Trying to compete in this country with hockey as popular as it's ever been is a tough task for a young man by the name of Justin Morneau.

Sure there are baseball fans in Canada, but I'm not convinced people realize what they are missing out on by not knowing what this power hitting slugger from New Westminster has done for baseball in this country.

Justin Morneau grew up in New Westminster, British Columbia where, like most Canadians, he thought he would some day dress in a sweater with an NHL logo on it. Not only as Justin grew up was he a prospect for WHL and NHL scouts, but somewhere along the way he fell in love with the game of baseball.

Morneau played his rookie season of Premier baseball in Vancouver, before packing his bags and arriving in North Delta. During his final two seasons of high school ball Morneau completely abused opposing pitching, won two provincial titles, a pair of national championships and crushed 47 homeruns his senior year.

During the 1998 Red Deer National Championships in Alberta, Canada, Justin was named the top hitter and top catcher as he led Team B.C. to it's third straight National crown.

While Morneau was doing all that he also stayed busy with Canada's National team. As June approached and it was time for the Major League Baseball Ametuer Draft, Justin sat by the phone waiting on a call that would change his life forever.

During the third round the Minnesota Twins decided that this kid from a place on the map where only hockey talent was suppose to come out of, might be one of those diamond in the rough kind of players and was lucky to be still around. So the Twins made Morneau the 27th overall pick in the third round and quickly signed to a minor league contract.

During Morneau's rookie season he swung the bat well, only to see his season go on hold as he suffured a broken bone in his right hand. With his hand healed he rippped through Quad City while be named Baseball America's low class A all-star first baseman at the mid-season festivities. Showing that he was able to handle what pro ball had thrown at him thus far, Morneau was called up to Ft. Myers, Florida June 20th and was quickly promoted to New Britain August 25th.

While at New Britain, Justin was the second top prospect in the midwest league, was ranked as high as 6th in the Florida state leauge, and slid into the 4th top prospect spot at first base in all of Minor league baseball according to baseball america. The 2002, 03 season was again New Britain where Morneau hit safely in 12 of his first 15 at bats.

With really only one more place for him to tee off on pitching, Justin was promoted to Rochester April 30th and didn't miss a beat. He was the Minor league player of the month going 26 for 79 while sporting a .329 avg. to go along with 6 homeruns and 13 RBI's. So almost 4 years to the day Justin Morneau's phone rings once again, only this time it's the big club, the big's, the show, the grand daddy of them all it's the Minnestoa Twins.

During Justin's very first big league at bat he ripped a single off Jason Jennings, and never again would he ride a bus or stay in a Best Western. During his first full season with the Twins in 2004, 05 he led the club in RBI's, was tied for second on the club for total bases {214} and established career highs in virtually all offensive categories.

During the 2005, 06 season Morneau struggled through most of the first half finally realizing that opposing pitchers were starting to work more carefully to him and weren't going groove 2-0 fastball just to see who would win the battle. It was during a visit to Seattle where Morneau had friends and family in the crowd only to see him get benched for not producing by manager Ron Garndenhire.

For the first time at any level Morneua wasn't the man, Gardenhire and Morneau talked behind closed doors and ever since then Gardenhire says Justins whole approach to preparing himself to play is like nite and day. Going through a slump like the one he was in is was a first for him, but what ever Gardenhire said to him flipped a switch on in Justin's head and from that point on Morneau went on to completing light up the second half leading the league with a .362 avg. while leading the Twin's to the Central division title on the last day of the season.

His 131 RBI's where second all time in Twin's history, {Killebrew, 140, 1969} and tied Larry Walker for the most by a Canadian born player. Morneau recieved 320 points, 15 first place votes, and beat out Derek Jeter to become the American League Mvp. And if that wasn't enough he won the Twins most valuable player award, and also took home the Louisville Silver Slugger award. With big expectations Morneau followed up his MVP season in 2006, 07 with a .271 avg, 31 homeruns, and 111 RBI's, and just signed a 6 year, $80 million dollar deal making the biggest contract in club history.

Hockey, and Canada will always stick together but to see what Justin Morneau has done for baseball in Canada is something that we as a country should be proud of. So the next time you are flipping through channels and see a Twins airing take a minute and look for a guy by the name of Justin Morneau and remember he's from our backyard and he's not carrying a hockey stick, instead he's putting this great game of baseball on the map north of the border.