Newman played in 110 games in 1987, starting 75, splitting time pretty evenly between second base and shortstop. One of my all-time favorite “fun facts,” however, is that he also started two games as the 1987 World Series champions’ designated hitter.
I need your help compiling a complete list of Minnesota-raised major leaguers. We know where players were born, but I want to establish where they grew up, went to high school, and when they graduated (if applicable).
1974 Richfield High School graduate and University of Minnesota alumnus Brian Denman pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 1982.
Coming off the best season of his career, the Twins sign 1978 Bloomington Kennedy High School grad Kent Hrbek to a new five-year, $6 million contract, making him the first player in team history scheduled to make a million dollars a year.
2003 Eden Prairie graduate and three-year Golden Gopher Cole DeVries appeared in 21 games for the Twins between 2012 and 2013.
Former Houston Astros pitcher Don Arlich went 15-0 for the 1961 State Champion St. Paul North Polars, a team that also featured Twins curator Clyde Doepner.
Winona native Julie Wera played for perhaps the greatest baseball team of all time—the 1927 Yankees.
After the Twins traded him for “Everyday” Eddie Guardado, 2005 Mounds View High School graduate and Mesabi Range Community and Technical College alumnus Mark Hamburger made five major league appearances with the Texas Rangers in 2011.
Former Twins stopper Al Worthington was the first pitcher in team history to save 20+ games, the first to lead the league in saves, and provided the most valuable relief performance (sabermetrically speaking) in Twins history on August 9, 1967.
1999 Bloomington Jefferson grad Ben Hendrickson pitched in 14 games (12 starts) for the Milwaukee Brewers between 2004 and 2006, going 1-10 with a 7.41 ERA. He made his final major league start against the Twins, allowing six runs without recording an out.
1981 Mankato West graduate, Mankato State Hall of Famer, and former Rangers reliever Gary Mielke was born in St. James, MN in 1963.
It’s the birthdate of the second manager in Twins history, Sam Mele, born in Astoria, NY in 1922.
It’s the birthday of legendary curveball artist Camilo Pascual, born in Havana in 1934. The Little Potato pitched back-to-back shutouts three separate times during the Twins’ inaugural 1961 season, and once again in ‘62. He led the American League in strikeouts each season from 1961 to ’63.
It’s the birthday of 2005 Randolph High School graduate and former Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar. As a 26-year-old rookie in 2013, he did not allow a run in his first 17 big league appearances, finishing the season with a 1.76 ERA and 0.826 WHIP over 48 appearances (46 innings pitched).
Former Twins Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield are elected to the Hall of Fame, both on their first ballot. It was the fourth time that former teammates were elected by the writers in the same year.
The Kandiyohi County Historical Society and Willmar Rails announce the seven-member inaugural class of the West Central Baseball Hall of Fame, including Blix Donnelly, Howie Schultz, and Mike Kingery.
