Mincher's baseball career worthy of Hall
The son of George and Lillian Mincher, Don prepped at Butler High school where he starred in football and baseball. Foregoing a chance to play football at the University of Alabama, he was signed to a professional baseball contract by James “Zack” Taylor of the Chicago White Sox.
“Minch” went on to hit 200 home runs in the major leagues, with a high of 27 in 1970 for Oakland. He also hit 25 each in 1967 for the California Angels and 1969 for the Seattle Pilots.
He remained in Duluth for the 1957 season, improving to a .288 average with 13 home runs and 80 RBIs.
The 1958 season saw him promoted to Davenport of the Three-I league where he hit .330 with 23 home runs and 97 runs batted in. Charleston of the South Atlantic League was his destination for 1959, hitting .272 with 22 home runs and 92 runs batted in.
Don was traded by the White Sox early in 1960 to the Washington Senators, where he made his major league debut April 18, going 0-4 with a walk. One week later Mincher stroked his first major league home run, going deep off Milt Pappas.
In May he was sent down to the minors (Charleston of the American Association) but was recalled to Washington in September.
The Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961 and Mincher started the season with the Twins. In June he was optioned to the minors (Buffalo of the International league) for the last time in his career. At Buffalo Don hit 24 home runs in just 109 games.
Mincher spent 1962-66 with the Twins, then moved on to the California Angels for the 1967-68 seasons (where the author was fortunate enough to see him play in person). He played for the Seattle Pilots in the 1969 season (commemorated in the book Ball Four), Oakland A’s in 1970, 1971 and 1972 with brief stops in Washington in 1971 and Texas in 1972.
The last home run of Mincher’s career, No. 200, was off Joe Coleman at Tiger Stadium July 10, 1972.
During his career he had home runs off Hall of Fame pitchers Jim Bunning, Rollie Fingers, Whitey Ford, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Jim Palmer, Robin Roberts, Nolan Ryan, Hoyt Wilhelm and in the 1965 World Series off Don Drysdale.
Mincher was a part of the World Series champion Oakland A’s club in 1972. His final major league at bat was a pinch hit single in Game 4 of that series.
He was named in 1967 and 1969 to the American League All Star team.
After his baseball career, Don returned home to Huntsville where he ran a trophy shop. Not able to get baseball out of his system, Don was named as general manager of the Huntsville Stars, later became a part-owner/president of the Stars, in 2000 was named interim and then full-time president of the Southern League, his current position.
Don’s family includes wife Pat, son Mark, daughters Lori Lumpkin and Donna Hopper and five grand kids.
Jim Sandoval can be reached at casandman@aol.com
