Blog Bat-Around: The Alphabet Challenge

I've seen 5 different people do this so far, now it's my turn. Nachos Grandes started a blog bat around where you take a players first or last name, and spell out the letters of your blog title. If you didn't know yet, my blog title has 10 letters, (Turning Two,) which shouldn't be too excruciating. I'm going to try to stick with last names. Let's see what I can come up with.

First, we have the word, T-U-R-N-I-N-G.

T - Mike Trombley

Stats: Trombley played 11 years in the majors, (1992-2002,) and spent his first 9 of them with the Twins. He had a 4.53 ERA with the team during his time. 

Fun fact: He and his wife now run a financial firm in the state of Massachusetts.

U - Ted Uhlaender

Stats: Uhlaender played 8 years in the majors, (1965-1972,) and spent his first 5 of them with the Twins. He had a .262 BA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Ted's daughter, Katie Uhlaender, competes in Olympic women's skeleton competitions.

R - Joe Ryan

Stats: Ryan is in 3rd year of playing with the Twins, (2021-,) the team he made his debut with. He has a 3.63 ERA with the team during this time.

Fun fact: Joe was traded to the Twins while in Tokyo competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

N - Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Stats: Nishioka played 2 years in the majors, (2011-2012,) the only 2 years of his with the MLB. He had a .215 BA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Tsuyoshi, despite little success in the MLB, led the NPB with a .346 BA in 2010.

I - Jason Isringhausen

Stats: Isringhausen played 17 years in the majors, (1995-2012,) and spent his first 5 of them with the Mets. He had a 4.59 ERA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Jason is the only Met on the list, as there are no cards of Hank Izquierdo for the Twins, sadly.

N - Bobo Newsom

Stats: Newsom played 20 years in the majors, (1929-1953,) and spent 8 years across 4 stints with the Senators. He had a 4.28 ERA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Bobo was featured in Ogden Nash's 1949 Line-Up For Yesterday poem.

G - Cristian Guzman

Stats: Guzman played 11 years in the majors, (1999-2010,) and spent his first 6 of them with the Twins. He had a .266 with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Cristian was apart of the Chuck Knoblauch trade that sent Chuck to New York.

Now on to T-W-O.

T - Kevin Tapani

Stats: Tapani played 13 years in the majors, (1989-2001,) and spent 7 of them in Minnesota after 1 with the Mets. He had a 4.06 ERA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Kevin was drafted by the Cubs in '85, the Athletics in '86, but broke in with the Mets in '89.

W - Matt Walbeck

Stats: Walbeck played 11 years in the majors, (1993-2003,) and spent 3 of them with the Twins. He had a .271 BA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Matt got the Altoona Curve a Eastern League championship in 2010, but was fired soon after.

O - Jake Odorizzi

Stats: Odorizzi has played 11 years in the majors, (2012-,) and spent 3 of them with the Twins. He had a 4.11 ERA with the team during his time.

Fun fact: Jake was the starting pitcher of my first Twins game, April 10th, 2019.

There you have it. 10 players to spell out my title. I'd gladly do first names only may be in the future, gives me an excuse to look up some more interesting facts about the lesser known. Time to pass this onto the next blogger. Thanks for reading.