Randball welcomes Mauer back full frontal passive-aggressive fashion

[jokin]

Michael Rand pressed some hot buttons in his Startrib column today, choosing to lead his story of Mauer's imminent reinstatement with Joe pictured in his hammock. A respondent included a less-than-flattering picture from the MN Twins Celebrity Golf Tourney last winter.  http://blog.startribune.com/sports/randball/monday-the-return-of-joe-mauer-edition-wha-happened

 

 

...We don’t know what this will mean for the lineup as a whole, but we do know this: the Twins have 46 games left in this season, and they are an important 46 games for Mauer. For all the jokes about Mauer’s durability and not playing in day games after night games, he appeared in at least 130 games in five of six seasons between 2005-2010. Since then, he’s done it only once — in a quite good 2012 season. Otherwise, it was 82 games in 2011, 113 last season and 76 so far this year.

Saying “Mauer needs to stay healthy” is a little too simple because nobody *tries* to get injured. But considering the Twins still owe Mauer $92 million from 2015-2018 — half of his eight-year contract — it is important to see a healthy, productive Mauer as the Twins play out the stretch run.

 

I think Rand wants Mauer to get it back in gear, pronto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://mediaassets.naplesnews.com/photo/2014/05/30/120229CP-KJ-GOLF12_5426153_ver1.0_640_480.jpg

[Paul Pleiss]

Joe Mauer has come a long way since joining the Twins organization. 18, straight out of HS, and now 31, married, twin girls and a concussion issue that forced him from behind the plate. The Twins will almost surely be unable to squeeze 92 million worth of value from him over the next 4 years, but if he can age gracefully at 1B/DH and maybe play some corner OF (gasp!) he can still be a big part of Twins success going forward.

 

Bottom of the 9th, down by a run, man on 2nd, 2 outs... who do you want at the plate? There aren't many guys in the league that I'd pick over Joe Mauer, and there certaintly isn't anyone on the Twins roster I'd pick over Mauer... and we saw him deliver in his first game back in a very similiar situation to the one I described above. Joe Mauer is going to Joe Mauer. He just needs to figure out what he can do to keep himself in playable condition.

[DaveW]

Rand is a clown, I'm not sure how you can fault Mauer for having a conclusion (a very very serious injury btw) and an oblique strain, which sidelines a lot of top pros.

 

Unfortunately Mauer has had a couple unlucky years, reminds me of Griffey who couldn't catch a break for a few years while he was in Cinci. Mauer did look good prior to the DL and had two nice hits last night, hopefully he can post a .820-.850 ops the rest of the season for the twins.

[jorgenswest]

Seems like it would be better for Rand's career if Mauer were to tank the rest of he season. It is much easier to write about the failures. I wonder if there was some hope that Mauer would fail in the ninth inning last night.

[TheDean]

Bottom of the 9th, down by a run, man on 2nd, 2 outs... who do you want at the plate? There aren't many guys in the league that I'd pick over Joe Mauer, and there certaintly isn't anyone on the Twins roster I'd pick over Mauer... and we saw him deliver in his first game back in a very similiar situation to the one I described above. Joe Mauer is going to Joe Mauer. He just needs to figure out what he can do to keep himself in playable condition.

 

All of the Mauer memes that are perpetuated by columnists and forum posters alike had almost conditioned me to expect a SO last night.  Luckily, the real world isn't governed by memes.  Nearly 1500 career PAs w/ Men in Scoring position says: .929 OPS, 12th among active players.  The names ahead of him include Pujols, Ortiz, Cabrera, so yeah, I agree - not too many that I'd pick before him.

[Thegrin]

If the Strib needs to save money and drops Rand, would anybody care ? or even notice ?

[jokin]

Seems like it would be better for Rand's career if Mauer were to tank the rest of he season. It is much easier to write about the failures. I wonder if there was some hope that Mauer would fail in the ninth inning last night.

 

 

Great point, jorgen.

 

I immediately thought of Rand after that 9th-inning game-winner.  In watching the Strib writers over the last few years with Mauer and some others who get in their doghouse, they seem that they like to set themselves up in the "sweet spot" between their readers who love to hate Mauer and the unbending Mauer supporters who feel he can do no wrong.  I'm guessing a guy like Rand probably felt like he gets a little credit for Mauer's great game last night by sticking the pre-game needle in deep and getting the desired reaction, and yet, if Mauer had failed, he now had more fodder to pile on in another column next week.

[Mike Sixel]

Why do you guys read stuff that makes you mad?

[old nurse]

Why do you guys read stuff that makes you mad?

Because it is in a thread and I gig not bother to ignore the person.

[jokin]

Why do you guys read stuff that makes you mad?

 

 

Paul Weller made great music, as he said laconically and ironically in this tune, we do what we do because, "That's Entertainment".  (Featured in the great Will Farrell movie, "Stranger Than Fiction").

 

 http://images.junostatic.com/full/CS2023574-02A-BIG.jpg

[Mike Sixel]

I meant why read Rand......if you hate his stuff?

[ashbury]

All of the Mauer memes that are perpetuated by columnists and forum posters alike had almost conditioned me to expect a SO last night.  Luckily, the real world isn't governed by memes. 

[KGB]

I think we really need to read the full blog - just because someone objectively looks at Mauer, doesn't equal Mauer bashing.  He says Mauer is the most accomplished hitter "by far" and he needs to start hitting like he has in the past.  Can't see how anyone would not agree to that statement.

[jokin]

I think we really need to read the full blog - just because someone objectively looks at Mauer, doesn't equal Mauer bashing.  He says Mauer is the most accomplished hitter "by far" and he needs to start hitting like he has in the past.  Can't see how anyone would not agree to that statement.

  

Rand's claims of total objectivity for this article began and ended when he led his objective analysis with a photo of Mauer in a hammock, hard to see that cheap shot as anything but Mauer-bashing.   

[KGB]

Sensitive Mauer crowd  - he not above having some fun with in an article

[USAFChief]

Rand's claims of total objectivity for this article began and ended when he led his objective analysis with a photo of Mauer in a hammock, hard to see that cheap shot as anything but Mauer-bashing.   

Which doesn't negate the basic point...the Twins could really use .900+ OPS Joe Mauer, since they're paying him to be one and they don't have anyone else remotely capable of that.  

[jokin]

Which doesn't negate the basic point...the Twins could really use .900+ OPS Joe Mauer, since they're paying him to be one and they don't have anyone else remotely capable of that.  

 

Can that basic point be said just as eloquently sans hammock and golf shirt?

[Willihammer]

Can someone explalin to me what's passive aggressive about Rand's article?

[jokin]

Can someone explalin to me what's passive aggressive about Rand's article?

 

Praising him effusively on one hand, while simultaneously hinting that he hasn't exactly been an iron man in rhetoric, and the coup de grace, laying the aggressive "hammock-hammer" down via image....?.

[jharaldson]

Praising him effusively on one hand, while simultaneously hinting that he hasn't exactly been an iron man in rhetoric, and the coup de grace, laying the aggressive "hammock-hammer" down via image....?.

 

Is there a quote you can point to besides the picture?  In the article Rand goes out of his way to praise Mauer.

 

 

For all the jokes about Mauer’s durability and not playing in day games after night games, he appeared in at least 130 games in five of six seasons between 2005-2010.

............................

Saying “Mauer needs to stay healthy” is a little too simple because nobody *tries* to get injured.

............................

He’s still the team’s most accomplished hitter, by far 

 

 

I think with the exception of the picture choice the article is balanced.

[Willihammer]

Praising him effusively on one hand, while simultaneously hinting that he hasn't exactly been an iron man in rhetoric, and the coup de grace, laying the aggressive "hammock-hammer" down via image....?.

I guess I see what you mean but I think calling it "full frontal passive aggressive" is a little extreme. The words in the article seem fair.

[Thegrin]

It is possible that, although Rand wrote the article, some staffer selected the photo's and an editor agreed to print them. ??

 

I read Rand because I compulsively read everything about the Twins.  I admit, however, that I usually skim Rand and Reusse because they are so often negative writers.

[LaBombo]

Unfortunately Mauer has had a couple unlucky years, reminds me of Griffey who couldn't catch a break for a few years while he was in Cinci. Mauer did look good prior to the DL and had two nice hits last night, hopefully he can post a .820-.850 ops the rest of the season for the twins.

 

That looks to me like an insightful, excellent comparison.

 

Which is what makes it that much more discouraging.

 

Like Mauer, Griffey finished his age-30 season as an elite (but much more powerful) left-handed hitter who also happened to play excellent defense at a key defensive position.  In other words, he was more or less the CF version of Mauer's 2009 season.

 

For a decade.

 

Then Kenny G Jr. turned 31, and, relative to his previous HoF decade, fell off the face of the earth.

 

He had at least 600 and often closer to 700 PA's throughout the 90's.  He managed 600 PA's once more the next decade.  His defensive value went from being a big plus to a big minus.  A massive chunk of his offensive value disappeared.

 

And his overall value as measured by WAR went from the 7-ish per year,  automatic All Star we remember from the 90's, to a fraction above replacement value for the next decade.

 

There are differences to be sure, and the sometimes TJ-like recovery arc from concussions alone can delay the return to the full potential of a player.

 

That being said, it's difficult to imagine a more depressing comp/cautionary tale for Mauer than the KGJR saga.