Justin Morneau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Justin Morneau |
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Morneau with the Minnesota Twins in 2006
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: May 15, 1981 New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| June 10, 2003, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 2016, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .281 | ||
| Home runs | 247 | ||
| Runs batted in | 985 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2020 | ||
Justin Ernest George Morneau (born May 15, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He was a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox.
Morneau was first drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He later became a first baseman. In 2007, he became the first Twins player since 1987 to hit 30 home runs in two years in a row.
Justin was a four-time All-Star. He won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2006. He also won two Silver Slugger Awards. In 2008, he won the Home Run Derby. In 2014, he won the National League (NL) batting title.
Morneau played for Canada in the World Baseball Classic four times. After retiring, he joined the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. He now works for the Twins and is a TV commentator.
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Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Justin Morneau grew up in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. He is the youngest son of George Morneau, a coach for many sports teams. His mother, Audra Chartrand, was a teacher and a fast-pitch softball player. Justin has an older brother named Geordie.
Justin played hockey for the New Westminster Royals. He was a talented goaltender. He also played baseball for the New Westminster Minor Baseball Association. He played for the North Delta Blue Jays as well.
Morneau went to Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School and Richard McBride Elementary School. His mother taught and coached at Richard McBride. He learned French there. He played basketball, volleyball, and ball hockey at school.
As a child, Morneau loved sports. His favorite hockey players were Patrick Roy and Cam Neely. His favorite baseball players included John Olerud and Ken Griffey Jr.. He cheered for the Boston Bruins in hockey and the Toronto Blue Jays in baseball.
He attended St. Thomas More Collegiate for eighth grade. He played basketball there. He later graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 1999. He was named the New Westminster High School Athlete of the Year. He also won national baseball championships in 1997 and 1998.
Morneau even played one preseason game of junior hockey as a goalie. He chose his baseball jersey number, 33, because of his idol, goalie Patrick Roy. He decided to focus on baseball instead of hockey.
Professional Baseball Career
Justin Morneau did not go to college. The Twins picked him in the third round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. He changed from catcher to first base in 2001. This was when he played for the Quad Cities River Bandits.
In six years in the minor leagues, he hit .310. He had 87 home runs and 153 runs batted in.
Joining the Minnesota Twins
Morneau made his first MLB appearance with the Twins on June 10, 2003. He played against the Colorado Rockies. He got his first hit in his first time at bat. A week later, he hit his first home run. In 2003, he played 40 games.
In 2004, Morneau became the Twins' main first baseman. He played 74 games. He hit .271 with 19 home runs. The 2005 season was tough for him. He dealt with illnesses and was hit by a pitch. He finished with a .239 batting average.
Becoming an MLB Star
In 2006, Morneau changed his jersey number to 33. He had a great season. He hit .321 with 34 home runs and 130 runs batted in. He was second in the league for RBIs. He helped the Twins win their division.
On November 21, 2006, Morneau won the American League MVP Award. He was the fourth Twins player to win this award. He was also the first Canadian to win the AL MVP.
In 2007, Morneau hit 31 home runs and had 111 RBIs. He was named the AL Player of the Month in May. He was chosen for the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game for the first time. He also took part in the 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby. On July 6, 2007, he hit three home runs in one game.
In 2008, Morneau signed a six-year contract with the Twins. He played in all 163 games that year. He hit .300 with 23 home runs and 129 RBIs. On July 10, 2008, he had five hits in one game. He was chosen as an All-Star again.
Morneau won the 2008 Home Run Derby. He was the first Canadian to win it. He also scored the winning run for the American League in the All-Star Game. He finished second in the AL MVP voting that year.
In 2009, Morneau hit 30 home runs and had 100 RBIs. He was selected for his third All-Star Game. In September, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back. This injury ended his season early.
Dealing with Injuries
Morneau started strong in 2010. He was hitting .345 with 18 home runs. Fans voted him to start the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. However, he got a concussion on July 7. He missed the rest of the 2010 season.
In 2011, Morneau tried to come back. He missed games due to the flu and a sore wrist. He had neck surgery in June. This made him miss two months. He then had a shoulder injury in August. This caused more concussion-like symptoms. He played only 69 games that year.
In 2012, Morneau played more games, 134 in total. He hit .257 with 19 home runs. In 2013, before being traded, he played 127 games. He hit .259 with 17 home runs.
Playing for Other Teams
On August 31, 2013, Morneau was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He wore number 66 because his usual number 33 was retired in Pittsburgh. He played 25 games for the Pirates.
On December 3, 2013, Morneau joined the Colorado Rockies. He wore number 33 again. He had a great year in Colorado. He hit .319 with 17 home runs. He won the National League batting title. In 2015, he played 49 games for the Rockies.
On June 9, 2016, Morneau signed with the Chicago White Sox. He wore number 44. He played 58 games for the White Sox. He hit .261 with six home runs.
Career Highlights and Statistics
Justin Morneau played 1,545 games over 14 seasons. He had a career batting average of .281. He hit 247 home runs and had 985 runs batted in. He was a very good first baseman, with a .996 fielding percentage.
He was considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Life After Playing Baseball
After playing for Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Morneau became a special assistant for the Minnesota Twins. This meant his playing career was over. He helps with player drafting and training. He also works as a TV analyst for the Twins.
Playing for Canada
Morneau proudly represented Canada many times. He played in the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017. He also played for the MLB All-Stars in the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series.
Personal Life and Community
Justin's parents divorced when he was seven. His mother is a retired teacher. His father works in a warehouse. Justin has an older brother, Geordie.
Morneau married Krista Martin on January 10, 2009. They have five children together.
He bought a house in his hometown of New Westminster. It is close to Queen's Park, where he played sports as a kid. On February 2, 2008, New Westminster honored him. They renamed Moody Park Diamond #5 to Justin Morneau Field.
Morneau is a bit superstitious. He wore number 33 to honor his idol, hockey goalie Patrick Roy. Before home games, he would get the same sandwich from a specific shop. He also drank a special slurpee mix in the clubhouse.
Justin and his wife, Krista, started The Justin Morneau Foundation. It helps communities in need. Morneau also sent over 200 personalized holiday gifts to Twins employees for four years.
See also
In Spanish: Justin Morneau para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Canada
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
