In its history, among other things, baseball is synonymous with Fathers and Sons. From catch in the back yard, batting practice, hotdogs at the ball game - no matter which way you look at it - baseball is their 'right of passage'.

The story goes no differently for George and Justin Morneau who have spent twenty two plus years on a ball field - with more still to come. Currently the batting coach for the BCPBL Fraser Valley Chiefs, George says ' From the time Justin was three, cranking out the ball came naturally -even at three he came in at a .750 batting average. I was Head Coach for Justin's team - I'd point to a spot and sure enough Justin would nail it - I never knew whether to laugh or be in awe - both I guess.'

George, who also played ball for years, says he has always loved breaking down hitting. He's spent endless hours watching games - both MLB and youth, watching batters of all types, power hitters and line drivers. 'Stance, bat grip, swing release, watching the body motion and mechanics - it's all relevant and it all matters on if and how a hitter tags the ball.'

It was this shared passion with his son that assisted Justin on his road to the ultimate dream - playing in the major leagues.

Justin was playing for the BCPBL North Delta Blue Jays when the dream started to take shape.

'I started to notice scouts in the stands when I was around fourteen or fifteen. Some of them would come up to me and talk. I guess that was really the first time that I thought I might have a chance of being drafted. I always had the dream to play major league baseball so it just seemed surreal when these scouts started to talk to me.'

George recalls one day Scout Jimmy Chapman had a chat with fourteen year old Justin. 'He told Justin to hit 500 balls a day. And Justin did - from the time he was fourteen until he was drafted, 500 balls a day - 250 live and 250 in the cage. Some days he'd (Justin) would come in and his hands would be raw and bleeding. You know, we'd say 'Come on kid - give your hands a break.' He'd ignore us and cover up his blisters by taping his hands and head back to the cages. We spent a small fortune on that tape.had to start buying it by the box.'

Sure enough, that dedication and hard work was rewarded when Justin was drafted in the 1999 entry draft, 3rd round by the Minnesota Twins and signed fresh from high school.

Justin saw his MLB debut on Twins home turf June 10, 2003 against the Colorado Rockies. He met his longtime idol, Larry Walker and along with fellow teammate and Canadian, Corey Koskie, the three had their photo taken behind home plate prior to the game. To further cement that moment in time, Walker sent Justin an autographed bat to the Twins clubhouse that simply said 'To Justin, Make Canada Proud.'

And that he has - not only for the MVP title, but the journey. 2005 wasn't a great year for Justin and 2006 didn't start out much better. The resounding thunder had left his bat and he was beginning to wonder if it was ever coming back. Twins GM, Gardenhire ultimately benched Justin early in the season. Where some players would have fallen into a negative mindset and floundered even further - Justin found the positive. It was obviously a defining moment. Justin recalls his meeting with Gardenhire.

'My manager didn't sit me down that day to yell at me. Instead he wanted to point out that I had a lot more potential than what I was giving. It just helped to open my eyes and realize I had a great opportunity and I didn't want to let my team mates or myself down. After that day I started to focus more and try to shut all other distractions out and it seemed to work.'

The rest is history. November, 2006 Justin Morneau was named MLB American League MVP, only the second Canadian to win such a title; Larry Walker having won the National League MVP title in 1997. Any further discussions for a short lived MLB career were laid to rest and the door swung wide open to explore dizzying new heights.

Said George of that day, 'my house was nuts - camera crews crammed in every corner - it was crazy and it was exciting. I had to get an unlisted number - the phone wouldn't stop ringing after that.'

No one is prouder than Justin's Dad, 'Everyone in the majors can hit, throw 90 miles an hour, run..but the ones who enjoy a long career are the ones who step up to the challenge mentally, and they endure and are great. I'm proud of him - he rose to the challenge.'

George adds with a laugh, 'And I get to wear a tux for the first time in my life for the awards in New York!'

With the 2007 season looming, thoughts now turn to future days at the ball park.

George will head back out on the field, assisting young hitters - just as he did with Justin all those years ago, and teach them the finer points of hitting the ball - of finding the sweet spot.

Already at 25, Justin is following in his Dad's footsteps, of giving back and sharing his time with the young players coming up behind him, kids who share the same dream. We asked Justin one last question.

'If there was one philosophy or mind set you could extend to kids in the province - what would that be?'

His answer:

'Just try to remember that there are people there helping you out who are volunteering their time, so when you have a chance, try to do the same for other people. Now that I am in a position to help others out I enjoy doing it. I really enjoy helping out at clinics or stopping by schools.'

'It is always important to remember where you came from and those that helped you along the way.'
Justin Morneau - 2006 MLB AL MVP