This post highlights the March 6, 1974 Twins versus the Rollins Tars College spring training game. It was notable for the hitting of Rollins players John Castino(photo, above) and Russ Ricciardeli. Rollins is located in Winter Haven, Florida, and its team had competed with the Major League Twins for several years running by 1974.
It was usually the first game played by the Twins in the spring; Twins pitchers and catchers had reported on February 25. It was definitely a spring of change for Minnesota (i.e., see "Woodson, Braun, Hisle On Trade List" newspaper account), and the biggest question mark entering camp was whether Harmon Killebrew could come back after an injury-plagued 1973 season (see 3/9/74 TSN page 1 and page 2).
Guiding the Rollins squad was coach Boyd Coffee, a solid, no-nonsense baseball man who had previously been a catcher in the Twins farm system in the middle 1960s. He prepared his teams well, emphasized integrity, following the rules, and advocated accountability to the team (see story with Castino comments). He was an active player as late as 1966 with the Orlando Twins (A-Florida State League - see 1965!), and had been a minor league teammate of future Twins Rod Carew, Tom Hall, Charlie Manuel, and Rick Renick. After retiring from active play at age 28, he then managed the Auburn Twins of the New York-Penn League, from 1968-71, with two first place finishes and one second in four seasons. His enduring fame in baseball, however, would come as The Tars college coach. His career record was an illustrious586-419-6, a .582 winning percentage!
Winona (Minn.) Daily News March 6, 1974
Wilmington (NC) Star: March 7, 1974
In this very same game, the future-Twin Castino collected two singles for the Tars, and presumably opened the eyes of the Minnesota management to his energetic style of play. In 1976, he would be selected number 10 in the 3rd round by Minnesota; a 1979 (co) AL Rookie Of The Year Award awaited him. By contrast, the slugger Russ Ricciardeli is difficult to find on the web for any information, from 40 years ago to the present; it's almost as if he's disappeared from the face of the Earth. He went undrafted after college, and isn't found in the data bases I checked. But wherever he is, he can always feel the warm glow of knowing he took a baseball immortal deep. You can go to John Swol's always excellent Twins Trivia for an audio interview from Nov., 2010 with Johnny C.
It is not inconceivable that amateurs would hit major league caliber starters after a winter of inactivity, especially in the first non-intrasquad game of the year. I do know I was shocked listening to this game live in the spring of '74, as a kid. This was the era when many or most major leaguers still worked at other jobs during the off-season, and didn't maintain workout regimens. But what stands out here are the hits coming off a Hall Of Fame pitcher like Blyleven, and future star Dave Goltz and company.
John Castino 1979: Seasons of Passion & Fire, Albeit Brief
In another lifetime, I see John Castino as one of those Pony Express riders - bringing in the mail through a hail of arrows from hostile Indian batteries, enduring the wrenching heat of the Old West. He was the guy that teammates wanted on their side, whom fans loved for his working class grit.
"Go ahead, try to spika me,
I messupa your face." ---
I know. I know.
Cliche I-tai...Italian never spoken
in the Castino home in Evanston.
The story of how the Twins became entwined with the skinny kid from Illinois begins with a game he played against them before the Twins ever heard his name ( enjoy superb John Swol interview at his site, the excellent Twins Trivia ). In what had become a rite of spring, Castino's college team, the Rollins Tars, played the Major League Twins in their annual spring game on March 6, 1974. Rollins is located near Winter Park, Florida, near the Twins former spring training home of Tinker Field, in Orlando.
Lost to me now is the final score of that contest, and exactly who pitched and played for the Twins. Amateur players are usually giddy just to make contact with professional pitching. They almost always end in blowouts for the big boys.
Castino went 2 for 4, with two singles (see back, 1980 Topps).
I remember listening in horror to that spring game broadcast back to the Twin Cities. Our ace Blyleven (reasonably sure it was Bert!) giving up hits to some snot kid just out of high school? How could this happen? What's this "Castino" thing? An exotic Italian ice cream?! A extra from "The Godfather?" cast? Dumbstruck. What will the pros do to our hurlers this year?
My pre-teen sense of pride in the Twins was severely rattled. It was as if someone had told my girl she's ugly at the 6th Grade rollerskating party, then punched me in the stomach as a parting shot.
John Castino, 1980 Topps Rookie card
The Twins, knowing a gem had dropped into their lap, began scouting John. Castino was taken in the third round of the MLB 1976 amateur draft with the10th pick. Drafted just ahead of him with the 9th pick was future Twin Dan Schatzeder. Allan Trammel went to the Tigers in Round Two. Round One saw future Twin Ken Landreaux picked by the Angels, future Twin-KillerPat Tabler to the Yankees, and Mike Scioscia go to the Dodgers as a catcher. Scioscia would also go on to manage the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim past the Twins in the 2002 American League Championship Series. A solid draft, at that.
John had to beat out the incumbent Mike Cubbage for third base in '79. Cubbage had been there since he'd come over in the 1976 Bert Blyleven trade to Texas, and Mauch usually showed preference towards the veterans. That figures. Castino was still a thin guy lacking man muscles, appearing to be a choir boy barely able to shoulder a Louisville Slugger. Appearances deceive.
Manager Mauch chose a formulaic platoon for his third sackers, where Cubbage batted against righties, Castino against lefties. It took until the middle of May for Castino to begin receiving the majority of starts at third (see day by day game stats). Cubby was a solid major leaguer, but the disparity in their talent was obvious. Castino batted over .300 most of that year, finishing at .285, showing an obvious love for hitting triples (8) in only 398 at bats. He had excellent range, getting to so many balls that he was nearly beyond peer in the league (see Baseball Ref link with advanced fielding metrics-take the time to peruse, esp. the double play section right of chart - fascinating! Castino was right there with George Brett, Buddy Bell, defensive stalwarts).
The defensive tactician side of Mauch had to like that. Nice ball-hawkin' and then some "bling" to bolster that genius title - for the Rookie of the Year Award, the writers flinched: it was a draw between his new third baseman and Alfredo Griffin of the Toronto Blue Jays. That after John was told he was a longshot to make the team out of spring training.
Beyond the numbers, Castino had an innate pluck and sense of a leader to stand up to others in the baseball ranks, including the manager AND the Twins team owner...
When Calvin Griffith had blasted the team (see Castino article) for poor play during the 1982 season in the media, Castino shot back. "I'm not in charge of assembling the team. You'll have to ask Mr. Griffith about that."Calvin then issued this statement:
Griffith, Mid 1960's
“If Castino is a man, he will come see me face to face, if not, he’s a mouse.”
Castino takes it from there:
"Well, Calvin knew I’d come see him. When I got to his office he said, “Castino, you’re the most overrated third baseman in the American League.” I said, “Then trade me Calvin.” He replied, “I can’t trade you, you’re the best third baseman in the American League.” I just walked away and couldn’t figure out a way to debate his logic (or lack thereof). Both 100 percent true stories. He was an interesting character. Anyway, it gives some insight to Calvin’s boldness and lack of tact.Having said that, however, I liked the man and respected him. You always knew where you stood with him."(Seam heads link).
Relations gone awry at Tiger stadium: Fri, May 14, 1982.
Tiger Lance Parrish is man-handling a Twin, lower left.
On right, #22 Randy Johnson and #19 John Pacella of the
Twins are chanting peaceful James Taylor lyrics to pacify the
crazed jock-mob. Pacella had just pitched his first game
There was another on-field incident in 1982 that deserves mention in the Castino saga. The Twins rivalry with the Detroit Tigers had flowered into palpable animosity over the years, probably beginning in earnest with the arrival of Manager Sparky Anderson in the late 1970's. The rancor between the two teams continued all the way up to the 1987 League Championship Series showdown.
Then, the May, 1982 brawl errupted, culminating in Detroit pitcher Dave Rozema attempting to karate kick Castino (see Rachel Blount, Minneapolis Star Trib.). The whole, unsavory display of fisticuffs first began with an errant pitch from our favorite reliever and whipping boy, Ron Davis.
See the video for Sparky's account. Lousy quality, but still fascinating!
Anybody know if Charles Manson had a bobblehead Day yet?
Still sad to me is how John's back betrayed him, prematurely ending his career. A succession of injuries and spinal fusion operations forced him to call it quits in early May, 1984. What was most frustrating for me was the fact that right up to the very last day, he was improving in all phases of the game: he was fielding at an all-star clip, and fittingly reached base 4 times in 5 plate appearances in his finale (three hits plus a walk) against the Angels on May 7, 1984. And then he decided the pain was just too much, packed his gear, and left. An unfinished college education awaited his attention, and a career as wealth enhancement advisor beyond that.
Taking his place on the Twins roster the next day in Anaheim was a young outfielder with only two years of minor league experience: Kirby Puckett. His line? Reached base...4 times in 5 at bats (4 singles).
John prospered, but definitely watched with wistfulness and grace 3 seasons later when the Twins won it all ( see video no. 2 at link of him in retirement, summer, 1986).
***
"When I was 24, and in the majors, I felt I was invincible. I thought I could play until I was 45."
Factoid: Castino graduated from New Trier (Ill.) High. That school also numbers Liz Phair, Donald Rumsfeld, and Rainn Wilson ("The Office") among its graduates.
I'm not sure you could get a more assymetrical collection than this to gather at an all-school reunion.
Quotes about John Castino:
*Bruce H. (Castino fan), at Baseball Ref said:
"What a pleasure it was, to watch John Castino play the hot corner. He was as good at third, as anyone I ever saw at the Met."
*Kent Hrbek (Twins first baseman) from "The Twins At The Met: "I was always a fan of Johnny Castino. I admired him and the way he played, the hard-nosed player he was until he hurt his back. He was the third baseman when I came to the Twins. During my rookie season he was the guy I chatted with the most and looked up to the most."
Now that we've celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Twins in Minnesota, I thought it would be nice to look back at the 25th Anniversary celebrations.
Minnesotans, Minneapolitans, and...hell, I bet even some Neopolitans will find some nostalgic treaures and personalities they'd forgotten in these two clips.
Especially touching are the Bob Allison highlights, in addition to John Castino's comments.
Part 2:
Hope you enjoyed seeing the famous Twins! I'll keep adding popups - at least as long as my eyes don't pop out of my head. Some nice history here.
Ah-ha, so the Twins Twinkler is not AWOL. Can't believe...this is my 1st December post! The rigors of snow removal, and participating in Christmas Choirs (which - SUPER BUMMER! - never included the Win! Twins! theme song in performance) have sadly reduced my time for nurturing our little museum of Twins past.
OK, now pay attention to the prose, not the ho's!
Hopefully, this amounts to a nice exercise in beginning scanner use 101. This photo has to be counted as interesting, and telling at the same time. Where's Hrbek? Where's Gaetti? Discoursing in the men's room on the relative merits ofJaclyn Smith versus Morgan Fairchild? Negative, as they didn't even have invites to spring training. Frank Viola wouldn't be draftedby theTwins until June 8 in the2nd round (the 11th pick of the '81 amateur draft), Kirby Puckett wouldn't be drafted until January of '82 (in the1st round, 3rd pick of the amateur draft), while Randy Bush was still in AA at the Twins minor league Orlando affiliate.
Growlin' Gary Ward: in a sea of smiling faces, he retains his penitentiary face!
Among the reasons he was my favoite Twin. He was the Twins answer to
Don Baylor as a clubhouse enforcer long before Baylor became a Twin in '87.
"Forget ladies, I bring the Bombs, si?"
Bombo Rivera, 1979 Topps Card
You had guys on the way out ( the enigmatic Landreaux, who would surface later that fall with the eventual World Champ Dodgers), Glenn Adams, Bombo Rivera - all guys who had played for a few '70s edition Twins, plus coaches who had played or been on the Twins playing roster in the 1960's (pitching coach Podres, Manager Johnny Goryl, his successor, Billy "Shotgun" Gardner). Recall too that Johnny Pods guru'd Sweet Music in his use of the circle change up. Those damn Brooklyn boys always stick together!
So, all in all, a '60's coaching staff, with a roster of mostly '70's guys buttressing (buttressing? Isn't that illegal in several states?) a core group of young '80's guys who would come up after the rosters expanded (Tim Laudner and Smalley are the only players who would make it to 1987, not counting coach Rick Stelmaszek). Stelmaszek, just beginning his time that spring with the Twins and now a four-decade guy, is the longest tenured member of the organization - if you completely ignore the existence of Jim Rantz.
'Sall for now. Hope you enjoyed the trip. May Your Taters Fly Far! TT
Guiding the Rollins squad was coach Boyd Coffee, a solid, no-nonsense baseball man who had previously been a catcher in the Twins farm system in the middle 1960s. He prepared his teams well, emphasized integrity, following the rules, and advocated accountability to the team (see story with Castino comments). He was an active player as late as 1966 with the Orlando Twins (A-Florida State League - see 1965!), and had been a minor league teammate of future Twins Rod Carew, Tom Hall, Charlie Manuel, and Rick Renick. After retiring from active play at age 28, he then managed the Auburn Twins of the New York-Penn League, from 1968-71, with two first place finishes and one second in four seasons. His enduring fame in baseball, however, would come as The Tars college coach. His career record was an illustrious 586-419-6, a .582 winning percentage! 
