Terwilliger to Retire; Cats to Honor "Twig" with Ceremony
Published on August 2, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Fort Worth Cats News Release
FORT WORTH, TX - Legendary Fort Worth Cats coach Wayne "Twig" Terwilliger, 85, has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2010 season. The Fort Worth Cats will honor Twig on Saturday, August 6th with a ceremony in between games of a doubleheader with Grand Prairie. All fans entering the game will receive a commemorative poster celebrating Terwilliger's career with Fort Worth and as a Marine.
On finally making the decision to retire, Terwilliger said, "My manager when I coached with the Minnesota Twins, Tom Kelly, said something that has stuck with me. Whenever he had to make a tough decision, he explained to himself that "it was the right thing to do." And I liked that. And after all these years in baseball, with plenty of thought put into it, this is what it boiled down to. It is the right thing to do."
Cats owner Carl Bell stated, "I first met Twig in 1972 when we were both with the new Texas Rangers organization. He was very gracious to a young guy like me in his rookie year in a professional baseball front office job. I'd like to thank Twig for the memories, but most of all, for the example as a Patriot, a baseball professional, and as a man that he has set for all of us."
"It's been an honor working with Twig over the years." said Cats General Manager Dick Smith. "He is a wonderful person and a true ambassador for the game of baseball."
Terwilliger is in his eighth year with Fort Worth and 62nd overall in professional baseball. Twig was the team's manager from 2003-05. He was named the Central League's 2005 Manager of the Year after leading the Cats to a franchise-best 60 wins. The team eventually won the championship that year, their first of three consecutive league titles. He stepped down as manager following the 2005 season and joined the Cats' coaching staff two months later.
On June 27, 2005, Terwilliger turned 80 years old and joined the legendary Connie Mack as the only two 80-year-old managers in baseball history. When he took over the Cats in 2003, he became the oldest skipper in minor-league history.
In May, 2006, his autobiography, Terwilliger Bunts One, was published by Globe Pequot Press.
In three years as the Fort Worth manager, Terwilliger compiled a 162-120 record and guided the team to three straight winning seasons. He was appointed Cats' manager on Dec. 12, 2002 after spending the previous eight seasons as first base coach for the St. Paul Saints in the Northern League. Prior to that, he was a member of the Twins' coaching staff where he witnessed World Series championships in 1987 and 1991.
After eight years of managing in the minor leagues following his playing career, Twig joined manager Ted Williams on the Washington Senators' coaching staff in 1969 before moving to Texas in 1972. He was also a member of the Rangers' staff from 1981-86.
Terwilliger's professional baseball career began in 1948 and he participated in over 7,000 games as a player, manager or coach. He was on the bench when Bobby Thompson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", the game-ending home run hit by New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds to win the National League pennant on October 3, 1951.
Twig served with the Marines during WW II. He was with Company D of the 2nd Armored Amphibian Battalion, created to lead the assault on key islands in the South Pacific. They fought at Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, and were in Hawaii preparing for new battles when the war ended.
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