Sad To See Him Go

Well, it is official.  The Twins are now without Justin Morneau.  He has moved on to the Pittsburg Pirates to provide a little more pop from the left side.  He leaves a team mired with questions and in my opinion a lack of direction for a team sitting in first place for the first time since 1992.  Justin was just one of many players that seemed to reflect what I have always loved about the Twins.  Focus on the team, do the little things, and don't be a prima donna.  He left this message on his Facebook page and showed the class that he had:

First of all, I would like to say thank you to all of the Twins fans. I would also like to thank the Minnesota Twins organization for giving me a chance to realize my dream of being a Major League baseball player. I was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1999. Since that day I have been very proud and fortunate to call myself a Minnesota Twin.  

I was a wide-eyed 22 year old kid when I made my bigleague debut in 2003. I received a warm welcome that day and have felt welcomed ever since. I feel like I was a kid when I first got here, but was able to grow up in this organization and become someone my friends and family could be proud of. My wife, kids and family are Minnesotans and this has become my second home. Minnesotans are some of the kindest, most genuine people I have ever met.

I am sorry that during my time here we weren't able to achieve our ultimate goal of winning the World Series, but I will forever carry many wonderful memories of my time here. I will always cherish every day I was lucky enough to play in front of you fans in a Minnesota uniform.

Thank you for all of your support throughout the years.

Your friend,
Justin Morneau

I am not surprised to see him get traded.  I am surprised the Twins went after another outfielder, but in the end, this allows Justin to play for a winning team and prove that he can be a significant player again.  Thank you, Justin.  Good luck this year and may the post-season shine on you again!