Joe vs AJ

[Twodogs]

So in hindsight, who was the best "Catcher"  Joe Mauer or AJ Pierzynski??

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

So in hindsight, who was the best "Catcher"  Joe Mauer or AJ Pierzynski??

Joe. Better Defender and better hitter by a wide margin. How many batting titles has AJ won?

 

I bet the Twins couldn't get Bonser, Liriano, and Joe Nathan in a trade for Mauer today. Then again, Liriano and Nathan play for different teams, and Boof is retired.

[scottz]

Joe. Not close.

 

Which catcher was more durable? AJ. Not close.

[darin617]

Which player is still a catcher and has a higher batting average? I will give you just one guess...

[Brock Beauchamp]

Which player is still a catcher and has a higher batting average? I will give you just one guess...

Which guy has almost double the career WAR but is six years younger? I will give you just one guess.

 

It amazes me how Minnesotans continue to underrate what Joe Mauer brought to the team for a decade. This shouldn't even be a question people ask.

[Dantes929]

Wow,   I liked AJ but the Twins had three of the closest and most exciting finishes in all of baseball history in 2006, 2008 and 2009.   Not coincidentally those were the 3 years of Muer's batting titles  (3rd in 2010).     Its not close even without throwing in Nathan, Lriiano and Bonser.     Some can't stand the playoff results but I wouldn't trade those seasons for taking 3rd place each year with AJ.   And I liked AJ.

[nicksaviking]

Who's better Sandy Koufax or Jamie Moyer? Or Tony Oliva or Raul Ibanez to use a more apt comparison.

[Seth Stohs]

I assume this is just a trolling attempt?

 

Mauer was better defensively and hugely better offensively.

[Badsmerf]

I liked aj, and he has had a great career. Joe had a hall of fame career going. I just wish he would have stayed at catcher. Easy for me to say though, it's not my brain.

[darin617]

 

I assume this is just a trolling attempt?

 

Mauer was better defensively and hugely better offensively.

Was. Mauer cannot catch or will not anymore. So throwing out past performance which player would be more important to the current team? If this is trolling so be it. It was not my intention.

[Twodogs]

Yeah, only thing AJ really has over Joe is that he is still a Catcher and doing pretty well at it for such an advanced age.  I just saw he was 3 for 4 today while I was watching the Twins and came up with this.  Mainly just because Joe isn't a Catcher anymore.

 

Fact of the matter is that Joe is still fairly productive, only Sano from the regulars has a high OBP than Joe this year and Sano hasn't played for very long.  I think what most fans get upset with is that he isn't real productive as far as first basemen go and he has such a big contract.  Yeah it is a little upsetting that Hicks has a many homeruns as Joe.  It's a little upsetting that he is hitting in the .260's.  But he is still one of the better Twins performers and if his BA was up in the .290's to .310's everyone would be happy, for the most part.  I just thought it was funny that AJ was still catching and was doing pretty well at it for so long.  What's even more amazing is that he hit 27 bombs as late as 2012 he had an .827OPS that year.  Close to 400 doubles and Close to 200 Hr's with a .282 lifetime BA.  And he is still catching?  People complain about peoples contracts when they are older, but what about when these guys are younger and the Twins get them for relatively nothing?  I hope Joe  bounces back and has a few good years, too bad he can't catch anymore.

[BrianTrottier]

Was. Mauer cannot catch or will not anymore. So throwing out past performance which player would be more important to the current team? If this is trolling so be it. It was not my intention.

 

Throwing out past performance, who would be more valuable to a team today, AJ, or Willie Mays? I guess AJ is the better player...

[Seth Stohs]

 

Was. Mauer cannot catch or will not anymore. So throwing out past performance which player would be more important to the current team? If this is trolling so be it. It was not my intention.

 

Your response to today is fair, but the initial question of this thread was "who was" and that wasn't even close.

[RichardMcBeef]

Matt Lecroy