Sherman: Mauer's HOF case similar to Mattingly's

[bluechipper]

 

I lived in NY area until 2009. Mauer was everywhere.  He was on the cover of MLB the Show two years in a row. 

 

SI, ESPN, Posnanski, Fangraphs etc covered him constantly. He was in the conversation with Pujols as best player in the game for a while. He might not have been in as many commercials as others and Yankees/Red Sox dominated ESPN but Mauer was certainly one of the most covered players of that time.

I remember some ranking on SI where the top 3 players in the MLB were Mauer, Pujols, and Hanley Ramirez. That was probably after the 2009 season.

 

And I think everyone recognizes the "Well played, Mauer" line.

[Tuba]

Aside from some World Series heroics, nothing helps Mauer out more than winning a gold glove this year. "Only player to win a gold glove at catcher and in the infield" that's just made for the plaque. 

 

I think he needs 2-3 more years of quality at bats and another gold glove to get in. Hard to gauge how much voters will value his time at catcher, but he'll have a strong case.