That praise came after Lanoux knocked in three on a home run and another hit.
''He's a hitter,'' Gardenhire said of Lanoux to Twins GM Andy MacPhail, according to The Sentinel. "That's a very quick bat he swings. He's been producing big runs for us."
Lanoux ended up hitting .294 for Orlando that year, knocking in 53. But it was his last full season as a pro. He made AAA Portland the next year but he only lasted 28 games. He also never made the majors.
Lanoux' career began in 1985, taken by the Twins in the 13th round of the draft out of Louisiana State University. He went to LSU out of Santa Fe Community College in Florida.
At Sante Fe, Lanoux hit a first-inning grand slam in a March 1984 game. He also pitched some. He had four saves for the team the previous year by the end of March.
"I like throwing in relief - coming in with the bases loaded," Lanoux told The Gainesville Sun in March 1983. "It's fun. I know I've got to do it. If I screw up they score."
Lanoux went on to LSU. There, he hit a home run that proved to be the winning run in an April 1985 game.
With the Twins, Lanoux started at short-season Elizabethton playing third base. He hit .313 in 68 games. In 1986, he moved to single-A Kenosha. He hit .269, with 13 home runs.
He played 1987 and 1988 at single-A Visalia. He hit .336 his second year there, earning a promotion for 1989 to AA Orlando.
Lanoux then moved up to AAA Portland for 1990. In his 28 games there, he hit just .187, ending his career.
Lanoux has since returned home to Florida and he's still involved in the game. He is listed in 2014 as a coach with Coastal Prospects in Jacksonville.
- Gainesville Sun, March 27, 1983: SFCC Takes 10-7 Conference Win
- Orlando Sentinel, June 21, 1989: Big Night For Twins' Lanoux
Players/Coaches Featured:1,623
Made the Majors: 791 - 48.7%
Never Made Majors: 832-51.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 345
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201
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