twins/mlb
Chart: Twins center fielders since 1975
- Updated: February 16, 2013 - 6:38 PM
- 5
- comments
resize text 
- buy reprints
FRONT AND CENTER
Twins Opening Day center fielders since 1975:
Lyman Bostock, 1975-77: Budding star left for the Angels as a free agent in 1978. He was murdered on a road trip to Chicago that summer.
Dan Ford, 1978: Nicknamed "Disco" Dan; once jogged backward toward home plate, only to be passed by a baserunning teammate.
Willie Norwood, 1979: Penchant for having trouble following the flight of routine fly balls.
Rick Sofield, 1980: Greatest claim to fame as baseball player was that he turned down a football scholarship offer from Michigan.
Greg Johnston, 1981: Who? He lasted seven games in 1981, batting .125.
Jim Eisenreich, 1982-84: Suffered from a nervous disorder (later diagnosed as Tourette's syndrome), prompting manager Billy Gardner to quip, "He's doomed to become an All-Star."
Kirby Puckett, 1985-1990, 1992-93: Hall of Famer stopped the merry-go-round in center.
Shane Mack, 1991: One of Mack's 16 starts in center field that year. Puckett started 143.
Rich Becker, 1994, 1996-97: Pegged as a cornerstone of the Twins' 1990s rebuilding phase. Eight consecutive losing seasons says it all.
Alex Cole, 1995: Was batting .360 when he broke his right leg on May 30 attempting a diving catch. His downhill slide included 18 months in prison for drug conviction.
Otis Nixon, 1998: Twins' idea of a high-profile free-agent signee, the negatives being he was 39 and could barely throw the ball to second base.
Torii Hunter, 1999-2007: The two-time All-Star here made a team-record nine Opening Day starts in center before departing as a free agent.
Carlos Gomez, 2008-09: One of four players obtained from Mets for Johan Santana; now with the Brewers, he is still trying to find plate discipline.
Denard Span, 2010-12: Traded to the Nationals in the offseason, opening the door for a new Twins Opening Day center fielder in 2013.
DENNIS BRACKIN
- 5
- comments
- resize text
- buy reprints
ADVERTISEMENT
| Baltimore - F. Garcia | 12:07 PM |
| Toronto - R. Dickey |
| Cleveland - S. Kazmir | 12:35 PM |
| Boston - J. Lester |
| LA Angels - B. Buckner | 1:10 PM |
| Kansas City - J. Guthrie |
| Colorado - J. Nicasio | 3:05 PM |
| San Francisco - B. Zito |
| Minnesota - P. Walters | 3:08 PM |
| Detroit - D. Fister |
| Chicago Cubs - T. Wood | 3:10 PM |
| Cincinnati - H. Bailey |
| Pittsburgh - J. Locke | 3:10 PM |
| Milwaukee - M. Fiers |
| NY Yankees - V. Nuno | 3:10 PM |
| Tampa Bay - M. Moore |
| Atlanta | 5 | Suspended |
| NY Mets | 5 |
| Atlanta - M. Minor | 6:15 PM |
| NY Mets - D. Gee |
| Philadelphia - J. Pettibone | 6:15 PM |
| Washington - D. Haren |
| St. Louis - J. Gast | 6:15 PM |
| Los Angeles - T. Lilly |
| Miami - R. Nolasco | 6:15 PM |
| Chicago WSox - J. Peavy |
| Oakland - A. Griffin | 6:15 PM |
| Houston - L. Harrell |
| San Diego - A. Cashner | 9:10 PM |
| Arizona - W. Miley |
| Texas - D. Holland | 9:10 PM |
| Seattle - F. Hernandez |
| San Antonio | 8:00 PM |
| Memphis |
| Philadelphia | 6:00 PM |
| Montreal |
| Portland | 6:00 PM |
| D.C. |
| Toronto FC | 6:30 PM |
| New England |
| San Jose | 7:30 PM |
| FC Dallas |
| Chicago | 8:00 PM |
| Real Salt Lake |
| Chivas USA | 8:00 PM |
| Colorado |
| New York | 6:00 PM |
| Connecticut |
| Tulsa | 6:00 PM |
| Atlanta |
- Minor league report: Romero promoted, Rosario benched
- Twins notes: Arcia sent down; Walters to start Saturday
- Postgame: No-hit bids, baseball gods and Arcia
- Tigers' Sanchez one-hits the Twins, who lose 10th straight
- Ryan says Gibson close, but not quite ready
- Section 219: Watching the Twins (and their fans) melt down
- Chart: Top MLB draft prospects
- Chart: Twins losing streaks of 10 losses or more
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
question of the day
Poll: Who should be the next Twins starting pitcher to lose his job?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2013 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters