Missing sluggers put damper on TwinsFest

Every winter, the Twins somehow persuade professional baseball players living in California and Florida to fly to the tundra, drive around the Upper Midwest in vans and buses, attend an awards banquet and sign autographs all weekend.

Most big-leaguers would rather give back their meal money. The Twins have brain-washed their players into thinking of it as a privilege.

"It's the tradition," said outfielder Michael Cuddyer, in town for yet another TwinsFest. "When you sign with us, this is what you do. When I was younger, those first few years, I thought I was on the way up, being invited to TwinsFest. I thought it was an honor. And once you start doing it, you're grandfathered in.

"And it is cool to see the fans' reactions. They get so pumped up for all of this, it's great."

The Twins appear to have the most extensive "fan-fest" of any big-league franchise. There is the extensive caravan, followed by the Diamond Awards (which were held Thursday night at Target Field), then TwinsFest, allowing Minnesotans to start imagining rays of sunshine (we can say that, now that the team has an outdoor ballpark) in January.

This week is a reminder that baseball is about eternal hope. It is also, with its long season and trying postseason, a game of relentless reality.

Twins fans are experiencing both right now.

There is the eternal hope surrounding a team that has become a fixture in the playoffs and still is reveling in the success that is Target Field.

There is the relentless reality reminding us that even anticipation of the coming season can't assuage all concerns, not when frail humans, to coin a redundancy, are involved.

While the Twins celebrate baseball this week, two of the greatest and most personable sluggers in franchise history are convalescing, each in his own way and while facing disparate challenges, in Arizona.

Harmon Killebrew, one of the most gentlemanly of all of baseball's Hall of Famers, is battling esophageal cancer.

Justin Morneau, the star first baseman who makes his home in Minnesota and has become one of the foremost advocates of the Twins Community Fund and other charities, skipped TwinsFest to concentrate on his recovery from the concussion that ended his season in 2010.

Killebrew and Morneau are reminders that many ballplayers use their fame and wealth to do good. They are also reminders that even the greatest athletes, whether facing threats to their lives or careers, should never forget Kirby Puckett's admonition to ballplayers of all ages:

"Tomorrow is not promised to any of us."

"Obviously, the Harmon situation is more worrisome," Twins President Dave St. Peter said. "He's on all of our minds. He missed TwinsFest last year because of gall bladder surgery. Obviously, the situation he's dealing with now is more serious.

"As for Justin, he wanted to be here, he's arguably one of our most active players in terms of supporting the Twins Community Fund. I think that's what he feels worst about, not being a part of the charitable initiative here, with the Diamond Awards and the Community Fund.

"I give [General Manager] Bill Smith a lot of credit. This is about the big picture with Justin. He's stringing positive days together. The plan is for him to hit next week. That's more important than jumping on a plane and flying up here right now."

Cuddyer, the Twin most attuned to his franchise's culture, said he sent well-wishes to Killebrew.

"It's extremely hard, seeing him go through what he's going through," Cuddyer said. "I talked to [former Twin] Mike Redmond, and his father passed away from the same type of cancer.

"I do know Harmon is in good spirits, and we're getting good reports. It's still tough to know he's going through this."

In sports and entertainment, the show must go on, and this week young Twins have traversed the Upper Midwest, introducing themselves to fans starved for signs of spring.

"It really is unique," St. Peter said. "Particularly the caravan part of it. A lot of teams have fan fests. I don't think any of them have it to the extent that we have it, in terms of player participation and going out on the road.

"It's a bit of a rite of passage for our young players. It's one of the great assets our front office has in marketing the club, and none of it would be possible without the players."

Hope springs eternal in baseball, the hope today being that by this time next year, Killebrew and Morneau will be together in Minnesota.

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon and weekdays at 2:40 p.m. on 1500ESPN. His Twitter name is Souhanstrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com