Minnesota fan-favorite Denny Hocking played 11 seasons in a Twins uniform, from 1993 to 2003.
Fun Fact: When the Twins drafted him in the 52nd round out of El Camino College in his hometown of Torrance, CA after his freshman year in 1989, Hocking was a right-handed hitting catcher, but they told him he had a better chance of making it to the majors if he became a switch-hitting infielder.
He had five consecutive three-hit games at single-A Visalia in 1992. (His .331 average was second-best on the Oaks that season behind Marty Cordova‘s .341.)
Hocking had two five-hit games with the Twins:
• 5-for-6 with three doubles in Detroit on June 27, 1999
• 5-for-6 with two doubles in Oakland on May 18, 2000
The Twins retired number 7 in 2019.
Denny was one of my favorites. I remember once when he gunned down a runner from center field. Oh ya he could have played EVERY position!