Tony Oliva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Oliva
Oliva with the Minnesota Twins in 1965
Right fielder / Designated hitter
Born: (1938-07-20) July 20, 1938 (age 86) Pinar del Río, Cuba
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
September 9, 1962, for the Minnesota Twins
Last appearance
September 29, 1976, for the Minnesota Twins
MLB statistics
Batting average	.304
Home runs	220
Runs batted in	947
Teams
Minnesota Twins (1962–1976)
Career highlights and awards
8× All-Star (1964–1971) 2× World Series champion (1987, 1991) AL Rookie of the Year (1964) Gold Glove Award (1966) 3× AL batting champion (1964, 1965, 1971) Minnesota Twins No. 6 retired Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2022
Vote	75%
Election Method	Golden Days Era Committee

Tony Pedro Oliva Lopez (born July 20, 1938) is a famous Cuban former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins. Tony was a right fielder and later a designated hitter from 1962 to 1976.

He was chosen for the All-Star team eight times. Tony Oliva was a key player for the Twins when they won the American League pennant in 1965. His teams also won two American League Western Division titles in 1969 and 1970.

Oliva was named the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 1964. He won three American League batting championships. He also earned a Gold Glove Award for his great fielding.

Tony was one of baseball's best hitters during his first eight years. This was during a time when hitting was very difficult in baseball. Later in his career, serious knee injuries made it hard for him to play in the outfield. He then became a designated hitter for his last four seasons. He finished his career with a strong batting average of .304.

Tony Oliva was honored in the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. He also joined the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2000. The Twins retired his uniform number 6 in 1991, meaning no other player on the team can wear that number. In 2022, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is a huge honor in baseball.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Tony Oliva was born in Pinar del Río Province, Cuba, in 1938. He loved baseball from a young age. Every week, he played with his father, brothers, and neighbors. They played in an empty field near their family farm.

Tony's father worked in a tobacco factory. He was also a former semi-professional baseball player. He taught Tony how to hit and helped him become the best hitter in their area. A scout for the Minnesota Twins noticed Tony's talent. The scout brought him to the United States to play professional baseball.

Tony didn't want to leave his parents and nine brothers and sisters. But his father encouraged him. He told Tony to go to America to become "rich and famous."

Tony's Professional Baseball Journey

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Tony Oliva came to the U.S. in the spring of 1961. He played well in his first few games for the Twins. However, the team's minor league rosters were full. So, the Twins let him go. Some people said it was because his outfield play needed work.

Tony had nowhere to go. He went to Charlotte, North Carolina. He trained with a friend who played for a Twins minor league team. The general manager there was impressed by Tony's quick hitting and strong power. He called the Twins and convinced them to sign Tony again.

There was a mix-up with Tony's name and birthdate. When he arrived in the U.S., his paperwork showed his younger brother's name and birth year. This made him seem younger to baseball scouts. The name "Tony Pedro Oliva" stuck, and he officially changed it later.

The Twins sent Tony to a low-level minor league team in Wytheville, Virginia. He played 64 games there. He led the league with an amazing .410 batting average. He then played in Puerto Rico and later for a single-A team in Charlotte. In Charlotte, he hit .350 with 17 home runs. He was called up to the major leagues for the last nine games of 1962. He hit an incredible .444 in those games.

In 1963, Tony was invited to spring training with the Twins. The team hoped his left-handed hitting would balance their right-handed sluggers. His teammate, Zoilo Versalles, believed Tony was "the new Ty Cobb." He saw similar hitting skills, speed, and arm strength in Tony. But Tony didn't make the main team. He was sent to a Triple-A team in Dallas-Fort Worth. He started slow but finished strong with a .304 batting average. He was called up again for the end of the 1963 season. He hit .429 in his few chances.

Becoming a Major League Star

Oliva in 1987 during his coaching tenure with the Twins

In 1964, Tony Oliva was almost everyone's choice for the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. He got 19 out of 20 first-place votes. He was also picked for his first All-Star game in his rookie year.

Tony led the AL with a .323 batting average. This made him the first player ever to win both Rookie of the Year and the AL batting title! He also led the AL in hits (217), doubles (43), and total bases (374). His 374 total bases tied a rookie record. Tony finished fourth in the voting for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

In 1965, Tony won his second straight AL batting title with a .321 average. This was another baseball first! His great hitting was even more impressive because it was during a time when hitting was very hard. Only two other AL hitters reached a .300 average that year. Tony also hit 16 home runs and had 98 runs batted in (RBI). He led the AL in hits (185) and batting average (.321). He finished second in MVP voting to his teammate, Zoilo Versalles.

By July 1966, Tony was leading the league with a .328 average. He had a tough time hitting in August and September, which cost him a chance at a third straight batting title. He finished with a .307 batting average. He was second to Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson. For the third year in a row, Tony led the AL in hits (191). He also won his only Gold Glove Award for his excellent fielding.

A special moment happened on June 9, 1966. Tony and four other Twins players hit five home runs in one inning! This tied an MLB record for the most home runs in a single inning.

After a slightly less strong year in 1967, Tony's 1968 season was cut short by injury. He still hit .289, which was good for third best in the AL that year. In 1969, he was back in top form. He placed third in the AL with a .309 batting average. He also had 24 home runs and 101 RBIs. He led the league in hits (197) and doubles (39).

In 1970, he finished third in batting average again at .325. He hit 23 home runs and had 107 RBIs. He led the AL in hits (204) for the fifth time. He also led in doubles (36) for the fourth time. He finished second in MVP voting again.

In 1971, Tony Oliva won his third AL batting title with a .337 average. He also led the league in slugging percentage (.546). These achievements marked the peak of his career. After this, serious knee, leg, and shoulder injuries started to affect his playing. His roommate, Rod Carew, often heard Tony in pain at night, getting ice for his sore knees.

Tony played only 10 games in 1972 before needing surgery. Because of his injuries and a new rule in 1973, he became the Twins' designated hitter (DH). A DH is a player who only bats and does not play defense. He stayed in this role for his last four seasons. Tony hit the first home run ever by a DH in league play on April 6, 1973. Just three months later, he became the first DH to hit 3 home runs in a single game.

After he stopped playing, Tony became a coach for the Twins. He is the only person to be part of all three Minnesota Twins' World Series teams. He was a star player in 1965, a hitting coach in 1987, and a bench coach in 1991.

Tony Oliva's MLB Statistics

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Tony Oliva's Major League Awards

Tony Oliva's number 6 was retired by the Minnesota Twins in 1991.

Here are some of Tony Oliva's major league awards:

Tony Oliva was also the runner-up for the AL MVP award in 1965 and 1970.

He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Other Achievements and Honors

• World Series champion: 1987, 1991 (as a coach)
• AL batting champion: 1964, 1965, 1971
• AL leader in slugging average: 1971
• AL leader in runs scored, total bases, and extra base hits: 1964
• AL leader in hits: 1964–1966, 1969, 1970
• AL leader in doubles: 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970
• AL leader in sacrifice flies: 1965
• AL leader in putouts as a right fielder: 1964–1967, 1969, 1970
• AL leader in assists as a right fielder: 1969, 1970
• AL leader in double plays turned as a right fielder: 1966, 1970, 1971
• Minnesota Twins No. 6 retired: July 14, 1991
• Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame: 2000
• Tony Oliva statue at Target Field: April 8, 2011

Becoming a Hall of Famer

Oliva in 2010

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is a special place for baseball's greatest players. Tony Oliva was considered for election by baseball writers from 1982 to 1996. Many people, including other Hall of Famers like Tony Pérez, believed Oliva deserved to be in the Hall of Fame.

Over the years, different groups of experts voted on players for the Hall of Fame. Tony Oliva was considered several times but didn't get enough votes. In 2011 and 2014, he came very close, missing by just one or four votes.

Golden Days Committee Vote

In 2016, a new group called the Golden Days Committee was formed. This committee votes on players from the 1950–1969 era. On December 5, 2021, this committee voted Tony Oliva into the Hall of Fame! He was officially honored on July 24, 2022.

Tony Oliva's Legacy

Oliva (right) with U.S. Vice President George H. W. Bush (left) at an old-timers' game in 1984

Throughout his 15-year career, Tony Oliva was known for his friendly personality. He was a positive influence in the team's clubhouse. Fans and the media in the Twin Cities loved him, and he was often called "Tony-O."

Tony had amazing hitting numbers during a time when pitchers often dominated the game. He batted .304 with 220 home runs and 947 RBI. He also had 1,917 hits and 329 doubles. He was chosen for the All-Star team in his first eight seasons. This broke Joe DiMaggio's record of six straight selections.

He was also a great outfielder with a strong arm. He led American League right fielders in putouts (catching fly balls) six times. He also led in double plays three times and assists twice.

Tony was also very good as a pinch hitter. He batted .340 when he came into the game to hit for another player.

In 1991, Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter said Tony Oliva was the toughest hitter he ever faced. He said Tony "could hit any pitch anywhere... he didn't have any weaknesses." Other famous pitchers like Dean Chance and Luis Tiant also said Tony was one of the hardest hitters to get out.

Tony's Personal Life

Tony Oliva started dating Gordette DuBois in the mid-1960s. They got married in Hitchcock, South Dakota, in 1968. They made their home in Bloomington, Minnesota. Tony still lives in the house he bought in 1972. All four of his children live close by. As of 2015, Tony also had four grandchildren.

See also

• Major League Baseball titles leaders
• List of Gold Glove Award winners at outfield
• List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
• List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
• List of Major League Baseball batting champions
• List of Major League Baseball career games played as a right fielder leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a right fielder leaders
• List of Major League Baseball hit records
• List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
• List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise

Book sources