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Joe Mauer entered the Baseball Hall of Fame last year with a career that gets rarer every MLB season as he spent it all with Minnesota Twins.
Mauer, who is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and was No. 1 overall choice of the twins in 2001, played each of his 15 MLB seasons with the organization. He was a disposable American League MVP, hit 143 home runs, fought .306 and was an all-star six times.
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Minnesota Twins Catcher Joe Mauer (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA Today Sports)
Todd Helton, Tony Oliva, Derek Jeter, Edgar Martinez, Mariano Rivera, Alan Trammel and Chipper Jones were among the recent inductors who have spent time with a team their entire career. Future Hall of Famers such as Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Justin Verlander, Mookie Betts, Max Scherzer, Manny Machado and many others can’t say the same.
The idea of having loyalty to a team in an entire career is something fans have been discussing since the advent of free agency in sports.
Mauer told Pakinomist Digital that it “meant a lot” for him to be able to play with a team – essentially his hometown team – throughout his career.
“I grew up here in Minnesota and messed with the twins. [I] had the dream of playing in the big leagues, [and] for me to be in the position in my draft of years [and] The twins have the first overall choice and choice of me, it is really quite crazy and something that I am so grateful for.
Minnesota Twins First Baseman Joe Mauer (Jesse Johnson-usa Today Sports)
The twin icon Joe Mauer ‘Excited’ for American Century, admits he needs more work with golf game
“But for me, I think many guys would like to have one uniform for their career, but sometimes it’s not up to them. You know they’re being traded or … things don’t work, or it might work in another place. So I’m grateful that I had in Minnesota, was proud to wear Minnesota Jersey every day in my career and grateful to be able to do so.”
Mauer admitted that he still has to squeeze himself a little after being introduced to the Hall of Fame.
But he complained that a thing was missing on his almost perfect resume: a World Series ring.
“The first thing that came to mind is that I would have loved winning a championship,” he told Pakinomist Digital. “Of course, when I signed with Minnesota and kind of re -elected with Minnesota, I signed there with these hopes. It didn’t work. We always tried and I felt good when I signed that we had an opportunity or chance of winning, winning it all.
“But it’s sports. There’s only a happy team at the end of the year. You continue to try to get better and get yourself over the hump. I was able to play with some really good teams and be part of some really good teams. I think if something was missing it would be. But of course when looking back [at] The effort that I and my teammates are putting in, I would not change anything. “
Joe Mauer (Kim Klement-usa Today Sports)
Mauer is ready to compete in the American Century Championship Golf Tournament next month at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Club.
