The Minnesota Twins will be honouring Justin Morneau of New Westminster, British Columbia on Saturday prior to Minnesota’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field. Morneau, who played first base for the Twins from 2003 to 2013, won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2006, and will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame.
In 11 seasons with the Twins, Morneau batted .278 with 221 home runs and 860 runs batted in. During 5350 plate appearances and 4749 at bats, he scored 669 runs, and had 1318 hits, 289 doubles, 16 triples, five stolen bases, 501 walks, 2302 total bases, 37 times hit by a pitch, 63 sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .347, and a slugging percentage of .485. He is fourth all-time in Twins home runs, 10th in runs batted in, 10th in doubles, and fifth in slugging percentage.
In Morneau’s MVP season of 2006, it is interesting that Morneau led Major League Baseball or the American League in only one offensive category, and that was sacrifice flies, where he had 11. Morneau also batted .321 with 34 home runs and 130 runs batted in.
Morneau represented the Twins in four straight All-Star Games from 2007 to 2010. It is interesting he was not selected to the All-Star Game when he was selected the American League MVP in 2006. Morneau wore number 33 to idolize his favourite hockey player, Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy of Quebec City, Quebec.
