Alex Rodriguez could the next person in line, but considering Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have been forced to wait... I'm sure he'll have to too. Who's after him?
Well after announcing his retirement yesterday, I'd have to say Joe Mauer.
He might not have been Mike Piazza in the batter's box or Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate, but Mauer retired with over 2,000 hits, a career .306 batting average, 3 AL batting titles, 5 Silver Slugger Awards, 3 Gold Glove Awards, and the 2009 AL MVP Award. But personally my favorite fact about him is that he spent his entire fifteen season career in the MLB with his hometown team.
I will always have a soft spot in my collection for guys who were loyal enough to stick with one team and lucky enough to have the franchise stick with him.
That's why I spent over an hour this afternoon digging through my collection looking for this memorabilia card which happens to complete my Joe Mauer Sports Card Trifecta:
2007 Bowman Heritage Pieces of Greatness #PG-JM
I only own a handful of Mauer memorabilia cards. This card represents my only bat card. Who knows if this piece of wood was actually part of one of his game used bats. One thing is for certain, it's the best looking memorabilia card of his sitting in my collection.
2014 Five Star Autographs #FSA-JM
2002 Topps Gallery #186
Choosing a favorite rookie card of Mauer was much simpler. I'm pretty sure this is the only rookie card I own of him, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Topps Gallery has always been one of my favorite Topps products.
Well that's about it for tonight. Let's go ahead and wrap things up with our questions of the day:
Would Mauer receive your Cooperstown vote?
Who's your all-time favorite Minnesota Twin?
Considering that from 2004 to 2013, he had the second highest batting average in Major League Baseball behind only Miguel Cabrera and the fact that he has the eight highest fielding percentage of all-time for a catcher, along with all of his accomplishments previously mentioned... I'll go ahead and give him my vote. Although I don't necessarily think he's a first ballot hall of famer.
1985 Minnesota Twins Postcards
And Kirby Puckett is definitely my all-time favorite Twin. Who's yours?
Enjoy a safe holiday weekend. Happy Saturday and sayonara!
12 comments:
Like you, I'm a big fan of guys who play their whole careers with only one team. It's something that I thought we'd never see again after Ripken, Gwynn, Jeter, and Rivera. For that reason, Joe Mauer was a guy I cheered for and collected. It was nice to see him go out on his own terms, and put on the catcher's gear one last time. I'd give him a HOF vote - but his case is complicated and I presume he'll have to wait a while.
Is he my all-time favorite Twin? He's in the top three, for sure. Johan Santana is right there, too... but even though I never saw Harmon Killebrew play I'd put him #1.
Heck of a career for the guy. He'd definitely have my HoF vote if I actually had one.
As for my favorite Twin I'm leaving that slot open, lots of great guys have popped up over the years so it's a committee more than title at this point.
He has my HoF vote too but I don't trust the real HoF to put him in too quickly.
Camilo Pascual is my favorite Twins player. As for Mauer...I really wans't watching baseball for a big chunk of his career. So I'll pass my vote on to those who are more informed.
Clear HoFer, 2nd ballot.
He's definitely got my vote! Here's a list of catchers that have one three batting titles:
Joe Mauer.
That's the whole list! Joe's 8 year peak as a catcher alone has higher rate stats (and a higher WAR, a cumulative stat) than Yadier Molina's 15 year career.
He'll lose votes at first because he continued playing after he could no longer catch. He'll lose votes because he never played in the World Series. He'll lose votes for being a contact hitter instead of a power hitter. But he was among the all-time greatest catchers in MLB history, then added 5 seasons after that by learning a new position and excelling defensively while hitting like an elite catcher, just not like an elite 1B.
He was Baseball's #1 Overall draft pick, but was also #1 in College football recruiting, Bobby Bowden lobbied hard to get him to be QB at Florida State. He was also a fairly decent basketball player, playing 3 years on the varsity team averaging over 20 points a game as the team's SG. His most impressive stat? In his entire high school career, he only struck once. Four seasons, only one strikeout.
I think he belongs in the hof. As for my favorite twin, he may well be it. I was a rod carew fan, but really knew him as an angel. I admired Puckett from afar, and his career ended just before I moves to minny. I've been here for all of mauer's career and I always wanted to see his at bats, even during the down years.
Possibly the best all around catcher oh his era, so he would definitely deserve my imaginary HOF vote. As for a favorite Twin .. Killebrew with Carew z very close 2nd. Also can’t forget Blyleven.
Mauer had a great career and I believe that he will get into the Hall at some point. Not sure if he is a first ballot player, but he will get across the line at some point. I love that he was able to play his whole career for the Twins, not that it should enhance his candidacy for the Hall, but its a nice touch. As for my favorite Twins player, I am going to go with Brunansky or Gary Gaetti.
Something about Joe's Five Star photo that reminds me of Killebrew, my favorite Twin. Mauer may be a 2nd ballot guy but I do believe he gets in. My vote is yes.
Tony Oliva,still hope he can get to Cooperstown one day.
chris - ripken, gwynn, jeter, and rivera are all guys i enjoy collecting too
zippy zappy - who's on your committee?
nick vossbrink - yeah, highly unlikely he'll be a first ballot guy.
commishbob - lol. didn't know who pascual was. had to look him up.
xavier higgins - i hope so. honestly... as long as he gets in eventually, i'd be happy.
brian - great stuff. had no idea about the college football and basketball stuff. and striking out only once in high school is one of the coolest bragging rights ever.
gcrl - i remember carew as an angel too, but have plenty of cards to remind me of his days with the twins.
baltmoss68 - can't go wrong with any of those hof picks (although i always associate blyleven with the indians b/c of his early 80's cards).
snorting bull - lol. figures. pair of former cardinals. :)
julie owens - maybe it's b/c killebrew's 72t card features the up the bat angle
sg488 - nice call. one of the most underrated hitters of all-time.
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