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| Kevin Tapani | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kevin Tapani |
| Position | Pitcher |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Birth date | 18 January 1964 |
| Birth place | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Kevin Tapani (born January 18, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners from 1987 to 1999. He was a key member of the 1991 Twins team that won the World Series and later contributed to playoff teams with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. Tapani transitioned into coaching and scouting roles after his playing career, working within Major League Baseball organizations and Minor League Baseball affiliates.
Tapani was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in nearby communities influenced by Hennepin County athletic programs and area high school baseball traditions. He attended Minneapolis South High School and played for local youth teams that competed in Little League World Series-style tournaments and regional amateur baseball circuits. Tapani went on to pitch collegiately at University of Minnesota before transferring to Ohio State University and later attending Arizona State University for summer competition, facing prospects from programs like University of Southern California and Stanford University. During his amateur career he appeared in showcase events scouted by organizations including the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, and Detroit Tigers.
Tapani was selected in the amateur draft and began his professional career in Minor League Baseball with affiliates such as the Visalia Oaks, Toledo Mud Hens, Iowa Cubs, and Richmond Braves before making his Major League Baseball debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1987. He was later traded to the Minnesota Twins in a multi-player transaction that involved organizations like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. With the Twins, Tapani became a fixture of the starting rotation alongside teammates such as Jack Morris, Allan Anderson, Kent Hrbek, and Kirby Puckett during the Twins' 1991 postseason run, culminating in the World Series victory over the Atlanta Braves.
After his tenure in Minnesota, Tapani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and later had stints with the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners. His career included matchups against pitchers and hitters from franchises including the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and Texas Rangers. Tapani also spent time in international spring training contexts shared with players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, and Puerto Rico as well as exhibition contests against national teams and Olympic baseball hopefuls.
Following his playing career, Tapani moved into coaching and player development, taking roles in systems affiliated with clubs such as the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, working with scouting departments and Minor League Baseball pitching staffs in cities including Rochester, New York, Columbus, Ohio, and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Tapani was a right-handed starting pitcher known for a repertoire that included a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup, competing in rotations against aces from franchises like the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. Over his MLB career, he accumulated wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched that placed him among notable contemporaries from the 1990s in baseball era. Tapani posted seasons with double-digit wins and logged quality starts against lineups featuring hitters from teams such as the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Seattle Mariners.
His statistical profile included metrics tracked by organizations and publications such as Baseball-Reference, Fangraphs, Sports Illustrated, and The Sporting News. Tapani's postseason contributions in 1991 included starts that were recorded in the annals of World Series history and discussed alongside performances by pitchers like Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martínez.
Tapani has ties to communities in the Twin Cities area and has been involved with charitable initiatives connected to organizations such as American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and local youth baseball camps in Minnesota. He has family connections to the region and has participated in alumni events with institutions including the University of Minnesota and professional alumni associations for the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins.
He has interacted with media outlets and broadcasters like ESPN, FOX Sports, MLB Network, WGN-TV, KSTP-TV, and Fox Sports North for interviews, analysis, and ceremonial appearances. Tapani has also engaged with former teammates and contemporaries such as Paul Molitor, Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau at events celebrating Minnesota baseball history.
Tapani's role on the 1991 Twins World Series team secured him a place in discussions about memorable postseason rotations alongside pitchers like Frank Viola and Bert Blyleven. He has been recognized by team alumni groups, inducted into regional halls associated with Minnesota sports, and has been honored at ceremonies hosted by the Minnesota Twins and municipal entities in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Tapani's career is documented in baseball literature and documentaries produced by outlets such as MLB Network, ESPN Films, HBO Sports, TBS, and PBS histories of baseball.
He continues to be cited by players, coaches, and analysts in discussions of 1990s pitching, team-building strategies employed by the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, and the evolution of pitching development programs within Major League Baseball.
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Minnesota Twins players Category:Chicago Cubs players