Tag: Greg Booker

Former Twins players that passed away in 2019

As we start a new year in 2020 I wanted to share a list of former Minnesota Twins players that passed away in 2019. We lost some great ones.

Pitcher Greg Booker appeared in 161 big league games over 8 seasons with three different teams. Booker spent about 6 months with the Minnesota Twins in 1989 appearing in 6 games, all in relief. Booker was “Trader” Jack McKeon‘s son-in-law.

Outfielder Lenny Green played in the major leagues for five different teams over 12 years. Green, a Korean War veteran was with the Washington Senators from 1959-1960 and became a Minnesota Twin when they moved to Minnesota and became the Twins after the 1960 season. Green was the Twins opening day center fielder when they began play in 1961. The Twins traded Green to the Angels in a three-team-trade in June of 1964. Lenny Green has always been in my list of top 10 Twins players.

Continue reading Former Twins players that passed away in 2019

Former Minnesota Twins pitcher Greg Booker passes away at age 58

Gregory Scott Booker was born in Burlington, North Carolina on June 22, 1960 and after a courageous fight with melanoma passed away at the age of 58 on March 30, 2019. Greg Booker was a 10th round pick in the 1981 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres and signed by Kelly McKeon. Booker is the son-in-law of “Trader Jack” McKeon and brother-in-law of Kasey McKeon and Kelly McKeon.

Greg Booker

Greg Booker, a 6’6″ right-handed pitcher started his big league career in 1981 in the San Diego Padres organization and made his major league debut on September 11, 1983 after putting up relatively mediocre minor league pitching numbers. Booker spent all or parts of seven seasons (1983-1989) with the San Diego Padres and made an appearance in the 1984 NLCS and the 1984 World Series before being traded by his father-in-law Jack McKeon to the Minnesota Twins on June 29, 1989 for pitcher Freddie Toliver.

The 30-year-old Booker was sent to AAA Portland after being acquired by Minnesota and then in September the Twins called him up and he appeared in six games pitching a total 8.2 innings with no decisions and a 4.15 ERA. After the 1989 season ended Booker became a free agent and signed with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs released Booker prior to the 1990 season and the San Francisco Giants signed him a few days later and he appeared in just two games as a Giant and pitched in his final big league game on May 26, 1990.

Continue reading Former Minnesota Twins pitcher Greg Booker passes away at age 58

Twins tall drinks of water

The Minnesota Twins have had 53 players (41 pitchers (nine lefties) and 12 position players) that stood at least 6’5″ tall. The Twins have spent the last few years accumulating tall pitchers but so far the fruits of their labors have not been all that eveident.

The tallest player in major league history, Jon Rauch, played for 11 years with seven different major league teams including a stop in Minnesota from 2009-2010. The right-handed Rauch won an Olympic gold medal for the United States in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The same year, he was also named Baseball America and The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year. Keith Hernandez referred to Rauch as “The Wookiee” during SNY broadcasts in 2006.

Rauch wasn’t exactly the friendliest baseball player around and his grumpy, grouchy, surly and testy personality along with his intimidating size and inked body caused most fans that wanted an autograph to pass and look for the next player to come by.

Here I have put  together a list of Minnesota Twins players that stood at least 6’5″ tall.

Jon Rauch and Joe Mauer
Jon Rauch and Joe Mauer

Rk Player Ht From To Age G Pos
1 Jon Rauch 83 2009 2010 30-31 76 /*1
2 Alex Meyer 81 2015 2016 25-26 4 /*1
3 Mike Smithson 80 1984 1987 29-32 128 *1
4 Michael Tonkin 79 2013 2016 23-26 122 *1
5 Mike Pelfrey 79 2013 2015 29-31 64 /*1
6 John Candelaria 79 1990 1990 36-36 34 /*1
7 Walt Bond 79 1967 1967 29-29 10 /*H7
8 Kyle Gibson 78 2013 2016 25-28 96 /*1
9 Jim Hoey 78 2011 2011 28-28 26 /*1
10 Michael Restovich 78 2002 2004 23-25 61 /H97D
11 Dan Naulty 78 1996 1998 26-28 97 /*1
12 Mo Sanford 78 1995 1995 28-28 11 /*1
13 Dave Winfield 78 1993 1994 41-42 220 *D/9H3
14 David West 78 1989 1992 24-27 63 /*1
15 Greg Booker 78 1989 1989 29-29 6 /*1
16 Jeff Little 78 1982 1982 27-27 33 /*1
17 Mike Poepping 78 1975 1975 24-24 14 /*9H
18 Cotton Nash 78 1969 1970 26-27 10 /*3H7
19 Garry Roggenburk 78 1963 1966 23-26 60 /*1
20 Frank Sullivan 78 1962 1963 32-33 31 /*1
21 Phil Hughes 77 2014 2016 28-30 71 /*1
22 Pat Light 77 2016 2016 25-25 13 /*1
23 Joe Mauer 77 2004 2016 21-33 1589 *23D/H9
24 Trevor May 77 2014 2016 24-26 102 *1
25 Kennys Vargas 77 2014 2016 23-25 147 /*D3H
26 A.J. Achter 77 2014 2015 25-26 18 /*1
27 Jared Burton 77 2012 2014 31-33 203 *1
28 Tyler Robertson 77 2012 2013 24-25 42 /*1
29 Carl Pavano 77 2009 2012 33-36 88 /*1
30 Kyle Waldrop 77 2011 2012 25-26 24 /*1
31 Bobby Keppel 77 2009 2009 27-27 37 /*1
32 Garrett Jones 77 2007 2007 26-26 31 /D3H79
33 LaTroy Hawkins 77 1995 2003 22-30 366 *1
34 Todd Sears 77 2002 2003 26-27 31 /*3HD
35 Matt Kinney 77 2000 2002 23-25 22 /*1
36 Mark Redman 77 1999 2001 25-27 46 /*1
37 Scott Stahoviak 77 1993 1998 23-28 344 *3/H5D9
38 Greg Hansell 77 1996 1996 25-25 50 /*1
39 Dave McCarty 77 1993 1995 23-25 167 /*379H8D
40 Erik Schullstrom 77 1994 1995 25-26 46 /*1
41 Bill Krueger 77 1992 1992 34-34 27 /*1
42 Steve Shields 77 1989 1989 30-30 11 /*1
43 George Frazier 77 1986 1987 31-32 69 /*1
44 Curt Wardle 77 1984 1985 23-24 37 /*1
45 Mike Walters 77 1983 1984 25-26 46 /*1
46 Greg Wells 77 1982 1982 28-28 15 /*3DH
47 John Verhoeven 77 1980 1981 27-28 69 /*1
48 Paul Hartzell 77 1979 1979 25-25 28 /*1
49 Jeff Holly 77 1977 1979 24-26 39 /*1
50 Dick Woodson 77 1969 1974 24-29 129 *1
51 Pete Hamm 77 1970 1971 22-23 23 /*1
52 Stan Williams 77 1970 1971 33-34 114 *1
53 Don Williams 77 1963 1963 27-27 3 /*1
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/21/2016.

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This Day in Twins History – February 5

Freddie Toliver1988 – The Twins trade for pitcher Freddie Toliver and send catcher Chris Calvert to Philly. The right-handed Toliver spent parts of 1988 and 1989 pitching for the Twins mostly as a starter and he had a 8-9 record with a 1.55 WHIP and a 4.95 ERA in 143.2 innings. The string bean Toliver (6’1″ and 165 lbs) always had control issues and in mid-1989 the Twins traded him to the Padres for Greg Booker. Calvert never advanced past AA ball. Booker a big 6’6″ right-handed pitcher appeared in 6 games in a Minnesota uniform in 1989 and had no record and the Twins let him go after the season ended.

2002 – MLB owners postpone contraction until the 2003 season; a day after the Minnesota Supreme Court refuses to hear their appeal of the injunction that forces the Twins to honor their Metrodome lease for the 2002 season.

The Minnesota Twins and litigation have not exactly been strangers over the years and this April 2010 article on mnbenchbar.com by Marshall Tanick highlights some of the brushes that the Minnesota Twins and their players have had with the courts over the years. There are several other cases of Twins players or ex-Twins players that have run afoul of the law that are not mentioned in this story.