Odds are that you will not recognize the player in this picture but he is still in the Twins organization and has been on the Fort Myers Miracle coaching staff since 2006. He played in the big leagues for 18 seasons for seven different teams but never had more than 260 at bats in any single season and played for the Minnesota Twins in 1998, 1999 and 1990.
It has been over 25 years since a Minnesota Twins batter pinch-hit a grand slam for the Minnesota Twins. This Twins were ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when “Pig Pen” stepped into the left-handed batters box to hit pinch-hit for Twins catcher Tim Laudner who was hitting in the 7-hole on that day. Right-hander Donn Pall was the third pitcher used by the mighty whitey’s that inning and he gave up the grand salami to Jim Dwyer and the Twins were up 7-2 and would eventually win the game by a score of 10-3 as Frank Viola won his 22nd game of the season. No one has pinch-hit a grand slam home run for the Twins since September 15, 1988.
Pinch-hit grand slam home runs in Twins history
| Rk | Player | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Dwyer | 1988-09-15 | MIN | CHW | W 10-3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Mike Cubbage | 1978-08-08 | MIN | SEA | W 10-2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Rod Carew | 1976-09-09 | MIN | TEX | W 6-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Tony Oliva | 1975-06-29 | MIN | TEX | L 7-9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Rich Reese | 1972-07-09 | MIN | NYY | L 6-9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | Harmon Killebrew | 1971-09-03 (1) | MIN | OAK | W 9-4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Rick Renick | 1970-06-30 | MIN | KCR | W 8-5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Rich Reese | 1969-08-03 | MIN | BAL | W 5-2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Julio Becquer | 1961-07-04 (1) | MIN | CHW | W 6-4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
ERROR, ERROR, RECOMPUTE: A bit of a technical glitch with my search, it turns out that the last player to pinch-hit a home run for the Twins was not Jim Dwyer but our old friend Matt LeCroy in 2004. Here is the corrected list.
| Rk | Player | Date ? | Tm | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | Pos Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt LeCroy | 2004-05-19 | MIN | TOR | W 6-5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH 1B |
| 2 | Greg Colbrunn | 1997-08-04 | MIN | TOR | W 9-3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH 1B |
| 3 | Jim Dwyer | 1989-06-10 | MIN | CHW | W 11-8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH DH |
| 4 | Carmelo Castillo | 1989-04-11 | MIN | DET | W 14-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH RF |
| 5 | Jim Dwyer | 1988-09-15 | MIN | CHW | W 10-3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 6 | Ron Washington | 1986-07-03 | MIN | BAL | W 11-7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | PH 2B |
| 7 | Dave Engle | 1982-07-06 | MIN | DET | L 6-11 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | PH RF |
| 8 | Mike Cubbage | 1978-08-08 | MIN | SEA | W 10-2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 9 | Rod Carew | 1976-09-09 | MIN | TEX | W 6-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 10 | Tony Oliva | 1975-06-29 | MIN | TEX | L 7-9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 11 | Danny Walton | 1973-04-17 | MIN | CAL | W 10-5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | PH DH |
| 12 | Rich Reese | 1972-07-09 | MIN | NYY | L 6-9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 13 | Harmon Killebrew | 1971-09-03 (1) | MIN | OAK | W 9-4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 14 | Rick Renick | 1970-06-30 | MIN | KCR | W 8-5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 15 | Rich Reese | 1970-06-07 | MIN | WSA | W 10-9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH 1B |
| 16 | Rich Reese | 1969-08-03 | MIN | BAL | W 5-2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |
| 17 | Julio Becquer | 1961-07-04 (1) | MIN | CHW | W 6-4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | PH |