TWINS TRIVIA is hopefully a fun and informative site that will help you to better enjoy the Minnesota Twins and their wonderful history. “History never looks like history when you are living through it” – John Gardner, former Secretary of Health
I took the family out to their first Twins spring training game of the year out at Hammond Stadium today and it might be difficult to persuade them to go to another Minnesota Twins game this year after watching the Twins debacle against the Pirates. Terry Doyle started for the Twins and he lasted just 2/3 of an inning as the Pirates battered him for 8 earned runs on 7 hits, 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Doyle told reporters after the game “that he could not locate his fastball” but I can tell you that the Pittsburgh Pirates hitters had no problem locating Doyle’s fastball. Finally Gardy had no choice but to take Doyle out and bring in Anthony Swarzak who was treated rather rudely himself as he gave up two more runs. So, after 38 minutes and before the Twins could even pick up a bat, the score was 10 to zip for the Pirates and the Twins walked off the field to a smattering of applause for finally getting the Pirates out.
One game does not a season make, particularly if it is a spring training game in the middle of March but I spent the afternoon wondering if I was at Target Field and it was 2011 all over again. When the final score was posted about 3 1/2 hours later, the scoreboard said Pirates 17 and the Twins 6. The Pirates out hit Minnesota 19 to 11 and the Twins had 3 errors to the Pirates 1. You will have to believe me when I tell you that the Twins had several other plays that could have easily been called errors if not for the generosity of a home town scorekeeper. Outfielders continue to throw to the wrong bases and infielders either can’t make a decent throw to first or end up throwing wildly to first when they should just hold on to the ball. The play of Aaron Bates and Mike Hollimon at 1B was just plain embarrassing and the Twins should do all they can to ensure that Hollimon does not play 1B for his own safety and the safety of the opposing base runners until he learns to play the position. Only Perkins, Capps and Luis Perdomo escaped the carnage on the mound as Doyle, Swarzak, Dumatrait, and Wise were hit around pretty good as each gave up 3 or more runs. It sure looks like Doyle will be wearing a White Sox minor league uniform again soon. I know the score was already 17-6 but Luis Perdomo looked pretty good in the ninth striking out two Pirates and throwing his fastball between 92-94 and then hitting them with a change-ups in the 81-83 range.
Bottom line, the game was just brutal from a Twins perspective and the play of some of the Twins today should make it a lot easier for Gardenhire and Terry Ryan to make some roster decisions when it comes time to decide who will play in AA or AAA this year. Tomorrow is another day.
When I arrived at Hammond Stadium today there was not a lot going on the big league side with a lot of the Twins preparing to play Tampa at Port Charlotte today. A little BP for a couple of players, several pitchers were getting some throwing in and the rest of the pitchers that didn’t go to Port Charlotte were shagging fly balls during BP. I wandered of to the minor league side where all the fields were in use in one fashion or another and a couple of the lower level teams were bussed over to the old Red Sox complex so they could get there work in before coming back in the afternoon for a quick-lunch and a ball game this afternoon. I didn’t have the time to stay for the game but I did get some pictures of the minor leaguers that were there this morning.
Miguel Sano
On one of the fields coaches Tom Kelly and Paul Molitor were working with two infielders at a time teaching then the proper techniques for back handing a ball, flipping the ball to second and turning the double play etc. I saw Miguel Sano being put through his paces there, Adam Pettersen was there as well as several others. The attached picture of Sano fielding a ball at shortstop kind of says it all as to why he will not be a shortstop in the big leagues, he is just too big. I found it a bit more difficult shooting pictures today now that we are on EDT with the sun angle at this hour of the day. I found myself shooting into the sun all day and that is never a good thing.
So, not much for me to report today but I hope that you enjoy the pictures I took on the back fields. The first picture I took today is of Anthony Swarzak getting his throwing in, I am shocked at how much weight Swarzak has lost since last year. If you have not been checking out our “Today in Twins History” page, please stop by and check it out, there is a lot of cool stuff out there.
The Twins announced on March 8th that Stillwater, Minnesota native reliever Glen Perkins had signed a three-year extension for a guaranteed $10.3 million. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the 29-year-old Perkins will collect $2.5 million in 2013, and $3.75 million in both 2014 and 2015. The Twins also have an option in 2016 for $4.5 m with $300K buyout. Perkins is scheduled to make $1.55 million in 2012.
From a dollars perspective it seems like a good deal for the ballclub to lock down the lefty reliever for three more seasons with an option for a fourth for very reasonable amount. If Perkins should move into a closer role in Minnesota as some think is a possibility, he would be a bargain. Perkins as you might expect was very pleased with the deal that he feels gives him some peace of mind, who wouldn’t with a guaranteed $10.3 million coming his way.
I am not saying this is a bad deal for the Twins but there are some reasons you could look at this deal as premature. Perkins has been in the big leagues with Minnesota since 2006. Perkins pitched in just 23 games during 2006-2007, all in relief. The Twins made Perkins a starter in 2008 and Glen posted a 12-4 record with 4.41 ERA in 151 innings. A strong argument could be made that the Twins over used Perkins in 2008 jumping him to 151 innings after Perkins had thrown just 48 innings the year before between his time with the Twins and several minor league teams. Perkins is no stranger to the disabled list having been on the DL in 2007 with a muscle strain in his pitching shoulder and missing 100 games, in 2009 Perkins was on the DL twice, missing 26 games with elbow inflammation and 20 more games with shoulder tendonitis. This past season Perkins again visited the DL for 23 games with a right oblique strain. The two DL trips limited Perkins to 17 starts and 96 innings in 2009 and Glen had a 6-7 mark with a 5.89 ERA. After the 2009 season ended Perkins filed a service-time grievance and that started a very rocky relationship between Perkins and Twins management and coaching staff. I like many was convinced that Perkins would not get out of Gardy’s doghouse and that he had pitched in a Twins uniform for the last time. Perkins started the 2010 season in AAA Rochester and to say he pitched poorly would be an understatement, winning 4 and losing 9 with a 5.81 ERA. Never the less, the Twins who were desperate for pitching at the time called Perkins up in early August and he stayed with the team for the rest of the season. Perkins had a good spring in 2011 and made the team as a reliever and almost from the beginning of the season showed that he had found his niche and had a breakout season pitching in 65 games throwing nearly 62 innings with a 2.48 ERA with 2 saves and a 4-4 record. Perkins had a great season this past year for a horrendous team but it is after all just one season.
I don’t have to walk in GM Terry Ryan’s’ shoes but if I was him, I would not give Perkins or any pitcher for that matter a deal beyond 2 years. Pitchers are just to high a risk to get injured in my book to get a multi-year deal out of me. Terry Ryan himself will tell you that relievers are often inconsistent from year to year, that is why you don’t pay relievers big bucks in free agency, at least that has been the Twins position in the past. I like the Twins approach this season, bring in a bunch of experienced arms, let them battle it out and hopefully one of two will stick and pitch effectively. Look back over Twins history and you will find a slew of relievers that the Twins found on the scrap heap that went on to pitch very well out of the Twins bullpen over the years. Bottom line? I hope that Perkins pitches well in a Twins uniform for the next few years and earns his $10+ million but I think the odds are against it.
Here is a copy of a Minnesota Twins Press Release dated yesterday. I have heard of a couple of other major league teams implementing this but I had no idea that the Twins would jump on the band wagon this soon. I know I am old school and I may not know all the facts but to me this looks like plain old greed on the part of major league baseball. Why should I as a fan have to pay more or less to go to a baseball game based on who pitches that day or what the weather is going to be like? Most fans like to plan out there baseball games and buy their tickets early but now it seems to me that it will make more sense to wait to the last minute to buy your ticket. Baseball is starting to price their tickets like the airlines do, the person next to you may have paid a lot less or a lot more for his/her seat than you did. This policy appears to totally benefit the team but where does the customer benefit in all of this? What as a Twins ticket buyer have I gained? It seems to me that fans that live out-state are even more unfairly punished with this policy because they can’t go to a Twins game at a drop of the hat when the Twins deem that a game will be priced lower now than it was previously. And what about the season ticket holders, won’t they get the short end of the stick here? No matter how I read this, baseball benefits and baseball fans lose, what am I missing here? If any of you out there can explain to me how this benefits us Twins fans please feel free to comment or drop me an e-mail because I really want to know.
Demand-based pricing for single-game tickets at Target Field starts March 9
Beginning March 9, the Twins will apply demand-based pricing to all seating sections of Target Field for the 2012 season. Demand-based pricing, which prices tickets according to fan demand, is a practice that is becoming standard across sports and entertainment industries. The system, which was implemented within two seating categories at Target Field in 2011, applies only to single-game ticket sales and does not affect Season Ticket Holder pricing.
The Twins implemented demand-based pricing during the 2011 season to more accurately price single-game tickets and to provide fans with more price options. In 2012, expanding our demand-based pricing will allow the Twins to adjust all ticket prices (except in the Our Family Section) upward or downward on a daily basis based on real-time market conditions such as team performance, pitching matchups and the weather.
The Twins will utilize Digonex’s Sports and Entertainment Analytical Ticketing System (SEATS™), a robust and proven dynamic pricing system that optimizes prices based upon a number of factors, to provide greater value to fans, maximize ticket sales, and mitigate the impact of ticket scalpers.
In addition to heavily scouting Australia, the Minnesota Twins also have the biggest presence of any team in Europe, so it was no surprise when they landed Max Kepler-Rozycki for $800,000, the largest bonus ever given to a European.
That Max Kepler-Rozycki is the son of two members of the German Ballet?
Joe Benson was committed to play running back for Purdue before he signed with the Twins?
Fort Myers has had more World Series-winning franchises train in it than any other city either in Florida or Arizona, Five franchises have won it all after training in Fort Myers in the spring: Athletics, Pirates, Royals, Twins, and Red Sox.
Target Field’s footprint is only 8.5 acres large, the smallest in major league baseball but it covers a total of 10.5 acres when looked at from above because portions of it extend over surrounding roadways.
That the Twins charge $10 for parking for a spring training game at Hammond Stadium? The Twins are tied with the Yankees, Phillies, and Rays for the highest parking rates while all the other teams in Florida range from free to $9.
The pen Joe Mauer used to sign his eight-year, $184 million contract belongs to Joel Lepel, the minor league field coordinator for the Minnesota Twins. Lepel was born and raised in Plato, Minn., and has worked for the Twins for 23 years, mostly as a scout. All of the amateur players he has signed, including Mauer, have used the same pen.
That one time Twins player Andy Kosco replaced Mickey Mantle at 1B in Mick’s final game on September 28, 1968.
Former Twins catcher Earl Battey who was not known for his speed was a star basketball player in high school and was offered a contract to play for the Harlem Globetrotters but he decided to play pro baseball instead.
Former Twins infielder and now the Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington replaced Cal Ripken as the Orioles shortstop in the eighth inning of a Sept 14, 1987 game ending Cal Ripken’s record consecutive-innings streak of 8,243, spanning 904 games.
I wanted to check out the Twins “B” game against the Red Sox yesterday so I jumped in the Durango and took the 10 mile drive from Cape Coral to Fort Myers. When I arrived at Hammond Stadium there were plenty of free parking spaces and I took one fairly close to the main ballpark entrance. As I walked towards the stadium I saw Lavelle E. Neal III a couple of spots down from me get out of his rental car and prepare for another day of Star Tribune Twins coverage. He appeared to be in a hurry and was a bit late I think because as I walked into the stadium the Twins were taking the field at 10 AM for their encounter with those hated Red Sox. I looked to see where I wanted to sit and since there was probably less than 200 people in the park I had my choice of sitting in the shade down the right field line or behind home plate albeit in the sun and even at this early hour, the sun was beating down pretty hard. I know, it is a rough life…..I decided to sit behind home plate and took a seat across the isle for GM Terry Ryan and a host of other scouts. The first pitch Blackburn threw was wacked up the middle for a clean single that Blackburn just missed back-handing, but he got out of that inning unscored on and ended up pitching three scoreless innings. The Red Sox Jon Lester also kept the Twins off the board in his 3 innings of work although one inning ended with just two out because Lester had apparently reached his pitch count for the day. But that is how life is in these “B” games, you never know what you might see happen next. It was fun sitting next to Ryan and the other scouts and to listen to their banter back and forth after each pitch. You sprinkle in a few stories about the good old days and the “back in our day” players were a lot different discussions and it makes for some entertaining eavesdropping. It was obvious these guys all have spent a lot of time together on the road and enjoy each other company as they go about their work. I did not recognize any of the scouts but based on the way they talked it sounded as if a number of them had their time in the sun on the major league diamond. It is funny watching the scouts because just as the pitcher is ready to deliver a pitch you see a sea of radar guns pop into position as the pitch is thrown. But you know what, in all the games I have ever attended and seen GM Ryan scout players, I have never ever seen him with a radar gun, a stop watch, sure, but never a radar gun. The man is old school and I would love to see what he writes for notes about the players he watches. Terry Ryan has to be the friendliest and most fan accessible GM in baseball. He will always say hello and talk baseball with whoever happens to walk up to or sit down next to him.
As I said, I only watched four innings of the game before I moved on to the minor league side to see what was going on there on their first full day of training camp but first I want to make note of a couple of things kind of stood out for me today as I watched the Twins and Red Sox play. Joe Mauer started at first base and he is looking pretty comfortable over there but he has a ways to go before he is a really good first baseman and understands the ins and outs of playing first. Justin Morneau is really, really thin, I wonder how much weight he has really lost and why. I for one am not convinced that Morneau is back to what he was when he was one of the most feared sluggers in the American league. Trevor Plouffe started in left field and called off his infielders on a pop up to left and then proceeded to dive and have the ball clank off his glove. I know that it was very windy today but still, if you call off your infielders, you had better make sure you make the catch. I for one want to see Plouffe win a starting outfield job because I think the man can hit but we have to keep in mind that he will not be a gold glover out there for some time.
I took the walk over to the minor league fields and all the fields were empty except for one and that field had all the Twins minor league players assembled on their first day as some players were still going through their physicals. The staff was getting the players separated by club, Fort Myers, Beloit, etc. and then they had each group of players listen to a short “here are our expectations” talk and then they had the players stretch for a bit, throw for a little while and then the main event of the day for each group was the mile run. I was a bit surprised at how some of these players were dreading the run. A mile is apparently four times around the perimeter of this particular playing field and as each group completed their run their individual times was recorded, I don’t know if the time means anything but never the less it was being tracked. I know I can’t run the mile in the times that these players were putting up but then again, some of them are 45 years younger than I am. The bottom line is that a lot of these players were really huffing and puffing to get their mile done and some were darn near walking. This mile run could not have been a total surprise to these players and I wonder why they have not gotten themselves in better shape and better prepared prior to spring training. Baseball is what they hope to make a living from and these guys come to spring training out of shape? What are these guys thinking? A number of these players look like they spent the off-season watching I Love Lucy reruns or playing video games. I guess that is why you never know about what the future holds when you draft these guys to be big league ball players but I can’t help but wonder how bad some of these guys really want to play pro ball on a big league level. I know these guys are the cream of the baseball crop and they have probably always been the stars of the teams they played for and have always had things handed to them but still, you have to take care of your body which in this case is your livelihood. Baseball is obviously no different that the real life business world, the young workers of today expect to be promoted quickly and paid well for their efforts even though their efforts may not measure up to what my generation may expect. I am not saying that all the young players are being lazy because many of them are working their butts off to get ahead but some of these minor league Twins players just don’t get it, I hope they catch on before it is too late for them and their Twins careers. Then again, I have not seen any of these guys hit or pitch a ball as yet, Babe Ruth and CC Sabathia aren’t the most athletic baseball players I have ever seen either.
As always, I managed to get a couple of pictures today that you can view in my 2102 Spring Training Pictures section.
Six years ago today, Minnesota Twins star outfielder and Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45 from a stroke he suffered a day earlier. The youngest of nine children born into poverty in a Chicago housing project, Kirby Puckett was the Minnesota Twins first round pick (and third over all) in the 1982 amateur draft. After just 224 minor league games in Elizabethton (rookie), Visalia (A ball), and Toledo (AAA ball) Kirby was called up by Minnesota and made his big league debut on May 8, 1984 against the California Angels in Anaheim Stadium and he never played in the minors again. In his rookie season in 557 at bats, Kirby had only had 12 doubles, 5 triples, 0 home runs, and 16 walks. This lack of power was rare but even more unusual for a player that two years later hit 31 home runs with a .537 slugging percentage.
Puckett played for 12 years in a Minnesota Twins uniform hitting .318 in 1,783 games while hitting 207 home runs and knocking in 1,085 more. Though his numbers were not exceptional, Puckett was voted into Cooperstown on the first ballot in 2001. His respect and enthusiasm for the game factored in as much his .318 average, 1989 batting title, six Gold Gloves, 10 All-Star game appearances and two championship rings. The man known simply as “Puck” was immensely popular with baseball fans everywhere. Fans loved his style, especially the high leg kick that preceded his swing. Twins public address announcer Bob Casey, who became a close friend, introduced him with vigor before every at-bat, “KIR-beeeeeeeeee PUCK-it.” “I wore one uniform in my career and I’m proud to say that,” Puckett once said.
On September 28, 1995 in the bottom of the first inning in a game at the Metrodome, Puckett was hit by a pitch from Cleveland Indians starter Dennis Martinez that broke his jaw in what turned out to be his last at-bat of the 1995 season and his last at bat in a major league game. Puckett woke up one morning the following spring and couldn’t see out of his right eye. It was eventually diagnosed as glaucoma, forcing him to call it quits that July. It was a sad ending to a brilliant career.
After his career ended prematurely, Puckett tried to remain upbeat but his personal life began to deteriorate. Shortly after his induction to Cooperstown, his then-wife, Tonya, accused him of threatening to kill her during an argument – he denied it – and described to police a history of violence and infidelity. In 2003, he was cleared of all charges from an alleged sexual assault of a woman at a Twin Cities restaurant. He kept a low profile after the trial and eventually moved to Arizona. His relationship with the Twins organization ended in 2002, but the Twins kept trying to re-establish a connection and get him to come to spring training as a guest instructor. Puckett put on considerable weight, as well and his weight gain concerned friends and former teammates. Kirby suffered a massive stroke early Sunday, March 5th at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona and passed away the following day.
Donald Ray Mincher a former Minnesota Twin and baseball lifer in every sense of the word passed away yesterday in Huntsville, Alabama after a lengthy illness at the age of 73. Mincher was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent prior to the 1956 season and in the process passed up a football scholarship to the University of Alabama and started his pro career by playing for the Duluth-Superior White Sox in the class C Northern League as he started climbing the minor league ladder towards a big league career. Mincher who threw right-handed was a slugging left-handed hitting first baseman who stood 6’3″, weighed about 205. Before Don could put on a White Sox uniform in a big league game, he along with catcher Earl Battey and $150,000 were sent to the Washington Senators for 1B Roy Sievers in April of 1960. Don Mincher made his big league debut on April 18, 1960 at Griffith Stadium in a 10-1 Senators win over the Boston Red Sox. Mincher became one of the “original” Minnesota Twins when owner Calvin Griffith moved the Washington Senators to Minnesota after the 1960 season. Mincher went on to play for the Twins through the 1966 season playing in 617 games and hitting 92 home runs while hitting .244. Mincher was good enough to have been a regular on many other teams but with the power hitting Twins of the 60’s, Mincher could not crack the everyday starting line-up. Although not a regular, Mincher was never-the-less a feared slugger as his league leading 15 intentional bases on balls during the Twins pennant winning 1965 season will attest. Don played in all seven games of the 1965 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting only .130 in 25 plate appearances but he did hit a home run in-game 1 off of HOF and Dodger great Don Drysdale. In the seventh inning of a game against the Kansas City Athletics at Metropolitan Stadium on June 9, 1966, Mincher was one of five Minnesota players to hit home runs (the others were Rich Rollins, Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew, and Zoilo Versalles). This still stands as the major league record of homers in an inning. Three of the home runs were hit off starter A’s starter and future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter, the other two off of reliever Paul Lindblad. After the 1966 season the Twins traded Mincher, outfielder Jimmie Hall and pitcher Pete Cimino to the California Angels for pitcher Dean Chance and a PTBNL that turned out to be infielder Jackie Hernandez. Mincher ended up making the American League All-Star team in his first season as an Angel and played in California for two years before the Seattle Pilots drafted him in the second round of the 1968 expansion draft. Don again made the All-Star team in 1969 as a Pilot and finished that season hitting 25 home runs and he also stole 10 bases that season at the age of 31. In January on 1970, the Pilots had turned into the Milwaukee Brewers and the Brew Crew traded Mincher to the Oakland A’s where he hit a career high 27 home runs. In 1971 Mincher was traded to the Washington Senators who became the Texas Rangers in 1972. The Rangers then traded Mincher back to the Oakland A’s where Don played the final 47 games of his big league career. Mincher appeared in the 1972 ALCS and the Oakland A’s 1972 World Series earning his championship ring.
When you look at Mincher’s 13 year big league career you will find that he hit 200 home runs (with five 20+ home runs seasons) and hit .249 and had a .798 OBP in 4,725 plate appearances. Don Mincher is the only player to play for both the original Washington Senators and the expansion Washington Senators, as well as both teams that they moved to become, the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. Additionally, he played for a third team, the Seattle Pilots, in its first and final season before relocating to a new city (but was traded before playing a game for the Milwaukee Brewers).
Don Mincher as President of the Southern League
After his playing days, Mincher returned to his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama and managed a sporting goods store for about a decade before becoming General Manager of the Huntsville Stars in 1984. He then led a group that owned the club from 1994 to 2001. In 2000, he became President of the Southern League, a position he held until retiring in late 2011 due to health issues, at which point the league named him President-Emerius.
Mincher was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. Though he never played for the team, the Huntsville Stars retired his number 5 in an on-field ceremony on June 6, 2008. In 2010, he was presented with the “King of Baseball” award, the highest honor bestowed by Minor League Baseball.
Mincher is survived by his wife Pat, son Mark, daughters Lori Lumpkin and Donna Hopper and six grandchildren. Funeral services are pending. We at Twins Trivia want to extend our heart-felt condolences to Don Mincher’s family, friends and fans.
Updates as of March 6
I asked Mincher’s teammate and long-time friend pitcher Jim Kaat for his memories of Don and here is what Jim had to say: “Minch” or “Mule” as we called him was a great teammate….when we needed a big hit and he was at the plate our cry from the dugout was ”Kick Mule!!” we had a great relationship…one of the few 1st basemen that could play deep and well off the line when I pitched and trust that I would get to 1st to cover the base…he prevented a lot of would be hits off me by doing that. He and Jerry Zimmerman were close buddies and roommates, they could usually come up with some good pranks…[i.e. the day after I gave up back to back to back hr’s in Baltimore they hung a 45 rpm record of the 5th Dimension’s “up up and away” in my locker] I knew immediately it was them…..Don had a great sense of humor, developed into a real good power hitter after they quit telling him to pull everything. He and Pat had a great 50 plus years together. I really enjoyed his company on and off the field.. He had a great life as a player and later a club owner and president of the southern league…. Time marches on..as I look at the box score of game 2 of the ’65 series on my office wall I am reminded of that. Don is the 11th player out of 22 that played in that game that have passed on….. Thanks for the memories “Mule”!!
Kitty
Here is a very nice note that I received from Lori Webb (VP – Operations) of the Southern League.
I was first introduced to Don Mincher when I was hired to work at the Southern League office in Marietta, GA in September 1994. At that time, he was owner and General Manager of the Huntsville Stars. When former president Arnold Fielkow resigned in early 2000, Don became Interim President and served in that capacity until he was elected president in October of that year. While Don chose to work out of his home office in Huntsville, I managed the league office from Marietta. We spoke on the phone almost every day until last September when he entered the hospital for surgery.
During the last 12 years we worked together, Don and I forged a strong and mutually respectful working relationship, and we also considered each other friends. Don was always willing to share his knowledge of the game and taught me a lot about baseball. He was “old school” in that respect, and it was always fun to be in his company when other former players were around – to hear their stories, the friendly ribbing back and forth, and to just be in the presence of a former Major Leaguer who had such a love for the game of baseball and such a respect for the sport that turned into a lifelong career for him and his family. I especially remember Don introducing me to his old roommate, Harmon Killebrew, when we attended the annual Rickwood Classic game in Birmingham a couple years ago. I sat and listened as these two old friends reminisced about “the good old days” and you could tell these two guys were cut from the same cloth. Perhaps they will meet up again now in heaven where they will both certainly reside for eternity.
What I will remember most about Don is that he was a family man first and last, and was a true Southern gentleman. He was my boss, but he was also my mentor and friend. I will miss him so much, but will always cherish the advice he gave me and I am so happy I was able to be associated with this very humble, decent, gentle, fair man for so many years. He had a lot of good friends not only in baseball, but in his beloved hometown of Huntsville, AL, as well.
Everyone that met Don Mincher considered him their friend. His dry wit, thoughtful consideration of matters big and small, and his genuine personna will be very greatly missed. It is certainly the end of an era in the Southern League with his passing, but we are all richer for having known him.
Thanks for this opportunity to share my thoughts about Don with you.
Lori M. Webb
VP – Operations
Southern League
David Laurila interview with Don Mincher that ran in Baseball Prospectus in January 2011. The interview is split in two part and well worth your time. Part 1Part 2
Don Mincher was a winner with a great love for life. He worked hard to become a great all-around player and he worked very hard on his defense. The fact that Harmon Killebrew also played 1st base kept Don from being an everyday player with the Twins. Don proved that by becoming an All-Star player when he was traded to other teams. But what I really loved about big Don was his attitude and personality. I was a rookie in 1965 and he played a big part in helping me on defense to position myself according to whom we were playing against. He made it fun.
When we won the American League championship, it was three days later and he (Mincher) approached manager Sam Mele. He said, Sam, could you answer a question I’ve wondered about? Sure Mule, what’s the question. Minch said, when you win a championship, when do you stop celebrating? It broke Mele up and he responded by saying, you’d better be ready for the World Series, or you’ll find out. Minch hit the first home run against the Dodgers in the Series. We’ll miss him as a friend and a great teammate. “Save a place for us up there Mule”
Now that the Twins and everyone else have started their exhibition season, we fans once again have box scores to read so we can track how our favorite players are doing. We all know that what a hitter does in spring training games means very little in the grand scheme of things but the fact that a player is playing and getting at bats can mean a lot. The hitters need to shake off the rust and get their timing down. I don’t think it is so much how well the hitter is hitting as it is getting time in the batters box facing live pitching and getting at bats. I am not saying that you should not be concerned if a hitter goes 1 for 25 but at the same time you should not get too excited if a players hits 12 home runs in spring games either.
I think Gardy, the Twins and most of the other baseball teams have fallen into some bad habits over the last few years and maybe go too easy on the veteran players as far as getting their at bats in and have kind of left it up to the individual players to decide when they should play in these exhibition games. How often have you gone to a spring training game and find that the visiting team has only brought 2 or 3 regulars and one of them is probably a pitcher. This is an accepted practice now days and that is a bunch of crap in my humble opinion and it is not good for the fans or the players. Just because a player has been in the big leagues for a few years does not mean that he needs less at bats to get regular season ready. It all comes down to the fact that they don’t want to take those long bus rides, that is a bunch of hoey. Most of the games are within a couple of hours driving distance and yet todays players would rather stay back at camp than take that bus trip and get their 2 or 3 at bats in a game situation. If game situations are not that important, then why are exhibition games played at all, why don’t team just stay home save the money and play intra squad games? I have no problem with a player not playing if he is injured but at the same time that these guys are not playing they say they are healthy and working on preparing for the regular season. If you look back over the spring stats from the last few years you will see that the most at bats that a player usually will get during the spring is around 65 and most of the regular players average between 50-60 at bats in the spring games. Yes, I know injuries come into play, but let’s take a look at what last years at bat counts were for the Twins regulars:
Mauer – appeared in 8 games and had 20 at bats (15 and 45 in 2010)
Morneau – appeared in 11 games and had 33 at bats (17 and 50 in 2010)
Nishioka – appeared in 20 games and had 58 at bats
Casilla – appeared in 22 games and had 50 at bats
Valencia – appeared in 24 games and had 65 at bats
Cuddyer – appeared in 8 games and had 21 at bats
Span – appeared in 21 games and had 62 at bats
Young – appeared in 18 games and had 48 at bats
Kubel – appeared in 22 games and had 53 at bats
I will be interested to watch the games this spring and see how many at bats the Twins starting line-up actually gets. If you want to follow the Twins spring stats, you can find them here.
Gary Wayne Serum was born in Fargo, North Dakota on October 24, 1956 but grew up in the Alexandria, Minnesota area. Gary grew up playing basketball, baseball, and football but basketball was the game he really enjoyed. After graduating from high school, the Twins signed Serum in 1975 out of one of their “tryout camps” and to this day Gary is one of only three tryout camp signees to play a big league game in a Twins uniform. The other two are pitcher Charlie Walters and infielder Jerry Terrell. Serum quickly worked his way up the Twins minor league system playing in Elizabethton (rookie), Wisconsin Rapids (A), Orlando (AA), and Tacoma (AAA) and then he got the call that all baseball players wait for. On July 22, 1977 Serum made his major league debut at Met Stadium in relief against the California Angels just 2 years after signing his first pro contract. The first batter, Rance Mulliniks hit a single but Gary retired the next 6 batters, two of them on strikeouts. Serum spent all of 1978 with Minnesota, primarily as a starter, but in 1979 the Twins acquired Jerry Koosman and Paul Hartzell and Serum was moved to the bullpen and his innings pitched dropped dramatically. In April of 1982 Gary was included along with Roy Smalley as part of a trade with the Yankees where the Twins acquired Ron Davis, Greg Gagne, and Paul Boris. Gary felt almost immediately that this trade was probably the end of his baseball career as the Yankees just did not call up many of their own from their minor league system. Serum had a good year in Columbus and Nashville in 1982 but did not get called up by the Yankees. At the conclusion of spring training in 1983 the Yankees wanted Serum to play in AA ball but Gary no longer was interested in those long bus rides and asked for his release and at the age of 25 walked away from baseball and came back home to Minnesota and went back to college. Gary then got involved in sales and over the years he sold insurance, advertising, solar and automobiles. Then, 21 years ago Gary got into the restaurant business and he has owned and operated Serum’s Good Time Emporium in Anoka, Minnesota ever since. Serum’s Good Time Emporium is famous for its chicken wings and Gary tells a great story during the interview on how that occurred. In his spare time Gary enjoys boating and golfing, both here in Minnesota and at his place in Florida.
You can listen to the Gary Serum interview by clicking here. Check out our other interviews with former Twins players in the Interview Archives.
