MINNEAPOLIS -- For 11 years, Torii Hunter made his home 81 days a year in the cramped, outdated clubhouse at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Though the former ballpark of the Minnesota Twins may have lacked many amenities, Hunter and his teammates experienced plenty of winning there.
On Monday, Hunter called the Twins clubhouse at Target Field his home for the first time. The 39-year-old Hunter spent many days in the visitor's locker room here, but now gets to enjoy the luxuries of Minnesota's clubhouse.
"It is the best clubhouse I've ever seen," said Hunter, who has a corner locker. "I haven't been in many home clubhouses, but for me, I've been away and I've been with several different teams. That's the best clubhouse I've ever seen. They did a great job making those guys comfortable in there."
Monday marked Hunter's return to Minnesota as a Twin. He spent the last seven seasons with the Angels and Tigers and has visited Minneapolis as an opponent many times. The Twins' 2015 home opener will be Hunter's 30th game played at Target Field. As a visitor at Minnesota's park, Hunter was a career .344/.364/.496 hitter with 15 RBI in 125 at-bats.
Every time Hunter returned as a visitor -- both with the Angels and Tigers -- he was greeted with warm applause from Twins fans who still admired him. Hunter had trouble trying to figure out the reception he'll receive Monday when he's introduced as a Twin once again.
"I don't know what to expect," Hunter said. "I came back as an Angel my first year and I didn't know what to expect. My first at-bat, everybody stood up and clapped, and I was emotional. Even my first strikeout as an Angel in the Metrodome, I almost walked back to the wrong dugout. . . .
"It's going to be emotional stepping on the field, but we've still got to play a game. I might cry afterwards, but I'm going to try to focus and play the game."
The first week of the season was a tough one for the Twins, and Hunter was no exception. The 19-year veteran was just 3-for-21 (.143) in Minnesota's first six games.
Like the rest of the Twins' clubhouse, Hunter is far from panicking after a rough start to 2015.
"In my 20 at-bats that I've gotten in this young season, it's not fun," Hunter said. "It's not fun when you can't get a hit or you're not hitting the ball hard. But I've been there. I'm frustrated. I hate it. But I've also been around and I've been through some struggles before. Twenty at-bats is too early."
Though Hunter may not have produced much at the plate, his teammates and new manager say Hunter has been a big influence in the clubhouse.
"He's been great this first week," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Hunter. "It hasn't really clicked for him offensively. He's had his struggles. . . . He is one of the guys in that clubhouse that's bringing that emotion every day. He's the one that's encouraging. He's the one that's reminding guys, 'Keep going, keep playing.'"
Jones assists Garnett on first pitch: Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett threw out the first pitch at Monday's game -- but not without a little help.
As Hunter went to catch the ceremonial pitch, the Twins outfielder shouted that Garnett needed a baseball. In stepped Tyus Jones, the Apple Valley, Minn., native who helped the Duke Blue Devils win the college basketball national championship on Monday.
Jones was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four and also graced this week's cover of Sports Illustrated. Getting to deliver the first pitch to one of his basketball idols was the latest in what has been a whirlwind week for the point guard.
"You couldn't write it up any better than that," Jones said. "It's something you'll never forget. It feels like a dream."
Jones scored 19 points in the second half of the championship game to help Duke beat Wisconsin for the title. While his teammate and good friend Jahlil Okafor already announced he's turning pro after one season, Jones said Monday he still hasn't made a decision.
Instead, the 18-year-old is doing his best to soak up the moment of being one of the brightest stars in college basketball. That's a lesson his new friend Garnett told him Monday.
"He's a great guy, genuine guy," Jones said. "He just told me, just enjoy it all. Don't rush anything. Just make the most of every opportunity that you get."
Fien ready to return: Twins set-up man Casey Fien pitched just once on Minnesota's six-game road trip due to discomfort in his shoulder, but the right-hander said Monday he's good to go if needed in Monday's home opener. He threw 10 pitches before the game and felt no issues with his shoulder.
"I told them I could throw, but it's April 10, April 9. I wanted to give myself some time so this wasn't just a recurring injury or something that would be bothering me for a couple months," Fien said. "Instead, we'd just nip it in the bud now and go from there. . . . It feels good right now."
The Twins' bullpen struggled in Fien's absence. Minnesota called up right-hander Blaine Boyer to pitch in the eighth inning in two games against the Chicago White Sox, but Boyer struggled in that set-up role. He allowed a run in the eighth on Saturday in the Twins' loss, and three eighth-inning runs in Sunday's 6-2 loss.
"The last couple days I haven't been in there. . . . I just don't want them to have to take on a load that they don't have to," Fien said.
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