Steve Lombardozzi helped Twins to title, saw 6 ML seasons

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Steve Lombardozzi 1990 Donruss baseball card

Newly minted Minnesota Twin Steve Lombardozzi picked up three hits in this September 1985 game, falling a home run short of the cycle in his 12th major league game, The Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote.

"I've only been here a couple of weeks and this is my best game," Lombardozzi told The Star Tribune then. "I feel like I have the confidence in myself to field and hit up here, but I want to show everyone else that I can do it."

For Lombardozzi, even better games were to come. Two years later, he'd be helping hit the Twins into the playoffs - and then to the World Series title.

Lombardozzi's career began in 1981, taken by the Twins in the ninth round of the draft out of the University of Florida.

Lombardozzi started with the Twins at rookie Elizabethton. He hit .321 in 65 games. He then made single-A Visalia in 1982, AA Orlando in 1983 and AAA Toledo in 1984.

In 1985, he made Minnesota. He saw 28 games with the Twins that year and hit .370. He returned to Minnesota for all of 1986 and 1987. 

He hit .227 in 1986 and .238 in 1987. He also hit eight home runs each year. His eighth of 1987 helped clinched the division, a three-run shot to tie the game.

Lombardozzi had "a million things whirling through my mind as I rounded  the bases," Lombardozzi told The Tacoma News Tribune. "I mean, this was the big one."

He went 11 for 32 in the ALCS and World Series, including going 3 for 4 in Game 6. He also picked up a Game 7 hit before being lifted for a pinch hitter.

"I just ran out of the dugout and jumped in the middle of the pile," Lombardozzi told The Associated Press of the celebration after the Twins' win. "I wanted to be in the middle of it. There probably were more tears of happiness shared in that pile than words were spoken. You just can't describe it."

Lombardozzi returned for another 103 games with the Twins in 1988. He hit .209. He then moved to the Astros for 1989 and saw 21 games with Houston and just two more in 1990. He also briefly saw AA Columbus with the Astros and AAA Toledo with the Tigers. That season proved his last as a pro.

Steve Lombardozzi 1990 Donruss baseball card


1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,555
Made the Majors:1,439-31.6%-X
Never Made Majors:3,116-68.4%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:585-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:359

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