Torii Hunter was emotional at the beginning of his farewell press conference as Twins General Manager Terry Ryan read off a list of Hunter's accomplishments. But he composed himself and, when it was his turn to speak, was his usual combination of wit, candor and humor.

He joked about going to nude beaches with his wife, Katrina. He thanked Mike Ruth, the scout who signed him, for: ``Coming to the ghetto and not being scared."

He did talk about how his love for the game began as a kid watching Cubs games with his grandfather.

``I really wanted to be like Andre Dawson." Hunter said.

The Sid Hartman Press Conference room at Target Field was packed for Hunter's event, in which included a lot of laughs and memories. Hartman even grabbed the Mike and, in classic Sid fashion, didn't ask a question but rather praised Hunter for his career.

In addition to the media and many Twins officials, former teammates Corey Koskie, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer were in attendance. Former manager Tom Kelly also was on hand.

Hunter is going to take some time off to spend with his family, but there have been preliminary discussions about him having a role with the team in the near future.

Hunter also has looked into a possible career as a television analyst

The Twins will move on without Hunter. Ryan said the club could bring in another veteran to help with chemistry, but it has to be the right fit.

But the Twins know that filling Hunter's shoes in the outfield will be mush easier than in the clubhouse.