According to Wikipedia, a “cup of coffee” is a North American sports idiom for a short time spent by a minor league player at the major league level. The idea behind the term is that the player was only in the big leagues long enough to have a cup of coffee before being returned to the minors, or simply to describe a brief stint served with a professional team. The term originated in baseball and is extensively used in ice hockey,
The 52 players listed below appeared in five or fewer games wearing a Twins uniform. Some of them ended up playing for other major league teams and had long big league careers and others did not. Those that did not play in major league games other than the games mentioned here still achieved their dream of playing in a major league game, a wish that most of us reading this can only dream about. Some of these players had very short big league careers but they climbed the ladder and reached the top, their stay may not have been long but they touched the star they fought so long and hard to achieve.
The reasons that their stays in ‘the show” were not as long as they had hoped were many, some careers ended due to injury, others due to rumors and or politics, personal reasons, maybe they couldn’t stay sober or drug free, some heard the call from their country and other just were not good enough to play in the major leagues. But the bottom line is that they were one of the 758 players that appeared in a Minnesota Twins game so they should not be forgotten.
Although the list below has all the positions covered, most of the players on this list are pitchers. Some of the players on this list like Max Kepler and Alex Meyer will probably drop off this list in the near future but for now they find their names on this list of Twins players that many Minnesota Twins fans have never heard of.
Probably the most famous or infamous player on this list is the now deceased pitcher Fred Bruckbauer. Born in New Ulm, Minnesota Bruckbauer pitched for the University of Minnesota and appeared in one game for the Minnesota Twins on April 25, 1961. The Twins were trailing the Kansas City A’s 7-2 at Municipal Stadium when Fred took the mound in the bottom of the fourth inning. A double by Dick Howser, a single by Jay Hankins, a walk to Jerry Lumpe and a double by Lou Klimchock and Twins manager Cookie Lavagetto had seen enough and brought in Chuck Stobbs, and Bruckbauer’s big league pitching career ended then and there. Fred Bruckbauer’s pitching line for the game and his career was three hits, one walk and four earned runs in zero innings pitched giving him an ERA of infinity. Bruckbauer never again pitched in a major league game, but remember, he pitched in a big league game.
Players who appeared in five or fewer Twins games in their career
| Rk | Player | G | From | To | Age | PA | AB | H | Pos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corky Miller | 5 | 2005 | 2005 | 29-29 | 12 | 12 | 0 | .000 | /*2HD |
| 2 | Mike Fetters | 5 | 2003 | 2003 | 38-38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 3 | Gary Rath | 5 | 1999 | 1999 | 26-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 4 | Shane Bowers | 5 | 1997 | 1997 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 5 | Greg Brummett | 5 | 1993 | 1993 | 26-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 6 | Mike Maksudian | 5 | 1993 | 1993 | 27-27 | 17 | 12 | 2 | .167 | /*3H5 |
| 7 | Rich Yett | 5 | 1985 | 1990 | 22-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 8 | Mike Mason | 5 | 1988 | 1988 | 29-29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 9 | Tack Wilson | 5 | 1983 | 1983 | 27-27 | 4 | 4 | 1 | .250 | /*HD8 |
| 10 | Jim Shellenback | 5 | 1977 | 1977 | 33-33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 11 | Jim Manning | 5 | 1962 | 1962 | 18-18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | /*1 |
| 12 | Howie Clark | 4 | 2008 | 2008 | 34-34 | 8 | 8 | 2 | .250 | /*345 |
| 13 | Darnell McDonald | 4 | 2007 | 2007 | 28-28 | 11 | 10 | 1 | .100 | /*9HD |
| 14 | Jason Miller | 4 | 2007 | 2007 | 24-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 15 | J.D. Durbin | 4 | 2004 | 2004 | 22-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 16 | Warren Morris | 4 | 2002 | 2002 | 28-28 | 7 | 7 | 0 | .000 | /*4H |
| 17 | Jose Rodriguez | 4 | 2002 | 2002 | 27-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 18 | Danny Mota | 4 | 2000 | 2000 | 24-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 19 | Tom Quinlan | 4 | 1996 | 1996 | 28-28 | 6 | 6 | 0 | .000 | /*5H |
| 20 | Riccardo Ingram | 4 | 1995 | 1995 | 28-28 | 10 | 8 | 1 | .125 | /*D*H |
| 21 | Keith Comstock | 4 | 1984 | 1984 | 28-28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 22 | Jay Pettibone | 4 | 1983 | 1983 | 26-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 23 | John Hobbs | 4 | 1981 | 1981 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 24 | Bill Whitby | 4 | 1964 | 1964 | 20-20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | /*1 |
| 25 | Jake Jacobs | 4 | 1961 | 1961 | 24-24 | 8 | 8 | 2 | .250 | /*8H |
| 26 | Max Kepler | 3 | 2015 | 2015 | 22-22 | 7 | 7 | 1 | .143 | /*H*9 |
| 27 | Kris Johnson | 3 | 2014 | 2014 | 29-29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | /*1 |
| 28 | Juan Morillo | 3 | 2009 | 2009 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 29 | Joe Beimel | 3 | 2004 | 2004 | 27-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 30 | Luis Quinones | 3 | 1992 | 1992 | 30-30 | 6 | 5 | 1 | .200 | /*H6D5 |
| 31 | Greg Olson | 3 | 1989 | 1989 | 28-28 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .500 | /*2 |
| 32 | Tippy Martinez | 3 | 1988 | 1988 | 38-38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 33 | Jeff Bittiger | 3 | 1987 | 1987 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 34 | Kevin Stanfield | 3 | 1979 | 1979 | 23-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 35 | Bucky Guth | 3 | 1972 | 1972 | 24-24 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .000 | /*H6 |
| 36 | Bucky Brandon | 3 | 1969 | 1969 | 28-28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .000 | /*1 |
| 37 | Don Williams | 3 | 1963 | 1963 | 27-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 38 | Alex Meyer | 2 | 2015 | 2015 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 39 | Eric Hacker | 2 | 2011 | 2011 | 28-28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 40 | Armando Gabino | 2 | 2009 | 2009 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 41 | Kevin Mulvey | 2 | 2009 | 2009 | 24-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 42 | Ryan Jorgensen | 2 | 2008 | 2008 | 29-29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | /*2 |
| 43 | Dave Gassner | 2 | 2005 | 2005 | 26-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 44 | Mauro Gozzo | 2 | 1992 | 1992 | 26-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 45 | Dan Graham | 2 | 1979 | 1979 | 24-24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | .000 | /*H*D |
| 46 | Buzz Stephen | 2 | 1968 | 1968 | 23-23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | .000 | /*1 |
| 47 | Chuck Nieson | 2 | 1964 | 1964 | 21-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 48 | Rob Delaney | 1 | 2010 | 2010 | 25-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 49 | Matt Fox | 1 | 2010 | 2010 | 27-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 50 | Justin Huber | 1 | 2009 | 2009 | 26-26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .500 | /*3 |
| 51 | Mike Smith | 1 | 2006 | 2006 | 28-28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 | |
| 52 | Fred Bruckbauer | 1 | 1961 | 1961 | 23-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | /*1 |
Did you know that 355 (or 46.8%) of the 758 players that wore a Twins uniform played in 49 or fewer games as a Minnesota Twin? Don’t get too attached to that player because he will probably not be around for long.
Do any of these guys bring back a special memory for you? Do you remember seeing them play? Feel free to leave a comment.