After a 15 year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, former catcher and first baseman Joe Mauer was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Minnesota native played with the Minnesota Twins for the entirety of his career. Not to mention, this wasn’t just any regular induction. Mauer was voted in on the first ballot, meaning he got in during his first year of eligibility. Only 60 players in MLB history have been inducted to the hall on the first ballot, and Joe is only the fourth Twin to do so.
Joseph Patrick Mauer was born on April 19, 1983 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School, where he excelled as a three sport athlete. Mauer was an All-State point guard averaging over 20 points a game on the basketball team, and that was his worst sport. Mauer was heavily recruited as a quarterback, being the number one football recruit in the entire nation. During his senior season, Joe went for 3,022 yards on a 66% completion percentage with 41 touchdowns and only five interceptions. As far as baseball goes, Mauer reportedly only struck out one time in his entire high school career. Throughout his senior season, he put up a .600 batting average with 53 RBI (runs batted in) and 15 home runs, ultimately leading his team to a state championship.
Mauer’s extremely successful high school career led to him being taken first overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2001 MLB draft. Going straight to the league and skipping college, he was instantly a fan favorite in his home state. He made his major league debut on April 5, 2004, finishing the game with two hits. Mauer consistently put up numbers with his bat, and proved to be an exceptional athlete behind the dish. He went on to be a six-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the AL MVP (American League Most Valuable Player) in 2009. Throughout 1,858 games over 15 seasons, Mauer racked up 2,123 hits with a .306 batting average with 143 home runs and 923 RBI. He holds multiple MLB records, including the highest single-season batting average (.365) and on-base percentage (.444) for catchers. Both of these records were set in his historic 2009 MVP season. Mauer’s impressive resume has proved that he is one of the best hitting catchers that the game has ever seen.
I looked up to Joe as a young baseball player myself. Growing up as a Twins fan, I admired his smooth, powerful swing, his incredible defense and his respectable character. His lasting impact has affected many other young players, especially throughout Minnesota. In 2019, Mauer’s number seven was retired by the Twins organization. His character will forever be looked up to, and his call to the Hall of Fame has only cemented his legacy even further. Mauer is the first Twins player in 20 years to be selected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot (Paul Molitor being the last). It will be a long time before we see a catcher like him play for the Twins again.
