Minnesota Twins: Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of Joe Mauer’s Career
With Joe Mauer turning 37 today, we take a look back at the ten most memorable moments of his historic Minnesota Twins career.
Today is Joe Mauer’s birthday, so to celebrate we ranked the ten most memorable moments in Joe Mauer’s career with the Minnesota Twins. There are so many important moments that it was nearly impossible to choose.
Great plays like his double at the 2009 All-Star Game to tie it up and his diving grab on a bunt against the Baltimore Orioles get left off of the list. Memories like his 100th career homer and 1,000th hit also don’t make the cut. However, with ten great moments (and two more honorable mentions) to get to, it’s time to get started.
Joe Mauer’s Honorable Mentions:
Joe Mauer hits his First Home Run-6/6/2004
The first of 143 homers Mauer would hit over his career, Mauer blasted his first career homer in his sixth career game. After missing most of April and all of May due to surgery on his medial meniscus, Twins fans were clamoring to see more their new franchise centerpiece.
Mauer delivered in his third game back from the injury with a three-run home run in the eighth inning. The homer would put the Twins ahead of the Detroit Tigers 6-3 in a game they would win 6-5. It was a good start to Mauer’s career and worth a mention.
Joe Mauer’s First (and Only) Inside the Park Home Run-7/21/2007
Joe Mauer isn’t remembered often for his speed, but in 2007, he used his speed to do the unthinkable, hitting an inside the park home run. With the game tied 2-2, and two runners on, Joe Mauer takes a pitch from Los Angeles Angels reliever Scot Shields to deep center, sending center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. diving for the ball.
Long story short, Matthews Jr. is too far away and the ball bounces to the wall. Mauer and the two runners ahead of him sprint around the bases to score, and the Twins win 5-2. Mauer was then quoted by ESPN saying this: “I was afraid of falling over when I hit the bag at third. It’s a long ways
around there and I haven’t done that in a while.” A true hero.
No. 10: Joe Mauer triples during 2-4 day to win his second batting title-9/28/2008
While Joe Mauer had a much better batting average in 2006 (.347) and 2009 (.365), his other two years to win the batting title, his 2008 batting title was the closest and most memorable.
Mauer was in a dogfight with Boston Red Sox second baseman and eventual 2008 MVP Dustin Pedroia for the award. In Game 162 of the season, Mauer tripled and went 2-4 against the Kansas City Royals locking up the batting title. The final totals?
- Joe Mauer batting average: .328
- Dustin Pedroia batting average: .326
Talk about a close one. Though the team would lose the one game playoff for the division to the Chicago White Sox just one game later, this was a memorable moment for Mauer and the Minnesota Twins fans.
No. 9: Joe Mauer no-look grab off the bounce-6/8/2013
This is one of Twins fans favorite plays to look back on, but unfortunately for these rankings, it didn’t really serve any other purpose other than looking very cool. In the fifth inning of a game against the Washington Nationals, former Twin Denard Span fouls a ball backwards of the backstop.
Without looking, Mauer snags the ball in his glove and hands it to the umpire. It’s an incredible play, and Twins fans often show it to showcase Mauer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a huge moment, keeping it in the No. 9 spot.
No. 8: Joe Mauer walk-off Home Run-5/5/2017
Over his Twins career, Joe Mauer only hit one walk-off homer, but it was a great one. With the Twins and the Red Sox tied in the bottom of the ninth and two outs, and Matt Barnes pitching, Mauer pounds a pitch into the bullpen.
The win kept the Twins atop the division, and added a win to a season that saw the Twins finally return to the playoffs. Watching a bearded Mauer travel around the bases to be mobbed by his teammates brings a lot of joy to Twins fans.
No. 7: Joe Mauer Reaches Base in 43rd straight game-9/24/2015
One of a couple of records Joe Mauer holds, Mauer topped Bob Allison‘s team record for most consecutive games reaching base in 2015. In the middle of a so-so season by his standard, Mauer started the streak August 5th and kept it up for over a month and a half, until 9/25/2015.
During the streak, Mauer earned 42 hits and 27 walks over those 43 games for a .364 OBP, setting him atop the team’s record book once more.
No. 6: Joe Mauer reaches around the net for the out-6/10/2010
This was a play so significant, the Twins made a bobblehead out of it. Not joking. With the Twins trailing the Royals 8-6 in the top of the ninth, Royals’ outfielder Mitch Maier popped up a ball that went over the netting behind home plate.
Mauer follows the ball to the backstop, reaches around the net and catches the ball like it’s a snow cone, squeezing on for the ump to see. The umpire calls Maier out, and the Twins go on to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.
No. 5: Joe Mauer earns his 2,000th hit-4/12/2018
With the Twins up 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh and having collected his 1,999th hit four innings ago, Mauer laces his 2,000th hit up the middle to score two runs and put the Twins up for good.
Mauer joined Twins legends Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew, and Harmon Killebrew as the only other Twins to earn 2,000 hits while wearing a Twins uniform. It was a truly excellent accomplishment, and a rare feat in team history.
No. 4: Joe Mauer’s Number is retired-6/15/2019
I was able to attend this ceremony and the game after it, and though it rained a little bit, it was one of my proudest moments as a Twins fan. Less than a year after Mauer played his last game as a Twin, his number was retired by the Twins as a part of Joe Mauer day.
When Mauer gave his speech, there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience, including Mauer, who teared up while explaining what the Twins meant to him. To see one of the franchise’s all-time greats have his number hung in the stadium forever was truly iconic.
Here is the entire ceremony. But just watching the intro, done by the other M&M boy, will give you all the feels.
No. 3: Joe Mauer dives to tag out Gardner-5/17/2009
One of the key moments in Joe Mauer’s MVP season, Mauer fields the ball that was knocked down by pitcher Jose Mijares. He looks to throw to first but the runner is already there, so he holds on. Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner races for home plate with Mauer out of position.
Mauer races about forty feet and dives at Gardner, tagging him for the out. The single most athletic and greatest play Mauer made in his career, the tag saves the game for the Twins, keeping it tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth.
No. 2: Joe Mauer sweeps 2009 award season-11/23/2009
Joe Mauer won the 2009 MVP with a near unanimous 27 of 28 first place votes after already being named the American League starting catcher in the 2009 All-Star Game, the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner at catcher, and taking home the batting title.
Mauer led the league in batting average (.365), OBP (.444), slugging percentage (.587), OPS (1.031) and hit a career high 28 homers and 96 RBI despite missing a month of the season. Mauer deserved all of those awards, and that solidified him as the team’s franchise player.
No. 1: Joe Mauer comes out at catcher in his last game-9/30/2018
In his last MLB game before retiring, with the Twins up 1-0, Joe Mauer came into the game at catcher for the first time since 2013. He saluted the fans, and tearing up caught one pitch with a standing ovation behind him.
Mauer caught one pitch from Matt Belisle, walked to the mound, gave Belisle a hug, returned to the dugout, giving his teammates hugs before retiring in the offseason. The Twins won the game, sending Mauer off in the best way possible.
Mauer is a franchise icon beloved by most Twins fans and someone who is thought highly of across baseball. There are very few players who were better than him behind the plate or wearing a Twins uniform. Happy Birthday Joe!
Next. The best Minnesota Twins player to wear each number: No. 0-25. dark