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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Greg Thayer's journey to the big leagues was a long one — metaphorically, not literally.
After being drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 32nd round of the 1971 MLB Draft, Thayer pitched professionally for two seasons in the Giants' system.
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Then, in 1973, he found himself out of organized baseball. The Minnesota native returned home and played — as a two-way player — for an independent amateur team based in Fargo, North Dakota.
The Twins liked what they saw from Thayer as a pitcher enough to sign him to a minor league contract in November 1973. Five years later, Thayer was a major leaguer.
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Thayer's 20-game cup of coffee with the 1978 Twins was the high point in his athletic career. A multi-sport prodigy and collegiate Hall of Famer in St. Cloud, Thayer died on Friday in his hometown. He was 76.
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Thayer was born on Oct. 23, 1949, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His athletic talents surfaced early. After graduating from St. Cloud Tech High School in 1968, where he excelled in multiple sports, he went on to St. Cloud State University on a football scholarship.
There, Thayer distinguished himself as a dual-sport athlete. In his freshman season, he was awarded the John Weiner Award for Outstanding Freshman Football Player. Later, as a quarterback, he helped lead the Huskies to a conference championship in 1970. In the spring, he pitched the baseball team to three conference titles. He also earned all-conference honors as an outfielder in 1971.
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Drafted by the Giants in the 32nd round of the 1971 MLB draft, Thayer spent seven seasons — including his one year in Fargo — playing in the minor leagues. Thayer made the Twins' Opening Day roster in 1978 and pitched the final three innings of an Opening Day loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Thayer would finish 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA (102 ERA+) in his lone big league season in the Twins' bullpen. Thayer spent all of 1979 and 1980 in the minor leagues for the Twins and Toronto Blue Jays organizations, the last of his nine professional seasons.
According to his obituary, Thayer spent many years contributing to the Sauk Rapids sports community as a baseball coach, imparting lessons from his experience both on the mound and in life. He was often seen at local fields and gyms supporting athletes of all ages.
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