Joe Mauer’s 30th birthday is today. A cynic might suggest the Twins’ catcher will receive more well wishes from across the country than here in Minnesota.
“He’s under appreciated in his own market,” said Dave Mona, co-host of WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle. “Talk shows rip on him all the time.”
The rant over Mauer is about his $23 million salary, minimal home run production and the losing ways of his team. In 2009 his future with the Twins was uncertain until he signed a contract that puts him among a half dozen or so of the best paid players in major league baseball.
Mauer’s critics argue the hometown hero makes the list of baseball’s best paid players but he isn’t a top five player. Some baseball authorities wouldn’t even grant Mauer No. 1 status among catchers, preferring the Giants’ Buster Posey or the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina.
But how is it fair to blame Mauer for having leverage with the Twins back in 2009 to command one of baseball’s richest contracts? “I do believe the Twins had to sign him to a large contract because they were moving into a new ballpark and needed the fan base to be on board that they were going to build a winner,” said a sports marketing authority who spoke anonymously.
In two of their three seasons at Target Field the Twins have finished last in the Central Division. While injuries sidelined Mauer for much of the disastrous 2011 season (99 losses), he came back last year to play in 147 games and the team still lost almost 100 games. Mauer doesn’t deserve blame for a franchise whose front office let the talent pool dry up, led by a pitching staff that nosedived to among the worst in baseball.
Home runs? The casual fan looks at the 6-5, 230-pound Mauer and wonders why has he hit only 22 home runs during the last three seasons, including just 10 last year in 545 at bats. “I know people want more home runs and I think he could do it,” said Gophers’ assistant baseball coach Rob Fornasiere. “But that’s not who he is.”
Fornasiere said that in over 30 years of high school recruiting in Minnesota Mauer is the best player he’s seen, and the former Cretin-Derham Hall three-sport star has the same beautiful batting swing he had as a sophomore. “From a mechanical standpoint he’s just so consistent,” Fornasiere said.
Mauer has been in birthday celebration mode this week. After consecutive four hit games on Monday and Tuesday nights, he is on a nine game hitting streak — .462 average with two home runs and seven RBI. The hitting party has raised his batting average for the season to .386.
This week Mauer looks like the hitter who batted .365 in 2009, whacking balls up the middle, finding the gaps in the outfield, and sending balls into the left field corner. His batting average that season was the highest ever for a major league catcher. He led the American League in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage — something no catcher had ever done before in MLB history.
Mauer has three batting titles since his big league career began in 2004. He won the AL MVP Award in 2009. Coming into this season he had the highest batting average in the major leagues since 2006 (.328) and his on-base percentage of .411 was fourth best.
For those who study baseball, Mauer’s prowess hitting the ball is even more remarkable because of the position he plays. Catching is the most physically demanding position on the field. It’s a punishing job squatting behind the plate, subjecting legs to constant stress while hands, fingers and other body parts are targets for foul tips.
Mauer has always liked being back of the plate, helping to dictate the game. His knowledge about opposing hitters helps get the most out of the Twins’ pitching staff, and his strong throwing arm is a deterrent to base runners.
Spoken like a career baseball man, Fornasiere said good baseball teams are built on quality position players in the middle of the field starting with the catcher. “There’s not a team that wouldn’t take him (Mauer),” Fornasiere said.
If critics don’t like Mauer, then Fornasiere probably has it right when he said, “You’re dealing with other people’s expectations.” Those who admire Mauer have their own expectations about him including one day seeing him inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame.
“He’s already done things no other catcher in the history of baseball has done,” said Mona.
And Mauer is only 30 years old.
Worth Noting
A ceremony Sunday at Siebert Field will recognize Gophers’ baseball coach John Anderson for his 500th career Big Ten win last weekend at Northwestern, according to assistant Minnesota coach Rob Fornasiere. Anderson, who started coaching the Gophers in 1982, is the all-time winningest Big Ten baseball coach — 87 wins ahead of retired Ohio State coach Bob Todd and 205 more than ex-Minnesota coaching legend Dick Siebert. Fornasiere said that since the fall of 1981 there have been 37 head baseball coaches in the Big Ten.
The Gophers play a series against Michigan State at Siebert Field this weekend including Sunday’s game starting at 1:05 p.m. Fornasiere said the Spartans’ leadoff hitter and center fielder is freshman Cam Gibson who is batting .297. He is the son of Kirk Gibson, the Diamondbacks’ manager and former major league star.
The Gophers, 23-13 overall and 7-2 in conference games, are tied for first place with Michigan in the Big Ten standings. Minnesota pitcher Tom Windle, 5-2 with a 1.35 ERA, leads the conference in strikeouts with 57 in 60 innings.
New Minneapolis public schools athletic director Trent Tucker has known Gophers’ basketball coach Richard Pitino since Pitino was five years old. Former Henry football coach Jim Dotseth said Tucker attended a meeting of retired city coaches on Wednesday and Tucker remembered young Pitino from his days playing for the Knicks and coach Rick Pitino, Richard’s father.
I don’t know by how much, but the odds of the Gophers convincing DeLaSalle junior Reid Travis to attend Minnesota went up when Pitino hired former Islanders’ star Ben Johnson as an assistant coach.
But not so sure about Minnesota’s chances for landing Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones and Cooper shooting guard Rashad Vaughn, both juniors. Elite prep players often want to know how their college experiences can help them earn a roster spot in the NBA. Pitino, at 30 years old, can’t talk about any players he sent to the next level as a head coach. Tough competition against power coaches like Kentucky’s John Calipari and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
In a somewhat surprising prediction, Dane Brugler from Cbssports.com has quarterback Ryan Nassib from Syracuse going No.8 to the Bills in his NFL mock draft. The Gophers beat Nassib and the Orange 17-10 last year at TCF Bank Stadium. None of Brugler’s other colleagues have Nassib being selected in the first round of their mock picks.
Former Star Tribune Vikings writer Don Banks posted his mock draft for SI.com with Minnesota selecting Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant at No. 23 in the first round and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o at No 25.
In a mock NBA draft, NBAdraftnet.com projects the Timberwolves choosing shooting guards Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA) and Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Michigan) with the No. 9 and 25 picks in the first round. The projections also include former Gophers Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe going to Dallas and Utah with the No. 43 and 44 picks.
In a comparison worthy of shoot-first former Gopher Kris Humphries, Muhammad had 27 assists in 32 games for the Bruins last season.
Former Saint John’s national championship coach John Gagliardi and his son Jim Gagliardi will speak Tuesday evening at the MVP event at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stillwater. Together they helped coach the Johnnies to the 2003 Division III national title. MVP stands for men, value, purpose. MVP gatherings celebrate sports with food, fellowship and inspiration. More information is available at Trinitylc.org.
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