Who is your favorite Twins player of all time?

[tarheeltwinsfan]

My favorite Twin is Mark Davidson, since he was from my hometown in Statesville, NC and we worked out at a gym at the same time early in the mornings during the winter of 1986-87.  I was thrilled when Mark made the team that spring as the 4th outfielder. In July or August I flew to Minneapolis to visit Mark and to watch the Twins. I sat with beautiful Linda Davidson, who was then Mark's fiancé. One night I ate the best steak I had ever eaten, but I don't remember where we were. Things had gotten a little fuzzy for me due to my new best friend, Wally the Beer Man, who kept coming to my seat at the Metrodome to visit with me and give me another cold frosty beer. After one of the games Mark introduced me to Harmon, who later that night autographed my baseball glove in a hotel hall way as he and I and some other Twins fans were sitting on the hallway floor eating pizza. If I'm lying, I'm dying. Mark also introduced me to Tony O, who Mark called "Chico".   It was the weekend of the Equitable Old Timers Game. I got to see a lot of my  favorite retired Twins players in the game.   Later  Mark introduced me to some of his Twins friends. If all of this that I had told you weres not enough, the mighty Oakland A's came to town that weekend, tied with the Twins for first place. The Metrodome was jam packed for all 4 games with the A's and the Dome was  rocking. The noise was deafening and my ears were ringing.  I Seem to remember a "noise meter" which the crowd loved to see the noise level rise on the noise meter. Every time Jose Canseco would swing and miss or take a strike, I would yell at the top of my voice: "Jose can you see?" I thought it was funny, but my buddy who had flown from North Carolina with me. told me to stop yelling that because I was embarrassing him. Mrs. Greg Gagne sat beside us and Mrs. Kirby Puckett was in the row in front of us.  The mighty Oakland A's left Minneapolis  4 days later, 4 games behind the first place Minnesota Twins.  The Twins had won every game. This probably will qualify as the best weekend of my life. Thank you, Mark Davidson.

[TopGunn#22]

Tony O    That's why I'll be in Cooperstown for the first time ever this summer with my lovely wife.  It's gonna be a great trip !!

[Linus]

On 1/19/2022 at 11:06 PM, Linus said:

3.
Honorable mention to 6, 34 and 7. 

I want to add Buck to my honorable mention list. I love his attitude and he seems like a really good loyal dude. 

[TopGunn#22]

I gotta do more than just give tarheelstwinsfan a rec, or thumbs up or whatever.  GREAT story !  On a COLD Minnesota winter's day, THIS is what TD is all about.  Well, this, and choosing between Puckett & Carew, or debating whether the Twins will use an opener for games this year, or which young Twins pitchers should come north right out of spring training or which young Twins prospect is this season most crucial to, or what SP's should we trade for or sign, or who will be or should be our SS this year and in the future or...well you get where I'm going with this.  

[wsnydes]

Kirby, Torii, Mauer.  Hoping Buxton stays healthy enough to join that list.

[strumdatjag]

This shouldn’t even be close.  Put away your stat books.   I’ve been watching this team since I was 7 years old in 1961 (I can still sing the Old Dutch jingle and even remember “National Tavern Month” in those 60s era beer commercials - people would explode at those today).  Here it goes.  

He led the team to two World Series wins.   He was great offensively and defensively.   He exuded excitement.   You couldn’t imagine Bob Casey introducing “aw-shucks”Harmon Killebrew like he did when the Twins all-time greatest came up to bat: Kirbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Puckett!!!!

End of story!

[se7799]

On 1/21/2022 at 11:11 PM, tarheeltwinsfan said:

My favorite Twin is Mark Davidson, since he was from my hometown in Statesville, NC and we worked out at a gym at the same time early in the mornings during the winter of 1986-87.  I was thrilled when Mark made the team that spring as the 4th outfielder. In July or August I flew to Minneapolis to visit Mark and to watch the Twins. I sat with beautiful Linda Davidson, who was then Mark's fiancé. One night I ate the best steak I had ever eaten, but I don't remember where we were. Things had gotten a little fuzzy for me due to my new best friend, Wally the Beer Man, who kept coming to my seat at the Metrodome to visit with me and give me another cold frosty beer. After one of the games Mark introduced me to Harmon, who later that night autographed my baseball glove in a hotel hall way as he and I and some other Twins fans were sitting on the hallway floor eating pizza. If I'm lying, I'm dying. Mark also introduced me to Tony O, who Mark called "Chico".   It was the weekend of the Equitable Old Timers Game. I got to see a lot of my  favorite retired Twins players in the game.   Later  Mark introduced me to some of his Twins friends. If all of this that I had told you weres not enough, the mighty Oakland A's came to town that weekend, tied with the Twins for first place. The Metrodome was jam packed for all 4 games with the A's and the Dome was  rocking. The noise was deafening and my ears were ringing.  I Seem to remember a "noise meter" which the crowd loved to see the noise level rise on the noise meter. Every time Jose Canseco would swing and miss or take a strike, I would yell at the top of my voice: "Jose can you see?" I thought it was funny, but my buddy who had flown from North Carolina with me. told me to stop yelling that because I was embarrassing him. Mrs. Greg Gagne sat beside us and Mrs. Kirby Puckett was in the row in front of us.  The mighty Oakland A's left Minneapolis  4 days later, 4 games behind the first place Minnesota Twins.  The Twins had won every game. This probably will qualify as the best weekend of my life. Thank you, Mark Davidson.

Hey there #Tarheeltwinsfan.  Do you mind if I ask if you still call Statesville home?  I recently just moved from Mooresville to SC.  I golfed more time than I can count at Larkin and Lakewood in Statesville and Troutman Would have been nice to have a fellow Twins Fan in the area.

[Brock Beauchamp]

On 1/20/2022 at 12:47 PM, ashbury said:

Hrbek's a guilty pleasure, and is my first instinctive answer as he was emblematic of the spirit of his teams, but the big goofy galoot is difficult to justify to anyone outside of the circle of Twins fans who read this.

Ooh, I'll push back on this a little bit. Hrbek is criminally underrated by people outside Minnesota and by many within Minnesota as well. The guy accumulated just shy of 40 WAR in his career in just over 7,000 PAs. He's essentially identical to Don Mattingly and no one in Yankeedom would blink if a person claimed Donnie Baseball as their favorite player. Hell, people still rumble about Mattingly's case for Cooperstown (which I think is nonsense but whatever).

[stringer bell]

Great stories and great rationale for all of the players, including "Country" Davidson. 

I have had many favorites as time has gone on--first Harmon, then Gaetti and Gagne and finally Cuddyer. I was a kid when the Twins moved here and Harmon was the kind of guy you looked up to as a father figure. Gaetti and Gagne weren't ever the best player on the championship teams (Gaetti was close), but they were essential pieces in those World Championship teams. They are roughly my age who I would have liked to hang out with as an adult. Cuddyer was/is the kind of guy I would have liked my daughters to bring home.

Cuddyer is my all-time favorite though. He always put the team first and always was popular with his teammates. After he left the Twins, he was highly regarded by his subsequent teams and younger players were glowing in their praise. He played the game the right way. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

2 hours ago, se7799 said:

Hey there #Tarheeltwinsfan.  Do you mind if I ask if you still call Statesville home?  I recently just moved from Mooresville to SC.  I golfed more time than I can count at Larkin and Lakewood in Statesville and Troutman Would have been nice to have a fellow Twins Fan in the area.

I still live in Statesville. Since you used to live in Mooresville, you know that Statesville  is about 40 mile north of Charlotte, which was a Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins' farm team from 1937 to 1942 and 1947 to 1972? Many Senators/Twins got early experience playing in Charlotte. My father used to take me to Charlotte one Saturday a month for my monthly orthodontic appointments when I was a boy.  One Saturday we were at a sporting goods store in Charlotte and the owner and I were talking. I told him I was a Senators fan. He told me that the Charlotte team used old Washington Senators uniforms from the prior season. They sent the uniforms to his store and he removed the red "W" from the uniforms and sewed a red "C" onto the uniforms. He then went into the back of his store and gave me a red "W" from one of the prior years uniforms of one of the Washington Senators' players. I always pretended it was from either Roy Sievers or Jim Lemon or Camilo Pascual.. I still have it 60 years later.. It was quite a treasure for a small town North Carolina boy.

[Highlander1]

Viva La Tortuga!

[farmerguychris]

Michael Cuddyer.  Good hitter, good guy - and played wherever the team tried him.  3rd - OK, 2nd - I guess so, 1st - sure - RF finally a home!  

[Rigby]

1A - Harmon Killebrew

1B - Rodney Cline Carew

1C - Tony O

 

[Rigby]

On 1/23/2022 at 5:49 PM, tarheeltwinsfan said:

I still live in Statesville. Since you used to live in Mooresville, you know that Statesville  is about 40 mile north of Charlotte, which was a Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins' farm team from 1937 to 1942 and 1947 to 1972? Many Senators/Twins got early experience playing in Charlotte. My father used to take me to Charlotte one Saturday a month for my monthly orthodontic appointments when I was a boy.  One Saturday we were at a sporting goods store in Charlotte and the owner and I were talking. I told him I was a Senators fan. He told me that the Charlotte team used old Washington Senators uniforms from the prior season. They sent the uniforms to his store and he removed the red "W" from the uniforms and sewed a red "C" onto the uniforms. He then went into the back of his store and gave me a red "W" from one of the prior years uniforms of one of the Washington Senators' players. I always pretended it was from either Roy Sievers or Jim Lemon or Camilo Pascual.. I still have it 60 years later.. It was quite a treasure for a small town North Carolina boy.

I spent quite a bit of time in old Griffith (later Crockett) Park as well. Great memories.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

This has been one of the most "fun" posts I can remember. No disagreements are possible for one's favorite player. Not the best, not the most value, just who is your favorite. Nicely done guys. And thank you. 

[lukeduke1980]

Kirby #1 always but just read Hrbek's book and it was a treat.

[strumdatjag]

My “less obvious” favorite Twin is former relief pitcher Gary Wayne, because he gave kudos to my one year old daughter at Spring Training in 1991.