Chart: Justin Morneau timeline

September 1, 2013 at 4:04AM
BRUCE BISPING • bbisping@startribune.com
Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune
Minneapolis, MN., Tuesday, 11/21/2006. Minnesota Twin's Justin Morneau was all smiles as he answered questions after being announced he was the American League most valuable player. Morneau joins a select group of Twins players named MVP, including Zoilo Versalles, Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew.
Justin Morneau was all smiles after being announced as 2006 American League MVP, the fourth Twins player to receive the honor. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Justin Morneau THROUGH THE YEARS

May 15, 1981: Born in Westminster, British Columbia.

Spring 1999: Selected by the Twins in the third round (89th overall) of the MLB draft. As a catcher.

June 10, 2003: Made major league debut; batted cleanup as DH. Had two of Twins' three hits in 5-0 loss to Colorado at the Metrodome. Got first major league hit, a single, off Colorado's Jason Jennings.

June 17, 2003: Hit his first career home run, a solo shot off Albie Lopez in Kansas City. It was as a pinch hitter.

June 22, 2003: Hit his second career home run, a solo shot to center field off Mike DeJean in Milwaukee. The ball, which hit off the center-field scoreboard at Miller Park, went an estimated 460 feet.

July 16, 2004: Promoted from Class AAA Rochester to become the Twins everyday first baseman for good; Doug Mientkiewicz was traded two weeks later.

June 8, 2006: Morneau, hitting .236 with 11 homers and 38 RBI, had a heart-to-heart talk with manager Ron Gardenhire in Seattle where the manager apparently didn't pull any punches. Both Morneau and the Twins took off soon after that.

Aug. 9, 2006: Reached 30 homers and 100 RBI for the season with a dramatic eighth-inning home run off flamethrower Joel Zumaya in Detroit. The Twins won 4-3. Not since 1987 had a Twins player amassed a 30-100 season.

Nov. 21, 2006: Named American League MVP after batting .321 with 34 home runs and 130 RBI. Morneau earned 15 of the 28 votes, with the Yankees' Derek Jeter picking up 12 and Twins pitcher Johan Santana one.

July 6, 2007: Hit career home runs Nos. 100, 101 and 102 in a 12-0 romp over the White Sox in Chicago, his only three-home run game.

July 10, 2007: Played in the first of three consecutive All-Star Games in San Francisco. He was also an All-Star in 2010 but was injured.

Jan 25, 2008: Signed a six-year, $80 million contract.

July 14-15, 2008: Won the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, defeating Texas' Josh Hamilton in the finals. One night later went 2-for-4 and scored the winning run in the AL's 4-3 victory over the NL in 15 innings.

July 7, 2010: On pace for potentially another AL MVP season, he was accidentally kneed in the head by Toronto infielder John McDonald on a play at second base. Did not play again the rest of the season while dealing with post-concussion syndrome.

Sept. 3, 2010: Honored as one of the 50 greatest Twins of all time.

Aug. 6, 2012: Hit career home runs Nos. 199 and 200 in a 14-3 victory at Cleveland.

Aug. 30, 2013: Hit the winning home run off Texas' Yu Darvish in the seventh inning of a 3-2 victory.

Aug. 31, 2013: Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Minnesota Twins' Justin Morneau poses with the trophy after winning baseball's All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in New York on Monday, July 14, 2008. (AP Photo\Kathy Willens) ORG XMIT: NYY140
Though Josh Hamilton starred in the 2008 Home Run Derby, Morneau was the champion. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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