Mauer and Emotion

[ScrapTheNickname]

I was thinking today about how Mauer is so stoic. He reminds me of Sam Jacobson, another repressed Minnesota boy. If Mauer could only light a fire under himself! Show some emotion. Get mad. Line out and shout. Curse out a ****ing umpire for ringing him up. Something to show us fans that he cares.

 

But he is who he is. He can't change that. We'll never see that kind of fire in him. Sad, but true. Why wouldn't I be used to this by now?

 

Then the image came to me of the video of Joe running the bases for his inside-the-park home run in a tee-ball game. How he laid out, mock-exhausted, happy, delirious, on the grass and was mobbed by his pals. I think that's the most emotion I've ever seen in him.

[gunnarthor]

I get why the emotion thing bugs people but I also don't like confusing politeness for not caring. He's clearly a great player, probably going to the HOF and he certainly cares about baseball.

 

Look at this play - hell of a play and no emotion from Mauer. I remember Yankee fans trolling twins cites saying how he'd be in NY in a year.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v4608765/minnyy-mauer-gets-the-runner-at-home-in-the-ninth

 

There have been a lot of quite great players - nothing wrong with that. I just wish Mauer was putting up Mauer numbers this year.

[Beezer07]

I'm with gunn on this. I've never bought into the "you need to scream and yell" argument. I don't think a guy reaches the majors by needing the artificial motivation of cussing out a teammate to play well.

[JB_Iowa]

I don't expect Mauer to scream and shout. I just don't want Mauer's stoicism to act as a damper on the players that do want to scream and shout.

 

That is one of the things that seems a little bit different this year with Suzuki and the younger players ... they seem a little more willing/able to let loose with emotion.

[DaveW]

[Seth Stohs]

I was thinking today about how Mauer is so stoic. He reminds me of Sam Jacobson, another repressed Minnesota boy. If Mauer could only light a fire under himself! Show some emotion. Get mad. Line out and shout. Curse out a ****ing umpire for ringing him up. Something to show us fans that he cares.

 

If someone can convince me that acting like that would have made him a better player, I'd be good with it.

[TheLeviathan]

My only concern with Mauer's general approach is if the team unfairly compares someone with fire and spark as being a "bad personality" for him to mix with. As long as that's not happening I really don't care.

[Mauerpower]

He's a grown **s man! He doesn't need to act like a professional child. He's a professional baseball player, with class.

[Thrylos]

If someone can convince me that acting like that would have made him a better player, I'd be good with it.

 

If someone can convince me that acting like that would not make the others around him pick it up a notch, I'd be good with it.

 

It's not about him. Someone in this team has to show to the rest that losing is unacceptable. Usually that someone is the one with the largest paycheck, thus this being brought up often and early, esp. the last 4 seasons.

 

I would care less if that some were Mauer or not (and have no problem with Mauer being Mauer,) but someone has to do it...

[amjgt]

Sometimes I feel like he is in "catcher mode." He doesn't want to question the ump, because he thinks he can get it back on the other side of the plate.

 

Catcher mode = Don't piss off the ump.

 

Joe, you're a first baseman now. Feel free to be an a-hole and lay into an ump every once in a while.

[Trevor0333]

A player not showing emotion being equated to not caring. Let me lay out a little example here of the person your behaving like.

 

Its your kids first day at school, your wife/gf is pacing the floor full of anxiety in omg what if this or this or this happens blah blah blah. Basically just freaking out all day & here you are, the calm father understanding this is normal & yes anything can happen but your not going to allow a normal situation rule your emotion.

 

Then you get the "how can you not be freaking out too, whats wrong with you, why don't you care!?!?!?!?!"

 

You care, your just not freaking crazy.

 

Those who are so hellbent on assuming Mauer not wearing his emotion on the sleeve = not caring. Yes your being that person, you've officially become your crazy significant other.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

A player not showing emotion being equated to not caring. Let me lay out a little example here of the person your behaving like.

 

Its your kids first day at school, your wife/gf is pacing the floor full of anxiety in omg what if this or this or this happens blah blah blah. Basically just freaking out all day & here you are, the calm father understanding this is normal & yes anything can happen but your not going to allow a normal situation rule your emotion.

 

Then you get the "how can you not be freaking out too, whats wrong with you, why don't you care!?!?!?!?!"

 

You care, your just not freaking crazy.

 

Those who are so hellbent on assuming Mauer not wearing his emotion on the sleeve = not caring. Yes your being that person, you've officially become your crazy significant other.

But you have the wife side of the equation in this example. Arcia has been the yin to Mauer's ever so stoic yang. Can Arcia become the vocal team leader? He has the bat and mouth for it, can he develop the cred and the management's trust to continue?

[Trevor0333]

But you have the wife side of the equation in this example. Arcia has been the yin to Mauer's ever so stoic yang. Can Arcia become the vocal team leader? He has the bat and mouth for it, can he develop the cred and the management's trust to continue?

 

The point was not showing physical emotion doesn't mean you don't care & it sounds awfully like wife nagging when guys dont wear it on their sleeve.

 

Yes if you equate Mauer not showing it to meaning he doesnt care your acting just like that nagging wife.

[Craig Arko]

https://www.google.com/#q=yesallwomen

[Trautmann13]

I would love to see him have a little more emotion. Like somewhere between Arcia and a rock. Joe just isn't that guy, though, and I believe he never will be. In every interview we ever see him in, he acts almost timid and answers questions quickly and gets to the point. Watch videos of exciting walkoffs, he is like and maybe a "woo" but that's it. He is an introvert and I believe helps keep him focused. I understand wanting more, but we will have to settle for watching a future HOFer wear Minnesota on his chest for a decade+

[Pius Jefferson]

Why do I get the feeling that the Mauer haters would spin outward emotions into a negative. Arguing with an umpire would be selfish. More vocal in the clubhouse would suddenly be a distant second to on field performance.

[Westgaard66]

I just want him to be clutch. He can be a goddamn stoic, emotionless mute with an ability to control himself that rivals the guards at Buckingham Palace for the rest of his HOF career as long as he starts producing when the freaking game is on the line.

[ScrapTheNickname]

I just want him to be clutch. He can be a goddamn stoic, emotionless mute with an ability to control himself that rivals the guards at Buckingham Palace for the rest of his HOF career as long as he starts producing when the freaking game is on the line.

 

This should have been my final paragraph in my initial post. My frustration stems from Mauer's poor performance on the field. Stoic or enraged, I don't care. I just want to see him beat the shift, and strike out less often, and get the average above .300.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I just want him to be clutch. He can be a goddamn stoic, emotionless mute with an ability to control himself that rivals the guards at Buckingham Palace for the rest of his HOF career as long as he starts producing when the freaking game is on the line.

 

Mauer is very good with runners on base. I have no freakin' idea how this myth is still rumbling around Twins fans' heads. It takes all of 15 seconds to check the stat line and see that it's false.

[Guest USAFChief]

Mauer is very good with runners on base.

Not so far this year.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Not so far this year.

 

He has an .815 OPS with men on base this year. A .751 OPS with RISP.

 

His OPS for the year is .704.

 

Statistical white noise that doesn't mean anything. Joe's problem is his overall line, not how he's hitting with men on base or RISP.

[LimestoneBaggy]

Never mind that our pitching is below average, that most of the lineup is below average, that our outfield defense reminds me of that "Delmon Young on Ice" show I brought my kids to last week, that we've had less power hitting in the month of May than the collective efforts of Jason Tyner and Ben Revere [subtracting one recent hit], that we've had shortstops in the outfield and minor league filler at shortstop.... but if Mauer would show some enthusiasm, boy howdy would that turn this team around....

[Brock Beauchamp]

we have shortstops in the outfield and minor league filler at shortstop

 

It's pretty hard to complain about what Escobar has been doing at short. I'm very skeptical that it will continue but hey, at least he's doing well in the short-term.

[LimestoneBaggy]

It's pretty hard to complain about what Escobar has been doing at short. I'm very skeptical that it will continue but hey, at least he's doing well in the short-term.

 

You are 100% correct on this. I am very pleased that Escobar has received an opportunity to take the position and run with it. I was directing that more toward Florimon's inability to hit the ball and Nunez being Nunez. While I'm at it, I'll exclude Santana from my rant as well.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I was directing that more toward Florimon's inability to hit the ball

 

Something the Twins should have noticed in August of last year but... Water under the bridge at this point, I suppose.

[Mike Sixel]

My oldest son is an introvert. When given a leadership role, he is awesome. But he does not seek them out. He prefers to do what he does well, and not be the center of attention. A large portion of the population is like him, including my wife. I think, from what you can see, most athletes are not that way. But, I am pretty sure Joe is. And as long as he gets on base, I guess I don't care if he's a great leader.

[tobi0040]

I'm with gunn on this. I've never bought into the "you need to scream and yell" argument. I don't think a guy reaches the majors by needing the artificial motivation of cussing out a teammate to play well.

 

 

I agree. I am guessing nobody on our team prepares and watches tape on the opposing pitchers like Mauer. Watching that preparation on a daily basis does more to inspire teammates than breaking a bat over his knee, or taking out his frustration on another player or ump.

 

How come nobody ever brings up the fact that every young baseball player in this state looks up to Joe and his lack of antics and off the field issues is a great example for them?

[Mike Sixel]

I don't agree with the general premise, that I think being espoused, that the team does NOT need some kind of emotional leader. Every team needs that, sports or business. Someone needs to set the tone and lead. I don't know that we know if players get more out of watching Mauer prepare than they would if he was a more vocal leader. We just don't know that.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't know that we know if players get more out of watching Mauer prepare than they would if he was a more vocal leader. We just don't know that.

 

I think that's kind of the point. Why make an argument that you wish a guy was different without having any sort of evidence that it would actually improve the situation?

 

When faced with a complete lack of evidence that what he does is right or wrong, I believe the right decision is to just let a guy be himself.

[Mike Sixel]

I think that was the point of my first post, Brock.