Sansevere: Next Manager Should Not 'Coddle' Mauer

[Parker Hageman]

Pioneer Press sports columnist Bob Sansevere is hoping the next Minnesota Twins manager takes a hard-line stance with the team's highest paid player. According to Sansevere, the manager should have Joe Mauer catch again.

 

I must warn you, this take is so hot, it requires oven mitts while handling:

 

What will the Twins’ next manager do about Joe Mauer?

 

Here’s a thought: Let him catch again.

 

The reason he was told to pack away his catcher’s mitt was because he kept getting hurt and there was a belief sticking him at first and having him DH would mean fewer injuries and more games played.

 

 

Such a hot sports take.

 

Sansevere drives his point home by saying "ottom line here: The new manager has to stop the Mauer coddling and have him catch again."

 

Setting aside the fact that Sansevere says that current catcher Kurt Suzuki should be moved to first base in the swap, let's focus on the "kept getting hurt" aspect of this. Mauer's transition to first was necessitated because of concussions or, to put it in laymen's terms, brain injuries. 

 

When Mauer decided to hang up the tools of ignorance, it was because of suffering from ailments like headaches, sensitivity to light and mood swings -- things that could lead to longer time out and even permanent brain damage. 

 

"They told me if I were to receive another blow or concussion, the recovery time would be as long or even longer. That made the decision pretty easy," Mauer said in November of last year "If I said no, I'm catching and I'm coming to spring training, all it takes is one foul tip in pitcher's batting practice and I'll be out two or three months, or even more. I don't want to put my team in that position."

 

So, yeah, stop coddling Mauer and get him back behind the plate. 

 

UPDATE: Sansevere has since updated his blog post to include this:

 

 

Since this blog originally posted, there have been a slew of posts asking if I’ve suffered a brain injury for suggesting Mauer go back to catching after suffering a concussion while playing there. News flash: You can suffer a concussion anywhere on the field, including while playing first base.

 

Justin Morneau suffered a concussion on a collision at second base, then had a setback diving for a ball while playing first. It. Can. Happen. Anywhere.

 

And remenber what happened to Corey Koskie? He suffered a career-shortening concussion in Milwaukee when he fell while chasing a pop up.

 

 

The only way to truly cut down on the possibility of Mauer suffering more on-field concussions is for him to retire. And that’s not going to happen.

 

Yes, you can get a concussion anywhere on the field, provided your head rams another object. Of course, the probability of getting hit in the head is far greater behind the plate and that multiple concussions -- as Mauer has suffered -- can lead to some serious issues later in life.

 

Quite the swing-and-miss. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

*brain explodes*

[Parker Hageman]

*brain explodes*

 

 

Which, you know, could happen to Joe if he is back behind the plate. 

[Mike Sixel]

I do think he's been a bit coddled, but not about moving to 1B, that was just logical.

[Greg Logan]

Sansevere's such an idiot but I just can't stop fuming about this.

[gunnarthor]

First, Sansevere just wrote something to get page views and it's working.  I can't remember the last time someone at TD linked to his column. Don't take it too seriously.

 

Second, no one with a brain would ever put him back behind the plate.

 

Third, something was obviously wrong with Mauer this year but I have no idea what.  His babip was right around his normal lines.  He clearly struck out too much and his power was gone.  The next manager is going to have to get better production from him in some way.  

 

Lastly, I think there is an impression (true or not) that Mauer is coddled and it can affect how he's viewed in the clubhouse.  With young guys coming up like Sano, Arcia, Pinto and Vargas and limited potential at-bats, the club house is probably not going to like benching guys for a .370 slg first baseman to get 550 PA.  And Mauer (apparently) is a bit aloof so I think the new manager should worry a bit about his bubble.

[Mike Sixel]

Wait, people are going there and reading it? Why?

[Winston Smith]

Does this guy get paid to write this crap?

[USAFChief]

I haven't read the article, but he wants Suzuki to move to first base, too?

 

How does he think that leads to more wins?

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Depending on who the new manager is, everyone on the team might get "Mollycoddled"

[Gernzy]

I normally like Sansevere, but I don't get this at all. What the hell is he thinking?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I haven't read the article, but he wants Suzuki to move to first base, too?

How does he think that leads to more wins?

yeah I'm not keen on Mauer moving to catcher again, but the Suzuki to 1B needs to happen.

[nicksaviking]

I'm going to assume that Sansevere wanted to write that the team should move Mauer back to catcher in the team hopes of a career ending injury so they could cash out their insurance policy on him. That kind of editorial surely would not be too cynical for Sansevere, but it must have been for his editor. Good Lord.

[Boom Boom]

Let's try to quantify how Mauer was coddled in 2014.  

 

Mauer was on the DL from early July to early August with the oblique injury.

 

Outside of that, he missed the following games while active:  

 

May 5th

May 6th

May 7th

May 8th

May 9th

June 8th

Aug. 28th (entered as PH in the 10th inning)

Sept. 22nd

Sept. 24th

 

I'm not recalling what the issue in May was that he sat out five straight.  I was a bit bothered by Gardenhire sitting him out while healthy on Sept. 22nd and 24th, saying something about he wanted to get Vargas in a first during the Diamondbacks series and put him back in for the final series in Detroit when the games mattered.  That D'backs series was at home.

 

Mauer DHed 19 times.  Seven of those games were after Vargas was called up on Aug. 1, so I'll give them a bit of a pass on the assumption that they were trying to gauge Vargas's fielding.  In the 12 games Mauer DHed before Aug. 1, two came on days when there was a double-header, Apr. 17 and May 1, and he played first base in the other game that day.  I'll be on record that playing first base twice in a double-header situation doesn't seem all that daunting compared to most other positions.

 

So was he coddled?  I do think that the Twins had him DH a little too much, considering he's no longer primarily a catcher and they had some other options who were probably best suited to DH on those days.  They might have been a little too cautious with the oblique injury, considering he missed about a month, but who knows.  

[TheLeviathan]

I do think he's been a bit coddled, but not about moving to 1B, that was just logical.

 

I thought the move to 1B was a bit premature and was hoping we could ride it out a bit longer from a value standpoint, but I didn't see the move as coddling.  More protecting a high value asset.

 

I do, however, hope the new manager makes Joe a bit uncomfortable.  In a good way.

[Mike Sixel]

We can probably quibble on the timing of the move, but it was inevitable. Frankly, I would have done it the year before.....he's too valuable to risk the added increase in probability of injury (man, that sentence sucked)

[D. Hocking]

The absences in May were due to the back injury.  I actually think he might have come back from that too early, because he was awful.  I wondered if him compensating for playing with the hurt back might have led to the oblique strain (although I have no idea if that would even be likely physically).  I do think they made sure he was healed a little more completely with the oblique because he was not ready to return when he did with the back.

 

The effects of his concussion were discussed here, but I was surprised at how little it came up as a or was discussed as possibility of some of his problems when he was discussed elsewhere. It was almost like it was forgotten how his previous season ended, and it was almost taken for granted by some that it was no longer an issue (which was strange after Justin and Span).  It is possible his problems were not concussion related, but I think it is definitely possible they were.

 

I have seen a lot of comments that he might as well go back to being catchers since he got hurt playing first base often implying he wanted the easier position because he was soft, basically ignoring that he very reluctantly made the switch after hearing from numerous doctors that he could have long-term or permanent ramifications if he got concussed again.  He mentioned being healthy for his wife and kids as being a primary reason not to take that risk.

[Boom Boom]

The effects of his concussion were discussed here, but I was surprised at how little it came up as a or was discussed as possibility of some of his problems when he was discussed elsewhere. It was almost like it was forgotten how his previous season ended, and it was almost taken for granted by some that it was no longer an issue (which was strange after Justin and Span).  It is possible his problems were not concussion related, but I think it is definitely possible they were.

 

Mauer actually said recently that the concussion issues subsided in January, and he believes that his difficult season was the result of his offseason conditioning being pushed back 2-3 months because of it.  Evidently he wasn't experiencing concussion symptoms during the season, though.

[gunnarthor]

Let's try to quantify how Mauer was coddled in 2014.  

 

 

I'm not sure coddled is the right word, but it might be.  But the fact is 26 other players played more games at first base than Mauer.  That's not acceptable.  

[USAFChief]

I like Levi's comment...I hope the next manager makes Mauer a bit less comfortable, and asks him to do the things offensively that will help the team win more games.

[stringer bell]

Mauer had a disappointing season.  For as long as the Twins have been bad, he has been the player flogged by the rabid fans, because of his salary mostly.  I do think that Gardy coddled Mauer a bit and that Joe accepted it too easily.  When he was a catcher, the team was at its best when he caught.  Now that he is a first baseman, the clube will be at its best when he plays first.  I'm fine with giving him an occasional game off, but the man does have to get himself ready to play a whole season and increase and maintain his strength. 

[twinsnorth49]

I don't think Mauer has been coddled in any way, you have a guy like him in your lineup you usually get out of his way and let him do his thing.

 

Having said that I would hope the new manager will not he afraid to challenge Joe to continue to evolve as a player.

[James]

We pay him $23M a year to be a singles hitter! He's sooooo overrated and is always hurt!  He's the worst thing to ever happen to the team!!!  Other arguments that I can't back up with evidence!  Rabble, Rabble, Rabble.

 

Ok.  I hope the sarcasm came through.  

 

To be fair, I didn't read the article, mainly because I didn't want to give him any page views for it.  But the description and ideas presented in this thread already tell me that these are opinions that are not based in reality or fact.  Therefore, I will avoid reading it and quietly dismiss it.   

[jay]

We know Joe needs to rebound offensively.  We know catching isn't going to happen.  My question is, does the new manager have to assume 1B and DH are the only spots he can play?  I'd call that coddling.

 

He doesn't fit the batter profile for a 1B and blocks other guys who could make a positive impact on the lineup.  I count 6 guys who could only play a corner for 5 lineup spots (LF, RF, 3B, 1B, DH): Mauer, Plouffe, Arcia, Vargas, Pinto and Sano.  He's probably a better defensive fit for an OF corner than anyone named there (except maybe Plouffe).  We also know there's an opening in one of the OF corners...

[Rosterman]

Well, there goes Jake Mauer as a managerial candidate. Wait, maybe it doesn't. 

[D. Hocking]

Well, there goes Jake Mauer as a managerial candidate. Wait, maybe it doesn't. 

Yes, older brothers don't necessarily "coddle" their younger siblings,if my memory and childhood scars remember correctly.

 

I do think Gardy felt he could not tell Mauer much about hitting, and kind of left him alone.  I also think Mauer is set in his ways and a bit stubborn (which I think is not uncommon for veteran players), so it would not be a bad thing for the new manager to get him out of his comfort zone, not to be antagonistic, but to make him go outside his box to some degree.

[Shane Wahl]

Just some grotesque logic here with regard to the "concussions can happen at any position" line. Good grief.

[huhguy]

just getting some attention....Joe Mauer deserves special attention....even if I think him playing first base is a waste

[JB_Iowa]

2015 Comeback player of the year --Joe Mauer. I'm not a big Mauer fan but this year had to be tough on his pride. I look for him to work hard this off-season and have a good season in 2015. I don't think the new manager will have to get tough on him because he will be tough on himself.

[Cris E]

Sansevere is, before all other things, a bad football writer. Anything he says or writes about baseball comes in beneath, behind and below that.