There have been a handful of great players to have played for the Minnesota Twins over the years, but only a few have gone down as absolute icons of the franchise.
One of those guys is getting his day in the sun, as Joe Mauer is being inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon. The ceremony is part of a massive pregame celebration planned to take place ahead of first pitch of Minnesota’s game against Arizona later in the evening.
While the game is extremely meaningful given the Twins current standing in the AL Central, it’s hard to imagine anyone having their attention on anything more than celebrating Mauer and all of the memories he have given us over the many years he’s been in our lives.
Mauer is Minnesota mythology up there with Prince and Paul Bunyan. He was born and raised here, played his high school ball locally, and never bit from the apple of temptation to leave. He could have gone to Florida State for college but opted to begin his career in the Twins system instead, and when he famously became one of the most coveted free agents in the history of the game he chose to re-sign with the Twins at a discount.
It’s hard articulate how much Mauer has meant to not only the Twins but to everyone in Minnesota, but an attempt will be made to do that when he’s inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on Saturday.
What time does Twins Joe Mauer Day celebration start?
The Twins are in action against the Diamondbacks on Saturday night at 6:10 pm CT, but fans will want to make sure they get to Target Field early to see all of the Joe Mauer Hall of Fame festivities.
At 4:15 pm CT, the Twins will unveil Mauer’s Hall of Fame plaque, followed by a pregame ceremony featuring speeches from former teammates as well as the man of the hour. All of this will take place before a ceremonial first pitch and the opening lineup announcements which is roughly scheduled for around 6:00 pm CT.
It’s hard to say how long everything will last in the lead up to the start of the game, but it’s a safe bet to assume you’ll want to be in your seat or in a spot where you can get a good view at 4:15 pm CT and worry about getting those tasty ballpark eats later.
Joe Mauer Hall of Fame ceremony events
Here’s everything that has been planned as part of the Joe Mauer Hall of Fame celebration:
- Joe Mauer Twins Hall of Fame plaque unveiled
- Twins Hall of Fame ceremony, featuring Dick Bremer and Justin Morneau
- Joe Mauer Twins Hall of Fame speech
- Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first pitch is going to be thrown out bu Mauer’s three children — Emily, Maren, and Chip — which will be caught by Mauer. That means his first time behind the plate at Target Field since retiring will see him catching his children…so make sure to bring tissues.
Who is giving Joe Mauer Hall of Fame speeches?
While Mauer is going to be capping off the festivities, there will be at least two other people speaking at the pregame ceremony. Twins announcer Dick Bremer is going to be serving as emcee of the event, with Justin Morneau stepping up next to officially induct Mauer into the Twins Hall of Fame.
Which former Twins players are attending Joe Mauer Hall of Fame celebration?
Mauer is the center of attention, but his induction is bringing out a Who’s Who of former Twins players that have crossed his path in one way or another over the course of his career. Not every former player in attendance might have played with Mauer, but the list just goes to show how deeply embedded he is in the fabric of the franchise.
Here’s who is expected to be in attendance:
- Jerry Bell
- Bert Blyleven
- Rod Carew
- Jim Kaat
- Ron Gardenhire
- Greg Gagne
- Dan Gladden
- John Gordon
- Eddie Guardado
- Kent Hrbek
- Tom Kelly
- Tony Oliva
- Jim Perry
- Johan Santana
A handful of former teammates will be on hand to watch Mauer get inducted as well:
- Brian Dozier
- Brian Duensing
- Jason Kubel
- Justin Morneau
- Joe Nathan
- Carl Pavano
- Trevor Plouffe
- Nick Punto
- Josh Willingham
A guest list doesn’t get more impressive than that, which is why the Joe Mauer Hall of Fame ceremony already feels like it will be among the core memories he gave Twins fans over the years.