November 16

Joe Quest (1852)

Paul Foytack (1930)

Frank Bolling (1931)

Harry Chiti (1932)

Minnie Mendoza (1933)

Don Hahn (1948)

Herb Washington (1951)

Glenn Burke (1952)

Curt Wardle (1960)

Dwight Gooden (1964)

Chris Haney (1968)

Pete Rose (1969)

Julio Lugo (1975)

Infielder Cristobal Rigoberto (Carreras) Mendoza played 2,240 games in the minor leagues and 16 games in the majors, all with the Twins in 1970. He was born in Cieba Del Agua, Cuba, went to high school in Havana, and was signed by Cincinnati as a free agent in 1954. Five of his first six years were spent in Class C and B leagues. He was released by Cincinnati before the 1958 season, and signed with the Washington Senators. In 1959, he hit .357 with Class C Missoula, which finally got him promoted to Class A. He spent two years with Charlotte, posting solid averages, although with little power. Promoted to AAA Vancouver in 1962, his first full year of AAA at age 28, he hit .260, but with few walks and again little power. He then went back to Charlotte, which was by then a AA city. He stayed there for six years. He hit .291 over that stretch, but never even got another cup of coffee at AAA until he was promoted there in 1969, at age 35. He hit .333 that year, and in 1970, at age 36, Minnie Mendoza made his major league debut with the Twins. He stayed for about two months, being used strictly as a pinch-hitter/pinch runner/defensive replacement. He played in 16 games, got 16 at-bats, and hit .188. Mendoza spent the rest of the season with AAA Evansville, went back to Charlotte for two years, and then retired at age 38. He then became a long-time coach and manager. Most recently, Minnie Mendoza was the Latin American field coordinator for the Cleveland Indians and at last report was an advisor to the Indians for Latin American operations.

Left-hander Curtis Ray Wardle pitched for the Twins in 1984 and 1985. He was born in Downey, California, went to high school in Norco, California, attended San Bernardino Valley College and Cal-Riverside, and was drafted by the Twins in the third round in 1981. He alternated between starting and relieving for his first two seasons, but then went to the bullpen full time in 1983. He had very good years in 1983 and 1984 as a reliever, the former with Class A Visalia and the latter with AA Orlando. Wardle pitched in two games for the Twins at the end of August, 1984, and was in the big leagues for all of 1985. He did not pitch particularly well for the Twins, and on August 1 he was traded to Cleveland with Jay Bell, Jim Weaver, and Rich Yett for Bert Blyleven. As a Twin, Wardle was 1-3 with a 5.43 ERA in 37 appearances and 53 innings. Placed in the starting rotation for the Indians, he did not do any better, going 7-6, but with a 6.68 ERA. He was known as a slow worker, and given his numbers, that may be understandable. Wardle had an unspectacular year at AAA in 1986, and was traded to Oakland in 1987 spring training. The Athletics sent him to AA Huntsville, he pitched poorly there in six starts, and then his career was over. At last report, Curt Wardle was living in Moreno Valley, California.