Twins to enshrine two icons in team's Hall of Fame in 2024
It's been a fame-filled week for the Minnesota Twins.
On Tuesday, Joe Mauer received four votes over the minimum to get elected to the baseball Hall of Fame and on Friday the Twins announced two new members of the team's Hall of Fame: former general manager Terry Ryan and the late Rick Stelmaszek, who as the club's bullpen coach for 32 years.
“The Minnesota Twins would not be the organization we are today without the enduring legacies of Terry Ryan and Rick Stelmaszek,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said in a statement.
“Terry’s footprint is still felt within our organization and his impact across various aspects of baseball operations, from scouting and beyond, is evident in every club he led. Similarly, ‘Stelly’ helped guide generations of Twins pitchers to greatness over more than three decades coaching in our organization, and his legacy endures in each new wave of Twins players who train on the practice field at Lee Health Sports Complex that bears his name.”
June 4, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek (43) sits in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Twins defeated the Athletics 5-4.
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan was the general manager of the Twins from 1997 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2016, helping the Twins out of the AL Central cellar to a yearly contender.
Stelmaszek was Minnesota's bullpen coach from 1981 to 2012. His 32 years make him the longest-tenured coach in team history. He died in 2017 from pancreatic cancer.
Both Ryan and Stelmaszek will be inducted before the Twins face the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 10, 2024.
Jul 31, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan speaks to the media prior to the game against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field.
Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
