Tag Archives: ex-Twins

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 27

Rube Benton (1890)
Fred Saigh (1905)
Dick Terwilliger (1906)
Wendell Smith (1914)
Lou Kretlow (1921)
Gus Zernial (1923)
Wayne Terwilliger (1925)
Charles Bronfman (1931)
Chuck Coles (1931)
Eddie Kasko (1932)
Rico Petrocelli (1943)
Takashi Nishimoto (1956)
Jeff Conine (1966)
Jim Edmonds (1970)
Daryle Ward (1975)
Chris Woodward (1976)
Luis Rodriguez (1980)

Fred Saigh was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1947-1953, selling Anheuser-Busch.

Wendell Smith was an African-American sportswriter who was influential in the choice of Jackie Robinson as the first African-American major league player.

Charles Bronfman was the owner of the Montreal Expos from 1969-1991.

Takashi Nishimoto was a star pitcher in Japan from 1977-1993.

Daryle Ward is the son of ex-Twin Gary Ward.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 27 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 24

1 Comment

Billy Nash (1865)
George Harper (1892)
Rollie Hemsley (1907)
Jim Mills (1919)
Wally Yonamine (1925)
Don Mincher (1938)
Ken Reitz (1951)
Doug Jones (1957)
Tom Klawitter (1958)
Doug Bernier (1980)
Phil Hughes (1986)

Jim Mills spent almost his entire adult life involved in baseball in the Carolinas.  He played college ball at North Carolina State, played minor league ball for nine seasons in the Carolinas, managed in Carolina minor leagues for six seasons, umpired in the Carolina League for two seasons, was in minor league front offices in the Carolinas from 1956-1971, and was president of the Carolina League for seven years.

Born in Hawaii, Wally Yonamine was a star in Japan from 1951-1962, stealing home eleven times.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 24 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 23

3 Comments

George Weiss (1894)
Jack Smith (1895)
Karl Spooner (1931)
Dave Bristol (1933)
Tom Haller (1937)
Dave Goltz (1949)
Marty Barrett (1958)
Jim Deshaies (1960)
Hensley Meulens (1967)
Josh Byrnes (1970)
Mark Hendrickson (1974)

George Weiss was the general manager of the New York Yankees from 1948-1960.

Dave Bristol managed four different teams from 1966-1980.

Josh Byrnes is the general manager of the San Diego Padres.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 23 →

Keeping Track

This Week in Ex-Twins

Atlanta sends Luis Ayala to AAA Gwinnett on a rehab assignment.

Atlanta purchases the contract of Cole Nelson from St. Paul of the American Association and assigns him to Class A Rome.

Baltimore places Steve Pearce on the fifteen-day disabled list with left wrist tendinitis.

Cleveland organization (AAA Columbus) places J. C. Romero on the seven-day disabled list.

Houston organization sends Gonzalo Sanudo from AA Corpus Cristi to Rookie Greeneville.

Yankees sign Randy Ruiz as a free agent and assign him to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Texas organization (AAA Colorado Springs) places Joe Benson on the seven-day disabled list with a groin injury.

Texas organization (AA Midland) places Tyler Ladendorf on the seven-day disabled list.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 22

Carl Hubbell (1903)
Walt Masterson (1920)
Han Urbanus (1927)
Faye Throneberry (1931)
Russ Snyder (1934)
Dave Tomlin (1949)
Ron Hodges (1949)
Greg Booker (1960)
Brant Brown (1971)
Esteban Yan (1975)
Willie Harris (1978)
Luis Maza (1980)

Han Urbanus is in the Dutch Baseball Hall of Fame.  He pitched over 150 consecutive complete games over a period of eight years.

The brother of Marv Throneberry, outfielder Faye Throneberry spent much of his career with the Twins franchise while it was still in Washington (1957-1960).  In December of 1960, he was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels in the expansion draft.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 22 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 21

13 Comments

Matt Kilroy (1866)
Randy Moore (1906)
Harold Seymour (1910)
Ed Lopat (1918)
Merle Harmon (1926)
Jackie Collum (1927)
Charlie Moore (1953)
Rick Sutcliffe (1956)
Jay Pettibone (1957)
Donovan Osborne (1969)
Garrett Jones (1981)

Harold Seymour wrote a three-part History of Baseball, published from 1960-1990.

Merle Harmon broadcast Minnesota Twins games from 1967-1969.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to MagUidhir, Sheenie, and UncleWalt’s daughter (NieceWalt?).

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 21 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 20

Ned Cuthbert (1845)
Jim Delahanty (1879)
Cum Posey (1890)
Billy Werber (1908)
Andy Etchebarren (1943)
Dave Nelson (1944)
Paul Beeston (1945)
Dickie Thon (1958)
Doug Gwosdz (1960)
Juan Castro (1972)
Paul Bako (1972)
Carlos Lee (1976)
Kevin Gregg (1978)
Kendrys Morales (1983)

Cum Posey, played for, managed, and owned the Homestead Grays in the Negro National League.

Paul Beeston has been president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1989-1997 and since 2010.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 20 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 19

4 Comments

Eddie Cicotte (1884)
Lou Gehrig (1903)
Bill Swift (1908)
Don Gutteridge (1912)
Archie Ware (1918)
Chet Boak (1935)
Bob Aspromonte (1938)
Isao Harimoto (1940)
Jerry Reuss (1949)
Duane Kuiper (1950)
Jim Slaton (1950)
Johnnie LeMaster (1954)
Doug Mientkiewicz (1974)
Alex Prieto (1976)
Dustan Mohr (1976)
Bruce Chen (1977)

Archie Ware was a star first baseman in the Negro Leagues.

Infielder Chet Boak played for the Twins’ AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs, in 1961, but does not appear to have actually been a part of the Twins’ organization, as records show him belonging to the expansion Washington Senators.  One assumes he was loaned to the Twins’ for part of that season.

Isao Harimoto is the only person to have 3,000 hits in Japanese baseball.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 19 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–June 18

1 Comment

Charlie Ganzel (1862)
Russ Hodges (1910)
Ron Necciai (1932)
Lou Brock (1939)
Bill James (1949)
Andres Galarraga (1961)
Sandy Alomar (1966)
Felix Heredia (1975)
Tommy Watkins (1980)

Russ Hodges was a baseball broadcaster from 1929-1970, most notably with the Giants.  He is most famous for his home run call on Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951.

Ron Necciai struck out 27 batters in a nine inning game while playing for Bristol in the Appalachian League in 1952.

It may never happen, but Bill James belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–June 18 →