Jim Holt, who played outfield and first base from 1968 to 1974 for the Minnesota Twins, has died, his family announced. He was 74.
Former Twin Jim Holt dies at 74
His best year was 1973, when he hit nearly .300. He joined the A's the next year and got a World Series ring.
April 1, 2019 at 11:51AM
Holt died Friday at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, N.C. An online obituary did not give a cause of death.
He broke into the majors on April 17, 1968, with the Twins, after acquired him from Oakland in the 1967 Rule 5 draft. His most productive season was 1973, when he batted .297, hit 11 home runs and 25 doubles, and drove in 58 runs in 132 games. Only Rod Carew, at .350, had a higher batting average on the team among the regulars.
On July 15 of that season against Cleveland, he added the third of back-back-to-back home runs off pitcher Gaylord Perry. The first two were hit by George Mitterwald and Joe Lis.
In 571 games over seven seasons as a Twin, the lefthanded hitting Holt batted .272, hit 17 home runs and collected 159 RBI.
He was traded on Aug. 19, 1974, to the A's for first baseman Pat Bourque. He earned a World Series ring that year and finished his career with Oakland in 1976.
A graveside service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at North Lawn Cemetery in Burlington, with visitation at the Roy Blackwell Chapel from noon to 1 p.m.
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