Support for Tony Oliva

I’ve been saying for years that Minnesota Twins great Tony Oliva belongs in the Hall of Fame. The late Ralph Houk, who managed in the American League with three teams, seems to agree. He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in the 1960s that Yankee stars “Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris are great hitters, but Oliva is the best I've seen. There is no way you can pitch to him." The 1964 American League Rookie of the Year and eight-time American League All-Star always impressed me when I got a chance to watch the sweet-swinging Cuban on television or listen to games on radio. During three summers in Minnesota, we made bus trips to Bloomington to see the Twins and Tony Oliva. What a hitter! It’s a shame he hasn’t found the necessary support to enter baseball’s shrine.