I confess to being a big Michael Cuddyer fan. He is my favorite Twin of all time. I liked his potential when he had a big year in New Britain. I thought his righthanded bat would be a big factor in the Twins success when he played in the ’02 playoffs and pulled for him to get regular playing time until 2006, when he took over the right field job. All-in-all he has been a fine ballplayer, ranking in or near the Twins all-time top ten in almost every offensive category except stolen bases.

Cuddyer’s performances on the field were crucial in the Twins’ huge comeback in 2006. He had a big month of September in 2009 which propelled the team to one of the implausible regular season comebacks I have ever seen. He has gotten his hits in postseason. He was the best player for the Twins this year and one of the very few that kept playing hard and playing hurt when the road turned from uphill to impossible in 2011. Much was made of his versatility, but he only played three positions last year and was a stopgap at best as a second baseman. The point was that he put the team first and played out of position without complaint so that the team had a better chance to win.

I hoped that the Twins would find a way to re-sign the veteran, but getting Josh Willingham (a comparable player) for millions less, the adjustments of Class A Free Agency compensation and Cuddyer’s own reluctance to accept a pay cut after a good year ended his career with the Twins. He got a great offer from Colorado which made leaving Minnesota that much easier.

By all accounts, Cuddyer is a great guy off the field. I don’t know that—I’ve never met the man—but it does fit with his on-field personality. I know that Cuddyer always gave 100% effort on the field. It has been said that Cuddyer always appreciated his chance to play major league baseball and it has shown on the field. While “playing the game the right way” has become a cliché I will miss seeing Cuddyer run out hard on comebackers and routine grounders. I will miss seeing him relish the chance to go in hard to second and break up a double play giving hard high-fives after hitting a homer.

Someone else will probably assume Cuddyer’s role. There are a lot of players in the minors who look like they will eventually be better hitters and fielders than #5. For now, I will miss a guy who did a good job playing the game and who gave his all on the field.