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October 13, 2023: Tarps

Locker room attendants must be at least a little annoyed when their employers make the playoffs.

October 13, 2023: Tarps | WGOM Locker room attendants must be at least a little annoyed when their employers make the playoffs.

The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing/Shout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cfl9aL0stg

The Isley Brothers – It’s Your Thing/Shout | WGOM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cfl9aL0stg (0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 10)You must be a WGOM Citizen to rate WGOM Videos.Loading...

Happy Birthday--October 13

Charles Somers (1868)
Wild Bill Donovan (1876)
Rube Waddell (1876)
Pickles Dillhoefer (1893)
Frankie Hayes (1914)
Lou Saban (1921)
Charlie Silvera (1924)
Eddie Yost (1926)
Eddie Mathews (1931)
Bob Bailey (1942)
Randy Moffitt (1948)
Dick Pole (1950)
Frank LaCorte (1951)
George Frazier (1954)
Bryan Hickerson (1963)
Chris Gwynn (1964)
Trevor Hoffman (1967)
Damian Miller (1969)
Charles Somers was one of the founders of the American League and was its principal financier.
Better known as a football coach, Lou Saban was the president of the New York Yankees in 1981 and 1982.

Right-hander George Allen Frazier pitched for the Twins from 1986-1987. He was born in Oklahoma City, went to high school in Springfield, Missouri, and attended the University of Oklahoma. The Brewers drafted him in the ninth round in 1976. Frazier was a reliever for his entire minor-league career. He pitched well for a year in Class A and a year in Class AA, then was traded to St. Louis for Buck Martinez. The Cardinals shuttled him between St. Louis and AAA Springfield from 1978-1980; he pitched very well in Springfield and not too badly in the majors. He was again pitching well in Springfield in 1981 when he was traded to the Yankees in May. He came up to the Yankees in August, and this time he stayed. Frazier was a valuable member of the Yankee bullpen from 1981-1983, though he had the bad luck to be the losing pitcher in three World Series games in 1981. After the 1983 season, he was traded to Cleveland, and moved on to the Cubs in June of 1984. He did all right that year, but fell apart in 1985, producing a 6.39 ERA in 76 innings. He was not much better in 1986, and was traded to the Twins in August with Julius McDougal and Ray Fontenot for Dewayne Coleman and Ron Davis. He pitched for the Twins through the 1987 season, pitching two shutout innings in Game 4 of the World Series. Frazier was let go after the season, and decided to call it a career. As a Twin, George Frazier was 6-6 with a 4.83 ERA. He appeared in 69 games, pitching 108 innings. He was a television broadcaster for the Colorado Rockies for nineteen seasons, retiring after the 2015 campaign. His son, Parker Frazier, pitched for several minor league organizations, reaching AAA with Colorado in 2013 and with the White Sox in 2014. His daughter, Georgia Frazier, was Miss Oklahoma of 2015. George Frazier passed away on June 19, 2023 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Left-hander Bryan David Hickerson did not play for the Twins, but was drafted by them. Born and raised in Bemidji, Minnesota, he attended the University of Minnesota. The Twins drafted him in the 7th round in 1986. He pitched in Class A Visalia in 1986, but then was traded to the Giants with Jose Dominguez and Ray Velasquez for David Blakely and Dan Gladden. He had a big year in 1987 for Class A Clinton, going 11-0 with a 1.24 ERA. Apparently, Hickerson was injured in 1988, as he did not play that year. He came back in 1989, and had another good year in Class A. He had been a starter up to this point, but was converted to relief in 1990. He split both 1990 and 1991 between AA and AAA, and made his big-league debut in late July. He pitched for the Giants from 1991-1994, pitching well most of the time, but slipping in 1994. San Francisco placed him on waivers after that season, and he was taken by the Cubs. He was there until July of 1995, and then moved on to Colorado. He did not pitch well for either team in 1995, and was released after the season. Hickerson signed with Cincinnati for 1996, but did not make the team, and his career was over. He was a minor league pitching coach in the Giants organization from 1997-1998. Since then, Bryan Hickerson was on the staff of Unlimited Potential, Inc., a religious organization based in Warsaw, Indiana which combines baseball clinics and evangelism, for several years. He has worked with Intercession Haiti, trying to help people in Haiti escape poverty. He is also a lay pastor with Christ's Covenant Church in Winona Lake, Indiana. He went back to coaching in 2017. He was the pitching coach for the Altoona Curve in the Pirates organization for two seasons, moved up to AAA Indianapolis in 2019, and would have been the pitching coach for short-season West Virginia in 2020, but does not appear to have coached for them in 2021. At last report, Bryan Hickerson was the director of operations for Parkview YMCA in Warsaw, Indiana.
Catcher Damian Donald Miller appeared in 25 games for the Twins in 1997. He was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He went to West Salem high school in West Salem, Wisconsin, where he played baseball, football, and basketball. Miller attended Viterbo University in LaCrosse, where he was NAIA District 14 player of the year. He is apparently the only major-league player the school has produced so far. He was drafted by the Twins in the 20th round in 1990. His batting was up and down in the minors, but in 1997, his third year at AAA Salt Lake, he had a breakthrough year, batting .338 with 11 home runs and earning a promotion to the Twins. That convinced Arizona to take Miller in the expansion draft for 1998. He started 1998 in AAA Tucson, but was with the Diamondbacks to stay by early May. A reserve his first two years there, he became the more-or-less regular catcher for them in 2000. He provided a batting average that was consistently in the .270s and home runs in the low double digits. He was also known as a very good defensive catcher. Miller was a solid contributor to the Diamondbacks' World Championship team in 2001, and made the all-star team in 2002. He was traded to the Cubs after that season, but spent only one year there, batting just .233, before being moved on to Oakland. His average bounced back in Oakland in 2004, but after only one season there Miller became a free agent and signed with Milwaukee. He played three years there, the last one in a reserve role, before retiring after the 2007 season. Damian Miller played 25 games as a Twin, batting .273/.282/.379 in 66 at-bats, with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs. After his retirement, Miller returned to West Salem, where he helps coach youth baseball and is involved in helping special needs children become more active in sports. A baseball field in West Salem has been named in his honor. He was inducted into the LaCrosse Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Happy Birthday–October 13 | WGOM Charles Somers (1868) Wild Bill Donovan (1876) Rube Waddell (1876) Pickles Dillhoefer (1893) Frankie Hayes (1914) Lou Saban (1921) Charlie Silvera (1924) Eddie Yost (1926) Eddie Mathews (1931) Bob Bailey (1942) Randy Moffitt (1948) Dick Pole (1950) Frank LaCorte (1951) George Frazier (1954) Bryan Hi...

October 12, 2023: Postmortem

Well, it was a heck of a season. Lots of highs, lots of lows. All in all, it was a lot of fun. What are your takeaways from this year? Any especially favorite plays? Bonus points for embedded video.

October 12, 2023: Postmortem | WGOM Well, it was a heck of a season. Lots of highs, lots of lows. All in all, it was a lot of fun. What are your takeaways from this year? Any especially favorite plays? Bonus points for embedded video.

Happy Birthday--October 12

Sam Field (1846)
Pop Smith (1856)
Malachi Kittridge (1869)
Pete Hill (1882)
Dixie Davis (1890)
Rick Ferrell (1905)
Joe Cronin (1906)
Al Smith (1907)
Bob Sheppard (1910)
Tony Kubek (1935)
Glenn Beckert (1940)
Herman Hill (1945)
Garth Iorg (1954)
Jim Lewis (1955)
Sid Fernandez (1962)
Jose Valentin (1969)
Derrick White (1969)
Tanyon Sturtze (1970)
Tony Fiore (1971)
Nick Tepesch (1988)
B-r.com says "Sam Field played only 12 games in the majors, but managed to do so with three teams in two leagues. He played mostly catcher. His career may have been doomed by his .712 fielding percentage." It may also have been doomed by his .146 batting average.
Pete Hill is considered one of the greatest outfielders of the Negro Leagues. Incomplete statistics list his average as .303.
Hall of Famer Joe Cronin, of course, played for the Washington franchise from 1928-1934, managing the team in the latter two years. He married Clark Griffith’s niece, which did not keep Griffith from trading him to Boston after the 1934 season.
If there was a Hall of Fame for public address announcers, Bob Sheppard would be the first one in.
Jose Valentin is the brother of ex-Twin Javier Valentin.
First baseman/outfielder Derrick White was drafted by Minnesota in the 23rd round in 1989, but did not sign. He played in the major leagues for Montreal, Detroit, the Cubs, and Colorado, playing in three seasons and totaling 116 at-bats.
We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to Dr. Chop.

Outfielder Herman Alexander Hill played for the Twins in 1969 and 1970. He was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. The youngest of thirteen children, he moved with his family to New Jersey, where Hill became an all-state football player in Freehold, New Jersey. He was signed by the Twins in 1966 as a free agent. He got off to a slow start in rookie ball in 1966, but did better with Class A Orlando the next year, although he did not hit with any power. He did not have a strong season for AA Charlotte in 1968, but hit .300 for AAA Denver in 1969 and got a September call-up that year. His numbers went back down in 1970, when the Twins moved their AAA team from Denver to Evansville, but he was brought up to the Twins for three weeks in mid-summer and received another September call-up. Hill was primarily used as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner both years in the majors, playing in 43 games but getting only 24 at-bats. He had only two hits, for a batting average of .083, but he scored 12 runs. In October of 1970, the Twins traded Hill, along with Charlie Wissler, to St. Louis for Sal Campisi and Jim Kennedy. Sadly, Herman Hill never got to play for the Cardinals. His career and life were cut short when he drowned in the Caribbean, near Valencia, Venezuela (where he was playing winter ball) on December 14, 1970. An excellent swimmer, it is believed that his drowning was caused from suffering a stroke while in the water.
Right-hander James Martin Lewis appeared in six games for the Twins in 1983. He was born in Miami and went to Carol City High School, which appears to be the same high school attended by Randy Bush. He also attended the University of South Carolina. He was signed by the Mariners as a free agent in 1977. A starter in his early minor league career, he earned a September call-up in 1979 by winning 13 games with an ERA of 3.69 at AAA Spokane. He was hit hard in both major league appearances that year. In the off-season, Lewis went to the Yankees in a multi-player deal involving Ruppert Jones and Juan Beniquez. He was in AAA Columbus for three seasons, pitching pretty well for the most part, although 1981 was a down year for him. He made one major league appearance for the Yankees, in June 1982. Lewis was chosen by the Twins in the minor league draft in December of 1982. He did not pitch particularly well in AAA Toledo, but he did have 11 wins, and this was the early '80s Twins, so they called him to the majors for a couple of weeks in June of 1983, using him in six games. The Twins released Lewis after the season, and he signed with Seattle. He won 22 games in two years for the Mariners' PCL team, but his ERA was over five. He appeared in two more major league games for the Mariners in 1985, but his career was over after the season. As a Twin, he had no record in 18 innings with a 6.50 ERA. It appears that this is the Jim Lewis who at last report was working for a company called MetalTech Systems, Inc., a manufacturing company based in South Carolina, although this could not be confirmed.
Palmballing right-hander Anthony James Fiore pitched for the Twins from 2001-2003. He was born in Oak Park Illinois, went to high school in River Grove, Illinois, attended Triton Junior College (also attended by Kirby Puckett and Jarvis Brown), and was drafted by the Phillies in the 28th round in 1992. His numbers in the low minors were not eye-popping, but were still decent. Despite that, he spent nearly five years in rookie and Class A ball before getting promoted to AA for five games in 1996. He moved to AAA for nine games in 1997, staying there for a full season in 1998. Again, his numbers were neither great nor awful. He got off to a poor start in 1999, however, and was released in May. The Twins signed him and sent him to AAA Salt Lake, where he did okay, but the Twins weren't impressed and released him. Fiore moved on to Tampa Bay, pitched well in AAA Durham, and finally made his major league debut with the Devil Rays in August of 2000. He pitched in 11 games without much success, and was back in Durham at the start of 2001. He pitched well there again, however, and was back in Tampa Bay by May. Fiore was released after only three games, and the Twins signed him again. He again pitched well in AAA, and was with the Twins in September. He stayed with them for 2002, his only full year in the big leagues, and had a pretty good year: 10-3, 3.16 ERA, 1.29 WHIP. In 2003, however, things were different, and by mid-June, Fiore was back in the minors, never to return to the big leagues. The Twins released him after the 2003 season, and he pitched for the AAA teams of Houston, Baltimore and Detroit through 2006. He also pitched for the independent Long Island Ducks in that time, as well as pitching for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. As a Twin, he appeared in 73 games, making 2 starts. He pitched 133.1 innings, going 11-5 with a 3.92 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 115. At last report, Tony Fiore was an internet sales consultant for Lennar Homes in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.
Right-hander Nicholas James Tepesch made one start for the Twins in 2017. He was born in Kansas City, went to high school in Blue Springs, Missouri, attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, and was drafted by Texas in the fourteenth round in 2010. He was decent, but nothing more, in Class A in 2011, did well in high-A for half of 2012, but was rather mediocre when promoted to AA that year. Despite that, he started the 2013 season in the Rangers' rotation and actually did quite well through the first of June, going 3-4, 3.44. He pitched poorly for the next month, however, and then missed most of the rest of the year due to injury, making one wonder if the injury may have come before the poor pitching. He started 2014 at AAA, making seven great starts there before moving back to the big leagues. He wasn't great for the Rangers that year, but he wasn't terrible, either. He missed all of 2015 due to injury, He started 2016 in AAA for Texas but was released in early June. The Dodgers signed him and he made one start for them on June 24, but he was placed on waivers a few days later and was selected by Oakland. He made three AAA starts for them and was waived again in July, this time selected by Kansas City. He finished the year in AAA for them, became a free agent, and signed with Minnesota for 2017. He went to Rochester and didn't do much, despite which he was given an emergency start for the Twins in May. He was released on June 6, re-signed six days later, and sold to Toronto about six weeks after that. He made three starts for the Blue Jays in August but didn't get a whole lot accomplished. He got a minor league contract for 2018 with Toronto, but he pitched poorly in AAA and not much better in AA. He was sold to Detroit in early August and released about three weeks later. He played for Lincoln in the American Association in 2019 and did not do particularly well, bringing his playing career to an end. In his one start for the Twins he pitched 1.2 innings and allowed seven runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts. In his major league career he was 10-20, 4.71, 1.41 WHIP in 238.2 innings (47 games, 44 starts). At last report, Nick Tepesch was an instructor for The Edge Baseball Training in the Kansas City area.

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The Allman Brothers Band - End Of The Line

Well, we had a good run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjUpBEBfmKo

The Allman Brothers Band – End Of The Line | WGOM Well, we had a good run. (0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 10)You must be a WGOM Citizen to rate WGOM Videos.Loading...

2023 Game 168: Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins (and NLDS Games 3)

José Urquidy
vs
Joe Ryan
FS1 at 6:07 p.m. CDT

NLDS games:
TBD vs Aaron Nola, TBS at 4:07 p.m.

Lance Lynn vs Brandon Pfaady, TBS at 8:07 p.m.

Urquidy's strikeout rate is down compared to last year (6.4 K/9 compared to 7.3 K/9 last year), his walk rate is up (+1.5 BB/9) and his home run rate is steady yet high (1.6 HR/9). All of these things match up well with what Twins batters can feast on. The rest of the league already has with his 5.39 ERA this year in 61 innings. I doubt Houston will let him pitch deep so Twins need to get their scoring in early and often.

2023 Game 168: Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins (and NLDS Games 3) | WGOM José Urquidy vs Joe Ryan FS1 at 6:07 p.m. CDT NLDS games: TBD vs Aaron Nola, TBS at 4:07 p.m. Lance Lynn vs Brandon Pfaady, TBS at 8:07 p.m. Urquidy's strikeout rate is down compared to last year (6.4 K/9 compared to 7.3 K/9 last year), his walk rate is up (+1.5 BB/9) and his … Continue reading 2...

October 11, 2023: Do-over

Okay, that one doesn't count.

October 11, 2023: Do-over | WGOM Okay, that one doesn't count.

Happy Birthday--October 11

Will White (1854)
Buttercup Dickerson (1858)
Eddie Dyer (1899)
Bob Chipman (1918)
Joe Ginsberg (1926)
Bill Fischer (1930)
Bob Stinson (1945)
Orlando Hernandez (1965)
Gregg Olson (1966)
Joe Roa (1971)
Dmitri Young (1973)
Mike Duvall (1974)
Ty Wigginton (1977)
Gio Urshela (1991)
Josh Winder (1996)
We would also like to wish a very happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. CarterHayes.

Right-hander William Charles Fischer made nine appearances for the Twins in 1964. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin and was signed by the White Sox as a free agent in 1948. He went through the minor league levels roughly a year at a time, but it was a lot tougher then, because the levels went down to Class D. He reached Class A in 1951, but then missed two years due to military service. On his return in 1954, he spent two years at AA Memphis, then was promoted to AAA in 1956. He made his major league debut that year, pitching in three games of relief early in the season. Fischer played his first full season in the majors in 1957 and pitched well, but stumbled in 1958 and was traded to Detroit. He continued to stumble in Detroit and was taken on waivers by the then Washington Senators, for whom he finished the season. He was in the Senators' rotation in 1959, and did better, but not all that well. In July of 1960, Fischer was traded back to the Tigers, and in August of 1961 moved on to Kansas City. He had his best years with the Athletics, appearing in 94 games over 2 1/3 seasons and posting an ERA of 3.97. In 1962, he went 84 1/3 innings without allowing a walk, a record which apparently still stands. In the off-season of 1963, however, Kansas City left him off their forty-man roster, and he was taken by the Twins in the rule 5 draft. Fischer was apparently injured for much of the season--he pitched nine games in relief in April and May, but did not pitch again the rest of the year. The Twins released him after the season, and he signed with the White Sox' organization. Fischer spent the next four seasons at AAA for the White Sox, but never got another chance at the majors. As a Twin, Bill Fischer was 0-1 in 7.1 innings, posting a 7.36 ERA. After leaving the White Sox, Fischer was no longer a player, but he never left baseball. He was a scout and minor-league pitching instructor for the Royals, a pitching coach for Cincinnati, Boston, and Tampa Bay, and the minor-league pitching coach for the Braves. He came back to the Royals as senior pitching adviser in 2007. One source indicated he had retired in 2012, but if so it didn't take, as he remained the Royals' senior pitching adviser until he passed away on October 30, 2018.
Right-handed reliever Gregg Olson made eleven appearances for the Twins in 1997. He should not be confused with catcher Greg Olson, who also played for the Twins. To keep them straight, remember that the catcher is Gregory William Olson, whereas the pitcher is Greggory William Olson. Gregg Olson was born in Scribner, Nebraska. He attended Omaha Northwest High School, leading his team to four consecutive state baseball championships. He attended Auburn University and was chosen with the fourth pick of the 1988 draft by the Baltimore Orioles. Olson pitched in only sixteen minor-league games, eight in Class A and eight in AA, before being called up to the majors that same year. He became the Orioles' closer in 1989, a job he held through 1993. He was Rookie of the Year in 1989, the first relief pitcher to win that award, and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting and 12th for Most Valuable Player that year. He made his only all-star team the following season. Olson did a good job as the Orioles' closer, getting 160 saves in five seasons. He tore a ligament in his elbow in August of 2003. A free agent, he signed with the Braves, and things immediately fell apart. Olson missed the first two months of the season, and when he came back he was awful, finally being sent to AAA Richmond. Control seems to have been the main culprit, as his walks per nine innings jumped significantly. He suffered through a lot of injuries over the next few seasons. He split 1995 between Cleveland and Kansas City, doing a decent job for the Royals in a set-up role. In 1996, Olson was part of the St. Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Houston organizations, pitching in the big leagues for Detroit and Houston. The Twins signed him for 1997, but released him in mid-May after he had appeared in only 11 games and pitched 8.1 innings. The Royals signed him and sent him to AAA Omaha, where he suddenly found his control again. He finished the year doing a good job for Kansas City and then went to Arizona, where he became the closer in 1998 for the first time since leaving Baltimore. He got 44 saves in two seasons for the Diamondbacks and then moved on to the Dodgers, where he pitched for a year and a half before being released in late June of 2001. As a Twin, he had no record and an ERA of 18.36. Gregg Olson was inducted into the Orioles' Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Auburn Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. After he retired, he was a baseball commentator for ESPN and for MASN on Baltimore Orioles broadcasts. He was a technical adviser for Fox on the TV program "Pitch". He is also the co-author of a book, "We Got to Play Baseball", which is a collection of short stories from former players, managers, coaches, etc. At last report, Gregg Olson was a commentator for Auburn University and was an adjunct professor there.
Right-handed reliever Joseph Rodger Roa pitched for the Twins in 2004. He was born in Southfield, Michigan, went to high school in Hazel Park, Michigan, and was drafted by Atlanta in the 18th round in 1989. A starter in the minors, he spent two years in rookie ball, two years in Class A, over a year in class AA, and nearly two years in AAA, pitching pretty well at each stop. Along the way, he was traded to the Mets in August of 1991 and to the Indians in November of 1994. He got a September callup with the Indians in 1995, but was back in AAA in 1996, making only one appearance with Cleveland that year. In December, Roa was on the move again, being traded to the Giants. He was in the Giants bullpen for the first half of 1997, but did not pitch all that well and was back in the minors. It would be five years before he would get back to the major leagues. Roa pitched for AAA Fresno in 1998. He signed with the Royals for 1999, but was released in spring training, and did not play in organized baseball that year. In 2000, he was back in the Cleveland organization, moving on to the Marlins' system in 2001 and the Phillies organization in 2002. He was still pitching well at every minor league stop, but in 2002 he really put together a season for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 14-0 with a 1.86 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. That got people's attention, and by the end of July, Roa was in the Phillies' rotation. That was the only time he was a major league starter, however. He was decent that year, but after a poor start in 2003, Roa was back on the move. He was released in June, signed with Colorado, was placed on waivers in July, and was chosen by San Diego. After the season, he signed with the Twins, and spent 2004 with in the Minnesota bullpen. He was adequate, but nothing more, and was released again after the season. Roa signed with Pittsburgh in 2005 and pitched six games with AAA Indianapolis. He tried again with the Pirates in 2006, but was released in spring training and called it a career. He appeared in 48 games as a Twin, all in relief, and pitched 71 innings. He was 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. At last report, Joe Roa was living in Chesterfield, Michigan. He was elected to the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Left-hander Michael Alan Duvall made eight appearances for the Twins in 2001. Born and raised in Warrenton, Virginia, he attended Potomac State College and was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 19th round in 1995 and he pitched very well in his first three years in the minors. Duvall was chosen by the Devil Rays in the 1998 expansion draft. He pitched pretty well for AAA Durham in 1998, getting three major-league appearances as a September call-up. Duvall's only full season in the majors was 1999, when he made 40 appearances for Tampa Bay as a reliever. He did not give up that many hits, but he walked 27 in only 40 innings, a number that will generally get you sent back to the minors. Sure enough, in 2000, Duvall was back in the minors. The Devil Rays released him during spring training of 2001, and he was signed by the Twins six days later. He did not have a particularly good year for AAA Edmonton in 2001, but received a September call-up anyway, appearing in eight games with the Twins. Out with an injury for all of 2002, he came back in 2003, pitching for AAA Rochester, but was unimpressive, and his career was over. Mike Duvall pitched 4.2 innings as a Twin, with no won-loss record and an ERA of 7.71. He was inducted into the Potomac State Hall of Fame in 2015. At last report, Mike Duvall was an area manager for Performance Food Service in Fort Myers, Florida.
Infielder Giovanny Urshela played for the Twins in 2022. He was born in Cartagena, Colombia and signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 2008. He was only sixteen at the time, so he did not show much power early on. His first good offensive year was in 2012, when he batted .278 with fourteen home runs in high-A. He had a solid year in AA in 2013, continued to play well when promoted to AAA in 2014, and reached the majors in June of 2015. He did not hit, however, and was back in AAA in 2016. He got back to the majors in July of 2017 but again did not hit. In May of 2018 Cleveland gave up on him, trading him to Toronto for a player to be named later or cash. He played in nineteen games for the Blue Jays, but they were not impressed, either, and sold him to the Yankees in August. He did not play for them that year, but in 2019 he became their regular third baseman and rewarded them with his best season, batting .314 with 21 home runs. He continued to be their starting third baseman through 2021, and continued to play well, but after the 2021 season he was traded to Minnesota with Gary Sanchez for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Ben Rortvedt. He had a solid 2022 for the Twins, batting .285/.338/.429. That would be his only season in Minnesota, as he was traded again after the season to the Angels for Alejandro Hidalgo. He was having another good season, batting .299, when he was injured in mid-June and missed the rest of the season. He turns thirty-two today and is a free agent. He's not a superstar, but if he's healthy somebody is going to want him to play for them in 2024.
Right-handed reliever Joshua Stewart Winder has played for the Twins in 2022 and 2023. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, attended Virginia Military Institute, and was drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round in 2018. He was a starter for all of his college career and most of his minor league career. He pitched well in rookie and Class A ball in 2018-2019, missed the COVID year of 2020, and came back to pitch well in AA in 2021. He was with the Twins for most of 2022 but missed time due to injury, going 4-6, 4.70 in fifteen games (eleven starts). He went to the bullpen in 2023, again missed time due to injury, and when healthy pitched substantially better in the majors than he did in AAA. He wasn't great for the Twins, but he wasn't awful, either, going 2-1, 4.15 in nineteen appearances. Adding it together, Josh Winder is 6-7, 4.51, 1.34 WHIP with 75 strikeouts in 101.2 innings (34 games, 11 starts). He turns twenty-seven today. He will be one of a number of bullpen options the Twins will have in 2024.

Happy Birthday–October 11 | WGOM Will White (1854) Buttercup Dickerson (1858) Eddie Dyer (1899) Bob Chipman (1918) Joe Ginsberg (1926) Bill Fischer (1930) Bob Stinson (1945) Orlando Hernandez (1965) Gregg Olson (1966) Joe Roa (1971) Dmitri Young (1973) Mike Duvall (1974) Ty Wigginton (1977) Gio Urshela (1991) Josh Winder (1996) We....