Tony "O" was signed by the Twins in 1961 as an Amateur free agent. The young Cuban's quick wrists, long frame and unharnessed power quickly impressed the organization. He was selected as the American League's 1964 Rookie of the Year, becoming the first player ever to win the Rookie of the Year Award and the American League batting title. He finished 4th in the MVP voting that year, but Tony wasn't finished. In 1965 he won his second straight batting title with a .321 average, the only player in MLB history to do so in his first two seasons. The next year, 1966, Oliva was leading the league with a .328 average at the end of July, but a 3-30 slump in August cost him his third straight batting title. However, he did lead the AL in hits in the "66 season (191) for the third year in a row. Tony led the AL In hits again in 1969 (197) and in 1971 won his third batting title with a .337 average. Tony completed his career with a .304 lifetime batting average, 220 homeruns and 947 RBI's. Tony's All-Star selections in his first 8 seasons surpassed Joe DiMaggio's previous record of 6. Tony was equally proud of his defense and was rewarded with a Gold Glove Award in 1966. After retiring from playing, Tony served as the Twins Batting Coach for a number of years. His number "6" was retired by the Twins on July 14, 1991.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Born: July 20, 1940 - Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Major League Teams: Minnesota Twins (1962-1976)