Torii Hunter embraces his return to the Twins

In Torii Hunter's nine full seasons with the Twins, from 1999 through 2007, he hit .271 and averaged 22 home runs, 79 RBI and 75 runs per season. When Hunter left for the Angels in 2008 few people could have expected that he would return to Minnesota eight years later as perhaps an even better offensive player.

Over the past seven seasons, Hunter has hit .289 and averaged 20 home runs, 86 RBI and 80 runs per season. Last year was no different with the Tigers when he hit .286 with 17 home runs, 83 RBI and 71 runs scored. Hunter hit .357 in spring training, going 15-for-42 with one home run, six RBI and five runs scored.

Hunter was asked if he thought he had a good last season with the Tigers.

"Oh yeah, I know I did. The results are in," Hunter said. "You look at the numbers, but individually, yes, I had an OK season. All in all as a team I wish we could have went a little farther in the postseason. You win the division and you want to keep going. I think we failed in that sense as a team, but individually I think I played pretty well."

How much longer does Hunter, who will turn 39 this season, think he can keep this up?

"Whatever God allows," he said. "If I go out there and play well this year, we'll take it one year at a time to see what happens. If I still have bullets left after this season, hitting .300 or whatever it may be, I don't know if I can just give up if I have bullets in the tank."

One of the big benefits the Twins are hoping for out of their former All-Star is to invigorate the clubhouse and be a vocal leader.

"And all the wisdom that I've obtained over the years, and all the healed pain, I'm able to give it back. Whether it's on the field, off the field, I try to help those guys financially with family issues or on the field, because I do know that I know the game of baseball. All I want to do is be fruitful, give it back, and make the game better, make those guys better than you were. That's how you become a great leader, just making people around you better."

If there is one thing Hunter doesn't do, it's lose. He has reached the playoffs in eight of the past 13 years, but this Twins club has lost 90 games or more in each of the past four. Can Hunter turn this club into a winner?

"It depends on their heart," he said of his teammates. "My heart is already a winner. You try to instill some things and help them out, but one person can't make a team a winner. Everybody has to get on that boat and row together. If we do that, and everybody is open to change, I think we can do it."

Hunter was asked about the players who influenced him and instilled that sense of pride in winning early in his career.

"I definitely think that Paul Molitor and Matt Lawton, they had a lot to do what my career and taught me a lot of different things as far as the mental part of the game," he said. "Seventy-five percent of the game is mental, I think he helped me out mentally. Molitor, man this guy is so bright. That's why I came back.

Hunter explained his history with his new Twins coach.

"I played with Molitor in '98," he said. "I was in spring training with him for three years; we had a lot of fun. I really looked up to him and talked to him and asked a lot of questions. He was willing to give the answers. Paul Molitor is not afraid to help these young guys out, and that's what I really love about him."

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