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Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins Outfielder Bob Allison Dubbed Thin, Sharp Pitcher Tom Hall “Blade”

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Tom still has “thin and sharp”
handwriting today! I found
this gem on twinscards.com.
It’s a must-stop for Twins fans.

Where have all the nicknames gone?

I remember the late, great Ernie Harwell saying that he believed that a shortened last name, something like “Higgy” for Bobby Higginson, didn’t compare to baseball’s greatest nicknames.

That was one reason I wrote to Tom Hall. His “Blade” nickname seemed like something Marvel Comics invented. Interestingly, it took just one teammate to create such a title. Hall explained:

“Bob Allison gave me that name when I was with the Twins in 1969. He said ‘I was so thin and sharp on the mound.'”

That same year, on Aug. 24, Hall twirled a four-hit masterpiece at home against the Yankees. What made that win memorable?

“Being able to go 9 innings as a relief pitcher.”

Never before had I asked a former player about his first highlight, just getting signed to a pro contract. I’m glad I quizzed Hall. He remembered:

“Jess Flores scouted and signed me in 1966. My mom and dad were present at the signing. It was very exciting. Yes, I did get a signing bonus, nothing like today.”

He concluded his generous letter not with an autograph, but a smiley face exclamation. I like to think of it as The Blade’s self-portrait.

Coming Wednesday: Beyond the stats of Danny Litwhiler.

’60 Minutes’ Segment For Autograph Collectors?

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I liked the 60 Minutes segment Sunday about the nature documentarian who is using disguised robotic spy cameras to get closer than ever to polar bears.

I write to retired baseball players, not polar bears.

However, I’ve wish sometimes I could hide a camera inside the envelope. I’ve wanted to see the face of the former player reading my thoughts. Am I communicating well? Am I connecting?

My e-mail box this morning brought a reminder to double-check everything. I wrote a season-ending congratulations to a minor league team executive I’m acquainted with. I saluted him for filling in for another departed employee. I said this double-duty looked like he was single-handedly running the team.

The guy replied today. He said that my message took him aback. He needed to read it twice. At first, he believed I said he was single-handedly RUINING the team.

“What a difference a letter makes,” he added.

Indeed. Make every word count. You never know what kind of impression our letters make.

Coming Tuesday: Memories from Twins pitcher Ray Corbin.

Past Twins Sign Well TTM

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I spotted this
as a $50 “buy it now”
on ebay. Danny was
a tireless signer
with the Twins!

Astute Jay Floyd pointed out that I left out the link to the original post listing the 10 Twins I contacted. Thanks for the reminder, J.F.!

Studying the http://www.sportscollectors.net%20success/success rates of collectors seeking the 1969-75 (my era) Twins by mail, I’m astounded at how well all the non-superstars sign. The only bit of picky behavior might come from Rich Reese, who seems to be sticking to a “one autograph only” response policy.

Looking at these names and faces, I can’t help but think of my brief in-person encounter with the late Danny Thompson. He signed and signed and signed! Sadly, my team-issued autographed photo didn’t survive being thumbtacked to the wall.

Thompson, a very religious man, seemed humble. Almost shy. I think he’d remind us to write now. The Twins, and all other players, won’t be here forever.

Twin Catcher Tom Tischinski’s Intriguing Turndown: ‘My Autograph Is All I’ll Do’

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Tom’s autograph looked
just like this!

Remember when I listed my “10 From Then” selections of Minnesota Twins I followed in my youth?

The first result from my letters arrived today.

Tom Tischinski gets points for punctuality. However, I’m a bit baffled by his reply.

“MY AUTOGRAPH IS ALL I’LL DO:”

He printed this declaration out in all caps, then signed with perfect penmanship.

I didn’t ask anything shocking. Did he remember his game-winning homer against Washington in 1970? What did he like most (or least) about Metropolitan Stadium? Did he endure any major collisions during plays at the plate?

I’ve received replies that run 1-2 pages. They come without any autograph. Sometimes, I’ve suspected that older retirees in ill health dictate their memories to a family member. Or, they don’t want to sign their letter, because I might be tempted to sell it for millions online.

Other times, I get the idea that these former players are tiring of being nothing more than an autograph. They answer me because they feel I really care about their careers. No one has ever bothered to ask them how it felt to be a major leaguer, even for 82 games spread over three seasons.

Does Mister T think he’s nothing more than an autograph?

Coming Tuesday: Never say never while collecting.

Writing To MY Minnesota Twins

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As seen on http://www.twinscards.com/!
From the epic collection of
Joel ‘Rosterman’ Thingvall.
The team-issued photos
showed PERFECT facsimile
signatures.

Once upon a time, the Minnesota Twins owned Iowa. My part, at least.

I grew up in Central Iowa. In third grade, my Little League thoughts turned to fantasy.
In other words, “People get PAID to play baseball. They do it six months a year or more!”

I started paying attention. The 1969 Topps set called to me.

That’s when I started noticing the popular kids in school. A souvenir cap. A jacket.
A real YEARBOOK! From Minnesota.

They had dads who listened to all the games. I believed that the Twins were on
WHO Radio, the state’s most powerful station. For many families, the thrill of the 1965 World Series hadn’t faded.

The bow on the package for Iowa parents?

This was a friendly team. From a friendly place. Iowans had relatives in Minnesota.
Those Cardinals and Cubs? Two cities. Scary. Dangerous. The Twins were an easy (safe) drive.

I remember that coach Vern Morgan and shortstop Danny Thompson were booked for a father-son banquet at the local Lutheran church. I got on the phone. I didn’t promise the minister that I’d switch denominations. However, I pointed out that I’d tell all the other kids the new church I visited. We got in.

I got my first of many Twins 4-by-5 black and white team-issued photos. Morgan even fibbed in church, telling some kids that the blue facsimile signature was an autograph! Morgan acted as emcee for the evening, coaxing answers out of the humble infielder.

My allegiance to the Lutherans and the Twins didn’t last. I was corrupted by Cubs, Cardinals and Royals radio and TV broadcasts. My patient parents got us to St. Louis and Kansas City.

Nonetheless, I haven’t forgotten my “first” team. Win, Twins!

From broadcasts and box scores, these are the Twins I remember. These are the 10 I mailed letters to in the past week:

Dave Boswell
Steve Brye
Ray Corbin
Tom Hall
Hal Haydel
Steve Luebber
Rick Renick
Tom Tischinski
Dick Woodson
Bill Zepp

Stay tuned!

Coming Wednesday: Tom Lawless looks back.