Torii leaves this advice with Buxton: 'You can't take everybody's advice'

FORT MYERS, FLA. – Byron Buxton was in a batting cage next to the home clubhouse at Hammond Stadium on Saturday. The Twins and the Orioles had finished an exhibition 20 minutes earlier.

Buxton was deep in conversation with Tom Brunansky, the Twins' hitting coach, and Torii Hunter, visiting the Twins' camp as a special instructor.

Hunter first came here in the summer of 1993. He had signed as the Twins' No. 1 draft choice on July 12 and would reach his 18^th birthday on July 18.

He joined the other rookies and would play in 28 games for the Gulf Coast League Twins. He had 100 at-bats, with no home runs, eight RBI and batted .190.

If those numbers aren't full indication of his rawness as a baseball player, consider this: He reached base four times on walks and nine times by being hit by a pitch.

There was much made of Hunter making this year's visit to spring training to assist Miguel Sano with the transition to right field. The truth could be that Hunter has more to offer the center fielder, Buxton, as a hitter.

And we're not talking about fundamentals of the swing here, but instead what might be going on in Buxton's head as various people offer advice on the thoughts that he should carry to the plate.

"Finally, when I was sent back in 2000, I said to myself, 'I'm going to clear out my head, cut it loose and if that doesn't work … I'll have to find another job.' ''

Hunter had been the Twins' regular center fielder in 1999. He was sent to Class AAA Salt Lake City on May 25, 2000, while carrying a .207 average. He was recalled on July 29 and batted .332 over the final two months of the season.

"I played 15 seasons after that and was an All-Star five times,'' Hunter said. "You're going to have bad weeks, maybe a bad month. You can find something you're doing wrong, but what you can't do is go to the plate with five different thoughts going through your head.''

Hunter was saying this earlier last week, as he watched Buxton and other Twins take batting practice on the field adjacent to Hammond Stadium.

"You can't take advice from everybody,'' Torii said. "Trouble is, it takes most of us a while to realize that.''

Buxton had his share of football exploits in high school, but there was much more emphasis on baseball with him than there had been with Hunter.

"Byron was a farther along as a player when he signed than me,'' Hunter said. "It all comes down to the same thing, though: 'Are you going to be able to handle big-league pitching?'

"That's the adjustment everyone has to make. Buxton's going to do that. What you have to realize is that you can't take everybody's advice.''

Hunter watched Buxton take a couple of swings, smiled and said, "That's my advice to him: Don't take everybody's advice.''

Hunter's stay with the Twins ended this weekend. He headed back home to Dallas on Sunday. He will watch his son, Torii Jr., play baseball for Notre Dame this spring. He will tend his business – an investment company. He'll travel the mile over to LaTroy Hawkins' house and check how another big-leaguer of long-standing is handling retirement.

"I made it through five innings in the dugout the other night, then I had to get out of there,'' Hunter said. "I had such a strong feeling that I wanted to be out there playing, I had to leave.''

"Damn right, I miss it.''