Joe Mauer Hall of Fame speech: Everything the Twins legend said at his induction

Over 1,100 miles separate Target Field from Cooperstown, but on Sunday afternoon the little town in New York was at the center of hearts in Minnesota.

Joe Mauer, the Kid from St. Paul, is forever a resident in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He made it in on the first ballot, capping a career in which he never failed to live up to the hype while never losing his humblness.

It's perhaps the most Minnesotan career ever, and Sunday was a celebration of it all.

Mauer's plaque was unveiled and scores of former teammates and franchise legends were on hand to help him celebrate. Fans traveled across the country to be there as well, supporting the hometown kid the same way they always have.

He accomplished so much in his career, building a Hall of Fame case from the very first day he spent with the team. Born and raised in St. Paul, Mauer was a a prodegy from a young age, making a name for himself as a High School star before turning pro and going No. 1 overall to the Twins in 2001.

That weight of expecation was never too much for him, though, as Mauer finished his career as the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles and have a career .300 average. He was an MVP, went to a slew of All-Star Games and will now go down as one of the greatest players in baseball history.

Ever the humble superstar, it should come as no surprise that Mauer's Hall of Fame speech was steeped in vintage hometown kid energy Twins fans have grown familiar with over the years.

Joe Mauer Hall of Fame speech

His speech had everything Twins fans could have wanted. Mauer was always a soft spoken star, and hearing him open up about just how much his teammates and fans meant to him along the was truly a special moment for all.

Things got kicked off by Justin Morneau, who introduced his former teammate before he took the podium.

Mauer got emotional a few times, the first of which was when he mentioned his grandfather still standing next to the television in a batting stance during games even when his eyesight was failing. He also got choked up talking about his former teammates -- so many of whom he didn't name -- while telling them how much of a role they played in his Hall of Fame career.

Thanking his wife and children also got the waterworks going as well. Mauer telling his son, Chip, how he is re-living his childhood love of baseball through him was a moment that hit particularly hard.

Here's everyone Mauer thanked in his speech:

• Jake Mauer, his late father
• Billy and Jake, his brothers
• Teresa Mauer, his mother
• His grandfather and grandmother
• Jim O'Neil, his high school coach at Cretin Durham Hall
• Terry Ryan, former Minnesota Twins GM
• The Pohlad Family
• Ron Gardenhire, former Twins manager
• Paul Molitor, Hall of Famer and former Twins coach
• Twins training staff
• Minnesota Twins fans (who were thanked more than once)
• His wife Maddie and his children
• Baseball writers who voted for him
• The entire Baseball Hall of Fame staff

Mauer joins Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett as the only other Twins players to have gotten into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He also now sits alongside Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Bert Blyleven, and a handful of other Twins legends who also capped their careers with plaques in Cooperstown.

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