Tony Oliva
MLB debut September 9, 1962 for the Minnesota Twins Last MLB appearance September 29, 1976 for the Minnesota Twins Career statistics Batting average .304 Home runs 220 Runs batted in 947 Teams Minnesota Twins (1962–1976) Career highlights and awards 8× All-Star (1964–1971) AL Rookie of the Year (1964) Gold Glove Award (1966) 3× AL batting champion (1964, 1965, 1971) Minnesota Twins #6 retired Tony Pedro Oliva (born Antonio Oliva Lopez Hernandes Javique on July 20, 1938 in Pinar del Río, Cuba) is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. A star of the first magnitude during baseball's "second deadball era", he was a three-time American League batting champion, five-time hit leader, and 1964 AL Rookie of the Year. Playing his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins (1962–1976), the left-handed batting/right-handed throwing Oliva was an eight-time All-Star and strong-armed Gold Glove fielder. On a consensus Hall of Fame track his first eight years, his career was cut short in its prime by a series of severe knee injuries, forcing him to become a designated hitter during his final four years of baseball. He is widely regarded as one of the best players not inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 2014, he appeared on the Hall of Fame's Golden Era Committee election ballot for consideration, but missed getting inducted at Cooperstown in 2015, by one vote.