Dec. 4, 1964 - The Minnesota Twins traded pitcher Gerry Arrigo to the Cincinnati Reds for minor league infielder Cesar Tovar today.
Arrigo, 23-year-old lefthanded pitcher, won seven and lost four for the Twins in the American League last season with an ERA of 3.86.
Tovar, 24, played on Cincinnati’s San Diego farm club in the Pacific Coast League and batted .275.
The slender Venezuelan joins the Twins with good credentials, however.
“He could be another Zoilo Versalles,” reported Jack McKeon, a Twin scout and manager who had Tovar at Dallas of the PCL in 1963.
“We had Tovar on loan from Cincinnati. He played second base, third base, shortstop, and the outfield for me at Dallas. He can run. He’s a good hustler, aggressive, and wants to play.
“He has surprising power for a little guy — a lot like Versalles. He’s the ideal utility player. I’d say the Twins made a good deal.”
Twins president Calvin Griffith said it was a straight-up trade — “no other players or cash involved.”
In rebutting talk that the Twins gave up too much to get Tovar, Griffith admitted, “We paid dearly in giving up a good lefthanded pitcher, but Tovar comes highly recommended. We wanted to bolster our infield.”
The Twins will give Tovar a shot at third base, where hard-trying Rich Rollins’ fielding shortcomings outweigh his .280 bat. This is considered Cesar’s best position.
Failing to win a regular job, Tovar will be kept as a promising utility infielder to backstop three infield positions and fill in as an outfielder in a pinch.
“And he could be a valuable pinch-runner for us with his speed in a late-inning situation where we need a stolen base,” Griffith said.
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