Three Tiny Tidbits On: The Twins

Baseball is here! Inspired by an old feature on The Black Table, we're previewing the season by going team-by-team and distributing Four Things You Don't Know about them. If you have suggested oddities on your team, send them to us at [email protected]. Today: The Minnesota Twins.

• 1. They Have The Most Random MVP Ever. The late Zoilo Versalles (full name Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez), in addition to having one of baseball's coolest nicknames — Zorro — was also the first Cuban player to win the A.L. MVP award. He won it in 1965, after hitting only .273 with 19 homers and 77 RBIs, although he did have 12 triples. Some contend that he sold his soul to the devil for the award, as is evidenced in his total number of at-bats that season: 666. — (thanks to Anil Adyanthaya). • 2. They Look Down On The Opposition. Although he's listed as 6-foot-4 in their media guide, Twins fans in the the know estimate that catcher Joe Mauer is closer to 6-6, making him perhaps the tallest regular catcher in Major League history. But the St. Paul native wasn't even the tallest player in camp this season; pitcher Loek Van Mil, who didn't make the active roster, measures in at 7-foot-1.

• 3. And Generations Shall Know Him As 'Fearless Felton'. On August 11, 1982, the Twins' Terry Felton (0-11) is the losing pitcher in 6-3 loss to California, dropping his career record to 0-14, the worst individual start in Major League history. Felton will never win a Major League game, finishing his career with an 0-16 record.