Category: Major League debuts as Twins

Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Jacque Jones & Tommy Hall

We have two players that had their big league debuts wearing the colors of the Minnesota Twins on June 9th.

Jacque Jones (OF) – June 9, 1999 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 1996 amateur draft. Jacques debut was nothing special going 0-4 and making the final out of the game but he went on to have a nice career in Minnesota playing for seven seasons and playing in 978 games.

 

Tommy Hall

Tom Hall (P) – June 9, 1968 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1966 amateur draft (January). Debuted in relief in a losing cause (7-4) at D.C. Stadium against the Senators going 2 innings, striking out 2, walking 2 and allowing 2 hits but no runs. I always liked Tommy Hall, what amazed me most about him was that in his 10 year career (only 4 in Minnesota) he allowed just 656 hits and struck out 797 in 852.2 innings pitched.

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Dan Graham

The only player in Twins history to make his major league debut on this day as a Twins player was…

Dan Graham (C/3B) – June 8, 1979 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round of the 1975 amateur draft. Was first drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1973, and by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1974 before being drafted by the Twins in 1975. Appeared in just 2 games with Minnesota before being traded to Baltimore.

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Williams, Nakamura and Rincon

We had three Twins players make their big league debut in a Twins uniform on June 7.

Glenn Williams

Glenn Williams (3B) – June 7, 2005 – Signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins on December 14, 2004. This Aussie was originally signed in 1993 for a signing bonus of $925,000 by Atlanta. His career batting average in the big leagues is .425 but no one talks about him. The reason is that his big league career was cut short by a shoulder injury after just 13 games, all with Minnesota and Williams had a hit in every one of those games. 

Micheal Nakamura – (Credit: Getty Images -Ezra Shaw)

Micheal Nakamura (P) – June 7, 2003 – Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent on December 24, 1997. The dual-citizen (Australia & Japan) Nakamura had a nice big league debut at Qualcomm Stadium in a Twins 6-2 win over the Padres when he pitched 1.1 innings allowing one hit, no runs and striking out two.

Juan Rincon

Juan Rincon (P) – June 7, 2001 – Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent on November 4, 1996. Slick big league debut with an inning pitched and two strikeouts with no hits or walks allowed. albeit in a 6-2 loss to the Indians at the Dome.

How odd is it that both Glenn Williams and Micheal Nakamura who both debuted in the big leagues on June 7 (albeit two years apart)  are both in the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame?

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Frank Viola

Another day and another major league debut as a Minnesota Twin, but this was not your run of the mill Twins star that debuted on June 6

Frank Viola

Frank Viola (P) – June 6, 1982 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft. Viola’s debut was not exactly vintage “sweet music” on June 6 when he first stepped on the Metrodome mound to face the Baltimore Orioles and Dennis Martinez and he ended up taking the loss in the 7-5 O’s win but his good days were just on the horizon. Just in case you wanted to know, the Twins selected Bryan Oelkers as their first round pick and fourth overall just ahead of the Mets pick of Dwight Gooden.

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Blyleven, Havens, & Gagne

A big day for major league debuts as Minnesota Twins, one was drafted and went on to be a hall of famer and two were acquired in trades.

Greg Gagne

Greg Gagne (SS) – June 5, 1983 – Traded by the New York Yankees with Paul Boris and Ron Davis to the Minnesota Twins for Roy Smalley on April 10, 1982. Gagne struck out in his first two at bats before doubling in the sixth and then scoring. Gagne ended up 1 for 4 in a Twins 10-4 win over the Red Sox at the Dome.

Brad Havens

Brad Havens (P) – June 5, 1981 – Traded by the California Angels to the Minnesota Twins in February 1979. In his big league debut Havens faced off against Jack Morris at Tiger Stadium and pitched 6 innings allowing just 2 hits, a single and a home run by Alan Trammell and left the game down 1 to nothing. Unfortunately, Morris pitched a complete game 3-hit shutout and the Twins and Havens lost 2-0 in a 2 hour game.

Bert Blyleven

Bert Blyleven (P) – June 5, 1970 –  Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1969 amateur draft and became the 69th player to make his big league debut as a Twins player. As Blyleven has stated on many occasions, he did indeed give up a home run to the first Senators batter he faced in his debut at RFK Stadium and that batter was Lee Maye and that tied the score at one apiece. Blyleven gave up another single in the first but then held Washington to 3 hits the rest of the way and was pulled after seven innings after having allowed the one run on 5 hits and a walk while striking out seven and the future hall of fame right-hander was on his way. The Twins selected OF Paul Powell in round 1 that year and he played 30 big league games, 20 with Minny. In round 2 they selected Ron McDonald a high school 3B but he never got above AA ball. They selected shortstop Rick Burleson in round 7 but couldn’t sign him…The Red Sox did after taking him in the January secondary draft.

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Major League debuts as Minnesota Twins – Brian Dinkelman

Only one player made his major league debut as a Minnesota Twins player on June 4th.

Brian Dinkelman

Brian Dinkelman (2B) – June 4, 2011 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 8th round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft. Dinkelman was officially 1 for 3 but here is how his debut transpired. In his first PA he was hit with a pitch by Luke Hochevar, in his second PA he hit a deep fly to center for an out, in his third PA he singled to left, in his fourth PA he was intentionally walked and in his fifth and final PA went down swinging. A nice debut in a Twins 7-2 win at Kauffman Stadium.

 

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Danny Valencia & J.T. Bruett

The following players made their major league debuts in a Twins uniform.

Danny Valencia

Danny Valencia (3B) – June 3, 2010 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 19th round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft. Who can complain about a 1 for 3 debut in the big leagues?

J.T. Bruett

J.T. Bruett (OF) – June 3, 1992 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 1988 amateur draft. Born a Badger, then became a Gopher and a Minnesota Twin. 

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Kevin Slowey

The only player to have his major league debut as a Minnesota Twin on June 1.

Twins starter Kevin Slowey leaves the game after giving up three runs to the Boston Red Sox during his five-inning loss at Target Field in Minneapolis on Wednesday April 14, 2010. (Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall)

Kevin Slowey (P) – June 1, 2007 –  Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 2005 MLB June Amateur Draft. A very nice big league debut for Slowey albeit a no decision, only one earned run in six innings against the Oakland A’s at McAfee Coliseum.

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Cleatus Davidson

Cleatus is the only player to make his major league debut as a Minnesota Twins player on May 30th.

Cleatus Davidson (courtesy Brian Bahr – Getty images)

Cleatus Davidson (2B/SS) – May 30, 1999 – Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 1994 amateur draft

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Major League Debuts as Minnesota Twins – Lew Ford

Lewwwww made his major league debut as a Minnesota Twins player on May 29.

Lew Ford

Lew Ford (OF) – May 29, 2003 – Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Minnesota Twins for Hector Carrasco on September 9, 2000. A hit in your first at bat, NICE! Lew went on to become one of the real characters in Minnesota Twins lore.

A Quick Study At the Plate Minnesota’s Lew Ford

Twins Ride Ford’s Focus

Friday (Lew Ford and Minnesota sports characters) edition: Wha’ Happened?