Wayne Terwilliger

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Wayne Terwilliger.jpg

Willard Wayne Terwilliger
(Twig)

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Biographical Information[edit]

In a career that has spanned seven decades, Wayne "Twig" Terwilliger was signed out of Western Michigan College by the Chicago Cubs in 1948. Playing for the Los Angeles Angels in the Pacific Coast League in 1949, he was called up to Chicago in August. He was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers partway through the 1951 season and backed up Jackie Robinson at second base that season. After spending the 1952 season in the minors, he was the starting second baseman for the Washington Senators in 1953 and 1954. He hit a career-high .252 with 24 doubles and 64 walks that first year in what was his most productive season in the majors. He also played for the New York Giants and Kansas City Athletics.

In 1960, he fully retired to the dugout. Among his stops as a coach were with the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers under manager Ted Williams from 1969 to 1972, the Rangers again from 1981 to 1985, and with the Minnesota Twins from 1986 to 1994, where he won two World Series. He coached with the independent league St. Paul Saints from 1995 to 2002.

"Twig" managed 12 minor league teams, winning 1224 games. Most recently he managed the Ft. Worth Cats and in 2005 won the league championship of the Central Baseball League. He retired as manager but returned as first-base coach. He planned to return in 2008 for his 60th season in professional baseball.

In 2006, he published his autobiography entitled: Terwilliger Bunts One

Notable Achievements[edit]

Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs
1961 Greensboro Yankees Carolina League 70-68 3rd New York Yankees none
1962 Pensacola Senators Alabama-Florida League 79-38 1st Washington Senators Lost League Finals
1963 Wisconsin Rapids Senators Midwest League 58-62 5th Washington Senators none
1964 Geneva Senators New York-Penn League 79-51 2nd Washington Senators Lost League Finals
1965 Geneva Senators New York-Penn League 65-61 3rd Washington Senators none
1966 Burlington Senators Carolina League 76-62 2nd Washington Senators Lost in 1st round
1967 Hawaii Islanders Pacific Coast League 60-87 12th Washington Senators
1968 Buffalo Bisons International League 66-81 7th Washington Senators
1973 Columbus Astros Southern League 69-70 6th Houston Astros
1975 Lynchburg Rangers Carolina League 60-78 4th Texas Rangers
1976 Asheville Tourists Western Carolinas League 76-62 1st Texas Rangers Lost League Finals
1977 Asheville Tourists Western Carolinas League 81-58 2nd Texas Rangers
1978 Asheville Tourists Western Carolinas League 73-67 4th Texas Rangers none
1979 Asheville Tourists Western Carolinas League 75-63 2nd Texas Rangers
1980 Tulsa Drillers Texas League 75-61 3rd Texas Rangers
2003 Fort Worth Cats Central Baseball League 51-43 3rd Independent Leagues Lost in 1st round
2004 Fort Worth Cats Central Baseball League 50-43 3rd Independent Leagues
2005 Fort Worth Cats Central Baseball League 60-34 1st Independent Leagues League Champs

Further Reading[edit]

  • C. Paul Rogers III: "Wayne Terwilliger", in Steve West and Bill Nowlin, eds.: The Team That Couldn't Hit: The 1972 Texas Rangers, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2019, pp. 256-263. ISBN 978-1-943816-93-4

Related Sites[edit]