WILLMAR, MN- The Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League have announced today that former Minnesota Twin and former World Series Champion Steve Lombardozzi will throw out the ceremonial first pitch against the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 7:05 p.m., on Thursday, July 7, at Bill Taunton Stadium.

This night at the ballpark is also “Minnesota Twins Night” presented by KDJS 1590AM featuring team mascot TC Bear, organist specialist Sue Nelson and fan favorite “Wally the Beer Man”. The first 200 fans will receive a Lombardozzi baseball card and have the opportunity to receive autographs prior to and during the game. 

 

Lombardozzi was a common name around the state of Minnesota in the mid 80’s as he led all hitters with a .412 batting average during the 1987 World Series and provided key hits in Game 1 and Game 6.  In Game 1, he hit a two-run home run off Cardinal Bob Forsch and also knocked in the winning run in Game 6 as his RBI single broke up a 5th inning 5-5 tie that would eventually lead to an 11-6 Twins’ victory.

 

Lombardozzi made his major league debut on April 25, 1985, with the Twins and had a career .233 average in six major league seasons, including playing time with the Twins and the Houston Astros.

 

“We’re excited to have Lombo out to the stadium for this event,” Co-owner Marc Jerzak said. “Lombo is a great Minnesota Twins name, and fans don’t get to see him as much as the other former Twins players.”

 

The Minnesota Twins selected Lombardozzi in the ninth round of the 1981 Major League Draft and assigned him to the Elizabethton Twins where he hit .321 with 6 home runs and 38 RBI in 65 games. The following years, he would make steady progress through the Twins’ organization, spending 1982 at class-A Visala, 1983 at AA Orlando and 1984 at AAA Toledo.

 

Lombardozzi was born in Malden, Mass. He received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainsville, Fla., in 1980 and 1981. In 1981, he received first team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) and SEC All-Tournament honors. 

 

Following 1987, Lombardozzi split time at second in 1988 and was traded to the Houston Astros at the end of spring training in 1989 for outfielder Roman Cedeno.  Lombardozzi played his last major league game with the Astros in 1990. He signed with the Detroit Tigers in June of that season and spent the rest of the year back at AAA Toledo.  Lombardozzi was known as major league’s most unique name and held the record for the longest last name of any player to hit a postseason home run until it was broken by Doug Mientkiewicz of the Minnesota Twins in 2002.

 

Currently, he runs a small business in Maryland and spends time following his son’s professional career. Steve Jr. was a 17th round pick in 2008 by the Washington Nationals and is currently with the Syracuse Chiefs, which is the Nationals’ AAA affiliate. 

 

Join the Stingers on Thursday, July 7, and meet former World Series Champion Steve Lombardozzi.  The Stingers are members of the largest summer collegiate league in the country. Tickets for Twins Night with Steve Lombardozzi are available by calling the Stingers Ticket Office at 320-222-2010. For more information regarding tickets and the 2011 season presented by Charter, please call 320-222-2010 or visit www.willmarstingers.com.

 

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