It was early June and the Twins were in Seattle for a series against the Mariners. Justin Morneau, who had teased the Twins with his power and RBI potential during two previous seasons, was hitting .241 with 11 homers and 38 RBI. A native of British Columbia, Morneau had some Canadian buddies in town ready to have a good time.
Manager Ron Gardenhire decided to have a “baseball talk” with his 25-year-old first baseman. “His focus has got to remain on the field,” Gardenhire said recently. “They (Morneau’s buddies) don’t have anything to do at night. They don’t have to get up in the morning and go to the ball park and compete against some of the best players in the world. He does. And that’s what we talked about. Give yourself an opportunity. Understand, ‘Hey, boys, I gotta go to bed. I have a job to do. It’s not off season for me. It’s off season for you.’”
As the team heads toward September and a possible playoff position, Morneau is enjoying a Twins MVP season for a franchise desperate for power. His numbers are dramatic since early June with a streak from June 9 through August 22 that looked like this: .383 batting average, 20 home runs and 69 RBI.
Gardenhire said the talk in June encouraged Morneau to focus and give him the opportunity to be productive. “He’s really dedicated himself to the game,” Gardenhire said. “I think he will be fine.”
Morneau, as with other young players, has learned from his struggles. Two seasons ago, playing in 74 games for the Twins, he hit .271 with 19 home runs and 58 RBI. Last season, in 141 games, the numbers were .239, 22 and 79.
Gardenhire said Morneau has learned he doesn’t have to hit a home run on each at bat. He’s learning to “stay within himself and not do too much.” A lesson in handling pressure occurred recently when Morneau was flirting with breaking through to the 30 home run and 100 RBI totals. “He went a few days without being able to really do anything,” Gardenhire remembered. “I think he set back and thought about it and then he relaxed a little bit and it just came natural.”
Gardenhire praised Morneau as a hard worker and as a hitter “who can carry a ball club for long periods of time.” Morneau seems likely to finish among the American League leaders in home runs and RBIs. At this writing he was third in the league in RBI and Gardenhire admires his ability to drive runs across the plate.
At 25 and already the first Twin to hit 30 or more home runs since Kent Hrbek in 1987, Morneau may not even be near his peak. Can he hit 40 or 50 home runs? “He can definitely do that,” Gardenhire answered. “No doubt.”