Twins announce details for Hall of Fame Weekend

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins today announced further details regarding the 2019 Twins Hall of Fame Weekend, as the club will induct former right-handed pitcher Joe Nathan and former team President Jerry Bell during separate, pregame ceremonies on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4, respectively. Sixteen previously-inducted members of the Twins Hall of Fame are scheduled to be in attendance to help celebrate Nathan, the team’s all-time saves leader, and Bell, who was instrumental in building two World Championship teams and leading the effort to construct Target Field. The pair will become the 32nd and 33rd members of the Twins Hall of Fame.

Tickets for all three games of the Twins-Royals series this weekend (August 2-4) are available via the MLB Ballpark App, at twinsbaseball.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS (612-338-9467) or 800-33-TWINS (800-338-9467), or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office.

Additional Twins Hall of Famers scheduled to be in attendance this weekend include: Rick Aguilera, Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Michael Cuddyer, Gary Gaetti, John Gordon, Eddie Guardado, Kent Hrbek, Torii Hunter, Jim Kaat, Tom Kelly, Tony Oliva, Jim Perry, Brad Radke, Jim Rantz and Johan Santana.

Below is an overview of the weekend’s events:

Friday, August 2 – Twins vs. Kansas City Royals, Presented by PAW Patrol: Mighty Twins (7:10 p.m.)

· Joe Nathan Media Availability (4:15 p.m. on the field): Nathan will meet with the media in the Twins dugout.

· All You Can Eat, Presented by FOX Sports North: This ticket package includes a Grandstand ticket (sections 237-240) and access to unlimited ballpark favorites.

· PAW Patrol Giveaway: The first 5,000 kids, ages 12 and under, in attendance will receive a PAW Patrol True Metal Car and tattoo sheet, courtesy of PAW Patrol: Mighty Twins.

· Fireworks Friday, Presented by Securian Financial (Postgame): The latest in a summer-long series of Friday night fireworks, presented by Securian Financial.

Saturday, August 3 – Twins vs. Kansas City Royals (6:10 p.m.); Joe Nathan Twins Hall of Fame Induction

· Hall of Fame Breakfast (9:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Delta SKY360° Club, Carew Atrium): Fans are invited to join Joe Nathan and Jerry Bell for a special breakfast celebrating their induction into the Twins Hall of Fame. The program will include a Q&A session hosted by Dick Bremer, will feature fellow Twins Hall of Famers Michael Cuddyer, John Gordon, Torii Hunter, Tom Kelly, Brad Radke, Johan Santana and Jim Rantz, and include time for autographs. Tickets are available for $125 and can be purchased online here.

· Plaque Unveiling (4:15 p.m. on Target Plaza): Joe Nathan and Jerry Bell will join fans on Target Plaza as their Twins Hall of Fame plaques are officially unveiled.

· Joe Nathan Bobblehead: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Joe Nathan bobblehead, honoring the newest member of the Twins Hall of Fame.

· Joe Nathan Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Pregame): Nathan, the club’s all-time saves leader, will officially become the 32nd member of the Twins Hall of Fame. The four-time American League All-Star will be joined on the field by his family and friends, along with past coaches and teammates, fellow members of the Twins Hall of Fame and additional club dignitaries past and present.

Sunday, August 4 – Twins vs. Kansas City Royals (1:10 p.m.); Jerry Bell Twins Hall of Fame Induction and Kids Day, Presented by Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare

· Kids Day: Every Sunday, kids’ meals are half price – just $4 – thanks to Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare! Before the game, kids 12 and younger can get autographs from a Twins player. Postgame, kids can run the bases courtesy of Twin Cities Orthopedics.

· Nathan and Bell HOF Pins: The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a special commemorative pin honoring the induction of Joe Nathan and Jerry Bell into the Twins Hall of Fame.

· Jerry Bell Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Pregame): Bell, who spent 16 seasons as the club’s chief executive and oversaw some of the most significant feats in Minnesota Twins history, will officially become the 33rd member of the Twins Hall of Fame. Bell will be joined on the field by his family and friends, along with fellow members of the Twins Hall of Fame, additional club dignitaries past and present, fellow Major League Baseball executives and influential advocates for the Target Field project.

Nathan pitched 16 seasons in the major leagues, including seven with the Twins from 2004-11. He finished his Twins career with a record of 24-13, a 2.16 ERA (463.1 IP, 111 ER), 134 walks, 561 strikeouts and a club-record 260 saves in 460 games. Nathan was named to the American League All-Star team four times for Minnesota and was the closer on three different American League Central Division championship teams. He was named the co-winner of the American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award with New York’s Mariano Rivera in 2009 after saving a club-record 47 games. The Houston, Texas, native was originally drafted by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 1995 First-Year Player Draft and was acquired by the Twins as part of a four-player trade in exchange for catcher A.J. Pierzynski in November 2003. Nathan saved 35-plus games in six different seasons for Minnesota and led all of baseball in saves (246) over a six-season stretch from 2004-09.

Bell was named the third president in Twins history in January 1987. He spent 16 years as Minnesota’s Chief Executive, helping lead the team’s business operations, while he was instrumental in the Twins 1987 and 1991 World Championship seasons. During his tenure, Bell led the effort to ensure the long-term viability of the Minnesota Twins and specifically oversaw the development, design, construction and opening of Target Field in 2010. Other accomplishments include setting an American League attendance record in 1988, when the Twins became the first A.L. team to attract more than three million fans. He also led the development and construction of Minnesota’s spring training facility, CenturyLink Sports Complex, located in Ft. Myers, Fla., which opened in 1991. In addition, Bell became the fourth recipient of the Herb Carneal Award in 2009 as presented by the Minnesota chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Nathan was elected by a 67-member committee consisting of local and national media, club officials, fans and past elected members, using rules similar to those necessary for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The 67-member committee annually considers “player” personnel for induction into the Twins Hall of Fame.

Bell was elected through the “Non-Player” Committee ballot, which consists of 27 voters; voting participants include all living Twins Hall of Famers; the current Twins President and Chief Baseball Officer, Twins Hall of Fame Committee members and Minnesota Baseball historians.

The Twins Hall of Fame, which honors players, managers, coaches and off-field personnel who have contributed to the organization’s growth and success since Major League Baseball came to Minnesota in 1961, was created as part of the club’s 40th Season Celebration in 2000. Membership is permanently displayed in the Hall of Fame Gallery on the Target Field Suite Level, as well as on Target Plaza and in the Minor League Clubhouse at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Ft. Myers, Fla.

A full listing of Twins Hall of Fame inductees follows:

Name, Pos./Role (Year Inducted)
Harmon Killebrew, first baseman (2000)
Tony Oliva, outfielder (2000)
Rod Carew, second baseman (2000)
Kent Hrbek, first baseman (2000)
Kirby Puckett, outfielder (2000)
Calvin Griffith, president & principal owner (2000)
Herb Carneal, radio broadcaster (2001)
Jim Kaat, left-handed pitcher (2001)
Bert Blyleven, right-handed pitcher (2002)
Tom Kelly, manager (2002)
Bob Allison, outfielder (2003)
Bob Casey, public address announcer (2003)
Earl Battey, catcher (2004)
Carl R. Pohlad, owner (2005)
Frank Viola, left-handed pitcher (2005)
Zoilo Versalles, shortstop (2006)
Gary Gaetti, third baseman (2007)
Jim Rantz, pitcher and front office (2007)
Rick Aguilera, right-handed pitcher (2008)
Brad Radke, right-handed pitcher (2009)
George Brophy, front office (2009)
Greg Gagne, shortstop (2010)
Jim Perry, right-handed pitcher (2011)
Camilo Pascual, right-handed pitcher (2012)
Eddie Guardado, left-handed pitcher (2013)
Tom Mee, media relations (2013)
John Gordon, radio broadcaster (2016)
Torii Hunter, outfielder (2016)
Andy MacPhail, general manager (2017)
Michael Cuddyer, outfielder (2017)
Johan Santana, left-handed pitcher (2018)
Joe Nathan, right-handed pitcher (2019)
Jerry Bell, team president (2019)