Tag: Joe Haynes

This Day in Twins History – January 6, 1967

Joseph HaynesTwins Executive Vice President Joe Haynes suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow at his Hopkins , Minnesota home on January 6, 1967 and died at the age of 49. Haynes was signed by the Washington Senators as a free agent in 1937. During spring training in 1938 Haynes met and became smitten with Thelma Griffith who was at the time Clark Griffith’s personal secretary and was the daughter of Bruce Robertson whose sister Addie was Senator owners Clark Griffith’s wife. Although Thelma and Calvin were never formally adopted by the Clark and Addie Griffith, they were raised by the Griffith’s as their own children.

After just 2 years in the low minors Haynes made his major league debut as a reliever for the Washington Senators on April 24, 1939 at Fenway Park and picked up his first big league win while allowing 1 earned run in 2.2 innings in a 10-9 Washington victory in 10 innings. Haynes pitched for the Senators in 1939 and 1940 before hurting his arm and was sold to the Chicago White Sox in January 1941 by his future father-in-law. Haynes ended up marrying Thelma Griffith in 1941 and pitched for the White Sox for eight years from 1941-1948. Haynes led the league in pitching appearances in 1942 and in 1947 Haynes had a league leading 2.42 ERA. In 1948 Haynes was selected to the AL All-Star team although he did not make an appearance in the game. Haynes continued to have off and on arm issues and was traded to the Cleveland Indians in November 1948 who then flipped him a month later back to the Washington Senators where he again pitched through the 1952 season before being released.

Haynes pitched in the majors for 14 seasons putting up a 76-82 won/lost record with a 4.01 ERA in 379 games with 147 of them being starts. Haynes was a pitch to contact pitcher giving up more hits than innings pitched but he had an HR/9 mark of 0.5 which was pretty darn impressive. Haynes served as the Senators minor league pitching instructor in 1955 and moved into the front office in 1956 and kept his position when the team moved to Minnesota in 1961. After Haynes passed away in 1967,  his widow, Thelma Griffith Haynes, continued to serve as an executive vice president, assistant treasurer, and part owner of the Twins until they were sold to Carl Pohlad in 1985.

Joe Haynes SABR bio.

This Day in Twins History – January 6, 1967

Joseph Haynes, who had been an all-star American League pitcher, brother-in-law of Twins owner Calvin Griffith and Twins vice-president passed away of a heart attack after shoveling snow at his Hopkins, Minnesota home at the age of 49.

Haynes had a 14 year big league career as a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators (1939-1940, 1949-1952) and the Chicago White Sox (1941-1948) posting a 76-82 won/lost record with 21 saves to go with a 4.01 ERA in 379 games, 147 of them in a starting role and 53 complete games. Haynes, primarily a curveball and fastball pitcher, was not a strike out pitcher nor was pin-point control one of Joe’s strength’s as he walked 620 and struck out 475 batters in 1,581 innings.

After his playing career ended after the 1952 season, Haynes became a coach for the Washington Senators for three seasons after which he became the team’s vice-president and general manager in 1955, following the death of his father-in-law, Clark Griffith. His widow, Thelma Griffith Haynes, continued to serve as an executive vice president, assistant treasurer, and part owner of the Twins until they were sold to Carl Pohlad in 1985. Her brothers, Sherry, Jimmy, and Billy, were also part of the organization. The Twins pitcher of the year award is named after Haynes and the Joseph W. Haynes Twins Pitcher of the Year award is given annually to the Twins top pitcher.

A more detailed biography of Joe Haynes completed as part of the SABR Biography project can be found here.