Tony Oliva: The Life and Times of a Minnesota Twins Legend

Synopsis

If Not For The Botched Bay Of Pigs Invasion, Minnesota Might Never Have Known One Of Its Most Popular Baseball Players, Twins Three-time Batting Champion And Eight-time All-star Tony Oliva. In April 1961, The Twenty-two-year-old Cuban Prospect Failed To Impress The Twins In A Tryout, But The Sudden Rupture In U.s.-cuba Relations Made A Return Visa All But Impossible. The Story Of How Oliva's Unexpected Stay Led To A Second Chance And Success With The Twins--as Well As Decades Of Personal And Cultural Isolation--is Told For The First Time In This Full-scale Biography Of The Man The Fans Affectionately Call 'tony O.' -- From Dust Jacket. Young Pedro -- Life After Cuba Closes -- The Minor Leagues -- A Fast Start To A Big League Career -- Injured Rookie Wins Unprecedented Batting Crown -- Oliva Leads Pennant Push -- Life's Highs And Lows -- The Great Pennant Race Of 1967 -- Marriage And Family In The Year Of The Pitcher -- Baseball's Summer Of Change -- Twins Repeat With A New Bill In Charge -- Family Reunions And The Career-changing Knee Injury -- The Extremes Of 1972 -- The Final Years As A Player -- Tony O: The Man -- The Hall Of Fame Question. Thom Henninger ; Foreword By Patrick Reusse. Includes Index. Includes Index.