Former MLB player, coach and minor league manager Wayne Terwilliger has died of complications of bladder cancer and dementia. "Twig", as he was popularly known, was 95.
Before playing professional baseball, the Michigan born Terwilliger served in the Pacific Theater during WWII fighting with an amphibious tank unit on the sands of Iwo Jima.
After the war, Terwilliger played collegiate ball at Western Michigan University and semi-pro baseball with the House of David, before signing with the Chicago Cubs in 1948. Terwilliger would reach the majors the following season as a second baseman. In 1950, Terwilliger hit a career high 10 HRs. Midway through the 1951 season, Terwilliger would be involved in a 8 player deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers which included Andy Pafko and Gene Hermanski. Terwilliger would have the misfortune of witnessing the Dodgers blow a 13.5 game lead in the NL to the New York Giants.
Terwilliger would spend 1952 in the minors, but would return to the majors with the Washington Senators in 1953 where he would drive in a career high 46 RBI. After one more season with the Senators, Terwilliger was sent to the New York Giants where he would play for two seasons before being sent back to the minors where he was subsequently traded to the Detroit Tigers organization but did not play at Michigan and Trumbull. Terwilliger's big league career would end with the Kansas City A's in 1960. In parts of 9 big league seasons, Terwilliger collected 501 hits for a lifetime batting average of .240. My Dad remembers him because every kid in his Bronx neighborhood had his baseball card.
Terwilliger would soon land a minor league managerial gigs in the New York Yankees before spending the rest of the 1960's managing at various levels in the Washington Senators organization. In 1969, the Senators would hire Ted Williams as their manager and Teddy Ballgame would pick Terwilliger as his third base coach. Terwilliger would travel with The Kid when the Senators moved to Arlington to become the Texas Rangers in 1972.
In 1973, Terwilliger managed in the Houston Astros organization before taking a leave of absence in 1974. In 1975, Terwilliger would rejoin the Rangers organization as a minor league manager for the next seven seasons. Terwilliger would get a second chance to coach third base for the Rangers at the major league level from 1981-1985. In 1986, Terwilliger would join the Minnesota Twins coaching staff earning World Series rings in 1987 and 1991. He would remain with the Twins through 1994.
Terwilliger would never return to the majors, but was far from done. For the next eight seasons, Terwilliger coached first base for the independent St. Paul Saints. On a personal note, I saw Terwilliger up close and personal at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in 1995.
In 2003, Terwilliger made baseball history becoming the first person to manage a team in his 80's since Connie Mack when he was named skipper of the independent Fort Worth Cats. In 2005, Terwilliger would guide the Cats to the Central League title. Terwilliger would step down as manager after that season but would remain the team's first base coach from 2006 to 2010.
By 2014, Terwilliger had become restless and at the age of 88 would return to work bagging groceries. He would do this until 2017 when he sustained a broken hip.
But Terwilliger served his country and spent more than six decades being involved in the national pastime. This is a life well lived. R.I.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment