Don Mincher

Donald Ray Mincher (June 24, 1938 – March 4, 2012) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played from 1960–1972 for the original Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Seattle Pilots, Oakland Athletics, the new Washington Senators, Texas Rangers and again the Oakland Athletics, all of the American League.

Career

During a 13-year baseball career, Mincher batted .249, hit 200 home runs, and collected 643 runs batted in. He was elected to the American League All-Star team twice (1967 and 1969). As one of two representatives for the Seattle Pilots in 1969 (their only season in existence before they became the Milwaukee Brewers), he also holds the distinction of being the only player to ever play in an All-Star Game as a Pilot; Mike Hegan also was selected to the team as a reserve, but did not appear in the game. The following season, Mincher slugged a career-high 27 homers as a member of the Oakland Athletics.

Mincher served as the first president and general manager of the Huntsville Stars, the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A's (1985–1998) and, later, the Milwaukee Brewers (1999–2014). He served in this role from 1985 until 2001. In 1994, Mincher and a group of local investors purchased the team from Larry Schmittou to keep baseball in Huntsville.