Between 2003 and 2013, he was a four-time all-star (2007 to 2010), won two Silver Slugger awards (2006, 2008), had four 100-RBI seasons including tying Larry Walkers single-season Canadian record with 130 RBIs in 2006 and in that same season, he became the first and still only Canadian to be named American League MVP. I enjoy the moment.. He let his bat do the talking, former Twin Joe Nathan said. At least it was until Morneau arrived a decade later. Now Morneau has cemented his legacy with the Twins, alongside the likes of Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew. Back then, the Canadian's dream was to play in the NHL. "It's because of the people and the fans and the friends and the community and everything else. {* backButton *} Select additional sports and leagues youre interested in from the list below. Each year in Minneapolis, he spearheads a winter coat drive for the Salvation Army. In hindsight, it sure is a good thing that he didn't pick hockey. 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. A 2010 concussion and other subsequent injuries derailed his career a bit, but he went on to play for Pittsburgh, Colorado and the White Sox before retiring in 2016. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. MINNEAPOLIS -- The first time Justin Morneau saw the Minnesota Twins, he still thought he was going to play hockey. Baldelli said its possible Kepler might not start on Saturday, either, as the Twins give him time to recuperate. "I think it was the right move. Justins ceremony will be right before the 6:10 p.m. first pitch. 2): Off the rails, On the Relationship of Pitch Tempo and Defense. Joe Nathan joined the two in the booth Friday. The first baseman became a fan favorite not only for his production and partnership with longtime teammate Joe Mauer as the core of five division championship teams, but also for how quickly he established himself as a leading figure in his adopted Minnesota community. #MNTwins Hall of Fame: pic.twitter.com/hXl885Bc9d. Justin Morneau remembered the first time he came to Minnesota at about 15 years old for a hockey tournament at the University of Minnesota. He was a dominant lefty who you couldnt not like. When submitting content, please abide by our . "The Minnesota Twins are thrilled with the election of Justin Morneau . We didn't recognize that password reset code. It's almost surreal.". One of the more pointed tributes came when Morneau shouted out Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins for paving the way for all Canadians. "I think this is the ultimate honor for a player," Morneau said. Morneau grew up playing hockey and even took time away from baseball to commit to hockey as a teenager. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). He played parts of 11 seasons with the. She joined the paper in December 2018 after spending nearly three years in Las Vegas covering sports for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. At 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. fans can have their picture taken with Ron Gardenhire, Corey Koskie, Ryan Doumit and Nick Punto. He suited up for part of one more season with the Rockies before playing his final big league campaign with the Chicago White Sox in 2016. That's something that I never really thought would come along, and it did.". expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto The man who ran the local batting cage and let Morneau hit for free so he could get enough reps. Customize your Sportsnet lineup for the latest news from your favourite leagues and teams. He finished his Twins career hitting .278 (1,318-for-4,749) with 289 doubles, 16 triples, 221 home runs, 860 RBI, 669 runs scored and 501 walks in 1,278 games. It was funny because he said a lot of the things that I was planning on saying. 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. For most pitchers, Pineda included, both are a challenge. We invite you to a special breakfast celebrating the induction of Ron Gardenhire, Dan Gladden, and Csar Tovar into the Twins Hall of Fame. To order It hasnt been worn again since. You look at Torii (Hunter) and (Joe) Mauer and Johan Santana and one of the best closers in the history of the game in Joe Nathan and you think about the teams we put on the field, Im just lucky I came along at the right time, Morneau said. You just dream for one day in the big leagues and to cap it all off in the end with something like this, its something surreal., This is a franchise with a long, proud history of some great players, he continued. 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. Lots of numbers retired up on the wall, lots of National Baseball Hall of Famers,\" Morneau said. Morneau joked that the Twins gave him a hard time for inviting more guests than anyone ever had before. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity to share a moment like this in a stadium full of people. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"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.\n\n\"This is a franchise with a long, proud history and great players. His dad, who threw him countless hours of batting practice growing up. We invite you to a special breakfast celebrating the induction of Ron Gardenhire, Dan Gladden, and Csar Tovar into the Twins Hall of Fame. Membership is permanently displayed in the Hall of Fame Gallery on the Target Field Suite Level, as well as on Target Plaza and in the Minor League Clubhouse at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla. A full listing of Twins Hall of Fame inductees follows: Name, Pos./Role (Year Inducted) Name, Pos./Role (Year Inducted), Harmon Killebrew, first baseman (2000) Jim Rantz, pitcher & front office (2007), Tony Oliva, outfielder (2000) Rick Aguilera, right-handed pitcher (2008), Rod Carew, second baseman (2000) Brad Radke, right-handed pitcher (2009), Kent Hrbek, first baseman (2000) George Brophy, front office (2009), Kirby Puckett, outfielder (2000) Greg Gagne, shortstop (2010), Calvin Griffith, president & principal owner (2000) Jim Perry, right-handed pitcher (2011), Herb Carneal, radio broadcaster (2001) Camilo Pascual, right-handed pitcher (2012), Jim Kaat, left-handed pitcher (2001) Eddie Guardado, left-handed pitcher (2013), Bert Blyleven, right-handed pitcher (2002) Tom Mee, media relations (2013), Tom Kelly, manager (2002) John Gordon, radio broadcaster (2016), Bob Allison, outfielder (2003) Torii Hunter, outfielder (2016), Bob Casey, public address announcer (2003) Andy MacPhail, general manager (2017), Earl Battey, catcher (2004) Michael Cuddyer, outfielder (2017), Carl R. Pohlad, owner (2005) Johan Santana, left-handed pitcher (2018), Frank Viola, left-handed pitcher (2005) Joe Nathan, right-handed pitcher (2019), Zoilo Versalles, shortstop (2006) Jerry Bell, team president (2019), Gary Gaetti, third baseman (2007) Justin Morneau, first baseman (2021*), *Morneau was elected in 2020; however, his induction was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. Born in New Westminster, B.C., in 1981, Justin Morneau honed his skills with the North Delta Blue Jays of the B.C. Select as many teams as you like from the leagues below. "There's so many people that have your best interest," Morneau said. 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? MINNEAPOLISLarry Walker helped inspire an entire generation of baseball players from Canada, so it seems fitting that on the same day his number was retired by the Colorado Rockies one of the guys who grew up idolizing him was having a ceremony of his own. Its a pretty special group, he said. Were such a close group, and we can go years without seeing each other but its like we saw each other yesterday. 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. I figured about half the people would say yes and show up. In all, Morneau played in parts of 14 big league seasons and he ranks in the top five among Canadian major leaguers in many all-time offensive statistical categories, including third in RBIs (985), third in hits (1,603), doubles (349) and total bases (2,739) and fourth in home runs (247). "They said that I invited more former players and the longest guest list they've ever had for this thing," Morneau remarked. You just dream for one in the big leagues. Fan Appreciation Weekend presented by Caribou Coffee (Thursday-Friday, Sept. 23-24) and, Kids Appreciation Day presented by Target (Sunday, Sept. 26). And then I learned the game the way I believe it should be played.. After being drafted as a catcher in the third round of the 1999 MLB Draft, Morneau converted to first base and anchored the position for 11 seasons in Minnesota, appearing in the second-most games there in club history behind only Kent Hrbek.\n\nAs is always the case for these Hall of Fame inductions, Morneau and the Twins put out a call, far and wide, for those of personal and professional significance to Morneau throughout his baseball journey, from high school coaches to the man who owned the batting cage where Morneau used to take swings, letting the future slugger hit for free. Use another In the corresponding move, the Twins plan to activate John Gant (abdominal strain) from the injured list on Saturday. 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. He was named to four American League All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger Awards and won the AL MVP Award in 2006. There are a few memories that stood out for Justin Morneau during the portions of two seasons he played for the . This is inside Gate 29. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Two guys from B.C., who both dreamt of playing in the NHL, permanently enshrined by their organizations on the same day. 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After all, hed grown up a Blue Jays fan. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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. I get to talk about baseball now. Justin Morneau discussed his career with the Minnesota Twins Sideline To Stage 87 subscribers Subscribe Like Share 21 views 6 months ago Justin Morneau spoke about being inductees into. 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. Hopefully well laugh and well cry and well do a little bit of everything. Fellow Canadian Corey Koskie, who put out the welcome mat and showed him the way with Minnesota. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Not exactly a baseball hotbed, Morneau said of his hometown during the speech. Justin Morneau Twins Hall of Fame Induction (Saturday, Sept. 25; presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company). He figured no more than half would choose to show up. He is the host representative of an ice fishing tournament for United Heroes League on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. / CBS Minnesota. It was a close group. Justin Morneau played 14 seasons in the major leagues, including 11 with the Twins from 2003-13. (approx 1 - 2 per week). He hit 221 home runs throughout his 1,278 games for the Twins. The mission of the Twins Community Fund is to enrich local and regional communities by providing resources for the healthy development of children and families through an association with baseball, softball, and the Minnesota Twins. 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. After Walker left Colorado in 2004, his No. My buddy Joe Nathan agrees. Teams around the division get their first glimpse of a roadmap to 2023 success. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. 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). The New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada native was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft and ranks second on the Twins all-time list in games played at first base (1,124), third in home runs, sixth in RBI, and eighth in hits and walks. Rookie Trevor Larnach has picked Morneau's brain about how to succeed in the majors. 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 . pic.twitter.com/RV8u9LBMWI, Congratulations to the 34th member of the Twins Hall of Fame Justin Morneau! Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. For his efforts, Morneau was named the Twins team MVP twice (2006, 2008). ". I took some batting practice in the Metrodome. When I heard the news that I would be enshrined in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame I was honoured, said Morneau. Minus Torii and Cuddy. That coat drive has collected over 40,000 coats from generous donors. But Morneau is looking forward to celebrating everyone who helped him to this point, especially the ones most fans don't know. The 40-year-olds name can be found near the top of almost every major stat involving Canadians. He was honored for his longtime service to the Twin Cities on Thursday, when he earned the Kirby Puckett Alumni Community Service Award at the club's annual Diamond Awards benefit show. 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. September 21, 2021 / 12:30 PM Justin Morneau is the lone 2020 inductee for the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. He asked for permission to use it and Walker happily obliged. His 11-year career with the Twins encompassed 221 home runs, 860 RBIs and 289 doubles among 1,318 hits. The former Twins closer said he likes Justins style in the press box. The Twins were really, really good for a long time, and he was a big, big part of it.". His Hall of Fame plaque will be unveiled at 4:15 p.m. Before the game, a ceremony emceed by Dick Bremer and attended by several other Twins Hall of Famers will take place. I've tried to find new challenges, tried to find new things. To order copies of "There's really nothing that can ever replace the challenge of trying to get ready for a 162-game season and trying to face the best in the world every night," Morneau said. This, for me, is a great thing in my career and in my life, Pineda said. And I think that guy is an unbelievable person, player, everything.". 1 of 4 Every year, the Minnesota Twins elect a class to the Twins Hall of Fame, from the first year they started the process in 2000 up until the present. 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It also features a special Q&A session with Ron Gardenhire, Dan Gladden, and other members of the Twins Hall of Fame. Morneau has also supported the United Heroes League, an organization that provides sports equipment and registration fees for children in military families. In recent years, Morneau has served as a part-time analyst on Twins broadcasts for Fox Sports North and as an analyst on the Sportsnet Central panel for the networks World Series coverage. He did a good job. He's a person who taught me how to play first base, and we've been having a good relationship. You can change your selections at any time. And if he somehow ended up in his secondary sport of baseball, playing for his favored Toronto Blue Jays was the goal. As for Morneau himself, he didn't have too far to go to join all those former teammates. The ceremony will be held ahead of Saturday nights game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field after COVID-19 postponed it for more than a year. The only exceptions were 2014,. "High school coaches are here, and the guy who owned the batting cage I used to go to, let me hit for free," Morneau said, adding the Twins told him his guest list was the longest they'd ever had. Enter your email below and we'll send you another email. Morneau was my second-favorite Twin all time. 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. All rights reserved.Privacy PolicyAd ChoicesTerms of Service. Sep. 25Justin Morneau came to Minnesota as a teenager 14 or 15 for a hockey tournament. MINNEAPOLIS -- The first time Justin Morneau ever visited Minneapolis, he was a 14- or 15-year-old kid about to play in a hockey tournament. At least, in spirit. As a member of the Twins, he was named to four-straight AL All-Star teams (2007-10) and earned two Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards (2006 & 08). Morneau would spend the next decade with the Twins and evolve into one of the American Leagues most feared sluggers. Thats saying a lot from a guy who would pitch in front of thousands on the regular. - YouTube Morneau became the 34th member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.. By now, the stories have become part of Canadian folklore. To see your localized preferences, please enable geolocation services in your browser settings. It's almost surreal. First 10,000 fans will get a Justin Morneau bobblehead. Hes earned it the hard way, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star On August 31, 2013, Morneau was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates where he helped lead the club to its first postseason appearance since 1992. I sent him a congratulations and he sent one back. Wow should I wear my Doumit shirt? You may have created an account with another Rogers Media It all started with Morneau being selected to the Twins Hall of Fame. Enter your email address to get a new one. 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. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about The Twins will induct the former first baseman Saturday before their game against Toronto at Target Field. Saturday, Morneau will be. Nathan is part of that electric crew that Minnesota fans loved, you know the one that never really made it past the first round of playoffs. September 24, 2021 - 10:04 PM. FACING VLADDY. I think we all can predict a long speech from Justin because he is a guy who cant leave anyone out and needs to give credit where credit is due. "[He's] a link to what was one of the best periods of baseball Twins fans have ever had," Bremer said. Vlad Jr. is 2 for 5 against Pineda with a home run, as well as a walk. "To be in a Hall of Fame that includes Rod Carew and Bert Blyleven, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett -- if you go down the list of the greatest Twins in history, to be amongst them is a very special, humbling honor.". You never dream for a moment like this, Morneau told the assembled media. He also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. "You just dream for one day in the big leagues. And he proved plenty good enough at that throughout a 14-year Major League career that he earned the honor of becoming the 34th member of the Twins Hall of Fame, as announced by the club on Friday. And hes looking forward to sharing it all with friends, former teammates and mentors from throughout his life and playing career. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Vlad Sr. finished his career 2 for 3 against Pineda. Contact: Mackenzie Bongard, [emailprotected]. A four-time all-star in Minnesota, Morneau won the 2006 MVP and helped the Twins reach the playoffs five times during his tenure. The team has a day of events planned to celebrate the four-time All-Star, starting with a sold-out breakfast featuring a Q&A and autographed items. The Minnesota Twins announced Friday that former first baseman and MVP Justin Morneau will become the 34th member of the Twins Hall of Fame. 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. On that day, Justin Morneau will be inducted as the 34th member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony.It was just a matter of time, really, as Morneau had an impressive career . He loved both hockey and baseball, but he even skipped a year of baseball when he was 8 years old. One (1) autograph per inductee per attendee. 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. To be honest, I never thought he would be the guy filling in up here. Over parts of five minor league campaigns, he developed into a top prospect, earning invitations to two MLB Futures Games (2002, 2004) before he was called up to make his major league debut with the Twins on June 10, 2003. The Twins Hall of Fame was created in 2000. All net proceeds from this event will benefit the Twins Community Fund. That was about as good as it gets for a mid-market franchise. Monday Morning Minnesota: Further Spring Jokes Edition, Twins open Spring Training by splitting a pair of, well, split-squad games. rights reserved. "Just lucky to come along at the right time and be part of that run. Please contact us. She is originally from the Chicago area and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Morneau will be enjoying the company of his family (five kids,) friends, coaches and mentors Saturday, along with all of Twins territory.