As we start a new year in 2021 and hope to get the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and head out to Target Field to watch the Twins play ball I wanted to share a list of former Minnesota Twins players and people associated with the Twins that passed away in 2021. We lost some great ones.
Stan Williams was born on September 14, 1936 in Enfield, New Hampshire and passed away at the age of 84 in Laughlin, Nevada on February 20, 2021.
Williams started pitching in pro ball at the age of 17 in 1954 and threw his last pitch 20 years later in 1974. In between “Big Daddy” pitched in the majors for 14 seasons with the Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Twins, Cardinals and the Red Sox starting his career as a starter and finishing up in the bullpen. Williams pitched for Minnesota in 1970-1971 putting up a stellar season in 1970 at the age of 33.
Jim Snyder was born on August 15, 1932 in Dearborn, Michigan and passed away on March 9, 2021 in Lutz, Florida at the age of 88.
Jim Snyder played pro ball for 14 seasons but unfortunately for him most of it, 1,534 games, was in the minor leagues. Snyder played briefly for the Twins in 161-1962 and 1964 and appearing in just 41 games and 103 plate appearances. Snyder went on to manage the Seattle Mariners in 1988.
Joe Altobelli was born on May 26, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan and passed away on May 3, 2021 in Rochester, New York at he age of 88.
Altobelli played in the majors with the Cleveland Indians in 1955 and in 1957 and with the Minnesota Twins in 1961. A first baseman/outfielder Altobelli played in just 166 big league games and had 290 PA’s. 41 of his 166 games were with the Minnesota Twins. Altobelli was traded May 10, 1961 by the Los Angeles Dodgers along with pitcher Ed Palmquist to the Minnesota Twins for Ernie Oravetz and cash. In Minnesota he was used primarily as a pinch-hitter but also played 25 games in the outfield. In his 41 games with the Twins in 1961 he hit .221 with three home runs and had 14 RBI. Minnesota released him after the 1961 season and his big league career was over as a player but he went on to manage the San Francisco Giants in 1977-1979 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1983-1985 and was an interim manager for the Chicago Cubs for one game in 1991.
Mike Marshall was born on January 15, 1943 in Adrian, Michigan and passed away on May 31, 2021 in Zephyrhills, Florida at he age of 78.
Marshall played in the major leagues for 14 seasons pitching for the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets. “Iron Mike” was a Cy Young award winner and a two-time All-Star. He was one of a kind in too many ways to mention. He pitched for the Twins from 1978-1980 and his 1979 season was amazing, check it out.
Jim Grant was born in Lacoochee, Florida on August 13, 1935 and passed away on June 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California at he age of 85.
“Mudcat” as he was better known, pitched in the major leagues for 14 years from 1958 to 1971 for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland A’s and Pittsburgh Pirates. Mudcat was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Minnesota Twins on June 15, 1964 for George Banks and Lee Stange. In 1965 Grant was 21-7 with 6 shutouts as he helped pitch the Twins to the World Series. The 21 wins and 6 shutout led the league. In the 1965 World Series he was 2-1 with two complete games and he hit a home run to boot. Grant became the first black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League and the first black pitcher to win a World Series game for the American League in 1965. The Twins traded Grant to the Dodgers after the 1967 season as part of a blockbuster deal.
Dwight Siebler was born in Columbus, Nebraska on August 5, 1937 and passed away on June 16, 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska at he age of 83.
Dwight Siebler’s SABR BIO start out like this –
Fate can sometimes be cruel. After working his way through the Philadelphia Phillies farm system for three years, hard-throwing right-hander Dwight Siebler injured his elbow pitching to the first batter in his first major-league spring-training game, in 1962. Robbed of his heater, Siebler relied on ball movement, a hard curve, and command when he made it to the big leagues in July 1963 as a member of the Minnesota Twins. A three-hitter in his debut start suggested a bright future, but the tall Nebraskan spent all but one of his five seasons (1963-1967) with the Twins bouncing between Triple-A and the big leagues before retiring with a 4-3 record.
RIP gentlemen and thank you for the great memories, you are a part of Minnesota Twins history forever.
A complete list of deceased former Minnesota Twins players can be found on our “Deceased Twins” page.