Justin Morneau ended the month with the third highest home run total for a Twins player in May. His 10 home runs are exceeded in Twins franchise history only by Harmon Killebrew.
Morneau has 16 home runs for the season, second in the American League to Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees who has 19. Last season the 26-year-old first baseman hit a career high 26 home runs. He was asked earlier this week about his home run potential.
“I have no idea,” he told Sports Headliners. “I try not to go up there (to the plate) and hit home runs. If I do, that’s usually when I get myself in trouble. If I am hitting the ball well, it’s got a chance to go over the fence. I don’t really try to put (projected) numbers out there. If you say you want to hit 30 and then all of a sudden you get to 30 and it’s August, what do you do after that? …”
Even in obvious long ball situations like a game tied in the late innings, Morneau tries to avoid a home run mind set. “When I go out there and just try to hit it hard and try to keep it simple, that’s when I seem to have a lot more success and the ball seems to go over the fence,” he said. “In Texas the other day (last week) in two at bats I hit a home run and I wasn’t trying to. Then I got up and I had a 3-0 pitch and I popped it up. That was the only at-bat the whole day I was trying to hit a home run. So if I keep it simple, that’s when I am more successful.”
Morneau has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and is batting .346 (18-52) with four doubles, nine runs, five home runs and 19 RBI. The Twins have won nine of those games.
Morneau’s production began climbing last June and by season’s end he was the American League’s Most Valuable Player. In early June he was hitting .241 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI’s. He led the major leagues from June 8 to season’s end with a .362 average. For the year he finished with a .321 average, 34 home runs and 130 RBI’s.
The Twins are promoting Justin Morneau MVP Bat Day on June 10. The first 5,000 fans 14 and under receive a free bat. A Morneau MVP bobblehead giveaway (10,000 available to fans) is scheduled for July 20.