Will the Twins give Joe Mauer’s celebration an extra jolt?
The biggest storyline for this weekend’s series will come off the field as the Twins are set to retire Joe Mauer’s No. 7 on Saturday night. Mauer played 15 years in a Twins uniform and had a career that is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration with a .306 average, 143 HR and 923 RBI.
In addition to the numbers, Mauer did most of his production at the plate while performing at the catcher position. The now 36-year old was a six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and was the first catcher to win the American League batting title, accomplishing that feat three times. Mauer also claimed the 2009 American League MVP Award for a season where the St. Paul native hit .365 with 28 HR and 96 RBI.
Many Twins fans are torn on Mauer’s legacy in part because of the massive contract he signed following his MVP season. However, he had one of the greatest career’s in franchise history and was a great ambassador for the team during their run of success in the 2000s. Mauer deserves the honor and hopefully, the Twins can put together some strong performances on the field to help the celebration really get going.