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). Justin played for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox.
He was first drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He later changed to playing first base. In 2007, he became the first Twins player since 1987 to hit 30 home runs in two years in a row.
Justin Morneau was a four-time All-Star. He won the 2006 American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. 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.
He played for Canada in the World Baseball Classic four times. After he stopped playing, he was chosen for the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Today, he works for the Twins team and also talks about their games on TV.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Justin Morneau grew up in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. His father, George, was a hitting coach for many sports teams. His mother, Audra, was a teacher and a fast-pitch softball player. Justin has an older brother named Geordie.
As a kid, Justin played hockey for the New Westminster Royals. He was a great goalie, even playing with older teams. He also played baseball for the New Westminster Minor Baseball Association.
School Days
Justin went to Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School and later Richard McBride Elementary School. His mother taught and coached there. He learned French in a special program. He played basketball, volleyball, and ball hockey for his school teams.
Justin 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 went to St. Thomas More Collegiate for eighth grade. Coaches wanted him to play football because he was so athletic, but he chose not to. He then went to New Westminster Secondary School and finished in 1999. He kept playing basketball and hockey. He was named the New Westminster High School Athlete of the Year. He also won national baseball championships with his team in 1997 and 1998.
Hockey or Baseball?
Justin was good enough at hockey to attend training camp for the Portland Winter Hawks. He even played one game as a goalie. He chose his jersey number, 33, because of his idol, goalie Patrick Roy. Even though he was listed as winning the Memorial Cup with the Winter Hawks in 1998, he was mostly a backup goalie. He later decided to focus only on baseball.
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 started playing first base in 2001. In six years in the minor leagues, he hit very well.
He played in the 2002 and 2004 All-Star Futures Games. In 2003, he played his first Triple-A games with the Rochester Red Wings.
Minnesota Twins (2003–2013)
Starting Out (2003–2005)
Justin Morneau played his first major league game with the Twins on June 10, 2003. He got a hit in his very first time at bat! A week later, he hit his first home run. In 2003, he played 40 games.
In 2004, Justin became the Twins' main first baseman. He played 74 games, hitting 19 home runs. The 2005 season was a bit tough for him. He dealt with being sick and was hit by a pitch. Still, he led the Twins in runs batted in (RBI).
Becoming a Star (2006–2009)
Starting in 2006, Justin wore jersey number 33. He had an amazing year in 2006. He hit .321 with 34 home runs and 130 RBI. He was second in the league for RBIs. He won the 2006 American League Silver Slugger Award for being the best hitting first baseman. His great play helped the Twins win their division.
On November 21, 2006, Justin Morneau won the American League Most Valuable Player Award. He was the first Canadian to win this award in the AL.
In 2007, Justin hit 31 home runs and had 111 RBI. He was named the American League Player of the Month in May. He was also chosen for his first All-Star Game. He even took part in the 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby. On July 6, 2007, he hit three home runs in one game!
In 2008, Justin signed a big contract with the Twins. He played in all 163 of the team's games. He hit .300 with 23 home runs and 129 RBI. He was chosen as an All-Star again.
Justin won the 2008 Home Run Derby. He was the first Canadian to win this event. He also scored the winning run for the American League in the All-Star Game. He was named the Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year. He finished second in the voting for AL MVP.
In 2009, Justin hit 30 home runs and had 100 RBI. He was selected for his third All-Star Game. Later that year, he had a back injury and missed the rest of the season.
Challenges and Trades (2010–2016)
Justin started strong in 2010, hitting .345 with 18 home runs. He was voted by fans to start the All-Star Game. However, he had to miss the game and the rest of the season due to an injury.
In 2011, Justin tried to come back. He played in the first game of the season. But he continued to face injuries, including a shoulder injury. He only played in 69 games that year.
In 2012, Justin played more games, appearing in 134. He hit 19 home runs and had 77 RBI. In 2013, he played 127 games for the Twins before being traded.
On August 31, 2013, Justin was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played 25 games for them. He wore number 66 because his usual number 33 was retired in Pittsburgh.
On December 3, 2013, Justin joined the Colorado Rockies. He wore number 33 again, as it was available. He had a great year in Colorado in 2014. He hit .319 with 17 home runs and 82 RBI. He won the National League batting title, which means he had the highest batting average in the league. In 2015, he played 49 games for the Rockies.
On June 9, 2016, Justin signed with the Chicago White Sox. He wore number 44. He played 58 games for the White Sox, hitting six home runs. This was his final season playing baseball.
Career Highlights
In his 14 seasons, Justin Morneau played 1,545 games. He had a batting average of .281. He hit 247 home runs and had 985 RBI. He was a great first baseman, with a .996 fielding percentage. He was on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.
After Playing Baseball
After playing for Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Justin Morneau took a job with the Minnesota Twins. He became a special assistant, helping with player drafting and training. He also works as a TV announcer for the Twins games on Bally Sports North.
Playing for Canada
Justin Morneau proudly played for the Canada national baseball team many times. He played in the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017. He also played for the MLB-All-Stars in Japan in 2014.
Personal Life
Justin Morneau's parents divorced when he was seven. His mother is a retired teacher, and his father works in a warehouse. He has an older brother, Geordie. His mother remarried in 2006.
Family and Hometown
Justin married Krista Martin on January 10, 2009, in St. Paul, Minnesota. They have five children together.
He bought a house in his hometown of New Westminster, Canada. It's close to Queen's Park, where he played sports as a kid. His family is well known in New Westminster. On February 2, 2008, the city honored him by renaming a baseball field in Moody Park to Justin Morneau Field. This field is near another field named after one of his heroes, Larry Walker.
Superstitions
Justin is a bit superstitious. He wore number 33 to honor his idol, hockey goalie Patrick Roy. When he was young, he wouldn't leave for hockey games until the clock showed :33 minutes past the hour.
Before home games in Minnesota, he had a routine. He would stop at the same sandwich shop and order the same sandwich. Then, he would drink a special slurpee mix in the Twins' clubhouse.
Justin and his wife, Krista, started The Justin Morneau Foundation. It helps communities in need, especially where they have lived. He also sent over 200 personalized holiday gifts to Twins employees for several 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
