The 2016 June amateur draft starts today and the Twins will have the number 15 selection. The Twins have picked 15th just once since the draft started in 1965 and that was way back in 1977 when they selected an outfielder from a high school in New Jersey by the name of Paul Croft. Croft spent four years in the Twins system and during that time advanced up to “A” ball before the Twins let him go.
Any player the Twins draft today or over the next few days has a small chance of ever wearing a Minnesota Twins uniform at any point but even the ones that do get to the top of Twins mountain won’t arrive until 2020 or later so don’t get too excited about these draft picks just yet.
Interest in this years draft seems really down this year here in Minnesota, probably because of the apathy in Twins baseball due to the Twins miserable play in 2016 and Twins management refusal to accept what is going on around them. Pat Reusse did a piece on the Twins in today’s Star Tribune called “Dancing after victories? These Twins have no shame“.
I am here to “second” what Reusse said and push it a step farther. The Twins should start running ads now that a “huge” surprise for Twins fans is coming at the All-Star break and when the break arrives the Minnesota Twins should announce that they understand how bad the team has been and to show appreciation to Twins fans for supporting this historically bad team the rest of this season that they will cut ticket prices in half for all remaining home games. People that have tickets in hand for future games should be credited for half their ticket price for tickets in 2017. Seems to me that is the least they can do for their fans. Twins ownership should appreciate that Twins fans are mad as hell, at least that shows the team that there is still interest in Twins baseball versus the apathy that could and is building around this franchise very quickly. Remember, it costs less to keep fans than it does to get new fans.
But let’s have a little fun here versus crying in our milk about the Twins poor play. How much do you know about the Twins and their adventures in the MLB June amateur draft? Give these questions a try.
Don’t forget, all the players we are talking about here have had to be drafted by the Twins.
- What three Twins have the most extra-base-hits in a Twins uniform?
- The best player the Twins drafted in the first draft (1965) but then traded him and he went on to become a six-time all-star.
- I am the first player the Twins ever drafted to be named to the all-star team as a Minnesota Twin.
- I am the first Twins player selected in round 1 to make his debut with the Twins.
- I was a Twins first round pick but I chose not to sign with Minnesota and went on to win 123 big league games.
- I was the Twins first round selection and eleventh overall and went straight to the majors to pitch for the Twins without going to the minors first.
- No Minnesota Twins first round pick has played in more major league games than I, who am I?
- The Twins have selected (not necessarily signed) a catcher in the first round three times, can you name them?
- I was a Twins 3rd round pick in 1966 out of HS as a 3B but did not sign with Minnesota and I eventually became a 10 time all-star as a 1B.
- Only Minnesota native to be drafted by the Twins and win 20 games or more.
- I was a Twins 3rd round pick and am still active today.
- I am the highest drafted (round 1 and fifth overall) player by the Twins to never get a sniff of the big leagues.
- The 1989 draft netted the Twins two American league Rookie of the Year award winners, who were they?
- Who is the first native Minnesotan to be selected by the Twins in round 1?
- This Twins 2nd round selection won 176 big league games and a Cy Young award.
- This Twins 3rd round pick was drafted as a catcher but did not play that position in the majors but was good enough to win an MVP award for the Twins.
- I was a 7th round pick by the Twins but I pitched in 1,042 games over my 21 year big league career.
- This Twins 8th round pick won 148 big league games, all for the Minnesota Twins.
- A 10th round Twins pick and I was a wonderful utility man playing every position in the big leagues except as a pitcher during my 12 years in the bigs.
- The 13th round was not unlucky for me, the Twins drafted me in round 13 as a second baseman and I went on to play in the majors as an outfielder for the Twins and six other teams for 12 years.
I will add the correct answers in a couple of days, feel free to put you answers in the comments.