Twins rehire Torii Hunter, who immediately makes sparks fly

The Minnesota Twins have rehired Torii Hunter on a one-year contract worth $10.5 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Hunter, who played in the outfield for the Twins for 11 seasons, said he is glad to be back — and ready to help the struggling team win it all next season.

But his return may not be a totally smooth one.

At a press conference, the atmosphere abruptly turned from warm and fuzzy to cold and prickly when Pioneer Press reporter Mike Berardino asked Hunter to respond to criticism of his views on gay marriage.

• NewsCut: Why Torii Hunter's views on gays matter

Hunter said his views were known and called the reporter a name and went back to talking about baseball.

During the Arkansas governor's race this year, Hunter recorded an ad supporting Republican Asa Hutchinson praising the candidate for supporting marriage only between a man and a woman. Hutchinson, who won the race, will be become governor in January.

Hunter played for the Twins between 1997 and 2007. During that time, he earned seven consecutive Gold Gloves as an outfielder. After leaving the team, he won two more playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

New Twins manager Paul Molitor, who played briefly with Hunter as a Twin towards the end of his career, said Hunter is fearless.

"I remember playing Kansas City where a guy hit a home run and it was kind of to left center — Torii was on a dead run and his chances of catching the ball were maybe one in a hundred," Molitor said. "Full speed, he laid out into that wall for that one percent chance of making a play."

Molitor expects Hunter will serve as a mentor and inspiration to younger players. He also said Hunter's bat will be a welcome addition to the team's offensive lineup.

Hunter, 39, said he's ready to play the role of elder statesman and bring some wisdom to the clubhouse.

"But I can still — I can play a little bit. I've got some bullets left," he said. "So, that's what I'm here for — to share it, to help this team. I'm just a little piece to this puzzle. That's all. I'm not the guy that's going to turn it around right away."

Hunter spent seven years playing in Los Angeles and with the Detroit Tigers. Each time he played against the Twins, the hometown fans always gave him a warm, if not a polite, welcome. Though he was born in Arkansas, Hunter said Minnesota holds a special place in his heart.

Hunter said he doesn't know if this will be his last season. He said if he plays well, he might stick around for another.

However, Hunter said he plans to make the Minnesota Twins his last Major League Baseball team.

"This is home for me. A lot of people might not agree. But a majority know that this is where I need to be at the end of my career."