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Fans’ Love Affair with Joe Mauer Ran Hot & Cold

Posted on August 6, 2023August 6, 2023 by David Shama

 

Joe Mauer was the center of adulation on Saturday when he was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Target Field.  Fans of all ages applauded the greatest catcher in franchise history whose crown jewel achievement could be acceptance into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.  He is eligible to be voted into baseball immortality in 2024.

Some of those who lustily cheered Mauer this weekend were also his critics several years ago.  Time will not forget that the hometown hero had two distinctly different eras with the Twins.  From 2004-2013 he was a god in Minneapolis-St. Paul, on the Minnesota prairie and environs beyond. But the seasons from 2014 through his last year of 2018 were not so kind as part of Mauer nation cracked and turned on him.

Joseph Patrick Mauer was practically a household name in Minnesota even back in high school at Cretin-Derham Hall in the late 1990s.  He was terrific on the basketball court, a five-star college quarterback prospect and so coveted in baseball he became the first overall selection in the 2001 MLB Draft.  The Twins chose Mauer over pitcher Mark Prior and it was a wise decision because spurning the local kid for a guy who had a mediocre career on the mound would have been a disaster.

By 2004 Mauer was the team’s starting catcher and taking the first steps of a legendary 15-year career in the majors, all with the Twins.  Between his rookie season and the turning point year of 2014, the 6-foot-4, left-hand hitting Mauer won three American League batting titles, five Silver Slugger Awards and the 2009 AL MVP Award.

His 2009 season was the stuff of baseball immortals, hitting a career-high 28 home runs along with a .365 batting average and best-ever 96 RBI.  He is the only AL catcher ever to win a batting title.  Six times he was named an AL all-star.

Mauer photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins.

Mauer was a two-way superstar during his glory years, a superb catcher who showed off a quarterback’s arm in targeting base runners and marvelous athleticism capable of even catching a foul ball behind his back or reaching behind the protective netting to snag a ball.  He was a three-time Gold Glove winner as a catcher and probably deserved to win one after moving to first base late in his career.

Mauer’s early years were part of a tease by the team to become a World Series champion.  The Twins, with Mauer and other young stars like Justin Morneau and Johan Santana, won division championships in 2004 and 2006, totaling 92 and 96 wins respectively. The club also won division titles in 2009 and 2010.

In the land of 10,000 lakes, native son Joe Mauer could seemingly walk on water.  “Baby Jesus” became a nickname and was synonymous with a hero who was not only great but was one of us.  Sports Illustrated twice made him a cover boy, referencing the possibility he could become baseball’s greatest catcher ever and also his pursuit to become the game’s first .400 hitter since 1941.  And dating Miss America, Chelsea Cooley, only added to the coast-to-coast glitz associated with our guy Joe.

Making the whole story even better was Mauer remained Mauer.  Deliberate in speech and humble in demeanor, he was and is an old-fashioned hero.  The high character, strong and silent type America revered in the 1950s and 1960s.  You never read about an irate Mauer throwing chairs or scattering the postgame buffet in the locker room because of a bad night on the field.  His name didn’t show up in police blotters.  He didn’t rip his teammates or strut around wearing gaudy jewelry to show off.

Joe could have been a first -round draft choice of the Boy Scouts, dependable and steady while living his life without pretense and doing the right things.  “I am not as cool as I am supposed to be,” Joe might have said.

Mauer grew up in St. Paul with brothers Jake and Billy, raised by parents Jake and Teresa.  “…Jake and Teresa raised their kids the right way. Family and ethics and honor and all that was a hell of a lot more important than even baseball,” said Ken Mauer Jr., the former NBA referee and Joe’s second cousin.

Not even Mauer’s $184 million contract could dent his rock-solid character and values.  In 2010 he signed an eight-year deal that at the time was one of the richest in baseball history.  There had been rumors the Twins might not be able to keep their superstar at home and speculation about how if he signed with the Red Sox he stood a better chance of playing in a World Series while tattooing his opposite field line drives off the “green monster” at Fenway Park.

The Twins weren’t about to let Mauer go elsewhere, though.  The club had lobbied for a new ballpark on the premise more revenues would be used to acquire and keep talent.  Opening Target Field in 2010 without No. 7 would have been a PR disaster for the ages.

The $184 million set Mauer up for life financially but injuries, missed playing time and declining performances in his early 30s changed the dynamic of how many fans viewed him.  The most significant fork in the road came in August of 2013 when he suffered a season-ending concussion after taking a wicked shot to his face mask from a foul ball. He moved to first base in 2014 and only once hit over .300 before retiring at the end of the 2018 season at age 35 with a .282 average (lifetime .306).  In 2016 he admitted to blurred vision at the plate as a result of multiple concussions.

Catching is the most demanding of baseball positions and Mauer’s physical problems had started even before 2013.  He missed part of the 2011 season with something called bilateral leg weakness.  The name of the ailment and inability to get on the field caused fandom to question Mauer’s willingness to play.

In the summer of 2014 Mauer’s hitting was sinking to new lows. Even grandfather Jake Mauer, a boisterous and colorful character who had helped groom Joe’s baseball skills as a kid, acknowledged the fan criticism in a Sports Headliners column in July.  He understood the frustration Twins fans had with their $23 million per season first baseman and a team that had sunk into mediocrity.

“He’s getting a big salary, he should produce,” Jake said.  “That’s what the fans think and that’s what the fans want.  He’s trying but it just don’t happen (yet).  But I don’t blame the people.”

Jake said Joe mentioned the possibility of being benched, and grandpa thought, too, the former American League batting champion should come out of the lineup.  “But they can’t bench him because he’s making so much money.  They gotta have him in the lineup,” the older Mauer said.

Joe’s woes in 2014 included an oblique injury but Jake acknowledged the seriousness of the concussion in 2013.  “I think it has hampered him,” Jake said.  “I really do.”

Joe Mauer

Big Jake, as family and friends called grandpa, passed away in 2020 at age 89.  Then Joe lost his 66-year-old father in January of this year.  As Ken Mauer Jr. put it in his interview with Sports Headliners, that’s way “too young” to lose a jovial man who was so beloved by everyone who knew him.

Ken Mauer and many others from the extended family were invited to this weekend’s celebration.  “It certainly would have been wonderful if Jake had been able to be there,” Ken said. “He would be so proud and he always was.”

Minnesotans are justifiably proud of Mauer who was supported this weekend by so many who love him including his wife Maddie who went to high school with him.  They live in the Twin Cities with twin daughters Emily and Maren and son Chip.  Joe does some community work, but his focus is on being a dad and husband.

Mauer lived in Florida for a time, but Minnesota is where he belongs.  He never wanted to play for any team but the Twins.  Club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners in 2019 the organization felt the same way.  “No, that was never part of the dialogue with Joe,” St. Peter said about Mauer playing elsewhere.  “We knew Joe wanted to be in a Minnesota Twins uniform and we wanted Joe to be in a Minnesota Twins uniform.”

And now Mauer is in the Twins Hall of Fame, just like even his critics knew he deserved to be.

Comments Welcome

22’s ‘Crib’ Source of Wisdom for New Minnesota Viking CB

Posted on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 by David Shama

 

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Faces change in the Vikings’ secondary from season to season except for one.  Safety Harrison Smith, 34 and with 11 past seasons of NFL experience, provides continuity and leadership to a unit in flux.

As safeties and cornerbacks compete in training camp and beyond for playing time, they know Smith sets an example with his performance and leadership.  It didn’t take long for new cornerback Joejuan Williams, a 2023 free agent signing, to seek out Smith who wears jersey No. 22. Williams is in competition to be one of the team’s two new starting cornerbacks.

Joejuan Williams photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

“Even though there’s a huge age difference, at the end of the day, that’s a leader right there,” the 25-year-old Williams told Sports Headliners.  “I’ve picked his brain first time I went over to his crib. Everybody sittin’ (and) chillin’ having fun and I am asking him 20 questions. I felt like I was annoying him.  Just asking him (about) his leadership skills, how he’s done it for so long.  I love to pick people’s brains like that and so, yeah, he’s been a great help.”

Here’s what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said stands out about Williams, a second round pick of the Patriots in 2019 who stayed with New England through 2019:  “First and foremost, his size (6-3, 212 pounds). I’ve always known as an offensive guy, you know those bigger corners, just because they’re long, they can play physical.

“I think he’s done a really…great job since he’s gotten here, physically preparing himself as a bigger corner. He’s a very strong player. He’ll cause a lot of problems for us around the line of scrimmage with reroutes and rhythm and timing of passing games. He’s savvy, a smart player, very instinctive. …”

Williams, the tallest of the Vikings’ safeties and corners, is part of a group that includes Andrew Booth Jr., the 2022 second round pick who has often been injured during his career.  This could be a pivotal season for Booth.

Williams is taking a willing attitude to help with the 22-year-old Booth.  “I know he’s coming out with a chip on his shoulder, and so I am going to help him every step of the way,” Williams said.

Who become the starters and first players off the bench in the secondary will be determined the way coaches always decide these things and regardless of the position they play, per Nick Mullens.  The Vikings’ backup quarterback said it’s all about dependability and trust, disciplined play, who works hard and is a good teammate.

Mullens joined the Vikings via trade in late August of last year  “Coming into year two is big,” he said regarding more knowledge and comfort with the offensive system.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said yesterday the competition to determine the starters on the offensive line at right tackle and left guard will be “the battle of camp.”  Redshirt junior Martes Lewis and redshirt senior JJ Guedet are competing at right tackle, while hoping to start at left guard are sixth-year senior Karter Shaw and redshirt senior Tyler Cooper.

Minneapolis native and cornerback Craig McDonald is awaiting a waiver ruling from the NCAA to be eligible for the Gophers this season.   The waiver approval is necessary because McDonald has transferred twice in his college career, having been first at Iowa State and later Auburn. McDonald would have three years of eligibility with the Gophers and Fleck is upbeat about his potential contribution.

The Gophers have started practice for their season opener against Nebraska at home Thursday, August 31.  Two free open practices are available to fans, starting with this Saturday’s 7 p.m. event at Huntington Bank Stadium.  The Tuesday, August 15 practice is also open to the public and starts at 3:30 p.m. at the team’s practice facility at the Athletes Village.

Saturday’s gathering is the annual Family Day Practice and will feature a fan fest on the West Plaza.  Fans are encouraged to bring diapers and donate them to the Diaper Bank of Minnesota.  Also, as in the past, fans can bring decorated oars to adorn the stadium hallway the Gophers travel from their locker room to the field on game days.

Former Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill turns 62 on August 24 and is healthy as he prepares his New Mexico State team for a second season under his leadership.  The Aggies are picked for fifth in their new league home, Conference USA, but Kill teams have a way of surprising.  Public season tickets to see the Aggies start at $70.

When Dawn Plitzuweit was considering becoming the women’s basketball coach for the Gophers earlier this year, she spoke with Richard Pitino about what it is like to work under Minnesota AD Mark Coyle.   “I am not exactly sure how they got connected but I was surprised and also excited that she did talk to Richard because I knew she was interested (in Minnesota), and I knew Richard—how he felt about this place—that it would be a good conversation.”

Pitino, who left his job as Minnesota’s men’s coach in March of 2021 to take over at New Mexico, has long had a solid relationship with Coyle.  “…We just have a really good friendship and really thankful for that friendship,” Coyle said.

The Twins, who face the MLB trade deadline later today at 5 p.m., have lost five consecutive games including three straight over the weekend to the lowly Royals (.299 winning percentage).  The two teams don’t play again until next season when they open the regular season March 28-31 in Kansas City.  The Twins were 6-1 in Minneapolis against the Royals but only 3-3 in Kansas City.

Former Twin Luiz Arraez enters August hitting a gaudy .381 through 107 games for the Marlins. MLB.com points out today that after 107 games in 1941 and 82 fewer at bats Ted Williams was hitting .411 for the Red Sox.  Williams, who once played for the Minneapolis Millers, was the last MLB hitter to average .400 for a season (he hit .406 in 1941).

Minnesota hockey icon Lou Nanne is spending a lot of time at his lake place near Balsam Lake, Wisconsin and not playing much golf.  He just had a pickle ball court installed in his barn.

Jonathan Mekonnen, the Eastview class of 2024 basketball wing, verbally committed to Colorado State last week where the program is led by native Minnesotan Niko Medved.

The 2023-2024 season will be the first for a 35-second shot clock in Minnesota boys and girls high school basketball games.

Billy Robertson, the former WCHA and USHL commissioner, discussed his over four-decades career in sports on the latest episode of “Behind the Game.” He talked about his many memorable experiences including characters he has known over the years.  You can see the show at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfPHTGHLF_Y&t=4s

The fifth annual Taste Fore The Tour presented by Tradition Capital Bank at Interlachen Country Club last week was a sold-out fundraiser for Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), the Twin Cities’ largest food pantry. VEAP provides food, social services, and financial assistance to people in south Hennepin County. While dollars are still being counted from the event, donations are expected to allow VEAP to offer 800,000 new meals. To date, Taste Fore The Tour reports donating the equivalent of 3.2 million meals for local people.

Photo courtesy of Erin Benner.

Special hosts for the event July 24 included Michele Tafoya, Matt Birk and Ben Leber.  Celebrities also included Rachel Banham, Bobby Bell, Matt Boldy, Devan Dubnyk, P.J. Fleck, Justin Gaard, Andre Hollins, Kent Hrbek, Ben Johnson, Glen Mason, Randall McDaniel, Zach Parise, Mark Parrish, John Randle, Laura Schara, Ron Schara, Drew Stafford, Scott Studwell, Darrell Thompson, Carrie Tollefson, and Jason Zucker.

Comments Welcome

Coach P.J. Fleck Calls Allegations in Critical Story ‘Baseless’

Posted on July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 by David Shama

 

A highly critical article of the Golden Gophers football program by Front Office was addressed this morning by head coach P.J. Fleck at Big Ten Media Day in Indianapolis.

The story by A.J. Perez sourced anonymous former Minnesota players accusing Fleck and the program of having a “toxic” environment.  Allegations were made of physical and emotional harm in a program that supposedly encouraged players to tattle on one another and play to Fleck’s ego. https://frontofficesports.com/former-gophers-players-staff-reveal-troubling-allegations-of-toxic-culture-under-p-j-fleck/

“These allegations are baseless,” Fleck said about the Front Office story while speaking on the Big Ten Network.  He added the accusations are similar to past stories about the program that he said are without merit.

Fleck, about to start his seventh season as head coach, said physical punishment is never used to discipline players.  That practice is contrary to University of Minnesota Athletic Department policy for all sports at the school.

Fleck said there are multiple avenues in place allowing players to anonymously report issues at Minnesota.  Athletic Director Mark Coyle also makes his cell phone available to Gopher athletes who may have concerns.  But “zero claims” have been made, according to the coach.

“We’re one of the most transparent programs in the country,” Fleck said. “There are tons of testimonials from past, present and even future Gophers to support and prove that.”

P.J. Fleck

Media and fans should be open-minded to potential further developments regarding problems in the program.  The allegations are serious but one new story with anonymous sources will not prompt an investigation of a program that has been successful on the field, in the classroom and with community projects.

There are hundreds of players who have gone through Fleck’s program since he took over as coach in 2017.  There have to be some who didn’t like their experience and probably a few who hold bad feelings and intentions.

A source close to the program texted this to Sports Headliners: “My nugget for you would be that at least a few of these unnamed sources are guys that all failed drug tests and didn’t make it more than a year with Fleck.”

The timing of the Front Office article is interesting, coming during Big Ten Media Days and close to the beginning of the Gophers opening of training camp.  Tyler Nubin, the senior Gopher safety and team leader, reacted this way on Twitter: “Hilarious hit piece. Been a part of this program for 5 years and I’ve never seen anything except great people and great coaches who care about the PLAYERS. This program not for everyone. For obvious reasons…. I ain’t  come back my 5th year for nothing.”

Former Gopher Casey O’Brien tweeted this: “Wouldn’t trade it. Proud alum of @Coach_Fleck and @GopherFootball. #RTB.”

College Football Notes

Fleck continues to receive recognition as a top 25 coach nationally.  Stewart Mandell, The Athletic’s respected college football writer, ranked Fleck No. 21 in a listing early this year that had Alabama’s Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart “1A and 1 B.”

Lindy’s Big Ten football magazine points out the Gophers’ winning record in Big Ten games the last two seasons is a first for the program since 1967-1968.  “Over the past half century, the Gophers have won just 38 percent of their Big Ten games,” per Lindy’s.

The Gophers have no sellouts yet on their seven-game home schedule including the opener with Nebraska August 31.  The athletic department’s website reports limited seating availability for the Big Ten rivalry game. Purchase of a ticket includes the option to buy a ticket to another home game starting at $10.

As in the past, the department is scaling ticket prices differently (sometimes dramatically) depending on the opponent.  Gophersports.com reports tickets range from $115 to $305 for the Nebraska game.  Prices range from $25 to $120 for the second home game of the season, September 9 against Eastern Michigan.

Minnesota’s most attractive road game to many fans will be October 21 in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes.  Iowa’s athletic department website reports the first five home games of the season, including against the Gophers, are sold out.  SeatGeek has tickets for the Minnesota game starting at $61 as of today.

Georgia tries for a third consecutive national championship this year, a feat no team has accomplished in post-World War II college football.  The Gophers were the last to run off three in a row—1934-1936.

Rutgers isn’t on the Minnesota schedule, but no Big Ten program has a closer connection to the Gophers this fall.  Former Gophers Curtis Dunlap and Michael Dixon are expected Rutgers starters at offensive guard and defensive back. Ex-Minnesota assistant coaches Kirk Ciarrocca and Joe Harasymiak are the Scarlet Knights offensive and defensive coordinators respectively.

Comments Welcome

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