free agent in 2004. He had a very good year in rookie ball in 2005 and was pitching well in Class A in 2006 when he was traded to Washington in late July for Mike Stanton. He reached AA in 2008, made seven solid starts in AAA that same year, and received a September call-up, going 1-3, 5.66 in 20.2 innings at age 21. He started 2009 in the Nationals rotation at age 22 and stayed there for three months. He had occasional good games, including one complete game, but by and large things did not go well for him and he was sent down in late June with a record of 5-3 but an ERA of 5.25. He struggled at AAA the rest of that season. Returned to AAA in 2010, he was okay, but nothing more. The Nationals sent him back to AA in 2011 and he did quite well there as a twenty-four-year-old. He had split 2012 between AA and AAA when Pittsburgh sold him to Minnesota in late June. He made three starts in New Britain and ten in Rochester, where he went 4-3, 5.22, 1.38 WHIP. He's been around so long that it's tempting to give up on him, but he's only 26 today. It would be foolish to think he'll ever be a star, but it's still possible Shairon Martis could make it back to the majors at some point.

Also posted at wgom.org. Billy Beane (1962) Alex Ochoa (1972) Outfielder William Lamar Beane played for the Twins for parts of two seasons, 1986 and 1987. He was born in Orlando, but went to high school in Rancho Bernardo, California. He was drafted in the first round by the Mets in 1980. He did not hit much in his early minor league years, but attracted attention in 1984 when he hit .281 with 20 homers for AA Jackson. That got him a September call-up, in which he went 1-for-10. He basically repeated his minor league numbers in 1985 at AAA Tidewater and again got a September call-up, going 2-for-8. That off-season, he was traded to Minnesota with Joe Klink and Bill Latham for Pat Crosby and Tim Teufel. He was with the Twins in 1986 and shared left field with Randy Bush, although they don't seem to have been platooned. He hit only .213 with a .258 OBP and was back in the minors for 1987, getting another September call-up. In late March of 1988 Beane was traded to Detroit for Balvino Galvez. As a Twin, he hit .217/.258/.303 in 198 at-bats. He was with the Tigers for the first month of 1988 but was seldom used, going only 1-for-6 before being sent to the minors. He had a poor year in AAA and became a free agent after the season, signing with Oakland for 1989. He was with the Athletics for much of the season, hitting .241 with an OBP of .238. He moved into the front office for Oakland in 1990, and became general manager in 1997, a position he currently holds. He won the Executive of the Year award from The Sporting News in 1999 and won the same award from Baseball America in 2002. Outfielder Alex Ochoa played for Minnesota in 1998. He was born and raised in Miami Lakes, Florida and was drafted by Baltimore in the third round in 1991. He did pretty well in the minors, rising one level per year until he reached AAA in 1995. In late July of 1995, however, he was traded to the Mets in a trade that involved Bobby Bonilla. He got a September call-up with the Mets that year. He was having a tremendous year in AAA in 1996 when he was called up in late June. He hit .294 the rest of the way for the Mets, although with little power. 1997 was his first full year in the majors, but his average dropped to .244, and after the season he was traded to the Twins for Rich Becker. He was a part-time player for them that year, playing mostly in right (with Matt Lawton moving to center many of those games). As a Twin, he hit .257/.288/.353 in 249 at-bats. After the season, Ochoa was traded to Milwaukee for Darrell Nicholas. He hit .300 for the Brewers for 1999 but was traded again after the season, going to Cincinnati. He then hit .300 for the Reds for a year and a half before once again being traded, going to Colorado in a trade that involved Todd Walker. He finished the season there, was traded back to Milwaukee for the start of 2002, and was traded to Anaheim in late July of 2002. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Cardinals for 2003, but was released in mid-February. He then went to Japan, playing for the Chunichi Dragons for several years before attempting a comeback in 2007 with Boston. He played poorly in AAA and went back to Japan playing for the Hiroshima Carp through 2008. He then came back to work for the Red Sox, coaching for Boston in 2009, working in player development in 2010, and serving as the batting coach for Class A Salem in 2011. He was the first base coach for Boston in 2012, but was not retained in that position for 2013. No information about what Alex Ochoa is doing this season was readily available.

Also posted at wgom.org. Billy Beane (1962) Alex Ochoa (1972) Outfielder William Lamar Beane played for the Twins for parts of two seasons, 1986 and 1987. He was born in Orlando, but went to high school in Rancho Bernardo, California. He was drafted in the first round by the Mets in 1980. He did not hit much in his early minor league years, but attracted attention in 1984 when he hit .281 with 20 homers for AA Jackson. That got him a September call-up, in which he went 1-for-10. He basically repeated his minor league numbers in 1985 at AAA Tidewater and again got a September call-up, going 2-for-8. That off-season, he was traded to Minnesota with Joe Klink and Bill Latham for Pat Crosby and Tim Teufel. He was with the Twins in 1986 and shared left field with Randy Bush, although they don't seem to have been platooned. He hit only .213 with a .258 OBP and was back in the minors for 1987, getting another September call-up. In late March of 1988 Beane was traded to Detroit for Balvino Galvez. As a Twin, he hit .217/.258/.303 in 198 at-bats. He was with the Tigers for the first month of 1988 but was seldom used, going only 1-for-6 before being sent to the minors. He had a poor year in AAA and became a free agent after the season, signing with Oakland for 1989. He was with the Athletics for much of the season, hitting .241 with an OBP of .238. He moved into the front office for Oakland in 1990, and became general manager in 1997, a position he currently holds. He won the Executive of the Year award from The Sporting News in 1999 and won the same award from Baseball America in 2002. Outfielder Alex Ochoa played for Minnesota in 1998. He was born and raised in Miami Lakes, Florida and was drafted by Baltimore in the third round in 1991. He did pretty well in the minors, rising one level per year until he reached AAA in 1995. In late July of 1995, however, he was traded to the Mets in a trade that involved Bobby Bonilla. He got a September call-up with the Mets that year. He was having a tremendous year in AAA in 1996 when he was called up in late June. He hit .294 the rest of the way for the Mets, although with little power. 1997 was his first full year in the majors, but his average dropped to .244, and after the season he was traded to the Twins for Rich Becker. He was a part-time player for them that year, playing mostly in right (with Matt Lawton moving to center many of those games). As a Twin, he hit .257/.288/.353 in 249 at-bats. After the season, Ochoa was traded to Milwaukee for Darrell Nicholas. He hit .300 for the Brewers for 1999 but was traded again after the season, going to Cincinnati. He then hit .300 for the Reds for a year and a half before once again being traded, going to Colorado in a trade that involved Todd Walker. He finished the season there, was traded back to Milwaukee for the start of 2002, and was traded to Anaheim in late July of 2002. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Cardinals for 2003, but was released in mid-February. He then went to Japan, playing for the Chunichi Dragons for several years before attempting a comeback in 2007 with Boston. He played poorly in AAA and went back to Japan playing for the Hiroshima Carp through 2008. He then came back to work for the Red Sox, coaching for Boston in 2009, working in player development in 2010, and serving as the batting coach for Class A Salem in 2011. He was the first base coach for Boston in 2012, but was not retained in that position for 2013. No information about what Alex Ochoa is doing this season was readily available.

Also posted at wgom.org Garland Shifflett (1935) Right-hander Garland Jessie Shifflett made ten appearances for the Twins in 1964. Born and raised in Elkton, Virginia, Shifflett signed with Washington as a free agent in 1955. He pitched very well in the low minors, and in 1957 was jumped from Class A to the majors for a few weeks from late April through early May. He wasn't ready, posting a 10.12 ERA in eight innings (six games), but had a good year at Class A Charlotte. Shifflett was back in the minors in 1958, again mostly at Charlotte, although he made eight appearances in AA. Something apparently happened after that--it's not clear what, but Shifflett appeared in only nine games from 1959-1961, all nine of them in 1960. A starter prior to 1959, he was used in the bullpen upon his return in 1962. He pitched very well in relief in Charlotte from 1962-1963 (in 1963 Charlotte became a AA city). He apparently developed a knuckleball in 1963. He spent about three weeks in the majors in June of 1964, but was in Charlotte the rest of the season. Altogether, he pitched in Charlotte for most of eleven seasons: 1956-1958, 1960, and 1962-1968. He began pitching in the minors in 1955, but other than three games in 1960 he did not pitch in AAA until 1969, when he pitched for Denver. After the 1970 season, having pitched in the Washington/Minnesota organization his entire career, Shifflett finally moved on, pitching in the Washington/Texas organization for 1971 and 1972, winning the American Association's Pitcher of the Year award in 1971, before his playing career ended. For his major league career, he was 0-2, 6.31 in 16 appearances, one of them a start. In sixteen minor league seasons, he went 144-117, 3.14 in 707 games, at least 155 of them starts (figures are incomplete for a couple of years). He posted a 1.28 WHIP in 2,173 minor league innings. After leaving baseball, Garland Shifflett became a warehouseman for the Coors Brewing Company, and at last report was living in Lakewood, Colorado.

Also posted at wgom.org Garland Shifflett (1935) Right-hander Garland Jessie Shifflett made ten appearances for the Twins in 1964. Born and raised in Elkton, Virginia, Shifflett signed with Washington as a free agent in 1955. He pitched very well in the low minors, and in 1957 was jumped from Class A to the majors for a few weeks from late April through early May. He wasn't ready, posting a 10.12 ERA in eight innings (six games), but had a good year at Class A Charlotte. Shifflett was back in the minors in 1958, again mostly at Charlotte, although he made eight appearances in AA. Something apparently happened after that--it's not clear what, but Shifflett appeared in only nine games from 1959-1961, all nine of them in 1960. A starter prior to 1959, he was used in the bullpen upon his return in 1962. He pitched very well in relief in Charlotte from 1962-1963 (in 1963 Charlotte became a AA city). He apparently developed a knuckleball in 1963. He spent about three weeks in the majors in June of 1964, but was in Charlotte the rest of the season. Altogether, he pitched in Charlotte for most of eleven seasons: 1956-1958, 1960, and 1962-1968. He began pitching in the minors in 1955, but other than three games in 1960 he did not pitch in AAA until 1969, when he pitched for Denver. After the 1970 season, having pitched in the Washington/Minnesota organization his entire career, Shifflett finally moved on, pitching in the Washington/Texas organization for 1971 and 1972, winning the American Association's Pitcher of the Year award in 1971, before his playing career ended. For his major league career, he was 0-2, 6.31 in 16 appearances, one of them a start. In sixteen minor league seasons, he went 144-117, 3.14 in 707 games, at least 155 of them starts (figures are incomplete for a couple of years). He posted a 1.28 WHIP in 2,173 minor league innings. After leaving baseball, Garland Shifflett became a warehouseman for the Coors Brewing Company, and at last report was living in Lakewood, Colorado.

Also posted at wgom.org. Tom Quinlan (1968) Michael Cuddyer (1979) The brother of Robb Quinlan, third baseman Thomas Raymond Quinlan got six at-bats with the Twins at the beginning of 1996. He was born in St. Paul, went to high school in Maplewood, Minnesota, and was drafted by Toronto in 1986. That same year, he was also drafted by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round, but he chose to play baseball. In seven years in the minors for the Blue Jays, his highest batting average was .258, although he did average eleven home runs per season. Despite that, he got a September call-up in 1990 and was with the Blue Jays for nearly two months in 1992. He was used mostly as a defensive replacement, getting only 17 at-bats. He became a free agent after the 1993 season and signed with Philadelphia. He again got nearly two months in the big leagues, starting for about a week. A free agent again after the 1994 season, Quinlan signed with Minnesota for 1995. He was in AAA Salt Lake all season and actually had a decent year, hitting .279 with 17 home runs. He began 1996 with the Twins, went 0-for-6 in four games, and was sent back to AAA. He had another fairly good season there, but became a free agent again and signed with Colorado for 1997. He was in AAA for the Rockies in 1997, for Texas in 1998, and for the Cubs in 1999. He then moved to Korea to play in 2000, being named MVP of the Korean Series that year. At last report, Tom Quinlan was a high school baseball coach in Maplewood, Minnesota and was an instructor with Nevers & Larkin Baseball Training of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, which is partly owned by Gene Larkin. Outfielder/first baseman Michael Brent Cuddyer played for the Twins from 2001-2011. He was born in Norfolk, Virginia and went to high school in Chesapeake, Virginia. He was drafted by Minnesota with the ninth pick of the 1997 draft. Originally an infielder, he played shortstop in 1998 and third base in 1999 and 2000. He was still primarily a third baseman in 2001, but played quite a few games at first and a handful in the outfield. He had probably his best minor league season in 2001, hitting .301 with 30 home runs. He made his major league debut as a September call-up that season, starting five games at first base. He had another fine year in AAA Edmonton in 2002, hitting .319 with 20 home runs when he was called up to Minnesota in mid-July. Cuddyer had shifted to the outfield that year and that was his main position with the Twins, too, as he hit .259 in 112 at-bats. He started 2003 with Minnesota, mostly playing in right field, but was hitting only .233 in early May and was sent back to AAA, where he hit over .300 for the third consecutive season and earned a September call-up. His first full season in the majors was 2004 and he was primarily used in the infield, where he had hardly played for two years. He was the regular third baseman for about three weeks in May, the regular second baseman for another three weeks from late May to mid-June, and was used at multiple positions the rest of the season (at one point, he started at four different positions in five games). Even so, he had a decent year, hitting .263 with 12 home runs in 339 at-bats. In 2005 he played mostly at third base, starting 92 games there while also seeing time at second, first, and right field. He again hit .263 with 12 homers, this time in 422 at-bats. He moved to right field in 2006 and stayed there, other than when he filled in for an injured Justin Morneau at first base. Apart from 2008, when he struggled with injuries, he has been a consistent performer at the plate, hitting between .271 and .284. He hit 32 home runs in 2009, the most he has hit in the majors, and received minor support for MVP. He has never approached that home run total since, but the rest of his numbers have remained pretty much the same. He made his first all-star team in 2011. A free agent after that season, he signed with Colorado for 2012. He missed time with injuries, but when healthy had a pretty typical Michael Cuddyer year, hitting 260 with 16 homers in 358 at-bats. As a Twin, Michael Cuddyer hit .272/.343/.451 in 4072 at-bats. He turns 34 today, so it's certainly legitimate to wonder how many years he has left, but one assumes he will be a starting outfielder for Colorado this season.

Also posted at wgom.org. Tom Quinlan (1968) Michael Cuddyer (1979) The brother of Robb Quinlan, third baseman Thomas Raymond Quinlan got six at-bats with the Twins at the beginning of 1996. He was born in St. Paul, went to high school in Maplewood, Minnesota, and was drafted by Toronto in 1986. That same year, he was also drafted by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round, but he chose to play baseball. In seven years in the minors for the Blue Jays, his highest batting average was .258, although he did average eleven home runs per season. Despite that, he got a September call-up in 1990 and was with the Blue Jays for nearly two months in 1992. He was used mostly as a defensive replacement, getting only 17 at-bats. He became a free agent after the 1993 season and signed with Philadelphia. He again got nearly two months in the big leagues, starting for about a week. A free agent again after the 1994 season, Quinlan signed with Minnesota for 1995. He was in AAA Salt Lake all season and actually had a decent year, hitting .279 with 17 home runs. He began 1996 with the Twins, went 0-for-6 in four games, and was sent back to AAA. He had another fairly good season there, but became a free agent again and signed with Colorado for 1997. He was in AAA for the Rockies in 1997, for Texas in 1998, and for the Cubs in 1999. He then moved to Korea to play in 2000, being named MVP of the Korean Series that year. At last report, Tom Quinlan was a high school baseball coach in Maplewood, Minnesota and was an instructor with Nevers & Larkin Baseball Training of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, which is partly owned by Gene Larkin. Outfielder/first baseman Michael Brent Cuddyer played for the Twins from 2001-2011. He was born in Norfolk, Virginia and went to high school in Chesapeake, Virginia. He was drafted by Minnesota with the ninth pick of the 1997 draft. Originally an infielder, he played shortstop in 1998 and third base in 1999 and 2000. He was still primarily a third baseman in 2001, but played quite a few games at first and a handful in the outfield. He had probably his best minor league season in 2001, hitting .301 with 30 home runs. He made his major league debut as a September call-up that season, starting five games at first base. He had another fine year in AAA Edmonton in 2002, hitting .319 with 20 home runs when he was called up to Minnesota in mid-July. Cuddyer had shifted to the outfield that year and that was his main position with the Twins, too, as he hit .259 in 112 at-bats. He started 2003 with Minnesota, mostly playing in right field, but was hitting only .233 in early May and was sent back to AAA, where he hit over .300 for the third consecutive season and earned a September call-up. His first full season in the majors was 2004 and he was primarily used in the infield, where he had hardly played for two years. He was the regular third baseman for about three weeks in May, the regular second baseman for another three weeks from late May to mid-June, and was used at multiple positions the rest of the season (at one point, he started at four different positions in five games). Even so, he had a decent year, hitting .263 with 12 home runs in 339 at-bats. In 2005 he played mostly at third base, starting 92 games there while also seeing time at second, first, and right field. He again hit .263 with 12 homers, this time in 422 at-bats. He moved to right field in 2006 and stayed there, other than when he filled in for an injured Justin Morneau at first base. Apart from 2008, when he struggled with injuries, he has been a consistent performer at the plate, hitting between .271 and .284. He hit 32 home runs in 2009, the most he has hit in the majors, and received minor support for MVP. He has never approached that home run total since, but the rest of his numbers have remained pretty much the same. He made his first all-star team in 2011. A free agent after that season, he signed with Colorado for 2012. He missed time with injuries, but when healthy had a pretty typical Michael Cuddyer year, hitting 260 with 16 homers in 358 at-bats. As a Twin, Michael Cuddyer hit .272/.343/.451 in 4072 at-bats. He turns 34 today, so it's certainly legitimate to wonder how many years he has left, but one assumes he will be a starting outfielder for Colorado this season.

Also posted at wgom.org. Jarvis Brown (1967) Jason Maxwell (1972) Eric Hacker (1983) Outfielder Jarvis Ardel Brown played for the Twins in parts of two seasons, 1991 and 1992. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Brown was drafted by the Twins with the ninth pick of the January draft of 1986. A small man (5'7", 165), he was known for speed rather than power, although he did hit 14 home runs in AA Orlando in 1990. He did not hit for much of an average his first couple of years, but hit .294 for Class A Kenosha in 1988. He then dropped back into the .250 range for a couple of years before hitting .289 at AAA Portland in 1991. That got him two months in the big leagues, including a spot on the Twins' post-season roster. He was used primarily as a pinch runner and a defensive replacement, playing in 38 games but getting only 37 at-bats. He started 1992 in the majors in a similar role, and again played there for about two months before being sent to the minors. He became a free agent after the season and signed with San Diego for 1993. As a Twin, he hit .173/.246/.173 with nine stolen bases in 52 at-bats (73 games) He hit .308 at AAA Las Vegas in 1994 and came up to the Padres in late July, staying the rest of the season. He got the most major league playing time of his career that season, hitting .233 in 133 at-bats. Brown was placed on waivers after the season and was selected by Atlanta for 1994. He was in the majors for about two months again, once again filling the pinch runner/defensive replacement role, and in AAA the rest of the year. A free agent after the season, he signed with the Mets for 1995, was released in late May, signed with Cincinnati in mid-June, and was sent to Baltimore two days later "as part of a conditional deal." He played well enough that year to get a September call-up, starting eight major league games and playing as a defensive replacement in several others. He again played in the minors for the Orioles in 1996, moved to the Brewers' organization in 1997, and played for Waterbury in the independent Northeast League in 1998 before ending his playing career. Since then, he has done some managing and coaching. Jarvis Brown coached in the Twins’ organization from 1999-2001, was the manager of the New Haven County Cuggers of the Northeast League, head coach of the University of Wisconsin--Parkside for three years, and is currently an assistant coach at Carthage College of Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is one of two major league players with the first name "Jarvis" (Jarvis Tatum). Infielder Jason Raymond Maxwell played for Minnesota in 2000 and 2001. Born and raised in Lewisburg, Tennessee, he attended Middle Tennessee State and was drafted by the Cubs in the 74th round in 1993. He hit fairly well, though not outstandingly, during his minor league career, posting decent averages with moderate power. His best year in the minors was 1998, when he hit .298 with 15 homers and 40 doubles for AAA Iowa. He earned a September call-up that year, going 1-for-3 as a pinch hitter. In late March of 1999, Maxwell was placed on waivers and taken by Detroit. He had a poor year at AAA, became a free agent, and signed with the Twins for 2000. He played for Minnesota for two years as a reserve infielder. He had 179 at-bats as a Twin, hitting .223/.294/.313. A free agent after the 2001 season, he signed with Texas for 2002, was released in late March, and signed with Cincinnati the next day. He was in AAA for the Reds for two years, hitting .301 in 2002, but did not reach the majors. He moved on to the Tampa Bay organization for 2004, and then his playing career was over. At last report, Jason Maxwell was the baseball coach at Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tennessee. Right-hander Eric Lynn Hacker appeared in two games for the Twins in 2011. Born and raised in Duncanville, Texas, he was drafted by the Yankees in the twenty-second round in 2002. He pitched very well in the low minors when he was able to pitch, but he missed a lot of time with injuries. He was out the entire seasons of 2004 and 2006, and going into the 2007 season had appeared in only twenty-two minor league games and pitched just one hundred three innings. He finally had a full minor league season in 2007 and pitched well in high A ball, but did not do as well when tried at higher levels. He had a solid 2008 split between A and AA, but by then he was twenty-five years old. He has never really pitched well above AA. His best year in AAA was 2009, when he went 5-5, 4.02, but he had a WHIP of 1.56. He was traded away from the Yankees in May of that year, going to the Pittsburgh organization. He got a September call-up in 2009, giving up two runs on four hits in three innings. A free agent after the season, he was in AAA for San Francisco in 2010. A free agent again, he signed with Minnesota for 2011. He made two appearances with the Twins in April and actually pitched well, allowing no runs on four hits and four walks in 5.1 innings. It was a different story in Rochester, as he went 7-14, 6.10 with a 1.56 WHIP. He was a free agent after the season and signed a minor league contract with San Francisco for 2012. He had a fairly good year for AAA Fresno and got back to the majors for four more games, going 0-1, 5.59. He was released in January and signed with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization for 2013. It's anyone's guess what he might have done if not for the injuries, but as it is he's thirty today and may have seen his last chance to make the major leagues. Still, even if he never gets another shot, he's pitched in nine major league ball games, which is something a lot of us would love to be able to do.

Also posted at wgom.org. Jarvis Brown (1967) Jason Maxwell (1972) Eric Hacker (1983) Outfielder Jarvis Ardel Brown played for the Twins in parts of two seasons, 1991 and 1992. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Brown was drafted by the Twins with the ninth pick of the January draft of 1986. A small man (5'7", 165), he was known for speed rather than power, although he did hit 14 home runs in AA Orlando in 1990. He did not hit for much of an average his first couple of years, but hit .294 for Class A Kenosha in 1988. He then dropped back into the .250 range for a couple of years before hitting .289 at AAA Portland in 1991. That got him two months in the big leagues, including a spot on the Twins' post-season roster. He was used primarily as a pinch runner and a defensive replacement, playing in 38 games but getting only 37 at-bats. He started 1992 in the majors in a similar role, and again played there for about two months before being sent to the minors. He became a free agent after the season and signed with San Diego for 1993. As a Twin, he hit .173/.246/.173 with nine stolen bases in 52 at-bats (73 games) He hit .308 at AAA Las Vegas in 1994 and came up to the Padres in late July, staying the rest of the season. He got the most major league playing time of his career that season, hitting .233 in 133 at-bats. Brown was placed on waivers after the season and was selected by Atlanta for 1994. He was in the majors for about two months again, once again filling the pinch runner/defensive replacement role, and in AAA the rest of the year. A free agent after the season, he signed with the Mets for 1995, was released in late May, signed with Cincinnati in mid-June, and was sent to Baltimore two days later "as part of a conditional deal." He played well enough that year to get a September call-up, starting eight major league games and playing as a defensive replacement in several others. He again played in the minors for the Orioles in 1996, moved to the Brewers' organization in 1997, and played for Waterbury in the independent Northeast League in 1998 before ending his playing career. Since then, he has done some managing and coaching. Jarvis Brown coached in the Twins’ organization from 1999-2001, was the manager of the New Haven County Cuggers of the Northeast League, head coach of the University of Wisconsin--Parkside for three years, and is currently an assistant coach at Carthage College of Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is one of two major league players with the first name "Jarvis" (Jarvis Tatum). Infielder Jason Raymond Maxwell played for Minnesota in 2000 and 2001. Born and raised in Lewisburg, Tennessee, he attended Middle Tennessee State and was drafted by the Cubs in the 74th round in 1993. He hit fairly well, though not outstandingly, during his minor league career, posting decent averages with moderate power. His best year in the minors was 1998, when he hit .298 with 15 homers and 40 doubles for AAA Iowa. He earned a September call-up that year, going 1-for-3 as a pinch hitter. In late March of 1999, Maxwell was placed on waivers and taken by Detroit. He had a poor year at AAA, became a free agent, and signed with the Twins for 2000. He played for Minnesota for two years as a reserve infielder. He had 179 at-bats as a Twin, hitting .223/.294/.313. A free agent after the 2001 season, he signed with Texas for 2002, was released in late March, and signed with Cincinnati the next day. He was in AAA for the Reds for two years, hitting .301 in 2002, but did not reach the majors. He moved on to the Tampa Bay organization for 2004, and then his playing career was over. At last report, Jason Maxwell was the baseball coach at Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tennessee. Right-hander Eric Lynn Hacker appeared in two games for the Twins in 2011. Born and raised in Duncanville, Texas, he was drafted by the Yankees in the twenty-second round in 2002. He pitched very well in the low minors when he was able to pitch, but he missed a lot of time with injuries. He was out the entire seasons of 2004 and 2006, and going into the 2007 season had appeared in only twenty-two minor league games and pitched just one hundred three innings. He finally had a full minor league season in 2007 and pitched well in high A ball, but did not do as well when tried at higher levels. He had a solid 2008 split between A and AA, but by then he was twenty-five years old. He has never really pitched well above AA. His best year in AAA was 2009, when he went 5-5, 4.02, but he had a WHIP of 1.56. He was traded away from the Yankees in May of that year, going to the Pittsburgh organization. He got a September call-up in 2009, giving up two runs on four hits in three innings. A free agent after the season, he was in AAA for San Francisco in 2010. A free agent again, he signed with Minnesota for 2011. He made two appearances with the Twins in April and actually pitched well, allowing no runs on four hits and four walks in 5.1 innings. It was a different story in Rochester, as he went 7-14, 6.10 with a 1.56 WHIP. He was a free agent after the season and signed a minor league contract with San Francisco for 2012. He had a fairly good year for AAA Fresno and got back to the majors for four more games, going 0-1, 5.59. He was released in January and signed with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization for 2013. It's anyone's guess what he might have done if not for the injuries, but as it is he's thirty today and may have seen his last chance to make the major leagues. Still, even if he never gets another shot, he's pitched in nine major league ball games, which is something a lot of us would love to be able to do.

Erik Schullstrom (1969) Pitcher Erik Paul Schullstrom was with the Twins for parts of two seasons in 1994 and 1995. He was born in San Diego, went to high school in Alameda, California, and then went to Cal State--Fresno. He was drafted by Baltimore in the second round in 1990. Oddly, he never spent a full year with one team at any point in his career. He was originally a starter. He had a pretty good year in 1991, mostly at Class A Frederick, but overall his minor league numbers as a starter are decent but unimpressive. In August of 1992, he was traded to San Diego, but the Padres waived him in April of 1993 and he went back to Baltimore. That year, 1993, Schullstrom began a transition to the bullpen. In August, he became the player to be named later in the deal that sent Mike Pagilarulo to Baltimore, and Erik Schullstrom joined the Twins' organization. He had a good year in relief for the Twins in 1994 and spent about a month in the majors, posting a 2.77 ERA in thirteen innings spread over nine games. He was not off to a particularly good start at AAA Salt Lake in 1995, but was brought up to the Twins in mid-May anyway. He somehow stayed with them the rest of the season despite posting a 6.89 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP in 47 innings, all in relief. Schullstrom became a free agent after the season and signed with Boston; as a Twin, he was 0-0, 6.00 in 60 innings. He appeared in 46 games, all in relief. He pitched well in AA for the Red Sox in 1996, but not so well when promoted to AAA. He continued pitching in other countries, pitching in Mexico in 1997 and in Japan in 1998-1999 and 2001-2002 before ending his playing career. At last report, Erik Schullstrom had returned to his home town of Alameda, California and was the director of USA scouting for the Hiroshima Carp, as well as working as an instructor for the Alameda Professional Baseball School. He holds the major league record for most innings pitched without recording a decision.

Erik Schullstrom (1969) Pitcher Erik Paul Schullstrom was with the Twins for parts of two seasons in 1994 and 1995. He was born in San Diego, went to high school in Alameda, California, and then went to Cal State--Fresno. He was drafted by Baltimore in the second round in 1990. Oddly, he never spent a full year with one team at any point in his career. He was originally a starter. He had a pretty good year in 1991, mostly at Class A Frederick, but overall his minor league numbers as a starter are decent but unimpressive. In August of 1992, he was traded to San Diego, but the Padres waived him in April of 1993 and he went back to Baltimore. That year, 1993, Schullstrom began a transition to the bullpen. In August, he became the player to be named later in the deal that sent Mike Pagilarulo to Baltimore, and Erik Schullstrom joined the Twins' organization. He had a good year in relief for the Twins in 1994 and spent about a month in the majors, posting a 2.77 ERA in thirteen innings spread over nine games. He was not off to a particularly good start at AAA Salt Lake in 1995, but was brought up to the Twins in mid-May anyway. He somehow stayed with them the rest of the season despite posting a 6.89 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP in 47 innings, all in relief. Schullstrom became a free agent after the season and signed with Boston; as a Twin, he was 0-0, 6.00 in 60 innings. He appeared in 46 games, all in relief. He pitched well in AA for the Red Sox in 1996, but not so well when promoted to AAA. He continued pitching in other countries, pitching in Mexico in 1997 and in Japan in 1998-1999 and 2001-2002 before ending his playing career. At last report, Erik Schullstrom had returned to his home town of Alameda, California and was the director of USA scouting for the Hiroshima Carp, as well as working as an instructor for the Alameda Professional Baseball School. He holds the major league record for most innings pitched without recording a decision.