December 29

Hank DeBerry (1894)

Bill Knickerbocker (1911)

Ted Del Guercio (1927)

Ken Rudolph (1946)
Jim Wilson (1960)
Devon White (1962)
Craig Grebeck (1964)
James Mouton (1968)
Tomas Perez (1973)
Emil Brown (1974)
Richie Sexson (1974)
Jaret Wright (1975)
Jack Wilson (1977)
Chase De Jong (1993)

Ted Del Guercio was part of the largest trade in baseball history. He was traded by the New York Yankees along with Don Larsen, Billy Hunter, Bob Turley, Kal Segrist, Bill Miller and Don Leppert to the Baltimore Orioles for Gene Woodling, Harry Byrd, Jim McDonald, Hal Smith, Gus Triandos, Willy Miranda, Mike Blyzka, Darrell Johnson, Jim Fridley and Dick Kryhoski in the off-season following the 1953 campaign. Del Guercio was the only person involved in the trade not to play in the majors.

James Mouton was drafted by Minnesota in the eighth round in 1990, but did not sign.

First baseman James George Wilson did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system for much of 1987. He was born in Corvallis, Oregon, went to Oregon State (where he lettered in baseball and football), and was drafted by Cleveland in the second round in 1982. He showed power throughout his minor league career, hitting 14 homers in Class A in 1982, 26 in AA in 1983, 15 in AAA in 1984, and 26 in AAA in 1985. He had good batting averages to go with those power numbers. He was a September call-up in 1985, going 5-for-14, and doubtless big things were expected. They didn’t happen. In 1986 Wilson slumped to only 9 homers and a .232 average in AAA Maine, and was released by the Indians after the season. Minnesota signed him in mid-May and sent him to Portland, where he hit .268 with 3 homers in just 157 at-bats. He signed with Seattle for 1988 and spent the year in AA. In 1989, however, he had a big year in AAA Calgary, hitting .314 with 26 homers and getting another September call-up. He went 0-for-8, however, and would never get another shot at the majors. He was in AAA with Montreal in 1990 and with San Francisco in 1991, hitting .300 with 21 homers in Phoenix. It did him no good; he was out of baseball in 1992, played briefly with Calgary in 1993, was with independent Winnipeg in 1994, and then his playing career was over. While his minor league records are incomplete, it appears that he struck out a lot, which may be why teams were reluctant to give him a shot. Still, he hit over 20 homers in four minor league seasons and over .300 in three minor league seasons; it seems like he deserved a chance to see what he could do at the major league level. After his playing days were over, Jim Wilson coached high school and American Legion baseball in Vancouver, Washington.  He now lives in Corvallis, Oregon, and at last report was a broadcaster for Oregon State football.  He is a member of the Oregon State Sports Hall of Fame.

Right-hander Chase Louis De Jong appeared in five games for the Twins from 2018-2019.  Born and raised in Long Beach, California, he was drafted by Toronto in the second round in 2012.  He did well in the low minors but progressed quite slowly, not reaching AA until 2016.  He was then jumped from AA to the majors at the start of the 2017 season.  He was no longer with the Blue Jays by then--they traded him to the Dodgers in July of 2015, and they traded him to Seattle in March of 2017, so it was as a Mariner that he made his major league debut.  He couldn't handle it, going 0-3, 6.35 in 28.1 innings (7 games, 4 starts).  He didn't do very well in the minors that year, either.  He was doing well in AA in 2018 when the Twins acquired him at the July trade deadline along with Ryan Costello in exchange for Zach Duke and cash.  They sent him to AAA and then gave him four starts in a September call-up.  He did okay, going 1-1, 3.57, 1.36 WHIP.  He made on appearance for the Twins in early April of 2019, pitching one inning, then went to AAA, where he pitched very poorly and was released in mid-July.  He finished out the season pitching for SugarLand in the Atlantic League.  He didn't do very well there, either.  As a Twin he was 1-1, 5.30, 1.61 WHIP.  He turns twenty-six today.  There's not a whole lot to recommend him, but sometimes guys figure it out late.  He could get an invitation to spring training, and if he can figure it out, Chase De Jong might still have a chance to have a major league career.