Joe Mauer - Master of the Universe

Congratulations to Minnesota Twins Catcher Joe Mauer, as he was just named the American League's Most Valuable Player for 2009. There is something that I have wondered about Joe Mauer for a long, long time. I have wondered what hell his soul must have endured in a former life to come back as Joe Mauer. Let's mull over a few things about Joe so far at age twenty-six:

1. 2009 American League Most Valuable Player
2. Three-time American League All-Star
3. Two-time Gold Glove Winner
4. Three-time American League batting champion
5. Three-time Silver Slugger award winner
6. USA Today High School Football Player of the Year as a Quarterback in 2001
7. Offered full-ride to Florida State University to play Quarterback.
8. High School Basketball All-Star at Cretin-Derham as a Junior and Senior.
9. Will soon sign a contract for $20-25 million per year.
10. Good looking. Great Sideburns.
11. Used to go out with a former Miss USA Chelsea Cooley.
12. Despite #1-11, he's allegedly as humble a person as you'll ever meet.

What gives??!?? In all seriousness, the guy is talented. I have a poster hanging up in my domicile at THE CHECK that reads: "Some day you will tell your grandchildren that you saw him play." That poster ain't talking about Jesse Crain.

A guy like Mauer, for the Twins, comes around once in a generation. Harmon Killebrew. Rod Carew. Kirby Puckett. And now Joe Mauer. He is not merely a run-of-the-mill All-Star, he is a "difference maker." He's a St.Paul kid playing for the home-town team that he grew up rooting for. He's their best player on the field and their most marketable player off the field. Geez, how many teen-age girls have Joe Mauer shirts? Let's put it this way - how many teen -age girls DON'T have Joe Mauer shirts? He is the face of the Twins franchise.

Now, I trust that the franchise understands this. Amidst all of this giddiness, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon as Mauer has one lone year left on his contract. Rumors persist that the evil east-coast teams such as the Red Sox and Yankees already have their sights set on the Twins catcher. And who can blame them - they certainly have more money to spend. I have to admit that seeing Mauer in Yankees pinstripes might cause me to stop watching sports all together. It would be like Packer fans having to to watch Brett Favre in Viking..........oh wait.

Mauer contends, however, that money will not be the final piece of the puzzle. According to Mauer, her simply wants to win. The Twins are also taking steps to make Joe happy. First, they kept one version of their hat for next year with an "M" rather than "TC" because Joe grew up with the "M" hats. Good move. Second, they brought in J.J. Hardy, one of Mauer's good buddies, to play on the team. Good move. Third (and most important) it was just announced that statues of retired Twins players Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett will be built in downtown Minneapolis, along with a statue of Joe Mauer. Yes, that is correct - 26-year-old Joe Mauer will have a statue downtown not too far from Mary Tyler Moore. You cannot beat that. How can Joe possibly leave the team when he already has a statue?

I guess we'll see in the upcoming months. I really believe the Twins will be a pretty good team as they move into Target Field in 2010. I hope they will be good enough to convince Joe Mauer to stay with the Twins.

Otherwise, give him all the money he wants.

Jeff