NBC columnist skewers Souhan

[Linus]

Exactly, I wish people just took Mauer for what he is.  Instead the heavy-handed pro and anti-Mauer people steer most of the discussion.

 

Mauer isn't going to win any awards for his toughness, charisma, or big-spot performances but he's also been a damn good player for a damn long time.  I wish the conversations could stay between those goal posts.

This.  He's been a good player for the Twins and at one point when he was catching, an elite player.  Not so much now but if anybody wants to throw $20 in a pot for who will have the highest OBP on the club next year I'll take Mauer; same thing with BA.

 

He's had more than his fair share of injuries.  Doesn't necessarily mean he's not tough - some guys just have more injuries.  I personally think that his un - Mauer like performance last year may be due to lingering concussion stuff.  Morneau dealt with it for quite a while after he came back.

[Musk21]

http://puckettspond.com/2014/11/06/defense-jim-souhan-whole-concussion-thing/

[diehardtwinsfan]

Here's my biggest complaint, and it may be partly in my head: it seems like, when Mauer comes up with runners on, he approaches the at bat exactly the way he'd approach one with two outs and no one on. He appears to me to be just as happy coaxing a walk to load the bases as he might be driving a ball to the gap. Likewise, It doesn't appear that he's willing to or capable of adjusting his approach against a RHP throwing a straight 87MPH FB than against a power pitcher. I mean, why can't a guy with his obvious talent adjust more and jerk a few? Is this my imagination?

It seems to me that this approach is why he can hit for such a high average and still maintain doubles power. I am not sure a player should be changing their approach simply b/c of the situation they are in. It strikes me as potentially having a worse result.

[dxpavelka]

Gotta love Twins fans who in one breath complain that Mauer is made of glass and in the next say he should "grow a pair" like Michael Cuddyer.  Until you realize that in the three years since Cuddyer left Minnesota, Mauer has played in over 100 more games  than Cuddyer.

[gunnarthor]

Gotta love Twins "fans" who in one breath complain that Mauer is made of glass and in the next say he should "grow a pair" like Michael Cuddyer.  Until you realize that in the three years since Cuddyer left Minnesota, Mauer has played in over 100 more games  than Cuddyer.

If Mauer plays 280 games in his age 33-35 seasons, I'll buy you dinner.

[gunnarthor]

 

He's had more than his fair share of injuries.  Doesn't necessarily mean he's not tough - some guys just have more injuries.  I personally think that his un - Mauer like performance last year may be due to lingering concussion stuff.  Morneau dealt with it for quite a while after he came back.

I don't know.  Mauer said it wasn't the concussion - that ruined his 2013 season - but it was other stuff this year.  His back, IIRC.  It just seems like Joe's injury history is "CONCUSSION!  YOU CAN NOT QUESTION THIS!"

[steve]

Should Mr. Mauer wish to "silence the critics" he will have ample opportunity.

[curt1965]

Souhan is a thug and a bully. The noted article is one of his many rants against Mauer, and he has similarly ripped Adrian Peterson, Gardy, and Ponder, each when they were at their lowest point. Maybe his job is to balance out Sid's cheering, but I have lost the little respect I had for him.

[nicksaviking]

Craig might not write the headlines....not sure how it works there. And no, I don't see any reason a columnist should stick to facts, that's not their job. It is NOT their job to write news stories, it is their job to offer their opinions. That's what a columnist does for a living.

 

Columnists who write opinion pieces dripping with vitriol, condenscension and hyperbole are no more journalists than Glen Beck, Keith Olberman or Dan Barreiro.  I was fortunate enough to be given the ability to form my own opinions and recognize when someone is trying to twist facts in an attempt to sway favor.  These guys can all stick to Twitter and stop trying to pound the final nail in the coffin of print and legitimate e-media.

[Mike Sixel]

That's not what was said, it was stated that they stick to reporting facts. That's not their job. I didn't comment on how well either does their job.....though I do like Craig's writing. 

[D. Hocking]

Some interesting, reasoned discussion on here that you probably are not going to find in the Strib comments.  

 

I am probably biased but will say the comments on this board are at least a level above the Strib comments (except for a couple of game thread that were disturbing - although a different kind of disturbing than Strib comments - still best left buried and forgotten).

 

Hopefully this time next year we will be commenting on a Souhan column where he talks about a bounce-back season.

[one_eyed_jack]

Hopefully this time next year we will be commenting on a Souhan column where he talks about a bounce-back season.

 

Cheers to that.  I don't know what caused Mauer to have such a lame season, but it was frustrating and sad to watch.  

 

I don't doubt his desire to bounce back strong next year.

 

If Joe starts hitting like his old self, and some of the younger guys take a step forward, this team will put some runs on the board.

[Pius Jefferson]

I'd hate to see the reaction if he listened to Dan Barreiro talk about Joe Mauer.

[Monkeypaws]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Souhan was bullied as a child, and now takes his revenge as an "adult" from the bully pulpit.

 

I'll confess, I am as much a hockey fan as a baseball fan, and anytime Souhan writes about hockey, it is an even bigger trainwreck of ignorance. 

 

Souhan, like most generic columnists, is a football fan, then a basketball fan.

[Linus]

I don't know. Mauer said it wasn't the concussion - that ruined his 2013 season - but it was other stuff this year. His back, IIRC. It just seems like Joe's injury history is "CONCUSSION! YOU CAN NOT QUESTION THIS!"

Not aware of him saying that. When you consider that a MLB hitter has a millisecond to make a decision it wouldn't take much in terms of brain injury to have an effect.

[The Wise One]

http://puckettspond.com/2014/11/06/defense-jim-souhan-whole-concussion-thing/

 

http://puckettspond.com/2014/11/06/defense-jim-souhan-whole-concussion-thing/

Yep, Souhan never said the word concussion. He just ripped him for not playing without even having the courage to say  what injuries  he thought Mauer should have been able to play through. Perhaps Souhan could have shown how the majority of the starting big leauge catchers play 150 games a year, or  most of the day games after night games.  Nope, just nebulous attacks

[The Wise One]

In defense of Souhan, when he choses to wtite about runners he can turn a nice piece, http://www.startribune.com/sports/163364056.html. I did not go looking through the archives, but he did write about his trainng one day with an elite runner that was quite good. He even poked fun at himself. As you can tell by the lack of stories about runners and the local events, runners do not bring readership to the Strib.

[stringer bell]

Judd and Mackey asked Souhan about Calcaterra and this article and he slammed him as a writer and figured he must not have said hello to him once (or something like that).  I have often gotten the feeling he has done the same thing - that he gets a bit personal in his columns to players who he does not have a friendly rapport.

 

 I am not sure what Kevin Slowey did to him, but some of his comments about him a few years back seemed like they came from more from a petty mean girl than a journalist.   On the other end of the spectrum he always raves about Torii (who I do like), but over the years I have gotten the impression that a good part of that is because Torii treats him like a bud when he sees him.

Add Trevor Plouffe to his enemy list. He hasn't been afraid to slam Plouffe when he was down and during his good season this year called for him to be traded. We all have favorites and guys we don't like. For some reason, I never was a huge Morneau fan and I confess I was hoping he wouldn't win the batting championship. Part of the reason for that was I didn't want it to diminish what my favorite player (Cuddy) did the previous season.

[dxpavelka]

If Mauer plays 280 games in his age 33-35 seasons, I'll buy you dinner.

I may take you up on that

[twinsnorth49]

Not aware of him saying that. When you consider that a MLB hitter has a millisecond to make a decision it wouldn't take much in terms of brain injury to have an effect.

It would take someone changing their mind on what they're already convinced is the truth though, and as a result maybe even being wrong.