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'''Joseph Patrick Mauer''' (born [[April 19]] [[1983]]) is a [[catcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[Minnesota Twins]].
'''Joseph Patrick Mauer''' (born [[April 19]] [[1983]]) is a [[catcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[Minnesota Twins]].


He was considered by many scouts to be the best young catcher in the sport and has been said to have one of the best swings in baseball and possibly of all-time. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://espn.go.com/mlb/features/mauer_gallery/mauer_gallery_index.html?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2 | title=A Swing Of Beauty | publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref><ref name="joe">{{cite web | url=http://www.athomeplate.com/spotlightmauer.shtml | title=Player in the Spotlight: Joe Mauer | author=Daniel Paulling | date=2004-7-12 | publisher=AtHomePlate.com}}</ref> 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 [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting title]], finishing with an [[Batting average|average]] of .347.<ref name="ba">{{cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2609825 | title=Mauer wins AL batting title on final day | date=2006-10-1 | publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref>
He was considered by many scouts to be the best young catcher in the sport and has been said by some (including Twins Hall of Famer Paul Molitor) to have one of the best swings in baseball. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://espn.go.com/mlb/features/mauer_gallery/mauer_gallery_index.html?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2 | title=A Swing Of Beauty | publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref><ref name="joe">{{cite web | url=http://www.athomeplate.com/spotlightmauer.shtml | title=Player in the Spotlight: Joe Mauer | author=Daniel Paulling | date=2004-7-12 | publisher=AtHomePlate.com}}</ref> 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 [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting title]], finishing with an [[Batting average|average]] of .347.<ref name="ba">{{cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2609825 | title=Mauer wins AL batting title on final day | date=2006-10-1 | publisher=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref>


==High school career==
==High school career==

Revision as of 20:59, 7 September 2007

Joe Mauer
Mauer bats against the Orioles in the Metrodome
Minnesota Twins – No. 7
Catcher
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
debut
April 5, 2004, for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics
(through August 31, 2007)
AVG.314
OBP.396
SLG.458
HR33
RBI209

Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19 1983) is a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins.

He was considered by many scouts to be the best young catcher in the sport and has been said by some (including Twins Hall of Famer Paul Molitor) to have one of the best swings 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]

High school career

File:JmauerCullen.jpg
Mauer playing for the St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mauer was a three-sport athlete, baseball, football, and basketball, for St. 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 one of the best swings 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 was struck out only once during his high school career, while hitting .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 .522 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 Minnesota District V Player of the Year.

During his senior season as the Raiders' quarterback, Mauer completed 178 of 288 passes for 3,022 yards and 41 touchdowns with only two interceptions and finished his two-year career as a starter with 5,528 yards and 73 touchdowns.[2] He led the Raiders to two consecutive Class 5A state championship game appearances, winning the title in 1999, and once threw seven touchdown passes in a single playoff game. Mauer was named Gatorade's National Player of the Year, Parade and USA Today 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 another elite prospect, Mark Prior, who was taken second overall in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs.[7]

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 worth $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, ending the year with an average of .294.

File:JoeMauerSI.jpg
Joe Mauer on the August 7, 2006 cover of Sports Illustrated.

In 2006, Mauer's performance throughout the months of May and June gathered 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 at bat against Baltimore, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

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 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]

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.

Minor league history

Other work

Mauer modeled for Perry Ellis in the 2004-2005 off-season and is to featured in television commercials for Pepsi and ESPN.[16]

Personal life

Mauer lived with Twins teammate Justin Morneau in St. 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.[17][16] Mauer spends his off-season in Fort Myers, Florida.[16]

In 2006, Mauer dated "Miss USA", Chelsea Cooley, but he ended their relationship in November of the same year.[16]

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 St. 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[18]. Jake Mauer ended his playing career after the 2005 season but coached in the Twins farm system during the 2006 season[19].
  • His uncle, Ken Mauer, is a referee in the NBA.[20]

See also

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. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Mauer wins AL batting title on final day". ESPN.com. 2006-10-1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Tom Wier (2001-6-29). "Mauer Honored". USA Today. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Jim Walsh (2006-7-5). "The Kid Who Struck Out Joe Mauer". CityPages.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e "Player Biography and Career Highlights".
  7. ^ Rod Beaton (2001-6-6). ysis.htm "Youth, pitching te draft". USATODAY.com. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b c "ESPN.com Gamelog". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |pulisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Elias Sports Bureau, Inc. (2006-6-11). "Elias Says..." {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ D.C. Reeves (2006-6-12). "Surging Mauer takes top AL honors". MLB.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Jason Brummond (2006-7-2). "Twins te monthly AL honors". MLB.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "American League All-Star Roster". ESPN.com. 2006-7-7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/2006/0807.html
  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. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ a b c d Jason Williams (2007-1-28). "A busy Joe". Pioneer Press. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Jim Souhan (2006-8-10). "Morneau, Mauer share a lot -- but not MVP award". Star Tribute. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Twins selected Mauer's brother in 23rd round". USA Today. 2001-6-6. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Kelly Thesier (2007-1-22). "Mailbag: Anderson integral part of staff". MLB.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Souhan, Jim (2007-04-12). "Jim Souhan: Grandpa is back in saddle". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)


Preceded by First overall pick in the MLB Entry Draft
2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by American League Player of the Month
June, 2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by American League Batting Champion
2006 		Succeeded by
incumbent


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