BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Retired Twin Hrbek Honored

Minnesota honored one of its native sons on Sunday as the Twins retired the No. 14 jersey of Kent Hrbek, who grew up in the shadow of the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.

The Twins honored Hrbek, who retired at the end of last season, by giving him two all-terrain vehicles, a cow, a pig and a shotgun. Presumably, Hrbek an avid hunter and fisherman, won’t use the shotgun on the pig or the cow.

Chili Davis, who played with Hrbek on the Twins’ 1991 World Series championship team, presented him with a set of golf clubs on behalf of the Angels.

Hrbek is the fourth Twin to have his number retired, joining Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva. Carew, the Angels’ hitting coach, and Oliva lifted the tarp to reveal Hrbek’s No. 14 on the left-center field fence.

“When I grew up in my back yard in Bloomington, I was Tony Oliva. I was Rod Carew,” Hrbek told an announced Metrodome crowd of 35,796. “Now, I get to have my number retired next to those guys? Wow, wake up, Kent.”

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With Hrbek retired, the Twins have started David McCarty, Jerald Clark, Kevin Maas, Pedro Munoz, Jeff Reboulet, Scott Stahoviak, Dan Masteller, Matt Merullo, Ron Coomer and Chip Hale at first base this season.

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Angel reliever Troy Percival on his role, pitching the eighth inning to set up closer Lee Smith: “I’m a closer, but closing in another inning. That’s the way any reliever should approach it.”

Percival on facing the Twins’ Kirby Puckett: “You can’t throw him the same pitch twice. He’s constantly adjusting. I feel lucky to get the guy out. I feel lucky to pitch to him.”

For the record, Percival retired Puckett on a groundout in the eighth inning. The pitch was the only curveball Percival threw Sunday.

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Damion Easley was a late scratch, sidelined by a migraine headache. Spike Owen replaced him in the starting lineup. . . . Jim Edmonds’ sixth-inning double gave him an extra-base hit in eight of 11 games. He has doubled, doubled and homered in the last three games.