NEWS » way. His knockout power

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins inducted Torii Hunter into the teams Hall of Fame on Saturday, and the popular outfielder concluded his acceptance speech with a plea for unity in the wake of two recent police shootings that have sparked unrest across the country.Speaking in front of a near-sellout crowd before the Twins hosted the Cleveland Indians, Hunter wrapped up a joke-filled speech by addressing the shootings, one of which happened in a Twin Cities suburb.This is the United States of America, Hunter said. The word united means togetherness. United we stand, divided we fall. A house divided cannot stand.Philando Castile, who is black, was shot and killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights during a traffic stop on July 6. His death followed the police killing of another black man, Alton Sterling, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana., and has sparked demonstrations across the country. Just last weekend, demonstrators shut down a major highway connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul to try to draw attention to the situation.We have to take action and we have to make change, Hunter said. But before we make change in our country, we have to change ourselves and our hearts.We must love the one next to us no matter the color of someones skin, gender, views or religious preferences, he continued.Hunter, who is black, has never been shy about speaking out and has been a big part of Major League Baseballs efforts to address the shrinking number of black youngsters who play the game at the youth level.Hunter also came under criticism during his playing career for several comments directed toward gays, such as when he said his Christian upbringing would make him uncomfortable if he had an openly gay teammate. He also recorded an ad in 2014 for Asa Hutchinson, now the governor of Hunters native Arkansas, saying he supported Hutchinson in part because he was for keeping a marriage between one man and one woman.In order to change mindsets we have to replace hate with love in our hearts, Hunter said Saturday night.He quoted Albert Einstein: The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but those who watch them without doing anything.Hunter received his blue Twins Hall of Fame blazer from Rod Carew. Hunter spent 12 of his 19 big league seasons with the Twins, appeared in two All-Star games for them, and won seven Gold Glove awards while playing center field.We have seen a lot of hate being displayed, Hunter said. We are not born with hate. Hate is a learned behavior.Englands Harley Benn, the 20-year-old son of former middleweight and super middleweight titleholder Nigel Benn, is going pro.Benn signed a three-year deal with promoter Frank Warrens Queensberry Promotions and will make professional debut Nov. 25 at the Brentwood Centre in Brentwood, England, on a card headlined by British welterweight champion Bradley Skeetes defense against Shayne Singleton, Warren announced Wednesday.Benn will face an opponent to be determined in a scheduled four-round middleweight bout.Television coverage in the United Kingdom will be on BoxNation.This is my journey, said Benn, who is trained by Dominic Negus and Lenny Butcher. Im not trying to follow in the footsteps of my dad. Im doing this my way. However, I can definitely see similarities in the way we fight. Im a come-forward type of fighter and pack a big punch. I dont like fighting on the back foot. I love a fight.I cant wait to get in the ring and show people what Im all about. Im definitely more excited than nervous. Training has been going really well and Im fitter than Ive ever been. Ive got just over a month till I fight, and Im going to be in the best shape of my life. BoxNation viewers should be expecting entertainment and plenty of bombs. They should be looking forward to some big knockout wins in the coming years and I know they will love my exciting brand of boxing.Benns father, Nigel, waas a fierce warrior and one of boxings most popular fighters during his heyday in the 1990s.dddddddddddd?Junior welterweight Conor Benn (5-0, 3 KOs), another one of Nigel Benns sons, made his pro debut in April at age 19. He is with Eddie Hearns Matchroom Boxing and has been boxing on major shows, including the Anthony Joshua-Charles Martin and Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook cards.Warren is looking forward to seeing what Harley Benn can do in the paid ranks.Harley has boxing in his blood but as he says, This is his career and hes going to do things his way. His knockout power makes for an exciting fighting style that fans will love and hes more than capable of mixing it up, Warren said. Under the guidance of our team Harley can achieve big things but he wont be rushed.Added Harley Benn: My trainer Dominic is like an older brother to me. I have such a good relationship with Dom and Lenny. I spend more time with Dom and Lenny than I do with my own family. Im always in the gym.Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions were always my first choice. Hes developed so many world champions over the years so I know Im in safe hands with him. Some of my favorite boxers have gone on to big things under the guidance of Frank and I know I can create my own success. ' ' '