Torii Hunter Really Loves the Rally Monkey

· Steele: <a href="http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/curt-flood-an-extraordinary-man-of-principle-and-conviction/">Man of Conviction | <a href="http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/hank-greenberg-could-relate-to-flood/">Greenberg Relates
· Moore: Flood's Peers Owe Him Apology
· Blackistone: <a href="http://kevin-blackistone.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/curt-flood-belongs-in-the-hall-of-fame/">Cooperstown Should Open Doors
· Fletcher: <a href="http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/curt-flood-a-hero-to-todays-players-those-who-know-his-name/">Modern Players Know Little of Flood
· Stradley: <a href="http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/for-curt-flood-antitrust-meant-exactly-that-at-supreme-court/">Antitrust Meant Just That

Torii Hunter is not shy. He conducted his free agency like a teenage girl: At any given moment, he was in love with one place; the next, he loved another. And after his contract with the Angels was announced, he wasn't afraid to indict his mother for potential child abuse, though I'm not sure it still qualifies if the child is full-grown. (These are the things I spend my time thinking about.)

And today, during his introductory press conference, Hunter revealed his latest love affair: the Angels' rally monkey.

"I told myself years ago that if I ever become a free agent, I'm going over here with the Angels," Hunter said. "But at the time of my free agency, they had a center fielder already, so I kind of threw them on the back burner and looked at other teams -- and then they came out of nowhere.
"Then I thought about 2002, and the rally monkey. This rally monkey has been a thorn in my side and in my nightmares, so I'm just happy to be a part of this organization and be a part of the monkey. I thought about kidnapping him plenty of times, but now the monkey's going to be my friend. I'm really going to like this monkey. We're going to be in the malls together, walking the beach, everything. So that's my buddy and my new best friend -- and [broadcaster] Rex Hudler."

There was some other stuff in the press conference about the Angels not being concerned about Gary Matthews, Jr., but whatever: this is the real news. Can't you picture Hunter and the rally monkey at the mall, holding hands, texting each other, snuggling? Ah, young love. It's beautiful.