Will Torii Be Booed?

[zamboni]

Anyone? He did turn an offer down to stay. I think a few will, but he will get some giving him a standing ovation as well. Gonna be kinda weird seeing him out in center wearing a red hat

[mike morris]

I was fortunate enough to finally get tix to the home opener. It's going to be odd seeing him in the opposing dugout. I'm going to clap for him. I'm still sour about the way he left, but that's professional sports for you.

[bassNspear]

I have always been a fan of him, but yet sore about him leaving as well. I thought that he might stay just becuase he was happy here, but it is a business, so its understandable for him to leave. Ill be a fan of him even if hes on a different team.

[DonBo]

I for one will be on feet clapping when he comes out on the field two weeks from tonight.

Anyone else going to be at the opener?

[Schloogs]

I would hope he isn't booed. You really can't blame the guy for leaving, his contract was ridiculous and he had always been good to Minnesota.

[fishorgolf]

There is no reason to boo him but I am sure a few me's will.

[jigging-matt]

I think, and hope that he will get a standing ovation. He played the game the right way played hard, and yes he left and got a lot of money, but the Twins could have kept him if they really wanted to. Will sure be weird not seeing him in center this year.

[tisosy11]

there will be no boos, or at least minimal boos.

lots of loud cheers for the old number 48

[bassNspear]

i agree with you all on this, i dont think they will boo him, i believe they will all be standing and saying Thanks for the time.

[CrappiesNCats]

if Pierzynski gets booed, Torii should. AJ was nothing but a good guy here and plus he netted us Nathan,Bonser AND Liriano. If anything AJ should be cheered.

Torii was always two-faced while he was here and he talked to much and threw a punch at Morneau (and hit Punto...HILARIOUS) you knew Torii was going to leave because he plays for Money, not for love. Few players these days play like Puckett, Hrbek, and Radke. Can't boo him for taking that much money though. Who wouldnt take it?

If Torii is booed, it better not be for leaving for LA. Its justified though if its for singlehandedly losing the playoff series to Oakland though.

[mr_jman]

nah, he wont get booed. AJ gets booed because of his personality not because of what he did here. Yes we got great players for him, but that wasn't really his doing. Look at how much [PoorWordUsage] he talks as a White Sox player towards the Twins. Sure, he's always been like that but you really notice it once its aimed at us.

As for Torii, he should get a standing Ovation! If I were there I'd be clapping and cheering and maybe even hold up a sign thanking him for his time here. It's hard to boo a guy who won as many gold gloves as he did, hit as many homers and was a good player to have in key situations. Although he may have made some bad plays in the playoffs, he made plays that helped get us there in the first place. All in all Torii was essentially Kirby Puckett while he was here. (I know he isn't Kirby, but he was the fan favorite for a long time!) THE FANS BETTER CHEER FOR HIM! As for leaving, thats just the way baseball is especially on a small market team like Minnesota.

[polarsusd81]

I will be there, and I will be clapping and cheering. You can't blame a guy, at that level of the game, for leaving for a better deal. It is very rare for someone these days to stick around and be loyal to a team.

[Dahitman44]

Hunter was and still is my fav. player. Am I mad for him leaving? Yes, I am.

He is still a great person and ballplayer.

Hi, my name is Hitman and I love Hunter.

Yikes.

But true.

[Cicada]

Does the Hitman ever sleep?

Torii should get a hero's welcome. While replacing Puckett would be nearly impossible, Torii stepped up and gave the fans of the Twins big effort every game. See if I'd be selling Amish Furniture in Detroit Lakes if someone offered me six or seven times my salary to move on.

[bassNspear]

we all have to remember, its not tori that let him go, its the twins that didnt have/wanted to pay the money

[BirdWhisperer]

I agree, it wasn't that Hunter WANTED to leave...the team had to let him go. Big standing O for #48 when they call his name.

[Scott K]

I dissagree, its players like Hunter, and Johan that are wrecking the game of baseball! They get a good reasonable offer, of market value, then hold out because they might get one of a couple teams that will over pay them. Just because there might be 1 team out of 3 or 4 that can give you more money, doesnt make it Market Value!! Now what they started was next year, other pitcures, or center fielders will do the same thing to get even more money! If they played because they loved the game/Team/Fans they wouldnt turn down the reasonable offer from their club that they played in since coming up. Just to get payed more millions. What you guys are saying is your going to cheer for the opposing teams player, that didnt care enough about his team or fans to take a good offer. Johan and Hunter and players like them should all be boo'd! Either one of these 2 players didnt care about the Twins, or their fans to accept market value offers, they were greedy and only cared about themselves and you guys are going to cheer them on for that!

I am a huge baseball fan, and football fan, the players I respect are the ones that arent out there every couple years to get the most money and shop every club to pinch every penny out of the sport. You realize these players are the reason it cost $150 or more to go to a game, thats something to cheer for! If Torii hits a homer at the dome on the 31st and you guys are cheering him on, are you really Twins fans?

Sorry for the rant! I respected Hunter, and Johan until they played the I need the most money possible card!

[jigging-matt]

Torii and Johan are not wrecking the game. It is the agents, and the owners that offer these incredible salaries. Are you saying that you wouldn't take more money for the job you do? The amount of money wasn't as big of a deal to Torii as was the number of years on the contract. Hunter wanted to RETIRE A TWIN. If that is not loyalty to a team what is. The Twins let Torii go.

[Scott K]

They were one year off! So that is the difference between retiring with the team you want, and not? Im sure after the 4 years we offerend him he would have gotten a new contract.

[IFallsRon]

Good post 4wanderingeyes.

[mr_jman]

It's tough to argue with getting more money for doing the job you do... Everyone would like to get paid more for what they do. I would have to agree that as a professionally athlete of his calibur what do you REALLY need another million for when a lot of people in America live on less than ~$40,000 a year. It seems selfish to me but who really sets these prices for athletes. In the 70's and 80's the figures given out now would seem absolutely ridiculous! When did this all change? Was it the owners, players, agents? You tell me!

As for Torii, I will still cheer him for WHAT HE DID WHILE HE WAS HERE! and for that I DO thank him! No matter what happens to him you can't take away what he MEANT and DID for the team while he was here. I would also cheer for Santana if the Mets came to town (they don't this year though!) How many games did Santana win for us? How many K's? You may not like that he left but to hate him for leaving after giving us the great years and effort he did while he was here... He definitely deserves an applause and thank you IMO!

If Hunter does hit a home run I would definitely NOT cheer as I am still loyal to the Team and not to individual players! It's like someone once told me... Do you really cheer for the players, or just for the jersey their wearing?

[Quickstrike]

Minnesota has the best fans in the country, they understand the game, they understand the small market mentality, and they know better then to boo the face and backbone of this team for the last decade. It would be a shame if he gets booed. This isn't Chuck Knoblach we're talkinng about.

[Dahitman44]

Wandering --

Great post as always, but you need to remember whose fault this really is -- yep Smilin' Carl and the front office.

They had the chance to sign both JS and Hunter to an extension over a year to two years ago and they did not. Thought they would be cheaper.

They were wrong.

They played the game and got burned.

For that reason they stepped up and signed Justin to a big deal, but I think he would have gotten bigger if he would have played it out.

It is the Twins fault they are gone. We had the chance to sign them both for MUCH less than they signed for.

[Scott K]

I agree that the Twins fron office could have avoided it by signing them last year before the season. But that doesnt make Torii, or Johan more team orientated/ loyal. I felt the Twins offered both of them huge contracts, more then they have ever offered any player, and in the top 5 of position contracts for mlb at their positions. They turned it down.

I personally wouldnt boo either one of them, but I also wouldnt give them a standing O! I dont hate them, I respect them for what they did while they were here, and the fact they are good players. But to say that they wanted to stay, or was a team player and wanted to stay with the Twins, is [PoorWordUsage]. The Twins along with most of the other teams in MLB cant afford to match contracts to the few clubs out there. This is just another reason why salarie caps are needed in MLB

[tisosy11]

AHHA - that was a nightmare series~!