I recently checked out a book out of the local library called “The 34-Ton Bat” written by one of my favorite writers, Steve Rushin. Rushin was born in Elmhurst, Ill. and raised in Bloomington, Minnesota.
According to Rushin, he had a great-great uncle Jack Boyle who played for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, St.Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies between 1886 and 1898 and in 1892 was signed by the Giants for $5,500 and was the highest paid player in baseball history. Boyle was primarily a catcher and first baseman but could and did play every other position but pitcher.
Steve Rushin wanted to get into baseball and was hired by the Minnesota Twins at the age of 13 in 1979 to be a vendor at Met Stadium and did so until the early 80’s when he along with the Twins moved to the Metrodome. After graduating from Bloomington Kennedy High School in 1984 and Marquette University in 1988, Rushin joined the staff of Sports Illustrated.
But on with our story, it is not about Steve Rushin, it is about what he wrote about former Twins catcher Randy Hundley. Hundley was acquired by the Minnesota Twins on December 6, 1973 when they sent catcher George Mitterwald over to the Chicago Cubs.