RIP, Don Mincher

Aw, shitfuck, another of the 1969 Seattle Pilots is gone.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/03/don_mincher_long-time_baseball.html

 

One of the last pre-Expos-move Washington Senators, too. R.I.P.

 

The Washington Senators became the Montreal Expos? Who knew?

 

Yeah, the Senators became the Twins. Mincher was sort of a Ken Phelps-lite in Minnesota in the mid-60s.

He was also general manager of the Huntsville Stars for years and later president of the Southern League.

 

Aw, fuckshit, RIP, to the Pilots' biggest power hitter.

 

Mincher also helped launch the Oakland A's back-to-back-to-back World Series championships in the early 70s. He was the key player in a deal that brought Mike "Superjew" Epstein and Darold Knowles to Oakland. Both were major figures on the A's 1972 title team.

(The A's later re-acquired Mincher in a minor trade, and he backed up Epstein in 1972 before retiring).

 

He was great with a ton of failed franchises (Seattle Pilots, both Washington Senators, post-move Texas Rangers, pre-Finley Oakland A's, pre-Nolan California Angels). With those lineups, he should hold the post-Babe Ruth AL record for walks. RIP.

 

He was a key member of the '65 Twins World Series team, when he had 22 HRs, 65 RBIs and a .251 average in 128 games.

 

Growing up in the era of Don Mincher, it fascinates me how well players of that time were known. In a time of limited exposure compared to today average players were still known by the mass of baseball fans. I would guess that my knowledge came through baseball cards.

When I read that someone has passed from that era, I immediately have a mental picture and a team in my head. For whatever reason I always thing of Mincher with The Angels.

RIP

 

As a past 1960s Washington Senators fan, it killed me to see the guys that general manager George Selkirk had assembled for Ted Williams. In 1969, the first year of division play, Williams had Epstein (31 homers) and Frank Howard (48 hr and about 130 rbi that year) in the middle of the lineup. A budding star, Del Unser, was leading off and playing center. Aurelio Rodriquez, good for 15 and 75 a year, was at third. Ed Brinkman, who went from Mendoza line to a .260 hitter under Williams, was a vacuum cleaner at short. Decent catcher in Paul Casanova. Staff included Dick Bosman, Knowles and Joe Coleman.
That team finished third, 10 games over .500. Then we got this asshole of a new owner named Bob Short, who started dismantling the team. Knowles and Epstein helped the As win the world series. Coleman became a 20-game winner for the Tigers. Rodriguez and Brinkman were traded to the Tigers for a much-past-his-prime Denny McLain, who promptly went 10-22. Unser went to the Phillies and starred.

Bleep Bob Short.

 

I'm trying to figure out which modern major leaguer Mincher is most similar to and I keep thinking of Pat Burrell.