Joe Mauer

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Joe Mauer

Mauer at bat in the Metrodome
Minnesota Twins — No. 7
Catcher
Born: April 19, 1983 (1983-04-19) (age 25)
St. Paul, Minnesota
Bats: Left Throws: Right 
Major League Baseball debut
April 5, 2004 for the Minnesota Twins
Selected MLB statistics
(through June 5, 2008)
AVG     .315
OBP     .396
SLG     .456
HR     37
RBI     242
Teams

Joseph Patrick Mauer (pronounced /ˈmaʊɚ/, born April 19, 1983 in St. Paul, MN), is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins.

Mauer was considered by many scouts to be the best young catcher in the sport and has been said by some, including Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., to have the best swing in baseball.[1][2] In his breakout 2006 season, Mauer became the first catcher in major league history to lead both leagues in batting average and the first American League catcher to win the batting title, finishing with an average of .347.[3]

Contents

[edit] High school career

Mauer played football, basketball and baseball for Saint Paul's Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. Mauer attended the same high school as Baseball Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Twin, Paul Molitor.[4] Molitor has said that Mauer "has the best swing he had ever seen".[2] He was even good enough to make it into a Sports Illustrated issue as a "Face In The Crowd". A stand-out in baseball, Mauer struck out once during his 4 year high school career, and hit .605 during his senior season.[2][5] He also set a Minnesota high school record by homering in seven consecutive games.[4] Mauer caught for the Team USA Junior National team from 1998 to 2000 and hit .595 during his final year on the team. He was voted best hitter at the world tournament in Panama in 2000. In 2001, Mauer was voted the United States District V Player of the Year.

During his senior season as the Raiders' quarterback, Mauer completed 241 of 288 passes for 3,022 yards, 41 touchdowns and only three interceptions, and finished his two-year career as a starter with 5,528 yards and 73 touchdowns.[2] Mauer led the Raiders to two consecutive Class 5A state championship game appearances and won the title in 1999. Mauer once threw 7 touchdown passes in a single playoff game against the Hopkins Royals. Mauer was named Gatorade's National Player of the Year, Parade's and USA Today's Player of the Year and a Reebok/ESPN High School All-American. Mauer was also named "National High School Quarterback Of The Year" in 2000 by The National Quarterback Club.[6] He was also named to the All-State team during his final two years on Cretin-Derham's basketball team.[6] However, he turned down a football scholarship from Florida State University to enter the Major League Baseball Draft.[6] Mauer was selected by the Twins as the first overall pick of the 2001 draft, ahead of prospect Mark Prior, who was taken second overall in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs.[7]

[edit] Professional career

Mauer was part of the United States' roster at the 2003 All-Star Futures Game at US Cellular Field before being promoted to the Twins' roster in 2004 after his predecessor, A.J. Pierzynski, was traded to the San Francisco Giants, in the 2003 off-season. Mauer went 2 for 3 in his Major League debut, hitting a single off Rafael Betancourt of the Cleveland Indians for his first major-league hit.

A knee injury to his left medial meniscus on April 7, 2004, required surgery and sidelined Mauer for over a month. After a rehabilitation stint with the Twins' AAA affiliate Rochester Red Wings, Mauer returned to the Twins' lineup in June. In July, pain and swelling in his knee forced an early end to Mauer's 2004 season.

Following his injury-shortened 2004, Mauer signed a contract for $5.7 million with the Twins on January 24, 2005. In 2005, Mauer returned to the Twins' lineup for his first full major league season and had 144 hits in 131 games, and ended the year with an average of .294.

Joe Mauer on the August 7, 2006 cover of Sports Illustrated.
Joe Mauer on the August 7, 2006 cover of Sports Illustrated.

In 2006, Mauer's performance during the months of May and June garnered attention from the national media. He recorded a .528 average over the first ten days of June and hit .452 over the course of the month.[8] He was also the first player since Mike Piazza in 1997 to reach base four or more times for five consecutive games.[9] On June 12, Mauer was named the American League Player of the Week by Major League Baseball for his performance the week of June 4-11, during which he hit .625 (15-for-24) with 5 doubles, 4 RBI and 2 stolen bases.[10]

Mauer recorded his first five-RBI game June 26, against the Los Angeles Dodgers.[8] Mauer followed that up with his first career five-hit game June 27, also against the Los Angeles Dodgers.[8]He was also named Player of the Month for June after batting .452 with a .624 slugging percentage and .528 on base percentage, 11 doubles, 14 RBI and 18 runs. Along with Johan Santana (Pitcher of the Month) and Francisco Liriano (Rookie of the Month), Mauer was part of the first-ever single-team sweep of MLB's three monthly awards.[11] On July 2, Mauer was selected by the players to his first All-Star Game.[12] Mauer appeared on the cover of the August 7, 2006 issue of Sports Illustrated[13] (Mauer was appropriately voted "Most Likely to Be on the Cover of Sports Illustrated" in his high school senior yearbook poll).

Mauer finished the 2006 regular season with a .347 batting average, edging the Yankees' Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano to win the American League batting title and become the first-ever American League catcher to win the crown and the first catcher to claim the title since Ernie Lombardi in 1942 with the Boston Braves. His .347 average was the highest in the American League, a feat not achieved by the previous three catchers to win NL batting titles.[3][6] He was the youngest to win a batting title since Alex Rodriguez in 1996.[6]

Mauer at bat against Baltimore, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Mauer at bat against Baltimore, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

After going 2-for-4 in the last game of the 2006 regular season, Mauer confessed to reporters, "When I told you I wasn’t thinking about the batting title? I was lying. I’ve never been that nervous in my life. I haven’t felt anything like that since Opening Day as a rookie.”

Mauer won his first Silver Slugger award in 2006, announced on November 10, 2006, along with teammate Justin Morneau, who also won a Silver Slugger award that year.[14]

On February 11, 2007, Mauer agreed to a four-year, $33 million contract with the Twins to avoid arbitration. The deal ensures that Mauer will remain in Minnesota long enough to play in the Twins' new outdoor stadium in 2010.[15]

On July 21, 2007, Mauer hit his first career inside-the-park home run against Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Scot Shields. It was his fifth home run of the season, and there were two players on base when he hit the homer. It was the first inside-the-park home run by a catcher since Kelly Stinnett did it for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. [16]

[edit] Other work

Mauer modeled for Perry Ellis in the 2004-2005 off-season and is featured in television commercials for Pepsi and ESPN.[17]

[edit] Personal life

Mauer lived with Twins teammate Justin Morneau in Saint Paul during the 2006 season, but the two now have their own homes. Mauer now lives in Stanchfield, MN, about 50 miles north of the Twin Cities.[18][17] Mauer spends his off-season in Fort Myers, Florida.[17]

[edit] Relatives

  • In the 2001 draft, the Twins also selected Joe's older brother, Jake Mauer, as the 677th overall pick in the 23 round. Jake played at the University of St. Thomas, which is located in Saint Paul. Some observers concluded that this was an attempt to induce Joe to sign a contract, but Mike Radcliff, the scouting director of the Twins, denied this.[19] Jake Mauer ended his playing career after the 2005 season but coached in the Twins farm system during the 2006 season.[20]
  • His second cousin, Ken Mauer, is a referee in the NBA.[21]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ A Swing Of Beauty. ESPN.com.
  2. ^ a b c d Daniel Paulling (2004-7-12). Player in the Spotlight: Joe Mauer. AtHomePlate.com.
  3. ^ a b Mauer wins AL batting title on final day. ESPN.com (2006-10-1).
  4. ^ a b Tom Wier (2001-6-29). Mauer Honored. USA Today.
  5. ^ Jim Walsh (2006-7-5). The Kid Who Struck Out Joe Mauer. CityPages.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e Player Biography and Career Highlights.
  7. ^ Rod Beaton (2001-6-6). Youth, pitching dominate draft. USATODAY.com.
  8. ^ a b c ESPN.com Gamelog.
  9. ^ Elias Sports Bureau, Inc. (2006-6-11). Elias Says....
  10. ^ D.C. Reeves (2006-6-12). Surging Mauer takes top AL honors. MLB.com.
  11. ^ Jason Brummond (2006-7-2). Twins te monthly AL honors. MLB.com.
  12. ^ American League All-Star Roster. ESPN.com (2006-7-7).
  13. ^ SI.com - Sports Illustrated Covers - Aug. 7, 2006 - Hardworking Twins catcher Joe Mauer is the ideal hometown hero, and he's poised to make history at his position
  14. ^ Red Sox LF Ramirez wins ninth Silver Slugger award. ESPN.com (2006-10-10).
  15. ^ Mauer, Twins avoid arbitration with four-year deal. ESPN.com (2007-2-11).
  16. ^ Mauer's inside-the-park HR Twin's first since 2001. ESPN.com (2007-7-21).
  17. ^ a b c Jason Williams (2007-1-28). A busy Joe. Pioneer Press.
  18. ^ Jim Souhan (2006-8-10). Morneau, Mauer share a lot -- but not MVP award. Star Tribute.
  19. ^ Twins selected Mauer's brother in 23rd round. USA Today (2001-6-6).
  20. ^ Kelly Thesier (2007-1-22). Mailbag: Anderson integral part of staff. MLB.com.
  21. ^ Souhan, Jim (2007-04-12). Jim Souhan: Grandpa is back in saddle. Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.

[edit] External links

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Minnesota Twins current roster

5 Michael Cuddyer | 7 Joe Mauer | 15 Glen Perkins | 16 Jason Kubel | 18 Matt Macri | 21 Delmon Young | 22 Carlos Gómez | 23 Brendan Harris | 24 Mike Lamb | 25 Alexi Casilla | 26 Boof Bonser | 27 Craig Monroe | 28 Jesse Crain | 30 Scott Baker | 33 Justin Morneau | 36 Joe Nathan | 37 Dennys Reyes | 39 Juan Rincón | 49 Craig Breslow | 53 Nick Blackburn | 54 Matt Guerrier | 55 Mike Redmond | 59 Kevin Slowey | 60 Brian Bass | 61 Liván Hernández

Inactive (40-man) roster: 2 Denard Span | 11 Jason Pridie | 32 Brian Buscher | 38 Philip Humber | 41 Bobby Korecky | 47 Francisco Liriano | 51 Julio DePaula | 58 José Morales | 74 Jose Mijares | 86 Oswaldo Sosa | -- Sergio Santos

Disabled list: 8 Nick Punto | 12 Adam Everett | 17 Pat Neshek | 20 Matt Tolbert

Coaching Staff: Manager 35 Ron Gardenhire | Bench Coach 9 Steve Liddle | 1st Base Coach 13 Jerry White | 3rd Base Coach 45 Scott Ullger | Hitting Coach 46 Joe Vavra | Pitching Coach 40 Rick Anderson | Bullpen Coach 43 Rick Stelmaszek


Persondata
NAME Mauer, Joe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Joey
SHORT DESCRIPTION Baseball player
DATE OF BIRTH April 19, 1983
PLACE OF BIRTH Saint Paul, Minnesota
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH