Tony Oliva (2022)


Date of Birth: 7/20/1938
Birthplace: Pinar del Rio, Cuba

Tony Oliva came from a baseball family with a father who played semi-pro baseball. Tony started playing baseball as a young boy.

Minnesota Twins

Oliva signed with the Minnesota Twins prior to the 1961 season. He spent most of his first three years in the minors. He joined the Twins for 9 games in 1962 and 7 games in 1963.

Oliva had an outstanding first season with the Twins in 1964. He won the AL Rookie of the Year award and he won the AL batting title. He had more hits than any other major league player that year and he led the AL in doubles. He had career highs in games played, hits, doubles, and home runs. He finished the 1964 season with 217 hits, 43 doubles, 32 home runs, 94 RBIs, and a .323 batting average in 161 games.

Oliva again won the AL batting title in 1965. He led the AL in hits and he had a career high in stolen bases. He finished the season with 185 hits, 40 doubles, 19 stolen bases, 98 RBIs, and a .321 batting average in 149 games. In his first postseason, he had 5 hits in 26 at-bats in 7 games.

In 1966, Oliva won his only Gold Glove as a right fielder and he again led the AL in hits. He batted .307 with 191 hits, 32 doubles, 25 home runs, and 87 RBIs in 159 games. The following season, he led the AL in doubles with 34. He finished the 1967 season with 161 hits, 83 RBIs, and a .289 batting average in 146 games.

Oliva played in 128 games in 1968, and he again had a .289 batting average. He had 136 hits, 24 doubles, 18 home runs, and 68 RBIs. He had a better season in 1969, when he led the AL in hits and doubles. He had 197 hits, 39 doubles, 24 home runs, 101 RBIs, and a .309 batting average in 153 games. In the postseason, he had 5 hits, including a home run, in 13 at-bats in 3 games.

Oliva again led the AL in hits and doubles in 1970. He batted .325 with 204 hits, 36 doubles, 23 home runs, and a career high 107 RBIs in 157 games. He had 6 hits in 12 at-bats in 3 games in the postseason.

In 1971, Oliva again won the AL batting title with a career high batting average of .337. He had 164 hits, 30 doubles, 22 home runs, and 81 RBIs in 126 games.

Oliva spent almost all of the 1972 season on the DL. He played in just 10 games with the Twins. In 1973, he came back healthy and he played in 146 games. He had 166 hits, 20 doubles, 90 RBIs, and a .291 batting average.

Oliva had injuries that limited some of his playing time in his last three seasons. He played in 127 games in 1974, and he had a .285 batting average, 131 hits, and 57 RBIs. The following year, he had 123 hits, 58 RBIs, and a .270 batting average in 131 games. He played in just 67 games in 1976, and he had 26 hits and a .211 batting average.

Awards and MLB Records

  • AL Rookie of the Year
  • Gold Glove in 1966
  • AL Batting Title (3 times)
  • Led AL in hits (5 times)
  • Led AL in doubles (4 times)

Career Statistics

Career batting statistics for Oliva include:

  • 1,676 games played
  • 1,917 hits
  • 329 doubles
  • 220 home runs
  • 947 RBIs
  • 645 strikeouts to 448 walks
  • .304 batting average
  • .353 on-base percentage
  • .830 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Oliva as a right fielder include:

  • 1,137 games played
  • 2,260 putouts
  • 59 errors
  • .975 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

Oliva was a coach for the Twins in 1977 and 1978. He was a minor league hitting instructor from 1979 through 1984. In 1985, he returned to the Twins as a coach and he remained in that position through the 1991 season.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Tony Oliva
Baseball Reference - Tony Oliva

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