The
Macing Mitterwald....Twins regular catcher for 1970-1971, 1973....solid work
but nothing spectacular....greatest moment on back of card, a walk off home run
off Vida Blue in his Cy Young award winning 1971 season...one of the few Twin
highlights that year as the team went from West Champion to also ran...Suffered
a massive slump in 1972, BA of .176...sprung back 1973 with 16 homers, 64 RBIs, and .257 BA....Weakness
was striking out, twice in top 10 AL....Twins realizing their need for pitching
and George’s stock and trade its highest sent him the Cubs....never truly
caught on with the Northsiders....platooning mostly....best Cub season was his
last...took the free agent route but was only able to play for the Seattle
Mariners AAA club in San Jose.
Randy Hundley didn't do any better for the Twins, lasting only one season while hitting .193. He was released after the season and after a stop in SD, rejoined the Cubs, where he became teammates with Mitterwald. Combining with Steve Swisher, they made a weak trio of backstops during some lean years here in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the Hundley year. He never was the same after 1969. I remember watching him hit a triple on TV for SD, the commentators saying it would have been an inside the park homer for most players. Yes those later 70's early 80's were mostly bad years for the Cubs who relied on past prime catchers until Jody Davis came along.
DeleteWith a name like MITTerwald, I guess his career path was pretty much pre-determined!
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at his picture on the card, the mitt looks especially large...like one a catcher would use with knuckleball. I think Steve Swisher's name also was a predetermined career path.
DeleteGrant Balfour is another.
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