Success #20: Ben Revere

Many Twins fans thought the Twins reached when they selected Ben Revere in the first round (28th overall) of the 2007 amateur draft. He had a weak arm and lacked power but made up for it with speed. Lots of speed. In his first full season of minor league ball, he batted .379 for the Beloit Snappers with 44 stolen bases and 10 triples. At the end of that 2008 season, Baseball America ranked Revere as the Twins second best prospect.

Thanks to injuries to starting left-fielder Delmon Young and starting center-fielder Denard Span, Revere got his first real opportunity in the majors in 2011. He hit for good average for most of the season and stole 34 bases. His speed in the outfield made up for his lack of arm strength as he was able to track down many balls other outfielders couldn't. That didn't stop some teams from taking advantage of his arm when they could however, creating a liability at times for the team. 

But his hustle was inspiring and his smile was infectious and Revere became a fan favorite almost immediately. Ever since Nick Punto left, I had been searching for a new favorite player, myself. Revere reminded me of Punto in many ways. You never questioned Revere's heart. He loved playing baseball. He was fast and made entertaining, and sometimes acrobatic plays in the field. His stats weren't overly impressive, but Revere seemed to possess something that sparked the team.

In 2012, Revere took over full-time duties in right-field and batted near the top of the order for most of the season. He batted .294 and led the team with 40 stolen bases. In a dismal season, Revere was a bright spot for the team, living up to his first-round status. 

On our way to a game in July, we stopped at a Pro Shop in Roseville, MN where Ben was signing autographs. He was supposed to sign from 11-12. He stayed until almost 12:45 making sure to meet most people there. The doors were almost closed on us but we begged and played the card, "We drove all the way from Iowa," and were let inside. He signed Hayes' first ever game ticket, a hat, and a baseball, despite the fact that he had already sent me one in the mail. That personality that won fans over on the field, was genuine. 

After two last-place finishes in a row, the Minnesota Twins entered the 2013 offseason with a lot of work to do. Primarily, in building a pitching rotation from the ground up. A shift in pitching philosophy was sorely needed and the Twins didn't have the players in their system to instill it. What they did have, was outfield depth. With Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks, Chris Parmelee, Joe Benson, and Max Kepler waiting in the wings (not to mention 2012 number 2 overall draft choice Byron Buxton), Revere became expendable. Last month, despite already trading Denard Span to the Nationals, the Twins traded Revere to the Phillies for pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May. Worley provides immediate help in the rotation while May becomes a top prospect with a power arm.

I'm sad to see Revere go, but wish him luck with Philadelphia. In his two years with the club, he was one of my favorites.

Mailed: 6/4/12

Received: 6/16/12 (12 days)

Success #19: Dan Gladden

There's a special place in my childhood memories for "The Dazzle Man" Dan Gladden. I don't know what it was about him, but I remember him as one of my favorites. Maybe it was his long hair and how it made him look and play like a wild thing. Maybe it was his outfield position, always my favorite. Maybe it was his game winning run in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. 

Either way, I remember Dan Gladden as one of my favorites growing up. Gladden had a phenomenal rookie season with the San Francisco Giants and finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year Award voting in 1984 after batting .351 in 384 plate appearances. In 1987, Gladden was traded to the Twins and helped them win their first World Series in his first season. After winning his second World Series with the Twins in 1991, Gladden signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers. 

Gladden had decent years as a Twin, but is probably more of a fan favorite because of his involvement with the team's two World Series Championships and because of his involvement with the team's radio network after his career ended. In his 4 seasons with the Twins, his batting averages ranged from the .240s to the .290s. 

In 1993, Gladden left the Tigers because of the impending MLB players strike and played a season in Japan, where he won a Japan Series Championship. When he returned to the MLB it was with the Minnesota Twins again, but as a scout in 1995. In 2000, Gladden became the color commentator on the Twins Radio Network, alongside Herb Carneal and John Gordon. Gladden still works for the Twins Radio Network with Cory Provus.

I've noted the seven Twins before, who were members of both the 1987 and 1991 World Series teams. Gladden was one of them. Kirby Puckett remains the only one that I will never be able to get, without purchasing. I sent Gladden's baseball to Target Field and received it in 22 days. I've had decent luck with sending items directly to Target Field lately. I'm not sure if I want to push my luck though.

Mailed: 4/10/12
Received: 5/2/12 (22 days)