The 14-year major league veteran will be the 34th member and will have plenty of former teammates and Twins greats there to support him. 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? I faced the Vladdy Daddy and the Vladdy Junior. Morneau now 40 and living on a farm in Medina with wife. 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. Fellow Canadian Corey Koskie, who put out the welcome mat and showed him the way with Minnesota. Speaking before Fridays game behind home plate at Target Field, Morneau expressed gratitude for the opportunities earned and relationships developed over the course of the two-plus decades hes been linked to the Twins franchise. Even in retirement, Morneau seems to be following in his footsteps. I had fields to play on, I had safe schools to go, I had opportunities and I had friends Im so proud to say Im from New Westminster.. 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. 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 hasnt been worn again since. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! But mostly he appreciates the caliber of players he shared the field with, including Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Johan Santana and Joe Nathan. Customize your Sportsnet lineup for the latest news from your favourite leagues and teams. Justin Ernest George Morneau (born May 15, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball first baseman. At least, in spirit. Of course he did. I dont know how he held it together, but he was really good, Morneau said of Walkers speech. And if he somehow ended up in his secondary sport of baseball, playing for his favored Toronto Blue Jays was the goal. Its a pretty special group, he said. "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.". The former Twins closer said he likes Justins style in the press box. It only takes a short elevator ride and walk through the tunnels to get from the broadcast booth on the club level to the field, a walk he now does often as a special assistant in the Twins' front office and analyst for Bally Sports North telecasts alongside longtime play-by-play man Dick Bremer, who called Morneau's entire playing career. Items will NOT be supplied from the Twins for autographs. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. At 4:15 p.m. there will be a plaque unveiling on Target Plaza. But in some ways, he does still show up on the field. Morneau on Saturday will be inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame David Berding / USA TODAY Sports Justin Morneau came to Minnesota as a teenager 14 or 15 for a hockey tournament. Morneau will be inducted during a pre-game ceremony at . He remains with the Twins as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations, a position he has held since January 2018. The Twins will be placing him on the family medical/bereavement list, which he must stay on for a minimum of three days. 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. (Chris Young/CP). "Great first baseman when he played. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media So, when Justin was in his early teens, he found himself in the Twin Cities for a hockey tournament, sitting in left field at the Metrodome, watching one of those struggling Minnesota teams of the mid-1990s, without a hint of the idea that in a half-decade, he'd be drafted by that very team. A no-brainer right here, Joe Nathan said about his teammate Justin Morneau making it into the Twins Hall. You start to learn about all of the great players and the World Series, he said. In the corresponding move, the Twins plan to activate John Gant (abdominal strain) from the injured list on Saturday. Nathan got his moment of Twins HOF glory back in 2019. Its unfortunate that our thing is happening on the same day, but its also pretty cool.. I know I will.. After Walker left Colorado in 2004, his No. The breakfast will include a program honoring Csar Tovar, Ron Gardenhire, and Dan Gladden. He ranks third in hits (1,603), fourth in home runs (247) and seventh in RBIs (985) with a lifetime .281 batting average and .348 on-base percentage. 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. There were mixed reviews of him from the start, in my opinion, but I think many people are now quite fond of his analysis. Born in New Westminster, B.C., in 1981, Justin Morneau honed his skills with the North Delta Blue Jays of the B.C. For most pitchers, Pineda included, both are a challenge. I enjoy the moment.. I sent him a congratulations and he sent one back. pic.twitter.com/RV8u9LBMWI, Congratulations to the 34th member of the Twins Hall of Fame Justin Morneau! MINNEAPOLIS -- The first time Justin Morneau saw the Minnesota Twins, he still thought he was going to play hockey. / CBS Minnesota. Morneau grew up playing hockey and even took time away from baseball to commit to hockey as a teenager. That's something that I never really thought would come along, and it did.". Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Please contact us. When I learned of fellow inductees, John Olerud, Duane Ward and Jacques Doucet, I was at a loss for words. It was Justin Morneau Day at Target Field on Saturday, as the four-time all-star was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. We all have so much respect for each other. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The 71-member committee annually considers player personnel for induction into the Twins Hall of Fame; however, with Morneaus planned induction date of May 23, 2020 postponed to September 2021 due to COVID-19, there was not an election process this past offseason. Teams around the division get their first glimpse of a roadmap to 2023 success. The Twins Hall of Fame was created in 2000. He was elected to the hall in January 2020, but his planned induction was delayed by COVID-19. In the end, most of them did, enough that he lost count of how many would be in attendance. The man who ran the local batting cage and let Morneau hit for free so he could get enough reps. There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. 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. He was a teenager growing up in Canada. He loved both hockey and baseball, but he even skipped a year of baseball when he was 8 years old. Former Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has been elected to the club's Hall of Fame. Were such a close group, and we can go years without seeing each other but its like we saw each other yesterday. 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. Minus Torii and Cuddy. He was the guy that lead by example. 2000-2020 Rogers Media. "Justins brilliant career -- defined by an American League Most Valuable Player Award as well as his leadership role on the field and in the community -- makes him one of the greatest players of his generation. I figured about half the people would say yes and show up. 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). 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. According to Stubhub tickets start at $6. You can go years without seeing each other, but its like we saw each other yesterday. He actually hadnt seen his dad since December of 2019 because of Canadas strict COVID-19 travel restrictions, so with his parents being in town finally, this makes it even more special. 2): Off the rails, On the Relationship of Pitch Tempo and Defense. Saturday, Morneau will be. Former Minnesota Twins star Justin Morneau will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame Saturday ahead of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He did a good job. When it started, I probably wouldn't have said that. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To see your localized preferences, please enable geolocation services in your browser settings. 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. I've tried to find new challenges, tried to find new things. "But once that's gone, I think what I'm left with is relationships and those guys. 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. I was very happy when he made his way to the broadcast booth. Rookie Trevor Larnach has picked Morneau's brain about how to succeed in the majors. Two guys from B.C., who both dreamt of playing in the NHL, permanently enshrined by their organizations on the same day. Wow should I wear my Doumit shirt? So, which Vlad is harder to face? 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 . presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Use another Twins Hall of Famers will include Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Greg Gagne, Eddie Guardado, Kent Hrbek, and Justin Morneau.*. His name was added to Baseball Canadas Wall of Excellence in 2010. Hope to see you at the game! He is the host representative of an ice fishing tournament for United Heroes League on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. When submitting content, please abide by our . 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). And I think that guy is an unbelievable person, player, everything.". By The tight bonds between that group -- the shared experiences that keep them all coming back, year after year, for each of these ceremonies -- are one of the most important hallmarks of this franchise and what Morneau hoped to highlight most as he teared up while going down a lengthy list of thanks for everyone from Tom Kelly to the late Wayne "Big Fella" Hattaway to the clubhouse personnel to Corey Koskie. Do you have questions about the Hall of Fame Breakfast? {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. Great hitter, power hitter," Sano said, recalling how he watched Morneau win the 2008 Home Run Derby. For that, the former junior national team member had a long list of names to go through. Justin Morneau is the lone 2020 inductee for the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Manager Rocco Baldelli said rookie starter Joe Ryan has left the team to fly back to California to deal with a family-related matter. Megan Ryan In fact, Morneau began his stint with the Twins a year after they made it to the ALCS against the Angels. In the hours leading up to Morneaus speech at Target Field, he just hoped it would go as well as Walkers did last month in Cooperstown. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox. 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. This is a franchise with a long, proud history and great players, lots of numbers retired up on the wall, lots of National Baseball Hall of Famers, Morneau said. I never would have imagined playing for the Minnesota Twins, Morneau recalled. I think I got the last laugh. As for Morneau himself, he didn't have too far to go to join all those former teammates. At the time, the New Westminster, B.C., native hoped to play in the NHL -- and had even taken a year off from his second-favourite sport, baseball, in the hopes of making his hockey dreams a reality. Send this article to anyone, no subscription is necessary to view it, Anyone can read, no subscription required, See Baldelli said its possible Kepler might not start on Saturday, either, as the Twins give him time to recuperate. 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. 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. account. "I played one game of junior hockey as a 16-year-old.". I imagine it will start around 5:45 p.m. Dick Bremer will be emcee, Joe Mauer will introduce Morneau. Fan Appreciation Weekend presented by Caribou Coffee (Thursday-Friday, Sept. 23-24) and, Kids Appreciation Day presented by Target (Sunday, Sept. 26). He also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. He was the guy who pretty much kept his mouth shut and just let his bat do the talking, Nathan said. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 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 . Justin Morneau Twins Hall of Fame Induction (Saturday, Sept. 25; presented by Sheboygan Sausage Company). Morneau joked that the Twins gave him a hard time for inviting more guests than anyone ever had before. 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. She is originally from the Chicago area and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. Confirming what we already knew, that he made a lot Canadians proud, himself included. He also has been a special assistant to baseball operations for the team since 2018. It starts with little things like that and then it kind of all adds up, and you realize that it gets passed along.". He has also helped organize fundraisers for juvenile arthritis to raise awareness about a disease his niece, Maddie, is fighting. 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. But he attended a Twins game regardless, taking it all in from left field in the Metrodome. COVID-19 postponed just about everything last year, including former Minnesota Twins' first baseman Justin Morneaus Twins Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He's the 34th member, and will have an . 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.. Justin Morneau came to Minnesota as a teenager 14 or 15 for a hockey tournament. He loved both hockey and baseball, but he even skipped a year of baseball when he was 8 years old. 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. 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. That coat drive has collected over 40,000 coats from generous donors. He asked for permission to use it and Walker happily obliged. And then when they see you make it, even if they never make it to the Major Leagues, they take pride in it, too. 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. He played parts of 11 seasons with the. I am looking forward to being in St. Marys this summer to celebrate with my fellow inductees in person. September 21, 2021 / 12:30 PM {* backButton *} Now Morneau has cemented his legacy with the Twins, alongside the likes of Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew. Marys, ON N4X 1C2519-284-1838baseball@baseballhalloffame.ca, Registered Charitable Organization 106843477RR0001. In addition to earning the 2006 AL MVP Award for which he edged out Derek Jeter and David Ortiz, Morneau owns the third-most home runs in club history (221) and ranks ninth in games played for the Twins (1,278). Minnesota Twins News / Twinkie. It was funny because he said a lot of the things that I was planning on saying. We use cookies to improve your experience. Pregame, on television, begins around 5:30. Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer said Morneau will forever embody that era. MINNEAPOLIS -- The first time Justin Morneau saw the Minnesota Twins, he still thought he was going to play hockey. But Im thankful for them and where I was born. Youll hear that a quicker pace will help defenders stay engaged and perform better. Contact: Mackenzie Bongard, [emailprotected]. Thats saying a lot from a guy who would pitch in front of thousands on the regular. (Darren Calabrese/CP). In an essay for TSN prior to Walker's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Morneau relayed the story of coming up through the minors and one day getting to his locker to find a present from . "I mean, you think of the teams we put on the field," Morneau said. And fast-forward another 25 years, he'd be joining the team's Hall of Fame. 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He followed a similar career trajectory, initially preferring to play hockey before reaching high school and deciding that baseball was the safer bet. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about 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. We didn't recognize that password reset code. Justin Morneau, who won an American League MVP award for the Twins in 2006 and almost won another two years later, is the newest member of the team's Hall of Fame. Forgot your This is inside Gate 29. The three will officially be inaugurated during separate on-field pregame ceremonies at Target field on Aug. 20 and 21, when the Twins play the Texas Rangers. The last induction to the Twins Hall of Fame was first baseman Justin Morneau who was elected in 2020 and inducted in 2021. "I figured about half the people would say yes and show up. Morneau has also supported the United Heroes League, an organization that provides sports equipment and registration fees for children in military families. 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). In hindsight, it sure is a good thing that he didn't pick hockey. Amazing. "I was just thankful that I got drafted by the Minnesota Twins and that I was able to grow up in this organization, because I spent some time in other organizations, and I always say that I'm thankful that I was a Minnesota Twin," Morneau said. On August 31, 2013, Morneau was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates where he helped lead the club to its first postseason appearance since 1992.