Why the Minnesota Twins Love Justin Morneau

When you think of the Minnesota Twins, you think of the "Twinkies"—a small-market ball club from Minnesota with a roster full of scrappy young players who have a knack for getting on the nerves of the opposing team. Once called "piranhas" by division rival Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for their small-ball play, the Twins have turned into a dominant force.

Winning four out of the last six American League Central Division titles since 2001, the Twins have proved that their young players can play with the big guys. One of them, Justin Morneau, has become a dominant force in not only Minnesota's offense but also on its resilient defense.

The 6'4" Canadian first baseman has become a fan favorite not just with Minnesotans but also the Twins organization. Morneau has become a home run slugger and an important piece to the Minnesota Twins offense.

MVP chants can always be heard at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome when he steps up to the plate, of course this coming from Justin's phenomenal 2006 MVP year.

That year he recorded 130 RBI, and led the league with a .362 batting average from June 8.  He also won the Most Valuable Twin Award and "Silver Slugger" award.

This year has been rather a slow start for Morneau, going 0-for-8 in his first two games, including the 6-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on opening day. The Twins however, got their MVP back into action in a 6-5 win over the Mariners Wednesday night. 

Morneau got his first hit of the year in his first at-bat, a two-run home run hit into the upper deck of right field in the first inning. That blast was given up by former Twins pitcher Carlos Silva and Morneau finished off the night with an RBI double while going 2-for-3 from the plate in a another Twins come-from-behind win.

The Twins have found another gem and have profited from it by turning him into a dominant baseball player—a strong lefthanded batter who can use his power slugging to blast shots into the seats or get those strong base hits that these "piranhas" are used to.

Which makes Justin Morneau one of the Minnesota Twins' most beloved players on a club that has always been known to create All-Stars.