Jake Mauer on Byron Buxton

[Seth Stohs]

Last week, I had a chance to chat with Cedar Rapids manager Jake Mauer for a story (or parts of stories) that will be in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2014. I'll share a small part of it here.

 

Here is what he had to say about Byron Buxton:

 

His makeup is what I think is going to be the separator. We have a lot of talented kids that come through, and kids with ability. They may not be in the same level as Buxton’s ability, I mean, he was born with a gift, and he’s talented through the roof. You can throw out all of the scales as far as athletic ability, but his mental makeup and his approach to the game... He’s not happy with just being a good minor league player. He wants to be good. He wants to be a good big league player, and he has a chance to be an impact player for a long, long time.

 

Things have changed a lot. I can remember Joe (Mauer) being first round, first overall and the media coverage that he got. What Buxton went through this summer was completely different. It was ten times more media people there, and he handled it very well. More important, he went on the field and did what everybody thinks he can do.

 

At each level, he’s going to be challenged, but I think that his mental makeup is what’s going to carry him.

[diehardtwinsfan]

This kid is sounding like the type of person that the Twins should pursue a Longoria type contract with.

[Seth Stohs]

I'd be on board!!

[Oldgoat_MN]

All the talk about Sano and Buxton is fun.

 

I really believe Buxton is more likely to be the one who becomes the face of the Twins.

 

I am really liking this young man.

[nicksaviking]

Ha was that a sly little dig at little brother? Joe you thought you got a lot of media hype? It was nothing compared to this kid! Two for flinching!

[Seth Stohs]

Ha was that a sly little dig at little brother? Joe you thought you got a lot of media hype? It was nothing compared to this kid! Two for flinching!

 

Uh... no. It's just saying that when he was in the minors, no one cared about the minors. Now, things have changed. Mauer was the #1 overall prospect too, just like Buxton was. The Cedar Rapids media did great for him, but also national media was a presence. It it just bigger now.

[nicksaviking]

Uh...OK. Frivolous and silly posts now even need to be contradicted?+

[Jim Crikket]

I'd just second Jake's take on Buxton. When he arrived in CR, he seemed to be almost painfully shy and you kind of had to draw answers from him in an interview. By the time of his promotion, he was much more comfortable dealing with media. You're right, too, Seth, it certainly wasn't just local media he learned to deal with. Both Twin Cities papers made trips, Baseball America came to town to do a feature on him, and of course there was the remarkable performance he put on for the FSN cameras when they were in CR to televise a game.

 

Maybe it's just because I wasn't paying the attention that I am now, but I don't remember Joe Mauer getting quite that much attention, though I'm sure he got some Minnesota media attention as a local kid in the Twins system.

[clutterheart]

Can't wait for the 2014 Handbook!

[Paul Pleiss]

When can we expect to see the 2014 handbook?

[Seth Stohs]

In a perfect world, look for information in 5-6 weeks... Typically, however, it has been right after the holidays.