Article: Thanks For The Memories, Torii

[Seth Stohs]

On Thursday at Target Field, Torii Hunter addressed a crowd of Twin Cities media, former teammates and friends . It was his first public appearance since his retirement was announced last week. "Did I say 'retired'? I mean 'Real Tired.'"

 

It was another day of memories for the Twins great as he said many Thank You's. Guest writer Heather Rule returns the favor with a Thank You to Torii Hunter.It was the 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee. Torii Hunter was an All-Star for the first time. He left his mark in the first inning with a homer-saving catch against the wall off the bat of Barry Bonds.

 

Hunter had plenty of spectacular catches over his career, earning him nine Gold Gloves. But that one in particular is the most memorable. I don't think I'm the only one either.

 

 

Hunter addresses the crowd at the end of the season.

 

It's the end of an era now, as Hunter, 40, announced his retirement from baseball. He started and ended his career with the Twins, stopping with the Angels for five years and the Tigers for two in between.

 

One of the favorites

Hunter is right up there when you think of franchise players for the Twins. Not necessarily for his baseball stats, although those aren't too shabby either. No, Hunter represents the heart and soul of the organization. He quite often flashed those pearly whites and just had fun.

 

The Twins drafted him in 1993, with his major league debut coming in 1997. It was Kirby Puckett who took him under his wing as an outfielder, and then it came full circle as Hunter became the leader for guys like Byron Buxton and Aaron Hicks.

 

He's a career .277 hitter with 353 home runs and 1,391 RBI. He won American League Gold Glove Awards from 2001-09. He was part of the Twins core that avoided contraction and won a string of division titles.

 

Coming home

He returned to Minnesota for the 2015 season. It was really a sentimental signing, I believe. It was tough watching him slump with the bat in late summer and to watch those miscues he occasionally had in the field. But overall, it was nice to have him back in the Twins lineup.

 

One of the other memories from this past season that sticks out isn't the most flattering for him. It was his ejection from a game against the Tigers in June. It was after a strikeout when Hunter said something to the home plate umpire about a strike 2 call. He ended up taking his jersey off and throwing it onto the field, along with his elbow pad. It was quite the scene.

 

"Just a lot of emotions," Hunter said after the game. "We have bad days, all of us. Hitters, pitchers, even umpires have bad days. He had one. So what can you do?

 

"All you need to do is look at the video and decide for yourself."

 

That probably wasn't Hunter's finest moment, but it was certainly memorable. There were other things from this past season, too, like his solo home run in the 9th inning Aug. 7 in Cleveland to win the game 10-9. That was actually a weird game where the Twins gave back their 6-0 lead before rallying late. It was definitely a bright spot for Hunter though.

 

His story seemed clear to me: He was part of a great run of division titles for the Twins in the 2000s, but played free agency because he wanted that World Series ring. Who wouldn't? He had some playoff success with the other teams, the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers, but he fell short of that final series.

 

There was one thing he said during Thursday's news conference that I thought was great. He realized how fortunate he was to play in the playoffs for a number of years, since some guys never get that chance. "You get brainwashed into wanting a World Series," he said.

 

So he came home. Not his born-and-raised home like it is for Joe Mauer. But Minnesota is still home for Hunter. He wanted one more year with the Twins. One more year playing baseball. One more year where he could mentor the youngsters, and start a fun dance-party tradition.

 

Thanks for the memories

Going forward, I'd like to see him on the desk for baseball broadcasts, maybe even up in the booth, too, especially for a few Twins games. He hasn't made any decisions about what path he will take in retirement, but I wouldn't mind if he wanted to coach. Or he could just hang around and mentor the young outfielders and pass on his Gold Glove wisdom.

 

Whatever he decides, it doesn't change what he's already given the Twins and their fans. Great catches, a signature home-run bat toss, leadership and just being one of the best overall fan favorites in team history.

 

Thanks, Torii.

 

Find the original blog entry at Thoughts from the Stands, a sports blog with focus on a variety of sports including the Twins, Wild, IndyCar, tennis and prep sports. You can also follow writer Heather Rule on Twitter @hlrule.

 

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[Willihammer]

He and Gladden together for a few innings on the radio could be fun to listen to also.

[gunnarthor]

Nice article.  He was a fun player to watch and root for.  

[jimmer]

I liked Torii for quite some time.  I loved his catches and his energy. Even when he initially left, I defended him. I felt Ryan disrespected him by waiting too long to ever make him an offer (not until August before he became a FA) and that the offer (and subsequent offers) were too little based on the market.  I liked how he and Santana (and to a lesser extent Nathan) came out and let everyone know what they thought of Ryan giving up on them at the deadline of '07.  It wasn't until later in his career (not much later) that my opinion of Hunter changed.  Obviously, I didn't think they should sign him for the past season(due to declining skills and overall player production) and am glad he has retired.

Edited November 7, 2015 by jimmer

[Old Twins Cap]

Loved watching Torii the early years, when he represented the Twins in being a gritty, high achieving, no holds barred outfielder.  He had a high ceiling at a time the Twins had a low floor.  And played the Yankees tough. 

 

There were some dark moments, breaking the ankle in Fenway in mid-August -- you knew the Twins were done at that point.  And, of course, I still have a tombstone in the garage for the Mark Kotsay looper that went for an inside the park dinger against the A's in the playoffs -- man, that was a killer.

 

You got emotion with Torii and what you saw was what he had, so there is no complaint really.  He grew to be a man in front of our eyes, and a hell of a ballplayer.  But those days were long ago.

 

My favorite memory of him will always be the way he tossed his bat aside, in rhythmn, when he hit one square.  You could kind of tell, just by his bat toss, if it was going out or not.

[hlrule]

Yes, Old Twins Cap, I loved Torii's bat toss as well. Nothing too over the top, but just perfect when he knew he got ahold of a pitch.

[Squirrel]

MODERATOR WARNING: Do NOT turn this thread into a discussion on race or religion or SSM, or turn this into a character debate. We have had many threads hashing this out and getting out of hand. Like him or hate him, for whatever your personal reasons are, don't use this thread and Torii for your springboard into these other issues. This is not the intent of this thead. If you can't share some BASEBALL MEMORIES of Torii, of watching him play, and ideas of his future baseball involvement, maybe with the Twins or not, don't post. A few of you have had your say on these other issues time and again and it's enough.

[gunnarthor]

Nice little article from Joe Posnanski that references Hunter and his HOF chances a bit - http://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/world-series-mets-royals-winning-with-depth/