Wayne Terwilliger

[VIBaseball]

9_Tommy_Brown_1945 mentioned that "Twig" -- one of the surviving Brooklyn players, who'll turn 80 later this month -- has his own website, www.wayneterwilliger.com. It's pretty good.

I remember seeing him mentioned in "The Boys of Summer" but had not realized his Dodger career consisted of a mere 37 games in 1951 (plus his season down on the farm in '52). Did he figure in any interesting action down the stretch that year?

I wrote to him once as I was doing some research on baseball in Hawaii. One of his many stops during 56 years in pro ball was Honolulu. He managed the Islanders in '67. Wayne kindly responded, but it was a one-liner saying that it was a forgettable losing season. I'd hoped for anecdotes, but it was not to be.

[DODGER DEB]

Originally Posted by VIBaseball

9_Tommy_Brown_1945 mentioned that "Twig" -- one of the surviving Brooklyn players, who'll turn 80 later this month -- has his own website, www.wayneterwilliger.com. It's pretty good.

I remember seeing him mentioned in "The Boys of Summer" but had not realized his Dodger career consisted of a mere 37 games in 1951 (plus his season down on the farm in '52). Did he figure in any interesting action down the stretch that year?

I wrote to him once as I was doing some research on baseball in Hawaii. One of his many stops during 56 years in pro ball was Honolulu. He managed the Islanders in '67. Wayne kindly responded, but it was a one-liner saying that it was a forgettable losing season. I'd hoped for anecdotes, but it was not to be.

Twig was part of the big trade in 1951 that brought Andy Pafko, Rube Walker, Johnny Schmitz and himself to BROOKLYN, from the Cubs, for Gene Hermanski, Bruce Edwards, Eddie Miksis and Joe Hatten.

He was, of course, part of OUR Team during that very painful loss to the NY Giants in the October 1951 playoffs.

c.

[Flatbush Flock]

I once met Wayne Terwilliger at a Washington Senators reunion. I'm sure that I was the only person there who asked him about his Brooklyn days. He was very nice, saying that his greatest moment as a Dodger was when he batted in (or scored, I forget) the winning run against the Cards, and how thrilled he was when stars like Jackie and Duke congratulated him.

[JACKIE42]

Wayne Terwilliger Returns for 2005 Season
Oldest manager in minor-league history to manage Cats again
By Don Weiskopf, Publisher, Baseball Play America
The Fort Worth Cats have announced that Wayne Terwilliger will return to manage the Cats for the 2005 season. Terwilliger-better known as "Twig"-managed the Cats to a 51-43 record in 2004. Twig led the Cats to the playoffs in 2003 as Fort Worth won the second-half of the East Division in the Central Baseball League.

Twig, 79, came to the Cats in 2003 after spending the previous eight seasons as a coach with the St. Paul Saints. When he managed the Cats on May 7, 2003, he became the oldest manager in minor-league history and the second oldest, behind Connie Mack, in the history of professional baseball. On June 27, 2005, Twig will join Mack as the only 80-year-old managers in baseball history. Terwilliger has been in uniform for more than 5,000 games. The 2004 season marked his 56th year in baseball. A major league infielder for nine seasons, he played for five teams - Cubs, Dodgers, Senators, Giants, and Kansas City Athletics. His career batting average in the majors was .240, with a fielding average of .974.

Twig sat out the 1974 season to operate a sports bar he owned in his hometown of Charlotte, Mich. If not for that year, he would join Connie Mack, Don Zimmer, Bill Fischer and Jimmie Reese as the only men involved in professional baseball for at least 50 consecutive seasons.

Twig began coaching in 1961 as the manager in Greenboro, N.C. Terwilliger managed in seven minor league cities through 1968, then moved to the majors (Washington Senators 1969-71, Texas Rangers 1972) as a coach for four years under Ted Williams. He returned to the minors as a manager in 1973 at Columbus, Ga. He managed there, Lynchburg, Va., Asheville, N.C., and Tulsa, Okla. before returning to the majors as a coach with the Texas Rangers from 1981-85. Terwilliger coached for the Minnesota Twins from 1986 to 1994 before joining the St. Paul Saints in 1995. With the Twins, Terwilliger was part of the 1987 and 1991 World Series championship teams.




http://www.baseballplayamerica.com/page2.html

[yes to bert & al!]

terwilliger is nice.
even though he dont sign c/o home he happily signs at c/o forth worth cats where he works as manager.

[9_Tommy_Brown_1945]

Today wayne Terwilligers 80th birthday. Him and Connie Mack are the only managers in pro baseball history to manage after the age of 80. So have a great 80th twig and hopefully become the first manager to manage past 90. Happy Birthday!

[twigsfriend]

Wayne Terwilliger's autobiography has just been published by Globe Pequot Press. It's called "Terwilliger Bunts One," and it has a chapter about his time with the Dodgers. You can see more about it at his website, www.wayneterwilliger.com .

Last year he led the Ft. Worth Cats to the Central League championship and was manager of the year. He figured it couldn't get better than that, so he retired. But he came back as first base coach, and today is his 81st birthday.

[DODGER DEB]

Originally Posted by twigsfriend

Wayne Terwilliger's autobiography has just been published by Globe Pequot Press. It's called "Terwilliger Bunts One," and it has a chapter about his time with the Dodgers. You can see more about it at his website, www.wayneterwilliger.com .

Last year he led the Ft. Worth Cats to the Central League championship and was manager of the year. He figured it couldn't get better than that, so he retired. But he came back as first base coach, and today is his 81st birthday.

Thank you for reminding US, twigsfriend, and welcome to BBF!

WE want to wish him a very Happy 81st Birthday, with many happy returns.

c.

[JohnGelnarFan]

Thanks for the memories of Twig. He was a popular coach for the Senators when I was a kid. I met him at the Senators reunion in 1999 and he signed the card from that event that's on his website. It's nice to hear that he's doing well!

[musial6]

Did you know that Twig's highest batting average in the bigs occurred during his one year with the Dodgers? It's funny, but my only real recollection of him was watching him play third base during one game of the July 4 twinbill with the Giants. It was the only game he ever played 3b for the Flock.

[twigsfriend]

Originally Posted by musial6

my only real recollection of him was watching him play third base during one game of the July 4 twinbill with the Giants. It was the only game he ever played 3b for the Flock.

It was apparently his very first appearance in a game as a Dodger. Dressen said "can you play third?" and Twig said "sure," tho he hadn't since high school. And the game was tied, so he was really feeling the pressure. Somebody got on base, and then Willie Mays hit a one-hopper right to Twig, who made a high throw to Jackie to start a double play, Terwilliger to Robinson to Hodges.

[musial6]

I might have missed that play. That day was a sellout so I had to buy a ticket out on the street. Stamped on it was "OBSTRUCTED VIEW." I sat in the upper deck back of third behind a beam.

[penncentralpete]

Here's Twig and I at a Dodger festival in April of 2008 in NJ.

[dodger dynamo]

you know he still looks a lot like he used to. Still moving under his own power, Not bad for a guy in his 80's. battlin bake, the dodger dynamo

[metrotheme]

I spoke with Twig on the phone a few months ago. He was really engaging. I read his book and I highly recommend it (it's available via the link above in the post). Good stories and photos. A war vet and a baseball lifer.