199 - Bert Blyleven

About This Player
Bert Blyleven pitched in 22 big league seasons with five different teams and two tenures with the Minnesota Twins for a total of 11 seasons. Though born in the Netherlands, Blyleven was raised in California. He was drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round of the 1969 amateur draft and made his Major League debut the following year at the age of 19.

Blyleven, known for his wicked curveball, had one of his finest seasons in 1973. He led the American League in shutouts, pitched his only 20-win season, and was named an All-Star. Blyleven also pitched the first two of his four career one-hit games that season.

Blyleven was selected to the All-Star team twice (1973 and 1985). He lead the American League three times in shutouts. He pitched on two World Series winning teams (1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1987 Minnesota Twins). Despite never having lead either league in strikeouts, Blyleven ended his career third all-time in strikeouts behind Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton. (Blyleven currently ranks fifth.)

Blyleven was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.  In the same season, the Minnesota Twins retired number #28 in his honor.

About This Card
The back of his Topps card calls Blyleven "one of the finest young pitchers in the American League." More than a fine pitcher, Blyleven would go on to complete a Hall of Fame career.

353 - Steve Brye

About This Player
Steve Brye enjoyed nine seasons in the Major Leagues and seven of them with the Minnesota Twins.  Brye was drafted by the Twins in the first round (17th overall) of the 1967 amateur draft and made his big league debut in 1970.  He soon established himself in a platoon role in the outfield.  Brye had his finest season in 1974 in which he played 128 games in center field, hit .283 with 2 home runs and 41 RBI, and led all American League outfielders with a .997 fielding percentage.

Brye found himself in the middle of controversy surrounding the 1976 American League batting title.  The Royals' George Brett and Hal McRae and fellow Twin, Rod Carew were caught up on the batting race on the last game of the season in which the Twins played the Royals.  In the ninth inning, Brye misplayed a ball hit by Brett that resulted in an inside-the-park home run.  McRae in the next at-bat grounded out.  McRae alleged racism from the Twins and Twins' manager, Gene Mauch, angrily denied it.  Carew and Twins outfielder, Larry Hisle, both also black, denied any racism claims.

“No way. … If any error was involved it was mine. Gene Mauch had nothing to do with it. Gene told me to play in shallow. The last couple of innings I played deep not to allow a ball to get over my head and keep alive the possibility of a double play if a man got on base. I was indecisive. I didn’t get a good jump on the ball. All during the series balls I thought would fall in front of me were going over my head. Cookie Rojas was jammed and hit one over my head once. It’s tough to pick up the ball here because there’s a gray background, plus you don’t hear the ball off the bat that well. It’s a very dead sound. When I play center field, which I usually do, I follow the pitch and the sound of the bat has a lot to do with the way I react. Then after I ran in I stopped because I didn’t think I could get to the ball.”
- Steve Brye, after being told at the airport of McRae's accusations

For more information:

Minneapolis Star Tribune - October 4, 1976 - Brett wins batting title, McRae angry

After seven seasons with the Twins, Brye spent a season each with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates before playing his last game.

About This Card
So far in this blog, Brye's photo marks the fourth Twins card at Yankee Stadium Photo Day.

469 - Dan Monzon

About This Player
Dan Monzon enjoyed only a brief career in the Major Leagues. Monzon was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1967.  He made his big league debut in 1972 and remained on the Twins roster for two seasons in a utility role.  Monzon was demoted back to the minor leagues in 1974, traded to the Montreal Expos organization and would remain in the minors through 1977.

Monzon started his next phase in baseball in 1978 as a minor league manager for the New York Mets organization. He later became a scout and covered Latin America for the Mets, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.  In 1995, the Boston Red Sox named Monzon their supervisor of Latin American scouting.

Monzon died tragically in an automobile accident the Dominican Republic in 1996 at the age of 49.

About This Card
Dan Monzon appeared in one of many shots that Topps photographers took at Yankee Stadium.

555 - Bill Hands

About This Player
Bill Hands enjoyed 11 years as a Major League pitcher.  Hands made his big league debut in 1965 with the Giants.  Hands was traded to the Cubs the following season and spent seven seasons with them.  Hands was traded to the Twins in 1973 and spent two seasons with Minnesota.  He was picked up from waivers by the Rangers in September 1974 and played through 1975 before retiring.

About This Card
Bill Hands appears in this card in an obvious airbrushed uniform.  Hands was traded from the Cubs to the Twins prior to the 1973 season.  Shown pitching at Wrigley Field, Hands appears with the Twins cap.  However, the stripes on the uniform look closer to a Rangers uniform than a Twins uniform.  Maybe Topps knew Hands would be picked up from waivers by the Rangers.

170 - Harmon Killebrew

About This Player
Harmon Killebrew enjoyed 22 season in the Major Leagues and played all but one season with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins organization.  The Senators signed Killebrew right out of high school and made his big league debut in 1954.  Killebrew established himself as a superstar in 1959 when he hit 42 home runs and drove in 105 runs and earn his first All-Star selection.  When Killebrew moved to Minnesota, he became the face of the Twins' franchise for many years, including a World Series in 1965 and two American League Championship Series in 1970 and 1971.  One of baseball's premier sluggers, Killebrew led the American League in home runs six times and in RBI three times.  He has eight seasons with at least 40 home runs, a feat surpassed only by Babe Ruth.  He ranked 5th all-time on the home run list at the time of his retirement.  Killebrew was also selected as the American League Most Valuable Player in 1969.  Killebrew played his final season with the Kansas City Royals before retiring in 1975.

Harmon Killebrew passed away this morning from cancer at the age of 74.

Twins Great Killebrew Dies - Minneapolis Star Tribune

About This Card
This card might be the first card I bought from the 1973 Topps set and not because I was trying to build the set.

Although I had never seen Mr. Killebrew play, I was fortunate to have met him.  I met him at an autograph signing in 1999 where he signed an Official Rawling ball for me.  (I was in college at the time.)  One thing that amazed me about him that day was that, despite the long line, he took time to talk to every single person in line and I had a chance to talk with him for a short moment while he signed for me.  While I had met other players for autograph, his was my first on a baseball.  After that day, I started buying vintage Killebrew cards for my personal Twins collection, including this one.

Mr. Killebrew's great feats on the diamond was only surpassed by his great character.  Today is a somber day in Minnesota and he will be missed.

49 - Frank Quilici MGR

About This Manager
Frank Quilici is the only person to play, coach, manage and broadcast for the Twins.  Quilici enjoyed five seasons as a utility infielder for the Minnesota Twins from 1965 through 1970.  Quilici, however, started in 56 games in 1965, after second basemen, Bernie Allen, went down to injury.  He also started all seven games of the 1965 World Series.  In Game 1, Quilici singled and doubled off of Don Drysdale in the third inning to tie a World Series record for most hits in an inning.  Immediately after his playing career ended, Quilici became a coach for the Twins and took over the role of manager in 1972.  In his four seasons as a manager, Quilici finished with a 280-284 record and never the Twins never finished above third place in the AL West.  After he was dimissed as manager, Quilici went on to work in the broadcast booth calling Twins games throughout the '70's and '80's.

About This Card
In addition to Frank Quilici, the card also features Vern Morgan (former Cubs third baseman), Bob Rodgers (former Angels catcher and future Major League manager), Ralph Rowe (career minor leaguer) and Al Worthington (former Twins pitcher).

61 - Batting Leaders (Billy Williams / Rod Carew)

About These Players
Billy Willams played 18 seasons with the Cubs and A's.  A Rookie of the Year in 1961 and a six-time All-Star, Williams won his only batting crown in 1972.  Williams was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1987.
Rod Carew played 19 seasons with the Twins and Angels.  A Rookie of the Year in 1967, an American League Most Valuable Player in 1977 and an 18-time All-Star, Carew led the American League in batting average seven times.  Carew won his second batting title in 1972 and another one in 1973.  Carew was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

About This Card
For a League Leader card, you will no finer combination of two pure hitters in Rod Carew and Billy Williams: both Rookies of the Year and both Hall of Famers.  While Williams was nearing the end of his career, Carew was continuing to reach his peak.

385 - Jim Perry

About This Player
Jim Perry pitched 17 seasons in the Major Leagues and ten with the Minnesota Twins.  Perry made his debut in 1959 with the Cleveland Indians and came in second in voting for American League Rookie of the Year.  Perry had his best years after being traded to the Twins in 1963.  In 1970, Perry pitched to an American League leading 24 wins, 3.04 ERA and a Cy Young Award.  Perry was a three-time All-Star and currently ranks 84th all time in wins.

Jim Perry is the brother of Gaylord Perry, who enjoyed a 22 year career and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.

About This Card
Although Jim Perry appears as in a Twins uniform in the 1973 set, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Danny Fife and cash just before Opening Day that year.

228 - Bobby Darwin

About This Player
Bobby Darwin played in nine Major League seasons for six different teams.  Darwin played in one Major League game in 1962 as a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels.  His next appearance came in 1969 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Darwin switched to the outfield and returned to the Major Leagues again in 1971.  In 1972, after being traded to the Twins, Darwin would establish himself as the starting right fielder for the next four seasons.  While finishing in the top ten in the American League for home runs and RBI in 1972 and 1974, Darwin also led the league in strikeouts in 1972, 1973 and 1974.  Darwin would later be traded to the Brewers, and then the Red Sox, and finally the Cubs.

About This Card
This would be the first card I have written about featuring a Minnesota Twin.  As a Twins fan, I'm surprised I had not written about a Twin until now.