Torii Hunter, LaTroy Hawkins honored by Twins before Monday’s game

Angels right fielder Torii Hunter and reliever LaTroy Hawkins will take part in a pregame ceremony in Target Field Monday commemorating the Twins’ 2002 club that lost to the Angels in the American League Championship Series just months after nearly being eliminated by Major League Baseball.

“That ranks No. 1 on my list of favorite baseball moments,” said Hunter, the former Minnesota center fielder who was drafted by the Twins in 1993 and spent 15 years in the organization before signing with the Angels. “We didn’t know if we were going to be a triple-A team, a Yankees farm club or if we’d be contracted, and we won 94 games.

“All those guys on that team were like family. We came up together, we were like brothers, we had a lot of fun. It’s been 10 years, you believe that? It’s special to see all the guys I played with, the guys I came up with, the guys I cracked jokes with. This is where it all started. This is home. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

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