Tommy Watkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tommy Watkins |
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Watkins with the Twins in 2019
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| Minnesota Twins – No. 40 | |
| Third Baseman / Coach | |
| Born: June 18, 1980 Fort Myers, Florida |
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| debut | |
| August 10, 2007, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last appearance | |
| August 22, 2007, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games | 9 |
| Batting average | .357 |
| Runs scored | 2 |
| Teams | |
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Tommy Watkins was born on June 18, 1980. He is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman for the Minnesota Twins. Today, he is a baseball coach. He works as the third base coach for the Minnesota Twins in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before this, he was a manager for the Twins' minor league team, the Chattanooga Lookouts. He also spent almost ten years coaching in the Twins' farm system.
Tommy's Baseball Journey
Tommy Watkins was chosen by the Twins in the 1998 baseball draft. He was picked from Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Florida. He became a big favorite with fans when he played for the Fort Myers Miracle. This team was a minor league affiliate of the Twins. He played for them from 2002 to 2003.
His popularity led to a fun event called the "Tommy Watkins Bobble-Butt" promotion. This happened late in the 2003 season. While playing for the Miracle, Tommy became a utility player. This means he could play many different positions.
In 2002, he played at shortstop, third base, second base, and in the outfield. The next year, 2003, he even played first baseman for the first time. He also played all three outfield spots. He showed he was a very flexible player.
Making it to the MLB
Tommy played for many years in the minor leagues. In 2007, he hit eight home runs for the Rochester Red Wings. This was a team in the Triple-A league. He also had his best batting average that year, hitting .272. He also hit 22 doubles and had 49 RBIs (runs batted in).
The Twins called Tommy up to the major leagues on August 8, 2007. This was a very exciting moment for him and his teammates. He had spent ten years playing in the minor leagues. All those years were with teams connected to the Twins.
His manager, Stan Cliburn, said it was a very emotional moment. Everyone was happy for Tommy because they respected him so much. Tommy was the 14th player from the Red Wings to join the Twins that year.
Tommy made his first major league appearance on August 10, 2007. He got his first major league hit on August 15, 2007. This happened while playing against the Seattle Mariners. He was the first player in Twins history to wear the number 61.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Tommy always had a good smile. He also said Tommy was ready to play every day. He could play anywhere, in the outfield or infield. Tommy played nine games in the major leagues. His first game was as a pinch-hitter. He started the other eight games at third base. He got ten hits in 28 tries, all of them were singles. He scored two runs, with his first run coming on a Torii Hunter grand slam. His time in the major leagues ended on August 22. He had to stop playing because of a torn groin muscle.
Becoming a Coach
After his playing career, Tommy Watkins became a coach. In 2008, he played for Rochester again. He then became a free agent. In 2009, he signed with the Twins again. While playing for Rochester, he accepted a coaching job.
He helped coach the Gulf Coast League Twins. He also coached the Class A Fort Myers team. In 2010, he became the Batting Coach for the Beloit Snappers. Later, he moved with the team to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He continued to be a batting coach there.
After the 2018 season, the Twins gave Tommy a new role. They named him their major league first base coach. He continues to be an important part of the Minnesota Twins organization.
