Hank Izquierdo

Izquierdo was a solid defensive catcher but a modest hitter. Besides his brief stint with the Twins, Izquierdo worked in baseball for almost four decades as a player, coach, manager and scout, spending 23 seasons in the Minor Leagues—five of them in the Mexican League—and also playing winter ball in Venezuela.\n', '

Born in the neighborhood of Pueblo Nuevo in Matanzas, Izquierdo was originally a middle infielder and third baseman with good range and ability to turn and complete a double play. Eventually, he made the conversion to catcher successfully, to become one of the best defensive backstops Cuba ever produced. According to those who saw him play, Izquierdo was magnificent at all the intangible things that a catcher does, like calling the game, working the pitch counts, framing pitches and blocking home plate, which combined with a fine defense and a strong and secure throwing arm.…