MINNEAPOLIS - When Torii Hunter first came up to the major leagues in 1997, Paul Molitor was bringing a Hall of Fame playing career to a close with his hometown Minnesota Twins.Molitor could still swing the bat, and the impression he made on a talented group of youngsters, including Hunter, helped lay the foundation for the long-struggling teams renaissance.Almost two decades later, Hunter is returning to Minnesota, his home away from home, to play for Molitor and return the favour.This is where I needed to be, Hunter said Wednesday after signing a $10.5 million, one-year contract with the Twins. This is home for me.Hunter spent the first 11 years of his career with the Twins. He was a first-round draft pick as an 18-year-old in 1993 and looked up to Kirby Puckett and Molitor, among others, as he made his way up through the system.He watched how Molitor, who hit .341 in 161 games as a 39-year-old designated hitter with the Twins in 1996, went about his business, studying opposing pitchers for weaknesses and pouncing on blunders in the outfield to take an extra base.Now Hunter is 39, still swinging the bat pretty well in the closing stages of his career. And the Twins are flush with prospects who need a mentor.Its crazy how things come full circle, Hunter said. Just watching Molitor at the end of his career and I was a young player and he was imparting (wisdom) to me and showing me different things. Hes the manager now and Im almost at the end of my career, still producing though. Now Im coming back and trying to impart to some of these younger guys and give back to them and make them better.The Twins have lost at least 92 games in each of the last four seasons and a young clubhouse has at times appeared overwhelmed and a little lost without a strong veteran voice. The organization hopes prospects such as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer and Eddie Rosario will be ready to support quiet veteran Joe Mauer. There also are up-and-comers Kennys Vargas, Oswaldo Arcia and Danny Santana on the roster who may push the Twins back into relevance.General manager Terry Ryan was looking on the free-agent market for a right-handed hitter with some power, and Hunter hit 17 homers and drove in 83 runs for the Detroit Tigers last year. That Hunter also happens to be the kind of player who takes pride in being a vocal leader and holding other players accountable only added to the attraction.Weve got a young club here. Weve got young position players, Ryan said. We brought Torii here not only to help them out, but more importantly, we still believe Torii can be a productive player in his own right.Hunter is a five-time All-Star and a nine-time Gold Glove winner who has hit at least 16 homers in 13 of his last 14 seasons.He had other suitors, and perhaps some were much closer to contending for the championship that has eluded Hunter to this point in his career.Hunter said he couldnt pass up the chance to return to the place it all began. Hes looking to help the Twins regain the level of the team that won four division titles in five seasons before he left in 2008.Hunter asked for a full no-trade clause in his contract in order to come back home, underlining his commitment to helping this wayward franchise, and the Twins agreed.Hunter said if things go poorly this season and Ryan has a chance to trade him to a contender at the deadline, they will discuss it. But his preference is to finish his career in Minnesota, whether it ends after this season or not.This is where I want to be, Hunter said. Im in it for the long haul if theyre willing to do it.NOTES: Hunter would earn $25,000 bonuses if hes an All-Star, wins a Gold Glove or wins a Silver Slugger. He would get $100,000 for MVP, $75,000 for second, $50,000 for third and $25,000 for fourth through sixth. He would get $50,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $100,000 for World Series MVP. Dalvin Tomlinson Womens Jersey . Neither made it that far in 2013. Not even close. Federer lost his second match at the All England Club. Nadal exited in the first round, a year after bowing out in the second. Dalvin Tomlinson Giants Jersey . With the Canadiens leading by one to start the third period, Price turned away 16 shots by the Panthers in the final frame to give Montreal a 2-1 victory over Florida on Monday night. The Panthers (16-21-6) outshot Montreal 16-10 in the final frame, but were repeatedly frustrated by Price, who made 26 saves on the night. http://www.nygiantsfanaticshop.com/Dalv ... ml?cat=926. A wide-eyed 18-year-old visiting North America for only the second time in his young life, Caboclo immediately noticed the "big tower" his new home is best known for. Evan Engram Jersey . Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin broke the news that hes cleared for full activity moving forward. Davis Webb Giants Jersey .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Novak Djokovic captured a mens Open Era-record fifth Australian Open title on Sunday by defeating Andy Murray in the final in Melbourne. The world No. 1 great secured his fourth Aussie title in five years by handling the sixth-seeded Murray 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0 in 3 hours, 39 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. This was the first time that a mens Aussie final ended with a love set. It marked Djokovics eighth career Grand Slam title in 15 major finals. Hes also the reigning Wimbledon champ. Djokovic joined Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi as an eight- time major champ in the Open Era. The great Djokovic also joined Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer as the only men in the Open Era to play in five finals at the Aussie Open. He has won all five of his finals here, including three now against Murray, who also gave way to the Serb in the 2011 and 2013 finals, as well as a semifinal here in 2012. Djokovic and the now four-time runner-up Murray are the only pair in the Open Era to contest three Aussie Open title tilts. Djokovic snuck out the ultra-tight 72-minute opening set via tiebreak before Murray returned the favor in a grueling 80-minute second. Both stanzas featured fierce ball striking, lengthy and physical rallies, and gut-busting court coverage. But the match would take a turn for Djokovic in the third. After trailing 0-2, he broke an agitated Murray to even the set at 2-all, consolidated the break with a hold and then would simply manage to cruise from there. The Serbian stalwart won 12 of the final 13 games, including nine in a row to seal the deal in Melbourne. The match came to a close when a weary Murray netted one final backhand. Djokovic broke Murray a whopping nine times, while the British star settled for five breaks in a losing effort. Murray only managed to win 14 of his 41 second-serve points for a paltry 34 percent. The mighty Djokovic is now 12-0 versus Murray after winning the first set of their encounters. I want to congratulate Andy for a great tournament. Bad luck tonight, Djokovic said. But most importantly I want to congratulate you and Kim [Sears] on your engagement. I wish you a wonderful wedding and lots of kids.dddddddddddd Djokovic also thanked his coach, Boris Becker, and his entourage: They sacrifice their lives in order for me to be out here. Without their support, this wouldnt be possible. A protester was stopped on court by security during the second set, causing a brief delay in play. Tournament organizers said two people were arrested by police. Security responded immediately. Both were quickly removed with minimal disruption to play, tournament organizers said. Security guards caught one court invader, who was wearing a white shirt with the message Australia Open for Refugees, near the baseline during a changeover after the seventh game of the second set. The players were surrounded by security staff while stadium officials rushed into action. A group of other people who had unfurled a large banner with the same message was escorted out of Laver Arena. Djokovic improved to 16-8 lifetime against his fellow 27-year-old Murray, including 5-2 at Grand Slam events, and the Serb is now 3-2 in their career Grand Slam finals. Djokovic is also now 5-2 versus Murray in best-of-five-set matches. Murray had been 5-4 against Djokovic in their overall career finals matchups prior to Sunday. Its been probably the most consistent Grand Slam of my career -- I just havent been able to win it, said Murray after his first major final appearance since back surgery in late 2013. We put in a lot of hard work to get back into this position, he added, paying tribute to Amelie Mauresmo and his team. Im a little bit closer than I was a few months ago, and Ill continue to work hard to get there. Ill try and come back next year and have a different outcome in the final. Djokovic improved to 49-22 in his overall career finals, while Murray dropped to 31-15, including 2-6 at the majors. Djokovic now owns 50 career match wins at the Aussie, where only Federer (75-12) and Edberg (56-10) have secured more victories at this hardcourt major in the Open Era. The amazing Djokovic has won his last 10 matches against fellow Top-10 players. Djokovic claimed a first-place check worth just over $2.4 million, while Murray settled for $1.2 million as the bridesmaid. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '