If general managers and scouts could pick one player to build a team around, Joe Mauer, 25, would be among the first names mentioned. A recent Sports Illustrated story reported that a panel of such experts listed Mauer as the No. 5 choice in major league baseball after Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez, New York Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez, Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley and Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez.
Last year a Sporting News article named Mauer the No. 1 player to build a team around. That story resulted from input by general managers, scouts, an assistant general manager and a “Hall of Fame writer.”
Well documented to the public are Mauer’s sweet swing, high batting average and strong arm for throwing out potential base stealers. A subtler asset is his ability to call a game and work with pitchers. The latter has positively impacted the development of the Twins’ young starting pitchers this season, Scott Baker, 26, Nick Blackburn, 26, Glen Perkins, 25, and Kevin Slowey, 24.
Pitching coach Rick Anderson was asked about Mauer’s contribution to the success of the four pitchers who have been surprisingly effective and played a major role in the team’s contending for the Central Division title. “It’s invaluable,” Anderson said. “You think about it, they’re all (the starters and Mauer) about the same age. He was here a little bit before some of them, but they all kind of came in that same time. They’re all young and they’re all learning. Our young pitchers trust him, and he’s learning how to call games with them. And they’re jelling together and that’s the big thing. He takes charge of these kids and these kids follow right along with him, and that’s the success part there.”
Anderson said when a pitcher trusts a catcher it’s so important because it allows the pitcher to concentrate on executing pitches. Otherwise, the pitcher is thinking too much about what type of pitch to throw and/or maybe where to place the ball around home plate. The pitcher doesn’t have to be thinking, “I have to do this, I have to do that.”
A catcher has to know his pitchers, and not just what pitches they throw, but as much about them as possible. “That’s why the young ones are having success,” Anderson said of Mauer. “He’s finding ways that’s going to get them success and get them through (the game). Everyday they’re not going to have their best stuff and he’s finding ways to survive, and that’s pretty cool.”
Also, a catcher has to understand the opposing batters, not just his own pitchers. Before a series Mauer and Anderson will talk about the other team’s hitters but during a game conversation is pretty minimal other than to analyze something on the spot. Anderson said Mauer has improved his knowledge of other hitters.
“Joe is getting much, much better as far as retaining (information) and how we attack guys, and what they’re doing, and what they’re looking for,” Anderson said. “And to me that’s tough because you got 12 pitchers (on the Twins staff). You’ve got to (for example) remember how did (Twins reliever) Brian Bass get out Gary Shefflield (Detroit hitter) a month ago. …”