No. 1 Joe Mauer’s final game
I don’t think any top moments list on the 2018 Minnesota Twins can be void of Joe Mauer’s final game. So many words have been written about the experience, photos shared, and memories written that I don’t know if I can provide anything different.
I will say this. Mauer’s career pretty much marks the span of time in which I began seriously following the Twins. I was born just 10 months in advance of the Twins 1987 World Series championship and did attend and vaguely remember a game in the 1991 season. So I have fuzzy memories of Kirby Puckett and Chuck Knoblauch.
It was around 2001 or 2002 when the Twins came back into focus for me. So Mauer has almost always been there. So it was great to see Mauer play the game as one of the best catchers ever before a brain injury took that from him. It was also incredible to see him battle back and remake himself.
So as weird as 2019 will be without hearing No. 7 Joe Mauer being announced with the starting lineup. I am also very happy to have been able to watch “one of us” give his all to his hometown team. I am also very happy to see him be able to go spend time with his three beautiful children.
With that, we are on to 2019. Who knows what is next for the Twins. What I do know is while 2018 was frustrating it was also very fun. Hopefully, 2019 is filled with similar moments.