Jeff A

The headline should have said June 22. Sorry about that.

Also posted at wgom.org Dave Goltz (1949) Jim Deshaies (1960) Right-hander Dave Goltz pitched for the Twins through most of the 1970s. He was born in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, went to high school in Rothsay, Minnesota. He was a four-sport star, playing basketball, football, and participating in track as well as playing baseball (he was all state in both basketball and baseball). Goltz was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round in 1967. He had two very good years in the low minors, then missed all of the 1969 season due to military service and made only two appearances in 1970 due to injuries. He came back to have a fine 1971 campaign and was doing fairly well in AAA in 1972 when he was called up to Minnesota in mid-July to replace an injured Jim Kaat. He pitched extremely well the rest of the way, going 3-3, 2.67 with a WHIP of 1.10 and an ERA+ of 121. The Twins moved him to the bullpen for 1973, however, and he did not flourish in the role. He was moved back to the rotation in late July and was extremely inconsistent, mixing brilliant outings with horrible ones. The next year, he was in the rotation from the beginning, and had the first of five consecutive very good seasons for the Twins. His best years were 1977-1978, when he went a combined 35-21, 2.99 with a WHIP of 1.24 in 523.1 innings (303 0f which came in 1977, when he won 20 games and finished sixth in Cy Young voting). He had double-digit complete games in each of those five seasons, with a high of nineteen in 1977. He started to slip in 1979 and the Twins allowed him to become a free agent. It turned out to be a good decision, as he never had as good a season again. Goltz had a poor year in 1980, went to the bullpen in 1981, and when he was no better at the start of 1982 he was released in late April. California signed him in late May and he did somewhat better, but he did nothing in 1983 and was released again in early July, ending his playing career. He won twenty games once, got a World Series ring (with the Dodgers in 1981), and set one record, although not a good one. Dave Goltz holds the record for most runs allowed while getting a save, giving up eight runs while getting a three-inning save against Cleveland on June 6, 1973. Gene Mauch once was quoted as saying Goltz was the best starting pitcher he had ever managed. As a Twin, Dave Goltz was 96-79, 3.48 with a 1.31 WHIP. He appeared in 247 games, 215 of them starts, and worked 1,638 innings. After retirement, Goltz returned to Minnesota. He is currently an insurance agent, with offices in Fergus Falls and Rothsay, Minnesota. He also was the baseball coach for Fergus Falls Community College for two years. Left-hander Jim Deshaies was with the Twins for most of 1993 and all of 1994. Born and raised in Massena, New York, he attended LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, one of six major league players that school has produced. He was drafted by the Yankees in the twenty-first round in 1982. He put up some really good numbers in the Yankees’ system, reaching AAA by 1984. He also made his major league debut that year, making two starts for the Yankees in August. He did not have a good year in AAA in 1985, however, and was traded to Houston in mid-September as part of a deal for Joe Niekro. It was a good move for Deshaies, as he was immediately placed in the Astros rotation and stayed there for six years. He was pretty good for five of those years; the best was 1989, when he went 15-10, 2.91 with a WHIP of 1.15. He pitched poorly in 1991, however, and when contract expired he was allowed to become a free agent. He signed with Oakland, but was released in spring training of 1992. San Diego signed him in late April, sent him to AAA, and brought him to the majors in early July, place him in their starting rotation. He bounced back pretty well, but was a free agent after the season, signing with Minnesota. He did okay in 1993, not great but not terrible. The Twins fell out of the race, however, and in late August Deshaies was traded to San Francisco for Andres Duncan, Aaron Fultz, and a player to be named later (Greg Brummett). Deshaies was a free agent after the season and returned to Minnesota for 1994. He was much worse in his second go-round with the Twins, leading the league both in home runs allowed and in earned runs allowed. As a Twin, he was 17-25, 5.71 with a WHIP of 1.46. He appeared in 52 games, all of them starts, and pitched 297.2 innings. He became a free agent again and signed with Philadelphia for 1995. He did well in AAA, but flopped in two starts with the Phillies and was released in late July, ending his playing career. In 1986, he struck out the first eight batters of the game, setting a modern-day record. He also holds the record for most at-bats without an extra-base hit. Jim Deshaies was a television broadcaster for the Houston Astros from 1997-2012 and is currently a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs.

Also posted at wgom.org Dave Goltz (1949) Jim Deshaies (1960) Right-hander Dave Goltz pitched for the Twins through most of the 1970s. He was born in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, went to high school in Rothsay, Minnesota. He was a four-sport star, playing basketball, football, and participating in track as well as playing baseball (he was all state in both basketball and baseball). Goltz was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round in 1967. He had two very good years in the low minors, then missed all of the 1969 season due to military service and made only two appearances in 1970 due to injuries. He came back to have a fine 1971 campaign and was doing fairly well in AAA in 1972 when he was called up to Minnesota in mid-July to replace an injured Jim Kaat. He pitched extremely well the rest of the way, going 3-3, 2.67 with a WHIP of 1.10 and an ERA+ of 121. The Twins moved him to the bullpen for 1973, however, and he did not flourish in the role. He was moved back to the rotation in late July and was extremely inconsistent, mixing brilliant outings with horrible ones. The next year, he was in the rotation from the beginning, and had the first of five consecutive very good seasons for the Twins. His best years were 1977-1978, when he went a combined 35-21, 2.99 with a WHIP of 1.24 in 523.1 innings (303 0f which came in 1977, when he won 20 games and finished sixth in Cy Young voting). He had double-digit complete games in each of those five seasons, with a high of nineteen in 1977. He started to slip in 1979 and the Twins allowed him to become a free agent. It turned out to be a good decision, as he never had as good a season again. Goltz had a poor year in 1980, went to the bullpen in 1981, and when he was no better at the start of 1982 he was released in late April. California signed him in late May and he did somewhat better, but he did nothing in 1983 and was released again in early July, ending his playing career. He won twenty games once, got a World Series ring (with the Dodgers in 1981), and set one record, although not a good one. Dave Goltz holds the record for most runs allowed while getting a save, giving up eight runs while getting a three-inning save against Cleveland on June 6, 1973. Gene Mauch once was quoted as saying Goltz was the best starting pitcher he had ever managed. As a Twin, Dave Goltz was 96-79, 3.48 with a 1.31 WHIP. He appeared in 247 games, 215 of them starts, and worked 1,638 innings. After retirement, Goltz returned to Minnesota. He is currently an insurance agent, with offices in Fergus Falls and Rothsay, Minnesota. He also was the baseball coach for Fergus Falls Community College for two years. Left-hander Jim Deshaies was with the Twins for most of 1993 and all of 1994. Born and raised in Massena, New York, he attended LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, one of six major league players that school has produced. He was drafted by the Yankees in the twenty-first round in 1982. He put up some really good numbers in the Yankees’ system, reaching AAA by 1984. He also made his major league debut that year, making two starts for the Yankees in August. He did not have a good year in AAA in 1985, however, and was traded to Houston in mid-September as part of a deal for Joe Niekro. It was a good move for Deshaies, as he was immediately placed in the Astros rotation and stayed there for six years. He was pretty good for five of those years; the best was 1989, when he went 15-10, 2.91 with a WHIP of 1.15. He pitched poorly in 1991, however, and when contract expired he was allowed to become a free agent. He signed with Oakland, but was released in spring training of 1992. San Diego signed him in late April, sent him to AAA, and brought him to the majors in early July, place him in their starting rotation. He bounced back pretty well, but was a free agent after the season, signing with Minnesota. He did okay in 1993, not great but not terrible. The Twins fell out of the race, however, and in late August Deshaies was traded to San Francisco for Andres Duncan, Aaron Fultz, and a player to be named later (Greg Brummett). Deshaies was a free agent after the season and returned to Minnesota for 1994. He was much worse in his second go-round with the Twins, leading the league both in home runs allowed and in earned runs allowed. As a Twin, he was 17-25, 5.71 with a WHIP of 1.46. He appeared in 52 games, all of them starts, and pitched 297.2 innings. He became a free agent again and signed with Philadelphia for 1995. He did well in AAA, but flopped in two starts with the Phillies and was released in late July, ending his playing career. In 1986, he struck out the first eight batters of the game, setting a modern-day record. He also holds the record for most at-bats without an extra-base hit. Jim Deshaies was a television broadcaster for the Houston Astros from 1997-2012 and is currently a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs.

Also posted at wgom.org Greg Booker (1960) Luis Maza (1980) Right-handed reliever Gregory Scott Booker appeared in six games for the Twins in 1989. The son-in-law of Jack McKeon, he was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, went to high school in Burlington, North Carolina, and then attended Elon University in Elon, North Carolina (a school also attended by Dick Such). He was drafted by San Diego in the tenth round in 1981. Mostly a starter in the minors, he did not have very good numbers there at all, although much of his time was spent in hitter-friendly Las Vegas in the PCL. Despite never posting a minor league ERA under 5.25 or a WHIP under 1.6, Booker got a September call-up in 1983. He went back-and-forth between San Diego and Las Vegas from 1984-1986. He was almost exclusively a reliever in the majors, making only four career starts. His major league numbers are substantially better than his minor league totals, although it should be noted that Booker never pitched as many as seventy innings in a major league season. His only two full seasons in the majors were 1987-1988, and he pitched pretty well in those years, posting ERAs in the low threes and WHIPs around 1.35. He did not pitch as well in 1989, was sent back to AAA in June. In late June, his father-in-law traded him to Minnesota for Fred Toliver. Most of his time with the Twins was in AAA, but he came up to the majors in September. He appeared in six games and pitched 8.2 innings. Had no record, giving up four runs on eleven hits for a 4.15 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The Twins allowed him to become a free agent and he signed with the Cubs, but he was released at the end of spring training. He signed with the Giants for 1990 and was in AAA most of the year, playing in two major league games in late May. That was the end of his playing career. He has stayed in professional baseball since then, coaching in the Indians and Rockies organizations, and was the major league pitching coach for San Diego from 1997-2003. Greg Booker is currently the pitching coach of the Syracuse Chiefs in the International League. His son, Zach Booker, is on the roster for the AAA Norfolk Tides in the Baltimore organization, but has barely played since 2008 and is currently on the disabled list. One suspects they may be using him as an extra coach, but this could not be confirmed. Infielder Luis Alberto Maza did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system for several years. Born and raised in Cumana, Venezuela, he signed with the Twins as a free agent in 1997. Partly due to his age, Maza was in the low minors for several years, not reaching AA until 2004. He hit .311 there that year and was promoted to AAA in 2005. He had a bad year in Rochester in 2006, hitting only .207, and became a free agent after the season. He signed with the Dodgers, played very well in the minors, and reached the majors in mid-May of 2008, staying for two months. He hit only .228, however, and so far this has been Maza’s only time in the majors. He hit .378 in Albuquerque that year, and followed it up with a .300 season last year. When he did not get a call back to the big leagues, Maza again became a free agent, this time signing with Philadelphia. He moved on to Houston in late June, but was released in early August. He signed with Grosseto in the Italian Baseball League for 2011, played for Rimini in that same league in 2012, and was still with them at last report. He played for Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League last year.

Also posted at wgom.org Greg Booker (1960) Luis Maza (1980) Right-handed reliever Gregory Scott Booker appeared in six games for the Twins in 1989. The son-in-law of Jack McKeon, he was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, went to high school in Burlington, North Carolina, and then attended Elon University in Elon, North Carolina (a school also attended by Dick Such). He was drafted by San Diego in the tenth round in 1981. Mostly a starter in the minors, he did not have very good numbers there at all, although much of his time was spent in hitter-friendly Las Vegas in the PCL. Despite never posting a minor league ERA under 5.25 or a WHIP under 1.6, Booker got a September call-up in 1983. He went back-and-forth between San Diego and Las Vegas from 1984-1986. He was almost exclusively a reliever in the majors, making only four career starts. His major league numbers are substantially better than his minor league totals, although it should be noted that Booker never pitched as many as seventy innings in a major league season. His only two full seasons in the majors were 1987-1988, and he pitched pretty well in those years, posting ERAs in the low threes and WHIPs around 1.35. He did not pitch as well in 1989, was sent back to AAA in June. In late June, his father-in-law traded him to Minnesota for Fred Toliver. Most of his time with the Twins was in AAA, but he came up to the majors in September. He appeared in six games and pitched 8.2 innings. Had no record, giving up four runs on eleven hits for a 4.15 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The Twins allowed him to become a free agent and he signed with the Cubs, but he was released at the end of spring training. He signed with the Giants for 1990 and was in AAA most of the year, playing in two major league games in late May. That was the end of his playing career. He has stayed in professional baseball since then, coaching in the Indians and Rockies organizations, and was the major league pitching coach for San Diego from 1997-2003. Greg Booker is currently the pitching coach of the Syracuse Chiefs in the International League. His son, Zach Booker, is on the roster for the AAA Norfolk Tides in the Baltimore organization, but has barely played since 2008 and is currently on the disabled list. One suspects they may be using him as an extra coach, but this could not be confirmed. Infielder Luis Alberto Maza did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system for several years. Born and raised in Cumana, Venezuela, he signed with the Twins as a free agent in 1997. Partly due to his age, Maza was in the low minors for several years, not reaching AA until 2004. He hit .311 there that year and was promoted to AAA in 2005. He had a bad year in Rochester in 2006, hitting only .207, and became a free agent after the season. He signed with the Dodgers, played very well in the minors, and reached the majors in mid-May of 2008, staying for two months. He hit only .228, however, and so far this has been Maza’s only time in the majors. He hit .378 in Albuquerque that year, and followed it up with a .300 season last year. When he did not get a call back to the big leagues, Maza again became a free agent, this time signing with Philadelphia. He moved on to Houston in late June, but was released in early August. He signed with Grosseto in the Italian Baseball League for 2011, played for Rimini in that same league in 2012, and was still with them at last report. He played for Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League last year.

Also posted at wgom.org Jackie Collum (1927) Jay Pettibone (1957) Garrett Jones (1981) ​Left-hander Jack Dean “Jackie” Collum pitched in eight games for the Twins in 1962. He was born in Victor, Iowa and went to high school in Newburg, Iowa. He signed with St. Louis as a free agent in 1946. He was used as both a starter and a reliever in the minors and appears to have pitched pretty well in both roles. He got cups of coffee in the majors in both 1951 and 1952, appearing in a total of five games for the Cardinals. 1953 was his first full season in the majors, but most of it was not spent in St. Louis, as Collum was traded to Cincinnati in late May. He stuck with the Reds through 1955, making 31 starts and appearing in 98 games. He did a good job, posting ERAs in the mid-threes. He was traded back to St. Louis for 1956, and unfortunately things went downhill for him after that. He did not do particularly well for the Cardinals, was traded to the Cubs after the season, pitched poorly, and was traded to Brooklyn in late May. Most of his time with the Dodgers that year was spent in AAA, and he remained in AAA for the Dodgers through 1960. He did fairly well there, but was traded to the Twins sometime afte the 1960 season “in an unknown transaction.” He stayed in AAA in 1961 but had a strong season there in 1962, earning about three weeks with the Twins. It did not go well, h0wever; as a Twin, Jackie Collum was 0-2, 11.15 in 15.1 innings. He appeared in eight games, three of them starts. On August 20, he was traded to Cleveland with a player to be named later (Georges Miranda) and cash for Ruben Gomez. He made one appearance with the Indians, and then his playing career was over. He was a good hitter, batting .269 in the minors and .246 in the majors. He occasionally played outfield in the minors as well as pitching. After retiring from baseball, Collum became the owner of the Pioneer Oil Company in Grinnell, Iowa. Jackie Collum passed away on August 29, 2009 in Grinnell. Right-hander Harry Jonathan ”Jay” Pettibone made four starts for the Twins in 1983. He was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, attended Chapman University of Orange, California, one of seven major leaguers to have attended that school. He was drafted by Texas in the thirtieth round in 1979. He was in the minors with the Rangers for two ineffective years, not rising above Class A, and was released in December of 1980. The Twins signed him in February of 1981 and sent him to Class A Visalia, where he went 14-8, although with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He had a good year in Visalia in 1982 and a half-way decent year in AA Orlando in 1983, earning a September call-up in the latter season. His first game was a complete game 3-1 loss, but he did not pitch well in the other three starts. He was 0-4, 5.33 with a WHIP of 1.33 in 27 innings. Pettibone was back in the minors in 1984 and did not pitch particularly well. After the season, he was the player to be named later in the deal that brought Chris Speier to the Twins from St. Louis for a month and a half in 1984. He did not pitch in the Cardinals organization, however; his playing career ended after the 1984 campaign. He auditioned for a job as a replacement player in 1995, and was working as a special agent in the Treasury Department at that time. At last report, Jay Pettibone was working for the Department of Homeland Security. His son, Jonathan Pettibone, is currently pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies. Outfielder/first baseman Garrett Thomas Jones had three stints with the Twins in 2007, totalling about two and a half months. He was born in Harvey, Illinois, went to high school in Tinley Park, Illinois. He was drafted by Atlanta in the fourteenth round in 1999. He was in rookie ball for three years, did not do a whole lot (although he did hit .289 in 2001), and was released in May of 2002. Minnesota signed him three days later and sent him to Class A Quad Cities. He hit for low averages for two years in Class A, but he began to develop some power, and finally in 2004 in AA New Britain he put things together. He hit .311 that season with 30 home runs. He spent almost all of the next four seasons at AAA Rochester, hitting over 20 homers three of those years and posting an OPS over .800 the last two. He appeared in 31 games for the Twins in 2007, twelve of them at DH, eight at first base, six in the outfield, and five as a pinch-hitter. He hit .208/.262/.338 in 77 at-bats. Jones was allowed to become a free agent after the 2008 season and signed with Pittsburgh. He started the season in AAA but came up on July 1 and was a regular for the Pirates, although at three different positions (right field, first base, and left field). Surprisingly, he did very well, hitting .293 with 21 homers, posting an OPS of .938, and finishing seventh in Rookie of the Year voting. He continued to play regularly for the Pirates in 2010, but has failed to match his 2009 totals. 2011 turned out to be much more similar to 2010 than 2009 and he found himself being platooned, although as a left-handed batter he still got the bulk of the playing time. He was still platooned some in 2012, but came back to have a better season. He is not doing as well in 2013, however; while he’s not embarrassing himself, his numbers are not sufficient for a player with limited defensive value. He turns 32 today. He certainly could get things going yet this season. Even if he doesn’t, though, he’s put together a very respectable career for someone who got started that late.

Also posted at wgom.org Jackie Collum (1927) Jay Pettibone (1957) Garrett Jones (1981) ​Left-hander Jack Dean “Jackie” Collum pitched in eight games for the Twins in 1962. He was born in Victor, Iowa and went to high school in Newburg, Iowa. He signed with St. Louis as a free agent in 1946. He was used as both a starter and a reliever in the minors and appears to have pitched pretty well in both roles. He got cups of coffee in the majors in both 1951 and 1952, appearing in a total of five games for the Cardinals. 1953 was his first full season in the majors, but most of it was not spent in St. Louis, as Collum was traded to Cincinnati in late May. He stuck with the Reds through 1955, making 31 starts and appearing in 98 games. He did a good job, posting ERAs in the mid-threes. He was traded back to St. Louis for 1956, and unfortunately things went downhill for him after that. He did not do particularly well for the Cardinals, was traded to the Cubs after the season, pitched poorly, and was traded to Brooklyn in late May. Most of his time with the Dodgers that year was spent in AAA, and he remained in AAA for the Dodgers through 1960. He did fairly well there, but was traded to the Twins sometime afte the 1960 season “in an unknown transaction.” He stayed in AAA in 1961 but had a strong season there in 1962, earning about three weeks with the Twins. It did not go well, h0wever; as a Twin, Jackie Collum was 0-2, 11.15 in 15.1 innings. He appeared in eight games, three of them starts. On August 20, he was traded to Cleveland with a player to be named later (Georges Miranda) and cash for Ruben Gomez. He made one appearance with the Indians, and then his playing career was over. He was a good hitter, batting .269 in the minors and .246 in the majors. He occasionally played outfield in the minors as well as pitching. After retiring from baseball, Collum became the owner of the Pioneer Oil Company in Grinnell, Iowa. Jackie Collum passed away on August 29, 2009 in Grinnell. Right-hander Harry Jonathan ”Jay” Pettibone made four starts for the Twins in 1983. He was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, attended Chapman University of Orange, California, one of seven major leaguers to have attended that school. He was drafted by Texas in the thirtieth round in 1979. He was in the minors with the Rangers for two ineffective years, not rising above Class A, and was released in December of 1980. The Twins signed him in February of 1981 and sent him to Class A Visalia, where he went 14-8, although with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He had a good year in Visalia in 1982 and a half-way decent year in AA Orlando in 1983, earning a September call-up in the latter season. His first game was a complete game 3-1 loss, but he did not pitch well in the other three starts. He was 0-4, 5.33 with a WHIP of 1.33 in 27 innings. Pettibone was back in the minors in 1984 and did not pitch particularly well. After the season, he was the player to be named later in the deal that brought Chris Speier to the Twins from St. Louis for a month and a half in 1984. He did not pitch in the Cardinals organization, however; his playing career ended after the 1984 campaign. He auditioned for a job as a replacement player in 1995, and was working as a special agent in the Treasury Department at that time. At last report, Jay Pettibone was working for the Department of Homeland Security. His son, Jonathan Pettibone, is currently pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies. Outfielder/first baseman Garrett Thomas Jones had three stints with the Twins in 2007, totalling about two and a half months. He was born in Harvey, Illinois, went to high school in Tinley Park, Illinois. He was drafted by Atlanta in the fourteenth round in 1999. He was in rookie ball for three years, did not do a whole lot (although he did hit .289 in 2001), and was released in May of 2002. Minnesota signed him three days later and sent him to Class A Quad Cities. He hit for low averages for two years in Class A, but he began to develop some power, and finally in 2004 in AA New Britain he put things together. He hit .311 that season with 30 home runs. He spent almost all of the next four seasons at AAA Rochester, hitting over 20 homers three of those years and posting an OPS over .800 the last two. He appeared in 31 games for the Twins in 2007, twelve of them at DH, eight at first base, six in the outfield, and five as a pinch-hitter. He hit .208/.262/.338 in 77 at-bats. Jones was allowed to become a free agent after the 2008 season and signed with Pittsburgh. He started the season in AAA but came up on July 1 and was a regular for the Pirates, although at three different positions (right field, first base, and left field). Surprisingly, he did very well, hitting .293 with 21 homers, posting an OPS of .938, and finishing seventh in Rookie of the Year voting. He continued to play regularly for the Pirates in 2010, but has failed to match his 2009 totals. 2011 turned out to be much more similar to 2010 than 2009 and he found himself being platooned, although as a left-handed batter he still got the bulk of the playing time. He was still platooned some in 2012, but came back to have a better season. He is not doing as well in 2013, however; while he’s not embarrassing himself, his numbers are not sufficient for a player with limited defensive value. He turns 32 today. He certainly could get things going yet this season. Even if he doesn’t, though, he’s put together a very respectable career for someone who got started that late.

Also posted at wgom.org Juan Castro (1972) Infielder Juan Gabriel Castro played for the Twins in 2005 and the first part of 2006. Born and raised in Los Mochis, Mexico, Castro signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1991. He had decent batting averages in the minors, but did not walk very much nor did he show much power. He gained a reputation as a fine fielder, however, and made his major league debut as a September call-up in 1995. He spent the next two years going back and forth between Albuquerque and Los Angeles, putting up good numbers in the minors but bad numbers in the majors, where he was used as a utility player. He got his first full season in the majors in 1998, again as a utility player, and hit only .195 with an OPS of .499. He was back in AAA for almost all of 1999 and then was traded to Cincinnati. He started 2000 in AAA but was back in the majors in late April and remained with the Reds through 2004, again as a utility infielder. He continued to not hit very well– his best year was 2003, when he hit .253 with nine homers for an OPS of .678. Castro became a free agent after the 2004 campaign and signed with Minnesota. As a Twin, he basically was what he was–a weak hitter with a reputation as a good fielder. He hit .248/.271/.357 in 428 at-bats. He stayed with Minnesota until mid-June of 2006, when he was traded to Cincinnati for Brandon Roberts. He had a good rest-of-2006 for the Reds, but did little in 2007 and was released in early May of 2008. He signed with the Rockies, played in AAA there for two and a half months, then was traded to Baltimore. He was with the Dodgers in 2009, moved on to Philadelphia for 2010, was released in mid-July, and signed with the Dodgers again. He was still with the Dodgers in 2011, but spent most of the season in the minors and retired on July 10. Upon his retirement, Juan Castro was named a special assistant for player personnel for the Dodgers, a position he continued to hold at last report. He was also a coach for Mexico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Also posted at wgom.org Juan Castro (1972) Infielder Juan Gabriel Castro played for the Twins in 2005 and the first part of 2006. Born and raised in Los Mochis, Mexico, Castro signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1991. He had decent batting averages in the minors, but did not walk very much nor did he show much power. He gained a reputation as a fine fielder, however, and made his major league debut as a September call-up in 1995. He spent the next two years going back and forth between Albuquerque and Los Angeles, putting up good numbers in the minors but bad numbers in the majors, where he was used as a utility player. He got his first full season in the majors in 1998, again as a utility player, and hit only .195 with an OPS of .499. He was back in AAA for almost all of 1999 and then was traded to Cincinnati. He started 2000 in AAA but was back in the majors in late April and remained with the Reds through 2004, again as a utility infielder. He continued to not hit very well– his best year was 2003, when he hit .253 with nine homers for an OPS of .678. Castro became a free agent after the 2004 campaign and signed with Minnesota. As a Twin, he basically was what he was–a weak hitter with a reputation as a good fielder. He hit .248/.271/.357 in 428 at-bats. He stayed with Minnesota until mid-June of 2006, when he was traded to Cincinnati for Brandon Roberts. He had a good rest-of-2006 for the Reds, but did little in 2007 and was released in early May of 2008. He signed with the Rockies, played in AAA there for two and a half months, then was traded to Baltimore. He was with the Dodgers in 2009, moved on to Philadelphia for 2010, was released in mid-July, and signed with the Dodgers again. He was still with the Dodgers in 2011, but spent most of the season in the minors and retired on July 10. Upon his retirement, Juan Castro was named a special assistant for player personnel for the Dodgers, a position he continued to hold at last report. He was also a coach for Mexico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

I misspelled Alex Prieto's name. Sorry about that.

Also posted at wgom.org Doug Mientkiewicz (1974) Alex Preito (1976) Dustan Mohr (1976) First baseman Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz played for the Twins in all or part of seven seasons. He was born in Toledo, went to high school in Miami, and attended Florida State. He then was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round in 1995. He started slowly but had a big year in New Britain in 1998, batting .323 with 16 home runs. That resulted in a September call-up, and in 1999 he started the season as the Twins’ regular first baseman, startling people who had expected David Ortiz to get the job. He hit well in April but did not do much after that, gradually losing playing time to Ron Coomer. In 2000 he had another big year in the minors, hitting .334 with 18 homers in Salt Lake and getting another September call-up. He also played on the gold medal U. S. Olympic team that year. He regained the regular first base job with the Twins in 2001 and held it through July of 2004. His best year as a Twin was 2001, when he hit .306 with 15 homers and finished fourteenth in MVP voting. He also won the Gold Glove that year, which despite his reputation as a tremendous defensive player was the only time he ever won that award. He had a bad year in 2004 and was traded to Boston at the end of July in a four-team traded that netted the Twins Justin Jones from the Cubs (Orlando Cabrera was also involved in the trade). He was a part-time first baseman for the Red Sox the rest of the season, winning a World Championship ring. He then started bouncing around, playing for the Mets in 2005, Kansas City in 2006, the Yankees in 2007, and Pittsburgh in 2008. For most of those years, he was basically what he had been, a good defensive first baseman who hit for a decent average, drew some walks, and had moderate power. Mientkiewicz signed with the Dodgers for 2009 but was injured much of the season. The Dodgers released him at the end of 2010 spring training and he went unsigned until early May, when he hooked on with the Marlins. He was in AAA for about two weeks, but opted out of his contract after playing in only four games. As a Twin, he hit .275/.367/.408 in 2,147 at-bats. Doug Mientkiewicz eventually went into coaching, and is currently in his first year as the manager of the Fort Myers Miracle. Infielder Alejandro Antonio Prieto appeared in 24 games for the Twins in 2003-2004. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, he was signed as a free agent by Kansas City in 1992 at age 16. He was in the low levels of the minors for five seasons before getting a promotion to AA in 1998. Prieto had little power, but hit for a decent average and drew a decent number of walks. He was primarily a shortstop but saw some time at second and third and played a few games in the outfield. He did fairly well in his second year of AA in 1999, and so moved up to AAA for 2000. He did well his second year there, 2001, as well, but after that he became a minor league free agent and signed with Minnesota. He was a consistent batter for Rochester, neither particularly good nor particularly bad. Prieto got a couple of stints in the majors with the Twins, the only big league playing time he got. In 2003 he was with the Twins for about a month, going 1-for-11. In 2004 he was there for about five weeks, going 8-for-32. Put it all together, and you have a line of .209/.255/.302 in 43 at-bats. He became a free agent after the 2004 season and spent three more years in the minors. He signed with the Philadelphia organization for 2005, was traded to the Kansas City system in late April, stayed there for 2006, and moved on the Red Sox’ chain for 2007, playing in AAA there until his release in late August. He then played in the independent Atlantic League in 2008 and 2009. He played for four independent teams in 2010, then his playing career came to an end. It appears that Alex Prieto has moved back to his native Caracas, but this could not be confirmed. Outfielder Dustan Kyle Mohr played for the Twins for two-plus years in the early part of the decade of the 2000s. Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he attended the University of Alabama and was drafted by Cleveland in the ninth round in 1997. His minor league numbers were fairly good but not all that impressive, and the Indians released him in late March of 2000. The Twins signed him, and in 2001 he hit .336 with 24 homers for AA New Britain. That got people’s attention, and he was called up to the big leagues in late August of that season and stuck for a few years. He was a semi-regular outfielder for the Twins in 2002 and 2003, playing mostly in right. He mostly shared the position with Bobby Kielty. He was decent–Mohr finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2002. In mid-season of 2003, however, the Twins traded for Shannon Stewart, making Mohr expendable. He was traded after the season to San Francisco for a player to be named later (J. T. Thomas). As a Twin, he hit .258/.319/.408 in 782 at-bats. He hit well for the Giants in 2004 as a fourth outfielder, but was allowed to become a free agent and signed with Colorado. He was again a reserve outfielder, but hit only .214, and his big league career was nearing its close. He was with Boston and Detroit in 2006 and Tampa Bay in 2007, but was in the minors most of that time, getting only forty at-bats with the Red Sox and sixteen with the Devil Rays. He was with Colorado Springs in the Rockies organization for a month in 2008 then played for the independent Wichita Wingnuts the rest of 2008 and 2009. He played for the independent Long Island Ducks in 2010, then his career came to an end. At last report, Dustan Mohr had gone into the insurance business and was an insurance agent for New York Life in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Also posted at wgom.org Doug Mientkiewicz (1974) Alex Preito (1976) Dustan Mohr (1976) First baseman Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz played for the Twins in all or part of seven seasons. He was born in Toledo, went to high school in Miami, and attended Florida State. He then was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round in 1995. He started slowly but had a big year in New Britain in 1998, batting .323 with 16 home runs. That resulted in a September call-up, and in 1999 he started the season as the Twins’ regular first baseman, startling people who had expected David Ortiz to get the job. He hit well in April but did not do much after that, gradually losing playing time to Ron Coomer. In 2000 he had another big year in the minors, hitting .334 with 18 homers in Salt Lake and getting another September call-up. He also played on the gold medal U. S. Olympic team that year. He regained the regular first base job with the Twins in 2001 and held it through July of 2004. His best year as a Twin was 2001, when he hit .306 with 15 homers and finished fourteenth in MVP voting. He also won the Gold Glove that year, which despite his reputation as a tremendous defensive player was the only time he ever won that award. He had a bad year in 2004 and was traded to Boston at the end of July in a four-team traded that netted the Twins Justin Jones from the Cubs (Orlando Cabrera was also involved in the trade). He was a part-time first baseman for the Red Sox the rest of the season, winning a World Championship ring. He then started bouncing around, playing for the Mets in 2005, Kansas City in 2006, the Yankees in 2007, and Pittsburgh in 2008. For most of those years, he was basically what he had been, a good defensive first baseman who hit for a decent average, drew some walks, and had moderate power. Mientkiewicz signed with the Dodgers for 2009 but was injured much of the season. The Dodgers released him at the end of 2010 spring training and he went unsigned until early May, when he hooked on with the Marlins. He was in AAA for about two weeks, but opted out of his contract after playing in only four games. As a Twin, he hit .275/.367/.408 in 2,147 at-bats. Doug Mientkiewicz eventually went into coaching, and is currently in his first year as the manager of the Fort Myers Miracle. Infielder Alejandro Antonio Prieto appeared in 24 games for the Twins in 2003-2004. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, he was signed as a free agent by Kansas City in 1992 at age 16. He was in the low levels of the minors for five seasons before getting a promotion to AA in 1998. Prieto had little power, but hit for a decent average and drew a decent number of walks. He was primarily a shortstop but saw some time at second and third and played a few games in the outfield. He did fairly well in his second year of AA in 1999, and so moved up to AAA for 2000. He did well his second year there, 2001, as well, but after that he became a minor league free agent and signed with Minnesota. He was a consistent batter for Rochester, neither particularly good nor particularly bad. Prieto got a couple of stints in the majors with the Twins, the only big league playing time he got. In 2003 he was with the Twins for about a month, going 1-for-11. In 2004 he was there for about five weeks, going 8-for-32. Put it all together, and you have a line of .209/.255/.302 in 43 at-bats. He became a free agent after the 2004 season and spent three more years in the minors. He signed with the Philadelphia organization for 2005, was traded to the Kansas City system in late April, stayed there for 2006, and moved on the Red Sox’ chain for 2007, playing in AAA there until his release in late August. He then played in the independent Atlantic League in 2008 and 2009. He played for four independent teams in 2010, then his playing career came to an end. It appears that Alex Prieto has moved back to his native Caracas, but this could not be confirmed. Outfielder Dustan Kyle Mohr played for the Twins for two-plus years in the early part of the decade of the 2000s. Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he attended the University of Alabama and was drafted by Cleveland in the ninth round in 1997. His minor league numbers were fairly good but not all that impressive, and the Indians released him in late March of 2000. The Twins signed him, and in 2001 he hit .336 with 24 homers for AA New Britain. That got people’s attention, and he was called up to the big leagues in late August of that season and stuck for a few years. He was a semi-regular outfielder for the Twins in 2002 and 2003, playing mostly in right. He mostly shared the position with Bobby Kielty. He was decent–Mohr finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2002. In mid-season of 2003, however, the Twins traded for Shannon Stewart, making Mohr expendable. He was traded after the season to San Francisco for a player to be named later (J. T. Thomas). As a Twin, he hit .258/.319/.408 in 782 at-bats. He hit well for the Giants in 2004 as a fourth outfielder, but was allowed to become a free agent and signed with Colorado. He was again a reserve outfielder, but hit only .214, and his big league career was nearing its close. He was with Boston and Detroit in 2006 and Tampa Bay in 2007, but was in the minors most of that time, getting only forty at-bats with the Red Sox and sixteen with the Devil Rays. He was with Colorado Springs in the Rockies organization for a month in 2008 then played for the independent Wichita Wingnuts the rest of 2008 and 2009. He played for the independent Long Island Ducks in 2010, then his career came to an end. At last report, Dustan Mohr had gone into the insurance business and was an insurance agent for New York Life in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Also posted at wgom.org Tommy Watkins (1980) Infielder Thomas Gray Watkins appeared in nine games for the Twins in 2007. Born and raised in Fort Myers, he was drafted by Minnesota in the 38th round in 1998 and spent his entire career in the Twins’ organization. You could say that he rose through the ranks rather slowly: he was in rookie ball for three years, in Class A for three more years, in AA for two-plus years, and in AAA for three-plus years. He was never a hitter, either for average or for power. In three years of rookie ball he hit .240 with an OPS of .647; in three years at Class A he hit .244 with an OPS of .628; in AA his average was .246 and his OPS .671; and in AAA it was an average of .255 and an OPS of .689. His main asset appears to have been the ability to play a variety of positions, as he logged time at shortstop, second base, third base, outfield, and even caught once and made three appearances as a pitcher. Watkins’ best year was probably 2007, when he hit .272 with an OPS of .753 at AAA Rochester. That was also the year he spent his only time in the majors, about two weeks in the month of August. He made the most of it, going 10-for-28 for a line of .357/.438/.357. He was always a very popular player in the minors; Rochester held a “Tommy Watkins Day” in 2009 when it became apparent that his playing career was coming to a close. He started his coaching career at mid-season of 2010, working for the GCL Twins and the Ft. Myers Miracle. He became the batting coach at Beloit in 2011 and followed the team to Cedar Rapids. Tommy Watkins is currently the batting coach for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Also posted at wgom.org Tommy Watkins (1980) Infielder Thomas Gray Watkins appeared in nine games for the Twins in 2007. Born and raised in Fort Myers, he was drafted by Minnesota in the 38th round in 1998 and spent his entire career in the Twins’ organization. You could say that he rose through the ranks rather slowly: he was in rookie ball for three years, in Class A for three more years, in AA for two-plus years, and in AAA for three-plus years. He was never a hitter, either for average or for power. In three years of rookie ball he hit .240 with an OPS of .647; in three years at Class A he hit .244 with an OPS of .628; in AA his average was .246 and his OPS .671; and in AAA it was an average of .255 and an OPS of .689. His main asset appears to have been the ability to play a variety of positions, as he logged time at shortstop, second base, third base, outfield, and even caught once and made three appearances as a pitcher. Watkins’ best year was probably 2007, when he hit .272 with an OPS of .753 at AAA Rochester. That was also the year he spent his only time in the majors, about two weeks in the month of August. He made the most of it, going 10-for-28 for a line of .357/.438/.357. He was always a very popular player in the minors; Rochester held a “Tommy Watkins Day” in 2009 when it became apparent that his playing career was coming to a close. He started his coaching career at mid-season of 2010, working for the GCL Twins and the Ft. Myers Miracle. He became the batting coach at Beloit in 2011 and followed the team to Cedar Rapids. Tommy Watkins is currently the batting coach for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Also posted at wgom.org Tom Drees (1963) This is also the birthday of Ray Scott (1919), who broadcast Twins games from 1961-1966 and 1973-1975. Lefthander Thomas Kent Drees did not play for the Twins, but was at AAA for them in 1993. He was born in Des Moines, went to high school in Edina, Minnesota, attended Creighton University, and was drafted by the White Sox in the seventeenth round in 1985. He did really well in the Gulf Coast League that year, walked far too many batters in Class A in 1986, but then settled in to have some solid minor league seasons. He went 12-11, 3.37, 1.27 WHIP at AAA Vancouver in 1989. He threw three no-hitters that season, two of them consecutive (one a seven-inning game as part of a doubleheader), and appeared ready for the majors. The White Sox had a pretty good rotation in 1990, though, and Drees was sent back to AAA. He did not do as well, and apparently missed about half the season due to injury. Again at Vancouver in 1991, he went 8-8, 3.52, 1.34 WHIP and got a September call-up. It did not go well for him. He made four appearances, all in relief, and posted an ERA of 12.27 with a WHIP of 2.18. Two of his appearances were against the Twins, who scored six runs off him in a total of one inning. Unfortunately for Drees, he never made it back to the majors. He was a free agent after the season and signed with Texas for 1992. He pitched poorly in AAA, moved on to the Seattle organization, and continued to pitch poorly. He moved on to the Twins organization for 1993 and went to AAA Portland. He was 15-10, which sounds good, but he had an ERA of 6.22 and a WHIP of 1.60. At some point he developed a problem with his hip, which may be the reason his AAA pitching took such a nosedive. 1993 was the end of the line for him as a professional baseball player. He became a stockbroker, and appears to be successful at it. At last report, Tom Drees was living in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and was the executive director of the Morgan Stanley office in Bloomington.

Also posted at wgom.org Tom Drees (1963) This is also the birthday of Ray Scott (1919), who broadcast Twins games from 1961-1966 and 1973-1975. Lefthander Thomas Kent Drees did not play for the Twins, but was at AAA for them in 1993. He was born in Des Moines, went to high school in Edina, Minnesota, attended Creighton University, and was drafted by the White Sox in the seventeenth round in 1985. He did really well in the Gulf Coast League that year, walked far too many batters in Class A in 1986, but then settled in to have some solid minor league seasons. He went 12-11, 3.37, 1.27 WHIP at AAA Vancouver in 1989. He threw three no-hitters that season, two of them consecutive (one a seven-inning game as part of a doubleheader), and appeared ready for the majors. The White Sox had a pretty good rotation in 1990, though, and Drees was sent back to AAA. He did not do as well, and apparently missed about half the season due to injury. Again at Vancouver in 1991, he went 8-8, 3.52, 1.34 WHIP and got a September call-up. It did not go well for him. He made four appearances, all in relief, and posted an ERA of 12.27 with a WHIP of 2.18. Two of his appearances were against the Twins, who scored six runs off him in a total of one inning. Unfortunately for Drees, he never made it back to the majors. He was a free agent after the season and signed with Texas for 1992. He pitched poorly in AAA, moved on to the Seattle organization, and continued to pitch poorly. He moved on to the Twins organization for 1993 and went to AAA Portland. He was 15-10, which sounds good, but he had an ERA of 6.22 and a WHIP of 1.60. At some point he developed a problem with his hip, which may be the reason his AAA pitching took such a nosedive. 1993 was the end of the line for him as a professional baseball player. He became a stockbroker, and appears to be successful at it. At last report, Tom Drees was living in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and was the executive director of the Morgan Stanley office in Bloomington.

Whoops. You're right, of course. I wouldn't change anything else about those last two sentences, though.

Also posted at wgom.org Joe Decker (1947) Chris Gomez (1971) Right-hander George Henry ”Joe” Decker played for the Twins for four years in the mid-1970s. He was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, went to high school in Petaluma, California, and was drafted by the Cubs in the ninth round in 1965. He took a while to get started, pitching one year in rookie ball and two at Class A. His first good season in the minors came in 1968, a season split between A and AAA. He followed that up with a good year at AAA Tacoma, making his major league debut as a September call-up in 1969. He was with the Cubs for much of the next two years, sometimes starting, sometimes relieving, but not pitching particularly well in either role. Decker returned to the minors for most of 1972 and after the season was traded to Minnesota with Bob Maneely and Bill Hands for Dave LaRoche. He was in the Twins’ starting rotation the next two years and pitched pretty well, winning 16 games in 1974 with a 3.29 ERA. He pitched 248.2 innings, however, by far the most of his career. After that he struggled with injuries and was never an effective pitcher again. The Twins released him in June of 1976 and he signed with Detroit, finishing the year at AAA. He signed with the Cubs for 1977, was released on Independence Day, and finished the season in the Mexican League. Decker signed with Seattle for 1978 and had a couple of decent years in AAA, making it back to the majors for about six weeks in 1979. He was apparently out of baseball in 1980-1981, then attempted a comeback in 1982, pitching in AAA for Seattle for two more seasons before ending his playing career after the 1983 campaign. As a Twin, Joe Decker was 29-34, 4.09. He pitched in 89 games, 80 of them starts, and worked 503.1 innings. He continued to enjoy playing baseball, and pitched in the Seniors League in 1989-1990. He moved to Fraser, Michigan, where he passed away on March 2, 2003 following a fall down stairs. He is buried in his original home town of Storm Lake, Iowa. Infielder Christopher Cory Gomez played for the Twins in 2003. He was born in Los Angeles, went to high school in Lakewood, California, and attended Cal State–Long Beach. He was drafted by Detroit in the third round in 1992. He did not hit particularly well in the minors, but made the big leagues in mid-July of 1993. In 1994 he hit .257 with 8 homers as a part-time middle infielder, which was good enough for fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He stayed with the Tigers in a mostly regular middle infield role until June of 1996, when Gomez was traded to San Diego. He was immediately installed as the regular shortstop for the Padres, a position he held through 1998. He was not particularly good, but he hit around .260 and so was considered good enough to keep the job. In 1999, however, Gomez started dealing with injuries, and was out much of the 2000 season. He batted poorly in 2001 and was released in late June. Tampa Bay signed him and he bounced back, hitting .302 the rest of the way. He went back to his typical .265 in 2002 and was released after the season. Minnesota signed him and he played in 58 games as a utility infielder. His line was .251/.279/.354 in 175 at-bats. Gomez moved on to Toronto for 2004 and had a good year, for him, batting .282 as a part-time player. He went to Baltimore in 2005 and went on to have the best years of his career. His playing time was limited, but as an Oriole for nearly three seasons Gomez hit .302 in 520 at-bats. Despite that, the Orioles put him on waivers, and he was selected by Cleveland in early August. Gomez played for Pittsburgh in 2008, hitting .273, and then became a free agent again. He signed with Baltimore again for 2009, but was released at the end of spring training and his playing career was over. His career covered 16 seasons, which is not bad for a guy with a lifetime OPS of .685. At last report, Chris Gomez was coaching youth baseball in Costa Mesa, California.

Also posted at wgom.org Joe Decker (1947) Chris Gomez (1971) Right-hander George Henry ”Joe” Decker played for the Twins for four years in the mid-1970s. He was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, went to high school in Petaluma, California, and was drafted by the Cubs in the ninth round in 1965. He took a while to get started, pitching one year in rookie ball and two at Class A. His first good season in the minors came in 1968, a season split between A and AAA. He followed that up with a good year at AAA Tacoma, making his major league debut as a September call-up in 1969. He was with the Cubs for much of the next two years, sometimes starting, sometimes relieving, but not pitching particularly well in either role. Decker returned to the minors for most of 1972 and after the season was traded to Minnesota with Bob Maneely and Bill Hands for Dave LaRoche. He was in the Twins’ starting rotation the next two years and pitched pretty well, winning 16 games in 1974 with a 3.29 ERA. He pitched 248.2 innings, however, by far the most of his career. After that he struggled with injuries and was never an effective pitcher again. The Twins released him in June of 1976 and he signed with Detroit, finishing the year at AAA. He signed with the Cubs for 1977, was released on Independence Day, and finished the season in the Mexican League. Decker signed with Seattle for 1978 and had a couple of decent years in AAA, making it back to the majors for about six weeks in 1979. He was apparently out of baseball in 1980-1981, then attempted a comeback in 1982, pitching in AAA for Seattle for two more seasons before ending his playing career after the 1983 campaign. As a Twin, Joe Decker was 29-34, 4.09. He pitched in 89 games, 80 of them starts, and worked 503.1 innings. He continued to enjoy playing baseball, and pitched in the Seniors League in 1989-1990. He moved to Fraser, Michigan, where he passed away on March 2, 2003 following a fall down stairs. He is buried in his original home town of Storm Lake, Iowa. Infielder Christopher Cory Gomez played for the Twins in 2003. He was born in Los Angeles, went to high school in Lakewood, California, and attended Cal State–Long Beach. He was drafted by Detroit in the third round in 1992. He did not hit particularly well in the minors, but made the big leagues in mid-July of 1993. In 1994 he hit .257 with 8 homers as a part-time middle infielder, which was good enough for fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He stayed with the Tigers in a mostly regular middle infield role until June of 1996, when Gomez was traded to San Diego. He was immediately installed as the regular shortstop for the Padres, a position he held through 1998. He was not particularly good, but he hit around .260 and so was considered good enough to keep the job. In 1999, however, Gomez started dealing with injuries, and was out much of the 2000 season. He batted poorly in 2001 and was released in late June. Tampa Bay signed him and he bounced back, hitting .302 the rest of the way. He went back to his typical .265 in 2002 and was released after the season. Minnesota signed him and he played in 58 games as a utility infielder. His line was .251/.279/.354 in 175 at-bats. Gomez moved on to Toronto for 2004 and had a good year, for him, batting .282 as a part-time player. He went to Baltimore in 2005 and went on to have the best years of his career. His playing time was limited, but as an Oriole for nearly three seasons Gomez hit .302 in 520 at-bats. Despite that, the Orioles put him on waivers, and he was selected by Cleveland in early August. Gomez played for Pittsburgh in 2008, hitting .273, and then became a free agent again. He signed with Baltimore again for 2009, but was released at the end of spring training and his playing career was over. His career covered 16 seasons, which is not bad for a guy with a lifetime OPS of .685. At last report, Chris Gomez was coaching youth baseball in Costa Mesa, California.

Also posted at wgom.org Zach Day (1978) Jeremy Reed (1981) Trevor Plouffe (1986) Right-hander Stephen Zachary Day did not pitch for the Twins, but he was in their farm system for about a month in 2008. Born and raised in Cincinnati, he was drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round in 1996. He advanced slowly, not getting out of A ball until 2000. When he did, he was no longer in the Yankees’ system; he was traded to Cleveland in late June of 2000. He reached AAA for the Indians in 2001, but after one game there he was traded to Montreal at the July deadline. He made his major league debut with the Expos in 2002, spending about two and a half months with the team that year. He was mostly used as a relief pitcher in 2002, but was in the starting rotation in 2003-2004. He was decent in those years, not great but not terrible. He moved to Washington with the team in 2005, but was traded to Colorado in July. He spent time in the minors that year as well, and also split 2006 between AAA and the majors. He was waived in late April of 2006 and went back to Washington. He made five mediocre starts with the Nationals, then had rotator cuff surgery and never made it back to the majors. He kept trying for a while, though. He signed with Kansas City for 2007, was in AAA that season, then signed with Minnesota for 2008. The Twins sent him to Ft. Myers due to his continuing shoulder problems. The hope was that the shoulder would improve, but it was not to be. He made six relief appearances for Ft. Myers and went 1-0, 5.62, 1.88 WHIP in eight innings. The Twins released him in early May. His continuing health problems led him to not try to play for another team, and his playing career came to an end. At last report, Zach Day had moved back to his home town of Cincinnati. He is the owner of Naked Dingo, a company which provides home delivery of wholesome pet foods, as well as Zigoo Pets, a company which makes pet toys. He is also the pitching coordinator for TrackMan A/S, which consults with software development experts to translate principles of peak athletic performance into teaching applications. Outfielder Jeremy Thomas Reed did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system in 2011. He was born in San Dimas, California, went to high school in LaVerne, California, then attended Cal State—Long Beach. He was drafted by the White Sox in the second round in 2002. He hit very well in his first couple of years in the minors, reaching AAA in 2004. In late June of that season he was traded to Seattle and made his major league debut for the Mariners that September. He was their starting center fielder in 2005, but hit only .254 with no power. It was his only year as a major league regular. He was a reserve for Seattle in 2006, then spent most of 2007 in AAA, coming back to the majors only as a September call-up. He started 2008 in the minors again but came back to Seattle in late May and stayed the rest of the season. He was traded to the Mets for the 2009 season. He was in the majors all year, playing in 126 games but getting only 161 at-bats. Fifty-three of those games were as a pinch-hitter. Given his use, he didn’t do badly, batting .242, but it was his last full season in the majors. A free agent after the season, he signed with Toronto for 2010, played seldom, and was released in early July. The White Sox picked him up and sent him to AAA for the rest of the season. He signed with Milwaukee for 2011, went 0-for-7 as a pinch hitter, was sent to the minors, then was traded to Minnesota in early June for future considerations. He played in four games for Rochester, went 0-for-15, and then got hurt and did not return. He was a free agent after the season, but did not play in 2012. He signed with Arizona for 2013, but does not appear to have played this season. He’s only thirty-two, so you never know, but one has to think that Jeremy Reed’s playing career has probably come to an end. Infielder Trevor Patrick Plouffe has played for the Twins in 2010 and 2011. He was born in West Hills, California and was selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2004 amateur draft. He progressed at a pace of roughly a level per season. His minor league numbers are not bad but not terribly impressive, either. His highest batting average is .274 and his highest OPS is .736 (both at New Britain, 2007); his lowest batting average is .223 and his lowest OPS is .645 (both at Beloit, 2006). He had four brief stints with Minnesota in 2010, getting a few days in May, a week in June, about a week in August, and coming back for a September call-up. He was with the Twins for about a month in 2011, spending most of the season in Rochester. He started to develop some power in 2009, hitting 13 homers in Rochester that season and 15 there in 2010. He split 2011 between Rochester and Minnesota, hitting 15 more homers in Rochester in just 220 at-bats and eight more in Minnesota in 286 at-bats. He was the regular third baseman for Minnesota in 2012 and hit 24 home runs, allowing him to make a positive contribution despite hitting .235 with a .301 OBP. In 2013 he was off to a decent start, though no more than that, when he was injured. He should be returning to the Twins shortly, possibly by the time this is published. So far, Trevor Plouffe has hit .234/.301/.424 in 883 major league at-bats. He’s 28 today, so he’s not likely to get a lot better, but he doesn’t seem likely to get a lot worse in the near future, either. As could be said of many players, he will remain in his role until the Twins find somebody better.

Also posted at wgom.org Zach Day (1978) Jeremy Reed (1981) Trevor Plouffe (1986) Right-hander Stephen Zachary Day did not pitch for the Twins, but he was in their farm system for about a month in 2008. Born and raised in Cincinnati, he was drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round in 1996. He advanced slowly, not getting out of A ball until 2000. When he did, he was no longer in the Yankees’ system; he was traded to Cleveland in late June of 2000. He reached AAA for the Indians in 2001, but after one game there he was traded to Montreal at the July deadline. He made his major league debut with the Expos in 2002, spending about two and a half months with the team that year. He was mostly used as a relief pitcher in 2002, but was in the starting rotation in 2003-2004. He was decent in those years, not great but not terrible. He moved to Washington with the team in 2005, but was traded to Colorado in July. He spent time in the minors that year as well, and also split 2006 between AAA and the majors. He was waived in late April of 2006 and went back to Washington. He made five mediocre starts with the Nationals, then had rotator cuff surgery and never made it back to the majors. He kept trying for a while, though. He signed with Kansas City for 2007, was in AAA that season, then signed with Minnesota for 2008. The Twins sent him to Ft. Myers due to his continuing shoulder problems. The hope was that the shoulder would improve, but it was not to be. He made six relief appearances for Ft. Myers and went 1-0, 5.62, 1.88 WHIP in eight innings. The Twins released him in early May. His continuing health problems led him to not try to play for another team, and his playing career came to an end. At last report, Zach Day had moved back to his home town of Cincinnati. He is the owner of Naked Dingo, a company which provides home delivery of wholesome pet foods, as well as Zigoo Pets, a company which makes pet toys. He is also the pitching coordinator for TrackMan A/S, which consults with software development experts to translate principles of peak athletic performance into teaching applications. Outfielder Jeremy Thomas Reed did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system in 2011. He was born in San Dimas, California, went to high school in LaVerne, California, then attended Cal State—Long Beach. He was drafted by the White Sox in the second round in 2002. He hit very well in his first couple of years in the minors, reaching AAA in 2004. In late June of that season he was traded to Seattle and made his major league debut for the Mariners that September. He was their starting center fielder in 2005, but hit only .254 with no power. It was his only year as a major league regular. He was a reserve for Seattle in 2006, then spent most of 2007 in AAA, coming back to the majors only as a September call-up. He started 2008 in the minors again but came back to Seattle in late May and stayed the rest of the season. He was traded to the Mets for the 2009 season. He was in the majors all year, playing in 126 games but getting only 161 at-bats. Fifty-three of those games were as a pinch-hitter. Given his use, he didn’t do badly, batting .242, but it was his last full season in the majors. A free agent after the season, he signed with Toronto for 2010, played seldom, and was released in early July. The White Sox picked him up and sent him to AAA for the rest of the season. He signed with Milwaukee for 2011, went 0-for-7 as a pinch hitter, was sent to the minors, then was traded to Minnesota in early June for future considerations. He played in four games for Rochester, went 0-for-15, and then got hurt and did not return. He was a free agent after the season, but did not play in 2012. He signed with Arizona for 2013, but does not appear to have played this season. He’s only thirty-two, so you never know, but one has to think that Jeremy Reed’s playing career has probably come to an end. Infielder Trevor Patrick Plouffe has played for the Twins in 2010 and 2011. He was born in West Hills, California and was selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2004 amateur draft. He progressed at a pace of roughly a level per season. His minor league numbers are not bad but not terribly impressive, either. His highest batting average is .274 and his highest OPS is .736 (both at New Britain, 2007); his lowest batting average is .223 and his lowest OPS is .645 (both at Beloit, 2006). He had four brief stints with Minnesota in 2010, getting a few days in May, a week in June, about a week in August, and coming back for a September call-up. He was with the Twins for about a month in 2011, spending most of the season in Rochester. He started to develop some power in 2009, hitting 13 homers in Rochester that season and 15 there in 2010. He split 2011 between Rochester and Minnesota, hitting 15 more homers in Rochester in just 220 at-bats and eight more in Minnesota in 286 at-bats. He was the regular third baseman for Minnesota in 2012 and hit 24 home runs, allowing him to make a positive contribution despite hitting .235 with a .301 OBP. In 2013 he was off to a decent start, though no more than that, when he was injured. He should be returning to the Twins shortly, possibly by the time this is published. So far, Trevor Plouffe has hit .234/.301/.424 in 883 major league at-bats. He’s 28 today, so he’s not likely to get a lot better, but he doesn’t seem likely to get a lot worse in the near future, either. As could be said of many players, he will remain in his role until the Twins find somebody better.

Also posted at wgom.org Jim Constable (1933) George Tsamis (1967) Peter Munro (1975) Michael Hollimon (1982) Left-hander Jimmy Lee “Sheriff” Constable was an original Twin, in a way, but he did not play for them. He was born in Jonesborough, Tennessee and signed with the New York Giants as a free agent in 1951. He pitched very well in the low minors, reaching AAA in 1954. He stumbled in his first couple of years there, possibly because he had averaged 225 innings in his previous two seasons. He did very well in AAA in 1956, though, making a brief appearance with the Giants in June. He spent much of 1957 in the majors and did well on those rare occasions when he was given a chance to pitch. 1958 was his first full season in the majors, but he spent it with three different teams: he started with the now San Francisco Giants, was chosen off waivers by Cleveland in June, and was chosen off waivers by Washington in July. That off-season, while playing winter ball in Cuba, Constable suffered what was termed a mental breakdown and was out of baseball for three years. The franchise kept him on the roster until April 11, 1961, when the now Minnesota Twins released him. He came back with the Milwaukee Braves in 1962, getting back to the majors for three games. He returned to the Giants in 1963 and was in their minor league system for two years, making four more major league appearances in 1963. For his career, Jim Constable went 3-4, 4.87 with two saves and a WHIP of 1.53. He appeared in 56 games, six of them starts, and pitched 98 innings. After leaving baseball, Constable became a control analyst for Magnavox, then became a teacher back in his home town of Jonesborough. Jim Constable passed away on September 4, 2002. Left-hander George Tsamis was with the Twins for most of 1993. He was born in Campbell, California, attended Stetson University, and was drafted by Minnesota in the fifteenth round in 1989. He was a starter in the minors and had a tremendous year at Class A Visalia in 1990, going 17-4, 2.21. As he climbed up the ladder, his ERA and his WHIP rose, but his won-lost record remained very good. For example, in 1992 he was 13-4 for AAA Portland, but with an ERA of 3.90 and a WHIP of 1.50. He made three poor starts for Portland in 1993, but came up to the Twins in late April and stayed the rest of the season. Why he stayed is another question: Tsamis was 1-2, 6.19 with a WHIP of 1.65 in 68.1 innings spread over 41 appearances. The Twins led him go after the season, and he moved on to Seattle, pitching in the minors for the Mariners for a little over a year. He pitched briefly in the Pirates’ system in 1995, then spent over three seasons in independent ball, pitching for Mohawk Valley, Newburgh, Meridian, Bangor, and Waterbury through 1998. Since then, he has been managing in independent ball. George Tsamis has been the manager of Waterbury (1999-2000), New Jersey (2001-2002) and St. Paul (2003-present). He is also director of player personnel for the St. Paul Saints. He was a coach for Team USA in the 2003 Baseball World Cup. In the off-season, George Tsamis lives in Colchester, Connecticut. Right-hander Peter Daniel Munro did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system for a couple of months in 2004 and for all of 2006.. He was born in Flushing, New York, went to high schol in Bayside, New York, and was drafted by Boston in the sixth round in 1993. He did well in Class A but struggled whe promoted to AA 1997 and continued to struggle in AAA in 1998. He was traded to Toronto in late July of the latter season. He did no better there in the rest of 1998 but began 1999 in the majors anyway. Not surprisingly, he did not pitch well, although he did better when sent back to AAA. He began 2000 in AAA, too, and did no better. In August he was traded to Texas. He spent all of 2001 in AAA and had a medicore year. A free agent after the season, he signed with Houston for 2002 and had his first good year above Class A, pitchng well at AAA and coninuing to pitch well when promoted to Houston in late June. He went 5-5, 3.57 in 19 appearances, 14 of them starts. It was his only good year in the majors, though. He started 2003 in the majors but was sent back to AAA at the end of July. A free agent after the season, he signed wth Minnesota for 2004. He pitched well in Rochester, going 6-3, 3.88 with a 1.22 WHIP in ten starts, but was still released at then end of May. The Astros signed him again a week later, but he again could not succeed in the majors. He signed with the Yankees in 2005, was in AAA all season, then signed again with Minnesota for 2006.He was in the Red Wings’ rotation all year but did not do well, going 8-12, 4.32 with a 1.45 WHIP. He played in China in 2007 and made the all-star team there. He came back to the United States and played for York in the Atlantic League in 2008, but was injured and ended his playing career. Pete Munro is currently an instructor for ProSwing, a baseball instructional company located in Port Chester, New York. He is also the owner of PDM Pitching, LLC, of Brooklyn, which “focuses on the training and development of youth athletes in all phases of development”. Infielder Michael Travis Hollimon did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system for two years. Born and raised in Dallas, he attended both the University of Texas and Oral Roberts University. He was drafted three times: by the Dodgers in 2001, by Minnesota in 2003, and by Detroit in 2005. He signed with the Tigers and got his professional career underway that year. He started very well, batting around .280 with double-digit doubles, triples, and homers each of his first two years and falling a triple short of doing it a third year. He got a cup of coffee at AAA in that third year, 2007, and started 2008 there. He hit a wall in AAA, however; he has never had a good season higher than AA unless you count 29 games in 2011. He got his first and so far only big league time in 2008, spending about six weeks with the Tigers as a reserve infielder. He did well in limited playing time, going 6-f0r-23 with two doubles, a triple, and a homer. He hit only .211 in AAA, though, and when he did not particularly improve in AA in 2009 he was released. Hollimon played for independent Grand Prairie in the American Association in 2010. The Twins gave him another chance, signing him for 2011. He started horribly for New Britain, but played fairly well after the first month, earning a promotion to Rochester, where he continued to do well. Back in Rochester for 2012, he again got off to a slow start, then was injured and missed the rest of the season. He elected to retire after the season. His career was probably not what he hoped it would be, but he got twenty-three big league at-bats and hit a major league home run, and most of us would probably give a lot to be able to say that. We wish him well in his future career.

Also posted at wgom.org Jim Constable (1933) George Tsamis (1967) Peter Munro (1975) Michael Hollimon (1982) Left-hander Jimmy Lee “Sheriff” Constable was an original Twin, in a way, but he did not play for them. He was born in Jonesborough, Tennessee and signed with the New York Giants as a free agent in 1951. He pitched very well in the low minors, reaching AAA in 1954. He stumbled in his first couple of years there, possibly because he had averaged 225 innings in his previous two seasons. He did very well in AAA in 1956, though, making a brief appearance with the Giants in June. He spent much of 1957 in the majors and did well on those rare occasions when he was given a chance to pitch. 1958 was his first full season in the majors, but he spent it with three different teams: he started with the now San Francisco Giants, was chosen off waivers by Cleveland in June, and was chosen off waivers by Washington in July. That off-season, while playing winter ball in Cuba, Constable suffered what was termed a mental breakdown and was out of baseball for three years. The franchise kept him on the roster until April 11, 1961, when the now Minnesota Twins released him. He came back with the Milwaukee Braves in 1962, getting back to the majors for three games. He returned to the Giants in 1963 and was in their minor league system for two years, making four more major league appearances in 1963. For his career, Jim Constable went 3-4, 4.87 with two saves and a WHIP of 1.53. He appeared in 56 games, six of them starts, and pitched 98 innings. After leaving baseball, Constable became a control analyst for Magnavox, then became a teacher back in his home town of Jonesborough. Jim Constable passed away on September 4, 2002. Left-hander George Tsamis was with the Twins for most of 1993. He was born in Campbell, California, attended Stetson University, and was drafted by Minnesota in the fifteenth round in 1989. He was a starter in the minors and had a tremendous year at Class A Visalia in 1990, going 17-4, 2.21. As he climbed up the ladder, his ERA and his WHIP rose, but his won-lost record remained very good. For example, in 1992 he was 13-4 for AAA Portland, but with an ERA of 3.90 and a WHIP of 1.50. He made three poor starts for Portland in 1993, but came up to the Twins in late April and stayed the rest of the season. Why he stayed is another question: Tsamis was 1-2, 6.19 with a WHIP of 1.65 in 68.1 innings spread over 41 appearances. The Twins led him go after the season, and he moved on to Seattle, pitching in the minors for the Mariners for a little over a year. He pitched briefly in the Pirates’ system in 1995, then spent over three seasons in independent ball, pitching for Mohawk Valley, Newburgh, Meridian, Bangor, and Waterbury through 1998. Since then, he has been managing in independent ball. George Tsamis has been the manager of Waterbury (1999-2000), New Jersey (2001-2002) and St. Paul (2003-present). He is also director of player personnel for the St. Paul Saints. He was a coach for Team USA in the 2003 Baseball World Cup. In the off-season, George Tsamis lives in Colchester, Connecticut. Right-hander Peter Daniel Munro did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system for a couple of months in 2004 and for all of 2006.. He was born in Flushing, New York, went to high schol in Bayside, New York, and was drafted by Boston in the sixth round in 1993. He did well in Class A but struggled whe promoted to AA 1997 and continued to struggle in AAA in 1998. He was traded to Toronto in late July of the latter season. He did no better there in the rest of 1998 but began 1999 in the majors anyway. Not surprisingly, he did not pitch well, although he did better when sent back to AAA. He began 2000 in AAA, too, and did no better. In August he was traded to Texas. He spent all of 2001 in AAA and had a medicore year. A free agent after the season, he signed with Houston for 2002 and had his first good year above Class A, pitchng well at AAA and coninuing to pitch well when promoted to Houston in late June. He went 5-5, 3.57 in 19 appearances, 14 of them starts. It was his only good year in the majors, though. He started 2003 in the majors but was sent back to AAA at the end of July. A free agent after the season, he signed wth Minnesota for 2004. He pitched well in Rochester, going 6-3, 3.88 with a 1.22 WHIP in ten starts, but was still released at then end of May. The Astros signed him again a week later, but he again could not succeed in the majors. He signed with the Yankees in 2005, was in AAA all season, then signed again with Minnesota for 2006.He was in the Red Wings’ rotation all year but did not do well, going 8-12, 4.32 with a 1.45 WHIP. He played in China in 2007 and made the all-star team there. He came back to the United States and played for York in the Atlantic League in 2008, but was injured and ended his playing career. Pete Munro is currently an instructor for ProSwing, a baseball instructional company located in Port Chester, New York. He is also the owner of PDM Pitching, LLC, of Brooklyn, which “focuses on the training and development of youth athletes in all phases of development”. Infielder Michael Travis Hollimon did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system for two years. Born and raised in Dallas, he attended both the University of Texas and Oral Roberts University. He was drafted three times: by the Dodgers in 2001, by Minnesota in 2003, and by Detroit in 2005. He signed with the Tigers and got his professional career underway that year. He started very well, batting around .280 with double-digit doubles, triples, and homers each of his first two years and falling a triple short of doing it a third year. He got a cup of coffee at AAA in that third year, 2007, and started 2008 there. He hit a wall in AAA, however; he has never had a good season higher than AA unless you count 29 games in 2011. He got his first and so far only big league time in 2008, spending about six weeks with the Tigers as a reserve infielder. He did well in limited playing time, going 6-f0r-23 with two doubles, a triple, and a homer. He hit only .211 in AAA, though, and when he did not particularly improve in AA in 2009 he was released. Hollimon played for independent Grand Prairie in the American Association in 2010. The Twins gave him another chance, signing him for 2011. He started horribly for New Britain, but played fairly well after the first month, earning a promotion to Rochester, where he continued to do well. Back in Rochester for 2012, he again got off to a slow start, then was injured and missed the rest of the season. He elected to retire after the season. His career was probably not what he hoped it would be, but he got twenty-three big league at-bats and hit a major league home run, and most of us would probably give a lot to be able to say that. We wish him well in his future career.

There do not appear to be any players with connections to the Minnesota Twins who were born on this day.

There do not appear to be any players with connections to the Minnesota Twins who were born on this day.