#108 Don Mincher - Minnesota Twins

Donald Ray Mincher
Minnesota Twins
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  June 24, 1938, Huntsville, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before 1956 season
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1960; Minnesota Twins 1961-1966; California Angels 1967-1968; Seattle Pilots 1969; Oakland Athletics 1970-1971; Washington Senators 1971; Texas Rangers 1972; Oakland Athletics 1972
Died:  March 4, 2012, Huntsville, AL (age 73)

Don Mincher was a veteran of 13 big league seasons, playing in the final seasons of both 20th Century Washington baseball teams and in the first seasons of their new locations in Minnesota and Texas.  He was an All-Star in 1967 with the Angels, perhaps his best season, and the only Pilots player to appear in the All-Star Game in the team's sole year of existence in 1969.  Mincher hit at least 20 home runs in five different seasons, reaching a career high in 1970 with 27.  He drove in at least 70 runs in three different seasons.  Mincher won a World Series ring with the Athletics in his final season in the big leagues, and he had a key pinch-hit in Game 4 of the 1972 World Series to help his team to victory.  In 1,400 career games, Mincher batted .249 with exactly 200 home runs and 643 RBIs.

Mincher began his second career as a minor league executive in 1985, serving as the president and general manager of his hometown Huntsville Stars until 2001.  While he never played for the club, the Stars, then an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, retired his #5 in 2008.  He'd go on to serve as president of the Southern League until 2011.

Building the Set
May 26, 2021 from Los Angeles, CA - Card #286
Two of the final three cards needed for our set's second series came from set break auctions hosted by Greg Morris Cards out of Los Angeles, California.  This Mincher card was a steal for $1.27 and it arrived with the John Briggs (#163) card as both auctions closed on the same night.  After tracking down the surprisingly difficult to find Luis Tiant (#145) rookie card, our set's second series was complete!

The Card / Twins Team Set
Topps used photos from the same session for both Mincher's 1965 and 1966 Topps cards.  The main highlight on the back of the card needs some further explanation, as I don't think it's worded well, and it's not quite accurate.  Over a nine game stretch in 1963, between July 14th and July 24th, Mincher connected for eight home runs.  Topps adds a game to the tally as Mincher hit his first home run in the second game of a double header on July 14th.  He batted .486 over that nine-game stretch with 18 RBIs.

1965 Season
Mincher appeared in 128 games for the A.L. Pennant winning Twins, serving as the team's regular first baseman when Harmon Killebrew (#400) was moved to third base.  Mincher batted .251 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs, falling one short as the team's home run leader behind left fielder Bob Allison (#180).  In the World Series, Mincher hit a Game 1 home run off Dodgers' starting pitcher Don Drysdale (#260).  But he struggled throughout the rest of the series, ultimately batting .130 (3 for 23) as the Dodgers won in seven games.

1960 Topps #548

1968 Topps #75

1970 Topps #185

1971 Topps #680

1972 Topps #242

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1960 Topps #548
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1960-1972
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 Galasso 1969 Seattle Pilots #10

66 - Mincher non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/18/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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