Success #18: Randy Bush

There were only seven Twins players that were part of both 1987 and 1991 World Championship teams. Randy Bush was one of those seven.

Randy Bush was drafted by the Twins in 1979 and made his debut with the ballclub in 1982. He retired in 1993 having played all 12 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. Bush went into coaching almost immediately after retiring as a player and in 2006 stepped into the assistant general manager position for the Chicago Cubs.

I have to be honest, I don't remember much about Bush from when I was young. Things were different in the late-80's than they are now. ESPN didn't dominate television. It wasn't as easy to know every player on every team and all of their stats. What I knew of the Twins was what my dad told me, what I caught on local television, and what I overheard listening on the radio. Randy Bush wasn't Kirby Puckett. Or Frank Viola. Or Kent Hrbek. Or Danny Gladden. He wasn't Greg Gagne either. Those guys were my favorites. Those were the names I heard night in and night out. But he was a staple in the Twins organization all the same. 

Part of the reason that I probably don't remember much of Randy Bush is because he was a bit of a specialist. He played mostly in right field but logged time in left field, at first base, and as designated hitter often. Twice he led the American League in pinch-hits, which meant he came in off the bench. In doing a bit of research, I uncovered that Bush's numbers against lefties was so bad, that he simply wasn't in the lineup when a lefty was on the mound. Ever. In fact, in 12 seasons as a Twin, Bush only had 119 plate appearances against LHP. That's astonishing! 

Tom Kelly used Bush in a way that allowed his strengths to shine. It's probably why he was, and still is a favorite of many Twins fans. His weaknesses were never really exposed under the tutelage of Tom Kelly and instead, he became a reliable, consistent player who did what he was asked to do when he was called upon.

Randy Bush was a somewhat easy success, despite having to send the baseball to Wrigley Field. He has a good track record through the mail. I hate sending mail to the stadium because you never know how it's going to be handled. But three successes in a row, Pavano, Valencia, and Bush have come via team mail. I may not be done contacting Bush, as it'd be fun to get his signature on some World Series memorabilia, being one of the seven to win both 1987 and 1991 World Series Championships with the Twins.

Mailed: 4/7/12
Received: 4/30/12 (23 days)