Melbourne Twins

The Melbourne Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Melbourne, Florida, that played in the 1964 and 1972 seasons. Melbourne played as members of the Rookie level Cocoa Rookie League in 1964) and Florida East Coast League in 1972.

Melbourne Twins
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesRookie (1964, 1972)
Previous leagues
Cocoa Rookie League (1964)
Florida East Coast League (1972)
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsMinnesota Twins (1964, 1972)
Minor league titles
League titles 1964
Team data
Previous parks
Cocoa Expo Sports Center (1964)

Melbourne was a minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Rod Carew played for the 1964 Melbourne Twins.

History

The Cocoa Rookie League began play in the 1964 season, with all games based in Cocoa, Florida. The Melbourne "Twins" became members of the four–team Rookie level Cocoa Rookie League. The Cocoa Colts, Cocoa Mets and Cocoa Tigers joined the Twins in the four–team league, beginning play on July 1, 1964.[1][2]

Melbourne Twins' pitchers threw two no–hitters in 1964. On July 4, 1964, Jerry Lyscio and Gene Melton threw a combined 7–inning no-hitter in a 2–0 victory over the Cocoa Tigers. On August 30, 1964, Lyscio and Melton combined for a second no–hitter in defeating the Cocoa Colts 2–1 in a 5–inning victory.[3]

The Twins began play in 1964 as members of the four team Cocoa Rookie League, playing under manager Fred Waters. The four teams, operated by the Detroit Tigers, Houston Colt .45s, Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, played a league schedule of over 50 games. The Twins' entry, led by 19—year-old Rod Carew, a future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, won the CRL championship by five games over the Mets' club. Total attendance for the year was only 1,683.[4] The Cocoa Rookie League folded after the season, while the Sarasota—based circuit became the basis for the Gulf Coast League, which still plays today. A successor to the CRL, the Florida East Coast League, operated in 1972 in Cocoa and Melbourne.[2]

The 1972 club was a member of the rookie-level Florida East Coast League. During their only season in existence, the team posted a 35–22 record, which gave them second place in the league.

Notable alumni

See also

Melbourne Twins players

References
  1. "1964 Cocoa Rookie League (CRL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  2. "1964 Cocoa Rookie League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. "Minor League No-Hitters 1960-1969 - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
  4. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd ed. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007, page 527


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