MIKE MASON

The Twins have a long history of bringing home Minnesota-bred superstars in the twilight of their careers.  Hell, in the '90s those were the only free agents they could draw!  (See: Morris, Jack; Winfield, Dave; Molitor, Pau; Steinbach, Terry)

They have an equally lengthy history of giving one last shot to journeymen and minor league players.  That's where Mike Mason fits in.  He had one very good year with the Rangers in 1984 (3.61 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), but posted ERAs well over 4.00 in each of his other six major league seasons prior to joining the Twins at the beginning of the 1988 season.  His audition for the Twins' 1988 LOOGY role lasted five games, and that was it for his big league career.

Since retirement, Mason has had a long and successful career as a minor league pitching coach, and spent the last six seasons serving in that role for the Iowa Cubs.