Joe is back for 2010. And he's here to stay.
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about Joe Mauer. Go figure, right? It’s April, and that means three things; Target Field, daily golf cravings, and #7. As we draw closer and closer to Opening Day, I began to think about just how monumental Mauer’s new deal really was. Not only from a financial standpoint, but from all types of different standpoints.
I thought the days of the loyal athlete were dead. For years I have been watching guys like A-Rod, Mark Texeira, and basically any other Yankee dive into the folds of Steinbrenner’s wallet while they leave the teams that made them superstars in the dust. Money talks these days, and most players will take any pay raise they can. The same holds true for Mauer, but his was a special case.
Joe Mauer is a God send. He is truly a gift from the Heavens. He is a once in a lifetime kind of talent. Never has the MLB seen a catcher of this caliber, and he’s just beginning the prime of his career. To make it even more interesting, he is a member of the Minnesota Twins. Most people outside of baseball have never heard of the Minnesota Twins. In Florida, some people don’t even know where (or what) Minnesota is. No offense Floridians. So for one of the world’s best baseball players to spend the prime of his career with a small market squad from podunk little Minnesota is truly groundbreaking. It goes even deeper. Granted Joe didn’t necessarily give Minnesota the hometown discount ($23 million dollars. Enough said.), but anyone who is anyone knows the Yankees would have spent endless amounts of Georgy Boy’s trust fund to get him in pinstripes. But, Joe stayed. He wants to be here. He wants to win here. Hey, if he’s happy, we’re happy. Twins fans rejoice.
From a bigger perspective, this is the first time in recorded history the Twins have made a move to actually keep a superstar. Remember David Ortiz playing first base? Or Johan Santana footing the mound? Honestly, as a Twins fan, I had grown a little weary of the “bargain-bin approach”. It is remarkably comforting to know the Twins have amassed so much talent, and are wanting to win. No matter the stakes.
It feels like we got Kirby back. It feels good. Thank you Joe, now do us proud!
