Minnesota Twins: Three New Additions to the Twins Hall of Fame

Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer: Dan Gladden (1987-1991, 2000-Present)

Dan Gladden is one of the few Twins Hall of Famers with two seperate tenures as a member of the organization. The first tenure was as a player, the second is still going strong as a member of the radio team, and both have been very important to the franchise.

As a player, Gladden’s Twins career isn’t that impressive at first glance of his stats. He played five years as the team’s primary left fielder, slashing .268/.318/.700 with meh defensive stats. His only really notable achievement is that his 116 steals rank eighteenth all-time in Twins/Senators history. If you’re a Minnesota Twins fan, you know he means more than that.

For starters, Gladden is a playoff hero. I mean, duh. Gladden was a stud in 1987, slashing .314/.397/.490 and delivering a performance etched in the team’s memory:

In 1991, Gladden didn’t perform quite as well, especially in the American League Championship series, but he scored in a moment that is still truly iconic in Twins’ fans memories:

After the 1991 season, Gladden earned a $2.2 million contract over two years with the Detroit Tigers, and that was where he spent the rest of his career.

He never really left Minnesota though, as he had moved his family there and has remained there, working with the organization as soon as he retired.

In 2000, he became a member of the Twins radio broadcast team with 2001 Twins Hall of Fame inductee Herb Carneal. Gladden worked as the color commentator with Carneal until he passed away in 2007, and Gladden became the guy full-time.

Now, Gladden works with Cory Provus, and is in his 23rd year with the broadcasting team while also attending countless team events as a former player beloved by the fans.