Happy Birthday–September 28

Wilbur Good (1885)
Jack Fournier (1889)
Whitey Witt (1895)
Al Evans (1916)
Dick Gernert (1928)
Grant Jackson (1942)
Pete Filson (1958)
Jerry Layne (1958)
Todd Worrell (1959)
Ed Vosberg (1961)
Charlie Kerfeld (1963)
Matt Vasgersian (1967)
Mike DeJean (1970)

Left-hander William Peter Filson played for the Twins from 1982-1986. He was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, attended Temple University, and was drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round in 1979. He pitched very well in the low minors, going 17-3 with a 1.89 ERA in a 1981 season split between Class A Fort Lauderdale and AA Nashville. In May of 1982, Filson was traded to the Twins with Larry Milbourne and John Pacella for Roger Erickson and Butch Wynegar. Filson was immediately placed in the Twins' starting rotation, but after getting knocked around a few times was first sent to the bullpen and then to AAA Toledo. He had a mediocre year in Toledo. We're talking about the early '80s Twins, however, when having a mediocre year in AAA was good enough to get you on the big club. Sure enough, in 1983, Filson was on the big club. He stayed there the next three years, and actually pitched fairly well. He had ERAs from 3.4 to 4.1, and WHIPs consistenly around 1.3. Filson was used mostly in relief in those years, making an occasional spot start. In 1986, however, he got off to a poor start and spent most of the year in AAA. In September, he was traded to the White Sox for Kurt Walker, and was sent to the Yankees the following January. Filson had a fine 1987 at AAA Columbus, and finished the year with the Yankees, doing well in seven appearances. Unfortunately, he tore his rotator cuff, and missed all of 1988. Filson became a free agent after the season, and signed at the end of May, 1989 with Kansas City. He had a very good year with AAA Omaha in 1990, and made it back to the big leagues for a month and a half after a two-and-a-half year absence. He did not pitch well for the Royals, however. Filson was released after the 1990 season, and his career came to an end. He became a coach after his playing days, and has served as the pitching coach of the North Shore Spirit and the Newark Bears. As a Twin, Pete Filson pitched 323 innings in 130 games, 24 of them starts. He was 14-13 with an ERA of 3.98 and a WHIP of 1.36. He is currently an instructor at AFC Fitness of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.