Stelmaszek spent 32 consecutive seasons (1981–2012) on the Twins\' coaching staff and was the longest-tenured coach in Minnesota history. Stelmaszek trails only Nick Altrock, who spent 42 consecutive years (1912–1953) as a coach with the old Washington Senators (the predecessor to the Twins\' franchise), and Manny Mota, who worked as a Los Angeles Dodgers coach for 34 straight years (1980–2013), as the longest-tenured coach in continuous service with one franchise in MLB history.\n', '

Stelmaszek was drafted on June 6, 1967 by the expansion edition of the Senators in the eleventh round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft out of Mendel High School in Chicago, but didn\'t sign until August 28, keeping him from his minor league debut until 1968. The following year, Stelmaszek was assigned to low Single-A Geneva Senators and spent time between this team and the high Single-A Salisbury Senators. In 1969, he was back at Single-A, this time for the Shelby Senators in the Western Carolina League and played well, hitting .288 with 5 home runs and making the league All-Star team. In 1970, Stelmaszek was promoted to the AA Pittsfield Senators and despite his overall production at the plate dropping (hitting only .246 with 4 home runs and 47 runs batted in in 128 games), he was again named to the league all-star team. 1971 would see him promoted to the AAA Denver Bears where he hit only .247 with almost no power (1 home run, 1 triple and 1 double in 73 games), but he earned a call up and made his major league debut on June 25. However, after going hitless in nine at-bats, he was back in the minors within a month.\n', '

After spending all of 1972 in the minors, splitting time between Hawaii, Indianapolis and Denver, Stelmaszek earned a second call to the majors in 1973. He was batting .143 in seven games with the Texas Rangers when he was dealt to the California Angels with Mike Epstein and Rich Hand for Lloyd Allen and Jim Spencer. Stelmaszek would last only 22 games with the Angels and spent most of the season at AAA with the Salt Lake City Angels.\n', '

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