Wardrobe Malfunction: 3 Twins Legends Who Wore Uniforms that Looked Strange

[Matthew Taylor]

When it was reported on Tuesday that Tom Brady had played his final game as a Patriot and would be joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the first thought for many was just how bizarre Tom Brady was going to look in a Bucs uniform. Twins Territory is no stranger to its legends donning uniforms that just didn’t look right.The Seattle Mariners had Griffey on the White Sox. The Reds had Pete Rose on the Expos. Here are the three Minnesota Twins legends who wore uniforms that just looked wrong…

 

1. Harmon Killebrew on the Kansas City Royals

 

After struggling through the 1974 season with a .222 batting average in 122 games in what turned out to be his final season with the Minnesota Twins, Killebrew was given an option to stay on with the Twins as a coach, or be released and join on with another team. Killebrew opted for the latter and was signed by the Kansas City Royals on a one-year deal where he would finish out his career. In his single season with the Royals, Killebrew struggled through 106 games, posting a .199 batting average with just a .692 OPS as a 39-year old.

 

The fact that this season kept Killebrew from being a lifelong Twin, after playing the first 21 seasons of his career in the Minnesota Twins organization, is a bummer, and the image of him in a Royals uniform is something that will never look right.

 

2. Bert Blyleven on the Pittsburgh Pirates

 

Although Blyleven played for five different organizations in his 25-year Major League Baseball career, the images of Blyleven on the Pirates have always looked the strangest to me. I’m not sure the exact reason for this, maybe because of the distinct yellow pants, maybe because it was the only National League team he played for in his career, but it will forever look strange to me. Blyleven played two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 and 1980 before threatening to retire if he was not traded. In his two seasons as a Pirate, Blyleven posted a 108 and a 97 ERA+.

 

3. Torii Hunter on the Detroit Tigers

 

It was definitely an adjustment to see Torii Hunter in red after signing with the Angels in 2007, but after playing in Anaheim for five seasons, the shock eventually wore off. What was the strangest sight, though, was when Hunter signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2012. Suddenly the long-time Twins legend became a rival that the Twins faced upwards of 20 times per season. In 2013 as a Detroit Tiger, Hunter was an All-Star, posted a .800 OPS and helped lead the Tigers to the ALCS. Thankfully, Hunter ended up returning to the Twins and playing his last MLB season at Target Field, because the images of Hunter in a Tigers uniform were just too odd.

 

What Minnesota Twins legends wore uniforms that you think looked strange? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

 

MORE FROM TWINS DAILY

— Latest Twins coverage from our writers

— Recent Twins discussion in our forums

— Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email

 

Click here to view the article

[Teflon]

The regional Twins games broadcast on TV in my teen years were heavy on Dave Goltz pitching in his road blues so seeing him in Dodger white on national TV was as if he had ascended to a higher realm.

[BobAzar]

I would add Justin on the White Sox. 

 

PS Harmon on the Royals looks all sorts of wrong, but it allows for one of my favorite trivia questions: What team did Killebrew hit his last HR against? The Twins. 

[Matthew Taylor]

 

I would add Justin on the White Sox. 

 

PS Harmon on the Royals looks all sorts of wrong, but it allows for one of my favorite trivia questions: What team did Killebrew hit his last HR against? The Twins. 

 

Good one

[wombat28]

Brunansky in the Cardinal red. Also goes down as one of the worst trades in Twins history.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Johan Santana on the Mets. Knoblauch on the Yankees. Glad that Hrbek and Puckett were only ever on the Twins.

[Dantes929]

I don't think anyone looked right in the Pirates uniforms in those days.

 

[Darius]

David Ortiz in a Red Sox Jersey?

[Yoke]

Killebrew is 39 years old in that picture?

 

You could have told me that he's in his 50's, and I wouldn't have asked questions.

[Nine of twelve]

 

I would add Justin on the White Sox. 

 

PS Harmon on the Royals looks all sorts of wrong, but it allows for one of my favorite trivia questions: What team did Killebrew hit his last HR against? The Twins. 

I looked it up. Not only was it against the Twins but it was at Met Stadium. 9/18/1975 off Eddie Bane in the top of the second. I'm sure Bane gave him a good pitch to hit, at least he damn well better have.

[Diesel]

I don't think anyone looked right in the Pirates uniforms in those days.

It was very strange to me when I learned Bert was the workhorse of a champion team BEFORE he came back to the Twins.

[theBOMisthebomb]

It was very strange to me when I learned Bert was the workhorse of a champion team BEFORE he came back to the Twins.

That 1979 Pittsburgh championship team was very fun and colorful. "We Are Family" was a blast! I need to stand tall for those uniforms - they were totally awesome! Especially the hats.

[DocBauer]

I can't comment on Harmon or Bert as even at 54yo, and a Twins fan since about 5yo, I simply don't have the recollection of those guys being TWINS. And while I was aware, as a youngster, of various Twins traded or lost to new-found FA, it didn't really register in my brain back then.

 

Tori hurt a LOT! And I recall writing a piece here on TD a couple years ago how his loss was a domino effect that really hurt the Twins in various ways from rushed promotions to even being part of the Santana trade, etc. Wish theee was an easy way to find it. I remember thinking it was semi-smart, LOL.

 

Smalley being traded hurt as he was one of my favorites as a kid. Butch hurt too.

 

Mourneau and Cuddy were also very painful.

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

Kubel in Arizona gear? That was tough because my family knew his family and had followed him throughout his minor/major league career.

[Melissa]

At least Burt got to stick his tongue out at National League batters for two seasons ...

[singlesoverwalks]

At the risk of this devolving into a list of players I loved who got traded, it was really weird when Gary Gaetti was a Cardinal.

 

P.S. Gary Gaetti was one heck of a baseball player. Was he, in the end, the last member of the 1987 team to retire? I know this is an answerable question on the Internet. I just want to muse on it for a second before I go look it up.

[singlesoverwalks]

 

P.S. Gary Gaetti was one heck of a baseball player. Was he, in the end, the last member of the 1987 team to retire? I know this is an answerable question on the Internet. I just want to muse on it for a second before I go look it up.

Answering my own question, and quoting myself, yes. Here's the ranking of the top five 1987 Twins by latest retirement year:

 

1. Gaetti, 2000, at 41, with the Red Sox.

2. Mark Portugal, 1999, at 36, also as a Red Sock.

3. Greg Gagne, 1997, at 35, as a Dodger.

4. Frank Viola, 1996, at 36, as a Blue Jay.

5. Joe Klink, 1996, at 34, as a Mariner. No, I never heard of him either.