Tony Oliva & Minnie Mendoza to Return to Charlotte on May 16th
May 12, 2017 - International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release
CHARLOTTE, NC - Tony Oliva, an eight-time American League All-Star, and Minnie Mendoza, a legendary player for the Charlotte Hornets and coach for the Charlotte O's, will meet fans and sign autographs at BB&T Ballpark in Uptown Charlotte on Tuesday, May 16th as part of the 2017 Harris Teeter & Gain Celeb Series.
Gates will open at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16th and all fans will have an opportunity to meet Oliva & Mendoza before the Knights host the Durham Bulls (Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays) in a 7:05 p.m. game. In addition, "Hispanic Heritage" will be celebrated and fans can expect special themed events throughout the evening.
Oliva made his Charlotte baseball debut in 1962 with the Hornets after signing a contract with the Minnesota Twins. That season, the Cuban native hit an impressive .350 with 17 home runs and 93 RBIs in 127 games. Later that year, Oliva made his major league debut with the Twins and went on to play 15 seasons in the majors (1962-1976). Over the course of his career, he won the 1964 American League Rookie of the Year Award, three American League batting titles (1964, 1965, and 1971), and a Rawlings Gold Glove Award (1966). Nicknamed "Tony-O", he was an American League All-Star in each of his first eight seasons. A true legend of the game, Oliva had his #6 jersey retired by the Twins in 1991 and was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2000.
Mendoza, like Oliva, was born in Cuba and spent time as a player with the Charlotte Hornets. Mendoza, 83, played a total of 10 seasons for the Hornets (1960-61, 63-68, & 71-72) and later coached the Charlotte O's. In 1972, Mendoza hit .316 over 131 games for the Hornets. He made his Major League Baseball debut on April 9, 1970 with the Minnesota Twins and appeared in 16 games with the Twins over the course of his career.
For their efforts with the Charlotte Hornets and their contributions to Charlotte baseball over the years, Oliva and Mendoza were among the inaugural class of inductees into the Charlotte Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Revived and renamed the "Charlotte Baseball Round Table of Honor" in 2016, Oliva and Mendoza will be honored on field before Tuesday's game as part of a celebration of 125 years of Charlotte Baseball history (1892 to present) and the 35th Anniversary of that inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1982.
Single-game tickets for this game, as well as all games during the 2017 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the BB&T Ballpark Ticket Office, online at CharlotteKnights.com, or by phone at 704-274-8282.
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