Minnesota Twins former star Torii Hunter wants to manage someday

Former Minnesota Twins star Torii Hunter has expressed interest in returning to baseball someday, but only if he can manage.

During his prime, there were few players in the game like Torii Hunter. The Minnesota Twins star was an incredible all around player, possessing excellent power and speed. He was brilliant defensively, a five time All Star whose greatest moment in the MidSummer Classic came when he robbed Barry Bonds of a home run. That play was certainly not a surprise, as Hunter was a nine time Gold Glove winner, one of the premier defensive players of his time.

Three years after his retirement following the 2015 campaign, Hunter may be ready to return to the game. However, if he does so, he only wants to return as a manager, noting that he grew up a St. Louis Cardinals fan. As it turns out, there is an opening in St. Louis right now…

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It is interesting to note that Hunter is willing to go to the minors to learn his trade. All too often, we see former players given the reins of a franchise, despite not having any experience. This has led to mixed results with the likes of Mike Matheny, Scott Servais, and Walt Weiss. Hunter, despite his stature during his playing career, is aware that he needs a foundation to build upon, to show he can handle the job.

One also has to wonder how much Hunter’s past comments would reflect on him trying to control a team. He has campaigned against gay rights, and said having a gay teammate would be “difficult and uncomfortable” for him. Hunter also called darker skinned Latino players “impostors,” saying that they were popular with teams because they cost less than black players.

Normally, those comments would disqualify anyone from a potential managerial role, or much more than making inflammatory tweets and threatening the universe with a political career *cough Curt Schilling cough.* However, Hunter has been mostly immune to that same criticism, perhaps because he allowed the fervor of his commentary to die down. Nonetheless, those thoughts should be enough to give a team pause before handing him a job as a manager, regardless of the level.

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Minnesota Twins legend Torii Hunter wants to manage if he returns to baseball. If a team gives him that chance, they will need to ask a lot of difficult questions.