Longtime Twins' coach Rick Stelmaszek passes away
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 28: Rick Stelmaszek poses for a portrait during the Minnesota Twins Portrait Day on February 28, 2005 at Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers, Florida.(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images).
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Longtime Twins' coach Rick Stelmaszek passed away Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 69.
The Twins confirmed the news with a Tweet Monday evening, saying the team is saddened by the loss of the longest tenured coach in franchise history.
He was known as "Stelly" to countless players, and established himself as a fan favorite over the course of his 32-year career--the third longest with a single team in MLB history. He won two world Series with the team--1987 and 1991--and countless other individual awards.
He returned to Target Field this year to throw out the opening pitch at this year's Opening Day game despite being in a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer.
TWINS' STATEMENT
"The Minnesota Twins are deeply saddened by the loss of Rick Stelmaszek. A true Twins legend, “Stelly” was widely respected throughout baseball. He was a professional who dedicated his life to Twins baseball and instilled a winning culture into generations of Twins players. The club, like many of his friends throughout the game, is thinking of his wife and son, Kathy and Michael, and the entire Stelmaszek family during this difficult time."