Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Teammates prank Torii on birthday
The Minnesota Twins had some fun with their oldest player over the weekend.
Right fielder Torii Hunter of Pine Bluff turned 40 years old Saturday, and his teammates didn’t let him forget it.
Hunter received several presents for his birthday, including a walker and adult diapers. Twins reliever Casey Fien walked three blocks from the team’s hotel in San Francisco to a Walgreens to purchase the items. Minnesota was playing a three-game series at Oakland.
Fien told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press the walker was a Ultra-Light Rollator, a fire-engine red walker with dual handbrakes.
“I was thinking about putting on tennis balls,” Fien told the Pioneer Press. “That way he doesn’t get out of control. He’s stable.”
Fien then grabbed Certainty diapers that were made to fit those with waist sizes between 20 and 40. Hunter wears size 34, so he fell within that range.
“He’s got to look good for his wife,” Fien said. “He’s getting older. He’s got to do something.” Hunter took the gifts in stride. “Great gag gifts from the teammates,” said Hunter, the second-oldest active position player besides Ichiro Suzuki (41) of the Miami Marlins. “This walker has all the bells and whistles, but they know I’m going to get them back. They know that.”
Berardino also reported Hunter was the first Twin to play into his 40s since Jim Thome in 2011. The previous two Twins did so before Thome and Hunter were Ruben Sierra in 2006 and Terry Mulholland in 2005.
But don’t expect Hunter to slow down. Hunter is batting .256 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI as Minnesota has been in contention in the American League Central.
“Forty years old,” Hunter said, shaking his head. “Mentally, it hurts, but I think I’m going to enjoy my 40s. It’s going to be like my 20s. I’m going to party hard.”