Next season it will be 40 years since major league baseball last had a triple crown winner.  Carl Yastrzemski, who once played in Minneapolis for the minor league Millers, won the triple crown in 1967, batting .326, with 44 home runs and 121 RBI.  Since World War II only three players have led their league in batting average, home runs and RBI in the same season, and all were American Leaguers, Yaz, Frank Robinson and Mickey Mantle. 

In major league baseball history there have been 14 triple crown winners (Ted Williams twice).  To hit with power and lead the league in home runs while having a high batting average is one of baseball’s monumental challenges. This season Justin Morneau teased us enough with his numbers to stir tepid speculation that perhaps some day he could make a run at the triple crown. 

Morneau finished second in the American League in RBI with 130 while batting .321 with 34 home runs.  He was seventh in batting average and 11^th in home runs, although four players ahead of him hit only one more home run. 

Morneau, 25, had played only one full season with the Twins prior to this year.  His average last season was just .239, with 22 home runs and 79 RBI.  Did his batting average improvement of 82 points surprise Morneau? 

 “I always hit for average in the minor leagues,” he said. “It was one of those things that took some time; learn the pitchers and that kind of stuff. It’s something I expect of myself.  I am not surprised. You always want to hit over .300. That’s always a goal.” 

Morneau did hit over .300 three times in the minor leagues, although none were during full seasons. The most at bats were 236 when he hit .356 for Quad Cities in 2001.   

Morneau’s .321 average this season didn’t surprise manager Ron Gardenhire either. “No, he’s a good hitter,” Gardenhire said. “He’s a strong guy.  He’s used the whole field and once he told himself that every ball didn’t have to go out of the ball park…everything has been fine.” 

Morneau, who will be a candidate for the American League’s Most Valuable Player award, talked about the challenge of winning a triple crown.  “It’s one of those things where you have to have things fall into place.” he said. “You have to have guys on base in front of you.  You have to be hot all year. So many things have to come together at once.  I think if you are leading in home runs it’s hard to lead in average because you give up a little bit as a home run hitter.  Your swing has to be a little longer and that sort of stuff. There’s a fine line between the whole thing.” 

Morneau said his goal is to win games and if achieving a triple crown meant winning it would be a “special thing.”  At his age and the expected improvement that lies ahead, perhaps a Morneau run at a triple crown is possible.

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The Twins 2006 season will be remembered by those inside and outside the organization for being a year of inspirational surprises.  The team comeback of playing under .500 baseball, being 12.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers, rallying to make the playoffs and then becoming Central Division champions on the last day of the season will assure this club a prominent place in Twins history.   

The individual performances of major league batting champion Joe Mauer, rookie sensation Francisco Liriano, Cy Young candidate Johan Santana, extraordinary reliever Joe Nathan, run producer Justin Morneau and master manager Ron Gardenhire and his staff will be deserving of awards and recognition. 

But there’s another reason the players and those close to them will fondly remember 2006.  They will recall, too, how much they enjoyed each other’s company. 

“These are the kind of guys you would be friends with if you didn’t play baseball,” Morneau said. “There’s a lot of good people.  Terry Ryan (general manager) has done a great job of bringing in the right guys. It’s a good mix in here.  Everybody has fun.  Nobody is off limits.  Anybody can get on anybody else and nobody takes it personally and that’s what makes it so fun. Guys take it with a smile and know you are part of the team. If the guys are getting on you it’s because they are expecting something out of you or because they think highly (of you).”

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Brandon Owens was ranked the nation’s No. 18 safety prospect by rivals.com coming out of high school in Florida in 2003.  By last season he had emerged as a standout strong safety for the Gophers and almost certain NFL draft choice.  Then he had a violent collision with Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, injured his shoulder and suffered nerve damage. 

Last week’s Minnesota-Penn State game here brought back attention to the accident that ended Owens’ football career.  Gopher coach Glen Mason said one of the two players had to suffer an injury because of the intense impact that occurred.  For awhile last season Penn State showed the collision on its video screen at Beaver Stadium but then Mason called Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno to tell him how serious the injury to Owens was and asked that the video not be aired. 

Owens, a junior last season, had an eight hour surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.  Mason said the severity of the injury was likened to a “NASCAR injury because the nerves were pulled off the vertebrae and so his football career is done.” 

Mason also said Owens is still in school and “he is trying to work with us as a student assistant.”

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