Don Minnick
From BR Bullpen
Donald Athey Minnick
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 195 lb.
- Debut September 23, 1957
- Final Game September 28, 1957
- Born April 14, 1931 in Lynchburg, VA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Don Minnick was a 6' 3" right-hander who pitched his team to the American Legion baseball national championship in 1948. He then entered pro baseball was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season. The eighteen-year-old was farmed out to the Pittsfield Indians of the Canadian-American League and went 7-2 with a 3.99 ERA in 12 appearances. In 1950, Don would go 2-3 for the Dayton Indians of the Central League and then in 1951 he would win 14 and lose 11 with a 3.12 ERA for the Wichita Indians of the Western League. The United States Military Services would call and Don would spend the next two seasons (1952-53) in the armed services during the Korean War.
On his return, Minnick would spend the next two seasons with the Reading Indians of the Eastern League, going 7-9 in 1954. Then in '55 with the same outfit in the same ball park, he would win 20 and lose only 4 with a 2.78 ERA while pitching 223 innings. His 20 victories would lead the league, put him on the All-Star team and no doubt helped his team to the Eastern League pennant. After a very poor 1956, where he went 8-11 with a 5.45 ERA with the Mobile Bears and the Indianapolis Indians, he was released by Cleveland. He was picked up by the Washington Senators on May 8, 1957.
Following his move to the Senators organization, he would spend most of 1957 with the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association, going 17-6 with a 3.09 ERA in 204 innings. This got him a late season call from the Senators and he would lose his only decision in two appearances. He made his debut in a two inning relief stint with vice-president Richard Nixon on hand during Roy Sievers Night. He allowed just one base runner, Ted Williams, who walked to extend his record consecutive on bases streak to 15 at-bats. This was Don's only shot at the majors, finishing at 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA, pitching just nine innings.
Minnick would go back to Chattanooga for the next two seasons, going 10-10 in 1958, but fell to an early 0-4 in 1959 and decided to move on to greener pastures. He finished up his nine-year minor league run with an 85-60 record with a 3.70 ERA while appearing in 254 outings.
Minnick then entered the trucking business in the early 1960s, becoming an independent contract hauler and as of last notice makes his home in Rocky Mount, VA.
