2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Back in 1999, it would have taken a particularly optimistic observer to believe that the Canadian catcher selected in the third round would go on to hit 247 career home runs in the big leagues while batting .281/.348/.481. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. He was elected to the hall in January 2020, but his planned induction was delayed by COVID-19. Justins ceremony will be right before the 6:10 p.m. first pitch. It hasnt been worn again since. Morneau ranks second in Twins history in games played at first base (1,124) and ranks third in home runs, sixth in RBIs and eighth in hits and walks. Betsy Helfand covers the Minnesota Twins for the Pioneer Press. / CBS Minnesota. Additionally, 2021 marks Morneaus third season as an analyst for select Twins television broadcasts on Bally Sports North. Sixteen members of the Twins Hall of Fame, along with dozens of Morneaus former teammates and coaches, are scheduled to be in attendance to celebrate the 2006 American League Most Valuable Player. All net proceeds from this event will benefit the Twins Community Fund. Born in New Westminster, B.C., in 1981, Justin Morneau honed his skills with the North Delta Blue Jays of the B.C. Former Toronto Blue Jays first baseman John Olerud and 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins headline the four-man class that will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame . On the crying or not crying poll, I say he will cry. In 2008, he also became the first and still only Canadian to win the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game. "You never dreamed for a moment like this," Morneau said Friday. And if he somehow ended up in his secondary sport of baseball, playing for his favored Toronto Blue Jays was the goal. Five division championships, an American League Most Valuable Player Award, four consecutive All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards and a Home Run Derby title later as part of a 14-year playing career spanning four teams, Morneau's personal accolades and contributions to one of the most successful eras of Twins baseball were cemented on Saturday with his induction to the club's Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony before the Twins' matchup against the Blue Jays, the team Morneau supported as a child. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, Why Blue Jay Alek Manoah deserves some love in AL rookie of the year discussion, Josh Donaldson picks his MVP, plus the Rays Kevin Cash and Chris Robinson, The Blue Jays third-base job is Santiago Espinals to lose. Morneau is the 34th player to enter the Twins Hall of Fame. Lots of National Baseball Hall of Famers, so to be in a Hall of Fame with Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett? You welcomed me as one of your own and I will be forever grateful. After all, hed grown up a Blue Jays fan. "But once that's gone, I think what I'm left with is relationships and those guys. Heres the list: Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, Calvin Griffith, Herb Carneal, Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, Tom Kelly, Bob Allison, Bob Casey, Earl Battey, Frank Viola, Carl Pohlad, Zoilo Versalles, Gary Gaetti, Jim Rantz, Rick Aguilera, Brad Radke, George Brophy, Greg Gagne, Jim Perry, Camilo Pascual, Eddie Guardado, Tom Mee, John Gordon, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, Andy MacPhail, Johan Santana, Jerry Bell, Joe Nathan and now Justin Morneau. Following that season, Morneau signed with the Colorado Rockies and proceeded to bat .319 and win the National League batting title to become just the second Canadian (along with Walker) to accomplish that feat. You never dream for a moment like this, Morneau told the assembled media. Justin Morneau, who won American League MVP with the team in 2006, will be inducted at a ceremony before Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The familiar faces from Twins history that arrived en masse to officially usher in Morneau as the 34th member of the club's Hall of Fame were, of course, led by longtime skipper Ron Gardenhire and a who's who of that late Metrodome era of Minnesota baseball, including Johan Santana, Joe Nathan, Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter and Nick Punto, all of whom Morneau thanked by name. The 40-year-old spent 14 years in the majors. "When we land here at the airport, I come here and it feels like home," he added. Max Kepler was out of the starting lineup with a non-COVID-related illness after being removed early from Thursday nights game for the same reason. He was elected to the hall in January 2020, but his planned induction was delayed by COVID-19. Morneau wouldn't play for Pittsburgh again instead, he'd win a batting title in Colorado, taking over Hall of Famer and SpongeBob enthusiast Larry Walker as the resident owner of #33.. "I think this is the ultimate honor for a player," Morneau said. Justin Morneau: one of the best to ever wear the Minnesota Twins uniform. He let his bat do the talking, former Twin Joe Nathan said. Over the course of his career, Morneau was also named the winner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fames Tip ONeill Award, as top Canadian player, three times (2006, 2008, 2014). Its unfortunate that our thing is happening on the same day, but its also pretty cool.. The only exceptions were 2014,. The former Twins closer said he likes Justins style in the press box. While one of those players, Joe Mauer, got his due when his number was retired last summer, it will be Justin Morneau 's time to celebrate when he is inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame on May . Morneau enters the Twins Hall of Fame on Saturday after a career that was highlighted by winning the 2006 American League Most Valuable Player Award. There were mixed reviews of him from the start, in my opinion, but I think many people are now quite fond of his analysis. Hope to see you at the game! At least it was until Morneau arrived a decade later. It's almost surreal.". "[He's] a link to what was one of the best periods of baseball Twins fans have ever had," Bremer said. Fan Appreciation Weekend presented by Caribou Coffee (Thursday-Friday, Sept. 23-24) and, Kids Appreciation Day presented by Target (Sunday, Sept. 26). In the corresponding move, the Twins plan to activate John Gant (abdominal strain) from the injured list on Saturday. Current first baseman Miguel Sano recalls many moments with Morneau in Fort Myers, Fla., for spring training since Sano signed with the Twins in 2009. Morneaus guest list for Saturdays ceremony extends well beyond his teammates to his high school coach, the owner of the batting cage he used to hit at for free and, of course, his parents, neither one of whom he has seen in more than a year. He went on to become the 2006 American League MVP, a two-time silver slugger winner, the 2014 National League batting champion and winner of the 2008 home run derby, something no Canada had ever done before, and no one has since. He asked for permission to use it and Walker happily obliged. They said that I invited more former players and the longest guest list theyve ever had for this thing, Morneau said. Longtime Twins managers Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire were instrumental in turning Morneau from the raw catching prospect Minnesota drafted into the defensively sound first baseman who won two Silver Sluggers and a batting title. Two guys from B.C., who both dreamt of playing in the NHL, permanently enshrined by their organizations on the same day. I took some batting practice in the Metrodome. As part of his efforts for that cause, he hosted an annual casino night that raised over a $1 million for the arthritis foundation and helped send kids to Camp Cambria, a camp for kids with arthritis. The playing career would obviously have been sweeter with a championship, but to be fair, Morneau was part of the last Twins team to win a playoff game -- all the way back in 2004 -- and he noted that he just felt lucky to play alongside a Cy Young Award winner, Silver Slugger Award winners, Gold Glovers and All-Stars as he carved out his own piece of club history and represented an area that he still calls home. Twenty-five years later, Morneau is about to enter the franchises Hall of Fame after a 14-year big-league career that included 11 seasons with the Twins. Gambling problem? He also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. I guess a lot more people are more bored than that. He stayed at the University of Minnesota and, with his time off, he attended a Twins game at the Metrodome, sitting in left field. 1 spot, lacrosse is the No. rights reserved. He joins Kent Hrbek as the only first basemen to earn the honor, as voted on by 71 members of local and national media, club officials, fans and previously elected members. Odds & lines subject to change. Bremer said Morneau brings that insider look to broadcasts, translating his deep knowledge of the game to viewers and sharing with them parts they wouldn't otherwise see. Guests will not receive autographs on the Sports Illustrated Gladden & Olson magazine. For that, the former junior national team member had a long list of names to go through. Nov. 22Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan, members of the Twins Hall of Fame, are among the group of players who will be considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time this winter. MINNEAPOLIS -- Growing up on the western coast of Canada, Justin Morneau was, of course, coaxed towards the national winter sport of hockey. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. In hindsight, it sure is a good thing that he didn't pick hockey. Justin Morneau Twins Hall of Fame Induction (Saturday, Sept. 25; presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company). Sorry we could not verify that email address. "There's so many people that have your best interest," Morneau said. While his career ended without a coveted World Series ring, Morneau still has plenty of good memories to cherish, even joking the Twins "did win a playoff game" in his tenure. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! And then you get to cap it all off in the end with something like this. Fittingly, just as the ceremony was about to wrap up, Walker appeared on the video board with a message referencing the bat he gave Morneau. In fact, the Twins success drafting and developing players allowed them to surround Morneau with plenty of other all-stars, overcome their small-market status and contend year-in and year-out. ". He was the guy that lead by example. Monday Morning Minnesota: Further Spring Jokes Edition, Twins open Spring Training by splitting a pair of, well, split-squad games. That coat drive has collected over 40,000 coats from generous donors. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox. He will start Saturday night against the Blue Jays. I went from the best job in the world to the second-best job in the world, he said. 2 sport, and all my friends who played lacrosse made fun of me for playing baseball. His dad, who threw him countless hours of batting practice growing up. I know I will.. Is that really true? presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution For most pitchers, Pineda included, both are a challenge. MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN The Minnesota Twins today announced details for this weekends four-game home series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field, which includes Fan Appreciation Weekend presented by Caribou Coffee on September 23 and 24, Kids Appreciation Day presented by Target on September 26 and the long-awaited Justin Morneau Twins Hall of Fame induction on September 25 in a game presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company. One (1) autograph per inductee per attendee. Oh yeah, Justin Morneau played some baseball, too. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Morneau will officially be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in an on-field ceremony prior to the Twins' home game against the White Sox on May 23. I am looking forward to being in St. Marys this summer to celebrate with my fellow inductees in person. , Star Tribune "You just dream for one day in the big leagues. I figured about half the people would say yes and show up. Next, select your favourite teams and leagues and well show you their latest news and scores in the My Favourites section of the home page. Guerrero retired after the 2011 season and has since been inducted into the Hall of Fame and Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays star, debuted in 2019 and is an American League Most Valuable Player candidate. MINNEAPOLIS -- The first time Justin Morneau saw the Minnesota Twins, he still thought he was going to play hockey. Select as many teams as you like from the leagues below. (Chris Young/CP). The Twins Hall of Fame was created in 2000. Walker might have helped with inspiration, but hes not the reason Morneau turned into such a success. I think we all have so much respect for each other. And when he recently asked his father, the elder Morneau replied that he always thought Justin would end up becoming a hockey player. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Nor did Morneau fully grasp the history of the Twins, two-time World Series winners in 1987 and 1991. The Minnesota Twins organization is proud to celebrate and thank Twins Territory with Fan Appreciation Weekend presented by Caribou Coffee (Thursday and Friday) and Kids Appreciation Day presented by Target (Sunday). ST. PAUL -- Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan, members of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame, are among the group of players who will be considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first .
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