Will Joe Mauer Hit .400?
Joe Mauer Biography
"We never quit. We'll keep coming at you." - Joe Mauer on the Minnesota Twins.
Joe Mauer is easily one of Minnesota's most recognizable sports stars. Joe was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on April 19, 1983, and drafted by his hometown team in the baseball amateur draft in 2001. Mauer was the first overall pick, as an 18 year old, and was drafted ahead of other stars such as, Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees, and David Wright of the New York Mets. Joe has been touted as being the best overall catcher by baseball experts and current and former major leauge baseball players. Mauer went to the same high school that fellow Twin great and Hall of Famer Paul Molitor attended Throughout his high school career, Joe showed his potential to become a major league star by putting up phenomenal numbers and displaying a sense of maturity beyond his years. During his senior year, Mauer had a batting average of.605, and only struck out one time in his 4 years of high school baseball. Joe also excelled at football and basketball, and in 2001, was named the Gatorade !
National Player of the Year for both baseball and football.
Joe Mauer Career
Joe debuted his "sweet swing" with the Minnesota Twins against the Cleveland Indians in 2004, going 2 for 3. A left knee injury, that required surgery, limited Mauer's rookie year, and in limited time Joe hit.308 with 6 homers and 17 rbi's in 107 at bats. Recovering from the knee injury in the off season, Mauer batted.294 with 9 homeruns, 55 runs batted in, and 13 steals in his first full season. Joe's left-handed swing has won him the A.L. batting title three times in his 6 major league seasons: 2006 (.347), 2008 (.328), and 2009 (.365). Joe has also been a three time A.L. All-Star, and won three Silver Slugger Awards. Not only his Mauer an elite hitter, but he is considered the best defensive catcher in the game, and has won two Gold Gloves to prove it. In 2009, Joe was voted the American League Most Valuable Player, topping career highs in batting average (.365), hits (191), homeruns (28), and runs batted in (96). The Minnesota Twins won the 2009 A.L. Central, and were sw!
ept by the New York Yankees in the American League Divisional Series.
Joe Mauer 2010 Season
Joe Mauer will lead the 2010 Minnesota Twins as A.L Central contenders (along with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers). After signing an 8 year $184 million contract extension during spring training, there are a lot of expectations on Mauer. Will he stay healthy? Is this the beginning of a Minnesota Twins Dynasty? Can Joe be the first player to hit.400 since Ted Williams hit.406 in 1941? These are all questions that will be answered in this crucial 2010 season. Joe's off season workouts are designed to keep him in top shape, and to reduce his chance of injury while playing the most demanding position in baseball. The Minnesota Twins are a small-market team with a big-market mentality, and having secured Mauer through the 2018 season, they have shown that they want nothing less than championships. With their young core of Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, and Span, as well as their additions of Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy, the Twins have positioned themselves well, but !
it will come down to how their pitching matches up with the White Sox and Tigers. Hitting.400 has been one of the toughest benchmarks to accomplish for hitters. Several challenges at the mark have been made in the last 30 years only to see that chance fizzle at the end of the season: Tony Gywnn in 1994 (.394), George Brett in 1980 (.390), Larry Walker in 1999 (.379), Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Helton in 2000 (.372 each). Mauer hit.365 in 2009, and going in to the season at the age of 26, he will have several more seasons to take a crack at.400. With his natural swing, Joe has as good a chance as anybody.
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