| Wayne Terwilliger | |
|---|---|
 Terwilliger in 1987 as a coach for theMinnesota Twins | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:(1925-06-27)June 27, 1925 Clare, Michigan, U.S. | |
| Died: February 3, 2021(2021-02-03) (aged 95) Weatherford, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 6, 1949, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 16, 1960, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .240 |
| Home runs | 22 |
| Runs batted in | 162 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Willard Wayne Terwilliger (June 27, 1925 – February 3, 2021), nicknamed "Twig", was an American professionalbaseballsecond baseman. He played nine seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) between 1949 and 1960 for theChicago Cubs,Brooklyn Dodgers,Washington Senators,New York Giants, andKansas City Athletics.[1]
Terwilliger grew up in Michigan. He joined the Marines in 1943 following his 18th birthday and served as a radioman on an amphibious tank in the Pacific Theater of World War II.[2]
While overseas, Terwilliger served inTinian andIwo Jima, and had his tank destroyed atSaipan.[2] "We were hit and the tank bogged down," he toldThe Sporting News on April 26, 1950. "We had to abandon the tank. Everybody scattered into the nearest fox holes. But at just about that time a [Japanese] tank rolled up and began blasting away. I knew I had to get out of there, so I ran for the beach, zigzagging in and out with the tank chasing me. I'm sure I'd be lying out there somewhere now if it hadn't been for one of our own tanks, which luckily showed up while I was doing all that broken field running."[3]
Terwilliger was discharged in late 1945 and attendedWestern Michigan College, where he quickly became a starshortstop.[4] As early as 1946, he was attracting attention from major leaguescouts, andSt. Louis Browns' scoutJack Fournier was particularly keen to sign him.[3]
In 1948, after finishing college, Terwilliger was playing second base with the semi-proBenton Harbor Buds when he was signed as a free agent in July by theChicago Cubs.[3] The Cubs assigned him to the Single-ADes Moines Bruins of theWestern League, where he finished the season.[3] In 1949, Terwilliger was promoted to the AAALos Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, where he batted .275 in 115 games, before being called up to the Cubs in August and playing in 36 games.[3] Terwilliger spent the 1950 season as the Cubs' starting second baseman, hitting .242 with 10 home runs, 32 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.[5] However, after getting off to a poor start to the 1951 season, Terwilliger was included in a trade that sent outfielderAndy Pafko, pitcherJohnny Schmitz, and catcherRube Walker to theBrooklyn Dodgers for catcherBruce Edwards, pitcherJoe Hatten, outfielderGene Hermanski and infielderEddie Miksis.[6]
After spending the 1952 season with the AAASt. Paul Saints, Terwilliger was claimed off waivers by theWashington Senators following the 1952 season and spent the next two seasons as the Senators' second baseman.[3] Prior to the start of the 1955 season, Terwilliger switched teams again after theNew York Giants purchased him from the Senators.[3] He spent the 1955 and '56 seasons shuttling between New York and AAAMinneapolis and the entire 1957 season at AAA. Following the 1957 season, he was traded to theDetroit Tigers in a swap for fellow journeymen infielderJack Dittmer.[3]
After spending 1958 with the Tigers' AAACharleston Senators, he was acquired by theKansas City A's from the Detroit Tigers in the December 1958Rule 5 draft.[3] In 1959, Terwilliger saw his last large stretch of time in the majors, playing 74 games at second and shortstop for the A's.[4] After starting the 1960 season with the A's, Terwilliger was unofficially traded to theNew York Yankees, a transaction that was common at the time between the two teams when the Yankees were accused of using the A's as a major league farm club and the two teams often seemed to have mutual rights to each other's players,[6] and played the rest of the season at AAARichmond Virginians before retiring as a full-time player.
In 666 games over nine seasons, Terwilliger posted a .240batting average (501-for-2091) with 271runs, 22home runs, 162RBI and 247bases on balls. Defensively, he recorded a .974fielding percentage playing primarily at second base.[1]
After his playing days were over, Terwilliger started a successful career as coach and minor-league manager in the Yankees' organization with theGreensboro Yankees of the B-levelCarolina League.[7] After taking the 1962 season off, Terwilliger would be hired by theWashington Senators to manage their single-A team, theWisconsin Rapids Senators in theMidwest League.[8] He would spend the following six seasons managing in the Senators organization, the last two at AAA.
Under managerTed Williams, Terwilliger was the third-base coach of the Senators from 1969 to 1971 and of the Texas Rangers in their first season, 1972.[4] Following the season, Terwilliger was let go by the Rangers, following Williams' retirement, and would manage theHouston Astros' AAColumbus Astros in 1973[9] and Texas' single-ALynchburg Rangers in 1975 before spending the next four seasons managing the single-AAsheville Tourists.[10] In 1980, he was hired as the manager of Texas' AATulsa Drillers.[11]
Terwilliger returned as a major league coach after being hired toDon Zimmer's 1981 Rangers staff and would stay with the team for four years.[4] He would coach first for Zimmer, and thenDarrell Johnson,Doug Rader, andBobby Valentine. In 1986, he was hired as first-base coach onRay Miller'sMinnesota Twins staff.[4] He would stay on with rookie managerTom Kelly, handling the job when the team won theWorld Series in1987 and1991 before leaving following the 1994 season.[12]
Staying in Minnesota, Terwilliger returned to the St. Paul Saints in 1995, this time as the first-base coach of the team in the independentNorthern League. He would remain with the team until 2002.[3]
In 2003, Terwilliger would be named manager of theFort Worth Cats in the independentCentral Baseball League, and won the 2005 Central League championship. After retiring from managing following the end of the 2005 season, Terwilliger accepted the position as first-base coach for the Cats, at the age of 81, and remained with the team in the newAmerican Association through the 2010 season.[13]
Throughout his career, Terwilliger managed 12 minor-league teams and compiled a record of 1,224 wins and 1,089 losses. In 2006, Terwilliger's autobiography,Terwilliger Bunts One, which drew its title fromAnnie Dillard's essay on how her mother turned that phrase into a mantra, was released.[14]
Terwilliger married twice. He first married Mary Jane Locke with whom he had a son, Steve, and a daughter, Marcie. His second wife's name was Linda. Terwilliger died inWeatherford, Texas, on February 3, 2021, at the age of 95.[15] He had been getting treatment for bladder cancer, but the cause of death was not given.[16]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Washington Senators/Texas Rangers third base coach 1969–1972 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Texas Rangersfirst base coach 1981–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minnesota Twins first base coach 1986–1994 | Succeeded by |
