Justin Morneau

Justin Morneau
File:Justin Morneau Metrodome.jpg
Minnesota Twins – No. 33
First base
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
June 10, 2003, for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics (through August 16, 2007)
Batting Average	.278
Home Runs	107
RBI	374

Justin Ernest George Morneau (born on May 15, 1981 in New Westminster, British Columbia) is a Major League Baseball player. He is currently the Minnesota Twins' everyday first baseman. Though he dislikes the label, Morneau, along with teammate and former roommate Joe Mauer, is sometimes referred to as one of "The New M&M Boys." Growing popularity is the nickname Paul Bunyan, given to him due to his Canadian heritage. On November 21, 2006, he was awarded the American League Most Valuable Player award for the 2006 season by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Today, he is considered one of the top Canadian first basemen of all time. He played for the North Delta Blue Jays of the BCPBL.

High school and minor league careers

Morneau is a 1999 graduate of New Westminster Secondary School, where he was named the New Westminster High School Athlete of the year and was a member of Canadian national champion baseball teams in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, he was selected the best hitter and catcher of the National Championships playing for Team British Columbia. Morneau did not attend college. He was selected by the Twins in the 3rd round as the 89th overall pick of the 1999 MLB amateur entry draft. In six minor league seasons, he hit .310 with 87 home runs, 153 RBI and 122 doubles. Morneau participated in the 2002 and 2004 All-Star Futures Games, playing for the World teams. Morneau also played ice hockey, and attended a training camp with the Portland Winter Hawks as a goaltender on the team's 50-man Protected Player List. Morneau chose his jersey number (33) for goalie Patrick Roy.

Professional career

Home run for Morneau, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Morneau made his Major League Baseball debut with the Twins on June 10, 2003, but spent the majority of the season with the Triple A Rochester Red Wings. In 2004, after compiling impressive minor league numbers, he forced the Twins to deal veteran first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to the Boston Red Sox and became the Twins' starting first baseman. Morneau appeared in 61 games for the Twins in 2004, hitting 19 home runs in 280 at bats while committing just three errors.

The 2005 season was a struggle for Morneau, as he dealt with a variety of off-season illnesses and was hit in the head by a pitch in April. Although he never appeared to fully shake off his early season setbacks, Morneau finished the 2005 season second on the Twins in home runs with 22 and paced the squad with 74 RBI.

Prior to the 2006 season, Morneau suited up for his native Canada in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He hit .308 with 3 doubles and 2 RBI in three games.

After a slow start to 2006, Morneau exploded offensively in the months of June, July, and August, raising his batting average nearly 50 points in June after beginning the month hitting .240. He raised his average another 33 points in July and after June consistently appeared near the top of the American League leaderboard in batting average, home runs and RBI. On August 9, 2006, Morneau became the first Twin since 1987 to hit 30 home runs in a single season. Morneau finished the season hitting .321 (6th in the AL) and slugging .559 (6th in AL) with 34 home runs and 131 RBI (2nd in the AL, most hit by a Canadian in MLB). He won the 2006 Silver Slugger Award for first base.

Morneau in a spring training game

On November 21, Morneau won the American League MVP award, and became only the fourth player in Twins history to win the honor. Morneau won a close vote over second place finisher Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. In winning the AL MVP Award, Morneau became the first Canadian player to do so, and second Canadian to win a major league MVP award (Larry Walker being the first by winning the NL MVP Award in 1997).

Morneau is playing regularly in 2007, hitting 23 home runs by July 6th. In May of 2007, Morneau won the Player of the Month in the American League for the first time in his career.

Morneau will appear on the cover of the arcade baseball video game The Bigs in Canadian stores and at Best Buy stores in the United States.

Morneau was named to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game roster in 2007 for the first time. He will also appear in the 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby for the first time. He was up first and hit 4 homers and ended up tying with Albert Pujols in first round. He was subsequently eliminated with only one homer on 5 chances in a tie-off. Pujols advanced to 2nd round with 2 homers. Morneau had his first career three home run game on July 6, 2007 against the Chicago White Sox. He had a solo, 2-run, and a 3-run homer. He had an at bat to try for his fourth home run, but his bat got under the ball, and he flew out to deep left field.

Career statistics

Season	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2003	MIN	40	106	14	24	4	0	4	16	0	0	9	30	.226	.287	.377
2004	MIN	74	280	39	76	17	0	19	58	0	0	28	54	.271	.340	.536
2005	MIN	141	490	62	117	23	4	22	79	0	2	44	94	.239	.304	.437
2006	MIN	157	592	97	190	37	1	34	131	3	3	53	93	.321	.375	.559
2007	MIN	94	362	63	106	18	2	28	85	1	0	38	56	.293	.363	.586
Total		506	1830	275	513	99	7	107	368	4	5	172	327	.280	.343	.517

Quotes

• “(The Star Tribune) said they were going to do it as more of a joke. I didn’t really want to do it — I didn’t really like it.” — Morneau on newspaper's full page spread labeling him and Joe Mauer as the "M & M Boys."[1]
• “He didn’t call me or anything. It was an accident, but a lot of people would have called to see how someone is doing after they got hit in the head. Especially if they had to go on the DL.” — Morneau on pitcher Ron Villone after an April 2005 beaning.[2]
• “That felt pretty good. It was the situation too; it was a one-run game and I hit a three run homer and that was pretty cool.” — Morneau on his three-run homer off Villone in September 2006. It was the first time he had faced the left-hander since the beaning.[3]
• “I don’t like opening up the paper and reading...quotes about myself. I don’t really like to see myself on TV or anything like that.” — Morneau on the increased media attention he has experienced in 2006.[4]

See also

• Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

• Justin Morneau.com - News and Notes, Fan Shop, Photo Gallery and More!
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• What a difference a year makes (Minnesota Public Radio)