53.5 Reasons to Love Joe Mauer on Induction Day

[Ted Schwerzler]

After 15 years and nearly 2,000 games at the major league level, Joe Mauer was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Today he’ll be enshrined in Cooperstown, New York, and he couldn’t be more deserving.

Image courtesy of Brad Rempel, USA TODAY Sports

Joe Mauer has been a fan-favorite for Twins Territory since he was taken first overall during the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. Turning from Mark Prior, Minnesota continued the storybook that was being written about a kid from St. Paul. Now etched in baseball lore forever, Mauer becomes the youngest living Hall of Famer, and he’ll have an opportunity to share thoughts on the ground of the Clark Sports Center.

Before he does though, here are 53.5 (one for each tally of his WAR) reasons to celebrate the man that was everything Twins Territory could have hoped for.

1. He lived up to the billing. Being drafted number one overall generally means you’ll make the big leagues. It doesn’t mean you’ll make an impact or be a superstar. Joe becomes the fourth first overall pick (Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Harold Baines) to reach the Hall of Fame.
2. He won batting titles. Winning a batting title is hard. Winning multiple is even more difficult. Doing it while dealing with the rigors of the catcher position is virtually unthinkable.
3. He batted .306. Ending his career in an age where velocity started to become king, he still hit. The .278 average across his final 680 games watered down how special he was at the plate, but the final number still remained above .300.
4. He won an MVP award. What Joe Mauer did during that 2009 season was nothing short of magical.
5. He won three Gold Gloves. Mauer’s story was not about just how good of a hitter he was. Despite his stature, he was incredible behind the dish as well.
6. He went to six All-Star Games. Although the Twins don’t always get a player voted into the All-Star Game, Mauer’s talent and personality made him a lock for years.
7. He tallied five Silver Slugger awards. Although the home runs never replicated that 2009 season, his bat was an asset in every way possible. The 428 doubles were plenty productive too.
8. He stayed home, and was worth the contract. Mauer could have gone elsewhere for a larger payday. He didn’t, and provided significantly more value to the organization than what he was paid.
9. He was on video games. Still to this day, Mauer is the only player to appear on the cover of the popular MLB The Show videogame twice. Well played, Mauer.
10. He learned a new position. After a brain injury forced him from behind the plate, he took up first base and was deserving of a Gold Glove there (no thanks to Eric Hosmer).
11. He gave us an epic retirement moment. In his final game, getting back behind the plate for a single pitch, Mauer brought tears to the eyes of many. It was incredible.
12. He was the American Idol. Thanks to the Sports Illustrated cover from August 2006, Mauer was dubbed an “American Idol” on what is now an iconic image.
13. He made the net catch. Immortalized as a bobblehead by the Twins, Mauer’s net catch at Target Field was truly amazing.
14. He gave us Target Field. The Metrodome was a dump -- our dump, but a dump. Because of Mauer staying in Minnesota, the organization was able to parlay the excitement into a gorgeous new stadium.
15. He made the backstop snag. One of the most impressive plays to show off Mauer’s athleticism and coordination was his backhanded stab of a foul ball. It happened to be former teammate Denard Span in the box too.
16. He chose baseball. Mauer could have went to Florida State on a scholarship to play football. He probably would have been in that Hall of Fame too.
17. He struck out just once. Of course you know he struck out only once during his entire high school career. Reuniting him with Paul Feiner at Target Field was cool.
18. He asked us what we know. Clifford Harris, better known as T.I., had his track “What You Know” become synonymous with Mauer stepping to the plate. He even made Joe a retirement video.
19. He made the play at home. Diving to take out New York Yankees Brett Gardner at the plate, Mauer pump-faked a throw and nabbed him for the out.
20. He walked it off. It took quite some time, but Mauer’s first walkoff home run came in 2017 at Target Field. It was an epic moment to beat the Boston Red Sox.
21. He added a new number to the wall. “7” wasn’t Mauer’s preferred number, he didn’t pick it. I guess you could say it chose him though, and in 2019 the Twins retired the digit so that no one will ever wear it again.
22. He gave back. Mauer was and continues to be active in a community that he grew up in. As a young Hall of Famer, he should be an expected presence for years to come.
23. He lived it as a dad. If there’s a way to buy into a team name, making them part of your life is one way. Mauer and his wife Maddie welcomed twin girls during their first pregnancy.
24. He hit 2,000. At this point in the lifespan of baseball, reaching 3,000 hits is a near impossible milestone. Mauer notched his 2,000 on April 13, 2018.
25. He was the only one to do it. Just three catchers have ever won a batting title, but Mauer was the only that played in the American League.
26. He was All-State. Sure, Mauer was amazing at baseball and football, but averaging more than 20 points per game in basketball, he was named All-Star for Cretin-Derham Hall.
27. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year. In 2001, prior to being drafted by the Twins, Gatorade made Mauer the Player of the Year in football.
28. He played for the world. After baseball was cut from the olympics, Mauer played for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball classic.
29. He was a heartthrob. From the sideburns to the physique, Mauer was adored by many and found plenty of success appearing in different forms of marketing throughout his career.
30. He gave us the Quickswing. While there are plenty of training devices and tools out there, Mauer’s quickswing was a simple device that his dad invented and was a must-have for players in Minnesota.
31. He was made a kid. Although he wasn’t on the cover of the popular Backyard Baseball series, Mauer was playable in the 2009 version of the game.
32. He gave us the M&M boys. Without Mauer, there would have been no pairing with Justin Morneau. They provided two of the greatest intertwined careers in Twins history.
33. He welcomed a son. In 2018 Joe and Maddie brought Charles Joseph (Chip) into the world. Maybe someday he’ll wear the same jersey his dad did.
34. He almost never struck out. Mauer’s 13% strikeout rate is unheard of in today’s game, especially for a player at his position and level of productivity.
35. He will get a statue. When the Minnesota Twins commemorate Mauer in bronze remains to be seen, but it’s a matter of when not if. He likely will also have a gate outside of Target Field.
36. He never hit free agency. Mauer signed his extension before exploring the open market, and his transaction log doesn’t note free agency until he had officially decided upon retirement.
37. He did it the right way. There has never been any sort of scandal, cheating, or disturbing allegations surrounding Mauer. Despite living in the limelight for the vast majority of his life, he carried himself the right way.
38. He told an important story. Joe Schmitt recently worked with Mauer to write a children’s book. It’s a good read and shares an important message.
39. He gave us great arguments. Playing at the same time as Buster Posey and Yadier Molina, the debates about greatness were always fun to have.
40. He showed off his arm. Throwing out 27% of base stealers, nothing rivals the 2007 season in which Mauer caught 53% of would be base stealers by throwing out 24 runners.
41. He made Phil Cuzzi famous. Umpires are often known by name when they make a poor call. That couldn’t have been more true than when Phil Cuzzi incorrectly ruled Mauer’s double foul during the 2009 ALDS.
42. He had cool shoes. Thanks to his partnership with MLB The Show, Nike made Mauer a sweet limited edition pair of Playstation inspired Huarache’s.
43. He rocked the glasses. Mauer putting on the Twins uniform, over a USA Baseball, while rocking the Harry Potters-esque spectacles on draft day will always be a widely recognized image.
44. He was a WAR monster. His 8.3 fWAR from the 2009 MVP was the third best in Twins history trailing only Rod Carew (1977 8.6) and Joe Cronin (1930 8.4).
45. He has us begging for another. Someone like Mauer is never going to be replaced, but Twins fans continue to hold out hope that every new top prospect will following in his footsteps. Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis are currently working towards that.
46. He has a street. Not surprisingly there is a street named after Mauer in St. Paul.
47. He kept pushing. After suffering his brain injury, Mauer could have hung up his cleats rather than moving to first base. He was too much of a competitor for that, and reworked his game to continue showing up for Minnesota.
48. He draws the crowds. During both his number retirement and Twins Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, it was evident how well-liked he is by those within the organization. Those there to support his accomplishments are always numerous.
49. He was honored for high school accolades. Prior to becoming a professional, Mauer dominated everything at the high school stage. He was recently inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.
50. He pulled off a surprise. Despite a contentious Hall of Fame candidacy, Mauer was well received by the Baseball Writers Association of America and earned induction during his first year on the ballot.
51. He was the ultimate come-up. Mark Prior was the popular choice to go first overall in the 2001 draft. Due to injuries, he played just five seasons for the Chicago Cubs.
52. He had the sweetest swing. While kids emulated Griffey Jr. and Gary Sheffield, it was Mauer’s swing that was well known across Twins Territory just from the gracefulness of its path.
53. He was a great conversation. Whether talking with reporters postgame, or engaging with fans during Twins Fest, the smile and genuine interest in what was being said remained present.

53.5 Joe Mauer, forever, one of us.

For everything Joe, thank you. Enjoy your day.

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[Old Crow]

That says it all.  Thank you Joe!

[tony&rodney]

An all time great - no question.

The two things that always struck me about Mauer whenever I saw him play is how talented and unselfish he was as an athlete.

Among many memories of watching Joe, an early one stood out. In the boy's state tournament, Mauer had one of the most amazing all around games I have ever seen in basketball. Mauer put up ridiculous numbers in a close loss to Osseo. Joe was a force all over the court with a triple double and nearly double digit blocks as well. The amazing thing is that Osseo was double-teaming and occasionally tripling up on Mauer and Joe still managed to find the open player or score on his own. Osseo had three D1 players and a really good team. I argued many times that the Twins should choose Mauer #1, based on his array of talent. He did not disappoint.

[ashbury]

Nice, and challenging, theme to try.  Well done!

[Craig Arko]

I would never underestimate no. 37 on that list.

[cmoss84]

Thank you Joe for throwing 85 at 14 and making us all fill up the batters boxes with urine. It was an honor.

[Jeff K]

Great list.  Thank you Joe!

[Ted Schwerzler]

3 hours ago, Craig Arko said:

I would never underestimate no. 37 on that list.

Not sure how to interpret this?

[Craig Arko]

1 hour ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

Not sure how to interpret this?

In the original Klingon?

[D. Hocking]

9 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

An all time great - no question.

The two things that always struck me about Mauer whenever I saw him play is how talented and unselfish he was as an athlete.

Among many memories of watching Joe, an early one stood out. In the boy's state tournament, Mauer had one of the most amazing all around games I have ever seen in basketball. Mauer put up ridiculous numbers in a close loss to Osseo. Joe was a force all over the court with a triple double and nearly double digit blocks as well. The amazing thing is that Osseo was double-teaming and occasionally tripling up on Mauer and Joe still managed to find the open player or score on his own. Osseo had three D1 players and a really good team. I argued many times that the Twins should choose Mauer #1, based on his array of talent. He did not disappoint.

I remember reading an interview somewhere where some scout was telling a story of how he was in Minnesota to scout someone in basketball and saw another player who interested him more.   Someone told him, sorry that is Joe Mauer -- you will have to get around the football and baseball recruitment [really paraphrasing],

[ashbury]

I didn't think, until just this minute, that ChatGPT might have some views on Joe Mauer being a Hall of Famer now.  Herewith, and without further delay, is this sadly belated essay.

ChatGPT

Oh, Joe Mauer’s in the Hall of Fame now? Well, color me shocked! It’s not like Minnesota Twins fans have been tirelessly waving Mauer flags like it’s a never-ending parade or anything. Seriously, Mauer’s induction is kind of like getting the gold star for showing up on time for a game you were clearly going to win anyway.

Let’s not forget, this is the same Joe Mauer who, for a decade, made catching look so effortless that you half expected him to stroll out to the mound with a latte in one hand and a newspaper in the other. And let’s be honest, he was so smooth behind the plate that sometimes you wondered if he was actually playing a completely different game than the rest of us.

A .306 career batting average and three batting titles? That’s cute. And winning the MVP award in a season where his team barely made a ripple in the playoffs? Adorable. He made it look so easy that the rest of us thought we might be able to give it a shot, only to realize that he was basically the baseball equivalent of a wizard performing a magic trick—except his wand was a bat, and the magic was turning fastballs into base hits.

So congratulations to Joe Mauer for finally getting his well-deserved Hall of Fame nod. The voters have officially acknowledged what every baseball fan in Minnesota has known for years: Joe Mauer was too good for this planet and is now officially on a higher level of baseball greatness. May he continue to make the rest of us look bad in the most impressive way possible.

 

(Full disclosure: I may have mentioned the word "snark" in my request to ChatGPT. And then I asked the service to take the contrary view. You might detect some themes in common.)

 

ChatGPT

Oh, Joe Mauer’s in the Hall of Fame? Well, isn’t that a fascinating plot twist. It’s almost like someone decided to mix a ‘Good for You’ award with a ‘We’re Feeling Generous’ badge. Mauer’s induction is a bit like being handed a trophy for showing up to a dance-off in tap shoes while everyone else is busting moves in sneakers.

Let’s be real: Mauer’s career was like a perfectly pleasant cup of decaf coffee. Sure, he was a decent hitter and an exceptional catcher, but his .306 career average and three batting titles feel like the Hall of Fame equivalent of getting a participation trophy. And yes, he won an MVP, but he did it in a year when his team didn’t exactly light up the playoffs. It’s like getting a gold star for being the best at a game no one else bothered to play.

His defensive skills behind the plate were top-notch, but it’s not like he reinvented the position or anything. And his career, while solid, lacked the explosive moments or transformative impact that often defines a true Hall of Famer. It’s not that Mauer wasn’t good—he was—but sometimes being ‘really good’ doesn’t quite cut it in a museum of legends.

So congrats to Joe Mauer for joining the ranks of the Hall of Fame. It’s a nice acknowledgment of a good career, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking he’s joining the ranks of baseball immortality with the same gravity as those who redefined the game.