MORNEAU HITS NEXT PHASE
Justin Morneau, one of the top three Canadian-born position players in MLB history, retires with a legacy of on-field success on both sides of the border.
It will be a bittersweet time on Wednesday for New Westminster, B.C. native Justin Morneau at Target Field in Minneapolis. He begins a new career as a front-office member of the Twins, while at the same time officially retiring from major league baseball as an active player.
Morneau will rank as one of the top three Canadian position players in MLB history along with Larry Walker and Joey Votto.
The announcement was expected. Morneau had not retired, but had been unable to find a team willing to sign him as a 36-year-old free agent in 2017. Still, the 14-year veteran, even minus a contract, volunteered to join Team Canada for the World Baseball Classic in Miami last March. That’s a decision that not many free-agent players make because of the possibility of injury that might cost them millions. But Morneau, even in March, was fatalistic.
“It’s one of those things,” Morneau said. “If there’s a need and somebody has a spot for me, I would love to play. But if the last game I get to play is for Canada, I think it would be a really good way to finish. So I don’t think I look at it as that sort of thing. I think that would be a selfish way to go, if I’m here (at the WBC) just to get a job. I’m here because there’s other guys counting on me, and because I love to represent my country and I just love to play the game of baseball.”
Morneau represented Canada in all four World Baseball Classics. In 2017, he was caught in a transition, like many others, from the old reliable Canadian veterans to an exciting new wave of future stars. While Votto opted out, first baseman Freddie Freeman was brought in as a Canadian on a technicality, with young Josh Naylor in the wings chomping at the bit as one of the young guns for 2021. Morneau received all of his at-bats as Canada’s DH, with one hit in 11 at-bats. He remains a patriot.
“Justin has always played the game of baseball with passion and displayed a consistent approach and professionalism,” Greg Hamilton, senior national coach and executive director of national teams, said of one of his longtime stars.
“He was a natural leader who embraced developmental challenges, cared about teammates and always exuded a sense of confidence and belief in his ability to succeed. His loyalty and contribution to our national team program, and willingness to share his knowledge and experience with the next genera- tion, has had an immeasurable impact on many of our nation’s young aspiring major leaguers.”
Morneau was selected by the Twins in the third round of the June 1999 amateur draft as an 18-year-old catcher, converting to first base as a pro. He had always been a fan of fellow B.C. native Walker and hall of fame goaltender Patrick Roy, both of whom wore No. 33. That became his number.
Blessed with a graceful left-handed swing, Morneau broke through in 2004 as a potential star. He began the ’05 season as the Twins’ starter at first, but was hit in the head by a Ron Villone pitch and sent to the disabled list. But he bounced back.
Morneau earned American League MVP honours in 2006 with a .321 average, 34 homers and 130 RBIs. He finished second in MVP voting in 2008 and was on his way to another top-five finish in 2010 when, on July 7 at the Rogers Centre, he slid into second base and his head collided with the knee of Jays second baseman John McDonald. He suffered a concussion, missing the rest of the season and much of 2011. That injury changed the course of his career as he was never the same.
As much as Morneau is respected and revered in his home and native land to the north, he is as beloved by Twins fans. He married a girl from Minnesota and for five seasons, from 2006-10, combined with friend and teammate Joe Mauer, a native of St. Paul, as a feared tandem nicknamed the M&M Boys, a tribute to the early ’60s Yankees combination of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.
Over that five-year span, Morneau and Mauer were to the Twins what Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were to the Red Sox, what Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko had been to the White Sox, and what Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion later became to the Jays. They produced the numbers and were feared around baseball.
Over that outstanding five-year span, Morneau hit .298 with a .900 OPS, 136 homers and 526 RBIs, while catcher Mauer, his running mate, hit .334 with a .906 OPS, 66 homers, 400 RBIs, 361walks and 271 strikeouts.
But despite the announcement of a continuing job in the Twins front office, it’s just like Walker that he continues to value his home country. At the 2009 all-star game at the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MLB did not bother to bring a singer to perform the Canadian anthem. Post-game, in the AL clubhouse, Morneau and fellow Canuck Jason Bay ripped into the Cardinals and relayed that as the tinny, canned pre-game version of “O Canada” played over the stadium sound system, they stood and proudly belted out the lyrics, standing on guard for their homeland.
Meanwhile, the depth of talent in Canadian baseball continues to expand because of the influence of men such as Morneau, Walker, Bay, Fergie Jenkins, Matt Stairs and others. Congratulations to Morneau on a tremendous career.