Mauer Expected to Win M.V.P., but That’s the Least of the Twins’ Concerns
New York Times By PAT BORZI
Published: November 23, 2009

Monday afternoon’s scheduled announcement of the winner of the American League
Most Valuable Player award comes with limited drama. The Baseball Writers
Association of America guards the voting results judiciously. But if Joe Mauer
of the Minnesota Twins beats out the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter
for the award, industry observers will not be surprised.

Mauer, 26, won his third batting title in four seasons, and his .365 average set
a major league record for catchers. Despite missing the first month of the
season with lower back inflammation, he established career highs with 28 home
runs and 96 runs batted in, and won his second consecutive Gold Glove. He became
the 12th player, and the first since George Brett in 1980, to lead the A.L. in
batting, slugging and on-base percentage.

The bigger question is not whether Mauer will win it, but whether the Twins can
keep Mauer, who will be a free agent after next season, in Minnesota. Or will he
be the next big name jilting a moderately successful middle-market team to sign
with the Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, attempting to hop a sidecar toward a
potential World Series title? It happened this year with C. C. Sabathia, though
never for Jason Giambi or Mike Mussina, whose tenures with the Yankees fell in
the eight years between titles.

In interviews over the last few months, Mauer, who was born and raised in St.
Paul, said his goal was to win a World Series, preferably with the Twins. He has
not threatened to leave, nor has he set a deadline for a deal. It is also
believed that the Twins have not begun talks with Mauer’s agent, Ron Shapiro.
Twins General Manager Bill Smith said that even when talks start, he will not
discuss them.

Still, Twins officials are hopeful that Mauer will stay, although on the open
market he would probably command one of the largest contracts in baseball
history. Mauer is entering the final season of a four-year, $33 million deal
that will pay him $12.5 million this year, the second-highest salary on the
Twins behind first baseman Justin Morneau ($14 million), and more than any
catcher in baseball except the Yankees’ Jorge Posada ($13.1 million).

Mauer’s local roots help. His brother, Jake, manages in the Twins’ minor
league system. And in Shapiro, Mauer has an agent who represented Cal Ripken Jr.
and Kirby Puckett, who played their entire careers with the teams that drafted
them. In 1992, Puckett rejected a more lucrative free-agent offer from Boston to
sign a five-year, $30 million deal with Minnesota that was the richest in
baseball at the time.

But Mauer would be enticing to the Yankees because Posada is 38, has been on the
disabled list three times the last two seasons, and has never been great
defensively. Posada’s contract runs through 2011 and includes a no-trade
clause. Though Boston acquired the All-Star catcher Victor Martinez from
Cleveland last season, the Red Sox could still pursue Mauer and shift Martinez
to first base, with Kevin Youkilis moving to third if the Sox do not re-sign
Mike Lowell.

None of the possibilities are a given; the Twins appear more committed to
keeping Mauer than they did Johan Santana or Torii Hunter, the most recent
high-profile Twins to depart for richer clubs.

The Twins’ payroll usually ranks in the bottom third in major league baseball;
last season Minnesota was 24th at about $67.9 million, the lowest of any playoff
team. The club expects a rise in revenue and payroll next season from a move
into a new stadium. How much, Smith will not say. But it should leave the Twins
in better financial position for a big offer to Mauer.

Perhaps mindful of that, Smith appears reluctant to fill holes at second, third
or the starting rotation with a long-term offer to someone else. Kevin Slowey,
Boof Bonser and reliever Pat Neshek, who were all injured last season, are
expected to be ready for spring training, and Smith thinks the Twins can find
two starting infielders from among Nick Punto, Brendan Harris, Alexi Casilla and
Matt Tolbert.

In 2007, Santana criticized the front office’s commitment to winning after the
club jettisoned Luis Castillo and two other veterans in an apparent salary dump.
Since then, the Twins signed Morneau, closer Joe Nathan, right fielder Michael
Cuddyer and pitcher Scott Baker to long-term deals after all expressed a desire
to stay.

And last season, when Nathan and Morneau hinted that Mauer might leave if the
Twins did not aggressively improve the club, Smith acquired shortstop Orlando
Cabrera at the trade deadline and relief pitchers Jon Rauch and Ron Mahay in
August. All three helped the Twins overcome a seven-game deficit in the division
on Sept. 6 to tie Detroit on the next-to-last day of the season, then win a tie
breaker for the title.

Mauer, though pleased, stopped short of saying the Twins had done enough to
assure him he could win a World Series with his hometown team. That, according
to those close to Mauer, is more important to him than money, and ultimately
will determine whether he remains a Twin past next season.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/sports/baseball/23mauer.html

Statues of Twins stars planned for downtown Mpls
USA Today.com
11/23/09

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Downtown Minneapolis already has a statue of Mary Tyler
Moore tossing her cap in the air. Now some statues of famous Minnesota Twins
players may join her.

The Twins are scheduled to team up with the Minneapolis Downtown Council on
Tuesday to announce "Twins Around Town." The program would place life-sized
statues inspired by Twins stars Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer
around downtown Minneapolis.

Twins president Dave St. Peter and TC, the Twins mascot, are among those
scheduled to attend the announcement at the IDS Crystal Court.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/2009-11-23-2618507715_x.htm

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Monday November 23, 2009.
Today’s MLB Fact: Only two players have hit 18 or more home runs in their
career: Willie Mays with 22 and Jack Clark with 18.
Welcome to new members  Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen, Jordan &
Michelle who bring us to 515 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 67 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 90 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 101 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 140 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 147 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,695 days.
We had 145 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Jeter, Tex contending with Mauer for MVP
One of Yankees stars hopes to top Twins catcher in vote
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
11/22/09 10:00 AM EST

NEW YORK -- One is a power hitter, capable of flicking balls over Yankee
Stadium's short porch at will. The other is a leader and the leading hitter in
Yankees history.

They both were valuable. But Most Valuable? Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter will
soon find their answers.

Both Teixeira and Jeter are up for the American League Most Valuable Player
Award, to be announced on Monday at 2 p.m. ET by the Baseball Writers'
Association of America. And both face a tough task, trying to upend the odds-on
favorite, Joe Mauer of the Twins.

Of the two Yankees, Jeter may have the best shot. Batting leadoff and playing
some of his best defensive shortstop in years, Jeter hit .334 with 18 homers,
107 runs scored and 30 stolen bases, also passing Lou Gehrig for the most hits
in franchise history. During the World Series, Jeter won the Hank Aaron Award,
voted on by fans and given annually to baseball's top offensive player in each
league.

Jeter also may enjoy the benefits of what has so far been a Hall of Fame career.
In 2006, for example, he nearly bested Justin Morneau in the MVP voting despite
inferior statistics across the board. Though this season wasn't quite as
fruitful as that one for Jeter, there's reason to think he can make another run
at the award.

"I think everyone sets goals and tries to accomplish those goals, and our goal
here is to win," Jeter said during the postseason. "That's the bottom line. I
try to do whatever I can on that particular day to help us win. You just try to
be consistent."

Then there's Teixeira. Perhaps the favorite for the AL MVP Award during the
midsummer months, Teixeira fell behind Mauer late in the season and never quite
recovered -- more a testament to Mauer than a criticism of Teixeira. If the
Yankees handed out local awards, which they don't, Teixeira likely would be the
favorite to take home the club MVP, finishing with a .292 average, 39 homers and
122 RBIs.

Both Jeter and Teixeira have already won Gold Gloves for their defense and
Silver Sluggers for their offense.

"For me, it's just being consistent," Teixeira said earlier this year. "I think
that's what I've been the proudest of in my career, that I've been consistent.
You look at my career averages, and I'm a little bit above or a little bit below
every category every year of my career. Fluctuations happen, but I just feel
like I came in here with the same mind-set that I've had every single year, and
I've had the same kind of season."

Jeter and Teixeira, though, now must compete for the AL MVP against Mauer, who
is about as consistent as they come. Despite missing an entire month of the
season due to injury, Mauer hit .365 with 28 home runs as a catcher, also
winning the Gold Glove at the most physically demanding position on the diamond.

Also in the running for the award is Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who hit .324
with 34 home runs for a team that fell one game short of the postseason.

The Yankees, not favored for any major postseason awards, have thus far fallen
short of all such hardware. CC Sabathia finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award
voting last week, a day before Joe Girardi finished third in Manager of the Year
Award voting.

No Yankees player has won a major award since Alex Rodriguez took home the MVP
in 2007.

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091121&content_id=7698698&vkey=news_ml\
b&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Mauer in line for AL MVP hardware
Twins catcher looking to put cap on fantastic season
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/22/09 11:48 AM EST

MINNEAPOLIS -- During Spring Training, Joe Mauer would have given anything just
to be on the field with his teammates.

Back problems had plagued Mauer throughout the offseason and kept him from
participating during the club's six weeks in Fort Myers, Fla. He was finally
diagnosed with inflammation in his sacroiliac joint in mid-March and began the
year on the disabled list. Mauer ended up missing the entire first month of the
regular season as he allowed his aching back to heal.

By the time Mauer was ready to make his return to the Twins on May 1, his
teammates were cautious not to put too much pressure on the All-Star catcher.
They downplayed what he might be able to contribute to the team right away.
After all, Mauer's preparation for the 2009 season had basically been limited to
a handful of extended spring games and Minor League contests.

Turns out the Twins had no need for any concern.

Mauer not only hit a home run in his first at-bat but put together such an
illustrious season that he's considered the favorite to win this year's American
League MVP Award.

On Monday, Mauer will learn whether or not he's earned his first MVP honor when
the Baseball Writers' Association of America announces the balloting results.

If Mauer wins, he would become the fifth Twins player to achieve the feat. He
would join teammate Justin Morneau, who took home the honor in '06, as well as
Zoilo Versalles (1965) Harmon Killebrew ('69) and Rod Carew ('77).

The Yankees' Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira are considered to be Mauer's two
biggest MVP challengers, but the teammates could split votes. Others expected to
be in the mix are the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera and the Angels' Kendry Morales,
both of whom had strong years for teams that made the postseason.

But many, especially on the Twins, feel there is strong reason to believe that
it will be Mauer who gets the phone call on Monday.

"I don't see how anybody can compete with that," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire
said of Mauer's season. "The year Joe had was just incredible. It's almost hard
to wrap your mind around where he now stands in the history of the game. I know
what he means to our ballclub and our organization. But I think everybody,
nationally, is starting to get a little bit of a feel now how really, really
good this guy is. I think you just top it off by giving him an MVP award, which
he rightfully deserves."

Statistically, it's hard to argue against Mauer considering the numbers he put
up in only five months. He batted .365 to earn his second consecutive AL batting
title. It was the third batting title of Mauer's career, making the 26-year-old
the only catcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat. He's now the
10th player in AL history with three or more batting titles.

In addition to leading the league in batting average, Mauer was also the leader
in on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.587), giving him what
some stat gurus have deemed the modern Triple Crown. He set career highs in home
runs (28) and RBIs (96). And it was an unexpected power surge for Mauer that was
the biggest change for him in 2009, as he more than doubled his previous high in
homers (13).

But Mauer's impact on the Twins is about more than just his offensive numbers.
During the first month of the season, the club saw what it was like to not have
its Gold Glove catcher behind the plate. In addition to having one of the better
arms in the league, Mauer has also played a key role in helping to steady the
Minnesota's pitching staff.

"I can't say he's gone to the next level, because he's been at a level that not
too many people have been at anyway," Gardenhire said. "But the MVP Award would
really put a cap on what we've known all along here in Minnesota, and that's
what he is -- he is an MVP of the league. He's one of the elite."

Mauer was considered a front-runner for the MVP honor as he flirted with a .400
average going into the month of July, but the catcher saw his candidacy surge
thanks to the Minnesota's late-season run. After sitting seven games back of the
Tigers on Sept. 6, the Twins won 17 of their final 21 games -- including a
one-game tiebreaker -- to capture the club's fifth division title in eight
years. With Morneau out for the final three weeks of the season due to injury,
Mauer's production became even more critical. The club went 11-11 in April
without Mauer and posted a 76-65 record once he returned.

"I think you take Joe out of this lineup, off this team, and I don't think we're
still battling for a playoff spot right now," Morneau said in early September.
"For me, I don't think there is anyone more valuable in the league -- the
American League for sure -- let alone all of baseball."

While Mauer is still waiting to learn whether he'll be named AL MVP, he's
already taken home his share of honors this offseason. He was named the AL's
Outstanding Player in the Player's Choice Awards. He also earned his third AL
Silver Slugger Award and his second consecutive AL Gold Glove.

By Monday afternoon, Mauer might have to clear another spot in his already
crowded trophy case.

Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091122&content_id=7700644&vkey=news_ml\
b&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Sunday November 22, 2009.
Today’s TWINS Fact: Bob Allison, who hit three grand slams in 1961 alone, hit
one more in 1962, then no more for the rest of his career, retiring in 1970.
Welcome to new members  Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen, Jordan &
Michelle who bring us to 515 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Lina from Farmington
Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 68 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 91 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 102 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 141 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 148 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,696 days.
We had 186 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

MVP would be Mauer's coronation
The young Twins catcher already has won batting titles, Gold Gloves and fans'
allegiance. Now he seems on the cusp of another grand prize. Summary.
By JOE CHRISTENSENjchristensen@...
Last update: November 20, 2009 - 8:51 PM

The Twins have asked Joe Mauer to be stationed near the Twin Cities on Monday
afternoon, when the American League's Most Valuable Player is named, in case he
needs to hold a press conference.

No problem, Mauer figured. Though he has an offseason home in Fort Myers, Fla.,
he planned to be in Minnesota anyway for Thanksgiving. If he wins, the official
word would come in a personal phone call from Jack O'Connell, longtime secretary
of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

"That would definitely be a good phone call to get," Mauer said.

Mauer, 26, is a good bet to become the fifth Twin to win AL MVP honors, joining
Zoilo Versalles (1965), Harmon Killebrew (1969), Rod Carew (1977) and Justin
Morneau (2006).

The BBWAA voters -- two from each AL market -- cast their ballots at regular
season's end. These votes are heavily scrutinized each year, with modern critics
often lamenting the voters' seeming reliance on traditional statistics, such as
RBI.

Mauer had a career-high 96 RBI this year, but that's not why he's favored to win
the MVP. The Yankees' Mark Teixeira led the AL with 122 RBI and tied Tampa Bay's
Carlos Pena for the league lead with 39 home runs.

But Mauer won his third batting title and was the first AL player since George
Brett to lead the league in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444)
and slugging percentage (.587). Some have dubbed this the modern triple crown,
as stat gurus believe those categories -- particularly on-base and slugging --
are truer measures of a hitter's production.

Add the fact that Mauer is among the game's top defensive catchers, and his
numbers take on new meaning. He won his second Gold Glove Award on Nov. 10.

"It's hard to find anyone that means as much to their team as he does," Morneau
said. "I think it gets taken for granted a lot of times. I mean you look at
[Tigers catcher Gerald] Laird, with how good he is defensively, his offense
doesn't even matter. Joe's that good defensively, and offensively he's one of
the best in the league."

Orioles broadcaster Buck Martinez, a former big league catcher, said: "Joe might
be the best player in the game. We had a debate on the radio the other day
between Mauer and Pujols. And we love Pujols, but to have a catcher do what
[Mauer] does, it gives you so many more options."

That logic also speaks to Derek Jeter's value for the Yankees. Jeter might not
have Teixeira's power numbers, but power production is expected from a first
baseman. Jeter's .871 OPS (on base-plus-slugging percentage) at shortstop gives
the Yankees a huge boost.

Jeter and Teixeira might be Mauer's two biggest MVP challengers, and the
teammates could split each other's votes. Jeter was runner-up in the MVP voting
to Morneau in 2006, when Morneau had 130 RBI, overshadowing Jeter's .900 OPS.

Statistics tell part of the story, but the MVP is a subjective award. The
official BBWAA ballot lists three main criteria: 1) Actual value of a player to
his team -- that is, strength of offense and defense; 2) Number of games played;
3) General character, disposition, loyalty and effort.

Mauer missed all of April, recovering from a lower-back injury. He returned May
1, hitting a home run in his first at-bat, and wound up playing in 138 of the
team's final 141 games. Though he started 28 games at designated hitter, he
caught 939 innings, ranking fifth in the AL, according to www.hardballtimes.com.

The big change for Mauer was his ability to hit for power. He hit 28 home runs,
more than doubling his previous career high of 13. The Twins went 11-11 in April
without Mauer and 76-65 the rest of the way. In September, Morneau was out with
a back injury, and Mauer helped the Twins overcome a seven-game deficit to win
the AL Central.

Last month, Mauer won the Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Player, as
voted by his peers. The writers' award would add to his ever-expanding trophy
case.

"I think I'm kind of starting to realize what happened during the season," Mauer
said. "When you're in the trenches and stuff like that, you're just trying to
win. When these things come out, you start to understand the type of year you
had."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/70672122.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3\
aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Saturday November 21, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: Who’s on first. What’s on second. Now name the third
baseman.
Welcome to new members  Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen, Jordan &
Michelle who bring us to 515 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Kathleen from Saint
Paul Minnesota & Amy from Sioux Falls South Dakota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 69 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 92 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 103 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 142 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 149 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,697 days.
We had 202 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Today’s MLB Trivia: Who’s on first. What’s on second. Now name the third
baseman. Answer: I Don’t Know.
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Friday November 20, 2009.
Today’s TWINS Fact: Longtime radio broadcaster Herb Carneal began calling the
Twins games in 1962. He was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award in 1996, the highest
honor bestowed upon baseball broadcasters.
Welcome to new members  Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen, Jordan &
Michelle who bring us to 515 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Nicole from Columbia
Heights Minnesota, Mary from White Bear Township Minnesota & Kevin from Plymouth
Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 70 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 93 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 104 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 143 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 150 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,698 days.
We had 255 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Thursday November 19, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: Who has earned the most victories as a MLB All-Star Game
manager?
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Anna from Grove City
Minnesota & Shane from Clinton Township Michigan.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 71 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 94 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 105 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 144 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 151 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,699 days.
We had 166 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Today’s MLB Trivia: Who has earned the most victories as a MLB All-Star Game
manager? Answer: Walter Alston with seven.
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Catching up
Posted by Jim Souhan
Last update: November 17, 2009 - 5:57 PM

My latest SORT (Series of Random Thoughts):

PARTIAL/SEE LINK FOR FULL ARTICLE:

-I'm debating with my colleagues whether Joe Mauer will sign for more or less
than $20 million a year. They say no, because the Twins won't want to commit
more than 20 percent of their projected payroll on one player. Few teams that
have committed that percentage to one player have won.

I say yes, the Twins know that signing Mauer is vital to their marketing, to
their brand. Symbolically, they cannot afford to lose him. In terms of goodwill
and ticket sales, they cannot afford to spend next season hearing more about
Mauer's pending free agency than the wonders of new Target Field.

The question today is the same as it was when I wrote about Mauer this summer,
and Justin Morneau and Mauer's family members said Mauer wouldn't want to play
for the Twins if they aren't committed to winning: Would Mauer actually leave
the Twins if he felt they weren't willing to spend more money in free agency, or
is that a shot across the organization's bow?

Only Joe knows.

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/70326677.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ck\
UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUgOy9cP3DieyckcUsI

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Wednesday November 18, 2009.
Today’s MLB Fact: Late in his life, after open-heart surgery that involved a
triple bypass, National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez is reported to
have said, “That’s the first triple I ever got in my life.”
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 72 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 95 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 106 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 145 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 152 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,700 days.
We had 123 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Tuesday November 17, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: Who was the first player to blast two home runs in one MLB
All-Star Game?
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 73 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 96 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 107 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 146 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 153 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,701 days.
We had 268 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Today’s MLB Trivia: Who was the first player to blast two home runs in one MLB
All-Star Game? Answer: Arky Vaughn, 1941.
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Monday November 16, 2009.
Today’s MLB Fact: Todd Zeile hit at least one home run for 11 different Major
League clubs, a feat that has yet to be duplicated by another player.
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Dena from Winthrop
Minnesota & Nicholas from North Oaks Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 74 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 97 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 108 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 147 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 154 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,702 days.
We had 137 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Sunday November 15, 2009.
Today’s MLB Fact: Walter Johnson pitched 369 innings in 1916 without
surrendering a home run!
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Margaret from
Fairmont Minnesota & Tim from Albertville Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 75 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 98 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 109 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 148 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 155 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,703 days.
We had 155 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Q&A with Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer won his second Gold Glove this week, and he talked to the Star Tribune
about the award and defense in general.
By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune
Last update: November 15, 2009 - 12:11 AM

Joe Mauer has already won three batting titles. He is a strong candidate to win
his first MVP award when voting results are announced Nov. 23. He is in line to
get a huge contract extension, even if Mauer said Wednesday that negotiations
with the Twins haven't started yet. "It's going to happen when it happens,"
Mauer told the Star Tribune's Joe Christensen. But Mauer also had quite a bit
more to say during that interview about an honor -- and a part of his game --
that might go overlooked. The catcher won his second Gold Glove this week, and
he talked to Christensen about the award and defense in general.

Last year, Mauer said winning his first Gold Glove ranked among his proudest
achievements. This one meant a lot, too.

Mauer: "Being a catcher, especially, taking a lot of pride on the defensive side
of things. You're an on-field manager. I take a lot of pride on the defensive
side. It's definitely cool to be voted by coaches and people that are watching
you every day, that's a good thing."

Mauer remains one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, but this year's
numbers were down. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Mauer had a career-high
nine passed balls (after having four in 2008) and caught 26 percent of opposing
baserunners, compared to 36 percent last year and 53 percent in 2007.

Mauer: "I think I might have said this last year -- it was kind of a struggle,
to tell you the truth. We had a very young staff. With a young staff, it gets
tough to control the running game, calling out pitches and trying to put them in
situations where they can succeed. I wish I would have been a little better at
throwing out runners and stuff, but I think we all know that takes a little more
than the catcher. It was a frustrating year, but it was a very rewarding year
also, to see those guys improve, definitely toward the end."

Mauer is said to have led AL catchers in range factor. Not sure that's the most
important stat for a catcher -- though, if you remember Mauer's game-saving tag
of the Yankees' Brett Gardner on May 17, it comes in handy. It was one of the
most unbelievable plays I've ever seen, and it's interesting hearing Mauer
describe what went through his mind.

Mauer: "One of the things I like to do is kind of envision myself in different
situations, so when they come up, it's nothing new and I'm not overly excited or
anything like that. That play, just in general, was one of those kind of plays
that I've never seen before or even thought of, but just kind of reacting to the
situation, knowing what the situation of the game was -- if that guy scores,
we're done. I knew who was on second base before it happened, so you're
thinking, 'OK, our outfielders are going to be in to have a chance to throw this
guy out.' So you know what kind of speed you have on second. When I saw the ball
coming my way, my first thing was try to get an out at first. But it was a long
run out there, and the guy Gardner was in the back of my head, too, that he's
probably going to score from this. It all happened pretty quick, but you've got
to know the situation going in, and if I can get that out at first [as the
second out of the
  inning], the game's over anyway."

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Experts' Awards Picks
SI.com

SI.com's resident experts weigh in with their selections for the eight major
awards.

AL MVP
Tom Verducci: Joe Mauer, Twins.
Nobody is in a class with Joe Mauer, a guy who led the league in the modern
triple crown (batting, on-base and slugging averages) and won a Gold Glove while
playing the most demanding position for a division winner. That makes three
batting titles for Mauer, and three for every other catcher in baseball history
combined.

Jon Heyman: Mauer.
He led the American League in all the percentage categories (batting average,
slugging percentage and on-base percentage) and led the Twins into the playoffs.
The consummate pro. Easy call.

Ted Keith: Mauer.
Cry not for Derek Jeter, he of the 10 All-Star Games, $189 million contract,
superstar lifestyle and oh, yes, five World Series wins. But for the second time
in four years, Jeter is likely to lose out on the MVP award to a player from the
small-market Twins. Just as in 2006, when he finished second to Justin Morneau,
Jeter's best efforts this season (.334, .406 OBP, 30 steals, 212 hits, 107 runs)
are extremely good, but not good enough to win him his first MVP honor. Instead,
the hardware goes to Mauer, who became the first American League player in 29
years to lead the AL in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging
percentage. With Morneau sidelined the last three weeks by injury, Mauer helped
carry the Twins to a remarkable comeback resulting in an AL Central title. Mauer
also had more home runs (a career high 28) and RBIs (a career high 96) than
Jeter, despite not debuting until May 1 because of injury. Score one for the
little guy.

Joe Posnanski: Mauer.
When the Twins made their late season charge for the playoffs -- and then
actually made the playoffs -- they ended the "Mauer didn't play for a winner"
argument and left no question. A good-fielding catcher who leads the American
League in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage? It had
never happened before. Mauer missed 24 games, but his historic season should
make him slam dunk MVP.

Ben Reiter: Mauer.
You look at his jaw-dropping final numbers -- a baseball-leading .365 batting
average, 28 home runs, 96 RBIs, a .444 on-base-percentage -- and you almost
forget that a back injury prevented him from playing until May 1. Then you
consider that he plays catcher, the game's toughest position, and plays it very
well, and that he led a club that had lost former MVP Justin Morneau in
September to an unlikely playoff berth, and you don't have to consider anything
else.

Joe Lemire: Mauer.
When a player leads his league in all three major rate categories (average,
on-base percentage and slugging), wins a Gold Glove for his defense at the
grueling position of catcher and leads his team to a division crown while the
second-best player (in this case, Morneau) misses the season's final month,
there should be no debate over the league's MVP. None. Nor will it be
entertained here.

David Sabino: Mauer.
Despite missing the entire month of April with a bad back, the Twins catcher
came back to repeat as AL batting champ (.365), the third hitting crown of his
career. He led the majors in on-base percentage (.444) and the AL in slugging
(.587), amassing 28 home runs and 92 RBIs for the AL Central champs. Most
impressively, he was a driving force behind Minnesota's late-season surge to the
division crown without cleanup hitter and '06 AL MVP Morneau.

NL MVP
Tom Verducci: Albert Pujols, Cardinals.
Pujols led the league in (deep breath here) on-base percentage, slugging, OPS,
runs, total bases, home runs, adjusted OPS, runs created, extra-base hits and
times on base. It's not even close.

Jon Heyman: Pujols.
This award was decided no more than halfway through the season. Should be a
unanimous pick after Pujols didn't come all that far from the from becoming the
first National Leaguer to win the Triple Crown since Cardinal Ducky Medwick in
1937. The only real question is who finishes second.

Ted Keith: Pujols.
In this, what will become his third MVP season, Pujols may have been the most
impressive he's ever been, which, given the astounding numbers he's produced in
his nine-year career, is saying something. In fact, rather than point out the
many ways Pujols dominated the NL, let us compare him to the only measuring
stick he can fairly be judged by: himself. In '09, Pujols batted .327, which was
actually tied for the second-lowest of his career, but he had 47 home runs
(second-highest of his career), 135 RBIs (second-highest) a .443 on-base
percentage (second-highest), .658 slugging (third-highest) and 115 walks
(personal best), and he did it all for a division champion and in a lineup that
ranked in the middle of virtually every statistical category.

Joe Posnanski: Pujols.
He's the best player in baseball, and his typical brilliance (.327 average, led
league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, runs scored,
extra-base hits, etc.) obscures the fact that there were quite a few players in
the National League who had great years. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in
Milwaukee had huge years. Philadelphia's Chase Utley was great, as was Florida's
Hanley Ramirez. Pujols was the clear No. 1, though.

Ben Reiter: Pujols.
Even an un-Pujolsian finish to the season -- he hit his MLB-best 47th and last
homer on Sept. 9, with 21 games to go -- couldn't derail his MVP candidacy. He
posted an OPS better than 1.000 for the seventh time in his nine seasons, and he
led the NL in not only homers but runs (124), on-base-percentage (.443),
slugging (.658) and total bases (374). Until further notice, this award belongs
to him.

Joe Lemire: Pujols.
Another runaway winner: Pujols is the game's greatest player. He led all of the
majors in seven significant categories -- slugging, OPS, runs, total bases,
extra-base hits, home runs and intentional walks -- and led the NL in on-base
percentage. He was second in the league in doubles and third in walks and RBIs.
Oh, and he also did this while leading his team to a central division crown.

David Sabino: Pujols.
In 2009 he led the majors with 47 home runs, becoming the only player to begin
his career with nine straight 30-homer seasons (including a career-best 10
multi-home run games). He also topped the bigs in runs scored (124), slugging
percentage (.658), extra-base hits (93), times on base (310) and total bases
(374) and set a major league mark for most assists by a first baseman with 185.

AL Cy Young

Tom Verducci: Zack Greinke, Royals.
Only four men ever posted a lower ERA in the AL since the advent of the DH than
Greinke's 2.16: Pedro Martinez (twice), Roger Clemens (twice), Ron Guidry and
Jim Palmer. In his nine no-decisions, Greinke had a 2.35 ERA. Felix Hernandez,
though, is a very, very close second.

Jon Heyman: Greinke.
The only possible knock could be that he pitches in the AL Central. But you know
what? He was even better against the best teams. Had a sub-1.00 ERA against AL
playoff teams.

Ted Keith: Greinke.
As difficult as it is to pick an NL Cy Young winner, it should be just that easy
to choose one in the AL. From start to finish this season, no pitcher in
baseball was as good for as long as Greinke. He started the year by winning his
first four starts without allowing a run, and he finished it by going 4-1 from
Sept. 5-27 with a 0.43 ERA, and that stretch began after he pitched what might
have been the game of the year in the AL, non-Buehrle division: an eight-inning,
15-strikeout gem against the Indians on August 25 that he followed up with a
one-hitter against the Mariners five days later. All told, he finished first in
ERA and WHIP, second in strikeouts and shutouts and fourth in starts.

Joe Posnanski: Greinke.
I've been pushing for Greinke all year, but in the end he made his own case. He
led all of baseball in ERA, and he led the league in WHIP and home runs per nine
innings, he was second in strikeouts and shutouts and strikeout to walk ratio.
He only won 16 games -- which would be the fewest for an AL Cy Young Winner in a
full season since Dennis Eckersley in '92 and fewest for an American League
starter since, um, forever. But wins are an extremely flawed stat, and Greinke
was the best pitcher in the league. Special mention for Hernandez, who won 19
games and pitched almost as well as Greinke.

Ben Reiter: Greinke.
Back in May, Sports Illustrated ran a cover that featured a photo of Greinke and
called him "The Best Pitcher in Baseball." Consider the SI jinx dead (for now),
no matter what Iowa Hawkeyes football fans might tell you. Greinke's 2.16 ERA
was baseball's lowest since (ahem) Clemens' 1.87 in '05, and he would have had
many more than 16 wins had the Royals not been so awful (he received either a
loss or no-decision in nine starts in which he allowed two earned runs or
fewer). His club's struggles should have little bearing here: He was the best
pitcher in baseball, and he should be rewarded as such.

Joe Lemire: Greinke.
Yes, the only time a starter won the AL Cy Young with as few as 16 wins, it
happened during the strike-shortened '94 season. But Greinke's 16 wins were
about a quarter of the Royals' 65 wins. It's not his fault K.C. averaged 3.8
runs of support in his starts. Greinke did, after all, lead the AL in ERA (2.16)
and WHIP (1.07). Honorable mention goes to Hernandez and Justin Verlander.

David Sabino: Greinke.
Greinke was the majors' best pitcher from start to finish, leading everyone with
a 2.16 ERA. Pitching for a club with a .401 winning percentage, the 25-year-old
righty went 16-8, a .667 clip. Among AL hurlers only Detroit's Verlander had
more strikeouts and only Roy Halladay had a better strikeout-to-walk ratio, and
Greinke allowed two earned runs or fewer in 24 of his 33 outings, 10 of which he
allowed no earned runs at all.

NL Cy Young
Tom Verducci: Tim Lincecum, Giants.
This is a great three-way race between Lincecum, Adam Wainwright and Chris
Carpenter. I eliminated Carpenter because he didn't crack the top 10 in the
league for innings or strikeouts. Among Lincecum and Wainwright, Wainwright held
the edge in wins by four and innings pitched by just 7 2/3. Lincecum was better
than Wainwright in ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, strikeouts-to-walks rate, adjusted
ERA, complete games, shutouts and home runs per nine innings. Advantage,
Lincecum.

Jon Heyman: Chris Carpenter, Cardinals.
He led the league in both ERA and winning percentage, which is usually a potent
enough combo to win. Still, a close call with teammate Wainwright. Carpenter was
more consistently excellent.

Ted Keith: Carpenter.
It's amazing to think how good Carpenter's career numbers would look if he
hadn't been so injury-plagued throughout his career. He almost retired after
missing the entire '03 season, but came back and won the '05 NL Cy Young. Then
he missed all but five games of the '07 and '08 seasons and spent more than a
month at the start of this season on the DL, but he returned and should be
rewarded with his second Cy Young of the past five seasons. In '09, he led the
NL in ERA (2.24) and winning percentage (.810), while ranking second in wins
(17) and WHIP (1.007). Lincecum and Wainwright both have compelling cases, but
Carpenter gets the call in the toughest decision of the year.

Joe Posnanski: Lincecum.
I'm torn between Lincecum and Carpenter, who had a remarkable comeback year.
Carpenter had the better ERA (2.24 to 2.48), and the slightly better WHIP, and
while I don't look much at wins he had more of those, too (17 wins to Lincecum's
15) and Carpenter led the league with an .810 winning percentage. But Lincecum
pitched 33 more innings, which is a big difference, and a closer look shows he
faced better competition. Lincecum also led the league in strikeouts for the
second straight year. So close -- and it would not surprise or disappoint me if
Carpenter wins.

Ben Reiter: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals.
This is the only one of the four major awards that isn't clear-cut. The Giants'
Lincecum, last year's winner, finished with an ERA that was superior to
Wainwright's (2.48 to 2.63) and with more strikeouts (261 to 212), but his club
didn't make the playoffs, and I believe that should be a factor in tight races
such as this. Carpenter, the '05 Cy Young winner, also had a better ERA (2.24)
than his Cardinals rotation-mate, but he made six fewer starts and pitched 40
fewer innings. Wainwright is the pick, though any of the three would be
deserving.

Joe Lemire: Wainwright.
Wainwright narrowly wins in a tight three-person race with teammate Carpenter
and Lincecum. Wainwright was not only stellar (19-8, 2.63 ERA, 212 K's) but also
durable (an NL-leading 233 innings and 3,614 pitches). After his first two
starts in April, when pitchers are still building strength, only once did he
fail to complete at least six innings. Carpenter's ERA and WHIP were a little
better, but Wainwright's reliability and 40 extra innings give him a slight edge
over his teammate. And Wainwright's Cardinals made the playoffs, while
Lincecum's Giants fell short.

David Sabino: Carpenter.
Baseball's best comeback story of '09, Carpenter made just four starts in '07
and '08 due to elbow injuries that required Tommy John surgery, but came back in
'09 with a vengeance by winning 17 games, the second-best total of his career
and just two shy of teammate Wainwright's 19. His .810 winning percentage (17-4)
was the highest of any starter and a 2.24 ERA put him just behind Greinke for
the best in the big leagues.

AL Rookie of the Year

Tom Verducci: Andrew Bailey, A's.
I really like what Elvis Andrus did at shortstop for the Rangers, but it's tough
to get past that OPS+ of 82. Bailey of Oakland gets the call for a phenomenal,
if overlooked, season. In the DH era, only two pitchers ever posted a lower WHIP
when pitching as many innings as Bailey did: Pedro Martinez (2000) and Jeff
Zimmerman (1991). And Bailey is only the league's sixth closer in the DH era to
get 25 saves (he had 26) with an ERA 1.84 or better and at least 80 innings
pitched -- the first to do it in 19 years. Major league hitters batted .167
against him, including .081 with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Jon Heyman: Rick Porcello, Tigers.
He became a rare 20-year-old to win 14 games (Dwight Gooden was the last one to
do it). Plus, he pitched superbly when it counted most, giving the Tigers an
excellent chance to win the decider against the Twins in Minnesota. Very tough
for his age.

Ted Keith: Bailey.
Gordon Beckham had a fine debut season, and Porcello was a vital part of the
Tigers rotation, but no rookie was better, and perhaps no player talked about
less, than Bailey. He had 26 saves this season, the same number as all other
rookies combined. He also led all first-year relievers in innings pitched
(83.1), ERA (1.84) and batting average against (.167) and was second in
strikeouts (91).

Joe Posnanski: Bailey.
Extremely close race between Bailey, Detroit's Porcello and Texas' Andrus.
Porcello became the first 20-year-old to win 14 games in a season since CC
Sabathia in '01, and Andrus played Gold Glove caliber defense for the improved
Rangers. But Bailey was pretty dominant as a first-year closer in Oakland. From
July 31 on, the league hit .114 with one homer against him, and he finished the
year with 25 saves, a 1.84 ERA and 91 K's in 83 innings.

Ben Reiter: Bailey.
The 25-year-old Wagner College alumnus entered the season as perhaps Oakland's
third option to close games, behind Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler. He finished it
with 26 saves (he blew only four opportunities) and with a better ERA (1.84)
than Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon and a better WHIP (0.88) than Mariano
Rivera -- a better WHIP than anyone, for that matter, who threw more than 60
innings.

Joe Lemire: Bailey.
Strangely, Bailey was better in the majors -- 6-3, 26 saves, 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP
-- than he ever was in the minors, and his emergence solidified the back end of
Oakland's bullpen when Devine got hurt and Ziegler didn't repeat his magical '08
season. He edged out 20-year-old Tigers starter Porcello, who won 14 games with
a 3.96 ERA, White Sox third baseman Beckham, who batted .270 with 14 home runs
and 63 RBIs, and Rangers shortstop Andrus, who stole 33 bases and played
terrific defense.

David Sabino: Gordon Beckham, White Sox.
One of about a dozen candidates with no clear frontrunner, my nod goes to
Beckham, who sparked Chicago's offense after seizing the starting job at the hot
corner. Among his league's rookies, he was first in RBIs (63), second in home
runs (14), tied for second in hits (102) and first in extra-base hits (43).
Honorable mention to pitchers Porcello of the Tigers (14 wins), Bailey (26
saves) of the Athletics and Tampa Bay's Jeff Niemann (13 wins).

NL Rookie of the Year
Tom Verducci: Chris Coghlan, Marlins.
I can't recall a closer race among five candidates. Three are pitchers: Tommy
Hanson, Randy Wells and J.A. Happ. I'll give Happ the edge because he logged
almost 40 more innings than Hanson and held the slightest edges over Wells in
ERA, innings and strikeouts. Two are everyday players: Andrew McCutchen and
Coghlan. I'll give the edge to Coghlan because he had more at-bats, more hits,
more total bases, hit 35 points higher and had a better OPS. The final call,
between Coghlan and Happ, goes to Coghlan.

Jon Heyman: J.A. Happ, Phillies.
He finished with a superb 12-4 record and excellent 2.93 ERA. But consider, too,
that he pitched at Citizens Bank Park, a hitters' haven. On the road he had a
baseball-best 1.99 ERA. Maybe he should have been given a bigger chance in the
postseason.

Ted Keith: Tommy Hanson, Braves.
Arguably the deepest field of contenders in this year's awards season is in this
category. A case could be made for at least a half-dozen players, maybe more,
including Coghlan of the Marlins, Dexter Fowler of the Rockies, Casey McGehee of
the Brewers, Happ of the Phillies and not one but two Pittsburgh Pirates (yes,
Pirates): McCutchen and Garrett Jones. Happ deserved serious consideration, but
his numbers, especially as a starter, were not quite as good as Tommy Hanson of
the Braves, who gets the call not only for his numbers but for the way he helped
transform that team from the moment he made his debut in early June. He went
11-4 with a 2.89 ERA, allowed just a .225/.301/.358 opponents' hitting line and
had 8.2 K/9. The Braves, two games under .500 when he was called up, finished
with 86 wins at season's end.

Joe Posnanski: Happ.
Another close battle -- this one between Happ and Atlanta's Hanson. They had
remarkably similar statistics. Happ went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA. Hanson went 11-4
with a 2.89 ERA. But Happ pitched about 40 more innings. Hanson seems the more
likely future star, but I think Happ had the slightly better year. Pittsburgh's
22-year-old center fielder McCutchen had a very good rookie year and he might be
the biggest star of the class.

Ben Reiter: Hanson.
There are a number of fine options here -- including McCutchen of the Pirates
and Coghlan of the Marlins -- but the vote should come down to Hanson and
Phillies starter Happ. The Braves (mistakenly, it appears) waited until early
June to promote Hanson from Triple-A Gwinnett, and that gave Happ, who was in
the majors all year, a bit of a head start. Happ pitched 38 more innings than
Hanson, and won one more game (he was 12-4, Hanson 11-4), but Hanson has the
edge in virtually every other category: ERA (2.89 to 2.93), WHIP (1.183 to
1.235), strikeouts per nine innings (8.2 to 6.5). Hanson also simply looked more
dominant, and seems to have the brighter future. While that shouldn't matter in
selecting a Rookie of the Year, it does.

Joe Lemire: Happ.
Happ began the season as a long reliever but entered the rotation in late May
and was Philadelphia's most consistent starter this side of Cliff Lee. Happ went
10-4 with a 2.99 ERA as a starter (and 12-4, 2.93 overall), pitching three
complete games, two of them shutouts. His overall body of work gives him the
edge over the Braves' Hanson, whose starting numbers (11-4, 2.89) are nearly
identical. Honorable mention also goes to McCutchen.

David Sabino: Hanson.
After making his major league debut on June 7, the rookie right-hander rather
quietly settled in among the Senior Circuit's finest hurlers, going 11-4 with a
2.89 ERA and placing in the top 10 of multiple categories. He had stiff
competition from Pittsburgh's Jones (21 home runs in 82 games) and McCutcheon
(.365 OBP), Phillies starter Happ (12 wins, 2.98 ERA) and Milwaukee's McGehee
(.301 average, .499 slugging percentage), but Hanson gets the nod.

AL Manager of the Year

Tom Verducci: Ron Washington, Rangers.
The Rangers were five games out with eight to play. How the heck did they do
that? They played a rookie at shortstop, had a mediocre offense in which no
player drove in 90 runs, got only 89 games out of Josh Hamilton, and gave 99
starts to Scott Feldman, Derek Holland, Tommy Hunter, Brandon McCarthy and Matt
Harrison, all of whom were between 22 and 26 years old.

Jon Heyman: Mike Scioscia, Angels.
The Angels overcame a tragic start to their year plus several key injuries,
easily winning their division despite several stars missing time. They've
developed their own wining style under perhaps the best manager in the game.

Ted Keith: Scioscia.
In '08, a harmonious Angels team cruised to 100 wins -- the most in baseball --
and an easy AL West title in which no other team finished at least .500 thanks
in large measure to a record-setting closer (Francisco Rodriguez) and a crucial
midseason trade that netted them a slugging first baseman with a Gold Glove
(Mark Teixeira). In '09, the Angels had to make due without both K-Rod and
Teixeira and had to deal with the shocking death of pitcher Nick Adenhart in the
first week of the season. They also had injuries to key bats like Torii Hunter
and Vladimir Guerrero and virtually every member of the starting pitching staff,
including John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Kelvim Escobar. Yet the
Angels still managed 97 wins, the second-most in baseball, despite playing in a
division in which two other teams posted at least 85 wins.

Joe Posnanski: Joe Girardi, Yankees.
I know it's common to pick manager of surprise teams -- and I'm a huge Ron
Gardenhire fan -- but I think Girardi had the toughest job this season. Yes, he
was given the best team, but he was also given a team coming off its first
missed playoff in 15 years and controversy swirled around Alex Rodriguez all
spring training. They won 103 games. The Angels' Scioscia will probably win.

Ben Reiter: Don Wakamatsu, Mariners.
The Angels' Scioscia is the favorite here, and while he did a fine job this
season, especially early on when his club was without injured starters Lackey
and Santana, I have a hard time giving this award to a manager of a team with a
payroll that exceeded its division's second-highest by nearly $20 million, and
which won the AL West for the fifth time in the past six years. To me, the
achievement of Wakamatsu, who in his first season guided the Mariners to an
85-77 record, after they finished an AL-worst 61-101 in '08, was more
impressive.

Joe Lemire: Ron Gardenhire, Twins.
Mauer missed the season's first month, Morneau missed its last month, the "real"
Francisco Liriano missed the whole thing and somehow the Twins won the AL
Central despite trailing by seven games on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend and
never holding a full-game lead in the division until after their 163rd
regular-season game. Honorable mention goes to the Angels' Scioscia for rallying
the team after the Adenhart tragedy and the Yankees' Girardi for returning the
Yankees to prominence.

David Sabino: Scioscia.
Despite tragedy, key injuries and pitching woes that haunted his team all
season, Scioscia managed his squad to the second-most wins in baseball using his
usual blend of aggressive base-running, solid fundamentals in the field and deft
usage of his bullpen.

NL Manager of the Year
Tom Verducci: Jim Tracy, Rockies.
The Rockies were 18-28 when he took over, then played .638 baseball (74-42) on
their way to the wild card. Enough said.

Jon Heyman: Tracy.
He took the Rockies on their second great run in three seasons, going 74-42
under Tracy to squeeze their way into the playoffs after the dreadful 18-28
start under Clint Hurdle. Lots of good jobs done in the NL (Tony La Russa, Fredi
Gonzalez, Joe Torre), but the turnaround was swift and stark under Tracy.

Ted Keith: Tracy.
Rarely are these awards as clear-cut as they are this season. When Tracy took
over for the deposed Hurdle as Rockies manager on May 28, Colorado was 18-28 and
only the Nationals had fewer wins. From that point on, they went 74-42 and only
the Yankees had more wins. Tracy deserved credit for instituting a set lineup,
but he also wasn't afraid to make changes when necessary, like when he benched
Chris Iannetta in favor of Yorvit Torrealba at catcher late in the season.
Simply put, Tracy's moves helped turn the Rockies from a last-place club into a
playoff team.

Joe Posnanski: Tony La Russa, Cardinals.
Few picked the Cardinals to win the division. They had what looked to be a
patchwork rotation and a lineup that, excepting Pujols, would struggle. La Russa
did one of the best managing jobs winning the division. Colorado's Tracy will
probably win, though.

Ben Reiter: Tracy.
When Tracy replaced Hurdle as manager on May 29, the Rockies were 18-28 and
already 14� games behind the NL West-leading Dodgers, and 8� games out of a Wild
Card berth. Under Tracy, Colorado went 74-42, finished just three games back of
the Dodgers and won the Wild Card. That's all you need to know.

Joe Lemire: La Russa.
The Cubs were the division's predicted landslide winners, but the Cardinals took
a steady path to the NL Central title, never standing lower than second place
after the season's first four games and leading every day of the season starting
July 31. Pitching coach Dave Duncan, of course, deserves a share of the award
for taking a mostly re-tread pitching staff and turning it into one of the
league's best.

David Sabino: Tracy.
When the former Dodgers and Pirates skipper took over the Rockies in May,
Colorado's record was 18-28 and they were mired in last place, 15 games behind
the Dodgers. However, once he took over fortunes changed and Colorado went on a
historic run, winning 74 of the final 116 games (.638) and taking NL wild-card
honors.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/11/12/experts.awards.picks/

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Saturday November 14, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: Which pitcher holds the Twins record for appearances in a
season?
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Evan from Saint
Cloud Minnesota & Katie from Luvurne Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 76 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 99 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 110 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 149 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 156 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,704 days.
We had 185 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Today’s MLB Trivia: Which pitcher holds the Twins record for appearances in a
season? Answer: Mike Marshall with 90 in 1979.
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Friday November 13, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: On September 30, 1972, New York Mets pitcher Jon Matlack
gave up the 3,000th and final hit of Roberto Clemente’s storied career. The
hit was a fourth inning double in Pittsburgh.
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Scott from
Hutchinson Minnesota & Laurie from Sioux Falls South Dakota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 77 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 100 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 111 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 150 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 157 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,705 days.
We had 161 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com
 

Mauer adds Silver Slugger to mantle
Third time Gold Glove-winning catcher has earned honor
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/12/09 6:00 PM EST
MINNEAPOLIS -- Award season continues to be kind to Twins catcher Joe Mauer.

Mauer added to his growing award collection on Thursday when he was honored with
a Silver Slugger Award.

Louisville Slugger's Silver Slugger Award winners were determined by a vote of
Major League Baseball coaches and managers who vote for the players they felt
were the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and
National Leagues in 2009.

It's the third time that Mauer has been selected for a Silver Slugger Award. He
also took home the award in 2006 and 2008.

The honor came a couple days after Mauer picked up his second straight Gold
Glove Award, and the catcher is considered one of the leading candidates for the
AL MVP Award, which will be announced on Nov. 23.

Mauer, 26, led the AL in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and
slugging percentage (.587) in 2009. He earned his third batting title, making
him the first catcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat.

The Twins All-Star catcher also set career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs
(96), all of which he accomplished after missing the entire first month of the
season due to lower back inflammation.

Selections for the Silver Sluggers are based on a combination of offensive
statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging
percentage, as well as the coaches' and managers' general impressions of a
player's overall offensive value. Managers and coaches were not allowed to vote
for players on their own team.

Joining Mauer as fellow 2009 AL Silver Slugger winners were Yankees first
baseman Mark Teixeira, Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill, Yankees shortstop
Derek Jeter, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, Blue Jays designated hitter Adam
Lind and outfielders Jason Bay of the Red Sox, Torii Hunter of the Angels and
Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners.

Mauer had one wish when the offseason started, and it had nothing to do with any
of the awards that were expected to come his way. Rather, he just wanted to have
a healthy winter, something that hasn't come easy for him in previous years. And
so far, he's been able to see that wish come true.

Mauer went to Baltimore recently to visit with his doctor there as a follow-up
on the lower back injury that caused the catcher to miss all of Spring Training
and the season's first month.

While the inflammation in his sacroiliac joint never flared up during the 2009
season, Mauer was a little banged up by the end of the campaign. That included
the catcher battling some hip flexor problems during the American League
Division Series with the Yankees. But Mauer said nothing is bothering him now.

"I met with my doctor in Baltimore, and everything turned out pretty good,"
Mauer said in a phone interview late Wednesday. "I haven't really had an
offseason where I haven't anything lingering really. But it's good. I just have
to figure out what to do with myself."

While Mauer said that talks have not yet started between him and the Twins on a
contract extension, he was pleased by the one move the club has already made
this winter. Last week, Twins general manager Bill Smith traded center fielder
Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy.

Mauer has been friends with Hardy for a long time, as the two played on many
junior national teams together starting when they were both around 15 years old.

"It's exciting because I've known him a long time and I know what type of guy
we're getting," Mauer said. "He's going to fit in really well in our clubhouse
and in our lineup. It's tough to see Go-Go leave, but you have to trade talent
to get talent. We're going to miss him. You wish him the best and understand
that these things do happen. But I'm excited about Hardy and having him be a
part of this team.

Mauer said he spoke with Hardy following the trade, and the two plan to get
together and possibly play some golf while Mauer is in Arizona next week to play
in Harmon Killebrew's annual charity golf outing.

"I called and talked to him and told him I'm looking forward to having him
here," Mauer said. "I know he's excited. I think it will be a great opportunity
for him."

As for the big award -- the MVP -- that could be coming his way, Mauer didn't
seem too focused on whether or not he will win it. While he acknowledged it
would be special to become just the fifth Twins player to win the MVP Award,
Mauer said it's not going to diminish the year that he had if he doesn't walk
away with the honor.

"Everything that happened this season and the year we had, it's just starting to
sink in," Mauer said. "I'm starting to appreciate it all now -- the run that we
made there at the end and me personally being able to stay on the field and
produce. Now has been a good time to be able to reflect on all those things."

Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091112&content_id=7657728&\
vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

Catching up with Joe Mauer
Posted on November 12th, 2009 – 7:21 AM
By Joe Christensen

Spoke to Joe Mauer on Wednesday night. I know everyone’s biggest question is
about his next contract, and he did address that, saying talks haven’t really
started. But he was responding to an interview request made Tuesday, after
he’d won his second Gold Glove.

Turns out, Mauer was in Chicago while we were there for the GM Meetings. I saw
an item in the Chicago Tribune about how Mauer was there as part of a new
product unveiling for Gatorade. Mauer said it was a deal where the soft-drink
company brings in employees from all over the country and introduces its new
products. Turns out, Mauer was invited to speak.

“They made it a little easier for me, with a Q&A, and it worked out real
well,” he said. Today’s special guest will be Serena Williams. Later, in the
conference, it’ll be Usain Bolt. “Some pretty good athletes and then me,”
Mauer said.

Does that mean Mauer will be part of Gatorade’s next ad campaign? “Well, I
hope to be,” he said. “It was a good thing for me to kind of get to know
them.”

GOLD GLOVE #2
Last year, Mauer said winning his first Gold Glove ranked among his proudest
achievements. This one meant a lot, too.

“Being a catcher, especially, taking a lot of pride on the defensive side of
things,” he said. “You’re an on-field manager. I take a lot of pride on
the defensive side. It’s definitely cool to be voted by coaches and people
that are watching you every day, that’s a good thing.”

Mauer remains one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, but this year’s
numbers were down. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Mauer had a career-high
nine passed balls (after having four in 2008) and caught 26 percent of opposing
baserunners, compared to 36 percent last year and 53 percent in 2007.

“I think I might have said this last year — it was kind of a struggle, to
tell you the truth,” Mauer said. “We had a very young staff. With a young
staff it gets tough to control the running game, calling out pitches and trying
to put them in situations where they can succeed. I wish I would have been a
little better at throwing out runners and stuff, but I think we all know that
takes a little more than the catcher.

“It was a frustrating year, but it was a very rewarding year also, to see
those guys improve, definitely toward the end.”

I heard that Mauer led AL catchers in range factor. Not sure that’s the most
important stat for a catcher, though, if you remember Mauer’s game-saving tag
of the Yankees’ Brett Gardner on May 17, it comes in handy. It was one of the
most unbelievable plays I’ve ever seen, and it’s interesting hearing Mauer
describe what went through his mind.

“One of the things I like to do is kind of envision myself in different
situations, so when they come up, it’s nothing new and I’m not overly
excited or anything like that,” Mauer said. “That play, just in general, was
one of those kind of plays that I’ve never seen before or even thought of, but
just kind of reacting to the situation, knowing what the situation of the game
was — if that guy scores, we’re done.

“I knew who was on second base before it happened, so you’re thinking, ‘OK
our outfielders are going to be in to have a chance to throw this guy out.’ So
you know what kind of speed you have on second. When I saw the ball coming my
way, my first thing was try to get an out at first. But it was a long run out
there, and the guy Gardner was in the back of my head, too, that he’s probably
going to score from this. It all happened pretty quick, but you’ve got to know
the situation going in, and if I can get that out at first (second out of the
inning), the game’s over anyway.”

I’ll have more from the interview in coming days, including — ahem —
coverage of a certain award announcement on Nov. 23 (AL MVP).

http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/christensen/2009/11/12/catching-up-with-joe-\
mauer/

Twins silent on talks with Mauer
The team would not confirm a report that it has entered contract negotiations
with its All-Star catcher.
By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune
Last update: November 12, 2009 - 5:28 AM

CHICAGO - Jerry Bell was Twins president in November 1989 when the team gave
Kirby Puckett a three-year, $9 million contract, making Puckett baseball's first
$3 million-per-year player.

Puckett's agent was Ron Shapiro, who now represents Twins catcher Joe Mauer, as
the team considers another major contract.

"I'm confident that we'll have a good negotiation because I know we're dealing
with good people," said Bell, now president of Twins Sports Inc. "I can't say
I'm confident about the outcome because I don't know."

Bell and General Manager Bill Smith would not confirm a Pioneer Press report
that the team has begun talking with Mauer about a new deal. But Bell said: "I
think when sides want to get something done, usually they do, and I think that's
the case here. But you don't know. It's not done until it's done."

Mauer, 26, received his second Gold Glove Award on Tuesday and today, he will
win his third Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting player at his position.
Mauer has one more year remaining on the four-year, $33 million deal he signed
in February 2007.

"I've been thinking about things like that, but to tell you the truth, we
haven't really started [negotiating with the Twins]," Mauer said late Wednesday
in a phone interview.

"It's the same philosophy that I've had: It's going to happen when it happens.
So I'm just trying to let things happen, not try to make it happen, and it'll
all work out when it needs to."

While Smith was wrapping up baseball's annual GM Meetings in Chicago, Mauer was
in the Windy City as a special guest at a Gatorade conference.

The soft-drink company invited its employees together to introduce some new
products, and Mauer agreed to speak in a Q&A format. Today's guest of honor will
be tennis star Serena Williams, and later in the week, it will be Olympic track
sensation Usain Bolt.

"Some pretty good athletes and then me," Mauer said.

With all the awards coming in, along with the marketing opportunities, Mauer has
had his hands full since the season ended.

"I've been so busy," he said. "One of my best buddies [Tony Leseman] is getting
married this weekend. With all the things that are going on with him, it's kind
of been a good distraction."
Pavano's agent says meeting is excellent

Carl Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, confirmed that he met with the Twins on
Wednesday night in Chicago and called it an excellent first meeting.

Pavano, 33, went 5-4 with a 4.64 ERA in 12 starts with the Twins after arriving
in a trade from Cleveland. He'll likely test the free agent market, but the
Twins expressed their desire to bring him back.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/69819907.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUnc5\
PDiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Thursday November 12, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: Can you name the Detroit pitcher who finished with a 15-9
record in 1952, with two of his wins the result of no-hitters?
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Rosie from Eagan
Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 78 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 101 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 112 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 151 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 158 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,706 days.
We had 174 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Today’s MLB Trivia: Can you name the Detroit pitcher who finished with a 15-9
record in 1952, with two of his wins the result of no-hitters? Answer: Virgil
Trucks.
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player & Gold Glove.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Shooter Now: Twins, Mauer start contract talks
by Charley Walters
cwalters@...
Updated: 11/11/2009 02:56:53 PM CST

As the Minnesota Twins' top executive under the Pohlad family ownership, Jerry
Bell has helped negotiate and approve the team's biggest player contracts in
history. The Twins and representatives for catcher Joe Mauer, who can become a
free agent after next season, have begun talking about a new deal.

"Everything in time ... it'll work out — I hope, and I'm pretty sure," Bell
said this morning. "I feel good about it because I think he wants to stay here,
and we sure want him to be here and all of his teammates want him to be here."

Can the Twins afford Mauer, 26, who is expected to be named the American
League's MVP on Nov. 23?

"We'll see," Bell said.

Bell said he's not nervous about having to sign Mauer, who on the open market
could be worth $25 million a season.
"I'm past the point where I get nervous about these things," Bell said. "It'll
get worked out. They usually do. We usually are able to work something out with
players who we really want to keep."

Bell was asked if he's confident he can get Mauer signed.

"I don't think you need to characterize confident or not confident," he said.
"I'm confident that we will have a good negotiation. To say I'm confident of the
outcome, I don't know.

"He has a good agent (Baltimore-based Ron Shapiro). We've done deals with him
before."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_13762670

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Wednesday November 11, 2009.
Today’s MLB Fact: No one hit more home runs in the 1930’s than Jimmie Fox
with 415.
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Nicole from Maple
Grove Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 79 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 102 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 113 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 152 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 159 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,707 days.
We had 376 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award ,
American League Outstanding player & Gold Glove.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Back-to-back Gold Gloves for Mauer
Twins catcher's fielding percentage third in AL at position
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/10/09 3:30 PM EST

MINNEAPOLIS -- There is no question about the impact Joe Mauer's bat had on the
Minnesota lineup in 2009, but the club was reminded just how critical the
catcher's presence is behind the plate when it was without him for the entire
first month of the season.

Yet the Twins are far from the only ones who have an appreciation of Mauer's
defensive prowess.

On Tuesday, Mauer was named the winner of a Rawlings Gold Glove Award for the
second consecutive year. Managers and coaches from each Major League club vote
for the best defensive players in their respective leagues. They are excluded
from voting for players on their own team.

The rest of the AL Gold Glove winners this year were White Sox pitcher Mark
Buehrle, Yankees first baseman Mark Texeira, Tigers second baseman Placido
Polanco, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. The
outfield winners consisted of the Angels' Torii Hunter, the Mariners' Ichiro
Suzuki and the Orioles' Adam Jones.

While Mauer, 26, made himself a front-runner for the 2009 American League MVP
Award thanks to his amazing offensive stats -- earning his third batting title
by hitting .365 and recording career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs (96) --
his .996 fielding percentage ranked third among all AL backstops. Mauer cut down
26 percent (19 of 73) of runners trying to steal, and he helped guide the Twins'
pitching staff to a 4.32 ERA with him behind the plate.

Mauer committed just three errors in 758 total chances, making 105 starts behind
the plate -- an impressive number considering that he didn't play in Spring
Training and missed all of April due to lower back inflammation.

It's the ninth straight year that the Twins have boasted at least one Gold Glove
winner and the 40th time overall that a player from Minnesota has captured one
of the fielding awards. Mauer becomes the second Twins catcher to earn the honor
in back-to-back seasons. Early Battey, the only other catcher from Minnesota to
win a Gold Glove, took home the award in 1961 and '62.

While Mauer's defense earned him this award, his offense is also a big reason
why he's considered one of the best catchers in the game right now and why he
might rank among the best in history by the time his career is complete. The
26-year-old became the first catcher in Major League history to earn three
batting titles, and he's the only AL catcher to win one.

The 2009 season marks the 53rd year of the Gold Glove Award. The first Gold
Gloves were awarded in 1957 to one player at each position from both leagues,
then expanded the next year to include a lineup of nine players, one from each
league.

Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091110&content_id=7646492&\
vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Tuesday November 10, 2009.
Today’s MLB Trivia: Can you name the Giants pitcher who tied a National League
record when he won 19 straight games in 1912?
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today. Jill from Hastings
Minnesota.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 80 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 103 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 114 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 153 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 160 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,708 days.
We had 332 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Today’s MLB Trivia: Can you name the Giants pitcher who tied a National League
record when he won 19 straight games in 1912? Answer: Rube Marquard.
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award  &
American League Outstanding player.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com

Mauer could add AL MVP to hardware
Twins catcher up for several awards, including top honor
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
11/09/09 2:10 PM EST

MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer has already been named the American League's Player of
the Year for 2009 by his fellow players and by the Negro Leagues Baseball
Museum. So could his first AL Most Valuable Player Award be far behind?

November 23 is the date that Twins fans should circle on their calendars, since
it's the day when they'll learn whether or not Mauer will take home the
prestigious MVP honor.

Mauer is considered a leading contender for the 2009 AL MVP Award, given out by
the Baseball Writers' Association of America, following a season in which he led
the AL in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and slugging
percentage (.587). Mauer earned his third batting title, making him the first
catcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat.

The Twins All-Star catcher also set career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs (96)
as he helped lead Minnesota to another AL Central title thanks to a late
September push. And Mauer, 26, accomplished all of it after missing the entire
first month of the season due to lower back inflammation.

As the award season starts to get in full swing this week, the expectation is
that Mauer will be in the running for his share of hardware -- not just the MVP
Award.

Baseball's award season unofficially kicks off on Tuesday when the American
League Gold Glove Awards are handed out. Mauer won his first Gold Glove last
season for his defensive work behind the plate, and he could possibly make it
two years in a row for the honor.

On Thursday, the Silver Slugger winners from both leagues will be announced.
Mauer and Justin Morneau each took home the honor for their respective positions
in the AL last fall, and at the very least Mauer is a sure bet to repeat.
Despite being hampered by a stress fracture in his lower back that caused him to
miss the final three weeks of the season, Morneau still batted .274 with 30 home
runs and 100 RBIs. But the late-season dropoff and strong seasons by other first
basemen such as Mark Teixeira and Miguel Cabrera will likely leave Morneau out
of the mix this time around.

Twins fans will have to wait two weeks until they learn whether or not Mauer
will take home the most prestigious of the awards -- the AL MVP. But next week,
there will be at least one more member of the Twins who will be up for one of
the major awards.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is expected to be among the leading vote-getters
for AL Manager of the Year, which will be announced on Nov. 18. Gardenhire
helped the Twins to an 87-76 record and their fifth AL Central title in eight
seasons. Minnesota sat seven games behind Detroit on Sept. 6, but rallied to go
17-4 over its final 21 games, defeating the Tigers in a thrilling 12-inning,
one-game tiebreaker at the Metrodome to clinch another trip to the postseason.

Gardenhire has yet to earn the honor of being named AL Manager of the Year, but
he has finished second in the balloting four times since taking over as the
Twins skipper in 2002. It's possible that Gardenhire could finish runner-up yet
again, considering the job that Angels manager Mike Scioscia did in leading his
club throughout adversity to yet another AL West title, as the Halos endured the
passing of young starting pitcher Nick Adenhart in April.

Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091109&content_id=7642056&\
vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

Welcome to the Joe Mauer fan club.
Today is Monday November 9, 2009.
Today’s TWINS Fact: One of the claims to fame of the Hubert H. Humphrey
Metrodome is that it is the only building to host the World Series, the MLB
All-Star Game, the Super Bowl, and the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament.
Welcome to new members  Henry, Kelly, Michael, Sarah, Cheryl, Ceal, Sean, Calen
& Jordan who bring us to 514 in the club.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays today.
We are counting down the days till:
Twins-Fest begins Friday January 29th in 81 days.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 21st in 104 days.
The first Spring training game on March 4th in 115 days.
The Target Field home opener on Monday April 12th in 154 days.
Joe’s 27th birthday on April 19th in 161 days.
The All Star Game at Target Field on Tuesday July 15th, 2014 in 1,709 days.
We had 879 website visitors in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations Joe on your 2009 accomplishments and awards: American League
player of the week for May 24th and the month of May, American League All-Star
starting catcher. American League Batting Champ, The Calvin R Griffith Award  &
American League Outstanding player.
The Joe Mauer fan club is free to join. For more information please use the form
on our website JoeMauerFanClub.com