#327 Bobby Castillo - Minnesota Twins

Where is Bobby Castillo pitching?  Hard to tell from this fuzzy ambiguous background.  I will say, Castillo's mustache probably deserves its own card.  Castillo's 4th Topps card shows him in the powder blue uniform / navy blue hat in the action shot and the white uni / red hat combo in the inset.

Player: Bobby Castillo was a 5th round pick of the Royals in 1974 and spent his rookie ball season as a thirdbaseman hitting .253.  He worked the next several years in the Mexican Leagues learning to pitch, and while he was south of the border he was sold to the Dodgers.  During the '77 season he came back to the states and made his major league debut in September.  He pitched 11 innings and allowed 5 runs winning his only decision.

The 5'10" righty split the '78 season between LA and Albuquerque.  While in the majors Castillo logged 34 innings, all in relief, and was 0-4 with one save and a 3.97 ERA.  He spent most of '79 in the minors and had to wait until August for a promotion.  Once back in his hometown of LA he was effective with a 1.13 ERA in 24 innings.  Castillo was trusted with some late inning work and saved 7 games in 7 opportunities.

Castillo would have his best season in 1980 tossing 98 innings in 61 games with a 1.169 WHIP and 2.75 ERA.  His biggest contribution to the Dodgers may have been over the winter when he showed 19 year-old rookie Fernando Valenzuela how to throw the screwball.  The next season was a let down as his ERA ballooned over five in 50 innings of work.  He pitched one inning in each the NLCS and World Series as the Dodgers won it all. 

During the offseason the Dodgers sent Castillo packing to the Twins in a four player deal.  He began the year in middle relief but after some injuries to Twins starters he was pushed into the rotation at the end of May.  Despite not having made a start since 1977, he thrived in his new role and logged 218 innings with a 3.66 ERA.  He finished strong with six complete games in the last two months including a four-hit shutout over the Royals on September 10.

Injuries and ineffectiveness led to a poor showing in '83 as he posted a 4.77 ERA in 158 frames.  A shoulder injury forced his '84 debut until July.  Pitching mainly out of the pen he was productive (1.78 ERA) in 25 innings but walked 19 batters.

After the '84 season he was signed by the Dodgers where he spent the '85 season in middle relief.  His control continued to trouble him as he issued 41 freebies in 68 innings which helps explain his 5.43 ERA.  Castillo was cut from the Dodgers the next spring training and returned to pitch in Mexico.  Comeback attempts with the A's and Mariners failed and he spent the '87 season plying his trade in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons.

Flipside:  I'm not sure I've mentioned this before but it's somewhat perplexing that Topps lists inning fractions in the most recent season and career totals but not the other seasons.  Beginning in '77 Castillo threw 11.1, 34, 24.1, 98.1, 50.2, and then 218.2.  You can see that Topps rounds one-third of an inning down and two-thirds up which makes sense.  The career total isn't correct in that he actually tossed 437.1 innings at this point in his career.  The 436.2 total merely reflects Topps rounding efforts in his first five years plus his precise '82 total.

Oddball: Castillo's last game in the majors was in mop up duty in Game 4 of the '85 NLCS.  The Dodgers were up two games to one but the Cardinals jumped all over starter Jerry Reuss in the second inning.  The Redbirds plated nine off of Reuss and reliever Rick Honeycutt who faced four batters but failed to record an out.  Castillo came in with two outs in the second and pitched the next five and a third innings allowing two runs.  The totality of the onslaught was too much for the Dodgers to overcome as they lost 12-2 and the series in six games.

History:  Castillo had one really good season as a reliever and one as a starter in his career.  His career line indicates a 38-40 win-loss record, 18 saves, a 3.94 ERA (100 ERA+), 689 innings pitched in nine seasons of play.  Since retiring as a player, Castillo has been active in promoting Mexican-American baseball history and supporting inner-city youth participation in baseball.

#308 Jesus Vega - Minnesota Twins

After a string of veterans we see Jesus Vega's only Topps card.  The dude sure has some hairy arms.  Vega appeared as a DH twice as much as a first baseman despite what it says on the card.

Player:  Jesus Vega was signed by the Brewers out of Puerto Rico in 1975 and hit over .300 three years in a row in the minors to start his career.  He was acquired by the Twins in the minor league draft and hit .297 at AA Orlando in '77.  After batting .293 with 13 homers at AAA Toledo he was given a late season call up.  Vega got into four games but was hitless in seven at bats.

The Twins recalled Vega in May 1980 to DH and after slapping five singles in 29 at bats he was sent back down.  He returned in September however he got into just two games and ended the year batting .167.  His production was down in 1981 and he spent all season in the minors.

Vega surprisingly made the Twins roster in '82 and platooned at DH with an occasional start at first base.  He batted .266/.289/.372 with five homers in 199 at bats and fell out of favor as he made just one start after 8/1.  After spending the '83 season back at Toledo he spent part of '84 with the Dodgers organization.  He played one more year in Mexico before hanging it up for good.

 

Flipside:  The Twins loaned Vega to Tidewater during the '81 season which cemented his status as a non-prospect.

Oddball:  Vega didn't hit like most firstbasemen as he was more of a line drive hitter.  The Twins tried Vega at third base when he was at AA Orlando but he made three errors in two games before they moved him back to first.

History:  Vega was a typical replacement level player.  That might even be a stretch as he posted -1.2 WAR in his brief career. His batting skills would have matched up well for a middle infielder or centerfielder but he was a shaky fielder even at first base.

#266 Paul Boris - Minnesota Twins

This is Paul Boris' first, last, and only card.  Not just his only Topps card, but his only major issue card since Fleer and Donruss ignored the 26 year-old middle reliever.  He looks pretty happy to be here in the insert pic.  The larger "action" shot he looks a bit lost, almost sheepish.

Player:  Paul Boris played college ball at Rutgers but went undrafted and signed with with the Yankees in 1978.  After four seasons in the minors, three of which resulted in ERA's under 2.50, the Twins showed some interest and tabbed him as a Rule 5 pick prior to the '82 season.  Minnesota decided to return the righty reliever to the Yankees when camp broke in April.  However, the Twins pulled off a deal that sent Roy Smalley to the Yankees is exchange for Ron Davis, Greg Gagne, and Boris. 

Boris spent April and most of May in the minors before making his MLB debut on 5/21/82.  The New Jersey native pitched in Yankee Stadium against his former organization and nerves may have contributed to his poor outing as he allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Bronx Bombers. 

He rebounded by pitching fairly well in long relief the rest of the year, usually logging two to four frames per outing.  He finished the year with a 3.99 ERA, 1.309 WHIP, and a 19/30 walk to strikeout ratio in 49.2 innings. 

Boris didn't make the team in '83, treading on with a 6.75 ERA in 89 innings at AAA Toledo.  He again pitched at the AAA level in '84 but this time in Richmond for the Braves with a 3.95 ERA but allowed almost two runners per inning.  Boris seems to disappear and it is a mystery to me if he continued playing in Mexico, Japan, bought a car wash, sold insurance... who knows?

Flipside:  His victory on June 23 was not only his only big league win, it was also the only game the Twins won when Boris pitched.  Such is the life of a rookie mop-up man.  He twice came into games with leads but both times he blew the leads and was hung with the loss. 

Oddball:  Although it may seem obvious now, it's never a good idea to sell beer for 10 cents or even 25 cents at a sporting event.  On May 24, 1983 the Toledo Mud Hens held one of their Concession Nights.  One of the bargains was beer for a quarter and many of the 1,775 fans enjoyed a dollar or two worth of frothy brew.  Boris was the starting pitcher for the Mud Hens against the Tidewater Tides but took the loss in the 11-1 lopsided affair.  The game was marred by fights in the stands and 12 paying customers were ejected.  After the game the Tides dodged flying cups of ale and several had their hats stolen.

History:  Boris had just five months of major league action but he seemed to perform the job asked of him as a long man.  His card is one of the few I have no memory of seeing when the set came out almost 30 years ago.

#294 Dave Engle - Minnesota Twins

Dave Engle is breaking out of the batters box after maybe hitting a fly ball.  I never noticed the "Twin Cities" logo on the stirrup socks before.  This is Engle's seconds Topps card.

Player:  Dave Engle was highly regarded prospect when he was drafted by the Angels in the 2nd round in 1978.  After a short season in the Angels' minors he was traded to the Twins in the Rod Carew trade.  A catcher at USC he was tried at thirdbase in the minors before he moved to the outfield.  He made the Twins roster in '81 after proving himself in the minors by hitting .300+ in two of three seasons.  He hit .258/.295/.407 in a semi-regular role in rightfield and was 5th in AL Rookie of the Year voting. 

 

Engle was expected to improve in '82 but regressed to a .226 average in 186 at bats.  With him struggling with fly balls in the Metrodome and not hitting like a corner outfielder they sent him to the instructional league to re-acquaint himself with the catcher position.  He responded with his best season in '83 hitting .305/.350/.449 with 8 HR in 408 plate appearances.    

 

The 1984 season started off well for Engle batting .310/.343/.408 in the first half.  He was rewarded by being selected to the AL All-Star squad but did not play.  Engle was plagued by several problems in the second half.  First of all he stopped hitting with runners on base driving in just four runs.  Second after a return throw to the mound clipped the L-screen, deflected and broke the batting practice pitcher's nose he developed a throwing problem.  This caused him to lob the ball on his return throws to the mound and when runners began taking advantage, it seemed to effect his overall game.  Third he injured his wrist and played just six games after August 30.  The second half swoon dropped his average to .266. 

 

The wrist problem lingered into the '85 season with Engle not returning to regular duty until late June.  The Twins used Engle a DH, pinch-hitter, and back up catcher and he showed a bit more power slugging .448 in 195 trips to the plate.  Minnesota traded Engle after the season to Detroit for Chris Pittaro and Alejandro Sanchez.  The Tigers tried Engle at first base but a hamstring injury caused him to lose the month of May.  When the Tigers acquired Mike Heath in August, Engle was released with a .256 average in 86 at bats.

 

Engle signed with Montreal in '87 and spent the next two years as little used reserve.  He batted .226 in '87 and was hitting .216 when he was cut loose on 7/14/88.  He signed with the Brewers thenext year but fared no better.  When they tried sending to him to AAA he refused the assignment and was released.  He kicked around the minors for a little while longer before retiring in '91. 

Flipside:  Engle's biggest hit of the '82 season was probably a pinch-hit double on 8/18.  Trailing 4-2 with two outs in the ninth he laced a double off Baltimore's Tippy Martinez.  The hit drove in two and tied the game which the Twins won the next inning. 

Oddball:  Engle's dad Roy was a high school teammate of Ted Williams and ran the Splendid Splinter's baseball camp from 1960 to 1973. 
Dave and Twins teammate Tom Brunansky are brothers-in-law having married sisters Cindy and Collen Schumann. 

History:  Great things were expected of Engle but he retired with only 3.3 WAR in nine seasons.  He had trouble staying healthy and really didn't have a position.  His career line .262/.311/.388 would be decent OK for a catcher but his defense was lacking behind the plate.  Conversely he didn't have enough power to DH or hold a job at first base regularly.

#232 Tom Brunansky - Minnesota Twins

This is Tom Brunansky's first solo Topps card as he was part of a three player rookie card as an Angel in the '82 set.  Bruno is showing good form with his head down on the ball.  The dugout and dark shadow in the background makes Tiger Stadium the likely setting.  Check out Bruno's classic 'stache  in the inset. 

 

 

Player:  Tom Brunansky was part of an impressive core of Minnesota Twins who emerged in the 80's that included Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, and Frank Viola all of whom were key parts of their '87 championship team.  It's easy to forget that Bruno came up with the California Angels.  In fact he was the Angels opening day leftfielder in 1981 but was sent down after he whiffed ten times with just five hits in 33 at bats.  The former first round pick couldn't crack the veteran laden Angels roster in '82 and was struggling at AAA Vancouver when he was traded to the Twins with Mike Walters and cash for Doug Corbett and Rob Wilfong on 5/12/82.

 

The Twins used Brunansky in rightfield and he had an impressive rookie year with a .272/.377/.471 stat line and 20 homers in 127 games.  He didn't garner any ROY votes competing against a bumper crop of Wade Boggs, teammates Hrbek and Gaetti, and eventual winner Cal Ripken.

 

Brunansky was a consistent source of Power for the Twins but he never hit for a high average with his mark usually settling in the .240-.250 range.  The next five years he hit between 23 to 32 homers and drove in 75 to 90 runs a season.  Bruno wasn't one dimensional as he provided good range and a strong and accurate right field arm.

 

When the Twins won the AL West with 85 wins in 1987, they were underdogs when they faced the Tigers who surged at the end of the season to win the East with 98 wins.  Brunansky went the 7 for 17 with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 9 RBI as the Twins upset the Tigers in the ALCS.  Teammate Gaetti, who also hit two home runs, was named ALCS MVP but it's hard to imagine a better series than Bruno's.  He came back down to earth in the World Series knocking just five singles but the Twins knocked off the Cardinals in seven games. 

 

Brunansky got off to a slow start in '88 and was traded to the Cards for Tom Herr in May.  He kept up his slugging ways with two 20 HR seasons in St. Louis.  He was traded by St. Louis in early 1990 to Boston for closer Lee Smith.  Bruno's power was never returned to the level he had as a Twin but he was consistent if nothing else.  He had three remarkably similar years for the Red Sox hitting 16, 15, and 16 homers with 71, 70, and 74 RBI.     

 

Brunansky left Boston via free agency after the '92 season and landed in Milwaukee.  He struggled greatly with a .183 batting average in 80 games for the Brewers which earned him a bench role for the '94 season.  After just 29 plate appearances in two and a half months he was sent back to the BoSox for Dave Valle.  He had a bit of a power surge upon returning to New England with 10 homers in 48 games.  Brunansky retired after the '94 season with 271 HR, 919 RBI and a .245/.327/.434 line. 

 

 

Flipside:  Believe it or not, Brunansky was offered a scholarship to Stanford to play wide receiver on the football team. While he doesn't conjure up memories of a swift runner but he did have two inside the park homers noted here on the back of his card as well as two 20 SB seasons in the minors.

Oddball:  Despite having that speed in his youth he wasn't a good base runner when it came to stealing bases.  Perhaps his managers thought he was faster than he was-although he stole 69 bases in his career he was gunned down 70 times.      
Bruno's inside the park grand slam is the only one in Twins history.  That must have been a terribly frustrating moment for the Brewers as Brunansky's ITPGS came with two outs and was preceded by two Paul Molitor errors and a walk. 

History:  Brunansky was one of those players who seemed destined for stardom.  Following some excellent minor league seasons he had a fine rookie year.  However he peaked early and although he had a decent career he never lived up to the hype laid on him while an Angel prospect.  As pointed out in this article on High Heat Stats, Brunansky is one of 27 batters who had an OPS+ of 125 or greater in one of their first two seasons and finish their career with an OPS+ of 110 or less. 
Brunansky is remembered by most fans as a Twin from the '87 team.  He also played in one All-Star game in 1985 but went hitless in one at bat.  Following his playing days Brunansky managed high school ball for a while before returning to the minors to coach. 
Brunansky was named the Twins new hitting coach on 10/22/12.

By the way, you can now follow me on Twitter @989baseball. Besides notifying followers of new posts, I tend to tweet off-the-wall comments and other things about baseball, sports, and life in general.

#197 Jim Eisenreich - Minnesota Twins

This isn't your run-of-the-mill rookie card.  Jim Eisenreich would not appear in a Topps set again until 1988.  More on that later.  As far as I can tell, he never wore number 56 during a regular season game, so I am assuming this is a spring training picture.

Player:  Jim Eisenreich was a 16th round draft pick of the Twins in 1980. He excelled in the minors and won the centerfield job to start the '82 season.  Statistically he was doing well in his rookie campaign but Eisenreich's fight with a then undiagnosed nervous condition began to wear on him.  With his twitches and facial ticks increasing, he was sent to the DL in May after he pulled himself out of five consecutive games.  With doctors still unsure of his affliction, Eisenreich returned and soldiered on for a few more weeks before ending his season to seek treatment.  In 111 plate appearances he batted .303 with a 118 OPS+.

Comeback attempts at the beginning of '83 and '84 were short lived and Eisenreich retired at age 25.  As two years passed, Eisenreich was dominating the local semi-pro league. During this time he had been finally given a proper diagnosis, Tourette's Syndrome.  He received treatment and was encouraged by friends to try a comeback and he signed with the Royals.  After hitting .382 at Memphis he was called up and his journey back to the majors was a great story.  Eisenreich DH'd but failed to find his batting stroke as he hit just .238. He followed that up with a .218 mark in a part time role in '88.

Eisenreich started the '89 season as a reserve but by the end of April was in the lineup nearly everyday and playing all three outfield spots.  For the year, he hit 9 home runs, stole 27 bases, and posted a .293/.341/.448 line.  He had a decent year as a regular in 1990 while batting .280.  He platooned the next two years and hit .301 and .269. 

After the '92 season Eisenreich signed with Philadelphia where he would enjoy four successful years batting .300 or better each year.  In '93 he sported a .318/.363/.445 line in 394 at bats.  When he wasn't starting he was the Phillies main pinch hitter and he helped them to a first place finish.  Although the Phillies came up short in the '93 World Series, Eisenreich homered in the Game 2 win over the Blue Jays.

Eisenreich had his best season in 1996 (2.5 WAR) when he put up an eye-popping .361/.413/.476 line in 373 plate appearances.  Once again a free agent, he signed with the Florida Marlins.  He batted .280 during the '97 season with his new team.  Eisenreich didn't play much in the NLDS or NLCS but he was productive (4-8) in the World Series conquest including a homer in the Marlins wild Game 3 victory. 

The Marlins of course had a massive fire sale and Eisenreich ended up in a Dodger uniform.  1998 would be his last season in the majors as he hit just .197 as a pinch hitter and occasional starter for the Dodgers.  Eisenreich retired with a career line of .290/.341/.404 and a 103 OPS+. 

Flipside: That's quite a season he had at Wisconsin Rapids in '81.  If you can't quite make out the numbers they show that in 134 games he batted .303 with 23 HR, 99 RBI, 101 R and 84 BB.

Oddball:  When Eisenreich left the Twins in '84 he was replaced on the roster by future Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett.

History:  Eisenreich earned 11.4 WAR and won a World Series ring with the Marlins.  However his most meaningful work is done through the Jim Eisenreich Foundation which helps children with Tourrette's.  With help from doctors he was able to overcome the hurdle that had plagued him since childhood and have a successful career. 
An in depth bio can be found here.

#181 Terry Felton - Minnesota Twins

This is Terry Felton's one and only Topps card.  The very bright background makes his right forearm blend in and disappear.  The tough luck that accompanied Felton's career seems apparent in his solemn gaze in the inset.

Player:  Terry Felton was a second round pick of the Twins in '76.  The hard throwing righthander advanced to AAA by '78 and debuted for the Twins late in September of '79 with two scoreless innings.

Felton made the starting rotation in 1980 but after a no-decision, three losses, and a three run inning in relief he spent the rest of the year at AAA Toledo.

Felton was in and out of the rotation with Toledo in '81 but pitched well enough to get a brief look at the tail end of the season.  Unfortunately he got rocked for six runs while recording just four outs. 

The Twins were terrible in '82 losing 102 games and going 3-26 in the month of May.  Felton worked middle relief and was a spot starter  for the last place team.  While the '82 campaign would be Felton's only full year in the majors, he labored through it with a 0-13 record.  Although his record wasn't an accurate reflection of his talent, Felton did have his shortcomings.  He had a live fastball but was wild (76 BB in 117 innings) and had a propensity for giving up the long ball as evidenced by his 18 home runs allowed.  Still with a 4.99 ERA (85 ERA+) he deserved better than a winless season.  He did manage to save three games along the way.

Felton now 0-16 on his career, pitched two more years in the minors but never got back to the show.  He holds the major league record for most career losses without a win.

Stuff:  Fastball, curve, slider, change

Flipside:  I used to stare at the back of this card and wonder how a pitcher could be so bad.  As I got older and knocked around in a few little league games, I felt sorry for the guy.

Oddball:  Felton shot and killed the family dog in 2004 when it attacked his two year old daughter.  By now a Captain with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, he pulled his gun after he was unable to get the rottweiler off his daughter.  According to this article, the dog inflicted enough damage that his daughter needed plastic surgery.

History:  Certainly there have been worse pitchers than Felton and he easily could have had a few wins.  Although he was used many times when the Twins were already down, amazingly they only won 6 of the 55 games he pitched in.  So what were Felton's closest calls to getting a win? 

Felton's first career start 4/14/80 was decent.  He allowed three runs in seven innings and the Twins defeated the Angels 5-3 but the Twins didn't score until after he left the game.  He would make nine more starts in his career but would never top his 55 game score in his first start.

On 4/21/82 he came on in the 5th inning down 5-2 to the A's.  Maybe Felton could "vulture" a win?  He pitched four innings of scoreless relief with the only runners reaching on two walks.  While his outing was nice, it did little for his stat line but drop his ERA to 4.32

Five weeks later Felton started a contest against the Yankees and left in the 6th inning with a 2-1 lead.  Reliever Brad Havens was unable to hold the fort and the Twins eventually lost 6-4.  This is also the game mentioned on the back in which he participated in this triple play.

In an August 15 game against the Mariners, Felton was cruising along with a 1-0 lead heading to the 6th.  After the M's hit back-to-back singles in the top of the 6th, he misplayed a comebacker to the mound and a run scored to tie the game.  A ground out put the Mariners up 2-1.  Felton then issued an intentional walk and left the game.  The game got out of hand and the Twins ended up losing 10-2.

On 9/12, Felton entered with two outs in the bottom of the 4th inning with the Twins on top of the Royals 7-4.    With Twins starter Brad Havens unable to go five innings, perhaps this would be Felton's day.  Felton gave up the lead and no one else the Twins ran out there was any better. Incredibly, in a game in which the they were up 7-1 the Twins lost 18-7. 

Finally on 9/28 the Twins jumped on Blue Jays starter Jim Gott and staked Felton to a 3-0.  The lead and Felton were both gone by the fourth as Toronto knotted the score at three each before winning it in the tenth

Felton was a product and representation of the hapless Twins teams of the early 80's.  He would be quite forgettable if he had won a game or two.  At least this way he is the answer to a trivia question.