Scott Ullger

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1984 Donruss #438 Scott Ullger

Scott Matthew Ullger

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Biographical Information[edit]

Scottullger.jpg

Scott Ullger has spent more than 30 years in the Minnesota Twins organization as a player, minor league manager, and big league coach.

Originally a third baseman, Ullger was selected by the Twins in the 18th round of the 1977 amateur draft and made his pro debut that summer with the Wisconsin Rapids Twins. With the Visalia Oaks the following season, he hit .320 with 20 home runs and led the California League with 36 doubles. By 1980, he was seeing most of his playing time in the outfield, and in 1981, he .269 with 20 homers for the Orlando Twins and was a Southern League All-Star.

After playing for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1982, Ullger was in the bigs with Minnesota the entire 1983 season. He made his major league debut as the starting designated hitter in an April 17th game against the California Angels, going 0-for-2 but scoring a run. He was hitless in his first 19 at-bats through June, finally hitting an RBI single off Steve Renko of the Kansas City Royals on June 8th. A week later, facing the Royals again, he had his best game in the majors, going 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored, and an RBI while taking the place of an injured Kent Hrbek at first base. He finished the year with a .190 average in 35 games, 30 of them at first.

Ullger spent the next three seasons back with Toledo before spending 1987 with the Rochester Red Wings in the Baltimore Orioles chain to end his playing career.

Ullger rejoined the Twins organization in 1988 as skipper of Visalia. He led the team to a 90-51 record in 1990 and was named California League Manager of the Year. Earning a promotion to the AA Orlando Sun Rays in 1991, he led the team to a Southern League championship. He spent the next three summers managing the Twins AAA affiliates in the Pacific Coast League. He joined the Minnesota coaching staff in 1995 and was the team's hitting coach from 1998 to 2005. He spent the following five years as third base coach, and in 2011, he became the club's bench coach. He served as first base coach in 2013 when Terry Steinbach took over as bench coach and remained on the Twins' coaching staff until the end of the 2014 season, when he was dismissed along with long-time manager Ron Gardenhire.

Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs
1988 Visalia Oaks California League 80-62 4th Minnesota Twins
1989 Visalia Oaks California League 76-66 5th Minnesota Twins
1990 Visalia Oaks California League 90-51 1st Minnesota Twins Lost in 1st round
1991 Orlando Sun Rays Southern League 76-67 3rd Minnesota Twins League Champs
1992 Portland Beavers Pacific Coast League 83-61 2nd Minnesota Twins Lost in 1st round
1993 Portland Beavers Pacific Coast League 87-56 1st Minnesota Twins Lost League Finals
1994 Salt Lake Buzz Pacific Coast League 74-70 4th Minnesota Twins Lost in 1st round

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