St. Paul is a baseball town. Really.

Today is the birthday (1951) of Dave Winfield. He was born in St. Paul and grew up there. He went to the University of Minnesota and was a star in several sports. Indeed, professional teams in basketball, football, and baseball drafted Winfield. He chose baseball, was converted from a pitcher to a power-hitting outfielder, and became a star. He spent 22 seasons in the majors, was an all-star every year from 1977 to 1988, and made the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Some interesting things about big Dave:

In 1983, Winfield was playing for the Yankees when, during pregame warmups in Toronto, he threw a ball that hit and killed a seagull. Canadian authorities briefly considered charging him with animal cruelty.

Winfield spent one season (1992) in Toronto, where he helped the blue Jays win their first World Series. They traded him during that off-season.

The irascible George Steinbrenner, owner of the Yankees, was so frustrated by Winfield's lack of production in the playoffs that he dubbed Winfield "Mr. May."

When he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Winfield gave one of the longest and most boring speeches ever. I know, because Michael and I were there. Kirby Puckett and Bill Mazeroski were inducted that year, too, and their speeches were much better.

We saw Winfield some years later in the Los Angeles Airport. He was heading back to Minnesota to attend the memorial service for Kirby Puckett.

And then there's Jack Morris.

Jack Morris was also born in St. Paul and also played on the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays championship team (he pitched in three playoff games and lost all three). Morris had pitched that amazing Game 7 -- a complete-game shutout -- for the Twins the year before. Winfield made the Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility; Morris was on the ballot for 15 years before finally getting the votes.

Morris works as a commentator on some Twins TV broadcasts and he is the quintessential grumpy old man. Nothing about the modern game suits him -- he doesn't like advanced stats, the defensive shift, the use of replays, long pants, or bat flips. I can barely stand to listen to him whine.

And don't forget Paul Molitor.

Molitor grew up in St. Paul and had a brilliant 21-year career, mostly with the Brewers. Like Morris and Winfield, he played for the Twins briefly and with Toronto (he was the Blue Jays MVP in 1993 when they repeated as World Series champs). He finished his career as Minnesota's manager but was summarily dismissed after last year's crummy showing.